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Unwanted and marginalized, the Roma people have become the target of governments across Europe. In 2010, France launched a campaign against them, expelling 13,000 - many of them landing in Romania. (See Prayer Alert 4010, 3810 & 3510) The problem is that life is worse in Romania and other eastern countries where Roma tend to concentrate. Unemployment in Roma towns has soared. Opportunities are so scarce that a once-itinerant people are on the move, suspicion following them wherever they go. Southern Baptist International Mission Board (IMB) missionaries have started two significant ministries with the Roma: ‘From Everywhere To Everywhere’ trains Roma believers to go across Europe and share the Gospel with other Roma. ‘Far Away Romany Missions’ is a summer programme dedicated to providing biblical and evangelism training to the Roma. ‘Burning Bush’ is a rapidly growing Roma church with 3,000 members - located in a Romanian town with a population of 7,000.
Pray: for the work of IMB missionaries and for the openness of the Roma people to the Gospel. (Is.52:7)
The Irish Government rejected recommendations from six European countries that it should legislate for abortion, but pledged to act on a wide range of UN suggestions to improve human rights in other areas. In a report published on 11th Oct by the UN Human Rights council 126 recommendations were made for Ireland to improve its adherence to human rights norms, the Government accepted 62 and would ‘study carefully’ a further 49. Of the 15 recommendations it rejected, six related to abortion. They included a call from the United Kingdom to introduce legislation to implement the European Court of Human Rights judgment in the A, B and C v Ireland case and a request from Slovenia to allow abortion ‘at least when pregnancy poses a risk to the health of the pregnant woman’. Recommendations on abortion from Norway, Denmark, Spain and the Netherlands were also rejected.
Pray: for the UN to recognise that foetal life has the same degree of value as born human life, and for Ireland’s stand in this issue to be honoured. (Is.51:4)
More: http://www.anglican-mainstream.net/2011/10/11/ireland-rejects-un-recommendations/
A new report from the University of Chicago has shed light on the growth of atheism in Europe. The report from the university’s National Opinion Research Center (NORC) also found that belief in God is stronger among older people than younger generations. The findings were based on an analysis of surveys conducted in 30 countries in 1991, 1998 and 2008. Countries with the largest atheist populations tended to be in north-west Europe or former communist states while countries with fewer atheists tended to be in the developing world, with the exception of the US, Israel and Cyprus. Sweden, Latvia, Denmark, Britain and Norway had some of the highest proportions of atheists. The study found that belief in God had decreased in most countries although it added that the declines were ‘quite modest especially when calculated on a per annum basis’.
Pray: that the fire of the Holy Spirit would fall across Europe bringing new life to God’s church. (Ez.9:9b)
More: http://www.christiantoday.com/article/report.points.to.decline.in.belief/29724.htm
Kosovo is a disputed territory in the Balkans bordering Central Serbia, Macedonia, Albania and Montenegro. Its largest city and capital is Pristina. Within the last couple of months, Christians in Kosovo have been victims of what has been described as the increasing influence of radical Muslim groups. Pastor Artur Krasniqi said a church member from a town in the western part of the country was recently brutally beaten. Two days after this attack Kosovo police arrested a group of five people believed responsible. In addition, Krasniqi added, one of his church's buildings in Pristina was recently vandalized. He is worried about Islamic influence. ‘Muslim radicalization of our country has become our serious concern, as it will impact not only our democratic values and freedoms but our safety and well being too.’ Krasniqi asked that those concerned about the plight faced by his fellow believers write to both the Prime Minister and the President of Kosovo to express their concerns. Pray: for the security and freedoms of our Christian brothers and sisters in Kosovo. (Jdg.10:12) More: http://www.openheaven.com/forums/forum_posts.asp?TID=32912&PN=1&TPN=1
Just as al-Qaida is extending its reach through franchises from the Arabian Peninsula and across North Africa, it could soon be linked up with the growth of radical Islamists in the Balkans. In the 1990s, Sunni Muslims began to spread into Albania, Bosnia, Herzegovina and Kosovo, which once was the heart of Christian Serbia. This spread is offset by Christian majorities in Bulgaria, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Slovenia. The Balkans, however, have a history of Islamist concentration since the end of the Cold War. Osama bin Laden, for example, began setting up charities there as a way of funnelling money to help with the spread of Islamist militancy against the Christians. The Balkans were where Muslims retreated following the unsuccessful siege of Vienna on September 11, 1683. It was a battle of the Holy Roman Empire along with other military forces of Christian countries to counter the spread of the Ottoman Empire into Europe.
Pray: against the spread of radical Islamism across the Balkans. (Jer.25:32)
Politicians are facing pressure from the streets ahead of this week’s G20 summit. The city of Nice has already been the venue of one big demonstration. One local woman said: ‘We just want the poor of the planet to be taken into account, and for everything that happens on a global level to take human rights into account.’ Protest groups say they are determined to make their voices heard. A man from Spain said: ‘While we’re political we are non-partisan, and we’re not anti-system, we’re anti-capitalist. We believe that there are good politicians as there are good policies, of course there are. What is happening is that the ‘bad’ ones are the ones who have a lot of power.’ Security has been stepped up ahead of the summit, with hundreds of extra police officers on duty. Protesters from numerous countries are descending on the French Riviera.
Pray:that the current problems in the EU will not dominate the G20 meeting but allow for open discussion. (Pro.13:10)
More:http://www.euronews.net/2011/11/01/protests-start-ahead-of-g20-summit-in-cannes/
In the spring sunshine, sirens and bells marked the two minute silence at midday across Poland. At the church of St Stanislaw Kostka in a suburb of Warsaw, the silence was particularly poignant. It was here that Lech Kaczynski and his wife Maria used to come to Sunday service. Their pews were kept empty during the service, draped in a huge red-and-white Polish flag and a black ribbon. The smiling pictures of the president and his wife were placed in front of the altar, together with the names of the other 94 people who died on board the presidential jet in Smolensk. Young children gathered around, eagerly putting their hands up when the priest asked them why Poland was in mourning. Outside the packed church, a
group of elderly people wiped their tears. Danuta Kaniewska, a former Solidarity activist sobbed ‘We've lost our elite. We're all in pain.’ The signs of mourning are everywhere.
Pray: for the people of Poland that they might be comforted in their huge loss. (Ps.119:50)
Portuguese bishops, joined by the country's Pro-Life Federation, denounced their president's decision to legalize same-sex ‘marriage’ on Monday, calling the move a ‘step backward’ and an attack on the traditional family.’ A bill aimed at legalizing same-sex ‘marriages’ was passed by the Portuguese parliament in February with the support of the left-wing parties, which are in the majority. President Anibal Cavaco Silva had until May 17 to decide whether to sign the bill into law or exercise his veto power. The president, who is a self-identified Catholic, said on Monday that he was putting aside his ‘personal convictions’ and approving the legislation, making Portugal the sixth country in Europe to allow same-sex unions. Pope Benedict XVI recently visited to Portugal, where he stressed the importance of ‘protecting the essential and primary values of life’ which include the ‘indissoluble marriage between a man and a woman.’
Pray: against this trend across Europe and the World to go against God’s marriage principles. (Heb.13:4)
Pope Benedict XVI has formally created a new Vatican office to revive Christianity in Europe, his latest attempt to counter secular trends in traditionally Christian countries. In a decree, Pope Benedict said the new office would promote Church doctrine, use the media to get the Church's message out and mobilize missionary-type activities. But even on its first day of existence, the Pontifical Council for the New Evangelization ran into a snag: The four-page decree instituting the office was issued in only Latin and Italian. The head of the new office, Monsignor Rino Fisichella, stressed that he planned to have language sections in his department to deal with the faithful in English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Italian, German and Slavic languages. He denied the creation of the office was a mere bureaucratic attempt to fix a complex cultural phenomenon, saying the Pope had made an astute, pastoral decision to focus attention on a growing problem that had preoccupied popes for decades. Pray: for the Pope’s initiative to be successful, leading nations to follow Christian precepts. (Eph.3:8)
Pope Benedict XVI says the child abuse scandals indicate that the greatest threat to Catholicism comes from ‘sin within’ the Church. He made his comments in response to a question while en route to Portugal for a four-day trip in which he is due to celebrate open-air Masses in Lisbon as well as at the Catholic shrine of Fatima, and in Oporto. Critics have previously accused the Vatican of attempting to blame the media and the Church's opponents for the escalation of the scandal. ‘Today we see in a truly terrifying way that the greatest persecution of the Church does not come from outside enemies’, the pontiff told reporters on a plane bound for Portugal. Benedict said the Church has ‘a very deep need’ to acknowledge that it must do penance for its sins and 'accept purification'. However, he added that forgiveness should not be a substitute for justice.
Pray: for the Catholic Church as it faces up to very deep needs of forgiveness and repentance. (2Cor.7:10)