PAKISTAN
Christian media fear attacks after killing
Christian journalists have expressed growing concerns for their safety, after a reporter in Northern province was shot and killed recently in an attack for which the Taliban has claimed responsibility.
Mukarram Khan Aatif, a stringer for US-funded Voice of America, was gunned down and killed by a masked assailant who entered a mosque and opened fire on January 17 in Islamabad.
“Constant fear of Taliban groups, the killing of journalists and threatening letters to churches hampers our area of coverage,” said an editor of a diocesan newsletter who spoke on condition of anonymity. He added that there were no other religious publications available in his region. Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan has claimed responsibility for the killing of Aatif, with the group issuing a statement saying that it had warned Aatif about spreading what it called propaganda about the group in the international press.
NIGERIA
Archbishop denounces threats against Christians, calls for protection of the State
His Excellency John Olorunfemi Onaiyekan, Archbishop of Abuja (Federal Capital of Nigeria), denounced the sending of text messages (SMS) “that threaten the existence of plans by some Muslim groups to massacre Christians in the North on a specific night. Many people have been seriously shaken by such utterances. Given the experience of the past, it is understandable that one would not dismiss such texts as empty threats. We cannot take chances with what has become a matter of life or death.” The complaint is contained in a pastoral Message sent to the faithful, which was also sent to Fides, where Archbishop Onaiyekan urged Christians to have faith in the salvation of God. “This does not mean, however, that we fold our hands”, warned the Archbishop of Abuja.
Among the measures to be taken, Archbishop Onaiyekan invited the faithful to ensure security: “We should continue to be vigilant and security-conscious all around us: in our homes, places of work and above all in our places of worship”.
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VATICAN
Pope: Christian unity will take more than kindness
The path to Christian unity requires more than being nice to each other and cooperating, said Pope Benedict XVI. Full and visible unity will require transformation and being conformed to the image of Christ. The Pope said this on January 18, as he dedicated his weekly general audience to the theme of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, which began on Jan 18.
The theme for this year’s Week of Prayer : “We Will All Be Changed By the Victory of Our Lord Jesus Christ,” and the texts for reflection and meditation were prepared by ecumenical groups in Poland.
The Holy Father reflected on the Church’s commitment to ecumenism, “The Second Vatican Council put the ecumenical pursuit at the centre of the Church’s life and work,” he said. He cited John Paul II, who referred to unity, not as “something added on, but [which] stands at the very heart of Christ’s mission. ... it belongs to the very essence of this community.”
SUDAN
Kidnapped priests are well; negotiations on for release
Two priests, Fr Joseph Makwey (40) and Fr Sylvester Mogga (35), were kidnapped on Sunday evening, January 15 from the parish of St Josephine Bakhita, in Rabak, a town 260 kilometers south of Khartoum. “We know that the two priests are in good condition and are probably held in a place near the border between North and South Sudan”, this is what sources of the Archbishopric in Khartoum said.
IRAQ
Iraqi bishops : Country’s reconstruction needs peace and security
Iraq’s Catholic bishops met in assembly for two days (17-18 January) at Ankawa, a town just outside of Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan. The prelates discussed all the issues concerning their pastoral work, with special focus on the country’s ongoing power struggle betweezility, democracy and civic pluralism.
- The future of Iraqis is Iraq, and therefore the Assembly calls for mutual respect to consolidate coexistence, and to reject all forms of violence and extremism. This is our country since ancient times; all religious and ethnic groups have coexisted in understanding and harmony.
