Cardinal:Kirill's Backing Ukraine War Is Heresy; Must Not Use Violence to Solve Church Conflicts

 The Vatican's point man on ecumenical affairs said Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill's defense of the war in Ukraine amounts to "heresy," and has fractured unity of the Orthodox community, the Crux website reportrs today (June 30, 2022).

In an interview with the German newspaper Wurzburg Die Tagespost, Swiss Cardinal Kurt Koch, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, said, "It is heresy that the patriarch dares to legitimize the brutal and absurd war in Ukraine for pseudo-religious reasons."

Koch added that church conflicts must never be 'solved with violence."

NATO Invites Sweden, Finland to Membership; Two Sought Joining after Russia Invaded Ukraine

 NATO invited Sweden and Finland to join the alliance today (June 29, 2022) after Turkey dropped its opposition to the move, the Daily Caller website reports. 

World leaders, including President Joe Biden, gathered in Madrid this week for the NATO summit.

Sweden and Finland sought NATO membership as a result of Russia invading Ukraine last February. 

Fourty-Six Migrants Found Dead in San Antonio; Believed to Have Died from Heat Exhaustion

At least 46 people, believed to be migrants from Mexico, were found dead in a truck that was abandoned in San Antonio, Texas, the Need2Know website reprts today (June 28, 2022). 

At least 16 others, including four children, suffering from heat exhaustion and dehydration, were taken to local hospitals.

Three people have been taken into custody, San Antonio Police Chief William McManus said.

Supreme Court Rules on Coach's Right to Pray; Rules for 1st Amend. Exercise and Free Speech

 A high school football coach, fired by his district for his brief prayers following his team's football games, has won his free speech fight at the U.S. Supreme Court, the WND website reports today (June 27, 2022).

The 6-3 ruling came in the case involving Joe Kennedy, who was dismissed by the Bremerton school in Washington state. 

The court's majority held "The Free Exercise and Free Speech Clause of the First Amendment protects an individual engaging in a personal religious observance from government reprisal..."

Pope to Parents: Don't Be Overprotective, Anxious; Presents Homily for the World Meeting of Families

 Pope Francxis offered a bit of parenting advice to paerents yesterday, urging families  not to be anxious and overprotective , the Crux website reports today (June 26, 2022).

The pope's remarks came as he celebrated a closing Mass for the 10th World Meeting of Families, which is taking place in Rome. 

In his homily, Francis said many parents fear that rheir children won't find their way amid the confusion created by society.

Supreme Court OKs Funds at Rel. Schools; Maine Decision May Impact All 50 States

The Supreme Court ruled on June 21 that  parents in rural districts lacking  public high schools, who receive  state aid, can send  their children to private schools instead and can use that money for tuition at schools with faith-based curricula, the Religikon News website reports today (June 24, 2022).

In a 6-3 vote, the court held that Maine's requirement that tuition assistance payments be used at "nonsectarian"schools violated the First Amendment because parents could not send their children to the school of  their choice.

The First Amendment states: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." 

Biden urges Congress End Fed.Gas Tax for 3 Mos.; Tax Cut Would Save Consumers 18 Cents a Gallon

 President Joe Biden yesterday called on Congress to suspend the federal gas tax for three months to save consumers 18 cents a gallon, the UPI website reports today (June 23, 2022). 

Biden said the administration will meet with oil refinery executives today to urge them to bring more refineries back online to lower prices at the pump. 

He also called on states to order similar gas-tax suspensions. 

Biden Will Soon Make Decision on Student Debt; Will Inform Borrowers of Amount Govt. Will Pay

 President Joe Biden confirmed a decision that will impact millions of student-loan borrowers is on the horizon, the Yahoo News website reports today (June 22, 2022). 

Recent reports have indicated Biden is considering $10,000 in relief for borrowers making under $150,000 a year. 

Biden told reporters on June 20 that he is close to making an announcement on student debt. 

Pro-Abortion Group Plans Terror Attacks in US; Wants Terrorism If Supreme Court Reverses Roe

 The American pro-abortion group, Jane's Revenge, says it is planning domestic terrorism when the U.S. Supreme Court likely overturns Roe v. Wade which legalized abortion in 1973, the Worthy News website reports today (June 21, 2022).

"This is an event that should inspire rage in millions of people who can get pregnant," the group noted on the Anarchists Library website ahead of the ruling due this month. 

It asked pro-abortion activists to do "whatever form your fury takes."

Kirill: Occupiers in Ukraine Defending Russia; Calls New Churches in Russia "God's Miracle"

 Patriarch Kirill, head of the Russian Orthodox Church, said that the Russian occupiers who invaded Ukraine are "defending Russia on the battlefield," the Yahoo News website reports today (June 20, 2022). 

According to Kirill, the Russian military in Ukraine is driven by an inner moral sense based on the Orthodox faith. 

Kirill also said that the Western world is currently experiencing a "decline of faith," while new temples are constantly opening in Russia, which he called "God's miracle."

Report:Iceland Is World's Most Peaceful Nation; Followed by New Zealand, Ireland; US Ranks 129

 Iceland is the most peaceful country in the world, followed by New Zealand and Ireland. according to the latest Global Peace Index, the Worthy News website reports today (June 19, 2022). 

The United States now ranks 129. 

Denmark, Austria, Portugal, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Singapore, and Switzerland complete the top ten list globally.

School Sued for Prejudice against White Students; Parent Claims School Teaches Racial Pol. Ideology

 A parent is suing his child's school district and its administrators in Mountain Lakes, N.J., for teaching an educational curriculum that promotes "anti-racism" and discriminates against white students, the WND website reports today (June 18, 2022). 

The parent, listed as B.I. for privacy, is suing Mountain Lakes School District for certain parts of its curriculum put in place since the murder of George Floyd in 2020 which teach "racial political ideology" and create a "hostile educational environment" for white students, according to the lawsuit filed on June 6. 

White students have been discriminated against because of race, the lawsuit says.

Bishop Says Worcester School Is No Longer Cath.; School Flying Black Lives Matter and Pride Flags

 A bishop has declared that a central Massachusetts school "may no longer identify itself as Catholic" because it refuses to remove Black Lives Matter and Pride flags it began flying on campus last year, the ABC News website reports today (June 17, 2022).

Arguing that the flags "embody specific agencies and ideologies that contradict Catholic social and moral teaching,"  Bishop Robert McManus of the Diocese of Worcester issued a decree on June 16 punishing the Nativity School of Worcester, a tuition-free private middle school that serves about 60 boys from under-resourced communities. 

The decree prohibits the school from calling itself  Catholic and prevents Mass and sacraments from taking place on school grounds. 

Biden Considers Health Plan If Roe Is Overturned; Supreme Court Expected to Reject Abortions Soon

 Amid demands from the far-left base to take immediate action to "protect abortion rights" in the event the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, President Joe Biden and his staff are considering declaring a public health emergency, according to the New York Times, the WND website reports today (June 16, 2022).

The newspaper said the administration would use an emergency declaration to ensure that physicians who carry out abortions in states where they are not licensed are shielded from legal liability.

Another proposal is that physicians in states that ban abortion conduct the deadly procedure on federal land, such as a military base. 

US Abortions Increase for 1st Time in Decades; Some 930,000 Done in 2020, 867,000 in 2017

 A decades-long decline in abortions in the U.S. has ended, according to a study released today (June 15, 2022) that said there's been a near 10% increase in the number of procedures nationwide, the UPI website reports. 

The Abortion Provider Census was compiled by the Guttmacher Institute. 

It says that abortions performed in  2020 == about 930,000 -- amounted to an 8% increase over the total (867,000) in 2017.

Pope Drops July Visit to Africa Due to Knee Pain; Trip Expected to Be Rescheduled for a Later Date

 Pope Francis will not be making a planned apostolic visit to the African countries of South Sudan and Congo this July due to worsening knee pain, the Religion News website reports today (June 14, 2022).

A statement sent by Vatican spokesperson Matteo Bruni said, "the Holy Father has been forced to postpone, with regret, the Apostolic Journey," which was planned for July 2-7.

Pope Francis' trip will be rescheduled for "a later date to be determined," the statement added.

Woman in India Is First Person to Marry Herself; Rel. Leader Would Not Let Her Marry in a Temple

 India saw its first "sologamy" as Kshama Bindu married herself with all the wedding rituals of "mehendi" and "haldi," the Worthy News website reports today (June 14, 2022). 

She got married a few days ahead of the scheduled date to avoid any controversy after a BIP leader opposed her wedding and said she wouldn't be allowed to marry in a temple.

She is believed to be the first person in the world to get married to herself. 

Zelensky: We Won't Cede Any Land to Russia; Ukraine May Need to Cede Land in Negotiation

 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his advisers have been arguing in recent days that they don't want to cede any territory to Russia in the ongoing war in Ukraine, The Daily Beast website reports today (June 13, 2022). 

However, Steven Pifer, former U.S. ambassador t o Ukraine, said, "Zelensky is going to have to make some really difficult decisions between the kind of concessions to make versus protecting positions of principle."

Pifer added, "I think that's going to be a really, really hard decision if they get to a point in a negotiation.

Biden:Oil Firms Make "More Money Than God;" Exxon Engages in Stock Buybacks, Not Drilling

 U.S. President Joe Biden took a swipe at oil giant Exxon on June 10, accusing the company of making "more money than God" while Americans suffer at the pumps, the RT website reports today (June 12, 2022).

However, Exxon says it is scaling up production, while conservatives blame the high gas prices on Biden's own policies.

Also, Biden singled out Exxon for engaging in stock buybacks rather than expanding its drilling activity.

Americans Prefer Non-Denom. Church Names; Have Impressions of Denom. in Church Names

 A new study from Lifeway Research shows that Americans prefer churches with non-denominational names, the Christian Post website reports today (June 11, 2022).

The online study, which surveyed more than 1,000 Americans last September, showed that just 33% of U/S. adults assumed that a church is not for them when the term non-denominational is reflected in the name.

Most people have pre-existing impressions of denominational groups when they see them in a church name or description.

Inflation Rises to Annual Rate of 8.6% in May; Gasoline, Food Prices Rise the Most in Past Yr.

 U.S. inflation -- already at a 40-year-high -- rose to an annual rate of 8.6% in May, according to the Consumer Price Index summary from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the UPI website reports today (June 10, 2022).

Inflation was up by 1% in May alone.

Gasoline prices jumped 48.7% in the 12 months ended in May; fuel oil was up 106.7%. and grocery prices are up 11.9% from 12 months ago, according to the report.

Biden Launches Summit of the Americas Meeting; Addresses Economics, Climate Change, Migration

 President Joe Biden plunged into this week's Summit of the Americas, aiming to push for regional progress in addressing economic development, climate change, and migration, the AP website reports today (June 9, 2022).

At the Summit of the Americas, Biden said in his opening remarks last night, "We have an opportunity for us to come together around some bold ideas, ambitious actions, and to demonstrate to our people the incredible power of democracies to deliver concrete benefits and make life better for everyone."

A range of activists from the U.S. and dissidents from the region have been gathering around the Los Angeles convention center, where most of the meetings are taking place, to promote their causes.  

Jew-Hating Men in France Attack a Jewish Man; Liron Rozenhaft Got a Concussion from the Attack

 A group of men assaulted a Jewish man while he was putting up campaign posters for his wife, who is running for a legislative seat in Strasbourg, France in a June 23 election, the JTA website reports today (June 8, 2022).

Initially, two men approached Liron Rozenhaft, and called him a "dirty Jew" after reading the name of his wife, Audrey Rozenhaft, on the posters, Le Parisien reported. 

Rozenhaft was left unconscious and with a concussion as a result of the attack, according to Le Parisien.

Ohio Lawmakers OK Teachers Carrying Guns; Gov. DeWine Says He'll Sign the Bill into Law

 Ohio Governor Mike DeWine is set to approve a bill allowing public schools to arm their faculty, following the legislation's approval by the state legislature, the Worthy News website eports today (June 7, 2022).

The bill would require public school employees to spend an initial 24 hours in training before being allowed to carry firearms on the premises. 

They would then need an additional eight hours annually to keep their permits valid. 

Pope Speaks in Wheelchair on Pentecost Spirit; Says Holy Spirit Gives Meaning to Jesus' Words

 Pope Francis spoke yesterday during Mass for the solemnity of Pentecost, which commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit onto the apostles and officially brings the liturgical season of Easter to an end, the Crux website reports today (June 6, 2022).

He entered the Basilica in a wheelchair, which he has been using regularly for the past few weeks due to severe knee pain.

In his homily, the pope said the role of the Holy Spirit is to give a "new and full understanding" of Jesus' words and actions. 

Pope Might Be Planning to Retire This Summer; Visits City in Aug. where Pope Celestine V Retired

 Pope Francis added fuel to rumors about the future of his pontificate by announcing he would visit the central Italian city of L'Aquila in August for a feast initiated by Pope Celestine V, one of the few pontiffs who resigned before Pope Benedict XVI stepped down in 2013, the AP website reports today (June 5. 2022).

Italian and Catholic media have been rife with unsourced speculation that the 85-year-old Francis might be planning to follow in Benedict's footsteps, given his increased mobility problems that have forced him to use a wheelchair for the last month.

These rumors gained steam last week when Francis announced a consistory to create 21 new cardinals scheduled for Aug 27. Sixteen of these cardinals are under age 80 and eligible to vote in a conclave to elect Francis' successor. 

US Gas Prices Doubled Since Biden Took Office; Gallon Was $2.39 on Jan.20, 2021, Is $4.81 Now

 Since Joe Biden took office in January 2021, the price for a gallon of gas has doubled, the Fox Business website reports today (June 4, 2022).

On Jan. 20, 2021, the average price for a gallon of gas nationwide was approximately $2.39. Today, the price for a gallon of gas has skyrocketed to $4.81, up five cents from yesterday, according to AAA. 

The White House this week cheered an OPEC decision to boost supply and has tapped the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, while criticizing U.S.energy companies for not increasing production.

3 People Dead in IA Church Parking Lot Shooting; Occurred after Biden's TV Speech on Gun Control

A man shot and killed two women in the parking lot of a church in Iowa last night and then killed himself, the Reuters website reports today (June 3, 2022).

The shooting took place shortly after President Joe Biden delivered a major TV address on gun violence in the wake of mass shootings in Buffalo, New York, Uvalde, Texas, and Tulsa, Oklahoma in recent weeks. 

The Iowa shooting took place outside Cornerstone Church, a fundamentalist Christian church east of the city of Ames, while the church program was on inside, said Nicholas Lennie, chief deputy of the Story County Sheriff's Office.

Pope, Kirill to Meet at Rel. Congress in Sept.; Congress of Rel. Leaders to Meet in Kazakhstan

The Vatican has announced that Pope Francis will travel to Kazakhstan in September for an international interfaith summit that is also expected to draw the participation of Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill, the Crux website reports today (June 2, 2022).

The summit, hosted by the Kazak government and titled "Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions," is set for Sept. 14-15 in the capital city of Nur-Sultan. 

Ever since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, Kirill has been criticized first for his silence and then for his support of Russia's invasion. 

US Sends Millions of $$ in Arms to Ukraine; Includes Missiles, Helicopters, Antri-Tank Arms;

 President Joe Biden's administration will send millions of dollars worth of defense equipment, including high-tech missile systems, to Ukraine to help the country ward off aggression by Russian forces, the UPI website reports today (June 1, 2022).

This is part of a $700 million military aid plan that includes the medium-range missile systems, helicopters, Javelin anti-tank weapon systems, other vehicles, and spare parts. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been pleading for some of the equipment  to help fend off Russian fighters across Ukraine.