With a new constitution behind him, Putin is preparing to clear house and rid himself of all dissent in media, politics and academia. For Khodorkovsky, this is a test of a more mature authoritarian regime. Yakovenko sees the crackdown as a consequence of economic hard times, which will force the regime to make very unpopular choices.
Fr.Opiela SJ, one of the fathers of the Catholic revival in Russia, has died
by Stefano Caprio | RUSSIAThe former European Central Bank president graduated from the Massimiliano Massimo Institute and La Sapienza University (in economics) in Rome. He has a PhD from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Celebrating mass on the seventh anniversary of his visit to Lampedusa, Francis again decries "globalization of indifference". “War, of course, is bad, we know it, but we can't imagine the hell people live there, in those detention camps. And these people only came with hope to cross the sea."
At a press conference titled “Preparing the future, building peace in the time of COVID-19,” Card Turkson said: “As the world takes emergency measures to address a global pandemic and a global economic recession, both underpinned by a global climate emergency, we must also consider the implications for peace of these interconnected crises.”
"The "solace" that Christ offers to the weary and oppressed is not only psychological relief or almsgiving, but the joy of the poor to be evangelized and builders of the new humanity. It is a message for all men of good will, which Jesus still addresses today in a world that exalts those who make themselves rich and powerful.”
The Financial Intelligence Authority (AIF), the agency of the Holy See and Vatican City State charged with fighting money laundering and terrorist financing, received 64 suspicious activity reports, took action in four cases, and froze one IOR account.
Secretary of State Card Pietro Parolin met with the US and Israeli ambassadors yesterday. Israel and Palestine have the right to exist and live in peace and security within internationally recognised borders.
In the message to the Catholic Press Association during the Catholic Media Conference, Francis writes that “Only with that gaze can we effectively work to overcome the diseases of racism, injustice and indifference that disfigure the face of our common family.”
For Francis, “we often go to him only in times of need to ask for help. But God sees further and invites us to go further, to seek not only his gifts but [also] Him”. Above all, “the most important thing in life is to make life a gift”.
Unity and prophecy are the themes of Francis' homily on the day dedicated to Saints Peter and Paul. “It is pointless, even tedious, for Christians to waste their time complaining about the world, about society, about everything that is not right,” said Francis. “Today we need prophecy, but real prophecy: not fast talkers who promise the impossible, but testimonies that the Gospel is possible. What is needed are not miraculous shows. [. . .] We need lives that show the miracle of God’s love.”
The feast at the Lavra of the Trinity gathers all Russian Orthodox bishops and crowds of pilgrims every year. Another monk from the patriarchal monastery of the Presentation, near Lubianka, has died of coronavirus. The starets Sergij (Romanov) continues his battle against the patriarchate and political leadership, accusing them of having created "Satan's electronic lager".
The pontiff says that the love for Jesus should be put above family affections, that “kinship ties, if put first, can deviate from the true good”. He urges the faithful “to pray for the people of Yemen, especially the children, who are suffering because of the serious humanitarian crisis”.
Since yesterday voting for constitutional changes, at polling stations and online. The changes will allow Putin to remain in office until 2036, beating Stalin and Ivan the Terrible in terms of reign. Orthodox bishops urge the faithful to vote "for God and Putin", and "for the best leader in the history of our country". In the constitutional changes the insertion of the name of God is foreseen.
The Maryknoll Missionary dedicated his life to creating mature communication between the Churches of Asia. He was also a member of the Pontifical council for social communications.
The new Directory for Catechesis, presented today at the Vatican, recalls the missionary responsibility of every baptized person and the urgency of finding new languages with which to communicate the faith. Catechesis, "must be intimately united with the work of evangelization and cannot be separated from it".
