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Pope Francis’ Response to Current Global Political Realities| National Catholic Register

By Angelena Iglesia 1 week ago

The recent encyclical of Pope Francis, Fratelli Tutti (FT), is another literary behemoth. Its massive size means that, upon an initial reading, it is not possible to take in all of the specific items covered — from immigration to criminal justice to war and peace. It might be better, then, to situate FT broadly in the tradition of Catholic social teaching, in light of the Holy Father’s own magisterium and as a response to current global political realities. 

Eight years in to his pontificate, the Holy Father has evidently decided that bigger is better, producing relatively few magisterial texts but of truly gigantic size. Pope Francis has now authored four of the five longest documents in the entire history of the papacy: Amoris Laetitia (approximately 60,000 words), Evangelii Gaudium (52,000), Fratelli Tutti (45,000) and Laudato Si (42,000).

Staggering length combined with sprawling reach renders it difficult for any particular element

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Israeli government to impose second Covid-19 national lockdown

By Angelena Iglesia 1 month ago



a group of people standing in front of a crowd: Photograph: Menahem Kahana/AFP/Getty Images

© Provided by The Guardian
Photograph: Menahem Kahana/AFP/Getty Images

Israel’s government has decided to impose a lockdown lasting three weeks, local media have reported, a move that would make it the first country to reimpose such severe restrictions on a national scale.

Fearing mass gatherings during a string of national holidays over the next month, the cabinet decided to shut down the country as of Friday, the Jewish new year, until 9 October, according to the Ynet news website and Channel 12 television.

Ministers had been debating on Sunday a proposal that would see a return to full lockdown, with people banned from moving more than 500 metres from their homes, schools and places of worship closed, the private sector at minimum capacity, and all but essential shops shuttered. Under that plan, a gradual loosening of the rules would only be implemented if the rate of infection drops.

While the

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Beijing slams foreign ‘interference’, ‘malicious slander’ after UN rights experts’ letter of concern on Hong Kong national security law

By Angelena Iglesia 2 months ago



a person standing in front of a crowd: A police officer raises a flag warning protesters they could be in violation of the new national security law in Causeway Bay on July 1. Photo: Sam Tsang

© SCMP
A police officer raises a flag warning protesters they could be in violation of the new national security law in Causeway Bay on July 1. Photo: Sam Tsang

Beijing has hit out at foreign “interference and malicious slander” after a group of UN human rights experts wrote to express concern that Hong Kong’s new national security law could infringe on certain fundamental freedoms.

In a press conference on Friday, foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said the central government strongly opposed “the politicisation of human rights issues”.

“Some people have ignored facts, maliciously slandered China’s human rights situation, and publicly politicised human rights issues,” she said.

Get the latest insights and analysis from our Global Impact newsletter on the big stories originating in China.

“We urge them to truly respect the objectives and principles of the UN Charter, and abandon ignorance, prejudice and double standards. (They must) stop interfering

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China’s national security law triggering radical transformation of Hong Kong’s human rights

By Angelena Iglesia 2 months ago

Despite pledges from top Hong Kong officials that China’s draconian national security law, which contains 66 articles and criminalizes succession and subversion, to terrorism and collusion, would only impact a small fraction of its 7 million residents, almost every facet of the once independent enclave – from education to civil society to technology – has been radically transformed in just over a month.

Annie Boyajian, director of advocacy at Freedom House, told Fox News that things in Hong Kong have been developing so rapidly that it is “hard to keep track of all the flagrant violations of rights.

“And things have gotten worse by the day,” she said. “Authorities are undertaking an intense and widespread crackdown on pro-democracy voices and expressions of dissent, and there is also widespread self-censorship. As time progresses and Beijing further tightens its grip in Hong Kong, we will see Hong Kong look much more like

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E-Government National Centre – Home

By Angelena Iglesia 6 months ago

In working to achieve transparency, public participation and collaboration, agencies across the government have established Open Government Web pages and asked the public for ideas and suggestions.

Open Government Plan

NSF Open Government Plan 4.0