Catholic Church

Saintly bones, blood not for sale, Vatican warns

London - Muslimchronicle

Those looking for gifts for Catholic loved ones this Christmas should steer clear of websites and shops peddling saintly remains, with the Vatican reminding sellers on Saturday that hawking relics is forbidden. “Trading in” or “selling relics is absolutely forbidden,” the Catholic Church’s saint-making office said in a new guide on how to verify relics’ authenticity and preserve them.Read more

Bangladesh readies rickshaw

Dhaka - Muslimchronicle

Pope Francis will forego his trusty popemobile for a cycle rickshaw in Bangladesh, Catholic officials said Thursday, as the famously frugal pontiff began a three-day visit to the poor country. A spokesman for the Catholic Church said the pope had asked to ride in a cycle rickshaw to a park where he will lead an open-air mass on Friday, whichRead more

Pope denounces 'indifference' on first 'World Day for the Poor'

Rome - Muslimchronicle

Pope Francis called on Sunday to fight indifference to poverty on what has been dubbed the first "World Day for the Poor" by the Catholic Church. Celebrating the event in Rome at a mass attended by about 7,000 poor people at St. Peter's Basilica, the Pope urged people not to ignore poverty by believing that "it's not my business, it'sRead more

Brazil court suspends decree allowing Amazon reserve mining

Brasília - AFP

A Brazilian court on Wednesday suspended a government decree that would open a huge Amazon reserve to commercial mining, after the initial decision sparked outrage from environmental groups, the Catholic Church and even supermodel Gisele Bundchen. The federal court in the capital Brasilia said in a statement it had "partially granted an injunction to immediately suspend any administrative act" aimed at scrapping theRead more

UN Discusses second State Report on the Convention on the Elimination

Geneva - Musimchronicle

The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) concluded the discussion session of the Second State Report on the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, held in Geneva from 7 to 8 August 2017. The UAE participated with a high-level delegation, which included representatives from the federal and local government agencies and the relevant civil societyRead more

Venezuelans cast ballots in opposition vote

Caracas - Muslimchronicle

Venezuelans go to the polls Sunday in a vote organized by the opposition aimed at gauging public support for Maduro's plan to rewrite the constitution, against a backdrop of worsening political violence. With authorities refusing to greenlight a vote presented as an act of civil disobedience and supporters of President Nicolas Maduro boycotting it, voters seemed set to reject theRead more

Between Duterte and a death squad, a Philippine mayor fights drug-war violence

MANILA - Arab today

In the past eight months, a death squad known as the Bonnet Gang has gunned down more than 60 drug suspects in the Philippine town of Pateros. Mayor Ike Ponce has had enough. He has put up banners across Pateros, in the southeast of Metro Manila, to denounce the gang, which is named for the hoods its motorbike-riding gunmen wearRead more

Catholic Church, Vice-President Robredo amplify calls to reject Duterte

Manila - Arab today

The influential Catholic Church and opposition Vice-President Leni Robredo amplified calls to reject President Rodrigo Duterte — he was blamed for the death of 7,700 people in the campaign against the illegal drug-trade since July; the burial of former President Ferdinand Marcos at the Heroes Cemetery last November; and scaling down the celebration of the people-backed military mutiny that oustedRead more

Duterte defends drugs war, rejects advice of ‘idiot’

Manila - Arab Today

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte made a vigorous defense of his war on drugs on Wednesday, rejecting not only allegations of extrajudicial killings, but the advice of a former Colombian leader who urged him not to repeat his mistakes. The ex-prosecutor promised to stand behind those on the front lines of his war and called Cesar Gaviria an “idiot” for aRead more

Deal reached to end DR Congo political crisis

Kinshasa - ArabToday

The government and opposition parties in the DR Congo on Saturday clinched a hard-won deal over President Joseph Kabila’s fate, ending a political crisis that sparked months of deadly unrest. Under the terms of the deal, Kabila will stay until the “end of 2017” but a transition council will be established, headed by opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi. In addition, aRead more