Following the decision of the Government of Nigeria to re-introduce capital punishment after a seven-year moratorium, the Catholic bishops denounced it as “a clear departure from modernity to savagery”.

“Just when we believe that Nigeria was on the verge of joining the civilized world in ending the death penalty, we are shocked to hear of the unfortunate execution of four convicted persons in Benin City Edo State,” the bishops said in a statement.

The bishops appealed to the government “to show more restraint in carrying out functions that extinguish the rights to life and dignity of human persons”. They also called for a constitutional amendment to “proscribe all laws that infringe on the rights of individuals, especially the right to life”.

Ruini criticises US court ruling on marriage

“We are fooling ourselves if we think we can banish nature with a personal or collective decision of our own,” said Cardinal Camillo Ruini, the retired vicar of Rome and former president of the Italian bishops’ conference.

Ruini was reacting to last week’s decision by the US Supreme Court decision striking down a key provision of the Defence of Marriage Act. He added this decision “goes against reality”. He told Il Foglio that is an illusion that differences between men and women can be overcome by human actions.

‘Ecumenical dialogue leads to growth in faith’

Dialogue for Christian unity is not a theoretical exercise for theologians, but an essential, practical tool for growing in faith and for evangelisation, Pope Francis told a delegation from the Ecumenical Orthodox Patriarchate of Constantinople that dialogue between the Churches is a practical tool for growing in faith.

“This is not merely a theoretical exercise, but one of getting to know each other’s traditions in order to understand and even learn from them,” the Pope said. He added that the Catholic Church can learn from the synod structure of the Eastern Christian churches.

Pope Francis had said that he and others were studying how the synod could develop “to further promote dialogue and collaboration among the bishops and between the bishops and the bishop of Rome.”

MPs want a conscience vote

The number of Irish MPs who are asking for a conscience vote about abortion legislation is on the increase. They are saying that they will vote according to their conscience and not according to party discipline.

The most recent Irish MP to join this group is Lucinda Creighton, Minister for European Affairs. She has expressed serious misgivings about the proposed abortion legislation. She added that the Bill was defective because, among other things, it did not provide a clear definition of when an unborn child would be considered viable outside the womb, and abortion would therefore be illegal.

At the same time, Cardinal Sean Brady of Ireland said the proposed legislation “will provide the widest possible legal justification for deliberately and intentionally destroying the life of the unborn child”.

“In practice, the right to life of the unborn child will no longer be treated as equal,” the cardinal said.

“The wording of this bill is so vague that ever wider access to abortion can be easily facilitated… This bill represents a legislative and political ‘Trojan Horse’, which heralds a much more liberal and aggressive abortion regime in Ireland.”

(Compiled by Fr Joe Borg)

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