Pedophilia a Worldwide Issue, Not a Priest Problem

Pedophilia a Worldwide Issue, Not a Priest Problem

Founder of Protection Agency Laments Media Lobbies
ROME, JULY 29, 2010 (Zenit.org).- The founder of a children's protection organization laments that pedophilia only makes the news when it is linked to priests, which misses the point that it is a worldwide problem.

Father Fortunato Di Noto of the Meter association noted this deficiency in an interview with H2Onews.

Pedophilia is not just a crime but also a money machine, he explained, with an annual yield of €13 billion ($17 billion) and a victim toll of 200,000 abused children, increasingly even babies and toddlers.

And yet, Father Di Noto lamented, much of the press is scandalized only by pedophile priests and not by this phenomenon of enormous proportions.

"The most striking thing is that while we have talked about pedophilia in the clergy, the global phenomenon of pedophilia has not been discussed," he noted. "And the global phenomenon of sexual abuse is before the eyes of all.

"What impresses me, and what in essence makes the difference, is that the newspapers, probably influenced much by communication, lobbyists, have spoken more of this than of the gravity of pedophilia itself, more than the seriousness of sexual exploitation of children, the seriousness of the sex tourism of children, the gravity of selling children and of the rape of children.

"This is a blatant and visible demonstration of how certain press, moved by certain types of lobbying mentalities, sometimes communicate false, unverifiable, or exploitive information."

The founder of Meter added that the growth of pedophilia on social networks is another element that calls for greater parent responsibility and attention.

"The question is," he said, "why are there 180,000 children in Italy under the age of 13 who are enrolled on Facebook without authorization? And this means that there are 180,000 families who do not monitor the actions of these children."

Catholic Journalists Heading to Africa
GENEVA, Switzerland, JULY 21, 2010 (Zenit.org).- The International Catholic Union of the Press will be holding its world conference this year for the first time in Africa.

Gathering to discuss "Media at the Service of Justice, Peace and Good Governance in a World of Inequalities and Poverty," the journalists will meet Sept. 12-19 in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

Organizers expect the conference to be "an excellent occasion for understanding the real life in Africa and its various aspects" and "a unique forum to debate issues that affect Africa with experts in Africa on African soil."

Simultaneously, a convention will be held for journalists 35 and younger, who participate in the International Network of Young Journalists.

During the conference, international prizes of communication and journalism will be awarded to the winners in eight categories.

1st Holy Land Christian Radio Station to Air Soon

Aims to Build Interreligious Bridges

JERUSALEM, JULY 19, 2010 (Zenit.org).- The first Christian radio station from the Holy Land will soon be on air, with the aim of becoming a bridge between people of different faiths in that region.

Father Raed Abu Sahliye, a parish priest in the small Christian community of Palestine, expressed the hope that the radio station will be "a bridge between different churches and religions."

The priest serves the parish in Taybeh, a West Bank Christian village that counts less than 1,500 inhabitants, and is identified with the Biblical town of "Ephriam," which hosted Christ before he was crucified in Jerusalem, after he raised Lazarus from the dead.

Father Sahliye expressed the hope that this radio initiative will be a "Christian voice to the Christians of the Holy Land."

He visited Rome and told Vatican Radio workers, "We need the voice of Christians in the Holy Land. [...] We need to give a voice to the Holy Land Christians."

"There are many radio and television stations in the region," the priest said, "but we do not have any one of them."
Father Sahliye noted that he hopes the Christian radio station in the Holy Land, which will be launched in collaboration with Vatican Radio, will be up and running by Christmas Eve.

Voice for peace

"It will be a Christian voice, but it certainly will be a different kind of voice: a voice for peace and hope, dialogue and reconciliation," the priest affirmed.

He continued: "We will be open to everyone and to all the churches in the Holy Land.

"We will give space and time for news and celebrations of various churches and we will be open also to other religions: Judaism, Islam."

Father Sahliye said, "We will try to be a bridge, because the Christian who is not a bridge, is not a real Christian."

Today's Inspirational Quote:

"If we all do one random act of kindness daily, we just might
set the world in the right direction."

-- Martin Kornfeld

Today's Inspirational Quote:

"The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has
its own reason for existing. One cannot help but be in awe
when he contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life, of
the marvelous structure of reality. It is enough if one tries
merely to comprehend a little of this mystery every day. Never
lose a holy curiosity."

-- Albert Einstein

Today's Inspirational Quote:

"If people did not do silly things, nothing intelligent would
ever get done."

-- Ludwig Wittgenstein

Today's Inspirational Quote:

"Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a
wonderful stroke of luck."

-- Dalai Lama