In Some Parts of Russia, Classes on Orthodoxy Mandatory

From Asia News Italy:

The teaching of the Orthodox religion has now become mandatory in the high
schools of four provinces of what once was the atheist Soviet state. In July
Moscow’s Spiritual Academy approved “Basics of Orthodox Culture”, a course soon
to be taught in the provinces of Belgorod, Kaluga, Brjansk and Smolensk. By
2010, the Moscow Patriarchate should have trained some 10,000 religious
teachers. In 11 other provinces, religion will be taught but won’t be
mandatory.
These developments reflect the Russian Orthodox Church’s plan to have
religion taught across the country. By contrast, government officials are
planning a more general course on the “History of World Religions” so as to not
offend the country’s religious minorities.
Aleksij II, patriarch of Moscow
and All Russia, is convinced that “pupils should know the history of their
culture, and this is the goal of ‘Basics of Orthodox Culture’.” He also believes
that this is true for other religions as well.

German Theologian Shares Insights into Pope's Student Gatherings

From Reuters:

But Father Stephan Horn, a German theologian organizing the pope's meeting with 39 former students, said that reflected a misunderstanding of how the so-called "student circle" works and what the Catholic Church teaches about evolution.

"We've never drawn any conclusions in our student circle," he told Reuters by telephone from Rome. "This is an open exchange of ideas that does not aim for a conclusion.

"It has nothing to do with creationism," he added, referring to a fundamentalist Protestant view that God created the world in six days as described in the Book of Genesis. "Catholic theology does not endorse creationist views."

Gas Prices Expected to be Close to $2 by Election Day

This isn't the USA Today headline...they say by "Thanksgiving", but being the cynic that I am, I told a someone at work at the beginning of the Summer when gas was well over $3 a gallon that don't worry it'll be below $2 by election day...and now lo and behold its in the news...

From USA Today:

Gasoline prices are falling fast and could keep dropping for months.
"The only place they have to go is down," says Fred Rozell, gasoline analyst at the Oil Price Information Service (OPIS). "We'll be closer to $2 than $3 come Thanksgiving."

Travel organization AAA foresees prices 10 cents a gallon lower by the end of next week. It reported a nationwide average of $2.84 Tuesday, the lowest since April 20.

Now here are a few questions:

Has the unrest in the Middle East ended?
Is Iraq no longer a threat?
Oil pipeline in Alaska fixed?
Threat of Hurricanes in the Gulf over?
People no longer driving?

Of course the answer to all is no...if anything the news in the Middle East gets worst by the day.

The Mighty Marlins

Given that I am one of only twelve loyal Florida Marlin fans and that the hijinx of Jeffrey Loria this year just about caused me to cave in--having barely survived the similar stunt by original owner trash mogul Wayne H. (I've hated the Dolphins ever since he bought them)--this is the team that no matter who owns them, no matter how lousy the fan support, or lack of stadium, or selling off the team--you just can't kill them.

They truly are the "mighty Marlins" like the fish that nearly killed the old man in The Old Man and the Sea by Hemingway--how about the convergence of "Ernesto" losing steam over Cuba (think Hemingway and The Old Man and the Sea) and the rise of the Marlins to just 1 1/5 games out of the wild card lead?

Two World Series crowns, while one team in this neck of the woods has gone over a 100 years and is still blaming some poor guy for going after a foul ball as the goat who caused thier team to lose to the Mighty Marlins--wake up folks!

New Program of Priestly Formation Released

The document is here.

From Catholic Online:

The new version, reflecting the bishops' recent response to the scandal of clergy sexual abuse of minors, says explicitly for the first time that no
seminary applicant is to be accepted if he has been involved in sexual abuse of
minors.

It also incorporates stricter norms, adopted by the bishops in 1999, on
evaluating an application for seminary admission from someone who previously
left or was dismissed from a seminary or a formation program for religious life.

The Martyrdom of St. John the Baptist

From the Office of Readings (St. Bede):

As forerunner of our Lord’s birth, preaching and death, the blessed John showed in his struggle a goodness worthy of the sight of heaven. In the words of Scripture: Though in the sight of men he suffered torments, his hope is full of immortality. We justly commemorate the day of his birth with a joyful celebration, a day which he himself made festive for us through his suffering and which he adorned with the crimson splendour of his own blood. We do rightly revere his memory with joyful hearts, for he stamped with the seal of martyrdom the testimony which he delivered on behalf of our Lord.

There is no doubt that blessed John suffered imprisonment and chains as a witness to our Redeemer, whose forerunner he was, and gave his life for him. His persecutor had demanded not that he should deny Christ, but only that he should keep silent about the truth. Nevertheless, he died for Christ. Does Christ not say: I am the truth? Therefore, because John shed his blood for the truth, he surely died for Christ.

Pius XII Attempted Long Distant Exorcism of Hitler

According to Vatican Exorcist, from Mosnews.com:

Secret Vatican documents recently released say that wartime pontiff Pope Pius XII attempted a “long distance” exorcism of Hitler which failed to have any effect. “It’s very rare that praying and attempting to carry out an exorcism from distance works. Of course you can pray for someone from a distance but in this case it would not have any effect,” Father Amorth said.

The Vatican’s chief exorcist claims that one of the key requirements for an exorcism is to be present in front of the possessed person and that person also has to be consenting and willing. “Therefore trying to carry out an exorcism on someone who is not present, or consenting and willing would prove very difficult,” he said.