Religion News ServiceWASHINGTON, D.C. February 18, 2005: More than 1,000 people in America alleged abuse at the hands of 756 Catholic clergy in 2004, the nation’s Catholic bishops said today, a sign that the three-year abuse scandal continues to rock the church. In addition, officials said various dioceses paid US$157.8 million for abuse settlements, therapy and legal fees last year.…
SourceTHIRUVANANTHAPURAM, INDIA, February 17, 2005: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has agreed to provide a special package for the Ayyappa temple in Kerala’s Sabarimala hills and to convert it to a national pilgrimage center, the temple authorities said. According to them, Singh, who met Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) president G. Raman Nair on Tuesday, also accepted an invitation to visit the…
SourceAUSTIN, TEXAS, February 17, 2005: The Hindu Community has taken a major step to bring a temple to Austin. It took a long time planning and securing money for the land but on Wednesday the ground was broken in East Travis County. The groundbreaking ceremony was three years in the making. But Austin’s 11,000 Hindu families now have 76 acres…
Rajiv Malik, HPI Correspondent,NEW DELHI, February 16, 2005: “It is unfortunate that due to some constitutional anomaly in India the minorities through their educational institutions can teach the children their concepts of one prophet and one text but we are not allowed to impart the liberal teachings of Hinduism or Sanatana Dharma through the schools and colleges run by us.”…
SourceKALMUNAI, SRI LANKA, February 16, 2005: Sporting a mark on his forehead to ward off evil, the infant known for two months as “Baby 81” was handed over Wednesday to his joyous parents, who had fought for custody ever since the tsunami tore him from his mother’s arms. Four-month-old Abilass, whose name is rooted in the Sanskrit word for aspiration…
SourceSCHUYLKILL HAVEN, USA, February 14, 2005: “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam: the world is one big family.” This Vedic ideal not only has a strong value within the philosophies of Hinduism but also in the hearts and minds of Hindu youths and young professionals around the world. On February 4-6, 2005, forty-two students and young professionals from the Hindu Students Council (HSC) and…
The Star, MalaysiaKUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA, February 13, 2005: Two ancient civilizations came together when a colorful lion dance took place at the Pudu Ganesha temple, one of the country’s oldest Hindu temples during the Chinese New Year period. As drums banged and cymbals clanged, three lions pranced amid the peal of temple bells. Traffic stopped near the small but very…
SourceORLANDO, FLORIDA, February 17, 2005: Along a stretch of Lake Drive, just outside the town of Casselberry, less than thirty minutes from the Orlando metro, lies a massive building with its ornate towers reaching towards the heavens in its final stages of construction. While the structure’s exterior conveys a sense of strength and thoughtfulness, the interior exhibits a feeling of…
The Star, MalaysiaBUKIT MERTAJAM, MALAYSIA, February 12, 2005: After 10 years, school sweethearts Lee Li Lin and K.A. Vijayakumar found the most memorable time to tie the nuptial knot: at 4.40 am. A temple priest had advised them that it was the most auspicious time to get married explained the couple who went through their wedding rites according to Hindu…
SourceKOCHI, INDIA, February 14, 2005: The National Commission for Minorities (NCM) on Monday said there has been “abnormally high” growth of Christian population in the North East, especially in districts bordering Bangladesh, and the commission had sought details from the Christian leadership. While the proportion of Christians in India has remained the same for both decades– 1991 and 2001 at…