Northern Ireland: discrimination of Catholic detaineesIn the prisons of Northern Ireland Catholics are treated worst than Protestant detainees. These are the findings of a report by the “Criminal Justice Inspection”, in charge of inspecting the penitentiaries of Northern Ireland. Accordingly, Catholic prisoners have minor access to employment, to gym facilities and to educational resources in the detention centres. “According to our information, there is a disparity in the treatment of Catholic prisoners that are at the highest levels of the “Progressive Regimes and Earned Privileges Schemes and adjudications”, and Protestant prisoners. The body for Prison Inspection affirmed: “data has shown that prisons’ workforce, mostly represented by men, has Protestant origins”. The system bearing the name “Progressive Regimes and Earned Privileges Schemes and adjudications”, classifies the different facilities available to detainees that includes an elementary, middle and higher level. According to data issued by the “Northern Ireland Prison Service” in June 2008, 42% of Catholic prisoners were in the higher range as relates to the possibility of accessing services provided in the prisons, against 55% of Protestant prisoners. Scotland: Catholics and new technologies A “responsible use of new technologies” is requested of Scottish Catholics by bishop Philip Tartaglia, President of the National Commission for Communication of the Bishops’ Conference in Scotland (Scmo) in a pastoral Letter sent out to 500 Catholic parish churches to be read during the Masses on May 23-24. Sunday May 24 the World Day of Communications will be celebrated. In recalling the theme of the message of Benedict XVI “New Technologies, New relationships. Promoting a culture of Respect, Dialogue and Friendship”, bishop Tartaglia highlighted the dangers coming from the Internet, which children are mostly exposed to, even though “digital technology has changed our lives for the better”. However, he warns, “a great deal of communication is often void talk that fails to promote understanding and tolerance”. The bishop called to avoid “The compulsive need to be virtually connected” and to give priority “to the development of true human relations and friendships with persons”. From tomorrow a video created by Scmo for the World Day of Communications will be posted on U Tube with a an audiovisual made by the pupils of the Barrehead High School on the responsible use of social networks. Portugal: 50th anniversary of the Christ the King Sanctuary Thousands convened in the Christ the King Sanctuary in Almada to attend the Mass for the 50th anniversary, celebrated by Cardinal José Saraiva Martins, who described the monument as an “ex voto that has become a national sanctuary in sign of gratitude to God for the gift of peace”. “Erected with the cooperation of everyone, also thanks to the participation of thousand of children, it marks the communal gesture of Portugal’s Church, that expresses the communion with all of her faithful, both the religious and the laity”, declared the Pope’s special envoy. “The Sanctuary is the symbol of peace”, that must grow “with love and with the respect of human dignity, of the fundamental rights of man and of his aspirations”. Celebrations for the fiftieth anniversary concluded with the official twinning of the Christ the King Sanctuary and the Sanctuary of Christ the Redeemer of Corcovado (Rio de Janeiro), and with the renewal of the consecration of Portugal to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Lourdes: 51° International military pilgrimage Over 13000 faithful from 32 nations gathered in Lourdes, France, on May 15-17 to attend the international Military Pilgrimage on the theme “More nations, one People of God”. It is an occasion “to show that the experience of reconciliation and peace can be put into real life by men of good will”, wrote the Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Berotne in a message on behalf of the Holy Father, encouraging the military to be “true artisans of unity and peace among the peoples”. “Lourdes is a place of peace. Once again we have witnessed that peace can be accomplished with the support of the armed forces of different nations”, Fr. Blaise Rebotier, military chaplain and pilgrimage coordinator told Sir upon the closing of the event. Father Rebotier pointed out that participants included military representatives from Countries that recently experienced armed conflict. Indeed, Croatia and Bosnia Herzegovna, after having combated one another at the end of the past century, these days were jointly praying before the shrine, “a sign of peace rooted in faith”.
