#Diocese of the Southern Cross

[calabria-mediterranea]

Civita, Calabria, Italy

Civita is hilltown town in Calabria in the heart of the Pollino National park, in Southern Italy's Calabria.

In Civita, Calabria, the history centers on an Albanian community fleeing from the Turks. While a precise arrival date is not known, the first Albanian explorers most likely came to the area in the 1470s. The “new” arrivals brought their language and culture with them, settling throughout the Pollino Mountains.

In keeping with Civita’s history, the local religion and village architecture reflect Arbëreshe culture. Just off the main piazza stands the Italian-Albanian Mother Church dedicated to Santa Maria Assunta. Its parishioners follow the Byzantine rite as part of the Eparchy of Lungro, an Italo-Albanian diocese in Calabria, subject to the Holy See. The Baroque structure features many elements of the Byzantine church, such as the beautiful iconostasis in walnut and olivewood, numerous icons and frescos.

Civita maintains its original layout, with neighborhoods of old two-story stone houses with large fireplaces situated along narrow lanes. Interestingly, the facades of several homes resemble faces, with a long chimney for the nose and windows for eyes.

The chimney stacks are another characteristic of the village, each unique design giving that personal touch to the habitation.

This village of fewer than 1,000 also boasts the dramatic natural setting of northern Calabria’s Pollino Mountains, part of Italy’s largest national park. One of Civita’s highlights is the Gole del Raganello, a deep canyon carved by the Raganello River, which flows to the Ionian Sea. From Civita’s enviable position of 450 meters (1,480 feet), views of the expansive river valley extend all the way to the sea!

From the oldtown, you can hike down the side of the canyon or take a jeep to the Ponte del Diavolo. This Devil’s Bridge has the familiar tale of having been constructed by the devil in exchange for the life of the first soul who crosses it. Being cleverer than the diavolo himself, the local landowner who made the pact with the devil tricked him by sending a sheep, instead of a person, over the new structure.

Photos by Un Trolley per Due and Calabria: The Other Italy

Follow us on Instagram, @calabria_mediterranea

[beardedmrbean]

At least 11 people have been killed amid clashes between rival cartels in the southern Mexican state of Chiapas.

Reports by local media say that two nuns and a teenager are among those killed.

The area is fought over by the Sinaloa cartel and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG).

But residents said the victims were locals who were "massacred" by cartel members.

Residents reported hearing intense gunfire on Monday night.

Police and soldiers confirmed on Tuesday that they had found 11 bodies in the village of Nuevo Morelia and its surrounding area.

The diocese of San Cristóbal, of which Nueva Morelia forms part of, confirmed that two women "who served the Catholic Church" were among those killed.

A 15-year-old boy has also been confirmed as one of the victims.

However, it was not clear if the two were lay members of the Church or nuns, as some local media reported.

Locals said there had been fighting between the rival cartels since Friday.

The Sinaloa cartel and the CJNG have been fighting for control of the area for several years.

The criminal groups extort migrants who cross the southern state on their way north to Mexico's border with the United States.

Communities in the region have been hard hit by the violence, sometimes having to hide in their homes for days as shots ring out outside.

In January, hundreds fled their homes in Chicomuselo, the area where Nuevo Morelia is located, to escape the violence.

Confrontations between the two cartels flared up again at the end of last week when members of the criminal organisations set abandoned homes alight in Nuevo Morelia and surrounding villages.

A resident told Spanish international news agency Efe that some of the villages had no power after gang members had damaged the electricity poles.

Police and forensic experts have been deployed to the area but locals claim they have been left largely unprotected.

[wisdomfish]

GAFCON is choosing faithfulness

GAFCON is choosing faithfulness to God over allegiance to broken institutions.

The Sydney Morning Herald has published a fair report on the story, although there was this one unfortunate line,

“The Diocese of the Southern Cross was formally launched in Canberra on Sunday. The first service was led by a rebel minister who resigned from the liberal Brisbane Archdiocese because he “cannot go along with same-sex blessings”.

Rebel isn’t the right word to describe Rev Peter Palmer. He has given up a steady stipend and is now driving a bus to put bread on the table. His congregation has lost their church’s property. Far from being a ‘rebel minister’, Palmer is a Christian minister who has chosen to remain faithful to Jesus while his Diocesan bishops have chosen faithlessness to both the Gospel and the churches under their care.

~  Murray Campbell

[automatismoateo]

Republicans have been working overtime spreading lies and hate trying to paint the entire LGBT community as a massive pedophile cult in an effort to get people murdered, all while proudly throwing their own children at one of the largest confirmed pedophile cults in human history - Christianity via /r/atheism

Republicans have been working overtime spreading lies and hate trying to paint the entire LGBT community as a massive pedophile cult in an effort to get people murdered, all while proudly throwing their own children at one of the largest confirmed pedophile cults in human history - Christianity

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_jury_investigation_of_Catholic_Church_sexual_abuse_in_Pennsylvania

The grand jury report was published on August 14, 2018. It showed that 301 priests were accused of sexually abusing more than 1,000 children in the six dioceses and were routinely shuffled from parish to parish in order to avoid scrutiny. The report said there are "likely thousands more victims whose records were lost or who were too afraid to come forward." The majority of the victims were boys.

301 priests across just six dioceses in one single state are responsible for sexually abusing THOUSANDS of children, and the Catholic Church did absolutely everything in their power to protect the priests and cover up their crimes every single step of the way.

Can you even begin to imagine how many victims there are worldwide? The number must be in the fucking millions.

https://www.npr.org/2022/08/13/1117362904/southern-baptists-doj-investigation-sexual-abuse

Earlier this year, an SBC sex abuse task force released a blistering 288-page report from outside consultant, Guidepost Solutions. The firm's seven-month independent investigation found disturbing details about how denominational leaders mishandled sex abuse claims and mistreated victims.

The report focused specifically on how the SBC's Executive Committee responded to abuse cases, revealing that it had secretly maintained a list of clergy and other church workers accused of abuse. The committee later apologized and released the list, which had hundreds of accused workers on it.

https://www.npr.org/2022/05/22/1100616952/southern-baptists-sex-abuse

Leaders of the Southern Baptist Convention, America's largest Protestant denomination, stonewalled and denigrated survivors of clergy sex abuse over almost two decades while seeking to protect their own reputations, according to a scathing 288-page investigative report issued Sunday.

...

"Our investigation revealed that, for many years, a few senior EC leaders, along with outside counsel, largely controlled the EC's response to these reports of abuse ... and were singularly focused on avoiding liability for the SBC," the report said.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/posteverything/wp/2018/05/31/feature/the-epidemic-of-denial-about-sexual-abuse-in-the-evangelical-church/

In one case, a pastor did not report a sexual offender in his church because the man had repented. The offender was arrested only after he had abused five more children.

https://www.nbcbayarea.com/investigations/600-sex-abuse-lawsuits-expected-to-hit-northern-ca-dioceses-in-new-window-for-accusers/2471676/

“There are a little over 600 victims of clergy abuse, virtually all Catholic Church, in Northern California that have come forward to attorneys,” said Rick Simons, one of the attorneys co-managing the hundreds of coordinated cases in Northern California.

Simons said he expects significantly more new cases in Southern California, but said many victims may never come forward.

“The number of survivors is much larger because some of passed away,” Simons said. “Some will never come forward for reasons of their own. And some people just can’t ever cross that threshold into publicly admitting that they were sexually abused by their priests.”

https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/wisconsin/2022/04/19/wisconsin-department-of-justice-clergy-investigation-nets-200-reports-abuse-one-year/7367371001/

In total, more than 1,000 calls have been made to the hotline since its launch last year.

So far, one report has resulted in charges being filed against a 33-year-old man in Waushara County. Remington Jon Nystrom, 33, was charged with one count of first-degree sexual contact with a child under 13 in connection with an incident that occurred in 2009.

https://www.christianpost.com/news/church-asks-congregants-to-forgive-pastor-for-prostitution-arrest.html

https://apnews.com/article/religion-maryland-baltimore-sexual-abuse-by-clergy-3ff478115fb428133834c82676b892c0

https://www.live5news.com/2022/10/21/georgetown-co-pastor-accused-criminal-sexual-conduct-with-minors/

https://www.chron.com/neighborhood/tomball/news/article/Former-church-minister-arrested-accused-of-12994923.php

https://www.rawstory.com/2017/12/kentucky-republican-who-compared-the-obamas-to-monkeys-accused-of-sexually-assaulting-teen-girl/

https://deadstate.org/pastor-of-anti-gay-alabama-church-gets-10-year-prison-sentence-for-molesting-young-boys/

https://abc3340.com/news/local/acton-bowen-sentenced-to-for-sexual-abuse-in-etowah-county

https://lawandcrime.com/crime/texas-pastor-caught-with-bdsm-and-bestiality-themed-child-pornography-voluntarily-admitted-he-has-an-addiction-feds-say/

https://www.rawstory.com/2017/04/anti-gay-pastor-who-cheered-orlando-nightclub-massacre-found-guilty-of-child-molestation/

https://kutv.com/news/local/former-west-jordan-church-of-jesus-christ-of-latter-day-saints-primary-teacher-sean-sund-sentenced-child-sex-abuse-sleepover

https://onlysky.media/hemant-mehta/texas-pastor-arrested-for-raping-child-at-church-and-giving-her-meth/

https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2022/04/pastor-said-god-wanted-underage-girl-spouse-church-approved/

https://ministrywatch.com/alabama-pastor-accused-of-sexually-assaulting-7-year-old/

https://www.wpxi.com/news/top-stories/man-arrested-filming-13-year-old-boy-inside-bathroom-stall-pittsburgh-target/6C32YX5NHZAZTNKXL3E5LS3WME/

https://www.ibtimes.sg/boston-pastor-indicted-child-rape-charges-raping-sexually-assaulting-altar-boy-church-67663

https://6abc.com/boothwyn-pastor-arrest-edward-lilly-child-sex-abuse-teen/7363666/

https://www.rawstory.com/2018/03/anti-lgbtq-pastor-arrested-8-counts-sexual-molestation-minors/

https://www.nbc12.com/2022/09/20/former-hopewell-youth-pastor-heads-federal-prison-sex-crimes-involving-minors/

https://www.rawstory.com/alphonso-joseph-arrested/

https://deadstate.org/former-christian-youth-pastor-convicted-of-sexually-assaulting-children/

https://www.al.com/news/2021/05/alabama-pastor-sentenced-to-15-years-in-prison-for-raping-children-released-after-5-years.html

https://www.rawstory.com/2019/06/fundamentalist-christian-who-founded-biblical-flat-earth-society-busted-on-56-counts-of-child-sexual-exploitation/

https://onlysky.media/hemant-mehta/pastor-who-gave-kids-i-%E2%9D%A4%EF%B8%8F-hot-youth-pastors-stickers-placed-on-leave/

https://www.thedailybeast.com/florida-youth-pastor-shawn-fitzgerald-charged-with-408-counts-of-child-porn

https://www.lexingtonchronicle.com/stories/former-west-columbia-youth-pastor-accused-of-sexually-abusing-teen-boy,30529

https://deadstate.org/priest-arrested-and-charged-for-masturbating-while-driving-on-the-freeway/

https://www.abc27.com/local-news/former-lebanon-county-boy-scouts-official-charged-in-child-sex-assault-case/

https://news.yahoo.com/wisconsin-pastor-among-6-arrested-234700342.html

https://www.wral.com/sunday-school-teacher-found-guilty-of-raping-girls-at-benson-church-sentenced-to-87-years-in-prison/20439155/

https://ministrywatch.com/tennessee-youth-pastor-pleads-guilty-to-sexual-exploitation-of-children/

https://www.amarillo.com/story/news/crime/2017/04/19/former-youth-minister-arrested-sexual-assault-child/13054408007/

https://ministrywatch.com/massachusetts-pastor-charged-with-failing-to-register-as-sex-offender/

https://cw39.com/crime/former-missouri-city-pastor-sentenced-to-10-years-in-prison-for-sex-assault-of-a-child/

https://abc13.com/cleveland-middle-school-teacher-charged-sex-assault-alexander-oveal-student/12345370/

https://www.nj.com/burlington/2022/08/ex-youth-pastor-coaxed-boys-to-send-him-nude-photos-and-videos-prosecutor-says.html

https://www.ncregister.com/cna/father-james-jackson-arrested-in-kansas

https://observer.ug/news/headlines/74507-american-pastor-jailed-for-10-years-over-molesting-14-year-old-ugandan-girl

https://www.wwaytv3.com/former-wrightsboro-baptist-youth-pastor-charged-with-indecent-liberties-with-a-minor/

https://onlysky.media/hemant-mehta/pastor-who-said-he-mistook-14-y-o-girl-for-wife-in-bed-sentenced-to-prison/

https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/pilot-point-mayor-resigns-felony/287-e57d0a9f-7c81-4cc2-94b7-5cde8a1bae0e

https://www.shawlocal.com/2020/11/24/crystal-lake-man-church-elder-charged-with-failing-to-report-sexual-abuse-of-child/aqqnlcw/

https://www.wvlt.tv/2022/09/16/knox-county-youth-pastor-arrested-sexual-battery/

https://www.12news.com/article/news/investigations/i-team/no-charges-but-history-of-abuse-allegations-against-arizona-teacher-lds-bishop-volunteer/75-19ef2549-519d-4a2f-b34a-b29f584d43c0

https://www.reviewjournal.com/crime/local-pastor-faces-sexual-assault-child-abuse-charges-2625732/

https://www.wbrz.com/news/former-slidell-priest-arrested-for-molestation-of-a-juvenile-for-the-second-time

https://chvnradio.com/articles/founder-of-christian-college-allegedly-sexually-assaulted-up-to-200-young-men

https://www.wsaw.com/2022/08/10/former-plover-youth-pastor-be-charged-with-child-sexual-assualt/

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10059827/Major-report-expose-sex-abuse-Frances-Catholic-Church.html

https://www.thejournal.ie/former-christian-brother-jailed-kilkenny-5803068-Jun2022/

https://friendlyatheist.patheos.com/2020/03/01/ohio-pastor-charged-with-running-sex-trafficking-ring-using-underage-girls/

https://apnews.com/article/religion-utah-salt-lake-city-sexual-abuse-by-clergy-4c889c88a1f3c4e4d00502abbbefd737

https://www.shorenewsnetwork.com/2021/01/23/new-york-city-catholic-deacon-charged-after-arranging-to-meet-boy-for-oral-sex/

https://www.fox26houston.com/news/baytown-pastor-arrested-solicitation-of-children

https://www.cleveland.com/court-justice/2022/02/former-strongsville-priest-serving-life-sentence-in-prison-for-sexually-exploiting-boys-dies.html

https://heraldcourier.com/news/crime/abingdon-pastor-arrested-on-child-sexual-assault-charges/article_db9538f8-345d-11ed-94bc-23809881b3e4.html

https://www.ksl.com/article/46732208/salt-lake-pastor-charged-with-raping-girl-in-congregation

https://julieroys.com/former-calvary-chapel-pastor-virginia-pleads-guilty-child-sex-abuse/

https://www.alternet.org/2019/06/unapologetically-christian-pizza-parlor-went-viral-then-its-owner-got-busted-for-trying-to-have-sex-with-underage-staff/

https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/virginia/church-leader-arrested-sexually-assaulting-child-annadale-fairfax-county-virginia/65-3a46be9a-ac14-47c9-b70f-cb48bd3a3387

https://meaww.com/cowboy-pastor-accused-raping-3-underage-girls-training-local-rodeo-oklahoma-house

https://www.christianpost.com/news/pastor-teacher-among-125-arrested-in-human-trafficking-sting.html

https://www.fox13news.com/news/florida-youth-pastor-arrested-for-3rd-time-after-hiding-camera-in-church-bathroom

https://www.idahostatejournal.com/news/crimes_court/pocatello-man-sentenced-to-30-years-in-prison-for-sexually-abusing-14-year-old-girl/article_168d1057-dcd1-57c5-871e-cf30e6906f3d.html?

https://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/crime/article263948706.html

https://www.yahoo.com/news/former-christian-school-assistant-principal-152853045.html

https://www.wbtw.com/news/pastor-girls-high-school-basketball-coach-among-79-arrested-in-florida-human-trafficking-operation-2/

https://www.fox9.com/news/former-preacher-charged-for-alleged-sexual-abuse-of-2-children-over-50-years-ago

https://fox11online.com/news/local/former-church-pastors-and-father-and-son-charged-with-sexually-assaulting-children-scott-huse-travis-langlade-county-apostolic-worship-center-evergreen-christian-academy-elton

https://www.reviewjournal.com/crime/sex-crimes/las-vegas-pastor-accused-of-sexually-assaulting-child-over-several-years-1918645/

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/former-pastor-confronted-by-girls-at-church-takes-plea-deal-will-serve-at-least-1-year/ar-AAXW5L3

https://www.ajc.com/news/crime/youth-pastor-6-others-arrested-on-child-porn-charges-in-floyd-county/RN32ZYMTD5D63IS4TCZ36EQBSY/

https://www.westernjournal.com/dad-cracks-eye-socket-alleged-pedophile-caught-touching-boy-9-bus-stop/

https://deadstate.org/christian-pastor-begs-for-mercy-before-being-sentenced-to-life-in-prison-for-trafficking-teen-girl/

https://www.wandtv.com/news/former-church-pastor-accepts-plea-agreement-pleads-guilty-to-grooming/article_4c28fdac-4101-11ed-a43f-037b63b999e3.html

https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/waterloo-therapist-arrested-for-touching-girl-during-counseling-session/article_1ff2256d-c552-514e-b6d9-c1f6e411ead3.html

https://www.whsv.com/2022/05/05/sheriff-66-year-old-pastor-arrested-child-sexual-abuse-charges-involving-minor-under-15/

https://www.oxygen.com/crime-news/allison-black-cornelius-blasts-rapist-leon-albert-princes-pardon-request

https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2022/07/14/former-north-york-pastor-and-wife-charged-in-historic-sexual-assault-against-children.html?rf

https://www.fox9.com/news/former-minnesota-mormon-leader-convicted-of-sexual-assault

https://kdvr.com/news/local/archdiocese-denver-lawsuit-sex-abuse-marshall-gourley/

https://www.kristv.com/pastor-arrested-on-allegations-of-continuous-sexual-assault-of-a-minor

https://www.rawstory.com/2017/11/conservative-megachurch-founder-bob-coy-accused-of-molesting-4-year-old/

https://www.pennlive.com/news/2022/10/former-priest-arrested-for-sexual-abuse-arrested-again-for-child-pornography.html

https://www.kiro7.com/news/local/former-redmond-sunday-school-teacher-charged-with-possession-child-pornography/JB4NV67ZAJA5XO72GSWETUW3FQ/

https://www.cbsnews.com/philadelphia/news/former-cherry-hill-youth-group-director-arnold-diblasi-facing-child-pornography-charges/

https://www.postcrescent.com/story/news/crime/2022/08/12/former-oneida-pastor-convicted-child-pornography-and-meth-possession/10310754002/

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-47134033

https://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/local/2022/09/22/palm-bay-pastor-charged-case-involving-minors/8085159001/

https://hot975fm.com/former-minnesota-youth-pastor-wont-be-charged-for-alleged-past-sexual-assault/

https://www.kltv.com/2020/09/01/north-texas-men-including-church-pastor-indicted-child-pornography-violations/

https://pix11.com/news/local-news/new-jersey/defrocked-cardinal-abused-minors-in-jersey-shore-sex-ring-lawsuit/

https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/06/27/kissimmee-pastor-accused-of-exposing-himself-at-starbucks/

https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/crime-and-courts/2014/03/24/former-youth-pastor-sentenced-to-15-years-in-prison-despite-emotional-plea/6829777/

https://www.wgal.com/amp/article/lancaster-county-youth-pastor-charged-with-possession-and-distribution-of-child-pornography/35603281

https://www.khou.com/article/news/crime/houston-area-pastor-charged-accused-of-sexually-abusing-young-girl/285-c9e4eac3-a4e2-462f-9fc7-c2bef98e2395

https://whnt.com/news/northeast-alabama/albertville-youth-leader-arrested-on-sodomy-charges/

https://deadstate.org/police-interrupt-florida-church-service-and-arrest-head-pastor-on-charges-of-child-sexual-abuse/

https://www.rawstory.com/2019/07/this-is-just-the-tip-of-the-iceberg-six-michigan-priests-charged-with-sex-abuse-and-more-victims-are-calling-police-daily/

https://spacecoastdaily.com/2022/09/palm-bay-pastor-owner-of-tiger-claw-kung-fu-academy-arrested-in-palm-bay-for-having-sex-with-minors/

https://www.queerty.com/antigay-pastor-wife-arrested-busted-luring-kids-candy-molesting-20180201

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-48524878

https://www.mcall.com/news/pennsylvania/mc-pa-pastor-predator-catcher-20211027-oasqcp5dhbc2fcorjkibeepfra-story.html

https://www.kait8.com/story/31763806/tony-waller-gets-life-in-prison-for-rape/

https://onlysky.media/hemant-mehta/prison-chaplain-james-highhouse-sentenced-for-sexually-abusing-inmates/

https://behindthebadge.com/anaheim-pd-arrests-pastor-on-suspicion-of-sexual-assaults-as-detectives-seek-other-victims/

https://arizonadailyindependent.com/2022/08/03/yuma-county-sheriffs-office-investigators-arrest-man-for-sexual-abuse-of-9-year-old/comment-page-1/

https://whdh.com/news/new-hampshire-pastor-accused-of-possessing-child-sex-abuse-images/

https://www.rawstory.com/circle-of-hope-girls-ranch/

https://www.latimes.com/socal/daily-pilot/news/story/2021-02-09/former-orange-county-church-pastor-pleads-guilty-sentenced-child-molestation-case

https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/crime/youth-leader-at-charlotte-area-churches-charged-with-child-sex-crimes-cmpd-police-say/275-49def882-f13a-4af9-b8ca-1692f38d87e4

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/crime/os-ne-bryan-fulwider-dead-child-sex-abuse-20191028-u7zbn3owerdpxatxnlqgtxz6lm-story.html

https://www.khou.com/article/news/local/former-pastor-who-confessed-to-molesting-child-for-several-years-sentenced-to-17-years/285-1c8b50ff-f996-4829-ad60-5d1b24589baf

https://ministrywatch.com/texas-worship-leader-son-of-churchs-pastor-sentenced-for-child-solicitation/

https://www.wfla.com/news/national/tennessee-youth-pastor-among-18-arrested-in-sex-sting/

https://www.woodtv.com/news/ottawa-county/former-pastor-jailed-for-abusing-teen-girl/

https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2021/12/02/cincinnati-priest-accused-raping-altar-boy-appear-court/8835815002/

https://www.audacy.com/1010wins/news/new-jersey-pastor-accused-of-sexually-assaulting-14-year-old

https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2019/dec/02/former-volunteer-youth-pastor-arkansas-church-sent/

https://www.northsidesun.com/crime-local-content-top-stories/attorney-general-no-chance-parole-west-62596cccc6ed0#sthash.TRkprVKP.dpbs

https://nypost.com/2021/05/05/north-carolina-church-shocked-after-pastor-arrested-for-child-porn/

https://www.newsweek.com/pastor-asks-donations-congregant-charged-raping-girls-christian-boarding-school-1593846

https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2020/12/13/ex-catholic-church-worker-in-the-woodlands-accused-of-sexual-assault-of-child-faces-more-felony-charges/

https://www.wcvb.com/article/boston-police-arrest-dorchester-man-on-multiple-counts-of-child-rape-indecent-assault-and-battery/34676669#

https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/preacher-a-registered-sex-offender-arrested-on-500-counts-of-child-porn/67-f939fe30-3f0c-4da3-b4be-f097ea212117

https://www.krem.com/article/news/local/2-spokane-men-molestation-lawsuit-south-hill-congregation-jehovahs-witnesses/293-943a4d26-cfe0-43a1-a9c2-510d89b205e2

https://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/crime/2019/11/21/real-estate-agent-charged-with-placing-a-camera-in-womens-bathroom-also-a-minister/4239775002/

https://www.rawstory.com/2018/04/evangelical-christian-school-teacher-arrested-sex-one-teen-students/

https://www.westplainsdailyquill.net/stories/wp-pastor-arrested-charged-with-incest-statutory-rape,33067

https://www.wxii12.com/article/mcleansville-pastor-charge-sexual-assault-rape/35746026

https://kutv.com/news/local/former-lds-bishop-pleads-not-guilty-to-child-porn-charges

https://www.fox10tv.com/2022/10/05/former-citronelle-pastor-back-behind-bars-child-sex-abuse-charges/

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/macomb-county/2022/06/13/neil-kalina-former-macomb-county-priest-convicted-sex-abuse/7617343001/

https://www.wfla.com/news/hillsborough-county/tampa-pastor-foster-parent-arrested-for-sexual-battery/

https://thesungazette.com/article/news/crime/2020/05/27/lindsay-pastor-arrested-on-charges-of-child-molestation/

https://www.fox4news.com/news/former-north-texas-catholic-priest-accused-of-abusing-children-arrested-in-missouri

https://www.baptistpress.com/resource-library/news/pastor-indicted-on-rape-charge-still-at-church-association/

https://metro.co.uk/2019/05/13/pastor-raped-daughter-14-gets-light-prison-sentence-man-god-9515582/

https://www.wane.com/news/crime/fort-wayne-priest-now-criminally-charged-with-sexual-abuse-of-minor/?

https://dentonrc.com/news/ex-denton-youth-pastor-gets-less-than-minimum-sentence-due-to-miscalculation/article_0c11c259-6c4a-5b74-81ca-b9ef24e7a568.html

https://www.wbtv.com/2019/10/10/sc-pastor-who-young-girl-says-got-her-pregnant-is-headed-prison-official-says/

https://lawandcrime.com/crime/i-did-something-really-stupid-evangelical-youth-pastor-faces-child-pornography-charges-after-prosecutors-say-he-recorded-a-12-year-old-at-a-christian-festival/

https://www.wfmynews2.com/article/news/crime/wilkes-county-pastor-charged-with-115-sex-offenses/83-4eebfd5f-b1a6-440f-b681-0e92575a3dce

https://apnews.com/article/pennsylvania-pornography-delaware-wilmington-philadelphia-4dad81b90123d04f36262270de3d4421

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6590715/Pastor-charged-sexually-abusing-14-year-old-daughter-New-York-Church.html

https://consequence.net/2018/08/creation-festival-christian-rock-festival-founder-child-molestation/

https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2019/jul/20/preacher-gets-deal-rape-case-after-years-cour/

https://www.wavy.com/news/crime/5th-grade-teacher-at-norfolk-christian-charged-with-possession-of-child-pornography/

https://komonews.com/news/local/pastors-son-gets-two-years-in-prison-for-raping-three-girls

https://www.weau.com/2021/11/09/former-chippewa-falls-school-chaplain-pleads-no-contest-sexual-assault/

https://www.thewesterlysun.com/news/police-courts/former-yawgoog-chaplain-sentenced-to-40-years-in-state-prison/article_d64637e8-6192-11eb-a5ac-3ff4d1236474.html?utm_medium=social

https://patch.com/pennsylvania/horsham/ex-hatboro-pastor-abused-infant-gets-200-years

https://wreg.com/news/former-atoka-pastor-takes-the-stand-in-sexual-assault-case/

https://www.firstcoastnews.com/article/news/crime/rafael-cuevas-multiple-counts-of-sexual-misconduct-jacksonville-crime/77-a2a61032-396e-4d1e-be1a-4bc2a0d53d20

https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/crime_police/article_a20b5350-1d3b-11eb-9d9e-33385ab868af.html

https://www.rawstory.com/2019/01/faith-healing-idaho-woman-claims-religion-forbid-reporting-husbands-sex-abuse-kids/

https://www.silive.com/news/2021/01/new-sex-abuse-and-grooming-allegations-target-former-staten-island-priest.html

These are the types of people that Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Lauren Boebert, Matt Gaetz, every single host at Fox News, and countless other Republican freaks are working towards putting in our schools.

Submitted November 22, 2022 at 06:41PM by Excellent-Shock2434 (From Reddit https://ift.tt/gRZTLmC)

[recentlyheardcom]

TAPACHULA, Mexico (AP) — Mexico’s armed forces sent troops, vehicle convoys and helicopters into remote towns near the southern border with Guatemala on Wednesday after drug cartels blocked roads and cut off electricity in some areas over the weekend.The drug cartels have taken control of so much territory in the rural southern state of Chiapas that some government workers had to be flown in by helicopter to repair power lines.A combined force of about 800 soldiers, National Guard officers and police fanned out around the township of Frontera Comalapa, after videos surfaced over the weekend of a convoy of heavily-armed gunmen from the Sinaloa cartel rolling into one town, drawing cheers from some inhabitants. Church groups complained supplies were running out because of the gang roadblocks.The government convoys Wednesday meet no armed resistance. But some locals are understandably skeptical about how long the peace will last.The army carried out a similar operation in the area in May, but then withdrew.Army Lt. Col. Felix Moreno Ibarra said Wednesday that this time, the soldiers will stay until control is regained over the area.President Andrés Manuel López Obrador acknowledged Monday that the cartels have cut off electricity in some towns and forbidden government workers from coming in to the largely rural area to fix the power lines.He said the cartels were fighting for control of the drug smuggling routes that lead into southern Mexico from Central America. But the area around the town of Frontera Comalapa is also a valuable route for smuggling immigrants, thousands of who have clambered aboard trains to reach the U.S. border.The Sinaloa cartel is fighting the Jalisco New Generation cartel for control of the area, located in a rural, mountainous area north of the border city of Tapachula.Four men, apparently members of the Jalisco cartel, were found dead over the weekend in a nearby town, according to an employee of the Chiapas state prosecutor’s office who spoke on condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to be quoted by name.The conflict threatened to spread over the border into Guatemala.Col. Alex Manolo Tuyuc of the Guatemalan Army said about 2,000 soldiers and 350 vehicles had been sent to areas on the Guatemalan side of the border, after reports of Mexican cartel gunmen entering Guatemala.“We got reports of armed men in vehicles crossing from Mexico into Guatemala and threatening communities” on the Guatemalan said, Tuyuc said.In Chiapas, the local Roman Catholic Diocese said in a statement over the weekend that cartels were practicing forced recruitment among local residents, and had “taken over our territory,” blocking roads and causing shortages of basic goods.López Obrador also appeared to lend credence Monday to the videos showing residents applauding about 20 pickup trucks full of armed Sinaloa cartel gunmen as they entered one Chiapas town. The president said the cartels might be forcing or bribing residents into acting as civilian supporters, known in Mexico as “social bases.”“On the side of the highway there are people apparently welcoming them,” López Obrador said of the video, which shows uniformed men aboard the trucks brandishing rifles and machine guns mounted on turrets. Voices in the video can be heard shouting phrases like “Pure Sinaloa people!”“These may be support bases, like those in some parts of the country, because they give them food packages, or out of fear, because they have threatened them,” the president said.But López Obrador said the problem was a local, isolated issue that had been magnified and exploited by his political foes.

[melbournenewsvine]

Justin Welby says the Anglican divide is dangerous for the Church

The Archbishop of Canterbury says the split in Australian Anglicanism is dangerous for the church because it views outsiders like any other institution that struggles to overcome differences. Justin Welby, who is visiting Australia for two weeks, said the Anglican Church, like the rest of the community, needed to find a way to approach the problem in a way that showed “we can disagree well and still love each other”. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby.attributed to him:Victoria Jones His visit comes at a time of deep tension in the Australian Anglican Church over same-sex marriage. Some parishes, such as Sydney and Hobart, believe that in other parts of the country more open attitudes betray the teachings of the Bible, which says that marriage is between a man and a woman. The contingent of conservative Anglicans, including the former Archbishop of Sydney, prompted the formation of a splinter church, the Diocese of the Southern Cross, which welcomes those who disagree with their bishops on same-sex marriage. Brisbane subjects have defected. Welby does not have the kind of authority over his church that Pope Francis has over Catholic teachings. Many in the Anglican world consider themselves “in company”, or allied with the Archbishop of Canterbury, but others have cut ties. loading Sydney and Hobart are now associated with GAFCON, an alliance of socially conservative and Bible-focused churches, mostly from the Southern Hemisphere. However, Welby will have dinner with the Archbishop of Sydney, Kanishka Ravel, next week. Asked whether the establishment of the new church posed a threat to the unity of the Australian Anglican Church, Welby said the issue was not whether it was a threat, but a “feeling of deep sadness and disappointment about what it says to those who are not Christians”. Source link Originally published at Melbourne News Vine

[cathnews]

Lessons from the Anglican split

Lessons from the Anglican split

Last week a gathering of Anglicans from the Pacific Region began their Conference in Canberra by announcing the creation of a new Anglican Diocese of the Southern Cross with former Archbishop of Sydney, Dr Glenn Davies as bishop. This diocese is not part of the Anglican Church in Australia but is linked to the majority of the world’s Anglicans through the Primates Council of the GAFCON…

[rabbitcruiser]

Åre, Sweden (No. 1)

Åre Old Church  is a Romanesque church building situated in Åre, a parish within the Diocese of Härnösand and a locality in Åre Municipality, Jämtland County, Sweden. The church was erected in the late 12th century at the Saint Olaf Pilgrim's Route (Swedish: S:t Olofleden), which nowadays goes from Selånger Old Church ruins at Sundsvall over the Scandinavian Mountains to Trondheim, Norway.

Åre Old Church was built in the late 12th century entirely in stone, with inspiration from contemporary Norwegian church buildings, since Jämtland then was a part of Norway. It is situated at the Saint Olaf Pilgrim's Route (Swedish: S:t Olofleden), and nowadays is the seventeenth stop on the route that goes from Selånger Old Church ruins at Sundsvall, situated at the Gulf of Bothnia, and crosses the Scandinavian Mountains via Stiklestad to the Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim, Norway — and remains the only stone church in the Scandinavian Mountains from the Middle Ages. Other remaining medieval churches in the Scandinavian Mountains are stave churches situated in Norway.

The original church's interior dimensions were only a mere 5 metres (16 ft) by 11 metres (36 ft), with a choir of 2.5 metres (8 ft 2 in) by 2.5 metres. There were only three tiny windows, so it was quite a dark church. Preserved medieval artifacts in the church are two ship candlesticks, a processional cross and an unusual wooden statue of Saint Olaf. The statue does not show him as usual with an orb in his left hand and a war axe in his right wearing a crown, but only with an orb in his left hand wearing a tricorne uniform hat of the Caroleans. The wooden statue itself was dated as being from the 14th century, but it can be older.

After centuries of warfare between Denmark–Norway and Sweden, the Second Treaty of Brömsebro made Jämtland a part of Sweden. In 1673 the church had a pulpit installed at the southern church wall according to Norwegian traditions. The baptismal font and gallery at the northern church wall also dates from the end of the 17th century. In 1736 the church was extended almost 12 metres (39 ft) to the west. The old choir was converted into a sacristy, and the new entrance of the church was placed to the west with a porch in stone.

A mighty reredos was added over the new altar depicting the mourning Marys and the crucifixion of Christ in the centre. Higher windows were added as well as the current pews. The characteristical bell tower was erected during the 1750s by Erik Olofsson i Rännberg. It belongs to a group of typical belltowers of the 18th century Jämtland with its onion-shaped cupola.

Source: Wikipedia

[creepingsharia]

He Simply “Hates Christians”: Muslim Persecution of Christians, January 2020

By Raymond Ibrahim

The following are some of the abuses Muslims inflicted on Christians, categorized by theme, throughout the month of January, 2020:

The Slaughter of Christians in Nigeria

During several separate incidents, militant Muslims—whether Fulani herdsmen, Boko Haram, or generic terrorists—continued to attack and massacre several Christians.

As one example, on Friday, January 17, Muslim Fulani tribesmen on motorbikes raided a Christian village at a time they knew people were congregating at the village square where Christian fellowship often took pace. They opened fire.   “As the people fled into nearby bushes to take cover, the attackers retreated and left,” an area resident explained. “We are sad about these attacks on our people, which seem to be unending.” Two young Christian girls—Briget Philip, 18, and Priscilla David, 19—were killed, and at least three other teenagers were seriously wounded.

In another incident, “[a]t least 32 people [including a pregnant woman] were killed and a pastor’s house and church building were burned down in two nights of attacks [on predominantly Christian regions] this week by Muslim Fulani herdsmen in Plateau state,”  a January 30 report noted.

In the early hours of January 20, gunmen invaded the Lutheran Church of Christ, where its pastor, the Rev. Dennis Bagauri, lived; they opened fire on “and shot him dead at night when all persons in the area had gone to sleep,” a local confirmed.

Boko Haram (whose name roughly means “Western education is a sin”) released another execution video.  In it, a masked Muslim child holding a pistol appears standing behind a bound and kneeling hostage, later identified as Ropvil Daciya Dalep, a 22-year-old Christian and member of the Church of Christ in Nations, who was kidnapped on January 9 while traveling to his university, where he majored in biology.  After chanting in Arabic and launching into an anti-Christian diatribe, the Muslim child proceeds to shoot Ropvil several times in the back of the head.

Execution of Ropvil Daciya Dalep.

On January 2, Islamic gunmen abducted Reverend Lawan Andimi, a pastor and district chairman of the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria. After the terrorists demanded an exorbitant ransom for his release—two million Euros, which his church and family simply could not raise—they beheaded the married father-of-nine on January 20.   Earlier, in a January 5 video that his abductors released, Pastor Lawan had said that he  hoped to be reunited with his wife and children; however, “[i]f the opportunity has not been granted, maybe it is the will of God.  I want all people close and far, colleagues, to be patient. Don’t cry, don’t worry, but thank God for everything.”

In a statement prompted by all these unchecked killing of Christians, Kwamkur Vondip, the director of legal and public affairs of the Christian Association of Nigeria, blasted the Muslim-led government of Nigeria of “colluding” with the Islamic terrorists:

In the light of the current developments and the circumstantial facts surrounding the prevailing upsurge of attacks against the church, it will be difficult for us to believe that the federal government under President Muhammadu Buhari is not colluding with the insurgents to exterminate Christians in Nigeria, bearing in mind the very questionable leadership of the security sector that has been skewed towards a religion and region.  Is that lopsidedness not a cover-up for the operation of the insurgency?.…  Since the government and its apologists are claiming the killings have no religious undertones, why are the terrorists and herdsmen targeting the predominantly Christian communities and Christian leaders?

The nonstop massacres of Christians which are met with impunity from the Nigerian government also prompted Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah of Sokoto to express his disgust with the government in a January 3 report: “The only difference between the government and Boko Haram,” he said, “is that Boko Haram is holding a bomb.” The Nigerian government is “using the levers of power to secure the supremacy of Islam, which then gives more weight to the idea that it can be achieved by violence.”

The Slaughter of Christians Elsewhere in Africa

Kenya: Armed Muslims connected with neighboring Somalia’s terrorist group, Al Shabaab (“the youth”), murdered three Christian teachers during a raid on a primary school in the early hours of January 13; a fourth victim managed to survive.

Another local teacher said “We are sad and at the same time scared because we are targeted for being non-local government workers that belong to the Christian faith.” While discussing this incident, a separate report adds that

Today’s attack comes against the backdrop of a series of attacks from the terrorist group in the last five weeks, leading to the loss of 25 people total … On December 6, 2019, four teachers were among the 11 non-local Christian passengers killed … when al-Shabaab flagged down the bus they were traveling in. The militants separated the passengers and killed those on the spot who failed to recite the Islamic Shahada.

Central African Republic: Militant Muslims shot and killed two Christian pastors as they travelled together by car after having conducted a Christmas Day church service. According to the January 6 report, after murdering the Christians, the “jihadists” continued “shooting, preventing efforts to recover the bodies. The men had to be buried later at the scene of the attack.”  The report adds that the “Christian-majority Central African Republic has been blighted by violence since 2013, when the Seleka Islamist armed group briefly overthrew the government….  Christian communities continue to be the targets of attacks….  In November 2018, more than 40 people were killed and many were forced to flee when members of an Islamist militia attacked a Christian mission in Alindao.

Cameroon:  “Not a day passes without attacks on the villages on Cameroon’s frontier with Nigeria,” lamented Bishop Bruno Ateba  in reference to the Islamic terror group, Boko Haram’s increased incursions into Christian villages in a January 24 report:  “Boko Haram is like the beast of the Apocalypse, or a many-headed Hydra—whenever you cut off one of its heads, it seems simply to grow another….  Within my own diocese there have been 13 attacks in the last weeks.”  One of those attacks saw a church torched on the feast of the Epiphany.  “We are still investigating who was behind the incident, but everything points to the fact that it was a terrorist attack.”  Bishop Barthélemy also shared his experiences: “My birthplace, the village of Blablim, no longer exists.  The terrorists have murdered a young man of my family and totally devastated the entire village, including the house I was born in. Everybody, with the exception of the sick and elderly, was forced to flee to Mora, 10 miles away. It will be impossible now to gather in the cotton harvest.”

Egypt:  On January 12, a Muslim man crept up behind a Christian woman walking home with groceries, pulled her head back with a hand full of hair, and slit her throat with a knife in the other hand.  Nearby people restrained the man in al-Wariq, Giza, where the incident took place.  Catherine Ramzi was rushed to a nearby medical center, where her throat was sewn with 63 stitches; despite initial heavy bleeding, she managed to survive.  The doctor told her that had the knife penetrated one millimeter more—her now mangled sweatshirt had provided some buffering against the knife—it would have reached her jugulars and killed her.  During an interview, she explained that she had never before seen the man.  All she heard him say during the assault is that she “deserved it” because her “hair was exposed.”  He may have also identified her as a Christian because, like many Copts, Catherine bears a visible tattoo of the cross on her hand.

Separately, on January 14, in the region of al-Maraj, another Muslim man tried to slaughter a Christian man with a sharp box-cutter in a public space.  He managed only to slice off a portion of the Copt’s ear.  After Muhammad ‘Awad, 32,  was arrested and questioned as to why he tried to murder Rafiq Karam, 56, he confessed that he did not know him, but that he simply “hates Christians.”

Attacks on Christian Churches

Sudan:  Three churches—a Sudan Internal church, a Catholic church and an Orthodox church—were simultaneously burnt down twice over the course of three weeks in the Blue Nile state.  The arsonists are suspected to be area Muslims.  According to a January 20 statement from a human rights group published in the Sudan Tribune,

On the evening of 28th December 2019, three churches in three different neighbourhoods … were set on fire (burnt) at the same time by arsonists.  The worshipers quickly rebuild the three churches using the local materials as it was before.  However, for the second time, on the evening of 16th January, the arsonists burnt down the three churches,” said the group….  [L]ocal authorities did not take any measure to protect the churches or to investigate the attacks.

“This incident is true, the three churches were set on fire twice in less than a month,” a local pastor confirmed, adding that “area Muslims were upset about the presence of the churches there, and they are suspected in the fires.”

Philippines: On January 19, police arrested two Muslim men from the Islamic terror group Abu Sayyaf (“the sword-forger”) before they could carry out a planned bomb attack on a Catholic cathedral in Basilan, which both men confessed to.  Explosive materials—including more than 3 kilos (6.6 pounds) of assorted nails, blasting caps, 1.5-volt batteries, and wires—were recovered from their hideout. Abu Sayyaf earlier “masterminded a twin bombing at a church on southern Jolo island in January 2019 that left more than 20 people dead.”

Egypt:  “The security apparatus prevented Copts in Faw Bahri … from holding the New Year’s Eve prayer on Tuesday, 31 December, in the home of a local Copt. Several Copts gathered in the building and complained about being prohibited from completing the prayer,” the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, a Cairo based think tank with an emphasis on human rights, said in a January 6 press release:

The building that security shut down and prevented prayer inside of is owned by a village Copt and has been used for worship services for four months [and apparently set on fire before for this reason]. Security promised to rapidly secure a building permit for a new church on a 460-meter tract of land purchased by the church a while back. All the necessary surveys have been conducted by official bodies and a wall was built around the plot. All that is needed to start construction is the permits. The closest church to the village is 10 km away….  3,000 Christians live in the village and used to pray at the house that was shuttered by security. They are all waiting for security to keep its promise to issue permits for the construction of a new church.

The Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) further criticized the “glacial pace” of the Sisi-government’s hitherto much lauded church construction law adopted in September 2016.  More than “three years after its adoption, the church construction law has failed to end violations of Christians’ right to worship and address related sectarian tensions….  [T]he process to regularize the legal status of churches is moving at a glacial pace and lacks transparency,” the press release added:

The EIPR has documented at least 36 cases of sectarian tension and violence since the church construction law went into effect and through the end of 2019, all of them associated with the worship practices. In the same period, interventions by various state institutions led to the closure of 25 churches and the prohibition of collective worship services in the areas in question. In many of these cases, customary reconciliation sessions were convened that concluded with agreements to shut down the church while promising to grant the necessary permits when papers were officially filed. Yet, when church officials applied for official permits, state agencies refused to grant permits or allow them to organize religious services or mass.

Indonesia: Construction of the Bethel Church of Indonesia (GBI) My Home church, plans for which began in 2016, was “abruptly halted” after its building permit was revoked.  The church would have served 1,200 registered congregants.  In response, on January 16, Amnesty International Indonesia in a statement urged the authorities to annul their decision to revoke the permit:

This is a clear case of persecution and discrimination against a religious minority. The authorities in Tanjungpinang have failed to provide any legal justification for denying this permit and blatantly disregarded the Constitution and their obligations to respect the right to religious freedom and ensure equal enjoyment of human rights.

In a separate case in the same in the region, Muslims halted construction of another church.  According to the January 24 report,

Built in 1928, St Joseph’s Catholic Church needs to be renovated and enlarged. Originally it could accommodate 100 people, but now it has more than 700 members. Despite having all the permits, the project is opposed by a small group of young Muslims who threaten action against public order….  Local Catholics are critical of Karimun district chief who, bowing to extremists, has turned against the project even though it has all the required permits.

Although area Christians had “explained to Karimun officials [that] there will be no symbol or ornament outside the church; no cross, no statue, no image of Mary will be displayed visible outside the church”; and although this decision by the Christians was taken reluctantly, as it would make the building look like “a gym or a conference hall”—Muslims still rejected the church.

France: A suspected Muslim man was arrested for desecrating a church, including by writing Koran verses on its walls.  According to the January 16 report,

The arrest comes just under a year after another church in Toulouse, the Notre-Dame du Taur, was vandalised by an individual who wrote “Allah u Akbar” on the doors of the building….  Church attacks in France have become a major issue in the last several years, with a report from March of last year claiming that there are as many as three attacks on churches or graveyards per day on average, with a total of 1,063  cases in 2018.

One recent attack “saw human faeces smeared into prayer books at a church in the commune of Tarbes.”

Sweden: After a series of arson attacks on St. Maria Syrian Orthodox Church—one of which was started by someone pouring and lighting gasoline to its exterior—church members have begun to patrol its premises at night in the hopes of preventing further attacks.  The January 10 report adds that, “Church attacks in Sweden are relatively uncommon in general but attacks on communities targetted by radical Islamic Sunni extremists, such as Syrian Christians and Shi’ite Muslims, are a concern in the country.”

Attacks on Apostates and Blasphemers

 Iran:  A court sentenced Ismaeil Maghrebinejad, 65, a Muslim convert to Christianity, to three years imprisonment on the charge of “insulting Islamic sacred beliefs,” said human rights group Middle East Concern in a January 22 report.  The Christian was initially charged with “propaganda against the state and insulting the sacred Iranian establishment,” but during “a hearing on 22 October, the judge further accused Ismaeil of apostasy [that is, turning away from Islam, which is a capital crime according to some interpretations of Islamic law] and increased bail demands from 10 million to 100 million tomans (US$9000). Friends provided pledges to cover the bail demands.  There were further hearings in November (when the apostasy charge was dropped), December and January.”  On January 8, he was found guilty of “insulting Islamic sacred beliefs in cyberspace”—a reference to the claim that “Ismaeil had forwarded a message sent to his phone that was deemed to be insulting to the ruling Iranian clerics”—and sentenced to three year imprisonment.  According to a human rights activist associated with the case, the sentence is  “a disproportionate reaction to something so ordinary. The other charges that Ismaeil is facing, as well as the quashed charge of apostasy, (are) related to his conversion to Christianity. This may reveal the real reason why he’s been charged with something that most ordinary Iranians do on a daily basis.”

Pakistan:  Muslims beat and falsely accused a Christian man, Shahbaz Masih, 40, of blasphemy, which led to his and his friend’s arrest.  According to the January 14 report,

His [Muslim] accusers, Shahzaib and Ahmad, hold a grudge against him for being a Christian. On 27 December the two surrounded him at the market, dragged him to a nearby landfill where children collect paper, and beat [him there].  His screams drew the attention of his friend Ishaq [a moderate Muslim], who came to his aid. At that point, the attackers accused both of blasphemy, of burning pages of the Qurʼān. A riot followed, with a nearby mosque calling on Muslims to kill both men. When police arrived, it took the two friends to a police station, questioned them and moved them to a prison, where they are still being held.  Human rights groups slam the cops for giving in to extremist pressure and formally recording the case.  For their part, radicals threatened to burn the homes of Christians as well as that of the Muslim man, “guilty” of being friends with the Christian. For this reason, the families of the accused went into hiding at an unknown location.

Generic Hate for and Violence against Christians

Egypt:  Muslim students at a Minya school “rejected” Mervat Seifein, a school teacher, “for the explicit reason that she is Copt,” that is, a Christian, a report noted.  After “a routine promotion in which she replaced the previous school director who is a Muslim,” both boy and girl “students protested and held a sit-in in the school courtyard asking for her removal.”  “We don’t want a Copt!” they cried. Some Muslim teachers joined in the protests.  Police were unable to disperse the boys’ demonstration in the courtyard. “The girls who demonstrated against me don’t know me,” Mervat responded, “so why the antagonism? Simply because I am Coptic? The only explanation I can fathom is there has been fanatic incitement going on against my promotion, possibly by persons who are purely extremist or who have an interest in keeping me out of that post.”  Ezzat Ibrahim, a human rights activist, added that a prompt official investigation should be conducted into the matter:

This is flagrant religious discrimination.  It brings to mind the incident in the southern province of Qena when the Islamists rose against the appointment of a Coptic governor in the past-Arab Spring weeks in 2011, and the State gave in and went back on the appointment.  It is catastrophic that some 50 or 100 teenage girls or boys should impose their will on the State. And it is equally disastrous that these students were pushed to do so by a group of fanatic Islamists. The positive official response to their preposterous demands amounts to an invitation for religious discrimination. The deputy minister who did that must be dismissed.

Bangladesh: Twelve Christian Rohingya refugees from Myanmar were attacked and injured by Muslim Rohingya “due to their faith.”   (Rohingya are overwhelmingly Muslim).  “[E]arly Monday [January 27, they] attacked us, the Christians. They looted our houses, and beat up many Christian members. At least 12 Christians have been undergoing treatment at different hospitals and clinics,” a Christian named Saiful reported. “We came under attack due to our faith,” he insisted. “On May 10, 11, and 13 last year, this same group of terrorists attacked us. They want us to leave this camp. They have been attacking us systematically.”  Although official Bangladeshi reports denied or underplayed the religious dimension of the attacks, other sources, such as the Rohingya Christian Assembly from India, confirmed them: Muslim Rohingya “attacked the whole Christian community in Kutupalong Camp,” the group said. “Approximately 25 Christian families are displaced. It is winter and very cold, the victims have many minor children with them.” The group added that mobs armed with machetes—“hundreds in many groups”—invaded and destroyed every Christian home at night.

Iraq:  Four Christian humanitarian aid workers—three French, one Iraqi—were kidnapped in Baghdad on January 20.  No ransom demands were made.  According to the report, “The four went missing during a time of heightened tensions in Iraq after a U.S. drone strike on Baghdad airport that killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani and a senior Iraqi militia commander, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis. The attack has drawn anger from Iraqi officials from across the political divide ….  Iran-backed militia groups have also sworn to avenge the killings.”

Iran:  Authorities demolished the grave of the only Christian to be officially executed for apostasy in the Islamic republic.  A born Muslim, Pastor Soodmand converted to Christianity before the 1979 revolution.  He was arrested, tortured, and eventually executed for apostatizing from Islam to Christianity in December 1990.  Now, thirty years later, “all that remains of the pastor’s unmarked grave is the soil under which he was once buried.”  His daughter, Rashin Soodmand, who now lives in Europe, gave her reaction:

As a member of the family of this martyred pastor, I can say that the recent disrespect shown to our father’s grave wounded our hearts yet again.  Our father was killed cruelly and contrary to the law. They buried him in a place they called la’anatabad [accursed place], without our knowledge, and did not even give our family the opportunity to say goodbye to him, or to see his lifeless body.  For years we had to travel to this remote place to visit his unmarked grave, and we were not even allowed to construct a gravestone bearing his name….  We will take our appeal to any relevant national or international institution about this disrespect and cruelty.

The report adds that,

Rev Soodmand remains the only Iranian Christian to have been executed for apostasy following an official court order, although others have been sentenced to death including Rev Mehdi Dibaj and Yousef Nadarkhani.  Rev Dibaj was eventually acquitted after nine years in prison but then killed in suspicious circumstances five months later. His body was found days after his disappearance, in a park in a suburb of Tehran, with multiple stab wounds to his chest.   Yousef Nadarkhani was also eventually acquitted of the charge but later rearrested on the now much more common charge of ‘actions against national security.’ He is now serving a ten-year sentence in Tehran’s Evin Prison.

Raymond Ibrahim, author of the recent book, Sword and Scimitar, Fourteen Centuries of War between Islam and the West, is a Distinguished Senior Fellow at the Gatestone Institute, a Shillman Fellow at the David Horowitz Freedom Center, and a Judith Rosen Friedman Fellow at the Middle East Forum.

About this Series

The persecution of Christians in the Islamic world has become endemic.  Accordingly, “Muslim Persecution of Christians” was developed in 2011 to collate some—by no means all—of the instances of persecution that occur or are reported each month. It serves two purposes:

1)          To document that which the mainstream media does not: the habitual, if not chronic, persecution of Christians.

2)          To show that such persecution is not “random,” but systematic and interrelated—that it is rooted in a worldview inspired by Islamic Sharia.

[anastpaul]

Saint of the Day – 28 January – Saint Joseph Freinademetz SVD (1852-1908) Priest and Missionary of the Society of the Divine Word, the First Saint to Ever Serve in Hong Kong, Missionary to China, St Joseph had an immense devotion to Eucharistic Adoration – born on 15 April 1852 in Pedraces in Val Gadena, the Tyrolean Alps, Italy and died on 28 January 1908 in Taikia, China of tuberculosis and typhus.   St Joseph is also known as Giuseppe Freinademetz, Joseph of Shantung, Jozef Freinademetz,  Ujoep (nickname), “the Saint of Charity” and his Chinese name “Fu Shenfu” – Lucky Priest.

Joseph Freinademetz was born on 15 April 1852, in Oies, a small hamlet of five houses situated in the Dolomite Alps of northern Italy.   The region, known as South Tyrol, was then part of the Austro-Hungarian empire, it is now part of Italy.   He was Baptised on the day he was born and he inherited from his family a simple but tenacious faith.

Birthplace of St Joseph in Oies

While Joseph was studying theology in the diocesan seminary of Bressanone (Brixen), he began to think seriously of the foreign missions as a way of life.   He was ordained a priest on 25 July 1875 and assigned to the community of Saint Martin very near his own home, where he soon won the hearts of the people.   However, the call to missionary service did not go away.   Just two years after ordination he contacted Fr Arnold Janssen, the founder of a mission house which quickly developed into the Society of the Divine Word.

With his Bishop’s permission, Joseph entered the mission house in Steyl, Netherlands, in August 1878.   On 2 March 1879, he received his mission cross and departed for China with Fr John Baptist Anzer, another Divine Word Missionary.   Five weeks later they arrived in Hong Kong, where they remained for two years, preparing themselves for the next step.   In 1881 they travelled to their new mission in South Shantung, a province with 12 million inhabitants and only 158 Christians.

Those were hard years, marked by long, arduous journeys, assaults by bandits and the difficult work of forming the first Christian communities.   As soon as a community was just barely developed, an instruction from the Bishop would arrive, telling him to leave everything and start anew.

Soon Joseph came to appreciate the importance of a committed laity, especially catechists, for first evangelisation.   He dedicated much energy to their formation and prepared a catechetical manual in Chinese.   At the same time, together with Anzer (who had become Bishop) he put great effort into the preparation, spiritual formation and ongoing education of Chinese priests and other missionaries.   His whole life was marked by an effort to become a Chinese among the Chinese, so much so that he wrote to his family:  “I love China and the Chinese. I want to die among them and be laid to rest among them.”

In 1898, Freinademetz was sick with laryngitis and had the beginnings of tuberculosis as a result of his heavy workload and many other hardships.   So at the insistence of the Bishop and the other priests he was sent for a rest to Japan, with the hope that he could regain his health. He returned to China somewhat recuperated, but not fully cured.

When the Bishop had to travel outside of China in 1907, Freinademetz took on the added burden of the administration of the diocese.   During this time there was a severe outbreak of typhus.   Joseph, like a good shepherd, offered untiring assistance and visited many communities until he himself became infected.   He returned to Taikia, the seat of the diocese, where he died on 28 January 1908.   He was buried at the twelfth station on the Way of the Cross and his grave soon became a pilgrimage site for Christians.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Freinademetz learned how to discover the greatness and beauty of Chinese culture and to love deeply the people to whom he had been sent.   He dedicated his life to proclaiming the gospel message of God’s love for all peoples and to embodying this love in the formation of Chinese Christian communities.   He animated these communities to open themselves in solidarity with the surrounding inhabitants.   And he encouraged many of the Chinese Christians to be missionaries to their own people as catechists, religious, nuns and priests.   His life was an expression of his motto:  “The language that all people understand is that of love.” … Vatican.va

He was beatified 19 October 1975 by Pope Paul VI and Canonised by St John Paul II on 5 October 2003, on which occasions he said:

” “And they went forth and preached everywhere” (Mk 16: 20).   The Evangelist Mark ends his Gospel with these words.   He then adds that the Lord never ceases to accompany the activity of the Apostles with the power of His miracles.   Echoing these words of Jesus, the words of St Joseph Freinademetz are filled with faith:  “I do not consider missionary life as a sacrifice I offer to God but as the greatest grace, that God, could ever have lavished upon me.”   With the tenacity typical of mountain people, this generous “witness of love” made a gift of himself to the Chinese peoples of southern Shandong.  For love and with love he embraced their living conditions, in accordance with his own advice to his missionaries:   “Missionary work is useless if one does not love and is not loved.”   An exemplary model of Gospel inculturation, this Saint imitated Jesus, who saved men and women by sharing their existence to the very end.”

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

St Arnold Janssen’s life here: https://anastpaul.com/2020/01/15/saint-of-the-day-15-january-st-arnold-janssen-svd-1837-1909/

Saint of the Day – 28 January – Saint Joseph Freinademetz SVD (1852-1908) “Fu Shenfu” – Lucky Priest. Saint of the Day - 28 January - Saint Joseph Freinademetz SVD (1852-1908) Priest and Missionary of the Society of the Divine Word, the First Saint to Ever Serve in Hong Kong, Missionary to China, St Joseph had an immense devotion to Eucharistic Adoration - born on 15 April 1852 in Pedraces in Val Gadena, the Tyrolean Alps, Italy and died on 28 January 1908 in Taikia, China of tuberculosis and typhus.   

[religioused]

When the Bar is Too High

When the Bar is Too High

By Gary Simpson

Luke 10:25-37 - Contemporary Setting

A Biblical scholar asked Jesus, the popular circuit pastor, "What must I do to inherit eternal life?"

Jesus replied with a question. "What do you think the Bible says?"

The Biblical expert drew himself up to full height, thinking, "This is an easy question. Everyone will be impressed with my knowledge of the Bible." The scholar replied, "Love God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself."

Jesus responded. "Correct. Now live that way."

The Bible scholar tried to see if he trick Jesus into saying something wrong. He asked Jesus another question. "Who is my neighbor?"

Jesus answered the scholar's question with a story. On a hot summer day, a man drove from Calgary to Dallas. Things were going well until he crossed the border. A gang of robbers forced his car off the road, dragged him out of the car, stole his wallet, his credit cards, his jewelry, his luggage and the designer clothes he was wearing. They beat him up and shot holes in the windows of his car and left him unconscious by the road.

And who happened to drive by?

A prominent Republican politician happened on the scene. He slowed down, saw the man, assuming the man had been killed, he said, "Thoughts and prayers," as he punched his Caddy SUV into passing gear.

Next on the scene was a prominent Democratic politician. The Democrat stopped, took photos of the scene and released a press statement condemning gun violence and requesting stricter gun laws. Then the Democrat got in his Subaru and drove away.

Then a member of the NRA pulled to a stop and with the unconscious man in the background he shot a video of himself explaining how everybody should carry an open holster gun, so gun violence will stop. Feeling quite good about the opportunity to promote gun ownership, he drove away in his Ram 4 x 4 crew cab truck.

Down the road came a sad looking, nondescript minivan with an undocumented family. Then the car stopped and the family piled out to see what happened. The mother knew first aid and administered first aid. They got the injured man to the van and they hooked a line up to his car and took the man into the next town, towing the car as they went. On the way to the hospital, the 10 year old girl held the man's hand and kept saying, "We are getting closer to the hospital. You are going to be okay. You will be in good hands." They dropped the man off at the hospital, paying for his medical expenses, and took the car to a dealership to see what it would cost to repair the car and they left credit card authorization to charge any needed repairs to the credit card.

And Jesus asked the conservative Bible scholar which person was the neighbor. The Bible scholar scowled and answered, "The undocumented workers." The Bible expert had his answer. Those we fear, those we do not understand, those we hate, those we do not like are our neighbors.

Reflection:

I graduated from a small Christian college. Students were required to take four religion courses to graduate. One of the religion courses that students were supposed to take was a course titled "Bible Doctrine". A better title for the course might have been Systematic Theology, because the course included the doctrine that are held by many church denominations, as well as some of the unique doctrine of the denomination. The course was an absolute bear. In the course of a four month semester, the course covered over twenty doctrine. When you subtracted the tests and the long weekends, I am not sure we had more than two 50 minute lectures per doctrine. The teacher would write just the Bible text (like John 3:16) on the board and he would explain how the text supported the doctrine. By the end of the period, the blackboard was full of texts and he would say, "You see it is really quite simple, isn't it!?!" And my mind would be spinning.

The lawyer asks Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life. Fortunately, I have not inherited anything and I would rather have loved ones in my life than have either their money or their stuff. But on the surface this sounds like a rather stupid question. You do not earn an inheritance. As a general rule, you get an inheritance because you are related to the person who died. In other words, an inheritance is what you get because of who you are, not because of what you do. I know that there are exceptions, because some people are written out of the will, but I don't think that is the norm.

So the lawyer is asking the impossible. The lawyer is asking what he must do to earn a gift. That leaves me wondering what Jesus was thinking and asking myself a lot of questions.

• Was Jesus being sarcastic?

• Did Jesus think that this was the most stupid question he had ever been asked? • Exactly what teaching strategy was Jesus using?

• What Grade would the scholar's theology get in my Bible doctrine class?

Perhaps, my answer comes by looking at a major theme in the Gospel of Luke. A major theme of Luke is inclusion. I believe the inclusion seen in the Gospel of Luke should make this Gospel a favorite of members of oppressed minority groups. In Luke, Jesus "reaches out to bring in those previously excluded", The excluded people who Jesus reaches out to include women, the impoverished, the sick, sinners, outcasts and the ritually impure. Luke emphasizes Jesus' association with those who are on the "fringes of society" more than any other Gospel.1

The theme of inclusion extends beyond Luke's Gospel. The Gospel of Luke is volume 1. The second volume is the book of Acts. In the books of Luke and Acts, the boundaries are extended to include Samaritans, by making a Samaritan the hero of a story2 and the Samaritan leper3 and the conversion of Samaritans, a conversion proven by the converts being baptized in the Spirit.4 I gather that Deborah Broome is a Ministry Educator in an Anglican Diocese in New Zealand. Regarding Luke and even more so Acts, she notes that there is a sense of "universalism that would genuinely accord 'everyone born’ a place at the table.”5

Now, I go back to my questions. Why did Jesus answer the question about what a person must do to receive a gift, an inheritance? You do nothing to get an inheritance. And Jesus' answer was steeped with legalism. What gives?

As I was thinking about my questions, my mind turned to the sermon on the mount and the sermon on the plain. The sermon on the mount is in the Gospel of Matthew and the sermon on the plain is in the Gospel of Luke. Some people believe that the sermon on the mount in Matthew’s Gospel is the same sermon as the sermon on the plain in Chapter 6 of Luke’s Gospel. Other people, who believe that the two sermons are different, admit that there are similarities between the two sermons.

Perhaps there is a reason why my mind went to the sermon on the mount and the sermon on the plain. I am not a real fan of either sermon. The intensity of legalism and the demands seem overwhelming. The sermon on the mount has the passage, “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.”6 A command to be as perfect as God is a pretty high standard - read impossible. The sermon on the plain sets the bar pretty high too. "But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful".7 Love your neighbors and be as merciful as God is merciful is a tall order. Having mercy equal to God's mercy is impossible.

When I was in graduate school in Southern California, I stumbled across Bible commentaries by Vernon McGee. I enjoyed his commentaries, because they were cheap, and that worked on a student's budget. He is able to take complex ideas and break those ideas down into short, easy-to-understand sentences, using expressions that sounded folksy enough to be used by an old country pastor. You would never guess that he had a Doctor of Theology degree. McGee observes, "if the Sermon on the Mount is your religion, you had better make sure you are keeping it. It is loaded with law."8 I agree with McGee's assessment that the sermon on the mount shows us how far short of the ideal we are.9 The sermon on the mount is intended to make us give up on trying to be good enough to please God and to accept grace. The sermon on the plain has a similar purpose.

Perhaps, Jesus was thinking, "Well, if you are going to try to do the impossible, to earn a gift that is given to you get for just being you, I am going to set the bar high, so high that you simply give up on trying to purchase God's love. I am going to tell this man to love God and to love his neighbors just as he loves himself and then I am going to tell him that the Samaritans, the people he despises and hates are his good neighbors." Then Jesus proceeds to tell the lawyer the story of the good Samaritan. And this approach seems to be in harmony with both theme of the sermon on the mount and the sermon on the plain.

Perhaps, Jesus played along with the question, knowing good and well that salvation had everything to do with the love of the one giving the inheritance and nothing to do with a person's efforts to to the right thing to teach an important lesson. That lesson is that the standard to live as a responsible person of faith is very high, but the standard required to receive an inheritance from God is quite low.

The goal for how we should ideally live is really high. And that is meant to encourage us to shoot high, to aim to live as better people. But jumping over the bar is not required for salvation. Luke's gospel, a gospel of inclusion includes you. Your inheritance comes for free, for just being you, a child of God. When you look up and see that the bar is too high to jump, walk under the bar, and, with confidence, collect your inheritance.

Notes:

1 Michael Prior. Jesus the Liberator: Nazareth Liberation Theology (Luke 4:16-30). Sheffield Academic Press. Sheffield. 1995., 50, cited in Deborah Broome. “Who’s at the Table? - Inclusiveness in the Gospel of Luke.” Anglican Diocese of Wellington. Oct 2006, 07 July 2019. <http://wn.anglican.org.nz/files/docs/inclusion-in-luke.pdf>.

2 The Good Samaritan in Luke 10:29-37.

3 Luke 17:11-19.

4 Acts 8,This case is made by J Massyngbaerde Ford. ‘Reconciliation and Forgiveness in Luke’s Gospel’ in Political Issues in Luke-Acts ed Richard J Cassidy & Philip J Scharper. Orbis Books. Maryknoll, New York. 1983. 80-98., 88, cited by Deborah Broome. “Who’s at the Table? - Inclusiveness in the Gospel of Luke.” Anglican Diocese of Wellington. Oct 2006, 07 July 2019. <http://wn.anglican.org.nz/files/docs/inclusion-in-luke.pdf>.

5 Deborah Broome. “Who’s at the Table? - Inclusiveness in the Gospel of Luke.” Anglican Diocese of Wellington. Oct 2006, 07 July 2019. <http://wn.anglican.org.nz/files/docs/inclusion- in-luke.pdf>.

6 Matthew 5:48, KJV.

7 Luke 6:35-36, KJV.

8 J. Vernon McGee. Thru the Bible with J, Vernon McGee. (Pasadena, California: Thru the Bible Radio, 1998), ebook.

9 McGee. (1998), ebook.

[upennmanuscripts]

Ms. Codex 1561 -  [Dominican prayer book]

This is a prayer book made for a community of Dominican nuns in southern Germany. It includes a 15th-century portion (prayers concerning the Cross and the Virgin) and a 17th-century (possibly early 18th-century) section, which includes the liturgy for death and burial, with chant notation. It was written probably in the diocese of Bamberg.

Click here if you want to know more, or here for the facsimile.

[newtechstudent]

The Monastic Sites of Glendalough 1

A Brief History📜📃📒📔 part l

In the latter part of the sixth century, St. Kevin crossed the mountains from Hollywood to Glendalough.  Within 100 years, the area had developed from a remote hermitage into one of the most important monastic sites in Ireland. The monastery continued to flourish after St. Kevin’s death in 617 A.D.

By the end of the eighth century, the monastery employed up to 1000 laypeople to help grow crops and tend livestock. Monasteries were wealthy. In addition to stores of treasure, most monasteries maintained substantial stocks of food and were able to survive periodic famines. Such rich sites were often plundered. Glendalough’s remote location made it an easy target, and between 775 and 1095 it was plundered many times by both local tribes and Norse invaders.  Usually the churches and houses were burned, but each time the monastery was rebuilt.

The eventual decline of Glendalough’s monastery was not due to invaders, but rather to a shift in political power. When Glendalough was annexed to the diocese of Dublin in 1152, its importance declined. Despite this, the place has retained a spiritual significance.

🔶Glendalough’s Monastic Sites

Today the ruins of the ancient monastic site are scattered throughout the valley. Many are almost 1000 years old. The main sites are located in the area known as the Monastic City, beside the OPW Visitor Centre. Guided tours are available. Further afield are the ruins of other churches, extending from St. Saviour’s Church in the far east of the valley, to Temple na Skellig beside the Upper Lake.

All the monastic ruins in Glendalough are managed by the Office of Public Works (OPW) 🇮🇪 and are not under the auspices of the National Park. Queries about the monastic site should be directed to OPW. Entrance to all the historic sites is free of charge. All sites are open at all times. The Monastic City is also served by the adjacent OPW Visitor Centre which has an exhibition, an audio-visual show and also provides guided tours. An admission charge applies to the Visitor Centre and for the tours. Due to the archaeological nature of the sites, none of them are accessible to wheelchairs.

🔶The Monastic City

The Monastic City is the name given to the main monastic site at the eastern end of the valley, close to the OPW Visitor Centre and the Glendalough Hotel. The following monuments can be seen in the Monastic City.

🔶The Gateway

This building stands at the entrance to the Monastic City, and is perhaps one of the most important monuments as it is now unique in Ireland. The building was originally two-storeyed, probably with a timber roof. Inside on the west wall, is a cross-inscribed stone. Visitors entering the Monastic City from the road still pass through this ancient entrance, walking on some of the original stone paving.

🔶The Round Tower

Perhaps the most noticeable monument, the Round Tower is about 30 metres high. The entrance is about 3.5 metres from the base. Originally there were six wooden floors with ladders. The roof had fallen in many years ago, but was rebuilt in 1876 using the original stone. Round towers were multi-functional. They served as landmarks for visitors, bell-towers, store-houses, and as places of refuge in times of attack.

🔶The Cathedral

This is the largest of the churches, and was constructed in several phases. Of note, are an aumbry or wall cupboard under the southern window, and a piscina – a basin used for washing sacred vessels. Outside the Cathedral is St. Kevin’s Cross – a large early granite cross with an unpierced ring.

🔶The Priest’s House

This is a small Romanesque building which was almost totally reconstructed using the original stones in 1779. The east end has a decorative arch. The original purpose of the building is unknown, but it may have been used to house the relics of St. Kevin. In the 18th and 19th centuries, it was used as a place to inter priests.

🔶St. Kevin’s Kitchen

This church is most noticeable for its steep roof formed of overlapping stone, supported internally by a semi-circular vault. The belfry has a stone cap and four windows facing north, south, east and west, and is reminiscent of a round tower.

🔶St. Kieran’s Church

Only low walls of this church remain. It was uncovered in 1875, and probably commemorates the founder of Clonmacnoise, a monastic settlement that had associations with Glendalough during the 10th century.

🔶Other Monastic Sites near the Monastic CITY St. Mary’s Church

Also called Our Lady’s Church, this is one of the earliest churches. It consists of a nave and chancel. The granite west doorway has an architrave, inclined jambs, and a massive lintel. The underside of the lintel has an inscription of an unusual X-shaped cross. The round-topped east window has two very worn carved heads on the outside. St. Mary’s Church is located in a field to the west of the Monastic City.

🔶St. Saviour’s Church

This is the youngest of the Glendalough churches. It was built in the 12th century. The nave and chancel have many well decorated stones. The Romanesque chancel arch has three tiers of decoration. The east window is decorated with various carvings including a serpent, a lion, and two birds holding a human head between their beaks. An adjoining domestic building has a staircase that would have led to a room over the chancel. St. Saviour’s Church is located on the Green Road approximately 1 km east of the Monastic City.

🔶Trinity Church

This is a simple nave and chancel church. A door in the west gable leads to a later annex, possibly a sacristy. There was a belfry in the style of a round tower, but it collapsed in a storm in 1818. Trinity Church is located beside the main road just east of the Visitor Centre.

🔷Upper Lake Historical Sites

🔷Reefert Church

The remains of Reefert Church are situated in a woodland setting, on the south-eastern shore of the Upper Lake close to the Information Office. Reefert derives its name from the Irish ‘Righ Fearta’ meaning burial place of the kings (referring to the local rulers – the O’Toole family). It dates from the eleventh century and is likely to have been built on the site of an earlier church. The church and graveyard were originally surrounded by a stone wall enclosure known in Gaelic as a ‘caiseal’. Most of the present surrounding walls however are modern. The upper parts of the church walls were re-built over 100 years ago using the original stones.

🔷The Caher

This archaeological monument is found on the lawns beside the Upper Lake in Glendalough. It is a stone walled circular enclosure, measuring 20 meters in diameter. It’s original purpose and time of construction is a mystery. Similar structures can be found around the country but they were built on a much larger scale for use as defensive forts. The Caher in Glendalough is likely to be have been used as a station (stopping point for prayers) for those on pilgrimage across the mountains to the remains of St. Kevin’s monastery.

🔷Various Crosses

The lawns by the Upper Lake are the location of several stone crosses. They may have been used as stations during pilgrimages to Glendalough.

🔷Temple na Skellig

The ruins of this small church are located at the base of the cliffs on the southern shore of the Upper Lake. The site is not safely accessible to visitors, but may be viewed from the Miners’ Road, across the lake. West of the church is a raised platform with stone enclosure walls, where dwelling huts probably stood. The church was partly rebuilt in the 12th century.

🔷St. Kevin’s Bed

St. Kevin’s Bed is a small cave in the cliff to the east of Temple ne Skellig. The entrance is about 8 metres above the lake. Please note that the site is not safely accessible, and has been the site of many serious accidents. It may be viewed from the Miner’s Road, across the lake. The cave runs back two metres into the cliff and was reputedly a retreat for St. Kevin and later for St. Laurence O’Toole.

[pamphletstoinspire]

THE ROGATION DAYS

The Rogation Days are the 25th of April, called Major, and the three days before the feast of the Ascension, called Minor.

“Rogation” comes from the Latin “rogare,” which means “to ask,” and “Rogation Days” are days during which we seek to ask God's mercy, appease His anger, avert His chastisements manifest through natural disasters, and ask for His blessings, particularly with regard to farming, gardening, and other agricultural pursuits. They are set aside to remind us how radically dependent we are on Mother Earth, and how prayer can help protect us from nature's often cruel ways.

It is quite easy, especially for modern city folk, to sentimentalize nature and to forget how powerful, even savage, she can be. Time is spent focusing only on her lovelier aspects — the beauty of snow, the smell of cedar, the glories of flowers — as during Embertides — but in an instant, the veneer of civilization we've built to keep nature under control so we can enjoy her without suffering at her hand can be swept away. Ash and fire raining down from great volcanoes, waters bursting through levees, mountainous tidal waves destroying miles of coastland and entire villages, meteors hurling to earth, tornadoes and hurricanes sweeping away all in their paths, droughts, floods, fires that rampage through forests and towns, avalanches of rocks or snow, killer plagues, the very earth shaking off human life and opening up beneath our feet, cataclysmic events forming mountains and islands, animals that prey on humans, lightning strikes — these, too, are a part of the natural world. And though nature seems random and fickle, all that happens is either by God's active or passive Will, and all throughout Scripture He uses the elements to warn, punish, humble, and instruct us: earth swallowing up the rebellious, power-mad sons of Eliab; wind destroying Job's house; fire raining down on Sodom and Gomorrha; water destroying everyone but Noe and his family (Numbers 16, Job 1, Genesis 19, Genesis 6). We need to be humble before and respectful of nature, and be aware not to take her for granted or overstep our limits. But we need to be most especially humble before her Creator, Who wills her existence and doings at each instant, whether actively or passively. Consider the awe-inspiring words of Nahum 1:2-8:

The Lord is a jealous God, and a revenger: the Lord is a revenger, and hath wrath: the Lord taketh vengeance on His adversaries, and He is angry with His enemies. The Lord is patient, and great in power, and will not cleanse and acquit the guilty. The Lord's ways are in a tempest, and a whirlwind, and clouds are the dust of His feet. He rebuketh the sea, and drieth it up: and bringeth all the rivers to be a desert. Basan languisheth and Carmel: and the dower of Libanus fadeth away. The mountains tremble at Him, and the hills are made desolate: and the earth hath quaked at His presence, and the world, and all that dwell therein.

Who can stand before the face of His indignation? and who shall resist in the fierceness of His anger? His indignation is poured out like fire: and the rocks are melted by Him. The Lord is good and giveth strength in the day of trouble: and knoweth them that hope in Him. But with a flood that passeth by, He will make an utter end of the place thereof: and darkness shall pursue His enemies. (1)

Rogation days by Abbot Gueranger

It seems strange that there should be anything like mourning during Paschal Time: and yet the three days preceding Ascension Thursday are days of penance. A moment's reflection, however, will show us that the institution of the Rogation days is a most appropriate one. True, our Savior tells us before His Passion that “the children of the Bridegroom should not fast whilst the Bridegroom is with them” (Luke 5: 34); but is not sadness in keeping with these the last hours of Jesus' presence on earth? Were not His Blessed Mother and disciples oppressed with grief at the thought of their having so soon to lose Him, Whose company had been to them a foretaste of Heaven?

Let us see how the liturgical year came to have inserted in its calendar these three days, during which Holy Church, though radiant with the joy of Easter, seems to go back to Her Lenten observances. The Holy Ghost, Who guides Her in all things, willed that this completion of Her Paschal Liturgy should owe its origin to a devotion peculiar to one of the most illustrious and venerable Churches of southern Gaul, the Church of Vienne.

The second half of the 5th century had but just commenced, when the country around Vienne, which had been recently conquered by the Burgundians, was visited with calamities of every kind. The people were struck with fear at these indications of God's anger. St. Mamertus, who, at the time, was Bishop of Vienne, prescribed three days of public expiation, during which the faithful were to devote themselves to penance, and walk in procession chanting appropriate psalms. The three days preceding the Ascension were the ones chosen. Unknown to himself, the holy Bishop was thus instituting a practice, which was afterwards to form part of the Liturgy of the Universal Church.

The Churches of Gaul, as might naturally be expected, were the first to adopt the devotion. St. Alcimus Avitus, who was one of the earliest successors of St. Mamertus in the See of Vienne, informs us that the custom of keeping the Rogation days was, at that time, firmly established in his diocese. St. Caesarius of Arles, who lived in the early part of the 6th century, speaks of them as being observed in countries afar off; by which he meant, at the very least, to designate all that portion of Gaul which was under the Visigoths. That the whole of Gaul soon adopted the custom is evident from the canons drawn up at the first Council of Orleans, held in 511, which represented all the provinces that were in allegiance to Clovis. The regulations made by the Council regarding the Rogations, give us a great idea of the importance attached to their observance. Not only abstinence from meat, but even fasting, is made of obligation. Masters are also required to dispense their servants from work, in order that they may assist at the long functions which fill up almost the whole of these three days. In 567 the Council of Tours, likewise imposed the precept of fasting during the Rogation days; and as to the obligation of resting from servile work, we find it recognized in the Capitularia of St. Karl the Great and Charles the Bald.

The main part of the Rogation rite originally consisted, at least in Gaul, in singing canticles of supplication while passing from place to place; and hence the word Procession. We learn from St. Caesarius of Arles, that each day's procession lasted six hours; and that when the clergy became tired, the women took up the chanting. The faithful of those days did not suppose, as many have in modern times, that religious processions are required to be as short as possible.

The procession for the Rogation days was preceded by the faithful receiving the ashes upon their heads, as now at the beginning of Lent; they were then sprinkled with holy water, and the procession began. It was made up of the clergy and people of several of the smaller parishes, who were headed by the Cross of the principal church, which conducted the whole ceremony. All walked barefoot, singing the litany, psalms and antiphons, until they reached the church appointed for the station, where the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass was offered. They entered the churches that lay on their route, and sang an antiphon or responsory appropriate to each.

Such was the original ceremony of the Rogation days, and it was thus observed for a very long period. The monk of St. Gall's who has left us so many interesting details regarding the life of St. Karl the Great, tells us that this holy emperor used to join the processions of these three days, and walk barefooted from his palace to the stational church. We find St. Elizabeth of Hungary, in the 13th century, setting the like example: during the Rogation days, she used to mingle with the poorest women of the place, and walk barefooted, wearing a dress of coarse material. St. Charles Borromeo, who restored in his diocese of Milan so many ancient practices of piety, was sure not to be indifferent about the Rogation days. He spared neither word nor example to reanimate this salutary devotion among his people. He ordered fasting to be observed during these three days; he himself fasted on bread and water. The procession, in which all the clergy of the city were obliged to join, and which began after the sprinkling of ashes, started from the cathedral at an early hour in the morning, and was not over till three or four o'clock in the afternoon. Thirteen churches were visited on Monday; nine on Tuesday; and eleven on Wednesday. The saintly Archbishop celebrated Mass and preached in one of these churches.

If we compare the indifference shown by the Catholics of the present age for the Rogation days, with the devotion wherewith our ancestors kept them, we cannot but acknowledge that there has been a great falling off in faith and piety. Knowing, as we do, the great importance attached to these processions by the Church, we cannot help wondering how it is that there are so few among the faithful who assist at them. Our surprise increases when we find persons preferring their own private devotions to these public prayers of the Church, which, to say nothing of the result of good example, merit far greater graces than any exercises of our own choosing.

The whole western Church soon adopted the Rogation days. They were introduced into England at an early period; likewise into Spain and Germany. Rome herself sanctioned them by herself observing them; this she did in the 8th century, during the pontificate of St. Leo III. She gave them the name of the Lesser Litanies, in contradistinction to the procession of April 25, which she calls the Greater Litanies. With regard to the fast which the Churches of Gaul observed during the Rogation days, Rome did not adopt that part of the institution. Fasting seemed to her to throw a gloom over the joyous forty days, which our risen Jesus grants to His disciples; she therefore formerly enjoined only abstinence from meat during the Rogation days. The Church of Milan, which, as we have just seen, so strictly observed the Rogations, kept them on the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday after the Sunday following the Ascension, that is to say, after the forty days devoted to the celebration of the Resurrection.

If then we would have a correct idea of the Rogation days, we must consider them as Rome does – that is, as a holy institution which, without interrupting our paschal joy, tempers it. The violet vestments used during the procession and Mass do not signify that our Jesus has left us, but that the time for His departure is approaching.

Abstinence is no longer of obligation during the Rogation days. This should be an additional motive to induce the faithful to assist at the processions and litanies, and to make some compensation by fervently uniting in the prayers of the Church. We need so much penance, and we do so little! If we are truly in earnest, we shall be most fervent in doing the little that is left us to do.

The object of the Rogation days is to appease the anger of God, and avert the chastisements which the sins of the world so justly deserve; moreover, to draw down the divine blessing on the fruits of the earth. The Litany of the Saints is sung during the procession, which is sometimes followed by a special Rogation Mass. This Litany is one of the most efficacious of prayers. The Church makes use of it on all solemn occasions, as a means of rendering God propitious through the intercession of the whole court of Heaven. They who are prevented from assisting at the procession, should recite the Litany in union with Holy Church; they will thus share in the graces attached to the Rogation days; they will be joining in the supplications now being made in Christendom; they will be proving themselves to be faithful Catholics. (2)

INSTRUCTIONS CONCERNING THE PROCESSIONS ON ROGATION DAYS BY BY LEONARD GOFFINE, 1871

What are processions?

Processions are the solemn, public marching together of a number of persons, which in the Catholic Church are instituted according to the very earliest directions of the fathers, partly to encourage the piety of the faithful, partly in remembrance of graces received, in thanksgiving for them, or to obtain the divine assistance, and refer to the great mysteries of salvation. Those who take part in them with true piety, will reap salutary harvests of Christian virtue from them.

Are processions something new?

No, they were the custom in the very earliest centuries of the Church, as testified by the acts of the martyrs, of Cyprian, Lucius, Boniface, and the fathers of the Church, Basil, Chrysostom, Ambrose, Gregory, and others. They are also founded on Scripture. Thus King David caused the ark of the covenant to be carried in solemn procession to Jerusalem (ii. Kings vi.), and the same thing did Solomon, his son, when he placed the ark in the new temple, (iii. Kings viii.)

The ancients used to call the going out or going forth from Church procedere, “going away,” hence the word procession, going out, marching about.

What do processions signify?

To the faithful they are a powerful incentive to fervor in prayer; when hundreds, even thousands of faithful praise God aloud, or cry to Him for help and mercy, must not even the coldest heart be roused to vivid, fervent devotion, since Christ has promised to be present even where two or three are assembled together in His name? Processions are a figure of the pilgrim life of the Christian upon earth; we are strangers here helow, and wanderers, our journey stretches from this valley of tears to the heavenly Sion; and the procession therefore at the end goes into the house of God; our journey leads over the thorny ways of life, and the procession therefore marches in the open air, where the pilgrim is exposed to all kinds of weather; processions are an open acknowledgment that to theAlmighty God alone praise, thanks, and adoration are due, while they are a public profession of our faith in Christ, the Crucified; they are a solemn thanksgiving for being permitted to profess Christ, our Lord, before the whole world, as also for all the graces obtained through Him; they are a public testimonial of our faith in the one, holy, Catholic Church, whose members are united by the same bond of faith, and who form under their head, Christ, one family in God. Therefore the marching from one Church to the other, the bending of the banners in mutual salutation when parts of the processions meet each other. Finally, they are a sign of the triumph of Christian faith over the darkness of heathenism. If processions are solemnized with such intentions, with order and dignity, with fervent devotion in the light of faith, they are indeed, under the direction of a worthy priest, pleasing spectacles for angels and men, soon silencing the sneers and derision of faithless men.

Why are banners and the cross carried in processions?

The cross signifies, that we are assembled, as Christians, in the name of Jesus, who was crucified, in whose name we begin and end our prayers, through whose merits we expect all things from the Heavenly Father, and whom we must follow all through our journey to heaven; the red and white banners indicate, that we must walk in all innocence under the banner of Christ, and fight unto death against sin, against the world and the devil, and be as ready as once were the martyrs to give our life for our faith; the blue banners show, that we must walk the road of self-denial and mortification, with really humble and penitent feelings for our sins. The banners are also emblematic of Christ's victory over death and hell, and of the triumph of His religion over the pagans and Jews.

Why do we go around the fields in processions?

To beg the merciful God to bless the fields with His fatherly hand, give and preserve the fruits of the earth, and as He fills the animals with blessings, and gives them food at the proper time, so may He give to us also our necessary food.

What is the origin of the processions on St. Mark's day and in Holy Cross Week?

The procession on St. Mark's day was instituted even before the time of Pope Gregory the Great (607) who, however, brought them into fervent practice, “in order,” as he says, “to obtain in a measure forgiveness of our sins.” The same pontiff introduced another procession called the “sevenfold procession,” because the faithful in Rome took part in it in seven divisions, from seven different Churches, meeting in the Church of the Blessed Virgin. It was also named the “Pest procession,” because it was ordered by St. Gregory to obtain the cessation of a fearful pestilence which was at that time raging in Rome, and throughout all Italy, which so poisoned the atmosphere, that one opening his mouth to gape or sneeze would suddenly fall dead (hence the custom of saying “God bless you”, to one sneezing, and the sign of the cross on the mouth of one who gapes). In this procession the picture of the Blessed Virgin which according to tradition was painted by St. Luke, was carried by order of the Pope, that this powerful mother might be asked for her intercession, after which the pestilence did really cease. It is said, that the processions in Rogation Week owe their establishment to St. Mamertus, Bishop of Vienne in France; in the neighborhood of which city there were, in the year 469, terrible earth-quakes which caused great destruction, the fruits perished, and various plagues afflicted the people; the saintly bishop assembled the faithful, recommended them to the aid of the merciful God, and led them in procession around the fields. Such processions spread over France, and gradually throughout the Christian Church; they are held in order to obtain from God the averting of universal evils, such as war, famine, and pestilence, and are, at the same time, a preparation for the Ascension of Christ, who is our most powerful mediator with His Father, and whom we should especially invoke during these days.

With what intentions should we take part in the processions?

With the intention of glorifying God, of thanking Him for all His graces, and to obtain aid and comfort from Him in all our corporal and spiritual needs; with the view of professing our faith openly before the whole world, and with the sincere resolution of always following Christ, the Crucified, in the path of penance and mortification. He who entertains other intentions and takes part, perhaps, for temporal advantages, or for sinful pleasures, or to avoid labor, &c, sins against God and the Church, which weeps over such abuses and condemns them.

Customs

In addition to the penance, processions and Masses mentioned above, meditating on how devastating natural forces can be is in order. We are usually so buffered from the natural world with our cozy, modern homes, air conditioning, ability to fly through the air from Chicago to Paris in hours, and other wonders, that we can easily sentimentalize nature and see her in a Rousseauian way — taking her for granted, being condescending toward her, and exhibiting masterful instead of masterly behaviors in our dealings with her. It is rare that nature breaches the walls of civilization and technology we've set up around us, but breach them she can, and does, and this reality must be appreciated. Tell your children about how the elements can escape our control, and how we should remember our place as those who've been given dominion over nature, but never apart from God. Tell them about some of the great disasters that have fascinated and frightened us throughout History — e.g., the stories of Pompeii and Herculaneum, the Black Death, the London Fire of 1666, the great early 19th c. earthquakes along the New Madrid fault line that reversed the course of the Mississippi River, the Chicago Fire of 1871, the 1883 explosion of Krakatoa, the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, the Yellow River Floods of 1887 and 1931…

From: www.pamphletstoinspire.com

[pope-francis-quotes]

9th April >> (@Vaticannews By Devin Watkins) #PopeFrancis #Pope Francis approves updated norms for former Anglican/Episcopalian ministers and lay faithful who have joined the Catholic Church.

The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith publishes new complementary norms for former Anglican ministers and lay faithful who have joined the Catholic Church.

By Devin Watkins

Released on Tuesday, the updated Complementary Norms for the Apostolic Constitution Anglicanorum coetibus were approved by Pope Francis on March 8th and signed by Cardinal Luis Ladaria and Archbishop Giacomo Morandi, Prefect and Secretary of the CDF, respectively, on March 19, 2019.

Anglicanorum coetibus governs the institutions and Personal Ordinariates that minister to the lay faithful originally of the Anglican tradition, known as Episcopalians in the United States.

The updated Complementary Norms integrate the experience of the past 10 years and seek to make their application more in tune with the spirit of the Apostolic Constitution.

Currently, three Ordinariates of former Anglican ministers and lay faithful exist: the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham in England and Wales; the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of Saint Peter in the United States; and, the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of the Southern Cross in Australia.

The new Norms introduce several modifications to those promulgated in November 2009.

Liturgical celebrations

The most substantial change regards the use of the Missal, known as Divine Worship, in liturgical celebrations. An entire article, number 15, was added to regulate the liturgical form approved by the Holy See for use in the Ordinariates.

Divine Worship “gives expression to and preserves for Catholic worship the worthy Anglican liturgical patrimony, understood as that which has nourished the Catholic faith throughout the history of the Anglican tradition and prompted aspirations towards ecclesial unity.”

First, use of the liturgical form is restricted to the Personal Ordinariates.

Second, the Norms allow any priest incardinated in an Ordinariate to celebrate Mass according to Divine Worship when not in a parish belonging to the Ordinariate, if done privately. The celebration of Mass with a congregation is possible, if the pastor of the church gives his permission.

Third, if a pastoral necessity exists or no Ordinariate priest is available, any diocesan or religious priest may celebrate Mass according to Divine Worship for members of the Ordinariate. Non-Ordinariate priests may also concelebrate Mass under the liturgical form.

Pastoral Provision

Two changes are made to Article 4. The updated Norms extend the Ordinariate to allow former Anglican ministers already incardinated in a Catholic Diocese by virtue of the Pastoral Provision to be incardinated into a Personal Ordinariate. They also say that clerics joining an Ordinariate must excardinate from their former Diocese.

The Pastoral Provision was issued in 1980 to receive married former Anglican clergy into ordained Catholic ministry in the United States.

Baptism of lay faithful

A new paragraph is inserted into Article 5. It says any validly baptized Christian who was evangelized by the Ordinariate may join it by receiving the Sacraments of Confirmation and the Eucharist. A person who has not been validly baptized may also join through the Sacraments of Initiation.

Clergy formation

Article 10 regards the formation of clergy, and was adapted to the current situation. The new Norms change “candidates for priestly ordination” to “Ordinariate Seminarians”, who study at institutions with Latin-rite seminarians.

It also allows the Ordinariate to organize its own programs for the ongoing formation of clergy.

Topics

POPE FRANCIS

APOSTOLIC CONSTITUTION

ECUMENISM

09th April 2019, 13:39

[cathnews]

Anglican Church in Australia splits over same-sex marriage

Anglican Church in Australia splits over same-sex marriage

The Anglican Church in Australia has split, triggered by intractable divisions over same-sex marriage and accusations that bishops are out of touch with grassroots Anglicans. The Diocese of the Southern Cross was officially launched in Canberra on Sunday, with former Sydney Anglican Archbishop Glenn Davies (pictured) named its first bishop. “I think you’ll see the Diocese of the Southern Cross…