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CHICAGO (AP) -- Video of police officers dragging a passenger from an overbooked United Airlines flight sparked an uproar Monday on social media, and a spokesman for the airline insisted that employees had no choice but to contact authorities to remove the man....
SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. (AP) -- An apparent murder-suicide inside an elementary school classroom in San Bernardino left a teacher and the shooter dead and two students critically wounded, police said....
CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) -- The Latest on the state guilty plea hearing of convicted Charleston church shooter Dylann Roof (all times local):...
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Justice Neil Gorsuch took his place in history Monday as the newest addition on the bench of the Supreme Court, restoring a narrow conservative majority and marking a much-needed political victory for President Donald Trump....
WASHINGTON (AP) -- A senior U.S. official says the United States has concluded that Russia knew in advance of Syria's chemical weapons attack last week....
(Vatican Radio) Catholic leaders in England say they are united in prayer with the Coptic community after deadly explosions in two Coptic churches in Egypt.The statement was signed by the President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, as well as by Archbishops Bernard Longley and Kevin McDonald, both members of the Catholic-Oriental Orthodox Forum.The Bishops note that the bombings took place during Palm Sunday services, “where traditionally palm branches are blessed as a symbol of peace.”“Nothing can justify these atrocious acts of terrorism,” they said.The Bishops’ statement says, “Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families, His Holiness Pope Tawadros II [the head of the Coptic Orthodox Church] and the Coptic community across the world and the people of Egypt.”Below, please find the full text of the Bishops’ statement: "It is with deep sorrow and sadnes...
(Vatican Radio) Catholic leaders in England say they are united in prayer with the Coptic community after deadly explosions in two Coptic churches in Egypt.
The statement was signed by the President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, as well as by Archbishops Bernard Longley and Kevin McDonald, both members of the Catholic-Oriental Orthodox Forum.
The Bishops note that the bombings took place during Palm Sunday services, “where traditionally palm branches are blessed as a symbol of peace.”
“Nothing can justify these atrocious acts of terrorism,” they said.
The Bishops’ statement says, “Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families, His Holiness Pope Tawadros II [the head of the Coptic Orthodox Church] and the Coptic community across the world and the people of Egypt.”
Below, please find the full text of the Bishops’ statement:
"It is with deep sorrow and sadness that we learned of the bombing of St George's Coptic church (Mar Girgis) in the city of Tanta in the Nile Delta, and the explosion outside St Mark’s Coptic church in Alexandria. Both blasts took place during a Palm Sunday service, where traditionally palm branches are blessed as a symbol of peace. Nothing can justify these atrocious acts of terrorism.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families, His Holiness Pope Tawadros II and the Coptic community across the world and the people of Egypt.
"We have sent an assurance of our prayers and a message of support to Bishop Angaelos, the General Bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Church in the United Kingdom.”
Cardinal Vincent Nichols, President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales
Archbishop Bernard Longley - Catholic Member of the Catholic-Oriental Orthodox Forum.
Archbishop Emeritus Kevin McDonald - Catholic Member of the Catholic-Oriental Orthodox Forum.
Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle ushered in Holy Week in the Philippine capital Manila celebrating the Palm Sunday Mass during which he called on the faithful to welcome Christ in the person of the poor and the oppressed. In his homily at the city cathedral, the Archbishop of Manila said that Palm Sunday is an invitation for everyone to welcome Christ into their life in the image of the hungry, the sick, the lonely and the outcast. The welcoming of the real Jesus is the acceptance of His presence in the poor, those being spat upon by society, those insulted and those who remain silent even when they are slapped,” the cardinal said speaking in Tagalog.Thousands of Catholics packed the cathedral and parishes and churches across the country, to mark the start of the Holy Week that culminates with Easter Sunday. Many people waved palm fronds to symbolize how worshippers greeted Jesus over 2,000 years ago as he entered Jerusalem. Cardinal Talge also focused on how Je...
Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle ushered in Holy Week in the Philippine capital Manila celebrating the Palm Sunday Mass during which he called on the faithful to welcome Christ in the person of the poor and the oppressed. In his homily at the city cathedral, the Archbishop of Manila said that Palm Sunday is an invitation for everyone to welcome Christ into their life in the image of the hungry, the sick, the lonely and the outcast. The welcoming of the real Jesus is the acceptance of His presence in the poor, those being spat upon by society, those insulted and those who remain silent even when they are slapped,” the cardinal said speaking in Tagalog.
Thousands of Catholics packed the cathedral and parishes and churches across the country, to mark the start of the Holy Week that culminates with Easter Sunday. Many people waved palm fronds to symbolize how worshippers greeted Jesus over 2,000 years ago as he entered Jerusalem. Cardinal Talge also focused on how Jesus’ passion and death served as examples of God’s humility even if people mocked and disobeyed Him. “Are we going to accept the Son of God – humble, an ordinary person, wounded, insulted, spat upon and stripped?” he asked. “But he’s used to it, he stripped Himself of His dignity.” According to him, God’s way is humility, and he called on the faithful to imitate His attitude. “Jesus is like that and we should follow him like that,” Cardinal Tagle added. (Source: CBCP)
(Vatican Radio) Egypt’s Muslim leaders have condemned the suicide attacks that hit two Coptic churches on Sunday, killing at least 44 people and wounding more than 100 others.The Grand Imam of al-Azhar, Ahmed Muhammad al-Tayyeb, said in a statement that "attacks against places of worship go against the authentic Islamic religion and its teachings of tolerance, but fail to undermine the unity of the Egyptian people." Pope's safety guaranteedAl-Azhar officials said the safety of Pope Francis would be guaranteed during his planned visit to Cairo on April 28th and 29th.The so-called Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attacks in the Nile Delta town of Tanta and in the coastal city of Alexandria, which came as Christians took part in Palm Sunday celebrations. Egypt’s Coptic Patriarch Pope Tawadros II was still inside the cathedral in Alexandria when the second attack took place.Further attacks foiledEgyptian security officials said th...
(Vatican Radio) Egypt’s Muslim leaders have condemned the suicide attacks that hit two Coptic churches on Sunday, killing at least 44 people and wounding more than 100 others.
The Grand Imam of al-Azhar, Ahmed Muhammad al-Tayyeb, said in a statement that "attacks against places of worship go against the authentic Islamic religion and its teachings of tolerance, but fail to undermine the unity of the Egyptian people."
Pope's safety guaranteed
Al-Azhar officials said the safety of Pope Francis would be guaranteed during his planned visit to Cairo on April 28th and 29th.
The so-called Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attacks in the Nile Delta town of Tanta and in the coastal city of Alexandria, which came as Christians took part in Palm Sunday celebrations. Egypt’s Coptic Patriarch Pope Tawadros II was still inside the cathedral in Alexandria when the second attack took place.
Further attacks foiled
Egyptian security officials said they defused explosive devices at several other sites on Sunday, including at a prominent Sufi Muslim shrine in Tanta and a Christian school in central Alexandria.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Sisi has declared a three-month state of emergency in response to the attacks, which come less than a week after Sisi and President Trump pledged to work together to fight radical groups.
(Vatican Radio) The first washing machines and tumble dryers for the homeless in Rome whirred into action on Monday as ‘Pope Francis’ Laundry’ opened its doors to provide a much needed service.One of the many difficulties for those who live on the streets is to be able to wash, dry and iron their clothes and blankets, and the Vatican-sponsored laundry is a response to Pope Francis’s invitation to give concrete signs of solidarity to our brothers and sisters in need.A communiqué released by the Apostolic Almoner quotes from the Pope’s Apostolic Letter, Misericordia et misera, at the conclusion of the Jubilee Year of Mercy: “The desire for closeness to Christ requires us to draw near to our brothers and sisters, for nothing is more pleasing to the Father than a true sign of mercy. By its very nature, mercy becomes visible and tangible in specific acts.”So, Papal Almoner, Archbishop Konrad Krajewski noted: “Here is a concrete sig...
(Vatican Radio) The first washing machines and tumble dryers for the homeless in Rome whirred into action on Monday as ‘Pope Francis’ Laundry’ opened its doors to provide a much needed service.
One of the many difficulties for those who live on the streets is to be able to wash, dry and iron their clothes and blankets, and the Vatican-sponsored laundry is a response to Pope Francis’s invitation to give concrete signs of solidarity to our brothers and sisters in need.
A communiqué released by the Apostolic Almoner quotes from the Pope’s Apostolic Letter, Misericordia et misera, at the conclusion of the Jubilee Year of Mercy: “The desire for closeness to Christ requires us to draw near to our brothers and sisters, for nothing is more pleasing to the Father than a true sign of mercy. By its very nature, mercy becomes visible and tangible in specific acts.”
So, Papal Almoner, Archbishop Konrad Krajewski noted: “Here is a concrete sign wanted by the office of Papal Charities: a place and a service to give concrete form to charity to restore dignity to so many people who are our brothers and sisters and who are called, with us, to build a city we can trust”.
Pope Francis’ Office of Papal Charities has already set up showers, a barber shop, a dormitory, a healthcare clinic and a pharmacy for the poor in the eternal city. What was missing, until now, was a laundry service, an urgent need indeed as Krajewski explained: “One of the greatest difficulties for those who live on the streets, along with that of finding food, a place to spend the night and public baths, is to wash and dry the clothes they wear, in many cases the only ones they own”.
The laundry room is located at the “People of Peace Center” run by the Sant’Egidio Community at the old hospital complex of San Gallicano, in the central Trastevere area of Rome.
The press release offers the information that the laundry boasts six, latest generation washers and six dryers along with several irons donated by the Whirlpool Corporation.
Other commercial detergent producers ensure the full and free supply of soap powder and fabric softener.
Activists organized a Holy Week protest march in the Philippine capital on Monday drawing attention to the suffering the that urban poor are burdened with. Hundreds of Filipinos from slum communities joined the April 10 procession to the presidential palace in Manila to condemn the government's "anti-poor policies." In what is called the “Calvary of the poor”, protesters carried crosses symbolizing issues that burden the poor, such as lack of housing, killing and human rights abuses, in a dramatization of the passion of Jesus Christ on Monday of Holy Week. "Promises made by the government should not remain as promises," said Gloria Arellano, spokeswoman of the urban poor group Kadamay. President Rodrigo Duterte last week announced that he would provide free housing for the poor and distribute land to landless peasants as part of the government's peace initiatives with communist rebels. The Phil...
Activists organized a Holy Week protest march in the Philippine capital on Monday drawing attention to the suffering the that urban poor are burdened with. Hundreds of Filipinos from slum communities joined the April 10 procession to the presidential palace in Manila to condemn the government's "anti-poor policies." In what is called the “Calvary of the poor”, protesters carried crosses symbolizing issues that burden the poor, such as lack of housing, killing and human rights abuses, in a dramatization of the passion of Jesus Christ on Monday of Holy Week. "Promises made by the government should not remain as promises," said Gloria Arellano, spokeswoman of the urban poor group Kadamay.
President Rodrigo Duterte last week announced that he would provide free housing for the poor and distribute land to landless peasants as part of the government's peace initiatives with communist rebels. The Philippines concluded last week another round of peace negotiations in The Netherlands aimed at ending almost five decades of communist insurgency. Arellano, however, said a lot of Duterte's campaign promises, including wage hikes for workers and an end to labor contracting, remain unfulfilled.
During Monday’s march, protesters noted similarities between Jesus' suffering and the Filipino people's "continuing Calvary." "Poor Filipinos must continue to pressure the government to address the concerns of the homeless," said Arellano. "Instead of crucifying or shaming the poor, we call for solidarity with them in our prayers and our actions," she added. Aside from their call for free mass housing, urban poor groups said, "there is still so much to do" to address the plight of poor Filipinos.
Arellano explained that forced migration to cities is rooted in the problem of landlessness. "Implementing genuine land reform is a big step in combating poverty," she added. Tribal groups, meanwhile, called for a stop to attacks in tribal communities resulting in the evacuation of hundreds of families to town centers. A joint statement by 60 tribal leaders from the southern region of Mindanao read, "We were forced to leave our communities and abandon our fields.” “Now, we have nothing to eat and our children are hungry," she added.
Among issues raised by the protesters during the "Calvary of the Poor" included the spate of killings of suspected drug users and peddlers, the proposal to revive capital punishment in the country, the lowering of the age of criminal liability for minors, the proliferation of fake news, and climate change, among others.
In his Palm Sunday homily, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of Manila called on Catholics to find and welcome Christ in the person of the poor and the oppressed. (Source: UCAN)
