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OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) -- Seven current and former San Francisco Bay Area police officers will be charged in a sexual misconduct scandal involving a teenager who was later arrested in Florida in an unrelated assault case, a prosecutor said Friday....
NEAR THE STANDING ROCK SIOUX RESERVATION, N.D. (AP) -- The federal government stepped into the fight over the Dakota Access oil pipeline Friday, ordering work to stop on one segment of the project in North Dakota and asking the Texas-based company building it to "voluntarily pause" action on a wider span that an American Indian tribe says holds sacred artifacts....
GENEVA (AP) -- The United States and Russia early Saturday announced a breakthrough agreement on Syria that foresees a nationwide cease-fire starting next Monday, followed a week later by an unlikely new military partnership between the rival governments targeting the Islamic State and al-Qaida....
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has met with a group of Italian Pentecostal pastors, telling them that unity is achieved by walking patiently together.The seven Pentecostal pastors, led by the Pope’s friend Giovanni Traettino from the Evangelical Church of Reconciliation, had a private audience in the Casa Santa Marta on Thursday afternoon to continue the dialogue begun by the pontiff’s visit to their community in Caserta two years ago.During the informal encounter Pastor Traettino thanked the Pope for his role “as a brother and an ally” in accelerating the dialogue between Catholics and Pentecostals.Pope Francis replied that he “felt in his heart” the need to undertake steps towards reconciliation, citing the examples of his meeting with the Waldensian community or with the Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill. Unity, he said, is achieved step by step, through a patient and continuous journey together. Full unity, he said, will be achieved after &ldq...
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has met with a group of Italian Pentecostal pastors, telling them that unity is achieved by walking patiently together.
The seven Pentecostal pastors, led by the Pope’s friend Giovanni Traettino from the Evangelical Church of Reconciliation, had a private audience in the Casa Santa Marta on Thursday afternoon to continue the dialogue begun by the pontiff’s visit to their community in Caserta two years ago.
During the informal encounter Pastor Traettino thanked the Pope for his role “as a brother and an ally” in accelerating the dialogue between Catholics and Pentecostals.
Pope Francis replied that he “felt in his heart” the need to undertake steps towards reconciliation, citing the examples of his meeting with the Waldensian community or with the Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill. Unity, he said, is achieved step by step, through a patient and continuous journey together. Full unity, he said, will be achieved after “the Son of Man returns” but in the meantime, he stressed, Christians must pray, repent of their sins and walk together.
(Vatican Radio) ‘Roma’ bomber Manuel Iturbe is one of the star football players taking part in a “Football for Peace” match, supported by Pope Francis, coming up at Rome’s Olympic Stadium. The “United for Peace” charity event will be played in aid of the educational and social initiatives promoted by the Pontifical Foundation ‘Scholas Occurrentes’ on 12 October.The Foundation is an international project based in Argentina that brings together schools and educational networks from different cultures and religious backgrounds.The “United for Peace” match was presented on Friday morning at a press conference led by José Maria del Corral, President of the Scholas Occurentes Foundation, who said the inspiration for the initiative is to be found in the Pope’s reiterated appeal to build peace by promoting a culture of encounter.“The Pope says that football teaches us to work togeth...
(Vatican Radio) ‘Roma’ bomber Manuel Iturbe is one of the star football players taking part in a “Football for Peace” match, supported by Pope Francis, coming up at Rome’s Olympic Stadium.
The “United for Peace” charity event will be played in aid of the educational and social initiatives promoted by the Pontifical Foundation ‘Scholas Occurrentes’ on 12 October.
The Foundation is an international project based in Argentina that brings together schools and educational networks from different cultures and religious backgrounds.
The “United for Peace” match was presented on Friday morning at a press conference led by José Maria del Corral, President of the Scholas Occurentes Foundation, who said the inspiration for the initiative is to be found in the Pope’s reiterated appeal to build peace by promoting a culture of encounter.
“The Pope says that football teaches us to work together as a team” he said and that is why “the protagonists of this match will be two important Italian football associations (Roma and Lazio) who immediately lent their support” to the initiative.
Star football player Manuel Iturbe, who has already participated in other charity events of the same nature, described matches such as this as “something beautiful”.
“I think that every football player would be happy to be here to participate in this beautiful initiative taken by the Vatican” he said.
Supporting the initiative was also Argentinean Bishop Marcelo Sánchez Sorondo, Chancellor of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences and of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences who pointed out that sport – and football in particular - are incredibly powerful tools for building peace and unity as they reach and involve and unite young people all over the world.
“It is incredibly important because we aim to reach some 50% of young people who do not receive education with our programmes. An initiative such as this one puts sport and beauty together and is able to communicate the importance of education for all” he said.
IMAGE: CNS photo/Tyler OrsburnBy Allana HaynesWASHINGTON (CNS) -- Colette Kalvesmaki is trained in the ancient art oficonography, combining her knowledge of theology and her love of art to passdown stories of inspiration to future generations.Growing up in a small town in a nonreligious family,she had a curiosity for God and religion that appeared in her late teens. Itwas not until after spending six months with a Protestant group in Japan at theage of 19, when she encountered God for herself.She discovered iconography after moving to Bostondown the street from Russian iconographer, Ksenia Pokrovsky, whom she studied under for threeyears. She also earned a degree from St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary.In an interview with Catholic News Service, sheexplained what inspired her to learn the art of iconography."My faith," she said."Initially, I didn't necessarily like (iconography),but as I grew more in my faith, I learned more about it and learned more aboutwhat the icon act...
IMAGE: CNS photo/Tyler Orsburn
By Allana Haynes
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Colette Kalvesmaki is trained in the ancient art of iconography, combining her knowledge of theology and her love of art to pass down stories of inspiration to future generations.
Growing up in a small town in a nonreligious family, she had a curiosity for God and religion that appeared in her late teens. It was not until after spending six months with a Protestant group in Japan at the age of 19, when she encountered God for herself.
She discovered iconography after moving to Boston down the street from Russian iconographer, Ksenia Pokrovsky, whom she studied under for three years. She also earned a degree from St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary.
In an interview with Catholic News Service, she explained what inspired her to learn the art of iconography.
"My faith," she said.
"Initially, I didn't necessarily like (iconography), but as I grew more in my faith, I learned more about it and learned more about what the icon actually meant to the faith and to the Eastern Church," she continued. "It's actually the banner of our faith, and is also a statement because Christ became man like us, (therefore) we can depict him. When I started realizing all of the rich theology within the icon and the mystery within it, I felt like I was called to do it."
Kalvesmaki and her family run the Center for Byzantine Material Arts, a small gallery and workshop in Washington's Brookland neighborhood that displays authentic iconography available for purchase and hosts lessons for those interested in learning the centuries-old art form.
She explained that those who have seen her creations in the shop window have had varied reactions.
"It's very interesting being here because we attract all kinds of people who don't understand it and some people who have grown up with it, but don't understand the meaning of it," Kalvesmaki said. "I think once you understand that, you come to a place where you really want to know more about your faith and go deep into your faith because, it's right here."
After viewing the icons, she said some people are inspired to learn to make one themselves.
"I think people look at it right away and they can see that it's not of this world in a sense, and it's something other and people are just drawn to it," Kalvesmaki explained. "I think people who want to grow deeper in their faith want to take these classes and want to sit down and make a bunch of these. We teach you how to do that here, step by step."
Kalvesmaki offers lessons to accommodate artists of different skill levels.
"We have intensive courses and we have private courses, but then there are also people who I take on as apprentice. Those are all different categories," she said.
During each lesson, Kalvesmaki teaches the artist the process of putting together an icon by walking them through the materials and technique.
Each lesson opens and closes with prayer, and each artist is encouraged to get to know each saint whom they will be depicting.
"A typical day for a private lesson would be that someone would come in for an hour and I ask them if they want to learn how to prepare the board, because I teach how to prepare the board, how to make the gesso (paint mixture with binder), and they work their way up," she said.
"We start very simple on the face. There are only two poses, one more or less frontal, and the other, a three quarters view. We usually start with an angel, a saint, a soldier saint, or a bishop, and then we work our way up to Mary and then Christ. When we reach Christ, we do the gilding. By the time we've reached that ability, we know how to paint, and we are creating Christ, respectfully," she added.
Kalvesmaki also explained how creating and teaching others the art of iconography has allowed her grow deeper in her faith.
"Doing it, I am constantly reading about the saints and constantly praying to them," she said. "Teaching it is kind of a wrench up because you have to live a Christian life. You want to pass on this faith through the icon to whoever is coming toward you. It urges me to grow constantly in Christ and to really live life on the edge with him and not to compromise. I'm constantly challenged to grow deeper in my faith. In just doing this, I'm drawn to that."
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Editor's Note: Learn more about Kalvesmaki's iconography at www.sacredpresence.com/.
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BAY ST. LOUIS, Miss. (AP) -- A Mississippi police chief killed himself soon after learning that authorities were investigating allegations that he illegally sold city-owned firearms, including an assault rifle, a sheriff's official said Friday....
