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

Indonesia's Supreme Court has ordered that 176 workers sacked by PT Micro Garment company should be re-instated after rejecting an appeal by the company against an earlier decision in favour of the workers.

The company had claimed that a strike by workers had violated order made ​​by the company as well as labor law. In July 2011, it filed a lawsuit in the District Court (Industrial court) in Bandung, West Java.

In December 2011, a judge found in favour of the workers but the company appealed to the Supreme Court in 2012.

The latest decision of the Supreme Court is final.

"The Supreme Court verdict is good news for the 176 workers at Micro Garment," said YCW fulltime worker, Ikim Rakhmat, "because the entire struggle and sacrifice and the wait times has been answered finally.

"The Supreme Court's decision confirms that the employer has violated the labor law. The workers are hoping that what the Supreme Court decided is not overlooked by entrepreneurs but immediately implemented," he added.

Well known Sri Lankan theologian and former IMCS Asia chaplain, Fr Tissa Balasuriya, has died at the age of 89.

In 1971 Fr Tissa  founded the Center for Society and Religion. In 1976, he helped found the Ecumenical Association of Third World Theologians (EATWOT).

In 1997, following a long process with the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, he was excommunicated over the content of one of his books, Mary and Human Liberation.

He was reconciled to the Church the following year.

Later he said he regarded his experience not as an "ex-communication" but rather as an "in-communication".

Fr Tissa was also a supporter of Cardijn, whom he met as a young priest.

“Cardijn is still relevant in contemporary reality. CCI must bring Cardijn closer to the youth through his approach and See-Judge-Act method. The primordial role of the youth in the world should not be undermined,” Fr Tissa told CCI leaders in 2011.

"We remember Fr Tissa with affection and mourns his passing," said CCI convenor, Stefan Gigacz.

Funeral details will follow.

LINKS

Tissa Balasuriya website

Cardijn still relevant: Father Tissa (Cardijn.info)

The excommunication of Fr Tissa Balasuriya lifted (Asia Human Rights Commission)

Father Tissa reconciled (EWTN)