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| Africa Subsaharan |
| Pope Calls for Immediate End to Violence in Central Africa |
| 2013-03-28 |
| [An Nahar] Pope Francis called Wednesday for an immediate stop to violence and pillaging in the Central African Republic, three days after president Francois Bozize was forced into exile by a bloody coup. "I am following the situation in the Central African Republic with great attention," Francis said in his first reference to a specific conflict since his inauguration to the papacy last week. "I appeal for an immediate stop to violence and pillaging, and for a political solution to the crisis to be found as soon as possible to bring peace," he told thousands of people gathered in the sun-washed St Peter's Square for his first general audience. The head of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics, who arrived at the audience in his popemobile, broke with tradition by speaking only in Italian, rather than addressing pilgrims in their native tongues. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #7 GFL with that one, Frank. :-( |
| Posted by: Barbara 2013-03-28 21:21 |
| #6 a total gesture of humility and love. Appropriate for Holy Week. Would be nice if some others *ahem* could learn this |
| Posted by: Frank G 2013-03-28 21:10 |
| #5 Who listens to the Pope, Not Muslims. Maybe not RJ, hopefully someone does. POPE Francis washed 12 young offenders' feet, including two girls at a Rome prison as he pushes for the Catholic Church to reach out to the needy. In an apparent break with tradition by Latin America's first pontiff, local prison ombudsman Angiolo Marroni said that one of the two girls taking part in the ceremony was Muslim. "I do this with all my heart because it is my duty as a priest, as a bishop. I have to be at your service. I love doing it because this is what the Lord has taught me," the 76-year-old Pope said. The ceremony was the first of its type performed by a pope in a prison and the first that included women, including a young woman who is a Serbian Muslim , in a rite which commemorates a gesture of humility that Christians believe Jesus Christ performed for his 12 apostles before his death. Earlier on Thursday, the 76-year-old Argentinian pontiff told Catholic priests at a mass in St Peter's Basilica to stop their "soul-searching" and "introspection". "We need to go out ... to the outskirts where there is suffering, bloodshed, blindness that longs for sight and prisoners in thrall to many evil masters," he said. |
| Posted by: tipper 2013-03-28 19:32 |
| #4 CIA Factbook: indigenous beliefs 35%, Protestant 25%, Roman Catholic 25%, Muslim 15% note: animistic beliefs and practices strongly influence the Christian majority Then again, don't discount a history of coups, revolts and rebellions designed to replace one set of thugs with another. That doesn't require any religious background. |
| Posted by: Pappy 2013-03-28 12:21 |
| #3 Lots of Luck there. You'll need it. Who listens to the Pope, Not Muslims. |
| Posted by: Redneck Jim 2013-03-28 10:16 |
| #2 The CAR being %25 Catholic (per CIA World Factbook)may help the pontiff's case. Anyone know the makeup of the "Insurgents" that have just taken the capital or if the Catholics are concentrated in one area over another and thus this message might have additional demographic weight in the affected area(s)? |
| Posted by: abu do you love 2013-03-28 06:27 |
| #1 Or else. |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2013-03-28 04:30 |