The Hungarian parliament has voted to amend the nation’s constitution to define marriage as the union of a man and a woman.

Other moves are raising religious-freedom concerns. Vatican Radio said: “Rights activists fear the end of religious freedom as faith groups need parliamentary approval to be recognised as churches”. Other amendments make homelessness a crime and limit election campaign advertising to state media. The EU opposed some of the amendments.

Newspaper accused of smearing cardinal

The Archdiocese of Sydney, Australia, has denied a report in Fairfax accusing Cardinal George Pell of being “tainted by sex abuse scandals”. It said the statements were “utterly false and seriously defamatory”, describing the report was a “smear of the most vindictive kind”.

The Fairfax report suggested that an investigation into sex abuse charges, conducted in 2002 by a retired judge, had cast suspicions on the cardinal’s role. In fact, the report from Judge A. J. Southwell had “completely exonerated Cardinal Pell of allegations made against him,” the archdiocese said.

The lawyers of Cardinal Pell are studying action that can be taken.

Muslim mob on anti-Christian rampage

A Christian neighbourhood in Lahore, Pakistan, has been attacked by a mob of 3,000 Muslims. The attack happened after a Christian was arrested on charges of committing blasphemy against Muhammad. The blasphemy laws are repeatedly used to persecute Christians in Pakistan.

Over 100 homes were burned down and at least 120 people were hospitalised with burn injuries.

Bishop Sebastian Francis Shah condemned the violence and appealed to the government to ensure the safety of citizens, and especially of religious minorities.

Praise for Hugo Chávez

Patriarch Kirill I of Moscow, the leader of the largest of the Eastern Orthodox churches has paid tribute to the late Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez. Patriarch Kirill described Chávez as “one of the brightest contemporary political leaders, a sincere patriot of his country, who made a lot of effort to improve the living conditions of the Venezuelan people”.

Chávez “was well known in the world for his independent position and integrity” and attached “great importance to developing spiritual ties between peoples,” he added.

“It is too easy to blame Church for sex abuse”

Cardinal Andre Vingt-Trois of Paris said it is wrong to blame all sexual abuse of children on the Church as if it is a problem that only affects the Church. The French cardinal said this approach “is an easy way of ridding us of the issue of paedophilia: by putting it on the Church”. That approach, however, “prevents asking the question within society itself,” he said.

Mgr Scicluna on why Pope Benedict resigned

Auxilliary Bishop Charles Scicluna thinks that the Pope emeritus may have found himself unable to trust his aides, and “not being able to decapitate everyone, he chose to go himself”. Bishop Scicluna was speaking to the Italian daily Corriere della Sera.

Mgr Scicluna said he believes the Pope resigned because “he wants to give space to a person that can take the situation in hand in a way that he cannot presently ensure for the Church”.

(Compiled by Fr Joe Borg)