On the board the plane from Armenia recently the Holy Father addressed issues of discrimination to questions referring to the recent massacre in a gay night club in Orlando. Often and conveniently quoted out of context by secular media, the Pope this time took pains to add that we must ‘say sorry not only to the gay person it has offended but also to the poor, to exploited women and anyone whom the Church did not defend when it could.” Mercy and reconciliatory efforts aimed at the person is not to be confused with acceptance of the sin.
Here in our little Archdiocese of Kuching, history was made when Archbishop Ha, priests and catholics welcomed Puan Zabaria the CEO of the Islamic Information Centre and her entourage to the ACCPC for a buka puasa session complete with prayers (our front page story). Mutual respect and acceptance not merely tolerance was the message conveyed by His Grace for the occasion.
Discrimination rears its ugly head all over the world in various guises, any gesture that brings people together in this divisive world glorifies our Father.
Stella Chin
Editor
Today’s Catholic Vol.28 No.4 July 2016
