Rs Mourn Who Committed Suic

rs mourn who committed suic sFAISALABAD , Pakistan (CNS>—Some life imprisonment while Section 295-C 25,000 mourners attended the funeral of stipulates death or life imprisonment for Bishop John Joseph of Faisalabad amid defaming; the -EippiieC" 'Mbhammed, messages of sympathy from Pope John? > found^QfIfatn;"pie[ î$py's.national Paul II and other prominent religious and • court of ;Shariah> Islamic law^has inter political leaders. preted Sedfion -295-p~as. requhing. a The mourners,. led by 300 priests and mandatory deathsentehceforthose con religious, attended the May 10 service at victed of blasphemy agai^t the prophet. the Faisalabad cathedral, where the late Ayub isi the fourth^^P^pnfeiiGhristian bishop's body was buried near the Marian to be sentenced to death for blasphemy. grotto built by him, said Father Bashir The, tfiree others were later acquitted by Francis, the Faisalabad Diocese's vicar the Lahore High Cpur4 but are livmg general. He spoke to UCA News, an Asian abroad due to threats. Fiye Christians ac church news agency based in Thailand. cused of blasphemy havebeen lulled while Earlier, reading Pope John Paul's con trials were pending or in process,.three of dolences in Bishop Joseph's native village diem while in custody. .-, " of Khush Pur, the apostolic nuncio to Pak Judge Arif Iqbal Bhatti, oneôf die two istan, Archbishop Renzo Fratini, said the Lahore High Court judges who acquitted pope hope's "the struggle for justice and two of the Christians, was murdered last people's rights will bear fruit." October. \ ' Bishop Joseph, 65, the first native Pun The day before killing himself, Bishop jabi priest and bishop, shot himself to Joseph wrote that the laws must be re death May 6 outside the court building in pealed "without worrying about the sac Sahiwal, about 300 miles south of Islam X1IXM rifices we shall have to offer; dedicated CNs/Heuiere abad. Pakistani Christians gather to pay last respects to Bishop John Joseph in the vil persons do not count the cost" The bishop, who chaired the Pakistani lage of Khush Pur in Pakistan May 8. The Catholic bishop shot himself outside In his statement to human rights ac bishops' justice and peace commission, a courthouse in protest of a death sentence handed down to a Christian man tivists, die 65êar-pld prelate described killed himself at the site where Ayub under Pakistan's blasphemyjaws.. the blasphemy laws as "die greatest block Masih, a Christian convicted of blasphe .. in the good and harmonious relations be my, was sentenced to death April 27. The In a May 7 statement, the three Pak struggling to get the blasphemy laws tween Muslims and die religious minori site is also where Ayub — the name Masih istani bishops called Bishop Joseph's sui dropped or amended, but nothing ties in Pakistan." is used to identify people#s Christians — cide "a sudden and cruel extinction of a changed. "In order to achieve national harmony, had been shot at while awaiting a court bright and shining light. He was prepared Some participants at the synod acted let us give a mighty push to this immense hearing Nov. 6. to offer his life for the abolition of the on an appeal by a fellow synod attendee boulder, before it crushes all of us," he In Rome; more than 120 Catholics, in (blasphemy) laws repeatedly misused from Pakistan. The appeal sought; an end wrote. cluding bishops and priests at the Synod against innocent minorities.'' to the persecution of Christians in Pak Reacting to the news of Bishop Joseph's of Bishops for Asia, took part in a memo Bishop Coutts, who succeeded Bishop istan, and especially the repeal of blas death, Archbishop Theodore E. McCar- rial Mass for Bishop Joseph May 8. Arch Joseph in April as chairman of the Pak phemy laws that have been used to con rick, chairman of the U.S. bishops' Inter bishop Armando Trindade of Lahore, istani bishops1 commission for interreli- demn several Pakistani Christians to national Policy Committee, expressed president of the Pakistani bishops' con gious dialogue, said the Pakistani mem death, reported UCA News. , shock and dismay. ference, presided at the Mass. With him bers of the synod were "still trying to The appeal urged recipients to "write In a message of support and condo were Bishop Joseph Coutts of Hyderabad recover from this bombshell, this bolt letters of protest either to the Pakistan lence tcAtfte people of die bishop's dio and Bishop Anthony Lobo of Islamabad- from out of the blue." Embassy in your country or direcdy to die cese, his colleaguesjmd relatives May 7, Rawalpindi, the other two Pakistani bish For 12 years, he said, thelaishops and prime minister and president of Pakistan;" Archbishop McX^rfefcsaidji^May they be ops at the synod. human rights organizations had been Fides, the news agency of the Congre stfengdiene||;4u> cirry on his work gation for the Evangelization of Peoples, through nonviolent and peaceful efforts said it was.dear that the bishop's suicide to achieve a more just and equitable Pak was a "protest deadi." istani society, in which religious liberty It quoted an unidentified priest as say and other basic human rights are fully re ing that Bishop Joseph "dedicated his spected." mind and heart to fighting the blasphemy The Asia Partnership for Human De- laws, and it killed him." velopment,jan international alliance of in so itianu fandiiages, The blasphemy laws, Sections 295-B Catholic agencies, expressed to die Pak and -C of die Pakistan Penal Code, were istani bishops' conference its. hope that introduced ia 1986 under die late presi Bishop Joseph's "great sacrifice" would our dent, Gen. Mohammad.Zia ul-Haq. enhance efforts to make Pakistan "a safer Section 295-B makes insulting the Ko place for all persons irrespective of caste ran, Islam's holy book,, punishable with I or.religioiu" Vatican official urges more U.S. openness to immigrants NEW YORK (CNS) -, Cardinal Gio try violate their human dignity and that vanni Cheli, president of the Pontifical of dieir family," he said in a New.York ad Council for Migrants! and Travelers, dress. called on die United States, and the U.S. Cardinal Cheli said a state could "reg * t Cadiolic Church May 8 to provide a warm ulate migration flows" to take account of welcome to immigrants. its internal difficulties. But he said the V ^«?~ The church supports both the right of right of migrants to maintain their fami people to live in their own country under ly life and of endangered refugees to re conditions of equality and to emigrate ceive protection "cannot in any way be when "die conditionsof life in their coun subjected to restrictions." With Fidelis BetterHealth™ you get to choose your own doctor! A doctor you can talk to. A doctor who understands. We have many fine doctors and specialists right in your neighborhood who will treat you like a person, not just a patient. Experience the Warmth In the rich tradition of Catholic-sponsored health and social and Richness of services, Fidelis™ is dedicated to providing New Yorkers widi high- quality healthcare, based on caring, dignity and respect- Our Unique To find out how to enroll in this Fidelis™ program, and to learn Intergenerational how you can improve your access to Medicaid benefits, call us toll-free at 1-888-FIDELIS™ (1-888-343-3547). Child Care Program* Fidelis BetterHealth™ is a program from Fidelis Care New York™. Enrollment is limited * toCallorVUHTodeyi BETTERHEALTH" 4646 Nine Mile Point Road Fidelis Care New York™ is the CatboUc-spottsored beattb plan. CHILDCARE Behind the Faf rport Bajrtfct Homes A' Wbrid'OT WOflCMfF «VKt WnOOHl 388-2380 CATHOUCCOURIER DK3CESEQFROCHESTER,NY. PAGES THURSDAY MAY 14,1996 C™ "r 11 M vf^' • *% 7T T7«§?v .

Load more