KING JESUS IS COMING FOR US ANY TIME NOW. THE RAPTURE. BE PREPARED TO GO.
Netanyahu won’t meet Pope Francis this week’
Diplomatic source contradicts earlier statement by Netanyahu’s office
October 20, 2013, 11:14 pm
0-The Times of Israel
Prime Minister Benjamin will not meet with Pope Francis I this week, a diplomatic source told the French news agency AFP Sunday.Last
Wednesday, Netanyahu’s office issued a statement announcing that the
prime minister would be meeting with the pope at the Vatican this
Wednesday and separately with Secretary of State John Kerry in Rome to
discuss nuclear talks with Iran and the ongoing peace talks with the
Palestinians.However, the AFP source said that there were
no plans for the meeting, pointing out that meetings with the pope
typically had to be scheduled further in advance.Netanyahu’s office declined a request for a comment.The meeting would have been Netanyahu’s first
with the current pope, who met with Palestinian Authority President
Mahmoud Abbas last Thursday at the Vatican and with President Shimon
Peres in April. Netanyahu met with the previous pope, Benedict XVI, in
2009, as well as with Pope John Paul II in 1997.Abbas and Peres both invited the pontiff to
Israel and the Palestinian territories, and Francis has said he would
like to visit the Middle East.Israel’s Channel 2 reported last Sunday that
the pope had scheduled a trip for March, but the Vatican has yet to
confirm that that’s the case.
“Francis speaks to the spirituality of our times: followers of the “personal God” are not particularly interested in the moral prescriptions given by representatives of religious institutions but want to find a meaning to their fragmented individual existences. They are still awaiting for the Evangel, the original term for “good news””.
“I am personally very hopeful and anxious to see the future developments of this pontificate,” Bauman said. “I have been struck by the emphasis Bergoglio places on dialogue: a real dialogue, not just the kind you get by speaking to people whop think more or less like you. It’s when you compare ideas with individuals who see things from a completely different point of view that dialogue becomes interesting; in this case, the different sides may very well be driven to change their personal opinions.”“This is the kind of exchange we are in urgent need of today, because we are called to deal with problems that have far-reaching consequences, so we don’t have any ready-made solutions: just think of the divide between the rich and a vast part of the world’s population that still lives in poverty; or of the need to put an end to the indiscriminate exploitation of the planet’s resources and to find an alternative to a clearly unsustainable development model.”
Report: Germany to back EU-Turkey talks
Today @ 09:06-OCT 21,13
By EUOBSERVER
Reuters reports Germany is ready to drop its opposition to opening a
chapter of talks with Turkey on EU membership. Member states are due to
discuss the issue this Tuesday and could decide to open talks in
November. Germany and others had been concerned about Ankara's crackdown
on pro-democracy protests.
Rome hit by anti-austerity strikes
Today @ 09:05-OCT 21,13
By EUOBSERVER
A strike organised by Italy's Corbas union on Friday interrupted
public transport and flight traffic in Rome, while gathering 70,000
people on Saturday in protests against PM Enrico Letta's newly presented
austerity budget. The peaceful demonstration got out of hand when
passing the finance ministry, where demonstrators clashed with police.
10/21/2013 THE VATICAN INSIDER
Pope Francis welcomes new US ambassador to the Holy See
Ambassador Kenneth F. Hackett
“The United States and the Holy See have converging global interests that span a broad range of issues”, the new US Ambassador to the Holy See, Ken Hackett, said after presenting his credentials to Pope Francis
gerard o'connell Rome Pope Francis welcomed the new US Ambassador to the Holy See, Kenneth F. Hackett, when he presented his credentials in the Vatican at 10.30 a.m. this morning, October 21.Ken Hackett, as he is commonly known, presented his credentials to the first Pope from the Americas when they met in the Apostolic Palace, in the presence of his family and US embassy staff. Nominated by President Barack Obama on June 14, he gained confirmation from the US Senate, August 1.He is the 10th US Ambassador to the Holy See, and succeeds Miguel H. Diaz who served in that role from 5 August 2009 to 5 November 2011.“I am excited and honored to begin this new journey”, the Jesuit-educated Hackett said in his blog which he opened today.“While new to diplomacy and embassy life, I have been working in the area of international human development for the last four decades”, he said. This was a reference to his 40-year career with Catholic Relief Services (CRS) in the United States, which he led as President/Executive Director from 1993 to-2011, overseeing its operations in more than 100 countries.“My wife and I have lived and worked in many areas of the world. Our first child was born in the Philippines and our second was born in Kenya”, the 66-year old ambassador revealed in his blog. He recalled how during his work with CRS he had met “many inspirational faith leaders who spent their lives promoting peace and human dignity – in Sierra Leone, Haiti, the Philippines, Kenya, and all over the world”.“I have seen, and know first-hand, the importance of religion in people’s lives and the power faith leaders have to make positive change in their communities”, Hackett stated. “The United States and the Holy See have converging global interests that span a broad range of issues. A desire to promote human rights and social justice is the foundation of a relationship that is strong, relevant, and enduring” the ambassador asserted in his blog.A US Embassy communiqué reporting on his meeting with Pope Francis said the new Ambassador emphasized how “President Obama and Secretary of State Kerry have both highlighted the need to engage with religious leaders and the faith community in the policy process to address critical global issues”. Furthermore, he said, “The Vatican and the Holy Father have the ability to influence world events in a positive way through the calling of faith and they will continue to be important partners in future collaboration.”On a more personal note he recalled that in his time at CRS, “I had the personal joy of being involved in efforts to alleviate some of the conditions Pope Francis talks about – poverty, refugees, migration – and I believe there is much we can continue to do together to work further towards promoting human dignity.”Hackett, in his blog, voiced his conviction that “the focus of Pope Francis on the issues of poverty, simplicity, and human dignity” which “offers inspiration to leaders around the world” also “offers great promise for continued partnership between our two countries.”The new Ambassador noted that both the USA and the Holy See “work to make a difference on a range of important global issues such as trafficking in persons, interreligious dialogue, conflict resolution, food access and security, HIV/AIDS, and care for the environment”. He said he looked forward “to deepening, and expanding where possible, that collaboration” during his time in Rome.
10/20/2013 THE VATICAN INSIDER
Bauman: “With Francis the Church and humanity have a chance”
The philosopher Zygmunt Bauman
Zygmunt Bauman the Polish-born philosopher who wrote about “fluid modernity” said this in an interview with Vatican newspaper “L’Osservatore Romano”
vatican insider staff Rome “I am in awe at everything Francis is doing: I believe his pontificate gives not just the Catholic Church but the entire humanity a chance.” This is according to Polish-born sociologist Zygmunt Bauman, who coined the phrase “liquid modernity”.In an interview with Vatican newspaper L’Osservatore Romano, Bauman said “Jorge Mario Bergoglio’s rejection of legalism and the ability he has to touch people’s hearts are reminiscent of John XXIII.” “The current Pope has shown a fearless attitude: I’m thinking of what he did in Lampedusa and what he said about the outcasts of our globalised world,” Bauman said.“Francis speaks to the spirituality of our times: followers of the “personal God” are not particularly interested in the moral prescriptions given by representatives of religious institutions but want to find a meaning to their fragmented individual existences. They are still awaiting for the Evangel, the original term for “good news””.
“I am personally very hopeful and anxious to see the future developments of this pontificate,” Bauman said. “I have been struck by the emphasis Bergoglio places on dialogue: a real dialogue, not just the kind you get by speaking to people whop think more or less like you. It’s when you compare ideas with individuals who see things from a completely different point of view that dialogue becomes interesting; in this case, the different sides may very well be driven to change their personal opinions.”“This is the kind of exchange we are in urgent need of today, because we are called to deal with problems that have far-reaching consequences, so we don’t have any ready-made solutions: just think of the divide between the rich and a vast part of the world’s population that still lives in poverty; or of the need to put an end to the indiscriminate exploitation of the planet’s resources and to find an alternative to a clearly unsustainable development model.”
If it's public money, it has to be visible'
Today @ 07:49-OCT 21,13
By Honor Mahony
BRUSSELS - The EU's brand new ombudsman
is planning a strategic shake up of the office taking it away from
being a "dumping ground" for EU staff disputes to becoming a force for
good governance in an EU capital awash with secretive lobbying and
'revolving door' cases.Emily O'Reilly is just three weeks into the job. But there is already
a coincidental familiarity. She is starting her work 18 years after the
post was first set up and as the first woman after two men.In 2003, she found herself in the same position in her native
Ireland. She went on to become a well-respected Ombudsman, raising the
profile of the office by tackling various secretive ministries."I am ambitious for the role of the office and its impact," says
O'Reilly. "The core work is dealing with complaints but the bigger part
is about effecting positive change within the administration."Her first important moment will come later this year when her office
publishes a report looking into how the European Commission has dealt
with conflict of interest situations over the last three years.O’Reilly notes that how her office handles this - with the
commission recently embroiled in a high-profile scandal about tobacco
lobbying - will “define” how she is perceived for the rest of her
mandate.
Another hot issue on her desk is the Michel Petite case, seen as epitomizing the close links between EU institutions and big business.Petite, former head of the commission's legal services, now works for a lobbying firm that has Big Tobacco on its books. He has discussed tobacco issues with the commission officials and continues to sit on an ethics committee advising the institution on lobbying rules.The ombudsman's verdict is due in "the next couple of months."As part of her aim to make EU institutions the “trailblazers” in transparency and governance O’Reilly plans to reorient her office."I want to focus the resources and the skills of the staff here on work that really matters.”“We do spend quite a lot of time on staff cases. These are legitimate. But to my mind that is not the function that was intended for the office of the ombudsman.”
The EU institutions should largely handle these cases – which take up “precious time and money” – themselves with proper “complaint management systems.”“I want to bring together a team to do own-initiative and systemic investigations. So there you scan the horizon and see where a case could make an impact and not just for a few people but on a wider basis.”One such case is a probe into the EU border agency, Frontex. Her office is looking into how the agency deals with people who complain that they have been mistreated by it."Those are sort of issues this office should be focusing on," she said.
O'Reilly recalls that one deputy of the round 70 she met while campaigning for the job works for the sugar industry."This MEP might see it as supporting a legitimate industry. Others might see it as supporting something that potentially has damaging health effects."She is keen to stress that she is not against lobbying as such which she considers a "perfectly legitimate activity". Her job is an "art form, not a precise science."
But her guiding ethic is that "if it is public money, it has to be visible."She says she cannot be "proscriptive" about lobby rules for MEPs - one idea is that lobbyists lists should be attached to all legislative dossiers so the public can easily see who has had an influence on law-making."This is something that the MEPs themselves will have to see is the right thing to do."
Another hot issue on her desk is the Michel Petite case, seen as epitomizing the close links between EU institutions and big business.Petite, former head of the commission's legal services, now works for a lobbying firm that has Big Tobacco on its books. He has discussed tobacco issues with the commission officials and continues to sit on an ethics committee advising the institution on lobbying rules.The ombudsman's verdict is due in "the next couple of months."As part of her aim to make EU institutions the “trailblazers” in transparency and governance O’Reilly plans to reorient her office."I want to focus the resources and the skills of the staff here on work that really matters.”“We do spend quite a lot of time on staff cases. These are legitimate. But to my mind that is not the function that was intended for the office of the ombudsman.”
The EU institutions should largely handle these cases – which take up “precious time and money” – themselves with proper “complaint management systems.”“I want to bring together a team to do own-initiative and systemic investigations. So there you scan the horizon and see where a case could make an impact and not just for a few people but on a wider basis.”One such case is a probe into the EU border agency, Frontex. Her office is looking into how the agency deals with people who complain that they have been mistreated by it."Those are sort of issues this office should be focusing on," she said.
What is acceptable?
But it is one thing talking about good governance and quite another making it happen. Transparency and what is considered acceptable lobbying is often culturally defined.The commission talks endlessly about good governance but is often in the spotlight for high profile revolving door cases - such as Michel Petite's - and being unforthcoming about meetings with industry.And it has something of a tin ear when it comes to seeing how things will be perceived outside Brussels, insisting, for example, that a register for lobbying groups should continue to be voluntary.The European Parliament, meanwhile, is also publicly keen on transparency. But past experience shows deputies are slow to change. Transforming the rules around expenses and hiring family took many years. And many of its MEPs are still reluctant to disclose who they meet and when.O'Reilly recalls that one deputy of the round 70 she met while campaigning for the job works for the sugar industry."This MEP might see it as supporting a legitimate industry. Others might see it as supporting something that potentially has damaging health effects."She is keen to stress that she is not against lobbying as such which she considers a "perfectly legitimate activity". Her job is an "art form, not a precise science."
But her guiding ethic is that "if it is public money, it has to be visible."She says she cannot be "proscriptive" about lobby rules for MEPs - one idea is that lobbyists lists should be attached to all legislative dossiers so the public can easily see who has had an influence on law-making."This is something that the MEPs themselves will have to see is the right thing to do."
