CATHOLIC: Pope Francis calls for peace among Christians and Muslims

Central African Republic: In a statement, MINUSCA said it was pleased to see that the Pope delivered messages of peace and reconciliation to members of the Christian and Muslim communities including victims of violence in a country that has been torn apart by more than two years of fighting between the mainly Muslim Séléka group and the mainly Christian anti-Balaka movement.The Pope ended his trip this morning with a visit to the mosque in a Muslim enclave known PK5, where he called for peace between Christians and Muslims, after which crowds followed him to the Bangui Stadium where he officiated a mass. Last week, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) called on the warring groups to use the visit to rebuild national reconciliation after renewed violence since September triggered an 18 per cent increase in internally displaced persons (IDPs) to 447,500. Hundreds of thousands more are estimated to have fled abroad in the fighting, which has killed thousands since it first erupted in early 2013.MINUSCA, set up in April 2014 to help restore stability peace after a breakdown of governmental authority, currently maintains nearly 11,000 uniformed personnel in the country.
Read full article at: http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=52693#.Vl_KVl7eums

CATHOLIC: Synod is a church council usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine or administration

Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle has been elected as one of 15 members of a council of cardinals and bishops from different parts of the world tasked to prepare for the next Synod of Bishops in the Vatican.The assignment is the second for Tagle who was also selected last July by Pope Francis to serve as a member of the Pontifical “Cor Unum,” a body that manages the Church’s worldwide charitable activities.Tagle was appointed in the Vatican post almost two months after he was elected as president of Caritas Internationalis, which made him the first Asian to head the confederation of global qualities.

CATHOLICS: Pope Urges Catholic Church To Disavow Conservatism And Fundamentalism

Pope Francis addresses a joint meeting of the U.S. Congress on September 24.

Pope Francis called on the Catholic church on Tuesday to stop clinging to conservatism and fundamentalism as a defensive response to the problems it is facing, and said the church ought to be “bruised, hurting and dirty” instead of obsessed with money and power.
The sweeping remarks before an audience of Italian bishops at a conference in Florence were a stark reminder of the way in which Pope Francis is trying to shake up a church that in many ways is losing relevance around the world, and continues to be battered by allegations of financial mismanagement and greed at the heart of the Vatican.
“Before the problems of the church it is not useful to search for solutions in conservatism or fundamentalism, in the restoration of obsolete conduct and forms that no longer have the capacity of being significant culturally,” the pope said.
“Christian doctrine is not a closed system incapable of generating questions, doubts, interrogatives. But it is alive, knows being unsettled … it does not have a rigid face, it has a body that moves and grows, it has a soft flesh: it is called Jesus Christ.”
The comments come at a critical juncture for Francis. Last month, a high-level group of bishops from around the world met at the Vatican and engaged in a vigorous debate over how the church ought to respond to changes in the modern family, including the prevalence of divorce.
While Francis has cast himself as a reformer who is seeking to portray the church as a less rigid and less dogmatic institution, which stands with people who live on the margins of society, there are factions in the church that are vigorously resisting his plea for the church to be more flexible and open.
On Tuesday, he asked for the Italian church to be protected “from every pretence of power, image and money” and said Christians ought not to be obsessed with power even when it was power that was “useful to the social image of the church”.
“I would like an Italian church that is unsettled, always closer to the abandoned, the forgotten, the imperfect,” said Francis. “I desire a happy church with face of a mother who understands, accompanies, caresses.”
Austen Ivereigh, the papal biographer who wrote The Great Reformer, said Francis was clearly aiming some of his message directly at the Italian church, which receives a subsidy from the state and could be seen by Francis as being too conformist and pro-establishment.
“The Italian church is very large and wealthy in terms of property. This was a call for the Italian church to be more missionary, less dependent on status and wealth, and more radical and pro-poor,” Ivereigh said.
Before his speech to bishops, Francis visited the city of Prato, where seven Chinese nationals were killed in 2013 following an industrial fire in a factory where they lived and worked. Francis criticised the “inhuman” conditions they lived in.
“The life of every community requires that we fight the cancer of corruption, the cancer of human and labor exploitation and the poison of illegality,” he said.

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Pope Francis spoke to Italian bishops about need for institution to be protected from ‘every pretence of power, image and money’ amid financial allegations.

By The Guardian | November 11, 2015

Our Lady of Manaoag, pray for us...: Our Lady of Manaoag, pray for us

Our Lady of Manaoag, pray for us...: Our Lady of Manaoag, pray for us: Virgin Mother of God. Queen of the most Holy Rosary, thou, who hast chosen to raise thy throne of mercy in Manaoag , to be the beloved prot...

WORLD PEACE DAY: OBSERVANCE 5 MINUTE MOMENT OF SILENCE FROM UN HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK TO PHILIPPINES

Before we do the Forum on POSITIVE CALL OF ACTION ON CONSCIENTIOUS GOVERNANCE WHILE THE CLIMATE IS CHANGING IN THE PHILIPPINES, we shall commemorate on this day the United Nations International Day of Peace.

Symposium on Climate Change will take place and Peace Leadership Training to follow thereafter.

Free Registration. Free Event. You are Invited. Please come.

For details, please call
09295197788 smart
09266787938 globe

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SEPT 21, 2015 PROGRAM:

9AM-9:15AM
WELCOME CEREMONY
SINGING OF NATIONAL ANTHEM
OPENING PRAYERS

9:15AM-9:30AM
CLIMATE CHANGE UPDATE
WAYS TO DEAL WITH CLIMATE CHANGE
MITIGATION & ADAPTATION METHOD
PEACE BUILDING WHILE THE CLIMATE IS CHANGING

9:30AM-11AM
PEACE LEADERSHIP TRAINING ON CLIMATE CHANGE
WELLNESS FOR PEACE EDUCATION WORKSHOP

11AM-11:30AM
OPEN FORUM ON CLIMATE CHANGE AND PEACE BUILDING
GUIDE QUESTIONS:
1. HOW WILL YOU WORK FOR PEACE?
2. CAN YOU BE A PEACE LEADER @HOME @SCHOOL AND @WORKPLACES?

11:30 AM-12NN
COMMEMORATION OF INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEACE

READING OF THE 100 DAY PEACE VIGIL MESSAGE

SHARING OF PEACE MESSAGES

READING OF THE SEPT 21 INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEACE FROM UNITED NATIONS
(see UN Message below)

12NN-1PM
OBSERVANCE OF THE 5 MINUTE MOMENT OF SILENCE FROM UN HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK TO PHILIPPINES

WHITE CANDLE LIGHT CEREMONY
INTERFAITH INTERRACIAL INTERCULTURAL
PRAYER FOR PEACE
GLOBAL BROADCAST WORLDWIDE

FLYING OF WHITE BALLOONS WITH PRAYER REQUEST AND PEACE WISHES ON AIR

FREE HUGS OF PEACE TO EVERYBODY

SIGNING OF ALL ATTENDEES TO PEACE COVENANT

PICTURE-TAKING

AWARDING OF CERTIFICATES TO PEACE LEADERS


NOTE: THIS EVENT IS FREE.
FREE ENTRANCE / FREE TRAINING / FREE REGISTRATION

TO JOIN, PLEASE CONTACT THE VENUE
OR CALL 09165405813 (FOREIGN SERVICE)

See you!

Peace and Love!

God bless you!


https://www.facebook.com/pages/United-Nations-International-Day-of-Peace/615115431842534

Secretary-General's Message
21 September 2015

This year’s International Day of Peace comes at a time of deadly violence and destabilizing conflicts around the world. Rather than succumbing to despair, we have a collective responsibility to demand an end to the brutality and impunity that prevail.

I call on all warring parties to lay down their weapons and observe a global ceasefire. To them I say: stop the killings and the destruction, and create space for lasting peace. Although it may seem hopelessly distant, the dream of peace pulses in the lives of people everywhere.

There is no group more poised to help realize this dream than today’s young people. They are part of the largest generation of youth in history, more aware and connected than any before. I urge all governments to make greater investments in realizing the potentially massive contributions of the world’s young peacebuilders.

At the same time, we need to mobilize all partners who share the goal of peace. Non-governmental organizations, faith-based groups and corporations all have a role to play in fostering social progress, protecting the environment and creating a more just, stable and peaceful world. The value of this collaboration is our theme for the Day: “Partnerships for Peace – Dignity for All.”

We live at a moment of peril – but this is also an era of great promise. In a matter of days, leaders from across the globe will gather at the United Nations to adopt the 2030 agenda, our 15-year plan to achieve sustainable development. This is fundamental to ushering in a life of dignity for all, where poverty is history and peace is paramount.

On the International Day, as we mark the 70th anniversary of the United Nations, let us seize the opportunity achieve the Organization’s founding purpose: to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war.

Ban Ki-moon

PEACE VIGIL 2015: The practice of subtle activism is growing

Subtle activism is the use of spiritual or consciousness based practices for collective transformation; which distinguishes it from the usual focus of using spiritual practice for personal development. We’re not looking at this as a substitute for external action or the practical action that of course needs to happen in the world, but exploring nonetheless that this approach could form a crucial piece, a foundational piece in the shift that we need to make on the planet.
– David Nicol

David described a weaker version and a stronger version of the idea of subtle activism:

The people who engage in these practices, where the intention is to support healing at the collective level, what seems quite uncontroversial [about that] is that engaging in these practices has a positive effect on the participants themselves. Those people get transformed and uplifted and there’s a ripple effect through normal means; how they interact with their family and friends; what projects they’re inspired to do; how it affects their own creativity, and that ripples out into the world.
The strong version of the subtle activism hypothesis is the more radical idea that there could be something of a non-local effect where, especially if large numbers of people get together and create highly coherent fields of consciousness, this may have more mysterious uplifting effect that is felt subtly by people around. That’s a bigger conversation, but that’s something that we’re exploring.

The Power of Collective Intention

Part of the power of subtle activism lies in the directing of intention outwards for the benefit of all. It’s a state that David mentions is similar to traditional indigenous perspectives on spirituality which are far less focused on personal wellbeing than collective wellbeing.

What I feel especially passionate about and excited by, energised by, is the potential of group awareness; group intelligence; group fields; as an agent of transformation. This goes hand in hand with this idea of subtle activism. There’s something about the group mind, the collective mind, that gives us an extra access to the collective psyche. It’s different when we are doing our individual work and maybe thinking of how that could impact the whole, but when we’re coming together in collectives, in large groups, it’s almost like you’ve got a sort of public space there. Learning how to harness those fields to impact the whole, I think, is a very exciting process.
That’s why when we do these big global meditation events and you have a conference call which has thousands of people from all different cultures on it it’s a very unique opportunity and a very powerful collective field. To explore the healing potential of those fields, the collective spiritual intelligence that can emerge through that vehicle of the group mind is to me very exciting and where I am putting my focus.
– David Nicol

 READ: http://upliftconnect.com/subtle-activism/

PEACE VIGIL 2015: Join us September 19th-21st for the World Peace Weekend!

 

Hundreds of organizations are hosting marches, musical celebrations, & meditations around the world.There will be a Global Synchronized Inner-Peace Broadcast at 5:00 pm PST / 12:00 Midnight GMT on September 19th hosted by BeThePeace.   Then, on Sunday September 20th, there will be a wave of live events at 12:00 Noon in your time zone.  We invite you to organize a meditation, prayer, or ceremony in your native tradition.  Millions of us around the world will focus on creating a foundation of inner peace as the first step towards World Peace.

On Monday, September 21st, we invite you to take peace into the world.  Forgive someone in your life, bring peace into your workplace, or organize a peace project.  You choose how you want to create peace into the world.

We’re here to support you.  Sign up to our mailing list and you will receive guidance and resources for organizing an event in your city or individual action steps you can take to create more peace in your life and on our planet.

Together, as one human family, we will accomplish peace on earth.   It may take a generation but we now have the tools, the knowledge, and the will to make it happen.  One step at a time.  We will accomplish our goal.

We appreciate you joining us on this mission.   Please let us know how we can support you.

- The Unify Team

 http://unify.org/?inf_contact_key=703ce1c807fcc231e72fd8b4d544cf792c35a2f29ca4820a394bd072176a70d5

BUDDHISM: On Money: Think about how money connects you to other people. Think about how to use that money to empower others

The dharma of dollars: What Buddhism says about money and meaning

By Chris Taylor
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Buddhism, which holds that wealth is temporary and no path to happiness, might not sound like the best source for money wisdom.
Not so, says Ethan Nichtern, the prominent Buddhist teacher, who has written a new book, "The Road Home," on self-awareness and spiritual seeking.
Money is unavoidable and it is people's attitude to it that causes worry and stress, says Nichtern, who sat down with Reuters to discuss how money fits into a spiritual approach to the world.

Q: Can we escape our connection to money - or should we?
A: We need to have some kind of system for measuring how we consume, produce, and share. So there will always be money in any complex society. And any human who wants to pay the rent has to learn the rules of budgeting.
But it's not just a necessary evil. Money can also be spiritual or divine, by powering whatever positive activity you want to engage in.
Q: You were raised in money-centric New York City. Did that shape your views?
A: Growing up on the Upper West Side and in the East Village, I certainly realized how important money was. It determines so much of the structure of our world, and it also brings so much stress along with it. Especially in New York, people feel burdened by the need for the security and status that money brings. That's why we all need to open up and have this conversation. I've never had the (billionaire) Koch Brothers in my class, though - that could be awkward.
Q: Why is money seen as the solution to all our problems?
A: In life, we are all wandering around in circles, thinking that our next stop will be exactly what we have always been looking for. But we never arrive - it's an illusion of an oasis. It is the same thing with materialism: The idea that 'If I get the right stuff, I will finally feel at home.' But we can never acquire enough stuff.
Q: Why are we so dependent on something so abstract?
A: First money was gold coins, then it was paper, and at a certain point it just became computer files. Money has become more and more abstract, and we are basically just agreeing that this is the way things are. But that doesn't make it any less powerful. Even though it is abstract, we cling to it as part of our identity.
Q: People's foremost money worry is retirement. How can we deal with that anxiety?
A: Buddhism teaches about cause and effect. So by all means, prepare for retirement. There is nothing wrong with that. But the other way to look at it is, if the mind is insecure, then no amount of money will ever make us feel safe. Even if you saved $50 million, you would just worry about something else, like getting cancer or having a car accident. Just try to remember that everyone else on earth has a similar anxiety. Then you won't feel so alone. So plan well, and then let go.
Q: How can people use money as a positive tool?
A: We are taught to use money in ways that isolate us. But money is an exchange. If there was only one person in the world, you could be a trillionaire, but it wouldn't even matter because all that money would be worthless.
Think about how money connects you to other people. From a Buddhist standpoint, you should think about how to use that money to empower others.
Q: Any final messages about the possibilities of money?
A: You can be an awakened human being, and also make a living at the same time. When people say money is dirty, then they are just leaving it all to people who don't have any spiritual practices or values. That is an abdication of our responsibilities. Those of us with compassion actually need to go deeper into these arenas. With money, we can empower some very meaningful things in the world.
(The writer is a Reuters contributor. The opinions expressed are his own.)
(Editing by Lauren Young and Bill Rigby)

HINDUISM: Bhakti Yoga: Devotion, motivated by the sincere, loving desire to please God, rather than the hope of divine reward or fear of divine punishment

6 Generic "Types" of Hinduism (McDaniel 2007): 

• Folk Hinduism, as based on local traditions and cults of local deities at a communal level and spanning back to prehistoric times or at least prior to written Vedas.
• Vedic Hinduism as still being practiced by traditionalist brahmins (for example shrautins).
• Vedantic Hinduism, for example Advaita (Smartism), as based on the philosophical approach of the Upanishads.
• Yogic Hinduism, especially that based on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.
• "Dharmic" Hinduism or "daily morality", based on the notion of Karma, and upon societal norms such as Hindu marriage customs.
• Bhakti or devotionalism, especially as in Vaishnavism:It has been defined as a practice of devotion toward God, solely motivated by the sincere, loving desire to please God, rather than the hope of divine reward or the fear of divine punishment. It is a means toward a state of spiritual liberation or enlightenment through the "realisation", or the attainment of "oneness" with God.Bhakti yoga is often considered by Hindus to be the easiest way for ordinary people to attain such a spiritually liberated state, because although it is a form of yoga, its practice is not as rigorous as most other yogic schools, and it is possible to practice bhakti yoga without needing to become a full-time yogi.The origins of Bhakti can be seen in the upanishads, specifically the Shvetashvatara Upanishad. The Bhagavad Gita, and the Puranas are important scriptures that expound the philosophy of bhakti yoga. Hindu movements in which bhakti yoga is the main practice are called bhakti movements – the major schools of which are Vaishnavism, Shaivism, and Shaktism.

^{https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhakti_yoga}

SEPTEMBER 1: Catholic Church 'World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation' - Vatican

Pope Francis said he had been inspired by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, the spiritual leader of the world's Orthodox Christians, who have been praying for the environment on that date since the late 1980s.

"The celebration of this Day, on the same date as the Orthodox Church, will be a valuable opportunity to bear witness to our growing communion with our Orthodox brothers and sisters," the Pope said.

"We live at a time when all Christians are faced with the same decisive challenges, to which we must respond together, in order to be more credible and effective."

The prayer day "will offer individual believers and communities a fitting opportunity to reaffirm their personal vocation to be stewards of creation" and reflect upon "the adoption of appropriate lifestyles," the letter said.

Francis has become a leading defender of the environment, particularly in the fight against climate change.

He published an environmental encyclical earlier this year which denounced exploitation of the poor and waste of the planet's resources.

He is due to address the UN Special Summit on Sustainable Development in September.

That gathering comes amid efforts to forge a worldwide deal on climate change in Paris in December, with the aim of limiting global warming to two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) over pre-industrial levels.

 http://news.yahoo.com/pope-creates-global-prayer-day-care-creation-184825421.html

ROMAN CATHOLIC: Pope Francis visits Latin America: PROTECT WHAT IS SMALL AND SIMPLE

Francis cited Ecuador's natural beauty in his arrival words."From the peak of Chimborazo (volcano) to the Pacific coast, from the Amazon rainforest to the Galapagos Islands, may you never lose the ability to thank God for what he has done and is doing for you," he said."May you never lose the ability to protect what is small and simple, to care for your children and your elderly, to have confidence in the young, and to be constantly struck by the nobility of your people and the singular beauty of your country."
On Monday, Francis will fly south to the coastal city of Guayaquil to deliver a mass before heading back to Quito to meet with Correa. On Tuesday he is to deliver a mass at Quito's Bicentenario Park, where some were already camped out to see him. On Wednesday, Francis moves on to Bolivia, where he is expected to defend the rights of indigenous people. In Bolivia, he will also visit the notoriously violent Palmasola prison.
Landlocked Paraguay, the last stop, is notorious for contraband smuggling and illicit financing. Francis will meet several groups of social activists while he is there. While all three countries are between 82 percent and 93 percent Catholic, the Church in other parts of Latin America is losing followers to Protestant evangelical groups. Identification with Catholicism is declining throughout the region, according to a recent study by the Pew Research Center. The pope, however, has felt more comfortable holding dialogues with these groups than his two immediate predecessors did. He had good relations with Protestant evangelical groups when he was archbishop of Buenos Aires. (Additional reporting by Alexandra Valencia; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne and Jeffrey Benkoe)

My Catholic Community: The Venerable Servant of God MOTHER ISABELLA DE ROSIS Foundress, Reparatrix Sisters of the Sacred Heart

I'm a Peace Missionary of the Catholic Church and the Lady Datin of the Muslims. I am Buddhist in my Healthy Lifestyle and Hinduism helps me in Purifying my Soul. With Free Thinking and Scientific Approach to my Peace Work, my life on the over-all is a whirlwind of Faith and Fate. My Catholic Community: Reparatrix Sisters of the Sacred Heart The Venerable Servant of God MOTHER ISABELLA DE ROSIS Foundress of the Reparatrix Sisters of the Sacred Heart. Obedience is the sure way to Heaven. I offer everything to you, my Lord and my God, so that I may be faithful servant to you; and grant that your Most Holy Will be done in me. May you always be blessed by me and make me what you please, in time and in eternity. Protect the Congregation of the Reparatrix Sisters and obtain triumph for Holy Mother Church. NOVENA TO THE MOST HOLY TRINITY: Eternal Father, for the great love that your Venerable Servant of God, Isabella bore you, humbly offering herself to you in a spirit of reparation, we pray you to grant us, through her intercession, the grace that we ask you. Our Father...Hail Mary...Glory Be... Eternal Divine Son, for the humble uniformity with your divine will that made the Venerable Isabella the passionate reparatrix of your Heart, we pray you to grant us,through her intercession, the grace that we ask you. Our Father...Hail Mary...Glory Be...O Holy Spirit through the deep humility that made the Venerable Isabella say: "Let us make ourselves so small that everyone can trample upon us, without even showing that we have noticed or are suffering from it, "we implore you to grant us, through her intercession, the grace that we ask you. Our Father...Hail Mary...Glory Be... Most Holy Sorrowful Virgin, who saw your divine Son agonizing on the Cross, for that divine Blood and for the agony of love and reparation spent in abandonment and incomprehension by Venerable Isabella, obtain for us, through her, from your beloved Son, the grace that we ask you. Hail Holy Queen Mother of Mercy, hail our life, our sweetness and our hope. To thee do we cry thee poor banished children of eve. To thee we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then most gracious advocate, thine eyes have mercy towards us, and after this our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb Jesus. O Clement, O Loving, O Sweet Virgin Mary. PRAYER FOR THE BEATIFICATION OF THE VENERABLE SERVANT OF GOD, ISABELLA DE ROSIS: Father infinitely holy, Christ your Son,drew to his Heart your Venerable Servant Isabella De Rosis and guided her on paths of sorrow to make her a passionate Reparatrix. We implore you, Father, to glorify her, obtaining for us though her intercession, the grace that we ask you so that she ay shine out before everyone as a model of evangelical virtue. We ask this of you through Christ and in communion with Mary, to whom Isabella entrusted herself and her daughters, the Reparatrix Sisters of the Sacred Heart. You, Father, live and reign in unity with the Son and with the Holy Spirit, for ever and ever. Amen. BRIEF BIOGRAPHY: The Venerable Servant of God ISABELLA DE ROSIS was born into a noble family in Rossano Calabro, Italy, on 9 June 1842. Endowed with great intelligence and heir to a rich patrimony, she turned away from it all to offer herself as a holocaust victim to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. She felt inspired to make reparation for offences to the Lord by sinners and perpetuate the spirit of reparation in the Church. This prompted her to found the Congregation of the Reparatrix Sisters of the Sacred Heart. She put into practice in herself to a heroic degree the ideal of reparation, generously accepting and offering to the Lord a long series of humiliations, bitter disappointments, contradictions and atrocious suffering. Filled with merits, she gave up her soul to God on 11 August 1911, in Naples, at the age of 69.The cause of her Beatification is underway at the Congregation for the Causes of Saints.

INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEACE 12:00 PRAYER FOR PEACE INTERFAITH INTERRACIAL...

नमस्ते Namaste The Spirit in me respects the spirit in you ........
Assalamu'alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكُمْ
وَرَحْمَةُ اللهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ May the peace, mercy, and blessings of
Allah be with you..............Peace be with you............. Amituofo
Amitabha Buddha Let's do an act of goodness today!......... Let's Pray
the Prayer for Peace wherever you are..........God bless your day
whatever your mood maybe. May the angels guide you and protect you from
harm. If you are travelling, may you find the road and arrive at your
destinations safely If trouble comes along the way, may it turn into
blessings favorable to all. May you meet new friends and may the old
ones stay. May the love of our Divine Creator fill your emptiness. and
may you feel it in the vastness of the universe. If u get so tired
today, may you find time to look up at the sky, feel the air, recharge
and rejuvenate. And in all the things you did today, may your faith
increase. May you be inspired by the diversity of people's
personalities, and be grateful that you were granted the chance to lead
them. And at the end of the day tonight as you rest, may you be thankful
for all the blessings that this day had; and pray to forgive those who
offended you. Amen."

"Our differences is cultural, not
personal.... together let's study factors that affects our
culture...religion is one and many more... Let's educate ourselves and
open the gateway to understanding...Together let's seek for peace...with
you & me... let's pursue it!" -Sailing for Peace

HOW WILL YOU WORK FOR PEACE?
Please let us know.
Call: +63 9295197788
E-mail: ambassadorzara@gmail.com

Ave Maria Prayer

नमस्ते Namaste The Spirit in me respects the spirit in you ........
Assalamu'alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكُمْ
وَرَحْمَةُ اللهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ May the peace, mercy, and blessings of
Allah be with you..............Peace be with you............. Amituofo
Amitabha Buddha Let's do an act of goodness today!......... Let's Pray
the Prayer for Peace wherever you are..........God bless your day
whatever your mood maybe. May the angels guide you and protect you from
harm. If you are travelling, may you find the road and arrive at your
destinations safely If trouble comes along the way, may it turn into
blessings favorable to all. May you meet new friends and may the old
ones stay. May the love of our Divine Creator fill your emptiness. and
may you feel it in the vastness of the universe. If u get so tired
today, may you find time to look up at the sky, feel the air, recharge
and rejuvenate. And in all the things you did today, may your faith
increase. May you be inspired by the diversity of people's
personalities, and be grateful that you were granted the chance to lead
them. And at the end of the day tonight as you rest, may you be thankful
for all the blessings that this day had; and pray to forgive those who
offended you. Amen."

"Our differences is cultural, not
personal.... together let's study factors that affects our
culture...religion is one and many more... Let's educate ourselves and
open the gateway to understanding...Together let's seek for peace...with
you & me... let's pursue it!" -Sailing for Peace

HOW WILL YOU WORK FOR PEACE?
Please let us know.
Call: +63 9295197788
E-mail: ambassadorzara@gmail.com

Aarti Mahalaxmi. Hindi Prayer

नमस्ते Namaste The Spirit in me respects the spirit in you ........
Assalamu'alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكُمْ
وَرَحْمَةُ اللهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ May the peace, mercy, and blessings of
Allah be with you..............Peace be with you............. Amituofo
Amitabha Buddha Let's do an act of goodness today!......... Let's Pray
the Prayer for Peace wherever you are..........God bless your day
whatever your mood maybe. May the angels guide you and protect you from
harm. If you are travelling, may you find the road and arrive at your
destinations safely If trouble comes along the way, may it turn into
blessings favorable to all. May you meet new friends and may the old
ones stay. May the love of our Divine Creator fill your emptiness. and
may you feel it in the vastness of the universe. If u get so tired
today, may you find time to look up at the sky, feel the air, recharge
and rejuvenate. And in all the things you did today, may your faith
increase. May you be inspired by the diversity of people's
personalities, and be grateful that you were granted the chance to lead
them. And at the end of the day tonight as you rest, may you be thankful
for all the blessings that this day had; and pray to forgive those who
offended you. Amen."

"Our differences is cultural, not
personal.... together let's study factors that affects our
culture...religion is one and many more... Let's educate ourselves and
open the gateway to understanding...Together let's seek for peace...with
you & me... let's pursue it!" -Sailing for Peace

HOW WILL YOU WORK FOR PEACE?
Please let us know.
Call: +63 9295197788
E-mail: ambassadorzara@gmail.com

Beautiful Islamic Call To Prayer

नमस्ते Namaste The Spirit in me respects the spirit in you ........
Assalamu'alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكُمْ
وَرَحْمَةُ اللهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ May the peace, mercy, and blessings of
Allah be with you..............Peace be with you............. Amituofo
Amitabha Buddha Let's do an act of goodness today!......... Let's Pray
the Prayer for Peace wherever you are..........God bless your day
whatever your mood maybe. May the angels guide you and protect you from
harm. If you are travelling, may you find the road and arrive at your
destinations safely If trouble comes along the way, may it turn into
blessings favorable to all. May you meet new friends and may the old
ones stay. May the love of our Divine Creator fill your emptiness. and
may you feel it in the vastness of the universe. If u get so tired
today, may you find time to look up at the sky, feel the air, recharge
and rejuvenate. And in all the things you did today, may your faith
increase. May you be inspired by the diversity of people's
personalities, and be grateful that you were granted the chance to lead
them. And at the end of the day tonight as you rest, may you be thankful
for all the blessings that this day had; and pray to forgive those who
offended you. Amen."

"Our differences is cultural, not
personal.... together let's study factors that affects our
culture...religion is one and many more... Let's educate ourselves and
open the gateway to understanding...Together let's seek for peace...with
you & me... let's pursue it!" -Sailing for Peace

HOW WILL YOU WORK FOR PEACE?
Please let us know.
Call: +63 9295197788
E-mail: ambassadorzara@gmail.com

Buddha Chillout Lounge - Peace Prayer: Rivers of Tibet Remix

नमस्ते Namaste The Spirit in me respects the spirit in you ........
Assalamu'alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكُمْ
وَرَحْمَةُ اللهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ May the peace, mercy, and blessings of
Allah be with you..............Peace be with you............. Amituofo
Amitabha Buddha Let's do an act of goodness today!......... Let's Pray
the Prayer for Peace wherever you are..........God bless your day
whatever your mood maybe. May the angels guide you and protect you from
harm. If you are travelling, may you find the road and arrive at your
destinations safely If trouble comes along the way, may it turn into
blessings favorable to all. May you meet new friends and may the old
ones stay. May the love of our Divine Creator fill your emptiness. and
may you feel it in the vastness of the universe. If u get so tired
today, may you find time to look up at the sky, feel the air, recharge
and rejuvenate. And in all the things you did today, may your faith
increase. May you be inspired by the diversity of people's
personalities, and be grateful that you were granted the chance to lead
them. And at the end of the day tonight as you rest, may you be thankful
for all the blessings that this day had; and pray to forgive those who
offended you. Amen."

"Our differences is cultural, not
personal.... together let's study factors that affects our
culture...religion is one and many more... Let's educate ourselves and
open the gateway to understanding...Together let's seek for peace...with
you & me... let's pursue it!" -Sailing for Peace

HOW WILL YOU WORK FOR PEACE?
Please let us know.
Call: +63 9295197788
E-mail: ambassadorzara@gmail.com

Inter-Faith Prayers for World Peace

नमस्ते Namaste The Spirit in me respects the spirit in you ........
Assalamu'alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكُمْ
وَرَحْمَةُ اللهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ May the peace, mercy, and blessings of
Allah be with you..............Peace be with you............. Amituofo
Amitabha Buddha Let's do an act of goodness today!......... Let's Pray
the Prayer for Peace wherever you are..........God bless your day
whatever your mood maybe. May the angels guide you and protect you from
harm. If you are travelling, may you find the road and arrive at your
destinations safely If trouble comes along the way, may it turn into
blessings favorable to all. May you meet new friends and may the old
ones stay. May the love of our Divine Creator fill your emptiness. and
may you feel it in the vastness of the universe. If u get so tired
today, may you find time to look up at the sky, feel the air, recharge
and rejuvenate. And in all the things you did today, may your faith
increase. May you be inspired by the diversity of people's
personalities, and be grateful that you were granted the chance to lead
them. And at the end of the day tonight as you rest, may you be thankful
for all the blessings that this day had; and pray to forgive those who
offended you. Amen."

"Our differences is cultural, not
personal.... together let's study factors that affects our
culture...religion is one and many more... Let's educate ourselves and
open the gateway to understanding...Together let's seek for peace...with
you & me... let's pursue it!" -Sailing for Peace

HOW WILL YOU WORK FOR PEACE?
Please let us know.
Call: +63 9295197788
E-mail: ambassadorzara@gmail.com

WE PRAY FOR THE EARTH: Respecting Sacred Bond between Nature and Humanity through Interfaith Prayers for Peace

Many faith traditions emphasize the importance of being stewards for the planet and honoring its life-sustaining blessings. These nature prayers are just a sampling of the many religious texts, poems and parables that honor Mother Earth. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/04/22/nature-prayers-earth-day_n_7112274.html?ncid=txtlnkusaolp00000592 Happy Earth Day! nature Lord, help us to maintain a reverent attitude towards nature, threatened from all sides today, in such a way that we may restore it completely to the condition of brother/sister and to its role of usefulness to all humankind for the glory of God the Creator. -- Franciscan prayer ocean Through the silence of nature, I attain Thy divine peace. Oh sublime nature, in thy stillness let my heart rest. Thou art patiently awaiting the moment to manifest through the silence of sublime nature. Oh nature sublime, speak to me through silence, for I am awaiting in silence like you the call of God. Oh nature sublime, through thy silence I hear Thy cry. My heart is tuned to the quietness, that the stillness of nature inspires. -- Hazrat Inayat Khan nature Praised are you Adonai our God, who rules the universe, which lacks nothing; for God created fine creatures and pleasant trees in order that humans might enjoy them. --The Rabbinical Assembly of Conservative Judaism new zealand Gracious God, your amazing love extends through all time and space, to all parts of your creation, which you created and called good. You made a covenant with Noah and his family, putting a rainbow in the sky to symbolize your promise of love and blessing to every living creature, and to all successive generations. You made a covenant with Abraham and Sarah, blessing them and their descendants throughout the generations. You made a covenant with Moses and the Israelite people to all generations, giving them the 10 commandments and challenging them to choose life. In Jesus, you invite us to enter into a new covenant, in communion with all who seek to be faithful to you. As people of faith, we are called into covenant. Your covenant of faithfulness and love extends to the whole creation. We pray for the healing of the earth, that present and future generations may enjoy the fruits of creation, and continue to glorify and praise you. --National Council of Churches grand canyon O God, enlarge within us the sense of fellowship with all living things, our brothers the animals to whom thou gavest the earth as their home in common with us. We remember with shame that in the past we have exercised the high dominion of man with ruthless cruelty so that the voice of the earth, which should have gone up to thee in song, has been a groan of travail. May we realize that they live not for us alone but for themselves and for thee, and that they love the sweetness of live. --St. Basil the Great waterfall Light and Darkness, night and day. We marvel at the mystery of the stars. Moon and sky, sand and sea. We marvel at the mystery of the sun. Twilight, high noon, dusk and dawn. Though we are mortal, we are Creation’s crown. Flesh and bone, steel and stone. We dwell in fragile, temporary shelters. Grant steadfast love, compassion, grace. Sustain us, Lord; our origin is duest. Splendor, mercy, majesty, love endure. We are but little lower than the angels. Resplendent skies, sunset, sunrise. The grandeur of Creation lifts our lives. Evening darkness, morning dawn. Renew our lives as You renew all time. --The Rabbinical Assembly of the United Synagogue of America river May the waters flow peacefully; may the herbs and plants grow peacefully; may all the divine powers bring unto us peace. May the rain come down in the proper time, may the earth yield plenty of corn, may the country be free from war. The supreme Lord is peace. --Hindu prayer tree God is the foundation for everything This God undertakes, God gives. Such that nothing that is necessary for life is lacking. Now humankind needs a body that at all times honors and praises God. This body is supported in every way through the earth. Thus the earth glorifies the power of God. --Hildegard of Bingen mountain Water comes from high mountain sources. Water runs deep in the Earth. Miraculously, water comes to us and sustains all life. My gratitude is filled to the brim. --Thich Nhat Hanh eagle Oh, Eagle; come with wings outspread in sunny skies. Oh, Eagle, come and bring us peace, thy gentle peace. Oh, Eagle, come and give new life to us who pray. Remember the circle of the sky; the stars, and the brown eagle, the great life of the Sun, the young within the nest. Remember the sacredness of things --Pawnee prayer blossoms Let us give thanks for the world around us. Thanks for all the creatures, stones and plants Let us learn their lessons and seek their truths, So that their path might be ours, And we might live in harmony, a better life. May the Earth continue to live, May the heavens above continue to live, May the rains continue to dampen the land, May the wet forests continue to grow, Then the flowers shall bloom And we people shall live again. --Hawaiian indigenous prayer

HINDU: Oneness with God thru Karma yoga, Bhakti yoga, Dhyana yoga, Jnana yoga, Ahimsa (non-violence in thought, word, or deed)

While individuals of all faiths come from diverse backgrounds, the majority of this diverse global community of Hindus are Indian, and India is very diverse. The country is also divided into many states, several of which are not majority Hindu, including Kashmir (primarily Muslim) and Nagaland (primarily Christian Baptist) among others. Hindus in India come from different linguistic backgrounds – more than 20 languages are officially recognized in India, including Bengali, Gujarati, English, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Nepali, Punjabi, Tamil and Telugu. The understanding of Hindu concepts – such as the Hindu New Year – varies across these different language and geographical communities. The importance of different festivals and holy days differs across the geographical regions – as do the ways of celebrating them. For example, in Tamil Nadu, the custom of having a golu – a special display of deities and crafted figurines – is done during the Navaratri festival, but in parts of Andhra Pradesh, the same thing – known as a bommalakoluvu – is done during the festival of Sankranti. CLICK LINK TO READ: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/seekingshanti/2015/04/good-of-hinduism-solid-foundation-pluralism/

Buddhist and Muslim Leaders Push For Peace In Conflict Areas in South and Southeast Asia - Yogyakarta Statement

Rohingya: Much of the ongoing conflict in the region centers around the treatment of the Muslim Rohingya people in Myanmar, who have been denied citizenship and other basic human rights. Some of the worst fighting occurred in 2012, when clashes between Buddhists and stateless Rohingya Muslims left at least 192 people dead and displaced 140,000, according to Reuters. Some fear that the conflict in Myanmar could spill into neighboring countries like Indonesia, fanning the flames of tension and inspiring Islamic militant groups. A 2013 bombing at the Ekayana Buddhist Centre in western Jakarta left people with only minor injuries, but was cause for concern because a note left by the anonymous attackers read: "We respond to the screams of the Rohingya.” Bellanwila Wimalaratana Anunayake Thera, the president of the Sri Lanka Religions for Peace council, spoke at the summit as a representative of the country's Buddhist community, affirming that violence should not be perpetrated in the name of religion. “We reject such abuse and pledge to counter extremist religious interpretations and action with our authentic primary narratives of peace,” Thera said, according to the Jakarta Post. "We also recognize the need to strengthen governmental measures against religiously motivated discrimination and violence." Chandra Muzaffar, a Malaysian academic and social activist, also spoke at the summit as a representative of the Muslim community. Muzaffar said the religious leaders at the summit want to make "effective use of media for positive messaging," the Jakarta Post reported. “If we want peace and justice, it is very important for Buddhists and Muslims to come together because these are two major world religions," Muzaffar said. READ COMPLETE ARTICLE, CLICK LINK: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/03/20/yogyakarta-statement-peace_n_6896576.html Buddhist and Muslim leaders in South and Southeast Asia are working to spread a message of peace and dialogue as interreligious conflict continues to threaten stability in Myanmar, Sri Lanka and other nations in the region. Religious leaders from 15 countries released the "Yogyakarta Statement," named for the city where it was written, on March 5, reaffirming that Islam and Buddhism "are religions of mercy and compassion committed to justice for all humankind." Now the group is working to translate their message into as many languages as possible and give it to Buddhist and Muslim leaders and believers around the world. The Yogyakarta Statement came out of a summit called "Overcoming Extremism and Advancing Peace with Justice.” The gathering was organized by the Indonesian Ulema Council and the Council of Buddhist Communities, and was sponsored by the International Forum of Buddhist-Muslim Relations. Both Islam and Buddhism "respect the sacredness of life and inherent dignity of human existence, which is the foundation of all human rights without any distinction as to race, color, language, or religion," the statement says. It also covers topics ranging from hate speech and religious diversity to living in harmony with the environment. At the end of the document, the signatories committed to having their communities and congregations serve "as a platform for intra-religious and inter-religious initiatives in education and advocacy."

HOLY WEEK: Jesus Christ - 7 Last Words- Lenten Recollection for Christians

click link to watch and meditate: http://www.slideshare.net/ZaraJaneJuan/7-last-words

ISLAM: Islamic Congress Reflects Conservative Influence in Indonesia

On Feb. 8-11 the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) held the sixth Congress of Indonesian Muslims in Yogyakarta, opened by Vice President Jusuf Kalla and closed by President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo. The congress announced seven recommendations. First, it called on Indonesian Muslims “to unite and work together [...] for political, economic, social and cultural strengthening [...] which is just and civilized”. Second, it called on the government and political forces “to abandon politics which justify all means, to make politics a way to realize national well-being, prosperity, security and peace”. Third, the government should “take the side of the poor […] by developing a people-centered economy oriented to equal distribution and justice, and support the development of a sharia-based economy”. Fourth, the congress appealed to Muslims to “empower themselves, develop economic potential, human resources and strengthen micro, small and medium businesses based in mass organizations, mosques and pesantren [Islamic boarding schools]”. Fifth, the congress called on the government and society “to be on the alert and keep oneself away from cultures incompatible with Islamic sharia and the nation’s noble culture such as drug abuse, liquor, pornography […], free intimacy [and casual sex] and human trafficking”. Sixth, the congress expressed “concern on the shifting of landscape and spatial planning in Indonesian life in many areas which have abandoned Islamic characteristics due to massive liberalization of culture and the economy”. Seventh, the congress expressed concern over “the condition of Muslims in several countries […] particularly in Asia where they experience discrimination. The congress requests the governments of the said countries to assure protection” of the Muslim communities “based on fair and civilized principles of human rights”. - See more at: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/02/14/islamic-congress-reflects-conservative-influence.html#sthash.XLZFneEP.dpuf

CATHOLIC: Vatican Provides Showers, Haircuts for Rome's Homeless

The Vatican transformed a space off of St. Peter's Square formerly used as comfort rooms for pilgrims into showers and barbershop facilities for the homeless. The showers will be open every day except for Wednesday — when the pope holds his general audience — and on days when there are special occasions in the square. Haircuts are on offer every Monday, with students from a Rome hairdressing school and local barbers offering their services for free. "I'm very happy of this decision," one client told Eurovision before he had his haircut. When he came out — freshly shorn — he seemed pleased. "Pope Francis found the right solution for us," he said.

BUDDHISM: Mahayana Buddhists celebrated Nirvana Day, commemorating the death of the Buddha

According to Buddhist tradition, the revered religious figure’s death came while he was in a state of meditation and marked his achievement of the highest form of Nirvana, the release from the cycle of rebirth that is seen as one of the ultimate goals of most Buddhist traditions. This form of Nirvana is known as Parinirvana, which is why the holiday is sometimes also referred to as “Parinirvana Day,” according to the BBC. Some Buddhists spend the holiday reading passages from the Parinirvana Sutra, an ancient text that chronicles the last days of the Buddha, but most celebrate by meditating or going to temples or monasteries. While celebrations vary around the world, in monasteries Nirvana Day is typically treated as a social occasion when people can bring presents and food to share with others.

HINDUISM: Hindu American Found and Dept of Justice will develop Hinduism 101 Training for Police

This was a response after a 57-year-old grandfather was left paralysed because he aroused the suspicions of a neighbor while on a walk in his neighbourhood in Alabama and when the police arrived everything went south (horrible). Patel who could not speak much English could neither understand what the police wanted from him, nor could he explain what he was doing. It was a moment of cultural incomprehension that cost him dearly. He was thrown to the ground with such force he was left paralysed. The story did not end there. The police officer responsible, one Eric Parker, has been arrested and charged. India send a consular officer to Alabama to deal with the issue. And the Hindu American Foundation has announced that it is working with the Department of Justice to develop a Hinduism 101 training for first responders. HAF states “The training is intended to improve the cultural competency of police officers and avoid the escalation of incidents based on language and cultural barriers.”

1st Muslim-Jewish Forum in North London Now Made Muslims and Jews United Against Hate Crimes!

Stamford Hill neighbourhood of Hackney, north London, where Europe's largest concentration of Haredi Jews and a substantial Muslim minority share the same streets, community leaders of both faiths said they stood united. "The Jewish community and the Muslim community are facing difficult times at the moment, but it is not a case of them or us. We are all in the same boat," Munaf Zeena, chairman of the North London Muslim Community Centre, told Al Jazeera. "We have a big Jewish community here, and they have been victims in Paris. I think we have a responsibility to make sure that those who feel uncomfortable or unsafe feel supported. It is our role to give them that moral support and to stand by them in every way we can." Rabbi Herschel Gluck, a veteran international conflict mediator and founder of the Muslim-Jewish Forum, a local initiative established in 2000, said Jews and Muslims were "not just living side by side". "There is a palpable feeling of warmth when one sees members of the other community in the street or going about our business," Gluck told Al Jazeera. "It is not just that we tolerate each other. We actually engage constructively as very good neighbours with each other." Gluck said the idea for the forum, the first Muslim-Jewish interfaith organisation of its kind in the world, grew out of his involvement in peace and reconciliation work in conflict zones, including the Middle East, Kashmir, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, and Sudan.http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2015/01/uk-jews-muslims-team-hate-150127091540305.html

NATIONAL DAY OF MOURNING FOR THE FALLEN ELITE COPS IN THE PHILIPPINES

SHARE A MOMENT OF SILENCE TO PRAY FOR PEACE Today, Friday, January 30 is National Day of Mourning for the fallen elite cops in the Philippines. Our prayers and condolences to the grieving families, friends and supporters. May we invite all Filipinos worldwide to share a Moment of Silence to Pray for Peace. A CALL TO PRAY FOR PEACE: Lord, whatever is happening in our country right now, let the power of Your light transcend in our daily life and work! Heal us as a nation and keep us focus on faith, hope and love. Let Your glimpses of light shower us with words to enlighten everyone who is suffering emotionally, physically and spiritually right now! Let Your white light crushed the shadows of darkness around us! Let Your light reminds us that nothing is perfect in this world! But rather, show us the way of dealing with our life to give us the happiness that we need as a nation. Let the power of Your light show us Your faithfulness to us, that whatever is happening in our world, we know that You are always on our side! Let Your presence make us be "still" in prayers! In the Silence of our Prayers, make your light illuminate us, as You take away our fears, cleanse our soul and invigorate our body! As Your light moves in nature, let us feel Your peace within our soul. Our Lord, our light, our life, thank you for this moment of silence. Thank you for making us Pray and thank you for your presence in our prayers. With gratitude to your faithfulness to us, we share with others our life that you gave us. In this moment of silence, we strengthened our Faith to you by offering this Prayer for Peace to all our brothers and sisters who are now suffering and grieving. We trust in your mercy oh Lord that justice will be served in due time, in Your time, in God's time. We love You and we believe in You because You are our Lord! Amen!

Anti-Semitism in France is rising after the Charlie Hebdo Massacre

The January 7th Charlie Hebdo massacre that was followed by the January 9th shooting at a Kosher market, both in Paris, were just the latest. In 2012, a man opened fire at a Jewish school in Toulouse. In 2014, a pro-Palestinian French youth set fire to cars, vandalized Jewish stores and attacked two synagogues. And at the end of last year, a group robbed a Jewish family specifically because they were Jewish and raped a 19-year-old girl. It’s not new. France is notorious for anti-Semitism, but now it’s turned terrifying. The French government has been sending guards and police officers to Jewish schools just in case. It’s become so bad, that French Jews are leaving everything behind. In 2014, 7,000 French Jews emigrated to Israel, the most from any one country last year. https://www.yahoo.com/parenting/the-complicated-choice-to-raise-my-kids-jewish-108682204292.html

NEWS! Church of England Consecrates First Woman Bishop!

More than two decades after the Church allowed women to become priests, 48-year-old mother-of-two the Reverend Libby Lane became Bishop of Stockport in a ceremony at York Minster, a Gothic cathedral in northern England. The protest came as John Sentamu, Archbishop of York, asked the congregation whether Lane should be consecrated as Bishop. As the congregation chorused its approval, a lone man's voice shouted above them: "No, not in the Bible." When Sentamu asked the question again, there was no dissent and the ceremony went ahead. During the service, which ended in applause, Sentamu and other bishops ceremonially laid their hands on Lane and prayed for her. Earlier, Lane had spoken of what she hoped her consecration would achieve for women. "If my appointment encourages a single young woman to lift her eyes up a bit and to realize that she has capacity and potential and that her environment or those around her don't need to dictate what is possible for her, then I'd be really honored" she said in an interview published by the Church. http://news.yahoo.com/turmoil-church-england-consecrates-first-woman-bishop-104827218.html

CATHOLIC NEWS: Vatican condemned Charlie Hebdo massacre in Paris bec it is both an attack against people & press freedom

The gunmen asked for the names of the cartoonists before murdering them, and afterwards killed an injured police officer in cold blood. The magazine, which has depicted Pope Benedict XVI in the past holding a condom, pokes fun at all political and religious targets, but has been threatened for mocking Islamic-inspired violence. A spokesman for the Bishops’ Conference of France has expressed his “profound emotion and horror” at the atrocities. Spokesman Mgr Olivier Ribadeau Dumas said “nothing can justify” such violence. Bishop Philip Egan of Portsmouth wrote in a tweet: “My prayers are with the victims of the tragic events in Paris and their loved ones who will be receiving terrible news today.http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/news/2015/01/07/vatican-condemns-charlie-hebdo-massacre/

ISLAM NEWS: List of Incidents that caused outrage in the Muslims world

Danish cartoons In 2006, cartoons published in the Danish daily Jyllands-Posten, and reprinted in the Norwegian paper Magazinet, depicted Mohammed in an unflattering light, including one that showed him wearing a bomb in his turban. The cartoons sparked outrage among Muslims and resulted in protests across the Middle East, as well as threats of retaliation against those involved in the drawings. Saudi Arabia recalled its ambassador from Denmark; Libya closed its embassy in Copenhagen. Mozart Opera in Berlin pulled After the Danish cartoon uproar, a leading Berlin opera house pulled Mozart’s ‘‘Idomeneo’’ because of fears that it could lead to dangerous reactions. In one scene, King Idomeneo ‘‘presents the severed heads not only of the Greek god of the sea, Poseidon, but also of Mohammed, Jesus, and Buddha.’’ Swedish drawings About 18 months later, Swedish artist Lars Vilks displayed a rough sketch at a Stockholm seminar that showed Mohammed’s head on a pig’s body. The leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq announced a reward for the killing of Vilks as well as another Swedish newspaper editor who published the cartoon. The Met pulls three paintings In a precautionary move, the Metropolitan Museum of Art pulled three early paintings of the prophet before the images were unveiled in its Islamic collection, according to the New York Post. ‘South Park’ censorship ‘‘South Park,’’ known for its brazen depictions of Jesus, Scientologists, Catholics, and Jews, attempted to feature Mohammed in 2010. The show had done this two times before, but this attempt was stalled. After receiving threats from extremist groups, Comedy Central bleeped out all references to Mohammed, and all images of the prophet were censored. Molly Norris and ‘Everybody Draw Mohammed Day’ In 2010, Seattle-based cartoonist Molly Norris proposed that everybody create a drawing depicting Mohammed, as a response to death threats against those involved in the ‘‘South Park’’ segment that attempted to depict the prophet. Norris drew a variety of objects, including a box of pasta and coffee cup, likening those to the prophet. After her announcement of ‘‘Everybody Draw Mohammed Day,’’ the then-leader of Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, Anwar al-Awlaki, said Norris has been put on an execution hit list. ‘Innocence of Muslims’ A 14-minute, low-budget YouTube video released in 2012 led to protests across the Muslim world. This video depicted Mohammed as a womanizer, child molester, homosexual, and a thug. The demonstrations led to dozens of deaths and hundreds of injuries, and there were some reports that the clip provoked the 2012 terrorist attack in the Libyan city of Benghazi that left a US ambassador dead. WASHINGTON POST http://www.bostonglobe.com/news/world/2015/01/08/when-depictions-prophet-mohammed-outraged-muslims/un7cUy1VRKJUDtetxGba6M/story.html?p1=Article_InThisSection_Bottom

BUDDHISM NEWS: Estimated 6,000 OBCs in Maharashtra, India are set to convert to Buddhism

There is a massive religious conversion taking place in Maharashtra, India on the New Year. While there has been a ghar wapsi, or reconversion effort, in place in India recently, the OBCs are going in a completely different direction. Rather than working to convert to Hinduism as the ghar waspi is attempting to have people do, they are actually converting to Buddhism.What Are OBCs? The OBCs are a group from India that is defined by the government as being the Other Backward Class. In the larger caste system, these are the individuals that are considered to be educationally and socially disadvantaged. These OBCs face a great deal of discrimination when it comes to getting a well-paying job as well as getting any form of education that would benefit them for social mobility. Historically speaking, they have been purposely excluded from being helped and uplifted by the social elite and upper class in the caste system. These are just some of the reasons that members of this group have decided to redefine themselves according to their past. A Historical Basis: These individuals from the Maharashtra area of India have decided to convert to Buddhism. For them, though, they see it as a simple means of returning to their roots. After all, they have recently found evidence that suggests that they are actually descended from Nagvanshis, a group of Buddhists that were said to be descended directly from emperor Ashoka, a notable Buddhist. The leaders of this reconversion effort have said that they have been cheated over and over again by the system of Hinduism that was forced upon them. Now they have filed to make their conversion official so that they are free to pursue what they see as a better course of life. http://www.worldreligionnews.com/issues/why-are-6000-indians-converting-to-buddhism-in-the-new-year

HINDUISM NEWS: Nothing offensive to Hinduism in Aamir Khan’s ‘PK’ movie - Delhi High Court

Delhi High Court said there was nothing offensive in Aamir Khan’s film ‘PK’ and there was no substance in allegations that it has defamed and maligned Hindu culture and religious practices. A bench, comprising Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice R S Endlaw, said there was nothing wrong in the movie and a detailed order would be passed on merits. “What is wrong in the movie? You cannot take offence at everything. We do not find any substance in the allegations made in the petition. We will pass an order on merits,” the bench said. During the hearing, Additional Solicitor General Sanjay Jain told the court that a similar plea has already been dismissed by the Supreme Court. He said there was a provision to appeal against the certification of the movie. http://www.financialexpress.com/article/miscellaneous/nothing-offensive-in-aamir-khans-pk-movie-says-delhi-high-court/27097/