{"id":37446,"date":"2025-05-17T21:47:01","date_gmt":"2025-05-17T21:47:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/?p=37446"},"modified":"2025-05-17T21:47:01","modified_gmt":"2025-05-17T21:47:01","slug":"berlin-pharmacist-ordered-to-give-up-practice-after-refusing-to-sell-morning-after-pill","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/nl\/learn\/berlin-pharmacist-ordered-to-give-up-practice-after-refusing-to-sell-morning-after-pill\/","title":{"rendered":"Berlin pharmacist ordered to give up practice after refusing to sell \u2018morning-after\u2019 pill"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n St. Hedwig\u2019s Cathedral in Berlin, Germany. \/ Credit: Cedric BLN via Wikimedia (public domain)<\/span>\n<\/div>\n

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, May 16, 2025 \/ 11:21 am (CNA).<\/p>\n

Here is a roundup of Catholic world news that you might have missed this week:<\/p>\n

Berlin pharmacist ordered to give up practice after refusing to sell \u2018morning-after\u2019 pill<\/h2>\n

Berlin pharmacist Andreas Kersten was forced to end his practice this month after he refused to sell the so-called \u201cmorning-after\u201d pill for reasons of conscience, volgens CNA Deutsch<\/a>, de Duitstalige nieuwspartner van CNA.<\/p>\n

Kersten was forced to withdraw his license as a pharmacist after the higher administrative court of Berlin-Brandenburg acquitted him of misconduct in June 2024 but ruled that pharmacists who cannot reconcile the sale of the morning-after pill must give up their profession.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is regrettable that pharmacists are denied the right to freedom of conscience when they adopt a pro-life attitude,\u201d Kersten said. \u201cI cannot reconcile the so-called \u2018morning after pill\u2019 with my conscience, because it could possibly end a human life. Therefore, I feel forced to give up my license as a pharmacist.\u201d<\/p>\n

Two new Catholic churches open in China<\/h2>\n

Catholics in the People\u2019s Republic of China celebrated the opening of two new Catholic churches this past week, according to Fides News Service<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Catholics in the city of Xiaogan in the Chinese province of Hubei celebrated the opening of the Church of Christ the King on May 10. The new church, which has a 108-foot-high bell tower, includes a rectory and parish center.<\/p>\n

Also, in the Archdiocese of Taiyuan, Shanxi province, Catholics in the rural parish of Guzhai consecrated a new church dedicated to Our Lady of China. <\/p>\n

Catholic Church in Nigeria desecrated, bishop directs reparation<\/h2>\n

All priests across the Diocese of Kafanchan in Nigeria have been instructed to celebrate a Mass of reparation on Friday after a local parish was broken into and consecrated hosts in the tabernacle were stolen, according to a Tuesday report from ACI Africa, CNA\u2019s news partner in Africa<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cSuch a wound to the mystical body of Christ calls for a united response of reparation and fervent intercession,\u201d said Father Jacob Shanet, the chancellor of the Kafanchan Diocese. \u201cThis should be offered with the intention of making amends for this sacrilege and imploring the mercy of God upon those responsible,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Abductors demand ransom for Catholic priest kidnapped in Cameroon<\/h2>\n

Abductors are demanding a ransom for the release of Father Valentin Mba\u00efbarem, who was kidnapped on May 7 from Cameroon\u2019s Archdiocese of Garoua, the chancellor of the Cameroonian metropolitan see told ACI Africa<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Father Emmanuel Bonkou revealed that Mba\u00efbarem\u2019s captors are demanding 25 million FCFA (about $42,700) for his release. \u201cWe call upon everyone to unite in prayer for his release as search efforts are ongoing,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n

A total of six persons were kidnapped at the same time as Mba\u00efbarem. \u201cFour of the six hostages regained their freedom some days later,\u201d Bonkou said. \u201cUnfortunately, one of the hostages, a teacher named Diguerse Mathias, was killed by abductors after being unable to continue the forced walk due to exhaustion.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rebuilding Mosul\u2019s churches: A testament to Christian roots<\/h2>\n

In Iraq\u2019s Nineveh Plain, the Christian community of Mosul continues its slow but determined comeback, reported ACI MENA, CNA\u2019s Arabic-language news partner<\/a>. Nearly a decade after ISIS\u2019 destruction, the faithful celebrated the restoration of the altar of the historic Al-Tahira Cathedral \u2014 which was visited by Pope Francis in 2021. <\/p>\n

Chaldean Archbishop Mikha Pola Maqdassi and Syriac Catholic priest Father Emmanuel Kallo stressed that rebuilding churches is more than preserving stone, it is about rekindling Christian identity and hope. Despite the limited return of Christian families to Mosul, church leaders insist their mission is to keep the light of faith burning, inviting all displaced Christians to reconnect with their ancestral city and heritage.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

St. Hedwig\u2019s Cathedral in Berlin, Germany. \/ Credit: Cedric BLN via Wikimedia (public domain) Washington, D.C. Newsroom, May 16, 2025 \/ 11:21 am (CNA). Here is a roundup of Catholic world news that you might have missed this week: Berlin pharmacist ordered to give up practice after refusing to sell \u2018morning-after\u2019 pill Berlin pharmacist Andreas [\u2026]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":37662,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"{title}\n\n{excerpt}\n\n{url}","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[100],"tags":[],"series":[],"class_list":["post-37446","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-christian-news"],"mb":[],"acf":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/christianpure.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Berlin-pharmacist-ordered-to-give-up-practice-after-refusing-to-sell-%E2%80%98morning-after-pill.webp?fit=800%2C532&ssl=1","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":20055,"url":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/nl\/learn\/how-st-john-paul-ii-helped-bring-down-the-berlin-wall-35-years-later\/","url_meta":{"origin":37446,"position":0},"title":"How St. John Paul II helped bring down the Berlin Wall: 35 years later","author":"Christian Pure Team","date":"november 9, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"[ad_1] Pope John Paul II. \/ Credit: Gregorini Demetrio, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons Rome Newsroom, Nov 9, 2024 \/ 11:00 am (CNA). 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