Archbishop Desmond Tutu appeals to world to give generously to Pakistan

Archbishop Desmond Tutu and other leaders are calling on the world to give “more quickly and generously” to help millions of people affected by floods in Pakistan.

The Elders, a group of distinguished independent leaders, warned that the situation in Pakistan was deteriorating rapidly and that little aid was reaching many of those affected.

Some 3.5 million people are now at risk of water-borne illness such as hepatitis and diarrhoea. The Elders said the scale of the flooding was “disastrous” and that its long-term impact would be felt by around 20 million people.

 Archbishop Desmond Tutu

A Pakistani man carries relief goods in flood hit Muzaffargarh district, Punjab province, Pakistan, Thursday, August 19, 2010.

Christians seek Pakistan debt cancellation

group of South Asian Christians in Britain is pressing for the cancellation of Pakistan’s international debts as the recovery from this summer’s devastating floods looks set to run into years.

The South Asian Forum of the Evangelical Alliance warns that life-saving relief efforts for some 20 million flood victims could be jeopardised if the Pakistani government is forced to send almost a third of its annual budget revenues to foreign creditors.

Pakistani families displaced by flood live in a camp setup for displaced people in Thatta, Pakistan on Thursday Sept. 16, 2010

Gulf Coast Churches Seek God to Stop Oil Flow

With a third of federal waters in the Gulf of Mexico now closed to fishing and leaked oil continuing to spread, local churches are banding together Sunday for a day of prayer.

They're calling it the Oil Spill Day of Prayer and participants include The Wesleyan Church, the Church of Nazarene and Southern Baptists.

"The current oil spill is not only causing harm to the coast, marsh lands, the gulf and the future of oil exploration but to the economic future of many [states]," said Dr. Dan Berry, the South Coastal district superintendent of The Wesleyan Church. "This is a case of denominations coming together, saying we are desperate."

Some 23 million to 47 million gallons of oil have spilled into the Gulf since the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded April 20 and sank. It is the worst oil leak in U.S. history.

Church grieves for Air India crash victims

Friends and relatives of victims of an Air India Express plane crash attend a prayer meeting at a church in Mangalore, in the southern Indian state of Karnataka

The Catholic Church has expressed its sorrow over the deaths of 158 people who died when an Air India flight crashed in Mangalore on Saturday.

President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India, Cardinal Oswald Gracias, said in a message of condolence that the Church in India was grieving over the "great loss of life in the air tragedy".

"We are aware that words cannot take away the grief, sorrow and pain, but we offer our prayers and solidarity to the families," he said.

"The Church prays that those who have survived this ordeal may soon recover.

"We extend all support to the survivors to enable them to cope and recover, and to help them in all ways possible.