Pope Francis Condemns Jihadist Slaughter of Christians in Pakistan
On Sunday, Pope Francis decried the massacre of Christians in Lahore, Pakistan, and denounced a worldwide effort to conceal the reality of Christian persecution.
Faith
Pakistani Police Were ‘In a Bar Watching Cricket’ During Taliban Church Attack
Pakistani Christians have long protested the lack of government protection from terrorist attacks and random, unsubstantiated accusations of blasphemy. Sunday’s Taliban attack on two Christian churches in Lahore resulted in the death of at least 14 people, with many dozens wounded. Again, a lack of police presence seems to be a contributing factor in the violence.
Taliban Bombs Two Christian Churches in Pakistan During Sunday Services, Killing Fourteen
A Pakistani branch of the Taliban has claimed responsibility for bombings outside two churches in Lahore Sunday morning. According to local media, the blasts killed 14 people and wounded more than 70.
Pope Francis Teaches Priests How to Hear Confessions
This has been a big week for Pope Francis, as he celebrated his second anniversary as Pope, granted a lengthy interview in which he said time is ticking away on his pontificate, and called for an extraordinary Jubilee year of mercy for 2016. In the midst of this flurry of activity, Francis also found time to address a group of priests about how to be good confessors, before going to confession himself.
Interview: Navy Chaplain Fights Back Against Charges of Homophobia
The U.S. Navy has until Monday to respond to Chaplain Wesley Modder, who says the Navy’s attempt to remove him from the military for alleged anti-gay statements is unlawful.
Pope Francis: ‘The Devil Has Made Mexico Pay’
In an exclusive interview Wednesday, the second anniversary of his election to the papacy, Pope Francis spoke on a wide range of topics, many of which revolved around Mexico. He said that “the devil doesn’t forgive Mexico because there [the Virgin Mary] revealed her Son,” referring to the appearances of the Virgin of Guadalupe.
Air Force Reinstates Phrase ‘Have a Blessed Day’ After Brief Prohibition
Air Force security forces at Robins Air Force Base in Georgia are once again permitted to use the phrase, “Have a blessed day,” when greeting visitors, following a brief period of prohibition.
‘Catholic’ Gay Rights Org Taps Professional Bully Dan Savage as Keynote Speaker
Dignity USA, a nominally Catholic gay-rights advocacy group, has invited sex columnist and LGBT activist Dan Savage to give a keynote address at its 2015 biennial convention.
Italian Senate Blocks Islamic ‘Adoption Jihad’
The Italian Senate has ratified the Hague Convention for the protection of foreign minors but rejected the application of its Sharia adoption provisions, which envision the application of Islamic law regarding guardianship of minors.
Basketball Players Defend Down Syndrome Cheerleader from Bullies
When a middle school cheerleader named Desiree Andrews was being heckled by people in the bleachers, the basketball players called a timeout and confronted the bullies, telling them to stand down. Desiree Andrews, an eighth-grader with Down syndrome, is part
Catholic Group Urges Schools to Stop Honoring Corporations Seeking Homosexual ‘Marriage Rights’
In response to an amicus brief submitted by 379 corporations and businesses encouraging the U.S. Supreme Court to declare homosexual “marriage rights,” the Cardinal Newman Society is urging Catholic schools, colleges and universities to refrain from providing honors, speaking platforms, or positions on boards and committees to the leaders and board members of these corporations.
Cardinal Zen Warns Vatican: ‘China Wants Unconditional Surrender’
In an interview Wednesday with the Italian daily Corriere della Sera, Emeritus Hong Kong Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun accused the Vatican of being naïve in its dialogue with Beijing, saying that the Church is preparing to give away too much. “Italians in the Roman Curia don’t know the Chinese dictatorship,” he said, “because they have never experienced a Communist regime.”
Two Elderly Christian Women Defy ISIS as Iraqi Ghost Town’s Only Residents
Kurdish news agency Rudaw tells the poignant story of Teleskof, a Christian town of some 4,000 souls in the Nineveh Plains evacuated last August before the advance of ISIS, save for two elderly women named Sarya Matto and Madi Salim, who adamantly refused to leave their home.
Oklahoma House Approves Bill Shifting Marriage Licenses from State to Clergy
On Tuesday, the Oklahoma state House approved legislation that transfers the issuance of marriage licenses from the state to clergy members.
‘Personal Belief’ Only 2.54% of California Kindergarten Vaccination Exemptions
In the midst of the Disneyland measles outbreak, California legislators have been decrying the number of under-vaccinated children in schools in a push for legislation that would strip parents of the right to choose whether to vaccinate their children. However, California Department of Public Health (CDPH) statistics show that “personal belief” exemptions account for only 2.54% of under-vaccinated California school children.
Black Pastors Coalition Leader: Obama’s Comparison of Civil Rights and Gay Marriage Struggles a ‘Disgrace to the Black Community’
The president of a black pastors coalition has expressed his anger that President Barack Obama compared the civil rights movement to that for same-sex marriage at the 50th anniversary of the “Bloody Sunday” march, when black American citizens were beaten while demanding voting rights they were being denied.
Daily Caller: Ana Marie Cox Goes on Breitbart Radio, Her Fans Are Not Pleased
From the Daily Caller’s Betsy Rothstein: On Sunday afternoon, the unthinkable happened: Guardian columnist Ana Marie Cox, a lefty journo and newfound believer in Christ, announced that she was going on Breitbart Radio. … Needless to say, her fan club was
Daily Beast Falsely Claims Pope Allowed Priest to Break Confession Seal
An article in Monday’s Daily Beast erroneously suggests that Pope Francis has allowed a priest to divulge what he heard in a deathbed confession. The deathbed in question belonged to none other than Italy’s former Prime Minister Aldo Moro, who allegedly confessed his sins to a young priest named Antonio Mennini before he was killed by the Red Brigade.
Rally in Sacramento Against Anti-Semitism Prompted by Slew of Recent Hateful Activity
Community leaders and lawmakers will join Sacramento’s Jewish community on Monday afternoon on the State Capitol’s steps to rally against antisemitism in California. The rally coincides with a proposed law that would require all student government bodies in California to provide and take part in mandatory training in discrimination and civil rights.
Bank Records Reveal Saudi Elites Gave Millions to Boston Marathon Bombers’ Mosque
Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, currently on trial for terrorism charges from his role in the Boston Marathon bombings, prayed at the Islamic Society of Boston (ISB) mosque in Cambridge, MA, which was founded by an Al Qaeda operative and funded with money from Saudi Arabia. According to Newsweek, the Tsarnaev brothers became radicalized after they started to attend this mosque.
Paris Cardinal Chides Prime Minister for ‘Utopian’ Plan to Secularize ‘Islamic Fascism’
The French Prime Minister Manuel Valls has announced his intention to fight “Islamic fascism” and prevent massacres similar to the Charlie Hebdo affair through a massive injection of Islamic studies into French universities, a project that the Archbishop of Paris says is doomed to fail.
New York Times Ends Two-Year Love Affair with Pope Francis
This week, Pope Francis will celebrate the second anniversary of his election to the papacy, marked by a notable cooling in the Left’s embrace of a man they had hoped would bring revolutionary change to the Catholic Church.
Liberal Intollerance on Display in Reaction to George Washington University YAF Stance on LGBT Sensitivity Training
Recently, my conservative student organization at the George Washington University spoke out against mandatory LGBT sensitivity training, requesting exemptions for our religious members. Our classmates are now demanding that our organization be defunded, classifying us as a hate group, and calling our request “an act of violence.”
George Washington University YAF Smeared as Hate Group for Resisting LGBT Sensitivity Training
Gay and liberal groups at The George Washington University have demanded that funding for GW-YAF, a chapter affiliate of Young America’s Foundation, be revoked for the club’s daring to stand up for religious freedom.
Canadian Christian Pastor Detained in North Korea
Reverend Lim Hyeon-soo, of the Light Korean Presbyterian Church of Toronto, arrived across the Chinese border into North Korea on January 31 for a humanitarian visit, and was scheduled to return on February 4. For nearly a month there was no news of him, but this week the Canadian government told Lim’s family that Pyongyang has contacted them and confirmed that they are holding him.
