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Photo: Pope Francis and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I embrace.
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risu.org.ua - In accordance with the law passed by the Ukrainian parliament, the days of January 7 and December 25 were announced non-working days in Ukraine.
Ukrainian MPs have thus amended the Labor Code. December 25, when the world celebrates Christmas according to Gregorian calendar, is traditionally a common working day in counties that celebrate their Christmas on January 7. However, according to new regulations, Ukraine will now officially have two non-working Christmas days - both on December 25 and January 7.
The explanatory note to the new Ukrainian law says that about a third of all Christian communities of Ukraine consider December 25 a holiday.
The law will come into force the day after its official publication.
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risu.org.ua - On a Tuesday afternoon, November 7, 2017 several dozens of Ukrainian-Americans gathered in the nation’s capitol for the Memorial service (Panakhyda) at the National HOLODOMOR Memorial in Washington, DC, Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA informs.
His Eminence Archbishop Daniel of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA and Bishop John Bura of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church, assisted by the Orthodox and Catholic clergy led the Requiem service. As seminarians of both Catholic and Orthodox seminaries chanted the prayerful MEMORY ETERNAL, Archbishop Daniel censed the Monument-Memorial erected in memory of 10 million Ukrainians that starved to death during the cruel regime of Stalin’s Soviet Union in 1932-1933.
Opening the short Memorial program, Mr. Michael Sawkiv of the Ukrainian Informational Bureau (Ukrainian Congress Committee of America) welcomed numerous dignitaries and diplomatic representatives that on a rainy day still joined the group of Ukrainian-Americans at their monument to honor the memory of the lost. Ambassador of Ukraine Valeriy Chaly spoke in English and Ukrainian languages calling to memory the lives of millions of innocent people. Former President of Lithuania Vytautas Landsbergis also joined the Ukrainian community in their commemorative events with offering sincere and strong message not only to the Ukrainian-American community about the need to remember the tragic events of 1930s but also to the modern political powers that often forget about the dignity of human lifeIn the early evening hours of November 17th, US Congress opened its doors to the community of Ukrainians of American background to participate in the formal Ukrainian Genocide briefing.
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For the Chaldean Church, it is crucial to revamp the foundational charter of the state on the basis of the principles of equality and human rights. Some sharia-based rules are unacceptable in a modern and civilian state. The conflict between Arabs and Kurds, and between Erbil and Baghdad, is likely to trigger a new Christian exodus.
Baghdad (AsiaNews) - For Iraq’s rebirth, it is necessary to reform the constitution, “which is the basis of the country’s unity,” and enshrine the principles of equality and human rights, this according to Mgr Shlemon Audish Warduni, auxiliary bishop of Baghdad.
Speaking to AsiaNews, the right-hand man of the Chaldean patriarch Louis Sako, reiterated the commitment of Christians "to peace, security and civil coexistence". Iraq is a rich land, he noted, but it "lacks the will" to achieve this.
Such a goal requires a renewed commitment of the various components of the nation, on the basis of the principle of equality. All citizens must be equal before the constitution. In fact, no nation in the world can "exist without a Charter", Mgr Warduni said.
At the same time, reconstruction after years of war and sectarian violence must be based on the pillars of "justice and freedom." However, the prelate wonders how can we talk about "freedom of conscience" when the basis of governance is "sharia, Islamic law," which guarantees a dominant position to Muslims over other ethno-religious groups.
In the past, the leaders of the Iraqi Church expressed their opposition to Iraq’s controversial constitution, in particular Article 37-2, which does not protect religious freedom and the rights of minorities.
In September 2015, Chaldean Patriarch Louis Raphael Sako sent a letter to Parliament asking for an amendment to the paragraph that says that a minor must be registered as a Muslim if one of the two parents converts to Islam.
Recently, the Chaldean Patriarch, on a visit to France, called for changes to Iraq’s constitution to ensure the "equality of all citizens", and that religion would be a matter of "personal choice". Religion, the prelate explained, should not influence the normal conduct of state affairs.
Full story: http://www.asianews.it/index.php?art=42339&l=en
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Cairo (Agenzia Fides). The North Cairo Criminal Court approved the death sentence for Ahmed Said al-Sonbati, the young man who on October 13, killed and stabbed Coptic priest Samaan Shahata in a peripheral street in Cairo. (see Fides 16/10/2017).
On Wednesday, November 15 – report Egyptian media sources – the documentation of the court proceedings was filed at the office of the Grand Mufti of Egypt, which will have to confirm the legitimacy of the ruling from the Islamic legal doctrine point of view. The court set the date to declare a final verdict to January 15 2018.
During the trial, the assassin confessed that he had premedidated the murder and had studied the priest's movements before attacking and killing him. Father Samaan was attacked by his assassin while he was in the car with another priest. The murderer forced him to get out of the car and beat him to death.
After the killing, some versions relaunched by Egyptian media had presented the assassin as a mentally disturbed person.
Representatives of the Orthodox Coptic Church, such as Anba Stephanos, Orthodox Coptic Bishop of Beba, al Fashn and Samasta, had strongly rejected those versions, which presented the killing as a violent act committed by a mentally unstable person. Before the trial, a medical examination certified that the assassin did not suffer from any mental illness, and was fully conscious when he committed the murder.
Coptic priest Samaan Shetata, married and father of three children, belonging to a diocese of Upper Egypt, was in Cairo to raise funds in favor of the poor of his region. After the murder, Coptic Orthodox Bishop Raphael, Secretary of the Holy Synod of the Coptic Orthodox Church, issued a statement in which, among other things, deplored the fact that many criminals and terrorists, authors of violence against Christians, were not affected by any form of punishment, while some were released after the arrest. This anomaly - emphasized Anba Raphael - contributes to spreading the impression that crimes against Christian citizens often remain unpunished. (GV) (Agenzia Fides, 16/11/2017)
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asianews.it - The historic visit of Card. Raï to Saudi Arabia, where he met King Salman and the hereditary prince. Commenting on his meeting with the former premier, he emphasizes that he understands the "motives" for his resignation. Emphasis placed on the common commitment to peace in the region and the fight against terrorism, together with the historic "friendship" between the two countries.
Beirut (AsiaNews) - Regional politics and terrorism, interreligious dialogue and Lebanese issues were at the center of Maronite Patriarch Bechara Raï ‘s recent trip to Riyadh, the first historic visit of a Christian leader to the Saudi kingdom. Over two days Cardinal Raï met King Salman, hereditary prince Mohammed bin Salman (Mbs) and former Lebanese premier Saad Hariri, who assured that "within the next two days" he will return to Lebanon.
The Cardinal's official meetings were held in the presence of Christian delegates - the two bishops Boulos Matar and Paul Abdelsater - and four Saudi ministers. Although picked up by the local and international press, there was little media coverage, or information on what emerged from the fact-to-face meetings. In fact the Saudi authorities only provided official information to a single Western agency and to the Saudi official state news agency SPA.
At the end of the trip, the Maronite patriarch chose not to go into detail about the results of the meetings that were, overall, short (23 minutes with King Salman). He expanded further on the case of Hariri's resignation, which he claimed to understand "the motives", thus pointing to - without specifying it - the patriarch's hostility to Iranian and Hezbollah maneuvers in the country denounced by the premier.
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On Sunday, 5 November 2017, a gunman entered a Baptist church in Sutherlands Springs, Texas, USA, when the service was underway, and opened fire on the parishioners. Twenty-six people died, including children, teenagers, elderly people and a pregnant woman. His Holiness Patriarch Kirill sent condolences to the U.S. President Donald Trump. The text of the message is given below.
His Excellency
Mr. Donald John Trump
President
United States of America
Your Excellency,
Dear Mr. President,
It grieved me deeply to learn about the tragedy that had occurred at a Baptist church in Sutherland Springs, Texas. I offer my sincere condolences to you and to all the American people.
The dreadful crime, which was committed on a Sunday, the day held sacred by Christians, and claimed the lives of dozens of innocent people, including defenseless elderly people, women and children, shocks by its devilish cruelty and guile. I am convinced that there is no justification whatsoever for such acts of violence.
Please convey my words of consolation and support to the families of the victims. I am praying that the Merciful God the Lover of Mankind comfort all those who sorrow and grant the soonest recovery to the injured.
Yours respectfully,
+KIRILL
PATRIARCH OF MOSCOW AND ALL RUSSIA
- Maronite Patriarch’s visit to Riyadh; meeting with Hariri in his scheduled appointments
- Final Declaration of the 4th Catholic-Muslim Forum (8 November 2017, Berkeley, USA), 10.11.2017
- Orthodox Christians support key church policies, are lukewarm toward reconciling with Roman Catholic Church
- New jihadist threats against Copts: they must be eliminated because they build churches, evangelize, do not respect the Sharia