News from Home, World and the Vatican

News selected by Catholic Lawyers Society Kuala Lumpur (CLS) for Catholics in Malaysia concerned about social justice and peace.

Includes CLS Internal News | CLS in the News | CLS Press Statements

Feb 8, 2015 Declared First International Day Of Prayer Against Human Trafficking

The Vatican has organized the first-ever international day of prayer and reflection against human trafficking, in hopes that the world will join forces in putting this “plague” to an end.

“Our awareness must expand and extend to the very depths of this evil and its farthest reaches – from awareness to prayer, from prayer to solidarity, and from solidarity to concerted action – until slavery and trafficking are no more,” Cardinal Peter Turkson, president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, told journalists at a Feb. 3 news conference. Read more »

Archbishop Oscar Romero: Pastor and Martyr

“I put my whole life under the loving providence of Jesus’ Heart and I accept my death with faith in Him, no matter how difficult it is.

Nor do I want to give it an intention, as I would like, for peace in my country and for the flowering of our Church … because Christ’s Heart will give it the destiny He wishes.

It is sufficient for me, to be happy and confident, to know with certainty that my life and death are in Him. Read more »

Negara-ku People's Movement Calls For Immediate Resignation Of Minister

We are shocked and appalled to read that a Cabinet Minister has found it politically expedient to pit one group of citizens against another!

On 10 March 2014, DYMM Yang Di-Pertuan Agong in his Royal Address to the first meeting of the second 13th Parliament session advised “all parties to refrain from making any statement or action that might be deemed provocative or sensitive. Be mindful that when unity disintegrates, the country will head towards destruction”. Read more »

Catholic Bishops Conference Pastoral Letter About Herald

My Dear People of God,

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." 2 Timothy 4:7

We have come to the end of a long journey which began in 2008 when we were told that we cannot call God in the way the majority of our Catholics in Malaysia have been used to for centuries. We mounted a challenge in the court to exercise our constitutional right to manage our own religious affairs. The Church took the position that the minister's restriction went against the spirit as well as the letter of our Federal Constitution. Read more »

John The Baptist: There Is The Lamb of God!

Today’s Gospel introduces us to the vocation of the first disciples, Andrew, Peter and John, the Gospel writer.

These men came from Galilee but followed John the Baptist, and it is the Baptist who pointed out Jesus to them as the ‘Lamb of God’.

Let’s say a word about this title of Christ: ‘Lamb of God’. Read more »

Bar Council: Cease Use Of Sedition Act 1948 - We Should Not Have To Walk On Eggshells In Malaysia

The Malaysian Bar is concerned and perturbed by the arrest of Eric Paulsen, Executive Director and Co-founder of Lawyers for Liberty, under the Sedition Act 1948, for reportedly having tweeted that “JAKIM is promoting extremism every Friday.

Government needs to address that if serious about extremism in Malaysia” [1].

It was reported that he was arrested by 20 police officers on 12 January 2015 and remanded in police custody pending investigations. Read more »

Thousands Gather For Rare View Of St Francis Xavier's Relics In Goa

Thousands of Catholic pilgrims descended on the Indian coastal state of Goa on Saturday to witness the once-a-decade exposition of the relics of a 16th century Spanish missionary.

Devotees from around the world formed a queue of more than one kilometre long to venerate the relics of St Francis Xavier, which are on display until January 4 in the former Portuguese colony. Read more »

Pope's New Year's Message To Examine Our Conscience

Dear Brothers and Sisters, The Word of God introduces us today, in a special way, in the meaning of time, in understanding that time is not a foreign reality to God, simply because He willed to reveal Himself and to save us in history.

The meaning of time, temporality, is the atmosphere of God’s epiphany, that is, of the manifestation of God and of His concrete love.

In fact, time is God’s messenger, as Saint Peter Favre said. Read more »

CLS Press Statement: Intolerance Has Reared Its Ugly Head Again In Malaysia

The Catholic Lawyers’ Society, Kuala Lumpur is disheartened by the recent event in Johor where a Catholic Priest was questioned by the police and hymnal books meant to be used in church service for the Orang–Asal of the Catholic faith were confiscated.

Christmas is around the corner and Christians have been preparing for this joyous occasion by putting up Christmas trees, singing carols and decorating homes. Read more »

CFM Responds To MAIS Statement Issued During Recent Return Of BM Bibles To Bible Society Of Malaysia

The Christian Federation of Malaysia has taken time to study carefully the ramifications of the MAIS’ statement (signed letter in English from MAIS) which was released on 14 November 2014 together with the return of the Bibles seized by JAIS from the Bible Society of Malaysia (BSM).

The return was enabled by the goodwill of DYMM Sultan Selangor, the Mentri Besar of Selangor (initiated by his predecessor) and other individuals. CFM appreciates the return of the Bibles but also supports the recent statement by the BSM on the problems that have surfaced. Read more »

Statement by Azmin Ali Menteri Besar of Selangor on return of Al Kitab Bibles

This morning the 351 Bibles that contained the word ‘Allah’ that were seized earlier this year have been returned to the Association of Churches in Sarawak (ACS) on the occasion of a courtesy call on His Royal Highness Sultan of Selangor by The Most Revd Archbishop Datuk Bolly Lapok, who is the Chairman of ACS and Acting President of the Council of Churches of Malaysia at the Istana Alam Shah, Klang. Read more »

Viewpoint: Synod On The Family By Dr Jeffrey Goh

Dr Jeffrey Goh was invited to participate as an Adiutor at the recent Extraordinary Synod on the Family held at Vatican City in October 5-19, 2014.

With all that media-hype on so-called “hot-button” issues, there were some questions understandably gravitated around “controversial” topics. Concerning these issues, he has written the article below to explain the Synod and shares his experience. Read more »

Church Celebrates The Dedication Of The Lateran Basilica In Rome

The Basilica of St John Lateran is commonly considered “the mother of all churches”.

It was a palace belonging to the Emperor Constantine who gifted it to Pope St. Miltiades in 313.

Part of the palace became a church and it was dedicated to our Most Holy Saviour. The other part became the papal residence and continued as such for the next thousand years. Read more »

CLS Press Statement: AG Must Act Against Ibrahim Ali's call To Burn Malay Bible

The Catholic Lawyers’ Society, Kuala Lumpur (CLS) is deeply disappointed that the Attorney General (AG) will not prosecute Datuk Ibrahim Ali for his calls to the Muslims to seize and burn the Bahasa Malaysia version of the Holy Bibles on the basis that the latter was only defending the sanctity of Islam.

The Federal Government has echoed similar statements through Nancy Shukri, de facto Minister of Law in parliament on October 7, 2014. Read more »

If Laws Don't Lead People To Jesus, They Are Obsolete, Pope Says

God's laws are meant to lead all people to Christ and his glory, and if they do not, then they are obsolete, Pope Francis said in a morning homily.

In fact, the scholars of the law in Jesus' day were so wrapped up in doctrine as an end in itself, they were unable to see that Jesus was leading people down a new and surprising path toward his glory, the pope said Oct. 13 during his morning Mass in the Domus Sanctae Marthae, where he lives. Read more »

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