Free Republic

This order of worship was adopted and practiced by the early church: The Greeting – a more formal, biblical greeting or salutation. A Response – the attendees would respond, often with a Scripture that was recited in unison or chanted. Readings and Psalmody – Several passages of Scriptures would be read or chanted, interspersed with a responsive singing or chanting of a Psalm. Psalms – the Psalms, considered God’s hymnal, were sung or chanted, most of the time without instruments. Message – an elder, rabbi or teacher would interpret and explain the relevant meaning of the Scripture(s) that were read....

The Catholic Church’s new Pope has publicly described migration as a “huge problem” even as he also urges Christians to treat migrants with respect. “It’s a huge problem, and it’s a problem worldwide, not only in this country. There’s got to be a way both to solve the problem, but also treat people with respect,” then-Cardinal Robert Prevost preached in a Catholic Mass, according to an undated video: His comments recognized both the Catholic Church’s universalist and idealist perspective and the practical management problem facing elected secular governments: Both the first [Old Testament] reading and the [New Testament] Gospel make...

A surprising shift is underway at the bottom of the world. After decades of contributing to rising sea levels, Antarctica’s massive ice sheet has started growing again — at least for now. A study published this week in Science China Earth Sciences finds that the Antarctic Ice Sheet (AIS) experienced a record-breaking mass gain between 2021 and 2023, largely due to anomalous increases in precipitation. The rebound is especially significant in East Antarctica, where four major glacier basins had previously shown signs of destabilization.

“We’re not going to allow this mass deportation,” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) said during an appearance on The David Pakman Show, making it clear that state police will not cooperate. “We’re not going to allow this mass deportation,” Hochul said, explaining that they will cooperate only when there is a warrant or someone is on the terrorism watch list. “Where we will cooperate — and I did this even under the Biden administration — if you have a warrant, or you know, someone’s on a terrorism watch list or committing crimes in their home country, or committing crimes...

A British cardinal seen as the Pope’s “enforcer” in cracking down on the use of the traditional Latin Mass in Catholic churches has said it is an “overly elaborate” form of worship, in a rare comment on the controversy. Cardinal Arthur Roche, 75, who was born in West Yorkshire, has been prefect of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments since 2021, placing him in charge of policing the restrictions reintroduced by the Pope on the use of the Tridentine or traditional Latin Mass. He said that his critics may be surprised to learn that he...

Former New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio claimed Thursday on MSNBC’s “Ana Cabrera Reports” that the Trump administration’s planned mass deportations were “just not American.” De Blasio said, “I want to note that, for example, the unaccompanied minors. I went to Tornillo, Texas, and saw one of those detention facilities for those kids. Americans were outraged. It doesn’t fit our values to see families separated under any circumstance. Americans believe in due process. Americans do not like the notion of the knock at the door and government authorities taking people away.” He continued, “So I think what’s happened is...

Patients whose health has been ravaged after taking Covid-19 vaccines are calling for more support as the Government faces paying out tens of millions of pounds in damages. Almost 17,000 claims for disability damages have now been submitted after new information emerged about the potential risks including blood clots. Experts have said that the benefits of taking Covid vaccines significantly outweigh the side effects, as they prevent the spread of the disease and reduce serious complications. But more people are coming forward to report that have suffered a severe impact, with some linking their vaccines to major problems such as...

The Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) and the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) will celebrate Christmas on Dec. 25, instead of Jan. 7 for the second year after transitioning to the Revised Julian Calendar. Since Sept. 1, 2023, Christians of the Eastern Rite in Ukraine have been using the Revised Julian Calendar. This calendar shifts certain fixed-date religious celebrations 13 days earlier compared to the "old style." While the OCU allowed parishes to choose their preferred Christmas date during a transitional period, the majority of believers embraced the new calendar.

The Central Neutron Detector installed in Experimental Hall B. Silvia Niccolai and her team at the Laboratory of the Physics of the two Infinities Irène Joliot-Curie (IJCLab), a joint research unit of CNRS in Orsay, France, Paris-Saclay University, and Paris-City University, began constructing the detector in 2011 with funding from the French National Institute of Nuclear and Particle Physics. Credit: Silvia Niccolai ================================================================================= Recent advancements at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility have enabled physicists to explore the internal structure of neutrons in unprecedented detail. Using a new detector, researchers have achieved a deeper understanding of how quarks and gluons...

Teachers at a Berlin school have issued an urgent plea for help, citing escalating violence, severe educational deficits among students — largely attributed to challenges from mass immigration — and a lack of systemic support... Teachers at the Friedrich Bergius School in Berlin’s Schöneberg district have issued a stark warning about escalating issues they say are exacerbated by the city’s approach to mass immigration and integration. In a seven-page letter to the district council, the staff described an environment of increasing aggression, violence, and educational struggles that has left them overwhelmed and desperate for support. The letter highlights a central...

Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chair Rep. Nanette Diaz Barragán (D-Calif.) said mass deportations could cause a spike in costs for American families, including at the grocery store. President-elect Trump has repeatedly pledged large-scale deportations of illegal immigrants, which could greatly impact the workforce. “What we also see, I think, under mass deportations, as you’re going to see further cost for American families going up if you start deporting the agricultural workforce and people in the essential jobs that are putting food on the table, grocery costs are only going to go up,” Barragán said during a Wednesday afternoon MSNBC appearance. She...

While announcing more executive gun control Thursday night, President Joe Biden (D) claimed he has “been to all but three mass shootings in the United States of America.” Biden was talking about “spending time with surviving families” when he said, “I’ve been to all but three mass shootings in the United States of America.” Understand that the National Firearms Act (1934) was passed, in part, because of the St. Valentine’s massacre of 1929. Seven people were killed in that shooting, but Biden was not born until 1942 so he could not have “been there” for that one.

Brooklyn’s joyous West Indian Day Parade erupted into bloodshed Monday, as at least six people were shot along the route, authorities said. The shots were fired on the 300 block of Eastern Parkway as the colorful celebration of Caribbean life was underway at about 2:35 p.m., police said. One male victim was shot in the head, while another man was shot in the torso and another was shot in the arm. Yet another was shot in the wrist. A woman was shot in the shoulder and torso. It’s unclear where the fifth and sixth victims were shot, sources said.

Sen. JD Vance (R-OH) said Sunday on ABC’s “This Week” that the Trump administration will start mass deportations with a million people. Anchor Jonathan Karl said, “One of the proposals in the platform you’ve talked about, and Trump has talked about, is a mass deportation. You said he said he’ll start with the easy ones, the criminals, people who commit crimes, deport them, but he said deporting 15 million to 20 million people, how do you actually do that?

More than any other equation in physics, E = mc² is recognizable and profound. But what do we actually learn about reality from it? ===================================================================== This 1934 photograph shows Einstein in front of a blackboard, deriving special relativity for a group of students and onlookers. Although special relativity is now taken for granted, it was revolutionary when Einstein first put it forth, and doesn't even describe his most famous equation, which is E = mc². - Public Domain ====================================================================== Key Takeaways: * First introduced way back in 1905, Einstein’s most famous equation, E = mc², put forth the mathematical formula...

Riots broke out in the English seaside town of Southport on Tuesday after the gruesome mass stabbing, allegedly by a migrant-heritage teen that left three children dead. Merseyside Police announced that a “major incident” had been declared after riots saw 39 police officers injured, 27 of whom were hospitalised after violence erupted during a protest over the attack on a children’s ‘Taylor Swift’ dance party in Southport on Monday that left three young girls dead and a further ten people injured. The force said that officers sustained bone fractures, lacerations, a suspected broken nose, and a concussion during the mayhem...

A young girl was killed and seven others were injured when a hooded, knife-wielding maniac rampaged through a Taylor Swift-themed dance workshop in the UK Monday morning, authorities said. The horror unfolded shortly before noon in Southport in northwest England outside Liverpool, when the unidentified man attacked the children before he was taken into custody by police, according to reports. Witnesses said the attacker wore a “black hood” when he entered The Hart Space, where the yoga and dance event took place, the Daily Mail reported. At least 25 children were taking part in the event when the attack unfolded,...

Four people and one suspect are dead after a shooting in Kentucky early Saturday, the Florence Police Department says. The shooting took place at around 2:50 a.m. at a home on Ridgecrest Drive, located in the city of Florence, in northern Kentucky, Florence Police Chief Jeff Mallery said at a press briefing Saturday. A 21st birthday party was taking place at a residence there which suddenly turned deadly, Mallery said.

Mass immigration, both illegal and legal, is dramatically “reshaping the American South” more than any other region of the United States, research from the Center for Immigration Studies shows. The analysis, conducted by Steven Camarota, looks at the expansive growth of the nation’s foreign-born population, which has reached an unprecedented 51.6 million — the largest ever in American history. “Immigration policy is reshaping the American South more than any other part of the country,” Camarota writes.

Biden officials have back down in the face of multiple lawsuits after the National Park Service denied, for the second year in a row, the Knights of Columbus’ request to host a Memorial Day Mass inside a national cemetery. The Knights have hosted the annual Memorial Day Mass inside Poplar Grove National Cemetery in Petersburg, Virginia since the 1960’s. On May 21, First Liberty Institute and McGuireWoods LLP filed a motion for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction against National Park Service, so that the Knights can continue on with hosting their annual Memorial Day Mass at the Cemetery....