News Brief

Switzerland: Bishop Mamie Passed Away

Bishop of the diocese of Lausanne, Geneva, and Fribourg from 1970 until 1995, Pierre Mamie passed away on March 14, aged 88. He considered the Second Vatican Council as “the greatest grace God has granted to the world and the Church in the 20th century.” On May 6, 1975, he signified to Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre that he was withdrawing the approbation given to the Priestly Society of Saint Pius X by his predecessor, Bishop François Charrière in 1970. That same day, Rome supported the decision and specified that once the Society was suppressed, the Seminary of Ecône had no longer any right to exist. (Source: ATS)

Qatar: Inauguration of the Church of Our Lady of the Rosary

In Doha, on March 15, thousands of Christians living in Qatar attended the Mass in the first Catholic Church opened in this country of the Gulf where the majority of the population is made up of Sunni Muslims. The faithful and the Westerners living in the country -- mainly immigrant workers, especially Filipinos -- were nevertheless called to be prudent after threats were made by Islamist groups who find this opening “disgusting.” Muslim scholars had recently opposed the opening of this place of worship and demanded a popular vote.

Built according to plan without bell tower nor cross, the new church of Our Lady of the Rosary can seat 5,000 persons. (Source: Apic)

China: Rebuilding of Marian Shrine Forbidden

Local authorities in the Province of Henan refuse to allow a Marian shrine to be rebuilt. The church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, built on top of a promontory over the village of Tianjiajing, near the city of Yuankang, had been built in 1903, at a time when the apostolic Vicariate of North Henan was administered by Italian missionaries from the Pontifical Institute of Foreign Missions. Destroyed during the cultural Revolution (1966-1976), the structure was never rebuilt, even though many pilgrims come there to pray.

Some years ago, the diocese of Anyang requested permission from the authorities to rebuild the church, specifying that the shrine would only be used for pilgrimages -- and not for religious activities on a regular basis. In May 2006, as the government answer was positive, Catholics began to rebuild the shrine, starting with the statue of Our Lady and the Stations of the Cross. But in 2007, without any explanation, the local government withdrew its authorization, saying that the location was not classified in the category of properties for religious use, and that consequently, religious activities were forbidden on the premises. (Sources: EDA/Apic)

Vatican: Statue of Galileo in the Pope’s Gardens

A marble statue of Galileo should be erected in the Vatican Gardens next year. It is behind St. Peter’s Basilica, near the Casina Pius IV that this homage should be rendered to the man who was rehabilitated under the pontificate of John Paul II, in 1992, when a commission, set up 11 years earlier, stated that because of “a subjective error of judgment” on the part of the Church, Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) had been condemned to retract what he said about the earth rotating around the sun. (Sources: Apic/Imedia)