"The WAR on error"
Here is a Vatican translation of the homily Benedict XVI delivered Jan. 7 during Mass on the feast of the Baptism of the Lord. The Mass was celebrated in the Sistine Chapel.
Benedict XVI received the executive director of the U.N. World Food Program, who thanked the Pope for his commitment to the poor.
Antichrist on the false Christ...
His book about Jesus was announced at the end of November, and will be on sale next spring. But a week does not go by without Benedict XVI preaching about the book’s protagonist: Jesus “true God and true man.”
[WAR: "Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour. ... Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from the Father, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Yahshua Messiah has come in the flesh is from the Father, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Yahshua (coming in the flesh) is not from the Father. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world." (1John 2:18; 4:1-3). So if you agree with ol' B16 that the Messiah was "true God and true man" (or "God in the flesh"), then you ipso facto have "the spirit of the antichrist". And that is not a good thing to have!]
Donatella Versace has often raised eyebrows — and hemlines — with her outrageous designs for women. Yesterday, however, she stunned even blasé fashionistas by launching a “clergyman look” for men, inspired by Father Georg Gaenswein, the handsome 50-year-old private secretary to Pope Benedict XVI.
A premier in Munich is a quasi-successor to the former kings of Bavaria. An attack dog of German politics, Stoiber has chipped away at Berlin's authority over the country's 16 states. A trim, fair-haired law graduate who abstains from alcohol, Stoiber has been nicknamed the 'Blonde Guillotine' for his ruthlessness, but his indomitable personality has also won affection. His self-regard, fixed smile and readiness to speak off the cuff, even if he flubs his words, have endeared him to many. A sizeable section of the CSU is still loyal to Stoiber and that an ouster could split a party that prefers to keep nastiness private.
(DS: Political crisis hits Bavaria For those not paying attention, the leadership crisis in Bavaria seems to have come out of nowhere.)
[WAR: I woke-up this morning just itching to find out what happened in yesterday's CSU meeting. But there is not one word to be found about it - if it even took place. Oh, the tension!...]
The highest court in Bavaria decided that the state did not overstep its authority by banning Muslim teachers from wearing headscarves in the classroom.
Do what?...
The number of Germans converting to Islam has quadrupled in recent years, a German news magazine reported. Many of the converts have previously been firm Christians who have lost their faith; others simply searched for an alternative.
German Christian democrat Hans-Gert Poettering, most likely to become the new European Parliament president today, has pledged to stand up to pressure by big member states as his predecessor warns of a growing trend towards intergovernmentalism in Europe.
MEPs' resolve will be tested during the coming weeks as they fight to get more of a say on the EU constitution and a planned European declaration in March. Current EU presidency Germany has so far indicated it will sideline the European Parliament.
Chancellor Merkel is scheduled to announce Germany's goals for its 6-month EU presidency tomorrow in Strasbourg, but experts says it will be her plans for the EU Constitution that get the most attention.
The far-right caucus in the European Parliament was officially launched yesterday with anti-immigration and a defence of "Christian values" to form the backbone of its political platform.
(DS: Extreme solidarity)
The letter "X" soon may be banned in Saudi Arabia because it resembles the mother of all banned religious symbols in the oil kingdom: the cross.
In a series of secret meetings in Europe between September 2004 and July 2006, Syrians and Israelis formulated understandings for a peace agreement between Israel and Syria.
Prime Minister Olmert has promised sweeping moves towards Palestinian sovereignty if a new unity government in the occupied territories commits to recognising the Jewish state. Olmert last night told visiting US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice that Israel's concessions to Palestinian statehood would be unprecedented if deadlocked talks between warring Palestinian factions succeeded in moderating the ruling Hamas administration.
Since President Bush unveiled his "new strategy" for Iraq the debate in the House, the Senate, and the media has centered around two main options: immediate withdrawal or an escalation of troop levels. If either is pursued, it will precipitate an even greater disaster in Iraq than the existing situation. The reality is that there is no military solution, but the US also cannot leave the Iraqis to their own devices having brought them to this sorry state.
The most important place in diplomacy over the weekend was not with Condoleezza Rice in the Middle East, nor with the "21st century Socialism" rhetoric of Hugo Chavez on his Latin American tour. It was in the pleasant resort of Cebu in the Philippines that the real shape of the future was to be discerned. Cebu was hosting the 40th anniversary summit of the Association of South-East Asian Nations, which was also attended by the Asian heavyweights of China, India, South Korea and Japan. ASEAN has already become the nuclear of a much greater Asian community, with its free trade negotiations with China and India under way, and its new progress toward an ASEAN Security Community.
Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has called for greater unity between Sunni and Shia Muslims amid continuing fears over Iraq. He told a gathering of Shia and Sunni scholars the US and Israel were trying to sow seeds of sectarian division in order to bring insecurity to Iraq.
President Ahmadinejad said "The United States is faced with numerous problems for encountering the Islamic Republic of Iran today." And that "the Islamic Republic of Iran has adopted the necessary preemptive measures in order to annul the effects of illegal US sanctions."
When a US secretary of State comes to town, all eyes are on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But as Condoleezza Rice's weekend visit here demonstrated, there is no issue dominating the agenda like the international standoff surrounding Iran's nuclear ambitions.
Is Israel, supported by the Bush Administration, preparing to launch an atomic war against Iran? If the Israelis do decide to go through with the attack, initially there would be little Iran could do about it. Given Israel’s hundreds of nuclear warheads, any direct retaliation by Tehran would be suicidal. But the long-term impact of a nuclear strike on Iran is likely to be catastrophic. It is even possible that Pakistan’s Pervez Musharraf might fall, “conceivably giving Islamic terrorists control of Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal.” In that event, India would almost certainly intervene, which could spark a nuclear war in South Asia.
President Bush's seemingly aggressive Iran policy of taking direct action against alleged Iranian "networks" involved in attacks on U.S. troops in Iraq, combined with the deployment of a second carrier group off Iran's coast, triggered speculation that it is related to a plan for an attack.
For months, rumors of war between the United States and Iran have been building. Many fear that President Bush is spoiling for a fight, and they've begun to interpret various developments in the region as the run-up to an attack on Tehran.
Increased US military activity in the Gulf is aimed at Iran's "very negative" behaviour, the Bush administration said today. The defence secretary, Robert Gates, told reporters that the decision to deploy a Patriot missile battalion and a second aircraft carrier to the Gulf in conjunction with a "surge" of troops in Iraq was designed to show Iran that the US was not "overcommitted" in Iraq.
Britain is joining an American military campaign to blunt Iranian influence in Iraq and the Gulf. In a move likely to heighten tension in an already volatile part of the world, US forces have been ordered to detain Iranian agents in Iraq and to strengthen substantially America’s military presence in the Gulf.
The pieces are moving. They’ll be in place by the end of February. The US will be able to escalate military operations against Iran. As one of the last steps before a strike, we’ll see USAF tankers moved to unusual places, like Bulgaria. These will be used to refuel the US-based B-2 bombers on their strike missions into Iran. When that happens, we’ll only be days away from a strike. The White House could be telling the truth. Maybe there are no plans to take Iran to the next level. The fuel for a fire is in place, however. All we need is a spark. The danger is that we have created conditions that could lead to a Greater Middle East War.
Republican Congressman and 2008 Presidential candidate Ron Paul fears a staged Gulf of Tonkin style incident may be used to provoke air strikes on Iran as numerous factors collide to heighten expectations that America may soon be embroiled in its 3rd war in 6 years. Writing in his syndicated weekly column, the representative of Texas' 14th district warns of "a contrived Gulf of Tonkin-type incident (that) may occur to gain popular support for an attack on Iran."
Warning that investors might be "in for a shock," a major investment bank has told the financial community that a preemptive strike by Israel with American backing could hit Iran's nuclear program. The banking division of ING Group released a memo entitled "Attacking Iran: The market impact of a surprise Israeli strike on its nuclear facilities."
London Telegraph cartoon...
Instead of feuding over farm spending and Iraq, the French and British might now be celebrating four decades of union under Queen Elizabeth II if London had accepted a French plan drafted at the height of the Suez crisis in 1956. Guy Mollet, then the French Prime Minister, proposed a merger as a way of sealing their alliance against threats in the Middle East. Sir Anthony Eden, the British Prime Minister, rejected the first idea but was keen to bring France into the Commonwealth. The 1956 plan was an attempt to revive a still-born Franco-British union that Winston Churchill proclaimed in June 1940.
(LT: QE2 of France?)
(LX opinion: That would've been une catastrophe)
(LX editorial: French connection)
Survivors and families of victims of the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing are pressing lawmakers on Capitol Hill to take action on a congressional report that offers evidence of possible Islamic and foreign ties to the terrorist attack and concludes unanswered questions remain that could affect national security.
Lured by red-hot gains in foreign markets, investors poured money into international stock mutual funds at a record-shattering pace in 2006.
Greenspan's low interest-rate bonanza triggered a stampede of speculation in the real estate market sending prices through the stratosphere and setting the stage for the biggest economic bust in American history. The whole catastrophe was cooked up Sir Alan and his coterie of brandy-drooling elites at the Federal Reserve. Thanks, guys. Greenspan has undoubtedly taken note of the sudden spike in foreclosures which have set off alarm bells from Wall Street to the American heartland. The effects of his “cheap money” policies are finally sending tremors through America’s fragile economic landscape.
Most coma victims do not recall any brightly lit tunnels or angels speaking to them when they were in their coma state. They often awaken to a new month or year. Coma victims are often surprised to hear that it is a new month and a new year since they were last awake. Their mind seems to stay in the past.
Satan's faiths...
Amid wrenching change worldwide, people are returning to old-time religion. In the name of God, terrorists are happily maiming and killing; in the US, the Christian Right has a stranglehold on government. On this increasingly God-fearing globe, only Western Europe looks like the last bastion of secularism - or are the faithful here too returning to the fold?
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