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Pope Francis warns against ideological splits in the Church, says focus on the poor, not ‘theory’

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:40 GMT

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Amid resistance to some Vatican policy by more conservative factions of the Catholic church, Pope Francis on Saturday cautioned the faithful against fracturing into groups “based on our own ideas.” He issued the call to abandon “ecclesiastical ideologies” in his homily in St. Peter’s Basilica during Epiphany Day Mass, the last major Christmas season holiday.Francis also warned against “basking in some elegant religious theory” instead of finding God in the faces of the poor. Last month, Francis gave permission for priests to bless couples outside of marriage, including same-sex relationships, as long as the blessing was pastoral and not liturgical or part of some religious rite. Some bishops who view Francis as a dangerous progressive immediately rejected such blessings. That prompted the Vatican earlier this week to issue a statement stressing that the blessings don’t constitute heresy and there were no doctrinal grounds to reject the practice....

N.B. wrongful convictions: A story of undisclosed evidence, recanting witnesses

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:40 GMT

The story behind two New Brunswick men’s wrongful convictions for murder contains classic elements of how things can go terribly wrong in Canada’s justice system, say the lawyers who fought to prove their innocence.A written submission presented to the court by Innocence Canada lawyers on Thursday argues that “police tunnel vision, the non-disclosure of important evidence, recantations by the two key Crown witnesses,” as well as a disregard for the men’s strong alibis, were key factors in Robert Mailman and Walter Gillespie’s 1984 murder convictions.Mailman, 76, spent 18 years in prison, while Gillespie, 80, served 21 years. On Thursday, the province’s chief justice found them innocent, following the federal justice minister’s Dec. 22 decision to overturn the 1984 convictions for second-degree murder.The court document goes back to Nov. 30, 1983, when George Leeman’s partially burnt body was found by a jogger in a wooded area in ...

The Epiphany is on Saturday: How is it celebrated and why does it have other names?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:40 GMT

Christians around the world will mark the Epiphany on Jan. 6 with a series of celebrations that go from parades and gift-giving for children to the blessing of water. The holiday is also called the Feast of Epiphany, Three Kings Day and Theophany.Why is it known by different names?Some Western Christian churches know the feast day as Three Kings Day. It recalls the visit of three Magi, or wise men, to the infant Jesus, and their sense of wonder at the encounter. It is the 12th day after Christmas and closes the Christmas season.Eastern traditions call it Theophany, and they focus on the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist. Orthodox Christians also know it as the Baptism of Christ.What does Epiphany mean?The Greek word “epiphaneia” means “appearance” or “manifestation,” and it refers to the manifestation of Jesus to the world, according to Encyclopedia Britannica.How is it celebrated?The day is often celebrated by Catholics in Spain with parades that include decorative floats carryi...

Ask Amy: Husband wants to relocate, after death

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:40 GMT

Dear Amy: My husband has lived in the Pacific Northwest since 1966. That’s 57 years! We’ve been married for 25 years.On a recent trip to Kansas, my husband’s birth state, he learned that the family cemetery plot has room for one more person, so now he wants his remains buried next to his paternal grandparents and uncles.These people have been deceased now for decades. I never met any of them.There is no room for me in this family plot in Kansas, although there are plots available in another section of the cemetery.I am not interested in being buried in a state I’ve never lived in.I am perturbed that my husband prefers to be buried with these relatives instead of near me, in the place where our five kids were raised, and where his own parents are buried.Rationally I know that my annoyance is silly since, after I’m dead, I won’t know where I was buried. But jeez, there is a cemetery six miles from our house and I guess I will be cremated and interred there by myself.Am I being unreaso...

Disclosure issues make buyers want to know about their rights and protections

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:40 GMT

Question: We are first-time homebuyers riding high from finally closing on our place. But upon reviewing the seller’s disclosures, some glaring inconsistencies have us second-guessing our decision.Right away, the first page did not mesh with what we were told — items marked “included” were previously disclosed as broken by the seller’s agent. And a bold “no” next to neighborhood noise? It may be technically accurate by the letter of the law, but conveniently ignores the high school’s adjacent stadium.We understand “as-is.” But these discrepancies feel sneaky rather than transparent. Now we are left worrying: What else is amiss that could ambush us later? Are we being naive first-timers or were essential details omitted?As new homeowners who are ecstatic to start this chapter, we also feel exposed. Is there any recourse when disclosures seem dubious? Or is this a classic case of buyer’s remorse revealing our naiveté? We would appreciate advice on homebuyer rights and protections afte...

Greene: GOP, South lost the Civil War, right to own slaves. Get over it

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:40 GMT

Cross her off the list.Just when Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley was beginning to look like a viable alternative to You-Know-Who, the South Carolina contender tried to explain the Civil War without using the word “slavery.”That’s like trying to explain the Super Bowl without talking about football.I get that she comes from one of the states that lost the war, but other southerners — Lyndon Johnson, Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton — managed to get over the defeat, and find their way to the White House.But not Haley. When a voter in New Hampshire — the site of the first-in-the-nation presidential primary — asked her what caused the Civil War, the former governor of the state where the war’s first shots were fired in 1861 blamed government interference.“It was basically how government was going to run, the freedoms, and what people could and couldn’t do,” Haley said at a town hall event.“I think it always comes down to the role of government and what th...

Horoscopes Jan. 6, 2024: Kate McKinnon, use intelligence and charm

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:40 GMT

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Kate McKinnon, 40; Julie Chen, 54; Gabrielle Reece, 54; Rowan Atkinson, 69.Happy Birthday: Mosey your way into what you want to accomplish with thought and wisdom. Map out your course of action and alter what’s necessary to get things flowing in a direction that makes you happy. Don’t let outside interference cost you. Keep your secrets unknown, and protect against anyone infringing on your safety, security or long-term goals. Use intelligence and charm to protect your interests. Your numbers are 5, 16, 24, 31, 33, 39, 44.ARIES (March 21-April 19): Think matters through and act accordingly. You can assess and change your path, but first, you must recognize what isn’t working for you anymore. Nothing is out of reach if you mastermind your way to your goal. Don’t give anyone the chance to interfere. 3 starsTAURUS (April 20-May 20): Lead the way, and you’ll find victory. Don’t hesitate to implement change and push for wh...

Drones From Company That “Strongly Opposes” Military Use Marketed With Bombs Attached

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:40 GMT

A forthcoming drone made by Autel, a Chinese electronics manufacturer and drone-maker, is being marketed using images of the unmanned aerial vehicle carrying a payload of what appears to be explosive shells. The images were discovered just two months after the company condemned the military use of its flying robots.Two separate online retail preorder listings for the $52,000 Autel Titan drone, with a cargo capacity of 22 pounds and an hour of flight time, advertised a surprising feature: the ability to carry (and presumably fire) weapons.In response to concerns from China-hawk lawmakers in the U.S. over Autel’s alleged connections to the Chinese government and its “potentially supporting Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine,” according to a congressional inquiry into the firm, Autel issued a public statement disowning battlefield use of its drones: “Autel Robotics strongly opposes the use of drone products for military purposes or any other activities that infringe upon human rights...

Thousands of mourners in Islamabad attend funeral for Pakistani cleric gunned down in broad daylight

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:40 GMT

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Thousands of mourners attended a funeral Saturday for a Pakistani Sunni Muslim cleric gunned down in broad daylight on the outskirts of the capital, Islamabad, police and and a spokesman for the cleric’s organization said.The funeral of Masoodur Rehman Usmani was held a day after unidentified gunmen shot and killed him and wounded his driver in the neighborhood of Ghauri town, according to a statement issued by the Islamabad police.No one claimed responsibility for the attack, which is a rare occurrence near Islamabad. Police said they were using closed-circuit TV footage to track down the attackers, and vowed that they would be arrested and brought to justice.Authorities in Islamabad have stepped up security by deploying additional police and some embassies were advising their nationals to avoid visiting the area where the funeral for Usmani was to be held.Usmani was a deputy secretary at his Sunni Ulema Council, which emerged after Pakistan outlawed the Sipa...

Anthony Joshua to fight MMA star Francis Ngannou in Saudi Arabia

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:40 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua’s next fight will be against MMA star Francis Ngannou in Saudi Arabia, promotors have announced.Ngannou has only boxed once professionally, when he knocked down Tyson Fury before losing in a split-decision to the reigning WBC heavyweight champion in late October.A date for the Riyadh fight wasn’t announced but it looks likely to take place in March.Fury and Oleksandr Usyk are scheduled to fight in Riyadh on Feb. 17 to unify all of the major heavyweight boxing titles. Usyk holds the WBA, IBF and WBO belts.The 34-year-old Joshua looked sharp before Christmas when he stopped Otto Wallin with a fifth-round technical knockout. On the same card, Deontay Wilder lost to Joseph Parker, which scuppered talk of a March bout between Wilder and Joshua.Eddie Hearn, who is Joshua’s promoter, announced Friday night that the Ngannou fight is a “ done deal ” and that a press conference will be held in London on Jan. 15.The 37-...