Missionaries of the World

Around hundreds of people attended a funeral service yesterday for a renowned preacher P P Job who was often referred to as the Billy Graham of India. Peramangalam Porinju Job died due to heart attack on August 19, 2012 in Hungary. He was 67 years old. The body of the inveterate traveler, who visited 129 countries in his 49-year mission, was brought to New Delhi on Saturday. He was a "courageous evangelist who started small, dreamed big and made things happen," said Marthoma Metropolitan Joseph Mar Thoma, who led the service at the city's Church of Redemption. Job was the President of the International Christian Association, an organization that works for persecuted Christians.

The Daughters of St. Paul in Guwahati Saturday invited their neighbors to pray for peace as the Assam violence saw no letup even after a month. In a fresh outbreak of violence on August 25, unidentified people killed five people who were going to their village from a relief camp in Chirag district, one of the four districts of the Bodoland. One person is reportedly missing. The death toll in the clashes between indigenous Bodo tribesman and Muslim settlers since July 20 has gone up to 86. Some 500,000 people are now living in relief camps.

Indian Missionary, Chandra Sekhar Prasad who was serving as a missionary in Baraichak Patam, Munger District, Bihar died on August 24, 2012. He was undergoing treatment at GEMS Hospital in Sikaria for the last three days as he was having trouble in breathing and cough. He was diagnosed with pulmonary edema and Ascites (fluids in the lungs and stomach) and was under medication. While he was standing and talking over phone, he suddenly fell. He had gone into Cardiac Arrest. Immediately the doctors revived his heart beat through the usage of Defibrillator. But since he was in serious condition he was taken immediately to Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH, Patna) where they had put him on a Ventilator. But not responding to any treatment he passed away last night.

"Jesus knew that among the 12 Apostles one did not believe, Judas," said Benedict XVI. In speaking about Judas, his unbelief, his desire to betray, his devilish nature, the pontiff used a tone not usually associated with homiletics. Compared this to Saint Peter who, in response to Jesus' question "Do you also want to leave?", answered, "Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God" (John, 6:67-69)."

Special prayers were held at the headquarters of the Missionaries of Charity at Kolkata on Sunday on the occasion of the 103rd birth anniversary of Mother Teresa. A mass was held to celebrate the birth anniversary, where nuns from the missionary and other followers of Mother congregated. Superior General of Missionaries of Charity, Sister Prema, said everyone prayed and remembered Mother Teresa for her teaching and sought her continual blessings. She received several national and international awards including the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 for social service during her lifetime.

French Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran on Saturday went to the defence of the young Pakistani girl accused of blasphemy, stressing that she cannot read or write. Interviewed on Radio Vatican, Tauran, who is in charge of interfaith dialogue in the Vatican, said that before asserting a sacred text has been the object of scorn, it is worth checking the facts. Rimsha, aged 11 to 16 according to different reports, is accused of burning pages from a children's religious instruction book inscribed with verses from the Quran, Islam's holy book. She was arrested and remanded in custody last Thursday.

Pope Benedict XVI told a group of lay people this week that the world needs their courageous and credible testimony to bring the hope of the Gospel to all areas of society. In a message sent to the International Forum of Catholic Action in Iasi, Romania, the Pope reflected on the laity's responsibility to the Church and society, reported Vatican daily L'Osservatore Romano. "Co-responsibility demands a change in mentality, in particularly, about the role of the laity in the Church, who are considered not as 'collaborators' with the clergy, but as persons truly 'co-responsible' for being and acting of the Church," he said.

On Sunday, August 26, churches would remember and pray for those who were murdered and wounded for their faith during the Kandhamal massacre in 2008. The Isai Mahasagh in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh earlier appealed to churches to commemorate the day as "Indian Christian Martyrs Day" to remember the sacrifice made by Christians of Odisha. "The number of people embraced death for the sake of faith is over fifty, so we decided to commemorate this event on the last Sunday of August. It is in the month of August 2008, number of believers faced death and suffering. Every Sunday Christians gather all over the world for prayer so it will be fitting to remember and pray for those Christians," Fr Anand Muttungal, Chief Coordinator of the Isai Mahasangh said.

A team of the National Council of Churches in India (NCCI) visited the trouble torn areas of lower Assam on a peace and solidarity mission. The team had visited the relief camps of both Bodos and Bengali speaking settlers. More than 85 people have died and around 400,000 have been forced to flee their homes to displacement camps after clashes between the communities. The team consisted the leaders from the North East India Christian Council (NEICC), Presbyterian Church of India (PCI), Council of Baptist Churches in India (CBCNEI), Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA), Joint Peace Mission Team (JPMT) and Inter-Church Peace Mission (ICPM).

The G20 was under growing pressure to call an emergency summit on global food prices last night as the Vatican accused grain speculators of "hampering the poorest and neediest". The worst drought in 50 years in the United States and poor harvests in Central Asia have raised fears of global food riots, and led to increased scrutiny of commodities traders who profit by exploiting volatile prices. South Korea's president Lee Myung-bak also wrote to G20 members calling for joint action to stabilise grain prices, warning that the soaring cost of food "threatened the survival of the poor and vulnerable of developing countries". The International Grains Council warned that the world's maize stocks were on course to hit a nine-year low, with Russia's wheat crop falling to levels last seen during the major drought of 2010.

Pope Benedict XVI remembered the service Card Paul Shan Kuo-hsi, SJ, who passed away yesterday, dedicated to the Church as Bishop and President of the Regional Conference of Chinese Bishops. In his message, the pope expressed his closeness to Mgr Peter Liu Cheng-Chung, Bishop of Kaohsiung, Taiwan and the late prelate's successor in Kaohsiung and to "clergy, religious and lay faithful of those dioceses and indeed the entire church in Taiwan". To them, he gave assurance of his prayers for the "priestly soul" of the dearly departed.

Prayer and memorial services are taking place to remember the people who died amid protests at a mine in South Africa. The prayer service took place at the Lonmin owned platinum mine in Marikana, where 44 people died in a week of protests over pay and conditions. Last Thursday, 34 striking miners died when police opened fire on them. Prior to that, 10 people including two police officers were killed in clashes. A church close to the mine will be holding a memorial service to be attended by miners and politicians, including the head of President Jacob Zuma's office, Collins Chabane. President Zuma has ordered an investigation into the shootings.

Archbishop, Ignatius Kaigama, Chairman of Nigerian Bishop's Conference has called on the international community to protect the religious freedom of Christians in Nigeria, warning that extremists of the Boko Haram sect threaten the country's existence. "Pressure your governments, do not abandon us because otherwise Nigeria will be destroyed," said Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama. He made his remarks during the Aug. 19 -25 gathering of hundreds of thousands of people worldwide in Rimini, Italy by the lay ecclesial movement Communion and Liberation.

The Vatican won a major victory on Monday in an Oregon federal Courtroom, where a judge ruled that the Holy See is not the employer of molester priests. The decision by United States District Court Judge Michael Mosman ends a six-year question in the decade old case and could shield the Vatican from possible monetary damages. The original lawsuit was filed in 2002 by a Seattle area man who said the Rev.Andrew Ronan repeatedly molested him in the late 1960s. The plaintiff tried to show that Ronan and all priests are employees of the Vatican, which is therefore liable for their actions.

The World Council of Churches is to hold a consultation on the plight of religious minorities and the misuse of the blasphemy law in Pakistan. The hearing will take place from 17 to 19 September to coincide with the 21st Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva. The consultation is being organised by the World Council of Churches' Commission of the Churches on International Affairs to engage the international community, United Nations officials and the representatives of organisations in Pakistan working on behalf of religious minorities.

Concerned over the mass migration of people from the Northeast, National Council of Churches in India (NCCI) and Evangelical Fellowship of India (EFI)are calling for calm and urging the civil society and Government to take steps to restore peace and review security for people from the community. The Evangelical Fellowship of India (EFI) while denouncing the violence in Assam also decried the "social media hate campaign" that led to an exodus of young professionals from several cities in recent days. The Government has identified 275 websites and blogs that participated in the online campaign of hatred against people from the Northeast. 125 websites have already been blocked. After threats through online posts and text messages, thousands of people from states like Assam, Manipur and Mizoram boarded special trains to travel back home.

President Barack Obama and Republican Challenger Mitt Romney spent a quiet Sunday attending Church with their families, resting up for the campaign's final 11 weeks and the approaching party nominating conventions. While the Romneys enjoyed beautiful sunshine in New Hampshire and the Obamas endured rain in Washington, both men sent top advises to the Sunday talk shows. These surrogates sparred mainly over Medicare and taxes, just as the candidates themselves have done for days.

Peramangalam Porinju Job, an Indian preacher, often referred to as Billy Graham of India, died of heart attack Sunday in Hungary where he had gone on a preaching mission. His age was 76 and he began working as an evangelist in1963, especially among the persecuted Christians in communist and Muslim countries.The UK-based International Biographical Centre, Cambridge, nominated Job as "International Man of the Year" for 2000 – 2001.Job was the president of International Christian Association founded by Rev. Richard Wurmbrand, a Romanian evangelist who opposed communism. The Indian preacher joined the organization that works for persecuted Christians the world over 33 years ago.

Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference condemned the killings at platinum mine in Marikana and called for a judicial inquiry into the circumstances that led to the violence. Thirty-four people died and 78 were injured Aug. 16 when police opened fire on striking miners who, armed with machetes and homemade spears, were gathered on a rocky outcrop at the mine, 60 miles northwest of Johannesburg. Another 10 people, including two policemen, had already been killed in violence at the mine since the start of an illegal strike Aug. 10.

Pope Benedict XVI said that Jesus did not seek recognition during his public ministry but chose instead to preach the sometimes difficult truth of "his sacrifice of love." "Jesus was not a Messiah who aspired to an earthly throne," Pope said during his Sunday Angelus address at Castel Gandoflo Aug. 19. "He did not seek popularity to conquer Jerusalem, and indeed, he desired to go to the Holy City to share the fate of the prophets: to give his life for God and the people." Pope Benedict made his remarks from today's gospel of St. John in which Jesus reveals to the multitude in Capernaum that he is "the living bread which came down from heaven," and that "if any one eats of this bread, he will live forever."

The Communication and Information Technology Commission (CITC) of Saudi Arabia, which is an Agency in Saudi Arabian that regulates information and communication technology has filed objections to a number of proposed generic top-level domains for the Internet, including .bible and .catholic and shared its objections to several of them. After announcing a wide variety of proposed domains in June, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) opened up the opportunity for the public to comment on each of the potential domains.

The Archbishop of Cape Town, Thabo Makgoba has condemned the deaths of 34 people at a mine in South Africa. Police opened fire on miners during a strike at the Marikana mine in the North-east of the country. According to the BBC, at least 78 people were injured in the confrontation. The miners had been striking for more than a week over pay at the Lonmin-owned platinum mine. Prior to Thursday's clashes, 10 people had already been killed in violence surrounding the strike.

A group of 40 Buddhists attacked a Pastor from the Assembly of God Church and his wife in Deniyaya, Matara District, Southern Sri Lanka on August 09, for allegedly promoting Christianity in the area. Radical Buddhists do not tolerate the presence of Protestant groups and want them expelled from predominantly Buddhist regions. Deniyaya is home to about 500 Christians. The attackers included five Buddhist religious and the local Government Secretary.

India won six medals in London Olympics; one medal has been bagged by Mary Kom in Boxing. Her performance inspires many others to take keen interest in sports. Six medals in the Olympics this time that does not record the history. After the long struggle, Mangte Chungneijang Mary Kom, also known as Mary Kom, belonging to Kom tribal community of Northeastern State of Manipur won bronze medal in London Olympic in Boxing. She was a five time World Boxing champion and the only woman boxer to have won a medal in each one of the six world championships.

Police in Karnataka yesterday took into custody a Catholic priest Fr. Vincent of Puttur Syro-Malankara Diocese for allegedly insulting the Indian flag on the country's Independence Day. He unfurled the flag on a pole with a cross atop at the Bishop's residence at Parladka in Puttur. Since Bishop Gee Varghese Mar Divannasios was away, Fr.Vincent, Assistant Pastor of the Cathedral Parish, decided to hoist the flag.

President of India, Pranab Mukherjee says the Catholic Church has contributed immensely to advancement of Indian villages. The newly elected President said this when a delegation of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI), led by its President Cardinal Oswald Gracias, called on him on Monday. President Pranob Mukherjee expressed his deep regard for the Church's service in the field of education and health.

Mission Aviation Fellowship has revamped its historic dove emblem for its new global logo. "From the wings-and-Bible emblem used in some parts of the world, to the dove used by MAF in the United States, the MAF logo has long been a symbol of hope and help to isolated people in remote corners of the globe," said John Boyd, president and chief executive of MAF-US. "This new logo continues that proud tradition."

The Evangelist, Billy Graham has been released from hospital after a short treatment. He was admitted in Mission Hospital, Asheville, North Carolina, in the early hours of Sunday morning. "Mr Graham had a quick recovery and responded very well to his treatment," said Daniel Fertel, MD, Mission Hospital pulmonologist. "Catching these types of pulmonary infections early is crucial for a fast recovery, as was the case for Mr Graham. Despite this illness he remains remarkably healthy for a 93-year-old man."

Christians in Northeastern Nigeria were lucky to be alive after suspected Islamic militants attacked the Kagarawal Catholic Church in Gombe where they were worshiping, injuring at least two policemen and several others. Witnesses told BosNewsLife that at least two gunmen, believed to be fighters of Islamic group Boko Haram, attacked the Kagarawal Catholic Church in Gombe, the capital of Gombe State.

Pakistan's blasphemy law has been used to bring unsubstantiated charges against members of religious minorities. Rev.Zafar Bhatti, President of the Jesus World Mission, is in prison after he was accused of violating the 'black law.' Judges now must decide whether or not to heed the appeal made on his behalf and release him on bail. A Muslim leader said the Christian clergyman sent him text messages that insulted Islam and the Prophet Muhammad. Catholic leaders and human rights activists have responded immediately, pleading for his innocence, noting that police has been subjected to pressures and that the case is vitiated by errors in law.

The Catholic Church's Vicariate of Northern Arabia will move its headquarters from Kuwait to Bahrain, saying the country's location is more accessible for meetings. Apostolic Vicar Bishop Camillo Ballin expressed his "heartfelt gratitude" to King Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain and the ruling family for their "magnanimous gesture of goodwill to the Catholic community of Bahrain," the bishop's office said in an Aug. 9 statement.

Hindu extremists from the Nepal Defence Army (NDA) have issued telephone threats against Catholic churches and circulated leaflets ordering Christians and Muslims to leave the country. Chirendra Satyal, a Nepali Catholic media official and Fr.Robin Rai, Parish Priest at Kathmandu's Assumption Cathedral who was targeted by the same group in a 2009 attack, received threatening phone calls.

The Catholic Bishops' Conference of India's delegation, led by its President His Eminence Cardinal Oswald Gracias met on Shri Pranab Mukherjee, the new President of India at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Monday. His Grace Archbishop Albert D'Souza, the Secretary General and Fr.Joseph Chinnayyan, the Deputy Secretary General were also present. His Eminence Cardinal Oswald Gracias has felicitated the Honourable President and conveyed the prayerful greetings and best wishes of the Catholic Community of India. The Cardinal has assured the Honourable President that the Catholic Community will continue to work for peace, prosperity and harmony of our great nation as in the past.

Evangelist Billy Graham remains at Mission Hospital where he is being treated for a bronchitis infection and now he is still in stable condition. Nurses report that Mr.Graham rested well during his first night at Mission Hospital in Asheville and that, as of early Monday, he is up having breakfast and doing fine. "Mr. Graham continues to do well and the infection is responding well to treatment," said Mission Hospital pulmonologist, David Pucci, DO.

Pope Benedict XVI says that all Christians should reflect on how "hungry" they are to know and love Jesus Christ. We too must ask ourselves if we really feel this hunger, hunger for the word of God, hunger to know the real meaning of life," he said in his Sunday Angelus remarks Aug. 12. "Only those who are attracted by God the Father, who listen and allow themselves to be instructed by him can believe in Jesus, encounter him and nourish themselves of him and this find true life, the path of life, justice, truth and love."

Boko Haram is demanding that Nigeria's Christian President convert to Islam or resign, a stance that again calls into question the Obama administration's playing down of religion as the primary motivation for the radical group. In an online video clip released over the weekend, Abubakar Shekau, leader of Boko Haram told President Goodluck Jonathan to "repent and forsake Christianity." The News Agency of Nigeria said Shekau, speaking in Hausa, said the president should convert or resign if he wanted Boko Haram to end its violent campaign.

Evangelical Victory Church of Game-Loitiki, a village located 7 kilometers outside of Isiolo, Kenya, was attacked and looted on July 7 by an armed mob believed to be sympathizers of the al Qaeda-linked Somali terrorist network al-Shabab. "At noon, attackers armed with guns stormed the compound and immediately began pulling down one iron sheet after another and soon 60 iron sheets were gone," Pastor Joseph Lokuruku, who helplessly watched the incident from a distance, told ICC. "It was a terrible sight to watch the walls of the church come down, I could not shout for help because the attackers could gun me down."

A recent poll that surveyed over 51,000 people across 57 countries reveals that atheism is on the rise globally by almost 10 per cent, with several Asian and European nations experiencing the most growth. Most of the world's population, however, still considers itself religious. Women were found to be slightly more atheistic than men, with 14 per cent of women respondents saying they are convinced atheists, compared to 12 per cent of men. Those with a university degree were more likely to be atheists (19 per cent), while seniors over 65 years of age were the most religious, at 66 per cent.

A group of Hindu radicals, belonging to RSS and BJP, have beaten up Pastor Robinson Thankamani who is in charge of an independent church called House Missionary Society Church, on Sunday, 5th August 2012, at 3.15 pm when the pastor was walking towards his church from his residence for a prayer meeting in his Church in Marthandam, Kanyakumari District, Tamil Nadu in India.

A Group of unidentified gunmen killed at least 19 people and wounded several others, including children, in an attack on Deeper Life Church in Kogi State, in Central Nigeria during an evening service on Monday. Bombings and other kinds of attacks on churches are common in Nigeria, but a local official says this is the first time such an attack has taken place in Kogi, which is further southernmost states previously affected.

Maria Dyer was born as Maria Tarn, a British Protestant Christian missionary to the Chinese in the Congregationalist tradition, who worked among the Chinese in Malaysia. She arrived in Penang in 1827 with her husband, Samuel Dyer, an agent of the London Missionary Society who devoted his life to mission work in the Straits Settlements, a group of British territories located in Southeast Asia. Maria Dyer established girls' schools and inculcated Christian values and behavior in her Chinese pupils. In Singapore, she founded the earliest girls' school, the Chinese Girls' School, which is present-day St. Margaret's Primary School. She was the eldest daughter of Joseph Tarn, Director of London Missionary Society. The Dyers lived in Malacca and then finally in Singapore. Name: Maria Tarn Born : In 1803, London, England Married : Samuel Dyer Missionary Work : Penang, Malacca & Singapore Died : October 21, 1846, Penang Early Life of Maria Tarn Maria Tarn wa...

The leaders from the Dalit Christian and Muslim communities today called for mass protests and state-wide campaigns to force the Central government to act on their demands before the 2014 elections. In a show of unity, several hundreds of Dalit Christians and Muslims joined by activists, priests, nuns and church leaders, took out a 'Parliament March' and hold dharna in the capital demanding the restoration of the Schedule Caste rights guaranteed by the Constitution.

A wooden cross has been specially crafted by the Catholic Church to symbolise its service to others during the Olympics. It was designed and created by artist Jon Cornwall, from the Walsingham House retreat centre in Essex. He used 12 different types of wood to make the cross, symbolising the 12 disciples. The Olympic Cross, specially commissioned for the 2012 London Games, has been blessed by Fr Simon Penhalagan, President of the Sion Community and the cross has been placed at the Joshua Camp, an international gathering of Catholics to coincide with the Olympics.

National Council of Churches in India (NCCI) and Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI) have expressed deep shock and grief over the ongoing communal violence in Assam that has claimed over 40 lives and have forced about 1,70,000 people to flee their homes. The leaders of various churches and Christian denominations met at the Bishop's House in Bongaigaon and resolved to pray for peace and distribute relief to thousands of people who are put up in various relief camps.