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☆ Church of England explores gender neutral God
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Muvija M | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Peter NichollsLONDON, Feb 8 (Reuters) - The Church of England will look into the use of gender neutral terms to refer to God in prayers, but the centuries-old institution said on Wednesday there were no plans to abolish current services. "Christians have recognised since ancient times that God is neither male nor female," a spokesperson for the Church said. "Yet the variety of ways of addressing and describing God found in scripture has not always been reflected in our worship." Bishop Michael Ipgrave, vice chairman of the Church's liturgical commission, said the Church had been "exploring the use of gendered language in relation to God for several years". The Church's Faith and Order Commission – which advises on theology – will work with the liturgical commission on looking at questions around gender terms, the spokesperson said.

☆ Matt Gaetz lands a spot on Judiciary's new 'weaponization' subcommittee after curious swap by GOP leaders
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Warren Rojas | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Matt Gaetz is now on the Judiciary subcommittee panel he championed during the Speaker vote fight. Gaetz told Insider in late January that he had no interest in serving on the weaponization panel. Before and after screenshots of the House Judiciary Committee's homepage. While Gaetz was also part of that speaker vote rebellion, he initially seemed to emerge with little to show for the procedural showdown. When asked if he felt weird about all the other rebels seemingly climbing the ladder, Gaetz told Insider he preferred not to be saddled with more responsibility — proclaiming that he was "making back benching great again."

☆ Pope Francis says laws criminalising LGBT people are a 'sin' and an injustice
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-05 | by ( Philip Pullella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE, Feb 5 (Reuters) - Pope Francis said on Sunday that laws criminalising LGBT people are a sin and an injustice because God loves and accompanies people with same-sex attraction. Persons with homosexual tendencies are children of God. Criminalising people with homosexual tendencies is an injustice," Francis said. He noted that the Catholic Church's catechism, or book of teachings, says same-sex attraction is not a sin but homosexual acts are. Francis mentioned his now-famous phase from soon after he became pope in 2013 that he could not judge people with same-sex tendencies who are seeking God.

[1/6] Pope Francis greets people during the Holy Mass at John Garang Mausoleum, during his apostolic journey, in Juba, South Sudan, February 5, 2023. Two years after independence, South Sudan plunged into a civil war that killed 400,000 people. "I want peace to come to South Sudan. Jesilen Gaba, 42, a widow with four children, said: "The fact that the three Churches united for the sake of South Sudan, this is the turning point for peace. South Sudan has some of the largest crude oil reserves in sub-Saharan Africa but a U.N. report in 2021 said the country's leaders had diverted "staggering amounts of money and other wealth" from public coffers and resources.

☆ Protect, advance women for a better South Sudan, pope says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-04 | by ( Philip Pullella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

A United Nations report on South Sudan issued last March condemned widespread sexual violence against women and girls in conflict and said it was "fuelled by systemic impunity". South Sudan broke away from Sudan in 2011 but plunged into civil war in 2013 with ethnic groups turning on each other. The pope responded by calling on everyone in South Sudan "to ensure that women are protected, respected, valued and honoured". Francis said that if women are given opportunities "they will have the ability to change the face of South Sudan, to give it a peaceful and cohesive development!" About 10% of 15-year-old girls and 52% of 18-year-old girls in South Sudan are married, she said.

[1/6] People wait before Pope Francis arrives for a meeting with priests, deacons, consecrated persons and seminarians at the Cathedral of Saint Therese during his apostolic journey, in Juba, South Sudan, February 4, 2023. REUTERS/Yara NardiJUBA, Feb 4 (Reuters) - Pope Francis, the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Church of Scotland Moderator will meet people displaced by war in South Sudan and hear their stories on Saturday in one of the high points of their visit to the struggling African nation. South Sudan, the world's newest country, broke away from Sudan in 2011 but plunged into civil war in 2013 with ethnic groups turning on each other. There are 2.2 million internally displaced people in South Sudan, out of a total population of about 11.6 million, and another 2.3 million have fled the country as refugees, according to the United Nations. In his own speech, Kiir said his government was firmly committed to consolidating peace in South Sudan.

Summary Pope received vibrant welcome in KinshasaAddressed DR Congo's struggles with war, exploitationNow heads to predominantly Christian South SudanArchbishop of Canterbury joins for South Sudan legKINSHASA, Feb 3 (Reuters) - Pope Francis wraps up an emotional visit to Democratic Republic of Congo on Friday and heads to neighbouring South Sudan, another nation struggling to overcome decades of conflict and grinding poverty. On Wednesday, he heard harrowing stories from victims of conflict in eastern Congo who had witnessed the killings of close relatives and been subjected to sexual slavery, amputation and forced cannibalism. The pope will be joined for the whole of his visit to South Sudan by Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, leader of the global Anglican Communion, and by the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, Iain Greenshields. It is the first joint foreign trip by the three Christian leaders, who have called it a "pilgrimage of peace". South Sudan broke away from Sudan to become independent in 2011 after decades of north-south conflict, but civil war erupted in 2013.

Congo has some of the world's richest mineral deposits, but its abundant resources have stoked conflict between ethnic groups, militias, government troops and foreign invaders. He led the stadium in an impromptu chant of "no to corruption" in French, Congo's lingua franca. "The pope is right," said Joel Muhemereri Amani, 21, an art student. The United Nations says African economies lose nearly $150 billion to corruption each year. The 86-year-old pope, who arrived in Congo on Tuesday, flies to neighbouring South Sudan on Friday.

"Hands off the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Stop choking Africa: it is not a mine to be stripped or a terrain to be plundered," Francis said. [1/9] Pope Francis sits next to Democratic Republic of Congo's President Felix Tshisekedi as he attends the welcoming ceremony at the Palais de la Nation on the first day of his apostolic journey, in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, January 31, 2023. The pope criticised rich countries for ignoring the tragedies unfolding in Congo and elsewhere in Africa. On Wednesday, Francis will celebrate Mass at a Kinshasa airport that is expected to draw more than a million people.

☆ Pope Francis to visit two fragile African nations
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-29 | by ( Philip Pullella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/6] Pope Francis attends the Vespers prayer service to celebrate the conversion of St. Paul at St. Paul's Basilica in Rome, Italy. REUTERS/Guglielmo MangiapaneVATICAN CITY, Jan 29 (Reuters) - Pope Francis starts a trip on Tuesday to two fragile African nations often forgotten by the world, where protracted conflicts have left millions of refugees and displaced people grappling with hunger. Both countries are rich in natural resources - DRC in minerals and South Sudan in oil - but beset with poverty and strife. DRC is getting its first visit by a pope since John Paul II travelled there in 1985, when it still was known as Zaire. Trott, a former ambassador in South Sudan, said he hoped the three Churchmen can convince political leaders to "fulfil the promise of the independence movement".

☆ Pope Francis says homosexuality is a sin but not a crime and criticizes 'unjust' anti-gay laws
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

Pope Francis criticized laws that criminalize homosexuality as “unjust,” saying God loves all his children just as they are and called on Catholic bishops who support the laws to welcome LGBTQ people into the church. “Being homosexual isn’t a crime,” Francis said during an interview Tuesday with The Associated Press. Experts say even where the laws are not enforced, they contribute to harassment, stigmatization and violence against LGBTQ people. Declaring such laws “unjust,” Francis said the Catholic Church can and should work to put an end to them. Fine, but first let’s distinguish between a sin and a crime.”“It’s also a sin to lack charity with one another,” he added.

McCarthy made good on his promise to block former House Intelligence chair Adam Schiff and Rep. Eric Swalwell — both California Democrats — from serving on that panel. In addition to keeping Schiff and Swalwell off the Intelligence Committee, McCarthy previously said he intended to remove Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., from the Foreign Affairs Committee. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., who backed McCarthy but has caused headaches for GOP leadership in the past, also got a slot on the panel. The coronavirus committeeRep. Brad Wenstrup, R-Ohio, will chair the special committee investigating the spread of the coronavirus. Last week, McCarthy named GOP members to a third select committee, focused on competition between the U.S. and the Chinese Communist Party.

☆ Homosexuality not a crime, Pope Francis says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Pope Francis criticized laws that criminalize homosexuality as "unjust," saying God loves all his children just as they are and called on Catholic bishops who support the laws to welcome LGBTQ people into the church. "Being homosexual isn't a crime," Francis said during an interview Tuesday with The Associated Press. Declaring such laws "unjust," Francis said the Catholic Church can and should work to put an end to them. On Tuesday, Francis said there needed to be a distinction between a crime and a sin with regard to homosexuality. when he was asked about a purportedly gay priest, Francis has gone on to minister repeatedly and publicly to the gay and trans community.

☆ Three days of events planned for the coronation of King Charles
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

LONDON — Buckingham Palace plans a weekend of community events and voluntarism to mark the coronation of King Charles III, looking to highlight the monarchy’s links to the nation when Britain crowns a new sovereign for the first time in 70 years. The plans were revealed Saturday when the palace released the schedule for the three-day coronation weekend, which will begin with the crowning of Charles and Camilla, the queen consort, on Saturday, May 6. The next day, the palace is inviting people around the country to take part in ’’The Big Help Out,” encouraging them to volunteer in their own communities. “The Big Help Out will encourage people to try volunteering for themselves and join the work being undertaken to support their local areas,” the palace said in a statement. “The aim of The Big Help Out is to use volunteering to bring communities together and create a lasting volunteering legacy from the coronation weekend.’’

☆ Britain urges parties, volunteering to accompany 3-day coronation of King Charles III
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Buckingham Palace plans a weekend of community events and voluntarism to mark the coronation of King Charles III, looking to highlight the monarchy's links to the nation when Britain crowns a new sovereign for the first time in 70 years. The plans were revealed Saturday when the palace released the schedule for the three-day coronation weekend, which will begin with the crowning of Charles and Camilla, the queen consort, on Saturday, May 6. The ceremony at Westminster Abbey will be preceded by a procession from Buckingham Palace to the abbey. The palace is asking neighborhoods around the nation to take part in the "Coronation Big Lunch'' on Sunday, May 7 — the latest incarnation of the block parties that have become a staple of big royal celebrations. "The aim of The Big Help Out is to use volunteering to bring communities together and create a lasting volunteering legacy from the coronation weekend.''

☆ Church of England apologises to LGBTQI+ people for 'shameful' treatment
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Muvija M | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Summary Church of England refuses to allow same-sex marriagesLeader of the church: 'It's a long journey'LGBTQ+ campaign group says church not inclusive enoughLONDON, Jan 20 (Reuters) - Church of England bishops apologised to LGBTQI+ people on Friday for the rejection and hostility they have faced, with the Archbishop of Canterbury acknowledging that the religious body was still "very divided" on the subject. The Church of England, central to one of the world's oldest Christian institutions, the Anglican communion, stood by its teaching that marriage is between "one man and one woman" in the proposals. A spokesperson for gay and transgender lobby group Stonewall said the Church of England had "once again" fallen short on being inclusive and supportive of LGBTQ+ Christians. The Church of England and the Anglican Communion are very divided," Welby told reporters on Friday, ahead of a meeting of the synod next month where the proposals will be deliberated further. But this is an enormously important point, not only within the Anglican Communion and the Church of England, but also across the global church," he added.

Rep. Dan Bishop of South Carolina , one of 13 holdouts who flipped to back McCarthy on the 12th ballot, will continue to serve on the Judiciary Committee. , one of 13 holdouts who flipped to back McCarthy on the 12th ballot, will continue to serve on the Judiciary Committee. , who flipped to McCarthy on the 12th ballot, won a seat on the Homeland Security Committee. , who also flipped to McCarthy on the 12th ballot, won a new seat on the powerful Appropriations Committee, which controls federal spending. Rep. Mary Miller of Illinois , who flipped to McCarthy on the 12th ballot, will remain on the Agriculture Committee.

☆ Church of England bishops refuse to allow same-sex marriages
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Muvija M | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Demonstrators protesting against a gay marriage bill hold placards outside of the Houses of Parliament in London June 3, 2013. The Church of England, is central to the wider Anglican communion which represents over 85 million people in over 165 countries. "Same-sex couples would still not be able to get married in a Church of England church," the statement said, confirming a BBC report overnight that bishops had refused to support a change in teaching to allow priests to marry gay couples. Uner the proposals, same-sex couples could have a service in which there would be "prayers of dedication, thanksgiving or for God's blessing on the couple" in church after a civil marriage. Separately, Church of England bishops will be issuing an apology later this week to LGBTQI+ people for the "rejection, exclusion and hostility" they have faced in churches, according to the statement.

☆ Europe's royals, in Athens, bids farewell to Greece's last king
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/7] A person holds a flag as people queue to pay respects to former King of Greece Constantine II at Saint Eleftherios chapel, where he lies at rest before the funeral service, in Athens, Greece, January 16, 2023. REUTERS/Louiza VradiATHENS, Jan 16 (Reuters) - European royalty gathered in Athens on Monday for the funeral of former King Constantine of Greece, born a prince but spurned by his country which abolished the monarchy in 1974. He died at the age of 82 last week in an Athens hospital. Royals from Europe, including Britain's Princess Anne, sister of King Charles, and her husband and Spain's King Felipe and Queen Letizia, were expected to attend the funeral, at the Metropolitan Cathedral in central Athens, under tight security. In a referendum after the fall of the junta in 1974, Greece rejected monarchy again.

☆ Vatican holds funeral for Cardinal George Pell who decried Pope Francis’ rule
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-14 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

The Australian cardinal who decried the papacy of Pope Francis as a “catastrophe” was given a funeral Saturday in St. Peter’s Basilica, with the pontiff imparting a final blessing for the once high-ranking Vatican prelate. Cardinal George Pell, 81, died on Jan. 10, shortly after undergoing hip surgery in a Rome hospital. Pell later returned to his native Australia to be tried on child sex abuse charges over allegations that he molested two choirboys while he was archbishop of Melbourne. As is customary for funerals of cardinals, a final blessing, delivered in Latin, in the form a prayer for mercy and eternal rest, was recited by Pope Francis. Gaenswein unleashed a torrent of criticism of Francis in interviews hours after Benedict died in retirement at the Vatican on Dec. 31 and in a book published days later.

☆ George Pell, Powerful Australian Cardinal Who Was Charged, Acquitted of Child Sex Abuse, Dies at 81
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( Robb M. Stewart | Stuart Condie | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Cardinal George Pell , who cast an imposing shadow over the Roman Catholic Church from the gold-mining town he grew up in, across Australia and to Rome before a fall from grace in his 70s, has died. “It is with deep sadness that I can confirm His Eminence, George Cardinal Pell, passed away in Rome in the early hours of this morning,” Anthony Fisher , archbishop of Sydney, wrote in a post on Facebook. “This news comes as a great shock to all of us.”

☆ George Pell, Powerful Australian Cardinal Who Fell From Grace, Dies at 81
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( Robb Stewart | Stuart Condie | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

☆ Australian Cardinal George Pell, whose abuse conviction was overturned, dies at 81
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

CANBERRA, Australia — Cardinal George Pell, who was the most senior Catholic cleric to be convicted of child sex abuse before his convictions were later overturned, has died in Rome at age 81. Pell, an Australian, was once the third-highest ranked Catholic in the Vatican after earlier serving as the Archbishop of Melbourne and Archbishop of Sydney. But Pell returned to his native Australia in 2017 in an attempt to clear his name of child sex charges. Pell’s reputation remained tarnished by the church’s child sex abuse scandal. Pell was born on June 8, 1941, the eldest of three children to a heavyweight champion boxer and publican also named George Pell, an Anglican.

☆ Detained Nicaraguan Catholic bishop, Ortega critic to face trial
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MANAGUA, Jan 10 (Reuters) - A prominent Catholic bishop in Nicaragua who has sharply criticized authoritarian President Daniel Ortega will go to trial while under house arrest, a judge ruled on Tuesday, in the latest clamp down on dissent in the country. Human rights organizations accuse Ortega's government of persecuting the Catholic Church. Another prominent cleric, Bishop Silvio Baez, is in exile in the United States along with a number of other priests who have fled. The president has accused Catholic leaders of trying to overthrow him in a "coup" following anti-Ortega street protests that began in 2018. But as tensions have intensified, Ortega officials have expelled Catholic nuns and missionaries and shuttered more than a dozen Catholic radio and television stations.

[1/3] Australian Cardinal George Pell gestures as he speaks during an interview with Reuters in Rome, Italy December 7, 2020. Archbishop Peter Comensoli, the Archbishop of Melbourne, said Pell had died from heart complications following hip surgery. An Australian appeals court ruling in 2020 quashed convictions that Pell sexually assaulted two choir boys in the 1990s. Pell took pride in having set up one of the world's first schemes to compensate victims of child sexual abuse in Melbourne. The inquiry, known as a Royal Commission, began in 2013 a five-year investigation into child sex abuse in the Catholic Church and other institutions.

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