West Has 'Betrayed the Christians of the East,' Says Syrian Patriarch

 

The following excerpts are from AINA.org:

The head of the Syrian Catholic Church, Mar Ignace Youssif III Youan, has said the West has betrayed Syrians and caused an endless conflict in the country.

Speaking to Le Messenger, an Egpytian Catholic magazine, Youan spoke passionately about the "chaos" that Western governments have caused by ignoring the advice of Syrians, assuming that Assad's regime could be destroyed in a few months, and now having faith in airstrikes as the answer when ISIS has thoroughly infiltrated Iraq, Syria and beyond.

"We Christians are not able to live in this chaos," the Syrian Patriarch said. "The West has betrayed us."

The patriarch accused Western governments of wanting to "perpetuate the endless conflict in Syria" and of having "betrayed the Christians of the East. We explained from the beginning that our situation was different from that of other nations in the region, they were not listened to. And now we mourn deaths over the past five years. "

He described the current situation in Syria as "dramatic, and all the Syrian people are living in pain" as they are trapped under the regime of ISIS and other terrorist groups "who use Islam as an excuse to 'purify' areas under their control in the name of religion, and Muslim scholars who tell us that Islam is alien to these facts.

"It's a shame that the West has abandoned Christians to this situation," he said.

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West Has 'Betrayed the Christians of the East,' Says Syrian Patriarch

CHINA Kong Zhenlan, a mother to dozens of orphaned and abandoned children - Asia News

The following excerpts are from AsiaNews.it:

Jiuji (AsiaNews/Ucanews) – For the past 42 years, Kong Zhenlan, a Catholic in China's Shanxi province, has been bringing up handicapped orphans and abandoned children along with her own kids, and that has inspired one of her sons to become a Catholic priest.

Kong's son Father Anthony Fan Changliang says the adoption of orphans is related to a local tradition in their Jiuji Catholic village in Qi County.

Before the communist revolution in 1949, the ancient Catholic parish in the village maintained a tradition of charity to help the orphans.

In the two decades that followed the revolution this noble tradition and all the charity works were stopped as religions were oppressed, Catholics say.

In the 1970s, there was an increase of abandoned children but there was no orphanage. Father Fan said that in 1977 his mother began to adopt abandoned and handicapped orphans.

The lack of medical care and children’s poor health made mortality rate quite high, said Father Fan, who was a teenage at the time. The deaths of some children and the unbearable financial burden on the family saddened him.

For a while, he said, he lost the faith. But the words of his mother made him think deeper. "To love the poor is to love Jesus. Each of the kid is a little brother, a little Jesus. When we take care of our little brothers, we are taking care of Jesus," she used to say.

Only after graduating from the novitiate did Father Fan fully understand and support his mother's mission, he said.

“We are all brothers and sisters, there is no difference," he said when asked how many biological and adopted brothers and sisters he has. "It is a blessing" that his mother is able to give love to the kids, "a love with faith, and she enjoys doing it," he said.

Since the age of 24, Kong and her husband Fan Bucheng have been engaged in this charitable activity. Now, they are both 66-years old.

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CHINA Kong Zhenlan, a mother to dozens of orphaned and abandoned children - Asia News

Italian police round up terror suspects in failed Vatican plot, deadly Pakistan attack | Fox News

The following excerpts are from Fox News:

Italian security forces were rounding up 18 Islamic extremists Friday who prosecutors said were behind a failed 2010 plot to attack the Vatican as well as a bombing at a Pakistan market that killed more than 100 a year earlier.

Prosecutor Mauro Mura told reporters in Cagliari, Sardinia, on Friday that wiretaps indicated the suspected terrorists, including two former bodyguards for Usama bin Laden, planned a bomb attack at the Vatican and went as far as to send a suicide bomber to Rome. Mura said the attack plans never went further and that the suicide bomber left Italy, though it wasn't clear why.

“We don’t have proof, we have strong suspicion,” Mario Carta, head of the police unit leading the investigation, said when asked for more details on a possible attack against the seat of the Catholic church.

Authorities said nine suspects had been caught, and another nine were being sought, three of whom were believed to still be in the country. One of the suspects arrested Friday had a construction business in Sardinia that participated in work for a Group of Eight summit planned for Sardinia but that was later moved to quake-stricken Aquilia, in Abruzzo to boost reconstruction. Another was an imam in the northern province of Bergamo.

Vatican secretary of state Pietro Parolin said the threat is chilling, even if it is old.

"We are all exposed and we are all afraid," Parolin said. "But the pope is very calm for this, it's enough to watch him meeting people with great clarity and serenity."

At the time of the suspected plot to bomb the Vatican, Pope Benedict XVI was still reeling from the effects in the Muslim world of a 2006 speech in Regensburg, Germany, in which he quoted a Byzantine emperor who characterized some of the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad as "evil and inhuman," particularly "his command to spread by the sword the faith."

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Italian police round up terror suspects in failed Vatican plot, deadly Pakistan attack | Fox News

Good for You, Catholic Church | The American Conservative

The following excerpts are from The American Conservative:

Just a short note to say what a great witness some local Catholics were to my Protestant niece on the bus trip to the March for Life. I just talked to my niece about the trip, and she was so excited by — well, she was excited about everything, but it was interesting to hear her talk about how much she enjoyed the catechetical talks on the long drive to DC. The group was almost entirely Catholic, but they were accompanied by an LSU student who gave basic talks on Catholic belief and practice, to make sure the kids knew their faith.

And they had “the coolest nun” on the bus, according to Claire: one of the Nashville Dominicans.

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Good for You, Catholic Church | The American Conservative

Peeved Parishioners Leaving SF Catholic Church Over Ban On Girls As Altar Servers « CBS San Francisco

The following excerpts are from CBS San Francisco:

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) — A Bay Area church is now under fire over a controversial new policy saying only boys can be altar servers.

The new practice is making waves at the century old church Star of the Sea. Since the ’70s, they’ve used altar girls during masses.

The well-known Richmond District church also has a school serving about 230 kids. When the new priest banned girls from being altar servers, it generated outrage among parents and parishioners alike. The priest admits some parishioners even left the church.

“It’s disturbing,” said churchgoer Connie Porciuncula.

Star of the Sea School parent Tara Widmer agrees. “They’re definitely taking a step in the wrong direction,” she said.

Father Joseph Illo took over five months ago and decided to train only boys to be altar servers. He said he has no choice but to exclude girls because the future of the church is at stake.

“The specifics of serving at the altar is a priestly function,” Illo said. “And the Catholic church does not ordain women.”

But many parishioners and parents criticize the new practice saying it sends the wrong message.

“It just kind of makes me feel that I’m not good enough because I’m a girl,” said a 7th grader at the school who wishes to stay anonymous.

Some have left this church, others are threatening to leave.

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Peeved Parishioners Leaving SF Catholic Church Over Ban On Girls As Altar Servers « CBS San Francisco

Pope Rules Chaldean Priest Can Stay in San Diego

The following excerpts are from AINA.org:

SAN DIEGO -- In a landmark decision, Pope Francis has ruled that a priest who is part of the San Diego Iraqi Christian community will not have to return to Iraq.

The Pope this week overturned a decree that would have sent Father Noel Gorgis of the St. Peters Chaldean Church in El Cajon back to Iraq.

In October of last year, the Patriarch of the Chaldean Catholic Church ordered 10 priests, including Gorgis, to return to Iraq or leave the church for good. The church patriarch said the group never had their moves to the U.S. approved.

Most of them had fled Iraq around the time of the Gulf War, and today ISIS militants are threatening Iraq's Christians with death if they don't convert to Islam.

...spoke with Father Noel Gorgis in October about his fears of returning home.

"To tell me go back to Iraq, it really is to make to tell me go and have suicide," Gorgis said at the time.

The Chaldean Church of San Diego appealed to Pope Francis shortly after the decree to move was issued.

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Pope Rules Chaldean Priest Can Stay in San Diego

Iraqis Fear ISIS Using Small Children As 'Human Shields, Trafficking'

Rosalinda, 4, with her uncle (Courtesy of The Sunday Times).

The following excerpts are from AINA.org:

Iraqis have sounded the alarm over the fate of small children kidnapped by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) militant group, saying they were either used as "human shields" or victims for "human trafficking."

Steven Nabil, a popular Iraqi activist on Facebook, helped an Iraqi Christian woman disseminate her plea via a video for "good Iraqis" to bring back her three-year-old daughter Christina Abada.

...In an additional case, another Iraqi citizen expressed concern about the fate of his kidnapped 4-year-old niece, saying she is being used by ISIS as a human shield.

Mirze Ezdin, an Iraqi lawyer, told The Sunday Times he was terrified for the future of his niece Rosalinda, 4, who is among an estimated 3,000 children and women believed to be held hostage as "human shields" in the ISIS-controlled border town of Tal'Afar.

The uncle also fears for his other 45 relatives who were also snatched by the militant group.

Last week, Ezdin's family told The Sunday Times of the horrors inflicted on their children and wives. The family said their relatives lived under 24-hour house arrest in a town transformed into an open prison.

The family also described to the daily the terror of rape, of concerns that young girls were being sold into sex slavery, of little boys being taught to kill and of babies dying from malnutrition.

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Iraqis Fear ISIS Using Small Children As 'Human Shields, Trafficking'

NEPAL Nepal, Christians alone rush to aid of flood victims - Asia News

The following excerpts are from AsiaNews.it:

Kathmandu (AsiaNews) - In less than 24 hours dozens of people have been killed and tens of thousands displaced by the floods that have hit Nepal. For the moment only the Church, its institutions and some NGOs are working to rescue the affected people. As every year, the population denounce, the government inaction has led to a lack of prevention and emergency measures.

Floods have swamped the western part of the country. The most affected districts include Doti, Mahakali, Kailali, Kanchanpur, Bardia, Dang, Banke, Siraha, Saptari and Nawalparasi, but 40 other districts reported a variety of problems.

Minister of Information and government spokesman, Minendra Rijal, said: "We are aware of the problem and we are trying to do our best with limited resources. The government is grateful that several organizations, Christian and non, are helping the affected population".

According to the Central Disaster Management Office at least 10 thousand homes were damaged, 100 thousand people have been displaced and hundreds more are in need of aid.

Pom Bahadur Pun, who has been displaced from Jajarkot, says: "We risk our lives but the government is not doing enough to save us. We lost everything, but we want to save our lives." At the same time, however, he adds, "we are very grateful for the help and prayers of the Christians".

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NEPAL Nepal, Christians alone rush to aid of flood victims - Asia News

European Court: Gay Marriage is not a Human Right

The following excerpts are from C-FAM (Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute)::

NEW YORK, July 25 (C-FAM) The highest human rights court in Europe shattered hopes that it would judicially impose same-sex marriage when it told a male to female transsexual and his wife that a civil union should be good enough for them.

European human rights law does not require countries to “grant access to marriage to same-sex couples,” according to a judgment of the European Court of Human Rights in a case that tests the remote boundaries of possibility in law and fact.

The parties to the litigation and supporters of same-sex marriage acknowledge the result was predictable. Nevertheless the judgment has a devastating effect on gay rights in Europe, dashing hopes that same-sex “marriage” can become a reality there. The facts of the case are distinctive.

Heli Hämäläinen of Finland had a sex change operation in 2009 to appear anatomically as a woman, despite having fathered a child with his wife of over 10 years in 2002. Before the operation, he tried to change his legal identity from male to female without success.

He sued before the European court when he was told that it would not be possible so long as he remained married, because Finland does not allow persons of the same sex to marry each other. Hämäläinen and his spouse insist that their religious beliefs prevent them from seeking a divorce and that civil unions do not give them the same benefits as marriage in Finnish law.

The European court was unequivocal. It not only said that European human rights law does not contemplate same-sex marriage, it said that civil unions are good enough for same-sex couples.

The court confirmed that the protection of the traditional institution of marriage is a valid state interest—implicitly endorsing the view that relations between persons of the same sex are not identical to marriage between a man and a woman, and may be treated differently in law.

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European Court: Gay Marriage is not a Human Right

IRAQ - VATICAN Saddened by "the timidity of the civilised world," Baghdad patriarch's heart bleeding "for the innocent in Iraq, Syria and Gaza" - Asia News

The following excerpts are from AsiaNews.it:

Baghdad (AsiaNews) - With a heart bleeding "for the innocent who die or are driven from their homes," his thoughts turned to the "the situation in Iraq, Syria and Gaza" and full sadness for the timidity of the civilised world towards us" as well as the lack of action by the international community, Louis Sako, patriarch of Babylon of the Chaldeans (Baghdad) wrote to Card Philippe Barbarin, archbishop of Lyon (France). His message will be heard today during a march organised by the diocese in solidarity with Iraqi Christians, whose fate has become tragic after the invasion of north central Iraq by the Islamic Army, which set up an Islamic Caliphate in Mosul, and issued in recent days an edict calling on Christians either convert to Islam, pay the dhimmi tax or abandon everything and flee.

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IRAQ - VATICAN Saddened by "the timidity of the civilised world," Baghdad patriarch's heart bleeding "for the innocent in Iraq, Syria and Gaza" - Asia News

Children of surrogacy campaign to outlaw the practice | New York Post

The following excerpts are from the New York Post:

• When Jessica Kern gave evidence to lawmakers in Washington, DC, last summer opposing the legalization of surrogacy in the district, she was pointedly asked why she wasn’t grateful for the procedure that created her.
• “The question was so simple and dismissive,” she recalls. “Like I would choose this for myself? When the only reason you’re in this world is a big fat paycheck, it’s degrading.”
• Kern, 30, of Culpepper, Va., is among a number of donor-conceived children in the US who are campaigning for tighter controls on the law governing assisted reproduction.
• “You can’t sell your kidney for profit but you can purchase an egg or sell a child,” she says. “There needs to be more checks and balances.
• “Most of the consideration within surrogacy is toward the adults and what they want. Often, it’s not in the best interests of the children.”

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Children of surrogacy campaign to outlaw the practice | New York Post

Mosul's Ancient Christian Population 'May Never Return'

AP Wire Photo

The following excerpts are from AINA.org:

• The Islamist overthrow of the Iraqi city of Mosul has emptied it of its ancient Christian population, who may never return, the Chaldean Catholic Archbishop of Mosul said.
• Archbishop Amel Nona said he had "never seen anything like" the attack on the northern city this week, which is part of an ongoing campaign to set up an Islamic state in northern Iraq by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), who are also known as ISIS (the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria Group).
• Mosul, historically a Christian heartland, was home to 35,000 Christians before the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq. In the 11 years since, its Christian population has drained to just 3,000. World Watch Monitor, which monitors Christian persecution, reported that up to a thousand Christian families had fled this week for safer areas.
• The archbishop told the Christian charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN): "We have never seen anything like this -- a large city such as Mosul attacked and in chaos." He went on: "Now there is probably no one left. We received threats... [and] now all the faithful have fled the city. I wonder if they will ever return there."
• Archbishop Nona said the city had been left "to the mercy of the attackers" after the Iraqi army and police suddenly withdrew. Mosul's last remaining Christians were among the 500,000 people to flee this week.

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Mosul's Ancient Christian Population 'May Never Return'

Pope Francis And The Presidents Of Israel And Palestine Invoke Peace

Franco Origlia/Getty Images

Vatican City, 9 June 2014 (VIS) – Yesterday afternoon the Vatican Gardens hosted the Invocation for Peace, the initiative Pope Francis proposed to presidents Shimon Peres and Mahmoud Abbas during his recent pilgrimage to the Holy Land, to pray for the gift of peace for the Israeli and Palestinian peoples. Peres and Abbas arrived in the Vatican at 6.15 and 6.30 p.m. respectively, and were received by the Holy Father at the entrance of the Domus Sanctae Marthae, where he spoke briefly first with the Israel president, and then with the Palestinian.

Shortly after, they entered the Santa Marta Hall where they were joined by the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomaios I, and then transferred by car to the Vatican Gardens where they were awaited by their respective delegations. The meeting began with the following words: “May the Lord grant us peace! We are gathered here, Israelis and Palestinians, Jews, Christians and Muslims, to offer our prayer for peace for the Holy Land and for all its inhabitants”.

As previously explained, the meeting took place in three phases, followed by a conclusion. Following the chronological order of the three religions, it began with the Jewish community, followed by Christians, and finally Muslims. The first phase, for the three communities, consisted of praise to God for the gift of creation and for having made us members of one human family. The second was a plea to God for forgiveness for not having acted like brothers and sisters, and for our sins against God and neighbour. The third invokes from God the gift of peace in the Holy Land and the capacity to be converted into builders of peace. Each of these phases was accompanied by a brief musical interlude. A longer musical meditation concluded each of the three principal parts. At the end, before exchanging handshakes and planting an olive tree as a symbol of the common desire for peace between the Palestinian and Israeli peoples, the Holy Father, President Shimon Peres and President Mahmoud Abbas all gave brief discourses.

“Distinguished Presidents”, began Pope Francis, “I greet you with immense joy and I wish to offer you, and the eminent delegations accompanying you, the same warm welcome which you gave to me during my recent pilgrimage to the Holy Land. I am profoundly grateful to you for accepting my invitation to come here and to join in imploring from God the gift of peace. It is my hope that this meeting will be a path to seeking the things that unite, so as to overcome the things that divide. I also thank Your Holiness, my venerable Brother Bartholomaios, for joining me in welcoming these illustrious guests. Your presence here is a great gift, a much-appreciated sign of support, and a testimony to the pilgrimage which we Christians are making towards full unity”.

“Your presence, dear Presidents, is a great sign of brotherhood which you offer as children of Abraham. It is also a concrete expression of trust in God, the Lord of history, Who today looks upon all of us as brothers and Who desires to guide us in His ways. This meeting of prayer for peace in the Holy Land, in the Middle East and in the entire world is accompanied by the prayers of countless people of different cultures, nations, languages and religions: they have prayed for this meeting and even now they are united with us in the same supplication. It is a meeting which responds to the fervent desire of all who long for peace and dream of a world in which men and women can live as brothers and sisters and no longer as adversaries and enemies”.

“Dear Presidents, our world is a legacy bequeathed to us from past generations, but it is also on loan to us from our children: our children who are weary, worn out by conflicts and yearning for the dawn of peace, our children who plead with us to tear down the walls of enmity and to set out on the path of dialogue and peace, so that love and friendship will prevail. Many, all too many, of those children have been innocent victims of war and violence, saplings cut down at the height of their promise. It is our duty to ensure that their sacrifice is not in vain. The memory of these children instils in us the courage of peace, the strength to persevere undaunted in dialogue, the patience to weave, day by day, an ever more robust fabric of respectful and peaceful coexistence, for the glory of God and the good of all. Peacemaking calls for courage, much more so than warfare. It calls for the courage to say yes to encounter and no to conflict: yes to dialogue and no to violence; yes to negotiations and no to hostilities; yes to respect for agreements and no to acts of provocation; yes to sincerity and no to duplicity. All of this takes courage, it takes strength and tenacity”.

“History teaches that our own powers do not suffice. More than once we have been on the verge of peace, but the evil one, employing a variety of means, has succeeded in blocking it. That is why we are here, because we know and we believe that we need the help of God. We do not renounce our responsibilities, but we do call upon God in an act of supreme responsibility before our consciences and before our peoples. We have heard a summons, and we must respond. It is the summons to break the spiral of hatred and violence, and to break it by one word alone: the word 'brother'. But to be able to utter this word we have to lift our eyes to heaven and acknowledge one another as children of one Father”.

“To him, the Father, in the Spirit of Jesus Christ, I now turn, begging the intercession of the Virgin Mary, a daughter of the Holy Land and our Mother. Lord God of peace, hear our prayer! We have tried so many times and over so many years to resolve our conflicts by our own powers and by the force of our arms. How many moments of hostility and darkness have we experienced; how much blood has been shed; how many lives have been shattered; how many hopes have been buried… But our efforts have been in vain. Now, Lord, come to our aid! Grant us peace, teach us peace; guide our steps in the way of peace. Open our eyes and our hearts, and give us the courage to say: 'Never again war!'; 'With war everything is lost'. Instil in our hearts the courage to take concrete steps to achieve peace. Lord, God of Abraham, God of the Prophets, God of Love, You created us and You call us to live as brothers and sisters. Give us the strength daily to be instruments of peace; enable us to see everyone who crosses our path as our brother or sister. Make us sensitive to the plea of our citizens who entreat us to turn our weapons of war into implements of peace, our trepidation into confident trust, and our quarrelling into forgiveness. Keep alive within us the flame of hope, so that with patience and perseverance we may opt for dialogue and reconciliation. In this way may peace triumph at last, and may the words 'division', 'hatred' and 'war' be banished from the heart of every man and woman. Lord, defuse the violence of our tongues and our hands. Renew our hearts and minds, so that the word which always brings us together will be 'brother', and our way of life will always be that of: Shalom, Peace, Salaam! Amen”.

President Shimon Peres then addressed those present: “I have come from the Holy City of Jerusalem to thank you for your exceptional invitation”, he said. “The Holy City of Jerusalem is the beating heart of the Jewish people. In Hebrew, our ancient language, the word Jerusalem and the word for peace share the same root. And indeed peace is the vision of Jerusalem. As it is said in the Book of Psalms: Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. May those who love you be secure. May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels. For the sake of my family and friends, I will say, 'Peace be within you'. For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek your prosperity”.

“During your historic visit to the Holy Land, you moved us with the warmth of your heart, the sincerity of your intentions, your modesty, and your kind ways. You touched the people’s hearts – regardless of their faith or nation. You emerged as a bridge-builder of brotherhood and peace. We are all in need of the inspiration which accompanies your character and your way. Thank you”.

“Two peoples – Israelis and Palestinians – still are aching for peace. The tears of mothers over their children are still etched in our hearts. We must put an end to the cries, to the violence, to the conflict. We all need peace. Peace between equals. Your invitation to us to join you in this momentous ceremony to call for peace, here in the Vatican garden, in the presence of Jewish, Christian, Muslim, and Druze leaders,graciously reflects your vision of the aspiration we all share: Peace. On this moving occasion, brimming with hope and full of faith, let us all raise with you, Your Holiness, a call for peace between religions, between nations, between communities, and between fellow men and women. Let true peace become our legacy soon and swiftly”.

“Our Book of Books commands upon us the way of peace, demands of us to toil for its realization. It is said in the book of Proverbs: 'Her ways are ways of grace, and all her paths are peace'. So too must our ways be. Ways of grace and peace. It is not by chance that Rabbi Akiva captured the essence of our Torah in one sentence: 'Love your neighbour like thyself'. We are all equal before the Lord. We are all part of the human family. For without peace, we are not complete, and we have yet to achieve the mission of humanity. Peace does not come easy. We must toil with all our strengths to reach it. To reach it soon. Even if it requires sacrifice or compromise. The Book of Psalms tells us: 'Whoever loves life and desires to see many good days, keep your tongue from evil and your lips from telling lies. Turn from evil and do good, seek peace and pursue it'”.

“This is to say, we are commanded to pursue after peace. All year. Every day. We greet each other with this blessing. Shalom. Salam. We must be worthy of the deep and demanding meaning of this blessing. Even when peace seems distant, we must pursue it to bring it closer. And if we pursue peace with perseverance, with faith, we will reach it. And it will endure through us, through all of us, of all faiths, of all nations, as it is written: 'They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war any more'. The soul is elated upon the reading of these verses of eternal vision. And we can – together and now, Israelis and Palestinians – convert our noble vision to a reality of welfare and prosperity. It is within our power to bring peace to our children. This is our duty, the holy mission of parents. Let me end with a prayer: He who makes peace in the heavens shall make peace upon us and upon all of Israel, and upon the entire world, and let us say Amen”.

Finally, the president of Palestine, Mahmoud Abbas, said: “It is indeed a great honour for us to meet again with His Holiness Pope Francis in fulfilment of his kind invitation to relish his spiritual and noble presence, and listen to his opinion and crystal wisdom, which emanate from a sound heart, vibrant conscience, as well as an elevated ethical and religious sense. I thank your Holiness from the bottom of my heart for initiating this important gathering here in the Vatican. Simultaneously, we highly appreciate your visit to the Holy Land Palestine, and in particular to our Holy city Jerusalem and to Bethlehem, the city of love and peace, and the cradle of Jesus Christ. The visit is a sincere expression of your belief in peace and a truthful attempt to achieve peace between Palestinians and Israelis”.

“Oh God, we ever praise You for making Jerusalem our gate to heaven. As said in the Holy Quran, '?Glory to Him who made His servant travel by night from the sacred place of worship to the furthest place of worship, whose surroundings we have blessed'. You made pilgrimage and prayer in it as the best acts the faithful can make in your praise, and made your truthful promise in your say: 'Let them enter the Masjid as they did for the first time'. God Almighty has spoken the truth”.

“O, Lord of Heaven and Earth, accept my prayer for the realisation of truth, peace and justice in my country Palestine, the region, and the globe as a whole. I beseech You, O Lord, on behalf of my people, the people of Palestine - Muslims, Christians and Samaritans – who are craving for a just peace, dignified living, and liberty, I beseech you, O Lord, to make prosperous and promising the future of our people, and freedom in our sovereign and independent state; Grant, Oh Lord, our region and its people security, safety and stability. Save our blessed city Jerusalem; the first Kiblah, the second Holy Mosque, the third of the two Holy Mosques, and the city of blessings and peace with all that surround it.

“Reconciliation and peace, O Lord, are our goal. God in His Holy Book has addressed the faithful: 'Make peace among you'. Here we are, O God, inclined to peace. Make firm our steps and crown our efforts and endeavours with success. You are the promoter of virtue and preventer of vice, evil and aggression. You say and you are the most truthful, 'And if they incline to peace, incline thou also to it, and trust in Allah. Lo! He is the Hearer, the Knower'. In the saying of Prophet Muhammad, 'Spread the peace among you'.

“Today, we reiterate after Jesus Christ addressing Jerusalem: 'If only you had known the path of peace this day'. Also let us remember the words of Saint John Paul II when he said: 'If peace is achieved in Jerusalem, peace will be witnessed in the whole world" Simultaneously, in our prayer today, we repeatedly call after those who advocate peace:'Blessed are the peacemakers', and 'Call for the peace of Jerusalem', as came in the Holy Scriptures”.

“Accordingly, we ask You, O Lord, for peace in the Holy Land, Palestine, and Jerusalem together with its people. We call on you to make Palestine and Jerusalem in particular a secure land for all the believers, and a place for prayer and worship for the followers of the three monotheistic religions Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and for all those wishing to visit it as it is stated in the Holy Quran”.

“O Lord, You are the peace and peace emanates from You. O God of Glory and Majesty grant us security and safety, and alleviate the suffering of my people in home town and diaspora. O Lord, bring comprehensive and just peace to our country and region so that our people and the peoples of the Middle East and the whole world would enjoy the fruit of peace, stability and coexistence. We want peace for us and for our neighbours. We seek prosperity and peace of mind for ourselves and for others alike. O Lord, answer our prayers and make successful our endeavours for you are most just, most merciful, Lord of the Worlds. Amen!”

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Knesset honors St. John XXIII for saving Jews during World War II : News Headlines - Catholic Culture

The following excerpts are from CWN:

• Israel’s parliament held a special session on May 13 to pay tribute to Pope St. John XXIII.
• “There has not been an event like today’s in the history of the Knesset, an event which is so important to our relations with the Christian and Catholic world,” said Yair Tzeven, a former government minister, according to The Jerusalem Post.
• During World War II, “he did everything to save Jews,” added Isaac Herzog, a cabinet minister from 2005-11 and current opposition leader.

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Knesset honors St. John XXIII for saving Jews during World War II : News Headlines - Catholic Culture

Cardinal Collins urges Canadian Liberal Party leader to reconsider ban on pro-lifers : News Headlines - Catholic Culture

The following excerpts are from CWN:

• Cardinal Thomas Collins of Toronto has asked Canada’s Liberal Party leader Justin Trudeau to reconsider his decision to bar pro-lifer candidates from the party.
• In a May 7 statement, Trudeau said that Liberal candidates must be “resolutely pro-choice,”...

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Cardinal Collins urges Canadian Liberal Party leader to reconsider ban on pro-lifers : News Headlines - Catholic Culture

University official, demoted for signing marriage ballot petition, loses lawsuit : News Headlines - Catholic Culture

The following excerpts are from Catholic Culture's Catholic World News:

• A federal district court judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by Angela McCaskill, Gallaudet University’s former chief diversity officer, who was demoted after a colleague discovered she had signed a petition in favor of a Maryland marriage ballot initiative.
• McCaskill said in her lawsuit against the university that she was “expressing herself as a married, heterosexual, African-American, Christian woman/voter, who, through prayer and worship, searched for a means to enlighten Maryland voters on the issue of same-sex marriage in such a way to foster discourse, tolerance, and respect for the democratic process,” the Washington Business Journal reported.

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University official, demoted for signing marriage ballot petition, loses lawsuit : News Headlines - Catholic Culture

Supreme Court hears Hobby Lobby case, hints sympathy for plaintiffs : News Headlines - Catholic Culture

The following excerpts are from Catholic Culture's Catholic World News:

• Several US Supreme Court justices expressed sympathy for plaintiffs challenging the federally mandated coverage of contraceptives, during oral arguments on March 25.
• Based on the justices' questions, several leading journalists reported that the Court appeared likely to uphold the legal challenge mounted by the Hobby Lobby against the contraceptive mandate.

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Supreme Court hears Hobby Lobby case, hints sympathy for plaintiffs : News Headlines - Catholic Culture

Italian cardinal blasts 'diversity education' : News Headlines - Catholic Culture

The following excerpts are from Catholic Culture's Catholic World News:

• Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco, the president of the Italian bishops' conference, tore into plans for 'diversity education' in the nation's schools, saying that a proposed program aims as "an outright dictatorship aimed at flattening diversity."

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Italian cardinal blasts 'diversity education' : News Headlines - Catholic Culture

Prominent Catholic leader flees Pakistan after death threats : News Headlines - Catholic Culture

The following excerpts are from CWN:

• Paul Bhatti, the Pakistani political leader whose brother, Shabbaz Bhatti, was assassinated in March 2011, has left the country after receiving a series of death threats.
• Paul Bhatti said that he was moving to Italy after being warned that he was targeted for death because of his work to bring his brother’s killers to justice. He said that the government had not provided him with adequate security.

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Prominent Catholic leader flees Pakistan after death threats : News Headlines - Catholic Culture

Girl Scouts Suggest Abortion Activist Wendy Davis for "Woman of the Year" | LifeNews.com

The following excerpts are from LifeNews.com:

• Who should young girls grow up to be like? If you listen to the Girl Scouts, the answer is apparently they should aspire to become Wendy Davis, the state legislator whose sole claim to fame is standing up against a bill to stop abortions all the way to birth in Texas.
• On December 18, 2013, Girl Scouts USA tweeted: “Incredible Ladies Who Should Be Women of the Year for 2013” and asking if anyone should be added to the list.
• ...which promotes Davis and pro-abortion activist Gloria Steinem as potential women of the year. Are these really the kind of women the Girl Scouts want young girls to grow up to be?

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Girl Scouts Suggest Abortion Activist Wendy Davis for "Woman of the Year" | LifeNews.com