Is ISIS Already in Rome?
Members of the Islamic State have been circulating disturbing photos of well-known Roman sites such as the Colosseum with handwritten cards held up in front claiming that ISIS is already present in Italy’s capital.
Thomas D. Williams, Ph.D.
Latest News
Lost in Translation: Pope Misquoted in ‘Angel of Peace’ Comment to Abbas
A recent misquote of Pope Francis’ words to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas shows that the devil—or the angel—is often in the details. In this case, a subtle difference between the indicative and the subjunctive tenses changed the Pope’s words from an invitation to be an angel of peace into high praise—as if the Palestinian leader already were that angel.
‘Eleven Christians Killed Every Hour,’ Says Irish Bishop
According to Bishop John McAreavey, the Chair of the Council for Justice & Peace of the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference, statistics show that the situation of Christian persecution in the world is far more dire than most people understand.
Five Attacks in Five Days on Christians in Central India
In the space of just five days, from May 10 to 15, 2015, Hindu Fundamentalist groups have carried out five separate attacks against Christians in their places of worship in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, which is under the authority of the ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Abortion Promoters Lie about RU-486 Reversal Breakthrough
Very few women today know that even after taking the RU-486 abortion pill, the process can still be reversed, and they certainly will not hear it from their local Planned Parenthood representative.
Girl Scouts Welcome Cross-Dressing Boys into their Ranks
The Girl Scouts of America (GSA) is the latest organization to cave to pressure from the LGBTIQA lobby, adapting its policies to extend membership to boys who identify as girls.
Rising Roman Crime Worries Jubilee Planners
This past March, Pope Francis issued a surprise proclamation of a special Jubilee year of mercy to begin in December 2015, which may be dampened—planners fear—by a steady rise in predatory crimes on the streets of the Eternal City.
Pope Allegedly Halts Publication of Eco-Encyclical amid Controversy
A Vatican insider asserts that Pope Francis has scrapped the draft of his encyclical letter on the environment and sent it back for major revision. The letter was slated for publication in early summer, but now may not be ready until much later, he suggests.
Vatican Recognition of ‘State of Palestine’ Proves No Surprise
ROME, Italy– The Vatican’s recognition of the state of Palestine in a new treaty finalized Wednesday, while sparking strong reactions, proved no surprise to Vatican watchers, since it merely formalizes a position that the Holy See has had for years.
Activists Capitalize on Boko Haram Sexual Violence to Push Abortion
As the Nigerian army rescues more and more women from captivity from the Islamic jihadist group Boko Haram, abortion-rights groups have swooped in, seeking to instrumentalize the crisis to advance their agenda of abortion and population control.
Pew: Religious ‘Nones’ Tend to Be Undereducated, Poor, White Males
Flying in the face of the common belief that irreligiosity tends to rise with education and income, the exact opposite trend emerges from the Pew Center’s most recent comprehensive report on religion in America.
Pope Francis: The Devil ‘Seems Like a Theologian!’
During his weekly audience Wednesday, Pope Francis returned to one of his favorite themes: the devil. Reflecting on the importance of good manners and etiquette, Francis insisted that they aren’t enough, because even Satan knows how to put on good manners to get what he wants.
Top Papal Aide Blasts US Critics of Pope’s Upcoming Letter on Ecology
Honduran Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga lambasted “movements in the United States” that have expressed criticism of the Pope’s upcoming encyclical letter on the environment, calling it “absurd” to disparage a document that has not yet been released.
Islamic Youth Bullied, Insulted Christian Group in Northern Italy
On Sunday morning, a group of young Muslim immigrants interrupted a Catholic procession in honor of the Virgin Mary with verbal insults, shouting, and threats as the group passed in front of the Islamic Cultural Center in Conselice, a small town in lower Romagna.
America’s New Anthem: ‘Losing My Religion,’ Says Pew Report
Known for being one of the more religious countries in the world, especially in comparison with old world Europe, the United States has experienced an alarming dip in religiosity in the past seven years, according to a new study by the Pew Research Center.
Power Struggle Rages over Al-Baghdadi’s Successor as Head of Islamic State
The world’s most lethal terrorist group has been allegedly headless for nearly two months after losing its acting leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who was thought to be grievously wounded in a US-led airstrike in western Iraq on March 18.
Pro-Life March Through Streets of Rome Draws 40,000
ROME, Italy– Throngs of marchers took to the streets of Rome on Mother’s Day to commemorate Italy’s fifth annual March for Life, a pro-life event affirming the universal right to life in opposition to state-sanctioned abortion.
Pope Francis: Those Who Kill Christians ‘Do Not Know God’
ROME, Italy– During his morning Mass Monday, Pope Francis once again threw down the gauntlet to the jihadists of ISIS and Boko Haram, applying to them the words of Jesus that those who persecute Christians have never known God.
Why Muslims Cannot Poke Fun at Muhammad
In a recent piece in the Asia Times, economist David P. Goldman analyzes why Muslims—unlike Jews and Christians—have such a hard time poking fun at their prophets.
Planned Parenthood’s Sick Exploitation of Mother’s Day
For mothers out there who regret having children and would have done otherwise if only they had better access to “reproductive health” options, Planned Parenthood wants them to know it feels their pain.
ISIS Sets ‘Honey Traps’ to Ensnare and Execute Homosexuals
In its crusade against homosexuals, the Islamic State is now resorting to sting operations, using jihadists posing as gay men to coax out offenders and execute them.
Raúl Castro in Vatican: ‘I Will Return to the Catholic Church’
Visiting Pope Francis in Vatican City Sunday, Cuban President Raúl Castro thanked him publicly for the role he played in mediating relations between Cuba and the United States this past year.
Pope Francis Tells Athletes: Say No to ‘Doping’
In a meeting Friday with a large group of representatives of the Italian Tennis Federation, Pope Francis interjected strong words against doping in his otherwise positive message.
Chinese Province Cracks Down on Christians, Banning Rooftop Crosses
The quintessential symbol of Christianity—the cross—has been outlawed on the rooftops of buildings in the Chinese province of Zhejiang, pending final approval.
Pope Francis Gets Basketball Tips from Harlem Globetrotters
At his weekly general audience in St. Peter’s Square, Pope Francis welcomed some of the Harlem Globetrotters, who were visiting Rome while on tour.
