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Why the Pope’s ‘Synod on Synodality’ has become a jokeThe Catholic Church is half way through a two-year consultation exercise that will culminate in a 'Synod on Synodality' in the Vatican next year.A synod on what? Don't worry if you're confused. No one in Rome seems to be able to define synodality, either. What will the world's bishops discuss? Probably not the figures revealing how many Catholics have taken part in this exercise, because they're acutely embarrassing. The English and Welsh bishops couldn't even get 10 per cent of Mass-goers to take part in a consultation process that many observers...

The European Space Agency has officially terminated cooperation with Russia on a mission to put a rover on Mars, with Russia’s space chief furiously responding by banning cosmonauts on the ISS from using a Europe-made robotic arm. The ESA had previously suspended ties on the joint ExoMars mission, which had planned to use Russian rockets to put Europe’s Rosalind Franklin rover on the red planet to drill for signs of life, due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. ESA Director-General Josef Aschbacher tweeted on Tuesday that because the war and resulting sanctions “continue to prevail”, the agency would “officially terminate” ties...

The Eastern European country of Slovenia just legalized same-sex “marriage” and adoption privileges last Friday, following two cases in which litigants complained they could obtain neither. According to Jurist, the Slovenia Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities said the court was acting in response to the U.S. Supreme Court Dobbs decision overturning Roe v. Wade. The Dobbs ruling laid out principles according to which the Obergefell v. Hodges decision legalizing same-sex “marriage” in the U.S. could also be overturned. The Constitutional Court of Slovenia voted 6-3 in the two cases it heard, striking down current laws that...

Hari pleaded guilty in February to four charges relating to conspiracy to interfere with commerce by threats and violence, attempted arson, unlawful possession of a machinegun, and unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. In 2017, Hari founded and led a domestic terrorism group known as the “Patriot Freedom Fighters,” also nicknamed the “White Rabbits.” Fellow members — who are also now convicted conspirators — include Michael McWhorter, Joe Morris, Ellis J. Mack, and Wesley Johnson.

What do we do with really difficult issues? In America we have them out. Because we have the right to do so — given to us by the Founders, and noisily exercised ever since. We discuss things, debate them and in the process hopefully solve some problems. But today there are people everywhere trying to shut things down. People who want to pretend that their view is the only view it should be possible to hold. It happened again several times this week on the fraught topic of trans issues. There is almost nobody who actually hates trans people. Almost...

Images of the day: Che GuePapa, the real Pope FrancisFrom our Bureau of Theological Perspicuity and Artistic GeniusItalian style. You’ve got to love it.While looking for images of Pope Francis, Tres Fotutos stumbled onto an article on the Viareggio carnival of 2017.Stunning. What a masterpiece, this carnival float. The angels Marx, Lenin, Fidel, and Mao are bobble-heads. The beret on Papa Che’s head has a red star on it. “Che GuePapa.” Artists Alessandro and Paolo Vanni deserve some major award. They’re not just great artists, but prophets, too, proven correct yesterday (for the billionth time) when Papa Che’s comments on...

Hello, One of two men acquitted in the 1985 Air India terrorist bombing was shot and killed in British Columbia on Thursday morning, according to media reports. RCMP say they responded to reports of gunfire in an area of the city of Surrey, southeast of Vancouver, and located a man suffering from gunshot wounds. “The man was provided first aid by attending officers until Emergency Health Services took over his care. The injured man succumbed to his injuries on scene, “ according to a statement from RCMP Constable Sarbjit Sangha. The constable said the shooting was targeted, and a suspect...

The vaccine will be available for children between 6 months and 5 years old Nearly two million of Canada's youngest children will soon be eligible for immunization against COVID-19 now that the federal drug regulator has approved Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine for infants and preschoolers. Health Canada now says the Moderna vaccine can be given to young children between the ages of six months and five years in doses one-quarter the size of those approved for adults....

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) are both suffering staff shortages, according to Dr. Marty Makary, a top public-health expert at Johns Hopkins University, writes at Common Sense, the Substack run by former New York Times columnist, Bari Weiss. Major decisions made by the agencies that hurt morale included support for masking in schools, school closures during the pandemic and the authorization of COVID-19 vaccines for children four and under. Both agencies, along with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have been mired in controversy throughout the pandemic for inconsistent messaging...

As his widow, I live with grief everyday. But I also live in the Good Shepherd’s grip.One early morning on our family vacation, my husband, Rob, left our campsite for a long hike in the backcountry of Mount Rainier National Park. He and his hiking partner set out on the trail excited and energized for the path ahead. Both loved hiking and knew how to do it well. Being in the outdoors was Rob’s favorite way to recreate and connect with God. But his cold and lifeless body returned to the trailhead late that afternoon, airlifted by a helicopter out...

by Joshua Ford | 24NewsNBA star LeBron James recently spoke out about WNBA player Brittney Griner who recently pleaded guilty to drug possession and smuggling charges in Russia.Griner was stopped at a Russian airport for allegedly having cannabis oil vape cartridges in her luggage, which is illegal in the country and carries a penalty of 10 years in prison.NBA star LeBron James shockingly said she should rethink whether she even wants to come home to America. “Now, how can she feel like America has her back?” James said. “I would be feeling like, ‘Do I even want to go back...

Explanation: Cataloged as NGC 3132 the Southern Ring Nebula is a planetary nebula, the death shroud of a dying sun-like star some 2,500 light-years from Earth. Composed of gas and dust the stunning cosmic landscape is nearly half a light-year in diameter, explored in unprecedented detail by the James Webb Space Telescope. In this NIRCam image the bright star near center is a companion of the dying star. In mutual orbit, the star whose transformation has ejected the nebula's gas and dust shells over thousands of years is the fainter stellar partner. Evolving to become a white dwarf, the faint...

At the Vatican the Game’s Afoot to Be the Most Pro-China. In the Lead is Sant’EgidioIn the photo above, Cardinal Joseph Zen Zekiun holds a sign calling for the release of the bishop of Xuanhua, Augustine Cui Tai, 72, who since 2007 has repeatedly ended up in prison for shorter or longer periods and is again under arrest in an unknown location.Tai is not alone among the bishops of China who have ended up behind bars or under house arrest. Xinxiang bishop Joseph Zhang Weizhu was imprisoned on May 21 2021 and since then has been detained who knows where....

*It's still unclear if the messages were deleted intentionally or by accident.* The Secret Service deleted text messages from Jan. 5 and 6, 2021, after an internal watchdog requested them as part of a review of the department’s handling of last year’s Capitol riot, the watchdog said this week. A letter sent Wednesday by the Department of Homeland Security Inspector General to the heads of the House and Senate Homeland Security Committees, which was obtained by ABC News, said the messages were deleted “as part of a device-replacement program” despite the inspector general requesting such communications. "First, the Department notified...

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Graphic on the different types of "exoplanets" which the new James Webb telescope will be investigating to determine the composition of their atmospheres and the presence of water. The first stunning images from the James Webb Space Telescope were revealed this week, but its journey of cosmic discovery has only just begun. Here is a look at two early projects that will take advantage of the orbiting observatory's powerful instruments. The first stars and galaxiesOne of the great promises of the telescope is its ability to study the earliest phase of cosmic history, shortly after the Big Bang 13.8...

Penny Mordaunt has closed the gap on frontrunner Rishi Sunak as the five Tory leadership contenders prepare to face a TV debate showdown on Friday evening. The former defence secretary also stretched further ahead of third-place Liz Truss as Suella Braverman was eliminated in Thursday’s second ballot of Tory MPs. The Attorney General lost five supporters, while Ms Mordaunt picked up 16 extra backers - putting the international trade minister on 83 votes in the contest to replace Boris Johnson. -Chancellor Mr Sunak remains the frontrunner with 101 supporters, up from 88 in the first round of voting on Wednesday....

@RepMTG Pamela Hemphill, 69 yr old cancer patient, going to jail for one misdemeanor count of demonstrating, picketing, or parading in a Capitol building. I’m appalled beyond words. How many rioters whose criminal charges were eventually dropped did Kamala & Omar bail out of jail? Clip...

The Kansas City Royals want fans to know they tried to get their players vaccinated ahead of the 2022 MLB season. The team sent out a tweet highlighting its "multiple free COVID-19 vaccine events" moments after placing 10 unvaccinated players on the restricted list prior to the team's game in Toronto. Andrew Benintendi is among the biggest names to miss the road trip to Toronto. He and nine other players, including Hunter Dozier, Brad Keller and Whit Merrifield, hit the restricted list Thursday. Under that announcement, the Royals touted their commitment to educating the public about the viability of vaccines....

The Yankees are unlikely to continue pursuing a trade for Andrew Benintendi, the Royals’ All-Star left fielder, because he is not vaccinated against COVID-19, The Post’s Jon Heyman reports. Benintendi, 28, is one of 10 Royals players not making the trip to Toronto for a four-game series against the Blue Jays that starts Thursday night. Those players are not allowed to enter Canada because of their vaccination status. The Yankees, who had a fully vaccinated roster when they went to Toronto in early May and mid-June, have one more trip to Canada remaining: a three-game series against the Blue Jays...