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With a new work by the Munich artist Henning von Gierke at the Würzburg Cathedral Museum, a talking point is generated. "The picture will perhaps trigger reservations if you focus on the term Last Supper and expect a depiction, said Juergen Lenssen, Arts Officer for the Diocese of Würzburg. In the tryptic of the 1947-born artist, people are sitting, standing and lying around a table. They act like a normal family, some of them are naked, some sit on the sidelines, some look sickly. The scene is reminiscent of the famous "Last Supper" by Leonardo da Vinci. But the space...

The 17 Most Misused Verses in the Bible By Trevin Wax Last weekend, I read a helpful book by Eric Bargerhuff titled The Most Misused Verses in the Bible: Surprising Ways God’s Word Is Misunderstood (Bethany House, 2012). Eric takes the reader through 17 often misquoted verses and helps us see their proper meaning and application.Since some of these misinterpretations are more damaging than others, Eric doesn’t recommend we run to correct people who innocently mis-apply the passages. He does recommend, however, that pastors and teachers take special care to avoid the common mistakes that lead to misuse.I should note that...

In a move as surprising as it is significant, Pope Benedict announced at today’s closing of the Seventh World Meeting of Families in Milan that Philadelphia will host the next edition of the gathering in 2015. "God willing," the pontiff added his intent to travel for the event, saying that he "look[s] forward to meeting... the Catholics of that great city" then, "along with numerous families from all around the world." Today's announcement marks the first time the Meeting will be held in the US church. Since its debut in 1994, only once has a papal visit previously been...

What the heck... it's been a while since we last opened up the flood gates on this topic and according to Gallup surveys, we're no closer to a consensus now than we ever were. The subject at hand is our old friend, evolution vs. creation. Forty-six percent of Americans believe in the creationist view that God created humans in their present form at one time within the last 10,000 years. The prevalence of this creationist view of the origin of humans is essentially unchanged from 30 years ago, when Gallup first asked the question. About a third of Americans believe...

Recently a Wisconsin judge seriously overreached her authority when she sentenced Philip Caminite, pastor of Aleitheia Bible Church to two years in prison for teaching his flock to discipline their children! Such illegal judicial actions are one reason many of us think many judges rank alongside used car salesmen, and I don’t mean to insult used car salesmen by the comparison. I suggest that Judge Maryann Sumi might improve her status by selling cars, not sending preachers to prison. The pastor is to be supervised for six years after serving his time and is forbidden to have any contact with...

There is controversy in advance of a televised church service on 17 June on ZDF (Cathcon- German equivalent of BBC). The reason: during the service of the Evangelical Free Church congregation (Baptist) in Kamp-Lintfort work where Christians and Muslim work alongside eachother in the mines, there will be a reading from the Koran. As the Baptist pastor, André Carouge explained, Christians and Muslims have maintained close relationships in Kamp-Lintfort since the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001 in the United States.

Shout for joy, O heavens; rejoice, O earth; burst into song, O mountains! For the LORD comforts his people and will have compassion on his afflicted ones. But Zion said, “The LORD has forsaken me, the Lord has forgotten me.” “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me.” (Isaiah 49:13-16)

The Miss USA pageant will be held tomorrow. I’m praying that Miss Texas – Brittany Booker – wins the crown. Not just because she is a “stunning, 5’11”, green-eyed model,” as her Miss Texas biography describes her. And not because she looks fabulous in both an evening gown and a swimsuit (both of which are required in the competition). I’m backing 21-year-old Brittany because she is a devoted Christian. And while she is beautiful on the outside, she is even more beautiful on the inside. A Houston native, Brittany was raised in a Christian family, by parents who instilled in...

PRINCETON, N.J., June 2 (UPI) -- The percentage of U.S. residents who believe God created human beings less than 10,000 years ago has changed little in the past 30 years, a Gallup poll says. In a report Friday, the Gallup organization said 46 percent held that view in the most recent poll. In 1982, when Gallup first asked the question, the percentage was 44 percent and the average over the years has been 45 percent. The poll was conducted for USA Today. Almost one-third, 32 percent, said humans have evolved over millions of years with divine guidance, down from an...

Two recent essays provide a new perspective on the never-ending discussion centered around the question, “Are Mormons Christian?” Mormons claim to be Christian, while at the same time denying divine authority and full legitimacy to all other Christian denominations. Consider the specific topic of rebaptism. Previously baptized Christians who join the LDS Church are required to be rebaptized by an LDS priesthood holder, which seems quite natural to Mormons. Baptized Mormons who later choose to join another Christian denomination are generally required to be rebaptized by that denomination because, in their eyes, Mormon baptism doesn’t count, which rather incongruously strikes...

"But let all those those rejoice who put their trust in You; Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them; Let those also who love Your name be joyful in You." ~~Psalm 5:11

Arlene McGarrity demonstrates her support of women religious and the Leadership Conference of Women Religious outside the headquarters of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops May 8. The LCWR, in a June 1 statement responding to the Vatican's critical assessment of its organization, acknowledged the messages and signs of support received from Catholics and non-Catholics around the world. (CNS/Nancy Phelan Wiechec) By Catholic News Service WASHINGTON (CNS) -- The national board of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious said June 1 the assessment that led to a Vatican order to reform the organization "was based on unsubstantiated accusations and...

Two days ago, the Washington Post published a lengthy story on snake-handling pastor Mack Wolford, who died Sunday night from, well, a snakebite he got in church. Wolford cited Mark 16:17-18 as the source for his practice of handling rattlesnakes, water moccasins, copperheads and other venomous snakes. And Mark 16:18 does seem clear: "they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them." There's only one problem: Mark 16:18 is not in the Bible. The last 12 verses of Mark's gospel were added sometime after the original gospel began to...

Reasonable people will agree that much of Mr. Obama's biography is not exactly an open book. Many things about him are unknown because they remain undisclosed, and much that has been disclosed leaves many questions unanswered at the same time as new ones are raised. This article concerns something about Mr. Obama's life history that, to the best of my knowledge, has not yet been explored -- even though what is about to be discussed is, ironically, an "open book." Readers are about to learn that Mr. Obama has supplied two completely contradictory accounts regarding the time frame of his...

Hilal Sandikci preaches Islam, because she is looking for answers. She cannot stand open questions. Since Secondary School in Herten near Recklinghausen, the 23-year-old has been occupied with the Koran, which offers plenty of room for interpretation, and the religion that is so complex. Meanwhile, it has become a profession. Hilal Sandikci was trained as a female Iman in a Turkish Cultural Centre. Since then, she teaches the Muslim faith to Turkish people. Because she wanted to preach Islam, but also in German, in parallel with her A-levels, she took the training for Imans. "I've learned a lot from the...

Guidelines date from 1978 - publication linked with Medjugorje? The newly published guidelines were already on 25 February 1978 adopted by the CDF, as William Cardinal Levada, Prefect of the Congregation points out in his introduction. At that time, they were brought to the attention of the bishops, but not made known. The reason was that they concerned "primarily the pastors of the Church" said the Prefect. Why have they now been published? Is the disclosure in connection with the decision still-awaited in 2012 on Medjugorje?

Prime Minister David Cameron and other government leaders push for same-sex marriage, but most Brits are wary.The contrast could hardly have been more jarring. In a televised White House interview on Wednesday, May 9, President Barack Obama claimed that, having gone through an evolution on the issue, he had concluded, “it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same-sex couples should be able to get married.” That same day, an ocean away in England, Queen Elizabeth II opened the current session of Parliament, for the 60th time in her reign sitting in her House of...

A British psychotherapist tricked into offering Christian counseling to what turned out to be an undercover homosexual activist has lost her case with the British Association for Counseling and Psychotherapy (BACP). Lesley Pilkington will lose her senior accredited status because of a complaint filed by journalist Patrick Strudwick, who convinced her in 2009 that he wanted to proceed with Christian counseling to deal with unwanted same-gender attraction (see earlier story). That claim was a lie. Pilkington does not find the BACP's thinking to be correct. "They did look at the bigger picture. They said they did, but they dismissed it,...

By the Grace of G‑d 6th of Shevat 5731 [February 1, 1971] Brooklyn, N.Y. Miss ——— London, England. Blessing and Greeting: I received your letter with some delay. In it you write about the uncertainty you feel regarding commitment to Yiddishkeit [Judaism,] inasmuch as you think that life in accordance with the Torah and Mitzvos is restrictive, and limits the individual in personal creativeness, particularly in the area of thinking and choosing for himself, etc., so that it is hard to reconcile such commitment with the idea of personal freedom.

WASHINGTON—Dominican Sister John Mary Fleming, a member of St. Cecilia Congregation in Nashville, Tennessee, has been named executive director of the Secretariat of Catholic Education of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). Sister Fleming currently is principal of St. Dominic School, Bolingbrook, Illinois. She succeeds Marie Powell, who announced her retirement earlier this year. Msgr. Ronny Jenkins, USCCB general secretary, announced the appointment May 29. “I am delighted that Sister John Mary will soon join the USCCB and am grateful to her religious community for allowing her to accept this appointment,” Msgr. Jenkins said. “Both she and her religious...

The New York Times has been unsympathetic to Catholic protests against the HHS mandate, so it was not surprising that the Times editorial board had nothing but nasty things to say about the lawsuits that recently were filed against HHS by 43 Catholic plaintiffs in a Sunday editorial. Thirteen Roman Catholic dioceses and some Catholic-related groups scattered lawsuits across a dozen federal courts last week claiming that President Obama was violating their religious freedom by including contraceptives in basic health care coverage for female employees. It was a dramatic stunt, full of indignation but built on air. Building on mixed...

The Pope calls for harmony as his butler begins to talk following his arrest The Commander of the Vatican Gendarmerie was hard at work Sunday. The Vatican leak inquiry did not end with the arrest of the Pope’s butler, Paolo Gabriele so the papal police offices are busy sifting through the “investigative material” that will help find the potential accomplices and individuals behind the leaks. There are no immediate plans for arrests but not one of the Curia’s members believed the Pope’s butler is the only one responsible. “The affair is not over yet. This is just the beginning,” they...

For the record this is an AIDS Benefit Ball promoted by among others UNAIDS- see their full press release below.   Cathcon has every sympathy with combating AIDS and know of the magnificent work done by the Knights of Malta, especially in South Africa, but how do they think their cause is served by insulting the faith of every right believing Catholic in the entire world that just beggars belief.   Will the Cardinal Archbishop of Vienna speak up in protest?  - I doubt it.  UNAIDS joins 20th Anniversary Life Ball in Vienna 21 May 2012  UNAIDS Deputy Executive Director,...

Among the most momentous events of twentieth-century history is the defeat of the Communist Red Army in the Battle of Warsaw in the summer of 1920, “the miracle on the Vistula,” the subject of Adam Zamoyski’s excellent recent book Warsaw 1920: Lenin’s Failed Conquest of Europe. In the aftermath of the catastrophic First World War, with its 13 million deaths, the old order in much of Europe collapsed, and though the armistice was concluded in the West on 11 November 1918, eastern Europe, Italy, and the Middle East remained on fire for another five years. This is the background to...

Ho Chi Minh City (Agenzia Fides) - Vietnam is fertile ground for the Society of Jesus: as Fides learns from the Jesuits in Vietnam, in recent years the vocations of the congregation founded by St. Ignatius have multiplied and predict a bright future for the Society of Jesus in the country. The core of the Jesuit education is the "Scholasticate San Giuseppe" in Ho Chi Minh City, an institute that now houses 54 students, but can already count on over 100 new candidates. In years of study and spiritual discernment, many continue and conclude the path of theological, liturgical and...

I picked this up from the blog Etheldreda’s Place of frequent commentator here, Supertradmom.You know, these days there just aren’t enough girls being named “Etheldreda”.In any event, take a look at this, which I lifted from the aforementioned.  Go visit there, too: Pay attention Christians in France–you voted for this…[...] France: Muslims stone Christians in church during massNo one will take much note of this. It is just one story among the thousands that together tell the tale of France’s decline and Islamization. Eurabia Update: [Eurabia was not coined by the provocative Oriana Fallaci, but she popularized the term...] Here is...

Report and pictures of the Dalai Lama robed and in choir.

Video and report

The Woonsocket, R.I. Cross was erected in 1921 as a memorial to U.S. servicemen who answered this nation’s call to duty in World War I. The Mount Soledad Cross in San Diego was erected in 1954 to honor those who gave their lives in defense of the stars and stripes in World War II. The Big Mountain Jesus statue in Whitefish, Mont. was installed in 1955 in tribute to veterans of the Great War. How ironic that, on this day on which a grateful nation pays homage to America’s sons and daughters that have fallen in battle, the three aforementioned...

On a June evening in 1979 I was having a drink on a small balcony outside a sixth-floor apartment in downtown Warsaw with a very civilized, elderly Polish intellectual, a retired mathematics professor who had taken a degree at Cambridge between the two world wars and spoke a refined, witty, patrician English. Inside the apartment about a dozen much younger Poles, twenty-five to forty-five years old, were having a secret meeting, their voices inaudible due to the classical music being played so as to hide or muffle their discourse in case the apartment was bugged. They had each arrived separately,...

The latest volley in Bishop Richard Williamson's war against Bishop Fellay and the Holy Father has come from Fr. Francois Chazal, a priest of the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX)stationed in Asia. At the end of this post you will find a video and written transcript of a sermon give by Fr. Chazal that praises Bishop Williamson, a renowned Holocaust Denier, for thwarting Bishop Fellay's "plot" to sign a deal with Rome. This lengthy sermon is well worth taking time to listen to as it provides a perfect example of the ecclesiology taught within the SSPX. It would be...

When you're trying to connect with your god, it helps to find some peace and quiet, if you can. But that was, indeed, no such problem for the architects of these impossibly built monasteries. Constructed at dizzying heights on the sides of mountains, they ensured only the most devoted - and vertigo-free - followers would join them for prayer. Go to link to view amazing pictures. This is not for the faint of heart.

Psalm 30:4 Oh, Sing to Him, you Saints of His; Give Thanks to His Holy Name.

(CNSNews.com) - Having organized 43 plaintiffs—including the archdioceses of New York and Washington and the University of Notre Dame—to file 12 different lawsuits against the Obama administration last Monday alleging the administration is violating the religious freedom of Catholics, the Catholic bishops of the United States are now preparing Catholics for what may be the most massive campaign of civil disobedience in this country since the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and early 1960s. “Some unjust laws impose such injustices on individuals and organizations that disobeying the laws may be justified,” the bishops state in a document developed to...

Introduction The purpose of this is to let you know seven differences between Mormonism and traditional Christianity (Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox). Many would think that Mormonism is simply a part of Christianity, particularly since they are called “The Church of JESUS CHRIST of Latter-day Saints” (emphasis added). The problem is that we, as traditional Christians, think that Mormonism is teaching another Jesus than what the Bible teaches (cf. 2 Corinthians 11:3-4, 13-15). The Seven Differences 1. Mormon scripture teaches that all the various Christian denominations, particularly the Presbyterians, Baptists, and Methodists, are all considered by Jesus Christ to be “wrong.”...

The porn industry was featured last night on CNBC, which took its viewers “inside the $13 billion business of pleasure.” Well, there is no doubt that millions of Americans derive pleasure from porn, which may be found at the magazine stand, in the video store, on regular and pay-per-view cable and, of course, all over the Internet. But it is the passing pleasure of sin, as the Scripture warns us. It has a corrosive effect on our souls. That is borne out by the powerful testimonies of men and women alike who have experienced, first-hand, the deleterious effects of porn...

Isaiah 65:17,18 Behold, I am Creating New Heavens and a New Earth, So Wonderful that No One will Even Think about the Old Ones Anymore. Be Glad; Rejoice Forever in what I will Create.

Doctors who refuse to give contraceptives to unmarried women or carry out sex change operations face being banned from practicing under new guidelines.The General Medical Council has issued guidance warning that it would be “discriminatory” for doctors not to prescribe either the pill or morning-after pill because they disagree with people having sex before marriage. Senior Catholic bishops and campaigners have criticised the new orders claiming they will force Christian doctors and others with strong moral beliefs to prescribe treatments against their consciences. The draft GMC guidelines, entitled Personal Beliefs and Medical Practice, stipulate that doctors “cannot be willing to...

The worldwide collapse of Christianity is set to take place due to a purported Gospel of Barnabas, claims an Iranian newspaper. But Christians have dismissed the claims, describing them as "laughable." The text was discovered 12 years ago in an anti-smuggling sting in Turkey, and Iranian news outlet Basij claims it says Jesus was never crucified and that he was not the Son of God. The paper also argues that in the text Jesus himself predicts the coming of Muhammad. The text was written in Syriac on animal hide, and Basij argues that it was written in the 5th or...

ROME, May 23, 2012 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The 7th World Meeting of Families is set to begin next week in Milan, and the Vatican, from the pope down to his officials in the curia, is trying to warn the world that with the ongoing destruction of the traditional family, Western civilisation could be facing its end game. Since his election in 2005, Pope Benedict XVI has given prominence to the rifts, the deep fractures in modern western societies where the family used to take precedence in law and social custom. He has told the world again and again that the family...

Shocking pictures caused exhibition to be cancelled- just....

If a thing is worth doing at all, it’s worth doing badly. This paradoxical witticism of Chesterton was on my mind as I sat down to watch The War of the Vendée, a new film about the forgotten martyrs of the French Revolution. I was pleased that a film had been made to honour the heroes of the Vendée but I feared that it would be a really bad film. Certainly everything seemed to suggest that it would be awful. It was made with a miniscule budget and a cast of dozens as opposed to thousands. How could a couple...

I’ve had the misfortune to run into a very few minutes of Dan Brown’s extended stage interview from Portsmouth NH Friday night May 18 that was part of today May 22 “Word of Mouth” radio program on NHPR Word of Mouth 11:01 am Thu May 24, 2012 It is available here in two parts, each under a half hour. http://www.nhpr.org/post/writers-new-england-stage-dan-brown-1 Writers on a New England Stage: Dan Brown By Virginia Prescott International bestselling author Dan Brown talks about science, religion, and life after the Da Vinci Code at a benefit performance for Writers on a New England Stage, live from...

It was reported Cardinal Meisner was about to ban Bishop Gaillot from Cologne Archdiocese....

Brian Johnston was desperate. The pressures of raising six children on one accountant salary were crushing, but worse was that he was starting to doubt the entire reason he and his wife had created a big family with a stay-at-home mom in the first place: Their Mormonism.-SNIP-The official church historian Marlin Jenson made news last year when he said that the loss of members in the last five or 10 years has been greater than perhaps any period since Mormonism was founded in 1830. -SNIP-For Mormons grappling with doubts, the potential spiritual consequences can appear frightening. Mormon scripture teaches that...

The Vatican has published rules to evaluate the authenticity of the dozens of apparitions of the Virgin Mary reported each year. The “Norms Regarding the Manner of Proceeding in the Discernment of Presumed Apparitions or Revelations� have been in use since 1978, but until now had been available only in Latin, never officially published and only circulated among bishops and specialists. The Vatican document has now been translated into English and other languages to aid bishops in the “difficult task of discerning presumed apparitions, revelations, messages or ... extraordinary phenomena of presumed supernatural origin,� Cardinal William Levada, the head of...

JAKARTA — Just a few days after Lady Gaga’s concert in Indonesia was canceled after protests by Islamic groups, I flew 1,370 kilometers from Jakarta to Padang, West Sumatra, and drove a further 130 kilometers, a four-hour journey along rough, winding roads, to Sijunjung, to visit an Indonesian atheist jailed for his beliefs. Alex Aan, a 30-year-old civil servant, is a gentle, soft-spoken, highly intelligent young man who simply gave up his belief in God when he saw poverty, war, famine and disaster around the world. He faces the possibility of up to six years in prison, charged with blasphemy,...

I attended a screening of "For Greater Glory," which tells of the Cristiada, the war waged against the oppressive Mexican government in the 1920's by the Cristeros. What a magnificent film… absolutely inspiring! Not only should every Catholic see it for its beautiful testament to our Faith, but everyone should see it as a reminder of how precious is the right to religious freedom. The most haunting line to me: when Plutarco Calles arrogantly says, "The people elected ME!" I've heard that someplace before… When seeing this movie, understand that it concentrates on the the fighting force within the Cristeros,...

A recent Transcript article described the conviction of a 67-year-old Vernon man for the molestation of his minor daughter 18 years ago ( “Father gets six months in jail for seven years of incest,” April 19). The focus of the article appeared to be whether the sentence imposed by the court was too lenientis headline not only shifted the focus from the offender and his sentence, but wrongly assumed that the bishop had a legal duty to report and disparaged the bishop by concluding that he “failed” in that duty.. However, the sub-headline to the story was that the “LDS...