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Herald Malaysia
10-06-2025
- General
- Herald Malaysia
Rupnik's mosaics quietly removed from Vatican News
The move is seen as an overdue sign of hope and healing for survivors of his alleged decades-long abuse Jun 10, 2025 A mosaic designed by Father Marko Rupnik's studio Centro Aletti at the Basilica of the Sanctuary of Lourdes, France. (Photo: UCAN Files) By Paulina Guzik, OSV News In a quiet but powerful move, Vatican News has begun removing artwork by Father Marko Rupnik -- the once-renowned mosaicist now accused of abusing over two dozen women -- from its website. His mosaics, long used to mark major feast days online, were recently replaced or left blank -- a shift many survivors say is long removed mosaics include one for the June 9 memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, and one that illustrated the feast of the Assumption Aug. 15."I can't tell you how hopeful of a sign it is for me," said Weronika, whose name was changed and who is a victim of abuse by a Polish Dominican priest. "I saw it immediately and simply felt relieved," she told OSV News, adding: "you don't even know how much this gesture means to me. That the victims' pain was heard at last." Since the allegations were revealed, calls to remove the priest's artwork have grown, including from victims who said the mosaics were a painful reminder of the abuse they suffered. One victim, identified as Sister Samuelle, recounted that she was abused by Father Rupnik while installing one of his mosaics. A number of shrines that featured his work have taken steps to either cover or limit the public display and use of Father Rupnik's mosaics since the abuse revelations were made public. The St. John Paul II National Shrine in Washington as well as the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary in the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes, France, opted to cover or partially cover the mosaics out of respect for his victims. OSV News asked the Vatican's Press Office whether removing Father Rupnik's art from Vatican News is a coordinated effort and is awaiting an answer. Mosaics to be or not to be? In June 2024, on the final day of the Catholic Media Conference in Atlanta, the prefect of the Vatican's Dicastery for Communication addressed questions posed by America's Colleen Dulle and OSV News about the dicastery's regular practice of posting art by Father Rupnik on the Vatican News website and social media, especially to illustrate church feast days. "As Christian(s), we are asked not to judge," Paolo Ruffini said to a room full of communications professionals after giving an address at the CMC June 21, 2024. He explained that while the process of a Vatican investigation into Father Rupnik is still ongoing, "an anticipation of a decision is something that is not, in our opinion, is not good." "There are things we don't understand," he said. Ruffini also added they "did not put in any new photos" of Father Rupnik's art, but rather have been using what they had. "We didn't decide what was not on our charge to decide," he Father Rupnik's art from public space "is not a Christian response," Ruffini said. "We are not talking about abuse of minors," Ruffini said at the CMC. "We are talking (about) a story that we don't know." "I don't think we have to throw stones thinking that this is the way of healing," the prefect added."Do you think that if I put away a photo of an art (away) from … our website, I will be more close to the victims? Do you think so?" he pressed journalists at the end of his answer. When an answer was given in the affirmative, Ruffini responded: "I think you're wrong." Five days later, in a separate June 26 communication, Cardinal Seán P. O'Malley of Boston, president of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, told the dicasteries of the Vatican Curia that Father Rupnik is currently under Vatican investigation and entitled to the presumption of innocence. However, he made clear that "pastoral prudence would prevent displaying artwork in a way that could imply either exoneration or a subtle defense" of a person alleged to have committed abuse, "or indicate indifference to the pain and suffering of so many victims of abuse." Father Rupnik's case investigated for over 500 days Father Rupnik, a former Jesuit, was briefly excommunicated by the church in 2020 for absolving an Italian novice with whom he had sex. The excommunication was lifted after he repented. The Jesuits disclosed in December 2022 that it had suspended the Slovenian artist after allegations of abuse had surfaced. In June 2023, Father Rupnik was expelled from the Jesuits for refusing to obey restrictions imposed upon him related to the sexual, spiritual and psychological abuse of some two dozen women and at least one man over the course of 30 years. Despite the credibility of the accusations and his dismissal from the Jesuits, the Diocese of Koper in the priest's native Slovenia announced it had incardinated Father Rupnik in its diocese. After the diocese confirmed in October 2023 that the priest had been there since August, the Vatican announced that Pope Francis had lifted the statute of limitations, allowing the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith to proceed in its investigation and eventual case. In a statement published in October 2023, the Vatican said the decision was made after "the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors brought to the pope's attention that there were serious problems in the handling of the Father Marko Rupnik case and lack of outreach to victims."The canonical process of Father Rupnik is ongoing. "The sentence is expected in the not too distant future," a source told OSV News in the retired bishop of the Diocese of Koper, where Father Rupnik was incardinated in August 2023, told OSV News in February that the priest 'continues his work all over the world.'Father Rupnik's case is one of the most urgent cases on the table for the new pope to handle in canonical terms, abuse experts Father Hans Zollner, director of the Institute of Anthropology at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, and a top expert on the abuse crisis, told OSV News upon the election of Pope Leo XIV: 'I do hope that, as soon as possible, we will have a verdict. Many of us are looking forward to hearing about that, because it has been a very long time, especially for those who have brought forward the allegations -- so that finally there will be clarity about this,' Father Zollner said. For any pope, he added, the issue of abuse is critical, as it becomes "a question of the credibility of our existence and our message."--ucanews
Herald Malaysia
05-06-2025
- Politics
- Herald Malaysia
Religious freedom in Russia continues to decline: experts
Even theological disagreement within the Russian Orthodox Church is silenced, says a Russian-born scholar Jun 05, 2025 President Vladimir Putin with Kremlin-controlled religious leaders during the official celebrations of the National Unity Day on Nov. 4, 2023. (Photo: Wikipedia) By Gina Christian, OSV News As Pope Leo XIV highlights the need for interreligious dialogue and diplomacy, religious liberty in Russia continues to decline, with the US International Religious Freedom Commission citing that nation's intensified use of blasphemy laws to silence freedom of expression. At the same time, a Russian-born scholar told OSV News that even theological disagreement within the Russian Orthodox Church is silenced. In May, Pope Leo stressed to Vatican-accredited diplomats that interreligious dialogue can foster peace, with such exchange first requiring "full respect for religious freedom in every country, since religious experience is an essential dimension of the human person." But a month earlier, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom issued an update on Russia's "intensified" enforcement of its laws against what the commission called "perceived offensive expression toward religion, religious texts, and religious leaders." The commission -- which defines blasphemy as "the act of insulting or showing contempt or lack of reverence for God or sacred things" -- noted that under international human rights law, "freedom of religion or belief includes the right to express a full range of thoughts and beliefs, including those that others might find blasphemous." The law protects the rights of individuals, not "religious feelings, figures or symbols from behavior or speech considered blasphemous," said USCIRF. As a result, said the commission, "while certain offensive statements and actions may warrant public rebuke, prosecuting perceived offensive expression toward religion violates the right to freedom of religion or belief and the right to freedom of opinion and expression under international human rights law." In Russia, the two laws commonly invoked to prosecute blasphemy -- one criminal, one civil -- have been used to enforce compliance with the government of Russian President Vladimir Putin, which has leveraged the nation's predominantly Russian Orthodox religious identity and what it calls "traditional values" to rally the nation against the West. "For years, President Putin has championed his interpretation of 'traditional values' to oppose the West on human rights and justify his authoritarian practices, which include systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom," said USCIRF. USCIRF said that the use of the blasphemy laws has accelerated with Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which began in 2022 and continues attacks initiated in 2014. Dmitry Dubrovskiy, a researcher from the Institute for International Studies at Charles University in Prague, told OSV News that Russia's blasphemy laws also work in an indirect, but no less effective, way. "It's not so important how many people are being fined or prosecuted -- what is much more important is how many people are prevented from doing something because they're afraid of being prosecuted," explained Dubrovskiy, a former associate professor at Moscow's Higher School of Economics until March 2022, when he was declared a "foreign agent" in Russia and left the country. Dubrovskiy said the prosecution of those deemed to violate Russia's blasphemy laws sends "a message" that certain groups are "second-rate humans." At the same time, he said, "the message about the peculiar character of the Russian Orthodox Church in general" is that "it's totally untouchable" as "the highest level of authority, and not for discussion," although the church has only traditionally, rather than formally, been declared Russia's state church. In its 2025 World Watch List, the nonprofit Open Doors International -- which aids persecuted Christians in more than 70 countries -- said that amid a climate of "dictatorial paranoia" that fuels Russia's persecution of some religious groups, "the Russian Orthodox churches experience the least problems from the government" among Christian organizations. "The government continues to favor the Russian Orthodox Church at the expense of other Christian groups," while "Jehovah Witnesses have been banned since 2017," said the report. "After the start of the war in Ukraine in February 2022 state surveillance has increased, including the monitoring of non-ROC (Russian Orthodox Church) Christians." Open Doors also said in its report that "state agents at various levels carry out surveillance and impose restrictions," with Russia's legislation "being adapted and bringing in new restrictions constantly. All over Russia, local communities oppose openly evangelistic activities carried out by Protestant Christians." In October, the Russian government also put forth a draft law banning religious services in residential buildings. Dubrovskiy pointed to his research on the "expert opinions" used in classifying religious groups in Russia as "extremist" -- a practice that dates from Soviet times. He has found that such experts are increasingly selected not for their knowledge of religion, but of extremism, with little understanding of faith communities' practices and an inclination to label groups harshly. Priests of the Russian Orthodox Church -- which has openly supported that nation's war on Ukraine, with Patriarch Kirill declaring soldiers killed in action as absolved from sin -- have been expelled and imprisoned for expressing their dissent over the invasion, even on religious grounds. Among those who have been incarcerated is Hieromonk Ioann Kurmoyarov, whose YouTube videos criticizing the Russian government's aggression in Ukraine resulted in a three-year prison sentence, imposed in 2023, for sharing "fake news" about the Russian military. Speaking out against the Russian Orthodox Church itself is a danger, said Dubrovskiy. "All the Russian (Orthodox) priests who have ever criticized the church are being excommunicated or expelled," he said, adding that while theological debate by nature entails a level of disagreement, "there is no such thing as discussion" within the Russian Orthodox Church, which strives to "discipline the people to believe and to follow the instructions of the patriarch." Religious persecution is also experienced among Russia's Muslims, who make up close to 11% of the population, according to Open Doors. Clashes between Islamic militant groups and the government in certain areas have caused many ethnic Russians, largely Christian, to flee. In the same Muslim-majority regions, Christians with Muslim backgrounds face persecution from family, friends and the local community. OSV News is awaiting a response to its request for comment from the apostolic nuncio to Russia, Archbishop Giovanni d'Aniello, on the status of religious freedom in Russia In Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine, officials have cracked down harshly on religious groups, destroying houses of worship and seizing church buildings while imprisoning, torturing and killing clergy. In the partially-occupied region of Zaporizhzhia, Russian officials banned the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, the Knights of Columbus and Caritas -- the international humanitarian aid network of the universal Catholic Church. Two UGCC priests, Father Ivan Levitsky and Father Bohdan Geleta, were abducted from their former Zaporizhzhia region parishes and released through Vatican mediation in June 2024, after 18 months of captivity and torture. Despite the Russian government's zealous crackdown on non-Russian Orthodox faith communities, and the nation's majority-Orthodox populace, Russian society as a whole is not especially religious, said Dubrovskiy. Instead, "a substantial amount of Russians definitely consider their Orthodoxy as a cultural identity," he said, noting that just "approximately 3-7% of the Russian population regularly visit a church."--
Herald Malaysia
30-05-2025
- General
- Herald Malaysia
Catholic Social Teaching is for everyone
The modern tradition of Catholic Social Teaching (CST) — the toolbox of principles the Church calls us to draw upon to build the just social order — was instigated by Pope Leo XIII (1878-1903). We now have a new pope, Leo XIV, who is reminding us of this corpus of teaching as a resource as the world May 30, 2025 Pope Leo XIII is depicted in this official Vatican portrait. He laid the foundation for modern Catholic social teaching with his landmark 1891 encyclical "Rerum Novarum," addressing the rights and dignity of workers in the face of industrialization. (OSV News photo/Library of Congress) By Jason AdkinsThe modern tradition of Catholic Social Teaching (CST) — the toolbox of principles the Church calls us to draw upon to build the just social order — was instigated by Pope Leo XIII (1878-1903). We now have a new pope, Leo XIV, who is reminding us of this corpus of teaching as a resource as the world is torn by war and faces the challenge of a new digital industrial revolution. This Catholic Social Teaching tradition, however, is not just for Catholics. It can be studied and applied by all people of goodwill because it is a true philosophy of society, rooted in principles such as the common good, the dignity of the human person, subsidiarity and solidarity. Catholic Social Teaching transcends the normal political binaries. This great tradition is effective in bringing together people of all backgrounds to tackle difficult social problems, and how it does so was the subject of a recent Catholic in America podcast (May 19) with internationally renowned economist Jeffrey Sachs. A gift to the world Sachs, who is Jewish, is a Harvard-trained economist and member of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences who has advised two popes (John Paul II and Francis) in the development of papal social encyclicals. He sees in Catholic social teaching a great gift of the Church to the world, and he thinks Catholics should not be sheepish about proposing CST principles to shape public life — not because they are the teachings of a religious community, but because they are true. Pope Francis sought out Sachs because of his work on sustainable development as the former was drafting his encyclical Laudato Si' (On the Care of Our Common Home), which was published ten years ago. The Holy See gathered experts from a variety of disciplines to consider what it means to steward creation while also respecting the human person. In a world that pits humans against the environment, how can the church point the way forward? The great gift of Laudato Si' was to apply the principles of Catholic social teaching to the problem of creation care. The result was the concept of integral ecology, which does justice to both persons and the environment, because everything is connected. Sachs and I discussed how both the words economics and ecology, have the same Greek root word, oikos, which means household. Hence the English title of the encyclical calling us to steward our common home. Economics should put first the well-being of the family and the household. The political community is a family of families, and economic life should promote distribution and social justice, as well as the common good. But while providing for human needs and managing scarce economic resources, we must also work together to promote environmental stewardship and care for our common home. That's a responsibility that transcends every household, community, and nation. Laudato Si' was addressed not just to Catholics, but all people of goodwill, and ten years later it continues to shape the thinking of people from all different backgrounds about how to properly care for creation. Pope Leo XIV's call Although Sachs and I recorded our conversation before Pope Leo XIV's election, the latter is again rekindling interest in Catholic Social Teaching. In his May 16 address to the papal diplomatic corps, Pope Leo XIV stressed that we are called to pursue peace, especially eliminating the violence and destruction that comes from conflict and war. But to achieve peace, he said, we must act justly, and doing so requires knowing the truth. He stated: 'It is the responsibility of government leaders to work to build harmonious and peaceful civil societies. This can be achieved above all by investing in the family, founded upon the stable union between a man and a woman, a small but genuine society, and prior to all civil society. In addition, no one is exempted from striving to ensure respect for the dignity of every person, especially the most frail and vulnerable, from the unborn to the elderly, from the sick to the unemployed, citizens and immigrants alike.' Like Francis, Pope Leo XIV is articulating Catholic Social Teaching's rich philosophy of a just social order built on the oikos of family life and the dignity of every human person. In a world hungry for a way to break out of the false binaries of politics, the principles of Catholic social teaching provide real hope. We need not hide this gift under a bushel but instead, as non-Catholics such as Sachs exhort us, we should bring it confidently into every corner of social life.--OSV (Jason Adkins is host of the new Our Sunday Visitor podcast called 'Catholic in America,' which explores topics related to the missionary imperative of faithful citizenship in our time.)
Newsweek
28-05-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
Harvard Pastor Says Trump Is Hurting Catholic Church's Influence
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A Harvard pastor says the Trump administration's move to ban the university from enrolling international students could limit the Catholic Church's reach. Father William T. Kelly, senior chaplain at the Harvard Catholic Center, said it "has an impact on what we're able to do for the world" as many students from overseas who participate in the center go on to secure top roles in their countries, according to OSV News. Newsweek contacted Kelly via email and the White House on Wednesday for comment. Why It Matters Trump has targeted Harvard after the university openly defied demands to limit pro-Palestinian activism and end diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) practices. An academic building is seen on May 24, 2025, at the Harvard University campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts. An academic building is seen on May 24, 2025, at the Harvard University campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Ziyu Julian Zhu/Xinhua/VCG via AP Images The administration has already canceled $60 million in grants to Harvard, in addition to some $3 billion worth of frozen or canceled grants and contracts. Trump is also trying to strip the university of its tax-exempt status. What To Know President Donald Trump revoked Harvard University's ability to enroll international students on May 22, 2025, following ongoing demands for the college to comply with federal information requests. A judge later issued a temporary restraining order blocking the plan. Kelly said that Trump's move could negatively impact the missionary reach of Harvard's Catholic Center—the university's Catholic chaplaincy—in St. Paul's Parish, where he also serves as pastor. He warned that preventing international students from studying at Harvard would have "an impact on what we're able to do for the world, because if international students aren't allowed to come here, then they lose the experience of what they can receive at St. Paul's," per OSV News. Kelly added: "So many of them are going back to their home countries to be in leadership in law, government, medicine, education, social services, business." "So for them to have this profoundly strong Catholic experience here, and to be able to bring that both into their professional life, but then also into their communities back at home, we really do see that as an important responsibility for us." Catholics constituted 17.8 percent of Harvard's student body in 2020, according to the most recent data from The Harvard Crimson. This is slightly under the national average, where about 20 percent of American adults identify as Catholic. Trump has long relied on his Catholic base, actively engaging with Catholic leaders and communities and emphasizing his stance on issues like abortion and religious freedom. He won 54 percent of the Catholic vote in the 2024 presidential election, according to VoteCast. Vice President J.D. Vance and first lady Melania Trump are also Catholic. What People Are Saying Father William T. Kelly, senior chaplain of the Harvard Catholic Center, told OSV News that international students "are a huge part of our life here" and "they bring such vibrant faith from their own cultural backgrounds, and they're just so committed. They really do bring life to things." What Happens Next The future of international students at Harvard remains in flux. District Judge Allison D. Burroughs issued a temporary restraining order on May 23, blocking the Trump administration's attempt to revoke Harvard's certification to enroll international students under the Student and Exchange Visitor Program. A hearing is set for May 29 to decide whether to extend that protection.
Herald Malaysia
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Herald Malaysia
Bishops urge prayer after two Israeli Embassy staff slain in DC
Sarah Lynn Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky were leaving the Capital Jewish Museum when they were shot at close range May 23, 2025 Washington Cardinal Robert W. McElroy. (Photo: Wikipedia) By Gina Christian, OSV News Catholic bishops are calling for prayer after two Israeli Embassy staff members were slain late May 21 outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington. Sarah Lynn Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky were leaving an event at the museum when they were shot at close range. Washington Cardinal Robert W. McElroy decried the killing as "an act of antisemitic hatred and murder." He said the Catholic community of Washington and the state of Maryland "stands in prayer, shock and solidarity" with the slain victims and their families, and with the people of Israel and the entire Jewish community. "That these heinous killings took place against the backdrop of the Capital Jewish Museum, which is both a sign of the rich blessings that the Jewish community has continually provided to our nation and a call to unity in our society, is a further assault upon our social fabric and the love that is the plan and gift of the God who is Father of us all," Cardinal McElroy said in a May 22 statement. "Let us profoundly deepen our prayers and our commitment to root out hate in our midst whenever and wherever it surfaces." Across the Potomac river from the nation's capital, Bishop Michael F. Burbidge of Arlington, Virginia, also called on Catholics to pray. "May we unite in prayer for the souls of two Israeli embassy staff members who were fatally shot last night in Washington, DC," he said in an early May 22 post on X. "Please God, grant strength to their families and all who loved them." The young couple were set to become engaged in Jerusalem next week, with Lischinsky purchasing the ring only days ago, according to Yechiel Leiter, Israel's ambassador to the U.S. Suspect Elias Rodriguez, a 31-year-old Chicago resident, was filmed chanting, "Free, free Palestine," following the attack. He was detained when he entered the museum immediately after the shooting, with event patrons initially unaware of his actions. "With great sadness and horror, we have learned of the killing in cold blood of two members of the Jewish community, Yaron and Sarah," in Washington, New York Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan said in a mid-morning post on X May 22. "We commend them to the mercy of God, and we join with their families, friends, and the wider Jewish community who mourn their senseless and tragic loss. May their memory be a blessing." Israeli officials confirmed that Lischinsky, an Israeli citizen who also reportedly held a German passport, was a research assistant for the embassy. Milgrim, a U.S. citizen, organized visits and missions to Israel. According to sources interviewed by BBC News, Lischinsky was a devout Christian. The attack has been widely condemned as an act of antisemitism. "While we wait for the conclusion of the police investigation -- and urge all our friends and allies to do the same -- it strongly appears that this was an attack motivated by hate against the Jewish people and the Jewish state," said Ted Deutch, CEO of the American Jewish Committee, in a May 22 statement. He added, "This senseless hate and violence must stop." AJC board member Jojo Kalin told BBC News she had organized the event at the museum -- which was a cocktail hour for Jewish professionals -- to focus on building a coalition to help Gazans. The gathering's "bridge building" had been scarred by "such hatred," she said, but stressed she refused to "lose my humanity over this or be deterred." "As has been so evident in these last months and years," Cardinal Dolan said in his X post, "antisemitism is still pervasive in our country and our world, and the Catholic community in New York today renews our resolve to (work) to eradicate this evil. We stand with our Jewish brothers and sisters in this moment of pain, praying that all may live in the peace and security that God surely intends for us." In his post, Bishop Burbidge quoted Pope Leo XIV, saying, "Peace begins with each one of us, in the way we look at others, listen to others, and speak about others." The bishop said, "May the spirit of peace be renewed today, and may the God who loves us restore peace to the Holy Land and our nation."--
