Pope urges not to ignore refugees as world celebrates Christmas

Agencies

December 25, 2017

Pope Francis has used the Christmas Eve Mass to call on the world not to ignore the plight of millions of refugees who are “driven from their land.”

Leading a ceremony on Sunday for about 10,000 people in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican City, the head of the Roman Catholic Church compared refugees to Mary and Joseph, who had to travel from the Biblical city of Nazareth to Bethlehem but found no place to stay.

“So many other footsteps are hidden in the footsteps of Joseph and Mary,” he said. “We see the tracks of entire families forced to set out in our own day. We see the tracks of millions of persons who do not choose to go away but, driven from their land, leave behind their dear ones.”

The pope said many refugees, the number of whom stands at 22 million worldwide, were being forced to flee from leaders who “see no problem in shedding innocent blood.”

Francis drew a parallel between the biblical story and the developments in the world today, including conflicts in the Middle East and North Africa, human trafficking, Myanmar’s state-sponsored ethnic cleansing campaign against its Rohingya Muslims and the US travel ban on people from predominantly Muslim countries.

The 81-year-old Argentine pontiff, himself born to Italian immigrants, has spoken out for refugees since his election in 2013.

A few weeks ago, Pope Francis spent six days in Myanmar and neighboring Bangladesh to address the sufferings of Rohingya Muslims, who have been subjected to a state-sponsored ethnic cleansing campaign at home in Rakhine State.

In Bangladesh, he had an emotional encounter with Muslim refugees, during which he asked for forgiveness from the Myanmarese refugees for all the hurt and indifference they have endured.

Almost 870,000 Rohingya Muslims have so far been forced to flee the Myanmar military’s state-sponsored crackdown to Bangladesh.

“The presence of God today is also called Rohingya,” he said back then. “In the name of everyone, of those who have persecuted you, of those who have done you harm, above all for the indifference of the world, I ask forgiveness. Forgiveness.”

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Mangaluru: 28-year-old woman jumps to death from hospital building after losing newborn baby

News Network

November 11,2024

Mangaluru: In a deeply tragic turn of events, a 28-year-old woman named Ranjitha, who had recently given birth but tragically lost her newborn, ended her life by suicide on Monday. She reportedly leapt from the fourth-floor window of Lady Goschen Hospital’s luggage room.

Ranjitha, whose strength and resilience had carried her through a difficult pregnancy, was scheduled for discharge on Monday. Her journey to Lady Goschen Hospital began on October 24, when she was transferred from Karkala. She was a high-risk patient, battling both hypertension and diabetes. At the time of her admission, she was just 27 weeks pregnant.

Due to the complexities of her health, doctors made the difficult decision to perform an emergency C-section on October 30. She delivered a baby girl, premature and weighing only 960 grams. The newborn was immediately moved to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, where doctors did all they could. Despite these efforts, the baby passed away on November 3.

Ranjitha’s sorrow was profound. She stayed under hospital care even after her initial recovery and was preparing to go home on November 9. She had even requested a couple more days at the hospital, seeking time perhaps to cope with her unimaginable grief.

On the day of her discharge, a discharge card ready and her family eagerly waiting to take her home, Ranjitha reportedly made her way to the luggage room in the early hours. There, standing on a cot placed for patients' family members, she climbed to a window and fell from the fourth floor. Despite the attempts of another visitor to intervene, tragedy was inevitable. She was rushed to Government Wenlock Hospital, where doctors confirmed the worst—she was no more.

Dr. Durgaparasad M R, the Medical Superintendent at Lady Goschen Hospital, shared his grief and spoke of the ongoing investigation. A post-mortem is to be conducted, and the local Tahsildar will complete the necessary inquest procedures. Ranjitha’s exact reasons for taking this step are yet to be confirmed, though the weight of her recent losses paints a sorrowful picture.

If you or anyone you know is struggling emotionally, please remember that help is available. Reach out to mental health experts who can provide support and guidance. The toll-free helpline number 9152987821 is available to assist anyone in distress.

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