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Pope Francis and Archbishop Georg Ganswein in St. Peter's Square after the Wednesday general audience, May 7, 2014. Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA. Vatican City, Aug 19, 2014 / 12:02 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Before any international trip Pope Francis visits Benedict XVI, a key Vatican archbishop revealed, noting the good relations between the two and how Pope Francis is carrying forward Benedict's vision.   Archbishop Georg Gaenswein, who serves as prefect of the Pontifical Household, spoke in an all-out interview Aug. 15 with the Austrian Catholic press agency in “Kath.net” while he was in the diocese in Freibourg. There he led  Aug....

Onufriy, Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Ukraine for the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) was elected to his post Aug. 13, 2014. Credit: Maksym Brusnika. Kyiv, Ukraine, Aug 19, 2014 / 04:02 am (CNA/EWTN News).- The newly elected head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church - Moscow Patriarchate must decide whether that Church can be independent from Russia, Ukraine's eastern neighbor with which it is in conflict, analysts say. On Aug. 13, Metropolitan Onufriy was elected Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Ukraine, making him the primate of the UOC-MP, which is one of the three primary Orthodox Churches in Ukraine. He...

The mission of IDC is threefold: awareness, advocacy and unity. First, IDC hopes to increase awareness among our fellow citizens, the media, and policymakers about the faith and courage of those persecuted individuals and communities in the Middle East, particularly Christians and religious minorities, whose plight is worsening by the day. We are told in Hebrews 13 to continue to remember those mistreated as if we ourselves are suffering. As Christians, we are called to band together to shine a bright light on this ongoing, deteriorating situation in the Middle East, and to make it an issue of urgency for...

Take a look at some of these reviews for the religious indie hit God’s Not Dead [1]:From Britain’s Socialist newspaper The Guardian [2]: ”This warped evangelist item… veers from the suspect… to the outright hateful: by the jawdropping climax, wherein a preacher is effectively granted divine right to mow down non-believers, ‘doing God’s work’ has become indistinguishable from Grand Theft Auto. Ban this sick filth.”Here’s one from Movie Nation [3]: ”It’s a movie where rare is the voice that is raised, but deep is the rage bubbling through its rabid anti-intellectualism. When a non-believer is considered to be better...

It is really shocking to know about the atrocities done is Syria and Iraq in the name of God. No God, no religion exhorts to kill in His name. If there is anyone who upholds the idea of killing in the name of God, he is a devil’s child, he belongs to the devil’s religion, and his master is none but devil. It is disgraceful to know that those in the Middle East, either religious heads or political heads do not react to these brutalities. We need to look at our fellow beings as human beings, not as Muslims or...

In his most explicit statement yet, the Pope endorses the use of force to stop the monsters of ISIS, well, as close as he is likely to come. ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE (AP) — Pope Francis on Monday endorsed the use of force to stop Islamic militants from attacking religious minorities in Iraq but said the international community — and not just one country — should decide how to intervene. Francis also said he and his advisers were considering whether he might go to northern Iraq himself to show solidarity with persecuted Christians. But he said he was holding off...

Fireworks this week, as the Leadership Conference of Women Religious met in Nashville for their 2014 annual meeting.The meeting marks the first time the women’s religious had met since Vatican officials imposed a requirement last April that the group pre-clear its speakers’ lists with Rome.LCWR leadership had snubbed their noses at that request–instead presenting their highest award, the Outstanding Leadership Award, to Fordham University’s Sr. Elizabeth Johnson, CSJ, who is considered one of the architects of feminist theology. Sister Johnson’s book Quest for the Living God has been called by the U.S. Bishops’ Conference “seriously inadequate as a presentation of...

Isaiah 44:21,22 "O Israel, I'll Never Forget you! I've Wiped the Slate of All your Wrongdoings. There's Nothing Left of your Sins. Come Back to Me, Come Back. I've Redeemed you."

Actor Kevin Sorbo who starred in the Christian film, "God's Not Dead," says he did not have reservations about taking on an atheist role for the movie but he admits that he does not understand the logic behind atheist's lack of beliefs and why they are "so angry." Sorbo, who is most famous for the '90s TV series "Hercules," played an atheist professor in the film whose belief system is challenged by one of his Christian students. He recently sat down with Access Hollywood Live to discuss the film's success and his take on skeptics. "I'm a Christian myself and...

FULL TITLE: Archbishop of Mosul: "I have lost my Diocese to Islam - You in the West will also become the victims of Muslims" Armenian Orthodox church in Raqqa, Syria, now an ISIS office Our sufferings today are the prelude of those you, Europeans and Western Christians, will also suffer in the near future. I lost my diocese. The physical setting of my apostolate has been occupied by Islamic radicals who want us converted or dead. But my community is still alive. Please, try to understand us. Your liberal and democratic principles are worth nothing here. You must consider again...

By SETH DOANE CBS NEWS August 17, 2014 Pope Touches Masses In Last Day of Asia Trip On the last full day of his trip to Asia today, Pope Francis appeared to make the most visible outreach yet to China and other countries in the region that do not have diplomatic relations with the Vatican. Saying that "Christians do not come as conquerors," he urged beginning a "fraternal" dialogue. Speaking to thousands of youth this afternoon, Pope Francis called on them to serve the marginalized and the lonely. "Asian youth, wake up," the pope said. The pope started his day...

After having the Declaration of Independence read to his troops, General George Washington issued the order, July 9, 1776: "Commanding officers of each regiment are directed to procure Chaplains...persons of good Characters and exemplary lives - To see that all inferior officers and soldiers pay them a suitable respect and attend carefully upon religious exercises. The blessing and protection of Heaven are at all times necessary but especially so in times of public distress and danger. The General hopes and trusts, that every officer and man, will endeavour so to live, and act, as becomes a Christian Soldier, defending the...

The only TRUE friend of the black man and woman in this fallen world today is not the WHITE secular liberal Democratic Party, who for centuries has been nothing but an oppressing master to them; it is not even the conservative Christian though they have always been there for the black population throughout history. The ONLY TRUE FRIEND of the Black man and women is none other than the ETERNAL Son of God who stretched forth His hands on an old rugged cross 2000 years ago and died in OUR (red, yellow, black or white) stead for OUR transgressions against...

Nihad Awad of the Hamas-linked Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has claimed [2] that “research has shown that anti-Islam prejudice goes down when people interact with ordinary Muslims and have greater knowledge of Islam.” Accordingly, he says, “it might also be a good idea for Americans of other faiths to borrow a Quran from a Muslim friend, neighbor or co-worker. In that way, knowledge may be increased as bonds of friendship are formed.”Awad is right. Americans should read the Quran. If they did, they would find that it makes sense of a great many recent events that might otherwise remain...

Actress Olivia Wilde is featured on the cover of the September issue of Glamour magazine. Inside the glossy is an article in which Wilde talks about what life is like for her “being a working mom.” An article featuring the vacuous ramblings of the newby mom (“I wasn’t going to sacrifice myself because I was becoming a mother,” she told her interviewer) would be unworthy of comment here were it not for the pictorial that accompanied the article. Or, more specifically, the photo of Wilde sitting in the booth of some Hollywood diner, glammed up in a Roberto Cavalli dress,...

Pope Francis celebrates the beatification Mass of Paul Yun Ji-chung and 123 martyred companions in Seoul, South Korea, Aug. 16.CNS photo/Paul Haring SEOUL, South Korea - Pope Francis placed 124 Korean martyrs on the last step toward sainthood in a beatification Mass Aug. 16 that brought elation to the 800,000 people in attendance. The sun was searing as Bishop Francis Ahn Myong-ok of Masan, president of the commission for the beatification, asked the pope to pronounce the martyrs blessed. After hearing a brief collective biography of 124 of the original founders of the Korean Catholic Church, Pope Francis pronounced the...

The unique history of the Grušìvs′kogo wonders of the nearest our modernity. Apparition of the Virgin Mary's 12-year-old girl Kìzim April 26, 1987 on the balcony of začinenogo Temple has warned significant historical events – the collapse of the USSR, the exit of the underground Church, the revival of the Ukrainian State. The small village of Hrushiv, which thus became known all over Ukraine, already had its rich history, which goes back to the late 18th century. On the site of the present Church grew willow. In the old tree formed hollow, where miraculously appeared in the source. Locals say...

During his apostolic voyage to South Korea, the Holy Father has not lost his ability to surprise.Yesterday, the 77-year-old Pontiff not only opted to take a high-speed train from Seoul to Daejeon rather than the scheduled-helicopter, but he also called in on Jesuits in the capital. To reach Daejeon after celebrating Mass on the feast of the Assumption, the Pope gave up the helicopter and preferred to board the KTX high-speed train, despite never having been on a high-speed train before.The train left the station shortly before 9am and covered the 90 miles between the two cities in 50 minutes.According to...

Credit: Preparatory Committee for the 2014 Papal Visit to Korea. Seoul, South Korea, Aug 16, 2014 / 07:44 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- En route from visiting a rehabilitation center in Kkottognae and on his way to meet with Korean religious, Pope Francis stopped and prayed for a few minutes at local cemetery for aborted children. The Holy Father got out of the Kia Pope Mobile in which he was being transported to pray at this location, accompanied by a Korean Bishop and a priest acting as his translator. With his hands clasped together, Pope Francis prayed in silence before this cemetery...

The LORD reigns, let the nations tremble; he sits enthroned between the cherubim, let the earth shake. Great is the LORD in Zion; he is exalted over all the nations. Let them praise your great and awesome name – he is holy. The King is mighty, he loves justice – you have established equity; in Jacob you have done what is just and right. Exalt the LORD our God and worship at his footstool; he is holy. (Psalm 99:1-5)