Tag: The Church

Pope Leo XIV Celebrates First Mass As Leader Of The Catholic Church

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The Washington Post:

Pope Leo XIV celebrated his first Mass as leader of the Catholic Church in the Sistine Chapel, a day after he was elected the first American pontiff by the papal conclave. Robert Prevost, 69, hails from Chicago and spent about 20 years in Peru, including as bishop of the northwestern city of Chiclayo, before his elevation to a high-level Vatican position by his predecessor Pope Francis. In a televised homily in the Sistine Chapel, he called for “missionary outreach” and defending the faithful.

I do not know much about the Holy Father. Some reports gleefully indicate that he will position himself as a thorn in the side of the Trump Administration. That is not what the Americans need, and that is not what the Catholics need.

I want to see him stand up to the Globalist psychopaths who are starting all of the wars, fomenting all the humanitarian catastrophes, and flooding the West with waves of third-world tribesmen for the purpose of disenfranchising us in our own lands.

Supreme Court Hears Arguments In Case Over Oklahoma Religious Charter School

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News 9:

Justices appeared sharply divided along ideological lines. The liberal justices expressed skepticism about the argument that excluding religious entities from the state’s charter school program amounts to discrimination. Conservative justices, on the other hand, appeared more receptive to the claim that religious groups should be allowed to participate if they meet the same criteria as other applicants.

I do not agree with the idea that the state needs to be funding any aspect of education. But it does fund education, and so we have arrived at the question of whether or not the state should fund a Catholic charter school.

I attended public schools, but I am a Roman Catholic, and I understand that the Church-run schools are infinitely better than our public school system. It would be great if more of my fellow Oklahomans could receive a superior education. But how much control of this school would the Church have if the government funds it? What sacrifices will have to be made?

I tend to agree with the governor’s reasoning, but this issue may prove to be can of worms.

Ukraine To Celebrate Christmas On 25 December For First Time

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Sky News:

Most Ukrainians are Orthodox Christians. But in July this year, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a bill into law making 25 December the official Christmas holiday as the country adopted the Western, Gregorian calendar.

The world has never needed Ukraine to be transformed into a US/EU/NATO battering ram to be used for the geopolitical menacing of Russia. The world has never needed this nascent brand of Ukrainian nationalism which defines the Ukrainians as the enemy and antithesis of their Russian kinsmen. The world has never needed the shattering of Orthodox Christian unity merely to spite the Russians.

But, if all of that and the total destruction of their country is what a majority of polled Ukrainians wants, then Zelensky is the Russian-speaking, atheist Jew who is willing to make it happen.

Two Women Killed In Israeli Attack On Holy Family Parish In Gaza

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Vatican News:

Israelis have opened fire on Gaza’s Christians. Following heavy bombardment overnight of the area around Holy Family Latin parish in Gaza City,  dozens are reported dead, according to the Palestinian news agency Wafa, and reports continue to arrive that shooting by Israeli snipers continues during these hours.

From the reports coming in, confirmed by the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, on Saturday afternoon two women were reportedly killed, believed to be a mother and daughter, the latter murdered while attempting to rescue her elderly mother who had been shot by snipers.

In addition to their slaughter of the Christians, Zionist forces also slaughtered their own fellow tribesmen, who were clearly waving a white flag; and, like the Christians, posed no threat whatsoever.

The IDF sucks.

War In Ukraine (5/01/23)

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The World Awaits Ukraine’s Counteroffensive

Political Games Abound Over Ukraine’s Coming Offensive

Ukraine Is Really Muddy Right Now. It’s A Risky Time For A Counteroffensive.

Russia Unleashes Missiles Strike In Ukraine Ahead Of Counteroffensive

Russia Missiles Seek To Erode Ukraine’s Air Defense

Russia Prepares Belarus To Host Nuclear Weapons

China Could Play A Crucial Role In Ending The War In Ukraine

Pope Francis Confirms Secret Vatican Mission In Ukraine

New Tech To Capture Images Of Fort Smith Monastery Before The Demolition

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KNWA:

Images of the 1924 St. Scholastica Monastery in Fort Smith had geographical data and information taken with new high-tech technology. This provided a high-quality digital record of the nearly century-old structure that will be demolished June 1.

Lidar, the high-tech technology used by Halff Associates, creates a record to facilitate true-to-original repairs or restoration, according to Russell Luna, the senior communications specialist. Arkansas politicians congratulate Canoo on NASA deal

“We just knew that the building was going to be demolished soon,” said Aaron St. Amant project manager with Halff Associates. “We wanted the opportunity to scan the building before it was gone for good. And we offered our services gratis.”

Ethiopia Is Committing Genocide Against The Tigrayan People, Say Priests From Region

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National Catholic Register:

“Tigray is really in hell,” said a Catholic priest from the war-ravaged northern region of Ethiopia. “Never before has a government denied medicine to millions of its own people, closed their infrastructure, cut off their banking system and completely deprived all means of survival.” 

The priest, one of three from Tigray who spoke to the Register on April 29 strictly on condition of anonymity due to fears of reprisals against them and their flocks by the Ethiopian government, conveyed in detail the stark reality facing the Tigrayan people.

Since last June, the priest said Tigrayans have been effectively severed from the outside world, driven to starvation and death, and continue face “countless” atrocities. “I know of a lot of people killed unjustly and brutally — innocent people, children, mothers with babies,” the priest said. “I consider these to be war crimes.” 

The priest’s testimony echoes those of other Church leaders in the region. 

Iconic St. Scholastica Building In Fort Smith To Be Demolished

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Talk Business & Politics:

For almost a century the castle on Albert Pike has been a constant in Fort Smith. Many have wondered what it is. Many know. In June, the former home of the Benedictine Sisters of St. Scholastica Monastery will tumble down, leaving only memories of the iconic building near Trinity Junior High.

Demolition of Saint Scholastica’s former monastery building, located at 1301 S. Albert Pike Ave. in Fort Smith, is scheduled to begin June 1, noted a news release from the monastery.

“The decision to demolish the Former Monastery Building is not one that the Benedictine Sisters made lightly or without years of research and discernment. Since 2010, Saint Scholastica has engaged in communications with consultants, realtors, and friends of the community about feasible uses for the nearly 100-year-old building,” the news release said.

To repurpose the building into anything else would require significant investment with a great cost needed to bring it up to code and to adjust the layout for practical uses, the release said. A quote obtained several years ago estimated renovation to be more than $15 million, including all electrical and plumbing updates.

“After years of looking, no feasible uses for the Former Monastery Building panned out,” the news release said.

Pope Francis Alludes That NATO “Barking” Led To Russia’s Invasion Of Ukraine

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Greek City Times:

Pope Francis made a suggestion to Italian daily Corriere Della Sera that certainly not many expected, saying “barking of NATO at the door of Russia” could have provoked the military operation in Ukraine and alluded that countries should not supply Ukraine with more arms.

He said that Moscow has “an anger that I don’t know whether it was provoked but was perhaps facilitated” by NATO’s continued expansion towards Russia.

Although the Pope denounced Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and has concern for civilians, he has refrained from naming Moscow as an aggressor.

This of course is a reflection of the Vatican’s tradition of neutrality and his own ambition to improve relations with the Russian Orthodox Church.

The Holy Father’s comments are “a reflection” of the truth.

The War in Ukraine is happening because we started it. We wanted to subsume Ukraine into the EU and NATO. We wanted to build a Ukrainian military up to NATO standards, and to pack Ukraine full of our military hardware in order to menace Russia. We wanted to kick the Russian Navy out of Crimea and the Black Sea. We organized the 2014 coup to overthrow the constitutional, democratically-elected government of Ukraine. We plunged Ukraine into war and chaos. We put the Biden crime family in charge of the project. We cultivated a fundamentally corrupt puppet government in Kiev, and we gave it a blank check. We sponsored atrocities against the Russian-speakers of south and east Ukraine who had a problem with our designs for their country. Western media watched the conflict grind on for years, without saying much of anything. The Biden Administration spent all of 2021 helping our puppet government in Kiev build up an invasion force in east Ukraine. We told the Russians we were coming. And then they ruined our plans, like they tried to tell us they would, many months ago, when the Biden Administration began beating the drums of war like Matthew McConaughey at a naked bongo party.

The suffering imposed upon the Americans by the Biden Administration is both evil and unnecessary. The narrative being parroted by our mainstream media outlets is absolute garbage. We have no business waging economic warfare against Russia. We have no legitimate interest in depleting our military hardware stockpiles just to keep this war going. The Biden Administration is doing everything possible to undermine all efforts to broker a compromise. They are trying to get as many people killed as possible. None of this is in the interest of any American.

See also: Brazil’s Lula Says Zelenskiy ‘As Responsible As Putin’ For Ukraine War

Shrine For Oklahoma Martyr To Be Dedicated In November

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KFOR:

Rother served in Guatemala during the country’s civil war, which was a dangerous time to be a leader of a church.

In 1981, he was murdered for his faith. The people responsible for his death have never been caught.

“He had courage that he wanted to stay and go back to Guatemala to share his faith and share the love that he had of his people and then that love is gonna be transferred here to Oklahoma,” said Theresa Hurt.  

Rother was beatified by the Catholic Church, making him the first U.S. born person to be recognized as a martyr and beatified.

Archbishop Paul Coakley and Shrine Executive Director Leif Arvidson announced that the Blessed Stanley Rother Shrine will be dedicated during a public mass on Friday, Nov. 4.

Pints With A Pastor, Priest Bring New Ways To Communicate Religion With Community

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Southwest Times Record:

A Fort Smith pastor and priest are doing just that once a month at the Fort Smith Brewing Company in Chaffee Crossing to connect with people. 

“It started from becoming aware of the fact that there’s a lot of people for whom church just doesn’t work,” local pastor Steven Kurtz said.

Kurtz wants the monthly meetings at the brewery to be a chance for those interested in religion to have a space to gather without the formalness of the actual church.

Father Matt Garrison, the priest for Sacred Heart of Mary in Barling and St. Sabina and Mary in Fort Smith, shares a similar mindset.

“A lot of times when I’m teaching or preaching in a church setting, it’s formal,” Garrison said. “It’s a lot more difficult to really open up and in this setting, it’s easier to just be completely honest and open and to bring in more elements of humor and things like that.” 

The monthly gatherings are an informal way for people who might not feel comfortable going to church or want a more relaxed introduction to learn about Catholicism, Garrison said. 

Pope Decries Church Conservatives Encased In “Suit Of Armour”

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Thomson Reuters Foundation News:

Pope Francis took an apparent dig at conservatives resisting change in the Roman Catholic Church on Thursday, lamenting those whose religion he said was self-referential and encased in a “suit of armour”.

On the Feast of the Epiphany, Francis seemed to direct specific criticism at those who have balked at his decision to restrict the traditionalist Latin Mass, saying the liturgy could not be trapped in a “dead language.”

“Have we been stuck all too long, nestled inside a conventional, external and formal religiosity that no longer warms our hearts and changes our lives?,” Francis said.

Is Latin a “dead language?”

Latin is a precise language; we entrust medicine and law to Latin, because it is important to be precise in medicine and law. How important is the liturgy?

What if the Latin Mass actually does still “warm our hearts and change our lives?”

Francis Turns 85, Becoming One Of History’s Oldest Popes At A Crucial Time For Catholics

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Los Angeles Times:

Pope Francis celebrated his 85th birthday Friday, a milestone made even more remarkable given the COVID-19 pandemic, his intestinal surgery over the summer and the weight of history: His predecessor, Benedict XVI, retired at this age, and the last pontiff to have lived longer was Leo XIII more than a century ago.

Francis appears to be still going strong, recently concluding a whirlwind trip to Cyprus and Greece after pandemic-defying jaunts earlier this year to Iraq, Slovakia and Hungary. He shows no sign of slowing down his campaign to make the post-COVID world a more environmentally sustainable, economically just and fraternal place where the poor are prioritized.

Francis also has set in motion an unprecedented two-year consultation of rank-and-file Roman Catholics on making the church more attuned to the laity.

“I see a lot of energy,” said the Rev. Antonio Spadaro, one of Francis’ trusted communications gurus. “What we’re seeing is the natural expression, the fruit of the seeds that he has sown.”

But Francis also is beset by problems at home and abroad and is facing a sustained campaign of opposition from the conservative Catholic right. He has responded with the papal equivalent of “No more Mr. Nice Guy.”

Pope Exploring A 2nd Meeting With Russian Orthodox Church

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The New York Times:

Francis became the first pope to meet a patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church since the schism that split Christianity in 1054 when he met Kirill at a Cuban airport in 2016. Another meeting would go a long way to mending the fractured ties — and promoting unity and cooperation — between Christianity’s Eastern and Western branches.

Responding to a question from a Russian reporter, Francis said he would meet next week with the Russian church’s foreign envoy “to agree on a possible meeting” with Patriarch Kirill, who leads the Russian Orthodox Church, which has been split with Rome for centuries.

Diocese Of Tulsa To Host Prayer Vigil On Julius Jones’ Scheduled Execution Date

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KJRH:

The Diocese of Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma announced they will host a prayer vigil on the day Julius Jones is expected to be executed.

The Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board have voted twice to recommend clemency for Jones. The final decision of whether or not to commute his death sentence is now in the hands of Governor Kevin Stitt.

As of right now, Jones is scheduled to be executed for the 1999 murder of Paul Howell on Thursday. His case has attracted local and national attention about his case.

Choose life.

Oklahoma Brings Religious Bias Suit Over Catholic Hospitals’ COVID Vaccine Mandate

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Reuters:

Oklahoma sued Ascension Healthcare on Friday because the Roman Catholic hospital operator’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate for employees allegedly violated the state’s laws against religious discrimination, in what appeared to be the first case of its kind.

Oklahoma Attorney General John O’Connor, a Republican, accused the organization of discrimination by denying requests for religious exemptions from the healthcare system’s COVID-19 vaccine requirement.

According to the lawsuit, Mitchell Duininck, a physician in Tulsa, sought a religious exemption because taking a vaccine that was developed with ties to aborted fetal cells would violate his sincerely held religious beliefs.

After submitting a seven-page letter explaining his request, he received a denial without explanation in a process the lawsuit described as a “sham.”

Catholic Troops Can Refuse COVID Vaccine, Archbishop Declares

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Defense One:

Catholic U.S. troops should be allowed to refuse the COVID-19 vaccine based solely on conscientious objection and regardless of whether abortion-related tissue was used in its creation or testing, the archbishop for the military declared in a new statement supporting service members who are seeking religious exemptions. 

“No one should be forced to receive a COVID-19 vaccine if it would violate the sanctity of his or her conscience,” said Archbishop for the Military Services Timothy P. Broglio, in a statement released Tuesday.

Broglio previously has supported President Joe Biden’s mandatory vaccination order for U.S. troops, citing the church’s guidance that permits Catholics to receive even vaccines derived from fetal tissue, when no other vaccine option is available. In his new statement, the archbishop said that while he still encourages followers and troops to get vaccinated, some troops have questioned if the church’s permission to get vaccinated outweighed their own conscious objections to it.

“It does not,” Broglio wrote.   

The Archdiocese for the Military Services, created by the church in 1985, claims responsibility for 1.8 million service members and their families at 220 installations. Broglio was appointed by Pope Benedict XVI in 2007. 

Dome Lifted Into Place On Shrine For Oklahoma Martyr

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KFOR:

Rother served in Guatemala during the country’s civil war, which was a dangerous time to be a leader of a church. In 1981, he was murdered for his faith.

“He had courage that he wanted to stay and go back to Guatemala to share his faith and share the love that he had of his people and then that love is gonna be transferred here to Oklahoma,” said Theresa Hurt.

Rother was beatified by the Catholic Church, making him the first U.S. born person to be recognized as a martyr and beatified.