Latest news with #MuslimUyghurs
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Pope Leo shows you don't need to be woke to stay relevant
What is the secret of Pope Leo's popularity? In less than a month, he seems to have brought something fresh to this most ancient of offices. He has reminded us that the timeless is always timely. In other words, you do not have to be woke to be relevant. Might other churches, in particular the Church of England, follow his example? Catholics ought not to lecture other denominations; heaven knows, there are more than enough motes and beams to go round. But Leo XIV does teach us a useful lesson about Christian ministry in the 21st century. The key to contemporary evangelism is not to tell people what they want to hear, still less to imitate the high priests of the secular world, but to speak with the voice of Jesus to Pontius Pilate: 'To this end was I born, for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth.' No sooner had Leo been elected than he gave notice to the Caesars of our time. His clear-eyed support for 'martyred Ukraine' (in contrast to Francis's equivocation) was demonstrated by giving Zelensky priority over Trump's delegation in a private audience after his Inauguration Mass last Sunday. No less urgent is a new policy on China, where the Communist Party is appointing new state 'bishops' without consultation. Leo knows that if he abrogates the disgraceful concordat agreed by Cardinal Parolin under Pope Francis, Xi Jinping is ruthless enough to incarcerate Chinese Catholics en masse, as he has already done to their episcopate and to the Muslim Uyghurs. But St John Paul II showed how to handle one-party states and Leo has already echoed the Polish Pope's signature message: 'Be not afraid.' The BBC and others who take the obsolescence of a 2,000-year-old institution as axiomatic have been claiming that the new Pope will be 'continuity Francis'. Leo is an Augustinian friar who, having spent much of his life in Peru, will be no less zealous on behalf of the poor than the Argentinian Jesuit. His choice of name reminds us that the 'option for the poor' goes back to Leo XIII's social teaching and ultimately, of course, to the Sermon on the Mount. Yet Leo is cast in a different mould from Francis. As a mathematician, a canon lawyer and an intellectual, he believes in resolving disputes, not reopening them. He has fully absorbed the legacy of Benedict XVI, whose recognition as a Doctor of the Church he will doubtless champion. In one of his first homilies, he quoted Benedict: 'God loves us. This is the great truth of our life; it is what makes everything else meaningful.' For Leo, the mystery and beauty of the Catholic liturgy are integral to faith. That includes both forms of the Latin Mass and the various rites of the Eastern Churches. Anglicans should likewise treasure the Book of Common Prayer. Leo's inauguration Mass opened with the Sistine choir chanting the Laudes Regiae, the royal acclamations whose origins go back to Roman antiquity. The refrain – Christus vincit! Christus regnat! Christus imperat! ('Christ conquers! Christ reigns! Christ commands!') – proclaims the ultimate triumph of Christ. Leo XIV exudes American confidence. His promises to be a long, significant and surprising pontificate. The Leonine revolution has only just begun. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
The Star
06-05-2025
- Business
- The Star
China's Xi ready to work with EU to expand ties, handle friction
European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen attend a meeting between Europe-wide employers' and workers' unions and industry bodies in Brussels, Belgium, March 19, 2025. - Photo: Reuters file BEIJING: President Xi Jinping said China was ready to work with European Union leaders to expand mutual openness and properly handle frictions and differences, the official news agency Xinhua reported on Tuesday (May 6). The remarks come on the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties between China and the European Union as they work to thaw ties amid global trade uncertainty fuelled by sweeping US tariffs. Xi did not mention the United States in his remarks, but Beijing has been keen to forge closer economic and political links with Europe to limit the damage from President Donald Trump's tariffs on most of its exports to the United States. "Healthy, stable China-EU ties not only promote mutual achievements, but also illuminate the world," he said. Xi also called on the EU to jointly safeguard fairness and justice, and oppose unilateral bullying, describing their relations as one of the world's most influential, Xinhua added. China said it would welcome visits by European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at an appropriate time to jointly hold a new round of meeting of leaders of both sides. China and the EU will hold high-level dialogues on strategy, economy and trade, green development and digitalisation among a series of events this year, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told a press conference on Tuesday. The ministry also confirmed that China and the European Parliament had decided to free up mutual exchanges. Last week, the EU said China would lift sanctions on members of the European Parliament and its subcommittee on human rights. The sanctions were imposed in 2021 over Western measures against Chinese officials accused of the mass detention of Muslim Uyghurs in the far western region of Xinjiang. "Under the current circumstances, both sides believe it is very important for China and Europe to strengthen dialogue and cooperation," Lin, the ministry spokesperson, told reporters. He expressed confidence that renewed talks would "inject new impetus" in the development of China-EU relations. - Reuters
Straits Times
06-05-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
China's Xi ready to work with EU to expand ties, handle friction
China said it would welcome visits by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (left) and European Council President Antonio Costa. PHOTO: REUTERS BEIJING - President Xi Jinping said China was ready to work with European Union leaders to expand mutual openness and properly handle frictions and differences, the official Xinhua news agency reported on May 6. The remarks come on the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties between China and the European Union as they work to thaw ties amid global trade uncertainty fuelled by sweeping US tariffs. Mr Xi did not mention the United States in his remarks, but Beijing has been keen to forge closer economic and political links with Europe to limit the damage from President Donald Trump's tariffs on most of its exports to the United States. 'Healthy, stable China-EU ties not only promote mutual achievements, but also illuminate the world,' he said. Mr Xi also called on the EU to jointly safeguard fairness and justice, and oppose unilateral bullying, describing their relations as one of the world's most influential, Xinhua added. China said it would welcome visits by European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at an appropriate time to jointly hold a new round of meeting of leaders of both sides. China and the EU will hold high-level dialogues on strategy, economy and trade, green development and digitalisation among a series of events in 2025, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told a press conference on May 6. The ministry also confirmed that China and the European Parliament had decided to free up mutual exchanges. Last week, the EU said China would lift sanctions on members of the European Parliament and its subcommittee on human rights. The sanctions were imposed in 2021 over Western measures against Chinese officials accused of the mass detention of Muslim Uyghurs in the far western region of Xinjiang. 'Under the current circumstances, both sides believe it is very important for China and Europe to strengthen dialogue and cooperation,' Mr Lin, the ministry spokesperson, told reporters. He expressed confidence that renewed talks would 'inject new impetus' in the development of China-EU relations. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Asharq Al-Awsat
06-05-2025
- Business
- Asharq Al-Awsat
At Least 12 Dead in Indonesia Bus Crash
China's Xi Ready to Work with EU to Expand Ties, Handle Friction President Xi Jinping said China was ready to work with European Union leaders to expand mutual openness and properly handle frictions and differences, the official news agency Xinhua reported on Tuesday. The remarks come on the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties between China and the European Union as they work to thaw ties amid global trade uncertainty fueled by sweeping US tariffs, Reuters said. Xi did not mention the United States in his remarks, but Beijing has been keen to forge closer economic and political links with Europe to limit the damage from President Donald Trump's tariffs on most of its exports to the United States. "Healthy, stable China-EU ties not only promote mutual achievements, but also illuminate the world," he said. Xi also called on the EU to jointly safeguard fairness and justice, and oppose unilateral bullying, describing their relations as one of the world's most influential, Xinhua added. China said it would welcome visits by European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at an appropriate time to jointly hold a new round of meeting of leaders of both sides. China and the EU will hold high-level dialogues on strategy, economy and trade, green development and digitalisation among a series of events this year, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told a press conference on Tuesday. The ministry also confirmed that China and the European Parliament had decided to free up mutual exchanges. Last week, the EU said China would lift sanctions on members of the European Parliament and its subcommittee on human rights. The sanctions were imposed in 2021 over Western measures against Chinese officials accused of the mass detention of Muslim Uyghurs in the far western region of Xinjiang. "Under the current circumstances, both sides believe it is very important for China and Europe to strengthen dialogue and cooperation," Lin, the ministry spokesperson, told reporters. He expressed confidence that renewed talks would "inject new impetus" in the development of China-EU relations.
Asharq Al-Awsat
06-05-2025
- Business
- Asharq Al-Awsat
China's Xi Ready to Work with EU to Expand Ties, Handle Friction
President Xi Jinping said China was ready to work with European Union leaders to expand mutual openness and properly handle frictions and differences, the official news agency Xinhua reported on Tuesday. The remarks come on the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties between China and the European Union as they work to thaw ties amid global trade uncertainty fueled by sweeping US tariffs, Reuters said. Xi did not mention the United States in his remarks, but Beijing has been keen to forge closer economic and political links with Europe to limit the damage from President Donald Trump's tariffs on most of its exports to the United States. "Healthy, stable China-EU ties not only promote mutual achievements, but also illuminate the world," he said. Xi also called on the EU to jointly safeguard fairness and justice, and oppose unilateral bullying, describing their relations as one of the world's most influential, Xinhua added. China said it would welcome visits by European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at an appropriate time to jointly hold a new round of meeting of leaders of both sides. China and the EU will hold high-level dialogues on strategy, economy and trade, green development and digitalisation among a series of events this year, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told a press conference on Tuesday. The ministry also confirmed that China and the European Parliament had decided to free up mutual exchanges. Last week, the EU said China would lift sanctions on members of the European Parliament and its subcommittee on human rights. The sanctions were imposed in 2021 over Western measures against Chinese officials accused of the mass detention of Muslim Uyghurs in the far western region of Xinjiang. "Under the current circumstances, both sides believe it is very important for China and Europe to strengthen dialogue and cooperation," Lin, the ministry spokesperson, told reporters. He expressed confidence that renewed talks would "inject new impetus" in the development of China-EU relations.
