Free Republic

Spanish priest found guilty of ‘hate crime’ after criticizing Muslim persecution of ChristiansBarcelona priest Fr. Custodio Ballester was found guilty and now faces prison time for warning that ‘Islam does not allow dialogue’ with Christianity.Sentencing for a Spanish priest who this past week was found guilty of making “Islamophobic” comments more than seven years ago has Catholics as well as free speech advocates concerned.In February, Father Custodio Ballester was summoned by a regional court in Spain to respond to charges that he had committed a “hate crime” for calling attention to the unjust treatment Christians receive in Islamic majority countries.Ballester,...

[Catholic Caucus] World Youth Day: Communion in Ikea BowlsBarcelona Cardinal Omella presided over a July 31 Eucharist in Estoril, Portugal, with 30,000 Spaniards as part of World Youth Day. Potato chip bowls purchased from Ikea were used to distribute the Novus Ordo Communion.The bowls were distributed to the co-presiding priests with a plastic wrap and the Ikea bar code still on them (photo).According to InfoVaticana.com, they were chosen by Church authorities to convey a message of "humility" and "simplicity".