Page 35 - RT November 2018 PAGES

newswatch

DR JOHN SENTAMU CHINESE BISHOPS LOCAL MUSLIMS STONE
ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT ATTEND VATICAN SYNOD THREE CHRISTIANS TO
Dr John Sentamu has announced FOR FIRST TIME DEATH IN KENYA
that he will retire from his post as Catholic bishops from China Three Christians were stoned to death
Archbishop of York on 7 June 2020, 3 have for the first time attended a in September by an angry mob in
days before his 71st birthday. major Vatican meeting, following a Elwak, Mandera, a town close to the
In a statement, Dr Sentamu said: landmark agreement between the Kenya-Somalia border.
“I will be retiring from my post as Holy See and Beijing. The Muslim residents of Elwak
Archbishop of York in June 2020. The bishops have taken part in were engaging the police after three
I have decided to announce my a month-long meeting, known as a suspected al-Shabaab militants were
retirement now in order to provide synod, in October, to discuss the role found killed outside of town. In
the Church of England with the widest of young people in the 1.2 billion- retaliation, the irate protesters turned
possible timeframe to pray, discern member Church. It was the first time their anger toward three non-local
with wisdom and insight and put in the Beijing government has allowed Christians at the construction site.
place a timetable for my successor bishops to leave the country to attend A witness, who requested to
and to consider fully the work they a Vatican synod, meetings which remain anonymous, told, “[He] was on
will be called to do in service to take place every few years on a top of a new house he was contracted
the national church, the Northern different topic. to build. His two assistants were on the
Province and the Diocese of York.” Source: christiantoday.com ground mixing mortar when the mob
Source: premier.org.uk/news arrived in [a] hurry, chanting ‘takbir,
SUDAN RELEASES takbir, takbir’. From a distance, I saw
THREE INDONESIAN THOUSANDS OF BIBLES the men hurling construction stones
CHURCHES SHUT DOWN HELD FOR YEARS towards Fredrick and his coworkers.”
On September 27 officials in western A shipment of Bibles believed to have He continued, “The three managed
village of Alam Barajo district closed 3 been held in a Sudanese port for six to flee into a nearby hotel for safety,
churches for “administrative reasons.” years has been cleared for distribution. although they had been badly injured.
Indonesia ensures freedom of religion The Bibles were held at Port Sudan The Muslims relentlessly followed them
to all citizens in its constitution and and were “decaying” in shipping up and stoned them to death.”
therefore cannot close churches containers, but were released a Source: persecution.org
based on religious purposes. Prior fortnight ago and transported to
to the last decade, Indonesia had Sudan’s capital, Khartoum. Sudan NETFLIX TO PRODUCE
a strong reputation of religious is an Islamic state where Christians ‘THE CHRONICLES OF
tolerance. Yet, over the last decade routinely face discrimination and NARNIA’ IN NEW FILM AND
alone, there have been over 1,000 harassment. The government had
churches that closed as the Muslim delayed clearing the Bibles since TELEVISION SERIES
community is pushing for stronger 2011, though the country’s 2 million Netflix has closed a multi-year
Islamic laws. Christians were short of Bibles and deal with The C.S. Lewis Company
Source: persecution.org teaching materials. to develop new series and film
projects based on Lewis’ popular
The release of the Bibles came The Chronicles of Narnia books.
after Sudanese authorities returned Under the pact, Netflix, working
19 properties to the Sudanese with Entertainment One, will develop
Church of Christ, two years after it stories from across the Narnia
confiscated them in a long-running universe into series and films with
dispute between the government and eOne’s Mark Gordon as well as
the church over the ownership of the Douglas Gresham and Vincent Sieber
properties. A court ruled against the serving as executive producers for
government in August and ordered series and as producers for features.
the return of the properties. Sudan Netflix is the studio. The deal marks
is fourth on the 2018 Open Doors the first time that rights to the entire
World Watch List of the 50 countries seven books of the Narnia universe
where it is most difficult to be have been held by the same company.
a Christian. Source: deadline.com
Source: christiantoday.com

Revival Times November 2018 35