A Day of Light and Darkness
November 9 is the day in 1938 when Hitler’s gangs attacked Jewish property in a prelude to the Holocaust, and the very same day 51 years later when the wall dividing East and West was breached, signaling the end of the cold war. People lined up in Berlin for an exhibition of photographs celebrating the opening of the Bornholmer Strasse border crossing in 1989. Nov 9 has always presented the dilemma of how to celebrate the joy of the wall’s coming down while at the same time commemorating the night of terror known as Kristallnacht, or the night of broken glass. ‘I think it’s the beginning in the shift in narrative,’ said Deidre Berger, director of the American Jewish Committee’s Berlin office. ‘It’s a concern of what young people know about this day.’ The nightly news seemed to support her view, reporting Germany’s celebrating the wall coming down, followed by a report on the ‘Jewish community’ marking Kristallnacht. Pray: that the world may always remember the devastating lessons of fascism and genocide. (Ps.107:39) More: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/10/world/europe/10germany.html?_r=1&ref=global-home
Pope sees antichurch sentiment in Spain
Pope Benedict XVI strongly criticized the ‘aggressive’ antichurch sentiment that he said was flourishing in Spain as he sought to rekindle the faith in a once staunchly Roman Catholic nation that is now among Europe’s most liberal. The Church is fighting laws supported by Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero’s Socialist government that have allowed same-sex marriage, expedited divorce and eased restrictions on abortions. The pope’s first stop on a two-day trip that began on 6 November was in the pilgrimage city of Santiago de Compostela. Pope Benedict told reporters that the anticlericalism seen now in Spain was reminiscent of the 1930s, when the church suffered a wave of violence and persecution as the country lurched into civil war. The reference was striking given the scale of violence then, when the Roman Catholic Church claims that 4,184 clergy members were killed, accused of backing Franco’s fascist dictatorship. Pray: that the Pope’s visit will strengthen the faith of the Spanish nation. (1Co.16:13) More: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/07/world/europe/07pope.html?ref=europe
Pope sees antichurch sentiment in Spain
Pope Benedict XVI strongly criticized the ‘aggressive’ antichurch sentiment that he said was flourishing in Spain as he sought to rekindle the faith in a once staunchly Roman Catholic nation that is now among Europe’s most liberal. The Church is fighting laws supported by Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero’s Socialist government that have allowed same-sex marriage, expedited divorce and eased restrictions on abortions. The pope’s first stop on a two-day trip that began on 6 November was in the pilgrimage city of Santiago de Compostela. Pope Benedict told reporters that the anticlericalism seen now in Spain was reminiscent of the 1930s, when the church suffered a wave of violence and persecution as the country lurched into civil war. The reference was striking given the scale of violence then, when the Roman Catholic Church claims that 4,184 clergy members were killed, accused of backing Franco’s fascist dictatorship. Pray: that the Pope’s visit will strengthen the faith of the Spanish nation. (1Co.16:13) More: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/07/world/europe/07pope.html?ref=europe
India: Girls rescued out of trafficking
Three girls from different states of India, sold off to brothels in Solapur city a few months ago, were rescued last week by Indian Rescue Mission (IRM), an organization that rescues minor girls forced into prostitution and offers justice and rehabilitation for these victims. These girls were rescued from a city hotel in a joint operation conducted by Indian Rescue Mission and Maharastra State police on October 28, 2010, after they had discovered the trafficking racket based on the investigations conducted by IRM. The police swung into action and arrested a lady brothel keeper and the lodge owner, along with other pimps who were engaged in forcing these girls into prostitution. Among the rescued girls, three were minors and were trafficked from different parts of the country. The girls told the police that they were sold to the brothels in the city and were forced to entertain clients who visited the brothel. Praise: God for the work of IRM and pray that the authorities would be granted more powers to fight this evil trade. (Mk.7:21) More: http://www.breakingchristiannews.com/articles/display_art.html?ID=8348
