ENInews featured articles offer a selction of full text articles taken from the full ENInews Daily News Service. Unless otherwise stated, ENInews featured articles may be re-printed, re-posted, re-produced or placed on Web sites if ENInews is noted as the source and there is a link to the ENI Web site www.eni.ch
Catholic bishops in India concerned about growing economic divide
Bangalore, India, 2 February. Cardinal Oswald Gracias, president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of India, told the bishops' biennial assembly on 1 February that the widening of the gap between rich and poor is "a matter of serious concern for the church."
Malawi bishops endorse circumcision for HIV/AIDS prevention
, 1 February. Roman Catholic bishops in Malawi have endorsed a government move to allow men to get circumcised in hospitals as a prevention measure aimed at HIV/AIDS.
Christian and animal rights groups join to advocate against cockfighting
, 31 January. A group of theologically conservative American Christian leaders is joining with animal rights defenders to advocate against cockfighting, calling the practice of watching and betting on roosters who fight to the death antithetical to biblical values.
Ecumenical fund helps small Filipino entrepreneurs
La Trinidad, Philippines,, 30 January. It is harvest time for strawberries in the northern Philippine town of La Trinidad, so strawberry farmer Alice Rivera will start repaying a loan extended by a Geneva-based ecumenical church loan fund.
As New Orleans still recovers, prayer teams cover one block at a time
New Orleans, 27 January. Millie Campbell, 76 years old, is one of the people praying for New Orleans, a city still recovering from the 2005 Hurricane Katrina disaster and experiencing a murderous crime wave.
Ecumenical group cites increased attacks against Palestinian villages
Asira Al-Qibliya, West Bank, 26 January. The homes at the edge of this Palestinian village are located a few hundred meters from houses in the Jewish settlement of Yitzhar. But the relationship is anything but neighborly.
French Protestants put spotlight on chaplaincy, amid tensions
Paris, 25 January. In a bid to reduce tensions with other religious groups and to highlight challenges, the Protestant Federation of France has turned the spotlight on chaplaincy this year.
Anglican network starts campaign for birth registrations
, 24 January. In industrialized nations, a birth certificate is taken for granted, even regarded as a bit of tedious bureaucracy. But in the developing world, the existence of such a record can mean the difference between full participation in citizenship, or barely living.
Kenyan faith leaders urge calm after court indicts politicians
Nairobi, Kenya, 23 January. Faith leaders in Kenya called for calm after the International Criminal Court in The Hague committed to trial high-ranking politicians for crimes against humanity in connection with violence following elections in 2007.
Health, human rights experts call for "safe spaces" in churches
Geneva, 20 January. Experts in health and human rights from around the world gathered in Geneva 16-18 January to ponder a question: How can churches create "safe spaces" where people can learn and discuss sensitive issues without fear of judgment?
During week of prayer for unity, Philippine churches set aside differences
Baguio City, Philippines, 19 January. In the midst of a governance crisis that threatens to divide the Philippines, several churches say they are marking the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity by setting aside doctrinal differences, praying and working for change.
Photographic exhibition celebrates Germany's religious diversity
, 18 January. A photography exhibition taking place this month at a historic monastery near the German city of Nuremburg takes visitors on a journey through the intimate spaces where the country's many faiths are practiced.
Bishops seek better communication with Nicaraguan government
Managua, Nicaragua, 17 January. The Catholic Church is hoping to improve its frosty relationship with Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, now that Ortega has begun a third term of office.
In south India, churches aid victims of devastating cyclone
Bangalore, India, 16 January. Following the devastating cyclone that wrecked havoc in India's southern Tamil Nadu state at yearend, church charities are getting aid to affected families.
Taiwan churches urge fair presidential election
, 13 January. Political corruption is drawing such attention in Taiwan that churches are banding together to urge fairness in the 14 January legislative and presidential election.
In Israel, a religious clash over gender segregation
Jerusalem, 12 January. Should Israel allow segregation by gender in the public sphere simply because one religious group -- ultra-Orthodox Jews -- demand it? This issue has become a focal point as Israel struggles with its identity as a Jewish democratic state.
Imams in Britain must reach out to youth, says cleric
, 11 January. Imams at British mosques have let down a generation of young Muslims by failing to reach young people who sometimes end up in prison, Ibrahim Mogra, chair of the mosque and community affairs committee of the Muslim Council of Britain, said.
German Muslims show solidarity with threatened Catholic churches
, 10 January. Three Catholic churches in the west German region of North-Rhine Westphalia that may have to close this month have received a show of solidarity from the local Muslim community.
Christian roots of ANC recalled during anniversary celebrations
, 9 January. The Christian roots of the African National Congress (ANC) were cited during weekend celebrations in South Africa marking the centennial of Africa's best known liberation and political movement. More than a dozen African heads of state and representatives from around the world attended to honor the movement that eventually overcame the apartheid system of racial segregation.
Church of Norway to improve inclusion of native Sami people
Oslo, Norway, 6 January. The (Lutheran) Church of Norway in the next five years will be implementing a plan to enhance the role of the indigenous Sami people in church life.