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Pope Leo urges Christians to ‘be less fearful’ of Islam, encourages ‘dialogue’ with Muslims'One of the values of this trip is precisely to raise the world’s attention to the possibility that dialogue and friendship between Muslims and Christians is possible,' Leo stated.Pope Leo XIV has spoken warmly about the relationship between Muslims and Christians and downplaying fears of Islamization.During his recent international trip to Turkey and Lebanon, the Pope gave a speech at an interfaith meeting held at Martyrs’ Square in Beirut.“Dear friends, your presence here today, in this extraordinary place where minarets and bell towers stand side by side,...

🇺🇸Pray For The Peace of Jerusalem 🇮🇱(12/4/25)[Prayer]The Scriptures in Handel’s “Messiah”Hebrews 1:5-65 For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son? 6 And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him.Holy Bible, The King James Version________________________

4 December 2025Thursday of the 1st week of Advent St. Barbara, Tacoma Readings at MassLiturgical Colour: Violet. Year: A(II).First readingIsaiah 26:1-6Open the gates; let the upright nation come inThat day, this song will be sung in the land of Judah:We have a strong city;to guard us he has setwall and rampart about us.Open the gates! Let the upright nation come in,she, the faithful onewhose mind is steadfast, who keeps the peace,because she trusts in you.Trust in the Lord for ever,for the Lord is the everlasting Rock;he has brought low those who lived high upin the steep citadel;he brings it down,...

The world continues to grow more polarized over what is good and what is evil. At Colorado State University, a Catholic student and chapter member of Turning Point USA, Blake Jones, became the target of anti-ICE protestors. In a Fox News report, Jones said he, along with three other students from TPUSA, attended a protest against ICE activity on campus, organized by groups such as the Young Democratic Socialists of America and Students for Justice in Palestine. The group followed the plan to engage in conversation with the other students and to write chalk Bible verses on the school plaza....

Join with fellow FREEPERS to pray for AMERICA: For those in Authority in Government, Family, Military, Business, Agri-Business; End to Sex Slavery; Healthcare, Education, Churches, and the Media.Forum threads labeled [Prayer] are closed to debate of any kind.

“‘To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven’” (Matthew 13:11). In the Lord’s Prayer (Matt. 6:10) we see two aspects of the kingdom of heaven. “On earth” refers to the present kingdom, mediated through God’s servants, and “in heaven” refers to God’s universal, direct reign. Through the centuries the present kingdom has attracted both true and false citizens. Only God can infallibly distinguish true citizens (the redeemed) from false ones. Jesus shows that many branches that seem to belong to the vine actually do not. The spurious ones will be pruned away and...

[Catholic / Orthodox Caucus] The Patriarch of Constantinople is asking more than Rome can giveWhen Pope Leo XIV attended the Divine Liturgy, his presence beside Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew reaffirmed Rome’s commitment to Christian unity at a moment when secular governments in East and West are engaged in closed-door political conflict.During his homily, Patriarch Bartholomew emphasised the spiritual unity of the two Churches while acknowledging the formidable theological barriers that continue to obstruct communion between the Eastern and Western Christian traditions.“As successors of the two holy Apostles, the founders of our respective Churches,” he said, referring to Peter and Andrew, “we...

[Catholic Caucus] A Modest Proposal for Reeducating the BishopsThe time has come to reeducate our bishops, beginning with how they use—and manifestly misuse—the English language. Our Lord gave us a clear precept about language: “Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from the Evil One” (Matthew 5:37). And likewise, from the Old Testament: “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!” (Isaiah 5:20). These bishops, and sadly even the supreme pontiff, have, in...

A worship center for evangelical churches has commenced construction in Qatar, marking a significant spiritual milestone in the history of evangelicals in the country. The project, costing $33.35 million, is expected to be completed in April 2028. Evangelical Churches Alliance Qatar (ECAQ) made this announcement at the General Assembly of the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) held at the end of October in Seoul... The ECAQ stated that the worship center is not merely a building but a base for spreading Christ's message in the Middle East. It will serve as a place for spiritual formation, denominational unity, and worship, testifying...

High-profile conversions from figures like Shia LeBeouf, Ayaan Hirsi Ali and Russell Brand followed by findings--church attendance picking up has led to stunned reaction from the commentariat press. In Britain, for example, Pentecostalism and Catholicism have been found to have reversed decades of decline and grown remarkably from 2018 to 2025 – drawing intrigue from the likes of the Guardian and Reuters. In France, since 2020, the bishops’ conference (typically assiduous in collecting and releasing data) have confirmed consistently remarkable and accelerating year-on-year increases in the number of adult converts they are drawing in and baptising – many from irreligion...

The story of the Egyptian Copts is a haunting chronicle of endurance in the face of historical upheaval, systemic marginalization, and cultural erasure. Once the majority population under Byzantine rule, the Copts now constitute a vulnerable Christian minority in a predominantly Muslim Egypt. Their long and painful journey—from spiritual pre-eminence in ancient Alexandria to their present status as a marginalized community—reveals both the tragic consequences of Islamic conquest and remarkable resilience of Christian communities under duress. In antiquity, Alexandria stood out as an academic powerhouse of early Christianity—arguably one of the most influential intellectual capitals of the Christian world. Founded...

US (Catholic) parish places 'ICE was here' sign in cribSt Susanna Parish in Denham, Massachusetts, USA is an active Pax Christi parish. For this year's outdoor Nativity scene, the figurines of the Holy Family are not displayed - instead, the parish placed a sign: "ICE was here."When contacted by a Boston Globe reporter who asked if the photo was authentic and if ICE actually had visited the church, St Susanna's pastor Fr Steve Josomo confirmed the veracity of the image and wrote the following response:"Each year our Peace and Justice group (Pax Christi) tries to hold a mirror up to...

“Nostra Aetate, 60 Years On: Perspectives on Catholic–Muslim Dialogue”Meeting of the Section for Interreligious Dialogue of the CCEE Commission for Evangelisation and CultureOver thirty participants, representatives of European Bishops Conferences, theologians and witnesses, from 20 European countries gathered in Augsburg, the historic city of peace, for a meeting of the CCEE Section for Interreligious Dialogue from 26 to 28 November. The theme of the meeting was: “Nostra Aetate, 60 Years On: Perspectives on Catholic-Muslim Dialogue”. In welcoming those gathered, H.E. Msgr. Bertram MEIER, Bishop of Augsburg quoted Nostra Aetate, n. 5: “We cannot truly call on God, the Father of...

Dear friends, two thousand years ago, Simeon was "waiting" for His Savior's first advent (Luke 2:25)! This same word "waiting" is used in (Titus 2:13), “Looking" for the blessed hope! Simeon was "waiting" with all eager anticipation and expectancy, "looking" for the Messiah to come, longing for the Messiah to come, eagerly expecting His first coming! Oh dear friends, how many believers in this same Jesus today look with all eager anticipation and expectancy like Simeon did 2000 years ago, not for Messiah's first coming but for His return for His Body in the clouds? Tragically, not too many. Simeon...

Daily Readings from the USCCBMemorial of Saint Francis Xavier, PriestAt that time: Jesus walked by the Sea of Galilee, went up on the mountain, and sat down there. Great crowds came to him, having with them the lame, the blind, the deformed, the mute, and many others. They placed them at his feet, and he cured them. Matthew 15:29–30Why did Jesus perform so many miracles when He walked the earth? The Church Fathers and saints offer various insights. His miracles were personal acts of compassion, expressions of divine love welling up within His human Heart. They were also testaments to...

🇺🇸Pray For The Peace of Jerusalem 🇮🇱(12/3/25)[Prayer]The Scriptures in Handel’s “Messiah”Psalm 24:7-107 Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. 8 Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. 9 Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. 10 Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah.Holy Bible, The King James Version________________________

3 December 2025 Saint Francis Xavier, Priest on Wednesday of the 1st week of AdventBasilica of St. Francis Xavier, Dyersville IowaReadings at MassLiturgical Colour: White. Year: A(II).Readings for the feriaReadings for the memorialThese are the readings for the feriaFirst readingIsaiah 25:6-10The Lord will prepare a banquet for every nationOn this mountain,the Lord of hosts will prepare for all peoplesa banquet of rich food, a banquet of fine wines,of food rich and juicy, of fine strained wines.On this mountain he will removethe mourning veil covering all peoples,and the shroud enwrapping all nations,he will destroy Death for ever.The Lord will wipe...

“He spoke many things to them in parables” (Matthew 13:3). The parable was one of the staple teaching tools the Lord Jesus used to convey spiritual truth in an understandable way. The word parable contains the idea of placing something alongside something else to make a comparison. In this way, Jesus would place a moral truth alongside a physical example that people could more easily grasp. By this common form of Jewish teaching, He used a common object or practice to elucidate an intangible truth or principle. From His earliest teaching sessions, Christ used graphic analogies to instruct on divine...

A New York pastor surprised churchgoers with the extraordinary revelation that he is transitioning into a woman and will now use she/her pronouns. Reverend Phil Phaneuf, 51, who was born male, shared that she has been undergoing a gender transition with her congregation at North Chili United Methodist Church (UMC) during Sunday service. 'I get to announce with joy that I am transitioning. I am affirming and saying to all of you that I am transgender,' the veteran pastor, wearing a rainbow stole, declared this past Sunday. 'The best way to put this is that I'm not becoming a woman,...

Join with fellow FREEPERS to pray for AMERICA: For those in Authority in Government, Family, Military, Business, Agri-Business; End to Sex Slavery; Healthcare, Education, Churches, and the Media. This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. (1 John 5:14) I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone: for kings and all those in authority that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. ~ 1 Timothy 2:1-2 Religion Forum Threads labeled [Prayer] are closed to...