Middle East

Pope Francis mentioned the victims of the synagogue attack in Halle, Germany, in his prayer yesterday afternoon. Today work in the smaller groups began. Discussions also focused on the tragedy of drug trafficking and its consequences.

For Fr. Martìn Lasarte, a Salesian, the "viri probati" proposal risks being a response born of imbedded clericalism. The Church’s history is rich with examples of fruitful evangelizations carried out by baptized lay people, without any priests (Korea, Vietnam and today many African nations). One contribution to the debate that is inflaming the Extraordinary Synod on the Amazon.

Ankara already speaks of at least 181 "terrorist" targets hit. The Kurds speak of a "repelled" offensive. Assyrian-Chaldean groups denounce victims among Christians. Egypt calls for an urgent meeting of the Arab League. Ankara rejects criticism and points to Gulf countries war in Yemen.

Bishop Kräutler: "Indigenous peoples do not understand celibacy". Deepen and disseminate a theological literature that includes, together with traditionally known sins, "ecological sins" that treat sin against the environment as a sin against God, against one's neighbor and future generations.

A new mile-long Jewish cemetery with 23,000 burial chambers will cost US$86 million. The first 8,000 graves will be ready by the end of the month. Judaism and Islam do not accept cremation.

In the story of Paul's conversion, "the Risen One manifests His being one with those who believe in Him: to strike a member of the Church is to strike Christ himself! Even those who are ideologues because they want the so-called "purity" of the Church, strike Christ "

The first 3,500 tickets for women spectators sold out in less than an hour. Tickets proudly posted to social media. The match is valid for qualifying for the Qatar 2022 World Cup. In response to the extraordinary demand, the authorities have decided to increase the sectors.

Much has been said about the ecology, migrations and predatory extractive models in the 3rd General Congregation of the Synod, but also about the formation of seminarians and laity, of the ordination of married elders and female deaconates. Violence against nature and against the natives who defend it was another very present topic. "The destruction of nature contradicts the Christian faith, and invokes the responsibility of all to seek a new concept of development and progress".

Yesterday the apostolic administrator celebrated the opening of the academic year at the Studium Biblicum Franciscanum. The institute "made history" through "its discoveries". In looking at books, we find "the first response to the cry of the world".

The US president threatens the Turks: if the operations are "beyond the limits" the White House is ready to "annihilate" the country's economy. For the Kurds, the withdrawal of US troops is a "stab in the back". Analysts and experts warn: an offensive against the Turks would open the path for a return of ISIS.

"We approach Amazonian communities on tiptoe, respecting their history, their cultures, their lifestyle," he explained, far from the "ideological colonisations that destroy or reduce" the traits of peoples and which today are so commonplace.”

The work of the Special Assembly opens. The goal, indicated by Francis, is "to find new ways to evangelize that portion of the People of God, especially the indigenous, often forgotten and without the prospect of a peaceful future, also due to the crisis of the Amazon forest, lung of capital importance for our planet ”.