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On Monday afternoon, the Israeli Antiquities Authority (IAA) sent a newsbrief to reporters in Jerusalem, calling for a press conference the following day to announce the “solution to one of the greatest questions in the history of Jerusalem.” Tuesday’s announcement did not disappoint: On site, in Jerusalem’s City of David, archaeologist Doron Ben-Ami announced that the famed Akra (citadel) of Antiochus Epiphanes had been discovered. Up until that announcement, little had been found testifying to the massive Hellenistic intrusion into the city early in the second century B.C. Yet here, at the northwestern portion of the City of David, a...

Bethlehem - for more than two years, one of the world's holiest churches has been undergoing restoration work. In this report, we would like to give a historical background about the wooden door and the mosaic covering the walls of the nave.The wooden doorsFrom the humility door, heads of believers and visitors bow down in reverence to the child in the manger. Just in front of the door, we face tall wooden doors that separate the narthex and the nave, covered through the centuries by layers of dust and smoke coming up from oil lamps. Now, the restoration comes and...

We all know where priceless ancient manuscripts should be found: somewhere remote, preferably a desert, and we need a good hiding place; caves are perfect. In terms of creating a stereotype, the Dead Sea Scrolls are the model case, followed by the ancient Christian and Gnostic texts found at Nag Hammadi, in Egypt, around the same time. Yet one of the greatest such discoveries in modern times broke all those rules, which might explain why it remains so thoroughly unknown outside quite a narrow specialist world. And we still are only beginning to come to terms with the implications.The...

Today is All Soul’s Day, in which Catholics pray for the faithful departed. And this practice of praying for the dead has clear Scriptural roots: it’s encouraged in 2 Maccabees 12:43-45. The only catch is that this citation comes from the Deuterocanon, the set of seven Books accepted as Scripture by Catholics but rejected by most Protestants (who tend to refer to these books, erroneously, as “Apocrypha”). It’s also in the Deuterocanon (specifically, 2 Maccabees 15:12-16) that we find the clearest example of praying to the Saints. We can go so far as to say that if Catholics are...

'It's a whole other world': religious pilgrims venture deep into Alaska forest Pilgrims from as far as Russia descend up the small town of Kodiak to honor a Russian Orthodox saint who lived and died in the archipelago centuries ago Celeste Englehardt has traveled all over the world to pray. A Russian Orthodox Christian from Washington, DC’s Virginia suburbs, Englehardt’s faith has taken her to Jerusalem, Ukraine, Moldova – even to the ruins of ancient Orthodox monasteries in Ireland. And now an island in Alaska’s Kodiak Archipelago is among the holy sites she has visited. “Sometimes you can’t describe things,”...

Sins of the Priests Msgr. Charles Pope • November 2, 2015 • The Book of the Prophet Malachi is set forth as a kind “riv” (a Hebrew word for a lawsuit, indictment, or controversy) by God. The Lord sets forth a legal case of sorts, which convicts ancient Israel of numerous deficiencies and calls for their repentance. The case that God presents shows a body of evidence that is just as true today as it was then. God has plenty to say and we have much to hear, much to repent of.I am going to examine the Book of the...

Despite having “stomach pains” at having to do it…the peaceful little town of 5,000 inhabitants who make their bread and butter from tourism and come together to put on the world-famous Passion Play of Christ will now accept 300 refugees in a vacant shopping building near the train station. Buchenwald, Dachau, youth hostels, churches have been turned over to the invading force. And now this. Nothing is sacred.Eight hours long, Oberammergau’s Passion Play is an epic performance that still attracts audiences from around the world. Passion Play (thanks to Faustina):The Oberammergau Passion Play was first performed in 1634 and...

Purgatory is Based on a Promise of Jesus’ Msgr. Charles Pope • November 1, 2015 • All Souls’ Day by Jakub Schikaneder, 1888I have blogged before on Purgatory. Here is a link to one of those blogs: Purgatory – Biblical and Reasonable. I have also written more extensively on its biblical roots here: PDF Document on Purgatory.On this Feast of All Souls, I want to reflect on Purgatory as the necessary result of a promise. Many people think of Purgatory primarily in terms of punishment, but it is also important to consider it in terms of promise, purity, and perfection....

Local prosecutors are investigating a pastor in Germany who referred to migrants as "predatory hordes" and claimed they were creating conditions that could trigger a civil war. The pastor of the Evangelical Free Church in Riedlingen, southwest Germany, spoke of an "illegal, sometimes even violent invasion" and said that German Chancellor Angela Merkel wanted to control the population through "civil war-like conditions". The Stuttgarter Zeitung reports that the pastor - who has not been named - said: "Jesus has definitely not said that we should let our land be plundered by invading predatory hordes." The mayor of Riedlingen, Marcus Schafft,...

Laszlo Kiss-Rigo, Bishop of Szeged-Csanad in southern Hungary, said the migrants "come here with cries of 'Allahu Akbar.' They want to take over." He added that Pope Francis "doesn't know the situation" and that many so-called refugees are actually economic migrants. On Sunday, the Pope called on every Catholic parish across Europe to take in refugees. "Faced with the tragedy of tens of thousands of refugees who are fleeing death by war and by hunger, and who are on a path toward a hope for life, the Gospel calls us to be neighbours to the smallest and most abandoned, to...

Islam will replace Christianity in Europe just as Christianity replaced Paganism centuries ago, and it will conquer by womb rather than the sword to make Latvia an Islamic State, claim Muslim community leaders in the Baltic country. Speaking in an interview with Latvia's Morning Independent newspaper, the chairman and head spokesman of the Islamic Cultural Centre, better known as Riga Mosque, said while they both had three children with their wives each "we are working to have more" in an effort to colonise the country faster. Asked "what are the chances that Latvia will become part of the Caliphate?" white...

A Spanish archbishop has called the large influx of migrants currently travelling through Europe an "invasion" that could turn into a "Trojan horse" in European societies. Cardinal Antonio Canizares, Archbishop of Valencia, told a meeting of the New Economic Forum that many so-called refugees are in fact not fleeing persecution and may not be "totally trustworthy" in their intentions in settling in Europe. The cardinal asked the audience: "This invasion of migrants: is it totally trustworthy? What will Europe be like in a few years, given when is happening now? "You cannot play with history, nor with people's identity," he...

Archdiocese of Washington Ninety-Nine and a Half Won’t Do – A Homily for the Feast of All Saints Msgr. Charles Pope • October 31, 2015 • Today is the Feast of All Saints. Some saints of the Church have a particular day on the calendar associated with them and are commonly recognized by name. Many more, though not as familiar to us, are still known by God and have been caught up with Him to glory. Today is their day, the day of the countless multitude who have made it home to glory by God’s grace and by their “Amen”...

There is a brief passage in the Book of Esther that serves as reminder to Catholic and other political leaders, judges, and other high officials and leaders, (not to exclude those of the clerical and religious ranks in the Church). For indeed, all who attain to higher leadership will one day render an account to the Lord for their leadership. The fundamental warning of this text from Esther is not to forget who we are and whose we are and that God has placed Catholic leaders in higher authority to advance the Kingdom of God not our own standing. Let’s...

On October 31, much of the culture will be focused on candy and things that go bump in the night. Protestants, however, have something far more significant to celebrate on October 31. It’s Reformation day, which commemorates what was perhaps the greatest move of God’s Spirit since the days of the Apostles. But what is the significance of Reformation Day, and how should we consider the events it commemorates? At the time, few would have suspected that the sound of a hammer striking the castle church door in Wittenberg, Germany, would soon be heard around the world and lead ultimately...

Transformative love While the commandments are necessary, accepting Christ’s love in a personal way is truly life-changing Msgr. Charles Pope November 8, 2015 10/28/2015 Question: Our priest recently said that love does away with the law. I am sick of all this mushy talk about love and relationship with God. We were taught the commandments, and it is time to get back to them.— Name withheld, location withheld Answer: Since the fuller context of the sermon is not here, it is difficult to know what he means. There are people today who substitute a vague “love” for any parameters or...

Situated at the heart of Salt Lake City, Utah, Temple Square is the spiritual, cultural and administrative center of the Mormon faith. This ten acres plot of land includes a Temple, a domed tabernacle and numerous buildings, monuments and memorials. While this place may seem holy and wholesome, a closer look at the structures reveal the presence of occult, pagan and masonic symbols. A deeper study of those grounds only adds to the controversy regarding Mormonism and reveals the disturbing truth about its real god.This article's intent is not to condemn Mormonism as a faith, but rather to analyze the...

Reformation Reminders: Rome & Her Desecration of Christ By Eric Davis OCTOBER 28, 2015 This Saturday, October 31, commemorates nearly 500 years since one of the greatest movements of God in church history; the Protestant Reformation. Up to the time of the Reformation, much of Europe had been dominated by the reign of Roman Catholicism. To the populace was propagated the idea that salvation was found under Rome and her system alone. But as the cultural and theological fog cleared in Europe and beyond, God's people gained a clarity that had been mostly absent for centuries. The Reformers gained this...

He had the very best money could by.  With his high education, his father had hoped that he could advance to a position of wealth and prestige.  Yet before even turning 22, this young man’s life was changed forever.  The story, as it is often told, is of this young man trapped outside during an electrical storm – an experience he would later compare to Saul’s Damascus conversion.  It was there, hugging the ground, believing himself near death, that he struck his bargain with God.  Should he survive the storm, he would live his life in the Lord’s service.  And...

For All the Saints – Reflecting on a Great Hymn of the Church Msgr. Charles Pope • October 29, 2015 • As we approach the Feast of All Saints this Sunday, we do well to meditate on one of the great English hymns, “For All the Saints.” It is a wide and sweeping vision of the Church Militant and the Church Triumphant. Its imagery is regal and joyful, its poetry majestic and masterful. A vivid picture is painted in the mind as the wondrous words move by. To me it is a masterpiece. Many people know the opening line, but...