June, 2019
Pope highlights inequality as threat to democracy
June 11, 2019 · By Junno Arocho Esteves, Catholic News Service for www.ucanews.com
One of the greatest threats to democracy is the normalization of social injustice and economic inequality, both of which remain largely ignored until those most affected rise up in protest and are subsequently labeled as dangerous troublemakers, Pope Francis said. The poor and vulnerable are often met with indifference by those in power, the pope said June 4 at […]
Read More...Philippines struggles to keep population in check
June 11, 2019 · By Ronald O. Reyes, Tacloban City for www.ucanews.com
Jason and Nilda have been married for years and have four children. They didn’t want to have any more, but unfortunately, she is pregnant again. The couple planned for Nilda to undergo tubal ligation, a surgical procedure that would have permanently prevented her from getting pregnant, but she backed out at the last minute. “We […]
Read More...Only 15 percent of India’s child rape cases reach completed trial
June 10, 2019 · By Abhinav Garg for Times of India for www.ucanews.com
Only 15.3 per cent of all cases relating to sexual offences against children in 2013 saw completion of trials in that year and the conviction rate for such crimes was a low 31.5 per cent, latest figures released by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) reveal. Nearly 85 per cent cases of child rape continue […]
Read More...Indian cardinal ‘nothing to hide’ after sex abuse cover-up claim
June 10, 2019 · By Saji Thomas, Bhopal for www.ucanews.com
India’s Archdiocese of Bombay has denied reports of a police case against Cardinal Oswald Gracias and two other bishops for their alleged failure to initiate action against a priest accused of child abuse. “We have not come across any official record of a first information report (FIR) against Cardinal Gracias and his auxiliaries Bishop Dominic Savio and […]
Read More...The Organic Mangoes of the Aeta People
June 7, 2019 ·
The Organic Mangoes of the Aeta People Fr. Shay Cullen 07 June 2019 My hands are sticky from sorting the freshly-harvested, organic fair trade mango fruits of the Aeta indigenous people of Zambales and Bataan. We were gathered in a group surrounded by crates of mangoes and working hands-on with the people and the Preda […]
Read More...Philippine bishops deny hand in Duterte ‘ouster plot’
June 7, 2019 · By Joe Torres, Manila for www.ucanews.com
Two Catholic bishops in the Philippines have denied allegations they were part of a plot to topple President Rodrigo Duterte. The bishops were linked to the making of a video that accused the Duterte family of having links to the illegal drug trade. A man claiming to be in the video said he met Archbishop Socrates Villegas […]
Read More...The Tiananmen massacre 30 years on: Why modern China remains Orwellian
June 7, 2019 · By Benedict Rogers for www.hongkongfp.com
Thirty years ago, China’s Communist Party regime revealed, yet again, its true character when it turned its guns on the people and sent in its tanks to crush peaceful pro-democracy protests in Tiananmen Square. The People’s Liberation Army turned out to be neither on the side of the people nor for liberation as it slaughtered […]
Read More...Philippine activists welcome bill to protect rights defenders
June 7, 2019 · By Joe Torres, Manila for www.ucanews.com
Activists in the Philippines have welcomed the passage of a bill in the Lower House of Congress that seeks to prevent human rights violations and abuses being perpetrated against human rights defenders. The House of Representatives approved on third and final reading on June 3 the Human Rights Defenders Protection Bill, which also imposes sanctions to […]
Read More...Child rights advocates breathe sigh of relief as 17th Congress adjourns without passing MACR bill
June 7, 2019 · By Change.org for www.change.org
Child rights advocates breathe sigh of relief as 17th Congress adjourns without passing bill lowering age of criminal responsibility 6 June 2019 – Child Rights Network, the largest alliance of organizations advocating for children’s rights legislation in the Philippines, expressed a sigh of relief as the 17th Congress adjourned earlier this week without passing the proposed […]
Read More...Vatican names Filipino boy who died at 17 Servant of God
June 6, 2019 · By Catholic News Service for cruxnow.com
MANILA, Philippines – A Filipino teenager who died could be on his way to sainthood after the Vatican declared him a Servant of God, the first step in the process toward sainthood. The Congregation for Saints’ Causes gave the Diocese of Cubao, Philippines, the green light to look into the life of Darwin Ramos who […]
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