News from around the Catholic world for the week ending 24 October.
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• Pope Francis urges bishops to keep up prayer and advocacy for Christians in the Middle East
• Asia Bibi blasphemy case to go to Supreme Court
• Idaho ministers to sue over laws forcing them to marry same-sex couples
• Former Qantas employee to sue for faith discrimination
• Sentencing of an Illawarra man sparks renewed debates over Zoe’s Law.
TRANSCRIPT
BOBBIE: Pope Francis has once again expressed his deep concern for Christians being persecuted in the Middle East at a consistory of bishops earlier this week.
The consistory had been called to advance the causes for candidates for beatification, however Pope Francis seized the opportunity to reaffirm the need for bishops to be advocates for peace.
Mentioning Iraq and Syria specifically, Pope Francis urged bishops to renew their efforts in prayer and advocacy.
“We cannot resign ourselves to thinking about the Middle East without Christians, who for two thousand years have confessed the name of Jesus,” Pope Francis said.
“Recent events, especially in Iraq and Syria, are very worrying,” the Holy Father continued. “We are witnessing a phenomenon of terrorism of previously unimaginable dimensions. Many of our brothers and sisters are being persecuted and have [been constrained]leave their homes in a brutal way,” he said.
The Holy Father concluded by saying that the situation “requires and adequate response” from the international community, as well as constant prayer.
“I am sure that, with the help of the Lord, genuinely worthwhile reflection and suggestions will emerge, in order to help our brothers and sisters who are suffering, and also to face the drama of the reduction of the Christian presence in the land where He was born and from which Christianity spread,” Pope Francis said.
More on that story via news.va.
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Catholic leaders in Pakistan will appeal a death sentence decision in a long-running blasphemy case.
In the most recent decision over Asia Bibi’ blasphemy case, the Lahore High Court last week upheld a death sentence given to the Catholic mother-of-five. Catholic leaders, however, will continue to appeal the decision, taking the case to the Supreme Court, the highest court in Pakistan.
While disappointed, those who have been fighting the decision remain determined. Father Emmanuel Yousaf Mani of the Catholic National Commission for Justice and Peace told Catholic News Service that the next step is clear.
Fr Mani said, “The only option before us now is to appeal against the verdict. We will appeal against it in the Supreme Court.”
The case dates back to 2009, when Asia Noreen – also known as Asia Bibi – allegedly insulted Muhammad in an argument with her Muslim neighbour. The insult is considered blasphemous under the Pakistan Penal Code, and Noreen was sentenced to death in late 2010.
The case has also resulted in the assassinations of Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer, a Muslim, and Minority Affairs Minister Shahbaz Bhatti, a Catholic, due to their criticism of the case.
More on that story via Catholic Herald
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Over in the United States, two Christian Minsters from Idaho are taking legal action as they face risk of being jailed and fined each time they decline to wed same-sex couples.
Donald and his wife Evelyn Knapp, pastors of the private Hitching Post Wedding Chapel in Coeur D’Alene, have filed a lawsuit against the city over anti-discrimination legislation that has them potentially facing up to six months in jail and receiving a $1,000 fine each time they refuse to perform weddings for same-sex couples.
The lawsuit reads that ”…each day the Knapps decline to perform a requested same-sex wedding ceremony, they commit a separate and distinct misdemeanor, subject to the same penalties. Thus, if the Knapps decline a same-sex wedding ceremony for just one week, they risk going to jail for over three years and being fined $7,000”.
The local legislation penalises businesses that refuse service based on sexual orientation. The laws became an issue for Mr and Mrs Knapp last week after gay marriage was legalised in Idaho.
According to the lawsuit, as a not-for-profit business the chapel is not exempt from the legislation, and must give same-sex couples the same rights as other couples.
City Attorney Warren Wilson has said that it is likely that the Hitching Post is bound by the ordinance.
“I would think that the Hitching Post would probably be considered a place of public accommodation that would be subject to the ordinance,” he said.
He also added that any wedding chapel that turns away a same-sex couple would in theory be violating the law, “and you’re looking at a potential misdemeanour citation,” he said.
Mr and Mrs Knapp’s attorney Mr Jeremy Tedesco has said the city’s legislation is ‘seriously flawed’.
“Our lawsuit intends to ensure that this couple’s freedom to adhere to their own faith as pastors is protected just as the First Amendment intended,” he said.
Same-sex marriages have begun in Idaho this month, despite the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals finding them to be unconstitutional.
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A former Qantas employee is suing the airline for discrimination based on her Christian faith.
Georgina Sarikoudis, a Greek Orthodox woman from Melbourne, has filed a claim against Qantas at the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal due to a uniform policy that forbids her from wearing a visible crucifix necklace.
Mrs Sarikoudis says that she wore the crucifix without issue in her work as a customer service agent for 19 years. However, she claims that she experienced bullying and questioning by the organisation after a uniform change last year, and that she and other Christians were ordered to remove their religious jewellery.
Mrs Sarikoudis said, “For Christians, this is our uniform. Everyone should be able to manifest their religion as they see fit.” She is seeking a change in Qantas uniform policy to allow for the wearing of “religious items of significance”, and an apology from her former employer.
A spokeswoman for Qantas stated that the airline’s dress standards remained unchanged with the new uniform, and that religious jewellery could be worn underneath the uniform.
The spokeswoman said, Many of our employees wear [religious]jewellery every day, it’s simply worn under their uniform. We give our employees plenty of options to wear religious jewellery that is in accordance with the requirement of their faith. We have also outsourced human resource services to help build a more positive work culture.
More on that story at Herald Sun.
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An Illawarra man has been jailed for his role in a crash that killed an unborn child.
Mr Marco Silvestri has been sentenced to 8 years in jail after he hit an oncoming vehicle whilst under the influence of drugs. Ms Jacqueline Sparks, who was in the other vehicle, was seriously injured in the incident, and her unborn daughter, Mia, was killed.
The case has reignited debate over Zoe’s Law, a bill before the New South Wales Parliament that would recognise the death of unborn children occurring as the result of a criminal act. Under New South Wales law, the loss of an unborn child is not recognised as the loss of a separate person. Instead, Mr Silvestri was charged with ‘causing grevious bodily harm’ to Ms Sparks and her two brothers who were also in the car.
This week, during the sentencing, the judge acknowledged the loss of the child, and stated he wanted to impose a stronger sentence, but due to the law as it currently stands, he was unable to sentence for the loss of the child.
Zoe’s Law passed through the Lower House last year, but has not yet been successful in the Upper House owing to a strong campaign by pro-abortion lobbies.
More on that story via smh.com.au
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Music Credit: Waking Up by Dexter Britain.