Ethiopian Catholic Archbishop Berhaneyesus Souraphiel of Addis Ababa. Photo: CNS Bishops urge French Catholics to pray and fast as bioethics bill returns to Senate
French bishops asked Catholics on Wednesday January 13 to pray and fast for the next four Fridays for respect for human life from conception in response to new legislation.
The bishops of France called on “all Catholics, as well as men and women of goodwill, to turn to God by praying and fasting to ask Him for the grace to open our eyes to all and to be artisans of respect for all human beings from their conception”.
A controversial bioethics bill returns to the French Senate for a second round of debate this month, would fund medically assisted procreation for lesbian couples and single women. Currently in France, IVF is restricted to married or cohabiting men and women with a diagnosis of infertility.
German missionary pioneered Asian Church communications dies age 89
Divine Word Father Franz-Josef Eilers, a pioneering German missionary who worked to develop media and communication systems in the Asian Church, died in the Philippines on January 13. He was 89.
“We have lost a great friend, motivator, teacher and leader who spent most of his years as a priest in developing a strong Church media,” said Divine Word Bishop Chacko Thottumarical of Indore in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh.
Father Eilers was the founder-director of the Catholic Media Council (Cameco) in Aachen, Germany, a member of the Pontifical Council for Social Communication and led Radio Veritas Asia for years.
He also authored several books and scholarly articles and served as director of the Asian Research Centre for Religion and Social Communication.
South Korean Christians back criticism of North Korea
Catholics and Protestants in South Korea have voiced support for a movement that seeks to amend legislation that is seen as a benchmark for peace and reconciliation with North Korea but bars any criticism of the communist regime.
The North Korean diaspora, including refugee groups in South Korea and North Korean rights activists in the United States, has been pressing for amendment of the Development of Inter-Korean Relations Act 2005, also known as the Act on the Prohibition of Spreading Warfare Against North Korea.
The movement wants South Korea to amend the law to allow criticism of human rights violations by the North Korean regime of Kim Jong-un.
During an online public hearing on January 11, Catholic and Protestant leaders voiced support for the move.
Ethiopian cardinal calls for solidarity with displaced people
The President of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Ethiopia and Archbishop of Addis Ababa, Berhaneyesus Demerew Souraphiel, has urged the government and its people to show solidarity with those affected by conflicts in the country.
“Let us, in a special way, support those who are refugees, displaced brothers and sisters. Through the love of our Lord, I encourage you to spend Christmas by doing charity,” Cardinal Souraphiel said in his message for Christmas which in Ethiopia was celebrated on January 7.
The cardinal was referring to the war in Tigray region between government forces and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) which has caused the displacement of at least 950,000 civilians and forced about 60,000 Ethiopians to flee to neighbouring Sudan.