S i g n i s I n d i a

INDORE, India, July 9, 2010--Some 1,000 Indians, including priests and nuns, have protested a government move to dispose of toxic waste from the Bhopal gas tragedy site in their locality.

The Madhya Pradesh government, following a Supreme Court order, is to dispose of 346 tons of poisonous material from the Union Carbide factory in Bhopal, the state capital.

The state plans to destroy the waste in an incineration facility in the Pithampur area near Indore town, some 190 kilometers west of Bhopal, according to reports.read more »

ANTIPOLO CITY, July 11, 2010—An International Alliance of Filipino Migrant Organizations in Middle East has asked the Philippine government to probe the death of an overseas Filipino worker (OFW) in Kish Island in Iran, while waiting for his entry visa, last July 1.

In an e-mail sent to CBCPNews, Migrante Middle East through its regional coordinator John Leonard Monterona said that an OFW only known as Marcus, 24, from Bicutan, Taguig was killed by a Sudanese due to a fight. read more »

MANILA, July 13, 2010— Anti-gambling crusader Archbishop Oscar Cruz will hand over to the government a list of “jueteng” operators across the country.

Cruz said he will give the list of “big-time jueteng lords” to Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jesse Robredo once he is able to meet him.

“We will give the list with all the names so he’ll know who these people are,” Cruz, founder of the Krusadang Bayan Laban sa Jueteng, told reporters Tuesday. read more »

LAHORE, Pakistan, June 14, 2010--The new service was announced during a Sunday Mass at Holy Cross Church, in one of the city’s most deprived districts.

“The virus is not only transmitted sexually; there can be other reasons too and it is prudent to have a check-up. We shall not charge anything – it’s absolutely free,” Father Bernard Bhatti told a congregation of around 200 Catholics. He asked them to contribute by spreading news of the service around their neighborhood.read more »

ANTIPOLO CITY, June 18, 2010—Catherine Turqueza Bantoy, 22 year old tutor for Korean students in an online school in Mandaluyong City, works for six days straight. Though her compensation is much bigger than the wage earners in Metro Manila, she said her salary is not enough; especially as she’s helping her family in their daily needs.read more »

BHOPAL, India, June 16, 2010--Indian youth want their priests to listen more. The authoritarian attitude of some clergymen is alienating young Indian Catholics, they say.

“When a priest is not flexible, no ’sheep’ can approach him with confidence,” said Savio Daniyal, one of 89 contestants, who took part in an essay contest organized by Bhopal archdiocese.

The competition was part of a four-day summer vacation training camp for young Catholics which ended on June 7.read more »

TOKYO, Japan, June 18, 2010--Archbishop Peter Takeo Okada of Tokyo says priests in the archdiocese have many health problems and is urging them to find time for “recreation of mind and body, as well as rest for the soul.”

In a June 14 message: “Rest for Priests: the Reinvigoration of Spiritual Life,” the archbishop reiterated the contents of a homily he delivered during a Mass marking the close of the Year for Priests on June 11.read more »

MANILA, June 20, 2010— Pro-life advocates are stepping up their lobby and advocacy efforts in time for the opening of the 15th Congress.

Aiming to educate pro-lifers on how to use lobbying activities to advance the pro-life agenda in various venues especially in the legislature, Pro-life Philippines Foundation, Inc. is holding a seminar titled “Strategies to Protect Life and the Family in the 15th Congress.”read more »

VATICAN, June 20, 2010 (Zenit.org).- The oil spill catastrophe in the Gulf of Mexico must be a lesson in humility for all human activities, not only for the energy industry, a Vatican spokesman said.

Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, director of the Vatican press office, spoke on the latest episode of Octava Dies about the crisis in the Gulf of Mexico following an April 20 well blowout on the Deepwater Horizon offshore oil drilling platform.

"It is difficult to calculate the dimensions of the disaster, but they are certainly enormous and continue to grow," he said.read more »

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina, June 14, 2010--Archbishop Agustin Radrizzani of Mercedes Lujan called on priests in Argentina to fight the separation between faith and daily life, which harms the Church in the world today.read more »