World News

Catholic secrecy rule | Gambia and the Rohingya | Counting gorillas

Posted by: The Conversation Global

Date: Wednesday, 15 January 2020

 

Editor's note

Pope Francis recently removed a secrecy rule going back to the days of the Inquisition that allowed the Catholic Church to conceal any information it considered sensitive. In present times, the rule, known as Pontifical Secrecy, allowed church officials and the clergy to withhold information in cases of sexual abuse. While this is a step forward, law professor Christine P. Bartholomew writes that there are many other practices that the Catholic Church can “rely on” to keep information secret.

There was curiosity and surprise when The Gambia filed suit at the International Court of Justice against Myanmar over the persecution of its minority Rohingya. But Kerstin Carlson and Line Engbo Gissel argue that the small West African country’s invocation of the Genocide Convention is politically and legally significant, not least for the potential it signals about the application of international law by actors in the global south.

A new census shows that the population of mountain gorillas in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Forest national park has risen to 459 individuals from 400 in 2011. But the numbers might not be reliable. Katerina Guschanski explains why.

Kalpana Jain

Senior Religion + Ethics Editor

Top Stories

Pope Francis recently removed a secrecy rule to increase transparency for sexual abuse cases. AP Photo/Andrew Medichini

Pope ends a secrecy rule for Catholic sexual abuse cases, but for victims many barriers to justice remain

Christine P. Bartholomew, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York

Pope Francis recently removed a rule known as Pontifical Secrecy, which allowed clergy and church officials to withhold information regarding sexual abuse. Will it make the church truly transparent?

Why the Gambia’s plea for the Rohingya matters for international justice

Kerstin Carlson, University of Southern Denmark; Line Engbo Gissel, Roskilde University

The Rohingya case before the International Court of Justice is politically and legally significant.

We don’t know how many mountain gorillas live in the wild. Here’s why

Katerina Guschanski, Uppsala University

Surveys are likely to have missed multiple groups and individuals due to differences in survey techniques.

Business + Economy

Brexit could spell the end of globalization, and the global prosperity that came with it

William Hauk, University of South Carolina

Brexit represented British voters' desire to reclaim more control over their economic future, but some worry the cost will be some of the prosperity gained from globalization.

Why every company needs a Chief Fun Officer

David Allen, Warwick Business School, University of Warwick

Four ways they can make work more fun and keep staff happy.

En Français

Pourquoi la grève aura des effets durables sur la pratique du vélo

Aurélien Bigo, École polytechnique

L’installation de la grève dans le temps pourrait faire progresser durablement la pratique du vélo à Paris puis partout en France.

Caisses de grève, deux siècles de solidarité

Gabriel Rosenman, École normale supérieure (ENS)

Les caisses de grève qui connaissent aujourd’hui un fort soutien de la population puisent leur force dans les mouvements du début du XIXᵉ siècle.

En español

Primates lejos de casa: por qué pasamos frío en invierno

Juan Ignacio Pérez Iglesias, Universidad del País Vasco / Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea

El ser humano ha evolucionado para resistir el calor, pero no tolera el frío con tanta eficacia. Somos animales homeotermos, pero todo tiene un límite.

La población de España supera los 47 millones gracias a la inmigración, y eso es positivo

Alberto Ares, Universidad Pontificia Comillas ; Cecilia Estrada Villaseñor, Universidad Pontificia Comillas

España ha superado por primera vez en su historia los 47 millones de habitantes debido a un saldo migratorio positivo. Dado que este país envejecido necesita más población extranjera, el reto, según los autores, es lograr su integración real y encontrar en la acogida esa vocación por la humanidad que en teoría nos define.

 
 
 
 
 
 

6ይ ክፋል: ማዕበል ስርሒት ፈንቅል - የካቲት 1990 - ሰነዳዊት ፊልም| sirihit fenkil 1990 - part 6 - ERi-TV Documentary

Dehai Events