Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone Faith leaders concerned over online censorship of religious speech
YouTube’s blocking of a theologian’s talk on the Christian view of sex as a “content violation” raises serious concerns that “religious speech is being censored online”, San Francisco’s archbishop and Focus on the Family’s president said in a Wall Street Journal op-ed they co-wrote.
“Today’s sexual politics function as a new kind of fundamentalism, one that presents a deep problem to a diverse and democratic society. … Social media enables the new fundamentalism, enforced by the mysterious rules of big tech’s quasi-monopoly,” wrote Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone and Jim Daly.
In their August 12 op-ed, they explained that twice on August 7 a live broadcast by the Rev. Carl Trueman, a scholar, best-selling author and Presbyterian minister, “was booted off the air”.
Campaign for euthanasia and assisted suicide steps forward in Italy
Campaigners in Italy have passed the first hurdle in an effort to legalise assisted suicide and euthanasia.
Both assisted suicide and euthanasia are illegal in Italy, where the criminal law says, “anyone who causes the death of a man, with his consent, is punished with imprisonment from six to fifteen years”.
Since April, pro-euthanasia activists have circulated a petition with the hope of bringing to vote a referendum to remove part of the law, which would effectively decriminalise assisted suicide for adults.
The Italian bishops’ conference has expressed “serious concern” about the petition, stating that “there is no expression of compassion in helping to die”.
Arrest made in relation to fire at Glasgow parish
A man has been arrested and charged with wilful fire-raising after a Catholic church in Glasgow was destroyed last month.
The arrest was announced August 17. The man arrested has not been publicly identified but is described as being 24-years-old.
In Scotland, the charge of “wilful fire-raising” refers to when a person deliberately starts a fire that is intended to damage property.
St Simon’s, Partick, a 163-year-old church in Glasgow, was reported to be on fire in the early morning of July 28. The church was destroyed and the fire was extinguished. One person was rescued and there were no injuries.
Spanish diocese provides shelter for those evacuated due to fire
The Diocese of Avila is providing shelter at its retreat house and school for local residents evacuated due to a fire that started August 14 Saturday and so far has devastated more than 29,000 acres.
A fire broke out between the villages of Navalcruz and Cepeda de la Mora in Spain’s Ávila province. The fire began when a vehicle caught on fire. Its progress has slowed, but it is not yet under control.
The Bishop José María Gil Tamayo of Avila offered the facilities to the local authorities and currently 80 people are housed in both buildings, including firefighters battling the blaze and area residents.
Bishop Gil asked for prayers for the prompt containment of the fire, “which is causing so much damage and suffering” and has necessitated the evacuation of more than 1,000 people.