WORLD - international Christian news

National Catholic Reporter, Dec 24, 1999 by Matt Kantz

About 80 percent of Russia's nearly 200 Catholic parishes have re-registered.

Indonesian generals may face charges

Government investigators demanded Dec. 14 that some top army generals be tried for human rights abuses in East Timor, one day after President Abdurrahman Wahid said he would not block their prosecutions by the Indonesian courts.

Government human rights investigators said military commanders should be held accountable for the orgy of murder and destruction three months ago since they knew it was taking place and did nothing to prevent it.

"This is great news," said Asmara Nababan of the Investigative Commission for Human Rights Abuses in East Timor. "We have enough evidence to go ahead with prosecutions."

Wahid said Dec. 14 he would not interfere in the judicial process and would allow the courts to decide the fate of generals, including his senior minister for security and political affairs, General Wiranto, who was military chief during the East Timor crisis. "I will not be swayed by any temptation," Wahid said. "What is important is that we accept the decision of the court."

Nababan said the investigative commission would soon submit its recommendations to Indonesia's attorney general, who will ultimately decide whether any generals will face charges.

Indian church seeks to counter fundamentalism

Bishops and major religious superiors of the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh met in Varanasi, Hinduism's holiest city, to seek ways of countering religious fundamentalism.

The Nov. 16-17 meeting analyzed pro-Hindu groups' allegation that missioners have used force, money and other fraudulent means to convert the poor, church sources said. Superiors of Religious working in all 11 dioceses of India's most populous state attended the meeting.

"We have been accused of mass conversion, but not one proof has been given," said Bishop Patrick D'Souza of Varanasi. He reiterated that the Catholic church does not accept forcible conversions.

Archbishop Vincent Concessao of Agra admitted that missioners have received funds from abroad, but he insisted that these were used "not for conversion but mainly for education, health and welfare works." Saying that Christians cannot continue "without serving the downtrodden," he stressed the need to raise local funds. He suggested that missioners introduce austerity measures that would not affect their services as another way of lessening dependence on foreign funds.

Christmas in tents for Taiwan quake victims

Survivors of the earthquake that hit central Taiwan in September may have to spend Christmas Eve without a home to celebrate in, but Christmas will come to them.

"We plan to buy Christmas trees to provide the earthquake-stricken people living in tents a Holy Night atmosphere," says Fr. Augustine Hung Wen-ho of St. Therese of Lisieux Church in Taichung diocese.

The parish priest in Puli town, Nantou county, said Nov. 27 that he will also prepare gifts and activities to let the folks living under the cold night sky feel the warmth of Christ's birth, as shepherds did 2,000 years ago.