The German church’s special representative for refugees said he believed a cap would violate the Geneva Convention and Germany’s Basic Law. “Christians cannot allow people who’ve faced untold suffering and are needing help to encounter closed borders,” Archbishop Stefan Hesse of Hamburg said.
News
In Mexico’s Chiapas state, Bishop Ruiz leaves large legacy
Inspired by the teachings of the Second Vatican Council and gatherings of the Latin American bishops in Medellin, Colombia, and Puebla, Mexico, Bishop Samuel Ruiz Garcia showed a preferred option for the poor, rubbed the rich the wrong way and ran afoul of the Vatican with his pastoral approach, especially with his ordination of married, indigenous deacons.
In Mideast wars, hunger grips millions across the region
In a Middle East torn apart by war and conflict, fighters are increasingly using food as a weapon.Millions of people across countries like Syria, Yemen and Iraq are gripped by hunger, struggling to survive with little help from the outside world. Children suffer from severe malnutrition, their paren
Michigan governor signs $28M bill to address Flint water crisis
It’s the second round of state aid for the city since the crisis was confirmed in the fall, bringing the total allocated to nearly $39 million. The Republican governor said the funding will provide immediate resources in Flint, but is not the end of state assistance.
More details announced for papal-related events in Diocese of El Paso
“The most important part of our role is for the safety for the pope and our community,” Mayor Oscar Leeser told media. “El Paso is Juarez and Juarez is El Paso,” Leeser said. “We’re one city and one community.”
UN hosted Syria peace talks begin in Geneva; Opposition declines to participate as Assad and Russian attacks continue
The meetings are part of a process outlined in a U.N. resolution last month that envisages an 18-month timetable for a political transition in Syria, including the drafting of a new constitution and elections. The opposition boycott is a blow to the U.N.’s attempt to bring representatives of President Bashar Assad’s government and his opponents together for the first time in two years.
UN health chief: Zika virus is ‘spreading explosively’
The warning from the World Health Organization came amid a call to arms by officials on both sides of the Atlantic over the mosquito-borne virus, which has been linked to a spike in a rare birth defect in Brazil. Brazil’s president—noting there is no medical defense against the infection—called for a crusade against the mosquitoes spreading it.
Loyola contingent faculty voted today to join an SEIU local
In what may prove to be confirmation of a national trend among part-time or adjunct faculty at U.S. colleges and universities, contingent faculty at Loyola University Chicago voted today to join Local 73 of the Service Employees International Union, becoming the third Chicago group of part-time
Grand jury indicts 2 behind Planned Parenthood videos
The grand jury in Harris County indicted David Daleiden and Sandra Merritt on a felony charge of tampering with a governmental record. Daleiden was also indicted on a misdemeanor charge of “prohibition of the purchase and sale of human organs,” Harris County District Attorney Devon Anderson said in a statement.
After backlash, Archbishop Nienstedt to leave Michigan parish
“Archbishop Nienstedt has a deep concern for the church, and in light of the unintended discord that his presence was causing, he decided that this would be the best course of action so the church can remain focused on its mission.”
