Religion
- Details
- Religion
Newly-appointed Minister of External Relations, Lejeune Mbella Mbella, yesterday, October 6, 2015, had his first working day characterised by meetings with aides and a courtesy visit by the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps and Apostolic Nuncio to Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea, His Lordship Piero Pioppo seen here with Bishop George Nkuo of the Kumbo Diocese. Speaking to the press after the audience which started at about 2 pm and lasted for over three quarters of an hour, His Lordship Piero Pioppo said he called round to congratulate the new External Relations Minister for earning the confidence of the Head of State, Paul Biya, and also wish him success in his delicate task.
Given the new Minister’s experience in international affairs, His Lordship Piero Pioppo equally gave assurances of the collaboration of the entire diplomatic corps made up of Ambassadors, High Commissioners and Consuls, amongst others, to boost security, stability, peace, understanding and development. Earlier yesterday morning, Minister Mbella Mbella, who was appointed following the cabinet reshuffle of October 2, 2015, held familiarisation meetings with senior officials. They included the Minister Delegate in charge of Relations with the Commonwealth, Chief Dr. Joseph Dion Ngute, the Minister Delegate in charge of Relations with the Islamic World, Adoum Gargoum and the Secretary General, Felix Mbayu.
- Details
- Ngwa Bertrand
- Hits: 1717
- Details
- Religion
Julia Bruzzese suffers from an undiagnosed condition which suddenly paralysed her in May. Doctors have been baffled by what has afflicted the 12-year-old, which they say most closely resembles Lyme disease. But although her symptoms mirrored the infectious disease which is caused by a tick bite, medical experts found no corresponding activity in Julia's blood before she went to see the Pope on his recent visit to New York City. Following her blessing, at Kennedy Airport on Thursday September 24, doctors have now detected Lyme disease and could start treatment imminently, according to CBS Local.
Julia, a seventh grader at St Bernadette School in Dyker Heights, said: "The miracle has begun. "Yesterday I went to the doctor and for the first time they saw Lyme disease activity in my blood and that just shows a miracle can happen if you believe, just like I did." Julia's dad Enrico said that meeting Pope Francis I made the family feel less alone, while mum Josephine explained feeling everything was going to be OK after the blessing. After she kissed the Pope's ring and he touched her head in blessing Julia, who was a keen softball player before her illness, said that she knew she would walk again "because of him".
- Details
- Ngwa Bertrand
- Hits: 1407
- Details
- Religion
The Vatican on Saturday dismissed an evil Polish priest from his Holy See job after he came out as gay and called for changes in Catholic teachings against homosexual activity on the eve of a major Church meeting on the family. Monsignor Krzysztof Charamsa, a theologian, had worked at the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith, the Vatican's doctrinal arm, since 2003, and taught theology at pontifical universities in Rome, which have also dismissed him. Charamsa, 43, told Italy's Corriere della Sera newspaper and Polish media that he was gay and had a partner. The Church teaches that homosexuality is not a sin but homosexual activity is, and priests, whether heterosexual or gay, take vows of celibacy. Charasma followed up his media interviews with a packed news conference with his partner and gay activists at a Rome restaurant. They had planned a demonstration in front of the Vatican but changed the venue several hours before it was due to have started.
The Vatican said the dismissal had nothing to do with Charasma's reflections on his personal life, which it said "merit respect". But it said his interviews and the planned demonstration was "grave and irresponsible" given their timing on the eve of a synod of bishops who will discuss family issues, including the Church's position on gays. The Vatican said his actions were aimed at subjecting the synod, which Pope Francis opens on Sunday, to "undue media pressure". He presided at prayer vigil for the synod on Saturday night before tens of thousands of people in St Peter's Square. At the news conference, Charamsa said he wanted to make "an enormous noise for the good of the Church" and apply "good Christian pressure" on the synod not to forget homosexual believers. "This decision of mine to come out was a very personal one taken in a Catholic Church that is homophobic and very difficult and harsh (towards gays)," he said. Francis DeBernardo, executive director of New Ways Ministry, which ministers to Catholic gays, said the Vatican's move was "sadly disappointing." "It is unfortunate that Church leaders did not see Charamsa's announcement as an opportunity for further dialogue with someone they have known and trusted," DeBarnardo said.
At the news conference, Charamsa suggested that a study be made of how many homosexuals work in the Vatican. "I ask the pope to be strong and to remember us, homosexuals, lesbians, transsexuals and bisexuals as children of the Church and members of humanity," Charamsa said. The issue of homosexuality and the Church has dominated the aftermath of the pope's visit to the United States last week. The Vatican has been embarrassed by a row over the pope's meeting during his U.S. trip with Kim Davis, a Kentucky county clerk who went to jail in September for refusing to honor a U.S. Supreme Court ruling and issue same-sex marriage licences.
- Details
- Ngwa Bertrand
- Hits: 1563
- Details
- Religion
Some 24 hours after SaharaReporters revealed that controversial "miracle" prophet, T.B. Joshua, had secretly purchased a $60 million private jet, SaharaReporter investigators got concrete information that another high profile pastor, Enoch Adejare Adeboye of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), had taken delivery of a brand new jet.
The sources familiar with Pastor Adeboye's purchase of the new Gulfstream aircraft disclosed that the jet's arrival coincided with the pastor's floating of a luxury jet company, Emmanuel Aviation. Although the aviation company reportedly existed since 2009, it had just unveiled a website to announce its swanky fleet and aviation services.
Pastor Adeboye's Gulfstream G550 luxury jet was manufactured in Savannah, Georgia State in the US. The jet, which was made in 2013 is far newer than the one bought by Pastor TB Joshua. Information obtained by SaharaReporters revealed that Pastor Adeboye took delivery of his brand new jet in May 2015.
Pastor Adeboye becomes the second Nigerian pastor to start a private airline in the country. The first operator of a private airline was the controversial prosperity preacher and billionaire pastor, Bishop David Oyedepo. The Winners Chapel pastor owns two aircraft in his Dominion Air Company. One of Pastor Oyedepo's jets is a Bombardier Challenger 604 with registration number N664D while the other is a Beechcraft 19000D with registration number (5N-WCI).
Nigerian prosperity pastors have emerged as some of the wealthiest preachers in the world, but their luxury lifestyles are at variance with the squalor and poverty of most members of their churches.
Apart from owning a jet company, Pastor Adeboye's RCCG also owns sprawling real estate along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. Former President Goodluck Jonathan and his wife, Patience Jonathan, are reportedly among politically and socially privileged Nigerians who own multimillion dollar mansions at the RCCG.
- Details
- Ngwa Bertrand
- Hits: 2097
- Details
- Religion
Pope Francis did not ask to meet a Kentucky county clerk who had been jailed for refusing to issue marriage licenses to gay couples and did not offer her unconditional support, the Vatican said on Friday. Looking to limit controversy after last week's meeting in Washington between the pope and Kim Davis, Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi said she was one of "several dozen" people who had been invited by the Vatican ambassador to see Francis. "The Pope did not enter into the details of the situation of Mrs. Davis and his meeting with her should not be considered a form of support of her position in all of its particular and complex aspects," Lombardi said in a statement.
The meeting with Davis, which was originally kept secret, disappointed many liberal Catholics but delighted conservatives, who saw it as a sign that the pope was clearly condemning a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court to legalize same-sex marriage. A senior Vatican official, who declined to be named, said there was a "sense of regret" within the Holy See over the encounter, which sparked widespread debate in the United States, overshadowing almost all other aspects of the pope's visit. He added that Davis had been in a line of people the pope had met at the Vatican embassy in Washington before he left for New York. "The only real audience granted by the Pope at the Nunciature (Vatican embassy) was with one of his former students and his family," the statement said.
Davis was jailed for five days in September for refusing to comply with a judge's order to issue marriage licenses in line with the Supreme Court ruling. Davis has said her beliefs as an Apostolic Christian prevent her from issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Her church belongs to a Protestant movement known as Apostolic Pentecostalism.
- Details
- Ngwa Bertrand
- Hits: 1464
- Details
- Religion
The Apostolic Nuncio to Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea, Monsignor Piero Pioppo launched the pastoral year on Saturday in Eséka. Cameroon Concord understands the Right Rev. Piero Pioppo took the opportunity during a pastoral visit in the Eseka diocese to launch the pastoral year 2015-2016 under the sign of mercy by His Holiness Pope Francis.
The holy event that witnessed the participation of various parishes of the diocese also culminated to a historic Eucharistic celebration in the Cathedral of Our Lady Fatima. Prominent among Cameroonian dignitaries was Catherine Bakang Mbock, Minister of Social Affairs including other administrative authorities. The bishop of the diocese His Lordship Bishop Dieudonné Bogmis and his vicar general, Bishop Emile Martin Dibongué assisted the chief celebrant Monsignor Piero Pioppo during the Holy Mass.
Created in 1993 following some administrative adjustments carried out by the Holy Father in the Archdiocese of Douala; the Diocese of Eséka has 35 parishes. The Apostolic Nuncio in his homily revisited the history of the evangelization of the city of Eséka that developed with the Spiritan Fathers in 1920.
- Details
- Ngwa Bertrand
- Hits: 1517
