In the News, September 25, 2015

September 25, 2015

Today's religion and world affairs news from the United States and around the globe: Pope Francis in the United States, a stampede during the annual hajj, and the United Kingdom and the war against ISIS.
BERKLEY CENTER IN THE NEWS
Dorothy Day, Thomas Merton: Pope Gives Nod to two Controversial Catholics
by Moni Basu and Jessica Ravitz
CNN
http://www.cnn.com/2015/09/24/us/pope-speech-thomas-merton-dorothy-day/index.html
In his Congressional address on Thursday, Pope Francis referenced four figures of American history. Two of those figures, Thomas Merton and Dorothy Day are less known but important Catholic figures of the 21st century. Berkley Center’s Paul Eli discusses both figures’ importance in American and Catholic history. 

The Pope to the World
WNYC 
Brian Lehrer program
http://www.wnyc.org/story/pope-world/
Berkley Center Senior Fellow, Katherine Marshall, along with Andrea Bartoli, discuss the Pope’s global role and international influence in light of his Friday visit to the 9/11 Memorial and participation in an interfaith ceremony. 

Pope Francis at Ground Zero
by Paul Elie
Vanity Fair
http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2015/09/pope-francis-ground-zero
Yes, something significant happened here. Francis comes here not to speak, or to be seen, so much as to see the place for himself. He comes, that is, as a pilgrim. He’ll pray at the reflecting pool where the South Tower once stood and then enter the 9/11 Memorial Museum to pray with other believers: Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, Sikh.

Foro Interamericano
VOA
 
http://www.voanoticias.com/section/foro-interamericano/4004.html
An interview with Jose Casanova about the Pope's visit.

Der Provokateur

by Gerard Mannion
Die Zeit op-ed
http://www.zeit.de/gesellschaft/zeitgeschehen/2015-09/papst-franziskus-usa-besuch-erwartungen/komplettansicht
A preview of what Americans might hear from Francis and a review of the issues facing the Church that might be discussed during the visit. 

POPE FRANCIS IN AMERICA
Pope Francis Addresses U.N., Calling for Peace and Environmental Justice
by Semini Segupta and Jim Yardley
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/26/world/europe/pope-francis-united-nations.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=a-lede-package-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0
Friday morning, Pope Francis addressed the United Nations General Assembly and issued a sweeping call for peace and environmental justice. Francis placed blame for the exploitation of natural resources on a “selfish and boundless thirst for power and material prosperity.” 

Pope Francis’ Profound Personalism
by Michael Gerson
Washington Post op-ed
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/on-the-path-toward-more-humane-politics/2015/09/24/c19637d6-630e-11e5-9757-e49273f05f65_story.html?wpmm=1&wpisrc=nl_opinionsFrancis clearly has no intention of shoring up the certainties of a besieged church, or joining one side of a culture war. Instead he is affirming the good news of the Gospel and the priority of the person. And he does this in a spirit that invites trust, after so much trust in institutions has been broken. 

The Paradox of Pope Francis’ Power
by David Ignatius
Washington Post op-ed
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-paradox-of-the-popes-power/2015/09/24/9533401a-62ca-11e5-b38e-06883aacba64_story.html?wpmm=1&wpisrc=nl_opinions
Pope Francis and Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in the United States this week the same way, making a slow descent down an airplane ramp toward a waiting entourage. Watching the two, you couldn’t help wondering: Which man is more powerful in the world today?

The Political Pope
by Victor Gaetan
Foreign Affairs
As a religious leader, Francis is charged with upholding values that transcend politics, which is why he tries not to play in political games. At the same time, however, human dignity can hardly flourish in conditions of deprivation or destruction, which is why he and his tight-knit diplomatic team have not been afraid to advocate justice, peace, and mercy to those in power. In that way, he has had to be more actively politically engaged than previous popes, but also more careful in how he does it.

Pope Francis Is a Great Economist
by Daniel Altman
Foreign Policy​
http://foreignpolicy.com/2015/09/25/pope-francis-is-a-great-economist-poverty-inequality-productivity/
His speeches in Washington weren’t just allegory and hope. They were a clear message to Congress to avoid creating a permanent American economic underclass.

Pope Francis Assembles a Squad to Fight Religious Extremism
​by Emma Green
Atlantic​
The pontiff joined with leaders from around the world to commemorate 9/11—and made a striking show of the Church’s pluralism.

AROUND THE WORLD
St. Vitus’ Dance and the Rational Actor

by Peter Berger
American Interest
http://www.the-american-interest.com/2015/09/23/st-vitus-dance-and-the-rational-actor/
Berger reflects on the seemingly nonsensical state of global politics and election results. “Institutions, which are typically based on rational assumptions, are dams holding at bay the howling frenzies lurking in human souls. All institutions are fragile. Sometimes the dams break.” 

Saudi Arabia Suggest Pilgrims at Fault Over Hajj Tragedy
Huffington Post
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/saudi-arabia-hajj-trajedy_56054a00e4b0dd8503072603?utm_hp_ref=religion&ir=Religion&section=religion
Saudi Arabia, under growing pressure to account for a crush that killed more than 700 people at the hajj pilgrimage, on Friday suggested pilgrims failing to follow crowd control rules bore some blame for the worst disaster at the event for 25 years. The kingdom's regional rival Iran expressed outrage at the deaths of 131 of its nationals at the world's largest annual gathering of people, and politicians in Tehran suggested Riyadh was incapable of managing the event.

The Spectre of Death Has Always Loomed over Sacred Journeys
Economist Erasmus blog
http://www.economist.com/blogs/erasmus/2015/09/death-and-pilgrimage
Religious pilgrimages and the possibility of death have always gone hand-in-hand. However, whatever spiritual significance one ascribes to death in, or as a result of, pilgrimage, that does not exonerate modern earthly authorities from their responsibility to make religious travel as safe as humanly possible. 

British Muslims are Losing the War Against ISIS 
by Sunny Hundal
Quartz
http://qz.com/498409/british-muslims-are-losing-the-war-against-isil/
But despite all their outrage, British Muslims are losing the war against ISIL. Badly. It looks like ISIL is more attractive to Muslims than al-Qaeda ever was.
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