From The Dignitatis Humanae Institute : "The Islamic State Tightens Grip - Christians Flee"

Note:The following is a press release from The Dignitatis Humanae Institute

Rome, 26 July 2014

The world has watched with increasing dismay and horror as the remaining Iraqi Christian minorities have been forced out of their homes, most recently in Mosul and the surrounding area, in the latest wave of persecution and destruction rained down by the Islamic State formerly known as "ISIS". Houses have been looted and robbed. Graves and shrines have been demolished. Crosses smashed and removed from churches.

Elie Essa Kas Hanna, DHI analyst on Human Dignity and Religious Freedom, said: "Iraqi Christians are the original residents of Mesopotamia - descendants of the ancient Babylonians, Chaldeans, Assyrians and a large number of Arabs tribes: Mudar, Rabia and Tay etc. Christianity has been present in Iraq since the First Century AD, when most of the population of Mesopotamia converted to Christianity, though leaving others to continue in their traditional beliefs in Judaism, Manichaeism and Parsee. Today, 2,000 years later, the descendants of these original Christians are being driven out as though guests in a home whose welcome they have overstayed - ironically by a religion that didn't even appear on the scene for another five centuries."

DHI Chairman Luca Volontè added: "The whole situation is clearly out of all control. There is tension between the government and the opposition forces, as well as the tension that still exists between the central government and the Kurdistan Regional Government. It is in this space of uncertainty and mistrust that the Islamic State has moved deftly to occupy a large part of Iraqi territory that is now almost two-thirds the size of the Great Britain."

Lord Alton of Liverpool, who launched the DHI-affiliated Cross-Party Working Group on Human Dignity in the Palace of Westminster, and one of the British Parliament's most respected authorities on religious persecution around the world, said: "In 2003, the Christian presence in Iraq was 1.5 million. After the end of the Second Gulf War, the Christian presence was reduced to 400,000 people - and most of these lived in the north. Now a staggering 90% of those Christians who remained have now fled from Mosul to surrounding areas, especially onto the plains of the Biblical city of Nineveh, on the border of the Kurdistan region."

Lord Alton illustrated the current situation with a recent example: "The DHI notes with alarm the destruction of the Biblical Tomb of Jonah - which dates from the 8th Century BC - smashed by sledgehammer blows which have echoed around the world. We can only hope that last week's rumour of the similar destruction of the tomb of the Prophet Daniel turns out to be false."

Indicating the difficulty regarding the authentication of reports that are emerging from the Islamic State, Lord Alton added: "Also unverified, the UN and the BBC have reported that ISIS forces in Mosul have ordered all girls and women to undergo female genital mutilation. This is an outrage. More than 130 million girls and women have already been subjected to this barbaric practice worldwide - and it has to stop. In the Islamic State today we see a historically recurring meme sadly replaying itself: an orgy of destruction of culture and heritage sooner or later leads to attacks on human beings, their freedom and dignity."

Volontè concluded: "The DHI believes that Iraqi Christians are a vital part of Iraqi society, and that they have an irreplaceable role to play in rebuilding together - with other citizens of goodwill - a future for their country. The DHI appeals to the international community to do everything possible to come to the aid of the few Christians left in Iraq. We add our prayers to those of His Holiness Pope Francis, who follows the suffering of Christians in Iraq with great closeness."

ENDS

population before 2003 32.200.000

population after 2013 29.000.000

Shia 26.000.000

Sunni 2.000.000

Others 1.000.000

Christians before 2003 1,500,000

Christians after 2003 400,000

Christians after Isis 2014 100,000 – 200,000

Source: Central Statistical Organisation, Ministry of Planning, Republic of Iraq

The Dignitatis Humanae Instituteaims to uphold human dignity based on the anthropological truth that man is born in the image and likeness of God and therefore has an innate human dignity of infinite worth to be upheld. The Institute promotes this understanding by supporting Christians in public life, assisting them to present effective and coherent responses to increasing efforts to silence the Christian voice in the public square.

A Desperate Cry From Iraq's Christians

The following excerpts are from Aina.org:

Iraq's Christian leaders have just made a desperate cry for help. Patriarch Louis Raphael I Sako, head of Iraq's Catholic church, has issued an appeal "to all who have a living conscience in Iraq and all the world."

The situation for Iraq's Christians has been steadily deteriorating ever since the 2003 invasion, in part because the U.S. never acknowledged that Christians were being targeted by Islamists and did not prioritize protection of Christians or other minorities.

But with the recent sweep through Mosul and other Iraqi cities by the jihadi group ISIS, Iraq's Christians look to be on the verge of genocide.

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A Desperate Cry From Iraq's Christians

SOUTH KOREA - VATICAN Korean pop stars make music video to celebrate Pope Francis’ visit - Asia News

The following excerpts are from AsiaNews.it (english):

Seoul (AsiaNews) - More than 20 celebrities from South Korea's music and entertainment industry have come together to create a video clip (click here to view) in honor of Pope Francis ahead of his forthcoming apostolic journey to the nation from August 14 to 18. The initiative, according to its' promoters, aims to overcome religious differences. The actor Ahn Sung-ki, one of the organizers of the event, explained that "if we are united in prayer for others [through the music], this could be the most beautiful bouquet of flowers that we could present to the Pope on his arrival".

The Korea Herald reports that the video titled "Koinonia" is a celebration of the Pope's visit to South Korea, and derives its name from the Greek words for friendship and sharing in communion. "So many people live just for themselves. If more people prayed for others, the world would be a better place to live," adds the author and composer Noh Young-sim, during the press conference launching the music video that was held on July 7 at the Cathedral of Myeongdong in Seoul, where the Pope will celebrate the final mass of the trip.

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SOUTH KOREA - VATICAN Korean pop stars make music video to celebrate Pope Francis’ visit - Asia News

The Continued Plight of Egypt's Copts

The following excerpts are from AINA.org:

For Egypt's Copts, the military's removal of President Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood from power was nothing short of a miracle. After two and a half years in which Islamists dominated every electoral contest they faced, there was little if any hope on the horizon. Since the 25th of January revolution, Coptic despair manifested itself in an unprecedented wave of emigration from Egypt, which intensified during the Brotherhood's year in power. Following the massive demonstrations against the Brotherhood's rule and the military coup of July 3rd 2013, Copts were in a frenzied mood celebrating their deliverance; a deliverance that would prove short lived, however.

The Copts represent the Middle East's largest Christian population, and were once one of the pillars of early Christianity, with some of its early saints framing what it meant to be Christian. However, centuries of persecution and struggles for survival have left Copts a small minority in their homeland. Modernity brought new challenges to the community, though it removed the legal second-class status in which Copts lived in the Middle Ages. In recent years Copts have come under increasing pressure due to the discriminatory policies of successive governments, as well as violent attacks by their fellow citizens.

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The Continued Plight of Egypt's Copts

Iraqi Christians Flee Violence, Fear End of Long History

The following excerpts are from AINA.org:

The violence in Iraq is hastening the end of nearly 2,000 years of Christianity there as the few remaining faithful flee Islamic State militants, archbishops from Baghdad, Mosul and Kirkuk said on Wednesday.

War and sectarian conflict have shrunk Iraq's Christian population to about 400,000 from 1.5 million before the U.S.-led invasion in 2003, and now even those who stayed are leaving for Turkey, Lebanon and western Europe, the prelates said on a visit to Brussels seeking European Union help to protect their flocks.

The three - Chaldean Catholic Patriarch Louis Raphael Sako, Syrian Catholic Archbishop of Mosul Yohanna Petros Mouche and Kirkuk's Chaldean Catholic Archbishop Youssif Mirkis - are all Eastern Catholics whose churches have their own traditional liturgy but are loyal to the pope in Rome.

"The next days will be very bad. If the situation does not change, Christians will be left with just a symbolic presence in Iraq," said Sako, who is based in Baghdad. "If they leave, their history is finished."

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Iraqi Christians Flee Violence, Fear End of Long History

Christian Exodus From Iraq Accelerating

The following excerpts are from AINA.org:

• The Church in Iraq is on the brink of disappearing into obscurity, according to the country's leading bishop, who says the migration of Christians has shot up.
• Chaldean Catholic Patriarch Louis Raphael I Sako of Baghdad described how the rate of Christians leaving Iraq was growing and went on to raise the spectre of Christianity in Iraq coming "to an end".
• In an interview with Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need given at the close of a Synod of Chaldean bishops held in Erbil, the capital of Kurdistan, the Patriarch said: "When I was in Turkey recently, 10 Christian families from Mosul arrived.
• "And in the space of only one week, 20 families left Alqosh, a completely Christian town not far from Mosul.
• "This is very serious. We are losing our community. If Christian life in Iraq comes to an end, this will be a hiatus in our history."
• The head of the Chaldean Catholic Church, which is in full communion with Rome, said the future of Iraq's Christians is under threat: "In 10 years there will perhaps be 50,000 Christians left."

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Christian Exodus From Iraq Accelerating

Pope Francis' Prayer Intentions For July 2014

Vatican City, 30 June 2014 (VIS) – The Pope's universal prayer intention for July is “that sports may always be occasions of human fraternity and growth”.

His prayer intention for evangelisation is “that the Holy Spirit may support the work of the laity who proclaim the Gospel in the poorest countries”.

You can find more information at: www.visnews.org

The news items contained in the Vatican Information Service may be used, in part or in their entirety, by quoting the source:

V.I.S. -Vatican Information Service.

Copyright © Vatican Information Service 00120 Vatican City

Sudanese mom sentenced to die for Christian faith is freed | Fox News

Mariam Ibrahim with her husband Daniel Wani and children Martin and Maya along with their legal team following her release on Monday. /Photo from HardwiredGlobal.org

The following excerpts are from FoxNews.com:

• Meriam Ibrahim, the Sudanese woman who gave birth in a Khartoum prison after being sentenced to death in May for allegedly converting from Islam to Christianity, has been freed.
• Ibrahim, 27, refused to renounce her Christian faith in court in May, prompting a judge to sentence her to hang for apostasy. The case became an international cause, with several U.S. lawmakers and the State Department blasting the decision as barbaric. Sudan's national news service SUNA said the Court of Cassation in Khartoum on Monday canceled the death sentence after defense lawyers presented their case, and that the court ordered her release.

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Sudanese mom sentenced to die for Christian faith is freed | Fox News

Sudanese woman facing 'barbaric' death sentence for marrying a Christian will be FREED after U-turn from authorities | Mail Online

The following excerpts are from Daily Mail Online:

• A Sudanese woman facing down a death sentence for marrying a Christian will be freed, it has been reported.
• Meriam Ibrahim, who gave birth in prison this week, was sentenced to death for abandoning Islam, but is now set to be released in a matter of days.
• The news comes after huge international pressure was piled on the Sudanese authorities, with David Cameron, Hillary Clinton and the Archbishop of Canterbury all calling for the sentence to be dropped.
• Abdullahi Alazreg, an under-secretary at the foreign ministry, announced the decision to the BBC, saying that Sudan guaranteed religious freedom and was committed to protecting the woman.
• Mrs Ibrahim, 27, was thrown in jail in September and earlier this month was sentenced to death for apostasy and adultery for marrying Daniel Wani, a Christian Sudanese man with U.S. citizenship who lives in Manchester, New Hampshire.
• She was also sentenced to 100 lashes as the Sudanese court operating under strict Shariah law refused to recognize her 2011 marriage because her father was a Muslim.
• The judge ruled that even though Meriam’s father left her family when she was six and she was raised as a Christian, she should still worship Islam.
• Her Christian marriage was annulled and she was sentenced to 100 lashes for adultery and death by hanging for renouncing Islam.

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Sudanese woman facing 'barbaric' death sentence for marrying a Christian will be FREED after U-turn from authorities | Mail Online

Novena to the Holy Spirit - Pentecost Novena PRAYERS

The website "Pray More Novenas" is being joined by thousands of Catholics from around the world in praying the Novena To The Holy Spirit for Pentecost.

We are also joining them, and invite you to join us as well, You may click the link below to be taken to "Pray More Novenas", where you will find the prayers for the novena, as well as a place at the bottom of their page to add your own prayer intentions.

Novena to the Holy Spirit - Pentecost Novena PRAYERS

Pope Francis' Prayer Intentions For June 2014

Vatican City, 30 May 2014 (VIS) – Pope Francis' universal prayer intention for June is: “That the unemployed may receive support and find the work they need to live in dignity.”.

His intention for evangelisation is: “That Europe may rediscover its Christian roots through the witness of believers”.

You can find more information at: www.visnews.org

The news items contained in the Vatican Information Service may be used, in part or in their entirety, by quoting the source:

V.I.S. -Vatican Information Service.

Copyright © Vatican Information Service 00120 Vatican City

International outrage grows for Sudanese woman sentenced to death for apostasy | Fox News

The following excerpts are from FoxNews.com:

• International outrage is mounting over the death sentence a Sudanese judge ordered for the pregnant wife of an American citizen — all because she refuses to renounce her Christian faith.
• Meriam Ibrahim, 26, was sentenced Thursday after being convicted of apostasy. The court in Khartoum ruled that Ibrahim must give birth and nurse her baby before being executed, but must receive 100 lashes immediately after having her baby for adultery — for having relations with her Christian husband. Ibrahim, a physician and the daughter of a Christian mother and a Muslim father who abandoned the family as a child, could have spared herself death by hanging simply by renouncing her faith.
• "We gave you three days to recant but you insist on not returning to Islam," Judge Abbas Khalifa told Ibrahim, according to AFP. "I sentence you to be hanged to death."
• But Ibrahim held firm to her beliefs.
• “I was never a Muslim,” she answered. “I was raised a Christian from the start.”
• Ibrahim was raised in the Christian faith by her mother, an Orthodox Christian from Ethiopia. She is married to Daniel Wani, a Christian from southern Sudan who has U.S. citizenship, according to sources who spoke on condition of anonymity.

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International outrage grows for Sudanese woman sentenced to death for apostasy | Fox News

Notre Dame won't recognize 'traditional marriage' student club | Fox News

The following excerpts are from FoxNews.com:

• A student group at the University of Notre Dame advocating traditional marriage has been denied official recognition as a campus club at the iconic Catholic institution, although members vow to appeal the decision.
• The group, Students for Child-Oriented Policy (SCOP), was rejected in an April 30 letter from the university’s Student Activities Office to Tiernan Kane, the club’s proposed president. The decision was based on a recommendation by the university’s Club Coordination Council, a division of student government, that found the club’s mission “closely mirrored” that of other undergraduate student clubs at the 12,000-student university.
• “In evaluating a proposal, approval is based on several things,” read the letter to Kane. “We consider the general purpose of a club, uniqueness to campus, proposed activities, a clear constitution, a strong understanding of budget planning, projected membership, opportunity for membership, among other things.”
• Due to the perceived duplicative mission of the group, SCOP’s proposal was rejected, according to the letter, which did not reference other university-recognized groups.
• “As such, the Club Coordination Council felt there was not a need for another similar-type club,” the letter continued. “You are encouraged to contact the Club Coordination Council’s Social Service Division to learn about collaborating with the existing clubs working toward your mutual goals.”
• SCOP, which was founded in January, is comprised of Notre Dame undergraduate and graduate students focused on the debate about marriage in Indiana, where the school is based, according to its Facebook profile, which had 69 members as of Tuesday.
• The group seeks to unite a network of students across The Hoosier State in favor of “child-oriented policies,” according to its organizers.
• “We reject the view that the young have agreed to redefine marriage,” the group’s Facebook page continues. “Rather, we think that they have not explored the meaning and importance of marriage.”
• Messages seeking comment from Kane and other SCOP students were not returned early Tuesday.
• Kane told The Cardinal Newman Society he believes Notre Dame should take the lead on marriage, much like it did in publicly voicing its support for the Dream Act and other controversial topics.

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Notre Dame won't recognize 'traditional marriage' student club | Fox News

Time To End Communion In The Hand

For many years now, there has been a point of contention among Catholics as to whether Holy Communion should be received on the tongue, or in the hand.

There have been many disagreements, with some insisting communion should only be received on the tongue. They feel it is both irreverent and disrespectful to Our Lord for our hands to touch His body.

Others have said that this is nonsense and that these people are just hold overs from the "old days". They say that as long as we make a "throne" with our hands to receive the Body of the Lord, we are showing proper respect.

Then the "tongue only" folks point out that it would be too easy for someone to sneak off with the host for it to be used in some profane ritual.

I have to say, that I totally and completely agree with those who say that communion should only be received on the tongue. I think that the reception of Holy Communion in the hand should not just be discouraged, but banned outright in all Catholic Dioceses.

No, I am not calling anyone heretics...Vatican II modernists...or anything else.

After seeing how upset we all became with a Harvard University Club sponsoring a Satanic Black Mass, and the planned use of a host in that sacrilegious act , it became apparent to me, that only allowing reception on the tongue is the only way that should be allowed for any Catholic to receive the Body of Our Lord.

[Granted, in the case of the Harvard University Club, there were several conflicting statements as to whether or not the Satanists were actually in possession of a consecrated host. First they said they had a consecrated host....then they had a host, but it was not consecrated...then they didn't have a host at all, but planned to use bread. I think it best to assume that they did in fact have a consecrated host, and even knowing it was consecrated, they (the Satanists) would proclaim it as not being consecrated anyway, since they deny that transubstantiation takes place, and therefore deny the Body of Christ.]

If a priest, or EMHC (Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion) places a consecrated host in the hand of any communicant, it is far too easy for that communicant to pretend to have consumed the host, and then transport it elsewhere for their own nefarious purposes. We have all read about or heard of priests stopping communicants from leaving a parish with a host that had been placed in a pocket or purse instead of being consummed.

In any case, the fact remains that it would be much more difficult for anyone to remove a host from their mouth, when that host had been placed on the tongue by the priest or EMHC. It seems to me, that the action of the communicants owns saliva upon the host, would render it unsuitable for transporting, even if that was what the recipient had in mind.

Let me say here, by my own decision, beginning with my own first communion, I have always received on the tongue and not in the hand. No one told me to receive that way. No one forced me to receive that way. It was my decision, and mine only. I felt, and still do feel, it is the only proper way to receive the Body of Our Lord.

I do hope, that after this blatant disregard for the Catholic faith by some students at Harvard University, that bishops in the United States, and around the world, will put an end to receiving Holy Communion in the hand.

© Gary Stephen Smith and Faith of the Fathers, 2014.

Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Gary Stephen Smith and Faith of the Fathers with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Vatican's doctrinal official gives blunt warning to LCWR : News Headlines - Catholic Culture

The following excerpts are from Catholic World News:

• At a meeting with representatives of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR), the prefect of the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith rebuked the group for giving a top award to a dissident theologian, and pointedly reminded the American women religious that the LCWR is “a canonical entity dependent on the Holy See,” and must comply with Vatican-mandated plans for reform.
• Cardinal Gerhard Müller said that the decision by the LCWR to confer its Outstanding Leadership Award on Sister Elizabeth Johnson, whose writings have drawn a caution from the US bishops’ committee on doctrine, can be “seen as a rather open provocation” in light of the Vatican’s call for reform of the American group.
• Under the terms of the reform ordered by the Vatican in 2012, Cardinal Müller reminded the LCWR, the speakers at LCWR meetings should be cleared by the Vatican’s delegate supervising the reform process, Archbishop J. Peter Sartain of Seattle. But Archbishop Sartain was informed about the award for Sister Johnson “only after the decision had been made,” the cardinal observed, in an apparent violation of the Vatican’s directives.

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Vatican's doctrinal official gives blunt warning to LCWR : News Headlines - Catholic Culture

Video shows Islamic extremist threatening to sell abducted Nigerian schoolgirls | Fox News

The following excerpts are from Fox News:

• An Islamic extremist leader has threatened to sell the 276 teenage girls his terror group abducted from a school in northeast Nigeria three weeks ago.
• In a videotape screened by the Associated Press Monday, Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau claimed responsibility for the April 15 kidnappings for the first time. He also threatened to attack more schools and take additional girls.
• "I abducted your girls," said the leader of Boko Haram, which means "Western education is sinful."
• He described the girls as "slaves" and said "By Allah, I will sell them in the marketplace." The hour-long video starts with fighters lofting automatic rifles and shooting in the air as they chant "Allahu akbar!" or "God is great."

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Video shows Islamic extremist threatening to sell abducted Nigerian schoolgirls | Fox News

Maltese bishop opposes 'melting' bodies as alternative to creation : News Headlines - Catholic Culture

The following excerpts are from Catholic World News:

• In Malta, Bishop Charles Scicluna has voiced his opposition to a proposal to “melt” human corpses, as an alternative to burial or cremation.
• “I don’t think that this is in line with the Church’s views on respecting the body,” said Bishop Scicluna, an auxiliary of the Malta diocese. He said that he would consult with others, noting that his opinion was not a formal ruling of the Church.
• The proposal under discussion would use a chemical process to remove tissue from human bones....

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Maltese bishop opposes 'melting' bodies as alternative to creation : News Headlines - Catholic Culture

Pope Francis' Prayer Intentions For May 2014

Vatican City, 30 April 2014 (VIS) – Pope Francis' universal prayer intention for May is: “That the media may be instruments in the service of truth and peace”.

His intention for evangelisation is: “That Mary, Star of Evangelisation, may guide the Church in proclaiming Christ to all nations”.

You can find more information at: www.visnews.org

The news items contained in the Vatican Information Service may be used, in part or in their entirety, by quoting the source:

V.I.S. -Vatican Information Service.

Copyright © Vatican Information Service 00120 Vatican City

From The Dignitatis Humanae Institute: The abandoned Christians of Wenzhou: the Chinese Government steps up the intimidation

Note:The following is a press release from The Dignitatis Humanae Institute

Rome, 28 April 2014

Thousands of Chinese Christians have united in the city of Wenzhou to form a 24-hour human shield around the Sanjiang Christian Church, amidst threats from the Communist authorities to demolish the building. The three-story Church is one of ten places of worship to have been listed for demolition in the Zhejiang province, considered China's most Christian region. This is the second time in two weeks the Christians of Zhejiang have flocked to protect their Church from the machinations of the local Communist party.

Though attempts to close down Christian Churches are nothing new in China, the Sanjiang Church stands as an officially-sanctioned place of worship by the Communist government, and is, in theory, entitled to the legal protection of Article 36 of the Chinese constitution:

"Citizens of the People's Republic of China enjoy freedom of religious belief. No state organ, public organization or individual may compel citizens to believe in, or not to believe in, any religion; nor may they discriminate against citizens who believe in, or do not believe in, any religion. The state protects normal religious activities."

In spite of a mounting campaign of intimidation and suppression, China's thriving Christian community is growing at an exuberant rate, with research from the University of Purdue foreseeing an estimated 247 million Christians living in China by 2030. Under the rule of Mao Zedong, China was declared an atheist state, and a campaign of violence was waged against the mere one million Christians that then lived in China. When the Cultural Revolution was brought to an end in 1976, a degree of tolerance began to take form. Nevertheless, heavy restrictions remain on Christian worship. Only the state-approved, state-monitored, state-restricted 'Three Self Patriotic Movement' is considered a legal form of Christianity, with non-conformist congregations and underground 'house Churches' subjected to brutal recriminations.

Speaking in support of the Christians defending Sanjiang Church, Luca Volontè, Chairman of the Dignitatis Humanae Institute said:

"All the lessons of history demonstrate to China the futility of forcing Christians to choose between faith and country. The Christian awakening of millions of Chinese citizens is not a form of political process but rather the peaceful desire to learn and to worship Our Lord. After bold statements from Western leaders - including David Cameron and Angela Merkel - on the duty to defend Christians from persecution, the international community cannot abandon the Christians of Whenzou to this very public campaign of coercion and suppression."

The Dignitatis Humanae Instituteaims to uphold human dignity based on the anthropological truth that man is born in the image and likeness of God and therefore has an innate human dignity of infinite worth to be upheld. The Institute promotes this understanding by supporting Christians in public life, assisting them to present effective and coherent responses to increasing efforts to silence the Christian voice in the public square.

Student Denied Admission for His Faith | School Prayer, American Center for Law and Justice ACLJ

The following excerpts are from ACLJ (American Center for Law and Justice):

• Late yesterday afternoon, ACLJ filed a lawsuit on behalf of Brandon Jenkins against officials of The Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC) in Maryland for denying Brandon admission to its Radiation Therapy Program in part due to his expression of religious beliefs. As one faculty member explained to Brandon, on behalf of CCBC, the “field [of radiation therapy] is not the place for religion."  
• Brandon first applied for admission to the Radiation Therapy Program in April 2013. He met the standards of a competitive candidate and scored the maximum points allowed during his observation. During the interview process, college officials asked Brandon, “What is the most important thing to you.” Brandon answered simply, “My God.”
• Brandon was denied entry into the program. After Brandon inquired why he was denied, the Program Director, Adrienne Dougherty, told him:
• I understand that religion is a major part of your life and that was evident in your recommendation letters, however, this field is not the place for religion. We have many patients who come to us for treatment from many different religions and some who believe in nothing at all. If you interview in the future, you may want to leave your thoughts and beliefs out of the interview process.

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Student Denied Admission for His Faith | School Prayer, American Center for Law and Justice ACLJ