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July 14, 2015
JERUSALEM - UNESCO declared Bethany Beyond the Jordan, on the eastern side of the Jordan River, as a World Heritage site and the location of Jesus' baptism.
July 15, 2015
Adult stem cells, easily harvested from human bone marrow, umbilical cord blood and fat tissue, have a successful track record in treatments for more than 90 medical conditions and diseases, including sickle cell anemia, multiple myeloma cancer and damaged heart tissue.
SAN FRANCISCO - A video released July 14 appears to show a top Planned Parenthood official discussing the sale of parts of aborted babies for research, including discussing ways the abortion procedure can be altered to preserve specifically requested body parts.
REGINA - Saskatchewan’s bishops are urging the province’s Catholics to raise their voices in defence of life and human dignity for all.
PARIS - More than 40,000 French have signed a rousing “Hands off my church” petition in recent days denouncing a Muslim leader’s casual remark that some of France’s many empty or underused churches could be turned into much-needed mosques.
July 16, 2015
Over breakfast recently in Parliament’s Centre Block cafeteria, a good friend and I drifted into a conversation about the evolutionary significance of death.
KRAKOW, POLAND - Was the “crucifix” given to Pope Francis by Bolivian President Evo Morales — a corpus hanging on the hammer-and-sickle — blasphemous?
The other day I was feeling sad. I had just heard the worst possible news about the health of a dear, old friend.
A future historian (on the generous assumption that there are any) might plausibly contend that the first salvo of the “culture wars” was fired in January 1973 when the U.S. Supreme Court released its Roe v. Wade abortion decision. He might also conclude that the same Court’s June 2015 decision declaring gay marriage to be a constitutionally protected right represented a final victory.
WASHINGTON - A sign at the entrance to the exhibit warns of the shocking nature of the images beyond — photos smuggled out of Syria that show emaciated and grotesquely mutilated victims of dictator Bashar Assad’s prisons and torture chambers.
Much has been written about the impressive physical legacy the Pan Am Games has generated for Southern Ontario. More than $2 billion was spent on housing, transit and sport facilities that will benefit future generations long after the Pan Am flame is doused.
17th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B) July 26 (2 Kings 4:42-44; Psalm 145; Ephesians 4:1-6; John 6:1-15) There is not enough for everyone, so some will have to go without. This “me first” attitude took concrete form years ago in something called “lifeboat ethics.” The image of the lifeboat says it all: resources are limited, so they must be distributed only among the select few. The weak and marginalized, and anyone deemed burdensome, are to be left to themselves.
Several years ago, the movie Argo won the Academy Award as best movie of the year. I enjoyed the movie in that it was a good drama, one that held its audience in proper suspense even as it provided some good humour and banter on the side. But I struggled with several aspects of the film.
VATICAN CITY - The Holy See is more than a billion dollars richer than previously known and the Vatican turned a 2014 profit of CDN $53.4 million, according to figures released on July 16.
July 17, 2015
OTTAWA - Canada’s Catholic bishops have released a pamphlet to promote understanding and dialogue with Muslims meant to coincide with Id al-Fitr, the July 18 feast marking the end of Ramadan.
I have known for a long time that I wanted to go on a mission trip. Attending Catholic schools and going to Mass every weekend, I have always been taught about the importance of charity. For the longest time I thought charity meant simply giving to the less fortunate. However, in Grade 7, I got involved with Me to We and Free the Children which changed my understanding of what charity really meant.
La Terra, Nostra Casa. Climate Action Now,” said a long white banner as two people hoisted it high above their heads. Walking towards St. Peter’s Square in Rome, along with hundreds of individuals of various faiths, they took part in “One Earth, One Human Family,” a march on June 28 that celebrated the release of Laudato Si’, Pope Francis’ encyclical on the environment.
VATICAN CITY - Pope Francis has signed a decree declaring "venerable" Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky, who led the Ukrainian Catholic Church in the tumultuous period of both world wars and at the beginning of Soviet occupation.
July 18, 2015
Fr. Rajumr Chebattina got his 15 minutes of fame in early July when he was featured with Fr. Paul Batchilder on CBC’s new summer series, Still Standing.
If Michelangelo was listening to music while he worked on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, his playlist would probably sound something like Le studio de musique ancienne de Montréal’s Music from the Sistine Chapel concert.