KING JESUS IS COMING FOR US ANY TIME NOW. THE RAPTURE. BE PREPARED TO GO.
LAND FOR PEACE (THE FUTURE 7 YEARS OF HELL ON EARTH)
JOEL 3:2
2 I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people(ISRAEL) and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land.(UPROOTED ISRAELIS AND DIVIDED JERUSALEM)(THIS BRINGS ON WW3 BECAUSE JERUSALEM IS DIVIDED,WARNING TO ARABS-MUSLIMS AND THE WORLD).
THE WEEK OF DANIEL 9:27 WE KNOW ITS 7 YRS
Heres the scripture 1 week = 7 yrs Genesis 29:27-29
27 Fulfil her week, and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years.
28 And Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week: and he gave him Rachel his daughter to wife also.
29 And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his handmaid to be her maid.
DANIEL 11:21-23
21 And in his estate shall stand up a vile person, to whom they shall not give the honour of the kingdom: but he shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries.
23 And after the league made with him he shall work deceitfully: for he shall come up, and shall become strong with a small people.
24 He shall enter peaceably even upon the fattest places of the province; and he shall do that which his fathers have not done, nor his fathers' fathers; he shall scatter among them the prey, and spoil, and riches: yea, and he shall forecast his devices against the strong holds, even for a time.
DANIEL 9:26-27
26 And after threescore and two weeks(62X7=434 YEARS+7X7=49 YEARS=TOTAL OF 69 WEEKS OR 483 YRS) shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary;(ROMAN LEADERS DESTROYED THE 2ND TEMPLE) and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.(THERE HAS TO BE 70 WEEKS OR 490 YRS TO FUFILL THE VISION AND PROPHECY OF DAN 9:24).(THE NEXT VERSE IS THAT 7 YR WEEK OR (70TH FINAL WEEK).
27 And he ( THE ROMAN,EU PRESIDENT) shall confirm the covenant (PEACE TREATY) with many for one week:(1X7=7 YEARS) and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease,(3 1/2 yrs in TEMPLE ANIMAL SACRIFICES STOPPED) and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
JEREMIAH 6:14
14 They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.
JEREMIAH 8:11
11 For they have healed the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.
1 THESSALONIANS 5:3
3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
ISAIAH 33:8
8 The highways lie waste, the wayfaring man ceaseth: he hath broken the covenant,(7 YR TREATY) he hath despised the cities, he regardeth no man.(THE WORLD LEADER-WAR MONGER CALLS HIMSELF GOD)
ISAIAH 28:14-19 (THIS IS THE 7 YR TREATY COVENANT OF DANIEL 9:27)
14 Wherefore hear the word of the LORD, ye scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem.
15 Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves:
16 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.
17 Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place.
18 And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it.
19 From the time that it goeth forth it shall take you: for morning by morning shall it pass over, by day and by night: and it shall be a vexation only to understand the report.
EU shows it’s unhappy to fund divided, dysfunctional Palestinians
Brussels
blames Israel for economic stagnation, but impatient with both sides
for peace deadlock, and increasingly frustrated by Fatah-Hamas rivalry
Beneath
the polished diplomatic rhetoric, officials are wondering rather loudly
why Europe must continue bankrolling an endless, decades-old conflict
while other, more burning crises are unfolding one after the other in
the Arab Middle East. The vision of a two-state solution — the original
reason for the funding — is drifting ever further away, they note.The most striking example of this attitude emerged in Brussels Wednesday, when the European Court of Auditors
presented its assessment of the EU’s direct financial support to the Palestinian Authority.
The 70-page report was a scathing critique of an increasingly dysfunctional, over-sized Palestinian Authority.Sure, Israel is greatly to blame for the
Palestinian economic stagnation, the report notes, but why should
thousands of PA civil servants in Gaza receive EU-funded salaries while
sitting at home, as their leadership pretends the rift with Hamas will
end any day? Europe feels it has been doling
out billions of euros in aid to the Palestinian Authority with no
mechanism of checking its impact or benefit
“When people who do not work are being paid,
this goes against the agreement with Pegase,” noted Hans Gustaf
Wessberg, the Swedish head of the auditors’ team, referring to the
European Direct Financial support scheme for Palestinian salaries. “The
resources spent there [in Gaza] are better spent elsewhere.”
But stopping funding for Gaza may just be a prelude to much broader measures. European officials
have been mulling the possibility of cutting funding to the PA altogether
if talks between Israel and the Palestinians fail to bring about
tangible results. This is a possibility not all officials like
mentioning; some prefer to present the cup half full: Europe will
significantly increase funding if talks succeed, one diplomat said.
A key word in the new European report is
“conditionality.” Europe feels it has been doling out billions of euros
in aid to the Palestinian Authority with no mechanism of checking its
impact or benefit. That, it seems, is about to change; Europe will
demand more accountability from the Palestinian Authority and stop
treating the Fatah-Hamas schism as a temporary situation.Where does all this leave Israel? Potentially,
in a precarious situation. The collapse of the Palestinian Authority
for lack of funding would — in the best-case scenario — increase the
pressure on Israel to retake financial and security control of the West
Bank; control which it began handing over to the PA in 1994. In the
worst case, the West Bank could swing into political disarray, which may
potentially spill over into Israel.That is why, in the opinion of Palestinian
political scientist Basem Ezbidi of Bir Zeit University, Europe (and
Israel) would never dare cut funding to the PA.
“Nobody can really afford to see Palestinians
reach that point of despair,” Ezbidi told The Times of Israel. Neither
Israel nor the EU need “a headache of that magnitude.”Rather, the point of the European threats,
Ezbidi claimed, is to keep the Palestinians at the negotiating table at a
point in time when their withdrawal seems imminent.“The Palestinians sense they are not
succeeding in getting anything from the negotiations… There is a sense
of anger on the part of the PA.”Back in Brussels, sympathy for the Palestinian
cause has not translated into substantive political action against
Israel — at least not yet.Israel’s prestigious association agreement
with the EU, signed in the year 2000, is as safe as ever.
But new European guidelines barring cooperation with Israeli entities
that have ties beyond the Green Line are set to take effect next month.
Despite those guidelines, in late November
Israel was included in the lucrative scientific cooperation deal Horizon 2020,
which promises European funding to numerous Israeli research projects.
The deal was held up because of the new guidelines, but a compromise
agreement was ultimately reached.It’s not clear yet how other Israeli entities
will be affected by the new guidelines, which prompted an outpouring of
anger by government officials.
For her
part, however, one pro-Palestinian European parliamentarian, speaking to
Israeli journalists visiting Brussels last week, voiced her frustration
at what she deemed was manifest EU bias in favor of Israel over the
Palestinians.“There’s huge inequality between the capacity
of Israeli officials to come here, talk with people, and interfere, and
the capacity of Palestinian Authority officials to do the same,” she
argued. “It’s 90 percent for the Israelis and 10 for the Palestinians.”
Major storm, promised to be 3 times worse than previous days, under way in J’lem
Municipality
urging everyone to stay indoors as weather conditions worsen; electric
corp. declares national state of emergency; tens of thousands left
without power
By Times of Israel staff
December 13, 2013, 1:41 pm
Updated: December 13, 2013, 4:20 pm
And
indeed, beginning at approximately 16:00pm local time, heavy snow began
to fall again in the capital, and municipality officials told The Times
of Israel that they were urging all residents of Jerusalem and the
surrounding areas to stay indoors as weather conditions worsen.Earlier, the Israel Electric Corporation
declared a nationwide state of emergency as tens of thousands of homes
in Jerusalem and the surrounding region remained without power amid the
severe winter storm besieging the area.The Mateh Yehuda Regional Council in the
Jerusalem district said it was preparing to evacuate thousands of people
in the area who have been without power since Thursday night.The electric company said it was manning a
situation room to receive reports of outages and calling in emergency
workers to help restore power to those affected in certain parts of
Jerusalem, Mevasseret Zion, Har Adar, Abu Gosh and Tzur Hadassah where
many power lines were hit by trees and branches.It remains unclear whether the company will be
able to resolve the mass outages as weather conditions worsen, with
some reports indicating it may take up to two days for full power to be
restored.Workers were facing difficulties reaching certain areas due to fallen trees and power lines.
“We did not anticipate the storm to be on this scale,” Oren Helman from the electric company told Channel 2 news.Officials urged those with power in the
capital to host individuals and families affected by the storm — whether
unexpectedly stranded in the city or hit by power outages — for the
Jewish Sabbath set to begin Friday afternoon. Israeli TV reports
indicated that such efforts were already underway.A military source told Ynet that the IDF
extended an offer to assist Palestinian Authority forces in the West
Bank who were also dealing with power outages.Meanwhile, in neighboring Cairo, residents reported snowfall for the first time in 112 years.Earlier Friday, Ben Gurion Airport closed
briefly as the unprecedented winter storm — bringing the heaviest
December snows on record to Jerusalem — continued to batter the country
for a third day.
Police instructed citizens Friday to stay indoors and avoid driving on roads, citing life-threatening dangers.
The main arteries leading in to and out of
Jerusalem, Highway 1 and Road 443, were closed off after thousands of
people were left stranded overnight Thursday-Friday by the heavy
snowfall, leading the IDF, the police and volunteers to launch rescue
operations.Police said Friday morning that a rescue
operation on Road 443 was completed, after rescuers evacuated some 600
travelers from that route.Crews worked throughout the night and into the
morning to rescue over 4,000 travelers in cars and buses trapped on the
roads, at one point putting out a public call for help from anybody
with a 4X4 vehicle.Hundreds were evacuated to shelters set up at
convention centers in the city, including the International Convention
Center, or Binyanei Hauma.The Defense Ministry said it was sending emergency generators and meals to those currently at the centers.“We are expending every effort to rescue all
the people caught in the storm. Only after [the snow] stops will we be
able to open the roads,” said Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat. “We’re facing a
rare storm the likes of which we’ve never seen.”Public transportation into and out of the city
has been called off until at least Saturday evening, and disruptions in
bus services were reported throughout the country.
Police were also preparing for floods on the Ayalon Highway in Tel Aviv Friday as rainfall and thunderstorms continued.Jerusalemites awoke Friday morning to a city
covered in white, as the punishing winter storm dumped between 30-50
centimeters of snow on the capital.
In the capital and in a number of places
throughout the country, schools were shut down due to the snow and heavy
rainfall, which left some streets flooded.
Though snow is not unheard of in Jerusalem, it rarely hits this early.The wet weather, typical of an early winter
storm, combined with unusually low temperatures to blanket the capital
and other mountainous areas, including the West Bank, the Galilee and
the Golan Heights, in snow.Elsewhere, heavy rains and punishing winds brought down trees and flooded out roads.In Modi’in Ilit, a 1-year-old baby was
moderately injured late Thursday night after a roof collapsed on a
modular building being used a synagogue. Four other people were lightly
injured.On Thursday, the IDF’s elite 669 search and
rescue unit retrieved 10 trapped passengers from a commercial vehicle
that was swept away by flood waters in Nahal Gerar, north of Beersheba.
The passengers, nine of whom were children, were airlifted to
Beersheba’s Soroka Medical Center in fair condition.Classes in Jerusalem and other areas were
called off Thursday and Friday as authorities braced for snowfall to
continue into the weekend.The Education Ministry set up a hotline for parents to get information about school arrangements. The number is 02-6222211.
The
snow began falling in Jerusalem shortly after sunrise Thursday and thin
layers of snow began to form on cars. In elevated neighborhoods such as
Gilo, the snow piled up, and residents huddled in bus stops, waiting
for buses that had temporarily stopped running.By
Thursday night, flurries were reported as low as the settlement of Beit
Horon, which at 630 meters above sea level, rarely sees snow fall.The stormy weather was expected to persist
into the weekend, with snow reaching elevated areas as far south as the
Negev Desert on Friday.On Wednesday,
high winds, torrential rain and floods inflicted damage in many areas, with some injuries caused by flying debris.Over 24 hours between Wednesday and Thursday
morning, some 103 millimeters (four inches) of rain — the monthly
average — fell in the capital and 35 mm (1.4 inches) in Tel Aviv.There were several incidents of people caught in flash floods that swept their cars away.One man was reported missing after storm waters rushed through a wadi where he was hiking in the Judean desert.
Flash flood chasers streamed down to wadis
around the Dead Sea region in the hope of catching the storm waters as
they pounded down from the Jerusalem mountains, but some became trapped
as roads were flooded in the surge.Jerusalem authorities had prepared to counter
the snow, with 90 tons of salt as well as snowplows being readied. Other
municipalities in the country’s north had also braced for snowfall,
notably Safed and neighboring towns in the mountainous northern Galilee
and elevated communities in the Golan Heights.“Snow in Jerusalem is a cause for celebration
for Jerusalemites and the many visitors who come to see the world’s most
beautiful city painted white,” said Barkat, who dropped in on the
city’s public works department to check on preparations for the storm
Wednesday. “We hope the snow won’t disappoint, especially for
Jerusalem’s excited children, who are looking forward to it.”Inclement weather was also felt in the Gaza
Strip, where Hamas’s health ministry said 30 people were evacuated to
hospitals after heavy rains caused flooding on Wednesday. Gaza’s
Interior Ministry said the roof collapsed on a house in the coastal
strip, injuring three people, and families were moved into shelters
because of flooding.The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon joined the meeting, which focused on Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.
“I have heard of making guests welcome and
feeling at home. This is about as far as I’ve ever seen anything go …
giving me a New England snowstorm,” said the US secretary of state as he
viewed a snow-covered Old City of Jerusalem with Netanyahu.Some reports said Kerry would delay his
departure because of the poor weather, and utilize the time for further
talks — focused on Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts, and the effort to
thwart Iran’s rogue nuclear program.The US secretary of state met Palestinian
Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah late Thursday evening,
immediately after arriving on his ninth visit this year.
Concerned that a final status agreement may
not be possible by the May target date the two sides accepted when they
resumed talks in August, US officials said Kerry was hoping for a
framework accord that would contain the principles of a comprehensive
pact, but not specific details. If an outline were achieved, the
negotiations could be extended beyond the nine-month timeline originally
set by Kerry.The officials, who spoke to reporters aboard
Kerry’s plane on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized
to discuss the negotiations publicly, stressed that an agreement on all
issues — including security, borders of a future Palestinian state, the
status of Jerusalem and the fate of Palestinian refugees — by May
remains the goal.But, should that prove unworkable, they said a framework agreement would buy time for additional negotiations.A framework accord, the officials said, would be a “logical step” on the path to a final status agreement.Diplomatic sources in Jerusalem told Israel
Radio Friday that they did not expect any breakthroughs in the
Netanyahu-Kerry talks and that an extension to the nine-month deadline
to negotiations on an Israeli-Palestinian peace accord would likely be
necessary.The sources further said that Israel was
waiting for a response from the Palestinians on three key issues, namely
the recognition of Israel as the Jewish state, a commitment to end all
claims under a permanent accord, and the issue of Palestinian refugee
claims.Neither Kerry nor Abbas gave statements
Thursday, but in an interview the PA president gave to local Palestinian
TV prior to the meeting, he said that if Israel insisted on a security
presence in the Jordan Valley, as Netanyahu has demanded, negotiations
would be called off. He also reportedly agreed to a tentative extension
of one month should any progress in talks be made, according to Israel
Radio.Abbas also told Sky News Arabia on Thursday
that the Palestinians would not accept an interim deal, but would accept
“a final agreement that can be implemented in stages.”Kerry was initially pushing for a tripartite
meeting with Netanyahu and Abbas during his current visit to the region,
Channel 2 reported Thursday.The US secretary of state landed at Ben Gurion
Airport Thursday evening, accompanied by former US general John Allen,
architect of the security plan proposed by the US during Kerry’s visit
last week. The plan has been warily received by Israel, and heavily
criticized by Palestinian officials.According to an Israeli official who spoke to
Channel 2, after 20 meetings between chief negotiators Tzipi Livni, Saeb
Erekat and American envoy Martin Indyk, negotiations between the two
sides are “frozen.”Last week, after detailing reported elements
of the American security proposal, Israeli media said that Kerry
intended to set out American proposals in the near future to resolve the
other core issues — Jerusalem, the borders of a Palestinian state, and
the Palestinian refugees.Channel 2 news reported that Israel, though
“not satisfied” with the security proposals, had not rejected them. The
Palestinian Authority was reported to have rejected them, but denied
this.Launching the current Israeli-Palestinian
talks in late July, Kerry expressed confidence that a permanent peace
accord ending the conflict could be reached within the following nine
months; half of that period has now elapsed.
Kerry left Israel last Friday after three meetings in two days with Netanyahu and one session with Abbas.
Kerry said last Friday that “the people who
really know what’s going on” in the negotiations between the Israeli and
Palestinian sides on a permanent accord “aren’t talking about it.” But
reports of the security plan’s content leaked out over Thursday and
Friday.Among its key elements, the US security plan
reportedly provides for a series of border crossings along the Jordan
Valley border between the West Bank and Jordan which would be jointly
controlled by Israel and the PA. The entire border itself, however,
would remain under full Israeli control, with the IDF joined only by a
symbolic Palestinian security presence, for 10-15 years. These
arrangements would hold for many years, but not necessarily permanently,
the Channel 2 report said, the implication being that in a future new
era of stability and mutual confidence, Israel might transfer more
authority to the Palestinians.The US, under the proposal, would provide an
additional security “envelope,” which would utilize drones and other
high-tech equipment to provide real-time intelligence on any terrorist
threats and other unlawful border activity.Netanyahu has insisted on an Israeli security
presence in the Jordan Valley. The PA is firmly opposed to any ongoing
Israeli military presence in the Jordan Valley or elsewhere in its
intended state.While Kerry’s visit was primarily focused on
the Palestinian issue, he and Netanyahu were also discussing Iran’s
nuclear drive. Kerry and the US administration have defended the interim
deal reached in Geneva last month, which Netanyahu has slammed as a
“historic mistake.”Netanyahu’s national security adviser, Yossi
Cohen, is currently in the US heading a team that is meeting with US
officials to seek to impact the ongoing world powers’ talks with the
Iranians.
12/12/2013 VATICAN INSIDER
Moneyval okays Vatican financial transparency reforms
The head offices of the IOR
The Council of Europe has given its approval to Francis’ economic reforms and financial “glasnost”
Giacomo Galeazzi
vatican city
The Council of Europe has approved Francis’
economic reforms and financial “glasnost”. The Vatican and Strasbourg
are satisfied with the results of the Moneyval report
which recognises the significant progress made by the Holy See
(including the Vatican City State) in the adoption of measures to combat
money-laundering.The evaluation report published by the Moneyval
Committee in 2012 contained 16 main Recommendations based on the
guidelines on the prevention of money laundering and the financing of
terrorism (AML/CFT) issued by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) in
2003.Both documents were consulted this week during
Moneyval’s 43rd plenary session and developments up until 30 November
2013 were taken into consideration. Moneyval concludes that the Holy See
was swift in adopting a number of legislative measures and actions that
helped fill the gaps Moneyval had come across.The Holy See agreed to all points contained in the
report and did not make any alterations. The legal framework for the
criminalisation of money-laundering and the financing of terrorism and
confiscation of funds was adopted and greatly improved but must still be
put into practice. There is now a more comprehensive system in place
for the freezing of funds of persons designated pursuant to United Nations Security Council Resolution 1267(1999).There is a revision process currently underway to
ensure that financial institutions within the Holy See and the Vatican
City know who their account holders are and that the identification and
verification measures being applied to bring the Holy See and Vatican
City in line with international standards can also be applied to them.
These processes are carried out under the supervision of the Financial
Information Authority (AIF).The evaluation process is expected to be complete
by the first quarter of 2014. Some accounts have therefore been shut
down and a significant number of suspicious transactions which took
place in 2013 have been pinpointed. FIA is currently looking into these
transactions which will be reported to the Promoter of Justice if this
is deemed necessary. The precise powers FIA has in terms of looking into
suspicious transactions are now far clearer.Moneyval welcomed “that the autonomy of the FIA to
negotiate [Memoranda of Understanding] has been restored” and that “the
FIU has now entered into MoUs with 6 countries.” Moneyval points out
that FIA’s resources for managing this analysis work needs to be
re-evaluated in light of current and future workloads. The legislative
basis for the independent surveillance and inspections relating to
money-laundering and the financing of terrorism and for the imposition
of sanctions have been clarified and reinforced, in line with Moneyval’s
recommendations.No formal inspection of the Vatican bank (IOR) and
the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See (APSA) has
taken place yet but inspections are due at the end of January 2014.
These inspections are expected to take place as soon as possible and
should include sample testing of clients’ risk profiles. Moneyval stresses that since FIA now oversees
prudential supervision as well as AML and CFT, it will have to find
experts in the field quickly. It invites those in charge to introduce
regulations establishing the expertise and integrity requirements for
those who hold positions of responsibility in financial institutions.
This is so that FIA can assess the suitability of the person concerned
taking into account their past responsibilities and looking into
potential conflicts of interests..Moneyval was established by the Council
of Europe in 1997. It is a committee of experts that oversees measures
for the prevention of money laundering and the financing of terrorism.
It is a supervisory body whose task it is to assess how the laws in each
country conform to European laws and to advise National authorities on
necessary measures to improve their systems. Other than the Holy See,
Israel and Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man - the latter three being
British Crown dependencies - there are 28 countries that are currently
evaluated by Moneyval. These countries and dependencies agreed to an
evaluation by the committee of experts.The Council of Europe is the oldest European
political institution. It is separate from the EU and comprises the
European Court of Human Rights. Its primary aim is to protect basic
human rights, democracy and the rule of law. The Council of Europe was
established in London on 5 May 1949 by a small group of States including
Italy. It has 47 member countries, that is all the countries on the
Continent except from Belarus which does not have the prerequisites to
join. Norwegian Labour Party member Thorbjørn Jagland has been Secretary
General since 1 October 2009 and will retain his position until 30
September 2014. Jagland is also President of the committee - appointed
by the Norwegian Parliament - that makes nominations for the Nobel Peace
Prize. Jagland decided to keep this position after he got the position
in Strasbourg. The Italian Gabriella Battaini Dragoni has been the
Council’s Deputy Secretary General since 1 September 2012 after being
elected in the June session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the
Council of Europe. Austria has held chairmanship of the Committee of
Ministers since November 2013 and will hold it until 14 May 2014.
12/12/2013 VATICAN INSIDER
Francis’ Peace Day message: Only fraternity defeats hunger, war and corruption
Francis' message for the World Day of Peace
The Pope’s message for the 47th World Day of Peace is out:
international peace agreements are not enough; there needs to be a
“conversion of hearts”. Francis also appeals for disarmament and the
imprisoned
Andrea Tornielli
vatican city
War and violence, corruption, criminal
organisations, waste of natural resources, labour exploitation, illicit
trafficking of money and financial speculation, prostitution, human
trafficking, abuse of minors, slavery, the immigration tragedy: all of
these are crimes against fraternity, “the foundation and pathway to
peace.” This is the title of Pope Francis’ message for the 47th World Day of Peace that will be celebrated on 1 January 2014.In his message Bergoglio speaks of an
“irrepressible longing for fraternity” which lies in the hearts of all
people and recalls that the lesson of fraternity usually begins at home,
“in the family.” The family “is the foundation and the first pathway to
peace.” But the Pope quotes Benedict XVI, pointing out that
globalisation “makes us neighbours, but does not make us brothers” and
that “new ideologies, characterized by rampant individualism,
egocentrism and materialistic consumerism, weaken social bonds.” The
Cain and Abel story teaches us that “we have an inherent calling to
fraternity, but also the tragic capacity to betray that calling.”
Francis explains that it is God’s “fatherhood, then, which effectively
generates fraternity” and that human fraternity “is in and by Jesus
Christ through his death and resurrection.”
Drawing on the definitions of peace found in the encyclicals “Populorum Progressio” by Pope Paul VI and “Sollicitudo Rei Socialis” by
John Paul II, Francis recalls that fraternity among nations is a duty
for those parts of the world which are better off: “the duty of
solidarity, which requires the richer nations to assist the less
developed; the duty of social justice, which requires the realignment of
relationships between stronger and weaker peoples in terms of greater
fairness; and the duty of universal charity, which entails the promotion
of a more humane world for all, a world in which each has something to
give and to receive, without the progress of the one constituting an
obstacle to the development of the other.”Peace is “either … the good of all or it is the
good of none” and it can only “truly attained and enjoyed, as the
highest quality of life and a more human and sustainable development,
only if all are guided by solidarity as “a firm and persevering
determination to commit oneself to the common good.” It requires a
“willingness to “lose ourselves” for the sake of others rather than
exploiting them, and to “serve them” instead of oppressing them for our
own advantage.”In his peace message Francis talks about the
“profound poverty of relationships” that exists in some societies and is
caused by “the lack of solid family and community relationships.” “There
is a serious rise in relative poverty, that is, instances of inequality
between people and groups who live together in particular regions or in
a determined historical-cultural context.” The Pope also talks about
the need for policies which can lighten an excessive imbalance between
incomes.”
“there is yet another form of promoting fraternity
– and thus defeating poverty – which must be at the basis of all the
others. It is the detachment of those who choose to live a sober and
essential lifestyle, of those who, by sharing their own wealth, thus
manage to experience fraternal communion with others.”There needs to be fraternity in the economic
sphere as well: “the progressive distancing of man from God and from his
neighbour, in the greedy pursuit of material goods on the one hand, and
in the impoverishment of interpersonal and community relations on the
other – have pushed man to seek satisfaction, happiness and security in
consumption and earnings out of all proportion to the principles of a
sound economy.” The economic crisis must “provide us with a fruitful
opportunity to rediscover the virtues of prudence, temperance, justice
and strength.”In the paragraph on war, Francis recalled that “in
the past year, many of our brothers and sisters have continued to
endure the destructive experience of war, which constitutes a grave and
deep wound inflicted on fraternity. Many conflicts are taking place amid
general indifference. To all those who live in lands where weapons
impose terror and destruction, I assure you of my personal closeness and
that of the whole Church.”“The Church also speaks out in order to make
leaders hear the cry of pain of the suffering and to put an end to every
form of hostility, abuse and the violation of fundamental human rights.
For this reason, I appeal forcefully to all those who sow violence and
death by force of arms: in the person you today see simply as an enemy
to be beaten, discover rather your brother or sister, and hold back your
hand! Give up the way of arms.” Francis makes his predecessors’ appeal
for “the non-proliferation of arms and for disarmament of all parties,
beginning with nuclear and chemical weapons disarmament,” his own. For
“as long as so great a quantity of arms are in circulation as at
present, new pretexts can always be found for initiating hostilities.”
He points out, however, that “international agreements and national laws
– while necessary and greatly to be desired – are not of themselves
sufficient to protect humanity from the risk of armed conflict.” “A
conversion of hearts is needed which would permit everyone to recognize
in the other a brother or sister to care for.”“I express my hope,” Francis adds, “that the daily
commitment of all will continue to bear fruit and that there will be an
effective application in international law of the right to peace, as a
fundamental human right and a necessary prerequisite for every other
right. Corruption and organized crime threaten fraternity.”Francis then goes on to talk about a “selfishness
which develops socially” whether it is in the many forms of corruption,
so widespread today, or in the formation of criminal organizations, from
small groups to those organized on a global scale. These groups tear
down legality and justice, striking at the very heart of the dignity of
the person. These organizations gravely offend God, they hurt others and
they harm creation, all the more so when they have religious
overtones.”“I also think of the heartbreaking drama of drug
abuse, which reaps profits in contempt of the moral and civil laws. I
think of the devastation of natural resources and ongoing pollution, and
the tragedy of the exploitation of labour. I think too of illicit money
trafficking and financial speculation, which often prove both predatory
and harmful for entire economic and social systems, exposing millions
of men and women to poverty. I think of prostitution, which every day
reaps innocent victims, especially the young, robbing them of their
future. I think of the abomination of human trafficking, crimes and
abuses against minors, the horror of slavery still present in many parts
of the world; the frequently overlooked tragedy of migrants, who are
often victims of disgraceful and illegal manipulation,” the Pope goes on
to say.But the Pope also stresses that humans “can
experience conversion; they must never despair of being able to change
their lives.” “I wish this to be a message of hope and confidence for
all, even for those who have committed brutal crimes, for God does not
wish the death of the sinner, but that he converts and lives.”
Francis also spared a thought for those serving
sentences in prison: “In the broad context of human social relations,
when we look to crime and punishment, we cannot help but think of the
inhumane conditions in so many prisons, where those in custody are often
reduced to a subhuman status in violation of their human dignity and
stunted in their hope and desire for rehabilitation. The Church does
much in these environments, mostly in silence. I exhort and I encourage
everyone to do more, in the hope that the efforts being made in this
area by so many courageous men and women will be increasingly supported,
fairly and honestly, by the civil authorities as well.”The Pope goes on to talk about the protection of
nature which is often exploited by humans, “driven by greed and by the
arrogance of dominion, possession, manipulation and exploitation.” He
spoke of the “continuing disgrace of hunger in the world.” “Contemporary
societies should reflect on the hierarchy of priorities to which
production is directed. It is a truly pressing duty to use the earth’s
resources in such a way that all may be free from hunger. Initiatives
and possible solutions are many, and are not limited to an increase in
production. It is well known that present production is sufficient, and
yet millions of persons continue to suffer and die from hunger, and this
is a real scandal. We need, then, to find ways by which all may benefit
from the fruits of the earth.”Finally Francis speaks about necessary realism of
politics and the economy which “cannot be reduced to mere technical
know-how bereft of ideals and unconcerned with the transcendent
dimension of man.” Because “when
this openness to God is lacking, every human activity is impoverished
and persons are reduced to objects that can be exploited.”
12/12/2013 VATICAN INSIDER
Francis' surprise nomination as “European communicator of the year”
Francis is communicator of the year
“Vatican Insider” interviews the Vatican communications “minister” Claudio Maria Celli
Giacomo Galeazzi
vatican city
Pope Francis will receive a surprise special nomination at an Audience in the Vatican next month as part of the 4th edition of the prestigious International journalism award “Argil: European man”.
The official nomination will take place at 12 noon
on Friday 13 December at Spazio Europa, the body that represents the
European Commission in Italy. Before that, at 10 am, there will be a
round table meeting on building greater communication synergy between
the institutions to bring European Union citizens closer together.“The Pope communicates on a human level.”
Archbishop Claudio Maria Celli, President of the Pontifical Council for
Social Communications, paints a portrait of Pope Francis. “Fifty years
after Inter Mirifica decree, we have moved from social communication media to media culture,” Mgr. Celli tells Vatican Insider.
What are the things that characterise Pope Francis’ communication method?
“The Pope focuses on the human dimension of
communication. According to Pope Francis, the great digital continent is
not just about technology. It is made up of real men and women who have
their own personal concerns and are in search of the truth and what is
good and beautiful. Speaking of which, I would like to remind everyone
that one of the biggest social networks, Facebook, has over 1, 2 billion
members and is one of the world’s biggest “countries”, without borders.
Many of these people will never step foot inside a church but we have
the duty to announce the Gospel message to them too. So the Church and
its priests need to be present in this field, they need to evangelize in
the net, not via the net, because it is within the environment of the
net that I am called to be the person I am.”
What lesson can be learnt from Francis who will
tomorrow be announced European communicator of the year and yesterday
was named man of the year by TIME magazine?
“God speaks to us through daily events and Francis
is pushing us towards a spiritual experience that gives current affairs
more substance, teaching us to listen to and see God, who never tires
of acting in every moment of our lives and history. He teaches us to
listen, perceive and recognise the fivine Mystery at every instant; to
learn to be reborn with Christ always present in our lives, to fall in
love with the Infinite through every fleeting moment, in everything we
do! So the Pope asks us: “What are our homilies like? “Let’s do away
with interminable, boring homilies no one understands.” Emmaus is a
perfect example of courageous communication, which Francis proposed to
Brazil’s bishops but is also relevant to us Europeans. “What we need is a
Church that is not afraid to enter into their dark hour. What we need
is a Church that goes out to meet them along their path. What we
need is a Church that is able to join their conversation. A Church that
is able to converse with those disciples who after escaping from
Jerusalem, wandered aimlessly around without a goal, alone, immersed in
their own disappointment, with the disappointment of a Christianity that
is considered worldly and sterile, infertile and unable to make sense.”
Is the Council still a strong inspiration to “God’s communicators”?
“Inter Mirifica was one of the first
documents produced by the Second Vatican Council and fifty years on it
represents a key phase in the relationship between the Church and
communication, albeit containing some weak points which the next
magisterium would try to address. This was the first time an ecumenical
Council discussed social communication which contains instruments that
are key to the Church’s mission, have a widespread reach and can reach
people easily and quickly, generating interest. When the Council was
held, the technology available at the time made it possible to
experience what was going on in real time. Today, radio, television and
print media are accompanied if not surpassed by other marvellous things
such as computers, the internet and cell phones. We are witnessing a
revolution which had only just started when Inter Mirifica was issued but which still had a profound impact on people’s mindset and lifestyles, albeit through different ways.
But Inter Mirifica was met with strong op position…
“A year after it was promulgated, Fr. René Laurentin defined
Inter Mirifica as “trivial, preachy, narrow-minded and not very open to
the role of the laity.” Pretty much everyone was disappointed with the
“prophetic” decree: the “liberals” because its language was still
censorious and presented a naïve anthropological vision;
“traditionalists” because it did not condemn in a clear manner and
showed an excessive openness to instruments that were potentially very
harmful for the moral teaching and the integrity of the Catholic faith. A
compromise resulted, involving the reduction of more than two thirds of
the original contents, with the approved version receiving the highest
number of “non placets” in the final voting stage (1960 in favour and
164 against). I still consider Cardinal Martini’s words back in 1991
illuminating: “The media is no longer a screen one looks at or a radio
one listens to. It is an atmosphere, an environment in which one
immerses oneself , which envelops us and penetrates every part of us. We
are immersed in this world of sounds, images, colours, impulses and
vibrations, just as primitive men were immersed in the forest, like a
fish in water. It is our environment, the media represent a new way of
living.” The revolution had begun. Our culture began feeling the shock
waves and still does today.”
Where do we need to start from?
“From the questions Pope Francis asked at his
meeting with the CELAM’s coordinating committee before he left Rio de
Janeiro on 28 July 2013. Questions about the internal renewal of the
Church, dialogue with today’s world, “The scenarios and the areopagi
involved are quite varied … God is everywhere: we have to know how to
find him in order to be able to proclaim him in the language of each and
every culture; every reality, every language, has its own rhythm.” This
speech together with the one he gave to Brazilian bishops constitute a
small ecclesiological encyclical that describes what the Holy Father
thinks of today’s Church. Communication presumes ecclesiology and this
is the true meaning of change. As humans and Christians sent from God,
the passion for communication is in our DNA.”
What can be taken as an example?
“It is useful to look at pastoral conversion a sit
was expressed in Ermano Olmi’s film “Centochiodi”, which champions the
authenticity of personal encounter. The film “criticises the modus
operandi of a culture that has strayed far away from the shores of the
human soul.” It expresses the hope of re-building spirituality from the
bottom up, from our material existence, from experience, as if to say:
“The truth is not to be found in books but in life and in our encounters
with other people.” It is not enough to “reaffirm” to “keep”. The
message depends less on the receiver than it does on the sender. The
receiver is not a target, they are part of a conversation and part of a
giving and receiving process. In the end we communicate who we are, to
the extent that, as often happens in the communication process, other
elements other than verbal ones are more important. Our testimony and
coherence are fundamental.”
EARTHQUAKES
ISAIAH 42:15
15 I will make waste mountains and hills, and dry up all their herbs; and I will make the rivers islands, and I will dry up the pools.
MATTHEW 24:7-8
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
MARK 13:8
8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:(ETHNIC GROUP AGAINST ETHNIC GROUP) and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.
LUKE 21:11
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places,(DIFFERNT PLACES AT THE SAME TIME) and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.
- 3.5 40km W of Cohoe, Alaska 2013-12-13 08:03:20 UTC-05:00 83.7 km
- 4.2 20km W of La Cruz, Costa Rica 2013-12-13 07:47:38 UTC-05:00 69.0 km
- 4.4 42km N of Putre, Chile 2013-12-13 04:47:56 UTC-05:00 143.2 km
- 3.5 95km N of Larsen Bay, Alaska 2013-12-13 03:30:27 UTC-05:00 88.3 km
- 4.1 24km NNW of Lost Hills, California 2013-12-13 02:49:57 UTC-05:00 22.1 km
- 4.6 68km SE of Buldir Island, Alaska 2013-12-13 01:45:46 UTC-05:00 41.4 km
- 2.6 5km SSW of Pottsboro, Texas 2013-12-13 00:43:04 UTC-05:00 5.0 km
- 4.9 158km S of Severo-Kuril'sk, Russia 2013-12-13 00:34:31 UTC-05:00 41.2 km
- 4.9 216km SW of Biha, Indonesia 2013-12-13 00:29:39 UTC-05:00 19.7 km
- 5.4 41km SSW of El Rosario, El Salvador 2013-12-12 23:45:11 UTC-05:00 64.1 km
- 5.1 84km NE of Poso, Indonesia 2013-12-12 23:28:52 UTC-05:00 50.9 km
- 3.3 134km NNE of Vieques, Puerto Rico 2013-12-12 22:34:56 UTC-05:00 67.0 km
- 3.3 32km N of Charlotte Amalie, U.S. Virgin Islands 2013-12-12 21:49:34 UTC-05:00 102.0 km
- 4.6 Fiji region 2013-12-12 20:54:10 UTC-05:00 346.2 km
- 2.8 5km NW of Helena, Oklahoma 2013-12-12 20:35:16 UTC-05:00 5.0 km
- 4.6 0km SW of Karangpete, Indonesia 2013-12-12 20:16:50 UTC-05:00 130.5 km
- 2.9 36km SSW of Akutan, Alaska 2013-12-12 19:13:05 UTC-05:00 102.5 km
- 4.9 Scotia Sea 2013-12-12 19:11:30 UTC-05:00 13.1 km
- 4.5 99km SE of Molibagu, Indonesia 2013-12-12 19:03:20 UTC-05:00 70.6 km
- 5.1 23km ENE of Kuril'sk, Russia 2013-12-12 17:52:21 UTC-05:00 40.2 km
- 2.5 33km SSE of Boca de Yuma, Dominican Republic 2013-12-12 17:10:52 UTC-05:00 106.0 km
- 4.3 35km S of Champerico, Guatemala 2013-12-12 15:35:16 UTC-05:00 54.8 km
- 4.8 150km S of Severo-Kuril'sk, Russia 2013-12-12 14:47:31 UTC-05:00 39.2 km
- 4.5 16km NNW of Garisul, Indonesia 2013-12-12 14:28:29 UTC-05:00 173.9 km
- 3.6 99km NE of Punta Cana, Dominican Republic 2013-12-12 13:10:12 UTC-05:00 10.0 km
- 4.4 93km W of El Aguilar, Argentina 2013-12-12 11:35:47 UTC-05:00 212.1 km
- 4.0 41km SSE of Jarm, Afghanistan 2013-12-12 11:17:52 UTC-05:00 149.0 km
A Palestinian Authority (PA) source on Friday told AFP that PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas formally rejected US proposals for Israel to keep troops in a future Palestinian
state along the Jordan border. The source further formally stated
Abbas' position of refusing to recognize Israel as the Jewish state.Abbas' rejection of US Secretary of State John Kerry's proposals in Ramallah Thursday night came after similar remarks to
a public radio station earlier in the night. The PA source confirmed
Friday that Abbas "has rejected the ideas" presented by Kerry.The source also revealed that Abbas had given Kerry a letter on "Palestinian red lines," which include his "refusal to recognize Israel as a Jewish state."In November, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu remarked that the root of the conflict is the PA's refusal to recognize the Jewish state of Israel.Allegedly Abbas "rejected the ideas on (Jordan Valley) security
because there is not a third party" to monitor the border. Such an
arrangement has been opposed by Israel, and according to analysts even a
limited security presence in the area would be a "death-trap" for Israel.Kerry, who was set to meet Netanyahu in Jerusalem Friday morning, changed his plans to continue on to Jordan due to the heavy snowstorm, instead heading straight to his next stop, Vietnam.Kerry, who just turned 70 years old, was in Israel on his ninth trip since March, the second in less than a week.
Economics Minister Naftali Bennett released a statement on his
Facebook page Friday, discussing the talks which have resumed between
Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA).Bennett cites history once more in his statement, and explains the extent of the US's involvement in a possible peace deal."Recently we’ve been hearing a new tune: an international guarantee
will 'safeguard Israel's security'," Bennett stated. "We are told that
they found the answer to all of our security problems. We can evacuate
Samaria, Judea and the Jordan Valley (they won’t dare speak about the
Golan Heights). We can place cameras, lasers, helicopters, and
especially - rely on international forces and the security guarantee of
our friends." The statement follows news that PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas rejected
the US's proposal for security arrangements in the critical Jordan
Valley region, which would provide a buffer zone between the two
countries in the event of a two-state solution. Abbas originally made statements to that effect in a radio interview; PA officials confirmed the news to Kerry and to AFP Friday. While AFP reports that US Secretary of State
John Kerry was set to meet with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu at
6:30 am in Jerusalem for follow-up talks, no information has yet been
released about that meeting - which may have been cancelled, delayed, or
postponed in light of the massive snowstorm sweeping across Israel. Bennett notes that similar security arrangements in Lebanon, Iran and Syria have actually worked against their aims. "In 2006, at the end of the Second Lebanon War, the Security Council passed Resolution
1701, which prohibits the entry of all weapons into southern Lebanon.
Result: Hezbollah has since smuggled in over 100,000 missiles into
southern Lebanon.""In 2006, the Security Council passed Resolution
1696 that determined that Iran must stop all enrichment and may not
build any additional centrifuges," he continued. "Result: Since then,
Iran has increased the amount of its centrifuges from only 164 to
18,500." "Over a year ago, the President of the United States determined if Syria will use chemical
weapons against its people that this would be crossing a red line which
would lead to military action. Result: Syria has killed hundreds of
residents with chemical weapons (no one is disputing that), and military action did not happen." "This has happened dozens of times around the world. Guarantees are words, they are not actions," he concluded. "We will continue to defend ourselves, by ourselves. It has worked not badly at all for the last 65 years." 
