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[ELCA News] The 2016 Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) Churchwide Assembly took several significant steps Aug. 10 moving forward the mission of this church as a church for the sake of the world. By a vote of 931 to 9, the assembly overwhelmingly accepted the “Declaration on the Way,” a unique ecumenical document that marks a path toward greater unity between Roman Catholics and Lutherans. Following the vote, an emotional assembly stood to applaud the momentous decision. At the heart of the document are 32 “Statements of Agreement” that state where Lutherans and Roman Catholics do not have church-dividing...

Robert Spencer says behavior is "suspicious in the extreme"KETTERING, Ohio (ChurchMilitant.com) - Three Arab men were caught recording footage in Ascension Catholic Church in Kettering, Ohio Sunday, claiming they were only "studying" Christianity — but JihadWatch's Robert Spencer is calling their behavior "suspicious in the extreme." The men, who were visiting their families from Saudi Arabia, had all passed background checks and, according to church authorities, simply breached "proper etiquette." While their actions did arouse suspicion, we believe their actions were simply a breach of proper etiquette," a statement on Ascension's website read Thursday morning. "While current evidence suggests that...

On August 15th, Catholic people of faith in our country will embrace a mission of what I consider self-survival, praying a 54 day Novena for our Nation. ( www.novenaforournation.com). The Novena starts on the great feast day of the Assumption of Our Blessed Virgin Mother Mary and ends on the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, October 7th, a date which memorializes the Battle of Lepanto, the great sea victory of European Christians over the Muslim invaders of Europe in 1571. This well known victory was spurred on by the believers of Christian Europe praying the Rosary, at the...

Modesty and Beach Volleyball Msgr. Charles Pope • August 14, 2016 • One of the less edifying aspects of the Summer Olympics in Rio is the attire of the women’s beach volleyball players from Western countries. Most of the women wear a tiny bikini with the bottom being especially tiny. (I do not show a picture here because I deem it immodest to do so. Instead, I show a picture of some of the men, whose attire I mention below.) Embed from Getty Images  Frankly, playing volleyball in a tiny bikini seems quite unnecessary. I would argue that it...

August 15, 2016 Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary - Mass during the Day Reading 1 Rev 11:19a; 12:1-6a, 10ab God’s temple in heaven was opened,and the ark of his covenant could be seen in the temple. A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun,with the moon under her feet,and on her head a crown of twelve stars.She was with child and wailed aloud in pain as she labored to give birth.Then another sign appeared in the sky;it was a huge red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns,and on its...

What are the twelve traits of authority, and how do they work? First of all, it seems clear that their decision would have to be made from a historical perspective. It was not good enough to decide complex moral, social, or doctrinal issues based on popularity polls or yesterday’s newspaper. To decide difficult questions, a valid authority has to be historical.

Battle Plan - A Homily for the 20th Sunday of the Year Msgr. Charles Pope • August 13, 2016 • The readings today speak of a great cosmic battle that is taking place all around us. In the Gospel, Jesus speaks of it vividly and of his own mission to engage our ancient foe and to gather God’s elect back from the enslaving clutches of Satan, who was a murderer and a liar from the beginning (cf John 8:44).As Jesus approaches Jerusalem for the final time, He describes the battle that is about to unfold. It is a battle...

August 14, 2016 Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time Reading 1 Jer 38:4-6, 8-10 In those days, the princes said to the king:“Jeremiah ought to be put to death;he is demoralizing the soldiers who are left in this city,and all the people, by speaking such things to them;he is not interested in the welfare of our people,but in their ruin.” King Zedekiah answered: “He is in your power”;for the king could do nothing with them. And so they took Jeremiahand threw him into the cistern of Prince Malchiah,which was in the quarters of the guard,letting him down with ropes. There...

Rock a My Soul in the Bosom of Abraham – Learning the Wisdom of an old Spiritual Msgr. Charles Pope • August 12, 2016 • There is an old African-American spiritual that says, “Rock a my soul in the bosom of Abraham. Oh, rock a my soul!” At first glance its meaning may seem obscure, but it speaks to a deep tradition and a kind of spiritual strategy that has great wisdom.Biblically, the “bosom of Abraham” referred to the place of rest in Sheol, where the righteous dead awaited the Messiah and Judgment Day. It is mentioned only once...

The soon-to-be-released encyclical about the environment – no doubt, the biggest collection of rubbish ever published by a Pope – will be presented by three men. One of them if Prof. John Schellnhuber, a well-known climate Nazi. professor Schnellnhuber should, I think, be posed a simple questions: seen that no one believes that his own fantasy-targets about emission reduction will be reached, where does he think the global population should stabilise to avoid planetary food wars, and how does he think the target should be achieved? You see, our Enviro-Goebbels is already on record with saying that around 4.5 degrees...

August 13, 2016 Saturday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time Reading 1 Ez 18:1-10, 13b, 30-32 The word of the LORD came to me:Son of man, what is the meaning of this proverbthat you recite in the land of Israel: “Fathers have eaten green grapes,thus their children’s teeth are on edge”? As I live, says the Lord GOD:I swear that there shall no longer be anyone among youwho will repeat this proverb in Israel.For all lives are mine;the life of the father is like the life of the son, both are mine;only the one who sins shall die....

A Sterling woman accused of sacrificing up to 15 chickens a week for religious purposes will still be legally allowed to own live poultry-- as long as she completes a course in how to humanely sacrifice animals. .... Gro Mambo Danthoula Novanyon Idizol, a high priestess and the executive board secretary of the National African Religion Congress (NARC), testified Carrion is a member of her organization. She said Carrion underwent an extensive initiation process to become a high priestess in Santeria, a pantheistic Afro-Hispanic religion that incorporates elements of Catholicism.

Development and Peace, the Catholic development organization founded by Canada’s bishops, has drawn fire for being a “proud sponsor and co-organizer” of World Social Forum 2016, a six-day gathering of some 1,200 assorted left-wing grassroots organizations which convened August 9 in Montreal. “By partnering with the World Social Forum, Development and Peace makes clear that its allegiance is with the Culture of Death and not with Christ, whom it is obliged to serve and obey,” pointed out Michael Hichborn, founder of the Virginia-based Lepanto Institute. The WSF, an annual event since 2001, was “created by several communist entities” and has...

You see I am not just your God I AM your friend. I do things for you that others would not consider because of the cost but I have already laid down my life for you and that is why I send my angels to shut the mouth of the lions for you and turn impossible situations around even without your request at times for truly My name is Prince of Peace and Grace is the scepter I apply to the ones that call me Lord and Savior. John 15:15 15 I do not call you servants any longer, for...

What Are Our Pets Really Saying? A Meditation on the Eager Expectation of All Creation Msgr. Charles Pope • August 11, 2016 • I am often struck by the mystery of the relationship that dogs and cats set up with their owners. While I realize that we humans often project what we want their behavior to mean, I am still fascinated by the reality of how our pets come to “know” us and set up a kind of communication with us.Dogs, especially, are very demonstrative, interactive, and able to make knowing responses. Cats are more subtle. My cat, Jewel,...

August 12, 2016 Friday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time Reading 1 Ez 16:1-15, 60, 63 The word of the LORD came to me: Son of man, make known to Jerusalem her abominations.Thus says the Lord GOD to Jerusalem:By origin and birth you are of the land of Canaan;your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite.As for your birth, the day you were born your navel cord was not cut;you were neither washed with water nor anointed,nor were you rubbed with salt, nor swathed in swaddling clothes.No one looked on you with pity or compassionto do...

It is also interesting to note that most of the organ recipients are not Christians though the donors are priestsWith Fr Davis Chiramel founding the Kidney Federation of India, Kerala has witnessed a good number of priests and nuns donating organs. Fr Chiramel was the first priest in the world to donate an organ. He donated his kidney to Thekkemadathil Gopinathan, a poor electrician, in 2009. T Ramavarman for The Times of India reports that 15 priests, including a bishop and a nun, have donated their kidneys in the state till date. The report also says that Kerala is now...

We Live in a Rebellious House Msgr. Charles Pope • August 10, 2016 • One of the observations that God makes about us over and over again is that we are stiff-necked (cf Ex 32:9, 33:3; Deut 9:3, 10:16; 2 Chron 30:8; 2 Kings 17:14; Jer 7:26; and many, many other texts).The charge occurs again in the reading from today’s Mass (Thursday of the 19th Week of the Year):The word of the LORD came to me:Son of man, you live in the midst of a rebellious house;they have eyes to see but do not see,and ears to hear but...

Authorities are tightening security at the famous French pilgrimage site of Lourdes over fears it could be a major target for terrorists after a spate of Islamist attacks across the country. Tens of thousands of pilgrims are expected to descend on the site on the feast of the Assumption next Monday for Mass and a procession. Security has been high after a series of terror attacks culminating in the brutal murder of a Catholic priest by two Islamists last month, but authorities have decided to allow the pilgrimage to continue as usual. Béatrice Lagarde, prefect of the Haute-Pyrénées region, told...

August 11, 2016 Memorial of Saint Clare, Virgin Reading 1 Ez 12:1-12 The word of the LORD came to me: Son of man, you live in the midst of a rebellious house;they have eyes to see but do not see,and ears to hear but do not hear,for they are a rebellious house.Now, son of man, during the day while they are looking on,prepare your baggage as though for exile, and again while they are looking on,migrate from where you live to another place;perhaps they will see that they are a rebellious house.You shall bring out your baggage like an...