The Pope's private butler, 46 year old Paolo Gabriele, stole a raft of private documents from the Pontiff's office and ‘leaked’ them to the media as part of a campaign to rid the Vatican of ‘evil and corruption.’ A judge ordered Gabriele to stand trial for aggravated theft. A Vatican IT expert was also charged in connection with the leaking of the documents and faces a lesser accusation of aiding and abetting. According to a 35-page document Gabriele had told prosecutors that he had acted because he had seen ‘evil and corruption everywhere in the Church’ and he wanted to stop it spreading, adding. ‘I reached the point of no return. I was sure that a shock, perhaps by using the media, could be a healthy thing to bring the Church back on the right track.’ The Pope's spokesman said the Pope could step in and pardon Mr Gabriele and avoid a trial.

Pray: that the Vatican will open itself up to appropriate external scrutiny so that anything hidden will be revealed. (Job 9:4-6)

More: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/vaticancityandholysee/9472767/Vatileaks-Popes-butler-wanted-to-rid-Vatic

Six Baptists who led Sunday worship in an old people's home near Uzbekistan's capital Tashkent face criminal and administrative charges after an ‘anti-terror operation’ against their service, Baptists told Forum 18 News Service. Asked why the authorities halted the service and harassed participants, deputy police chief Major Sofar Fayziyev – who took part in the raid – told Forum 18: ‘They could not produce any proof that they had authorisation for their activity.’ Elsewhere, three Baptists were fined after police raided a Sunday morning church service. As happens frequently, the court verdict ordered the destruction of Bibles and other confiscated Christian literature. Judge Abdumumin Rahimov who handed a massive fine to a young resident of Navoi for transporting literature insists that ‘the main purpose of the punishment is not revenge against the offender, but teaching him to respect the law’.

Pray: for the believers in Uzbekistan that the authorities will cease to block God’s Word and His message. (Ps.1:6)

More: http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=1554

Police in Uzbekistan on 1 December raided a group of about 80 Protestants on holiday together, Forum 18 News Service has learned. Charges under six different articles of the Code of Administrative Offences have been brought against four of the group, who were meeting together discussing their faith and singing Christian songs. Police confiscated three Bibles and 100 Christian songbooks, insulted the group, and took the fingerprints of all present. People must worship ‘only in registered places specifically set up for religious purposes’, police insisted to Forum 18. In November three Protestants were fined sums of between 100 and 20 times the minimum monthly wage for meeting together, reading their Bibles, singing Christian songs, praying, and possessing religious books – all without state permission. The books, including Bibles, were ordered to be destroyed.

Pray: that God will bless and protect those who gather to worship. (Ps.5:11)

More: http://www.forum18.org/

Uzbekistan on Monday, February 28, still refused to release some 15,000 Bibles that were seized earlier by customs authorities and the Bible Society of Uzbekistan said one of its staff members was fined for ‘violating procedures.’ In statements, the State Religious Affairs Committee and Justice Ministry officials said they ordered the Bible Society to return the books to Russia at their own cost as ‘There is no need to import Bibles into Uzbekistan since there’s an electronic version on the Internet.’ Christian workers say however, that since the average income in Uzbekistan is about $10 a day, Internet access ‘may not be very accessible to the average person’. The Slavic Gospel Association, which is supporting churches in the former Soviet Union, said the latest developments are part of a wider crackdown on evangelical Christianity in the region.

Pray: for the release of these Bibles that God’s Word will fulfil its purpose. (Pr.19:21)

More: http://www.bosnewslife.com/15758-uzbekistan-seizing-15000-bibles-christian-fined

kraine's Prime Minister has called on the opposition to stop escalating political tensions, warning, ‘anybody found guilty of violating the constitution and laws will be punished.’ Mass street protests (the largest since the pro-democracy Orange Revolution in 2004) began over a week ago, sparked by the government's decision not to sign an association deal with the EU. The EU wants to forge closer ties with Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus and three states in the Caucasus - Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia. All these former Soviet states have remained to some extent in Russia's sphere of influence since the Cold War ended. Years of negotiations culminated in a summit in Lithuania on 28-29 November. Ukraine and Armenia pulled out of an association agreement. Once on the path towards EU membership, countries (Turkey for example) receive millions of euros in EU funding for development projects. Ukraine has a population of 45 million and is one of Europe's biggest countries, dwarfing the other five partner states.

Ukraine parliamentarians have re-submitted a bill to outlaw the promotion of homosexuality in public, and the homosexual movement around the world. Their supporters in the mainstream media, have erupted in outrage. The bill’s sponsor said that the growing acceptance of homosexuality in the West was ‘not evolution, but degradation’. It would ban the promotion of homosexuality in television shows and movies, as well as prohibit public ‘Gay Pride’ events. It is intended to preserve ‘the moral, spiritual and physical health of the nation’ according to co-author MP Pavlo Ungurian, speaking at a news conference Monday. ‘We are not against homosexuals, however, we do not share their values,’ he said. ‘Our goal is the preservation of the moral, spiritual and physical health of the nation,’ Ungurian said adding ‘We must stop the propaganda, the positive description and the publicity of this abnormal lifestyle.’

Pray: for the government in Ukraine that it will stay firm on its stand against homosexuality. (1Tim.1:9-10)

More: http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/international-homosexualist-groups-enraged-at-ukraine-bid-to-ban-homosexual

European leaders have mounted renewed diplomatic pressure on Ukraine over its treatment of Yulia Tymoshenko, the jailed former prime minister. Jose Manuel Barroso, the EU Commission president, said on Tuesday that he would not go to Ukraine during the European football championships in June unless there is a swift improvement in the human rights situation there. ‘It is clear that as things stand now, the president has no intention of going to Ukraine,’ Barroso's spokeswoman said. His announcement followed that of EU Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding, who is also skipping the opening ceremony of the Euro 2012 football tournament, to be hosted by Ukraine and Poland, on June 8. A German government spokesman also said any visit by Chancellor Angela Merkel during the championship, one of the continent's main sports events, would be linked to Tymoshenko's fate. Tymoshenko has been on a hunger strike since last week to protest against her alleged beating in prison.

Pray: that the Ukrainian authorities would have a change of heart and seek the truth and resolve the situation. (Dt.10:20)

More: http://www.aljazeera.com/news/europe/2012/05/2012517319725587.html