The Orlandi family’s lawyer Laura Sgro confirmed the probe.
She said “the secretariat of state has authorised the opening of an investigation into a grave in the Teutonic Cemetery inside the Vatican”, after an anonymous tip-off indicated that people should look where a statue of an angel in the cemetery is pointing.
The Vatican said on March 27 it was handling a request from the Orlandi family to reopen a grave indicated by the angel.
Interim Vatican spokesman Alessandro Gisotti said that “at the moment I don’t have any statement to make on the issue”.
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Woman Who Survived Mom’s Abortion Tells Democratic Senators: I Do Exist
A woman who survived her mother’s abortion attempt urged senators Tuesday to pass a bill protecting babies who live through abortions.
She also said she’s not the only abortion survivor in the U.S.
“I know of 281 others just like me,” said Melissa Ohden, founder of the Abortion Survivors Network. The actual number, though, is likely “much higher,” she said.
Ohden appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee to urge passage of the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, which would prohibit abortion at the point an unborn baby can feel pain. Supporters of the bill say that’s at 20 weeks. The bill also would protect babies who survive abortion. Democrats on the committee oppose it.
In 1977, Ohden’s mother underwent a saline infusion abortion at age 19 at a hospital in Sioux City, Iowa, when she likely was around 31 weeks pregnant, Ohden said. Ohden’s grandmother forced Ohden’s mom to get the abortion.
“As the toxic salt solution of the saline infusion abortion was injected into the amniotic fluid surrounding me in the womb, attempting to scald and poison me to death, I wonder how long it took for the pain to set in,” Ohden said. “If you read about it online or in medical journals, you will find children like me called the ‘red skinned,’ or ‘candy-apple babies,’ because that toxic solution would turn the skin…
Indigenous communities make up around 3.4 per cent of Colombia’s population and do not tend to prescribe to Catholicism or the other main religions. They are more detached, more tribal and often have their own versions of religion and Christians are seen as traitors to their traditional beliefs and their community.
The Christian anti-persecution charity Open Doors says Christian girls are regularly forced to marry men from their community to prevent them meeting with their Christian family or receiving teaching, and to ensure their children are not Christian.
Indigenous communities have had more autonomy and independence since the 1990s, when laws were passed to let them create their own policies, something Open Doors says has legally allowed violent and discriminatory behaviour towards their Christian members.
In particular, women are seen as an economic burden so married-off young and Christian women are even more vulnerable with their faith being a reason for isolation, early marriage, imprisonment, the confiscation of property and abuse. They may also be denied access to education and health care.
According to Open Doors, one 17 year old girl is being held by her community in the mountains, isolated and unable to communicate after she was summoned several years ago to a hearing in front of her local authorities who tried to coerce her to renounce her…
Cory Booker Introduces Slavery Reparations Bill in the Senate
Senator Cory Booker introduced a bill that would study the possibility of giving reparations to the descendants of slaves. Booker, a Democratic candidate for President, filed the bill Tuesday. According to Fox News, it would provide for a commission to study and report on the impact of slavery and discrimination against black Americans and would also deliver a verdict on different proposals for offering reparations.
Booker’s bill mirrors the one offered in the House of Representatives. Texas Representative Sheila Jackson Lee introduced a bill in which was first introduced by Rep. John Conyers in 1989.
Booker said the bill, “is a way of addressing head-on the persistence of racism, white supremacy, and implicit racial bias in our country. It will bring together the best minds to study the issue and propose solutions that will finally begin to right the economic scales of past harms and make sure we are a country where all dignity and humanity is affirmed.”
Booker also said that “Since slavery in this country, we have had overt policies fueled by white supremacy and racism that have oppressed African-Americans economically for generations.” He continued, “Many of our bedrock domestic policies that have ushered millions of Americans into the middle class have systematically excluded blacks through practices like GI Bill discrimination and redlining.”
The organisation has written to the abbey’s dean to say the ceremony – hosted by the Royal Navy – would undermine the Church of England’s (C of E) opposition to nuclear weapons.
In a letter to Very Rev John Hall, Paul Parker from Quakers in Britain, which has 22,400 attendees, said: “Quakers regard nuclear weapons as faithless.
“To threaten humanity and the planet with nuclear annihilation is in our view contrary to what God would have us do.
“It is indeed imperative that we all continue to pray and work for peace throughout the world, but peace is not served by the maintenance, possession and threat of use of nuclear weapons.”
Last summer, the C of E’s governing body passed a motion which said Christians ought to “work tirelessly” for the elimination of nuclear weapons.
Premier reported last month on how the Christian Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament urged Westminster Abbey to think again about hosting the service – planned for 3rd May.
“Peace is not served by the maintenance, possession and threat of use of nuclear weapons.”@RCquaker criticises Westminster Abbey’s ‘National Service of Thanksgiving to mark 50 years of the Continuous at Sea Deterrent’ https://t.co/na0WFip0gp
— Quakers in Britain (@BritishQuakers) April 9, 2019
But the abbey refuted claims the ceremony was service of thanksgiving or celebration for…
Benjamin Netanyahu seems to be in position to win a fourth consecutive term as prime minister of Israel.
As of this morning, 97 percent of the votes have been counted in Israel’s parliamentarian election. As I explained yesterday, no party has ever won a sixty-one-vote majority in the Knesset (their Parliament). The party leader who seems most likely to form a majority coalition with other parties will be given an opportunity to do so.
Job was confident: “I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God” (Job 19:25–26).
While life after death is affirmed in the Old Testament (cf. Isaiah 26:19), Judaism has evolved in its beliefs about the afterlife across the centuries since.
Rabbi Evan Moffic writes: “Heaven has [an] open door policy: Heaven is not a gated community. The righteous of any people and any faith have a place in it. Our actions, not our specific beliefs, determine our fate. No concept of Hell exists in Judaism.”
Rabbi Tzvi Freeman believes that “in the afterlife, the soul is liberated from the body and returns closer to her source than ever before.” During this passage, “the good deeds and wisdom the soul has gained on her mission below serve as a protection for her journey upwards.” Then, “at the final resolution, all souls will return to physical bodies in this world.”
Writing for Haaretz, Elon Gilad notes that “even today, Jews believe in different, often irreconcilable, theories of what life after death is like.” For instance, according to the Talmud (Eruvin 19b), most people go to a place where their sins are purged,…
In a statement, they said: “Continuing to ensure the safety of all our visitors, whatever the reason they are here, is paramount and we have been reviewing this carefully over the past few days.
“This includes the safety of those on the Cathedral floor.
“We have therefore…taken the hard decision to temporarily close the Whispering Gallery whilst we assess whether there are any further safety measures that could be put in place.”
Emergency services called to the historic church last Monday were unable to save the unidentified male.
St Paul’s Cathedral said it was “deeply saddened” by the latest fatality.
Lidia Dragescu, a 23 year old figure skater, died after falling from a Whispering Gallery in October 2017.
We are sorry to announce that we are closing the Cathedral for the rest of the day and Evensong will not take place this evening. More information to follow.
— St Paul’s Cathedral (@StPaulsLondon) April 1, 2019
The cathedral insists the gallery, which has been visited by millions of people over the years, is “a safe place to visit”.
Chaired by Charlie Arbuthnot, an expert in the financing of social housing, and the Bishop of Kensington, Graham Tomlin, who has been active in efforts to support residents following the Grenfell Tower disaster, the group will begin to ask questions about the use of Church land, affordable housing and government policy.
Launched at Lambeth Palace on Tuesday, the Commission is made up of experts in the area of housing and community including Sir Robert John Devereux a former permanent secretary for the Department for Work and Pensions and Marvin Rees the Mayor of Bristol.
Those gathered at the launch were promised a “thoughtful, imaginative and radical” look at issue as well being told the Commission is keen to listen to stories of those working on the ground.
Explaining the importance of its work, Justin Welby, said: “Britain’s housing crisis is one of the major challenges facing this country – and it is hitting the poorest the hardest. While there is already significant work being done to find solutions, the Church has something unique to contribute.
To solve Britain’s housing crisis, we need to build communities as well as homes. I’m very grateful to Rev Sue Faulkner and Dave Gray who lives on Spencer Dallington Estate in @Peterborodio today for sharing their stories and insights on how to build communities. pic.twitter.com/F9WZeIWCXv
The event will be the climax of this year’s Thy Kingdom Come campaign which calls on believers to commit to praying for 5 people that they would come to know Jesus.
Those attending will be led in worship by Grammy winning Matt Redman and the Kingdom Choir – made famous through their performance at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
The service will include contributions from leaders from a host of different denominations including Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, Archbishop of Westminster Vincent Nichols, Archbishop Angaelos, General Bishop in the UK of the Coptic Orthodox Church and Bishop of London, Sarah Mullally.
Speaking to Premier, spokesperson for the event Lisa Mainwaring, said: “It’s probably one of the most iconic public spaces in the UK and it’s going to be set apart for Christians to pray for, and wait on the empowering of the Holy Spirit.
“What we’re hoping is that Trafalgar Square will be transformed into a joyful family celebration and service.
“And the day is going to be packed full of festivities, really. We’ve got live performances, there will be prayer workshops, children’s activities, dance, praise and worship, arts and crafts, spoken word. The food carts open at 12pm, so get there early for popular vendors.”
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