…bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Islam is a real big topic these days on all fronts: theology, politics, social, economic. One might add a question of reasonableness of the communication of and with the Divine Being through the Prophet. Christians will call Islam an form for Christian heresy. Whatever the case may be there is a worldwide crisis of identity […]
Lazar Berman’s essay published today on The Times of Israel, “‘Trying to undo history”: A Catholic scholar reflects on Christian Seders“. Berman and Fr. Murray Watson discuss the reality of the Seder and illustrate why it is inappropriate for Christians to do something so out of context from the their religious experience. I have long […]
Yom Kippur begins at sundown today. Prayers for our Jewish brothers and sisters for their conversion to Adonai and the forgiveness of sin.
At work is the interface between Christian faith and public order with Pope Francis making a three day visit to Turkey. A new and concrete plan for peace is needed so that, as Francis says, conflict is not merely the daily and accepted way of life. There is nothing dignified about killing the person who […]
Pope Francis received Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of the State of Israel, in private audience, today. The story is here. As usual is the exchange of gifts. “The Israeli Premiere presented the Pope with a book in Spanish on the Inquisition written by his father who was an historian. He also presented him with a […]
Jean-Louis Cardinal Tauran, president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, spoke Monday (November 18) at the opening general assembly of the two-day Global Forum of the King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz International Centre for Interreligious and intercultural Dialogue, Vienna, Austria. The senior cardinal deacon Tauran used an insightful term that needs to developed, ‘intelligence of […]
I just came across an article on AsiaNews that’s disturbing to me: “Persistent rumors suggest Hagia Sophia will be turned into a mosque” (Aug 30 2013). It confirmed my worst fears that one of the greatest churches in world –after the 4 central basilicas in Rome, a few others– may be returned to the Muslims […]
The Reuters news agency, and several other agencies are reporting, though not the Holy See as yet, that Al-Qaeda-linked rebels in Syria killed Jesuit Father Paolo Dall’Oglio, 59, who was kidnapped on 29 July. But there is NO definitive evidence this news is certain. What we do know is that Pope Francis mentioned his name at […]
Tonight, 15th of Nissan, begins the annual days prayer remembering the liberation of the captive Jews in Egypt by God. The theological reality of the Passover is not merely relating to events of 3000 years ago, but an active remembrance (liturgically called anamnesis) that God leads us to freedom today: from slavery of sin to […]
The Pope met today with Orthodox leaders, Byzantine and Oriental Orthodox, the Anglicans, other ecclesial communities and leaders of various other religions. Of particular interest is the personal meeting of Francis and Bartholomew; the Pope also met with Metropolitan Hilarion of the Russian Orthodox Church. Rome Reports has a review of this important ecumenical meeting. […]