rt Why the Feds Still Fall Short on Special Education Funding By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Fri, 10 Jan 2020 00:00:00 +0000 Calls to fully fund the nation's main special education law resound on the campaign trail, but a complex array of factors make that an elusive goal. Full Article Politics+and+policy
rt UEFA and Rita Ora pair up to support #WePlayStrong By www.uefa.com Published On :: Mon, 14 May 2018 09:00:00 GMT UEFA is delighted to announce it will be the official sponsor of Rita Ora's The Girls Tour as part of our Together #WePlayStrong campaign. Full Article general
rt Former player Martinčić proud to referee WU19 final By www.uefa.com Published On :: Mon, 30 Jul 2018 10:57:00 GMT Ivana Martinčić, once a player in the Croatian women's top division, speaks about her pride at being selected to referee the 2018 Women's U19 EURO final. Full Article Refereeing
rt Women's U19 EURO qualifying round report By www.uefa.com Published On :: Tue, 09 Oct 2018 19:23:00 GMT The elite round line-up is complete with best third-placed teams Greece and Bulgaria joining the top two in each group. Full Article general
rt Scotland duo Cuthbert and Love back WU19 EURO By www.uefa.com Published On :: Mon, 15 Jul 2019 08:00:00 GMT Finals ambassadors Erin Cuthbert and Jo Love are excited to welcome WU19 EURO to their native Scotland. Full Article general
rt #UWCL qualifying round report By www.uefa.com Published On :: Tue, 13 Aug 2019 19:21:00 GMT Breidablik, Mitrovica, Hibernian, Minsk, ŽFK Spartak, BIIK-Kazygurt, Braga, Anderlecht, Twente and Vllaznia made it through. Full Article general
rt Women's Player of the Year shortlist: Bronze, Hegerberg, Henry By www.uefa.com Published On :: Thu, 15 Aug 2019 13:00:00 GMT Lyon trio Lucy Bronze, Ada Hegerberg and Amandine Henry are the UEFA Women's Player of the Year nominees. Full Article general
rt Round of 32 report: see who went through By www.uefa.com Published On :: Thu, 26 Sep 2019 21:28:00 GMT Holders Lyon, former winners Arsenal and Wolfsburg, plus past finalists Barcelona, Paris and Fortuna all progressed. Full Article general
rt Women's U19 qualifying round report By www.uefa.com Published On :: Wed, 09 Oct 2019 12:00:00 GMT See which 28 teams are through to the elite round after the 11 qualifying round groups ended. Full Article general
rt Women's Champions League quarter-final line-up complete By www.uefa.com Published On :: Thu, 31 Oct 2019 22:20:00 GMT Arsenal, Glasgow and Paris have joined Atlético, Barcelona, Bayern, holders Lyon and Wolfsburg in the last eight. Full Article general
rt Women's Champions League quarter-final guide By www.uefa.com Published On :: Fri, 08 Nov 2019 14:45:00 GMT Holders Lyon face Bayern, Atlético take on Barcelona, Arsenal meet Paris and Glasgow play Wolfsburg. Full Article general
rt Houthi court in Yemen upholds death sentence of Baha'i man By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Tue, 24 Mar 2020 16:40:00 -0600 Sanaa, Yemen, Mar 24, 2020 / 04:40 pm (CNA).- A Yemeni appeals court run by Houthi rebels on Sunday upheld the death sentence of a member of the Baha'i religion. The court also ordered the dissolution of Baha’i institutions. Hamed bin Haydara was detained by Houthi rebels in 2013, and was denied access to a March 22 appeal hearing in Sanaa which upheld an earlier death sentence. “This alarming decision is an egregious violation of religious freedom and the fundamental rights of Yemeni Baha’is,” Gayle Manchin, vice chair of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom, said March 23. “USCIRF has been long concerned with the welfare of Mr. bin Haydara and the Yemeni Baha’i community. We call on Houthi authorities to immediately reverse this verdict and cease their baseless persecution of this peaceful religious minority.” According to USCIRF, bin Haydara was charged with “with spying for Israel, teaching literacy classes deemed incompatible with Islam, and attempting to convert Muslims.” The Baha'i International Community said it was "utterly dismayed at this outrageous verdict" and demanded the court reverse the decision, AFP reported. "At a time when the international community is battling a global health crisis, it is incomprehensible that the authorities in Sanaa have upheld a death sentence against an innocent individual solely because of his beliefs instead of focusing on safeguarding the population, including Baha'is," said Diane Ala'i, a Baha’i representative to the United Nations in Geneva. According to AFP, the Houthis have sought to ban the Baha’i religion.. The Houthi movement’s courts have started proceedings against 20 members of the religion, six of whom have been detained. The movement controls Sanaa and much of the westernmost part of the country. In January, Pope Francis told Holy See diplomats that the crisis in Yemen is “one of the most serious humanitarian crises of recent history.” The civil war between Iranian-backed Houthi rebels and a Saudi Arabian-led coalition has killed over 100,000 people since 2015. According to a Center of Strategic and International Studies report, the war has also caused nearly 24 million people to be in need of humanitarian assistance. Restraint on humanitarian organizations and aerial attacks has left 80% of Yemen’s population in need of food, fuel, and medicine, the CSIS Task Force on Humanitarian Access reported. The Associated Press reported in February that half of the United Nations’ aid delivery programs had been blocked by the Houthi rebels. The rebels had requested that 2% of the humanitarian budget be given directly to them, heightening concerns that the group has been diverting charitable funds to finance the war. In recent years, the pope has often asked for prayers for the Yemeni people in his public audiences. “Pray hard, because there are children who are hungry, who are thirsty, who have no medicine, and are in danger of death,” Pope Francis said during an Angelus address in February 2019. Full Article Middle East - Africa
rt Pandemic may revive Islamic State and hurt Iraq’s minorities, say NGOs By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Wed, 22 Apr 2020 12:00:00 -0600 Rome Newsroom, Apr 22, 2020 / 12:00 pm (CNA).- For Iraqi Christian and Yazidi communities still recovering from the destruction wreaked by the Islamic State, the coronavirus poses significant risks, NGOs have said in a joint statement. “The public health system in Sinjar and the wider Nineveh Governorate was decimated by ISIS during its brutal occupation and genocidal campaign in Iraq, beginning in 2014,” the letter stated. “An impending humanitarian and security disaster looms large in Iraq. … There is a significant attendant threat to global security if ISIS uses this opportunity to regroup and return, but it does not have to be this way. Iraqi authorities and the United Nations must act now,” it continued. Twenty-five NGOs working in northern Iraq issued a joint statement April 16 calling on the World Health Organization to undertake an assessment mission in the area, where testing has been limited, and urging Iraqi authorities to prevent the Islamic State from regrouping. Signed by the Iraqi Christian Relief Council, Free Yezidi Foundation, Genocide Alert, and the Religious Freedom Institute, the statement described how the pandemic is exacerbating existing security, humanitarian, and health risks among displaced and rebuilding Iraqi minority communities. It highlighted, in particular, the global risk of a potential resurgence of the Islamic State. Security threat “COVID-19 and the precipitous drop in oil prices have caused the Iraqi economy to collapse, leaving a dangerous security vacuum for ISIS to exploit. Indeed, the resultant political turmoil and social strife recall the very conditions that earlier incarnations of ISIS and its supporters capitalized on during its initial surge almost a decade ago,” it stated. “According to International Crisis Group, ISIS in its weekly newsletter Al-Naba called on its fighters to attack and weaken its enemies while they are distracted by the pandemic,” it added. U.S. military officials have expressed concern that the Islamic State could use adverse conditions to its advantage in it recruitment efforts. “COVID-19 has also hastened the departure of some coalition forces from Iraq, weakening counter-terrorism operations, while some ISIS detainees have recently escaped prison in Syria,” the letter stated. On March 30, Islamic State fighters imprisoned in northwestern Syria revolted. The rioting prisoners took over one wing of the prison before Kurdish forces intervened. “There is an urgent need for reform in the civilian security sector, in order to integrate regional militias into a unified Federal Police that upholds the rule of law and protects all citizens, regardless of religion or clan affiliation,” the letter said. Health infrastructure needs The economic strain has also hindered Iraqi minorities’ efforts to rebuild their communities, including medical infrastructure needs. “Many Yazidis (Ezidis/Yezidis) want to return to Sinjar, but security, reconstruction and basic services are still lacking to allow a dignified return. There are currently only two hospitals and just one ventilator to assist the current population of around 160,000 people in the region,” the NGOs’ statement explained. Iraq’s healthcare system, which has suffered for decades from the effects of sanctions and war, currently faces a critical shortage of doctors and medicine, according to a Reuters investigation. Hospitals in Iraq are already overcrowded and doctors overworked, while the healthcare situation is slightly better in the semi-autonomous Kurdistan Region of Iraq, which has its own health ministry. There have been at least 1,600 cases of COVID-19 documented in Iraq, which is under pressure to reopen its border with Iran, which has had more than 85,000 confirmed coronavirus cases, according to Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center. Humanitarian workers have also had trouble reaching those in need due to movement restrictions, and have raised concerns about the risk of an outbreak in internally displaced persons (IDP) camps. Social distancing is very difficult in these high-density IDP camps in Iraq, where 1.8 million people remain displaced due to insecurity and reconstruction needs, according to the UN. The 25 NGOs called for the government of Iraq and the United Nations to provide testing capacity in the IDP camps in Sinjar, Tel Afar and the Nineveh Plains. “At present, it is impossible to apprehend the extent of the spread of the virus because no testing for the disease is taking place in the camps, while restrictions of movement impede the work of humanitarian actors who provide basic essentials such as food, water and medicine,” they stated. Psychological risk for trauma survivors Genocide survivors with trauma also face increased personal risk of psychological harm amid isolation imposed by coronavirus measures. As in much of the world, authorities in Iraqi Kurdistan have ordered people to stay home, imposed a curfew, and have closed places of worship, schools, restaurants, and most businesses. “Another alarming corollary of the COVID-19 pandemic in Iraq is the psychological impact on at-risk communities, including Yazidis, Turkmen and Christians, such as Assyrians,” it said. This is a particular concern for the Yazidi communities in which thousands of women were victims of sexual violence by the Islamic State. “Prior to the outbreak, Médecins Sans Frontières reported on a debilitating mental health crisis among Yazidis in Iraq, including a rising number of suicides,” it stated. Suicides in this community have already been reported since social distancing measures were put into place, the NGOs reported. They called on the World Health Organization to address this “acute mental health crisis.” In their appeal to the WHO and Iraqi government, the NGOs insisted that the stakes were high: “COVID-19 is a pandemic the likes of which we have not seen before. Survivors of genocide and other mass atrocity crimes are now waiting for this silent death to pass through the camps and their homes, unable to fight back.” Full Article Middle East - Africa
rt The North American Martyrs By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Wed, 19 Oct 2016 00:00:00 -0600 By Sr. Joan L. Roccasalvo, C.S.J.Some the most breathtaking scenery in the United States is found throughout Upper New York and northward to the St. Lawrence Seaway. Two famous pilgrimage shrines are located in this area and deserve special attention for their historic and religious significance. In this country, October 19th is the feast of the North American Martyrs. First, some history. New France In the seventeenth century, French authorities sent a number of expeditions to conduct fur trading in this territory and named it New France. Soon, French Jesuit missionaries followed to minister to their own and to convert the Native Americans to the Catholic faith. Today this direct form of proselytism toward a native people would be considered out of step with ecumenical norms. The Jesuit missions began their work early in the 1630s. Our story picks up twelve years later with eight French Jesuits who were martyred while working among these Native Americans. Here is their story. The Huron Indians By the seventeenth century, the Huron Indians, who belonged to the Iroquois Federation, had developed a fairly high way of life. They spoke in the Wendat language, and their religious beliefs had been fixed for years. Perhaps the Jesuits did not fully appreciate this fact. The Hurons encountered both the Dutch and the French. The Dutch were primarily merchants who established trading posts at the confluence of the Mohawk and Hudson; the French came south from present-day Quebec to establish fur trading posts. Jesuit Relations: Instructions to the French Jesuit Missionaries Much of what we know about the Jesuits’ work among the Hurons was recorded in annual reports, “Jesuit Relations,” written by Fathers Paul LeJeune, S.J. and Paul Ragueneau, S.J. The “Relations” gave the Jesuits a long list of practical instructions to be followed when ministering to the Hurons. Three of the many are: “You must have sincere affection for the Savages, looking upon them as ransomed by the blood of the Son of God, and as our brethren, with whom we are to pass the rest of our lives.” “You must so conduct yourself as not to be at all troublesome to even one of these Barbarians.” “You must bear with their imperfections without saying a word, yes, even without seeming to notice them. Even if it be necessary to criticize anything, it must be done modestly, and with words and signs which evince love and not aversion. In short, you must try to be, and to appear, always cheerful.” By 1642, Father Isaac Jogues, S.J., leader of the missionary group, planned to work among the Hurons along the south side of the Mohawk River from east to west. It was only natural for the Native Americans to resent the overtures of the missionaries despite the respect given to them. Why would “black-robed” foreigners want to change their way of life and their religious beliefs? Suspicious, they eventually blamed the Jesuits for the outbreak of small pox and other diseases. At various times, between1642-1649, the Jesuits were brutally tortured – accused as witch doctors. Most of them were bludgeoned to death under the tomahawk. First Group of Jesuit Missionaries The first group of French Jesuits answered the call to minister in this region. These included Father Isaac Jogues, and two donnés, René Goupil and John Lalande. Due to deafness, Goupil could not be ordained a Jesuit but was trained as a doctor and surgeon. After years of ministering to the Indians along the St. Lawrence River, Jogues and Goupil were captured. Goupil was the first of the eight to be martyred – he was bludgeoned to death. For thirteen months, Jogues lingered from brutal torture. Knowing that his index fingers and thumbs were essential to the celebration of Mass, his captives mangled them. Curiously enough, his escape to France prompted a desire to return to his mission. Accompanied by John de Lalande, the nineteen-year old donné, Jogues returned to the Mohawk Mission in New York. With papal approval, he celebrated Mass even with stubs as fingers. On his return to the region, he resumed his work but was soon tortured again. This time he succumbed. The date was October 18th, 1646. Lalande himself was killed the next day. Second Group of Jesuit Missionaries The second group of Jesuits was martyred within the confines of Midland at Martyrs’ Shrine, Sainte Marie. In 1635, Father Anthony Daniel founded the first Huron Boys’ College in Quebec and worked among the Hurons for twelve years until, on July 4th, 1648, still wearing Mass vestments, he was attacked as he ended the celebration of Mass. His martyred body was thrown into the flames of the burning church. The thirty-three year old, Father Jean de Brébeuf was a gifted linguist and mastered the Huron language. Gentle in manner, massive in body, it is said he had the heart of a giant. Like Brébeuf, Father Gabriel Lalemant was a gifted scholar, professor and college administrator, but unlike Brébeuf, his body was frail. Eventually both were captured, tied to stakes and underwent one of the worst martyrdoms ever recorded in history. The Jesuit Relations describes in detail how grisly were their tortures: “The Indians dismembered their hearts and limbs while they were still alive, and feasted on their flesh and blood” (L. Poulot, “North American Martyrs,” New Catholic Encyclopedia, 507). Brébeuf suffered for three hours before dying on March 16th, 1649. Lalemant died the next morning. Father Charles Garnier was assigned to the Huron mission at Sainte Marie for thirteen years and then to the mission at Saint Jean. He was beloved by his congregants, but in 1649, was tomahawked to death about thirty miles from Sainte Marie. Father Noël Chabanel, S.J. Perhaps the saddest and most poignant story of all is reserved for twenty-eight year old Father Noël Chabanel who was assigned to work with Father Charles Garnier. Though he was a brilliant professor of rhetoric and humanism at home in southern France, he had no ear whatsoever for the Huron language. Plagued by a sense of uselessness, he was convinced that his ministry had failed. Feeling a strong repugnance to the life and habits of the Huron, and fearing it might result in his own withdrawal from the work, he bound himself by vow never to leave the mission. Today, in all likelihood, superiors would frown on this extreme position. Chabanel was martyred on December 8, 1649, by a “renegade” Huron. Yet to the end, he persevered in his missionary activity. In 1930, Pius XI canonized the North American Martyrs. The Canadian Catholic Church celebrates their feast day on September 26th. The Shrines at Midland and Auriesville Because the two shrines are not far from one another, they are popular places to visit at the same time during the summer months or during October when the fall foliage is at its peak period. Martyrs’ Shrine at Midland has a church and museum that feature seventeenth-century maps, songs written by Brébeuf, a history of the shrine, and the stories of the Canadian martyrs. It offers the pilgrim a walking tour to get a sense of how the Jesuits lived, worked, and prayed among the Huron Indians. One can see the simulated rustic village that comprised a chapel, living quarters, and classroom where the Jesuits carried out their apostolates. The shrine at Auriesville has a similar layout. One of its most popular features is the expansive outdoor Stations of the Cross, a familiar feature of Jesuit retreat houses. There is a large auditorium which seats 6,000 pilgrims. “The Blood of the Martyrs … the Seed of the Church” From the earliest days of Christianity, martyrdom for the faith has always been part of the Christian psyche. It was understood that those who openly professed their faith might have to suffer for this pearl of great price. But, it was better to stay alive. When the missionaries were assigned to work in New France, martyrdom could not be ruled out, just as danger and death cannot be ruled out for policemen or firefighters. Missionaries were expected to die for the sake of Christ, though they did not seek it out. It is a stark reality that remains a constant for missionaries today. But let us not forget that there are so many ways to be martyred, real and metaphorical. The North American Martyrs were high-minded men, cultured, refined, and well educated. For them, the savage, bloody road of martyrdom was transformed into a way of beauty, a road that remains sacred ground. Our Lady of Martyrs Shrine at Auriesville and Martyrs’ Shrine at Midland are among the most frequently-visited pilgrimage sites in the world – both sacred ground. Those who do visit them are disposed to receive special favors from the saints for whom the shrines are named. It is said that during her lifetime, Dolores Hope, wife of comedian Bob Hope, made a pilgrimage to Auriesville almost every year. Full Article CNA Columns: The Way of Beauty
rt Seagate Unveils 2 Portable SSD Drives for Gamers, Power Users By www.pcmag.com Published On :: Seagate's FireCuda Gaming SSD and BarraCuda Fast SSD will appeal to those looking for a convenient way to give their laptop a boost, starting at less than $100. Full Article
rt Are Rural Students Getting Shortchanged in the Digital Age? (Video) By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Wed, 17 Feb 2016 00:00:00 +0000 In Calhoun County, Miss., the local district pays $9,275 a month for the slowest Internet service in all of Mississippi. They're not the only ones with these issues—many rural schools struggle to get high-speed access. But all that could be about to change. Full Article Ruraleducation
rt 'Raising Bertie' Documentary Is a Slow-Paced Look at Rural Youths and Education By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Mon, 27 Jun 2016 00:00:00 +0000 The film follows three young men over six years in a rural North Carolina community as they struggle to finish high school. Full Article Ruraleducation
rt Alaska Reporter Will Study Rural Education as 2nd Chronister Fellowship Recipient By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 14 Feb 2019 00:00:00 +0000 Victoria Petersen, of the Peninsula Clarion on the Kenai Peninsula, will report on the challenges of rural education, especially in a state as vast as Alaska. Full Article Ruraleducation
rt A transformed heart By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 27 Jun 2019 19:43:07 +0000 An Albanian man's heart is forever changed after suffering a heart attack and meeting Jesus in his recuperation. Full Article
rt Seizing every opportunity By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Fri, 02 Aug 2019 14:18:42 +0000 Buenos Aires, Argentina :: Maintenance crew share Christ's love with local welders helping repair Logos Hope. Full Article
rt UEFA.com wonderkid: Meet the Stockport Iniesta By www.uefa.com Published On :: Fri, 19 Jan 2018 08:00:00 GMT "He is the future," Yaya Touré said of his 17-year-old Manchester City team-mate Phil Foden, whose midfield menace has earned him the nickname 'The Baby Shark'. Full Article general
rt Shoot-out delights: the long and the short of it By www.uefa.com Published On :: Thu, 08 Feb 2018 07:05:00 GMT Real Madrid last night edged past Krasnodar in the UEFA Youth League with a 3-0 win on penalties, falling just short of the record for lowest scoring shoot-outs. We look at the spot-kick records. Full Article general
rt Youth League quarter-final line-up complete By www.uefa.com Published On :: Wed, 21 Feb 2018 20:55:00 GMT Real Madrid, Chelsea, Liverpool, Atlético Madrid, Tottenham and Porto won their round of 16 ties on Wednesday to join Barcelona and Manchester City in the quarter-finals. Full Article general
rt Manchester City-Barcelona, Chelsea-Porto in #UYL semis By www.uefa.com Published On :: Wed, 14 Mar 2018 14:49:00 GMT Manchester City defeated Liverpool on penalties to set up a semi-final with Barcelona, victors at Atlético Madrid, while Porto beat Tottenham Hotspur and face Chelsea, who won at Real Madrid. Full Article general
rt Youth League round of 16 report By www.uefa.com Published On :: Wed, 13 Mar 2019 18:52:00 GMT Holders Barcelona and fellow two-time winners Chelsea are among the teams through from the round of 16. Full Article general
rt Youth League quarter-finals full of drama By www.uefa.com Published On :: Wed, 03 Apr 2019 18:55:00 GMT Holders Barcelona, fellow two-time winners Chelsea, Porto and debutants Hoffenheim won their quarter-finals to reach Nyon. Full Article general
rt Wintrust Financial Corporation Announces Fourth Quarter and Year-to-Date 2019 Earnings Release Schedule By ir.wintrust.com Published On :: Tue, 24 Dec 2019 00:11:00 GMT To view more press releases, please visit http://ir.wintrust.com/news.aspx?iid=1024452. Full Article
rt Wintrust Financial Corporation Reports Record Full-Year 2019 Net Income of $355.7 million and Fourth Quarter 2019 Net Income of $86.0 million, up 8% from the Fourth Quarter 2018 By ir.wintrust.com Published On :: Tue, 21 Jan 2020 22:15:00 GMT To view more press releases, please visit http://ir.wintrust.com/news.aspx?iid=1024452. Full Article
rt Wintrust Financial Corporation Announces Cash Dividends, Increasing Quarterly Common Stock Dividend Rate 12% By ir.wintrust.com Published On :: Thu, 23 Jan 2020 22:32:00 GMT To view more press releases, please visit http://ir.wintrust.com/news.aspx?iid=1024452. Full Article
rt Wintrust Financial Corporation Announces Further Actions To Help Achieve Community Health Objectives By ir.wintrust.com Published On :: Fri, 20 Mar 2020 11:00:00 GMT To view more press releases, please visit http://ir.wintrust.com/news.aspx?iid=1024452. Full Article
rt Wintrust Financial Corporation Working Tirelessly To Support Strong Community Interest in the Paycheck Protection Program By ir.wintrust.com Published On :: Fri, 10 Apr 2020 20:42:00 GMT To view more press releases, please visit http://ir.wintrust.com/news.aspx?iid=1024452. Full Article
rt Wintrust Financial Corporation Announces First Quarter 2020 Earnings Release Schedule By ir.wintrust.com Published On :: Thu, 16 Apr 2020 22:51:00 GMT To view more press releases, please visit http://ir.wintrust.com/news.aspx?iid=1024452. Full Article
rt Wintrust Financial Corporation Reports First Quarter 2020 Net Income of $62.8 million By ir.wintrust.com Published On :: Tue, 21 Apr 2020 22:15:00 GMT To view more press releases, please visit http://ir.wintrust.com/news.aspx?iid=1024452. Full Article
rt Fin24.com | #EntrepreneurCorner: Surround yourself with smart people By www.fin24.com Published On :: Thu, 26 Oct 2017 17:02:15 +0200 This week’s episode of #EntrepreneurCorner features Antoinette Prophy, who talks about starting her own business at the age of 26, and the benefits of surrounding yourself with smart employees. Full Article
rt Fin24.com | WATCH: We hope #BlackFriday won't be a bad Friday for SA - debt expert By www.fin24.com Published On :: Thu, 30 Nov 2017 16:54:52 +0200 Black Friday, one of the biggest shopping events of the year, can be likened to "pushing kids into a candy store wondering what’s going to happen" says a debt expert. Full Article
rt Fin24.com | WATCH: BBC chair: Very good start by Gigaba By www.fin24.com Published On :: Wed, 21 Feb 2018 17:51:15 +0200 Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba has raised important issues about state-owned enerprises - the governance of which ratings agencies are watching closely, says George Sebulela, chair of the Black Business Council. Full Article
rt Sacramental confession and the certainty of forgiveness By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Sat, 11 May 2019 00:00:00 -0600 By Bishop Arthur SerratelliA few years ago, Paul Croituru and his young son went out treasure hunting near their native village in Romania. To their surprise, they discovered ancient Greek currency dating back 2,350 years to the time of King Philip II. The 300 silver coins turned out to be counterfeit. The father and son now hold the distinction of having discovered the oldest counterfeit money known thus far. Counterfeit money has been around as long as money has been around. In fact, some have named the production of counterfeit money “the world's second oldest profession.” During war time, nations often resort to counterfeit money to inflict harm on their enemies. During the Revolutionary War, Great Britain attempted to devalue the continental dollar by flooding the market with shovers (fake dollars). During World War II, the Nazis made prisoners in their camps forge British pounds and American dollars to destabilize their enemies’ economies and destroy them. Satan constantly attempts to entice individuals into counterfeit religion where the forged currency is believing in God while denying sin. The devil would have everyone forget that sin is a reality. In this way, he can render ineffective in us the work of Christ who came to take away our sins. Failure. Weakness. Mistakes. Psychological pressures. Social customs. All these labels the devil uses to disguise sin. But, sin itself remains a fact. Science always prides itself on beginning every research project with a fact. True religion, likewise, begins with the fact of sin in the world, original sin and personal sin. “The ancient masters of religion…began with the fact of sin. Whether or not man could be washed in miraculous waters, there was no doubt at any rate that he wanted washing. But certain religious leaders…have begun…to deny the indisputable dirt. Certain new theologians dispute original sin, which is the only part of Christian theology which can really be proved” (G.K. Chesterton, Orthodoxy). And so can the personal sins of hatred, envy, lust, pride, gluttony and greed likewise be proven. Even a casual glance at Sacred Scriptures shows that sin taints even God’s greatest heroes and heroines. Adam and Eve lead the procession of sinners. Drunken Noah, untruthful Abraham, adulterous David and Bathsheba, disloyal Peter, and murderous Paul follow. Sin really is not that original. It is the monotonous repetition of the tragedy of Eden: choosing self over God. “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1 Jn 1:8). In the Sacrament of Penance, the Church offers us the gift of a personal encounter with our merciful Lord who forgives our sins. However, many people, and sometimes even faithful Catholics, say that they do not need to go to a priest for confession to have their sins forgiven. Why confess to a priest who is a sinner himself? God will forgive sins without the ministry of priests. Certainly, God can forgive sins when we turn to him and repent. But, he has chosen to offer us his forgiveness through the ministry of the Church. And, for a reason. Sin is not just between the individual and God. Every sin that we commit offends God and affects others. Every sin harms Christ’s Body, the Church. The act of confession before a priest recognizes the true nature of sin as an offense against God and others. And so, it is through the Church’s priests that God chooses not simply to forgive our sins but to reconcile us to the Church. (cf. Pope Francis, General Audience, November 20, 2013). So important is confession that some of the holiest priests of the Church have spent hours in the confessional as missionaries of God’s mercy. St. Philip Neri, a busy parish priest in Rome, spent every morning hearing confessions before continuing his work with youth in the afternoon. So famous was St. Jean Vianney in hearing confessions that a new train station had to be built in his town of Ars so that people from all of France could go there to confess to this holy priest. Most recently, St. Padre Pio heard confessions for not less than 18 hours a day. There were always long lines awaiting him. During his public ministry, Jesus forgave sins (cf. Mk 2:5; Lk 7:48; Jn 8:1-11). And, then after the Resurrection, he entrusted this ministry of forgiveness to his priests. On Easter Sunday night, “Jesus said to them ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.’ And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained’” (Jn 20:21-23). In confession, the priest, weak and sinful himself, acts in the name of Jesus and with his authority. In going to confession, we approach the priest, one by one, not as group, not as family. We humbly place before him all our own sins. To receive absolution and be forgiven, it is necessary not simply to confess all mortal sins, but also to have a firm purpose of amendment of sinning no more. As difficult as this might be at times, how great the grace! For, when the priest absolves us, we have, as Jesus promised, the certainty that our sins are forgiven. Full Article CNA Columns: From the Bishops
rt Hope that changes hearts By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 15 May 2014 10:55:25 +0000 One Bangladeshi woman doesn’t believe her future can change until she participates in an OM tailoring class, gaining skills and a relationship with Jesus. Full Article
rt God develops hearts to care By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Fri, 30 May 2014 15:30:47 +0000 The team in Bangladesh comprises mainly national believers in Jesus, one of whom brings vocational training and God’s light into a refugee camp. Full Article
rt Breaking the cycle of poverty By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Fri, 17 Apr 2015 17:41:48 +0000 One girl’s dream comes true, as she is now able to go to a village primary school, started by OM. Full Article
rt New opportunities for the workforce By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 01 Sep 2016 01:45:55 +0000 Young entrepreneur Nayef is taking the skills he learned at OM's computer training centre and starting his own business to provide for himself and his family. Full Article
rt In Arguments, U.S. Supreme Court Leans Toward Support for Religious School Aid By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Wed, 22 Jan 2020 00:00:00 +0000 In a case from Montana, conservative justices suggested they were inclined to rule for parents who seek to reinstate a state tax credit funding scholarships for use at religious schools. Full Article Religion
rt European forces to collide in quarter-finals By www.uefa.com Published On :: Mon, 12 Nov 2012 13:47:00 GMT There will be two all-European quarter-finals at the FIFA Futsal World Cup with Spain meeting Russia, and Portugal up against Italy following the conclusion of the round of 16 in Thailand. Full Article general
rt Spain and Italy to meet for final berth By www.uefa.com Published On :: Wed, 14 Nov 2012 16:30:00 GMT Spain and Italy will meet in Friday's FIFA Futsal World Cup semi-finals after winning their last-eight encounters, though Ukraine missed out following a defeat by Colombia. Full Article general
rt Six sides sew up World Cup main round berths By www.uefa.com Published On :: Sun, 25 Oct 2015 18:03:00 GMT Moldova, Sweden, France, Latvia, England and Finland won through from the FIFA Futsal World Cup preliminary round to join the top teams in December's main round. Full Article general
rt Russia, Portugal progress as Spain, Italy fall By www.uefa.com Published On :: Mon, 26 Sep 2016 10:05:00 GMT Russia and Portugal are through to the FIFA Futsal World Cup semi-finals but Spain and Italy, along with holders Brazil, are among the casualties in the knockouts so far. Full Article general
rt A transformed heart By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 27 Jun 2019 19:43:07 +0000 An Albanian man's heart is forever changed after suffering a heart attack and meeting Jesus in his recuperation. Full Article
rt Seizing every opportunity By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Fri, 02 Aug 2019 14:18:42 +0000 Buenos Aires, Argentina :: Maintenance crew share Christ's love with local welders helping repair Logos Hope. Full Article
rt Fin24.com | Somerset West among the Western Cape's fastest-growing property hotspots By www.fin24.com Published On :: Sat, 14 Dec 2019 15:03:16 +0200 Somerset West stands out as one of the fastest growing property areas – commercial, residential and industrial - in the Western Cape, according to a new report on the state of the property sector in the Western Cape. Full Article
rt Fin24.com | All 3 property sectors now a buyers’ market in Western Cape - minister By www.fin24.com Published On :: Sun, 15 Dec 2019 13:15:32 +0200 All three property sectors – residential, commercial and industrial – are currently experiencing a so-called buyers’ market in the Western Cape, says David Maynier, Western Cape Minister of Finance and Economic Opportunities. Full Article