Archaeologists have discovered a grave of a “female vampire” from the 17th century in Poland. An iron sickle lay around the neck of the deceased, and a padlock was on the big toe of her left foot. According to the publication Arkeonews, it is possible that the appearance of the deceased was the reason for the unusual ceremony. In the practice of archaeologists, deviant burials are sometimes encountered. They are distinguished by the funeral ritual, which differs from that generally accepted in the respective culture. For example, the dead may be buried outside the cemetery or only some parts of the body. There can be many reasons for the appearance of deviant burials, related to both the belief system and the circumstances of the life and death of people buried in an unusual way. One of the categories of non-standard burials are the graves of so-called vampires.
Archaeologists believe that such burials contain the remains of people who were feared by others – they were afraid that the deceased would rise from his grave. To prevent this from happening, stones were placed in the mouths of the dead, they were mutilated and even nailed to the ground. In addition, placing sickles and hair on the neck or abdomen was practiced. Someone could be defined as a “vampire” because of unusual appearance, witchcraft, suicide, or being one of the first victims of epidemics. Similar rites were performed in many cultures, for example, in Italy a ten-year-old “vampire child” was found who died in the 5th century. And in the USA they even identified one of the “vampires” from the 19th century with the help of DNA analysis.
Professor Dariusz Poliński from Nicholas Copernicus University headed the archaeological dig that led to the discovery of the remains, which were found wearing a silk cap and with a protruding front tooth, the Daily Mail reported Friday. Polish archaeologists from the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń under the leadership of Prof. Dariusz Polinski conducted excavations near the town of Bydgoszcz (Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship), where in 2005 – 2009 an early medieval necropolis whose burials contained valuable inventory was investigated. This year, however, scientists focused on an adjacent burial complex from the 17th century, damaged as a result of agricultural work. In one of the burials, archaeologists discovered the remains of a “female vampire”. An iron sickle lay around her neck, and a padlock was placed on the big toe of her left foot. At the same time, the remains of a silk hat were preserved on the skull of this woman, which may indicate her rather high status, since it was a very expensive item in the 17th century. Perhaps the reason why the locals buried her in such an unusual way lies in the woman’s unusual appearance – her front tooth protruded forward. According to Polinsky, usually the rite of “disposal” of the deceased consists, for example, of cutting off the head or legs, or placing the deceased in the grave face down. Currently, the discovered remains have been transported to Toruń, where they will be subjected to a detailed examination.
Photo: Female ‘vampire’ with a sickle across her throat found in Pień, Poland. (Mirosław Blicharski)
The European Center for Nuclear Research (CERN) is developing plans to shut down particle accelerators during peak hours on the electricity grid. This means that the Large Hadron Collider could shut down if there was a power cut across Europe. This was reported by The Wall Street Journal, citing the head of the CERN Energy Management Commission, Serge Claude. “We’re really concerned about the stability of the power grid because we’re doing everything we can to prevent blackouts in our region,” Claude said.
CERN is located in a vast complex on the border of France and Switzerland and is one of the largest consumers of electricity in France. During peak hours, it consumes around 200 megawatts of electricity: just three times less than the nearby city of Geneva. The center is trying to keep the collider running and avoid a sudden power outage that could knock out the $4.4 billion machine, Claude said. The Large Hadron Collider is one of the complex’s eight accelerators, and separately there are two particle moderators that allow scientists to study antimatter.
The center is negotiating with its electricity supplier, which is controlled by French energy giant EDF SA, to get advance warning when to use less electricity. In this way, CERN will prioritize the shutdown of other accelerators and reduce electricity consumption by as much as 25%.
On July 5, the Large Hadron Collider began round-the-clock operation after a three-year hiatus. He was expected to work for four years at
We are publishing an article by the Russian priest Prot. Pavel Adelheim (1938-2013) from “Live Journal” from 2010. With great pain, the priest missionary and confessor, who paid with his life for his faithfulness to God, describes how imperceptibly the spirit of Christ is pushed out of church life in his Church. Compromises with God’s justice, made in the name of expediency or personal gain, naturally and invariably lead to falling away from God. In this sense, his words, spoken more than ten years ago, sound prophetic today.
What is happening to the Russian Orthodox Church cannot leave indifferent the clergy who have connected with it and have lived with it all their lives as a bride. When I was ordained, the Russian Church was completely different. Spiritual changes were slow. The old spiritual environment was preserved. The main mass of believers and clergy, even the bishops, were confessors, their spiritual children and admirers. Gradually this core, which guarded the fullness and purity of church ritual, the striving for spiritual life and the moral principles of the Gospel, went to God.
Over the years, this environment began to be blurred by the new people who came to the Church from the Soviet society and introduced a different hierarchy of values into parish life. Evangelical ethics became more and more blurred with new concepts about the meaning of church life. The environment has changed and become very different. We have reached a catastrophic destruction of evangelical ethics in the Church. Evangelical moral principles have been destroyed in the minds of bishops, clergy and laity. The reminder of ethics does not cause repentance, but irritation and a desire to destroy the speaker. Hierarchy demonstrates immoral behavior without narrowing down or justifying it. Those who have promised to be “a rule of faith and an example of meekness” silently do evil: deceit and violence, injustice and betrayal, rage and revenge. How then can we call for missionary work and catechesis? Where do we call people to come and what will they say in response?
Bishop Nikon, tainted by homosexuality and abuse, was barely expelled from Yekaterinburg a few years ago. Under the new bishop, the diocese refused to pay for the gold and precious stones taken on debt. She is being sued for millions of debts. The Latvian Metropolitan Alexander sells off church properties that he received by virtue of restitution. The facts were presented to the attention of the patriarch with documents and photographs. The result is the same: the cleric who reports the facts is defamed, discredited and excommunicated, in violation of all canonical regulations of the Universal Church. Archdeacon Kuraev published that an episcopal ordination costs one hundred thousand dollars. Simony deprives the one who was ordained and the one who ordained him. According to the new canons: there is no persecution for simony.
In the name of the Church, the houses and property of the poor are confiscated, and clergy and laity are persecuted without fault. Ecclesiastical courts gloss over bishops’ crimes and punish innocents by falsifying court decisions. Ecclesiastical judges and officials answer all questions in silence.
They can say that the facts are singular, but they cannot be called a general rule.
Unfortunately, they already can! Individual facts become public because others are carefully hushed up. They erupt in tongues of fire as from under the closed door of a burning furnace. The information space is cleared, censorship is introduced. From all dioceses, the groans of clergy tortured by the bishops are heard.
I was told a typical episode with Patriarch Kirill. In response to a request to intercede for a priest persecuted by a bishop, he says: “I need a bishop more than a priest.”
This was actually Pilate’s answer. Pilate formed his own opinion about Christ and expressed it to the bishops: “I find no fault in Him.” But the bishops threatened him: “If you let Him go, you are not Caesar’s friend. Anyone who pretends to be a king opposes Caesar.”
Pilate had no need to risk his office for a poor preacher. He refused, unwilling to defend justice against his own gain. He asked for judgment, washed his hands and said: “I am clean from the blood of this righteous man. Think of him.”
The crowd unanimously agreed to take all responsibility: “His blood be on us and on our children.”
The church hymn evaluates his act thus: “Pilate washed his hands, but defiled his heart.” This is an assessment of Pilate’s crime for all time. Pilate’s action can be understood, but it cannot be justified. Why spoil your relationship with a bishop you will still need? It is easier to renounce Quixotic justice, the spirit of Christ, and deliver the innocent to the bishop’s slaughter. Fewer problems. Justice? – emptiness!
This is how Pilate reasoned, but he was not the patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church. If Patriarch Cyril reasoned in the same way, he stood against Christ on the side of Pilate. Hypocrisy has become the norm of ethics. Abandoning justice in the name of efficiency robs everyone, including the patriarch, of their Christian dignity. The principle of expediency is enshrined in the Statute of the Russian Orthodox Church.
If Patriarch Kirill is a politician and businessman, this is his business. If he does not respect evangelical ethics – this already affects God and us. I have nothing against politics as long as it is understood as applied ethics. But when politics rejects ethics, the jagged jaws of monsters open before us: Lenin, Stalin, Hitler… and now… Cyril.
A society that has abandoned justice and mercy in the name of prosperity has been abandoned by God. It becomes Sodom. If the ROC has given up its evangelical ethics, who needs it? It will be thrown away like saltless salt.
By announcing publicly that the patriarch and the metropolitan “faithfully transmit the word of Christ’s truth”, the cleric bears responsibility for the witness with his conscience. To respect them, we must see a pure and blameless life. The priest is engaged in missionary and catechizing activities. He calls, invites his spiritual children to the ROC and is responsible for their destiny. If he knowingly delivers them into the hands of shepherds who “come in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves,” he becomes an accomplice in their wickedness (Matthew 7:15).
The Soviet power persecuted a Church worthy of respect and love.
Today, the Church has become an apparatus for violence and persecution. “By their fruits ye shall know them” (Matt. 7:16). The persecuted in the Church is still Christ, who suffers for His younger brothers.
Illustration: Orthodox icon of Adam and Eve, 19th century, Bulgaria.
Coming to the topic of Muslim prayer, an Orthodox person enters an area, many components of which will lead him into serious bewilderment. Despite the common name of this aspect of religious prescriptions, the Orthodox prayer has almost nothing in common with the Muslim prayer, except perhaps the common terminology (God, repentance, meekness, humility, etc.), as well as the fact that, like the Orthodox, Muslims consider its fulfillment necessary and classify it as obligatory (fard) deeds.
Prayer (salat) in Islam is one of the five most important duties for Muslims. The Qur’an even calls it “the basis of Islamic rites” (K.2:153). Moreover, according to the Qur’an, the cleansing of a person’s heart depends on the correct performance of the external side of the prayer: “Worship your Lord with certain actions and rituals. And you will have pure hearts full of reverence” (K. 2:21). Sharia zealously monitors the exact performance of the prayer ritual by believers. (From the following it will become clear that it is not even zealous according to reason). No obstacles: natural-climatic, family, industrial – can distract the “orthodox” from the fulfillment of this great duty. It is interesting to note right away that Muslims perceive a prayer obligation precisely as a duty, as an order from above, which is not subject to appeal. As it will be seen now, a Muslim during prayer thinks about something completely different – how not to doubt, or not to violate any of the actions and positions of the body, as a result of which his prayer will be considered invalid, and his duty unfulfilled.
As mentioned above, only after a properly performed ablution can a person begin to pray, otherwise his prayer will be annulled. “It is narrated from the words of Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah said: “Prayer from the defiled will not be accepted until he performs ablution” (Al Bukhari)” [1]. When starting to pray, a Muslim must refrain from forbidden food and drink, sinful deeds, must be aware of himself standing before God and feel himself a humble and humble slave before Him. It is necessary to completely disconnect from everything that can distract a person from prayer and make it invalid. Tradition tells how one day, while Muhammad was praying, a splinter was pulled out of his leg, to which he did not pay any attention and continued to pray.
In Islam, there are six types of obligatory prayers, as well as additional or optional ones. The obligatory ones include: daily five-fold prayer (morning, noon, afternoon, evening, afternoon or night (K.17:78); prayer over the deceased; prayer when going around (tavvafa) around the kaaba during the great and small hajj; prayer ayat; prayer which the eldest son must perform for his parents; prayer for hire, oath and vow. Recommended (sunnah) or desirable prayers include additional ones: holiday, funeral, prayers for natural disasters, prayers for sending down rain.
Islamic scholars have different opinions regarding the fivefold prayer. Some of them suggest that at first the prayer was three times. However, Muslims consider this statement unfounded and recognize as a mandatory daily prayer only five times. There is a hadith about the so-called night ascension (miraj) of Muhammad to heaven. That night, Muhammad, on a certain demonic creature (burak), was, as it seemed to him, ascended to the highest heaven (eighth), where even Jabriel could not enter, and was honored with a conversation with Allah. During this conversation, he received a command from Allah to pray 50 times a day. However, on the advice of Moses, Muhammad for some time bargained with Allah to reduce the number of prayers. In the end, the bargaining settled on five times a prayer, but with the condition that each of them was worth ten, after which Muhammad no longer dared to ask for a greater reduction. In memory of this event, the 17th sura received the name – “al-isra” – “night transfer”. There is another hadith that offers a different version of the origin of the fivefold prayer. According to it, the angel Jabriel (Gabriel) descended to earth five times in one day and performed Muslim prayer in the presence of Muhammad, who, having adopted this practice, taught it to his adherents.
The Qur’an says: “Indeed, prayer for the believers is a commandment at a certain time” (K.–4:103). Each of the five obligatory daily prayers is read strictly at a certain time of the day and consists of a certain number of rak’ahs (rak’ah is one complete prayer cycle that includes bows, glorifying phrases addressed to Allah and reading the suras of the Koran). “Perform the rite of prayer from the moment when the sun begins to decline from the middle of the sky towards the west, and continue until dark. These are prayers: az – Zuhr (Midday prayer), al – Asr (Afternoon prayer), al – Maghrib (Prayer at sunset) and al – Ishaa (Evening prayer). Pray al-Fajr (Prayer at dawn). For the angels are the witnesses of this prayer” (K. 17:78). The Muslim daily prayer rule includes:
Morning prayer (salat as – subh), which includes two rak’ahs.
Midday prayer (salat az – zuhr) – four rak’ahs.
Afternoon prayer (salat al-asr) – four rak’ahs.
Evening prayer (salat al – maghrib) – three rak’ahs.
After-evening prayer (salat al-isha) – four rak’ahs.
1) Prayer times
The morning prayer time begins with the call to prayer (azan) and ends with sunrise. During this time period, it is necessary to perform salat as – subh. It is better to do this immediately after the adhan or as close to it as possible. There are such words in the Qur’an: “… until the white thread begins to differ from the black one in front of you at dawn” (K.2:187). Muslims refer to these words as the morning sunrise. After the so-called “false dawn” – a vertical strip of light, which with its narrow end rests on the horizon, a completely distinguishable horizontal strip of light appears in the sky, similar to a light thread bordering on a dark strip of night. After it, gradually expanding, floods the sky with light, it is believed that the “true dawn” has come and you can perform morning prayer.
The time for midday and afternoon prayers begins at noon and ends at sunset. For civilized Muslims, the definition of half a day is not difficult, but for those who are currently deprived of the benefits of civilization, Sharia has developed a method for determining half a day. “According to Sharia, noon can be determined if a stick or the like is stuck vertically in a flat place, then at sunrise its shadow will fall in the direction of sunset. As the sun rises, its shadow decreases. After noon, the shadow of the stick moves towards the sunrise. As the sun approaches sunset (in the direction of its sunrise), the shadow of the stick increases. Therefore, it becomes clear that the time when the shadow of the stick, decreasing, reaches its minimum point and begins to increase, is noon according to Sharia.
The midday prayer, which is also called the “middle prayer” (salat al-wusta), stands out from other daily prayers and is considered a priority: “Be attentive to prayers and especially to the middle prayer” (K.2:238).
Immediately after noon, the length of time for which four rak’ahs can be performed (for example, 30 minutes in the afternoon) applies only to the midday prayer. This means that in this period of time it is impossible to fit both the noon and post-noon prayers, but one noon. And that time before sunset, which is enough to perform a four-raked prayer, refers only to the afternoon.
The time for evening and afternoon prayers begins immediately after sunset (as soon as the redness in the sky disappears) and ends at midnight. For those who do not have access to civilized methods of determining midnight, Sharia suggests dividing the time between sunset (evening azan) and dawn (morning azan) in half. The middle of this period of time is considered midnight. In the same way as with midday prayers, the time after sunset, which is enough for the performance of three rak’ahs (for example, 20 – 25 minutes), refers only to the evening prayer, and the time before midnight, necessary for the performance of four rak’ahs, is considered exclusively during the afternoon prayer.
Source: Chapter 8. Rites in Islam – Unexpected Sharia [Text] / Mikhail Rozhdestvensky. – [Moscow: b. i.], 2011. – 494, [2] p.
For the purposes of the study, the specialists analyzed the chemical composition of 157 different toys
Allowing children to play with old toys may pose a risk to their health, writes “Science Daily”, citing a Swedish study.
Its authors from the University of Gothenburg have found that more than 80 percent of old toys and items contain toxins that can damage children’s growth, development and reproductive abilities, as well as cause cancer.
For the purposes of the study, the specialists analyzed the chemical composition of 157 different toys.
The analysis carried out shows that up to 84 percent of the old products contain phthalates and short-chain chlorinated paraffins in concentrations significantly exceeding the norm.
An excess of 30 percent was registered for the new toys, but it was lower than for the old ones. The phthalate content of old footballs, for example, makes up more than 40 percent of their weight, which is 400 times the legal limit.
The results obtained show that reuse and recycling are not always good for the environment. According to the study’s authors, toxins in old toys and belongings present an obstacle to a future circular economy involving these practices.
Lard, simply put, is pork fat. This fat is semi-soft and quite butter-like in texture. It can be found almost anywhere in the pig, but most often comes from the back, belly and around the organs. However, not all lard is created equal. Higher quality bacon comes from different areas of the pig:
– Leaf Lard is considered the highest quality you can get. It is collected from around the kidneys and from the inside of the groin. This fat has a very neutral, non-porky flavor. This makes it ideal for baked goods and is particularly prized for the flaky pie crusts it produces.
– Fatback is next in line. Fatback is, as its name suggests, fat from the back of the pig. This variety is used by many top chefs in place of oil because of its light, spicy flavor and silky texture. It is also the best choice for making sausages. – Caul Fat is the lowest grade available. It is collected from around the pig’s digestive organs. This fat is a mesh membrane. As a result, it is best suited for wrapping leaner meats or adding to pâtés.
Health benefits of lard
Believe it or not, lard offers a wide range of health benefits, making it a great choice for your fat needs:
– Vitamin D — lard is the number 2 food source for vitamin D, after only cod liver oil. One tablespoon actually contains 1000 IU!
– Heat stable — Pork fat is not destabilized by higher heat. This means it is much healthier and has a lower risk of cancer than other oils that smoke at high temperatures.
Interesting uses of lard – Natural — since it is a natural food, it does not need additives and further processing to work. – Cholesterol – Butter contains about three times more cholesterol than lard. For this reason, lard is a great low-cholesterol butter substitute.
Where can I buy lard?
Lard is available at most grocery stores. It can also often be purchased directly from local butchers. Uses in Mexican Cuisine Pork lard is used in Mexican cuisine as the fat of choice for making tamales, refried beans, and flour tortillas.
Learning how to make lard is a fairly easy process. – Collect the fat. See the first section of this post. It outlines the different types of lard and will help you determine what kind you want.
– Freeze the fat. This makes it much easier to cut into smaller pieces.
– Cut the fat into ½” or smaller cubes or grind it.
– Place in a heavy saucepan and cook over low heat with the lid removed. Alternatively, you can use a slow cooker at a low temperature or an oven.
– Melt the fat and let it cook for a few hours until the hard bits sink and rise again. They are called splatters because they make a popping sound when the lard runs out.
– Strain the rendered fat through a strainer and then through 3-4 layers of cheesecloth to remove any solids.
– Store well-melted and strained lard in an airtight glass container at room temperature or in the refrigerator.
– Use it instead of butter or oil in all your recipes!
Bulgaria ranks first in terms of smoking in Europe, and the country has already surpassed even Greece, which until recently was first. This was announced by the chairman of the Coalition for a smoke-free life, Dr. Gergana Geshanova. “Our country ranks first in mortality in Europe. Our population is aging and no one is teaching young people how to live healthily so they don’t get sick,” she pointed out, adding that a quarter of 16-year-olds smoke.
“Back in 2006, Bulgaria signed, together with more than 180 other countries, the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. 16 years have passed since then, and our country should have implemented everything under this convention a long time ago. However, we only do what the EU pressures us to do in terms of smoking,” said Geshanova. According to her, there is no initiative or desire for the state to do something to improve the health of the people in Bulgaria. She and her colleagues insist that Bulgaria fulfill its obligations under the Framework Convention. That is why the civil mission team is already meeting with representatives of the political forces that are fighting to enter the parliament. Most of the parties have included in their programs measures related to health care and smoking, but they have several important requests from the organizations to fight this vice. “First and foremost is the liquidation of outdoor advertising of tobacco products. Our country is one of the remaining 3-4 countries in Europe with billboards of tobacco products. The law in our country allows it, and this must be changed urgently. In shops, tobacco products are still displayed in a prominent place, most often behind the cash register, which is not the case in the West, because people are reminded to buy cigarettes or other tobacco products. Placing advertisements in a prominent place is unacceptable if we care about the health of our nation,” commented Dr. Geshanova. According to her and her colleagues, the sponsorship of tobacco companies should be banned.
The civil pressure team insists that more authorities such as the police, for example, be involved in the control of the smoking ban in closed public places, as is the case in Western Europe. The district health inspectorates involved in the inspections have very few employees who cannot supervise effectively. Last but not least, the experts insist on increasing the excise tax on tobacco products, which is a powerful factor in limiting smoking. “If the price of cigarettes increases, first the more vulnerable part of the population will decide not to smoke,” said Gergana Geshanova, quoted by BTA.
The President of Latvia Egils Levits submitted to the parliament a draft law on changing the status of the Latvian Orthodox Church, reports the official website of the Latvian presidency.
Currently, the Latvian Orthodox Church has the status of a self-governing church within the Moscow Patriarchate. It received this status in 1990, when Latvia proclaimed its state independence. It is headed by miter. Alexander (Kudryashkov).
President Levits proposes to the Latvian parliament to recognize it as independent.
The President of Latvia stated that the Latvian Church was de facto recognized as autocephalous in 1921 by Patriarch Tikhon of Moscow. Later, when Latvia was occupied by the USSR, the previous decisions of the Russian Orthodox Church were reversed and the Latvian Church was incorporated into the Russian Orthodox Church.
The President notes that he has met the understanding and approval of the parties in the Latvian Parliament for his proposed draft law. The Orthodox Church has also been informed, but so far there is no official reaction.
“I can assure that the Latvian Orthodox Church and Metropolitan Alexander can count on the full support of the Latvian state as an autocephalous church recognized by law in the future,” the president wrote.
“When the law comes into force, any influence or authority of the Moscow Patriarch over our Orthodox Church will be removed. Renunciation of any ties with the Moscow Patriarch is an important matter for our Orthodox believers, for the entire Latvian society and for national security,” the Latvian president said .
The President of Latvia also noted that he discussed the proposed draft law with all state institutions, the National Security Council and the parliamentary committees on national security and human rights. All of them have expressed the opinion that the law should be voted on as soon as possible. The president has asked parliament to grant the bill extraordinary status, and it will most likely be considered on September 8.
About 700 thousand are the Lutherans in the country, 370 thousand are the Orthodox and 500 thousand are Catholics. The Orthodox are about 18% of the population.
U.S. State Department Accuses Russia of Antisemitism and Exploiting the Suffering of Jews for its Own Agenda in Ukraine
In the space of a lifetime, the people of Ukraine have endured war (5-7 million lost in WWII), nuclear disaster (Chernobyl 1986), and civil discord.
February’s attack by the Russian Federation as directed by Vladimir Putin, wielder of the third largest military power on Earth, opens yet another chapter in Ukraine’s struggle to remain free.
“To serve its predatory ends, the Kremlin is exploiting the suffering and sacrifice of all those who lived through World War II and survived the Holocaust,” the State Department says in a dossier posted on its website July 11. “In the process, the Kremlin is detracting from critically important global efforts to combat antisemitism and is instead propagating one of antisemitism’s most insidious forms, Holocaust distortion,” the dossier continued.
The release of the dossier was timed ahead of an informal session of the United Nations Security Council that Russia called to further prop up its denazification justification. Tass, the Russian news agency, on July 7 quoted Dmitry Polyansky, the deputy Russian envoy to the United Nations, saying the session will “be our response to Western colleagues, who express doubts about one of the main goals of our special military operation in Ukraine, namely denazification, and claim that we are exaggerating the problem.”
The State Department dossier quotes historians and Holocaust remembrance institutions. It references Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s preposterous and widely discredited claim from May that “the biggest antisemites are Jewish themselves.” It quotes Israeli officials condemning Lavrov’s statement as bogus.
A key aim of Russia’s canard campaign, according to the State Department dossier, was to “downplay the role of antisemitism in Nazi ideology.”
How does Mr. Putin expect such cross-eyed lies to even be believed?
Because they already are.
Putin and the Kremlin are playing on the well-worn lie that the true victims of the Holocaust were not the Jews at all, but the Russian Christians (and, make no mistake, “Christian” in this context bears as much relation to Christianity as an assault rifle does to a place of worship). The canard goes that an elite global cabal of Jews was and continues to be the cause of any suffering wrought upon Russian Christians.
Putin, as the leader of “Russian Christian Nationalism,” uses the playbook of eastern European antisemitism, which screams that it’s all a Jewish conspiracy that cleverly employs words like “democracy” and “human rights” to undermine Christianity. Immigrants, Blacks, Muslims, Jews are all therefore threats against the “pure state,” and a Jewish head of state is something that is not to be tolerated.
The State Department dossier concludes by saying that Russia is crippling the fight against antisemitism: “With antisemitism on the rise around the world, it is imperative for all to call out this particularly pernicious kind of Russian disinformation.”
At this writing, the freedom-loving people of Ukraine—Jew and Gentile—are facing down the Russian tanks and might with a verve and passion that Putin had not expected. He is increasingly isolated as the well-intended nations of Earth turn their backs on him. His anticipated tidal wave of support has not materialized, nor will it. Creatures of the shadows, if not emboldened, stay in the shadows.
The people of Ukraine know from their recent history how dear a price they must be prepared to pay for their freedom. They have the attention of the world for the heroes they are, just as Putin and his “denazification” have earned its lasting contempt.
Pope Francis presided over the beatification Mass of Pope John Paul I, recalling how his smile communicated the goodness of the Lord. He encouraged everyone to learn from the Lord on how to love without limits and be a Church with a happy, serene and smiling face, that never closes doors.
By Thaddeus Jones
Recalling the example of the “smiling pope,” John Paul I, Pope Francis presided over his beatification in Saint Peter’s Square on Sunday. The Mass was celebrated by Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, with 25 thousand faithful participating in a rainy and later sun-filled square.
In his homily, Pope Francis recalled how in today’s Gospel we hear of large crowds following Jesus who gives them a challenging message: to become His disciple means to put aside earthly attachments, to love Him more than his or her own family, to carry the cross we bear in our lives.
The Pope observed that this admonition of the Lord contrasts with what we often see in our world, where the crowds are taken by the charisma of a teacher or leader, attaching their hopes for the future based on emotions, but they become more susceptible to those who instead shrewdly take advantage of them, telling them what they want to hear for their own profit, glory or power, profiting on society’s fears and needs.
Beatification of John Paul I in St. Peter’s Square
God’s style is different
The Pope explained that God’s way is different, as he does not exploit our needs or vulnerabilities, or offer easy promises and favours. The Lord is not interested in huge crowds, or seeking approval, the Pope went on to say, pointing out that the Lord appears more worried about those who follow with easy enthusiasm but without a more profound understanding of what is needed.
“Instead of yielding to the allure of popularity, (Jesus) asks each person to discern carefully their reason for following him and the consequences that it will entail.”
Many in the crowds recounted in the Gospel reading were hoping Jesus would become their leader and free them from their enemies, the Pope observed, someone who could easily fix all their problems. This worldly focus on only one’s needs, of gaining prestige and status, power and privilege, needs to be challenged he pointed out, as “this is not the style of Jesus…and cannot be the style of his disciples and of his Church.”
Pope Francis greets all those present at the beatification mass for John Paul I, before turning to the Virgin Mary and praying for world peace.
Carrying one’s cross
The Lord asks a different attitude of us, the Pope said, he wants his disciples to prefer nothing other than this love, even over their deepest affections and greatest treasures.
“To follow him does not mean to become part of a court or a triumphal procession, or even to receive a lifetime insurance policy. On the contrary, it means “carrying one’s cross” (Lk 14:27): shouldering, like him, one’s own burdens and those of others, making one’s life a gift, spending it in imitation of his own generous and merciful love for us. These are decisions that engage the totality of our lives.”
Love without measure
To commit as a disciple of Jesus means to look to the Lord more than ourselves, to learn how to love from the Crucified One, “the love that bestows itself to the very end, without measure and without limits.”
“In the words of Pope John Paul, “we are the objects of undying love on the part of God.” An undying love: it never sinks beneath the horizon of our lives; it constantly shines upon us and illumines even our darkest nights.”
When we look upon the Crucified Lord, the Pope continued, we are called to overcome the focus on ourselves, to love God and others everywhere, even those who see things differently, even our enemies.
Love calls for sacrifice
To love can involve “sacrifice, silence, misunderstanding, solitude, resistance and persecution,” the Pope pointed out, and it calls on us to take risks, and never to settle for less or we can end up living life “halfway,” without taking the decisive steps needed to be the Lord’s disciples, truly committing ourselves to Him and helping others.
“As Pope John Paul also said, if you want to kiss Jesus crucified, “you cannot help bending over the cross and letting yourself be pricked by a few thorns of the crown on the Lord’s head.” A love that perseveres to the end, thorns and all: no leaving things half done, no cutting corners, no fleeing difficulties.”
Pope Francis greeting pilgrims attending the beatification of John Paul I in St. Peter’s Square
Love without compromise
Recalling the example of Blessed John Paul I, Pope Francis recalled how the new Blessed lived the joy of the Gospel, “without compromises, loving to the very end.” He did not seek his own glory, but lived as a “meek and humble pastor.”
“With a smile, Pope John Paul managed to communicate the goodness of the Lord. How beautiful is a Church with a happy, serene and smiling face, that never closes doors, never hardens hearts, never complains or harbours resentment, does not grow angry or impatient, does not look dour or suffer nostalgia for the past.”
In conclusion, the Pope encouraged us to ask Blessed John Paul I to help us obtain from the Lord “the smile of the soul” and to pray in his own words: “Lord take me as I am, with my defects, with my shortcomings, but make me become what you want me to be.”
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Full video of the Beatification of Pope John Paul I
