Social order & special needs

He was given a promotion just a couple of months ago. Ilias Bhatti, 36, a graduate in economics was appointed branch manager of a bank in the Pakistani city of Lahore, a position which he had earned on the field.  

Sacrifice, commitment, smart moves and especially lots and lots of hard work. Indeed, two months ago, his efforts were rewarded with a promotion to the position of Branch Manager. But there is one problem. Ilias is Catholic and has never hidden this fact. Read more »

“Educating young people in justice and peace”: this is the Pope’s Message for the World Day of Peace, on 1 January. So far it hasn’t had the echo it deserves.

But it happens, from time to time, that that the most important things are not always the ones that are most talked about. In reality, if young people today are not educated in peace, tomorrow there certainly will be no peace. Read more »

Once again this year, Fides publishes an annual document of all the pastoral workers who lost their lives in a violent manner over the course of the last 12 months.

According to information in our possession, during 2011, 26 pastoral care workers were killed: one more than the previous year: 18 priests, 4 religious sisters, 4 lay people. Read more »

It was perhaps wishful thinking to hope that our Senators would be brave enough to oppose the Peaceful Assembly Bill. Contrary to such hopes, the Bill was passed by the Senate yesterday evening by 39 senators with 8 opposing.

What was abysmal was the failure of these Senators to recognise the mass opposition to the Bill presented by various quarters, especially by the Bar Council. Read more »

The Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur (left) expressed disappointment on hearing the news of the appointment of Datin Seri Zavirah Bte Mohd Shaari as the principal of SMK Convent Bukit Nanas (CBN). 

The appointed principal is not on the list submitted by the mission school authority. Read more »

The appointment of SMK Convent Bukit Nanas (CBN’s) new principal has triggered concern among its Old Girl’s Association and the Kuala Lumpur Catholic Archdiocese.

According to representatives from both sides, Zavirah Mohd Shaari’s name was not on the list of candidates submitted by the mission school authority to the Education Ministry and was “plucked out of the blue” to take over from CBN’s former head, Ann Khoo. Read more »

10 December is annually celebrated as the World Human Rights day.

It was on this day that the United Nations General Assembly in 1948 adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights at Palais de Chaillot, Paris.

The Declaration consists of a preamble and 30 articles that were formulated as a direct result of the experiences of World War II. Read more »

Catholic Bishop Dr Paul Tan Chee Ing said he was “aghast at the fear mongering” of Umno information chief Ahmad Maslan who had denounced an opposition party as “agents of Christianisation.”

“One would have been led to expect that the prime minister’s strictures against insensitive remarks would be heeded by the delegates to their party’s annual assembly,” commented the head of the Catholic Church in the Malacca-Johor diocese. Read more »

A Vatican official is calling for a World Day to mark anti-Christian violence and persecution, saying there might be more than 200 million Christians suffering discrimination.

Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, the Holy See's secretary for Relations with States, addressed the 18th Ministerial Council of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) held today and Tuesday in Vilnius, Lithuania. Read more »

PAS Youth today said MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek and non-Muslims in general have no right to speak about Islam because they have no knowledge about the religion.

In condemning Chua’s speech at a forum on hudud law yesterday, PAS Youth publicity chief Riduan Mohd Nor said the matter should only be discussed by qualified individuals. Read more »