World News in Brief

World News in Brief
Maronite bishops welcome ecumenical embrace

The embrace in Cuba between Pope Francis and the Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill and their subsequent Joint Declaration represent “an ecumenical and prophetic step”, the bishops of the Maronite Church have said.

Recognising how the February 12 encounter had been “prompted by a shared sense of responsibility”, the Maronite bishops thanked Pope Francis for his concern for Christians in the Middle East and his defence of the “common civilisation built by Christians and Muslims in the Middle East region”.

The statement came after a meeting of the Maronite hierarchy which also expressed concern about the recent reappearance in Lebanon of sectarian polarisation launched an urgent appeal for the armed forces not to involve themselves in political tensions. Commenting on the institutional paralysis that has blocked the country from electing a new president since May 2014, the hierarchy warned about the possible collapse of the country’s entire civil and political structure.

Catholic/Muslim encounters positive

Encounters between Catholic and Muslim leaders reduce hatred and suspicion over the long term, a prominent priest-journalist in Malaysia has said.

Commenting on last week’s meeting between Penang’s Bishop Sebastian Francis and the local mufti Datuk Dr Wan Mohd Noor Salim, Fr Andrew Lawrence SJ, director of the popular Catholic weekly The Herald, said such meetings “increase the inter-religious dialogue and break down the hatred and suspicion that there has been for many years, even if they have not the power to change things in the everyday life of Christians “, which, he added, “will take a long time”.

The meeting was the second such encounter in two months, after Kuala Lumpur’s Julian Leow Beng Kim met with the mufti of the Federal Territories in January.

Chief Rabbi Sacks awarded for spiritual insights

Lord Jonathan Sacks, Britain’s former Chief Rabbi, has won the 2016 Templeton Prize for the spiritual insights he has brought to the public arena.

While Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth, Sacks led a revitalisation of Britain’s Jewish community, despite dwindling congregations and growing secularisation across Europe.

During his 1991-2013 tenure he worked to introduce a Jewish focus in such areas as business, women’s issues and education, urging British Jews to share their ethical beliefs with the community at large.

The Templeton Foundation said that central to Sacks’ message has been the appreciation and respect of all faiths, and his conviction that recognising these values offers the only effective path to tackle religiously-linked violence and terrorism.

The prize, valued at over a million pounds (€1.3 million), is given annually to an individual who has made exceptional contributions to affirming life’s spiritual dimension. Last year’s winner was Jean Vanier, founder of the L’Arche movement.