Catholic News 2
CANNON BALL, N.D. (AP) -- Tribal elders have asked the military veterans joining the large Dakota Access pipeline protest encampment not to have confrontations with law enforcement officials, an organizer with Veterans Stand for Standing Rock said Sunday, adding the group is there to help out those who've dug in against the four-state, $3.8 billion project....
SANTIAGO, Cuba (AP) -- A wooden box containing Fidel Castro's ashes was placed by his brother and successor on Sunday into the side of a granite boulder that has become Cuba's only official monument to the charismatic bearded rebel who seized control of a U.S.-allied Caribbean island and transformed it into a western outpost of Soviet-style communism that he ruled with absolute power for nearly half a century....
WASHINGTON (AP) -- President-elect Donald Trump is expanding his pool of candidates for secretary of state, leaving unclear whether former CIA Director David Petraeus' guilty plea for leaking classified information disqualifies him to serve as the nation's top diplomat....
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) -- The death toll from a fire that tore through a warehouse hosting a late-night dance party jumped to 30 on Sunday as firefighters painstakingly combed through rubble for others believed to still be missing....
(Vatican Radio) Italian's are going to the polls Sunday in a referendum to change the constitution in a way that would potentially streamline Italy’s legislative process.Listen to Ann Schneible's report Sunday’s referendum seesItalians voting on whether to amend the constitution to make it easier for the Italian government to pass laws.The bill involves a proposal to shift power from the Senate in such a way that would allow the lower house of parliament to pass legislation without Senate approval.Under the current Italian constitution, both the Senate and the House of Deputies are needed to pass legislation, resulting in a process that is costly and time consuming.The bill was put forward by Prime minister Matteo Renzi who has claimed that such a reform would improve efficiency in the government, reduce bureaucracy, and lower government spending.Arguments from those opposing the bill have expressed fears that the move would reduce vital democratic checks and b...
(Vatican Radio) Italian's are going to the polls Sunday in a referendum to change the constitution in a way that would potentially streamline Italy’s legislative process.
Listen to Ann Schneible's report
Sunday’s referendum seesItalians voting on whether to amend the constitution to make it easier for the Italian government to pass laws.
The bill involves a proposal to shift power from the Senate in such a way that would allow the lower house of parliament to pass legislation without Senate approval.
Under the current Italian constitution, both the Senate and the House of Deputies are needed to pass legislation, resulting in a process that is costly and time consuming.
The bill was put forward by Prime minister Matteo Renzi who has claimed that such a reform would improve efficiency in the government, reduce bureaucracy, and lower government spending.
Arguments from those opposing the bill have expressed fears that the move would reduce vital democratic checks and balances in the government.
Earlier this year, Renzi announced he would resign as prime minister if the bill failed to pass.
(Vatican Radio) Austria could get Europe's first far far-right head of state since World War Two following Sunday's presidential election. Norbert Hofer from the far-right Freedom Party faced former Green Party leader Alexander Van der Bellen in a re-run vote after the previous ballot was overturned due to counting irregularities. However Hofer tried to reassure media on Sunday that he is not the radical, opponents accuse him of being.Listen to Stefan Bos' report Dubbed “the Austrian Trump” the 45-year-old Hofer appeared confident as opinion polls showed he has a high chance of winning Sunday's election.Much like the US President-elect Donald Trump, the former aeronautical engineer capitalized on fears surrounding Europe's worst refugee crisis since the second world war and immigration to boost his popularity.The contest, a re-run of a vote held on May 22 between Hofer and 72-year old left-wing Green party candidateAlexander Van der Bellen was to cl...
(Vatican Radio) Austria could get Europe's first far far-right head of state since World War Two following Sunday's presidential election. Norbert Hofer from the far-right Freedom Party faced former Green Party leader Alexander Van der Bellen in a re-run vote after the previous ballot was overturned due to counting irregularities. However Hofer tried to reassure media on Sunday that he is not the radical, opponents accuse him of being.
Listen to Stefan Bos' report
Dubbed “the Austrian Trump” the 45-year-old Hofer appeared confident as opinion polls showed he has a high chance of winning Sunday's election.
Much like the US President-elect Donald Trump, the former aeronautical engineer capitalized on fears surrounding Europe's worst refugee crisis since the second world war and immigration to boost his popularity.
The contest, a re-run of a vote held on May 22 between Hofer and 72-year old left-wing Green party candidate
Alexander Van der Bellen was to close to call.
Both sides expected a long count after polls closed at 5 PM local time.
EU CONCERNED
That has raised concerns within the European Union where several leaders fear a far right victory in Austria could
boost similar parties elsewhere in Europe ahead of upcoming elections in France and the Netherlands.
Casting his vote in his home town of Pinkafeld on Sunday, Hofer pledged to build stronger ties with Vladimir Putin’s Russia and said he would be heading to both Washington and Moscow if he wins the presidency.
Yet, he also stressed that he would not no longer push for a referendum on Austria's exit from the European Union but
would focus instead on the EU's positive development.
Speaking about migration, he called for tougher screening of refugees but also said he wanted to help those in need. "We need to build safe zones in northern Africa...To help people there, to help have some time to see if they are really refugees or not," he said.
SAFE WAY
"And than we have to bring them in a a safe way to bring them over to Europe because so many people died in the sea. I am a level-headed man. If someone needs help we have to help him either in Austria or in his home country," Hofer added.
Last year some 100, 000 asylum seekers entered Austria - the equivalent of one percent of the population of this country of 8.7 million.
Hofer's opponent, Van der Bellen, is the hope of Austrians who want to stop the anti-migrant and anti-EU Freedom Party.
Van der Bellen has said he wants to unite Austria after a bitter election campaign.
Vatican City, Dec 4, 2016 / 07:56 am (CNA/EWTN News).- The proclamation of John the Baptist to “Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand” is a joyful one that calls us to conversion, Pope Francis said today in his Angelus address on the second Sunday of Advent.Referring to the Gospel reading for the day from Matthew 3:1-12, the Pope noted that the proclamation of John the Baptist, who prepared the way for Jesus, is also repeated several times by Jesus himself throughout the Gospel of Matthew.“With these same words Jesus will start his mission in Galilee (Mt 4:17); and this will also be an announcement that will bring the disciples on their first missionary experience (Mt 10:7),” he said.This “joyful proclamation” is central to all Christian mission, the Holy Father said.“When a missionary goes, a Christian goes to proclaim Jesus, he does not go to proselytize, as if it was a fan who seeks for his team more closely. No, (they go) to an...
Vatican City, Dec 4, 2016 / 07:56 am (CNA/EWTN News).- The proclamation of John the Baptist to “Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand” is a joyful one that calls us to conversion, Pope Francis said today in his Angelus address on the second Sunday of Advent.
Referring to the Gospel reading for the day from Matthew 3:1-12, the Pope noted that the proclamation of John the Baptist, who prepared the way for Jesus, is also repeated several times by Jesus himself throughout the Gospel of Matthew.
“With these same words Jesus will start his mission in Galilee (Mt 4:17); and this will also be an announcement that will bring the disciples on their first missionary experience (Mt 10:7),” he said.
This “joyful proclamation” is central to all Christian mission, the Holy Father said.
“When a missionary goes, a Christian goes to proclaim Jesus, he does not go to proselytize, as if it was a fan who seeks for his team more closely. No, (they go) to announce: ‘The kingdom of God is among you!’”
It is so joyful because we do not have to wait for the Kingdom of God sometime in the future - we can experience some of its beauty and joy here on earth, the Pope added.
But the condition to experiencing God’s kingdom - both on earth and in heaven - is conversion.
“(B)e converted every day, one step forward every day,” Francis said.
He encouraged the faithful to convert and prepare the way of the Lord in their hearts by examining their consciences and leaving behind the “convenient but misleading...idols of this world: success at all costs, the power at the expense of the weak, the thirst for wealth, pleasure at any price.”
“Christmas is a day of great joy, also exterior, but is primarily a religious event for which spiritual preparation is needed,” Pope Francis said.
“In this Advent season, let us be guided by the exhortation of John the Baptist: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.’”
After the Angelus, the Pope greeted pilgrims from Rome, Spain and Croatia. He also reminded the faithful that he would see them again on Thursday for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mary, and asked for their prayers.
“These days we pray together, asking her maternal intercession for the conversion of hearts and the gift of peace,” he said.
“And please, do not forget to pray for me. Good lunch. On Thursday!”
Alabama heads into the postseason with a chance to become the third wire-to-wire champion in the history of The Associated Press college football poll....
ATLANTA (AP) -- When U.S. Forest Ranger Jody Bandy confronted the man in the Pisgah National Forest, he said he'd been at the nearby wildfire and "couldn't take it anymore."...
VIENNA (AP) -- Alexander Van der Bellen, who preached moderation and tolerance, won Austria's presidential election Sunday over right-wing populist Norbert Hofer, according to preliminary results that showed Van der Bellen convincingly ahead despite pre-vote polls showing them neck and neck....
