A Tale of Two Wars
Two wars are being fought in the Middle East right now. Ostensibly the coalition forces are winning the ground and air war against the Iraqis but are losing the "image" war that in the long run may be more important. One has only to look to Israel and the continued terrorist attacks suffered by that nation to understand what I mean.
It was widely reported after 9/11 that one of prime goals of Bin Laden was to drag the United States government into attacking the Arab world and unleashing the mother of all battles (for Bin Laden this would lead to the destruction of the "infidels," i.e. "us"). The attack on Afghanistan failed to have any real repurcussions in the Arab world because it was understood to be an attack on the perpetrators of the terrorist attacks on the United States. Unfortunately the attack on Iraq is not as clear and the battle for public opinion (outside of the United States) is being lost. Now reports of Iraqis living in exile, people who fled Iraq to escape the brutal regime of Saddam Hussein are loading up in buses in Jordan to return to Iraq to fight for their country which they see as under attack from an invading force. To accomplish this conversion is no small task and may be an indication that we unwittingly have stepped into the mouse trap set by Bin Laden on 9/11.
I have little doubt that the United States will win the war and have control of the Iraqi government soon, but I also have little doubt that we have already loss the war of opinion. It seems that almost no one outside of Americans sees us as a "liberator." Take this quote from CNN.World:
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak says the U.S.-led war on Iraq would produce "one hundred new bin Ladens," driving more Muslims to anti-Western militancy.
"When it is over, if it is over, this war will have horrible consequences," Mubarak told Egyptian soldiers in the city of Suez on Monday.
"Instead of having one (Osama) bin Laden, we will have 100 bin Ladens," he said.
Disatisfied Catholics in NH Set-up Website
Calling for bishop's resignation. I think this site has been up for a day so far and has about 112 names so far.
See it at NH Catholics for Moral Leadership
Captured Kenyans Prayer Answered Quickly in Iraq
From BBC NEWS:
"I remember seeing a man with his finger on the pin of a grenade as they argued about whether they would kill us or not.
"David and I are both Christians and this morning I said 'We must pray together for a miracle.'
"So we prayed and 30 minutes later the door swung open and there were two British soldiers standing there.
"God must have given them the power to save us. It really was a miracle that they came."
Tuesday, April 1, 2003
The Weapon of "MASS" Instruction!
If you are Catholic, contemplating becoming Catholic, or just interested in what Catholics do every Sunday this is the book to explain it all to you in an easy to understand format! Is the Mass Biblical? Does it date back to the time of Christ? What do all those strange words like "hosanna" and even "amen" mean? Plus tips on:
How to "get" more out of the Mass!
How to hear a great homily at every Mass!
How to really receive Christ at Mass!
In short this is the book that will destroy any ignorance you might have when it comes to the Mass!
Image of Virgin Owned by Iraqi Woman in Detroit
Found at Visions of Jesus Christ.com:
The mother told me, that when she saw the oil-drenched icon, she felt a message in her heart - that it had to do with peace with Iraq. (the oil has kept coming up until a number of months ago, when it became just a trickle, and now has stopped...!) The lady grew up an orphan, and Jesus and His Mother became her constant companions in prayer, talking to Them as though they were physically present in the rooms with her. At the time of the miraculous flowing of oil, America was already at odds with Iraq, and she hesitated to even use the word Iraq to tell me where she was from, and said instead that she was from "Babylonia". I feel the oil was a sign of Mercy from God regarding our dealings with Iraq, but now the time of Mercy has "run out"...
If you are Catholic, contemplating becoming Catholic, or just interested in what Catholics do every Sunday this is the book to explain it all to you in an easy to understand format! Is the Mass Biblical? Does it date back to the time of Christ? What do all those strange words like "hosanna" and even "amen" mean? Plus tips on:
How to "get" more out of the Mass!
How to hear a great homily at every Mass!
How to really receive Christ at Mass!
In short this is the book that will destroy any ignorance you might have when it comes to the Mass!
Image of Virgin Owned by Iraqi Woman in Detroit
Found at Visions of Jesus Christ.com:
The mother told me, that when she saw the oil-drenched icon, she felt a message in her heart - that it had to do with peace with Iraq. (the oil has kept coming up until a number of months ago, when it became just a trickle, and now has stopped...!) The lady grew up an orphan, and Jesus and His Mother became her constant companions in prayer, talking to Them as though they were physically present in the rooms with her. At the time of the miraculous flowing of oil, America was already at odds with Iraq, and she hesitated to even use the word Iraq to tell me where she was from, and said instead that she was from "Babylonia". I feel the oil was a sign of Mercy from God regarding our dealings with Iraq, but now the time of Mercy has "run out"...
Monday, March 31, 2003
Murder in Michigan Church
Neither the victim nor the murderer were members of the church.
From Guardian Unlimited:
The priest at St. Paul's Albanian Church was preparing to distribute the sacrament when the attacker stood up, yelled, ``Yes, I am here'' and shot the victim in the back of the head and several more times after that, said witness Luigi Gjokaj, 42. He then fired into the air and yelled, ``I done what I was supposed to do.''
Some of the approximately 1,000 churchgoers fled after the shots, most running for the doors while a few leapt through windows, Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said. The suspect was wrestled to the ground by nearby worshippers, one of whom was injured as he sought to subdue him.
Update (4/1/03):
From The Detroit News:
St. Paul's Rev. Anton Kqira said Monday he had spent the last 24 hours talking to police, parishioners and relatives of the men involved who called from as far away as Europe to offer apologies for what happened Sunday.
"We can't have any services until (Cardinal Adam) Maida or someone blesses the church," said Kqira. "Blood has been spilled inside it."
Kqira had finished his sermon when witnesses said Pepaj shouted "I am here behind you" at the surprised Isufaj. Eight shots rang out in the pews, and enraged parishioners disarmed Pepaj and pummeled him to the floor. At least seven of 1,400 worshippers suffered minor injuries diving through plate glass windows to escape.
"We were fortunate no one else was injured," said Kqira.
The church opened its Rochester Hills doors in September after more than 20 years at Twelve Mile Road in Warren, where it had similar problems with serious gunplay.
Neither the victim nor the murderer were members of the church.
From Guardian Unlimited:
The priest at St. Paul's Albanian Church was preparing to distribute the sacrament when the attacker stood up, yelled, ``Yes, I am here'' and shot the victim in the back of the head and several more times after that, said witness Luigi Gjokaj, 42. He then fired into the air and yelled, ``I done what I was supposed to do.''
Some of the approximately 1,000 churchgoers fled after the shots, most running for the doors while a few leapt through windows, Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said. The suspect was wrestled to the ground by nearby worshippers, one of whom was injured as he sought to subdue him.
Update (4/1/03):
From The Detroit News:
St. Paul's Rev. Anton Kqira said Monday he had spent the last 24 hours talking to police, parishioners and relatives of the men involved who called from as far away as Europe to offer apologies for what happened Sunday.
"We can't have any services until (Cardinal Adam) Maida or someone blesses the church," said Kqira. "Blood has been spilled inside it."
Kqira had finished his sermon when witnesses said Pepaj shouted "I am here behind you" at the surprised Isufaj. Eight shots rang out in the pews, and enraged parishioners disarmed Pepaj and pummeled him to the floor. At least seven of 1,400 worshippers suffered minor injuries diving through plate glass windows to escape.
"We were fortunate no one else was injured," said Kqira.
The church opened its Rochester Hills doors in September after more than 20 years at Twelve Mile Road in Warren, where it had similar problems with serious gunplay.
Pope Speaks About Eucharist Encyclical
Pope Speaks About Eucharist Encyclical
From Zenit News:
I wished to dedicate, precisely to the subject of the Eucharist, the encyclical that, God willing, next Holy Thursday, I will sign during the Mass of the Lord's Supper. I will hand it symbolically to the priests instead of the Letter that I usually address to them and, through them, to all the People of God on that occasion.
From this moment I entrust to Mary this important document, which is centered on the intrinsic value and importance for the Church of the sacrament that Jesus left us as a living memorial of his death and resurrection.
We also turn to Mary, to pray for the victims of the conflicts that are taking place. With afflicted and trusting insistence, we invoke her intercession for peace in Iraq and in every region of the world.
From Zenit News:
I wished to dedicate, precisely to the subject of the Eucharist, the encyclical that, God willing, next Holy Thursday, I will sign during the Mass of the Lord's Supper. I will hand it symbolically to the priests instead of the Letter that I usually address to them and, through them, to all the People of God on that occasion.
From this moment I entrust to Mary this important document, which is centered on the intrinsic value and importance for the Church of the sacrament that Jesus left us as a living memorial of his death and resurrection.
We also turn to Mary, to pray for the victims of the conflicts that are taking place. With afflicted and trusting insistence, we invoke her intercession for peace in Iraq and in every region of the world.
Sunday, March 30, 2003
Pope Continues to Call for Peace
From Ananova:
Saying that God's love reaches every person, John Paul said that "human beings, aware of such a great love, cannot not open themselves up to an attitude of fraternal welcome" toward others.
Praying to the Virgin Mary for the victims of conflict, he said: "Let's invoke with grief-stricken and confident insistence her intercession for peace in Iraq and in every other region of the world."
From Ananova:
Saying that God's love reaches every person, John Paul said that "human beings, aware of such a great love, cannot not open themselves up to an attitude of fraternal welcome" toward others.
Praying to the Virgin Mary for the victims of conflict, he said: "Let's invoke with grief-stricken and confident insistence her intercession for peace in Iraq and in every other region of the world."
The Unpleasant Life of an American Soldier in Iraq
Lest we glorify the life of a soldier too much, Ron Martz paints a stark picture of what its like in the Atlanta Journal Constitution:
[this] was not nearly as dramatic or dangerous as the situation in which Sgt. 1st Class Brett Waterhouse, 37, of Gainesville, Fla., found himself that morning.
Waterhouse was using one of the fighting positions around the intersection as a toilet when a man approached and began screaming at him in Arabic. Waterhouse tried, with his limited Arabic, to tell the man to go away, but the intruder continued to scream and throw rocks.
Waterhouse was hastily completing his business when the man launched one final, sizable rock that was going straight for his head. Waterhouse fended off the rock with one hand, cutting a finger.
"That could have killed me if it had hit me in the head," Waterhouse groused.
When the man continued to approach, Waterhouse and several other soldiers pulled their weapons and shot the man.
Lest we glorify the life of a soldier too much, Ron Martz paints a stark picture of what its like in the Atlanta Journal Constitution:
[this] was not nearly as dramatic or dangerous as the situation in which Sgt. 1st Class Brett Waterhouse, 37, of Gainesville, Fla., found himself that morning.
Waterhouse was using one of the fighting positions around the intersection as a toilet when a man approached and began screaming at him in Arabic. Waterhouse tried, with his limited Arabic, to tell the man to go away, but the intruder continued to scream and throw rocks.
Waterhouse was hastily completing his business when the man launched one final, sizable rock that was going straight for his head. Waterhouse fended off the rock with one hand, cutting a finger.
"That could have killed me if it had hit me in the head," Waterhouse groused.
When the man continued to approach, Waterhouse and several other soldiers pulled their weapons and shot the man.
Saturday, March 29, 2003
Pope Says War Must Not Become "Religious Catastrophe"
From UK News Yahoo:
"Let us not permit a human tragedy to become a religious catastrophe," he said on Saturday.
The Pope is against the war in Iraq and led the Vatican in a diplomatic campaign to try to avert it.
The Iraq conflict has put the Vatican on a collision course with Washington because the Pope has refused to bless the conflict as a "just war".
The Vatican is very concerned that the war could lead to worsening situations for Christians living in predominantly Muslim countries, such as Iraq and Indonesia.
From UK News Yahoo:
"Let us not permit a human tragedy to become a religious catastrophe," he said on Saturday.
The Pope is against the war in Iraq and led the Vatican in a diplomatic campaign to try to avert it.
The Iraq conflict has put the Vatican on a collision course with Washington because the Pope has refused to bless the conflict as a "just war".
The Vatican is very concerned that the war could lead to worsening situations for Christians living in predominantly Muslim countries, such as Iraq and Indonesia.
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