Bishop slams Indian PM

Mar Joseph Pamplany, Archbishop of Thalassery, in Kerala, India, criticised Indian Prime Minister Modi: “More than hugging the US president or UK prime minister, we would have been happier if he had held close the women sexually assaulted [in Maniput] and told them he is there for them, to protect and support them. You’re not the prime minister of one section of people. You’re the prime minister of every Indian. You have to prove that with your actions.”

Two women were paraded naked and one allegedly raped by a mob on May 4. Two other women from the village were gang-raped and murdered by a mob.

Whole family beatified

For the first time, all members of a family were beatified at the same time. The nine members of the Ulma family of Markowa, Poland, were beatified on September 10. They were murdered by Nazis on March 24, 1944, for sheltering eight Jews. 

“They opposed the hatred and violence that characterised that time, with evangelical love,” Pope Francis said in an address broadcast to the Markowa ceremony. “May this Polish family, which represents a ray of light in the darkness of the Second World War, be for all of us a model to imitate in the zeal for goodness and service to those in need.”

Evil of gossip

Pope Francis spoke about the evils of gossip last Sunday:

“Unfortunately, often the first thing created around those who make a mistake is gossip, in which everyone comes to know the mistake, complete with details, apart from the person concerned!

“This is not right, this does not please God. Gossip is a plague on the life of people and communities, because it leads to division, it leads to suffering, it leads to scandal; it never helps improve or grow.”

(Compiled by Fr Joe Borg)