And Now for the News of the Day - Monday, October 10

Here are today’s News briefs from around the world. Here is some information to read, to reflect upon. Each of these events and issues require our prayers. Remember that God has a plan for each believer, each faithful follower. 

Always direct love and generosity toward God. Strive to be good tenants of the vineyard. Do not betray God. Fidelity with God is essential for our spiritual health, spiritual well-being.


Pope Benedict’s October general prayer is: “That the terminally ill may be supported by their faith in God and the love of their brothers and sisters”.

Pope Benedict’s mission intention is: “That the celebration of World Mission Day may foster in the People of God a passion for evangelization with the willingness to support the missions with prayer and economic aid for the poorest Churches”.

World Mission Day is October 23, 2011.

October is Respect Life Month.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

“Today we live in an age of the new evangelization. Vast horizons are opening to the announcement of the Gospel, while regions of ancient Christian tradition are called to rediscover the beauty of the faith.” explained Pope Benedict XVI during the Angelus on Monday, September 19, 2011. “The protagonists of the evangelizing mission are “individuals, families and communities who agree to work in the vineyard of the Lord.” stated Pope Benedict XVI during the Angelus on Monday, September 19, 2011.

“Humble and generous workers who ask no other reward than to be able to share the mission of Jesus and of the Church.” Benedict XVI continued, “The Gospel has transformed the world and continues to transform it”.

Pope Benedict has encouraged European bishops “courageously to identify new missionary paths of evangelization, especially in serving the new generations”.

Pope Benedict XVI visited two Italian towns, Lamezia Terme and Serra San Bruno on October 9, 2011. He celebrated Mass, lunched with the Bishops in the episcopal residence of Lamezia Terme. In Serra San Bruno he celebrated Vespers and delivered a homily in the Carthsian monastery church.

“Do not be afraid to live and witness to faith in the various sectors of society, in many situations of human existence! You have every reason to show yourselves strong, confident and courageous, and this by the light of faith and the power of love. And when you encounter the opposition of the world, make your own the words of the Apostle: "I can do all things in him who strengthens me". Pope Benedict XVI said during his homily in Lamezia Terme.


On October 15 -16 the Holy Father will meet with Church representatives from the West who are leading the new evangelization. The October synod will be on the topic.


The Cairo rioting lasted until late into the night, more than 1000 security forces and armored vehicles were assigned to defend the state television building. Egypt’s official news agency reported that 24 people were killed, at least 400 were injured.
The protest was chaotic. It began with Coptic Christians protesting a church burning in Aswan a southern city in Egypt.

Indonesian security forces shot and killed one protester and injured more than a dozen others as they clashed with striking workers at a mine. Approximately 1,000 were involved in the clashes at the Grasberg complex.

And Now for the News of the Day - Saturday, October 8

Here are today’s News briefs from around the world. Here is some information to read, to reflect upon. Each of these events and issues require our prayers. Remember that God has a plan for each believer, each faithful follower. 

Always direct love and generosity toward God. Strive to be good tenants of the vineyard. Do not betray God. Fidelity with God is essential for our spiritual health, spiritual well-being.

Pope Benedict XVI's meeting with Indonesian Bishops in Rome is the lead story. 

“Christ’s message of salvation, forgiveness and love have been preached in your country for centuries,” Pope Benedict XVI told the Indonesian Bishops at a meeting in Rome. “Your country is composed of thousands of islands; so too the Church in Indonesia is made up of thousands of Christian communities, “islands of Christ’s presence.”

“I can only encourage you in your continuing efforts to promote and sustain inter-religious dialogue in your nation.” The 2010 census indicated that 85 percent of Indonesia’s 245 million citizens are Muslim, with Christians making up approximately 13 percent of the population. Only about a quarter of the Christians are Catholic. There are smaller but significant populations of Hindus, Buddhists, and Confucians.

“Your country, so rich in its cultural diversity and possessed of a large population, is home to significant numbers of followers of various religious traditions. Thus, the people of Indonesia are well-placed to make important contributions to the quest for peace and understanding among the peoples of the world. Your participation in this great enterprise is decisive, and so I urge you, dear brothers, to ensure that those whom you shepherd know that they, as Christians, are to be agents of peace, perseverance and charity.”

Violence against Christian churches has begun to occur in Indonesia. Muslim extremists have burned churches, orchestrated Mosque suicide bombings, and interrupted Easter religious services.

“I appreciate the intense efforts made by numerous individuals and agencies in the name of the Church to bring the tender compassion of God to many members of Indonesian society. This is the hallmark of every movement, action and expression of the Church, in all of her sacramental, charitable, educational and social endeavors, so that in everything her members may strive to make the Triune God known and loved through Jesus Christ. This will not only contribute to the spiritual vitality of the Church as she grows in confidence through humble yet courageous witness; it will also strengthen Indonesian society by promoting those values that your fellow citizens hold dear: tolerance, unity and justice for all citizens.”

Mumtaz Qadri, one of Punjab governor Salman Taseer's bodyguards, was convicted of murder after he shot the governor 27 times in Islamabad in January. There were chilling scenes of celebration after the killing, with many hailing Qadri as a "hero of Islam". Taseer wanted to reform Pakistan’s draconian blasphemy laws. Shahbaz Taseer, one of the governor’s sons was abducted 43 days ago by militants in North Wazristan. There has been no contact with his kidnappers.

Qadri has appealed against his sentence and the judge in the case was forced to take "indefinite leave" for his own safety.

Researchers have evidence that babies as young as 15 months can recognize when someone is being treated unfairly and respond by being generous toward them, scientists have learned. 47 babies were tested by showing a video in which food was unevenly distributed between two people. Another similar video in which food was shared equally was shown to the children.

When something surprises them babies pay greater attention.

On this day October 8, 1982 Solidarity and all of Poland's other labor unions were banned

And Now News for the Day Monday, October 3

Here are today’s News briefs from around the world. Here is some information to read, to reflect upon. Each of these events and issues require our prayers. Remember that God has a plan for each believer, each faithful follower.

Always direct love and generosity toward God. Strive to be good tenants of the vineyard. Do not betray God. Fidelity with God is essential for our spiritual health, spiritual well-being.

Here are some of Pope Benedict XVI comments that he gave on the Feast of the Guardian Angels, a day that the Catholic Church celebrates the teaching that every person is given an angle for guidance and protection.
“Dear friends, the Lord is always near and active in human history, and follows us with the unique presence of His angels, that today the Church venerates as 'Guardian,' in other words those who minister God's care for every man,” the Pope told pilgrims gathered in Rome's St. Peter's Square. “From the beginning until death, human life is surrounded by their constant protection.”


British Airways Executive Club members, the airline’s frequent flyer program, will be able to redeem miles for a four hour course on how to survive a plane crash.



An estimated 200 people are participating in a protest at the Hinkley Point point nuclear power station in the United Kingdom. Civil disobedience is being used to start resistance against the United Kingdom and EDF Energy’s plan to build eight new nuclear power stations. Protesters enacted a nuclear power plant disaster similar to Fukushima, the power station in Japan that was badly damaged by an earthquake in March 2011.



State weathermen in the Philippines spotted a new tropical cyclone approaching the island nation just as typhoon Naigae is exiting and leaving a trail of destruction and flooding in areas such as Luzon.



An Indonesian search and rescue team on Sunday recovered all 18 bodies from a plane crash in remote jungle, three days after the accident. Rescuers battled bad weather and rough terrain for two consecutive days before reaching the crash site on Saturday and found all 14 passengers, including four children, and four crew dead.

The sprawling Indonesian archipelago depends on air transportation and has a poor aviation record.


Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda, a fiscal conservative, is Japan’s sixth new prime minister in five years and faces a public frustrated with disaster recovery efforts, a lackluster economy and political bickering. His predecessor, Naoto Kan, also started his 15-month tenure with support just over 60 percent approval rating.

The Kyodo News agency poll shows public approval at 54.6 percent, down from 62.8 percent from its last survey in early September.


The Washington Redskins tackled their way to a 17-10 victory over the St. Louis Rams. The Redskins’s season record is 3 wins 1 loss.

And Now News for the Day - Thursday September 29

Here are today’s News briefs from Rome, Syria, Indonesia, Germany, New Jersey. Here is some information to read, to reflect upon. Some of these events and issues require our prayers.


The Catholic Association of Latino Leaders (CALL) presented the Vatican with an official response to Pope Benedict XVI’s encyclical “Caritas in Veritate” which was published in 2009 and which was covered by many major news organizations because it provided an ethical structure for new thinking on social and economic issues.

Archbishop Jose Gomez of Los Angeles, who is a CALL founding member was in Rome to present the 28 page response to “Charity in Truth”.

CALL has chapters in Denver, San Antonio, Washington, DC, Houston, Miami, San Antonio.

Click here to receive a pdf of the document.


The new General Instruction of the Roman Missal released in June of this year allows more freedom for bishops to determine norms for communion distribution under both forms within their diocese.

The Church in the United States, the United Kingdom and Oceania were allowed special privileges to experiment with communion under both forms. Currently, the practice of receiving both forms has become acceptable in these regions.

The Vatican did not renew these privileges and they expired in 2005.


There are new fears are growing that Syria may be on the verge of civil war as reports emerged yesterday that army deserters were battling Bashar al-Assad's forces in the first major confrontation against the regime. This occurred as the United Kingdom, France, Portugal, and Germany were trying garner support for a extremely diluted draft Security Council resolution condemning the Baathist regime.

There is intense fighting around the town of Al-Rastan, a rebel stronghold. Army deserters and armed citizens are waging battle against the government security forces. There have been unconfirmed claims that Al-Rastan has been bombed by Syrian military jets.


An important vote on whether to approve an extension of powers for the eurozone's financial rescue fund is scheduled to be held by the German parliament today.

The Bundestag is expected to approve the legislation, backed by the opposition Social Democrats and the Green party – but German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, is still trying to persuade her own ruling coalition to vote in support.


A powerful typhoon made landfall in southern China today after avoiding Hong Kong and bringing death and destruction to the Philippines earlier this week. Typhoon Nesat attacked the eastern tip of China’s Hainan Island. 35 people died in the Philipines and 45 are missing due to this storm.


Eighteen people are believed to be dead today after the plane they were travelling in crashed into a mountainous area in western Indonesia. Indonesian Ministry of Transportation stated that the missing passenger plane has been found intact in a North Sumatra mountain range, raising hopes that the 18 people aboard are alive.

Indonesia relies heavily on air transport and has a poor aviation record.


Republicans want New Jersey Governor Chris Christie to run for President even though he says he does not want to be president, he has only served 20 months of his term, and he describes himself as “pretty fat.”

And Now News for the Day - Wednesday, September 28

Mexico’s Supreme Court considers legalizing abortion in the country which would overturn pro-life constitutional personhood amendments in two Mexican states, Baja California and San Luis. Judge Jose Fernando Franco Gonzales’ Action for Unconstitutionality seeks to have the personhood amendment declared unconstitutional.

Mississippi is preparing its own personhood initiative for the November 8 election despite objections by Planned Parenthood and the ACLU.

Maria Elizabeth Macias, a 39-year-old editor of newspaper Primera Hora and a member of the Community of Scalabrinian Lay Movement was kidnapped and murdered by drug cartels in the border state of Tamaulipas. She was found dead on Sept. 24 after she went missing two days earlier.

During a four day visit to Germany Pope Benedict XVI spoke about secular endorsed godlessness. "God is increasingly being driven out of our society. ... Are we to yield to the pressure of secularization, and become modern by watering down the faith?" he said. The Pope also stressed that human dignity needs to be protected. The Pope presented an address to the German Parliament.

China is preparing to send a space station into orbit. Tomorrow China will launch a Tiangong-1 from the Gobi desert. The rocket will be unmanned and is part of an ambitious Chinese space program which might culminate with Chinese astronauts landing on the moon.

Elizabeth Taylor’s jewelry will go on sale in December at Christie’s New York. The highlights currently are on a three month tour to Moscow, London, Los Angeles, Dubai, Geneva, Paris, and Hong Kong. There are 269 jewels representing Ms Taylor’s life. The sale of the jewels is estimated to earn over $30 million. The sale will take place over three days in December.

A Saudi women has been sentenced to 10 lashings for challenging the ban on women driving.