In the News, October 23, 2015

October 23, 2015

Today's religion and world affairs news from the United States and around the globe: resolution of the Catholic synod, a possible third intifada, the rise of anti-Muslim sentiment in Southwest Asia, and a string of church fires in St. Louis.
AROUND THE WORLD
A Whiff of Intrigue as Vatican Disputes ‘Unfounded’ Report on Pope Francis’ Health
by Laurie Goodstein and Gaia Piangiani
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/23/world/europe/a-whiff-of-intrigue-as-vatican-disputes-unfounded-report-on-pope-francis-health.html?ref=world&_r=0
On Wednesday, an Italian daily newspaper, Quotidiano Nazionale, reported that Pope Francis had a tiny, treatable brain tumor, that posed no immediate threat to his health. Although the article was thinly sourced, the timing of the report set off speculation that something less than healthy was afoot at the Vatican. 

Synod Ends Where it Began, in Disagreement
by Thomas Resse
National Catholic Reporter
r
http://ncronline.org/blogs/faith-and-justice/synod-ends-where-it-began-disagreement
Never in my lifetime have I heard of bishops and cardinals being so disrespectful of a pope, challenging his organization of this synod, even a few referring to him as a Protestant and threatening a fractured church if he goes against their wishes. (...) The Pope may have the support of the people, but could he win a vote of confidence from this synod? 

related | Vatican Meeting Reveals Growing Catholic Divide over Divorce and Homosexuality
by Anthony Faiola
Washington Post
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/at-vatican-synod-outreach-pushback-and-stuggles-over-soul-of-the-church/2015/10/22/6da0a5c6-71b9-11e5-ba14-318f8e87a2fc_story.html

Intifada's Revenge: Don’t Rule Out a Third One
by Dana El Kurd
Foreign Affairs
https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/israel/2015-10-21/intifadas-revenge
The recent wave of violence could yet erupt into something more, with major consequences for Palestinian politics and the broader Israeli-Palestinian conflict. 

Mr. Netanyahu’s Holocaust Blunder          
New York Times editorial
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/23/opinion/benjamin-netanyahus-holocaust-blunder.html?ref=opinion
The claim by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel that a Palestinian persuaded Adolf Hitler to exterminate the Jews of Europe is outrageous. It is outrageous because the Holocaust is far too terrible a crime to be exploited for political ends, especially in the state linked so closely to the tragedy of the Jewish people. 

Top Bosnian Muslim Cleric Raps Hungary’s Orban on Islam Remarks in Migrant Crisis
by Daria Sito-Sucic
Reuters
http://blogs.reuters.com/faithworld/2015/10/22/top-bosnian-muslim-cleric-raps-hungarys-orban-on-islam-remarks-in-migrant-crisis/
The spiritual leader of Bosnia’s Muslims protested on Wednesday against what he called the Hungarian premier’s “arbitrary and damaging” remarks about Islam and Europe in the migrant crisis, saying they were uttered out of ignorance. 

Muslim Migrants, Meet Christian Gypsies
by Jillian Melchior
Wall Street Journal commentary
http://www.wsj.com/article_email/muslim-migrants-meet-christian-gypsies-1445556478-lMyQjAxMTE1NjIzMzAyNjM1Wj
As Europe grapples with the biggest population shift since World War II, many have reacted with fear, warning of threats to European culture and the Islamification of the continent. Croatia’s small but growing Roma Christian community, however, has embraced this development, with believers like Ms. Nikolić enthusiastically volunteering to help Muslim newcomers. 

NATIONAL
String of Church Fires in St. Louis Raise Concern
By Rachel Lippmann
NPR
http://www.npr.org/2015/10/22/450937876/string-of-church-fires-in-st-louis-raise-concern
Seven churches in Saint Louis, six of them historically black churches, have been hit by arson this month. The latest blaze was set overnight. Local and federal authorities have teamed up to find the person responsible.

Mormons Say Duty to Law on Same-Sex Marriage Trumps Faith
by Jack Healy
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/23/us/mormons-still-against-same-sex-unions-take-a-stand-against-kim-davis.html?ref=todayspaper
Despite its deep opposition to same-sex marriage, the Mormon Church is setting itself apart from religious conservatives who rallied behind a Kentucky county clerk, Kim Davis, who cited her religious beliefs as justification for refusing to grant marriage licenses to same-sex couples. In a speech this week about the boundaries between church and state, Dallin Oaks, a high-ranking apostle in the church, said that public officials like Ms. Davis, the clerk in Rowan County, Ky., had a duty to follow the law, despite their religious convictions.
Opens in a new window