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. Today is the Memorial of Saint Francis of Assisi.
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Catholics are being asked to renew their support for Christians in the Holy Land by Archbishop Edwin F. O’Brien who the Vatican has asked to become the Grand Master of The Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem which it is responsible for promoting and defending Christianity in the Holy Land.
75 percent of the annual income for the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem which cares for the Church in Israel, Palestine, Jordan and Cyprus comes from the order. It also funds 40 schools in the region as well as hospitals and institutes of higher education such as the University of Bethlehem.
The pro-family group Fathers for Good, an initiative of the Knights of Columbus, announced the launch of online resources for Catholics as the U.S. Church gears up to celebrate Respect Life Month in October.
Different pro-life resources will be posted Fathers for Good each week on its site, www.fathersforgood.org, beginning with a current statement from Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, chair of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities.
In Malawi at the meeting of the bishops of the Roman Catholic Church in Lilongwe the government sent agents to gather information about what is discussed. This was the third annual plenary meeting reviewing the country conditions and discussing the Church’s education policy. All of the Malawi bishops and the Vatican Chargé d’Affaires for Malawi, Very Reverend Monsignor Hubertus Van Megen attended the meeting.
Tension between President Bingu wa Mutharika and the Catholic Church increased in August this year when Bishop Joseph Mkasa Zuza of Mzuzu in northern Malawi, gave a public speech in front of the president.
The National Religious Broadcasters released a report on new media platforms. Here is an excerpt:
The policies and practices of several major Internet-interactive “new media” communications platforms and service providers were examined and evaluated in order to determine the risk of those entities committing anti-Christian viewpoint censorship. The companies reviewed were: Apple and its iTunes App Store; Facebook; MySpace; Google;Twitter; and Internet Service Providers (ISPs) Comcast, AT&T, and Verizon. Our conclusion is that Christian ideas and other religious content face a clear and present danger of censorship on web-based communication platforms.
The al Qaida-linked militant group al-Shabab detonated a truck bomb Tuesday in front of the Ministry of Education in Mogadishu, killing at least 70 people, wounding dozens and shattering a relative calm that had prevailed in the Somali capital for weeks. Ali Hussein, a police officer in Mogadishu, said the vehicle blew up after pulling up to a checkpoint at the entrance to the ministry offices.
On this date in 2010 the Congress on the Catholic Press sponsored by the Pontifical Council for Social Communications began in Rome. Over 200 people from 85 countries attended the meeting.
On this date October 4 1957 “”Leave It to Beaver” premiered on CBS.
On this date in 1822 Rutherford B. Hayes, the 19th president of the United States, was born in Delaware, Ohio.
Because of their 17-10 victory over the St. Louis Rams, the Washington Redskins are in first place in their division with a 3-1 record.
