Sunday, September 30, 2018

Family Income Affects Kids' Success More Than Public Vs. Private School, Study Finds | Here & Now: Conventional wisdom is that more expensive private schools give kids a better education and career prospects. But a yearslong study concludes that's not the case.

Congressional Democrats' Emoluments Suit Against Trump Clears Standing Hurdle | National Law Journal

Congressional Democrats' Emoluments Suit Against Trump Clears Standing Hurdle | National Law Journal: Congressional Democrats' Emoluments Suit Against Trump Clears Standing Hurdle
The U.S. Constitution provides that Congress must give its consent before the president can accept an emolument from a foreign state, U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan observed.

Pope Francis Invites All Faithful to Pray Rosary in October to Preserve Church Against Attacks by the Devil - ZENIT - English

Pope Francis Invites All Faithful to Pray Rosary in October to Preserve Church Against Attacks by the Devil - ZENIT - English: The Weapon Against the 'Great Accuser'

Bishop Barron's Gospel Reflection September 30 2018

Sunday, September 30, 2018

Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Mark 9:38-43, 45, 47-48

Friends, in our Gospel today Jesus speaks, with incredible bluntness, about cutting off one’s hand and foot and the plucking out of one’s own eye. If these things are a block to your salvation, get rid of them, for it is better to enter life maimed than to enter Gehenna with all of your limbs and members.

The hand is the organ by which we reach out and grasp things. The soul is meant for union with God, but we have instead reached out to creatures, all of our energies grasping at finite things.

The Lord also speaks of the foot. The foot is the organ by which we set ourselves on a definite path. We are meant to walk on the path which is Christ. Do we? Or have we set out down a hundred errant paths, leading to glory, honor, power, or pleasure?

We are designed to seek after and look for God. Have we spent much of our lives looking in all the wrong places, beguiled by the enticements of this world? And are we willing to pluck out our eye spiritually, to abandon many of the preoccupations that have given us pleasure?

Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 137

Reading 1 Nm 11:25-29

The LORD came down in the cloud and spoke to Moses.
Taking some of the spirit that was on Moses,
the LORD bestowed it on the seventy elders;
and as the spirit came to rest on them, they prophesied.

Now two men, one named Eldad and the other Medad,
were not in the gathering but had been left in the camp.
They too had been on the list, but had not gone out to the tent;
yet the spirit came to rest on them also,
and they prophesied in the camp.
So, when a young man quickly told Moses,
"Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp, "
Joshua, son of Nun, who from his youth had been Moses' aide, said,
"Moses, my lord, stop them."
But Moses answered him,
"Are you jealous for my sake?
Would that all the people of the LORD were prophets!
Would that the LORD might bestow his spirit on them all!"

Reading 2 Jas 5:1-6

Come now, you rich, weep and wail over your impending miseries.
Your wealth has rotted away, your clothes have become moth-eaten,
your gold and silver have corroded,
and that corrosion will be a testimony against you;
it will devour your flesh like a fire.
You have stored up treasure for the last days.
Behold, the wages you withheld from the workers
who harvested your fields are crying aloud;
and the cries of the harvesters
have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts.
You have lived on earth in luxury and pleasure;
you have fattened your hearts for the day of slaughter.
You have condemned;
you have murdered the righteous one;
he offers you no resistance.

Gospel Mk 9:38-43, 45, 47-48

At that time, John said to Jesus,
"Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name,
and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow us."
Jesus replied, "Do not prevent him.
There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name
who can at the same time speak ill of me.
For whoever is not against us is for us.
Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink
because you belong to Christ,
amen, I say to you, will surely not lose his reward.

"Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin,
it would be better for him if a great millstone
were put around his neck
and he were thrown into the sea.
If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off.
It is better for you to enter into life maimed
than with two hands to go into Gehenna,
into the unquenchable fire.
And if your foot causes you to sin, cut if off.
It is better for you to enter into life crippled
than with two feet to be thrown into Gehenna.
And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out.
Better for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye
than with two eyes to be thrown into Gehenna,
where 'their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.'"

Fr. James Martin Says Don’t Pray, Fast or Destroy Rainbow Flags

Fr. James Martin Says Don’t Pray, Fast or Destroy Rainbow Flags: Fr. James Martin Says Don’t Pray, Fast or Destroy Rainbow Flags
Prayer and fasting disarms the devil. Why would a priest tell people not to do it?

How Roe v. Wade Has Shaped Kavanaugh’s Confirmation Battle

How Roe v. Wade Has Shaped Kavanaugh’s Confirmation Battle: NEWS ANALYSIS: Abortion politics are central to the dramatic and bitter political theater currently playing out in Washington.

Where Else Shall We Go? - The Catholic Thing

Where Else Shall We Go? - The Catholic Thing: Randall Smith: Many Catholics who decry sex-abuse cover-ups were fine with bishops who looked the other way with regard to their own sexual sins.

Dress Rehearsal for Impeachment | Patrick J. Buchanan - Official Website

Uncle Ted’s Slush Fund | The American Conservative

Uncle Ted’s Slush Fund | The American Conservative: The dodgy connections between Cardinal Ted McCarrick and the Papal Foundation charity.

Saturday, September 29, 2018

Expert doubts US bishops' authority to get to bottom of McCarrick case

Expert doubts US bishops' authority to get to bottom of McCarrick case: An expert on Church law in Rome says there's no precedent for bishops' investigation other bishops, and that only the authority of the pope can release the documents likely needed to get to the bottom of the case of ex-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick.

Magazine of Jesuit order withdraws Kavanaugh endorsement

Magazine of Jesuit order withdraws Kavanaugh endorsement: The magazine of the Jesuit religious order in the United States has publicly withdrawn its endorsement of Judge Brett Kavanaugh as Supreme Court justice following testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee by the Jesuit-educated Kavanaugh and the woman accusing him of sexually assaulting her decades ago.

Archbishop Viganò’s Second Letter Offers Clear Path for Investigation

Archbishop Viganò’s Second Letter Offers Clear Path for Investigation: COMMENTARY: Whatever report the Secretariat of State will produce is now the key to whether the archbishop’s questions are resolved, or...

How Roe v. Wade Has Shaped Kavanaugh’s Confirmation Battle

How Roe v. Wade Has Shaped Kavanaugh’s Confirmation Battle: NEWS ANALYSIS: Abortion politics are central to the dramatic and bitter political theater currently playing out in Washington.

Thinking the Unthinkable - The Catholic Thing

Thinking the Unthinkable - The Catholic Thing: Rev. Jerry J. Pokorsky: Have the gates of hell have prevailed in the Church? This cannot be the case as a matter of logic. The truth of Christ remains.

The Turbulent World of Middle East Soccer: Fragility of Middle East alliances becomes ever more apparent

North Korea Says It Won't Disarm Without Trust | Time.com

House intel votes to release almost all panel transcripts from Russia probe - The Boston Globe

House intel votes to release almost all panel transcripts from Russia probe - The Boston Globe: Panel Democrats have been clamoring for the release of the Russia investigation documents for months. Republican committe chair Devin Nunes has recently begun to opine that the transcripts be made public.

As ‘The Hate U Give’ heads to the big screen, the bestseller is one of the most challenged books - The Boston Globe

As ‘The Hate U Give’ heads to the big screen, the bestseller is one of the most challenged books - The Boston Globe: “The Hate U Give” has been a New York Times bestseller for 82 weeks. It was also the eighth most questioned book of 2017. Here’s why.

Columbia Gas pulling workers from other states amid tight labor market - The Boston Globe

Columbia Gas pulling workers from other states amid tight labor market - The Boston Globe: The gas company is facing a worker shortage in its bid to hire 1,300 people to assist in cleanup work in the Merrimack Valley.

Achieve the American Dream, Start a (Little) Business

Achieve the American Dream, Start a (Little) Business: I love little business. I say “little business” because “small business,” like “family farm,” has suffered politicization to a point of abstraction. Even the Small Business Administration doesn’t h…

Palestine Files Complaint at ICJ Over US Embassy Move to Jerusalem | Asharq AL-awsat

Palestine Files Complaint at ICJ Over US Embassy Move to Jerusalem | Asharq AL-awsat: Middle-East Arab News and Opinion - Asharq Al-Awsat is the world’s premier pan-Arab daily newspaper, printed simultaneously each day on four continents in 14 cities

Seven Palestinians killed by Israeli fire in Gaza March of Return protest | Middle East Eye

Lay-led investigation begins into claims bishop sexually harassed adults | National Catholic Reporter

Lay-led investigation begins into claims bishop sexually harassed adults | National Catholic Reporter: The investigation into allegations of sexual harassment of adults by Bishop Michael Bransfield, former bishop of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, is being led by a five-member team of laity.
The te...

His mother died of cancer, but he's not angry — Aleteia

His mother died of cancer, but he's not angry — Aleteia: She lived a life of faith, and wasn't afraid to die; her example made her son strong.

What Mary will do with the sinners who take refuge with her

What Mary will do with the sinners who take refuge with her: A few weeks ago, a friend and I were talking (as I seem always to be talking these days) about the crisis in the Church. Since her 10-year-old was in the room, we were using vague terms and address…

There still exists a powerful relic connected to St. Michael the Archangel --Aleteia

There still exists a powerful relic connected to St. Michael the Archangel --Aleteia: And it is frequently used during exorcisms.

When “us” vs “them” poisoned the Apostles the way it’s poisoning us

When “us” vs “them” poisoned the Apostles the way it’s poisoning us: John said to Jesus, “Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name, and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow us.” Jesus replied, “Do not prevent him. There is no one who per…

How to pray the St. Michael Chaplet --Aleteia

How to pray the St. Michael Chaplet --Aleteia: The chaplet dates back to a private revelation in the 19th century when St. Michael visited a Carmelite nun.

Watch this moving duet Andrea Bocelli just released with his son (Video)

Watch this moving duet Andrea Bocelli just released with his son (Video): Italian singer Andrea Bocelli has released his first duet with his son, Matteo, called "Fall on Me."

Bishop Barron's Gospel Reflection September 29, 2018

Saturday, September 29, 2018

Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael

John 1:47-51

Today the Church celebrates the feast of the Archangels Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael. Meditating on these angels can tell us a great deal about the priesthood, for they exemplify the three fundamental tasks of the priest: healer, fighter, and evangelizer.

Raphael is a healer; consult the book of Tobit for the details. Michael is a fighter. When Satan dares to claim equality with God, Michael speaks his name, Mich-a-el? Who is like God? And this is his victory. And Gabriel is the great messenger angel, the one who announces the Incarnation to a young maiden of Nazareth.

Perhaps more than ever today, people are suffering with what the hymn calls "sin-sick souls." The great salve for all of these wounds is Jesus Christ. But who will bring this salve to a hurting world? This is why Christ raises up priests. Just think of the racism, the hatred, and the injustice that reign everywhere. Who will fight? This is why Christ raises up priests, as new Michaels.
Finally, Jesus is a preacher. He is, after all, the Word of God made flesh. Therefore, we shouldn’t be surprised that the Word comes forth from him with unique power.

Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, archangels
Lectionary: 647

Reading 1 Dn 7:9-10, 13-14

As I watched:

Thrones were set up
and the Ancient One took his throne.
His clothing was bright as snow,
and the hair on his head as white as wool;
His throne was flames of fire,
with wheels of burning fire.
A surging stream of fire
flowed out from where he sat;
Thousands upon thousands were ministering to him,
and myriads upon myriads attended him.

The court was convened, and the books were opened.
As the visions during the night continued, I saw

One like a son of man coming,
on the clouds of heaven;
When he reached the Ancient One
and was presented before him,
He received dominion, glory, and kingship;
nations and peoples of every language serve him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion
that shall not be taken away,
his kingship shall not be destroyed.

or Rv 12:7-12ab

War broke out in heaven;
Michael and his angels battled against the dragon.
The dragon and its angels fought back,
but they did not prevail
and there was no longer any place for them in heaven.
The huge dragon, the ancient serpent,
who is called the Devil and Satan,
who deceived the whole world,
was thrown down to earth,
and its angels were thrown down with it.

Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:
"Now have salvation and power come,
and the Kingdom of our God
and the authority of his Anointed.
For the accuser of our brothers is cast out,
who accuses them before our God day and night.
They conquered him by the Blood of the Lamb
and by the word of their testimony;
love for life did not deter them from death.
Therefore, rejoice, you heavens,
and you who dwell in them."

Gospel Jn 1:47-51

Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him,
"Here is a true child of Israel.
There is no duplicity in him."
Nathanael said to him, "How do you know me?"
Jesus answered and said to him,
"Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree."
Nathanael answered him,
"Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel."
Jesus answered and said to him,
"Do you believe
because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree?
You will see greater things than this."
And he said to him, "Amen, amen, I say to you,
you will see heaven opened
and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."

Friday, September 28, 2018

The Next Pandemic Will Be Arriving Shortly

Deadly diseases like Ebola and the avian flu are only one flight away. The U.S. government must start taking preparedness seriously.

https://foreignpolicy.com/2018/09/28/the-next-pandemic-will-be-arriving-shortly-global-health-infectious-avian-flu-ebola-zoonotic-diseases-trump/?utm_source=PostUp&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Editors%20Picks%20%209/28/2018%20-%20Brand%20South%20Africa&utm_keyword=Editor%27s%20Picks%20OC

‘This guy doesn’t know anything’: the inside story of Trump’s shambolic transition team | News | The Guardian

‘This guy doesn’t know anything’: the inside story of Trump’s shambolic transition team | News | The Guardian: Michael Lewis, author of Moneyball and The Big Short, reveals how Trump’s bungled presidential transition set the template for his time in the White House

The Path to World War III, by Philip Giraldi - The Unz Review

How China Really Sees Trump

How China Really Sees Trump: Trump’s withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, his tough approach to trade with Japan, and his talk of removing U.S. troops from South Korea have all served China’s interests.

House Judiciary Committee Democrats Ready To Investigate Brett Kavanaugh | HuffPost

#MeToo Liars Were Smearing Men Like Judge Kavanaugh 3,000 Years Ago

#MeToo Liars Were Smearing Men Like Judge Kavanaugh 3,000 Years Ago: Nominee's accuser a modern-day Potipher's wife

It’s not just Trump. Much of America has turned its back on Europe | Timothy Garton Ash | Opinion | The Guardian

It’s not just Trump. Much of America has turned its back on Europe | Timothy Garton Ash | Opinion | The Guardian: The US president is reflecting the national mood, says Guardian columnist Timothy Garton Ash

Another Recession Is Looming - WSJ

Another Recession Is Looming - WSJ: And unlike in the past, the Federal Reserve has little room to encourage growth by reducing rates.

Furnace of Divine Love: The Biblical Roots of Purgatory

https://media.ascensionpress.com/2015/01/02/furnace-divine-love-biblical-roots-purgatory/

Commonly-Challenged Catholic Beliefs Defended (Using Not Just Scripture)

https://media.ascensionpress.com/2018/09/24/commonly-challenged-catholic-beliefs-defended-by-not-just-scripture/?utm_source=Ascension+Press&utm_campaign=3bebc09343-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2018_07_05_07_07_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_e09e12a778-3bebc09343-351387457&mc_cid=3bebc09343&mc_eid=2bb902f84a

Is the Taliban Prepared to Make Peace?

Afghanistan Is Tired of War—But to End It Means Taking the Taliban’s Priorities Seriously

https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/afghanistan/2018-09-07/taliban-prepared-make-peace?spJobID=1483983213&spMailingID=57453487&spReportId=MTQ4Mzk4MzIxMwS2&spUserID=NTA0ODY0NjAzNjcS1&sp_mid=57453487&sp_rid=bWljaGVsZXRrZWFybmV5QGdtYWlsLmNvbQS2

The U.S. War in Afghanistan 1999 – 2018

Timeline

The U.S. War in Afghanistan

1999 – 2018

The Taliban insurgency remains resilient sixteen years after U.S.-led forces toppled its regime in what led to the United States’ longest war.

https://www.cfr.org/timeline/us-war-afghanistan?utm_medium=email&utm_source=religion&utm_content=092518&sp_mid=57453487&sp_rid=bWljaGVsZXRrZWFybmV5QGdtYWlsLmNvbQS2

The United States' Perpetual War in Afghanistan

Why Long Wars No Longer Generate a Backlash at Home

https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/north-america/2018-08-20/united-states-perpetual-war-afghanistan?spJobID=1483983213&spMailingID=57453487&spReportId=MTQ4Mzk4MzIxMwS2&spUserID=NTA0ODY0NjAzNjcS1&sp_mid=57453487&sp_rid=bWljaGVsZXRrZWFybmV5QGdtYWlsLmNvbQS2

Thank you, Mother Russia, for imposing boundaries on Israel - Haaretz.com

Thank you, Mother Russia, for imposing boundaries on Israel - Haaretz.com: For the first time in years another state is saying to Israel: Stop right there. At least in Syria, that’s the end of it. Thank you, Mother Russia.

Cardinal Dolan Applauds US Government Move to End Research on Aborted Babies - ZENIT - English

Cardinal Dolan Applauds US Government Move to End Research on Aborted Babies - ZENIT - English: Chair of USCCB Committee on Pro-Life Activities

Yemen: A Million More Children Threatened by Famine - ZENIT - English

Yemen: A Million More Children Threatened by Famine - ZENIT - English: Total of 5.2 Million Children at Risk in Country

BREAKING: Pope Removes from Priesthood Abuser Fernando Karadima in Chile - ZENIT - English

BREAKING: Pope Removes from Priesthood Abuser Fernando Karadima in Chile - ZENIT - English: Vatican Announces Francis' Decision to Remove His Clerical State

US: Archbishop McCarrick Moves to Kansas Friary - ZENIT - English

US: Archbishop McCarrick Moves to Kansas Friary - ZENIT - English: Follows Archbishop's Removal from Public Ministry

Okinawa elections: U.S. military base disputes take center stage - The Washington Post

U.S., Russia Clash at U.N. as Lavrov Calls for Easing of North Korea Sanctions

Foreign minister cites Pyongyang’s progress in nuclear talks, as Pompeo chides China, Moscow for skirting curbs

https://www.wsj.com/articles/pompeo-will-go-to-north-korea-in-october-he-tells-ministers-1538064430?emailToken=99b2cc345d2b3059ca27c04131fc24bddRMzyPnkYBqs/jHgTJ/b7SBfdYr9lxD0h9tgPn2AzK16CAvf+Q68LD9aBjCXiCOhnRjhanaACNqtc1Aat9E9aY42vZ01FMH7Dxdb6ZQQm4bGTTYmcCyJ5SCs87xAfZX1&reflink=article_email_share

Russian-Israeli Conflict in the Skies of Syria – LobeLog

Russian-Israeli Conflict in the Skies of Syria – LobeLog: by Paul R. Pillar The sudden ruffling of Israeli-Russian relations over the accidental shootdown by Syria of a Russian surveillance aircraft, killing 15 crew members, is the sort of incident apt to…

s Bismarckian Ghosts: How Great Powers Compete Economically

Markus Brunnermeier and Rush Doshi and Harold James

Beijing

’

s Bismarckian

Ghosts: How Great Powers

Compete Economically

41-3 Brunnermeier et al.pdf

Special Envoys, “Silos” and Coherent International Policy | Wilson Center

Special Envoys, “Silos” and Coherent International Policy | Wilson Center: In this article, Ambassador Wayne explores how different administrations have used special envoys over the past sixty years, the importance of properly integrating them into interagency structures in order to form coherent U.S. foreign policy, and the evolving role of special envoys in a complex 21st century world.

Trump at UN: Iran scores a symbolic victory | Asia| An in-depth look at news from across the continent | DW | 27.09.2018

FT Swamp Notes: Brett Kavanaugh and the sorry state of US democracy | Financial Times

FT Swamp Notes: Brett Kavanaugh and the sorry state of US democracy | Financial Times: The US Senate used to be known as the world’s greatest deliberative body. On Thursday, it shredded most of what remains of that reputation.

America Was in Decline Long Before Trump Stepped Into Office | The Nation

America Was in Decline Long Before Trump Stepped Into Office | The Nation: The president is just the figurehead.

The Institute for Palestine Studies |

For Justice, Not Apartheid, in Palestine | The Nation

US plans launch of 'Arab Nato' in January - Gulf Business

US plans launch of 'Arab Nato' in January - Gulf Business: The formation of the alliance has been complicated by a regional rift that has seen Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the UAE and Egypt cut ties with Qatar

North Korean nuclear capabilities, 2018: Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists: Vol 74, No 1

North Korean nuclear capabilities, 2018: Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists: Vol 74, No 1: (2018). North Korean nuclear capabilities, 2018. Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists: Vol. 74, Special Issue: The good news on reducing global risk, pp. 41-51.

Petition · Cardinal Cupich Must Resign · Change.org

Nuclear Power’s Big Problem Isn't That It's Nuclear - Bloomberg

Nuclear Power’s Big Problem Isn't That It's Nuclear - Bloomberg: It’s out of step with the times, as an expensive Southern Co. project makes clear.

Jeff Bezos’ Space Startup to Supply Engines for Boeing-Lockheed Rocket Venture

Blue Origin plans to eventually become a major military launch provider itself

https://www.wsj.com/articles/jeff-bezoss-space-startup-to-supply-engines-for-boeing-lockheed-rocket-venture-1538035079?mod=hp_lead_pos3&utm_source=MIT+Technology+Review&utm_campaign=111710858a-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2018_09_28_11_03&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_997ed6f472-111710858a-153856085

Google’s search engine for China would link searches to phone numbers

https://www.technologyreview.com/the-download/612119/googles-search-engine-for-china-would-link-searches-to-phone-numbers/?utm_source=Download&utm_content=09-28&utm_source=MIT+Technology+Review&utm_campaign=111710858a-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2018_09_28_11_03&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_997ed6f472-111710858a-153856085

Bonfire of Republican Vanities

Their bargain with Trump was simple: They would get tax cuts for the well-connected and a right-wing majority on the Supreme Court. Oh, but the price has gone up.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/28/opinion/kavanaugh-hearing-republicans.html?action=click&module=Ribbon&pgtype=Article

Musk’s tweets spark criminal investigation in the latest setback for Tesla

https://www.technologyreview.com/the-download/612136/musks-tweets-spark-criminal-investigation-in-latest-setback-for-tesla/?utm_source=MIT+Technology+Review&utm_campaign=111710858a-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2018_09_28_11_03&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_997ed6f472-111710858a-153856085

Elon Musk calls SEC fraud lawsuit 'unjustified,' says he acted in best interests of investors

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/09/27/elon-musk-calls-sec-fraud-lawsuit-unjustified-says-he-acted-in-best-interests-of-investors.html?utm_source=MIT+Technology+Review&utm_campaign=111710858a-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2018_09_28_11_03&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_997ed6f472-111710858a-153856085

Tesla Is Facing U.S. Criminal Probe Over Elon Musk Statements

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-09-18/tesla-is-said-to-face-u-s-criminal-probe-over-musk-statements?utm_source=MIT+Technology+Review&utm_campaign=111710858a-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2018_09_28_11_03&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_997ed6f472-111710858a-153856085

Keg-parties and assaults: Women from Catholic high schools in Washington area break 'culture of silence'

Keg-parties and assaults: Women from Catholic high schools in Washington area break 'culture of silence': Women who were part of the same privileged set as Brett Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford have begun sharing their stories of sexual assault and the shame that kept them quiet.

Netanyahu claims Israel has found Iran's 'secret atomic warehouse' | World news | The Guardian

Netanyahu claims Israel has found Iran's 'secret atomic warehouse' | World news | The Guardian: Israel’s prime minister called for new sanctions against Iran, saying warehouse is storage for nuclear weapons programme

2018 Arctic sea ice minimum - Arctic Sea Ice

2018 Arctic sea ice minimum - Arctic Sea Ice: Another great video, this time from NASA Goddard:

SEC Sues Elon Musk for Fraud, Seek to Bar Him Permanently from Executive, Board Role in a Public Company | naked capitalism

SEC Sues Elon Musk for Fraud, Seek to Bar Him Permanently from Executive, Board Role in a Public Company | naked capitalism: Elon Musk put himself in the SEC's crosshairs.

The Fracking Industry’s Water Nightmare: Injection Wells Damage Production Wells, Rising Disposal Costs Will Increase Industry Losses | naked capitalism

The Fracking Industry’s Water Nightmare: Injection Wells Damage Production Wells, Rising Disposal Costs Will Increase Industry Losses | naked capitalism: The fracking industry's wastewater disposal is an unrecognized production and economic problem that is going from bad to worse.

The Arch Of Baal Was Put Up In Washington D.C. One Day Before Brett Kavanaugh Testified To Congress – The American Dream

Editorial: Bishops' plan to address abuse falls short on accountability | National Catholic Reporter

Editorial: Bishops' plan to address abuse falls short on accountability | National Catholic Reporter: After a horrible summer of depressing news about how the church hierarchy has mishandled the sexual abuse crisis and misled the faithful willfully and through neglect, expectations were high for the a...

Bishop Barron's Gospel Reflection September 28, 2018

Friday, September 28, 2018

Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time

Luke 9:18-22

Friends, the Gospel for today is incomparably rich and mysterious. First, we notice that peculiar question, "Who do people say that I am?" No other religious figure or founder would ask such a question. This is the primordial and peculiar question of the Christian faith. It has to do with Jesus and who he is.

The first group that "responds" is the general public: "Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others one of the prophets." A range of opinions—and all of them wrong.

Then that devastating question: "But who do you say that I am?" You who are closest to me, you whom I have chosen. But the disciples don’t speak. Are they afraid? Perhaps. Are they ignorant? Probably.

Finally Simon Peter speaks: "You are the Messiah." You are the Messhiach, the anointed, the long-awaited Savior, but more to it, as Peter says in other Gospels, you are the Son of God, not just a human hero. This is the mystical faith that stands at the heart of Christianity. This is the standing or falling point. To hold this Petrine faith is to be a Christian; to deny it is not to be a Christian.

Friday of the Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 453

Reading 1 Eccl 3:1-11

There is an appointed time for everything,
and a time for every thing under the heavens.
A time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to uproot the plant.
A time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to tear down, and a time to build.
A time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance.
A time to scatter stones, and a time to gather them;
a time to embrace, and a time to be far from embraces.
A time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away.
A time to rend, and a time to sew;
a time to be silent, and a time to speak.
A time to love, and a time to hate;
a time of war, and a time of peace.

What advantage has the worker from his toil?
I have considered the task that God has appointed
for the sons of men to be busied about.
He has made everything appropriate to its time,
and has put the timeless into their hearts,
without man's ever discovering,
from beginning to end, the work which God has done.

Gospel Lk 9:18-22

Once when Jesus was praying in solitude,
and the disciples were with him,
he asked them, "Who do the crowds say that I am?"
They said in reply, "John the Baptist; others, Elijah;
still others, 'One of the ancient prophets has arisen.'"
Then he said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"
Peter said in reply, "The Christ of God."
He rebuked them and directed them not to tell this to anyone.

He said, "The Son of Man must suffer greatly
and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,
and be killed and on the third day be raised."

Thursday, September 27, 2018

‘Pope Francis, please act like Peter,’ writes priest and sex abuse victim who burned LGBT flag | News | Lifesitenews

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Fr Paul Kalchik: A Kind Of Martyr | The American Conservative

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Viganò Breaks Silence

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Iran will wait for Trump to lose power | Iran | Al Jazeera

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AREA HEADMASTERS WARN PARENTS OF STUDENT PARTIES - The Washington Post

Why is Trump accusing China of election interference?

Why is Trump accusing China of election interference?: From Beijing’s perspective, by singling out China and accusing it of “interfering” in America’s election, Trump appears to be setting the predicate for blaming China for expected electoral setbacks this November.

U.S., Russia play 'chicken' in Syria

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/sep/26/crosstalk-us-russia-play-chicken-syria/

Trump’s Speech at the U.N. Triggers Laughter—and Disbelief | The New Yorker

Psychological Warfare

Psychological Warfare: Vatican High Court: St. Luke Institute isn't suitable for priests

The Weaponizing of Psychological Testing of Priests

The Weaponizing of Psychological Testing of Priests: Bishops routinely coerce priests into giving them ammunition to be used against them

Kavanaugh furor raises scrutiny of Georgetown Prep, other Jesuit schools | National Catholic Reporter

Kavanaugh furor raises scrutiny of Georgetown Prep, other Jesuit schools | National Catholic Reporter: As Brett Kavanaugh, President Donald Trump's pick to fill the vacant Supreme Court seat, is set to testify today in front of a U.S. Senate Committee alongside Christine Blasey Ford, who has accused Ka...

Pope Francis asks Chinese Catholics to trust his deal with government - The Boston Globe

Pope Francis asks Chinese Catholics to trust his deal with government - The Boston Globe: In his letter, he acknowledged “certain confusion” about the agreement, but asked Chinese Catholics to “place your trust ever more firmly in the Lord of history and in the church’s discernment of his will.”

Poverty, Crime And Human Feces: The Worst Cities In America Are The Ones Being Run By Democrats – The American Dream

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Brookings experts on Trump’s UNGA speech

Brookings experts on Trump’s UNGA speech: On September 25, 2018, President Trump delivered his highly anticipated second address to the United Nations General Assembly. Experts from across Brookings offer their comments on the speech.

Religious women push lawmakers to investigate Kavanaugh, suspend confirmation | Global Sisters Report

Religious women push lawmakers to investigate Kavanaugh, suspend confirmation | Global Sisters Report: Groups of religious women are speaking out about the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court, citing their faith as they call on lawmakers to investigate allegations of sexual assault raised by Christine Blasey Ford and others.

Tomgram: Engelhardt, In Search of the Victories People Don't Even Know About | TomDispatch

Tomgram: Engelhardt, In Search of the Victories People Don't Even Know About | TomDispatch: null

Guest Post from ArabDigest.org: Yemn faces famine

Yemen faces famine

Summary: famine imminent. UN process stalls, radically new approach needed.
Even the UN is running out of words for the humanitarian tragedy that is Yemen. There are some figures at link, accurately described as “near-impossible to grasp.” Famine is round the corner.
According to the US consultancy Stratfor, considered to be close to the Pentagon, following the failure of the Geneva process “In the short term, the two sides of the conflict will try to gain from more fighting. In the long term, however, the war’s protraction will jeopardise the interests of the government and the rebels alike. It will also cast doubt on the military and diplomatic reputations of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which lead the international coalition against the Houthi, and put the United States’ fight against extremists in the Yemen on the back burner. However, for Iran and other jihadist groups such as al Qaeda and the nascent Yemeni Islamic State, the continued conflict will present an opportunity.”
The absurdity of the international position is illustrated by President Hadi‘s statement at the UN yesterday 26 September, according to which Yemen is gripped by a war “imposed by Iran”, and peace can only be obtained by implementing Security Council resolution 2216, which in effect calls for the Houthis to surrender. Hadi thanks Saudi Arabia for “its key role in alleviating the humanitarian crisis”.
International opinion has begun to recognise the horror, and to take a more balanced view. In Britain for example, the “pen holder” for the Yemen file at the UN and Saudi Arabia’s second largest arms supplier, a debate took place in Parliament on 11 September, the record of which is worth skimming; it reveals widespread frustration, disgust and a degree of shame. In the USA according to the Wall Street Journal Mike Pompeo’s backing for the war, because a cut-off could jeopardise $2 billion in weapons sales, “has fueled rising outrage in Congress, where a bipartisan group of lawmakers is trying to cut off American military aid for Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates”.
Once again we thank Helen Lackner for today’s article. She has worked in Yemen since the 1970s and lived there for close to 15 years, and has written about political, social and economic issues. She works as a freelance rural development consultant. Her book Yemen in Crisis: autocracy, neo-liberalism and the disintegration of a state was published by Saqi books in October 2017.
Famine and War in Yemen
The Geneva ‘consultations’ on 6 September between the two Yemeni warring parties failed to happen. Why and what are the consequences? According to the media, it was because the Huthis failed to show. In reality, having experienced the inability of the UN to bring them home after the Kuwait talks in 2016, their demand was not unreasonable: guarantees of safe travel to and from Geneva in a neutral (Omani) plane and without ‘inspection’ from their opponent, the Saudi-led coalition.
Observers and Yemenis are flooded with statements about the good internationally recognised Hadi government seeking peace and the evil ‘Iranian-backed’ Huthis wanting to continue fighting. However events point elsewhere, suggesting that the coalition’s asserted commitment to a political solution is little more than a smokescreen for continuing a war whose main impact is the immeasurable suffering of millions of Yemenis while they reside in luxury in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere. These include the renewed military offensive against Hodeida and its port which is the gateway for the majority of food desperately needed by the population. A secondary, and less advertised factor, is the continued enrichment of war lords on all sides, arms dealers and corrupt government officials, whose profits would drop should there be peace.
The need to end this war is only too obvious to Yemenis: after two years of the country being ‘on the brink’ of famine, with 8 million people ‘not knowing where their next meal will come from.’ Mark Lowcock, UN Under-SG for Humanitarian Affairs updated the UNSC on 21 September on the humanitarian situation: ‘In a word, it is bleak. We are losing the fight against famine. The position has deteriorated in an alarming way in recent weeks. We may now be approaching a tipping point, beyond which it will be impossible to prevent massive loss of life as a result of widespread famine across the country.’ He continued to point out that the number of desperate people was likely to increase to 11.5 million. The reality of these words is clear on our screens which show men collecting leaves of inedible bushes, women pounding them, families eating the mixtures and medical staff pointing out that this only worsens their levels of malnutrition. Emaciated children in the arms of hungry mothers are dying in hospitals, while thousands more are dying out of media sight.
The ‘transfer’ of the Central Bank of Yemen to Aden in 2016, contributed to this crisis, and is the primary reason why 1.2 million civil (mostly medical and education) staff have remained unpaid for the past two years, while the cost of the basic family food basket has doubled since February 2015! Given that about 90% of basic commodities are imported, the exchange rate of the riyal impacts daily life for all Yemenis and was stable for years up to 2015 at around YR 220 to the USD. It dropped by 30% in the past month, to a low of YR 660 to the dollar on 25 September. While the economy has largely collapsed, the only available forms of employment are to join military units on one side or another or obtain employment with humanitarian agencies.
In addition to the thousands who are dying silently from the diseases of malnutrition, hundreds are being killed by Saudi-led coalition airstrikes: in August alone, two major air strikes killed more than 60 children and 30 adults in Sa’ada and Hodeida. The first on a bus carrying boys back from a religious summer camp killed 40 of them in a market. The UAE in the south are running prisons where people are tortured out of the reach of the official Yemeni government. The Huthis are hardly blameless, taking hostages, imprisoning and torturing journalists and anyone who opposes them, and ransoming all traffic (they call it customs dues) thus making what little food is available even more expensive. International Human Rights Law is systematically broken and war crimes are being committed on all sides as demonstrated in the August report of the UN Human Rights Council, to the fury of coalition members and a deafening silence from the UK and other nations supposedly upholding basic human rights. The team of experts may well find its mandate is not renewed this month, thanks to pressure from the coalition, despite the importance of its work.
The hopes raised by the proposed resumption of UN-sponsored talks under the recently appointed British UN Special Envoy, Martin Griffiths have been dashed. Having announced that he would present his peace proposals in June after months of consultation with the different parties, the coalition chose that very moment to launch its offensive on Hodeida, an offensive which had been postponed for a year due to a combination of military factors and protests by the humanitarian community at its consequences on the survival of the population. Was this deliberate? Again halted, supposedly to enable Griffiths to reach a peaceful solution, he successfully persuaded the Huthis to hand over the port to UN management, and use the proceeds to pay the civil servants. Did the internationally recognised government and the coalition praise this progress towards peace? No, they further demanded that the Huthis should hand over the entire city, not to the UN, but to the coalition, a straightforward demand for surrender, which the Huthis of course rejected. This would have been an opportunity to test Huthi willingness to keep to their word something which, given previous history, is a concern to many.
Hadi’s refusal to meet Griffiths in Riyadh on September 1 hinted at his government’s real commitment to the success of the ‘consultations,’ something worthy of note given that Hadi would not take any such initiative without endorsement from the Saudi Arabian government. With increasingly reduced ambition and scope, from talks to ‘consultations,’ the Geneva meeting was to focus on confidence building measures including the release of prisoners, the reopening of Sana’a airport, economic issues, humanitarian access and pauses to allow the vaccination of children.
One of these measures was the air evacuation from Sana’a of civilians suffering from serious diseases untreatable locally to medical facilities abroad. Vetted by the WHO and others, a list had been drawn up and its ‘beneficiaries’ had started assembling in Sana’a. After the failure of Geneva, the UN humanitarian coordinator, Lise Grande signed an MOU with the Huthis on 15 September, which would have scheduled this evacuation to start on the 18th, only to be virulently attacked by the Hadi government calling her actions ‘“blatant defiance of international law” and a violation of diplomatic norms.’ Its ambassador to the UN went so far as to complain to the Secretary General of WHO thus putting an end to the possible survival of a few dozen extremely ill Yemeni civilians. How petty and inhumane can one get?
Already paralysed by the constraints of UNSC 2216 which effectively demands unconditional surrender by the Huthis, and re-asserts the ‘legitimacy’ of Hadi as President, Griffiths has now lost credibility among Yemenis other than the Hadi government, and particularly with the Huthi movement. Those who hoped he would act in the interests of Yemenis and peace have lost this illusion. Given the Hadi government’s lack of influence anywhere within Yemen, Griffiths’ lost credibility jeopardises his ability to help find a solution, even in the medium term.
In the UK, civil society activism addresses the immorality of weapons sales to Saudi Arabia and the UAE, an important issue but one on which success is highly unlikely. While Britain is selling weapons worth billions, it is providing ‘compensatory’ humanitarian aid worth Sterling 170 million in this financial year, indicating where its priorities lie regardless of claims about wanting to be a peace maker. Now that horrific images of children dying of hunger are appearing on our screens daily, maybe the time has come to focus on an intervention which is directly under UK government control, namely its position as ‘pen holder’ on the Yemen file at the UNSC. It has been widely recognised for years that UNSC 2216 is a fundamental obstacle to peace negotiations, and must be changed if the UN itself is to actively participate in solving the Yemeni crisis. The UK should initiate such a resolution.
Until 2216 is replaced by a resolution recognising the reality on the ground, it is imperative to encourage and assist any individual, organisation, or nation wanting to mediate or help bring about dialogue or take any step which might lead towards peace. The more time passes before a solution is found, the more Yemenis will suffer and die. The UK and US governments, supporting the Saudi-led coalition with little, if any, restraint share responsibility for the deaths of thousands of innocent Yemenis. It is time, for the UK at least, to uphold the basic principles of the declaration of Human Rights and cease to be complicit with war crimes.

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