Causes of global hunger must be addressed, says Pope

THE Pope has spoken of the need to tackle the “underlying causes” of global hunger. Speaking to the board of the United Nations World Food Programme at its headquarters in Rome on Monday, he said: “Together, we share the urgent task of confronting hunger and malnutrition, while also tackling the underlying structural causes that sustain them. To meet this task effectively, we must examine the challenges before us, their underlying causes, and the paths toward lasting solutions.” The question was no longer limited to how to intervene to address the world’s challenges, but, instead, it “extends to understanding why the system constantly produces the very problems it is then forced to correct”.

WCC concerned about EU curbs on migrants’ protections

THE general secretary of the World Council of Churches, the Revd Professor Jerry Pillay, has lamented an EU vote further restricting protections for migrants and refugees. The move, he said, added a painful layer of irony to what should have been “a moment of renewed commitment” to international solidarity and human dignity. “The 1951 Refugee Convention 75 years ago was born out of the humanitarian and moral crisis of mass displacement following the Second World War,” he said. “It enshrined a simple but profound principle: that every human being, regardless of origin, deserves protection when fleeing persecution and danger. Any erosion of this commitment weakens not only legal frameworks but the moral architecture of our shared humanity.”

Parents of Leah Sharibu repeat calls for release

THE parents of Leah Sharibu — who, aged 14, was one of 110 pupils kidnapped from a school in north-eastern Nigeria (News, 28 March 2018) — have joined forces with the campaign group Voices for Justice, to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict by calling for justice for all of “Nigeria’s Leahs”, Christian Solidarity Worldwide reports. When Leah was kidnapped, most of those held were released days later. Leah — who refused to renounce her Christian faith — was not (News, 21 February, 2020). In a statement, her parents, Nathan and Rebecca Sharibu, said: ‘For this courage, [Leah] has endured unimaginable hardship in the wilderness. Reports from those who escaped speak of forced marriage, repeated trauma, childbirths in captivity, and the constant shadow of sexual violence used as a weapon of war and control. As her parents, every day without Leah is a wound that deepens.”

Sorrow over ‘moral failure’ in Sudan priest’s murder

THE killing of a prominent Roman Catholic Sudanese priest, Fr Yuhana Al-Amin, highlights the “moral failure” that characterises Sudan, Fr John Gbemboyo Joseph Mbikoyezu, the pastoral and social communication coordinator in the Sudan and South Sudan Catholic Bishops’ Conference, has told Crux Now. Fr Al-Amin, who was the pastor of Holy Cross Parish, Kauda, in South Kodorfan, was shot and killed in his room on 19 June, a statement issued by the Bishop of El Obeid, the Rt Revd Yunan Tombe Trille Kuku Andali, said.

Sale of Episcopal Church Center, Manhattan, to be explored

THE Episcopal Church in the United States, after decades of discussions about the prudence of maintaining its headquarters, the Episcopal Church Center, in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, will test the market for a possible redevelopment, sale, or both, the Presiding Bishop, Dr Sean Rowe, has announced. The building has 12 storeys and 146,000 sq. ft of space. In recent years, however, many of the Church’s staff have worked remotely. Now, less than half the building is occupied by church operations or affiliated organisations, the Episcopal News Service reports.

Colombian religious leaders report pre-election intimidation

RELIGIOUS leaders and communities across Colombia have reported electoral coercion and intimidation by illegal armed groups before the second round of the country’s presidential elections on 21 June, Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) reports. The group said that the most concerning reports came from Arauca, Caquetá, Cauca, Guaviare, and Nariño. In Arauca, a pastor told CSW that religious leaders in rural areas had received warnings from the National Liberation Army guerrilla group, aimed at stopping them from supporting the right-wing candidate, Abelardo de la Espriella.