Cardinal Sean O'Malley 
The Archdiocese of Boston announced last week that it is expanding its sex abuse investigation to include all three of its seminaries.
The investigation will now include Pope St John XXIII National Seminary and Redemptoris Mater Seminary, along with St John’s Seminary, which has been under investigation since August after two of its seminarians filed abuse claims.
In his announcement of the expansion, Cardinal Sean O’Malley said that the decision to include the other two seminaries came about in consultations about the investigation into St John’s.
World Report in Brief
London council apologises to pro-life group
A London council has apologised to a pro-life charity after the sudden removal of its stall at a show.
In a tweet last week Lambeth Council said: “On July 22, we tweeted that Life booked a stall at our County Show using inaccurate information. We accept that was incorrect and would like to apologise to Life.”
Life announced in August that it was taking legal action against the council for “defamation, breach of contract and interference with our right to freedom of expression,” alleging that the dismantling of its stall by show organisers was a violation of a contract between Life and the festival’s organisers that had been made in April.
Philippines Church group appeals for help educating Malawi kids
A Church organisation in the southern Philippines is appealing for help to ensure thousands of schoolchildren affected by last year’s conflict in the city of Marawi get an education.
Almost half a million people were affected by the five-months of fighting that ensued after extremist gunmen attacked the city in May last year.
More than a year after the end of the conflict over 100,000 children have yet to return to school, according to the United Nations’ Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
Duyog Marawi, a Church initiative, started an alternative learning school called ‘School of Hope’ for children forced to drop out of school because of the conflict.
South Asia Jesuits launch forum promoting human rights
The Jesuits of South Asia support the cause of the poor and with this spirit have promoted and launched the ‘Lok Manch’ (‘People’s Forum’), a platform of leaders of civil society organisations committed to promoting the rights of marginalised populations.
This is what Fr Irudaya Jyothi, a Jesuit and social assistant said, explaining the need born within the Society of Jesus in South Asia. Thanks to the network established with 92 organisations in 12 Indian states, the religious have reached about 300,000 needy families in urban and rural areas.
Myanmar youth to be trained as leaders
Jesuits in Myanmar have opened a youth leadership training institute with the enthusiastic encouragement of Cardinal Charles Maung Bo of Yangon, the nation›s commercial hub.
The Myanmar Leadership Institute (MLI) aims to help develop a more just society for the poor with professional leaders inspired by a commitment to peace and human rights.
With the motto ‘Learn to Lead, Lead to Serve’, MLI will concentrate on the preparation of leaders in the fields of education, business and civil society.
Australian Jesuit Fr Mark Raper, superior of Jesuits in Myanmar, said it would be a special privilege for young people entering the program to develop their potential.
