Pope Meets with Greek Catholic Abp. in Hungary; Tells Pope Church of Christ Has 2 Lungs, East and West

 When Pope Francis met with Hungarian Greek Catholics yesterday -- members of a Ukraine-based Eastern church in communication with Rome -- the community's leading prelate said its members have shed their blood for the faith and want to be a bridge between Eastern and Western Catholicism, the Crux website  reports today (April  30, 2023).

Speaking  at the Mother of God Greek Catholic Church  in Budapest, Metropolitan Archbishop  Fulop Kocsis of the Byzantine Eparchy of Hajdudorog told Pope Francis that he is "beloved by all of us."

"From Pope John Paul II we learned the important truth that the Church of Christ breathes with two lungs, the spirit of the East and the spirit of the West, which together make up the living mystical body," he said. 

Church to Set Up Auto Repair Shop on Its Land; Neb. Church to Serve Parishoners at Low Rates

 A Nebraska megachurch has announced plans to expand its charitable ministries to include a food pantry and an automobile repair shop for lower-income individuals, the Christian Post website reports today (April 29, 2023).

Brookside Church of Omaha, which boasts a congregation of around 3,000 people, will expand its ministry that provides clothes for the less fortunate to include a food pantry  and an "Auto Care Center" housed on its property near Interstate 80 and L Street. 

Brookside emailed The Christian Post a statement detailing that the care center will only service individuals who come by recommendation from a local agency or nearby school, and will provide services at a discounted price or even free.

18 U.S. Christian Colleges Forced to Shut Down; Due to COVID Pandemic and Financial Difficulties

 A new study shows that 18 Christian colleges have closed or merged since the beginning of the COVID pandemic in 2020, the Christianity Today website reports today (April 28, 2023).

The study was conducted by Higher Ed Drive, which is tracking "major closings, mergers, acquisitions, and other consolidation among public and private nonprofit institutions from 2016 to the present."

The study found that the 18 Christian colleges that closed were Methodist, Lutheran, Roman Catholic, Baptist, Church of Christ,  and Independent Christian Church schools. The schools were all small and had faced financial difficulties even before the COVID pandemic. 

Pres. Candidate Haley Says She'll End Abortion Feuds; Solved Similar Problem as Gov. of S. Carolina

 Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley is billing herself as a person who can forge a national consensus on abortion, citing her experience creating a consensus around another highly contentious debate during her tenure as governor of South Carolina, The Christian Post website reports today (April 27, 2023).

Haley, who formerly served as governor of South Carolina and U.S.  Ambassador to the United Nations during the Trump administration,  gave a speech on abortion before a crowd of pro-life activists at the headquarters of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America on April 25. 

In her speech, Haley expressed a desire to "start a constructive conversation about where we go from here in our divided country."

Vatican:Laypeople Can Vote in Synod of Synodality; Synod Assembly to Occur in Oct.2023 and Oct. 2024

 The Vatican announced today (April 26, 2023) that there will be laypeople participating as voting members in the Synod on Synodality's  October assembly, a break with past custom, which allowed laypeople to participate without the right to vote, the National Catholic Register website reports. 

Cardinal Mario Grech, the secretary general of the Synod of Bishops, said the non-bishop participants -- among them priests, religious, deacons, and laypeople -- 'are witnesses of the memory of the process, of the itinerary, of the discernment that began two years ago. Pope Francis will also approve every member in advance. 

The general assembly of the Synod on Synodality will take place in two sessions, in October 2023 and October 2024. 

Biden Says He's Running for Reelection as Pres.; Proud of Progress He Made, Created 12M Jobs

 Joe Biden announced today (April 25, 2023) that he is running for reelection as president of the U.S., saying every generation has a moment where they have had to stand up for democracy, and this is his moment, the Yahoo News website reports. 

Biden said, "There's a choice ahead of us. Do we continue to build a future full of opportunities for you and families like yours? Or will we turn the clock back?" 

He added, "I'm so proud of the progress we made. We took our economy back from the brink, helping create more than 12 million jobs. We took aggressive action to bring costs down  for working people-- all while making corporations pay their fair share."

Bed Bath and Beyond Declares Bankruptcy; Will Stop Accepting Its Famous Coupons April 26

 Once an unstoppable retailer -- deemed a "category killer" for its triumph over many rivals -- Bed Bath and Beyond has now filed for bankruptcy, the NPR website reports today (April 24, 2023). 

It plans to begin closing its 360 Bed Bath and Beyond stores and 120 Buy Buy Baby stores. 

For months, the chain has been losing both money and shoppers, struggling to restock shelves as suppliers and banks cut  off its tab. Bed Bath and Beyond will stop accepting its popular coupons on April 26.