Pope Francis continues to surprise. This week, the surprise is his thoughtful message to an atheist journalist—and through him, to all unbelievers. * * * * * On July 7, 2013, prominent Italian journalist Eugenio Scalfari, an atheist, wrote an article in the center-left newspaper La Repubblica challenging Pope Francis to explain some key points in the Scriptures. On August 7, Scalfari continued that line of questioning. “I do not think he... Read more
Maybe it’s a moot point, since the success of Russian diplomacy means that the President’s plan to bomb Syria will not move forward. His militant, pro-war stance may, though, have finally tarnished his presidency in the eyes of the Hollywood elites. A case in point is singer and outspoken political activist Cher. Cher has been a big Obama supporter. With that other liberal media darling, Kathy Griffin, she endorsed Obama and produced a pro-abortion, pro-Obama video. This week, though, she... Read more
The Syrian village of Maaloula, near Damascus, has a rich history dating back to the time of Christ. It is a longstanding tradition that St. Thecla, a follower of the apostle Paul, is buried there within the walls of a convent that bears her name. Thecla had taken a vow of chastity, and she fled to Maaloula to avoid marriage. As her pursuers approached, a cleft of rock opened on the site, permitting her to escape; and it was there... Read more
Have you seen the latest ad for Guinness beer? Take a minute to watch it to the very end. It’ll warm your heart. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwndLOKQTDs Read more
Coming soon: The Vatican Pictures 2014 Calendar! Faithful Catholics, art aficionados and the curious will be lining up to order this new photo calendar which captures the historic significance and the ineffable beauty of the Vatican. The developers are waiting for final printing quotes, and are just about to launch a Kickstarter to fund production of the calendar. According to their new Facebook page, they are using the Kickstarter site because it allows them to print only as many calendars... Read more
Russian president Vladimir Putin says the Obama Administration is “pathetic.” On September 4, Putin opened the G20 Summit in St. Petersburg, Russia and expressed his frustration with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry. “He’s lying, and he knows he’s lying,” Putin said. He is now blaming the Obama Administration and Kerry for weak action in Syria. Putin is outspoken, to be sure; but the name calling has hardly been one-directional. In a recent press conference, Obama criticized Putin’s characteristic slouch... Read more
Driving north along I-75, you couldn’t miss him: Jesus, arms upstretched, praying to the Father. The 62-foot-high, 40-foot-wide landmark—officially called “King of Kings” but affectionately dubbed “Touchdown Jesus” by local drivers—was erected in 2004 by Solid Rock Church, a 4,000-member evangelical church in Monroe, Ohio. And for six years, the butter-colored statue was a silent witness to faith, a call to prayer. Then on June 15, 2010, during a fierce electrical storm, Touchdown Jesus was struck by lightning and in a... Read more
Every day, I read horror stories about the deaths of Christians in the Middle East. And of course, I’m familiar with threats to religious liberty here in the United States, such as the HHS Mandate. Until today, though, I hadn’t heard much about the very real persecution of Christians in the southeastern Asian nation of Laos. In many regions of that small country, religious persecution continues despite Constitutional protections. Minority Protestants, in particular, have been denied the right to worship;... Read more
As the G-20 Summit gets underway in St. Petersburg, things are tense between President Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Russian president has warned that a U.S. military strike against Syria would be considered “an act of aggression” if the move was not first unanimously approved by the United Nations Security Council. And just yesterday, Putin accused Secretary of State John Kerry of “lying” to Congress over al Qaeda’s involvement in the Syrian conflict. According to Reuters, Putin had... Read more
Well, this is fun! Religion News Service has sponsored a contest, inviting artists to submit their portraits of Pope Francis. Artists from eight countries around the world have submitted works ranging from oils to pastels, from pastels to pen and ink, even cloth. They used high-tech tools and low-tech pencils. The contributors were professional artists, devoted Catholics, and children. (I even saw one sketch by Facebook friend Joe Sales.) I’ve included here just a few of the entries, to give... Read more
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