JEWISH KING JESUS IS COMING AT THE RAPTURE FOR US IN THE CLOUDS-DON'T MISS IT FOR THE WORLD.THE BIBLE TAKEN LITERALLY- WHEN THE PLAIN SENSE MAKES GOOD SENSE-SEEK NO OTHER SENSE-LEST YOU END UP IN NONSENSE.GET SAVED NOW- CALL ON JESUS TODAY.THE ONLY SAVIOR OF THE WHOLE EARTH - NO OTHER.
1 COR 15:23-JESUS THE FIRST FRUITS-CHRISTIANS RAPTURED TO JESUS-FIRST FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT-23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.ROMANS 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.(THE PRE-TRIB RAPTURE)
03/18/2015-Pope to address UN General Assembly on 25 September-The UN headquarters in New York-The UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon confirmed the news: “The Pope’s visit will inspire the international community”-vatican insider staff
Rome-Pope Francis will be at the United Nations headquarters in New York on the morning of 25 September, to address the General Assembly. The UN confirmed the news, specifying that the Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon “applauds” the Pope’s decision.The UN Secretary-General said he was “confident the Pope's visit would inspire the international community to redouble its efforts for social justice, tolerance and understanding among all the world’s peoples.”Ban welcomed the Pope’s visit “as an important part of a historic year in which the United Nations marks its 70th anniversary.”
The papal visit to the United States for the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia, will also include a stop-over in Washington. As the Speaker of the House of Representatives, John Boemer, said, the Pope will be visiting Capitol Hill on Thursday 24 September 2015. On that day, he will become the first Pope in history to address a joint session of Congress.
-pic-vatican insider
03/19/2015-The 3D information in the image on the Shroud of Turin-The face on the Shroud-The origin of the Shroud is still a mystery. But despite all attempts to recreate it, Professor Nello Balossino says the figure on the cloth is a bit like a negative but with additional three dimensional information and so far no one has been able to replicate it-andrea tornielli
http://israndjer.blogspot.ca/2006/09/my-encounter-miracle-with-god.html
rome- The spotlight is back on the Turin Shroud ahead of the next Ostension, which Pope Francis will be attending along with all the other pilgrims. The Shroud is considered one of the most important icons or relics of Jesus’ Passion. While the history of the cloth remains shrouded in mystery and lacks watertight testimonies that can vouch for its existence before the Medieval period, the formation of the image on the Shroud remains unexplainable: So far, no one has succeeded in producing a satisfactory replica of it. As Nello Balossino, a Professor at the University of Turin and an expert on the Shroud explained to Vatican Insider, the Shroud contains “three dimensional information” within it.It has often been said that the image on the Shroud resembles a photographic negative. Is this true? “In terms of formation, an image is created through the interaction of light energy coming from a setting through the acquisition system. But it is only the light intensity that is recorded, not the phase in which the depth is codified: a photographic negative does not therefore possess three-dimensional information. The image on the Shroud behaves like a negative in as far as the inverting chiaroscuro and special dimension are concerned but it is not a negative in terms of photographic acceptation. The Shroud image contains evident reddish chromatic nuances which form a body in terms of the morphometry: this is the three-dimensional content. By inverting the intensity and specularity we can get a real-life view of the figure, preserving the elevation aspect.”So the Shroud behaves like a special kind of photographic negative...“As I said, an ordinary photographic negative does not reproduce three-dimensional information. The image on the Shroud contains this information, which is codified in a series of nuances. In other words, what we have before us is an image formed through a three-dimensional process, which cannot yet be explained and simulated in practice in order to obtain replica images of the Shroud. The difference in tonality between the light and dark elements of the image is so low that the eye is only able to perceive the general features of a human face, but the details are not easy to make out. In fact the light distribution on the face depicted in the image is exactly the opposite to what we perceive in reality, with protruding elements appearing darker than the hollows of the face. The inversion process presents the face of a man from a real-life perspective.”What would need to be done in order to replicate it? “I have examined the various attempts through the use of different techniques to reproduce the Tutrin Shroud. In none of these cases did the images last in time or contain the three-dimensional information contained in the Shroud and the features that are unique to the image such as the superficiality in the chromatic variation of the cloth fibres and their integrity. These details certainly make it harder to justify the explanation according to which the Shroud image is a medieval forgery.
Polar bear mauls tourist as eclipse junkies head to Arctic-AFP | Updated: March 19, 2015-astro awani
OSLO: A Czech tourist was mauled by a polar bear in Svalbard in Norway's Arctic on Thursday, police said, illustrating the potential danger for those arriving to see this week's total eclipse of the sun."One person was slightly injured in a polar bear attack," police inspector Sidsel Svarstad told AFP.The man, one of a group of six campers, suffered injuries to his face and arm and has been taken to hospital, a statement from the local governor's office said.The bear has been put down, it added.The attack comes on the eve of a total solar eclipse that is only going to be fully visible on Earth from Svalbard, an archipelago in the Arctic, and the Faroe Islands, a Danish autonomy territory in the North Atlantic.The moon is expected to pass between Earth and the sun on Friday, with a total eclipse beginning at 1011 GMT in Svalbard and lasting for three minutes.It is the only total eclipse this year, and some 1,500 to 2,000 tourists from around the world are expected to descend on Svalbard for the chance to observe it.Local authorities have warned eclipse chasers of the dangers posed by polar bears.People leaving Svalbard's inhabited areas are required to be accompanied by an armed local guide or carry a rifle.According to police, the six campers were taking part in a snowmobile and ski tour some 50 kilometres (30 miles) from Longyearbyen, the main town in Svalbard, when the attack occurred.It was not immediately known whether the tourists were in town for the eclipse. There have been five fatal polar bear attacks in Svalbard in the past four decades. The most recent one occurred in 2011, involving a 17-year-old British student on a school trip.Some 3,000 polar bears live in the region, outnumbering the 2,500 inhabitants.
HOARDING OF GOLD AND SILVER
DOCTOR DOCTORIAN FROM ANGEL OF GOD
then the angel said, Financial crisis will come to Asia. I will shake the world.
JAMES 5:1-3
1 Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.
2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten.
3 Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.
REVELATION 18:10,17,19
10 Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.
17 For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off,
19 And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.
EZEKIEL 7:19
19 They shall cast their silver in the streets, and their gold shall be removed:(CONFISCATED) their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the LORD: they shall not satisfy their souls, neither fill their bowels: because it is the stumblingblock of their iniquity.
LUKE 2:1-3
1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.
2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)
3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
REVELATION 13:16-18
16 And he(THE FALSE POPE WHO DEFECTED FROM THE CHRISTIAN FAITH) causeth all,(IN THE WORLD ) both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:(MICROCHIP IMPLANT)
17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark,(MICROCHIP IMPLANT) or the name of the beast,(WORLD DICTATORS NAME INGRAVED ON YOUR SKIN OR TATTOOED ON YOU OR IN THE MICROCHIP IMPLANT) or the number of his name.(THE NUMBERS OF HIS NAME INGRAVED IN THE MICROCHIP IMLPLANT)-(ALL THESE WILL TELL THE WORLD DICTATOR THAT YOUR WITH HIM AND AGAINST KING JESUS-GOD)
18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast:(WORLD LEADER) for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.(6-6-6) A NUMBER SYSTEM (6006006)OR(60020202006)(SOME KIND OF NUMBER IMPLANTED IN THE MICROCHIP THAT TELLS THE WORLD DICTATOR AND THE NEW WORLD ORDER THAT YOU GIVE YOUR TOTAL ALLIGIENCE TO HIM AND NOT JESUS)(ITS AN ETERNAL DECISION YOU MAKE)(YOU CHOOSE YOUR OWN DESTINY)(YOU TAKE THE DICTATORS NAME OR NUMBER UNDER YOUR SKIN,YOUR DOOMED TO THE LAKE OF FIRE AND TORMENTS FOREVER,NEVER ENDING MEANT ONLY FOR SATAN AND HIS ANGELS,NOT HUMAN BEINGS).OR YOU REFUSE THE MICROCHIP IMPLANT AND GO ON THE SIDE OF KING JESUS AND RULE FOREVER WITH HIM ON EARTH.YOU CHOOSE,ITS YOUR DECISION.
EU proposes new tax transparency rules By Nikolaj Nielsen-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, 18. Mar, 17:53-Peer pressure will underpin a new European Commission proposal to make big companies pay their fair share of tax and prevent governments from cheating others out of taxable revenue streams.The Brussels-executive on Wednesday (18 March) told reporters that requiring member states to be more transparent in their tax rulings would create a “virtuous circle” between states and companies.“Better transparency will lead to greater scrutiny,” said EU commissioner for taxation Pierre Moscovici.Moscovici’s so-called tax transparency package is seen, in part, as a response to the series of tax scandals over the past few months that have implicated large banks and multinationals.The media disclosures are an embarrassment to the EU commission president Jean-Claude Juncker, who under his 14-year tenure as Luxembourg’s prime minister and finance minister, oversaw many of the deals that allowed big firms pay less than 2 percent tax liability in the Grand Duchy.The latest legislative proposal from the commission intends to crack down on those schemes by imposing an automatic exchange of information on tax rulings and requiring national authorities to send each other short reports every three months.It is a step up from current rules that only require a “spontaneous” exchange of information but is said to fall short on addressing the sweetheart deals exposed by last year's LuxLeaks scandal.Koen Roovers at the Financial Transparency Coalition said in a statement that the commission’s package is a “fractional” response to the Luxembourg tax scandal because the public will still remain in the dark."Over 150 companies in the leak were associated with the United States, but they will simply be out of bounds under this proposal,” he said.“If all EU tax rulings were made public, companies would have a harder time negotiating the types of tax deals that don’t stand up to public scrutiny,” he added.UK Green MEP Molly Scott Cato, who heads the political group's economic and finance portfolio, said the commission's package did not tackle the problems exposed by the LuxLeak disclosures either.“In particular, the Commission does not recognise that tax competition or dumping is a major underlying problem, which undermines the EU's internal market,” she said.But the former French finance minister defended the new proposal and said it “will radically improve transparency” and “move us closer to our goal of fair taxation and fairer tax competition in the Union”.He expects member states to back the proposal and have it implemented at the start of next year.“Today’s package is not the end of the story. It is the beginning of the story,” he added, noting public disclosure requirements for companies may be part of another proposal set for later this year.The commission also plans on repealing the savings tax directive whose loopholes were exploited by the Geneva subsidiary of UK banking giant HSBC bank.National governments have come under intense pressure to crack down on shady deals that allow firms to reduce tax liabilities by shifting their profits towards states with beneficial tax regimes.Their tax rulings allow for aggressive tax planning where companies in places like Luxembourg can then channel taxable profits back into the business and away from the public coffer.The schemes are thought to sap government budgets of around €1 trillion a year, according to one report, but the commission says the lack of reliable data makes the calculation a nearly impossible exercise.“We can’t give a figure, it’s a lot of money is all I can say,” said Moscovici.
Thousands protest outside ECB's new headquarters By Honor Mahony-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, 18. Mar, 17:46-Thousands of protestors demonstrated in front of the European Central Bank's (ECB) new headquarters in Frankfurt Wednesday (18 March), but the bank's chief said it ins’t "not fair" to blame it for austerity policies undertaken by governments."As an EU institution that has played a central role throughout the crisis, the ECB has become a focal point for those frustrated with this situation. This may not be a fair charge - our action has been aimed precisely at cushioning the shocks suffered by the economy," said Mario Draghi at the inauguration ceremony for the €1.3 billion premises."Solidarity is central to European integration and it is right that countries have supported each other during the crisis. But the euro area is not a political union of the sort where some countries permanently pay for others."He noted that the 19 euro countries must be able to "stand on their own two feet" and are "responsible" for their policies. Outside the building, which has housed ECB staff for four months already, thousands protested against the bank's and Germany's eurozone policies.“In the past, we protested against things like the rescue of the banks in Europe," said Werner Renz, a representative of protest group Attac, according to Reuters." The focus of our protests this year is on Greece. We need more of Athens in Europe and less of Berlin. There is no way Greece can repay all its debt. The situation can't be solved by austerity alone." Greece's radical-left government, in power since January, has been trying to reach a deal with its eurozone partners on what reforms it needs to make in order to get the next tranche of bailout money.It came to power on the back of election promises to stop austerity - but its creditors have refused to release money until Athens commits to certain reforms.Greek banks lenders have been cut off from regular ECB finance lines and are taking emergency credit from the country's central bank.Finance minister Yanis Varafakis has characterised the bank's approach to Greece as "asphyxiating".Draghi, for his part, recently launched a €1.1 trillion plan to boost inflation and the economy and was credited with taking the heat of out of the eurozone crisis in 2012 with this “whatever it takes” promise to save the euro.In return he has repeatedly asked eurozone governments to undertake structural reforms, saying fiscal or monetary stimulus will not be enough to revive the economy.In his speech on Wednesday, Draghi said that the more economic decision-making powers move to EU level, the more democracy must move too."Making policy without adequate representation and accountability does not work. So we need to deepen our economic union and our political union together," he said, referring to the European Parliament."Inevitably European democracy will be different," he said but added he was certain that "in giving up some formal sovereignty, people will gain in effective sovereignty".The ECB will contribute to a paper on deepening economic and monetary union to be presented at an EU leaders summit in June.European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, who is leading the further-integration debate, recently said the report was "essential" as the outside world does not know where the eurozone is heading.
UK exit from EU would make Britons 'illegal' immigrants-By EUOBSERVER-Today, 09:00-MAR 19,15
Two million British nationals living in the EU would become 'illegal' immigrants should the UK exit the EU, says former attorney general Dominic Grieve. Grieve made the comments ahead of May's election where the governing Conservative party has promised a referendum on EU membership should David Cameron win another mandate.
EU needs China to fight pollution and climate change By Peter Teffer-EUOBSERVER
Brussels, 18. Mar, 19:28-Chinese prime minister Li Keqiang's recent vow to combat pollution is among the most important developments in China for the EU, Ellis Mathews, head of the China division at the European External Action Service, has said.Speaking at an event organised by the EU-Asia Centre in Brussels, Mathews was taking stock of EU-China relations, after the annual session of the National People's Congress in China, earlier this month.In a significant speech on 5 March at the session, China's PM Li called environmental pollution “a blight on people's quality of life and a trouble that weighs on their hearts”.“We must strictly enforce environmental laws and regulations; crack down on those guilty of creating illegal emissions and ensure they pay a heavy price for such offences,” said Li, who also promised to promote electric vehicles.Mathews highlighted the promise by Li to replace coal-fired power plants in areas that are heavily polluted, with alternative energy sources.“We have a huge interest in Europe in an energy transition in China, mainly away from coal,” said Mathews.Coal is the fossil fuel emitting the most greenhouse gases. China is responsible for just under a quarter of the world's emissions.“The things that we want to do on a global level, especially on climate change, aren't going to be achievable without a strong EU-China, and indeed EU-China-US partnership,” said Mathews.China has promised that by 2030, its emissions will have peaked. “Perhaps even before 2030”, said Qian Bo, minister-counselor at the Chinese mission to the EU in Brussels.According to the International Energy Agency, 2014 was the first year in forty years in which the world's emissions from the energy sector did not grow while the economy did. The IEA attributed part of the halt to less burning of Chinese coal.“We are committed to this goal,” said Qian, although he added that the world's expectations of China cannot be too high.“We are quite aware that we have a special responsibility. But at the same time, you want to caution everybody, that China is a developing country. We need ... space for China to develop,” noted Qian.Jo Leinen, a German centre-left member of the European Parliament, noted that he hoped that the Chinese governments' words were followed by actions.“I'm a bit worried that the film Under the Dome ... disappeared,” he said, referring to a Chinese documentary on pollution, which was allowed to be circulated online for less than a week until censors banned it.Qian refrained from commenting on what happened to the documentary.“This is a very difficult question for me to answer. We are very serious in addressing the environmental issues,” he said.
Two options on Russia sanctions at EU summit-By Andrew Rettman-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, 18. Mar, 09:28-Economic sanctions on Russia are likely to be extended shortly after Thursday’s (19 March) summit or in June despite objections, diplomats say.The leaders’ draft conclusions, dated Monday (16 March) and seen by EUobserver, still have a blank space on the thorny subject.But diplomatic sources say pre-summit consultations have narrowed down two options.The first is to announce already this week that the measures, which expire in July, will be rolled over until the end of the year and to implement the move by a legal act shortly after the summit.The second is to state, also this week, the intention to do so, but to put off a final decision until an 11th hour summit in June.The new, end-2015 timeframe is designed to overlap with Minsk 2 commitments - a set of 13 ceasefire measures to be put in place by the end of the year, which were agreed by France, Germany, Russia, and Ukraine last month.One EU source said Council president Donald Tusk “has been in contact with capitals - his thinking is that whatever Merkel and Hollande [the German and French leaders] recommend should be implemented because they are the brokers of Minsk 2, so they have the best insight into the two other parties and what might work best”.A second EU source said: “One camp wants to send a strong signal to Russia already in March about the need to implement Minsk 2. The second camp is saying: ‘If we extend the sanctions now, it might provoke further escalation on the ground’.”German chancellor Angela Merkel has aligned herself with the hawkish group, which also includes the Baltic states, most Nordic countries, and Poland.The French position is less clear. But the anti-sanctions camp includes Austria, Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Spain, and Slovakia.“We hope there will be a joint position between France and Germany”, the first EU contact noted.In the background, Russia is courting closer ties with potential veto-wielders.It has held high-level meetings with Cyprus, Hungary, Italy, and Spain, while the Greek PM and the EU foreign relations chief, Federica Mogherini, are expected in Moscow in April.Its food safety authority has said Cyprus, Greece, and Hungary will be the first to see Russian counter-sanctions on food exports lifted if EU sanctions expire.Its arms industry authority said it expects France to decide in May if it will deliver its “Mistral” warships before it decides whether to seek compensation.The EU draft conclusions also envisage: pursuing closer EU ties with Georgia and Moldova on the Ukraine model; taking steps to cut energy dependence on Russia; and taking steps against Russia’s war propaganda.“Particular efforts should be devoted to advance co-operation in state building, mobility and people-to-people contacts, market opportunities and interconnections” with Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine, the draft text notes.“The European Council looks forward to the earliest possible ratification by all member states of the association agreements/deep and comprehensive free trade areas ... with Georgia, Republic of Moldova, and Ukraine”.
Non-bloc status
The summit takes place amid concern that Russia will attack the Ukrainian city of Mariupol.There is also concern it will use soft power to derail Georgia and Moldova’s EU integration.Speaking to the Russian parliament on Monday, Russia’s EU ambassador, Vladimir Chizhov, noted: “Of crucial importance in the development of relations between Russia and the EU will be the future of countries of the ‘common neighbourhood’.”He said Russia wants EU "co-operation in making Ukraine as well as Moldova and Georgia, booming, politically stable, friendly countries, which enjoy all benefits of a legally binding off-bloc status".
Gas
The summit's so-called Energy Union package calls for: gas and electricity interconnectors to help share power in case of a Russian cut-off; compliance with EU law on bilateral deals with Russia; and exploring joint purchases of gas.The counter-propaganda initiative tasks Mogherini with creating a new “communication team” which is “to prepare by June an action plan on strategic communication in support of media freedom”.The summit text also endorses finalising talks on a new EU-US free trade treaty, designed to fortify the Western alliance, “by the end of the year”.
Poland: Russian military drill designed to spook EU leaders By Andrew Rettman-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, 17. Mar, 19:22-Poland has said Russia’s military drill is designed to cow EU leaders into taking a softer line on sanctions at this week’s summit.The Polish PM, Ewa Kopacz, told reporters in Warsaw on Tuesday (17 March): “I’m certain that Russia is making these kinds of gestures … in order to influence a little the decision of the European Council, which relates to extending sanctions, or, eventually, if there’s no peaceful solution and no respect of Minsk 2 [a ceasefire accord], imposing more painful economic sanctions”.For his part, Edgars Rinkevics, the foreign minister of Latvia, which currently chairs the EU presidency, said member states are “not happy” about the Russian troop movements.But he didn’t share Kopacz’s analysis."I don’t think this is a positive step, but we cannot link sanctions policy on non-recognition of Crimea and the situation in Ukraine to [Russia’s] military drills”, he added, Russian state news agency Tass reports.Russia on Monday announced a five-day long exercise by its Northern Fleet and by airborne forces, in manouevres involving 40,000 troops, 41 warships, 15 submarines, and 110 warplanes and helicopters. Part of the drill involves sending nuclear-capable Iskander missiles to its Baltic Sea exclave of Kaliningrad.In a separate move, Moscow on Tuesday also said it would station long-range nuclear bombers in Crimea, which it annexed from Ukraine last year.EU leaders have not yet agreed their joint summit statement on Russia sanctions.Cyprus, Greece, Italy, and Spain have criticised them in recent weeks.But German chancellor Angela Merkel said in Berlin on Monday: “The sanctions and the implementation of the Minsk plan must be connected … We’ll have to discuss what happens if it’s not fulfilled and if there are crass violations then we’ll have to speak about further sanctions”.EU economic sanctions on Russia expire in July unless they are prolonged by consensus.One senior EU source told EUobserver there is unlikely to be a deal on how to proceed already at this week’s summit. But he said capitals are close to reaching agreement to extend them from July until the end of the year.He added that additional measures could be imposed if Russia suddenly escalates the situation.“The [European] commission has done its homework and in case the shit hits the fan, we've got a proposal ready for deepening of sanctions”.Barring other surprise drills, Russia’s next big show of force is likely to be its 9 May parade to commemorate the end of World War II.Its defence minister, Sergei Shoigu, said on Tuesday the solemnities will see 80,000 soldiers and 2,000 pieces of hardware on show in 28 cities, with 15,000 soldiers in Red Square alone.Foreign minister Sergei Lavrov noted that just four EU leaders - from Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Greece, and Slovakia - will come.He blamed the low turnout on transatlantic hawks, saying: “As for the European countries’ participation, then it is affected by the actions taken by the Americans and the aggressive core of the EU”.The Greek PM, Alexis Tsipras, on Tuesday said he will also visit Moscow in April, amid ongoing speculation he might accept Russian financial aid.
03/16/2015-Dianich: Let us free the Synod from “catastrophism”-Synod and families-The Italian theologian says whoever claims that orthodoxy is at risk at the upcoming Synodal Assembly, does not know the history of the Church and reduces the faith to a system of ideas and metaphysical deductions-Gianni Valente
Rome-Catastrophist sentiment is running high with regard to the work that is being done in view of the next Synod on the family. Coordinated ecclesiatical media strategies continue to fuel “preventive opposition” to any suggestion regarding a reconsideration – however careful – of the ban on the sacraments for remarried divorcees. Some say the orthodoxy of the faith is at stake and that this is one of those subjects that is not open to discussion if the unity of the Church is to remain intact.But do potential clashes over controversial issues being dealt with by the Synod represent an unprecedented and fatal threat to church communion? Is it right to block the road to discussion in the name of continuity in doctrine and Tradition? Vatican Insider put these questions to priest and theologian, Severino Dianich. Dianich has spent decades passionately exploring the mystery of the Church on its journey through history.Some believe the Synod on the family is a threat to the unity of the Church. Should we be concerned? “Whoever thinks in this way seems to ignore the history of the Church. And they do not experience the calm one feels in the knowledge that it is God who leads the Church and not us, with our disputes and our battles. It is a question of faith and also of a good historical conscience. Because the whole of Christianity’s history is also the history of one big debate with tensions and conflicts surrounding the mystery of faith and the revelation of God who is greater than our words and rituals. We have in our hands things that are far greater than us so that there can be a univocal solution to every question.”How can a look at history help? “The Council of Nicaea in 325 AD, defined that Jesus Christ the Son of God is “of the same substance as the Father”. We still repeat this today in the Creed every Sunday. And yet these words were the subject of endless discussions and serious divisions, because it was innovative and therefore according to some unacceptable because you could not insert an expression that is not in the Bible, in the Creed.”And more recently? “The divisions witnessed at the Second Vatican Council were far stronger than those witnessed in the Synod on the family, partly because of the depth and the greater weight carried by many questions being dealt with. For example, it was very difficult to obtain a consensus on the Nostra Aetate declaration on the dialogue with Judaism and other religious traditions. Not to mention the disputes over the declaration on religious freedom. And yet, in the end consensus – sometimes as high as 90% – was reached among the Council Fathers, even on the most controversial of issues. In the end the Church rediscovers, renews and strengthens its unity. But this happens during the course of a historic journey not as a rigid and static deduction of a priori assumptions. During the four Vatican II sessions held over four years, in many ways the debate initially followed certain rigid channels only for the reverse to prevail at the end. And this was only possible because the discussion was real and fruitful. So although Conciliar sensibility appeared to be upheld by a minority, the vast majority of Council Fathers gradually ended up being persuaded. These are the vital dynamics of discussion in the Church.”They say the truth doesn’t change and that to make changes in this field is to undermine the dominant way of thinking.“No! The truth doesn’t change but we who believe in it and communicate it through our minds and words, change. From a moral point of view, just think of the fact that for centuries the Church considered loans that yield interest as immoral and sinful; and yet today, which of us does not have a bank account? Remember also that the death penalty was in force in the Papal State and prostitution was permitted… There are thousands of other examples of changed practices and statements of principles.”Can the truth be voted on? Can the Church become like a parliament? “To say that the truth cannot be voted on is a statement that is as indisputable as it is ambiguous. You do not vote on the truth. But we can vote on the different ways we have of recognising it, embracing it and transmitting it and above all, on the instruments with which we intend to live the truth. The procedures followed in a Synod or a Council are not the same as in a parliament. Parliaments must formulate and vote on laws. Before deciding on any laws, Councils and Synods must identify and express “the meaning of the faith” of the people of God today, the Church in other words.”What does this actually involve? “A parliament can allow itself to pass a law even if a majority is achieved through just one vote. In the context of ecclesial collegiality, however, the aim, rules aside, is always to achieve an overwhelming majority. During the last Council, Paul VI often pushed for ideas he personally did not share to be considered. He asked Council Fathers to take them into account regardless, because that meant gathering a greater consensus. Because the idea that finally emerges must always express the faith of the Church which everybody should relate to. The more robust the faith is, the more we can afford to discuss and argue, in the certainty that the grace of God will preserve our faith.”If this is so, then where does all the “catastrophism” fomented by the media stem from? “Certain key words regarding controversial issues may cause complex interest groups to form around these. Furthermore, basing one’s statements on deja vus or things that have been said in the past is becoming increasingly convenient. There are explanations that are more pertinent.”What are you referring to? “During the recent Synod discussions, someone criticised an “essentialist” line of thought. There is a tendency to interpret the faith and all aspects surrounding it as if it were a metaphysical system. Seen from this angle, all that urgently needs to be done it seems, is to establish the truth in clear and distinct terms, Descartes-style, in a sort of metaphysics of the faith, using this as a starting point for any reflection, following a robust and deductive logic. Only this would guarantee the truth and effectiveness of the system.”What is it that doesn’t work? “If you go down this route you can only go from one idea to the next, from abstraction to abstraction, from a universal principle to a universal norm. And this doesn’t tell me anything about real life. “Essentialists” aim to boil the path of faith down to a logical process. And the truth is captured inside “certain” formulas, outside of which you find yourself in the realm of contradiction. But as Pope Francis has said more than once, reality is superior to the idea and in its infinite elements of uniqueness, it cannot be reduced to an idea.”And how is this reduction reflected in the “magma” of real life? “Take the crucial issue of the Synod debate, in other words the passage from the affirmation of the principle of indissolubility of marriage and Church law which forbids remarried divorcees from receiving absolution and communion. This passage is neither immediate nor forced. Hence, just as the Church created the law, it can also modify it, without rejecting the principle that justified the law. Because in between the principle and the law, the facts come into play. These include for example, frequent cases of irreversible situations in which a faithful is considered to be in a state of sin because they divorced and remarried but they would be committing another sin if they abandoned their new family in order to rebuild their other family, the only so-called legitimate one. The law currently in place seems to offer an inadequate response to such a case. And this is just one of the many difficult cases that could be described here.”Which criteria and factors guarantee and safeguard the unity of the Church in the common faith? “The underlying criterion is that indicated in the last Council’s Dei Verbum Constitution: the Holy Scriptures read within the context of Church Tradition and Tradition based on the Holy Scriptures. This is the key and decisive criterion. Tradition has been through different phases – also in the case of the sacrament of marriage which is one of the themes of the Synod – precisely because it is not fixed in one written text. If you remember, it was only with the Council of Trent that the canonical form was established as necessary for the validity of marriage.”What are you referring to? “Cohabitation is not considered a valid marriage because it has no canonical form so it cannot be considered licit in the eyes of the Catholic Church. But how did Catholics marry before the Council of Trent established a canonical form for the celebration of marriage? A history of differences leads to a search and shows us the cultural changes and anthropological conditionings that characterise our times so that we can assess what these mean for the proclamation of the Christian message and the life of faith. This is what the Council did with regard to the issues it addressed.”Was there a real involvement of the whole of the Church body in the Synodal consultations which took place before the assembly? “The impression seems to be that not enough was done in Italy, particularly by the dioceses. If a serious effort had been made this would have come to light, as was the case with some isolated initiatives like the initiative taken by the Church of Bolzano. It’s a shame.”What can we expect from the October Synod? “I expect there to be a wide ranging discussion without prejudiced reservations and that a broad consensus can be reached. With some compromises, of course, but without leaving things as they are now. Pastoral attitudes toward couples considered “irregular” by Church discipline had already changed under the previous pontificate. The current pontificate and the Synod just passed followed along the same path. I hope there will be an authoritative indication and possibly a formulation of canonical rules that will make it possible to mend the damaged fabric of relations with many faithful who are unable to rebuild their old families without committing a serious injustice against their new family, despite their desire to participate fully in Church life.”
03/18/2015-Pope to address UN General Assembly on 25 September-The UN headquarters in New York-The UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon confirmed the news: “The Pope’s visit will inspire the international community”-vatican insider staff
Rome-Pope Francis will be at the United Nations headquarters in New York on the morning of 25 September, to address the General Assembly. The UN confirmed the news, specifying that the Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon “applauds” the Pope’s decision.The UN Secretary-General said he was “confident the Pope's visit would inspire the international community to redouble its efforts for social justice, tolerance and understanding among all the world’s peoples.”Ban welcomed the Pope’s visit “as an important part of a historic year in which the United Nations marks its 70th anniversary.”
The papal visit to the United States for the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia, will also include a stop-over in Washington. As the Speaker of the House of Representatives, John Boemer, said, the Pope will be visiting Capitol Hill on Thursday 24 September 2015. On that day, he will become the first Pope in history to address a joint session of Congress.
-pic-vatican insider
03/19/2015-The 3D information in the image on the Shroud of Turin-The face on the Shroud-The origin of the Shroud is still a mystery. But despite all attempts to recreate it, Professor Nello Balossino says the figure on the cloth is a bit like a negative but with additional three dimensional information and so far no one has been able to replicate it-andrea tornielli
http://israndjer.blogspot.ca/2006/09/my-encounter-miracle-with-god.html
rome- The spotlight is back on the Turin Shroud ahead of the next Ostension, which Pope Francis will be attending along with all the other pilgrims. The Shroud is considered one of the most important icons or relics of Jesus’ Passion. While the history of the cloth remains shrouded in mystery and lacks watertight testimonies that can vouch for its existence before the Medieval period, the formation of the image on the Shroud remains unexplainable: So far, no one has succeeded in producing a satisfactory replica of it. As Nello Balossino, a Professor at the University of Turin and an expert on the Shroud explained to Vatican Insider, the Shroud contains “three dimensional information” within it.It has often been said that the image on the Shroud resembles a photographic negative. Is this true? “In terms of formation, an image is created through the interaction of light energy coming from a setting through the acquisition system. But it is only the light intensity that is recorded, not the phase in which the depth is codified: a photographic negative does not therefore possess three-dimensional information. The image on the Shroud behaves like a negative in as far as the inverting chiaroscuro and special dimension are concerned but it is not a negative in terms of photographic acceptation. The Shroud image contains evident reddish chromatic nuances which form a body in terms of the morphometry: this is the three-dimensional content. By inverting the intensity and specularity we can get a real-life view of the figure, preserving the elevation aspect.”So the Shroud behaves like a special kind of photographic negative...“As I said, an ordinary photographic negative does not reproduce three-dimensional information. The image on the Shroud contains this information, which is codified in a series of nuances. In other words, what we have before us is an image formed through a three-dimensional process, which cannot yet be explained and simulated in practice in order to obtain replica images of the Shroud. The difference in tonality between the light and dark elements of the image is so low that the eye is only able to perceive the general features of a human face, but the details are not easy to make out. In fact the light distribution on the face depicted in the image is exactly the opposite to what we perceive in reality, with protruding elements appearing darker than the hollows of the face. The inversion process presents the face of a man from a real-life perspective.”What would need to be done in order to replicate it? “I have examined the various attempts through the use of different techniques to reproduce the Tutrin Shroud. In none of these cases did the images last in time or contain the three-dimensional information contained in the Shroud and the features that are unique to the image such as the superficiality in the chromatic variation of the cloth fibres and their integrity. These details certainly make it harder to justify the explanation according to which the Shroud image is a medieval forgery.
Polar bear mauls tourist as eclipse junkies head to Arctic-AFP | Updated: March 19, 2015-astro awani
OSLO: A Czech tourist was mauled by a polar bear in Svalbard in Norway's Arctic on Thursday, police said, illustrating the potential danger for those arriving to see this week's total eclipse of the sun."One person was slightly injured in a polar bear attack," police inspector Sidsel Svarstad told AFP.The man, one of a group of six campers, suffered injuries to his face and arm and has been taken to hospital, a statement from the local governor's office said.The bear has been put down, it added.The attack comes on the eve of a total solar eclipse that is only going to be fully visible on Earth from Svalbard, an archipelago in the Arctic, and the Faroe Islands, a Danish autonomy territory in the North Atlantic.The moon is expected to pass between Earth and the sun on Friday, with a total eclipse beginning at 1011 GMT in Svalbard and lasting for three minutes.It is the only total eclipse this year, and some 1,500 to 2,000 tourists from around the world are expected to descend on Svalbard for the chance to observe it.Local authorities have warned eclipse chasers of the dangers posed by polar bears.People leaving Svalbard's inhabited areas are required to be accompanied by an armed local guide or carry a rifle.According to police, the six campers were taking part in a snowmobile and ski tour some 50 kilometres (30 miles) from Longyearbyen, the main town in Svalbard, when the attack occurred.It was not immediately known whether the tourists were in town for the eclipse. There have been five fatal polar bear attacks in Svalbard in the past four decades. The most recent one occurred in 2011, involving a 17-year-old British student on a school trip.Some 3,000 polar bears live in the region, outnumbering the 2,500 inhabitants.
HOARDING OF GOLD AND SILVER
DOCTOR DOCTORIAN FROM ANGEL OF GOD
then the angel said, Financial crisis will come to Asia. I will shake the world.
JAMES 5:1-3
1 Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.
2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten.
3 Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.
REVELATION 18:10,17,19
10 Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.
17 For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off,
19 And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.
EZEKIEL 7:19
19 They shall cast their silver in the streets, and their gold shall be removed:(CONFISCATED) their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the LORD: they shall not satisfy their souls, neither fill their bowels: because it is the stumblingblock of their iniquity.
LUKE 2:1-3
1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.
2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)
3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
REVELATION 13:16-18
16 And he(THE FALSE POPE WHO DEFECTED FROM THE CHRISTIAN FAITH) causeth all,(IN THE WORLD ) both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:(MICROCHIP IMPLANT)
17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark,(MICROCHIP IMPLANT) or the name of the beast,(WORLD DICTATORS NAME INGRAVED ON YOUR SKIN OR TATTOOED ON YOU OR IN THE MICROCHIP IMPLANT) or the number of his name.(THE NUMBERS OF HIS NAME INGRAVED IN THE MICROCHIP IMLPLANT)-(ALL THESE WILL TELL THE WORLD DICTATOR THAT YOUR WITH HIM AND AGAINST KING JESUS-GOD)
18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast:(WORLD LEADER) for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.(6-6-6) A NUMBER SYSTEM (6006006)OR(60020202006)(SOME KIND OF NUMBER IMPLANTED IN THE MICROCHIP THAT TELLS THE WORLD DICTATOR AND THE NEW WORLD ORDER THAT YOU GIVE YOUR TOTAL ALLIGIENCE TO HIM AND NOT JESUS)(ITS AN ETERNAL DECISION YOU MAKE)(YOU CHOOSE YOUR OWN DESTINY)(YOU TAKE THE DICTATORS NAME OR NUMBER UNDER YOUR SKIN,YOUR DOOMED TO THE LAKE OF FIRE AND TORMENTS FOREVER,NEVER ENDING MEANT ONLY FOR SATAN AND HIS ANGELS,NOT HUMAN BEINGS).OR YOU REFUSE THE MICROCHIP IMPLANT AND GO ON THE SIDE OF KING JESUS AND RULE FOREVER WITH HIM ON EARTH.YOU CHOOSE,ITS YOUR DECISION.
EU proposes new tax transparency rules By Nikolaj Nielsen-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, 18. Mar, 17:53-Peer pressure will underpin a new European Commission proposal to make big companies pay their fair share of tax and prevent governments from cheating others out of taxable revenue streams.The Brussels-executive on Wednesday (18 March) told reporters that requiring member states to be more transparent in their tax rulings would create a “virtuous circle” between states and companies.“Better transparency will lead to greater scrutiny,” said EU commissioner for taxation Pierre Moscovici.Moscovici’s so-called tax transparency package is seen, in part, as a response to the series of tax scandals over the past few months that have implicated large banks and multinationals.The media disclosures are an embarrassment to the EU commission president Jean-Claude Juncker, who under his 14-year tenure as Luxembourg’s prime minister and finance minister, oversaw many of the deals that allowed big firms pay less than 2 percent tax liability in the Grand Duchy.The latest legislative proposal from the commission intends to crack down on those schemes by imposing an automatic exchange of information on tax rulings and requiring national authorities to send each other short reports every three months.It is a step up from current rules that only require a “spontaneous” exchange of information but is said to fall short on addressing the sweetheart deals exposed by last year's LuxLeaks scandal.Koen Roovers at the Financial Transparency Coalition said in a statement that the commission’s package is a “fractional” response to the Luxembourg tax scandal because the public will still remain in the dark."Over 150 companies in the leak were associated with the United States, but they will simply be out of bounds under this proposal,” he said.“If all EU tax rulings were made public, companies would have a harder time negotiating the types of tax deals that don’t stand up to public scrutiny,” he added.UK Green MEP Molly Scott Cato, who heads the political group's economic and finance portfolio, said the commission's package did not tackle the problems exposed by the LuxLeak disclosures either.“In particular, the Commission does not recognise that tax competition or dumping is a major underlying problem, which undermines the EU's internal market,” she said.But the former French finance minister defended the new proposal and said it “will radically improve transparency” and “move us closer to our goal of fair taxation and fairer tax competition in the Union”.He expects member states to back the proposal and have it implemented at the start of next year.“Today’s package is not the end of the story. It is the beginning of the story,” he added, noting public disclosure requirements for companies may be part of another proposal set for later this year.The commission also plans on repealing the savings tax directive whose loopholes were exploited by the Geneva subsidiary of UK banking giant HSBC bank.National governments have come under intense pressure to crack down on shady deals that allow firms to reduce tax liabilities by shifting their profits towards states with beneficial tax regimes.Their tax rulings allow for aggressive tax planning where companies in places like Luxembourg can then channel taxable profits back into the business and away from the public coffer.The schemes are thought to sap government budgets of around €1 trillion a year, according to one report, but the commission says the lack of reliable data makes the calculation a nearly impossible exercise.“We can’t give a figure, it’s a lot of money is all I can say,” said Moscovici.
Thousands protest outside ECB's new headquarters By Honor Mahony-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, 18. Mar, 17:46-Thousands of protestors demonstrated in front of the European Central Bank's (ECB) new headquarters in Frankfurt Wednesday (18 March), but the bank's chief said it ins’t "not fair" to blame it for austerity policies undertaken by governments."As an EU institution that has played a central role throughout the crisis, the ECB has become a focal point for those frustrated with this situation. This may not be a fair charge - our action has been aimed precisely at cushioning the shocks suffered by the economy," said Mario Draghi at the inauguration ceremony for the €1.3 billion premises."Solidarity is central to European integration and it is right that countries have supported each other during the crisis. But the euro area is not a political union of the sort where some countries permanently pay for others."He noted that the 19 euro countries must be able to "stand on their own two feet" and are "responsible" for their policies. Outside the building, which has housed ECB staff for four months already, thousands protested against the bank's and Germany's eurozone policies.“In the past, we protested against things like the rescue of the banks in Europe," said Werner Renz, a representative of protest group Attac, according to Reuters." The focus of our protests this year is on Greece. We need more of Athens in Europe and less of Berlin. There is no way Greece can repay all its debt. The situation can't be solved by austerity alone." Greece's radical-left government, in power since January, has been trying to reach a deal with its eurozone partners on what reforms it needs to make in order to get the next tranche of bailout money.It came to power on the back of election promises to stop austerity - but its creditors have refused to release money until Athens commits to certain reforms.Greek banks lenders have been cut off from regular ECB finance lines and are taking emergency credit from the country's central bank.Finance minister Yanis Varafakis has characterised the bank's approach to Greece as "asphyxiating".Draghi, for his part, recently launched a €1.1 trillion plan to boost inflation and the economy and was credited with taking the heat of out of the eurozone crisis in 2012 with this “whatever it takes” promise to save the euro.In return he has repeatedly asked eurozone governments to undertake structural reforms, saying fiscal or monetary stimulus will not be enough to revive the economy.In his speech on Wednesday, Draghi said that the more economic decision-making powers move to EU level, the more democracy must move too."Making policy without adequate representation and accountability does not work. So we need to deepen our economic union and our political union together," he said, referring to the European Parliament."Inevitably European democracy will be different," he said but added he was certain that "in giving up some formal sovereignty, people will gain in effective sovereignty".The ECB will contribute to a paper on deepening economic and monetary union to be presented at an EU leaders summit in June.European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, who is leading the further-integration debate, recently said the report was "essential" as the outside world does not know where the eurozone is heading.
UK exit from EU would make Britons 'illegal' immigrants-By EUOBSERVER-Today, 09:00-MAR 19,15
Two million British nationals living in the EU would become 'illegal' immigrants should the UK exit the EU, says former attorney general Dominic Grieve. Grieve made the comments ahead of May's election where the governing Conservative party has promised a referendum on EU membership should David Cameron win another mandate.
EU needs China to fight pollution and climate change By Peter Teffer-EUOBSERVER
Brussels, 18. Mar, 19:28-Chinese prime minister Li Keqiang's recent vow to combat pollution is among the most important developments in China for the EU, Ellis Mathews, head of the China division at the European External Action Service, has said.Speaking at an event organised by the EU-Asia Centre in Brussels, Mathews was taking stock of EU-China relations, after the annual session of the National People's Congress in China, earlier this month.In a significant speech on 5 March at the session, China's PM Li called environmental pollution “a blight on people's quality of life and a trouble that weighs on their hearts”.“We must strictly enforce environmental laws and regulations; crack down on those guilty of creating illegal emissions and ensure they pay a heavy price for such offences,” said Li, who also promised to promote electric vehicles.Mathews highlighted the promise by Li to replace coal-fired power plants in areas that are heavily polluted, with alternative energy sources.“We have a huge interest in Europe in an energy transition in China, mainly away from coal,” said Mathews.Coal is the fossil fuel emitting the most greenhouse gases. China is responsible for just under a quarter of the world's emissions.“The things that we want to do on a global level, especially on climate change, aren't going to be achievable without a strong EU-China, and indeed EU-China-US partnership,” said Mathews.China has promised that by 2030, its emissions will have peaked. “Perhaps even before 2030”, said Qian Bo, minister-counselor at the Chinese mission to the EU in Brussels.According to the International Energy Agency, 2014 was the first year in forty years in which the world's emissions from the energy sector did not grow while the economy did. The IEA attributed part of the halt to less burning of Chinese coal.“We are committed to this goal,” said Qian, although he added that the world's expectations of China cannot be too high.“We are quite aware that we have a special responsibility. But at the same time, you want to caution everybody, that China is a developing country. We need ... space for China to develop,” noted Qian.Jo Leinen, a German centre-left member of the European Parliament, noted that he hoped that the Chinese governments' words were followed by actions.“I'm a bit worried that the film Under the Dome ... disappeared,” he said, referring to a Chinese documentary on pollution, which was allowed to be circulated online for less than a week until censors banned it.Qian refrained from commenting on what happened to the documentary.“This is a very difficult question for me to answer. We are very serious in addressing the environmental issues,” he said.
Two options on Russia sanctions at EU summit-By Andrew Rettman-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, 18. Mar, 09:28-Economic sanctions on Russia are likely to be extended shortly after Thursday’s (19 March) summit or in June despite objections, diplomats say.The leaders’ draft conclusions, dated Monday (16 March) and seen by EUobserver, still have a blank space on the thorny subject.But diplomatic sources say pre-summit consultations have narrowed down two options.The first is to announce already this week that the measures, which expire in July, will be rolled over until the end of the year and to implement the move by a legal act shortly after the summit.The second is to state, also this week, the intention to do so, but to put off a final decision until an 11th hour summit in June.The new, end-2015 timeframe is designed to overlap with Minsk 2 commitments - a set of 13 ceasefire measures to be put in place by the end of the year, which were agreed by France, Germany, Russia, and Ukraine last month.One EU source said Council president Donald Tusk “has been in contact with capitals - his thinking is that whatever Merkel and Hollande [the German and French leaders] recommend should be implemented because they are the brokers of Minsk 2, so they have the best insight into the two other parties and what might work best”.A second EU source said: “One camp wants to send a strong signal to Russia already in March about the need to implement Minsk 2. The second camp is saying: ‘If we extend the sanctions now, it might provoke further escalation on the ground’.”German chancellor Angela Merkel has aligned herself with the hawkish group, which also includes the Baltic states, most Nordic countries, and Poland.The French position is less clear. But the anti-sanctions camp includes Austria, Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Spain, and Slovakia.“We hope there will be a joint position between France and Germany”, the first EU contact noted.In the background, Russia is courting closer ties with potential veto-wielders.It has held high-level meetings with Cyprus, Hungary, Italy, and Spain, while the Greek PM and the EU foreign relations chief, Federica Mogherini, are expected in Moscow in April.Its food safety authority has said Cyprus, Greece, and Hungary will be the first to see Russian counter-sanctions on food exports lifted if EU sanctions expire.Its arms industry authority said it expects France to decide in May if it will deliver its “Mistral” warships before it decides whether to seek compensation.The EU draft conclusions also envisage: pursuing closer EU ties with Georgia and Moldova on the Ukraine model; taking steps to cut energy dependence on Russia; and taking steps against Russia’s war propaganda.“Particular efforts should be devoted to advance co-operation in state building, mobility and people-to-people contacts, market opportunities and interconnections” with Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine, the draft text notes.“The European Council looks forward to the earliest possible ratification by all member states of the association agreements/deep and comprehensive free trade areas ... with Georgia, Republic of Moldova, and Ukraine”.
Non-bloc status
The summit takes place amid concern that Russia will attack the Ukrainian city of Mariupol.There is also concern it will use soft power to derail Georgia and Moldova’s EU integration.Speaking to the Russian parliament on Monday, Russia’s EU ambassador, Vladimir Chizhov, noted: “Of crucial importance in the development of relations between Russia and the EU will be the future of countries of the ‘common neighbourhood’.”He said Russia wants EU "co-operation in making Ukraine as well as Moldova and Georgia, booming, politically stable, friendly countries, which enjoy all benefits of a legally binding off-bloc status".
Gas
The summit's so-called Energy Union package calls for: gas and electricity interconnectors to help share power in case of a Russian cut-off; compliance with EU law on bilateral deals with Russia; and exploring joint purchases of gas.The counter-propaganda initiative tasks Mogherini with creating a new “communication team” which is “to prepare by June an action plan on strategic communication in support of media freedom”.The summit text also endorses finalising talks on a new EU-US free trade treaty, designed to fortify the Western alliance, “by the end of the year”.
Poland: Russian military drill designed to spook EU leaders By Andrew Rettman-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, 17. Mar, 19:22-Poland has said Russia’s military drill is designed to cow EU leaders into taking a softer line on sanctions at this week’s summit.The Polish PM, Ewa Kopacz, told reporters in Warsaw on Tuesday (17 March): “I’m certain that Russia is making these kinds of gestures … in order to influence a little the decision of the European Council, which relates to extending sanctions, or, eventually, if there’s no peaceful solution and no respect of Minsk 2 [a ceasefire accord], imposing more painful economic sanctions”.For his part, Edgars Rinkevics, the foreign minister of Latvia, which currently chairs the EU presidency, said member states are “not happy” about the Russian troop movements.But he didn’t share Kopacz’s analysis."I don’t think this is a positive step, but we cannot link sanctions policy on non-recognition of Crimea and the situation in Ukraine to [Russia’s] military drills”, he added, Russian state news agency Tass reports.Russia on Monday announced a five-day long exercise by its Northern Fleet and by airborne forces, in manouevres involving 40,000 troops, 41 warships, 15 submarines, and 110 warplanes and helicopters. Part of the drill involves sending nuclear-capable Iskander missiles to its Baltic Sea exclave of Kaliningrad.In a separate move, Moscow on Tuesday also said it would station long-range nuclear bombers in Crimea, which it annexed from Ukraine last year.EU leaders have not yet agreed their joint summit statement on Russia sanctions.Cyprus, Greece, Italy, and Spain have criticised them in recent weeks.But German chancellor Angela Merkel said in Berlin on Monday: “The sanctions and the implementation of the Minsk plan must be connected … We’ll have to discuss what happens if it’s not fulfilled and if there are crass violations then we’ll have to speak about further sanctions”.EU economic sanctions on Russia expire in July unless they are prolonged by consensus.One senior EU source told EUobserver there is unlikely to be a deal on how to proceed already at this week’s summit. But he said capitals are close to reaching agreement to extend them from July until the end of the year.He added that additional measures could be imposed if Russia suddenly escalates the situation.“The [European] commission has done its homework and in case the shit hits the fan, we've got a proposal ready for deepening of sanctions”.Barring other surprise drills, Russia’s next big show of force is likely to be its 9 May parade to commemorate the end of World War II.Its defence minister, Sergei Shoigu, said on Tuesday the solemnities will see 80,000 soldiers and 2,000 pieces of hardware on show in 28 cities, with 15,000 soldiers in Red Square alone.Foreign minister Sergei Lavrov noted that just four EU leaders - from Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Greece, and Slovakia - will come.He blamed the low turnout on transatlantic hawks, saying: “As for the European countries’ participation, then it is affected by the actions taken by the Americans and the aggressive core of the EU”.The Greek PM, Alexis Tsipras, on Tuesday said he will also visit Moscow in April, amid ongoing speculation he might accept Russian financial aid.
03/16/2015-Dianich: Let us free the Synod from “catastrophism”-Synod and families-The Italian theologian says whoever claims that orthodoxy is at risk at the upcoming Synodal Assembly, does not know the history of the Church and reduces the faith to a system of ideas and metaphysical deductions-Gianni Valente
Rome-Catastrophist sentiment is running high with regard to the work that is being done in view of the next Synod on the family. Coordinated ecclesiatical media strategies continue to fuel “preventive opposition” to any suggestion regarding a reconsideration – however careful – of the ban on the sacraments for remarried divorcees. Some say the orthodoxy of the faith is at stake and that this is one of those subjects that is not open to discussion if the unity of the Church is to remain intact.But do potential clashes over controversial issues being dealt with by the Synod represent an unprecedented and fatal threat to church communion? Is it right to block the road to discussion in the name of continuity in doctrine and Tradition? Vatican Insider put these questions to priest and theologian, Severino Dianich. Dianich has spent decades passionately exploring the mystery of the Church on its journey through history.Some believe the Synod on the family is a threat to the unity of the Church. Should we be concerned? “Whoever thinks in this way seems to ignore the history of the Church. And they do not experience the calm one feels in the knowledge that it is God who leads the Church and not us, with our disputes and our battles. It is a question of faith and also of a good historical conscience. Because the whole of Christianity’s history is also the history of one big debate with tensions and conflicts surrounding the mystery of faith and the revelation of God who is greater than our words and rituals. We have in our hands things that are far greater than us so that there can be a univocal solution to every question.”How can a look at history help? “The Council of Nicaea in 325 AD, defined that Jesus Christ the Son of God is “of the same substance as the Father”. We still repeat this today in the Creed every Sunday. And yet these words were the subject of endless discussions and serious divisions, because it was innovative and therefore according to some unacceptable because you could not insert an expression that is not in the Bible, in the Creed.”And more recently? “The divisions witnessed at the Second Vatican Council were far stronger than those witnessed in the Synod on the family, partly because of the depth and the greater weight carried by many questions being dealt with. For example, it was very difficult to obtain a consensus on the Nostra Aetate declaration on the dialogue with Judaism and other religious traditions. Not to mention the disputes over the declaration on religious freedom. And yet, in the end consensus – sometimes as high as 90% – was reached among the Council Fathers, even on the most controversial of issues. In the end the Church rediscovers, renews and strengthens its unity. But this happens during the course of a historic journey not as a rigid and static deduction of a priori assumptions. During the four Vatican II sessions held over four years, in many ways the debate initially followed certain rigid channels only for the reverse to prevail at the end. And this was only possible because the discussion was real and fruitful. So although Conciliar sensibility appeared to be upheld by a minority, the vast majority of Council Fathers gradually ended up being persuaded. These are the vital dynamics of discussion in the Church.”They say the truth doesn’t change and that to make changes in this field is to undermine the dominant way of thinking.“No! The truth doesn’t change but we who believe in it and communicate it through our minds and words, change. From a moral point of view, just think of the fact that for centuries the Church considered loans that yield interest as immoral and sinful; and yet today, which of us does not have a bank account? Remember also that the death penalty was in force in the Papal State and prostitution was permitted… There are thousands of other examples of changed practices and statements of principles.”Can the truth be voted on? Can the Church become like a parliament? “To say that the truth cannot be voted on is a statement that is as indisputable as it is ambiguous. You do not vote on the truth. But we can vote on the different ways we have of recognising it, embracing it and transmitting it and above all, on the instruments with which we intend to live the truth. The procedures followed in a Synod or a Council are not the same as in a parliament. Parliaments must formulate and vote on laws. Before deciding on any laws, Councils and Synods must identify and express “the meaning of the faith” of the people of God today, the Church in other words.”What does this actually involve? “A parliament can allow itself to pass a law even if a majority is achieved through just one vote. In the context of ecclesial collegiality, however, the aim, rules aside, is always to achieve an overwhelming majority. During the last Council, Paul VI often pushed for ideas he personally did not share to be considered. He asked Council Fathers to take them into account regardless, because that meant gathering a greater consensus. Because the idea that finally emerges must always express the faith of the Church which everybody should relate to. The more robust the faith is, the more we can afford to discuss and argue, in the certainty that the grace of God will preserve our faith.”If this is so, then where does all the “catastrophism” fomented by the media stem from? “Certain key words regarding controversial issues may cause complex interest groups to form around these. Furthermore, basing one’s statements on deja vus or things that have been said in the past is becoming increasingly convenient. There are explanations that are more pertinent.”What are you referring to? “During the recent Synod discussions, someone criticised an “essentialist” line of thought. There is a tendency to interpret the faith and all aspects surrounding it as if it were a metaphysical system. Seen from this angle, all that urgently needs to be done it seems, is to establish the truth in clear and distinct terms, Descartes-style, in a sort of metaphysics of the faith, using this as a starting point for any reflection, following a robust and deductive logic. Only this would guarantee the truth and effectiveness of the system.”What is it that doesn’t work? “If you go down this route you can only go from one idea to the next, from abstraction to abstraction, from a universal principle to a universal norm. And this doesn’t tell me anything about real life. “Essentialists” aim to boil the path of faith down to a logical process. And the truth is captured inside “certain” formulas, outside of which you find yourself in the realm of contradiction. But as Pope Francis has said more than once, reality is superior to the idea and in its infinite elements of uniqueness, it cannot be reduced to an idea.”And how is this reduction reflected in the “magma” of real life? “Take the crucial issue of the Synod debate, in other words the passage from the affirmation of the principle of indissolubility of marriage and Church law which forbids remarried divorcees from receiving absolution and communion. This passage is neither immediate nor forced. Hence, just as the Church created the law, it can also modify it, without rejecting the principle that justified the law. Because in between the principle and the law, the facts come into play. These include for example, frequent cases of irreversible situations in which a faithful is considered to be in a state of sin because they divorced and remarried but they would be committing another sin if they abandoned their new family in order to rebuild their other family, the only so-called legitimate one. The law currently in place seems to offer an inadequate response to such a case. And this is just one of the many difficult cases that could be described here.”Which criteria and factors guarantee and safeguard the unity of the Church in the common faith? “The underlying criterion is that indicated in the last Council’s Dei Verbum Constitution: the Holy Scriptures read within the context of Church Tradition and Tradition based on the Holy Scriptures. This is the key and decisive criterion. Tradition has been through different phases – also in the case of the sacrament of marriage which is one of the themes of the Synod – precisely because it is not fixed in one written text. If you remember, it was only with the Council of Trent that the canonical form was established as necessary for the validity of marriage.”What are you referring to? “Cohabitation is not considered a valid marriage because it has no canonical form so it cannot be considered licit in the eyes of the Catholic Church. But how did Catholics marry before the Council of Trent established a canonical form for the celebration of marriage? A history of differences leads to a search and shows us the cultural changes and anthropological conditionings that characterise our times so that we can assess what these mean for the proclamation of the Christian message and the life of faith. This is what the Council did with regard to the issues it addressed.”Was there a real involvement of the whole of the Church body in the Synodal consultations which took place before the assembly? “The impression seems to be that not enough was done in Italy, particularly by the dioceses. If a serious effort had been made this would have come to light, as was the case with some isolated initiatives like the initiative taken by the Church of Bolzano. It’s a shame.”What can we expect from the October Synod? “I expect there to be a wide ranging discussion without prejudiced reservations and that a broad consensus can be reached. With some compromises, of course, but without leaving things as they are now. Pastoral attitudes toward couples considered “irregular” by Church discipline had already changed under the previous pontificate. The current pontificate and the Synod just passed followed along the same path. I hope there will be an authoritative indication and possibly a formulation of canonical rules that will make it possible to mend the damaged fabric of relations with many faithful who are unable to rebuild their old families without committing a serious injustice against their new family, despite their desire to participate fully in Church life.”
