According to the Mexico City’s Archdiocese newsletter, President Enrique Pena Nieto’s reforms are endangering the economy. According to the newsletter, they have punished everyone and helped no one.

The country’s bishops had already criticised the reforms in a pastoral letter on April 30, questioning the government’s educational, economic and energy policies.

The newsletter said that “everyone has been punished with tax increases... diminishing their economic capacities and subjecting them to a series of complicated fiscal controls”. It added that “beyond the official declarations and the government’s insulting public acts... is the reality: disappointing expectations of growth for 2014 of less than three per cent”.

Call for investigation

All homes for unwed mothers should be investigated by an independent board of inquiry said Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of Dublin, Ireland. His position follows media reports that unmarked graves of 800 young children were found in a former Church-run home in Tuam. Many of these homes, which were run by religious orders under the umbrella of the state, had very low budgets and characterised by high rates of disease and child mortality.

News stories saying the 800 children were discarded in a septic tank were described as untrue by the researcher who uncovered the evidence about the dead children.

The Irish government announced that an inquiry would be held.

Bishops slam regime

The repressive government of Eritrea and its policies have been strongly criticised in a statement released by the Catholic bishops of the country. They describe as a clear sign of trouble and discontent the high rate of emigration from the country.

The bishops said that those who leave are traveling to “peaceful countries, to countries of justice, of work, where one expresses himself loudly, a country where one works and earns”.

They note that many people are being put in prison, adding that these should be handled in a humane way.

Zen for democracy

Cardinal Joseph Zen is fully supporting the non-binding referendum that will be held in Hong Kong calling for full democracy in the province. The referendum question will ask for the democratic election of members of Parliament.

The cardinal will show his support by walking 12 hours a day to urge people to vote in favour.

The referendum is also being supported by Cardinal John Tong, who succeeded Cardinal Zen as Archbishop of the Hong Kong diocese. Beijing loyalists strongly oppose the referendum and are recommending the use of force by Beijing to remove those they describe as “anti-China forces” from Hong Kong.

Married priests for Eastern Catholic churches in the US?

While Eastern Catholic churches accept married men into the priesthood, they are prohibited to do so in North America.

The North American Orthodox/Catholic Theological Consultation has called for the “lifting of the restrictions regarding the ordination of married men to the priesthood in the Eastern Catholic Churches of North America”.

Such a move would “assure the Orthodox that, in the event of the restoration of full communion between the Churches, the traditions of the Orthodox Church would not be questioned”.

(Compiled by Fr Joe Borg)