Ban on mass that remembered Franco’s supporters
A MASS held for decades to remember civilians executed for supporting General Franco during the Spanish Civil War has been banned by Barcelona’s new left-wing administration, El Pais reported last week. Officials from the Barcelona En Comu ruling party argued that the event contravened national laws banning "acts of exaltation" supporting the Nationalist uprising.
Two Christian Sudanese women arrested
TWO Christian women, Ferdoos Eltoum and Rehab Omer Kakoum, have been found guilty of indecent or immoral dress, under Article 152 of the Sudanese Criminal Code, and fined. Christian Solidarity Worldwide reports that they were part of a group from the Nuba Mountains arrested on 25 June after leaving a church service in Khartoum. The chief executive of CSW, Mervyn Thomas, said that the case highlighted "wider concerns regarding the mistreatment of religious and ethnic minorities in Sudan".
Complaint filed against Bishop of Los Angeles
A COMPLAINT of misconduct has been filed against the Bishop of Los Angeles, the Rt Revd J. Jon Bruno, by members of the congregation of St James the Great, Newport Beach. The letter to the office of the Presiding Bishop says that, after agreeing to sell the church’s building to developers, Bishop Bruno locked the congregation out of it. Earlier this month, Bishop Bruno defended the sale as "making responsible fiduciary decisions not only for today but also for the future of the diocese". The Standing Committee of the diocese of Los Angeles said that, in 2004, a majority of members at St James the Great had voted to terminate their affiliation with the Episcopal Church and to affiliate with the Church of the Province of Uganda. In response, the diocese and Bishop had sued to recover its property. The Bishop had then secured permission from the Standing Committee to use the proceeds from sale of the properties to cover the costs of this litigation.
Pastor complains of police apathy after church attack
POLICE in India have failed to take action against those who perpetrated an attack on a church in Thiruvarur, Tamilnadu, a pastor has said. In a letter to the the World Commission of Human Rights, which represents bar associations in India, and abroad, Pastor Easvrat accused the police of apathy, and said that 30 of the attackers had been identified. The Commission has now written to both the police chief and chief secretary of Tamilnadu.
More than 200 lawyers and activists detained in China
FIVE UN human rights experts, the EU, the UK, and the US are among those who have expressed their concern about the detention of more than 200 lawyers and activists in China since 10 July. Many of the lawyers questioned were signatories to a letter condemning the forced disappearance of a lawyer, Wang Yu, who had previously defended members of Falun Gong, a spiritual practice banned in China, Christian Solidarity Worldwide reports.