An Austrian Catholic archbishop expressed dismay after the country’s top court ruled that assisted suicide should no longer be a criminal offense. In a Dec. 11 statement, Archbishop Franz Lackner said that the court’s judgment that the ban on assisted suicide was unconstitutional was a fundamental “cultural breach.” “Up untilContinue Reading
India was categorised as a “Tier 2 country” in last year’s listing. But the State Department notification, now issued, does not name it among countries of particular concern. Last year, the US religious commission noted that religious freedom conditions in India experienced a drastic turn downward, with religious minorities underContinue Reading
Delhi: Historians have spoken up against the suit filed in Delhi’s Saket court for restoration of 27 temples in the Qutub Minar Complex. The plaintiffs, which includes Lord Vishnu and Tirthankar Rishabh Dev, apart from humans (their devotees), claim that these temples were dismantled, desecrated and damaged under the commandContinue Reading
London: A protest was held Dec. 13, International Human Rights Day, outside the High Commission of India in London, to call for the immediate and unconditional release from prison of Father Stan Swamy. The 83-year-old Jesuit priest who suffers from Parkinson’s disease,has been imprisoned in India since 8 October. ThisContinue Reading
By chhotebhai Kanpur: I find the word “denominations” abominable. In an era of competition between different churches, the term was used to distinguish between them. In today’s ecumenical era, the term becomes redundant. I would rather call them “Sister Churches.” Did not St Paul write to the churches in Corinth,Continue Reading
By Matters India Reporter Darjeeling: In a Carol singing competition organized by a community radio and premiered on YouTube December 14, youth groups outperformed each other both in composition of original carols as well as its video production. Radio Salesian 90.8 FM’s popular Jingle Bells Season 5, had 31 youthContinue Reading
By Frida Toppo Bengaluru: Caren Rodrigues, Assistant Professor at St. Joseph’s Institute of Management, Bengaluru, has been selected as a delegate to the global summit on “Economy of Francesco” commissioned by Pope Francis. She teaches Organizational Behavior, Organizational Structure and Design, Human Resources Management, Research Methods, Performance Management; International HRM,Continue Reading
By Matters India Reporter Kochi: Laity groups in Kerala on December 13 burnt copies of the 2021 calendar of the Trichur Archdiocese that feature the photo of Bishop Franco Mulakkal of Jalandhar, who is accused of raping a nun. The calendar “shows the attitude of Church authorities. Last year alsoContinue Reading
Washington DC: The Trump administration is continuing its unprecedented program of post-election federal executions. They include the execution of Brandon Bernard who murdered two Christian youth ministers in Texas in 1999. Bernard was put to death on December 10 for his part in the killing of Todd and Stacie Bagley,Continue Reading
By Fernando Velho Old Goa: Unplastered laterite as seen in the facade of the Basilica has historically never been widely used in Goa as an architectural element. And why would it? A porous stone that performs unpredictably when exposed to water, laterite is not suited to the humid conditions ofContinue Reading
