Moscow's Catholic archbishop welcomes cooperation with Orthodox, seeks common calendar 
April 20, 2011
Moscow's Catholic archbishop sees a rich field for cooperation between Catholics and Orthodox in Russia, and hopes for a day when the two groups will adopt a common liturgical calendar. Archbishop Paolo Pezzi told the AsiaNews service that the Russian Orthodox Church has a vital role to play as Russia emerges from decades of official atheism. Catholics will join in the cause, he said--although both churches can expect to face steady opposition from secularists.
This year the Catholic and Orthodox churches celebrate Easter at the same time, as they did last year. Archbishop Pezzi said that he hoped eventually the liturgical calendars would be synchronized.
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Day of prayer for Asia Bibi April 20, 2011
Christians throughout Pakistan, including the nation's bishops, are commemorating April 20 as a day of prayer and fasting for Asia Bibi and other victims of the nation's blasphemy law. Bibi, a Catholic mother, was accused of blasphemy against Muhammad following a dispute with a neighbor; in 2010, she was sentenced to death. Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, was scheduled to take part in the initiative and offer Mass in the chapel of the Italian parliament.
"We can't fight the blasphemy law…because we are such a small minority," says Father Mario Angelo Rodrigues, national director of the Pontifical Mission Society. "The best thing is to storm the heavens."
"Pray for abolishing of the blasphemy law," he told Vatican Radio. "Pray for the release of Asia Bibi."
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- April 20: Day of prayer and fasting for Asia Bibi in Pakistan (Vatican Radio)
- Asia Bibi is not alone: all over the world is praying for her (Fides)
- Vatican cardinal to offer Mass for Pakistan's persecuted Christians (CWN, 4/12)
India nets few convictions under law against sex-selection abortion April 20, 2011
Although sex-selection abortion is illegal in India, the ratio of baby boys to girls continues to rise, in part because convictions are rare under the law that prohibits doctors from performing sex-determination tests. The latest statistics show only 914 girls in India under the age of 6 for every 1,000 boys-- down from 927 despite the new law banning sex-selection abortions. Officials estimate that there are 5 million girls "missing" in the last decade.
Now a federal health department report notes that while 805 doctors have been charged with violations of the Pre-conception and Pre-natal Diagnostic Techniques Act, only 55 have been convicted. As officials have stepped up enforcement, with random checks to determine whether doctors are conducting sex-determination tests, doctors have responded by using portable ultrasound machines that can be used outside the clinics, avoiding the inspections.
The prejudice for male children is deeply rooted in Hindu culture, because of the belief that one cannot attain moksha (liberation) unless a son performs his last rites, as mandated by Hindu scriptures. This religious sanction, combined with pressure for small families, has made girls unwanted. The problem is exacerbated by a dowry system that exacts high costs from the parents of a bride, making a girl a financial liability for her parents.
Because abortion is legal in India, the government has been unable to stop parents from obtaining an abortion when they learn that the unborn child is female.
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