Philippine Asian News Today Vol 20 No 20 | Page 25

October 16 - 31, 2018 PHILIPPINE ASIAN NEWS TODAY RELIGIOUS Pope Francis prays for victims of synagogue shooting Pope Francis offered prayers for the victims of the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting in his Angelus address Sunday. “May the The Most High welcome the dead in his peace, comfort their families and support the wounded,” Pope Francis said Oct. 28. Eleven people were killed when a gunman opened fire at the Tree of Life synagogue Saturday morning during its Sabbath service. The pope expressed his closeness to the city of Pittsburgh and “in particular to the Jewish community.” The shooting suspect, Robert Bowers, reportedly shouted “All Jews must die,” during the attack. “May the Lord help us to extinguish the outbreaks of hatred that develop in our societies,” Pope Francis prayed. Pope Francis asked God for a “strengthening of the sense of humanity, respect for life, moral and civil values, and the holy fear of God, who is Love and Father of all.” The pope also expressed hope in his Angelus address that the conclusion of the 2018 Synod of Bishops on young people, the faith, and vocational discernment will go on to bear good fruit. “The Youth Synod was a good harvest, and promises good wine,” Pope Francis said following the closing Mass of the synod Oct. 28. The pope stressed that the main objective of the synod was not its final document, which was voted upon and published in Italian on Saturday night. “More than the document, however, it is important that a way of being and working together, young and old, in listening and discernment, to reach pastoral choices that respond to reality, is spreading,” said Francis. The “fundamental attitude” of the synod was “listening,” he said. “We tried to read reality, to grasp the signs of our times. Community discernment was done in the light of the Word of God and of the Holy Spirit,” Pope Francis continued. “This is one of the most beautiful gifts that the Lord makes to the Catholic Church, that is, to gather voices and faces from the most varied realities and thus be able to attempt an interpretation that takes into account the richness and complexity of the phenomena, always in the light of the Gospel,” he said.(C. Grogan, CNA) The most read book in the Philippines? Survey says: the Bible A recent survey found that the Bible is the most frequently read book in the Philippines. The country’s National Book Development Board commissioned a readership survey for 2017, the results of which were released last month. More than 72 percent of adults were found to favor reading the Bible over other literary genres, including fiction, non-fiction, hobbies, health, and graphic novels. The finding was consistent for nearly all age groups, except for young adults and children, demographics among which the Bible is the fourth most commonly read book. Still, more than 55 percent of youth reported that they read the Bible. The agency conducted a similar survey in 2012, which found that the Bible was the most read book for all age groups. “The Bible is indeed the most read book in our country. By the power of the Word of God, may the Philippines be transformed into a real Christian nation,” Bishop Arturo Bastes of Sorsogon said, according to UCA News. The bishop, who had been the head of the Episcopal Commission for the Biblical Apostolate, further added that the Bible has been made available for about one dollar by the Philippine Bible Society. He said that over the past 10 years an estimated 10 million copies of scripture have been delivered to families in the country. If the average family has five members, he said, more than 50 million Filipinos have had the opportunity to pray with and read the Bible. The result of the survey “is very rewarding, especially for me, because my very special ministry in the church is to promote the Bible among our people. This means that the collective efforts of all persons engaged in the biblical ministry have borne fruit,” the bishop said.(CNA) Cancer can strike at any moment… It can affect anyone regardless of age, gender, health or socioeconomic status. 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