Quotes and news

In a recent article in L’Osservatore Romano, Vatican Bank president Ettore Gotti Tedeschi wrote: “The great world economies should stop looking for individual solutions which contrast with each other, as they have been doing since the start of the crisis.

“It is especially necessary to reach a common consensus on the fact that only a period of austerity, managed in an integral way, can be the real key for returning to growth. There are no longer countries exempt from the crisis or immune from the temptation of increasing public debt in order to resolve their problems. Strategies for growth exist and are especially valid for countries that can count on economic values such as savings of families, an efficient system of small-medium size business and strong banks in the territory.

“These countries, instead of allowing themselves to be tempted by apparently easy solutions such as using money from families to reduce public debt, should find ways to channel part of available liquid savings into reinforcement of medium-sized business, without penalising the savings itself. This is a solution which would truly permit growth and jobs.”

Murderers charged

Nine retired soldiers who were indicted by a Spanish court for the murder of six Jesuits in 1989 have surrendered for questioning. They were indicted together with 14 others, including a former Salvadoran defence minister.

The Salvadoran police were on the lookout for them because of an international arrest warrant issued by the Spanish court.

A UN investigating tribunal had published a report saying that the Jesuits were killed on orders from the late General Rene Emilio Ponce in the presence of defence minister General Rafael Humberto Larios.

Bishop bans Neocatechumenal Way

Bishop Anthony Sharma, the apostolic vicar of Nepal, has suspended the activities of the Neocatechumenal Way. There are only about two dozen members of the movement in Nepal. Tensions between the movement and the bishop increased after it decided to send young people for World Youth Day despite the bishop’s decision not to send youths to the event.

Irish government eyes Church schools

The Irish government is putting pressure on religious orders to surrender schools and other property to the government to help pay victims of abuse in Church-run institutions.

Ruari Quinn, the government’s education minister, has expressed dissatisfaction with the €476 million offered by religious orders to abuse victims. Claiming the congregations should pay about 50 per cent more, Quinn has proposed that the orders hand over control of their schools.

Muslims attack Christian village

Thousands of Muslims attacked a largely Christian village in southern Egypt last Sunday. It seems the attack was in reaction to an incident in which a Christian on a motorcycle hit a Muslim.

However, the Assyrian Infor- mation News Agency said prior to the attack, Muslims were harassing Christian girls at a church last Sunday.

Security officials alleged that Christians had opened fire on worshippers at a mosque last Sunday – a claim local Christians deny.

(Compiled by Fr Joe Borg)