There was the rumor, the impression, the word from the start of his pontificate that Benedict XVI was not so much interested in a large Church, an expansive Church, a growing Church, as one that was true to its calling - that was perhaps even what might be called a remnant. There were those who said the Pope even desired to make it smaller, if that's what it took to bring it back to the early devotion of Christianity. He'd rather have a smaller Church, if necessary, but one that was ridded of modern claptrap, that was purified.
Harlot daughters' reactions...
Leading Protestant figures have criticized the new Vatican document affirming the central role of the Catholic Church, but the Russian Orthodox Church has welcomed the document as an "honest" statement that "shows how close or, on the contrary, how divided we are."
Real history...
After being elected pope in 1939, Pius XII issued the encyclical "Summi Pontificatus," a repudiation of Nazism, fascism and Communism. The Allies air-dropped 80,000 copies over Germany. As a master diplomat, the pope understood well that he not only placed his life, but the lives of the Catholic hierarchy, clergy, religious and laity, before the Nazi terror when he tried to rescue Jews. "The Catholic Church saved more Jewish lives during the war than all the other churches, religious institutions and rescue organizations put together."
Just a day after the US announced it had emptied the Ramstein air base in southwestern Germany of nuclear weapons, the US Defense Department said that it would close 5 more Army sites by 2009.
German press on...
President Sarkozy is not playing ball when it comes to European fiscal policy. He wants to postpone France balancing its books by 2 years, and is questioning the independence of the ECB - much to Berlin's chagrin.
Senior EU officials confirmed yesterday that Britain's "red line" opt-out from the European Charter of Fundamental Rights is not worth the paper it is written on.
Germany has criticized a call by 10 European foreign ministers to redefine EU objectives in the Middle East, including deploying in the Palestinian territories an international troop force armed with a "robust mandate."
The European Parliament is considering flying the EU flag and playing the EU anthem more often in its own buildings as part of a political message to member states who have scrapped the union's symbols from the proposed new EU treaty.
The European parliament and EU governments are likely to clash over national postal monopolies, as the assembly has endorsed plans to open the EU market for delivering light-weigh letters and postcards to full competition from 2011.
Portugal's Prime Minister presented his agenda to the EU parliament on Wednesday. The focus was on ending the impasse over a new EU treaty and appointing a new anti-terrorism coordinator.
(UPI: The woes of Socrates)
Huh?!...
A curious thing is happening in this old country scarred by Nazi death camps, raked by pogroms and blanketed by numbing Soviet sterility: Jewish culture is beginning to flourish again. "Jewish-style" restaurants are serving up platters of pirogies, klezmer bands are playing plaintive oriental melodies, derelict synagogues are gradually being restored. Every June, a festival of Jewish culture here draws thousands of people to sing Jewish songs and dance Jewish dances. The only thing missing, really, is Jews.
Serbia rejected a new US-backed UN draft resolution on Kosovo, saying it would only lead to the province's independence. "Serbia firmly rejects the new American draft resolution at the UN Security Council because it is a preparation for Kosovo's independence. American officials cannot accept the fact that Kosovo will never be independent."
Prime Minister Olmert has quietly granted the Waqf – the Muslim custodians of the Temple Mount – permission to dig unsupervised on the sacred site, WND has learned. The permission was granted in spite of longstanding fears from leading Israeli archeologists the Waqf might hide or dispose of Jewish Temple artifacts discovered during any Muslim digs.
Prime Minister Olmert is considering allowing forces from the Palestinian Bader Division of the Jordanian army to enter the West Bank at President Abbas' request.
Major-General Wolfgang Jilke, commander of force observing ceasefire between Israel and Syria, expresses concern over rising tensions, but points finger mainly at Israel for breaking routine in area and acting intensively.
This unexpected invitation to talk peace rather than wage war from Prime Minister Olmert comes after several days of mounting tension on the Golan Heights amid rumors that contributed in raising the tension to levels not reached since the end of the October 1973 war. But if Syria and Israel are to discuss peace they need to do it without Washington's participation.
Despite the discussions of détente in the Middle East, the peril of war is still a real menace that threatens to proliferate globally. The dialogue taking place between the US, the EU, Russia, Syria, and Iran seems to be merely a transient point in the timeline of the Middle East and Central Asia.
The world cannot afford a failed state in Pakistan.
Negotiations between Iranian officials and an IAEA delegation kicked off in Tehran on Wednesday afternoon. The two sides scheduled the talks to devise a 60-day plan to clear up the remaining ambiguities about Iran's nuclear program.
Under Secretary General of Lebanon Hezbollah for executive affairs warned that in case of any possible military attack against Iran, the region would not remain calm. He said that although the US military attack against Iran or waging another war against Lebanon by Israel is unlikely, but, one cannot trust the US and Israeli statements denying decision for any attack. He noted that, "if Israel and US find an appropriate situation in the region, they will not hesitate to attack Lebanon, Syria and Iran."
The US Senate has unanimously backed a measure censuring Iran for what it said was complicity in the killing of US soldiers in Iraq. Iran has repeatedly dismissed the US accusations of interfering and fomenting instability in Iraq. The amendment to Pentagon's 2008 budget was framed by Democrat Joseph Lieberman, a fierce critic of Iran.
Chertoff's DHS wields tremendous power and the Bush administration is clearly in a state of political desperation. Prior to the 2004 elections, there was an intensive campaign of so-called "Washington whispers," that is to say, suggestions that a terrorist attack in the US was likely and might significantly influence the elections. In July of 2004, the Bush administration requested a detailed analysis of what steps it should take to cancel the 2004 elections in the event of a terrorist attack. It is entirely legitimate to ask whether Chertoff's comments are the beginning of a campaign to prepare the possible cancellation of the 2008 elections.
In reality – explain it as you will – Americans have little grasp of the enormity of the Pentagon, despite real military budgets that, by some calculations, exceed three-quarters of a trillion dollars yearly. For many years, the US military has been gobbling up large swaths of the planet and huge amounts of just about everything on (or in) it. So, with the latest Pentagon Iraq plans in mind, take a quick spin with me around this Pentagon planet of ours.
Americans and vacations just don't mix. In the rest of the industrialized world, a month or more of paid vacation is typical, and often required.
The dollar sank to its lowest level ever against the euro Wednesday as fears about a steeper economic downturn in the US intensified. This picture of global currency gyrations - with the dollar the clear loser and the euro the only clear winner - reflects a similar conviction about economic fundamentals that has taken shape in recent weeks, economists said.
Yesterday, the pound and the euro hit their highest levels in a generation against the US dollar. The dollar, meanwhile, collapsed to a record low against an average of all the world's major currencies. It is tempting to interpret the flight from the dollar in financial markets as the clearest, most objective, indicator of America's relative decline.
The US federal debt has reached crisis proportions, approaching $9 trillion in 2007. The US Comptroller has warned that just the interest on the debt will soon be more than the taxpayers can afford to pay. Today, the "quick fix" of the Federal Reserve and its affiliated banks is to quietly buy back the bonds with money created with accounting entries on their books.
The 2007 World Wealth Report, released last month, documents the numerical and financial growth of "high net worth individuals" (HNWIs)—individuals with over $1 million in financial assets—over the past year. The report provides a picture not only of growing wealth among the richest layers of society, but also an increasing concentration of wealth at the very top. (However) there are signs that HNWIs are increasingly concerned about the danger posed to their immensely inflated holdings by a catastrophic financial collapse.
=========================
