In our meditations on the great figures of the ancient Church, today we will get to know one of the most outstanding. Origen of Alexandria is one of the key people for the development of Christian thought. He draws on the teachings he inherited from Clement of Alexandria, whom we reflected upon last Wednesday, and brings them forward in a totally innovative way, creating an irreversible turn in Christian thought.
The major branches of Christianity in Germany and 11 other Churches and ecclesial communities will mutually recognize baptisms carried out in their denominations. Until now, baptisms have not been mutually recognized, except by conventions established between dioceses and regional evangelical churches. "Despite the differences in the understanding of the Church, there exists among us a fundamental agreement regarding baptism. Therefore, we recognize as performing baptism every act of immersion of pouring over of water, carried out according to the mission of Jesus, in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. And we rejoice for each person that is baptized. A baptism carried out in this way is one and cannot be repeated."
[WAR: Baptizing in the name of "the Trinity"? Were you baptized into it also? If so, you might want to contemplate the ramifications of this.]
Here is the message written by Cardinal Poupard, president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, to Buddhists on the occasion of their feast of Vesakh, which commemorates the principal events in Buddha's life.
Many past testimonies support Cardinal Bertone's announcement that Pope Pius XII signed a letter in 1943 asking religious institutes to open their doors to persecuted Jews. That wartime letter undercuts the theory that bishops, religious and many Catholics who risked their lives to save Jews from extermination did so without the Pope's knowledge.
In Mexico, the foreign minister called for a "geo-strategic partnership" that is directly aimed at the USA, in Panama the program was centered around the German participation in upgrading the canal, one of the most important waterways for the USA. The German minister's tour is supplemented with wide-ranging activities of other EU dignitaries.
Chancellor Merkel, after meeting Tony Blair and Kofi Annan in Berlin, urged the international community to meet its aid targets for Africa, some 6 weeks before the continent is a key topic at the G-8 summit in Germany. With Blair, Merkel also discussed the EU constitution.
European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso has been forced to scale down plans for a mini-summit next month with select EU leaders, amid concerns that it would spark divisions in the bloc. The embarrassing climbdown came within hours of news of the summit being made public.
Paper tiger!...
While Merkel claimed the prospect had "come closer," the current gap between aspiration and reality still appears considerable. How is the EU army-elect doing? Well fine, so long as it doesn't actually have to fight, it seems. It is clear that the EU leaders' wish list on defense still has immense political obstacles to overcome if a European Army is to become a reality. The chief obstacle for the EU will undoubtedly be its 27 member states handing over the sovereign right to commit national forces to actual combat zones under the command of the EU. All the political signs are that a bona fide European Army is still years away.
Russia may stop implementing a key defence treaty because of concerns over US plans for a missile shield in Europe, President Putin said. He also hit out at an influx of foreign money which he said was being used to meddle in Russia's internal affairs.
The stands are full, the lights are on, and the Israeli public is nervously waiting the biggest show of the year. On Monday, Prime Minister Olmert will embark on his fight for survival - a lone gladiator against the Winograd Committee.
"If we don't wake up now, we will have to fight for our independence again very soon. It will be a 2nd war for independence against Israel's Arabs who will be supported by Hamas."
Prince Harry is likely to leave the army if he is not sent to fight in Iraq, a source at the Household Cavalry Regiment said. The warning came after the Ministry of Defence stated that the 22 year-old's deployment is under "constant consideration", raising doubts over whether he will see front-line service in the war zone.
[WAR: What if something happens to him, and it's blamed on Iran?]
Ethiopia accused arch-foe Eritrea of supporting the rebels behind an attack on a remote Chinese-run oil field that killed 74 people, including nine Chinese workers. Eritrea immediately denied the claim - the latest in a string of accusations and counter-accusations between the rival neighbours.
As Mogadishu endures an 8th day of fighting, one sombre conclusion is unmistakable. A new regional war is now being fought in the Horn of Africa, spreading refugees, terrorists and weapons into an arc from Eritrea to Kenya.
Iran's nuclear negotiator said that he expected new ideas from the EU foreign policy chief on breaking the standoff over Tehran's disputed nuclear program.
Israel would prefer that Iran be struck - by some other power and rendered weak by another nation. For Israel it would be best if the US and a coalition of the West emasculated and neutered Iran of nuclear capabilities. Should that not occur, then yes, I believe that Israel will, under certain circumstances strike Iran.
Iran will strike US interests around the world and Israel if attacked over its disputed nuclear programme, a senior official was quoted as saying. "Nowhere would be safe for America with (Iran's) long-range missiles ... we can fire tens of thousands of missiles every day."
Fear of a powerful president was one of the main reasons that people were fearful of abandoning the Articles of Confederation, which had no executive to speak of. As an alternative to the personal executive state, the founders (perhaps naïvely) believed that they could create a Roman-style republic with a twist. There would be a head of state, but he would be controlled by a legislature. In fact, controlling the president would be the main job of the legislature. The founders went this one better by refusing to invest much power in the central government. Instead, the powers were decentralized and belonged to the member states.
The five justices who turned the U.S. Supreme Court around last week and upheld a ban on one form of abortion have much in common. All are men. All were nominated by conservative Republican presidents. And, it was widely noted, all are Roman Catholic. Did their religion matter? Should it even be discussed?
[WAR: The Whore and her protesting harlot daughters base their anti-abortion stance on the theory/assumption that life begins at conception. But is this true? Does the Bible really teach this? Check out "Biblical overview of abortion issue" and "A fetus as only potential human life" for a challenging viewpoint.]
The growing numbers of Latinos in the US, and that population's embrace of charismatic styles of worship, are reshaping the Roman Catholic Church and the nation's religious landscape, according to a major study of Latinos and faith. "Latinos are finding each other and worshipping together. Religion appears to be one area where ethnic identity matters a lot."
Gordon Brown dramatically raised the stakes in the Scottish elections yesterday by warning that an SNP administration in Edinburgh would lose billions in government subsidy if it demanded a clawback of North Sea oil revenues.
The biggest winner in next week's Scottish elections could be the law of unintended consequences. If the SNP emerges as the dominant force in the Edinburgh Parliament, its campaign for independence could change not just Scotland but also England and the rest of Europe in dramatic ways that voters neither expect nor desire.
It looks like cause for celebration: The Dow Jones industrial average surged from 12,000 to 13,000 in just 6 months. But appearances can be deceiving, and there may be more reason to worry than rejoice about Wall Street's latest accomplishment.
Most years, the US handily beats Europe for bragging rights in deal making, based on the total value of mergers and acquisitions. But this year, Europe is pulling ahead. The current takeover battle in banking, the biggest in the industry's history, is just the latest sign of the growing deal frenzy on the Continent.
Americans invested 4 times as much in Belgium in 2005 as they did in China last year. Facts like this one remind us that sometimes, in periods of rapid change, it is important to hang on to the big picture. And the trans-Atlantic economy is as big as it gets. Collectively, the EU and the US register more than $3 trillion of commercial sales annually. Bilateral trade between the EU and the US accounts for 40% of all global trade, and 14 million jobs are dependent on our economic links.
The beautiful women of the ancient world have always had a dangerous streak. The face of Helen of Troy launched a thousand warships, and now the exquisite Queen Nefertiti is at the heart of an imminent museum war between Germany and Egypt.
Al-Jazeera in English
Is Al-Jazeera International more anti-American than its sister station? The company's English-language operation is one of the most talked-about broadcasters in the world right now. In an interview with Spiegel Online, US media expert Mohammed el-Nawawy discusses its strengths and weaknesses.
With the backyard grilling season approaching, medical experts have managed the scientific equivalent of pouring cold water on a pile of fiery briquettes: Grilling and other high-heat cooking methods accelerate aging and several serious health conditions.
Today in Scripture
"They began the consecration on the 1st day of the 1st month, and by the 8th day of the month they reached the portico of the LORD." (2Chr 29:17)
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Yesterday in Scripture
"In the 11th year, in the 1st month on the 7th day, the word of the LORD came to me..." (Eze 30:20)
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