Grand Opening: New Church of Scientology in Rome, Italy

More than 6,000 people gathered in Rome’s Casalotti de Boccea district Saturday, October 24, to celebrate the grand opening of the new Church of Scientology Rome.

The 6,400-square-meter Church, situated on 28 acres of parkland, marks the largest expansion to date for Scientology in its 30-year history in Italy. The new Church will serve parishioners of Central Italy and other regions of the Mediterranean.

Signifying the stature and prominence of this new Church, the ecclesiastical leader of the Scientology religion, Mr. David Miscavige, welcomed parishioners to their new home in the historical crossroads of Western civilization.  Speaking of what inspired every Scientologist to make this new Church possible, he stated:

“How on earth can one possibly speak of history without a nod to Rome?  This City of God, this City of Man, this center of the Western world for at least a thousand years – if ever a place was destined for an Ideal Church of Scientology, it’s here.  For what better arena to show what Scientology can do than this age-old religious empire?”

Among those participating in the dedication of the new Scientology Church were Dino De Pasquale, Disaster Manager of the Civil Protection Agency; Professor Silvio Calzolari of the Theological Faculty at the Vatican University in Florence; Professor Luigi Berzano, Professor of Sociology of Religions at the University of Turin; and Ms. Laura Guercio, President of Legal Aid Worldwide.

The new home for the Church of Scientology of Rome is a contemporary building that has undergone extensive remodeling to accommodate all Scientology religious services, the many community activities of Church members, and introductory services for visitors.

An expansive Public Information Center houses a permanent interactive multimedia exhibit containing more than 230 films covering the Church’s beliefs, practices and activities. Along with descriptions of Scientology principles and information on the life and accomplishments of Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard, the displays also cover the Church-sponsored international social programs that effectively combat drug abuse, illiteracy, criminality, immorality and human rights violations. The Church’s doors are open to anyone to take self-guided tours through the Public Information Center to find out about Scientology for themselves.

The Church of Scientology of Rome will coordinate the social betterment programs of the Church in Central Italy. With two decades of experience in drug prevention, its “Say No to Drugs, Say Yes to Life” program provides proven solutions to one of the most pressing problems in Italian society.

In his dedication address,  Mr. Miscavige emphasized the importance of the Church’s social mission and stressed to the Scientologists in attendance the vital necessity of taking responsibility for the community in which they live:

“You owe [Rome] our salvage campaigns to eradicate drug abuse, instill a respect for human rights and provide basic technology for living through The Way to Happiness.
“You owe her our learning and literacy programs.
“You owe her a system of criminal reform based not on punishment, but the restoration of self-respect.
“You owe every addict a drug free life and every lost and hopeless soul the chance to discover something can be done about It.
“But most of all, you owe every Roman citizen an opportunity to discover Dianetics and Scientology…”

The new Church of Scientology in Rome represents a milestone for the Scientology religion, which comprises more than 8,000 Churches, Missions and groups in 165 nations.  As part of the continuing program to meet the increasing demand for Scientology services, new Churches have been established in Berlin, Johannesburg, London, Madrid, New York, San Francisco and elsewhere.  This year alone, new Churches have opened in Malmo, Sweden, Dallas, Texas, and Nashville, Tennessee.
_______________

Video footage and additional photographs of the Church of Scientology of Rome dedication are available to media upon request. Please call Media Relations at (323) 960-3500 or email mediarelations@scientology.net.

(Pitchengine.com)

Scientology members in Society

What do Scientologists do for society?

Since the founding of the first Church of Scientology in 1954, Scientologists have been actively involved in the improvement of their communities and society.

The Scientology Church has received thousands of awards and commendations for its work in communities all over the world. Many of these awards have come from city and county authorities; others from individuals and groups who appreciated a helping hand. Awards are always valued, but they are incidental to the intention and the deed they symbolize. Scientologists help because as they grow spiritually as individuals, it is natural to expand their responsibility and turn outward to help others.

Church members are active in anti-drug educational campaigns in countries throughout the world and have given drug abuse education lectures to more than 500,000 people. Scientologists in Germany, France, Switzerland, Denmark, Belgium, Holland, Austria, Sweden, Norway, Italy and the United Kingdom also lead success popular “Say No to Drugs, Say Yes to Life” campaigns.

Top athletes, including Philips, Italy’s most famous volleyball team, and the legendary Spanish football team Real Madrid, have given their support to this campaign by signing the “Say No to Drugs, Say Yes to Life” Honor Roll. Scientologists in Switzerland, France, Germany, Spain and other European countries have organized concerts, marches and other events to promote the Church’s anti-drug message and have reached hundreds of thousands.

Scientology of Baton Rouge Helps Community with Dianetics

The Church of Scientology Mission of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, uses Dianetics technology to help the people of their city.  Open seven days a week, the Mission provides Dianetics seminars, courses and one-on-one counseling.  Dianetics is a spiritual healing technology that can help alleviate unwanted sensations and emotions, irrational fears and psychosomatic illnesses (illness caused or aggravated by mental stress).

Just over four years ago the Church of Scientology Mission of Baton Rouge was headquarters of the Scientology relief effort when the major hurricanes Katrina and Rita tore through the region in one of the worst humanitarian crises in United States history.  Almost 1,000 Scientology Volunteer Ministers traveled to the area where they helped the survivors of the disaster put their lives back together.

But life’s tragedies are not always so dramatic.  And for nearly 60 years people of all walks of life, religions and backgrounds have been using Dianetics technology to overcome life’s disasters, big and small, and to gain understanding and relief.

“Life is grand! Although it wasn’t always. In the not so distant past, it was murky and jaded and there wasn’t much hope for a great future,” said a woman whose Dianetics counseling resulted in her “feeling content and energetic.”

“Today I was audited on the emotions surrounding my grandmother’s death,” said a woman after her first Dianetics session.  “She passed away nine years ago and I had no idea all of those emotions were still lurking just beneath the surface. It really put things into perspective for me. … It was as though the layers of an onion were being pulled apart and I could get to the root of everything that troubled me about her death, as well as the things that gave me peace.”

Dianetics uncovers the source of unwanted sensations and emotions, accidents, injuries and psychosomatic illnesses, and provides effective handlings for these conditions.   “Back in 1985 I was hit by a vehicle while directing traffic during an evacuation of an approaching hurricane,” said a man who had Dianetics counseling at the Baton Rouge Mission.  “While assisting a crew who were securing a live downed power line, I was struck by a vehicle and ended up on the hood and then the roof, eventually falling off the vehicle and hitting the ground. I suffered a serious injury to my left leg and right shoulder, which both required surgery to repair.  I’ve experienced pain in my left knee and right shoulder ever since 1985.”

After Dianetics counseling it was quite a different scene.  “As the session progressed, the pain in both my knee and shoulder began to ease.  By the end of the session my pain was gone.  It’s been four days since the session and as of this writing my knee has been pain free!!!”

Self-doubt and unwanted behaviors surrender to Dianetics too.  “I used to smoke weed every day,” said a woman who addressed this in her Dianetics sessions.  “Yesterday I was put into a situation where, before, I would have given in.  But I honestly had no urge to, and it was put right in my face.  I am extremely surprised and very excited to see that I don’t have to worry about whether or not I’m going to take that ‘one hit.’  Because I know I won’t.”

“I feel like I’ve visited some past occurrences that have caused me much unhappiness throughout my life, and have influenced my behavior in negative ways,” said a man who came to the Mission for the Dianetics Seminar.   He found that the Dianetics counseling he received is allowing him “to face these negatives and see them in a different way, with love and truth. I feel this process is altering me for the better, giving me sanity and serenity where I didn’t have it before.”

For more information about Dianetics or to find where you can attend a Dianetics Seminar or receive counseling visit the Dianetics site at www.dianetics.org.  For more information about the Church of Scientology Mission of Baton Rouge visit their web site at www.scientologybatonrouge.org.

Landmark Church of Scientology Decision Protecting Religious Freedom Against Russia in European Court of Human Rights

Today, the European Court of Human Rights ruled unanimously in favour of two Scientology religious groups in Russia,  finding they have the right to be registered as religious organizations under Russian law. The decision determined that these groups, the Church of Scientology of Surgut and the Church of Scientology of Niznekamsk, have the right to religious freedom and the right of freedom of association under articles 9 and 11 of the European Human Rights Convention.

In reaching this decision, the Court “established that the applicants were unable to obtain recognition and effective enjoyment of their rights to freedom of religion and association in any organizational form. The first applicant could not obtain registration of the Scientology group as a non-religious legal entity because it was considered to be a religious community by the Russian authorities. The applications for registration as a religious organisation submitted by the first and second applicants as founders of their respective groups and also on behalf of the third applicant were denied by reference to the insufficient period of the groups’ existence.  Finally, the restricted status of a religious group for which they qualified and in which the third applicant existed conveyed no practical or effective benefits to them as such a group was deprived of legal personality, property rights and the legal capacity to protect the interests of its members and was also severely hampered in the fundamental aspects of its religious functions.  Accordingly, the Court finds that there has been an interference with the applicants’ rights under Article 9 interpreted in the light of Article 11.”

Along with the 2007 decision of the Court in favor of the right of the Moscow Church of Scientology to be registered as a religious organization under the Religion law, these cases represent precedent-setting rulings that guarantee the freedom of religion and right of association for Scientologists and people of all faiths throughout the forty-seven nations that comprise the Council of Europe.

The Court concluded that “In the light of the foregoing considerations, the Court finds that the interference with the applicants’ rights to freedom of religion and association cannot be said to have been “necessary in a democratic society”. There has therefore been a violation of Article 9 of the Convention, interpreted in the light of Article 11″.

Nina de Kastro, spokesperson of the Church of Scientology of Russia, praised the Court’s ruling saying, “This decision not only confirms the rights of Churches of Scientology in Russia, but sets another important precedent to protect the rights of all other religious communities in Europe.”

The Russian Scientology Church in St. Petersburg also has cases pending in the European Court of Human Rights for similar discriminatory harassment concerning their registration.

The Scientology religion was founded by L. Ron Hubbard. The first Church was established in the United States in 1954.  It has grown to more than 8,000 Churches, Missions and groups and ten million members in 165 nations. The Russian Federation has more than 73 Scientology Churches and Missions from St. Petersburg to Vladivostok.

For more information about Scientology, see www.scientology-moscow.ru or www.scientology.org.

Young Scientology member Races for Human Right

Recognized at the 6th Annual Youth for Human Rights Summit in Geneva last week, race car driver and Scientologist Niki Lanik explains why he promotes human rights to racing enthusiasts.

Austrian-born race car driver and Scientologist Niki Lanik, 22, uses his sport to champion human rights.  Recognized with a Human Rights Advocate Award last week at the 6th Annual Human Rights Summit in Geneva, Switzerland, Lanik has been an advocate since December 2006. It was then he decided to use his high profile as a successful driver to raise awareness about human rights.  Says Lanik,  “Athletes have fans and followers who read about us or see us on TV.  Youngsters see us and musicians and artists as role models.  It’s important to me that I live up to that trust.”

Lanik’s dedication to promoting human rights awareness and education came after meeting Los Angeles-based film director Taron Lexton in London three years ago.  Lexton directed a series of Public Service Announcements (PSAs) which bring the 30 articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to life.  Lexton also created “United,” an award-winning music video about a young boy from the inner city who unites people from around the world to defend the rights of his friends. These films are part of the human rights awareness campaign of Youth for Human Rights International.

“I thought I knew what human rights are, but I really had no idea until I watched the PSAs and read the booklet that goes with them,” says Lanik.  “Human rights education works, and it changes countries and cultures.  I want to see every village, city and state around the world, poor or rich, black or white, with human rights education as part of their educational curriculums.”

Once he got the point he took on the issue with the same energy that made him a double UK Clio Cup Winter Champion in 2006 and 2007 and won him a place three months ago in the FIA GT3 Championship with the six-man Belgium-based Prospeed race team.

Lanik displays the Youth For Human Rights International logo on his race car, gives out booklets and DVDs to fans and sponsors and plays the PSAs at the race track.  “I promote human rights because I strongly believe every kid has the right to education; I believe that slavery should not exist and that everybody should have the same opportunities.  I insist on a fair world where people of all races can unite and work together, live together and have no quarrels and wars.”

With some 18 million people each year seeing the logo on his car when they watch races on TV, Lanik wants them to ask themselves, “What are human rights?” and go to www.youthforhumanrights.org to find out.

“By our insisting that human rights be part of the curriculum for youth in every country on Earth, we can really make a difference,” says Lanik.  He draws his inspiration from these words of Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard: “Human Rights must be made a fact, not an idealistic dream.”

For more information, visit Youthfor HumanRights.org.

Pasadena Art Exhibit – by Church of Scientology

Church of Scientology of Pasadena welcomes the community for second art show in a series hosted in future church home.

The Church of Scientology of Pasadena hosted an art exhibit in the historic Braley Building in Old Town Pasadena last week, providing a venue for local artists to display their work to the community.  The President of the Church of Scientology of Pasadena, Ms. Eden Stein, was joined by the President of the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce in welcoming the artists and guests.

This was the second time the Pasadena Church transformed its future home at 35 S. Raymond Ave into an exhibition space for artists. In April, the Church hosted the first exhibition and its popularity brought about this second show of sculpture, paintings and photography.

The exhibit included the color darkroom prints of Christine Caldwell and the “Lost World” series of paintings by William Silver whose work as a “background artist” has appeared in numerous animated Disney features. Other artists showing their work were Gavin Scott, Alex Sadoyan, Minas and Samuel Halaj, Marina K Rehrmann and Ashot Khudaverdyan.

“In addition to the services we provide our parishioners, we feel it is our responsibility to help improve the quality of life in our city in any way we can,” said Ms. Stein.  “L. Ron Hubbard, the Founder of Scientology, once described art as ‘the soul food of all people.’  By displaying the work of local artists in these exhibits we hope not only to give them the opportunity to showcase their talent, but also to help them encourage and inspire others to pursue their creative dreams.”

The Scientology Church in Pasadena is currently located at 1277 E. Colorado Blvd.  The Old Town property was acquired to accommodate the growing congregation.  For more information visit the Church of Scientology of Pasadena web site.

Meet A Scientologist Videos on Youtube

The Church of Scientology YouTube Channel is releasing 50 new “Meet a Scientologist” testimonial videos, featuring documentary video clips of Scientologists from various professional backgrounds, their stories about what Scientology is, and how practicing Scientology religious beliefs has impacted their lives.

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 18 /PRNewswire/ — The Church of Scientology International is launching a series of testimonial videos on its official YouTube Channel called “Meet a Scientologist,” which showcase the lives and careers of everyday Scientologists. YouTube users will be able to view 50 videos to start, with 100 more videos scheduled to follow in the upcoming months as part of the Church’s continuing efforts to expand its presence in the world’s largest online video community.

The “Meet a Scientologist” videos, which were shot on location, focus on individual Scientologists who explain how the religion has helped them, whether by teaching effective communication skills, learning to be confident in their abilities, or generally improving their life. Videos highlight members of Scientology from all over the world and all kinds of professions, including doctors, educators, inventors, athletes, actors, musicians, students, photographers, business owners and more.

These new videos are based on one of the core principles of the Scientology religion. L. Ron Hubbard, founder of the Church of Scientology, discovered that understanding is composed of affinity, reality and communication. With the conviction that this applies to any aspect of life, the Church of Scientology seeks to increase understanding of Scientology and Scientologists by applying this principle to online video, while at the same time, providing information through personal stories.

A pioneer and leader in the online religious community, the Church of Scientology was the first religion to create its own official YouTube Video Channel in April 2008, with 82 broadcast-quality videos comprising nearly three hours of content in a unique video player. To date, it has been seen by over 2 million visitors. The Church of Scientology has also launched an online public information campaign with 30 and 60-second flash presentation conveying the essence of Scientology. These spots address the most fundamental questions people ask about life–questions for which Scientology has effective answers.

To watch the new “Meet a Scientologist” videos, visit the Scientology Video Channel on YouTube at video channel at http://www.youtube.com/ChurchofScientology.

The True Face of Scientology: Unparalleled Growth Since 2004

Source: Freedom Magazine

• 8,071 Scientology Churches, Missions and groups in 165 nations, doubled since 2004
• Total assets and property holdings of the Church of Scientology doubled since 2004
• Church premises increased from 5.6 million square feet to more than 11 million square feet since 2004
• 70 buildings acquired by the Church in the world’s major population centers since 2004
• 401,003 square feet of construction of new premises completed in the first half of 2009
• 500,000 square feet of Church premises currently under construction in Brussels, Rome, Tel Aviv, Quebec, Mexico City, Las Vegas and Washington, DC
• Number of individuals completing Dianetics and Scientology counseling and courses doubled in the past two years
• Total number of counseling hours doubled in the past decade
• Total number of people newly introduced to Scientology and starting on training or counseling doubled in the past five years
• L. Ron Hubbard awarded three Guinness World Records in the past three years:
  • Most published works by a single author: 1,084
  • Most audiobook titles on earth: 185
  • Most translated author in the world: 71 languages
• 80 million L. Ron Hubbard books and lectures on Dianetics and Scientology distributed in the last decade, compared to 5.6 million in the prior decade
• 60 million books and lectures distributed in the past two years—more than the combined total in the first 50 years of Dianetics and Scientology
• The Church’s Bridge Publications in Los Angeles and New Era Publications in Copenhagen combined production capabilities increased 660 percent since 2007
• Bridge Publications and New Era Publications established as the world’s largest all-digital, on-demand publishers, with combined capacity of 500,000 books per week (26 million per year) and 925,000 CDs per week (48 million per year)
• 2.4 million L. Ron Hubbard Dianetics and Scientology books placed in 97,997 libraries in 155 countries since July 2007
• 12.4 million online visitors from 234 countries viewed more than 23 million videos on the Scientology website in the past year

Scientology Volunteer Ministers Training Assists Maharashtra Civil Defense Department

Scientology volunteers, who helped in the wake of the Mumbai terror attack, trained those who train the state’s Civil Defense force and Home Guard

The Scientology Volunteer Ministers India Goodwill Tour is working with the Maharashtra State Civil Defense and Home Guard to equip them with skills they need cope with disaster.

Mumbai is the capital of the State of Maharashtra.  With an estimated 13,500,000 people living there, it is the largest city in India by population and the 6th largest in the world.

Last November’s Mumbai terrorist attacks, with coordinated shooting and bombings throughout the city, brought to light the urgent need for increased disaster preparedness.

Among the first groups that rushed to the disaster site were members of the Scientology Volunteer Ministers India Goodwill Tour. They worked directly with the victims at Sir JJ Hospital.  They used Scientology Assists, procedures developed by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard that greatly increase the speed of healing by addressing the emotional and spiritual factors in illness and injuries.

The Scientology volunteers trained the families of the victims and nursing staff and once most of those who had been admitted to the hospital were discharged they reached out with their training to local colleges and Mumbai University to help people become more effective when a crisis occurs.

The Maharashtra State Civil Defense Training College heard what the Scientology volunteers were doing, and the effectiveness of their Disaster Relief Training and they were immediately interested. This is the facility that trains the Home Guard—civilians who serve as auxiliary to the police and help maintain internal security. By improving the skill of the Civil Defense Trainers, who train 15,000 civilians a year on civil defense techniques, they would be able to greatly increase the level of security for the state.  They arranged for the Scientology Volunteer Ministers to put all the Civil Defense Trainers through a rigorous training program.

The program was carried out by the Director of the Goodwill Tour and included training in the technology of study, communication, bringing order to confused situations and assist technology. At their graduation ceremony, many of the students stepped up to the podium to share their views of the program, and gave glowing reports about what they had gained from it.   These trainers are now using what they learned to raise the standard of training and skill of the Home Guard so they can better serve the people of Maharashtra.

For more information on the Goodwill Tours, visit the Scientology Volunteer Ministers web site or the Scientology site.

Scientology Volunteer Ministers Trans-Siberian Goodwill Tour

Scientology Volunteer Ministers Trans-Siberian Tour members deliver workshops on the many subjects covered in the Scientology Handbook, including how to cope with problems at work, how to improve relationships, raise happy children and achieve one’s goals in life.

The Scientology Volunteer Ministers Trans-Siberian Goodwill Tour has completed it’s stay in Ulan-Ude, the capital of the Buryat Republic in south-central Siberia. For several months the tour has been providing workshops, seminars and one-on-one help in the region as part of its work to widely restore purpose, truth and spiritual values to everyday living.

One workshop on Study Technology presented to secondary school teachers and was deemed of wide value to the community and not only for the classroom. Covering fundamental laws on learning researched and discovered by L. Ron Hubbard who also developed effective methods of study, one teacher remarked on how it applied to her students ability to perform music. Another teacher said the information would improve her students performance and that she was grateful it was being made broadly accessible through the work of the Goodwill Tour.

The Trans-Siberian Goodwill Tour is one of ten Volunteer Minister Goodwill Tours dedicated to helping people in remote areas spread trust, decency and tolerance in their communities. For more information visit the Scientology Volunteer Ministers web site.