VATICAN CITY
Six new saints for the Church
Pope Francis to visit the European Parliament in Strasbourg tomorrow – (How I wish Pope Francis would mention the deeply undemocratic nature of the European Parliament’s nomination and voting processes and how the EU agenda is basically stripping away civil liberties from each of its member states)
"Pope Francis doesn’t really understand this economics thing, does he?" – Tim Worstall (
Or could it be that economists don’t like what they’re hearing?)
Or could it be that economists don’t like what they’re hearing?)
NORTH AMERICA
12 year old boy shot dead by US police for waving gun in playground
States don’t have funds to run Obamacare-mandated health insurance exchanges
Catholic congregation prepares
day of reckoning for Bank of America
day of reckoning for Bank of America
First Haitian cardinal to celebrate Mass in Miami
ISRAEL
Israel considers
military action against Iran
military action against Iran
What is the Temple Mount, and why is there so much fighting around it? – (Watch this space .. as this is likely to become ‘the’ issue around which much of future Middle East politics is centred)
RECOMMENDED ON ALETEIA
Fr. Frank Pavone on ‘Priests for Life’ writes –
"When, therefore, the only options the government leaves a citizen are to violate his/her religion or violate the law, that is the same thing as making the practice of Catholicism illegal." Read how the Obama administration’s relentlessly anti-Christian agenda continues to cause pain for Catholics and non-Catholic Christians throughout the US.
"When, therefore, the only options the government leaves a citizen are to violate his/her religion or violate the law, that is the same thing as making the practice of Catholicism illegal." Read how the Obama administration’s relentlessly anti-Christian agenda continues to cause pain for Catholics and non-Catholic Christians throughout the US.
Alysse Elhage’s thoughts on children’s exposure to technology –
"Is the problem really with technology or could it be, say, a problem with parenting?" This is a
must read article for any parent with children under the age of 18. I keep wondering whether there is need for a ‘Christian Web’ where basic information and services could be provided in a non-intrusive environment.
"Is the problem really with technology or could it be, say, a problem with parenting?" This is a
must read article for any parent with children under the age of 18. I keep wondering whether there is need for a ‘Christian Web’ where basic information and services could be provided in a non-intrusive environment.
Yesterday we celebrated
the Feast of Christ the King – The Canonry of St. Leopold have written an excellent piece on the significance of this feast and perusing their thoughts will, I suggest, be a wonderful way to commence your week.
the Feast of Christ the King – The Canonry of St. Leopold have written an excellent piece on the significance of this feast and perusing their thoughts will, I suggest, be a wonderful way to commence your week.
BRITAIN
Foodbank users rise by 40%,
people ‘living on financial knife edge’ – (The US and the UK could be facing future poverty such as we have not seen since WW2)
people ‘living on financial knife edge’ – (The US and the UK could be facing future poverty such as we have not seen since WW2)
Police State Britain:
‘Bullying husbands who shout at their wives could be found guilty of domestic abuse under new crackdown’ – (Very well, no one wants to see domestic abuse, especially when a dominating male uses his strength to assert himself .. and numerous laws were introduced many years ago, both in the US and Europe, to address this. But now, the government want to regulate how we speak to one another. Its not that this isn’t an important area with valid concerns, its that (again) the government are taking control over those areas of our lives which should be the responsibility of the individual. The proposal cites that
"criticising a partner’s looks can be an indicator of physical abuse". Yes sure, and there are doubtless hundreds if not thousands of other phrases and comments which are capable of causing upset in various ways – the point is where do you draw the line between allowing people to act responsibly and inviting the state to intervene? Experience shows that the more we regulate, the more opportunity there is for the abuse of these same ‘protections’ through misuse, threat (which is reverse control) and false accusation. Why too does this initiative focus on ‘bullying men’ when it is widely reported among Britain’s consultative professions (doctors and psychiatrists) that they believe there are a roughly proportionate (some would argue greater) numbers of women who harmfully manipulate their husbands or partners both verbally and physically! At the end of the day when you permit state intervention at this level in what, just some years ago, would have been considered ‘matters of family’, you are admitting that national family life has broken down to such an extent that the only solution is to involve the government. This is just one of the many issues in which the Church needs to be confidently vocal but .. there is all too often a still silence. Where all this will lead is not hard to see. As a people, generation-by-generation, our freedoms are being stripped away)
DAILY MAIL LONDON
‘Bullying husbands who shout at their wives could be found guilty of domestic abuse under new crackdown’ – (Very well, no one wants to see domestic abuse, especially when a dominating male uses his strength to assert himself .. and numerous laws were introduced many years ago, both in the US and Europe, to address this. But now, the government want to regulate how we speak to one another. Its not that this isn’t an important area with valid concerns, its that (again) the government are taking control over those areas of our lives which should be the responsibility of the individual. The proposal cites that
"criticising a partner’s looks can be an indicator of physical abuse". Yes sure, and there are doubtless hundreds if not thousands of other phrases and comments which are capable of causing upset in various ways – the point is where do you draw the line between allowing people to act responsibly and inviting the state to intervene? Experience shows that the more we regulate, the more opportunity there is for the abuse of these same ‘protections’ through misuse, threat (which is reverse control) and false accusation. Why too does this initiative focus on ‘bullying men’ when it is widely reported among Britain’s consultative professions (doctors and psychiatrists) that they believe there are a roughly proportionate (some would argue greater) numbers of women who harmfully manipulate their husbands or partners both verbally and physically! At the end of the day when you permit state intervention at this level in what, just some years ago, would have been considered ‘matters of family’, you are admitting that national family life has broken down to such an extent that the only solution is to involve the government. This is just one of the many issues in which the Church needs to be confidently vocal but .. there is all too often a still silence. Where all this will lead is not hard to see. As a people, generation-by-generation, our freedoms are being stripped away)
DAILY MAIL LONDON
Does the Church of England need to reform
to stay relevant? – (Yes, but perhaps not in the way some imagine)
to stay relevant? – (Yes, but perhaps not in the way some imagine)
Justin Welby:
‘I have no fears about future of CofE’ – (While Welby may feel all is well, many more believe the CofE is in deep crisis)
‘I have no fears about future of CofE’ – (While Welby may feel all is well, many more believe the CofE is in deep crisis)
Britain’s ITV commissions
new drama about spiritual warfare
new drama about spiritual warfare
Dean of
Christ Church Oxford accused of poor response to racism report
Christ Church Oxford accused of poor response to racism report
EUROPE
Germany confirms over
500 have joined ISIS and related groups
500 have joined ISIS and related groups
Tens of thousands
march against abortion in Spain
march against abortion in Spain
Priest to visit Irish asylum centre despite being asked not to attend – (The Church has so much to offer in the area of supporting such facilities)
AFRICA
Boko Haram slaughters 48 fish vendors in northeast Nigeria
Somali
Islamists execute 28 non-Muslims on Kenyan bus
Islamists execute 28 non-Muslims on Kenyan bus
Church leaders in Sudan fear
government is trying to wipe-out all evidence of Christianity
government is trying to wipe-out all evidence of Christianity
Tunisia holds
first post-revolution presidential poll
first post-revolution presidential poll
MIDDLE EAST
Christianity is being extinguished in the land of its birth and the West is to blame, say Syria’s faithful
British-Iranian woman
jailed for attending men’s volleyball match released on bail
jailed for attending men’s volleyball match released on bail
ISIS militant who sold Yazidi girls as sex slaves reportedly killed in US airstrike;
Families now buying back girls
Families now buying back girls
THE FAR EAST AND ASIA
At least
50 spectators killed in Afghanistan suicide attack on volleyball tournament crowd
50 spectators killed in Afghanistan suicide attack on volleyball tournament crowd
Beijing authorities shut down school attended by Christian orphans
FAMILY MATTERS
West Virginia couple adopts 29 abandoned special needs children
UN increases pressure to
end child marriages
end child marriages
~ ~ ~
THE TIPS BIN
‘Invincible’ Putin
could rule for next decade
could rule for next decade
UK cardinal led lobbying
group which won Papacy for Francis
group which won Papacy for Francis
Tired of people blaming religion for wars? Study shows
religion is not the main cause
religion is not the main cause
Obama’s actions signal
deeper issues for America
deeper issues for America
Former country star Ty Herndon uses
phrase ‘Born Again’ to describe coming out as gay
phrase ‘Born Again’ to describe coming out as gay
The Nazi
romance with Islam has some lessons for the United States –
“German officials would always refer to global Islam, to pan Islam,” Motadel told me over the phone from his home in Cambridge, England, where he is Research Fellow in History at the University of Cambridge’s Gonville and Caius College. The Nazis spoke of the Muslims as a “bloc” that could be “activated”
romance with Islam has some lessons for the United States –
“German officials would always refer to global Islam, to pan Islam,” Motadel told me over the phone from his home in Cambridge, England, where he is Research Fellow in History at the University of Cambridge’s Gonville and Caius College. The Nazis spoke of the Muslims as a “bloc” that could be “activated”
College football
team coach .. is a nun!
team coach .. is a nun!
The multi-faith Christmas sweater ..
please no!
please no!
And today we celebrate...