Former Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega dies at 83
WASHINGTON (CNS) – With a tweet, the president of Panama announced the May 29 death of Manuel Noriega, 83, a former U.S. ally who later became an enemy and dictator of the Central American nation. Noriega’s death closes “a chapter of our history,” tweeted Panama’s president Juan Carlos Varela May 30, adding that “his daughters and family members deserve a funeral in peace.” Noriega ruled the country from 1983 until 1989, when the U.S. invaded Panama. U.S. President George H.W. Bush ordered military action after worries about possible disruption of shipping along the strategic Panama Canal and rising tensions with Noriega, who had been indicted in 1988 in the U.S. on charges of money laundering and drug smuggling. Before his indictment, Noriega had long been suspected of drug smuggling, despite being a close friend of the United States and having worked closely with the CIA on spying efforts aimed at keeping politically left-leaning movements at bay in Central America. During the invasion Noriega escaped harm, and though he was initially in hiding, he popped up at the Vatican nunciature in Panama Dec. 24, 1989, seeking sanctuary. Vatican officials said they agreed to temporarily protect him to prevent more violence but convinced Noriega to consider his options: facing the courts and wrath of Panama or the U.S. He chose to face his fate in the United States and surrendered Jan. 3, 1990, but not before attending Mass at the nunciature.
Former Lebanese Christian militia leader now works to build peace
BEIRUT (CNS) — Assaad Chaftari, who once fought in the name of his Christian faith, is now working for peace alongside those who would have once been his enemies in the Lebanese civil war. Chaftari is a member of Fighters for Peace, a small group of former militiamen from Lebanon’s various sects. He and others are determined to prevent future generations from falling to a similar fate. The group sponsors workshops, lectures and events whenever and wherever they can, confessing their wrongdoings and showing that redemption and reconciliation are possible — and so is war, if the roots of conflict are not openly addressed. Chaftari dedicates much of his time engaging with Lebanon?s youth through the organization, a group of about 25 former civil war fighters who over the last three years have spoken with more than 7,000 students, produced documentaries and theatrical productions telling their stories, and run a conflict resolution summer camp. ?I really believe there?s a price to pay for peace,? Chaftari said. ?The first price I paid was standing in front of the Lebanese. I did what I did, standing almost nude. Whatever price to pay to avoid new civil wars, I?m ready to pay. This is what I?ve been doing since then.?
Oregon Catholic father of four killed trying to protect fellow passengers
PORTLAND, Ore. (CNS) — On a crowded Portland commuter train May 26, a selfless Catholic father of four stepped forward to calm a tense situation. He was that kind of guy. Rick Best defended two women being accosted by a passenger yelling hate speech about Muslims and other groups. Best, a 53-year-old member of Christ the King Parish in Milwaukie, Oregon, would die for his noble deed. In less than a minute, he and another defender were slain, slashed in the neck in front of horrified onlookers. A third man survived the knife attack. Best’s funeral Mass is set for June 5 at Christ the King Church. The accused killer, 35-year-old Jeremy Christian, had been on a racially charged rampage. With a history of police run-ins going back 15 years at least, he was caught on camera in April, draped in an American flag and repeatedly yelling bigoted epithets during a demonstration in Portland. On his Facebook page, he posted a photo of himself performing the Nazi salute and declared himself a white supremacist.
Mindanao bishops support ‘temporary’ martial law in wake of violence
MANILA, Philippines (CNS) — Catholic bishops in the southern Philippines supported the declaration of martial law in Mindanao following an attempt by a band of gunmen claiming to be Islamic militants to seize a city. “At present we simply do not have solid and sufficient facts to absolutely reject the declaration of martial law as morally reprehensible,” the bishops’ said in a statement released May 29. President Rodrigo Duterte declared martial across the southern part of the country after gunmen claiming to have links with the Islamic-State group stormed Marawi May 23. State security forces continued to battle with fighters of the Maute group May 29, resulting in the displacement of thousands of people. “We are certainly agreed that martial law must be temporary,” the bishops of Mindanao said in the statement signed by Cardinal Orlando Quevedo of Cotabato, ucanews.com reported. The cardinal said the Church leaders “condemn the terrorist acts that have caused the loss of many innocent lives” and the burning of houses, a Catholic cathedral and a Protestant school