Religious Freedom Lately: Cardinal Pell's Revenge, Japan's New Prince And UAE Won't Arrest You For Suicide

Worldwide, religious leaders are making headlines in secular society for the realms where their faiths clash with the political.

In this round-up, Religion Unplugged picks apart the way the Japanese monarch is appointing his successor, a trial against journalists for their illegal witch hunt against a prince of the Catholic Church, and how a royal in an Islamic country is rolling back religious laws.

UAE Wants Attract Foreigners, So They Plan To Show A Little Mercy For “Honor Crimes”

The UAE officially announced that President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan has approved amendments to the nation’s Personal Status, Civil Transactions, Penal Code and Criminal Procedural laws, according to the country’s official news agency.

The new laws are set to make major progress in rolling back the UAE’s widely-criticized enforcement of Sharia Law. 

In particular, a variety of actions and practices previously punished severely for being in conflict with Islam have been decriminalized. Cohabitation by unmarried couples has been decriminalized, as well as attempted suicide.

The changes to the law are an attempt by the UAE to project a safer and more welcoming image to the outside world in order to attract foreigners for tourism, business, and international relations. All of these have been complicated in past decades due to the UAE’s reputation for harsh and conservative moral law.

“The Federal Law-Decrees mean to further enhance the UAE legislative environment, entrench the principles of tolerance in the society and strengthen the country’s position as a preferred hub that attracts people to reside and work.”

Women’s issues were a major component of the new legislation, which attempts to push towards something remotely approaching womens’ rights.

“Based on the UAE solid commitment to protecting women's rights, amendments to the Penal Code and Criminal Procedural law have repealed the article giving reduced (lenient) sentence in what is called ‘honour crimes.’”

A new Good Samaritan article was also included, which now absolves individuals of punishment or trial if they unintentionally harm someone while trying to aid in an emergency.

The law reads, “any person who’s committing an act out of good intention, that may end up hurting that person, will not be punished”. 

It continues, “If you want to give help or assistance in an emergency and that person gets harmed you will not be punished.”

Australian Media Is Put On Trial For Breaking Gag Order During Pell’s Kangaroo Court

Members of the media in Australia are in hot water after violating the court’s gag order in the case of Cardinal George Pell. If convicted, they could be facing hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines and serious prison time, according to Catholic News Agency.

Twelve media outlets and eighteen individual staff members are facing charges after breaking the court-ordered blackout on reporting on Cardinal Pell’s case in 2018. Cardinal Pell was charged and convicted of sexually abusing an altar boy.

In June of 2018, the court ordered that all domestic media outlets, as well as media outlets available within the country, refrain from reporting on the case. This order was issued on behalf of the prosecution.

The case was eventually forced into a retrial, in which Cardinal Pell was convicted of sexually abusing minors while serving as the Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Melbourne. The Australian cardinal was sentenced to six years in prison.

Cardinal Pell served just over a year in prison after the trial, where he was refused the right to celebrate the Mass, which raised concerns among faithful, many of whom doubted the shaky evidence used to convict. Cardinal Pell was at times kept in solitary confinement for his own protection due to fear that he would be assaulted by fellow inmates.

Cardinal Pell was released and all convictions were overturned in April of this year. Cardinal Pell was declared innocent.

The world-renowned cardinal, who also served as the treasurer of the Vatican, was not released on any mere technicality or questionable evidence -- the highest court of Australia ruled unanimously to overturn his conviction after evidence overwhelmingly pointed to the fact that neither the accusor nor Cardinal Pell were at the alleged scene of the sexual abuse at the time in question.

The Holy See, who refrained from whole-heartedly backing the accused cardinal, released a lukewarm response at the news of his acquittal, saying:

"The Holy See, which has always expressed confidence in the Australian judicial authority, welcomes the High Court’s unanimous decision concerning Cardinal George Pell, acquitting him of the accusations of abuse of minors and overturning his sentence. Entrusting his case to the court’s justice, Cardinal Pell has always maintained his innocence, and has waited for the truth to be ascertained.”

Emperor Naruhito Maintains Boys-Only Imperial Line, Crowns His Brother As Successor Instead Of His Daughter

Emperor Naruhito has officially crowned his younger brother, Prince Akishino, as the next in line for the Chrysanthemum Throne, a royal position that carries religious, cultural, and spiritual weight for over a hundred million Japanese.

The emperor, who ascended to the throne in 2019 after the resignation of his father due to declining health, oversaw the prince’s ascension ceremony, part of the religious Rikkoshi no Rei ceremony.

Japanese law recognizes only male heirs to the throne, a tradition that has been upheld almost entirely since time immemorial, with only two contested empresses documented. Due to the patrilineal nature of the crown, Naruhito’s daughter was barred from inheriting the title.

Yoshihide Suga, the newly appointed prime minister of Japan, was pleased with the prince’s designation, according to The Japan Times, saying, “The (Japanese) people have revered the crown prince and the crown princess after seeing how they have shown kindness in their interactions with people, so it is a pleasure to see the Rikkoshi no Rei being held.”

The Japanese Imperial House is the longest continuous hereditary monarchy in the world, reaching back to before the time of Jesus Christ.

The Imperial Line is said to be descended from the sun goddess Amaterasu, and the emperor is arguably the highest priest in the Shinto faith. Until the end of World War II, modern emperors were revered as supernatural entities close to gods.

After the introduction of liberal democracy to Occupied Japan, the emperor was forced to renounce his divinity and all religious ceremonies and spiritual practices traditionally performed by the family became private.

The Imperial Family holds no political power in the Japanese government under its current constitution. Instead, Japanese law officially designated the Imperial Family as “representative” of the Japanese people.

Timothy Nerozzi is a writer and editor from northeastern Pennsylvania. He covers religious issues with a focus on the Catholic Church and Japanese society and culture.