Missionaries of the World

The General Secretary of World Council of Churches, Rev.Dr.Olav Fykse Tveit has conveyed "sincere condolence" to the people and churches of Brazil over the death of more than 230 students who were killed due to fire at a night club in Santa Maria, Brazil on January 27. In his message to the Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, Rev.Tveit said, "Our prayers are with you as a nation mourning the deaths of those young Brazilians, particularly those supporting all the people affected, including the churches of different confessions, which are providing the necessary accompaniment to families affected by the tragedy."

The Church of South India (CSI), the successor of the Church of England in India, will hold the first UAE Bishop Council between Jan.30 and Feb.1 in Dubai in an effort to better involve its people in the Persian Gulf countries in the Church's programs. All the 22 bishops from Church of South India and some 2,000 delegates from Gulf countries of Oman, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait and UAE are scheduled to take part in the three-day event that starts tomorrow. The common service with the Holy Communion will be arranged for the entire CSI congregation from the UAE and Gulf countries on Feb. 1 Friday at the Holy Trinity Church, Dubai, said Durairaj, Program Organizer.

The 10th Assembly of World Council of Churches (WCC) will be an opportunity for praying, listening and sharing together. The event will provide participants a chance to listen for the voice of God, leading them to justice and peace in the world. These were the words of Rev.Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, the General Secretary of WCC, who spoke with the press in Seoul, Republic of Korea on 29 January.

The persecution of Christians in Asia and around the world "creates dismay throughout the Church. In too many countries, Christians are not allowed any sign of religious affiliation, except by camouflage or in hiding. Experts speak a total of over one hundred thousand Christians of various denominations killed in 2012. A frightening figure, which cannot leave people indifferent - individuals and institutions - even less so in the name of economic and political interests", stated Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco, President of the Permanent Council of the Italian Bishops' Conference.

The Catholic bishops of England and Wales have reacted strongly to a bill published by the British Government on Friday regarding legalization of marriage for same-sex couples. Describing the proposed move as "deeply regrettable", the Church leaders say there is no electoral mandate for the Bill and they describe last year's consultation process on the issue as "shambolic". Members of Parliament are expected to have a first vote on the legislation next month, but the bishops say they'll be vigorously opposing the Bill, "alongside many people of all faiths and none."

More than 600 people, including Christian leaders from across India, celebrated Martyrs Day, which is dedicated to the memory of Rev.Graham Staines, an Australian missionary killed with two of his children on January 23, 1999. A meeting was organized at the Campus Crusade for Christ in Bangalore, Karnataka by the Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC). During the meeting, GCIC President Dr.Sajan K George presented figures related to incidents of anti-Christian persecution in 2012.

Justice should not be secondary to peace and both should go together, according to Dr.Navanethem Pillay, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. She made her comments in an encounter with the Rev.Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, General Secretary of World Council of Churches (WCC). They met on 23 January at the UN Human High Commissioner's Office in Geneva, Switzerland. In the meeting Dr.Tveit shared information concerning the WCC's work in promoting justice and peace, also a theme of the upcoming assembly of the WCC in Busan, Republic of Korea later this year.

The Catholic Bishops' Conference of India urges the Union Government and the State Governments to address these issues without delay, mindful of the fact that violence against women and children will crumble the pillars of our society and eventually cripple the nation in its march towards peace and prosperity. The Catholic Bishops' Conference of India is happy that the Central Government, the Judiciary and some State Governments have already initiated strong and stringent measures to curb the violence on women and children. We hope that this awakening should not be momentary, but it should result in evolving and implementing comprehensive laws and effective measures to ensure the security and safety of women in our metropolitan cities and in villages as well.

The newly installed Archbishop Anil Jose Thomas Couto of Delhi has urged leaders from various religions to join hands to build a better world at a meeting which was organized jointly by the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India's Office for Dialogue and Desk for Ecumenism and the Regional Bishops' Council of North for Dialogue and Desk for Ecumenism yesterday in New Delhi. During his speech, said that the world in which we live is often marked by conflicts, violence against women, exploitation of children and corruption. We have to work together to bring peace and harmony. He was speaking at a program organized to felicitate him.

"One of the most serious sins that scar the face of the Church is its visible lack of unity, especially the historical divisions that have separated Christians and which have not yet been completely resolved." This is what Benedict XVI said in his reflection before the Angelus prayer with pilgrims gathered in St. Peter's Square. The Pope's words are due to the fact that for more than 100 years, 18 to 25 January, the Christian world celebrates the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, "a moment - explained the pope - always welcome by believers and communities, which awakens in all the desire and spiritual commitment to full communion".

The Madras Christian College (MCC), Chennai is planning to start a Community College at West Tambaram near MCC Oxfam School to help school dropouts and women in the locality gain employment skills. The community college is part of MCC's initiatives to mark the 175th year of its commemoration. Miriam Samuel, Head of the Social Work Department and Project Coordinator said, "Many families are daily wage workers and vendors struggle to make ends meet. There are many school dropouts in the area. These youths need to be engaged in a productive way".

The European Court of Human Rights today ruled that British Airways (BA) discriminated against a devoutly Christian airline employee by making her remove a crucifix at work. British Airways check-in clerk Nadia Eweida sparked a national debate in Britain over religion in public life. Eweida was sent home in November 2006 for refusing to comply with rules banning employees from wearing visible religious symbols. She claimed she was a victim of religious discrimination, seeking damages and compensation for lost wages. British courts backed BA but Eweida went to the European Court of Human Rights.

Student Christian Movement in India prepared the Global prayers and readings for January 18-25 of Prayer for Christian Unity. Each year the writing team for the ecumenical event comes from a different country. In 2014, Canadians will choose the readings and make Bible and liturgy suggestions. Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity jointly sponsors the 15-year-old annual event with the World Council of Churches' Faith and Order Commission.

Catholic theologians of Andhra Pradesh under the initiative of the Andhra Pradesh Regional Bishops' Council (APBC) Commission for Doctrine and Theology have formed a regional theological forum called "Andhra Pradesh Theological Forum (APTF)". Some fifty theologians from all over the state met at St. John's Regional Seminary, Hyderabad, on January 07. Chairman of the Commission, Archbishop Prakash Mallavarapu of Visakhapatnam in his presidential message stressed the importance of theologising in the context of the local church. Theological knowledge, he said, should benefit the local church.

Devicode Christian Youths prepared a grand Christmas crib at Devicode Junction at a cast of five lakhs. The Christmas Crib was inaugurated by Rev.N.Raj Kumar, Pastor of Devicode District Church (CSI) in the presence of Rev.Beno A Enose, Assistant Pastor of Devicode District Church on 23.12.12. This Christmas crib was made about 25 feet tall and 35 feet in width. Inside the crib, the sculptures were designed remembering the born of Jesus Christ. The crib had been made for 30 days of work. Number of people in the area and nearby area had seen the crib.

The Bombay Archdiocese would later this month start a campaign to create awareness about violence against women in the country. Initiated by the women commission of the archdiocese, the campaign is named "37 Million Diyas (lamps) Campaign" which would start on January 27. The number "37 Million" is the gender gap between males and females in the country according to the 2011 census.

A training program for priests, nuns and lay people who are interested and engaged in social work is being organized by the Caritas India, the social wing of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India, in Kolkata. The 41st Development Dynamic Courses, which began on January 07, would provide training to 43 participants from India and other south Asian countries, including Combodia, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. The 26-day program is one of the flagship training programs organized by Caritas India every year.

An international delegation of Catholic bishops consisting Archbishop Richard Smith, Edmonton, Canada, Archbishop Joan-Enric Vives– Urgell and Andorra, Spain, Bishop Gerald Kicanas – Tucson, USA, Bishop Stephan Ackermann – Trier, Germany, Bishop Michel Dubost – Evry, France, Bishop William Kenney – ComECE Representative, Bishop Peter Burcher – Reykjavik, Nordic Bishops' Conference and Bishop Declan Lang – Clifton, England and Wales has raised concern over continued unrest in the Holy Land and other parts of the Middle East.

Christians in Maharashtra have accused local Hindu nationalists of leading a campaign denying them basic necessities including water and firewood. The Christian community, including mostly tribal people, in the small town of Manor has been told not to draw water from wells and shopkeepers have refused to sell them firewood to cook food. "A social and economic boycott of Christians is in force in the town by Hindutva [right-wing Hindu] forces," said Joseph Dias, a campaigner for Christians in the area. "Political and communal groups are involved."

Italian Minister for Foreign Affairs Giulio Terzi has given instructions to its embassy in Islamabad to appeal to the Pakistani authorities on behalf of Asia Bibi. Bibi, a Christian, has been held since 2009 and condemned to death on the charge of blasphemy. According to a news release from Italy's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, this underscores the Italian government's expectation that the sentence would be revoked.

Caritas India, the social service wing of the Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI), sent its suggestions to make India a gender sensitive nation but said it cannot support death penalty as punishment for rape. In its eleven-point recommendation made last Saturday to the Verma Committee set up by the federal Government, Caritas asked to introduce gender-sensitive curriculum from school level onward to promote and foster a balanced gender perspective in India.

Iranian Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani was re-released from prison on Monday, January 07, after authorities surprisingly arrested him on Christmas Day and forced the evangelical Christian minister to spend the holidays behind bars. Pastor Nadarkhani was forced to go back to Lakan Prison in Rasht on December 25, apparently to serve the remainder of his sentence, another 40 days, and to complete paperwork that authorities say he had not filled out.

Release International has warned that Christians face a growing risk of persecution this year in parts of the Islamic world. Areas of special concern are Egypt, Pakistan, Northern and Central Nigeria. It estimates that around 100,000 Christians have left Egypt since 2011. Coptic Christians boycotted the recent referendum on the constitution because they felt it represented only the Islamists who drafted it. They fear that the constitution will further restrict the rights of religious minorities.

"Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need" (Hebrews 4:16). In the precious words of this verse, we are told the way of salvation, a procedure to follow, the purpose for going and the Person to whom we flee. This verse tells us what to do when we feel we're about to be overwhelmed and it holds a tremendous promise. Our sovereign Lord does not leave us to ourselves in a time of suffering. He does not leave us with a course of action, no place to turn.

Food, medicine, electricity and fuel are increasingly scarce in Jazira, the river plain area of Mesopotamia which encompasses northwestern Iraq and northeastern Syria. With the influx of Syrians fleeing the conflict in their country, Jazira's population of 1 and a half million has swelled to some 2 million and Church and humanitarian officials are raising the alarm, saying not enough is being done to help them.

Karungal Youth Organization made a grand crib at Karungal at a cost of several million rupees. The grand crib was inaugurated by S.John Jacob, MLA Killiyoor Constituency in the presence of Fr.Dominic Caviyo, Farther of St.Antony Church, Tuntattuvilai, Karungal. This Christmas crib was made about 30 feet tall and 30 feet in width. It looks like a Russian modeled Saint Xavier Church. In this crib, the sculptures were designed remembering the born of Jesus Christ inside the Cow Cattle, Palace of King Aero and Garden of Eden. The number of people in the area and nearby area had seen the crib.

The Hindu nationalist BJP members have entered into the Hand of Jesus Church which is run by Pastor Amala Dhas of Appattuvilai, Thuckalay, Kanyakumari District, Tamil Nadu State for more than twelve years, with lethal weapons like long sticks and knives on the day of Christmas eve with a bad intention to make a threat and fear towards the Christians in order to stop them from worshiping Lord Jesus Christ, humiliated and disgraced the Christians by using filthy abusive bad words and damaged the vehicles of the pastor and worshipers.

Palapallam Win Star Sports Club and Jeevan Charity made a grand Christmas Crib at the Palapallam Junction at a cost of Rs.15 lakh. It looks like Bangalore Palace. The crib had been made for 45 days of work at a stretch. It was stood in 35 feet height and 70 feet length. Inside the crib, the sculptures were designed remembering the life of Jesus Christ. It was inaugurated by the Moderator of Church of South India and Bishop of Kanyakumari Diocese, Most Rev.G.Devakadasham. Number of people in the area and nearby area had seen the crib and the organizers conducted a special lottery prize.

The Pakistani girl, who was shot in the head by Taliban, has been discharged from a hospital in Birmingham, United Kingdom, where she was undergoing treatment. The Queen Elizabeth hospital said Malala Yousafzai was well enough to be treated by the hospital as an outpatient for the next few weeks. She was discharged yesterday to continue her rehabilitation at her family's temporary home in the West Midlands.