News in English - May 20
Welcome to the Safira Radio News Service. Today is Saturday, 20th May, and there are still 225 days left until the end of the year
Today we celebrate the name days of Aleksander and Anastazy, Bernardyn and Elfryda, Józefa and Karol, Teodor and Wiktoria. We extend our warmest wishes to all the name-day celebrants!
Kaleidoscope of history. On 20th May 1792, the Powązki Cemetery in Warsaw was opened and consecrated. It is one of the most important and oldest cemeteries in the capital. 70 years later, in 1862, the National Museum in Warsaw was established, which to this day remains one of the most important centres of culture and art in Poland.
On 20th May 325, the First Council of Nicaea was opened, where Arianism was condemned, the Nicene Creed was adopted, and the dispute over the date of Easter was resolved. In 1932, American aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart, as the second person in history after Charles Lindbergh, began a successful solo flight across the Atlantic.
Today also marks the birthday anniversary of many famous figures. In 1877, Władysław Szczepański was born, a Polish Catholic clergyman, biblical scholar, archaeologist and orientalist. In 1918, Edward B. Lewis, an American geneticist and Nobel laureate, was born. While in 1919, Gustaw Herling-Grudziński was born, a Polish prose writer, essayist, literary critic, anti-communist, and political emigrant.
World News. The Seventh-day Adventist Church is leading a project called "Mission Refocus". The initiative aims to encourage all church members to play the role of missionaries or support missionaries worldwide. Pastor Dieter Bruns, the director of the Adventist Volunteer Service for the South American Division, is reminding local churches of the importance of mission work. The project plans to increase the number of volunteers and professionals. Adventists are encouraged to engage in mission trips and invest in the infrastructure of mission centres. For this purpose, integration between projects and departments is crucial, providing more opportunities for members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
The World Council of Churches, along with other global organisations, have submitted an interfaith statement to the UN. This appeal supports the "Campaign to Stop Killer Robots". The statement condemns the development of autonomous weapons and emphasises the importance of maintaining human control over such technologies. The statement concludes with a call to the UN and policy influencers to establish and enforce a global ban on the proliferation of autonomous weapons.
Representatives of nine religious associations have issued a joint protest to the authorities of Portugal in connection with the approval by the country's parliament on Friday of a law legalising euthanasia. The President of Portugal signed the law last week. The head of state said that Portuguese legislation obliged him to sign the law. He explained that after a presidential veto was lodged in March, the parliament voted again on the same law.
News from Poland. On 14th May in Ursynów, Warsaw, the Orthodox Church "Hagia Sophia" was consecrated. This is the first new Orthodox temple in the city in over a hundred years. The ceremony was presided over by Metropolitan Sawa, the head of the Polish Autocephalous Orthodox Church. Ecumenical guests also participated in the ceremony, including the chairman of the Polish Ecumenical Council, Bishop Andrzej Malicki.
The Polish Ecumenical Council invites you to workshops dedicated to crisis management in the community. The meetings will take place on 23rd May, from 11:00 to 15:00, at the headquarters of the Polish Ecumenical Council on Willowa Street. During the meetings, participants will discuss materials published as part of the European project "Safer and Stronger Communities in Europe". The expert role will be filled by Dr. Tomasz Białek, a retired officer of the Polish Army and a security specialist.
Reverend Jan Byrt is a Lutheran clergyman known for numerous charitable and evangelistic initiatives. Now, he invites cyclists to participate in a special service, which will take place on 28th May on Pentecost. The event will start at 11:00 a.m. in the Evangelical church in Salmopol. Reverend Byrt is known for many unique initiatives. Among other things, he led a winter campaign called "Share your Skis". Thanks to this, ski equipment reached those who couldn't afford it. In spring, young Ukrainians living in Szczyrk received bicycles, scooters and skateboards. In the past, the Lutheran invited children from Slovakia and Bieszczady for vacations. He hosted foreigners who taught English to children for free and built a European altar in the Silesian Beskids.
That was the News Service of Safira Radio. We wish you the very best for the weekend! May God bless you.