JUNE 2010 ISSUE

Victims and heroines

All around the developing world, women and girls are the pillars of their families and communities. As part of their daily tasks, they cook, clean, farm, collect wood and fetch water for their households; and provide them with health and hygienic care. Because of these roles, they are particularly vulnerable. In situations of conflict, they become more and more the main targets – through sexual assault and common violence. The importance of their role is their weakness. For the contenders, to humiliate and control them is a way to demoralize the “enemy.” Sometimes, they are also made pawns in a sadistic game of ethnic cleansing. Ironically, when we look closely at war zones and violent prone areas, we’ll see that most of the peacemakers, even in the remotest and harshest places, are also women. The Catholic nuns, who risk their own lives to help the victims and alleviate their burden, are among them. The courage and resilience they show is a lesson in humanity.

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FAITH IN ACTION

Jesus identifies Himself with the poor and the oppressed and what is done for them is the only binding criterion to qualify for eternal life.

by FR. JOSÉ REBELO, MCCJ
Complete Story
 
SAVING CHILDREN

For 36 years, Fr. Shay Cullen and his PREDA Foundation have been rescuing and freeing children from the slavery of drugs, sexual exploitation and petty crime which brought many young boys to jail. His passion to free young people is inspired by the Gospel where Jesus says that He has come to save the oppressed and captives.

by FR. JOSÉ REBELO, MCCJ
Comboni Missionary
Complete Story
 
FIGHTING SEX SLAVERY

PREDA has been rescuing hundreds of sexually-abused children from the grip of traffickers, pimps, nightclub operators and home harassers and giving them a new life. More difficult, though, is to pursue justice on behalf of the victims and bring the perpetrators to pay for their crimes.

by FR. JOSÉ REBELO
Comboni Missionary

Complete Story
 
A TOOTHLESS ACCORD

It is to be hoped that (people) might bring the necessary pressure on politicians in powerful countries to reach an accord that will fend-off runaway climate change. Time is running out.

by FR. SEAN MCDONAGH, SSC
Environmentalist and Writer

Complete Story
 
TRUE EDUCATION

We need the formation of the mind, but also the formation of the heart and spirit. We must give the youth those moral values that, in a unique way, show how to use technical progress correctly. We must form human beings capable of great ideals, capable of forgiveness and reconciliation.

by FR. RENATO KIZITO SESANA
Comboni Missionary

Complete Story
 
A NEW CHALLENGE FOR MISSION

Everything started when we listened to the people and discovered that the biggest problem was internalized poverty. People lose their sense of life, turn inward, become self-absorbed and refuse to believe that things can get better, that they have the resources to change a crisis into an evolution. Self-esteem is reduced to the minimum and leaves room for graver symptoms that can turn into a terrible psychiatric disease like depression.

by FR. RINO BONVINI, MCCJ
Psychiatrist

Complete Story
 
THE UNWILLING DESERTER'S UNRELENTING WAR

For forty years his food and sleep were insufficient, humanly speaking, to sustain life. And yet he labored incessantly, with unfailing humility, gentleness, patience, and cheerfulness. Crowds of people from all walks of life came pressing at his confessional. Only death marked the end of John Mary Vianney's unrelenting struggle with sin. This is why the Curate of Ars is looked upon as the patron of all priests in pastoral life.

by FR. LORENZO CARRARO
Comboni Missionary
Complete Story
 
AT THE SERVICE OF A "LABORER" GOD

"And He said to them: the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few." (Luke 10:2)

by FR. SILVANO FAUSTI, S.J.
Biblist & Writer

Complete Story
 


World Mission receives again a Catholic Mass Media trophy

World Mission (WM) was awarded another trophy by the prestigious Catholic Mass Media Awards (CMMA) in its 31st edition. The magazine was distinguished as the Best Local Community/Parish Newspaper for the third consecutive year.

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QUOTES OF THE MONTH

""Man is made to love; his life is fully realized only if he lives in love."

  Pope Benedict XVI in a message
 sent to Cardinal Stanislaw Rylko,
president of the Pontifical Council
 for the Laity, and to the participants
 of the 10th International Youth
 Forum, held in Rocca di Papa.

"We, Christians, even lately, have often avoided the word 'penance.' Now, under the eyes of the world that speaks of our sins, we see that doing penance is grace and we see how penance is necessary."

 
Pope Benedict XVI in an
 apparent reference to the sex-abuse
 crisis, in a homily during a Mass
 at the Pauline Chapel of the
 papal palace, attended by members
 of the Vatican's Bible Commission.

"The Pope and I are united on the relationship between reason and science, the necessity of dialogue between religions and the need for worldwide ethics, even if my hopes of a reformist course have not been fulfilled."

Hans Küng, a Roman Catholic priest,
 Swiss-born theologian and Vatican critic,
 in an interview conducted by
The European, a Berlin-based
 online news service.

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