European Union Calendar Omits Christian Holidays… But

(Including Christmas and Easter!) Guess which ones it does show?

… Moslem, Hindu, Sikh, Jewish and Chinese holidays and festivals are cited.

In fact, there are no Christian holidays referenced, despite the fact that Christianity is Europe’s majority religion [but for how long one can but wonder...].

The diary also makes a point of citing the EU-created holiday of “Europe Day” and other key EU anniversaries, Johanna Touzel, the spokeswoman for the Catholic Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Community, said the absence of Christian festivals as “just astonishing“.

“Christmas and Easter are important feasts for hundreds of millions of Christians and Europeans. It is a strange omission. I hope it was not intentional,” she said. “If the commission does not mark Christmas as a feast in its diaries then it should be working as normal on December 25.”

On Wednesday, EU spokesman Frederic Vincent said the ‘blunder‘ over omitting Christmas and other Christian holidays was due to insufficient ‘editorial policing’ by the commission.

Hmmm.

A Small Western Wall?

It’s newly opened and the second closest place to the Holy of Holies (outside of the Temple Mount) at which to pray, but:

It was reported a few days ago that renovation work was taking place at the Kotel haKatan (the Small Wall) in preparation for opening the small courtyard for Jewish prayer. Today, Haaretz reports that the site has been opened.

Here is a description of the site:

The Kotel Ha-Katan is a small portion of the Western Wall of the Temple Mount, which is exposed (with no houses covering it).  It is located approximately 200 meters north of the Western Wall Plaza, and next to Sha’ar Ha-Barzel (the Iron Gate).  The Kotel Ha-Katan is close to the middle point of the Western Wall of the Temple Mount, and it is the place second closest to the Holy of Holies (outside of the Temple Mount) where Jews can pray.  The closest location is within the Kotel Tunnels, and is exactly facing the Holy of Holies.

Orthodox Jews praying at the Kotel haKatan – photo Dror Avi

The wall shown in the picture is certainly part of the Western Wall, but the large stones are not Herodian. The Western Wall tunnel runs below this plaza and there Herodian stones can be seen. In most places along the Temple Mount walls these Umayyad (Early Muslim period) stones are visible above the Herodian masonry, see this previous post. They were placed there in the beginning of the eighth century AD, after the El Aqsa mosque and the Dome of the Rock were built. During that time the destroyed Herodian walls were repaired with large stone blocks, which lack the typical Herodian margins. These stones were often reused ashlars taken from large Byzantine churches nearby, such as the Nea Church.

It is ironic to see that Haaretz is worried about a strong reaction from the Waqf (the Muslim religious trust), while the praying Jews are apparently oblivious to the fact that they are touching stones laid by Muslims, which may have been taken from a destroyed Christian church, in order to repair the ancient Jewish Temple Mount walls.

Pope John Paul II: Beatification on 1 May 2011

The Decree can be read in full here.

CNN reports on the date:

The late Pope John Paul II is one miracle away from sainthood.

CNN’s Senior Vatican Correspondent John Allen reports that a beatification ceremony for the late Pope will take place on May 1. This morning, Pope Benedict XVI credited his predecessor with performing a miracle which is the final requirement for beatification. Sainthood, however, would require that he be credited with performing two miracles…

The Wall Streert Journal:

Vatican City, Rome—The Pope on Friday approved a miracle attributed to his predecessor Pope John Paul II’s intercession and set May 1 as the date for his beatification.

The event will be a major morale boost for a church reeling from a wave of violence against Christians and fallout from the clerical sexual abuse scandal.

Pope Benedict XVI declared in a decree that a French nun’s recovery from Parkinson’s disease was miraculous, the last step needed for the late pontiff’s beatification.

The May 1 ceremony, to be celebrated by Pope Benedict himself, is expected to draw hundreds of thousands of pilgrims to Rome to honor one of the most popular popes of all time.

A second miracle is needed for Pope John Paul to be made a saint. Pope Benedict put his predecessor on the fast track to possible sainthood just weeks after he died in 2005, responding to the chants of “Santo Subito!” or “Sainthood immediately!” that erupted during his funeral.

The Pope waived the typical five-year waiting period before the process could begin, but he insisted that the investigation into Pope John Paul’s life be thorough so as to not leave any doubts about his virtues…

And a video from Rome Reports:

Christina-Taylor Green's Funeral in Arizona

New York Times:

Christina-Taylor Green, age 9, was wheeled from church in a child-size coffin to the mournful strain of bagpipes on Thursday, having become the focus for much of the grief that has enveloped this community — and the nation — since the shootings that left 6 dead and 14 injured…

The raw emotion was on display inside St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Roman Catholic Church on Thursday, where more than 1,500 mourners of all ages were packed in tight; and outside, where there were more mourners; and down the winding road, where hundreds more waited and watched; and across the city. Some dressed in white, others in baseball uniforms. Some wore angel wings. Others carried teddy bears or bouquets of flowers.

The funeral felt almost like a state affair, with rows of politicians, officers in dress uniforms and the bagpipes. It was the biggest service anyone in Tucson could remember.

Toward the end, her father, John Green, rose to speak. He looked out at the crowd. He swallowed. And then, in a scratchy, baritone voice he said her name, slowly: “Christina-Taylor Green.”

He described a girl who picked blackberries in the summer and went sledding in the winter. Most times, she was the one directing the other kids in their adventures. He told of her and her mother, Roxanna, dressing up “to the nines” and dancing around the house…

Christina was born on Sept. 11, 2001. A flag from the World Trade Center, brought to Tucson by representatives of the New York City Fire Department, flew outside the church for the funeral.

Mr. Green said his daughter’s birthday had given her an understanding of tragedy, and it sparked an interest in civic affairs that brought her to meet Representative Gabrielle Giffords on Saturday…

During his eulogy, Mr. Green delivered a message, inspired by Christina’s life, to everyone who had been touched by her.

“Everybody’s going to be O.K.,” he said. “She would want that.”

Yahoo News has about 160 photos of the funeral here

So very sad…

‘Eternal rest grant unto her, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon her’…

The Woolly Mammoth Reborn Through Cloning

In about four years time:

The woolly mammoth, extinct for thousands of years, could be brought back to life in as little as four years thanks to a breakthrough in cloning technology.

You can read more here.

Don’t know about you but to me, this is really scary… Man becoming Creator? Not a good idea at all… Besides the theology and ethics being faulty, it brings to mind the whole Jurassic Park thing. And where will it stop? Somehow, we just never learn now do we?

The Former Anglican Bishops are Now Catholic Deacons

They will be Ordained to the Sacred Priesthood tomorrow marking the beginning of the Ordinariates in England and Wales.

Today, former Anglican Bishops Andrew Burnham, John Broadhurst and Keith Newton became Catholic deacons, and on Saturday they will be ordained Catholic priests. 

The first “personal ordinariate” is being born, though its official birth awaits a decree from the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith and the Holy Father’s naming of an ordinary. 

The possibility of this ecclesiastical structure is outlined in “Anglicanorum Coetibus.” It is designed for groups of Anglicans and Anglican pastors who wish to be received into full communion with the Catholic Church. It is expected that further ordinariates will be established around the world to respond to the desire of those Anglican communities who also seek full communion with the Catholic Church… 

The above was here.

Photo here.

And a short video of the Litany: