Presenting your side of the Israel debate is fine, but when you find it necessary to rant against Israel every single time a user here posts a link to what is indeed a Sign of the Times that involves Israel, I don't see how that's helpful. Obviously I'm not a moderator of this Forum, so I only say this by way of advice: feel free to post a link and brief commentary here if Israel does some negative news-worthy thing (I am sure you keep close tabs on that ;-) ) that amounts to a Sign of the Times. All I'm saying is the running, repetitious anti-Israel commentary is both counter-productive and distracting to the purpose of this thread. And I am sure you can see that me pointing that out to you is not uncharitable . There's a million online Forums where debate endlessly rages on the Israel issue. But I know of very few online places were serious, devout Catholics can share with each other what they see as on-going, newsworthy signs of the times, without those debates de-railing them. This is (or, often is... and has the potential to be) one of those places. All I'm saying is lets try to keep it as such. A fair enough point?
Any chance we could put this thread back on topic? Padraig thanks for posting this gem of an event. I saw this on the news today, and thought it was an interesting event. If you hadn't posted the Marian Refuge link, I'd have missed the depth of this occurrence. Wow, sign after sign, astonishing. *runs to google more on the refuge of Mont St Michel....
The terror bill trying to pass here in Canada right now C-51 has now been denounced by the Canadian Bar Association. Freedom vs. security debate and protests are happening now. The question is are the laws in place sufficient or is the lose of freedoms worth the security. Most Canadians want their freedom it appears. The harper gov't has it's hands full. It reminds me of the pope refusing the popemobile despite terror threats against him. Are we in God's hands or should we sacrifice more of our liberties? http://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/cana...es-government-s-anti-terrorism-bill-1.2290425
Fair enough Torrentum -- sorry for my hypocrisy Getting back to it --- I believe the Great Apostasy will really start going full steam when the world realizes they won't get what they want from Pope Francis (either during his own Pontificate, or during his successors'). It looks like that might be starting to happen: https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/p...-communion-for-divorced-and-remarried-catholi
http://time.com/3752462/pope-francis-gay-transgender-prison/ Pope Francis to Dine with Gay and Transgender Inmates in Naples Prison The Good Samaritan?
I just learned the other day about Mont St. Michel being surrounded by water. I was there back in the late 90's and it was hard to believe it was ever surrounded by water because I hardly saw any. BTW it is gorgeous over there if you ever get the chance to visit Normandy. Signs are everywhere. Poor France they have been so blessed by God and have thrown it away. I fear their judgment will not go well. God Bless!
Same kinda bill is being pushed in France.I was going to post the article but I opted not to....sighhh Its head line was something like Frances patriot act cracking down on terror while giving up personnel liberties....signs and wonders !
"MM said: ............ The terror bill trying to pass here in Canada right now C-51 has now been denounced by the Canadian Bar Association. Freedom vs. security debate..." "Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety,deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.” This was written by one of USA Founding Fathers, Ben Franklin, and though it was written over a Tax issue it has become a “Warning” down through the centuries. Citizens throughout history have been too quick to trade Liberty for Safety with catastrophic results to follow. The USA has it’s “Patriot” Act and TSA that have, in short order, been used to circumvent the Constitution/Bill of Rights .. for your “Safety” ... See!?? Some forgotten worthy once said: "Dictators don't come with guns and bayonets but with smiles and promises". So does satan I believe. Just more "SIGNS" that.... GOD SAVE ALL HERE!!
Saint's relic with miraculous tendencies does it again for Pope Francis By Alvaro de Juana Rome, Italy, Mar 21, 2015 / 02:13 pm (EWTN News/CNA) More Sharing ServicesShare | Share on facebook Share on myspace Share on google Share on twitter While Pope Francis was giving some advice to the religious, priests and seminarians of Naples on Saturday, a miracle occurred: a vial of dried blood from a fourth century saint liquefied. This stunning but locally known and accepted phenomenon is said to happen three times a year: May 1, Sept. 19, which is the saint's feast day, and Dec. 16. The last time this occured with a Pope was in 1848 with Pius IX. It didn't happen when St. John Paul II visited the city in October of 1979, or when Benedict XVI went in October of 2007. The blood belongs to St. Januarius, Patron of Naples and former bishop and martyr of the city, whose bones are also preserved in the cathedral. He's believed to have been martyred during the infamous persecution of Christians during the rule of the Roman emperor Diocletian, who retired in 305. On March 21, at the end of the meeting with priests, religious and seminarians in the cathedral of Naples, the Pope gave a blessing with the relic. When received by the cardinal of the diocese, Crescenzio Sepe, the blood was still solid on one side of the vial. When Pope Francis returned the reliquary, the cardinal told him: “It seems that St. Januarius loves the Pope, because the blood is already half liquefied.” For the miracle to occur, it's necessary to wait several minutes before the dried, red-colored mass confined to one side of the reliquary becomes blood that covers the entire glass. Francis quipped in response: “you can see that the saint only loves us a little. We have to convert more,” drawing laughter from those within earshot. http://www.ewtnnews.com/catholic-news/World.php?id=11864
'It's time to surrender,' Pope tells crime-ridden Naples By Elise Harris Pope Francis told the people of Naples – a city ravaged by crime and mafia violence – that change is possible, and encouraged those involved in organized crime to convert and work toward a better future. “It's time for Naples surrender: this is my wish and my prayer for a city that has so much spiritual, cultural and human potential, and above all so much capacity to love,” the Pope told those present at his March 21 Mass. The future of Naples “is not resigned to fold in on itself, but to open to the world with confidence,” he said, adding that “to hope is already to resist evil…to hope is to wager on the mercy of God, who is Father and always forgives and forgives everything.”
Automatic excommunication for bishop over illicit ordination Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Mar 19, 2015 / 03:24 pm (EWTN News/CNA Bishop Richard Williamson, whose excommunication for illicitly receiving episcopal consecration was lifted in 2009, himself illicitly consecrated a new bishop on Thursday, and will have thereby again incurred an automatic excommunication. The recipient of the order of bishop at the March 19 Mass was Fr. Jean-Michel Faure. Bishop Williamson was one of four priests who were consecrated bishops without pontifical mandate by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre in 1988; all five incurred a 'latae sententiae', or automatic, excommunication, which was removed by Benedict XVI in 2009. Bishop Williamson was expelled from the Society of St. Pius X in 2012, and the man he ordained, now-Bishop Jean-Michel Faure, was expelled in 2014, “because of their violent criticisms of any relations with the Roman authorities,” the Society stated. Both men incur automatic excommunication as a result of the illicit consecration, which was performed at the Monastery of the Holy Cross in Nova Friburgo, a city in Brazil's state of Rio de Janeiro. Fr. Gahl also reflected on the moral implications of Bishop Williamson's repeated participation in episcopal consecration lacking pontifical mandate, suggesting that the bishop has a greater moral responsibility on this occasion than he did in 1988 when he was merely receiving episcopal consecration. “In this case he would be excommunicated for being in the active leadership, which entails an even greater responsibility insofar as he is now the one conferring the sacrament. So just from that perspective this ordination entails a more actively rebellious disobedience against the Pope … it's definitely a hardening of his position.” http://www.ewtnnews.com/catholic-news/Americas.php?id=11848
Paraguay archbishop to UN: stop pushing abortion, gay marriage Archbishop Edmundo Valenzeula of Asuncion, Paraguay is demanding that U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki Moon – who is visiting the country this week – ensure that the United Nations does not promote abortion, euthanasia and “gay marriage” in Paraguay http://www.ewtnnews.com/catholic-news/Americas.php?id=11740
Holy See to UN: stop ignoring attacks on Christian women, girls New York City, N.Y., Feb 3, 2015 / 06:08 am (EWTN News/CNA) The Holy See’s delegation to the United Nations has warned that Christians face “extinction” in some regions of armed conflict, with Christian women and girls particularly vulnerable. Monsignor Janusz Urbanczyk, the Chargé d'Affaires of the Holy See’s Permanent Observer Mission to the United Nations, voiced concern about the “continued lack of attention” given to protecting women and girls who are “targeted and attacked purely because of the faith they profess.” “The lack of focus and priority for protecting them is troubling when Christians face extinction in some regions of the world and in other regions Christian schools for girls are targeted and attacked,” he told the U.N. Security Council Jan. 30. http://www.ewtnnews.com/catholic-news/US.php?id=11607
By EWTN News' Vatican Observer, Andrea Gagliarducci Vatican spurns UN child committee's call for changes to canon law Vatican City, Sep 30, 2014 / 01:09 pm (EWTN News/CNA) The Holy See has rejected the United Nations' Committtee on the Rights of the Child's call for changes to canon law, and has formally criticized the group for a “grave misunderstanding” of the Holy See's sovereignty. The Holy See also criticized the fact that “the treaty body has plunged into canon law, which is a juridical system, however, not equivalent to that of States.” The committee's observations were published Feb. 7, and seemed meant to pressure the Church to change its teaching on human sexuality http://www.ewtnnews.com/catholic-news/Vatican.php?id=10848
I've long ago stopped reading anything coming out of the UN which perhaps is putting my head in the sand. But, I know where these folks are coming from so I guess I'm trying to avoid the "agita" associated with reading their attacks on the Church. Perhaps the most simple response to this crap from the UN should be along the lines of we will come back to you after you have demanded that all the nations or groups (I.e. Isis) dismantle Sharia law which has caused the deaths and rates of many innocents, especially the most vulnerable in the world- woman and children. Maybe they can start by demanding these groups stop cutting of people's heads because of the belief system. Seems like that would be a more immediate concern than attacking a fundamental tenent of the Catholic faith that actually seeks to support and defend life. What a bunch of hypocrites.
