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Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences – Office of Social Communication OOSSCC 1916 CTM Bldg. Oroquieta Street Sta. Cruz, Manila 1003 Philippines Tel: (632) 7327170, 338776 Fax: 7327171 Email: [email protected]

INDIA: NORTH EAST REGIONAL RELIGIOUS SINGAPORE: GOSPEL AND POP CONCERT DRAWS ASSEMBLY STUDY MEDIA CROWDS Ninety four members of the Catholic Religious of India (CRI) Some 350 people gathered for a two-hour concert titled “God North East consisting of major superiors, formators, and is Good!” at the St. Mary of the Angels‟ St. Clare Hall on officers of local CRI units held its 31st Regional Assembly and August 20. Put on by local musician Terence Castillo, the North East Social Forum in Guwahati September 8- 10. The concert featured Gospel and pop songs performed by Castillo theme of the assembly was “Effect of Media on Consecrated himself, another local artist Jurane Solano, The Seraphim Choir Life.” Fr. George Plathottam, sdb, CBCI secretary for social and a four-piece band. (CN) communications and director of NISCORT (National Institute INDIA: BOY DONATES FILM EARNINGS TO MC for Social Communications Research and Training), was the SISTERS resource person. The workshop covered issues such Ten-year old Akash Mukherjee donated his earnings of as communication formation of church leaders, managing crisis 100,000 Rupees (about 1,810.00 US$) to Mother Teresa‟s and reputation of church institutions, public relations, media Missionaries of Charity (MC) in Kolkata on August 27. Sister education, integrating media in various pastoral ministries, Mary Prema, superior general of the charity group, accepted the study of church documents and guidelines on communication, donation in the presence of the parents of the fifth grader at St. pastoral care of those who work in the media. (CBCI) Xavier‟s Primary School in Kolkata. Akash earned the amount INDIA: GOA CHURCH WEBSITE’S HACKED for playing the lead role in a Bengali language film. Donating The website of the Goa church‟s social wing and watchdog his entire earnings, however hard it is, makes him happy body was hacked on August 30 for the third time. The alleged because, he said, the children and the dying in the MC homes hacker “Spa@rrow 007” wrote on the website of Council for will be happy. (UCANEWS) Social Justice and Peace (CSJP) that they are from the „Indian SINGAPORE: PRIESTS LEARN HOW TO ENGAGE Hackers‟ group who “love hacking and India.” The group also WITH MEDIA posted messages such as Jai Hind and Happy Independence Day Some 40 priests, including Archbishop Nicholas Chia, along with a caricature showing a girl marching with the Indian gathered for a communications and media seminar on August 17 tri-color. The data of the site was not tampered. (CBCI) at the Church of the Holy Spirit learned that when facing media KOREA: CATHOLICS JUMP ON VIRAL MUSIC VIDEO in the wake of a Church-related crisis, silence is “not a A Catholic parish in Seoul has added its take on the humorous strategy.” Priests have “a responsibility to manage” the song and dance phenomenon Gangnam style introduced by reputation of the Church, which is built on clarity, consistency, Korean artist Psy. Seongdang Style, made by a Catholic priest transparency and trust. The archdiocesan Communications and his students, has received more than 110,000 views since it Office and Communications Advisory Council organized the was uploaded on August 28. “It‟s important for the Church to event to help priests become more aware of media-related develop digital content in order to survive in modern society,” issues. (CN) said Father Ignatius Kim Min-soo, secretary of the Korean SINGAPORE: STAGE PLAY ON ST. THERESE bishops‟ mass communication commission. Seongdang Style “CANA The Catholic Center” held a stage play based on the shows a priest wearing a black soutane and sunglasses performs life of St. Therese of Liseux at the Church of the Holy Spirit on Psy‟s „horse-riding dance,‟ while his young students jump and September 8. Actress Eva Hernandez brought the saint back to run around the church, singing lyrics more palatable to life with her animated performance before a 450-strong Catholicism. (UCANEWS) audience who watched in rapt attention. (CN) HONG KONG: DIOCESE PUBLISHES ‘OPEN LETTER SRI LANKA: VOCATION EXHIBIT HELD ON SOCIAL POLICY A three-day vocation exhibit was held from August 31 to The Hong Kong Catholic Diocese published an open September 2 to present the work and commitment of missionary statement in two local newspapers urging the newly elected congregations in Sri Lanka, and to help young people to find government and legislative council to implement more just and their life‟s path. Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, Archbishop of family-friendly policies. The statement, which appeared in Colombo and President of the Bishops‟ Conference of the Chinese and English language daily newspapers, called on the country, initiated the event which took place at St. Joseph‟s government to reassess policies on population rise, housing, College in Colombo. Dozens of people, most of whom were medical care, education and welfare for Hong Kong residents. young boys and girls, crowded the stands of the 72 institutions, Among the primary concerns raised by the Church was growing seminaries and apostolates present at the fair, each presenting poverty. The statement noted that there are currently more than ongoing projects inside and outside the country. (ASIANEWS) one million people in Hong Kong living below the poverty line – most of them elderly residents. (CBCPNEWS)

FABC-OSC Communication INFO September 2012 Vol. 27 No. 9 PAKISTAN: CHRISTIANS AND MUSLIMS CONDEMN BANGLADESH: ARRESTS FOLLOW PROTESTS OVER BLASPHEMOUS FILM ABOUT MUHAMMAD FILM The wave of protests against the blasphemous film about Police arrested dozens of protesters in Dhaka on September 23 Muhammad, “Innocence of Muslims,” has inflamed many as the film ridiculing the Prophet Mohammad and more recent Muslim majority countries including Pakistan. The Diocesan cartoons published in France prompted strikes and Commission for Interreligious Dialogue in Faisalabad, on demonstrations across Bangladesh. Following sporadic clashes September 15, called a press conference, with at least 50 between security forces and demonstrators in which vehicles prominent Christian and Muslim figures present. They were vandalized, police detained 77 people and quickly released expressed the strongest condemnation of the film, and said its 32 of them yesterday. Protestors pelted stones and bricks at authors deserve exemplary punishment. Fr Bonnie Mendes, police who responded with batons and tear gas. About 100 former Secretary of the National Commission for Justice and people including police and journalists were injured, none Peace, says it‟s terrible “to offend the sensibilities of Muslim for seriously. Police also banned a major rally by Islamist parties in sinister and evil interests.” (ASIANEWS) Dhaka. (UCANEWS) INDIA: CARDINAL GRACIAS ON ANTI-MUHAMMAD CHINA: CULTURAL FESTIVAL RELAUNCHES FILM, VIOLENCE CHURCH’S MISSION The blasphemous film about Muhammad is an “unjustifiable” The first Cultural Festival organized by the Cathedral of the act, but “should not be fought with violence,” rather “through Diocese of Bao Ding, dedicated to Saints Peter and Paul, took dialogue and peace”, says Cardinal Oswald Gracias, president place on July 2, on the day of the 106th anniversary of the of the Bishops‟ Conference of India (CBCI). He was founding of the church, after an impressive restoration, the most commenting on protests in Muslim countries, which in some challenging undertaken since its foundation, which dates BACK cases have culminated with death and injury of innocent to 1905. This initiative intends to “re-launch the mission of this civilians. “(I)t is wrong to use the media to make fun or to centuries-old church through religious culture.” During the denigrate something which is sacred to another person,” the festival an exhibition was held with hundreds of pictures on 106 prelate said. (ASIANEWS) years of the church‟s history. A concert of sacred music also MYANMAR: ‘SAFFRON REVOLUTION’ attracted the attention of many people, not just Catholics. (CN) REMEMBERED More than 100 people marked the fifth anniversary of Yangon‟s „Saffron Revolution‟ on September 26, the first time they have been able to do so without restrictions following recent democratic reforms. In the first public commemoration of the protests, which saw at least 31 people killed and hundreds of monks imprisoned, monks and activists gathered at Magway Monastery in the north of Yangon. Ashin Par Maukha, a monk at the monastery, said they gathered so that monks could reunite with ordinary citizens, just as they had in the September 2007 protests that started as a reaction to rising fuel prices before quickly escalating into a call for democracy. (UCANEWS) PHILIPPINES: BIBLE MOST PREFERRED READING A readership survey conducted by the National Book PHILIPPINES: CHURCH LAUNCHES AUDIO BIBLE Development Board (NBDB) showed that the Bible is still the FOR PHONES AND TABLETS most preferred reading material of Filipinos. The Bible Church officials announced the launch of an “audio Bible” for continues to be the most popular book read among 58 percent of smart phones, laptops, mp3 players and other mobile gadgets on respondents, followed by romance books (25 percent) and September 24. “We know that not everyone is interested in cookery books (21 percent). The nationwide survey of 1,200 reading. That‟s why we are promoting this audio Bible,” said adult readers was conducted in May. (UCANEWS) Auxiliary Bishop Pablo David of San Fernando, head of the INDIA: PROTEST OVER DANCING PRIEST IN NEW Episcopal Commission on Biblical Apostolate. He said the BOLLYWOOD FILM move is part of the Church‟s “Faith Comes from Hearing Catholics have threatened to stop the screening of a Hindi Campaign.” (UCANEWS) movie directed by Priyadarshan called Kamaal Dhamaal VIETNAM: COURT SENTENCES CHRISTIAN BLOGGERS Malamaal if certain scenes presenting a “disrespectful The People‟s Court in Ho Chi Minh City today passed portrayal” of the community and its priests are not deleted. A sentence on three Christian bloggers in a case that has polarized delegation of representatives of Catholic groups and a priest of the religious community and drawn international criticism. The the Archdiocese of Bombay have met and submitted a bloggers were charged with spreading anti-government memorandum to Central Board of Film Certification propaganda under Article 88 of the country‟s criminal code. chairperson Leela Samson on September 22. (UCANEWS) They were founding members of the Free Journalist Club, an organization not recognized as an official body by the government. (UCANEWS)

FABC-OSC Communication INFO September 2012 Vol. 27 No. 9