Skip to main content

Vatican chastises Catholic radio for offensive remarks

Catholic-radio-network

Catholic-radio-network

The suggestions by an ultraconservative Catholic radio network that Italy has been punished by God with devastating earthquakes after legalising gay unions are offensive and scandalous, a top Vatican official said.

Archbishop Angelo Becciu, who acts as the Vatican’s Deputy Prime Minister, told newsmen on Saturday, in comments later picked up by Vatican Radio.

he said “These are offensive remarks for believers and scandalous for non-believers.”

Since Aug. 24, central Italy had been hit by five earthquakes with magnitudes of 5 or more and 22,700 seismic events of lower intensity.

Almost 300 people died amid the quakes, which left tens of thousands homeless.

During a call-in session on Thursday, Radio Maria presenter, Father Giovanni Cavalcoli, said “the natural disasters are God’s punishment for the original sin.

“But may also be a rebuke against laws that offend Church views on family, marriage and sexual morals.

“It really makes you think, let us call it God’s punishment, for sure it is a very strong rebuke from God’s providence to rediscover what are the principles of natural law,’’ Cavalcoli said.

However, Becciu dismissed the remarks as “pre-Christian” and “contrary to the image of God given to us by Christ” and to the Virgin Mary’s “merciful” nature.

“May earthquake victims please forgive us, the solidarity of the pope is with you all,’’ he apologised.

On its website, Radio Maria apologised and distanced itself from Cavalcoli’s “unacceptable” views, saying they run against the key Catholic message of mercy and “Pope Francis’ pastoral actions.”

Meanwhile, the network said the presenter’s show had been suspended.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Court grants Fani-Kayode N50m bail

Fani-kayode sandwiched by EFCC officials Justice James Tsoho of the Federal High Court Abuja on Thursday granted a N50m bail to former spokesman of the Goodluck Jonathan Campaign Organisation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode. Fani-Kayode was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a five-count charge of money laundering to the tune of N26m. Fani-Kayode is the sole defendant in the fresh charges numbered, FHC/ABJ/CR/140/2016. The EFCC accused the defendant of diverting 26 million Naira allegedly received from the ONSA while Sambo Dasuki was in office. The anti-graft agency also accused him of handling the said N26 million without going through financial institution as required under the Money Laundering Act. The embattled former minister is already facing 17-count charge of money laundering before the Lagos Division of the court, along with a former Finance Minister; Nenadi Usman, Danjuma Yusuf and a firm; Joint Trust Dimension Nigeria Limited. They were charg...
Post a Comment
Read more

Pope not involved in Colombian peace deal- Vatican

Pope Francis Pope Francis has turned down a request to play a role in the peace deal between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebel group. The Vatican in a statement issued on Wednesday in in Vatican City said that an invitation was sent to his Holiness in early August to appoint a representative to participate in the committee that selected the judges for the talks. The statement said that though Pope Francis supported the peace process, he, however, reiterated that he would not get involved in Colombian peace deal. It said that Pope was praying for the enlightenment of the hearts and minds of those who were called to promote the common good of the Colombian nation. A deal was announced last week, putting an end to five decades of internal conflict between government forces and the FARC rebels. The agreement, which needed to be ratified through a referendum in Oct. 2, would entail setting up a special court to grant amnesties or pu...
Post a Comment
Read more

Fall of Assad is a Blow to Russia's Prestige

The potential fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, a long-standing ally of Russia, would mark a turning point in Moscow’s global influence, particularly in the Middle East. Steve Rosenberg’s analysis underscores the profound implications for Russia, which has invested heavily—both militarily and politically—in ensuring Assad’s survival over the past decade. This article delves into why Assad’s downfall would strike at the core of Russian prestige and what it could mean for the broader geopolitical landscape. Russia's Strategic Commitment to Syria Since the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2011, Russia has been a staunch supporter of Assad's regime. In 2015, Moscow launched a military intervention that proved decisive in stabilizing Assad’s hold on power. This intervention solidified Russia's role as a key power broker in the Middle East and demonstrated its willingness to project military power far beyond its borders. Syria is not just an ally for Russia; it is a...
Post a Comment
Read more