Anti-Christian Violence in 2008 Linked to Terrorists

Christians call for agency to probe anti-Muslim terrorism ties to Orissa-Karnataka attacks.

Right-wing terrorists played a key role in attacking and killing Christians in Orissa and Karnataka states in 2008, one of the Hindu extremist suspects in anti-Muslim bomb blasts has told investigators, leading to renewed demands for a probe by India’s anti-terror agency.

Pragya Singh Thakur, arrested for planning 2008 bombings targeting Muslims in west India, told the National Investigation Agency (NIA) that Lt. Col. Prasad Srikant Purohit had “masterminded” the 2008 anti-Christian violence in Orissa and Karnataka, The Indian Express daily reported on Wednesday (March 23). Purohit is accused along with Thakur for the 2008 bombings of Muslims.

Thakur had met with Purohit after the August 2008 Kandhamal attacks against Christians began and told her “he was into big things like blasts, etc., and had masterminded the Orissa and Karnataka ‘disturbances,’” the national daily reported.

The NIA, a recently formed agency to prevent, probe and prosecute terrorism-related incidents on a national scale, is investigating several cases involving right-wing terrorism aimed at the Muslim minority in retaliation for Islamist attacks. Both Thakur, formerly a member of the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party’s student wing, and Purohit, who was serving in the Indian Army when he was arrested for his role in blasts in Malegaon city in western Maharashtra state, were part of the Hindu extremist Abhinav Bharat.

Thakur’s statement to the NIA came soon after a Directorate of Military Intelligence report said Purohit had confessed to having killed at least two Christians in Kandhamal and playing a role in violence in Karnataka and other states.

The revelation by Thakur was not surprising, said John Dayal, secretary general of the All India Christian Council.

“We have held that the military precision of the Kandhamal riots, which spread fast and raged for months, could not be a work of mere common people, and that higher brains were at work to ‘teach the Christians a lesson’ while sending out signals of their power lust to the entire nation,” Dayal told Compass.

The violence in Kandhamal began following the assassination of a Hindu extremist leader Laxmanananda Saraswati on Aug. 23, 2008. Though Maoists claimed responsibility for the murder, Hindu extremists blamed Christians for it. The violence began after the arrival of Indresh Kumar, an executive committee member of the Hindu extremist Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and a suspect in blast cases, said Kandhamal activist Ajay Singh. Local media reports said Kumar was part of Saraswati’s funeral procession, which was designed to trigger the attacks, Singh added.

The RSS denies having played any role in terrorism. On March 12, Ram Madhav, an RSS national executive committee member, called the allegation against Kumar “a concerted political campaign.” Those who were dragging the RSS leader into blast cases “will stand thoroughly exposed,” The Times of India daily quoted him as saying.

Dayal and another Christian leader, Joseph Dias, said they had separately written to India’s prime minister and home minister seeking inclusion of the anti-Christian attacks in an ongoing NIA investigation. Sajan K. George of the Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC) said he had petitioned the president for the same.

Dias, general secretary of the Catholic-Christian Social Forum, a Maharashtra-based rights group, recalled that violence in Kandhamal spread across 13 other districts of Orissa.

“In Kandhamal alone, more than 6,600 homes were destroyed, 56,000 people rendered homeless, thousands injured, and about 100 men and women [were] burned alive or hacked to death,” Dias said. “Among the women raped was a Catholic nun.”

In September 2008, as the violence continued in Kandhamal, a series of attacks on Christians and their property rocked Mangalore city in Karnataka state.

“In Karnataka, it was hundreds of churches that were desecrated, Christians brutally beaten up, over 350 false cases foisted on them, property held by the community taken over, and no relief to date [has been] received,” Dias said.

While the government of Orissa downplayed the violence as “ethnic tensions,” Karnataka officials blamed it on Christian conversions.

The RSS and outfits linked to it such as the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (World Hindu Council) and the Vanavasi Kalyan Ashram, which claims to work for tribal welfare, facilitated the Kandhamal attacks together with alleged Hindu nationalist terrorists, Dayal said.

“We want the truth about Hindu groups’ anti-national terror activities against minority Christians to come out,” said George, whose GCIC is based in Karnataka.

Dias warned that that the latest statement by Thakur must not to be seen in isolation, as the Military Intelligence report revealed that the Abhinav Bharat had targeted Christians in several states, including Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.

The “game plan” is to “cripple Christian religious places, property and institutions, besides eliminating its nascent community leadership at the grassroots,” Dias added.

The Abhinav Bharat was formed in 2007 by a few right-wing Hindus allegedly disillusioned with the leaders of the Hindu nationalist movement, whom they thought were too timid to make India a Hindu nation, rather than one based on religious pluralism.

Papal Legate to the diocesan Jubilee of Pozzuoli

Apostle Paul

Pope Benedict XVI has issued an apostolic letter naming Cardinal Salvatore De Giorgi retired Archbishop of Palermo as his delegate to the Diocesan Jubilee celebrations of Pozzuoli a town in the south Italian city of Naples. The apostle Paul had landed,1950 years ago at Pozzuoli on his way to Rome, from which it was 170 miles distant. Here he stayed for seven days as related in the acts of the Apostles, and then began with his companions his journey by the Appian Way to Rome. It is this jubilee that the diocese is celebrating. The celebrations will take place on May 30^th.

Journey to Rome

Paul and his companions went on to Rome, which was probably their last missionary journey, in 60. They started in Jerusalem where the brothers there received them joyfully. Paul was beaten and almost killed before he was arrested and kept as a prisoner in Caesarea for about one year and a half even before starting his journey. He was transferred to Rome after his request and was released after the Roman commander realized that he was born a Roman citizen. Paul continued to preach in Rome and possibly traveled to other countries like Spain and Britain before he died as a martyr in 68AD.

Bangalore archdiocese gets 14 new priests

In what seemed to be a windfall for southern India’s Bangalore Archdiocese, fourteen priests were ordained on Wednesday, the 91^st birth anniversary of Blessed John Paul II. The ordination ceremony was attended by more than 250 priests and 6,000 people. The new priests were felicitated by Archbishop Bernard Moras, priests, religious and the faithful after the ceremony. The prelate unveiled the portrait of Blessed John Paul II before the priestly ordination. The archbishop, who had participated in the beatification ceremony of Pope John Paul II, shared his experience. “The beatification ceremony was very prayerful. On the previous day for more than three hours there was a prayer vigil,” he added.

General Assembly of Caritas Internationalis

The four-yearly, 19^th General Assembly of International Caritas will be held in Rome from the 22^nd to the 27^th May. It will also mark the 60^th anniversary of the founding of the confederation. 300 delegates from all over the world will be participating. On the opening day Mass will be celebrated by the Cardinal Secretary of State, Tarcisio Bertone. In the course of their sessions in Rome The delegates will meet Pope Benedict XVI in audience. International Caritas is an International Confederation of 165 national Caritas, which coordinates the intervention of national Caritas on the occasion of emergencies and crises. The current president of the confederation is Salesian Cardinal Oscar Andrés Rodríguez Maradiaga, Archbishop of Tegucigalpa, Honduras. In 2004 Pope John Paul II granted a public canonical giuridical status to the confederation because its a union of National Caritas which are the official organs of the Bishops as also in recognition of the immense services rendered by the Confederation to the Church and to humanity. This juridical status meant the updating of the statutes of the confederation. The General Assembly will be a precious opportunity to present the work done in accord with the updated statutes. It will also reflect on the plan of work for the coming four years.

Caritas helps tribal languages survive

(May 19, 2011) In Bangladesh, a special mother tongue training initiative by the Church’s social service agency, Caritas, is helping prevent tribal languages in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) from becoming extinct. Since 2008, the organization has trained 480 teachers from Village- based Education Centers, VBEC, to teach tribal languages to children, who do not get to learn their mother tongue in formal education. Language experts from the Tripura, Marma and Chakma tribes have helped teachers improve their reading, writing and speaking skills. In the last four years about 8,000 students have benefited from the initiative. “We hope these 8,000 students will teach the languages to 8,000 more. Our dream is to see that every tribal child knows their mother tongue,” said Kanantar Chakma Caritas’ VBEC supervisor.

Participants at a recent training session in Bandarban district said the initiative could be implemented in other tribal areas in Bangladesh. There are about half a million tribal people in the CHT belonging to around 11 ethnic groups.

Queen of Heaven

The Crowning of the Virgin by the Trinity. Velázquez, 1645

Queen of Heaven is a title given to the Blessed Virgin Mary by Christians, mainly of the Roman Catholic Church, and also, to some extent, in the Anglican, Lutheran, and Eastern Orthodox churches, to whom the title is a (disputed) consequence of the Council of Ephesus in the fifth century, where the Virgin Mary was proclaimed "theotokos" ("God-bearer," "birthgiver of God" or the "one who gives birth to God" among other translations), a title rendered in Latin as Mater Dei, "Mother of God".

The Catholic teaching on this subject is expressed in the papal encyclical Ad Caeli Reginam,^[1] issued by Pope Pius XII. It states Mary is called the Queen of Heaven because her Son, Jesus Christ, is the King of Israel and heavenly King of the Universe. In the Hebrew tradition, the mother of the king is the queen (see queen mother). Catholic dogma (Apostolic Constitution Munificentissimus Deus) states that the Virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory.^[2] The title Queen of Heaven has long been a Catholic tradition, included in prayers and devotional literature, and seen in Western art in the subject of the Coronation of the Virgin, from the High Middle Ages, long before it was given a formal dogmatic definition status by the Church. For centuries, Catholics, while reciting the Litany of Loreto were already invoking Mary as "Queen of Heaven".

The Eastern Orthodox churches does not share the Catholic dogma, but has itself a rich liturgical history in honour of Mary. The themes include the annunciation of Mary's transition into heaven through angels, the gathering of apostles around the dying virgin Mary, the funeral procession, the empty tomb and, Mary in heaven.^[3] The Orthodox also have a history many of which originate in the Liber de Transitu Mariae (Book of the transition of Mary) dating to the end of the fourth century^[4]

Early Protestantism and leading reformers such as Martin Bucer, Johannes Brenz and Bullinger accept Mary's existence in heaven as self-evident as a matter of faith.^[5] Johannes Oecolampadius considers Mary as neck of the Mystical Body of Christ and Queen of all Heavenly Powers^[6] Martin Luther, in a 1522 sermon at the Feast of the Assumption of Mary, states that she is there, but refuses to discuss how she got there, because of an absence of scriptural proof.^[5] In the following theological developments within Protestantism, Marian veneration was largely rejected. Mariology, "a foreign object to Protestant theology, became a means of teaching differences.^[7] In the light of this context, the question of Mary as Queen of Heaven was not even raised.

The relation between the Christian title and similar pagan cults is one reason why the Protestant Churches usually avoid such titles as "Queen of Heaven".^[8] A related reason is that the only Biblical use of the title "Queen of Heaven" is in Jeremiah (7:18; 44:17ff) denouncing the idolatrous worship of Ashtoreth. There is Scriptural warrant, however, for the Marian title "Queen of Heaven," in the richly allegorical passage in Revelations 12:1 about the pregnant "woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head" who gave birth to a "son ... who will rule all the nations with an iron sceptre" in the face of the dragon, who was cheated of his prey. The Protestant Churches avoid building doctrine on the Revelation allegory.

Queen of Heaven is a title of Mary, which stimulated veneration expressed in theology, literature and liturgies such as the Liturgy of the Hours, music and art. Since the Council of Ephesus, pictoral presentation of Mary were encouraged, which resulted in numerous presentations of Mary as Regina throughout the ages. Cities in Italy and elsewhere proclaimed the Queen of Heaven to be Queen of Siena, Massa Marittima, San Gimignano as well as Poland and the State of Bavaria^[9]

Pope Benedict XVI noted that Mary's acceptance of the divine will is the ultimate reason she is Queen of Heaven. Because of her humble and unconditional acceptance of God's will "God exalted her over all other creatures, and Christ crowned her Queen of heaven and earth."^[10]

The title Queen of Heaven was also used in antiquity by various religious systems. In particular, it was used by the prophet Jeremiah, probably in reference to Asherah, a goddess worshipped as the consort of Yahweh in ancient Israel and Judah and in the Temple of Yahweh in Elephantine in Upper Egypt. (see Book of Jeremiah, 7:18 and 44:17). The Hebrew title (מלכת השמים) Malkuth haShamayim appears in the Book of Matthew and Jewish apocryphal writings as βασιλεια των οὐρανων ("The Kingdom of Heaven") which may also be read either as "the Queen of Heaven" or the "Kingdom of Heaven".

Catholicism

Rubens The coronation of the Virgin Mary

According to Catholic doctrine, Mary was assumed into heaven and is with Jesus Christ, her divine Son. Mary should be called Queen, not only because of her Divine Motherhood of Jesus Christ, her only Son, but also because God the Father has willed her to have an exceptional role in the work of the eternal salvation of humanity. The papal encyclical Ad caeli reginam, argues that as Christ, because he redeemed humankind, is its Lord and king by a special title, so the Blessed Virgin Mary is Queen, on account of the unique manner in which she assisted in the redemption of humanity by giving of her own substance, by freely offering him by her singular desire and petition for, and active interest in, human salvation.^[11]

Quotes:

• the main principle on which the royal dignity of Mary rests is without doubt her Divine Motherhood. In Holy Writ, concerning the Son whom Mary will conceive, We read this sentence: "He shall be called the Son of the most High, and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of David his father, and he shall reign in the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end," and in addition Mary is called "Mother of the Lord"; from this it is easily concluded that she is a Queen, since she bore a son who, at the very moment of His conception, because of the hypostatic union of the human nature with the Word, was also as man King and Lord of all things. So with complete justice St. John Damascene could write: "When she became Mother of the Creator, she truly became Queen of every creature.".^[12]
• Mary was chosen as Mother of Christ in order that she might become a partner in the redemption of the human race; As Christ, the new Adam, must be called a King not merely because He is Son of God, but also because He is our Redeemer, so, analogously, the Most Blessed Virgin is queen not only because she is Mother of God, but also because, as the new Eve, she was associated with the new Adam.^[13]

Mariological basis

A series of articles on Roman Catholic Mariology
General articles Mariology • Veneration of the Blessed Virgin • History of Mariology • Mariology of the saints • Mariology of the popes • Encyclicals • Marian Societies
Devotions Rosary • Scapular • Immaculate Heart • Seven Joys • Seven Sorrows • First Saturdays • Acts of Reparation • Hearts of Jesus & Mary • Consecration to Mary
Dogmas and Doctrines Mother of God • Perpetual virginity • Immaculate Conception • Assumption • Mother of the Church • Mediatrix • Co-Redemptrix
Expressions of devotion Art • Hymns • Music • Architecture
Key Marian apparitions (approved or worthy of belief) Guadalupe • Miraculous Medal • La Salette • Lourdes • Pontmain • Laus • Banneux • Beauraing • Fátima • Akita

Queen of Heaven (Latin Regina Caeli) is one of many Queen titles used of the Virgin Mary. The title derived in part from the ancient Catholic teaching that Mary, at the end of her earthly life, was bodily and spiritually assumed into heaven, and that she is there honored as Queen.^[14]

The first Mariological definition and basis for the title of Mary Queen of Heaven developed at the Council of Ephesus, where Mary was defined to be the Mother of God. The Council fathers specifically approved this version against the opinion, that Mary is "only" the mother of Jesus. Nobody had participated in the life of her son more, than Mary, who gave birth to the Son of God.^[15]

Litany of Loreto

The Litany of Loreto includes several supplications to Mary as Queen. There are two types of statements about the Queen of Heaven.

• Some refer to the Virgin Mary as theological statements about her queenship.
• Others indicate more specifically her realm of influence of the virgin as queen of heaven.

Queen conceived without original sin

Queen conceived without original sin refers to the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary, a long held belief which became dogma in 1854. It definitively solved the question, how Mary, fully human and in need of redemption like everybody else, was granted the fullness of God's grace from her very beginning. The dogma teaches, that Mary, the Mother of God, participated from before her birth in the holiness of God through his grace. She did not become a goddess but being without sin, the spiritual mother and new Eve.^[16]

Queen assumed into Heaven 

This is the reason she is Queen assumed into Heaven. To Catholics, assumption into heaven refers to the elevation into the heavenly realm, where the saints are with God and his son.^[16] Queen assumed into heaven is thus an indication, that Mary's service to the human race was not concluded with the birth of Christ, but continues for all eternity in heaven.^[16]

Queen of the Rosary

As Queen of the Rosary, Mary lets the faithful participate in her life with Christ^[17] The rosary is a prayer for faith, hope and love, who were all perfected in the Virgin Mary.

Queen of Peace

To Christians Christ is peace. They pray: "May the peace of Christ be with you" Mary is Queen of Peace, because she aided in the reconciliation of humanity with God like nobody else. With the fullness of her person she aided the entry of peace into this world. She is also considered Queen of Peace, because throughout her life, she lived by God's will and not her own. Peace in the Catholic tradition means to do God's will.^[16]

Queen of the Angels

In the Catholic tradition as reflected in the Litany of Loreto, angels are messengers of God; angels also praise God. As Mother of God, Mary is more than a messenger and in her Magnificat she praises God. In the heavenly kingdom Mary is seen as Queen of the Angels.

Queen of the Patriarchs

In the Old Testament, patriarchs have a exceptional relation to God. Abraham is even seen as father of the faith (Gen15,5 Rom 4 Hebr 11,8) In the Litany of Loreto, God is not only the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, but also the God of Mary. Only Mary had the complete faith for which she was considered blessed (Luke 1,45)^[16] With the title Queen of Patriarchs, the Catholic Church states the continued relevance and position of the Patriarchs of the Old Testament.

Other titles

For similar reasons, Mary, because her prophetic pronouncements in the Magnificat is Queen of Prophets. She is Queen of Apostles, Queen of Martyrs, Queen of Confessors, Queen of Virgins, and Queen of all Saints .^[18] As Ever Virgin and immaculate Mother of God who was assumed into heaven, she is closer to God than any other creature^[16]

In the classic Roman Catholic Mariology book The Glories of Mary, the author Saint Alphonsus Liguori called the Blessed Virgin Mary the "Gate of Heaven", relying on the writings of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, another Doctor of the Church. ^[19]

Feast of Queenship

Coronation of the Salus Populi Romani by Pope Pius XII in 1954

Queenship of Mary is a Marian feast day in the liturgical calendar of the Roman Catholic Church, created by Pope Pius XII. On 11 October 1954, the Pontiff pronounced the new feast in his encyclical Ad caeli reginam. The feast was celebrated on May 31, the last day of the Marian month. In 1969, Pope Paul VI moved the feast day to August 22.

The movement to officially recognise the Queenship of Mary was initially promoted by several Catholic Mariological congresses in Lyon France, Freiburg Germany, and Einsiedeln Switzerland. Gabriel Roschini founded in Rome, Italy, an international society to promote the Queenship of Mary, Pro Regalitate Mariae.^[20] Several Popes had described Mary as Queen and Queen of Heaven, which was documented by Gabriel Roschini. Pope Pius XII repeated the title in numerous encyclicals and Apostolic Letters, especially during World War II^{[21][22][23][24][25][26][27]}

Veneration

The Catholic faith states as a dogma, that Mary is assumed into heaven, and is with Jesus Christ, her divine son. Mary should be called Queen, not only because of her Divine Motherhood of Jesus Christ, but also because God has willed her to have an exceptional role in the work of eternal salvation. The encyclical Ad Caeli Reginam argues, that Christ as redeemer is Lord and King. The Blessed Virgin is Queen, because of the unique manner in which she assisted in our redemption, by giving of her own substance, by freely offering Him for us, by her singular desire and petition for, and active interest.^[28] Mary was chosen Mother of Christ so she might become a partner in the redemption of the human race; The Catholic Church always venerated the queen of Heaven, according to Pius XII, as

From the earliest ages of the Catholic Church a Christian people, whether in time of triumph or more especially in time of crisis, has addressed prayers of petition and hymns of praise and veneration to the Queen of Heaven And never has that hope wavered which they placed in the Mother of the Divine King, Jesus Christ; nor has that faith ever failed by which we are taught that Mary, the Virgin Mother of God, reigns with a mother's solicitude over the entire world, just as she is crowned in heavenly blessedness with the glory of a Queen.^[29]

Queen of Heaven in the Liturgy of the Hours

Crowned statue of Our Lady of Sorrows in the hermitage church of Warfhuizen, Holland, dressed for October.

There are four ancient Marian antiphones, which express the queenship of the Virgin Mary. They are prayed daily in different times of the year as a part of the Liturgy of the Hours. Salve Regina, Ave Regina Caelorum, Alma Redemptoris Mater, and, Regina Caeli.

Salve Regina

Main article: Salve Regina

The Queen of Heaven is praised in the Salve Regina (Hail Queen), which is sung in the time from Trinity Sunday until the Saturday before the first Sunday of Advent. In the vernacular as a prayer to the Virgin Mary, the Hail Holy Queen is the final prayer of the Rosary. A German Benedictine monk Hermann of Reichenau (1013-1054) allegedly composed it, and originally it appeared in Latin, the prevalent language of the Catholic Church until Vatican II. Traditionally it has been sung in Latin, though many translations exist. These are often used as spoken prayers. In the Middle Ages, Salve Regina offices were held every Saturday^[30] In the 13th century, the custom developed, to greet the Queen of Heaven with the Salve Regina, which is considered the oldest of the four Marian antiphons. Several Protestant reformes strongly objected to the Salve and the title Queen of Heaven. As a part of the Catholic Reformation, the Salve Regina was prayed every Saturday by members of the Sodality of Our Lady, a Jesuit Marian congregation.

Ave Regina Caelorum

Main article: Ave Regina Caelorum

Ave Regina Caelorum (Hail, Queen of Heaven) is a early Marian antiphon, praising Mary, the Queen of Heaven It is traditionally said or sung after each of the canonical hours of the Liturgy of the Hours. The prayer is used especially after Compline, the final canonical hour of prayer before going to sleep. It is said from the Feast of the Presentation (February 2) through Wednesday of Holy Week. It used to be sung at the feast of the Assumption of Mary. Ave Regina Caelorum dates back in a different musical intonation to the 12th century.^[31] Today's version is slightly different from a 12th century intonation. The Ave Regina Caelorum has four parts: Ave, Salve, Gaude and Vale ( in English: Hail rejoice, farewell). It was used for processions in honour of the Queen of Heaven.^[32] Ave Regina Caelorum received numerous musical versions, a famous of which was composed in 1773 by Joseph Haydn.^[33]

Alma Redemptoris Mater

Main article: Alma Redemptoris Mater

Coronation of Mary by Fra Angelico

Alma Redemptoris Mater ("Loving Mother of our Savior) ", is recited in the Catholic Church at compline only from the first Sunday in Advent until the Feast of the Purification (February 2). Continuing theological discussions exist as to the origin and excaxt timing of this Marian antiphon. It has two equal parts. The Virgin Mary is loving Mother of the Savior, ever virgin with a very high position in heaven. May she listen to her people with mercy in their need for her help. Alma Redemptoris Mater,^[34] The Latin text is rather short:

Alma Redemptoris Mater, quae pervia caeli,

Porta manes, et stella maris, succurre cadenti,

Surgere qui curat, populo: tu quae genuisti,

Natura mirante, tuum sanctum Genitorem

Virgo prius ac posterius, Gabrielis ab ore

Sumens illud Ave, peccatorum miserere.

Regina Coeli

Main article: Regina Coeli

Regina Coeli (Queen of Heaven) is an anthem of the Roman Catholic Church which replaces the Angelus at Eastertide (from Holy Saturday until the Saturday after Pentecost); it is named for its opening words in Latin. Regina Coeli was subject of numerous intonations throughout the centuries by known and unknown composers. Not all attributions are correct however, as an often quoted Regina Coeli by Joseph Haydn had other authors.^[33] Of unknown authorship, the anthem was in Franciscan use in the first half of the 13th century. Together with three other Marian anthems, it was incorporated in the Minorite Roman Curia Office, which the Franciscans soon popularized everywhere, and which by order of Pope Nicholas III (1277–1280) replaced all the older breviaries in the churches of Rome.^[35]

Biblical Basis

Mary crowned with stars. A reflection of the biblical image in Revelation 12. Statue by Attard

In the New Testament, the title has several biblical sources. Mary is mother of the messianic king. Luke 1:32 says of Jesus, He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David. He will rule over the house of Jacob forever and his reign will be without end. It is therefore held in Christianity, that the throne of King David has passed to Jesus. The biblical precedent of ancient Israel is that the mother of the king becomes the Queen Mother.^[36] Since Jesus is heavenly king, of the lineage of David and Solomon, many see Mary as Queen Mother.

The Roman Catholic Church also sees Mary crowned as queen in heaven in the Book of Revelation 12, verses 1-5: "1 A great and wondrous sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. 2 She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth. 3 Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on his heads."

Giacomo di Mino, 1340-1350

For Catholics, the reference to the ark of the covenant immediately prior to this passage(chapter 11, verse 19)confirms the woman's identification with Mary as she is seen as the ark of the "new covenant" bearing the Word of God (Christ) in her womb as the old ark carried the Ten Commandments. Catholics interpret Psalm 45, "A Song Celebrating the King's Marriage", refers to the Messiah, to suggest in verse nine, that Jesus, the Messiah, would have a queen at his right hand. Although Mary was Jesus' mother, she is often portrayed as that queen. Other views are that Psalm 45 refers to the marriage of Jesus to His people – i.e., the church which is called the "Bride of Christ" or that Psalms 45 is simply a celebration upon the marriage of an earthly king, giving thanks to God but not referring to the Messiah. It is also believed by those assigning a special significance to Mary, and believing in her Annunciation, that in Luke 1:26-35 of the New Testament the Archangel Gabriel seems to praise Mary, although she would otherwise be inferior to him.

The Catholic Church generally reasons, that the bible speaks of the mother of Jesus as: "a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars" - (Revelation 12:1). As Mary is a perfect model of the Church, she also represents the Church as a whole.^[37] However, non-Catholic Bible scholars interpret these verses to be not referring to Mary, but rather to Israel or Judah. The Bible generally refers to nations and tribes as female characters, as in Matthew 2:18 & Revelation 17. And since Jesus is the Alpha and Omega(Revelation 22:13) and through Him all things were created(Colossians 1:15-17), Mary is not considered to be the Queen of Heaven. This is still a controversial subject in Christianity, not accepted by all denominations.

In the Old Testament the term "queen of heaven" appears in a context unrelated to Mary. The prophet Jeremiah writing circa 628 BC refers to a "queen of heaven" in chapters 7 and 44 of the Book of Jeremiah when he scolds the people for having "sinned against the Lord" due to their idolatrous practices of burning incense, making cakes and pouring out drink offerings to her. This title was probably given to Asherah a Caananite idol and goddess worshipped in ancient Israel and Judah.^[38] For a discussion of "queen of heaven" in the Old Testament, see Queen of heaven (Antiquity).

Queen of Heaven in art

Main articles: Coronation of the Virgin and Roman Catholic Marian art

Earliest known (6th century) Roman depiction of Santa Maria Regina (Saint Mary the Queen), Santa Maria Antiqua church, Rome.

Early Christian art show Mary in an elevated position. She carries her divine son in her hands, or holds him. After he ascended into heaven, he reigns in divine glory. Mary, his mother, assumed into heaven by her son, participates in his heavenly glory.

The earliest known Roman depiction of "Santa Maria Regina" depicting the Virgin Mary as a Queen dates to the 6th century and is found in the modest church of Santa Maria Antiqua (i.e. ancient St. Mary) built in the 5th century in the Forum Romanum. Here the Virgin Mary is unequivocally depicted as an empress.^[39][40][41] As one of the earliest Roman Catholic Marian churches, this church was used by Pope John VII in the early 8th century as the see of the bishop of Rome. Also in the 8th century, the Second Council of Nicaea decreed that such pictures of Mary should be venerated.^[42]

In the early 16th century, Protestant reformers began to discourage Marian art, and some like John Calvin or Zwingli even encouraged its destruction. But after the Council of Trent in the mid-16th century confirmed the veneration of Marian paintings for Catholics, Mary was often painted as a Madonna with crown, surrounded by stars, standing on top of the world or the partly visible moon. After the victory against the Turks at Lepanto, Mary is depicted as the Queen of Victory, sometimes wearing the crown of the Habsburg empire.^[43] National interpretations existed in France as well, where Jean Fouquet painted the Queen of Heaven in 1450 with the face of the mistress of King Charles VII^[9] Statues and pictures of Mary were crowned by kings in Poland, France, Bavaria, Hungary and Austria,^[9] sometimes apparently using crowns previously worn by earthly monarchs - a surviving small crown presented by Margaret of York seems to have been that worn by her at her wedding to Charles the Bold in 1463. A recent coronation was that of the picture of the Salus Populi Romani in 1954 by Pius XII. The veneration of Mary as queen continues into the 21st Century, but artistic expressions do not have the leading role as in previous times^[9]

Artworks, including paintings, mosaics and carvings of the coronation of Mary as Queen of Heaven, became increasingly popular from the 13th century onward. Works follow a set pattern, showing Mary kneeling in the heavenly court, and being crowned either by Jesus alone, or else by Jesus and God the Father together, with the Holy Spitit, usually in the form of a dove, completing the Trinity. The Coronation of Mary is almost entirely a theme of western art. In the Eastern Orthodox Church, although Mary is often shown wearing a crown, the coronation itself never became an accepted artistic subject

Charges Fabricated against Six Christians in Bangladesh

Police unable to back accusation of “hurting religious feelings” against health care workers.

April 26 — A judge has dismissed a case against volunteer health care workers northwest of Bangladesh’s capital city of Dhaka who were charged in March with “hurting religious feelings” after area Muslims objected to distribution of Christian literature at a health camp.

The six Christians working at the health camp offering free treatment for poor villagers in Damurhuda, Chuadanga district, some 210 kilometers (126 miles) northwest of Dhaka, were arrested on March 24 and released on bail three days later.

Mannan Mridha, pastor in the Way of Peace movement of 490 house churches in northwest Bangladesh, which established the health care camp, said a Japanese volunteer doctor offered Christian leaflets and Bibles to patients; the doctor told patients they were under no obligation to take them, Mridha told Compass.

Some area Muslims stirred up area residents against the doctor, and the angry villagers had police arrest six Christian volunteers who worked with him under Section 54 of the penal code, a special power granted to police to arrest anyone on any suspicion. Later police prosecuted the six nationals, but not the foreign doctor, under section 295-A of the penal code for hurting religious sensibilities.

“This incident of harassment is a grim reminder of how vulnerable the Christians here are in Muslim-majority society, though rights of religious freedom and freedom of expression by minorities are ensured in our constitution,” Mridha said.

Under Section 54 police are required to submit a primary investigation report within 15 days of the beginning of prosecution, and when they failed to do so, the Christians were released at a hearing on April 10, said Mohammad Aksijul Islam, known as Ratan, an attorney for the Christians.

“The honorable judicial magistrate Abdul Hamid of a court in Chuadanga district discharged all of them from the case on April 10,” Ratan told Compass. “The magistrate asked the court inspector of police to submit a report against the Christians about the accusation alleged by the police. But police could not submit any report. The magistrate did not get any convincing answers from police and discharged all the accused Christians.”

Abdul Majid, acting court inspector of police in Chuadanga district, confirmed that police were unable to submit any evidence of wrongdoing by the Christians.

“We could not submit any investigation report in the court,” Majid said. “In actual fact, the investigating officer did not submit any report within the required 15 working days.”

Investigating officer Mohammad Jobaer told Compass that police had tried to prosecute six people, but not the foreigner, for hurting religious feelings under Section 295-A of the penal code.
 
“Those six Christians, along with the Japanese doctor, were distributing Bibles secretly along with prescriptions,” he said. “Most of the people who received Bibles are illiterate. They did not know what those books were. They took those books to educated neighbors, and the literate neighbors told them that those books were nothing but Bibles. So local people became very angry with the work of the volunteer doctor and his associates.”

Attorney Ratan said Bangladesh is a secular country, and therefore anyone can preach or propagate his or her religion freely.

“It is even permitted in our constitution,” he said. “So, arresting them for distributing Christian leaflets or Bible was running afoul of the law.”

The Bangladeshi constitution provides for people to propagate their religion subject to law, but authorities and communities often objected to efforts to convert people from Islam, according to the U.S. Department of State’s 2010 International Religious Freedom report.

Bangladesh is the world’s third-largest Muslim-majority nation, with Muslims making up 89 percent of its population of 164.4 million, according to Operation World. Christians are less than 1 percent of the total, and Hindus 9 percent.

Villagers in Bangladesh Beat Christian for Defending Girls

Young Muslims who routinely harass female Christians mount assault.

Muslim villagers beat a 22-year-old Christian man last month for defending Christian girls against routine harassment and bullying, sources said.

Sipon Mondol was beaten on April 20 while returning to his native village of Nittanandapur from Gangni, Meherpur district, some 200 kilometers (120 miles) west of the capital city of Dhaka, his father said. On April 15, at a cultural event to celebrate the Bengali New Year, Poresh Mondol said his son had defended Christian girls against the slurs of a group of young Muslim men in an exchange that led to a gang fight.

“They were making some suggestive remarks to our girls at the program,” Mondol said. “Some Christian boys, including my son, protested against it. A brawl between Muslim boys and the Christian boys followed the protest. They tried to drag my son to their village by getting hold of his shirt collar.”

The Mondol family informed the young Muslim men’s parents, and village elders assured the Christians that they would resolve the long-standing problem, telling them that such harassment would not happen again, he said.

“After the complaint, though, those Muslim boys became more predatory,” he said. “They beat my son on his way home from Gangni town on the evening of April 20. He was severely beaten. He was treated in the hospital for one day and released on April 21.”

The father of the young man told Compass that Christians were regularly shocked by the coarse language of their young Muslim neighbors at religious and cultural programs.

“To tease our girls, they use such filthy words in their speech that it leaves us feeling absolutely shattered,” the elder Mondol said. “We suffer shame in front of our family members.”

A case was filed against seven young Muslim men at nearby Titla village, asserting that they constantly harass Christian girls at Christian programs.
 

Lok Mondol, general secretary of the Church of Bangladesh in Meherpur district, told Compass that harassment of Christian girls at social and religious gatherings was a perennial problem.

“Previously we took several initiatives with the neighboring Muslim villagers to resolve this problem, but to no avail,” he said. “This time, we resorted to the law by filing a case, because the problem was becoming more unbearable each day; we got our backs against the wall.”

Mikha Mollick, a Christian belonging to a local Church of Bangladesh congregation, told Compass that continuous bullying of the Christian girls was an effort to gradually weaken Christians’ social standing.

“Sometimes we are made to think we are not part of this society because of their misbehavior,” Mollick said. “We live in a predominantly Muslim society here that is totally bankrupt of respect for Christians. We have nowhere to complain against them. Local political leaders care for us only for votes, but they do not like us at heart.”

The indecency of the Muslim villagers, mainly the young men, is a constant source of irritation, but usually Christians refrain from objecting or filing complaints in order to avoid further troubles, Mollick said.
 

Gangni Police Inspector Motiur Rahman told Compass that authorities were taking “the proper steps” in response to the Christians’ complaint but had so far arrested only one of the seven Muslim suspects – for harassing the girls, not for the assault.

“A case was filed against seven Muslim boys for bullying the Christian girls, mainly at the religious gatherings,” he said. “But this case was filed following a beating of a Christian boy for his protest against bullying by Muslim boys of Christian girls at a cultural program. Both the Christian boys and Muslim boys quarrelled with each other on that day.”

Eastern Burma: Christian Solidarity Worldwide calls for aid and action

CSW CALLS FOR AID AND ACTION FOR EASTERN BURMA TO ADDRESS GROWING HUMANITARIAN CRISIS

Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) is today calling for international action to end the growing humanitarian crisis in eastern Burma, where there is an acute food shortage in Karen state, and attacks on civilians in Shan State continue.

 As UN Special Adviser on Burma Vijay Nambiar visits the country this week, CSW urges him to address the crisis directly in his talks with the regime. CSW also calls for the international community to provide emergency aid to affected communities and increase funding for the refugee camps on the Thailand-Burma border.

According to the Karen Human Rights Group (KHRG), at least 8,885 villagers in 118 villages in northern Karen State are facing acute food shortages. Villagers claim to have run out of food or fear they will do so before the harvest in October this year. Limited financial resources mean local humanitarian organisations have been unable to provide emergency assistance.

The unfolding humanitarian crisis is a result of recent attacks on villagers by the Burma Army, causing displacement and food insecurity compounded by a recent drought. Tens of thousands of civilians in Lu Thaw Township, northern Papun District, Karen State have gone into hiding, and are in urgent need of assistance.

In Shan State, an offensive by the Burma Army against the Shan State Army-North (SSA-N) has forced more than 3,000 people to flee from their homes. Many are in hiding in the jungle. The regime’s offensive has broken a ceasefire with the SSA-N which has lasted 22 years.

CSW’s East Asia Team Leader Benedict Rogers said, “The regime’s offensives against civilians in eastern Burma amount to crimes against humanity, and have caused a grave humanitarian crisis. With thousands of people displaced and in hiding, with no food or medical assistance, and with the military continuing to shoot, torture, enslave, rape and kill villagers, it is time for the international community to take action. We urge the United Kingdom, the European Union and other major donors to provide emergency humanitarian assistance, and to continue to provide much-needed support for refugees on the Thailand-Burma border. We call on the UN Special Adviser on Burma to raise this situation with the regime during his talks this week, and to urge the regime to end its attacks and declare a nationwide ceasefire. We urge the UN to implement the recommendation of its own Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Burma, and establish a Commission of Inquiry to investigate war crimes and crimes against humanity. The world cannot sit by and claim that there is change in Burma, while the regime continues to perpetrate gross violations of human rights, inflict severe suffering on its people and flout international law.”