The Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane’s Justice and Peace Commission is encouraging Catholics to join other Christian Churches in prayer vigils at the time of the G20 Summit. They explain: In the lead up to this G 20 Summit the Catholic Justice and Peace Commission has joined with Queensland Churches Together… Read More »G20 Action by Churches
The Catholic Archdiocese of Lahore in Pakistan has designated 19 October as a day of prayer for Asia Bibi.
Asia Bibi was convicted of blasphemy in 2010 and sentenced to death. In a decision described by Bishop Ruffin Anthony of Islamabad / Rawalpindi as ‘heartbreaking’, the mother of five lost an appeal against the sentence on 16 October. Read more on this case from Vatican Radio.
Human rights organisations believe that the blasphemy laws are often exploited for personal gain or to address grudges. The National Commission for Justice and Peace of the Pakistan Catholic Bishops Conference, has advocated the abolition of the blasphemy laws for years.
Jesus, you were executed as a criminal,
be with Asia Bibi as she faces the death penalty.
Give her peace of mind
and comfort her children.
Touch the hearts, and enlighten the minds
of lawmakers and legal officers
in Pakistan, and in all countries
that use the death penalty.
Help us all to find life-giving
ways of resolving problems.
Read More »Asia Bibi Day of Prayer
It’s Anti Poverty Week so I’ve been thinking about how we can take action. This is my reflection for Restless Press.
It expands on the following article that I wrote for CatholicCare Sydney.
Some of Millennium Development Goals, which aim at halving extreme poverty by 2015, have already been achieved. Others will not be achieved by 2015. The United Nations is working on the post-2015 agenda now. Faith organisation representatives in an initiative called The World We Want, which seeks to influence this agenda, say:
“As faith-based organizations, we need to lift up the voices of those who most need a strong set of new development goals – people living in poverty and the grassroots organizations who directly accompany them, especially local faith communities. This work is why we are here. If we, as faith-based organizations, do not confront ‘the scandal of poverty’ then we are part of the problem.”
Looking for ethically and sustainably produced Easter eggs or chocolate bilbys (a bilby is a native Australian creature)? Haigh have just achieved UTZ certification making their Easter range slavery free. A list of other slavery free Easter products available in Australia is here. Find out more from ACRATH.
Trafficking in persons is an affront to the dignity of all people. Here are some simple things that we can do about it: – buy fair trade products. Organisations like Fair Trade Australia New Zealand can help you locate sellers of fair trade products near you. – support action against… Read More »Action Against Trafficking in Persons
Are we scandalised by hunger, or do we take it for granted? What are some of the ways in which we can respond? Learn more about One Human Family, Food for All.