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☆ Can the sporty be Godly? Why the Vatican is in the race to become a global sporting presence
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-20 | by ( George Ramsay | Christopher Lamb | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Rien Schuurhuis never expected to win this year’s cycling world championships, nor come close to claiming the race’s distinctive rainbow jersey. For the sole representative of the Vatican City in the 200-strong field, simply being at the race in Switzerland was enough. “There was one hill in the (2022) world championships and everyone was yelling: ‘The Pope’s cyclist! At every race, Schuurhuis’ ultimate aim has been to get people talking about the team and what it represents. Pope Francis, the first Latin American pontiff, is a soccer fan who played as a goalkeeper and supported San Lorenzo while growing up in Argentina.

Persons: Rien Schuurhuis, Schuurhuis, they’re, –, ”, Pope Francis, Valerio Agnoli, “, Chiara Porro, Herself, Porro, ” Schuurhuis, Pope John Paul II, Castel Gandolfo, San, Diego Maradona –, Pope Francis ’, ” Giampaolo Mattei, … Organizations: CNN, Vatican City, CNN Sport, International Cycling Union, UCI, ”, League, Australia’s Embassy, Vaticana, Swiss Guards, England, Culture, Athletica, “, Brisbane Games Locations: Vatican, Switzerland, Belgium, Vaticana, India, Australia, Asia, Rome, St, Peter's, Athletica Vaticana, San Lorenzo, Argentina, Canberra

☆ What is the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 that Trump says he will invoke
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-14 | by ( Catherine E. Shoichet | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

“I think a very strong argument could be made that in those situations, the Alien Enemies Act can be employed,” he says. French nationals were the original target lawmakers had in mind when they passed the Alien Enemies Act. Buyenlarge/Archive Photos/Getty ImagesWhen has the Alien Enemies Act been used before? The Alien Enemies Act does allow individuals to bring lawsuits challenging their detention, Reisz says. Some Democratic lawmakers have tried to repeal the Alien Enemies Act in recent years.

Persons: Donald Trump, John Adams, ” Trump, “, Trump, John Moore, ”, haven’t, Woodrow Wilson, Katherine Yon Ebright, Brennan, Ebright, ” Ebright, Rebecca Noble, Jean Lantz Reisz, isn’t, ” Reisz, …, ” George Fishman, Fishman, couldn’t, ” Fishman, Mae Ngai, Brennan Center’s Ebright, Ngai, —, ” Ngai, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, it’s, ‘, ’ ” Ebright, Reisz, you’re, Frederic J . Brown, Biden, He’s, ” Sen, Mazie Hirono Organizations: CNN, ”, Republican Party, New York University, Border Patrol, University of Southern California’s Gould School of Law, Department of Homeland Security, Center for Immigration Studies, Columbia University, German, Department of Justice, National Archives, Customs, Getty, Trump, Democratic Locations: France, United States, Mexico, Springs , California, New Mexico, “, Prescott Valley , Arizona, Fort Douglas , Utah, AFP, China, Hawaii

☆ The Rise of GodGPT: Religions Are Using Bots for Spiritual Formation
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-03 | by ( John Brandon | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

"Dealing with social anxiety can be challenging, but there are several approaches that might help," the bot responded. "Cathy represents our innovative approach to leveraging technology in support of spiritual exploration," says Rev. Lorenzo Lebrija, the founding director of TryTank and an Episcopal priest. But they've designed it to help spiritual seekers talk about subjects they feel "vulnerable or defensive" about. John Brandon is a journalist who has published over 15,000 articles on social media, technology, leadership, mentoring, and many other topics.

Persons: Cathy, It's, Lorenzo Lebrija, Lebrija, Andrew Doyle, Jesus, Chatbot Eli, Gita GPT, Father Justin, they've, Elon Musk, Joshua K, Smith, I'm Cathy, Sam Altman, Thomas Telving, Richard Zhang, I've, —, Rev, Doyle, Telving, John Brandon Organizations: TryTank Research, Episcopal, Episcopal Church, of, Gatorade, Google Locations: of Texas

☆ Longtime music director at Michigan church fired for same-sex marriage
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-31 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. — The longtime music director at a northern Michigan church said he was fired just a few months before retirement after officials learned that he was in a same-sex marriage, a dismissal that has angered members and led to sidewalk protests by the choir. “He’s extremely talented, he’s perfect on the piano, he has perfect pitch and because of him, I look forward to going to church every week,” said Bob Holden, a chorister at St. Francis Church in Traverse City. The Catholic Church teaches that marriage is a lifelong union between a man and a woman. “We take employee privacy very seriously and are not able to disclose details about individual personnel matters,” the Diocese of Gaylord, which oversees St. Francis, said in a written statement. In a time where there is so much controversy in the world, the church needs to be a place of peace, and instead it’s turmoil after turmoil,” church member Toni Stanfield said.

Persons: “, ”, Bob Holden, Francis Church, “ I’m, ” Holden, Fred Szczepanski, Michael Lingaur, Szczepanski, Pope Francis, Francis, Toni Stanfield Organizations: Catholic Church, Gaylord, Sunday Locations: CITY, Mich, Michigan, Traverse City, Traverse, Nevada

☆ England’s last ‘witch’ may have survived execution, new research suggests
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-31 | by ( Julia Buckley | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

But new research suggests that one English woman convicted of witchcraft and condemned to be hanged may have escaped the noose. Alice Molland – who has long held the tragic record of being the last woman in England to be hanged as a “witch” – was sentenced to death in 1685. In June 1685, Avis Molland – by now widowed – emerges in court records as an informant about a potential revolt, at a time when the Duke of Monmouth was attempting a rebellion against the king. Avis Molland died a free woman eight years later. Worland has spent 18 years unearthing victims’ details, and has successfully campaigned to have memorials to executed “witches” in Colchester and Chelmsford.

Persons: Alice Molland –, ” –, Mark Stoyle, Alice Molland ”, Avis Molland –, Temperance Lloyd, Mary Trembles, Susannah Edwards, Molland, Joane Snell, Wilmott Snell, Agnes Furze ”, Stoyle, Avis Molland, “ Alice ”, Molland –, Avis Macey –, –, Duke of Monmouth, “ Alice’s, Avis, Alice, ”, ” Innocent, Henry VIII, Elizabeth I, Charlotte Meredith, ” John Worland, Worland, “, I’m, who’d, Judy Molland, “ I’m Organizations: CNN, UK’s University of Southampton, Bideford, MPI, Scotland, Exeter Castle, Getty, Essex, Exeter Cathedral, Devon Locations: Europe, England, Exeter Castle, Devon, Exeter –, Avis, Exeter, St, David’s, today’s, North America, Salem, Salem , Massachusetts, ”, Essex, Colchester, Chelmsford, “

☆ Doburoku: once illegal, this Japanese alcohol is making a comeback
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-28 | by ( Jonathan Delise | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

To distinguish this type of turbid Japanese alcohol from that of the ubiquitous and transparent sake, there are two distinct if slightly misleading categories: seishu (清酒), or clear sake, and doburoku (濁酒). However, when making doburoku, they are all simultaneously placed in with the yeast starter, causing the resulting mixture to be comparatively overflowing with sugars. For nearly as long as rice has been cultivated in Japan, doburoku has existed. In essence, all doburoku made from then on came to be called mitsuzoushu (密造酒), “secretly produced alcohol,” or moonshine. The state of doburoku todayOpened in 2015, Tokyo’s Sake Hotaru was the first legal spot to offer doburoku in Japan’s capital.

Persons: Heiwa, doburoku, homebrewing, Utsunomiya Hitoshi, Utsunomiya, “, Hotaru, Norimasa Yamamoto, it’s, ”, Kato, Shinobu Kato, ” Kato Organizations: Tokyo CNN, Makers Association Locations: Tokyo, Nihombashi, Wakayama prefecture, Japan, Edo, Borne, doburoku, Japan’s, Brooklyn

☆ Archdiocese of Los Angeles agrees to pay $880 million to victims of clergy sexual abuse
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-17 | by ( Associated Press | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Los Angeles, California (AP) – The Archdiocese of Los Angeles has agreed to pay $880 million to victims of clergy sexual abuse dating back decades, in what an attorney said was the largest single child sex abuse settlement with a Catholic archdiocese, it was announced Wednesday. Attorney Morgan Stewart, who led the negotiations, said in a statement that the settlement is the largest single child sex abuse settlement with a Catholic archdiocese. “These survivors have suffered for decades in the aftermath of the abuse. The settlement will be funded by archdiocese investments, accumulated reserves, bank financing, and other assets. According to the archdiocese, certain religious orders and others named in the litigation will also cover some of the cost of the settlement, the Times said.

Persons: José H, Gomez, “, ”, Morgan Stewart, ” Stewart Organizations: –, Catholic, Los Angeles Times, United States, Attorneys, Times Locations: Los Angeles , California, – The, Los Angeles, United, “

☆ Pope urged at LGBTQ meeting to reverse church ban on gender-affirming care
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-14 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis faced calls to overturn the Catholic Church’s ban on gender-affirming care for transgender people on Saturday when he held talks with LGBTQ activists at the Vatican. “I really wanted to share with Pope Francis about the joy that I have being a transgender Catholic person,” Michael Sennett, who took part in the meeting, told Reuters. The meeting “means that the church is coming along, the church is joining the modern era,” she said. Gramick’s work with LGBTQ Catholics has attracted the ire of Vatican and U.S. Catholic officials for decades, including Pope Benedict XVI. But she has developed a correspondence with Francis, who first welcomed her for a meeting at the Vatican last year.

Persons: CITY — Pope Francis, “, Pope Francis, ” Michael Sennett, Sennett, I’ve, ”, Cynthia Herrick, Herrick, ” Francis, Jeannine Gramick, Francis, Pope Benedict XVI Organizations: CITY, Vatican, Reuters, Catholic, Ministry Locations: U.S, Boston, Louis , Missouri, Vatican

ZOUK MOSBEH, Lebanon — Israeli airstrikes and its burgeoning ground invasion have forced dozens of Lebanese Christians to take shelter in a monastery close to the border with Israel. Milad Louis, head of the municipality of Ain Ebel, a largely Christian town, said Israeli airstrikes forced the community to evacuate in just 45 minutes. Lebanese military personnel direct civilians Tuesday in the town of Rmeish along the border with Israel. Some 70 villagers were given shelter in the nearby monastery and school, with residents also opening up their homes to 30 fleeing the violence nearby, according to monastery officials. Lebanese civilians in the town of Rmeish along the border with Israel on Tuesday.

Persons: ZOUK, Milad Louis, ”, Israel, Louis, —, Jihan Kaisi Organizations: NBC News, Maronite, NBC, Union of Relief, Development Associations Locations: ZOUK MOSBEH, Lebanon, Israel, Ain, Ain Ebel, U.S, Rmeish, Ein, “, Lebanon's, Beirut, Lebanese

☆ Pope expels a bishop and 9 other people from a Peru movement over ‘sadistic’ abuses
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-25 | by ( Associated Press | Claudia Rebaza | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

VATICAN CITY Associated Press —Pope Francis took the unusual decision Wednesday to expel 10 people – a bishop, priests and laypeople – from a troubled Catholic movement in Peru after a Vatican investigation uncovered “sadistic” abuses of power, authority and spirituality. It was announced by the Peruvian Bishops Conference, which posted a statement from the Vatican embassy on its website. The statement was astonishing because it listed abuses uncovered by the Vatican investigation that have rarely if ever been punished canonically — such as hacking someone’s communications — and cited the people the pope held responsible. Victims of Figari’s abuses complained to the Lima archdiocese in 2011, though other claims against him reportedly date to 2000. The investigation, published in 2017, found that Figari sodomized his recruits and forced them to fondle him and one another.

Persons: CITY Associated Press — Pope Francis, –, Francis ’, Luis Figari, ”, Figari, Pedro Salinas, Paola Ugaz, Sodalitium, Jordi Bertomeu, Charles Scicluna, Martin Mejia, Jose Antonio Eguren, Francis, Salinas, “ Organizations: CITY Associated Press, Peruvian Bishops Conference, CNN, South, Catholic, Maltese, Associated Press Locations: Peru, Vatican, America, South America, United States, Lima, Rome, Spain, Malta, Lima , Peru, Figari, Piura, Ugaz, Eguren’s, Peruvian

☆ Influencers are shepherding their online followers to IRL events as they look to build communities and make money
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-25 | by ( Amanda Perelli | Sydney Bradley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Vox Media has also doubled down on investing in podcasting and is helping its podcast creators expand into live events. Jackie Cinguina, chief marketing officer, and Lillian Xu, executive director, spoke with BI about the company's offerings for podcast creators. Vox Media leans on specific marketing, like placing podcast talent into larger in-person events to perform, like South by Southwest. "From an audience standpoint, we thought it was really important," Xu said about bringing back live events. You see them react to the audience and feed off of them when they are in front of a live audience."

Persons: —, Cary, Michael Huang, Cary Huang, Huang, Tana Mongeau, Brooke Schofield, Jake Shane, Ethan, Hila Klein, Mongeau, Schofield, Hugo Amsellem, it's, Jenna Bandy, Bree Green, Carson Roney, Alex Sheinman, Claire Parker, Ashley Hamilton, Parker, Hamilton, cohost Claire, Dan Howell, Phil Lester, Howell, Lester, Ariana Nathani, Jackie Cinguina, Lillian Xu, Cinguina, Vox, Xu, they're, Delia Cai, Hunter Harris, Emilia Petrarca, Sophia Efthimiatou, Efthimiatou Organizations: Service, Saban Media Center, Disney, Nickelodeon, YouTube, Business, Dolby Theatre, Snapback Agency, Snapback, of, Creators, Netflix, Vox, Vox Media, BI, Southwest, IRL Locations: Hollywood, LA, America, of America, York, Hamilton, South

☆ Pope Francis arrives in Singapore, last stop on 12-day Asia tour
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-11 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

SINGAPORE — Pope Francis arrived in Singapore on Wednesday from East Timor, on the final leg of an ambitious 12-day journey across Southeast Asia and Oceania. The pope will also hold private meetings with President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, and former Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Francis is only the second pope to visit Singapore, following a brief five-hour layover by the late John Paul II in 1986. On landing in Singapore, Francis was met by Edwin Tong, the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth, and received flowers from local schoolchildren. Francis’ 12-day tour has also included stops in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.

Persons: Pope Francis, Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Lawrence Wong, Lee Hsien Loong, Francis, John Paul II, Edwin Tong, Francis ’ Organizations: Aero Dili, Culture ,, Youth Locations: SINGAPORE, Singapore, East Timor, Southeast Asia, Oceania, Dili, East Timor’s, Rome, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea

Almost half the population of East Timor, the most Catholic nation outside Vatican City, attended a Mass presided over by Pope Francis on Tuesday on the third leg of his Asia trip. An estimated 600,000 people packed the seaside park of Tasitolu near the capital, Dili, the Vatican told reporters, citing local authorities. But the Vatican has also admitted it concealed sexual abuse by members of the clergy in East Timor, including key figures in the independence movement. Francis, 87, is the first pope to visit East Timor since it became an independent state in 2002. “We have the opportunity to see the pope face to face.”The Mass was held at the same site where St. John Paul II, the last pope to visit East Timor, celebrated a historic liturgy in 1989.

Persons: Pope Francis, Francis, “ Viva, Francisco, ”, Lucrecia Nono, “, John Paul II, John Paul Organizations: Vatican City, Vatican, Catholic Locations: East Timor, Vatican, Asia, Tasitolu, Dili, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Singapore

Dili, East Timor CNN —Pope Francis received a rapturous welcome from the tiny Southeast Asian nation of East Timor, one of the world’s most Catholic countries, where more than half the population is expected to turn out for an open-air mass on Tuesday. People wait for Pope Francis to arrive at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Dili, East Timor, on September 10, 2024. Pope Francis greets Catholic worshipers in Dili, East Timor, on September 10, 2024. Four hundred years of ensuing Portuguese colonial rule led to the widespread spread of Catholicism in East Timor and other cultural differences from Muslim-majority Indonesia. East Timor is also on track to become the 11th member of the Southeast Asian bloc ASEAN, which could happen next year.

Persons: East Timor CNN — Pope Francis, Francis, Pope Francis, Firdia, ”, Willy Kurniawan, Francis ’, Carlos Ximenes Belo, Pope Francis ’, Pope John Paul II, Christina Kheng, ” Pope Francis, Guglielmo Mangiapane, Bishop Belo, Jose Ramos, Belo, Groene Amsterdammer, defrocked, Richard Daschbach, Xanana Gusmao, Mary, Bishop, Suharto’s Organizations: East Timor CNN, Timor Leste, Catholic Church, Timor, CNN, Asian Pastoral Institute, Reuters, US, Australia, Southeast, ASEAN, Vatican, Belo, East Timor, Jakarta, UN Locations: Dili, East Timor, Asia, strollers, Dili , East Timor, Timor, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Singapore, Australia, Portuguese, East, United States, Horta, Portugal, Santa Cruz, East Timor’s, Bishop Belo, Indonesian, Jakarta, Australian

☆ Ukraine’s president signs law banning Russia-linked religious groups
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-24 | by ( Daria Tarasova Markina | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

President Volodymr Zelensky signed into law a bill banning religious groups with ties to Russia Saturday, Ukraine’s Independence Day. The bill’s main target is the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) which has historically been linked to the Russian Orthodox Church, also known as the Moscow Patriarchate. The law passed Ukraine’s parliament on August 20, with 265 lawmakers voting for and 29 voting against. But with Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014, Ukraine’s Orthodox churches split. In particular, 63% believe that Ukrainian Orthodox Church should be completely banned in Ukraine.

Persons: Volodymr Zelensky, Mykyta, ” Poturaiev, Bartholomew I of Constantinople, Ukraine’s, Epiphanius, ”, Metropolitan Clement, –, ” Kosta Gak Organizations: CNN, Russia, Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Orthodox Church, Russian, Church, Ukraine’s, Service, Ethnic, Ukraine’s Security Service of Ukraine, of Ukraine, Moscow Patriarchate, Ukraine, Kyiv International Institute of Sociology, Facebook, God Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Ukrainian, Moscow, Crimea, Kyiv, Ukraine’s Kyiv, Russian

☆ Why some women stay in religious groups that don’t let them become leaders
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-15 | by ( John Blake | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +19 min

“It hurt,” says Muse, the executive pastor of Hayes Barton Baptist Church in Raleigh, North Carolina. Nikki Hardeman, of Atlanta, an advocacy director for Baptist Women in Ministry, left, Meredith Stone, executive director of Baptist Women in Ministry, center, and Christa Brown, an advocate for survivors of sexual abuse and a supporter of the Baptist Women in Ministry, protest outside the venue of a Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting on June 11, 2024, in Indianapolis. Some Southern Baptist leaders, for example, say they do not oppose women running for political office. And yet millions of women still give their time and money to church groups that won’t allow them to lead men. Meredith Stone, executive director of Baptist Women in Ministry, a group that works with the SBC and other Baptist groups.

Persons: Kristen Muse, Muse, Paul, Timothy, ”, Hayes Barton, “, –, Clint Pressley, Nikki Hardeman, Meredith Stone, Christa Brown, Doug McSchooler, Albert Mohler Jr, Kamala Harris, Shelby Tauber, ” Muse, Christ, Mary Kassian, Beth Allison Barr, Barr, Jesus, Pope Francis, lectors, Beth Moore, Terry Wyatt, Moore, Infants, ” Barr, it’s, they’re, Rick Warren, Peter Smith, that’s, she’s, Rabbi Nachman, Rosh Hashana, Sergei Supinsky, don’t, ‘, Bishop Teresa Jefferson, Jay Reeves, Deborah, Lydia, Priscilla, Dorcas, Mary Magdalene, Mary, Luke, hasn’t, John Blake Organizations: CNN, National Public Radio, Southern Baptist Convention, Hayes Barton Baptist Church, SBC, Baptist Women, Ministry, Southern Baptist, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Roman Catholic Church, of God, Reuters, complementarianism, Children, Baylor University, Research, Saddleback Church, Saddleback, Getty, Christian Methodist Episcopal, Moody Temple CME Church, Jefferson Locations: manila, Raleigh , North Carolina, Atlanta, Indianapolis, Indiana, Dallas , Texas, Nashville , Tennessee, Texas, Saddleback, Southern California, New Orleans, Uman, Ukraine, AFP, Raleigh, Moody, Fairfield , Alabama, Israel

☆ America’s New Catholic Priests: Young, Confident and Conservative
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-10 | by ( Ruth Graham | Nick Hagen | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The next morning, they would make lifelong promises of celibacy and obedience, and they were palpably elated by the prospect. There was a time where the church “maybe apologized for being Catholic,” he said later in the conversation. He and the other new priests agreed they were called to something different: advancing the Catholic faith, even the parts that could seem out of place in an increasingly hostile world. “The church is Catholic, and so we should announce that joyfully,” he said. Surveys tracking the opinions of priests have found that, starting in the 1980s, each new wave of priests in the United States is noticeably more conservative than the one before it, Dr. Vermurlen said.

Persons: Zachary Galante, Francis, “, ” Deacon Galante, Father Galante, ”, we’ve, Brad Vermurlen, Thomas, Vermurlen Organizations: Francis de Sales Seminary, Catholic, American Catholic Church, University of St Locations: St, Houston, United States

☆ Carlo Maria Viganò: Archbishop critical of Pope Francis excommunicated for schism
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-05 | by ( Christopher Lamb | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Italian Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, a former papal ambassador to the United States who became an ultra-conservative critic of Pope Francis, has been excommunicated for schism. As a Vatican diplomat, the archbishop was tasked with serving the pope, which makes his excommunication for schism highly unusual. The Vatican explained Friday that Viganò was excommunicated following an “extrajudicial penal process,” although the archbishop has said he did not “recognize the legitimacy” of the process. “I don’t know what happened,” Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Holy See’s Secretary of State, said recently about the now-excommunicated archbishop. The Vatican said Viganò had been told of the excommunication and that only the Holy See could lift the sanction.

Persons: Carlo Maria Viganò, Pope Francis, Viganò, Francis, Theodore McCarrick, Francis ’, Kim Davis, “, ” Cardinal Pietro Parolin Organizations: CNN, Vatican, Catholic Church, Roman Catholic Church, State Locations: United States, Washington, DC, Francis, Vatican, Kentucky

CNN —Six law enforcement officers and a priest have reportedly been killed in what appear to be coordinated attacks by gunmen in Russia’s southernmost Dagestan province. Regional authorities say 12 law enforcement officers have also been wounded, though it is unclear in which city. Two “militants” have also been killed following the attacks, the Russian state-owned news agency RIA Novosti reported on Sunday, citing Dagestan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs. A priest was killed in the attack on the church in Derbent, according to the Dagestan Public Monitoring Commission Chairman, Shamil Khadulaev. “According to the information I received, Father Nikolay was killed in the church in Derbent, they slit his throat.

Persons: ”, Shamil Khadulaev, Nikolay, ” Khadulaev, Khadulaev, Sergey Melikov Organizations: CNN, RIA Novosti, Dagestan’s Ministry, Internal Affairs, Dagestan Public, Russian Federation Locations: Russia’s, Dagestan, Derbent, Makhachkala, Russian, Dagestan Republic, Russia, …, Republic of Dagestan

☆ Slur by Francis Lays Bare the Church’s Contradictions on Homosexuality
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-22 | by ( Emma Bubola | Elisabetta Povoledo | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

When reports spread that Pope Francis had used an offensive anti-gay slur while speaking to Italian bishops at a conference last month, many Catholics were both shocked and baffled. How could a pope known for his openness to and acceptance of L.G.B.T.Q. people use homophobic slang and caution prelates about admitting gay men into seminaries? But the question, and the apparent inconsistency in Francis’ messaging, reflect the deep contradictions and tensions that underlie the Roman Catholic Church’s and Francis’ relationship to homosexuality. The church holds that “homosexual tendencies” are “intrinsically disordered.” When it comes to ordination, the church’s guidelines state that people with “deep-seated” gay tendencies should not become priests.

Persons: Pope Francis, Francis ’, Catholic Church’s Organizations: Catholic

☆ Italians Respond to Pope’s Slur by Taking Francis to Pride
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-16 | by ( Emma Bubola | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

At Rome’s Pride celebration, bare-chested men in pink angel wings danced to Abba songs, women wrapped in rainbow flags kissed, and shimmering drag queens waved from parade floats. And then there was Pope Francis. Romans came to the Pride parade on Saturday dressed like Francis, wearing papal hats and T-shirts that read, “There is never too much frociaggine,” a reference to an offensive slur against gay men that the pope has been accused of using twice in recent weeks. The slur “is the slogan of the 2024 Pride,” said Martina Lorina, 28, an actress who was holding up a banner bearing the word. After Italian media reported that Pope Francis used the slur at a meeting with priests to complain that there was too much “gayness” in the church, the Vatican apologized.

Persons: Abba, Pope Francis, Francis, ”, Martina Lorina

☆ For Gay Catholics and Supporters, a ‘Sense of Whiplash’ Over Pope’s Reported Use of Slur
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-14 | by ( Amy Harmon | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

This was the pope who asked, “Who am I to judge?” in response to a question about gay priests in 2013. He announced last year that he would allow priests to bless same-sex couples, defying conservative critics in the Roman Catholic Church. And he apologized only weeks ago, in a statement from the Vatican, for using an offensive Italian term for gay men at a conference of bishops. Catholics by the church said his remarks, made in reference to the presence of gay men in seminaries and the clergy, showed the limits of his tolerance. Catholic ministry based in New York, who, like many gay Catholics, has struggled with his relationship to the church.

Persons: “, Pope Francis, ”, Michael O’Loughlin, I’ve Organizations: Roman Catholic Church, L.G.B.T.Q Locations: Rome, New York

☆ Pope Francis repeats homophobic slur in closed-door meeting, Italian media reports
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-11 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Rome — The pope has again used a highly disparaging word against gay people for which he had already apologized last month, ANSA news agency said on Tuesday. Italian media had attributed to the pope the use of a vulgar Italian term roughly translating as “f*****ry,” on May 20 during a closed-door meeting with Italian bishops. Last month, a source close to the pope told CNN the phrase could also be understood as there is a “gay climate” in the seminaries. Two years later he told Italian bishops not to accept gay candidates for the priesthood. Francis, 87, had been credited with making substantial overtures toward the LGBTQ community during his 11-year papacy.

Persons: Rome, ”, ANSA, Francis, Roman, CNN’s Christopher Lamb, Sharon Braithwaite Organizations: della Sera, CNN, Church Locations: Argentine

☆ Modi heads for two days of island meditation as Indian election nears end
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-29 | by ( Kathleen Magramo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

India’s election is the world’s largest, a mammoth exercise in democracy that has taken place over six weeks. Modi will visit the Vivekananda Rock Memorial in Kanyakumari, a pilgrimage site off India’s southernmost tip, from May 30 to June 1, according to Indian state broadcaster DD News. The Vivekananda Rock Memorial was built in 1970 in honour of Swami Vivekananda, who is said to have attained enlightenment on the rock. Toward the end of the 2019 national elections, which he also won, Modi went to meditate in the revered Kedarnath shrine dedicated to Hindu deity Lord Shiva high in the Himalayas. Modi and the BJP have increasingly resorted to overtly Islamophobic language during his recent election speeches.

Persons: CNN —, Narendra Modi, –, Modi, Swami Vivekananda, “ I’m, God, doesn’t, ”, Vivekananda, Shiva Organizations: CNN, CNN — India’s, Vivekananda Rock, NDTV, India, Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP, Maratha Locations: Kanyakumari, Varanasi, Maharashtra, Ayodhya

☆ Pope Francis apologizes for using a homophobic slur during a meeting with bishops
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-28 | by ( Christopher Lamb | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Pope Francis has apologized for using an anti-gay slur during a meeting with bishops. The 87-year-old pontiff reportedly made the homophobic remark in a closed-door meeting last week as he told Italian bishops that gay men shouldn’t be allowed to train for the priesthood. “As he (Pope Francis) has said on several occasions, ‘in the Church there is room for everyone, everyone! Francis’ comments were made in the context of proposals from the Italian bishops to amend guidelines on candidates to seminaries. A view of St. Peter’s during a mass celebrated by Pope Francis on the first World Children’s Day on May 26, 2024 in Vatican City, Vatican.

Persons: Pope Francis, shouldn’t, “, Pope, ’, Francis ’, Peter’s, Franco Origlia, Francis Organizations: CNN, Repubblica, della Sera, Argentine Locations: Vatican City, Vatican

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