Free Republic

BEIRUT (CNS) -- The memory of that brutal June evening in his home near Mosul, Iraq, brought 48-year-old Joseph, now a refugee in Lebanon, to tears. "These people know no limits of humanity, decency, or respect for human life," he said of the Islamic State fighters. Meeting with Catholic News Service Aug. 8 at the Caritas Lebanon Migrant Center in Beirut, he and other Catholic Iraqi refugees asked that their real names not be used to protect their identities as they shared the traumatic experiences that led to their exodus. Joseph recalled how his wife and their teenage son, Bachar,...

Cuba is scheduled to build its first Roman Catholic church since the Communist Revolution 55 years ago. The project's main sponsor is Saint Lawrence Parish in Tampa, Florida, where most of the members are Cuban exiles or descendants of exiles. The news comes right after a recent report of persecution against another church in Cuba. The Voice of the Martyrs reports that in July, government agents demolished a house church on the island.

Beheadings. Crucifixions. Thousands of refugees.It can seem hopeless reading these news reports of violence and persecution of Christians in the Middle East from afar. Is there anything we can do?Yes, and fortunately it’s one of the most powerful: prayer.There are obviously many ways to pray, and any prayer made in the name of Jesus is powerful. This is just a list of prayers that may be particularly effective or relevant to this situation.Some of the things listed here may make more sense for Christians who are part of older, more liturgical traditions (Catholics, Orthodox, Anglicans, etc.). But even if these...

A couple of data points from the ongoing immigration debacle. The effort to fundamentally transform this nation into something very different from what it has been continues apace, while the democrats feverishly advance their efforts to assure a permanent electoral majority. First up, highly effective and ironical prankster James O’Keefe recently decided to test security along the southern border of this country, sneaking into Hudspeth County, Texas, from Mexico, dressed as Osama Bin Laden. He had no problem gaining access to this country:

The nightmare at the border shows no sign of abating anytime soon. Thousands of illegal aliens, including a massive increase in unaccompanied children, have crossed the border this year. Not surprisingly, 90 percent of the illegal minors do not show up for their court hearings and prefer to escape onto the streets of this country, knowing there is very little chance they will ever be deported. In 2013, only 1,800 of the 38,759 unaccompanied children who entered the country illegally were deported. The total number of undocumented aliens is unknown, for our border patrol only apprehends 25 percent of the...

The Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja on Sunday announced new procedures for worshippers at Masses to check likely spread of the Ebola virus. The procedures which include the administration of the Holy Communion on the palm of the faithful as against placing it on the tongue of the recipient, was announced by Rev. Fr. Moses Jimbili, at SS Peter and Paul Catholic Church, Nyanya. Jimbili told parishioners at the church that the measure was a directive by the Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, His Eminence, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, as check on the spread of Ebola disease. Another change in the church’s practice...

The Roman Catholic diocese of Norwich, Connecticut, under Bishop Michael Cote, has praised Congressman Joe Courtney (D-CT) for his work with diocesan groups toward amnesty for illegal immigrants, claiming that Courtney and the pro-amnesty groups are “working together to do the right thing.” Courtney, who was raised Catholic, last year was given a rating of 100% by NARAL Pro-Choice America, the largest organization in the United States that engages in political action to oppose restrictions on abortion and expand access to abortion. His 100% NARAL rating means that Courtney has always voted to ensure abortion has no restrictions and that,...

Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta warn that followers of the Islamic State are ready to strike their countries of origin. Governments, public places and other sensitive spots are their main targets. The goal is to erase secular and pluralist constitutions in order to introduce Sharia-inspired rules. At least 20 Malaysian nationals are in Syria to fight the jihad. The first recruits from the Philippines are reported.Kuala Lumpur (AsiaNews/Agencies) - Anti-terrorism experts from Malaysia and Indonesia have reported that several Malaysians and Indonesians have recently joined the Islamic State terror group (formerly known as ISIS), which is active in Iraq and Syria,...

I have a brilliant idea. Let’s sell the White House to help pay off the debt. It’s valued at more than $300 million and that would make a significant contribution. The Obamas could move into a nice townhouse, probably in the $300,000 range, within commuting distance of Washington, D.C. I suppose some complications would arise from this plan. For security purposes, they would probably have to buy the surrounding houses or even the whole block. The president’s entourage would likely back up traffic as he is commuting downtown every day. They would also have to purchase new office space for...

Pressured by the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF), Mary’s Gourmet Diner in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, has terminated its offer of a 15% discount for customers who would pray publicly as they ate. Once the FFRF learned of the restaurant’s discount, its attorney Elizabeth Cavell threatened the diner with a complaint in an August 4 letter. Co-owner Mary Haglund immediately capitulated, emailing Cavell on August 6, "I am notifying you & the FFRF that as of today we are no longer offering the 15% discount for Praying in Public."

Lord Byron’s poem The Destruction of Sennacherib begins with the line, “The Assyrian came down like a wolf on the fold.” My friend Paul Thigpen makes the link between the warlords of the Islamic State (IS) and their historic predecessors, the warlike Assyrians.

August 11, 2014LIBERIA - A Catholic humanitarian group based in Spain says a nun from the Congo who was working in Liberia has died of the Ebola virus.The San Juan de Dios hospital order says Saturday that Sister Chantal Pascaline died "from Ebola in the Hospital San Jose de Monrovia, despite the care she received from a volunteer nurse."Pascaline belonged to the same order as a Spanish missionary priest and nun evacuated to Madrid by jet this week. Both are in stable condition in a Madrid hospital.The latest Ebola outbreak is the largest and longest ever recorded for the...

Rome, Italy, Aug 8, 2014 / 04:30 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- A priest hailing from what used to be Iraq’s largest Christian city has lamented the exodus of over 100,000 Christians from the city, many of whom are fleeing on foot with no food, money or water. “Today the story of Christianity is finished in Iraq,” said a priest who identified himself as Fr. Nawar. “People can’t stay in Iraq because there is death for whoever stays,” told CNA Aug. 8. A priest who has been living and studying in Rome for the last three years, Fr. Nawar is originally from...

Father David told us that because Tony [Palmer] was not a Roman Catholic he had to ask his bishop’s permission to celebrate the requiem and though Tony’s wife and children are Roman Catholics, permission still had to be given for the requiem. The bishop agreed but said that Tony could not be buried as a bishop as he was not a Roman Catholic bishop. However, Pope Francis said he should and could be buried as a bishop, and so that put an end to that little bit of ecclesiastical nonsense!”

Sr. Simone Campbell A Catholic social justice activist who promoted a bus tour to encourage income equality is this year's recipient of the Pacem in Terris Peace and Freedom Award, it was announced Wednesday.Sister Simone Campbell is the executive director of NETWORK, a nonprofit Catholic social justice lobby based in Washington, D.C. She will receive the award at 3 p.m. Sept. 21 at Christ the King Chapel on the campus of St. Ambrose University in Davenport.Campbell and the "Nuns on the Bus" tour for social and economic justice drew national attention. In Iowa, the tour was active during 2012...

As a Crusade historian, I found the tranquil solitude of the ivory tower shattered by journalists, editors, and talk-show hosts on tight deadlines eager to get the real scoop. What were the Crusades?, they asked. When were they? Just how insensitive was President George W. Bush for using the word "crusade" in his remarks? With a few of my callers I had the distinct impression that they already knew the answers to their questions, or at least thought they did. What they really wanted was an expert to say it all back to them. For example, I was frequently asked...

At the tender age of seven, Brian Vanderpool experienced a life changing moment when he watched the movie, Saving Private Ryan. It left such a deep impression on him that he decided to become a Marine. He found out later the movie actually depicted Army personnel, but he had his mind made up.Recently, Lance Corporal Vanderpool, now 20, returned home on leave from an 8 month tour of Afghanistan. He was not expecting to be greeted by a cheering crowd at Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix, Arizona, which, in his words, “left a big grin on my face.”Early on,...

First, I am convinced that what is going on in Iraq is going to have dangerous consequences for us here in these USA and for Western Europe.  Prepare your minds and gird yourselves.Pres. Obama flippantly called these heavily-armed and successfully murdering savages the “JV team”.  JV TEAM?I have followed quite a few stories about the horrific actions of ISIS or whatever its called this week.  Islamic terrorists killing people.   Pewsitter has been a good source for links about the plight of Christians.  I also give props to Rorate for a few important items.Tonight a priest friend sent this, which I hadn’t...

Flag flown outside housing estate on Poplar High StreetA black flag with white Arabic writing, similar to those flown by jihadist groups, was flying at the entrance of an east London housing state near Canary Wharf. In a highly provocative gesture, the emblem was planted on top of the gates of the Will Crooks estate on Poplar High Street, and is surrounded by flags of Palestine and slogans. The flag bears similar writing to the jihadi flags that have been flown by the extremist group in Iraq and other jihadi groups since the 1990s. When the estate was approached last...

(©AFP) FLEEING TO KURDISTAN Fr. Paolo Thabit Mekko’s dramatic testimony on how “fanatic criminals forced us to flee our homes and live on the streets like beggars” Gianni Valente Fr. Paolo Thabit Mekko, the Iraqi Chaldean priest of Qaraqosh, had spent the past few months reopening wells and getting electricity generators going for refugees that fled Mosul after Iraq’s second major city fell into the hands of ISIS jihadists. Now, he too finds himself living the life of a refugee, along with the thousands of fugitives who were expelled from the Nineveh Plain and scattered in streets, churches and...