What's in the News?

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April 2016 What's In The News?

U.S. Catholics Divided Over Pope Francis' Family Life Guidelines

Pope Francis released new guidelines on family life Friday arguing the church should show more understanding in matters affecting modern families. American Catholics have a range of reactions.

South African religious leaders ask Zuma to resign

JOHANNESBURG — A group of South African religious leaders on Friday said President Jacob Zuma should quit over a scandal involving millions of dollars in state spending on his private residence.

How Pope's New Document Compares to Ones of His Predecessors

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis' apostolic exhortation "The Joy of Love," represents no explicit change in church doctrine or teaching, but it offers a new emphasis and may lead to changes in pastoral practice on some hot-button issues like whether civilly remarried Catholics can receive Communion. Here are excerpts of major documents issued by Francis' predecessors on three key issues, and how Francis' new document compares.

Facebook Used To Sell Heavy Weapons To Terrorists

According to a recent report in the New York Times, Facebook is being used as a weapons bazaar for terrorists in the Middle East. A number of recent posts have been discovered related to huge online arms fairs which offer weapons from machine guns and grenades to anti-aircraft guns. The posts are appearing in those parts of the Middle East where the Islamic State is strongest.

Mary's 'yes' to God changed history, Pope Francis says

Vatican City, Apr 4, 2016 / 01:31 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Francis marked the Feast of the Annunciation on Monday by reflecting on the power of Mary’s “yes” to God.

Report: Attacks on Christians Growing Around the World

Attacks against Christians around the world have increased significantly last year, human rights organizations say, and raising awareness among Americans is difficult because news coverage in part is tailored to consumer demand.

Christians urged to embrace 'powerful' Black Lives Matter movement

A speaker at an evangelical Christian college urged students to accept the views of Black Lives Matter and consider themselves as having benefited from white privilege while looking to the Palestinians for inspiration in how to get along with one’s adversaries.

Lawmaker calls out Justice Department on far-left ally

WASHINGTON – The influential chairman of a committee that oversees the Justice Department is calling out U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch for the department’s support for, and reliance upon, a far-left group that targets non-violent groups and conservative organizations and accuses them of hate crimes.

Feds: Risk of 2016 quake increases, especially in Oklahoma

WASHINGTON (AP) — The ground east of the Rockies is far more likely to shake this year with damaging though not deadly earthquakes, federal seismologists report in a new risk map for 2016. Much of that is a man-made byproduct of drilling for energy.

Associated Press willingly cooperated with the Nazis, new report shows

The Associated Press news agency willingly cooperated with Nazi Germany, submitting to the regime’s restrictive rulings on the freedom of the press and providing it with images from its photo archives to be used in its anti-Semitic and anti-Western propaganda machine, a new report reveals.

First-graders’ apparent plot to kill classmate with poisoned lunch foiled by teacher

Officials at an elementary school in Anchorage said they uncovered a plot among three first-grade students to kill a classmate using poison, according to news reports.

Farmer Loses 25 Tonnes Of Fish After They Are Sucked Into A Sinkhole

A farmer has lost 25 tonnes of fish after they were sucked into a sinkhole. Tens of thousands of fish disappeared underground after the hole opened up in the pond of a farmer in China.

Suicide bomber targeting Christians kills 65, mostly women and children, in Pakistan park

A suicide bomber killed at least 65 people, mostly women and children, at a park in Lahore on Sunday in an attack claimed by a Pakistani Taliban faction which said it had targeted Christians.

Mississippi House approves firing squad as execution method

JACKSON, Miss. — The Mississippi House wants to allow the state to execute prisoners using a firing squad if officials decide lethal injection is too expensive or unavailable.

Pope Francis washes the feet of Muslim migrants, says we are ‘children of the same God’

"All of us together, Muslims, Hindus, Catholics, Copts, Evangelical [Protestants] brothers and sisters — children of the same God — we want to live in peace, integrated," Francis said during his homily.

Life among the ruins-Temple of Baal coming to NYC!

Next month, the Temple of BAal will come to Times Square. Reproductions of the 50-foot arch that formed the temple's entrance are to be installed in New York and in London, a tribute to the 2,000-year-old structure that the Islamic State destroyed last year in the Syrian town of Palmyra.

DISTRICT INVITES SATAN INTO U.S. CLASSROOMS

A school in Colorado has given atheist organizations the green light to distribute some satanic information to students in middle and high schools.

Atheist lawmaker: 'I'd ... mow everybody down'

He’s sued God, blasted the Bible and tried to tax churches, and now he’s taken his political rhetoric to a whole new level, promising, “If I was a white guy, I’d go get my semiautomatic weapon and come down here and mow everybody down.”

NBA uses All-Star game to push LGBT agenda

The NBA issued a sharp rebuke to North Carolina over its passage of a bill that bars localities from providing special anti-discrimination protections to LBGTs, and threatened in a letter: We may play our 2017 All-Star Game elsewhere.

Jesuit ‘America Magazine’ Attacks Justice Scalia One Month After Death

Without even allowing grass to grow over the grave of the great Catholic Supreme Court justice Antonin Scalia, who died on February 13, the Jesuit flagship America Magazine has devoted a front-page article to trashing the justice’s legal theory in an effort to legitimize judicial activism.

Adventist Academy Teacher To Convert To Catholicism, Retain Seventh-day Adventist Church Membership

According to Utah’s Official Catholic Newspaper, veteran Adventist educator Michael Martling will receive the Sacraments of Confirmation at Saints Peter and Paul Parish on March 26, 2016. Martling said he has attended conversion class there since last September.

Pennsylvania religious leaders charged with allowing sex abuse

(Reuters) - Three members of a Franciscan religious order were criminally charged with conspiracy on Tuesday for letting a friar who was a known predator hold jobs in which he sexually abused more than 80 children, Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane said.

Pope says Mother Teresa to be made a saint on Sept. 4

VATICAN CITY – Mother Teresa will be made a saint on Sept. 4. Pope Francis set the canonization date Tuesday, paving the way for the nun who cared for the poorest of the poor to become the centerpiece of his yearlong focus on the Catholic Church's merciful side.

UN estimates 12.6 million deaths each year attributable to unhealthy environments

An estimated 12.6 million people died as a result of living or working in an unhealthy environment in 2012 – nearly one in four of total global deaths, according to new estimates from the World Health Organization (WHO).

Do You Believe In Magic? Congress Does.

WASHINGTON -- Sometimes the grim, contentious world of politics needs a little magic, and this week Congress got some.

Cost of name-brand prescription drugs doubled over last 5 years: report

Average branded prescription drug prices have nearly doubled over the last five years, according to the nation's largest pharmacy benefits organization.

Doctors Say National Napping Day Should Be Everyday: People Should Be Allowed To Snooze At Work

In addition to being hailed by nerds as National Pi Day, which is celebrated by eating copious amounts of pie, March 14 is also recognized as National Napping Day – the only “holiday” in the U.S. where you can snooze during the day without any feeling of guilt.

'Secret agents of change' say U.S. intelligence embracing LGBT spies

AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - A U.S. intelligence community that once forced out gays and lesbians for security reasons now sees inclusivity as the best way to protect the country, and seeks to recruit spies from a wider talent pool that includes the LGBT community.

Major Flooding Sweeps through Louisiana, Mississippi and Arkansas

Major flooding has affected Louisiana and surrounding states, causing President Obama to declare a major disaster.

ISIS Burns Hundreds of Christian Textbooks in Cultural Cleansing of Christianity

In its continued assault against Christianity and the religion's history, the Islamic State has released a video that shows its jihadis burning hundreds of Christian books last week in the Iraqi city of Mosul on the grounds that they are the "books of infidels."

WEATHER & EXTREME EVENTS Extreme Tornado Outbreaks Becoming More Common

Scientists aren’t sure why, but tornado outbreaks — large-scale weather events that last for one to three days and span across big regions — seem to be getting bigger, with more twisters on average.

Prosperity Preacher Paula White Claims Billy Graham Gave Donald Trump 'Prophetic Word,' Signed Bible for 60th Birthday

Prosperity gospel televangelist Paula White says evangelical icon Billy Graham signed a Bible and wrote a letter with a "prophetic word" in it for Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump for his 60th birthday.

Boy, 16, beheaded by ISIS after failing to appear for Friday prayers

A 16-year-old boy was beheaded by the notorious fundamentalist organization Islamic State for not attending mandatory Friday prayer services in the border town of Jarabulus, Syria, the Kurdish News Agency reported Sunday.

Donald Trump’s Barbarism

The GOP front-runner’s plans to prosecute the war on terror are sickening.

Ben Carson announces his next act: Convincing Christians to vote

Ben Carson’s presidential campaign, borne out of his Christian faith, has effectively ended. On Friday, he announced his next campaign: A push to drive Christian voters to the polls, to cast their ballots for someone else.
[Commentary: The Bible says: “They say unto him, Caesar's. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's.” Matthew 22:21. The SOP says "The Lord would have His people bury political questions...; For more info on 501c3 organization Click here

Priest suspended over illegal treasure hunting in Iloilo

An archbishop has ordered the indefinite suspension of a priest over unauthorized treasure hunting inside a cemetery in San Joaquin town, Southern Iloilo.

Priests and church leaders sexually abused hundreds of children in Altoona Diocese: AG office

Hundreds of children were sexually abused over a period of at least four decades by priests or religious leaders in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown, a statewide investigating grand jury has concluded.

A million times more harmful than outdoor air: Hong Kong study raises e-cigarette cancer alarm

Electronic cigarettes were found to contain one million times more cancer-causing substances than outdoor air in a study by Baptist University. Researchers also discovered a type of flame retardant that affected the reproductive system and could lead to cancer – the first such discovery in e-cigarettes.

Pope to Oriental Orthodox leader: Ecumenism of martyrs calls us to unity

Vatican City, Feb 29, 2016 / 01:04 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Today's martyrs have become “the seed of Christian unity,” Pope Francis said Monday during an audience with the leader of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church and his delegation.

Total Solar Eclipse Will Take Place March 8 And 9

A total solar eclipse is slated to occur March 8 and March 9 over the Pacific Ocean. Total solar eclipses take place when the Moon comes between the Earth and the Sun, casting the darkest part of its shadow—known as the umbra—on our planet. The darkest part of the eclipse is nearly as dark as night.

Local Christian, Jewish, Muslim leaders to get Pope Francis' blessing for work in post-Freddie Gray Baltimore

Cristian, Jewish and Muslim leaders from Baltimore, who have stepped up their longstanding interfaith cooperation since the death of Freddie Gray, will travel to the Vatican next week to meet with Pope Francis and receive his blessing for their work, they said Thursday.

Pope Francis Met With Instagram CEO to Discuss Power of Images

Instagram’s CEO and co-founder Kevin Systrom met with Pope Francis at the Vatican on Friday to discuss the power of images.

Philippines expects to finalize GMO rules in next few days, misses Weds target

The Philippines expects to finalize a new set of rules on genetically modified organisms over the next few days, after a top court demanded an overhaul of previous regulations in the nation that has been seen as a trailblazer for GMO in Asia.

Polygamous church leaders indicted, arrested in investigation of alleged food-stamp fraud

In a case that some say could destroy Utah's largest polygamous sect, federal prosecutors on Tuesday announced indictments against leaders and members of the polygamous Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints on charges related to food stamp fraud.

New Hampshire state Rep.: 'The Pope is the anti-Christ'

A New Hampshire state representative who supports Donald Trump referred to the pope as the "anti-Christ" in a Facebook post thread.

The Problem With Pope Francis’s Comments About Donald Trump

Catholics are Christians the last time I checked but recently the Holy Father claimed, “A person, who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian.” This slight was obviously directed at Donald Trump, but also offended many Catholics in the U.S. The Pontiff, when asked if he was telling Catholics who to vote for, replied in part, “I am not going to get involved in that. I say only that this man is not Christian if he says things like that.”

CDC: Half of black gay men will be diagnosed with HIV

If current HIV diagnosis rates persist, about half of all gay black men and a quarter of gay Latino men in the United States will be infected with HIV in their lifetime, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Earthquake: 4.8 quake strikes California's Central Valley

A Magnitude 4.8 earthquake was reported Tuesday afternoon three miles from Wasco, Calif., according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Updates: Tornado warnings in Alabama; new watch issued

A severe thunderstorm warning has been issued for Baldwin, Clarke, Mobile, Monroe and Washington counties until 8 p.m.:

Those Vatican walls? Designed to repel Muslims

Pope Francis’ statement this week Christians should not think of “building walls” had one major problem. The pope’s sovereign city-state, Vatican City, is surrounded by giant walls.

Nearly 130 people killed in series of bombings in Syria

DAMASCUS -- Nearly 130 people were killed on Sunday in a series of bombings in Syria.

Manny Pacquiao stands by his views against homosexuality: 'You know what I am telling is the truth'

Manny Pacquiao has been through what would seem to be a PR nightmare over the last several days.

Donald Trump is ‘not Christian’: Who is Pope Francis to judge?

Donald Trump has received his very own, highly publicized Day of Judgment. Charges brought against him suggest there is a deep divide between the claims he has made about himself and his behavior.

Cardinal Pell calls for inquiry into press leaks accusing him of abuse

VATICAN CITY Australian Cardinal George Pell called for an inquiry into the leaking of accusations that he is under police investigation for the alleged abuse of minors.

German Court Rules Sex With Animals Still Illegal

A constitutional court in Germany has thrown out a case that attempted to end a ban on sex with animals.

High Winds Spark Fire Tornadoes in Missouri

High winds caused fires to spread across thousands of acres in Missouri on Thursday, generating whirling fire tornadoes and wreaking havoc on thousands of acres of land.

How dangerous is the tool the FBI is asking Apple to build?

On Tuesday, a US district court ordered Apple to break security protections on an iPhone linked to the San Bernardino attacks, drawing the company into one of the most important legal fights of its life. The legal precedent is serious, but there’s also a real concern that even creating the software could be dangerous. In his letter to customers, Tim Cook has described the tool as "too dangerous to create," potentially undoing years of security work that protects nearly a billion phones. At the same time, the government has portrayed that software as effectively harmless — a single software update targeted to a single phone. So how dangerous is this firmware update really?

Pearl Harbor helicopter crash and the bystanders who dove into help

When a sightseeing helicopter crashed into the water near the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, several bystanders immediately dove in to help.

Prison Bus Crashes in Texas, 1 Killed, More Than 20 Hurt

A prison bus carrying more than two dozen inmates has collided with a pickup truck in Texas, killing the truck's driver and injuring most of the inmates.

'Pope Francis nominates 1,000 'super confessors'

(CNN) -- Pope Francis has dispatched more than 1,000 "super confessors" all over the world. The "missionaries of mercy," as the Church officially calls them, are nominated by the Pope himself, who created this new office specifically for the Jubilee Year of Mercy, which ends in November.

'Finally:' Pope Meets Russian Orthodox Leader

HAVANA — Pope Francis met Friday with Patriarch Kirill in the first-ever papal meeting with the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, an historic development in the 1,000-year schism that divided Christianity that may, however, be more about Russia asserting itself than any new ecumenical progress.

Fear of a vengeful God may explain humanity’s global expansion

The fear that a punitive God is watching may have helped drive humanity’s global expansion, a team of international researchers argues in a new paper.

President Obama Credits Ellen DeGeneres With Turning the Tide on LGBT Equality

It has been close to eight years since Barack Obama last appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Back in February 2008, then-Senator Obama was still months away from taking the Democratic nomination away from Hillary Clinton, whose frontrunner status had evaporated after losses in Iowa, Nevada and South Carolina. Needless to say, a lot has changed since then.

Pope, patriarch meet in Cuba nearly 1,000 years after split

Despite famine, religious wars, worldwide conflict and the spread of civilization, the heads of the Roman Catholic and the Russian Orthodox churches haven't spoken since the Great Schism of 1054 shattered Christendom, so they had a lot of catching up to do when they sat down for their historic meeting Friday afternoon in Cuba.

Doctor Mistakenly Performs Surgery on Newborn

Lebanon, TN (WTVF) - The baby was perfect, healthy and beautiful. Just hours after delivery, baby Nate was moved from the recovery room with his mother to a nursery at University Medical Center in Lebanon, Tennessee. That's where a doctor mistakenly performed a surgical procedure on Nate that was meant for another child.

Facebook nude-painting case can face trial in France

PARIS (AP) — If you post a 19th-century nude painting on Facebook, is it art or impermissible nudity? That question is now cleared for trial in France, after an appeals court there ruled that an aggrieved user can sue the social network over the issue.

Should Pope Francis celebrate the Reformation?

Almost 500 years ago, on Oct. 31, 1517, German monk Martin Luther strode up to the door of All Saints Church in Wittenberg and nailed his 95 Theses for debate. He was attacking widespread abuses in the Catholic Church: Simony, nepotism, usury, pluralism, and the sale of indulgences.

Two more survivors found, Taiwan quake toll could exceed 100

Rescuers pulled two more survivors from the rubble of a collapsed building in Taiwan on Monday more than 48 hours after a deadly earthquake struck, but the mayor of the southern city of Tainan warned the death toll was likely to exceed 100.

Hottest Year On Record? Claim Not Backed Up By The Data

The narrative says we’re living in dangerous times as man’s carbon dioxide emissions heat Earth. But a scientist testifying before Congress showed that the temperature record telling that story can’t be trusted.

Japanese volcano Sakurajima erupts

Sakurajima, one of Japan’s most active volcanoes, erupted enormously Friday evening with a flaming blast, sending molten lava and gases high flying into the sky.

Obama, in Mosque Visit, Denounces Anti-Muslim Bias

WASHINGTON — President Obama reached out to Muslims in the United States on Wednesday in an impassioned speech, embracing them as part of “one American family,” implicitly criticizing the Republican presidential candidates and warning citizens not to be “bystanders to bigotry.’

The House Science Committee Thinks the Paris Climate Agreement Stinks

LAST DECEMBER, THE United States joined 194 other countries in signing the first ever agreement to address climate change. While the delegates in Paris were tinking wine glasses over the 12-page agreement, politicians in Washington were grumbling about how bad the deal was for America.

Obama Will Visit a Mosque for the First Time as President

For many in American Muslims, President Obama’s visit to a mosque Thursday has been a long time coming.

Despite his narrative, Pope Francis is no ecumenical revolutionary

Narratives, especially as they come to be shaped in the media, are a funny thing. Every public figure has one, and once they’re set in cement, almost everything that person says or does is seen through that lens.

Pope Francis, Best Actor? Francis to Star as Himself in Upcoming Film

ROME — To be, or not to be? That is apparently not the question anyone is going to be hearing Pope Francis deliver any time soon, but Rome is abuzz anyway about news the pontiff will be starring in an upcoming feature film.

Maine Gov. Paul LePage: Bring back the guillotine for drug traffickers

Washington (CNN)Maine Gov. Paul LePage says his state is too easy on drug crimes, suggesting it should bring back the guillotine for serious offenders.
[Commentary: For more documentation please click here - How accurate the Bible prophecy is!]

Tornado with 100 mph winds topples cars, damages roofs in Broward County

Cars laid stacked atop one another like a scene from a child’s abandoned playroom at parking lots across Broward College’s North Campus after a tornado swept the area Wednesday morning.

Iran’s president asks pope for prayers during Vatican visit on Mideast crises

Iran’s president asked Pope Francis for his prayers, and the pontiff bestowed a medal depicting an early Christian saint, Tuesday in a Vatican encounter rich with spiritual symbolism but also touching on Middle East conflicts and terrorism fears.

Scientists Announce 'Doomsday Clock' Time Showing How Close We Are to the Apocalypse

The minute hand of the "Doomsday Clock," which indicates how close the world's leading scientists think we are from destroying the planet, remains at "three minutes to midnight," scientists announced in Washington, D.C., today.

El Niño Storms Put Pacifica Cliff Apartments at Risk

On a stretch of coast between San Francisco and Half Moon Bay, rows of apartments sit on cliffs, dangerously close to falling into the Pacific Ocean.

El Niño parches Asia Pacific, destroying crops and drying up water sources

BANGKOK (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Severe El Niño-linked drought has destroyed crops, killed farm animals and dried up water sources across East Asia and the Pacific, aid workers said, and UNICEF appealed for $62 million to assist children impacted by various crises in the region.

IT IS TIME WE CONSIDERED A BAN ON AUTONOMOUS WEAPONS

The Monitor Daily (U.S.) – It is time we considered a ban on autonomous weapons, reads the conclusion of a panel discussion held under the World Economic Forum umbrella at Davos.

Secondhand smoke at hookah bars dangerous for workers

NEW YORK, Jan. 25 (UPI) -- Despite it being illegal to smoke in bars, restaurants, jails and some public places in New York City, employees at hookah bars are exposed to dangerous levels of secondhand smoke as the businesses fly under the radar based on allowances for non-tobacco-based smoking material.

Recent record temperature years ‘extremely unlikely’ without global warming, scientists say

Last week, U.S. agencies announced that the year 2015 had smashed records to become the hottest year ever recorded by humans, a finding that emphasizes the continued pattern of long-term global warming on Earth. The prior hottest year was just one year earlier — 2014 — and nine out of the 10 hottest years on global record have now occurred in the past decade.

Asia Is Colder Than Usual

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Unusually cold weather in eastern Asia has been blamed for more than 65 deaths, disrupted transportation and brought the first snow to a subtropical city in southern China in almost 50 years. Here is a look at the worst cold weather to hit the region in years:

Cold decimates crops, fish farms

TAIPEI, Taiwan -- President Ma Ying-jeou has elevated the agricultural damages caused by the recent cold weather to the level of national concern, instructing the Council of Agriculture (COA) to lead a task force in handling disaster response efforts on Monday.

Christians 'drinking the Kool-Aid' on church-state separation

Christians in America should not hesitate to engage in national affairs, according to minister and national speaker Rafael Cruz.

Mexico’s Popocatepetl Volcano Threatens To Erupt — Thousands On Evacuation Alert [Video]

Thousands of people living near the Popocatepetl volcano in the states of Puebla and Morelos have been put on evacuation alert after the volcano began spewing mile-high plumes of toxic gas and ash into the air on Monday.

Trump: If I'm president, 'Christianity will have power'

(Business Insider)Billionaire businessman Donald Trump suggested on Saturday that he would have had “less difficulty” if he had proposed barring Christians from entering the US instead of Muslims.

Federal Agency: Magnitude-6.8 Earthquake Hit Southern Alaska

A magnitude 6.8 earthquake knocked items off shelves and walls in south-central Alaska and jolted the nerves of residents in this earthquake prone region, but there were no immediate reports of injuries.

A Lake Twice the Size of Los Angeles Has Evaporated—and It May Never Return

Fish skeletons, dead birds, and fishing boats sit abandoned on the desiccated stretch of land that was once the second-largest lake in Bolivia. Lake Poopó is now practically bone-dry, leaving species decimated and hundreds of people without jobs.

Pope hits out at Internet trolls

Vatican City (AFP) - Pope Francis spoke out Friday over the increasingly aggressive nature of much political discourse and the use of social media as a forum for personal abuse.

Why Nearly Half a Million Sick Chickens and Turkeys Were Suffocated this Week

Nearly half a million turkeys and chickens were killed this week in Indiana after contracting a new strain of avian influenza called H7N8. This is a necessary step to stop the spread of the disease, but the methods used to kill some of the birds have drawn some criticism.

Problem drinkers account for almost 70 per cent of alcohol sales

Almost 70 per cent of alcohol sold in England is consumed by drinkers who are risking their health, a study has claimed.

Pope visits Rome synagogue in sign of interfaith friendship

Pope Francis made his first visit to a synagogue as pope Sunday, greeting Rome's Jewish community in their house of worship as his two predecessors did in a show interfaith friendship at a time of religiously-inspired violence around the globe.

Danish city makes pork mandatory, says not an attack on Muslims

A Danish city has ordered pork to be mandatory on municipal menus, including for schools and daycare centers, with politicians insisting the move is necessary for preserving the country's food traditions and is not an attack on Muslims.

Earthquake: 1.8 quake strikes near Yucca Valley, Calif.

A hallow magnitude 1.8 earthquake was reported Thursday morning four miles from Yucca Valley, Calif., according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The temblor occurred at 10:13 a.m. Pacific time at a depth of 7.5 miles.

Christian leaders attempt to fix global date for Easter

Leaders of the world’s major Christian denominations are working towards agreeing a fixed date for Easter, the archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has said.

Anglicans sanction U.S. Episcopal Church over gay marriage

New York • Anglican leaders on Thursday temporarily restricted the role of the U.S. Episcopal Church in their global fellowship as a sanction over the American church's acceptance of gay marriage.

Alex strengthens into a hurricane, a rarity for winter in the Atlantic

(CNN)It has been nearly four decades since a winter storm in the Atlantic earned a name, and the National Hurricane Center went a step further Thursday, upgrading Alex to a hurricane.

Anglican Leader Hopes Meeting Can Avoid Homosexuality Split

LONDON — Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby said Monday he hoped this week's meeting of world Anglican leaders could avoid a split over homosexuality in the worldwide fellowship and lead to "finding ways to disagree well."

Belgian archbishop: ‘Time has come’ for Pope Francis to defend Church’s Tradition

In a sweeping interview, the archbishop emeritus of Brussels warns that the ambiguity in the Synod’s final text was ‘very risky,’ but says he trusts the Pope will hold to his word and defend Catholic Tradition.

Pope Francis Knows There’s Something About Mary

Time magazine recently published an article titled, “Why Pope Francis Is Obsessed With Mary.” One of the reasons the magazine gave for describing Pope Francis as having an obsession with Our Lady was the fact that he prays the Rosary three times a day. Time is correct in observing that the Holy Father does have a personal devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, but this is not an obsession; it is better described as a very deep love.

2 Black Nazarene devotees die in Manila during rally ahead of pope’s visit

A raucous Roman Catholic procession in which up to a million Filipinos packed the streets of Manila for a chance to get close to a centuries-old statue of Jesus Christ left two men dead and about 1,000 hurt, officials said Saturday, in a prelude to a much larger turnout expected during next week’s visit by Pope Francis.
Related stories: Black Nazarene: Devotion from the inside

VIDEO: Breaking NEWS - This innovative “video of the Pope” is causing a sensation

Pope Francis is launching a monthly video where He will outlined his proposals and prayer intentions.

Armed protesters refuse to leave federal building in Oregon

(CNN)Two days after taking over a federal building, armed protesters in Oregon are refusing to budge until they get what they want.

Major earthquake hits northeast India

An earthquake measuring 6.7 magnitude hit northeast India near its border with Myanmar and Bangladesh early Monday, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) confirmed. At least six people were killed and 100 injured by falling debris in Imphal and elsewhere in Manipur state, police said.