Martin Mallon
Tuesday Ireland blogger |
PRAISE
AND THE CATHOLIC CHARISMATIC RENEWAL
According to the
early church, the best way to pray is “with the hands outstretched and
the eyes lifted up”. This way “is to be preferred before all
others”. It makes me wonder why do so many Christians today have
difficulty with this method of prayer, especially when we consider that “it
bears in prayer the image of characteristics befitting the soul and
applies it to the body”? The
Second Vatican Council and the Holy Spirit are still changing our church
for the better |
Vatican II & Renewal
(1)
16
Documents of Vatican II
A
Call to Action
Assn Catholic Priests Ireland
Bp Pat Power
Bp Geoff Robinson
Bruce Duncan
Catalyst for Renewal
Catholica
Catholics for Ministry
Catholics for Renewal
STANDUP4VATICAN2
The Swag
VII - Voice of the Church
We Are Church
Excellent
articles on Mission
Hugh McMahon SSC
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ACT
makes a dog's breakfast of marriage equality
(note the wise words of previous political leaders
....and comment two)
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This is one those stories
which once you start reading, you can't stop till the finish:
Mother Antonia Brenner
Mother Antonia Brenner was a twice-divorced socialite
who renounced Hollywood glitz to live as a nun in a Mexican prison |
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This is one of those stories
which make you sadder the more you read
Yves
Congar, My Journal of the Council, Part VII
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Some years ago I was able, with kind
assistance of friends in Melbourne and Sydney, to help some Vietnamese
refugee families go from Hong Kong to Australia. This website is now about
to undertake a similar project: helping a Sri Lankan refugee family go
from HK to Australia. Details to follow in next few days DV.
Friends in US, UK, Canada, New Zealand etc interested in such a project
for your countries, please contact me: jdwomi@gmail.com |
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Turning
the argument of gun control on itself |
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Pope
Francis celebrates hitting 10m Twitter followers
Memo to Pope Francis:
glad you now have G8 (sort of suggested by
this website February
18, 2013). Maybe eventually you could have a G12
(more Biblical ...12 tribes, 12 apostles) with representatives from:
Africa
Middle East (also the contact person for Judaism
& Islam);
Europe, Russia & neighbours;
Vatican (responsible for minding the fort);
South Asia (also the contact person for Hinduism
& Sikhism);
East Asia (also the contact person for Buddhism);
South East Asia & Pacific; South
America; Central & North America;
Anglican Primate; An
Orthodox Patriarch;
Head of World Council of Churches
Memo from Pope to editor: What is Pope then supposed to do?
Memo to Pope: spend a month in each region each year + a few short stays
in Vatican + meetings with G12 + an annual retreat & holiday
(Comments welcome here)
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This is the way to go!
A good news story:
Ethiopia
opens Africa's biggest windfarm |
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Not the way to go! A
bad news story:
G4S-run
prison in South Africa investigated over abuse claims
Jail operated by UK security firm allegedly used forced
injections and electric shock treatment to subdue inmates |
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Please, please Pope Francis & G8,
please read this article and do something about it! (Comments welcome here)
The Vanishing Eucharist
(Come to think of it, Francis, you are from this area, you know all about
this situation. Your heart must ache to take action on this issue. May you
have the wisdom and courage to act soon!)
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The
reality of working with two Catholic Churches
(Been there...done that..!) |
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Ghana
church leader warns all-night prayers threaten productivity |
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This website's Tanzania
File
- with links to all letters
from Tanzanian inmates in Hong Kong prisons |
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| Francis
wishes to release Vatican II's bold vision from captivity |
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Vatican
II Reflection 253
Priests' sermons/activities should have
a missionary element
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John W
mini-Blog |
My
weekly article for today's HK Ming Pao newspaper
(On
MP website)
Today's
topic: HK's labour
shortage....and how it can be eased by giving temporary work visas
to some of the several thousand asylum seekers in HK |
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Sun:
Africa
Mon:
Europe & Russia Tues:
South Asia Wed:
East Asia
Thurs:
S.E. Asia & Pacific Frid:
South America Sat:
Central & North America
Please join me in
praying for one part of the world each day of the week:
Jesus, today, Tuesday,
please bless the people of South
Asia
On this 29th
of the month, Jesus
please bless the
prisoners of Chongqing
Please join me in praying for
prisoners in one part of China each day of the month
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It's common to hear about how
many millions of people have been "lifted out of poverty". But
what about spiritual poverty? Spiritual poverty means an
under-nourished idea of God and of spiritual values. How
can people be "lifted out of spiritual poverty?"
Pope John Paul II said that many Christians are spiritually
undernourished because they neglect the Bible.
(Comments welcome here) |
This website's kind
bloggers
(past and present)
with archives of articles:
Bakhita
Hazel
C
Daniel
Daring
Inigo Joachim
Brian
Lewis
Judith
Lynch
Martin
Mallon
Chris
McDonnell
Bill
Mulcahy
Des
O'Donnell
Darlene
Starrs
TASMAD
David Timbs
Peter
Wilkinson
Harry
Winter
John
Wotherspoon
More
bloggers, more tank
people, wanted from all parts of the world, to take a stand against
tanks from
left and from right
Please
email:
jdwomi@gmail.com
Weekly
Archive
of main page menus
Previous
archives
2013 2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
John
W:
Previous Daily Blogs |
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| Pope
at Mass for families
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The
Christian family experiences joy in faith
"Let families at least pray the Our Father at
table" Full
text of talk
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Lebanon
suffers under the strain of a refugee crisis now out of control |
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Pope's
preaching is right on target
Some people have a problem with many of the things that Pope Francis is
saying in his speeches and in his sermons at daily Mass. Anyone who knows
theology will have no problem with what the pope is saying. What he says
is put very clearly and very simply. When he says that it is possible for
an atheist to go to heaven, he is expressing a solid theological belief |
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Interactive
Bible Quiz - the Gospel of Luke
Based on the actual words of the Bible.
How many times you can get 3/3 ?!
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A Texan, while visiting Toronto, found himself in the back
seat of a taxi cab on the way to his hotel. Passing by the Royal York the
Texan asked the cab driver "What's that building there?"
"That's the Royal York Hotel" replied the cabbie. "The
Royal York? How long did it take to build that?" asked the Texan.
"About 12 years" replied the cabbie. "12 years? We build 'em
twice as high, twice as wide and four times as long down in Texas, and we
do that in six months." A while later the cab driver makes his was
past the Metro-Toronto Convention Centre. "What's that building over
there?" asked the Texan. "That's the Metro-Toronto Convention
Centre" replied the cabbie. "Convention Centre? How long'd it
take to build that?" asked the Texan. "About three years"
replied the cabbie. "Three years? We build 'em twice as high, three
times as long and four times as wide as that down in Texas, and it only
takes us about two weeks." Shortly thereafter the cabbie drives past
the CN Tower. "What's that building there?" asks the Texan,
pointing at the tower. "Danged if I know" replied the cabbie,
"It wasn't here when I drove by yesterday." |
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This website's Tanzania
File
- with links to all letters
from Tanzanian inmates in Hong Kong prisons |
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Vatican
II Reflection 252
If
a bishop has a missionary spirit,
his whole diocese will have a missionary spirit
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John W
mini-Blog
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People talk about the fear of
welfare spending in the USA. In other countries welfare spending is under
threat
I've just started reading Poverty in the Midst of
Affluence by Leo Goostadt, about the link between government and big
business in Hong Kong ....and HK's institutionalised anti-welfare
structure
The reality: big business is all about profit. If big
business has too much influence in government, welfare budgets will suffer
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Sun:
Africa
Mon:
Europe & Russia Tues:
South Asia Wed:
East Asia
Thurs:
S.E. Asia & Pacific Frid:
South America Sat:
Central & North America
Please join me in
praying for one part of the world each day of the week:
Jesus, today, Monday,
please bless the people of Europe
& North Asia
On this 28th
of the month, Jesus
please bless the
prisoners of Beijing
Please join me in praying for
prisoners in one part of China each day of the month |
 |
Who
am I to judge?
Historical circumstances and triumphalist
currents far from the gospel have made us Catholics especially prone to
this temptation. Therefore, we each have to read the parable with a
self-critical attitude. Why do we think we're better than agnostics? Why
do we feel we're closer to God than non-practitioners? What's at the
bottom of certain prayers for the conversion of sinners? What is making
reparations for the sins of others without being converted to God
ourselves? |
Pope
Francis:
Thank
you Holy Spirit
Inspiring photos:
Engagements
of Pope Francis
Many
thanks for checking
this website each day
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Darlene Starrs
Sunday blogger (Canada)
Beware of the Yeast of the Pharisees
We see the leaven of Pharisaical yeast in our RC Church
and it is called: "clericalism". Clericalism is not a recent
phenomenon, as the Church is 2000 years old, and we have had a plethora of
ecclesiastical persons and theologians who have left their contributions
to clericalism. I am not going to cite the origins of the
"clerical" elements of the Church, but, I remind you that Pope
Francis has said a number of times: "Clericalism is a
problem".
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From a reader, in response
to item on yesterday's menu re the link between poverty and crime:
The woman on the left is a mother from
Miami who was so desperate to feed her hungry family that she was trying
to steal a lot of food. The woman on the right is Miami-Dade County
Police Officer Vicki Thomas. Officer Thomas was about to arrest Jessica
Robles but changed her mind at the last minute. Instead of arresting
her, she bought Robles $100 worth of groceries: “I made the decision
to buy her some groceries because arresting her wasn't going to solve
the problem with her children being hungry.” And there’s no denying
they were hungry. Robles’ 12 year old daughter started crying when she
told local TV station WSVN about how dire their situation was: Read the
full story
here:
Over 1.8m people like this
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| Bakhita
(Africa blogger) |
Re Bible
Blog of Oct 26, Bakhita has posted
an
interesting comment |
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| Recommended
by a reader: |
A 7-minute
preview of a new IMAX film on Jerusalem
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Smile
Tax
collector jokes (to go with today's Gospel)
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A
new letter (Oct 27, in Swahili) from a Tanzanian inmate in a Hong Kong
prison
This website's Tanzania
File
- with links to all letters
from Tanzanian inmates in Hong Kong prisons
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| Francis
wishes to release Vatican II's bold vision from captivity |
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Vatican
II Reflection 251
This
article raises the idea that each parish (or Catholic school) support and keep
in contact with a parish or school in a mission country
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John W
mini-Blog |
Last night on my way home a man and woman
eating at a sidewalk canteen called to me and I joined them for a while,
then invited them for a brief visit to my nearby home. Both are ex-imates,
trying to re-start their lives. Man has a full-time day job, woman looking
for work (and facing another court case). Jesus,
please help couples like this one to get back on their feet again |
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Sun:
Africa
Mon:
Europe & Russia Tues:
South Asia Wed:
East Asia
Thurs:
S.E. Asia & Pacific Frid:
South America Sat:
Central & North America
Please join me in
praying for one part of the world each day of the week:
Jesus, today, Sunday,
please bless the people of Africa
On this 27th
of the month, Jesus
please bless the
prisoners of Tibet
Please join me in praying for
prisoners in one part of China each day of the month
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If you Google
"link between poverty and crime"
page after page of articles
can be accessed |
The more I get to know prison inmates, the
more I understand the link between poverty and crime. Just as
convicts were sent from Britain to penal settlements in the American
Colonies and Australia for "crimes" like stealing food for their
families, so today, poor people get into trouble with the law for trying
to get more money for their families. More poverty
means more crime
Hong Kong is a classic case: the city has
several thousand asylum seekers who receive below-basic government
support, yet are not allowed to work. So they work illegally to try to get
money for their families ...and go to prison. They also get into a range
of criminal activities from minor theft to drug trafficking....to get
money for their families ....and go to prison.
When will we learn that combating poverty is good for any society, because
less poverty means less crime. The
way to go is not prison-building but community-building. It makes cents |
Bishop
Geoff Robinson
and Bishop Bill Morris:
Petition to Pope Francis
to stop sexual abuse
and to reform Church
- & calling for a new
Ecumenical Council !
(John W has signed petition)
-----------------------
Please
encourage more people to see 1-10
re Bishop Bill Morris:
1:
Judge's conclusions
2: Canon lawyer's report
3: Radio interview with judge
4: "The Age" file of letters
5:
Summary re Rome
6:
Frank Brennan's update
7: ABC radio Fr Frank Brennan
8. Update from Frank Brennan
9. Vatileaks & Bp Bill Morris
10: Tablet letter - Frank Brennan
After
reading 1-10, check the "Pravda" report of CNA
Google "Morris" at top of this page for many articles re
Bishop BM, the most recent being talk of March 26, 2013:
Reclaiming
the Spirit of Vatican II
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Justice
for bishops (with
reference to Bishop Morris case) |
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More about German bishop suspended
by Pope Francis:
Vatican
Insider 01 02
Rocco
Palmo
Suspended
bishop "just the tip of the iceberg"
"There is a real clash of cultures between Germany's current bishops
and Pope Francis."
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Smile:
From a HK newspaper editorial:
Hong Kong's low birthrate is leading to labour shortages |
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Elderly
Australian couple unwittingly used as drug mules after winning holiday to
Canada
A
new Letter (Oct 26, in Swahili) from a Tanzanian inmate in a Hong Kong prison
- re Tanzania, China, Macau, Hong Kong ....and drugs
This website's Tanzania
File
- with links to all letters
from Tanzanian inmates in Hong Kong prisons
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| Francis
wishes to release Vatican II's bold vision from captivity |
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Vatican
II Reflection 250
What
do Evangelical Christians have that Catholics lack?
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John W
mini-Blog |
see top item of this menu .... |
|
Sun:
Africa
Mon:
Europe & Russia Tues:
South Asia Wed:
East Asia
Thurs:
S.E. Asia & Pacific Frid:
South America Sat:
Central & North America
Please join me in
praying for one part of the world each day of the week:
Jesus, today, Saturday,
please bless the people of Central
& North America
On this 26th
of the month, Jesus
please bless the
prisoners of Xinjiang
Please join me in praying for
prisoners in one part of China each day of the month
|
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Cardinal
to Pope Francis: “You’re not the same guy”
This article shows that Francis had some sort of special experience
between his election and his appearance on the balcony. The experience
"transformed him". Reminds me of Joseph Girzone's book The
Shepherd in which a retiring priest is made a bishop...but then on the
night following his consecration, has a special experience which
transforms him into a dynamic leader. Not the only Girzone novel reminding
people of Francis. Even more striking is The
Homeless Bishop who has a strong preference for the poor! |
This
site's full statistics
for September 2013
To publish an
article on this site please contact Fr John Wotherspoon omi:
jdwomi@gmail.com
If you find a broken link in this website,
please contact: jdwomi@gmail.com
Why
I collect rubbish for Pope
Taking
a stand
Navigation
Aids
Standing
up to bullies
Too
Western/European
Abortion
- a true story
"Same-sex
marriage" two elephants
in the men's room
Near
Death Experiences
Globalisation
of Indifference
Tale
of Two Brains
John's other sites:
www.doctorjesus.org
www.riccicenter.com
www.simplebible.info
www.china8.org
www.jesustower.com
www.oneminuteenglish.com
China
Library
- essential reading for anyone interested in China's Christian
history
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Pope to Italian prison
chaplains:
Unfair
that "Big Fish" escape punishment
- with a plug for reconciliation rather than incarceration
(at meeting yesterday...at same time
as HK chaplains were having a meeting discussing the same
topic...reconciliatory justice!)
One fish now in frying pan:
Pope
banishes Germany's 'bling bishop' (c.f.
his
BMW)
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| Daniel
Daring
Thursday blogger
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Reflection on
October 27 Sunday readings:
Do not despise them
The earth abounds with Pharisees.
Not only individuals, but entire nations are infected with this spiritual
disease. As in the time of Jesus, the
Pharisees of our time belong to the most influential religious and
political lobbies that dictate the policies of our world.
The earth is also full of tax-collectors,
people who are taught to feel guilty because of the way they look, the way
they speak or the work they do.
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A "Pope Francis" politician....may
there be many more of them all over the world!
Pro-poor governor makes a difference in Jakarta |
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Al
Gore links bushfires and climate change
Now
the time to talk about this issue
c.f. Teacher
led students to safety
....while his own house was destroyed by fire
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Smile:
I was too poor to afford plastic surgery, so for a small
fee my doctor touched up my X-rays
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Uruguay
to sell legal marijuana for $1 a gram
(to combat criminals)
This website's Tanzania
File
- with links to all letters
from Tanzanian inmates in Hong Kong prisons
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| Francis
wishes to release Vatican II's bold vision from captivity |
|
Vatican
II Reflection 248
Laity on the sideline, waiting to be allowed onto the
field
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John W
mini-Blog |
Yesterday at a meeting for prison volunteers and
chaplains... I put out some copies of Doctor Jesus (which has
many prison stories). A lady shared with me how I had given her a copy of
Dr J when she was in a hospital custodial ward....the first time she'd
ever read about Jesus ....this lead her to read the Simple Bible...then
make contact with a Christian group on release....then receive
baptism...then become a prison volunteer. DG1 |
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|
Sun:
Africa
Mon:
Europe & Russia Tues:
South Asia Wed:
East Asia
Thurs:
S.E. Asia & Pacific Frid:
South America Sat:
Central & North America
Please join me in
praying for one part of the world each day of the week:
Jesus, today, Thursday,
please bless the people of South
East Asia
On this 24th
of the month, Jesus
please bless the
prisoners of Inner
Mongolia
Please join me in praying for
prisoners in one part of China each day of the month
|
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Chris McDonnell
Wednesday UK blogger
A Dusty Cardboard Box
As we sift through the collection of faith experiences of a life
time, we can get the same sense of surprise and wonderment. Different
experiences are treasures at different times. They help us on our way,
we grow because of them, we value the opportunity they gave to each of
us. And we move on.
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Vatican II - Renewal
(2)
Hans
Küng:
Letter
to bishops
Revolution
to stop authoritarianism
Fr Joseph Ratzinger:
Writings
on Vat II
(link
gone...anyone able to find it?)
Robert
Mickens:
Vatican Implosion
Nicholas Lash:
Vatican II:
Of Happy Memory - and Hope?
Robert
McNally:
Crisis & Criticism in the Church
Priests
9 Masses a day
- need to ordain married men
The
evil of compulsory celibacy
Link
between compulsory celibacy and sexual abuse
Why
are women not being
ordained to priesthood?
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Once I started reading this article, I
couldn't stop:
'The ocean is broken'
Nothing could have prepared Ivan Macfadyen
for the devastation all around him as he sailed the Pacific
Bushfires: Paying
the price of carbon
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Amnesty
delivers scathing report into US drone strikes in Pakistan |
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| Social
Media |
How
to avoid culturally insensitive photography |
|
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2
Christian clerics killed in Kenya's Coast region |
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John
Dear
S.J. |
Neema
Namadamu, Congo's visionary peacemaker |
|
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Francis
is the exclamation point on Vatican II
Background
of the C8 - the 8 cardinals helping Pope
Francis
Francis
orders overhaul of Curia
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|
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English
to be downgraded?
(Parents and schools will be very unhappy if children don't start
English till Primary Three ...a previous custom some 20 years
ago...schools will ignore this ruling, or parents will change schools)
Pollution
study 'blocked on grounds of state secrecy'
"Cancer will affect every family within
a decade"
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The
GOP shutdown: a party divided against itself
|
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Smile: You are
stuck with your debt if you can’t budge it |
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|
This website's Tanzania
File
- with links to all letters
from Tanzanian inmates in Hong Kong prisons |
|
| Francis
wishes to release Vatican II's bold vision from captivity |
|
Vatican
II Reflection 248
The Congregation for the
Evagelisation of Peoples
has 49 members, all clerics ....which is not what Vat II had in mind!
|
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John W
mini-Blog |
Yesterday after visiting Hei Ling Chau
Drug Treatment Centre (...to meet inmates, not for treatment!..) I
walked barefooted along a small beach on the island, while I waited
for the next ferry. Lovely little beach, beautiful water, but
pollution everywhere, especially in the water. Sad to think that
Pacific Ocean has a similar problem (see item above 'The
ocean is broken'). |
|
Sun:
Africa
Mon:
Europe & Russia
Tues:
South Asia Wed:
East Asia
Thurs:
S.E. Asia & Pacific Frid:
South America
Sat:
Central & North America
Please join
me in praying for one part of the world each day of the week:
Jesus, today, Wednesday,
please bless the people of East
Asia
On this 23rd
of the month, Jesus
please bless the
prisoners of Guanxi
Please join me in praying
for prisoners in one part of China each day of the month |
