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VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (AP) -- Donald Trump said Monday he believes relations between police and the nation's African-American community are "far worse" than people think, predicting that protests against police violence that followed last week's slaying of five police officers in Dallas "might be just the beginning for this summer."...
DALLAS (AP) -- Military service changed the Dallas gunman from an extrovert into a hermit, his parents said in an interview excerpt published Monday....
DALLAS (AP) -- When Micah Johnson opened fire on Dallas police in an act of vengeance against white officers, he was attacking a department whose chief has been lauded across the country for taking bold steps to root out bad cops and repair relations with minorities....
(Vatican Radio) An uneasy calm settled on the idyllic eastern Aegean island of Leros on Monday, after a weekend of incidents between frustrated migrants and local vigilante groups backed by police.John Carr reports from the Greek capital Athens: The clashes began on Saturday, when some 200 migrants broke out of the holding camps, where they’ve been penned up for months, and thronged the main town of Leros. They seem to have been protesting the actions of citizens’ groups who have demonstrated their opposition to the migrants’ long presence on the island.Some injuries were reported on Sunday, and several arrests, though riot police continued to be on standby on Monday.The clashes show that Greece’s intractable migrant problem has not gone away, and that many thousands of Middle Easterners who haven’t managed to get asylum papers face bleak and indefinite futures in similar camps across Greece.The vigilantes, on the other hand, claim that th...
(Vatican Radio) An uneasy calm settled on the idyllic eastern Aegean island of Leros on Monday, after a weekend of incidents between frustrated migrants and local vigilante groups backed by police.
John Carr reports from the Greek capital Athens:
The clashes began on Saturday, when some 200 migrants broke out of the holding camps, where they’ve been penned up for months, and thronged the main town of Leros. They seem to have been protesting the actions of citizens’ groups who have demonstrated their opposition to the migrants’ long presence on the island.
Some injuries were reported on Sunday, and several arrests, though riot police continued to be on standby on Monday.
The clashes show that Greece’s intractable migrant problem has not gone away, and that many thousands of Middle Easterners who haven’t managed to get asylum papers face bleak and indefinite futures in similar camps across Greece.
The vigilantes, on the other hand, claim that the presence of the migrant camps has dealt a serious blow to tourism in the eastern Aegean, at a time of severe economic crisis, and want them out.
(Vatican Radio) An election in Japan at the weekend has given additional power to the country’s ruling coalition. It comes at a time when the nation is tackling problems such as the population's low birth rate.Alastair Wanklyn reports from Tokyo on what changes may be in store:Listen: Claiming victory, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said support for his party and the ruling bloc is a vote of approval on economic policies to bring Japan out of stagnation.He promised to spend more on farmers and on expanding Japan's railway network.He has earlier spoken of making it easier for working families to have children, by expanding the number of places at nurseries.Critics say Abe has largely ignored other social problems, including high levels of hidden poverty and a shift away from permanent jobs.There is also massive depopulation of rural areas. Abe has ruled out immigration, despite the fact that around 8 million homes in Japan are empty.Meanwhile, Prime Minister...
(Vatican Radio) An election in Japan at the weekend has given additional power to the country’s ruling coalition. It comes at a time when the nation is tackling problems such as the population's low birth rate.
Alastair Wanklyn reports from Tokyo on what changes may be in store:
Listen:
Claiming victory, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said support for his party and the ruling bloc is a vote of approval on economic policies to bring Japan out of stagnation.
He promised to spend more on farmers and on expanding Japan's railway network.
He has earlier spoken of making it easier for working families to have children, by expanding the number of places at nurseries.
Critics say Abe has largely ignored other social problems, including high levels of hidden poverty and a shift away from permanent jobs.
There is also massive depopulation of rural areas. Abe has ruled out immigration, despite the fact that around 8 million homes in Japan are empty.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Abe now holds a sufficient majority in the legislature to change the nation's constitution.
That text was written just after Japan's defeat in World War II, and Abe has said it is out of date.
In particular, he wants to overturn a pacifist clause that bans Japan from going to war.
On Monday, China spoke out urging Japan to stick to its peaceful path.
Changes to the constitution would have to be approved in a national referendum, but Abe has said he wants the revisions made within the next year or so.
Wichita, Kan., Jul 11, 2016 / 12:48 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- The Diocese of Wichita is offering prayers for a seminarian who is missing after rescuing a woman in the Arkansas River on Saturday. Brian Bergkamp, age 24, had finished his second year at seminary. He was scheduled to be ordained a priest in 2018.The seminarian was kayaking with four friends July 9 on the Arkansas River. They hit rough water, and one of the women in the group fell out of her kayak.Bergkamp plunged in after the woman and was able to help her reach safety, but he was then pulled under by the strong current, according to officials.Search crews are still looking for the missing seminarian, and prayer services are being held every evening at St. Anne Catholic Church in Wichita until he is found.Those who knew the seminarian described him as selfless and said they were not surprised by his act of self-sacrifice to save the life of another.“He would go out of his way to help someone and forget about his ...
Wichita, Kan., Jul 11, 2016 / 12:48 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- The Diocese of Wichita is offering prayers for a seminarian who is missing after rescuing a woman in the Arkansas River on Saturday.
Brian Bergkamp, age 24, had finished his second year at seminary. He was scheduled to be ordained a priest in 2018.
The seminarian was kayaking with four friends July 9 on the Arkansas River. They hit rough water, and one of the women in the group fell out of her kayak.
Bergkamp plunged in after the woman and was able to help her reach safety, but he was then pulled under by the strong current, according to officials.
Search crews are still looking for the missing seminarian, and prayer services are being held every evening at St. Anne Catholic Church in Wichita until he is found.
Those who knew the seminarian described him as selfless and said they were not surprised by his act of self-sacrifice to save the life of another.
“He would go out of his way to help someone and forget about his own, probably, self in the process. So what he did was a very natural thing for him,” said Mt. St. Mary’s University Vice Rector, Father Kenneth Brighenti, to KSN News.
“He said he just had a desire to help people, to save people. He thought about being a fireman or a paramedic or a policeman, but decided the priesthood was what he wanted to do,” added Jan Haberly, director at Lord’s Diner, which serves meals to those in need. Bergkamp had been an intern at the diner this summer.
Fellow seminarian Jimmy Schibi described Bergkamp as deeply faithful and generous.
“He was never about himself, always looking to do something for others, never thinking of himself,” Schibi told the Wichita Eagle. “He cared. He totally cared about each little individual job he was doing.”
“He gave up his life to be a priest, but before he could do that, he gave up his life for another,” Schibi said. “Probably one of the most selfless individuals that I’d ever met.”
IMAGE: CNS photo/Erik Lesser, EPA By WASHINGTON (CNS) -- The shootingof police officers July 7 near the end of a demonstration in Dallas to protestfatal shootings by police officers in Louisiana and Minnesota earlier in theweek "calls us to a moment of national reflection," said thepresident of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops."To all people of goodwill,let us beg for the strength to resist the hatred that blinds us to our commonhumanity," said Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz of Louisville, Kentucky, in aJuly 8 statement.The archbishop described thesniper attack on the Dallas police officers "an act of unjustifiableevil."He said the "police are nota faceless enemy" but people offering their lives to protect others. Healso noted "the suspects in crimes or routine traffic stops are not just afaceless threat" but members of families in "need of assistance,protection and fairness.""When compassion does notdrive our response to the suffering of either, we have failed oneanother," Archb...
IMAGE: CNS photo/Erik Lesser, EPA
By
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- The shooting of police officers July 7 near the end of a demonstration in Dallas to protest fatal shootings by police officers in Louisiana and Minnesota earlier in the week "calls us to a moment of national reflection," said the president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
"To all people of goodwill, let us beg for the strength to resist the hatred that blinds us to our common humanity," said Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz of Louisville, Kentucky, in a July 8 statement.
The archbishop described the sniper attack on the Dallas police officers "an act of unjustifiable evil."
He said the "police are not a faceless enemy" but people offering their lives to protect others. He also noted "the suspects in crimes or routine traffic stops are not just a faceless threat" but members of families in "need of assistance, protection and fairness."
"When compassion does not drive our response to the suffering of either, we have failed one another," Archbishop Kurtz said.
He said the tragic shootings are reminders of the need to "place ever greater value on the life and dignity of all persons, regardless of their station in life" and hoped that in the days ahead people would look to ways of having open, honest and civil dialogue on issues of race relations, restorative justice, mental health, economic opportunity, and addressing the question of pervasive gun violence."
Archbishop Blase J. Cupich of Chicago said: "Every corner of our land is in the grip of terror fueled by anger, hatred and mental illness and made possible by plentiful, powerful weapons."
"It is time to break the cycle of violence and retaliation, of fear and powerlessness that puts more guns in our homes and on our streets," he said in a statement.
Archbishop Charles J. Chaput of Philadelphia similarly pointed out violence is not an answer.
"The killings in Baton Rouge (Louisiana), Minnesota and Dallas have proven that by deepening the divides in our national life," he said in a July 8 statement.
"Black lives matter because all lives matter -- beginning with the poor and marginalized, but including the men and women of all races who put their lives on the line to protect the whole community," he said.
Other bishops have also responded with statements to the recent fatal shootings.
Pittsburgh Bishop David A. Zubik said: "If someone does something violent, it is imperative for us to reach out to each other in kindness and with respect and refrain from blanket condemnations. We must build bridges. We must tear down walls. We must break the cycle of violence."
He also called on people to recognize that each person is an individual. "We must not judge any person based on their race or color, their national origin, their faith tradition, their politics, their sexual orientation, their job, their vocation, their uniform."
Bishop John E. Stowe of Lexington, Kentucky, said the shootings should cause us to ask God "to show us the way to peace and how to live in harmony with each other."
He urged Christians to be "people of hope promoting reconciliation in a very violent world" and asked: "How much more killing must we witness before sensibly and rationally addressing the prevalence of guns, the inequalities in access to justice and the violence found in human hearts?"
Bishop Christopher J. Coyne of Burlington, Vermont, and Episcopal Bishop Thomas Ely of Vermont issued a joint statement as "faith leaders whose hearts are aching" over the violent shootings in Dallas, Louisiana and Minnesota.
"We value the hard work and faithful commitment of those entrusted with public safety in communities throughout Vermont and beyond," the prelates said. "Those who serve the public in dangerous situations are to be commended for their service. Violence directed against police officers in the line of duty has no place in our society."
"At the same time," they added, "we deplore the sin of racism that so often manifests itself in acts of prejudice, discrimination and violence toward people of color in our country. This too has no place in our society."
Here are excerpts from other bishops' statements issued about the shootings:
Archbishop Robert J. Carlson of St. Louis: "Our nation is in considerable pain as we continue to witness the toll of violence and intolerance on the people of God. On too many mornings over the past several weeks, we have awakened to fresh tragedy and renewed horror (over shootings in Orlando, Florida; Louisiana and Minnesota; and now Dallas). Already, dangerously irresponsible voices are calling for more hate and violent retribution, adding darkness upon darkness. We stand with the church, all Christians, members of all faiths, and people of goodwill in calling for love, peace, justice and reconciliation. ' Only in the total and unyielding love of God can true and lasting peace be found."
Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller of San Antonio: "The families and colleagues of those killed and injured (in Dallas) are foremost in our thoughts at this time of heartbreak and profound sadness. We stand in solidarity with the peacemakers and those who risk their lives daily to ensure our safety. We collectively mourn as a country. The inexplicable violence we have experienced the past few days -? from Dallas to Minnesota to Louisiana to Orlando -? have sown seeds of mistrust and enmity between people and groups that threaten to tear the very fabric of our society apart. It may appear ironic that in this Jubilee Year of Mercy called by Pope Francis, evil seems to have currently gained the upper hand. Our nation has been buffeted by so much tragedy recently that we might feel overwhelmed and hopeless, with many wondering 'What's next?' and possessing a powerful temptation to just turn away, instead of embracing one another.
However, it is precisely at these moments that we need to turn to God ' seeking the will of Our Father in deep and profound prayer and reflection."
Cardinal Sean P. O'Malley of Boston: "The assassination of five members of the Dallas Police Department last night was a heinous crime that is rightly condemned across our country. ' These killings stood in stark contradiction to the spirit of the event, which brought hundreds of citizens to an assembly of peaceful protest in Dallas, similar to other such events around the country. The Dallas Police Department was there to provide protection for those who were peacefully exercising their constitutional right. The purpose of the protest was to raise awareness of and call attention to a problem which cuts across the country. We are now in the second consecutive summer of turmoil linked to the deaths of African-American men in circumstances which often cast a pall over some methods of law enforcement. Each case must be evaluated on its merits and generalized statements often risk being mistaken. But to deny the existence of a problem is to miss an opportunity to address it. ' The means and methods of addressing the problem will require the best of our civil servants and the best of our citizens."
Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo of Galveston-Houston: "The shooting of police officers in Dallas last night at the conclusion of a demonstration by peaceful protesters is deeply distressing. I pray for the souls of those who were killed and for their families as well as for those wounded and their loved ones and for all the citizens of Dallas. Recent events of violence against African-Americans by police in Minnesota and Louisiana are most concerning and these tragedies call for our prayer for healing and for change. It seems as though at times our hearts are stony and paralyzed. We need God's spirit of mercy to melt them and reopen our hearts to the beauty of human life and to rebuilding human communities."
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BAGHDAD (AP) -- The United States will send 560 more troops to Iraq to transform a freshly retaken air base into a staging hub for the long-awaited battle to recapture Mosul from Islamic State militants, Defense Secretary Ash Carter said Monday. The new American forces should arrive in the coming weeks....
LEBANON, Pa. (AP) -- In the days following her 18-year-old daughter's first arrest on heroin charges, Stephanie Moyer took solace in thinking she would be safe in jail until she got into a treatment program....
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Here's Grace, a sweetly smiling little girl in a wheelchair. Now here's her mother, Lauren Glaros: "When I saw Donald Trump mock a disabled person, I was just shocked," she says. Then we see Trump, his hands jerking in front of his body as he imitates a reporter who has a condition that limits his arm movement....
