Ugandan pastor arrested for possibly molesting girl on flight

by Abha Malpani on

41-year old pastor and head of Ugandan church, Jackson Senyonga, was arrested at Oakland International Airport under the suspicion that he might have fondled the 13-year old girl seated next to him.

The religious community worker who is known to have dedicated his life to building orphanages in Kampala and heading poverty-relief initiatives, was taken to a jail in Dublin and released on bail; the case is now with the FBI.

Google Senyonga and you’ll find that he is head of a Christian Life Ministry that has 40,000 registered members; there are also numerous articles written by him and podcasts to listen to. He seems like he’s got a lot out there and is connected to many good causes.

The fact that he could have molested a child on a plane is reason enough to question what he stands for and all the good things he seems to be doing. It also makes you want to rethink where you choose to let your child sit on a plane.

Irrespective of the case’s outcome, this is a good opportunity for the FBI to investigate this man thoroughly.

Churches in Saudi Arabia?

by Abha Malpani on

Cultural changes in Saudi Arabia have been a frequent topic on Gadling. We’ve talked about advancements such as: Saudi women being allowed to drive, controversial books being permitted distribution, bans on photography being lifted, and restrictions such as men imprisoned for flirting and the banning of red roses for Valentines day.

The latest, and what might be the most significant cultural change in the works is the possibility of building churches in the country. According to the BBC, the talks are the result of Saudi King Abdullah’s meeting with the Pope last November. Allowing churches to be built would give 1.5 million Christians who live there a place to worship — something that they can do only privately at the moment. The last Christian priest was expelled from the kingdom in 1985.

These talks were spurred after Doha allowed for a Catholic church to be built where the first mass was held earlier this year, attended by 15,000 people. Doha has now given the go ahead for Anglican, Orthodox and Coptic churches to be built.

According to the UK Times: “Saudi Arabia adheres to a hard-line Wahhabi version of Sunni Islam and is home to Mecca and Medina, the most holy sites of the religion — no faith other than Islam may be practiced.” If churches do come around to being built in the kingdom, it will be a huge feat in Muslim-Christian relations.

Detour Worth Making: The Underground Church of Saint-Jean at Aubeterre-sur-Dronne

by Willy Volk on

In south-central France, close to the Perigord — one of Europe’s wildest spots — lies the village of Aubeterre. Though the village itself is beautiful — featuring winding cobbled alleys and verdant landscapes, just how you’d imagine a rural French village would look — the most impressive feature in the community lies semi-hidden underground. Hand-hewn from the surrounding rock, a subterranean cavern rests beneath the Church of Saint-Jean.

Centuries old, the glorious cathedral-like structure — 88 feet long and 52 feet wide — features arched ceilings more than 60 feet high. Interestingly, in 1958, locals discovered a necropolis containing more than 80 sarcophagi, hollowed out of the floor.

You can visit the underground church 7 days a week, from 9.30 to 6.00 pm (the church closes at midday). If you can’t make it to France, you can still check out some awesome images of the place. I can’t even begin to imagine the amount of work that went into hollowing out such a large space.