Theological and pastoral perspectives, a decade after "Deus caritas est"
(VIS) An international conference entitled "Love will never end. Prospects ten years on from the Encyclical Deus caritas est" will be held on Thursday 25 February in the Vatican's New Synod Hall. Organised by the Pontifical Council "Cor Unum", the conference forms part of the programme of events for the Jubilee of Mercy and has the aim of examining in depth the theological and pastoral implications of Pope Benedict XVI's first Encyclical for today's world, especially in relation to the activity of those who work in the Church's charitable service. The event will be attended by, among others, representatives of the episcopal conferences and Catholic charitable organisations from all over the world.
Heydar Aliyev Foundation funds restoration of catacombs
(VIS) On Tuesday morning, Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, President of the Pontifical Council for Culture and the Pontifical Commission for Sacred Archaeology, along with Mehriban Aliyeva, president of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation (HAF), Azerbaijan, presented the results of the restoration of the Roman catacombs of Sts. Marcellinus and Peter "ad duas lauros", entirely funded by the HAF.
India: millions of Delhi residents still without water
(Vatican Radio) Millions of residents of India’s capital city, Delhi, remain without water, despite an agreement reached between government authorities and members of the Jat community, who have been protesting in neighbouring Haryana state for three days, during which at least 15 people have been killed.
Ukraine: political turmoil adds to ongoing eastern crisis
(Vatican Radio) Germany and France have urged Ukraine to overcome political turmoil and move ahead with reforms needed to revive the economy and carry out the Minsk peace agreement amid reports of new deadly clashes in the east. German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and his French counterpart Jean-Marc Ayrault came to Kiev at a time when the country faces its biggest political crisis since the ouster of the pro-Russian president after bloody protests in 2014.
Quality education in mother languages vital to success of SDGs – UN
Mother languages are essential to providing quality education, which in turn supports the achievement of the new global development agenda, the head of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) said on the International Mother Language Day, marked on Sunday. The annual Feb. 21 observance was established by UNESCO in November 1999, to promote the preservation and protection of all languages used by peoples of the world.
Indian church leaders denounce government yielding to Jat quotas
Church leaders in India have termed as a "gross injustice" the Indian government's decision to grant quotas to an influential agricultural caste group in northern Haryana state. The government's nod Sunday to granting the Jat community quota in educational institutions and government jobs under the category of backward class came after the members of the community went on a violent statewide protest, with loss of life, injury and damage to property and services. Backward class is a term used by the government to classify castes that are educationally and socially disadvantaged. However, they are politically influential in Haryana as they are the predominant caste group.
