‘Inequality’ will be the theme CCI groups, members and friends of CCI in different countries will be focussing during the ‘New Pentecost 2017’ event on June 4 this year

According to a communication issued by the CCI international secretariat, New Pentecost is a program launched in 2005 by CCI to promote the dream of Saint (Pope) John XXIII that Vatican II should open the way to a New Pentecost in the Church.

"O Holy Spirit, renew your wonders in this our day, as by a new Pentecost," was the prayer for the Council proposed by Saint John XXIII.

New Pentecost was conceived as a follow up to the successful CCI conference on Vatican II in the era of Globalization held in Bangkok to mark the 40th anniversary of the opening of Vatican II in 1962. Ever since, members and friends of CCI across the world are observing the Pentecost Sunday to reflect and study various problems and to come up with action plans, activities and projects to build a different world. http://www.newpentecost.com/

According to the statement, the CCI international conference held in India (Joe Beach, Mamallapuram near Chennai) in May 2016 decided to observe the 50^th death anniversary of Cardijn by organising a Cardijn Pilgrimage to Belgium and Rome by the later part of 2017.

It was therefore decided to dedicate the whole year as preparation towards this event. The New Pentecost on June 4, 2017 will be one such occasion followed by the 50^th death anniversary of Cardijn on July 24, 2017.

Why ‘Inequality’ as theme for New Pentecost 2017

It was stated that a detailed study was made in the CCI international conference on the theme ‘Inequality, Ecology and Diversity’.

The conference resolved that as individuals who are committed to the continuity in the service of humanity based on their learning in the Cardijn movements, they shall endeavour to face the challenges posed by inequality, ecological degradation and diversities and to work towards responding to the cry of the poor and the cry of the earth.

The members shall dwell more into the theme ‘Inequality’ during New Pentecost 2017 in order to deepen their understanding on the reality and to work out plans to overcome this menace.

CCI Pakistan has appealed for prayers, solidarity and support after militants attacked a Christian neighbourhood following an attack on a Christian neighbourhood in Lahore after allegations of blasphemy by a local resident.

The leadership of Pakistan's National Commission for Justice and Peace (NCJP) also condemned the incident in strong terms, including the registration of a false blasphemy charge against Sawan Masih and the incidents of burning, arson nearly 178 houses of Christians in Joseph Colony Lahore.

Fr Emmanuel Yousaf Mani the National Director, Peter Jacob the Executive Director, NCJP said in a press statement that the police and administration was mainly responsible who allowed the situation to develop for 24 hours into a tragedy in the heart of Provincial Capital. However the political leadership in the country also did not find courage to address the sufferings of religious minorities especially those related to abuse of blasphemy laws.
According to media report (The News, March 9, 2013) about two to three hundred people gathered around Joseph Colony in search of the accused to kill him. Not finding him at home, the mob attacked the house Savan, burnt it partially, pelting bricks at other houses where around 170 -175 Christian families were residing. They found his 65 year old father and beat him. The locality is inhabited by low income families/workers mostly earning daily wages.

As a result of incident, the inhabitants (Christian community) fled their homes/ locality for safety reasons.

The incident started at 1 pm and continued till evening. The police reached the scene to control the situation but it was too late.

The mob of 3000 people again attacked the Joseph colony, pelted stone and set 175 houses on fire. Majority of the houses have been completely damaged while the others have been badly damaged.
According to the news paper, The News of March 9, 2013, Savan is currently under arrest and has been moved to the undisclosed location.

"Affected Christian families need your prayers, solidarity, support and love in this time of trouble and persecution," a CCI Pakistan statement said. "I kindly ask you and your friends to pray for the affected Christians families. They are in need of food items, cloths, crockery, shelter, medicines, bedding etc."

Read more:

http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-13-21477-Over-2000-Muslims-raid%20Christian-colony 

Archbishop Pierre-André Fournier of Rimouski, who is president of the Catholic Bishops Assembly of Quebec, spent a day last week protesting against a cut in unemployment benefits.

He told reporters:

"I spent last Sunday in the Valley of the Matapédia where I shared a meal of soup and bread with 175 people, not even a bit of baloney (sausage)!



"The people unanimously launched a cry of concern concerning the future of their region. On Tuesday, by express delivery letter to Minister Diane Finely with a petition signed by a group of persons on the shared leadership of our diocese expressing a cry for help... and saying that I could not in all justice stay silent about the reform of employment insurance.

"The petition says that this reform is an indisputable danger for the diocese of Rimouski," Archbishop Fournier declared before a crowd of 1500 people who were demonstrating in front of the Center for Employment Insurance in Rimouski.

 Archbishop Fournier was also the president of the fundraising campaign of the Fondation JOC (YCW Foundation) in 2011-12.

Former Brazilian YCW leader, Tibor Sulik, who later became a founding member of the Commission for Justice and Peace of the Brazilian Catholics, has died at the age of 85.

Tibor who was born on April 27, 1927 in Trnovec nad Váhom in what is now the Slovak Republic, died on Tuesday, Jan. 15, at his home in Rio de Janeiro.

"A tireless defender of democratic freedoms, he was arrested by the military regime in 1964," says the website of the Archdiocese of Victoria do Espiritu Santo, " but he continued his deep connection to the working world and in building a fair and caring society, always inspired by the social teaching of the Church."

Another former YCW leader, Jose Gomez Cerda writes:

"His modesty and simplicity did not subtract from his dimension as an international leader, or his commitment to raise awareness and Christian hope in the minds and hearts of thousands of young workers.

"With the death of Tibor Sulik, we lose a militant Christian worker model, eg for different generations, of whom I am glad to have had as a friend and international leader model, and who had a fruitful life, consistent in thought and action."

"CCI also remembers Tibor, particularly from his participation at the YCW History Colloquy in Brussels in May 2000," said convenor Stefan Gigacz.

"We send our condolences to his wife Lydia and family."

SOURCES

http://www.aves.org.br/noticias,1,5136,tibor_sulik.html

http://clatjupamdominicana.bligoo.es/tibor-sulik-un-militante-cristiano-jose-gomez-cerda

http://poesiasdedonsevero.blogspot.com/2009/04/tibor-sulik-um-militante-cristao.html

Fr Harry Stocks, CSC, former YCW Chaplain, Bangalore, India and a member of the College of Chaplains, YCW-India died on 19th January 2013 at Hospice Niagara, Canada after a prolonged illness.

"Fr Harry Stocks was instrumental in building the Workers Centre at Bangalore mainly for the YCW and CWM," said M.J Ruben, CCI Secretary-General.

Fr Stocks' first assignment, to the Holy Cross Missions in Bangalore, India, was the beginning of a life-long, passionate commitment to India and its people. He learned the Tamil language and was initiated into his option for the poor by his involvement in two large projects: a YCW workers’ centre and a housing project for the homeless.

He developed a special sensitivity to people who are deaf and dedicated the next 42 years of his life to their benefit. He built a training centre for the deaf in Bangalore. Its modern equipment enabled graduates to get jobs in factories.

He began a second such centre in Karwar. His work with the deaf and the workers’ movement led to national (India) involvement with several organizations, other religious communities and non-Christian agencies. His work with and advocacy for the deaf extended into Asia.

"Thank you Fr Harry Stocks for your contribution to the worker movement in India," Ruben added.


"Unfortunately, the workers movements do not have any say in the running of the Workers Centre now since it has been taken over by the archdiocese like many other properties of the YCW in India," he noted..

Read more about Fr Stocks here:

http://priests.josephcardijn.com/harry-stocks

Former International YCW vice-president, Berty Villa, from the Philippines shared her memories of working with Cardinal Joseph Cardijn during Vatican II in this video presentation.

Betty prepared this testimony for the Vatican 2+50: A Cardijn Perspective conference in Manila from 10-14 October 2012.

Full report at: www.vatican2plus50.com