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Peter the Roman conspiracy

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March 27, 2024, 12:55:24 pm Mark says: Shocked Shocked Shocked Shocked  When Hamas spokesman Abu Ubaida began a speech marking the 100th day of the war in Gaza, one confounding yet eye-opening proclamation escaped the headlines. Listing the motives for the Palestinian militant group's Oct. 7 massacre in Israel, he accused Jews of "bringing red cows" to the Holy Land.
December 31, 2022, 10:08:58 am NilsFor1611 says: blessings
August 08, 2018, 02:38:10 am suzytr says: Hello, any good churches in the Sacto, CA area, also looking in Reno NV, thanks in advance and God Bless you Smiley
January 29, 2018, 01:21:57 am Christian40 says: It will be interesting to see what happens this year Israel being 70 years as a modern nation may 14 2018
October 17, 2017, 01:25:20 am Christian40 says: It is good to type Mark is here again!  Smiley
October 16, 2017, 03:28:18 am Christian40 says: anyone else thinking that time is accelerating now? it seems im doing days in shorter time now is time being affected in some way?
September 24, 2017, 10:45:16 pm Psalm 51:17 says: The specific rule pertaining to the national anthem is found on pages A62-63 of the league rulebook. It states: “The National Anthem must be played prior to every NFL game, and all players must be on the sideline for the National Anthem. “During the National Anthem, players on the field and bench area should stand at attention, face the flag, hold helmets in their left hand, and refrain from talking. The home team should ensure that the American flag is in good condition. It should be pointed out to players and coaches that we continue to be judged by the public in this area of respect for the flag and our country. Failure to be on the field by the start of the National Anthem may result in discipline, such as fines, suspensions, and/or the forfeiture of draft choice(s) for violations of the above, including first offenses.”
September 20, 2017, 04:32:32 am Christian40 says: "The most popular Hepatitis B vaccine is nothing short of a witch’s brew including aluminum, formaldehyde, yeast, amino acids, and soy. Aluminum is a known neurotoxin that destroys cellular metabolism and function. Hundreds of studies link to the ravaging effects of aluminum. The other proteins and formaldehyde serve to activate the immune system and open up the blood-brain barrier. This is NOT a good thing."
http://www.naturalnews.com/2017-08-11-new-fda-approved-hepatitis-b-vaccine-found-to-increase-heart-attack-risk-by-700.html
September 19, 2017, 03:59:21 am Christian40 says: bbc international did a video about there street preaching they are good witnesses
September 14, 2017, 08:06:04 am Psalm 51:17 says: bro Mark Hunter on YT has some good, edifying stuff too.
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Psalm 51:17
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« Reply #510 on: June 27, 2014, 06:18:25 pm »

http://www.trunews.com/trunews-exclusive-pope-francis-meets-evangelical-delegation/
TRUNEWS Exclusive: Pope Francis Meets Evangelical Delegation
6/27/14

Two prominent Fort Worth-based Christian ministers led a delegation of Evangelical Christian leaders to Rome to meet privately with Pope Francis.

James and Betty Robison, co-hosts of the Life Today television program, and Kenneth Copeland, co-host of Believer’s Voice of Victory, met the Roman Pontiff at the Vatican on Tuesday.  The meeting lasted almost three hours and included a private luncheon with Pope Francis.

Mr. Robison told the Fort Worth Star Telegram, “This meeting was a miracle…. This is something God has done. God wants his arms around the world. And he wants Christians to put his arms around the world by working together.”

Mr. Robison said he was impressed by Pope Francis’ humility and courtesy to the visiting delegation of Evangelical Protestant Christian leaders.

In a written statement, Mr. Robison said he believes “the prayers of earnest Christians helped lead to the choice of Pope Francis.”  He described Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the Argentine Archbishop chosen as Pope, as “a humble man…filled with such love for the poor, downtrodden…”

In addition to Mrs. Betty Robison, the high-profile Protestant delegation included Kenneth Copeland, co-founder of Kenneth Copeland Ministries in Newark, TX; Reverend Geoff Tunnicliff, CEO of the World Evangelical Alliance; Rev. Brian Stiller and Rev. Thomas Schirrmacher, also from the World Evangelical Alliance; and Rev. John Arnott and his wife, Carol, co-founders of Partners for Harvest ministries in Toronto, Canada.  Gloria Copeland did not travel to Rome because of a previously scheduled commitment.

Read more at http://www.trunews.com/trunews-exclusive-pope-francis-meets-evangelical-delegation/#Ud4GFO6vZyp98wqR.99
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« Reply #511 on: June 29, 2014, 09:04:04 pm »

http://news.yahoo.com/pop-icon-elton-john-calls-pope-francis-wonderful-173457364.html
Pop icon Elton John calls Pope Francis "wonderful"
6/29/14

London (AFP) - British musician Elton John described Pope Francis as "wonderful" in an interview on Sunday in which he said Jesus would support gay marriage.

A top-selling pop star and one of the world's most prominent gay celebrities, John said the leader of the Catholic Church was a sign of hope.

"He's excited me so much by his humanity and taking everything down to the humility of faith...it's all basically about love and taking everybody in inclusiveness," John told Sky News.

Francis has appeared to strike a more conciliatory tone towards homosexuals than his predecessors since his election last year.

John said that gay members of the clergy should be able to wed and that he believed Jesus Christ would be in favour of gay marriage, which became legal in Britain in March.


"If Jesus Christ was alive today, I cannot see him... saying this could not happen," the pop star said.

"He was all about love and compassion and forgiveness and trying to bring people together and that is what the Church should be about."

John plans to marry his partner David Furnish next year in a "quiet" ceremony. The couple have two children together.

The entertainer, who has used his position as a prominent celebrity to speak out in support of gay rights, said he hoped to meet with President Vladimir Putin to discuss the issue on a trip to Russia later this year.

Putin earlier this year said that millions of Russians loved John "despite his orientation" in an attempt to defuse criticism over a law banning the dissemination of so-called "gay propaganda" to minors.

"I may not achieve anything but I have to try. There are so many people out there living a life of hell," John said. "As long as I'm alive I will fight for people's rights."
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« Reply #512 on: June 29, 2014, 09:38:34 pm »

http://news.yahoo.com/pope-says-communists-closet-christians-142947603.html
Pope says communists are closet Christians
6/29/14

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Francis, whose criticisms of unbridled capitalism have prompted some to label him a Marxist, said in an interview published on Sunday that communists had stolen the flag of Christianity.

The 77-year-old pontiff gave an interview to Il Messaggero, Rome's local newspaper, to mark the feast of Saints Peter and Paul, a Roman holiday.

He was asked about a blog post in the Economist magazine that said he sounded like a Leninist when he criticized capitalism and called for radical economic reform.

"I can only say that the communists have stolen our flag. The flag of the poor is Christian. Poverty is at the center of the Gospel," he said, citing Biblical passages about the need to help the poor, the sick and the needy.

"Communists say that all this is communism. Sure, twenty centuries later. So when they speak, one can say to them: 'but then you are Christian'," he said, laughing.

Since his election in March 2013, Francis has often attacked the global economic system as being insensitive to the poor and not doing enough to share wealth with those who need it most.

Earlier this month, he criticized the wealth made from financial speculation as intolerable and said speculation on commodities was a scandal that compromised the poor's access to food.
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« Reply #513 on: June 30, 2014, 06:17:41 am »

"If Jesus Christ was alive today, I cannot see him... saying this could not happen," the pop star said.

"He was all about love and compassion and forgiveness and trying to bring people together and that is what the Church should be about."

Matthew 10:34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.
35 For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.
36 And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.


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Pope says communists are closet Christians

Seriously? Closet Catholics maybe, since the Jesuits started communism...
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« Reply #514 on: July 05, 2014, 03:39:45 pm »

What Frankie is saying is that "we need to target the youth"(which is exactly what Nazi Germany did with the youth).

Video: http://news.yahoo.com/video/not-lose-generation-young-people-194051833.html

"We do not lose a generation of young people"- Pope Francis
Reuters Videos 1:04 mins

Pope Francis greets as many people as possible on his one day visit to Molise, asking the community to ensure young people don't become a lost generation. Rough Cut (no reporter narration).
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« Reply #515 on: July 05, 2014, 04:17:23 pm »

http://www.wucnews.com/2014/07/pope-francis-warns-any-personal.html
POPE Francis Warns ANY "Personal Relationship with Jesus is Dangerous"
20 Pope Francis 10:55 AM

Christians are not made in a laboratory, but in a community called the church, Pope Francis said.

At his weekly general audience Wednesday, Pope Francis continued his series of audience talks about the church, telling an estimated 33,000 people that there is no such thing as "do-it-yourself" Christians or "free agents" when it comes to faith.

Every Christian, he said, can trace his or her faith back to parents, grandparents, teachers or friends. "I always remember the nun who taught me catechism. I know she's in heaven because she was a holy woman," he said.

Pope Francis described as "dangerous" the temptation to believe that one can have "a personal, direct, immediate relationship with Jesus Christ without communion with and the mediation of the church."

Obviously, he said, it is not always easy to walk the path of faith with other people. "Sometimes it's tiring. It can happen that a brother or sister creates problems for us or scandalizes us, but the Lord entrusted his message of salvation to human beings, to us, to witnesses," he said.

"It is through our brothers and sisters with their gifts and their limits," the pope said, "that he comes to us and makes himself known. This is what belonging to the church means. Remember: Being Christian means belonging to the church. If your first name is Christian, your last name is Member of the Church."

At the end of his talk, the pope asked people to join him in praying that they would never "give into the temptation of thinking you can do without others, without the church, that you can save yourself, of thinking you can be a laboratory Christian."

Christians, he said, are not manufactured in isolation, but belong to a long line of believers who handed on the faith and challenged one another to live it fully.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Scriptures say otherwise...

Ephesians 4:4  There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;
Eph 4:5  One Lord, one faith, one baptism,
Eph 4:6  One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
Eph 4:7  But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
Eph 4:8  Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.
Eph 4:9  (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?
Eph 4:10  He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)
Eph 4:11  And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
Eph 4:12  For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
Eph 4:13  Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
Eph 4:14  That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
Eph 4:15  But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
Eph 4:16  From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.
Eph 4:17  This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,
Eph 4:18  Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:
Eph 4:19  Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.
Eph 4:20  But ye have not so learned Christ;
Eph 4:21  If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:
Eph 4:22  That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
Eph 4:23  And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
Eph 4:24  And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
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« Reply #516 on: July 06, 2014, 02:58:07 pm »

The things that Francis says continue to baffle me.

It won't be long now. I know I've said that before, but this guy just gives me the creeps... Definitely false prophet material.
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« Reply #517 on: July 11, 2014, 06:31:13 pm »

http://news.yahoo.com/vatican-makes-generation-cardinal-head-key-german-archdiocese-104952488.html
Vatican makes 'new generation' cardinal head of key German archdiocese
7/11/14

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - The Vatican has appointed the archbishop of Berlin, seen by German media as part of a "new generation" of less dogmatic clergy, to take over the Cologne archdiocese, the largest and richest in Germany, it said on Friday.

The move makes Rainer Maria Woelki, who turns 58 next month, one of the most influential Roman Catholic cardinals and is an indication of the type of person Pope Francis wants to see in prominent Church roles.

Berlin's Tagesspiegel newspaper called him "the prototype of a new generation of bishops ... not grumpy and dogmatic ... these men speak of mercy and mean it. They're open to people, even their critics, to a point and have a heart for the disadvantaged. Still, they're theologically conservative."

Woelki is a Cologne native and served there for years under his retired predecessor, the staunchly conservative Cardinal Joachim Meisner, before becoming bishop of Berlin in 2011.

When his Berlin appointment was announced, some politicians and Catholics in Berlin said he was too conservative for a city with such a large gay community, pointing to comments he had made that homosexuality was against “the order of creation”.

They also noted that he did his doctorate in theology at a pontifical university in Rome run by the conservative Catholic movement Opus Dei.

But Woekli surprised Berliners by saying he respected all people and would gladly meet with gay activists.

A year later, in 2012, he said: "If two homosexuals take responsibility for each other, if they are loyal to each other over the long term, then one should see this in the same way as heterosexual relations."


Berlin's Alliance against Homophobia nominated him for its Respect Prize that year, an honor he politely declined by saying it was normal for a Christian to respect all people so he should not receive an award for it.

In July 2013, the newly elected Pope Francis changed the tone of Vatican comments on homosexuality in comments on the plane returning from a visit to Brazil, saying, "If a person is gay and seeks God and has good will, who am I to judge him?"

The German Catholic Church is one of the richest in the world and helps fund Vatican activities as well as missionary work in poor countries.

Its financial strength and long history of theologians and leading Church personalities, including the now retired Pope Benedict, give it considerable influence in the Vatican.

Cardinal Reinhard Marx, head of Germany's other powerful archdiocese, Munich, is a member of the pope's group of cardinals working out proposed reforms for the worldwide Church.
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« Reply #518 on: July 14, 2014, 02:50:12 pm »

Vatican Reeling As Pope Francis Admits There Is An Army Of Over 8,000 **** Priests

Pope Francis was quoted as saying there are around 8,000 **** priests stationed around the globe

In a BBC interview that the Vatican is struggling to spin, Pope Francis took the highly unusual step of actually admitting that there are thousands and thousands of **** priests in the Catholic Church worldwide. By their estimates about 8,000. This mind-numbing admission has sent shock-waves through the highest levels of the Vatican system.

In the interview, Pope Francis was quoted as saying that the 2% estimate came from advisers. It would represent around 8,000 child-abusing priests out of a global number of about 414,000. While the incidence of pedophilia as a psychiatric disorder in the general population is not accurately known, some estimates have put it at less than five percent.

    “Among the 2% who are pedophiles are priests, bishops and cardinals. Others, more numerous, know but keep quiet. They punish without giving the reason,” Pope Francis was quoted as saying.

Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi denied that Pope Francis had said that there were cardinals who were pedophiles. Father Lombardi also denied that these were the Pope’s exact words.

http://www.nowtheendbegins.com/blog/?p=23381
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« Reply #519 on: July 28, 2014, 06:35:17 pm »

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/28/pope-francis-pentecostal_n_5627430.html?ncid=txtlnkusaolp00000592
7/28/14
Pope Francis Becomes First Pope To Visit A Pentecostal Church In Outreach To Evangelicals

VATICAN CITY (AP) - Pope Francis has become the first pope to visit a Pentecostal church, pressing his outreach to evangelicals who represent Catholicism's greatest competition for Christian souls around the globe.

Francis flew by helicopter Monday to visit the under-construction Pentecostal Church of Reconciliation in the southern city of Caserta. He met privately with a Pentecostal preacher who is an old friend, Giovanni Traettino.

Speaking to some 350 Pentecostal faithful in the church, Francis apologized for Catholic persecution of Pentecostals during Italy's fascist regime and stressed that there was unity in diversity within Christianity.

He acknowledged the remarkable nature of his visit, saying: "Someone will be surprised: 'The pope went to visit the evangelicals?' But he went to see his brothers."

Francis has met unofficially with several Pentecostal and evangelical preachers recently.
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« Reply #520 on: July 30, 2014, 12:16:26 pm »

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/30/republicans-bill-pope-francis_n_5634132.html?ncid=txtlnkusaolp00000592
7/30/14
Pope Francis May Be 'Too Liberal' For House Republicans To Honor

A bipartisan resolution written to honor Pope Francis for his work towards social justice appears to be mired in Congress, reportedly due to his reputation among Republicans as being "too liberal," according to The Hill. The pope is expected to visit the United States in 2015 for the Catholic Church's World Meeting of Families, which will be held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), a Catholic, warmly invited Pope Francis to address Congress in a statement made in March 2014. However, House Resolution 440, which recognizes the pope's “inspirational statements and actions" and congratulates him on his election, was referred to the House Foreign Affairs Committee in December 2013 and has been languishing there ever since.

Out of the 221 co-sponsors of the resolution, a mere 19 are GOP members. A Republican supporter of the bill told The Hill that the lack of enthusiasm could be due to the belief that the pope is "too liberal," a perception drawn largely from his criticism of unfettered capitalism and trickle-down economics as well as his calls for a more equal distribution of wealth.

The Republican source told The Hill that some GOP members think Pope Francis is "sounding like [President] Obama. [The pope] talks about equality — he actually used the term ‘trickle-down economics,’ which is politically charged."

With the clock ticking on the legislative calendar, the writers of the resolution, Reps. John Larson (D-Connecticut) and Pete King (R-New York), sent a letter to Boehner on Friday to ask him to put it to a vote.

“To my knowledge this would be an historic first. I ask that you take a look at a bipartisan resolution introduced by Representative Peter King and myself, acknowledging the first Pope from the Americas ... it is my sincere hope that you will consider this resolution for the suspension calendar for a vote,” Larson wrote in the letter obtained by The Hill.

Boehner's March invitation said in part:

    His tireless call for the protection of the most vulnerable among us—the ailing, the disadvantaged, the unemployed, the impoverished, the unborn—has awakened hearts on every continent.

    His social teachings, rooted in ‘the joy of the gospel,’ have prompted careful reflection and vigorous dialogue among people of all ideologies and religious views in the United States and throughout a rapidly changing world, particularly among those who champion human dignity, freedom, and social justice.

    These principles are among the fundamentals of the American Idea. And though our nation sometimes fails to live up to these principles, at our best we give them new life as we seek the common good. Many in the United States believe these principles are undermined by ‘crony capitalism’ and the ongoing centralization of political power in the institutions of our federal government, which threaten to disrupt the delicate balance between the twin virtues of subsidiarity and solidarity.

According to The Hill, the resolution's supporters see it as a more formal acknowledgment of Pope Francis that goes beyond the open invitation originally extended. “The Speaker’s invited him to speak, it would give it more significance if there was an actual official resolution about it,” said King.
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« Reply #521 on: July 30, 2014, 05:53:23 pm »

http://www.examiner.com/article/vatican-preparing-statement-on-extraterrestrial-life?CID=examiner_alerts_article
Vatican preparing statement on extraterrestrial life

7/23/14

Pope Francis is reportedly preparing a major world statement about extraterrestrial life and its theological implications. Rosana Ubanell from Voxxi News today reported that due to advances in scientific detection methods for the discovery of extraterrestrial life, Pope Francis wants to be ready with a statement about “First Contact”. Ubanell reports that details have yet to be officially announced but that the Vatican’s interest in extraterrestrial life is well documented through recent astrobiology conferences the Vatican Observatory has sponsored or participated in. Father Guy Consolmagno, a Jesuit astronomer and one of the leading Catholic proponents for preparing for the scientific discovery of extraterrestrial life, on July 18, won the Carl Sagan science medal from the American Astronomical Society. Pope Francis, a fellow Jesuit, regularly consults with Consolmagno and other leading Vatican astronomers about scientific issues. It is likely that Pope Francis is preparing an “Urbi et Orbi” speech – Latin for “to the city [of Rome] and the world” – about First Contact with extraterrestrial life.

The Vatican’s scientific interest in extraterrestrial life was publicly revealed for the first time in May 2008 when the head of the Vatican Observatory, Fr Gabriel Funes, also a Jesuit, gave an interview to the Vatican newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano. Funes made a series of startling statements about how extraterrestrial life is likely to be more ethically evolved than humans, and can be welcomed as brothers. In his interview, which was titled "The extraterrestrial is my brother," Funes said that intelligent extraterrestrial life may not have experienced a ‘fall’, and may be “free from Original Sin … [remaining] in full friendship with their creator.” This makes it possible to regard them as ‘our brothers’ as Funes explained:

    Just as there is a multiplicity of creatures on earth, there can be other beings, even intelligent, created by God. This is not in contrast with our faith because we can't put limits on God's creative freedom… "Why can't we speak of a 'brother extraterrestrial'? It would still be part of creation…

Most importantly, Funes’ statement makes possible the idea that Christianity can be exported to extraterrestrial worlds that have not experienced a ‘fall’ and are free from original sin.


Just over a year after his interview, Funes was the organizer of the first ever Astrobiology Symposium held by Pontifical Academy of Sciences in November 2009. Consolmagno and Funes have ever since played leading roles for the Vatican Observatory in presenting a theological perspective on the discovery of extraterrestrial life. Most importantly, both have been leading advisors to Pope Francis about scientific issues concerning the discovery of extraterrestrial life.

What is likely to be the content of Pope Francis' upcoming statement or possible “Urbi et Orbi” speech about alien life? An important clue is a forthcoming presentation by Fr. Consolmagno at a September 18-19, 2014, astrobiology symposium organized by NASA and the Library of Congress that is titled: “Preparing for Discovery: A Rational Approach to the Implications of Finding Microbial, Complex or Intelligent Life Beyond Earth.”

Consolmagno is a featured presenter and will discuss the theological implications of discovering alien life. His topic, “Would You Baptize an Extraterrestrial?” suggests that Pope Francis agrees that extraterrestrials are capable of the higher ethics involved in understanding the Christian message and becoming Christians.

If Pope Francis is indeed preparing a statement about extraterrestrial life, it is likely to emphasize that there is no incompatibility in Christian teachings with a belief in extraterrestrial life as Fr. Funes proposed in May 2008. More importantly, Pope Francis is likely to emphasize themes of extraterrestrials: not sharing in original sin; being more ethically evolved; and being capable of sharing the Christian message, and being our brothers.

Not all will welcome a statement from Pope Francis advocating extraterrestrials as brothers and worthy of being baptized into the Christian faith. According to Chris Putnam and Tom Horn, authors of Exovaticana, Pope Francis I is preparing to lead the Catholic Church to embrace aliens as “brothers in Christ” – reflective of the 1950s and 1960s contactee reports of benevolent “space brothers.” Putnam’s and Horn’s Exovaticana portends a future religious war between those accepting extraterrestrials as “brothers in Christ” and those believing them to be returning demons about to enslave us. Despite the extensive scholarship found in Exovaticana, it unfortunately skews data towards an overly negative assessment of the motivations of extraterrestrial visitors. Thankfully, the Vatican’s evolving public position, as reflected by statements from its leading astronomers, shows a far more enlightened stance on how to consider the discovery of alien life from a theological perspective. A statement or “Urbi et Orbi” speech from Pope Francis expounding on various themes associated with the view that extraterrestrials are potential “brothers in Christ’ is a welcome position to take on a controversial issue with major world significance.
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« Reply #522 on: August 15, 2014, 01:29:31 pm »

http://news.yahoo.com/papal-visit-underscores-religious-divide-koreas-061858279.html
Papal visit underscores religious divide in Koreas
8/15/14

TOKYO (AP) — Yes, North Korea has Catholics. It even has a Catholic church.

But while Pope Francis is being welcomed by millions of South Korean Catholics, Christianity has been largely quashed north of the border and, as a string of recent arrests suggest, would-be missionaries there face severe risks amid a North-South religious divide that is perhaps wider than ever.

The church in North Korea is under tight government control and is not recognized by the Vatican. Indeed, services there would be hardly recognizable as Catholic to outsiders.

Inside North Korea's one cathedral are crosses, but no crucifixes. Weekly services feature hymns and prayers offered in a highly formalized manner, but there are no sacraments. Nor are there priests: State-appointed laymen officiate services.


**Kind of like here in America with the 501c3 "church"...

Officials in Pyongyang had no immediate comment on Francis' five-day South Korea visit. Just an hour before the pope arrived in Seoul on Thursday, North Korea launched three short-range projectiles into the ocean. It later said the timing was meant to mark the anniversary of its liberation from Japan.

A rocket researcher quoted by North Korea's main news agency dismissed the idea that the launches had anything to do with the pope as "nonsensical."

"I just wonder why, among all the numerous days of the year ... the Roman pope chose to visit Korea on the day when we carried out the test-firing of our latest tactical rocket," the Korean Central News Agency quoted Kim In Yong as saying.

North Korea quickly rejected an invitation to join in a peace and reconciliation Mass that Francis will celebrate Monday in Seoul. The North slapped down the invitation not on religious grounds, but with complaints about South Korea's participation in military exercises with the United States.

"We feel deeply sorry about the outcome but we will continue to pray for another chance to celebrate the holy Mass with the North Korean faithful," Vatican spokesman the Rev. Federico Lombardi said.

Compared with South Korea, where there are more than 5 million Catholics, estimates of the size of the North Korean Catholic flock range from 800 to about 3,000.

The lower estimates come from the United Nations Human Rights Commission, which recently cited the lack of religious freedom in the North as one example of its poor human rights record. The higher estimate comes from the Korean Catholic Association, a North Korean government-controlled body that is responsible for all official information about the church and coordinates a weekly service for followers.

Before the advent of the North Korean regime, Pyongyang had more Christians than any other city in Korea and was known as the "Korean Jerusalem." Seen as fertile ground for missionary work, Pyongyang also had a seated bishop.

Most of that presence was erased by the early 1950s, and the North has kept a tight lid on all Christian activities in the country since. No Holy See-sanctioned church institutions or priests operate in North Korea, and the country's one Catholic church, the Changchung Cathedral in Pyongyang, is not supported by the Vatican.

Son Jung-hun, a 49-year-old human rights activist in Seoul who was born and raised in Pyongyang before defecting to the South at age 35, said regular people in Pyongyang cannot go to the Catholic church and participate in services.

"The Catholics in Pyongyang would not know about the pope's visit to South Korea, the history of South Korean Catholicism and the significance of the pope's visit," Son said. "Senior government officials who work in foreign affairs and others know about the pope's visit, but average citizens will never know."

Being a Catholic, per se, is not illegal. Article 14 of the 1948 constitution states that citizens "shall have the freedom of religious belief and of conducting religious services." But because the ideals of Christianity — and the worship of Jesus — are not in line with North Korea's rigorously enforced political ideology, believers are considered suspect. The same holds true for most other religious groups, though Christianity is seen as a larger threat.

Lionel Jensen, an associate professor of East Asian Languages and Cultures at the University of Notre Dame, said that although the public practice of Catholicism is minimal, there is believed to be a much larger movement of Christians who practice their faith privately.

"If news of the papal visit to Seoul has gotten out to the people of North Korea, I can only speculate that the quiet Catholics among them would be enthused," said Jensen. "My best sense is that there is cognizance of the visit but very few would be willing to speak publicly about this."

The North has recently taken a hard line on foreigners allegedly trying to spread Christianity.

Korean-American missionary Kenneth Bae has been held since November 2012 and is serving 15 years of hard labor for what North Korea says were hostile acts against the state. In March, it deported an Australian missionary. American Jeffrey Fowle is now being detained for allegedly leaving a Bible in a nightclub in the northern port city of Chongjin.

In May, North Korea sentenced a South Korean Baptist missionary to hard labor for life for allegedly spying and trying to set up underground churches.


"Pray for our brothers in the North," Francis said Friday, as he led several thousand young Catholics in South Korea in a moment of silent prayer for unification.

**Francis is craftily trying to unite all of the religions in one fold(acting as a "friend" now to the persecuted Christians - something the previous Popes really never did.
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« Reply #523 on: August 21, 2014, 07:26:28 am »

Frank wants a crusade...

Pope Francis Says Radical Islam Must Be Stopped

 Pope Francis has stated that the international community must stop Islamic State militants on their quest for power and influence. The Pope says that it is the responsibility of all nations to unite against the extremists, not just one country to fight the evil alone.
 
Francis did not say outright that airstrikes and bombs were the correct method to stop Islamic extremism, but he did not condemn the method either.
 
"In these cases, where there is an unjust aggression, I can only say that it is legitimate to stop the unjust aggressor," Francis said.
 
"I underscore the verb 'to stop'. I am not saying 'bomb' or 'make war', but stop him (the aggressor). The means by which he can be stopped must be evaluated. Stopping the unjust aggressor is legitimate," he added.
 
Pope Francis said he was willing to travel to Iraq himself, but felt that the timing was not right for a visit to the nation. A senior cardinal is currently serving in Iraq on behalf of the Vatican, distributing funds and ministering to refugees.

http://www.christianheadlines.com/blog/pope-francis-says-radical-islam-must-be-stopped.html
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« Reply #524 on: August 22, 2014, 02:21:09 am »

http://news.msn.com/world/pope-urges-fraternal-dialogue-with-china-others
Pope urges "fraternal" dialogue with China, others
8/18/14

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Pope Francis made a new gesture of outreach to China and North Korea on Sunday, saying he "earnestly" hopes to improve relations and insisting that the Catholic Church isn't coming in as a "conquerer" trying to take away the identity of others.

Francis outlined his priorities for the Catholic Church in Asia during a meeting of the region's bishops Sunday, urging them to listen to people of different cultures but still remain true to their own Catholic identity.

"In this spirit of openness to others, I earnestly hope that those countries of your continent with whom the Holy See does not yet enjoy a full relationship may not hesitate to further a dialogue for the benefit of all," he said.

Then deviating from his text, he added: "I'm not talking here only about a political dialogue, but about a fraternal dialogue," he said. "These Christians aren't coming as conquerors, they aren't trying to take away our identity." He said the important thing was to "walk together."

The comments appeared to be a clear reference to China, which severed diplomatic relations with the Holy See in 1951. But they could also apply to North Korea, where the church is under tight government control and is not recognized by the Vatican. There are similarly no diplomatic relations between Pyongyang and the Vatican.

Francis has already broken ground with Beijing on his first Asian trip by sending greetings to President Xi Jinping when he flew through Chinese airspace. He also sent Xi a letter after the two of them were elected within hours of one another in March 2013, and received a reply.

China cut relations with the Vatican after the Communist Party took power and set up its own church outside the pope's authority. China persecuted the church for years until restoring a degree of religious freedom and freeing imprisoned priests in the late 1970s. The Vatican under then-Pope Benedict XVI sought to improve ties by seeking to unify the state-sanctioned church with the underground church still loyal to Rome.

For the Vatican, the main stumbling block remains the insistence of the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association on naming bishops without papal consent. For China, the naming of bishops is a matter of its national sovereignty, while it also objects that the Holy See has diplomatic relations with Taiwan.

Upon his arrival in Seoul on Thursday, Francis called for peace and unity on the Korean peninsula, urging diplomacy so that listening and dialogue replace "mutual recriminations, fruitless criticisms and displays of force."

A day later he stressed that Koreans are one people, "a family," and that those in the South should pray for their brothers and sisters in the North.

Francis' diplomatic outreach Sunday followed another gesture of solidarity earlier in the morning: He baptized the father of one of the victims of the Sewol ferry sinking, in which more than 300 people, most of them high school students, lost their lives.

Lee Ho Jin, whose son was killed, took the Christian name "Francis" during the rite, which the pope administered in the Vatican's embassy in Seoul, according to the Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi.

Lee had been one of a dozen relatives of victims and survivors of the April ferry sinking who met privately with the pope Friday. He asked to be baptized and Francis agreed.

Francis has gone out of his way to show support for the Sewol ferry families, who are demanding an independent inquiry into the sinking. Aside from meeting publicly and privately with them, he has worn a symbolic yellow ribbon on his cassock in solidarity.

Lombardi has said Francis isn't getting involved in their demands for a parliamentary inquiry, but is merely offering them support and prayers. He said Francis was particularly pleased to have been asked to perform a baptism since Korea's Catholic Church has been growing steadily thanks in large part to an unusually high number of adult baptisms each year.
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« Reply #525 on: September 05, 2014, 09:33:27 pm »

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« Reply #526 on: September 12, 2014, 04:30:16 pm »

http://news.yahoo.com/pope-marry-couples-kids-cohabitating-200905465.html
Pope to marry couples with kids, cohabitating
9/12/14

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis is making good on his insistence that the Catholic Church welcome all faithful — not just those who obey church teaching perfectly. He'll marry 20 couples this weekend, including some who already live together and those with children, technically a sin in the eyes of the church.

Sunday's mass wedding in St. Peter's Basilica was timed to coincide with the start of a major two-year study by the Vatican of a host of issues affecting family life, including premarital sex, contraception and divorce. No major changes in church teaching are foreseen, but Francis has made clear that he wants people in "irregular" partnerships to feel fully a part of the church.

The diocese of Rome, which is organizing the ceremony, said the 20 couples being married range in age from those in their mid-20s to those in their 50s and include "those who are already living together, those who already have children, those who met in church."

Francis already set a precedent of sorts back in January when he baptized the child of a couple who hadn't married in the church, but only in a civil ceremony.

His decision to marry couples who are technically living in sin is another sign of his desire for a more merciful and forgiving church that cares less about morals and rules than it does about the conversion of souls.

Francis has frequently lamented that many people today think marriage is just a temporary arrangement and not a lifelong commitment.

"You're the courageous ones, because you have to have courage to get married today," he told newlyweds who attended his Wednesday general audience last week, dressed in their bridal whites and tuxedos.

St. John Paul II presided over public weddings twice during his pontificate — in 1994 and in 2000. Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI didn't celebrate the sacrament during his pontificate.
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« Reply #527 on: September 14, 2014, 09:26:11 am »

http://www.cnbc.com/id/101997996
Pope Francis warns 'piecemeal' World War III has begun
Saturday, 13 Sep 2014 | 7:06 AM ETReuters

Pope Francis said on Saturday the spate of conflicts around the globe today were effectively a "piecemeal" Third World War, condemning the arms trade and "plotters of terrorism" sowing death and destruction.

"Humanity needs to weep and this is the time to weep," Francis said in the homily of a Mass during a visit to Italy's largest war memorial, a large, Fascist-era monument where more than 100,000 soldiers who died in World War One are buried.

The pope began his brief visit to northern Italy by first praying in a nearby, separate cemetery for some 15,000 soldiers from five nations of the Austro-Hungarian empire which were on the losing side of the Great War that broke out 100 years ago.

Read MoreUkraine PM: Putin trying to destroy country

"War is madness," he said in his homily before the massive, sloping granite memorial, made of 22 steps on the side of hill with three crosses at the top.

"Even today, after the second failure of another world war, perhaps one can speak of a third war, one fought piecemeal, with crimes, massacres, destruction," he said.

    "Humanity needs to weep and this is the time to weep" -Pope Francis

In the past few months, Francis has made repeated appeals for an end to conflicts in Ukraine, Iraq, Syria, Gaza and parts of Africa.

"War is irrational; its only plan is to bring destruction: it seeks to grow by destroying," he said. "Greed, intolerance, the lust for power. These motives underlie the decision to go to war and they are too often justified by an ideology ...," he said.

Read MoreObama calls for 'systematic' campaign against ISIS

Last month the pope, who has often condemned the concept of war in God's name, said it would be legitimate for the international community to use force to stop "unjust aggression" by Islamic State militants who have killed or displaced thousands of people in Iraq and Syria, many of them Christians.

In his homily, read at a somber service to thousands of people braving the rain and which included the hauntingly funereal sound of a solitary bugle, Francis condemned "plotters of terrorism" but did not elaborate.
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« Reply #528 on: September 15, 2014, 01:09:33 am »

http://au.ibtimes.com/articles/566236/20140915/pope-francis-catholic-doctrine-st-peter-s.htm#.VBac8xbt928
9/15/14
Pope Francis Blasted For Defying Catholic Doctrine, Marries 20 Couples Who Have Cohabited And Had Children In No Else But St Peter's Basilica

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« Reply #529 on: September 20, 2014, 09:03:07 pm »

http://news.yahoo.com/pope-orders-review-annulment-process-simplify-procedure-143800445.html
Pope orders review of annulment process to simplify procedure
9/20/14

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Francis has ordered a review aimed at simplifying the Church's procedures for annulments, the Vatican said on Saturday, a move that could make it easier for Catholics to end marriages.

A statement said Francis had appointed an 11-member commission of canon lawyers and theologians to propose reform of the process, "seeking to simplify and streamline it while safeguarding the principle of the indissolubility of marriage".

An annulment, formally known as a "decree of nullity," is a ruling that a marriage was not valid in the first place according to Church law because certain pre-requisites, such as free will, psychological maturity and openness to having children, were lacking.

In the past decades many within the 1.2 billion-member Church have complained that the procedure is too complicated and archaic.

Most annulments take place at the local diocesan level. Each decision must be reviewed by a second tribunal, a step reformers say is superfluous and should be eliminated.

The Church does not recognize divorce. Catholics who divorce and re-marry outside the Church are considered to be still married to their first spouse and living in a state of sin, which bars them from receiving sacraments such as communion.

The situation of divorced and remarried Catholics who want to fully participate in the Church is a topic of great debate, particularly in countries such as the United States and Germany, and will be a main theme at a synod of bishops from around the world at the Vatican next month.

Progressive bishops have said the Church should be more merciful with people with failed first marriages even if they have not been annulled and Francis has indicated he is open to change.

Francis demonstrated this openness last week when he married 20 couples, some of whom had already lived together and had children. He led each pair through their vows one by one at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican.
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« Reply #530 on: September 20, 2014, 09:08:28 pm »

http://news.yahoo.com/security-upped-vatican-over-attack-fears-080254865.html
9/20/14
Security upped at Vatican over attack fears

Rome (AFP) - Security has been tightened in Saint Peter's Square after intelligence services intercepted a possible plan to attack the Vatican, Italian media reported Saturday, increasing fears Pope Francis could be in danger.

A foreign security service alerted Italy this week after intercepting a conversation between two Arab speakers which referred to "a demonstrative act, Wednesday, at the Vatican," Il Messaggero daily reported.

Wednesday is the day the pope holds his weekly general audience in the square in front of Saint Peter's Basilica.

Checks by Italy's anti-terrorism unit revealed that one of the speakers passed through the country eight months ago, heightening concerns the threat may be real.

Earlier warnings that the Islamic State extremists may be plotting to attack the pope have been shrugged off by the Vatican, but security has nonetheless been increased for his Wednesday and Sunday audiences, the paper said.

The Repubblica daily said plain clothes special operations officers with sniffer dogs trained in seeking out explosives were helping Vatican police vet tourists, while hotels in the area were also being kept under surveillance.

The news came a day before Francis's trip to Albania, where the pontiff is expected to mingle with the crowds as usual despite reports of possible danger from new IS recruits returning from the Middle East to the mostly-Muslim country.


Some worry the pope has made himself a target by speaking out against the Islamic State group and having the Holy See voice support for US air strikes in Iraq.

In an interview with Italy's La Nazione daily this week, Iraq's ambassador to the Holy See, Habib Al Sadr, said "what has been declared by the self-declared Islamic State is clear. They want to kill the pope. The threats against the pope are credible."

The Vatican played down the warning, saying security measures for the trip would remain unchanged.
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« Reply #531 on: September 20, 2014, 09:20:17 pm »

http://news.yahoo.com/apnewsbreak-cupich-next-chicago-archbishop-003549505.html
Pope chooses a moderate for Chicago archbishop
9/20/14

As the leader of two American dioceses, Roman Catholic Bishop Blase Cupich has staked out a firm position in the middle of the road.

He has spoken out against same-sex marriage and against conservative hostility toward gay rights advocates. He has opposed abortion, while urging parishioners and priests to have patience, not disdain, for those who disagree. And he has criticized fellow U.S. bishops who threatened to shut down religious charities instead of pursuing a compromise with the White House over health care policies that go against Catholic teaching.

On Saturday, Pope Francis named Cupich as the next archbishop of Chicago, sending a strong signal about the direction that the pontiff is taking the church. Cupich will succeed Cardinal Francis George, 77, an aggressive defender of orthodoxy who once said he expected his successors in Chicago to be martyred in the face of hostility toward Christianity.

"I think what Francis is trying to do with his appointments in both the United States and around the world is to moderate the conversation and get us past the culture wars and the ideologues," said Christopher Bellitto, a church historian at Kean University in New Jersey. "Francis is not trying to balance a lurch to the right with a lurch to the left. He's trying to build up the big middle so we can have conversations and not arguments."

The Chicago appointment is Francis' first major mark on American Catholic leadership.

George is two years past the church's retirement age and is suffering from cancer. The Chicago archdiocese is the nation's third-largest and among its most important, serving more than 2.2 million parishioners. Chicago archbishops are usually elevated to cardinal and are therefore eligible to vote for the next pope. Both George, and his predecessor, Cardinal Joseph Bernardin, had served as presidents of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Cupich will be installed as archbishop in November.

A native of Omaha, Nebraska, and one of nine children, the 65-year-old Cupich has served in a wide range of roles within the church.

He has been a parish pastor, a high school instructor and president of a seminary. After earning degrees in the U.S. and in Rome, he worked at the papal embassy in Washington, and as a bishop, has led several committees for the U.S. bishops' conference. For a few years, he led the bishops' committee on the child protection reforms adopted amid the clergy sex abuse scandal.

In his current posting as head of the Diocese of Spokane, Washington, Cupich inherited the fallout from a previous bishop's decision to seek bankruptcy protection over sex abuse claims. He started a mediation effort that has drawn praise from local attorneys for victims.

At a news conference Saturday in Chicago, he cited his family's immigrant history — his four grandparents were from Croatia — in a call for immigration reform. "Every day we delay is a day too long," he said. As bishop in Rapid City, South Dakota, starting in 1998, then in Spokane, he has worked extensively with immigrant and Native American communities. About 44 percent of parishioners in the Chicago archdiocese are Latino.

Cupich first became a bishop as the American church leadership began taking a more combative approach to culture war issues, under St. John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI. Yet, he struck a tone that reflects what Francis has emphasized for the church: a focus on mercy over hot-button policies that the pope says has driven away Catholics.

In 2011, Cupich told the anti-abortion committee and priests in Spokane that he wanted an educational, not confrontational, approach to the issue. He warned for having disdain for those who support abortion rights.

The next year, during the run-up to the Washington state referendum that ultimately recognized gay marriage, Cupich repeatedly underscored church teaching that marriage should be between a man and a woman. But he also wrote at length to parishioners about the suffering of gays and lesbians because of anti-gay prejudice. He condemned violence and bullying that has led some gay teens to suicide.

"I also want to be very clear that in stating our position, the Catholic Church has no tolerance for the misuse of this moment to incite hostility toward homosexual persons or promote an agenda that is hateful and disrespectful of their human dignity," Cupich wrote.

After the Obama administration issued a requirement for birth control coverage for employers, Cupich said faith-affiliated charities should never be forced to provide services that the church considers morally objectionable. However, he condemned threats by some U.S. church leaders that they would shut down social service agencies over the Affordable Care Act.

"These kind of scare tactics and worse-case scenario predictions are uncalled for," he wrote in a letter to diocesan employees. "I am confident we can find a way to move forward."
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« Reply #532 on: September 21, 2014, 04:01:52 pm »

Pope in Albania urges Muslims to condemn extremism

Pope Francis called Sunday for Muslims and all religious leaders to condemn Islamic extremists who "pervert" religion to justify violence, as he visited Albania and held up the Balkan nation as a model for interfaith harmony for the rest of the world.

"To kill in the name of God is a grave sacrilege. To discriminate in the name of God is inhuman," Francis told representatives of Albania's Muslim, Orthodox and Catholic communities during a half-day visit to Tirana in which he recalled the brutal persecution people of all faiths suffered under communism.

rest: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_REL_ALBANIA_POPE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2014-09-21-07-21-22

Just want to say that the Catholic Church has been doing it for almost 2,000 years. And Frank!! Muslims worship the MOON god, not Jesus. Just like you worship Semiramis NOT Jesus!! 
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« Reply #533 on: September 22, 2014, 10:58:38 pm »

http://thinkprogress.org/home/2014/09/21/3570151/ope-francis-just-named-a-new-archbishop-of-chicago-heres-why-you-should-care/
9/21/14
The Pope Gave This Man A Promotion And He Could Dramatically Change The Focus Of The Catholic Church

The Archdiocese of Chicago announced on Saturday that Pope Francis has named Bishop Blase Cupich, a moderate bridge-builder with a history of supporting many progressive-leaning positions, as the next archbishop of Chicago. The Nebraska native will be replacing a highly political — and deeply conservative — bishop, and could potentially usher in a new era of American Catholic leadership that spends less time fighting culture wars and more time echoing the populist leadership of Pope Francis.

The move might not seem like much to a non-Catholic, but the elevation of Cupich represents a significant change in tone for the Catholic church in America. Politically and theologically speaking, the 65-year-old Cupich, who will be leaving behind his position as Bishop of Spokane, is notably different from his predecessor, Cardinal Francis George, on several counts. George, who is currently fighting cancer, has enjoyed prominence among Catholic conservatives for his hard-line stance against abortion and marriage equality, but has often stoked controversy for how he expresses his views: in 2011, George compared organizers of the Chicago Pride Parade to the Ku Klux Klan, and recently wrote that being a Catholic citizen under a pro-gay, pro-choice government is akin to living under Shariah law.

Cupich, by contrast, is the very embodiment of a Catholic moderate. When the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) publicly opposed the Affordable Care Act in 2010, he expressed skepticism about their confrontational approach, preferring a deeper dialogue with President Obama’s administration about the issue of Catholic institutions providing contraception to employees. Similarly, when serving as the bishop of Spokane, Washington during the state’s battle over marriage equality, Cupich published a pastoral letter that defended the church’s opposition to same-sex marriage while also condemning anti-gay bullying, saying it was wrong to “incite hostility towards homosexual persons or promote an agenda that is hateful and disrespectful of their human dignity.” He has also frustrated many pro-life activists by reportedly privately asking priests and seminarians in Spokane not to pray in front of Planned Parenthood abortion clinics, arguing that such actions were unnecessarily provocative, according to Crux.

So why should anyone care that Cupich is the new head of the Catholic church in Chicago? From a practical perspective, Cupich’s promotion could signal a change in how the Catholic church in the United States impacts governmental policy. As a well-funded and highly organized messaging machine, the USCCB regularly wades into national policy debates, having weighed in on the aforementioned battle over the Affordable Care Act (they opposed it), various state-level votes on marriage equality (they’re against it), and the recent dust-up over comprehensive immigration reform (they’re for it). Lifting up people like Cupich, however, makes it far more likely that Catholic leaders in the United States will be proactive in following Francis’ lead — that is, avoiding most public culture wars, which Francis says the church is too “obsessed” with, and refocusing their profound resources on a broader understanding of “pro-life” that includes serving the poor and the marginalized.

“Pope Francis sent a clear message to an American hierarchy that has lost its way fighting the culture wars in recent years,” said John Gehring, Catholic program director at Faith in Public Life, a progressive advocacy group in Washington, told ThinkProgress. “It signals that pastoral leadership, the search for common ground and a broader pro-life vision must be the new guideposts. The Francis agenda is now anchored in a city that has long been a powerhouse of American Catholicism. This could be a game changer.”

In addition, from a global Catholic perspective, it is well known that the most effective way for a pope to impact the future of the church is to appoint like-minded bishops. To be sure, Pope Francis, who has miffed some conservatives for insisting that the church shift its focus away from decrying abortion and same-sex marriage and towards issues such as poverty, climate change, and immigrant rights, has found a kindred spirit in Cupich. In addition to his moderate positions listed above, Cupich wrote in June that economic inequality is “a powder keg that is as dangerous as the environmental crisis the world is facing today,” and reaffirmed his position on immigration during his press conference on Saturday, saying, “I don’t want to dance around the issue that we need comprehensive immigration reform.” In fact, so obvious is the mind-meld between Francis and Cupich that Catholic news outlets are already referring to him as the “American Pope Francis.”

Thus, the more people like Cupich that Francis elevates to positions of power — and the more he fills the empty slots they leave behind with other bishops who share his views — the more likely it is that the Catholic church will carry on Francis’ vision long after he leaves the papacy. It is bishops (specifically Cardinals), after all, who usually become popes, primarily because they are the only ones eligible to vote for who gets the papacy. And it is popes like Francis that have profound impacts on global politics, including here in the United States.

Of course, it remains to be seen how Cupich will operate in his new position, and he’s faced with a steep learning curve: whereas his previous position in Spokane oversaw 90,000 Catholics and 82 parishes, the Chicago archdiocese boasts a whopping 350 parishes and 2.2 million Catholics. Leading such a huge institution will undoubtedly have its pitfalls, and Chicago is known for taking a toll on its leaders, be they political or religious.

Then again, no one expected that much from Pope Francis either, and it stands to reason that Cupich — and possibly others like him — are primed to be the new face of a more moderate, less antagonistic brand of American Catholicism.
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« Reply #534 on: October 04, 2014, 04:45:04 am »

Pope Francis: 'I believe in guardian angels...and everyone should listen to their advice'

 Shocked

Pope Francis has said he believes in angels, telling Catholics around the world to reaffirm their belief in holy guardians.

Speaking to followers at the Vatican on Wednesday, the pontiff said every person has a guardian angel advising them in life.

Stressing they were not imaginary, he said it was only pride stopping people hearing their voices.

“Do not rebel: follow his advice,” the Pope said according to the Catholic News Agency.

“No one walks alone and none of us can think that he is alone.”

Pope Francis made the comments on the Feast of Holy Guardian Angels, observed by Catholics around the world on 2 October.

He claimed that no person can rightly give moral advice to themselves and should instead rely on direction from angels.

“It is dangerous to chase away our travelling companion,” he said.

“The Holy Spirit advises me, the angel advises me. This is why we need him.”

During the address, the Pope also used Biblical examples to hit out against “careerism”, saying it was against the attitude of “docility” taught by Jesus.

His predecessor, Pope Benedict, made a similar address on angels in 2011, saying: “From the beginning until death, human life is surrounded by their constant protection.”

But his insistence in 2012 that angels did not sing at the birth of Christ devastated lovers of carol “Hark! The herald angels sing”.

He also wrote in his book about Jesus’ early life that contrary to popular belief, there were no donkeys, camels or any other animals present at the Nativity scene.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/pope-francis-i-believe-in-guardian-angelsand-everyone-should-listen-to-their-advice-9772622.html
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« Reply #535 on: October 04, 2014, 05:28:05 am »

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« Reply #536 on: October 10, 2014, 10:05:11 am »

http://news.yahoo.com/gay-rights-groups-hail-catholic-tone-062457302.html
Gay rights groups hail new Catholic tone
10/10/14

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Gay rights groups are cautiously cheering a shift in tone from the Catholic Church toward homosexuals, encouraged that Pope Francis' famous "Who am I to judge?" position has filtered down to bishops debating family issues at a Vatican meeting this week.

There is no discussion that church doctrine on homosexuality will change or that the Vatican will soon endorse gay marriage or even gay unions. It will not, as the Vatican's top canon lawyer made clear Thursday.

But for the first time, a Vatican meeting is discussing gay and lesbian issues and how to provide better spiritual care to Catholic homosexuals. Day after day, bishops have spoken of the need to change the church's language about gays from words of moral condemnation and judgment to words of welcome and respect.

"I think what we're seeing is a crack in the ice that we have been waiting for, for a very long time," said Francis DeBernardo, executive director of New Ways Ministry, a Catholic gay rights group. "It's a sign of a first step."

Church teaching holds that gay acts are "intrinsically disordered," sinful and a "serious depravity," and that homosexual inclination is "objectively disordered." At the same time, it says homosexuals themselves must be treated with respect and compassion and not suffer discrimination.

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« Reply #537 on: October 13, 2014, 12:44:25 pm »

Bishops say gays have gifts to offer church
10/13/14
http://news.yahoo.com/bishops-acknowledging-reality-catholic-families-094555875.html

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Catholic bishops are showing unprecedented openness to accepting the real lives of many Catholics today, saying gays have gifts to offer the church and should be accepted and that there are "positive" aspects to a couple living together without being married.

A two-week meeting of bishops on family issues arrived at its halfway point Monday with a document summarizing the closed-door debate so far. No decisions were announced, but the tone of the preliminary document was one of almost-revolutionary acceptance, rather than condemnation, with the aim of guiding Catholics toward the ideal of a lasting marriage.

The bishops said gays had "gifts and qualities" to offer and asked rhetorically if the church was ready to provide them a welcoming place, "accepting and valuing their sexual orientation without compromising Catholic doctrine on the family and matrimony."

For a 2,000-year-old institution that believes gay sex is "intrinsically disordered," even posing the question is significant.

"This is a stunning change in the way the Catholic church speaks of gay people," said the Rev. James Martin, a Jesuit author. "The Synod is clearly listening to the complex, real-life experiences of Catholics around the world, and seeking to address them with mercy, as Jesus did."

The bishops repeated that gay marriage was off the table. But it acknowledged that gay partnerships had merit.

"Without denying the moral problems connected to homosexual unions, it has to be noted that there are cases in which mutual aid to the point of sacrifice constitutes a precious support in the life of the partners," they said.

For heterosexuals, the bishops said they must grasp the "positive reality of civil weddings" and even cohabitation, with the aim of helping the couple commit eventually to a church wedding.

The bishops also called for a re-reading of the 1968 encyclical Humanae Vitae that outlined the church's opposition to artificial birth control. The bishops said couples should be unconditionally open to having children, but that the message of Humanae Vitae "underlines the need to respect the dignity of the person in the moral evaluation of the methods of birth control."

There has been much talk inside the synod about applying the theological concept of the "law of gradualness" in difficult family situations. The concept encourages the faithful to take one step at a time in the search for holiness.

Applying the concept to matters of birth control would be an acknowledgement that most Catholics already use artificial contraception in violation of church teaching. But it would encourage pastors to meet them where they are, and then help them come to understand the full reasoning behind the ban.

Bishops also called for "courageous" new ways to minister to families, especially those "damaged" by divorce. The document didn't take sides in the most divisive issue at the synod, whether Catholics who divorce and remarry without an annulment can receive Communion.

The document said these Catholics deserve respect and should not be discriminated against, and then laid out the positions of both sides: those who want to maintain the status quo barring them from the sacraments, and those who favor a case-by-case approach, in which the couple undertake a path of penance.

Pope Francis has called for a more merciful approach to these couples, but conservatives have insisted there is no getting around Jesus' words that marriage is indissoluble.
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« Reply #538 on: October 13, 2014, 12:50:48 pm »

Some believe Roman Catholicism will be the one world religion, I am not too sure about that, but slyly giving into the Sodomites the Catholic Church is sure making themselves look "equalized" to the unsaved world.
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« Reply #539 on: October 13, 2014, 03:38:25 pm »

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Bishops say gays have gifts to offer church

Lev 18:22 Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.
Lev 18:23 Neither shalt thou lie with any beast to defile thyself therewith: neither shall any woman stand before a beast to lie down thereto: it is confusion.
Lev 18:24 Defile not ye yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out before you:
Lev 18:25 And the land is defiled: therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it, and the land itself vomiteth out her inhabitants.


not the kind of gifts id want...  Shocked
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