EU Australia Online - News & information from the capital of Europe direct to Australian businesses
«
»

Churches Uneasy At Decade’s Start

  • January 2nd, 2010
  • Posted by EUEditor

williams-rowan.jpgThe head of the Anglican Church has looked back on a tough ten years, and in Rome, the Vatican has remembered clergy and others killed while carrying out Christian duty during 2009.

The Archbishop of Canterbury has spoken of a “grueling and terrible” decade to commence the 21st century, and defined continuing global problems to be faced in coming years:- climate change, disease, financial and economic crisis, and campaigns of terror.

The New Year message from the head of the Anglican religious communion concentrated on his view that future challenges will be world-wide in scope: “There are fewer and fewer problems in our world that are just local.”

In Rome, the Vatican has released the names of 37 Catholic missionaries who died in a violent way during 2009 – almost double the number from the year before.

Those lost include thirty priests, together with nuns, seminarians and lay volunteers in more than 20 countries.

The greatest concentration of violent incidents was in Latin America, especially Brazil, and also Cuba, Columbia and El Salvador.

Much of the trouble had been to do with hold-ups, break-ins and other common crimes, with a few religious hate crimes.

Religious news agencies said the 37 deaths had been recorded in the hope that killing of Church workers would stop, and their work continue.

The current year, 2009-10, is being celebrated as the “Year for Priests”, Pope Benedict XVI declaring a wish that the observance would “deepen the commitment of all priests to interior renewal.”

Reference

Archbishop of Canterbury (home), Canterbury, 1.1.10. http://www.archbishopofcanterbury,org. (1.1.10).

“Archbishop bemoans tough decade, UK Press Association, London, 1.10.10.

Carol Glatz, Catholic News Service, “Vatican agency says 37 church workers killed in 2009”, Catholic Review, Vatican city, 31.12.09. http://www.catholicreview.org/… (1.1.10).

“A Year for Priests” Letter of Benedict XVI, proclamation. Vatican city, 19.6.09. www.holy_father/benedicy_xvi/letters/… (1.1.10).

“Vatican: 37 missionaries killed in 2009”, Rome Reports TV News Agency, Rome, 31.12.09. http://romereports.com/… (1.1.10).

Picture

Rowan Williams (unfinished christian)