The “seventy elder citizens” remain loyal, indeed very loyal to Pope Francis I. We are here at the Vatican to protest against the domination of the accountancy profession by only four firms. Our petition will come before the forthcoming United Nations General Assembly which is scheduled to hold in New York, United States of America from 16th September to 29th September 2014. Pope Francis has been a most dependable ally notwithstanding the fact that the Vatican recently engaged the services of KPMG and McKinsey for some consultancy assignments. The Holy Father has assured us that there is plenty of work for other firms. We just have to pray and hope.
For now, the major pre-occupation of the Pontiff is the building of a robust relationship with China and reaching out to Islam (and indeed all other faiths). Hence, in anticipation of the holy month of Ramadan, the Holy Father is sending out a peace and goodwill message to Muslims to join hands with their Christian brothers and sisters to combat poverty, greed and terrorism. Also, both Christians and Muslims should make special efforts to learn more about each other’s religion and faith. Here is an extract from the draft message which was contributed by Basheer Segudawood:
“The distribution of Zakat and Charity is mandatorily (and authentically) performed during the month of Ramadan. Zakat is one of the five pillars of Islam. The word Zakat carries a number of literary meanings of which “purified” can be taken as the essence. It also means increase and/or enlarge. This is because of the result – in the purification of the properties and assets from which it is given and that increases through God’s mighty blessings. The Almighty has commanded the payment of Zakat in order to prevent human beings from pride, arrogance and greed. Charity (Zakat) given with an enthusiastic and generous heart helps to establish a bond of love, devotion and sincerity between the rich and the poor – and above all with our Creator.”
As confirmation of the doggedness and steadfastness of the Pope as well as his determination to get results before it is too late, Vatican Radio/TV as well as CNN, BBC, Reuters, Voice of America, CBC and Bloomberg carried the following report as “BREAKING NEWS”:
Headline:“REDISTRIBUTE WEALTH TO END ECONOMY OF EXCLUSION”- Pope Francis
Pope Francis has called for a “legitimate redistribution” of wealth when meeting with United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, saying governments should work to end the “economy of exclusion” that plagues the poor and the middle class from rising up the economic ladder.
Since becoming Pope in March 2013, Francis has often made media headlines for his focus on social injustices. Francis has also spoken more openly about scandal within the Church, marking a clear change in transparency between him and his predecessors. Shortly after his election, Francis asked reporters to “always try to better understand the true nature of the Church, and even its journey in the world, with its virtues and with its sins.” Perhaps it was predictable that not everyone would be pleased with the Pope’s open and vigorously outspoken approach to social injustice, especially when discussing the global economy with the United Nations. First off the stump was John Moody. He tackled the Holy Father directly:
“By appearing to sanction what amounts to forced redistribution, Pope Francis grievously exceeded his authority and became what amounts to a robe-wearing politician. He crossed the line when he stopped asking wealthy communities to voluntarily relieve economic inequality and instead suggested “forced redistribution” from entire governments.”
It may have been entirely co-incidental. The United Nations struck back at the Holy Father with an “IED” [Improvised Explosive Device] which has been given wide coverage by major newspapers – “The Telegraph”; “New York Times”; “Washington Post”; “Der Spiegel”; “El Mondo” etc.
Headline:“UNITED NATIONS WARNS VATICAN TO HANDOVER SEX ABUSE FILES TO POLICE”
“The United Nations anti-torture watchdog has ordered the Vatican to hand over files containing details of clerical sexual abuse allegations to police forces around the world amid concerns over the use of “diplomatic immunity” to hamper investigations.
Members of the UN Committee on Torture also warned the Holy See against effectively allowing suspected pedophiles to seek sanctuary in Rome, after calls for a former Papal ambassador to be extradited to his native Poland to face investigations.
In a highly critical report, published in Geneva, it questioned attempts by the Vatican to claim that its obligations under international law only apply within the tiny city state.
It ordered the Vatican to use its authority over the Roman Catholic Church worldwide to ensure that all allegations of clerical abuse are passed on to the secular authorities and impose “meaningful sanctions” on any Vatican officials who fail to do so.
And it voiced “regret” at a lack of openness by the Vatican about its co-operation with civil authorities in sexual abuse investigations.
The report comes after senior officials sought to distance the Vatican legally from the wider church, which has been rife with allegations of child abuse dating back decades, saying priests were not legally tied to the Vatican but fell under national jurisdictions.
But the committee insisted that officials of the Holy See – including the Pope’s representatives around the world and their aides have a responsibility to monitor the behaviour of all under their “effective control”.
It said it is up to the Vatican itself, rather than simply local dioceses, to ensure suspected abusers are suspended and, specifically, that they are not simply transferred. In making an explicit link between Rome and the wider church, the report is likely to aid victims attempting to bring legal action against the Vatican.
In contrast to a separate report by the UN’s Committee on the Rights of the Child, it praises efforts by Pope Francis to bring the perpetrators of historic abuse to justice, including reforms of the Vatican’s penal code and the establishment of what amounts to a ministry of child protection. But among areas of concern, it singles out the case of Archbishop Jozef Wesolowski, the former Papal Nuncio to the Dominican Republic who was recalled to Rome last year amid claims he sexually abused children in the slums of Santo Domingo. The report points out that Poland has requested his extradition but the Vatican insists he is now under investigation there.
“The Committee is concerned that the [Holy See] did not identify any case to date in which it has prosecuted an individual responsible for the commission of or complicity or participation in a violation of the Convention”, it said. It urged a “prompt and impartial” investigation into the Archbishop and “any other persons” suspected of abuse, adding: “If warranted, the State party should ensure such persons are criminally prosecuted or extradited for prosecution by the civil authorities of another State party.”
Since 2001 all cases of clerical sexual abuse have been referred to the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the body then headed by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who later became Pope Benedict. But the committee voiced alarm at claims that it has refused to share information with national authorities and singled out reports that documents recently passed to an inquiry in Australia had previously been withheld on grounds of “diplomatic immunity”.
“The [Holy See] should take effective steps to ensure the provision of information to civil authorities in cases where they are carrying out criminal investigations of allegations of violations of the Convention perpetrated by Catholic clergy or acquiesced to by them,” the committee concluded. The Vatican was quick to respond. A Cardinal who was thoroughly professional addressed a very crowded press conference which was beamed live on CNN, BBC, and Sky News.
He coolly declared:
“These observations recognize that the Holy See has made many serious and substantial reforms in its procedures that further advance the principles and objectives of the Convention against Torture.”
However, on Al Jazeera Keith Porteous Wood, Executive Director of the National Secular Society was not in a forgiving mood:
“These matters cannot be swept under the carpet. The Committee is entirely justified in making this point: failure to do so does not bring these perpetrators – or those who abetted them – to justice and potentially leaves the window open for further abuse. It is also a further abuse of those violated by these perpetrators.”
The Vatican is still mulling over the following “BREAKING NEWS” which has gone viral on internet”
Headline:“WE INSIST ON CHRISTIAN GOVERNOR FOR LAGOS”
“The Lagos State chapter of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) has restated its commitment to the emergence of a Christian governor in the next political dispensation of the state. It also expressed support for an interfaith conference organized by the state at the Golden Tulip Hotel on May 19 and 20, 2014.
In a communiqué issued on Friday after an emergency meeting of the body and signed by its chairman, Pastor Alex Bamgbola, the group stated that the call for a Christian governor in Lagos State is born out of the body’s experience under the leadership of past governors. While noting that the past governors of the state had been largely Muslims, it observed that “the Christian community has ardently and unreservedly supported our immediate past and present governors because of our satisfactory conviction of their commitment to the delivery of the dividends of democracy,” It however added that it would continue to believe in the ability of the leaders of the state, as long as people do not suffer as a result of their socio-religious leaning.
The statement noted further that the body’s call for a Christian governor is based on the need to put a stop to the continuous marginalization of Christians and the need for justice and fair play in the state. The communiqué reads further, “We wish to state that our participation in the conference is based on the understanding that we have been invited to participate in a patriotic endeavour to move Lagos State forward. And that is what we stand for”. The body then assured any political party in Lagos State sympathetic to its cause of securing Christian votes in the 2015 gubernatorial election.
J.K Randle
