The Catholic bishops’ conference of South Africa harshly criticised the decision the country’s government to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The bishops said they “have noted with sadness” this decision. They said South Africa’s withdrawal might encourage other African nations to follow suit, harming the effectiveness of the international body.

The bishops’ conference urged the government that South Africa should retain its membership in the ICC at least “until such a time that Africa has developed a credible and effective regional court”.

Vatican-approved bishop set to be ordained in China

Bishop-designate Peter Ding Lingbin will be ordained on November 10 in the Chinese diocesan cathedral of St Peter and Paul. Lingbin was nominated by the Vatican but he has been waiting for two years for to be ordained as China’s Communist government was opposing it. The announcement is another indication that there is substance in reports of an imminent agreement between China and the Vatican about the appointment of new bishops. The Vatican has not commented on the reports.

Some Chinese Catholics anticipate that the ordination in Changzhi will soon be followed by another bishop’s installation in the diocese of Chengdu.

Pope: ‘Rigid people are ill, hypocrites or worse’

In his homily during Mass at St Martha’s House last Monday, Pope Francis said: “Beneath rigidity there is something hidden about a person’s life. Rigidity is not a gift of God. Meekness is; kindness is; benevolence is; forgiveness is. But rigidity is not!

“Beneath rigidity there is always something hidden, in many cases a double life; but there is also some sort of disease lingering there. How the rigid suffer: when they are sincere and they acknowledge this, they suffer! Because they are unable to feel the freedom that God’s children feel; they do not know what it is like to walk in the Law of the Lord and they are not blessed. And they suffer so much!”

“They seem good because they follow the Law; but beneath that there is something not so nice about them: either they are bad or they are hypocrites or they are ill. They suffer!

“This is why Jesus says: hypocrites!”

Bishops call for the release of political prisoners

The bishops of the Republic of Congo have called on their country’s government to release political prisoners who have not been tried. They said “the imprisonment of political leaders, of candidates in the presidential elections, of members of the team of election campaigns of candidates, constitutes an insurmountable suffering, not only for families but also for Congolese peace lovers”. They urged the government to “free all political prisoners not properly judged.”

Archdiocese sets up drug rehab programme in wake of war on addicts, dealers

The Archdiocese of Manila officially launch­ed a drug rehabilitation programme yesterday in the wake of the Philippine government’s war on addicts and dealers.

Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle recently celebrated Mass for drug addicts who came forward to be treated on the programme, entitled ‘A Journey to Starting Life Anew’.

The archdiocese set up this drug rehabilitation programme in the wake of the great number of killings, part of Predisent Duterte’s so-called war on drugs.

The cardinal said the Church seeks “healing justice, not revenge, because only justice heals… Revenge wounds all the more”.

An archdiocesan statement said the Church’s programme is for addicts and their families to receive “healing, rehabilitation and restoration”.

(Compiled by Fr Joe Borg)

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