In the first major document of his pontificate, Pope Leo XIV writes that the poor are not only objects of charity but also evangelists who can prompt us to conversion through their example of weakness and reliance on God.

“The poor can act as silent teachers for us, making us conscious of our presumption and instilling within us a rightful spirit of humility,” Leo writes in Dilexi Te (“I Have Loved You”), released by the Vatican on Thursday. “The elderly, for example, by their physical frailty, remind us of our own fragility, even as we attempt to conceal it behind our apparent prosperity and outward appearance. The poor ... remind us how uncertain and empty our seemingly safe and secure lives may be.”

The pontiff quotes his predecessor throughout the document, which was first drafted during the previous pontificate and draws heavily on Pope Francis’ first apostolic exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium, on the joy of the Gospel. An apostolic exhortation is one of the most authoritative genres of papal teaching, typically focused on the pastoral application of doctrine.

Christ’s whole life is an example of poverty, Leo writes, and the Church, if it wants to belong to Christ, must give the poor a privileged place.

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When Emily Wilson-Hussem began sharing “matchmaking” posts on Instagram, inviting Catholic singles to share their names and locations to connect with others, she wasn’t expecting that her lighthearted experiment would lead to 12 marriages, 20 engagements, hundreds of dating couples, and even a baby.

The Catholic speaker and digital content creator realized that young Catholics are in search of holy marriages but need help finding one another. This led her and her husband, Daniël Hussem, to create a new Catholic dating app — SacredSpark.

The new matchmaking app blends technology and tradition to foster meaningful online connections with the goal of creating lasting offline relationships.

“Over these years I have seen the difficulty singles [have] to connect with one another, especially of the same age, and a lot of the young single Catholics I met were having a really hard time, and so I felt like a nudge from the Lord,” Wilson-Hussem told CNA.

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In a shift that has become much more noticeable in five of the last six years, men, especially among millennials and Generation X, have been outpacing women in church attendance. The trend spiked significantly this year, a new Barna report has found.

Data collected as part of Barna’s ongoing State of the Church initiative with Gloo show that following the COVID-19 lockdowns, men have been outpacing women in church attendance by significant margins. This year, Barna researchers found that 43% of men reported attending church weekly, compared with 36% of women.

“Across every generation, women are trailing men in weekly church attendance, especially among Gen X and millennials,” Barna researchers wrote.

Married fathers with children under 18 were found to be leading the way in church attendance, while single mothers trailed both married mothers and fathers on the measure. Just 24% of single mothers reported that they attend church weekly.

The gap in church attendance between men and women this year is the largest ever recorded by Barna since they began tracking the trend decades ago.

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Porter is a former congresswoman who ran unsuccessfully for US Senate in 2024. She is a former law professor and protege of Sen. Elizabeth Warren.

Former Biden administration Health and Human Services Director Xavier Becerra, one of Porter’s top rivals in the gubernatorial race, responded to clips of the interview picked up by social media, writing, “I’m not interested in excluding any vote. Every Californian deserves affordable health care, safe streets, a roof over their head and a living wage.”

And former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa also weighed in, writing that “We need a leader who will solve hard problems and answer simple questions.”

Liberal commentator Mehdi Hasan on X called it a “car crash interview,” while Republican strategist Matt Whitlock wrote, “This Katie Porter crashout is INCREDIBLE.”

Nearly 20 years after her act of bravery helped end one of North Carolina’s most bizarre crime stories, Leigh Moore says she’s still learning what compassion really means.

“I chose to forgive him,” she told The Christian Post. “He didn’t mean to hurt me. And it’s just easier to forgive than to carry that anger around. You’re only hurting yourself if you hold onto it.”

Her story, one that weaves together betrayal, faith and redemption, is now being told on the big screen in “Roofman,”Paramount Pictures’ new true-crime drama. Channing Tatum stars as Jeffrey Manchester, with Kirsten Dunst as Leigh Moore.

Directed by Derek Cianfrance, the film revisits the saga of Jeffrey Allen Manchester, a charming ex-paratrooper-turned-serial robber who became notorious for breaking into McDonald’s restaurants through their roofs before being captured, imprisoned and later escaping from a North Carolina prison in 2004.

Manchester spent months hiding in a Toys “R” Us store, building a secret nest above the bike racks and living off shelves of M&Ms, before venturing out one Sunday to a nearby church.

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stevevw said:

Then why object to the suggestion that some sort of lathing was involved.

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I don't. But your instance that it must be some "modern" type lathe is baseless.

stevevw said:

Ok so we find some precision vases 5,000 years ago and its the culture and not the craftman.

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That appears to be what you are trying to prove, yes.

stevevw said:

lol you suggested they were using a lathe or wheel. You suggested that a boring bar was used as a lathe to explain the precise synnetry and circularity.

#593
The boring bar is generally used in a lathe, where a lathe is available.

Wait a minute you just literally said above that no one has suggested the ancients use nothing but their unaided hands.

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You are the only one suggesting that they used nothing but their unaided hands. I'm not even sure you know what that means.

stevevw said:

Now your saying they used the lathe as an aid to reach the precision.

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I have no idea what they used. Like you, I'm just speculating.

stevevw said:

How exactly. How exactly have I said anything different to you. Make up your mind. Did they use a lathe or not. If so your saying exactly what I am saying.

Its not downgrading any craftsmans skill. I am talking about the lathe achieving the near precise symmetry and circularity that everyone recognises is caused by a lathe. Yes they are good craftsman in being able to use a lathe. But its the lathe thats achieving the high precision.

You just said you have never denied a lathe being used. You have been explaining how a lathe can answer the question of how the ancients achieved high precision in symmetry and roundness. You said even a 1950's lathe can do this as you have used one lol.

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So what?

stevevw said:

No this is the consensus opinion of mainstream archeology. The potters wheel and Bore stick did not come along until at least a 1,000 years after the Naqada people.

I deny that they would have had a modern CNC lathe. Obviously as computers and that level of high tech did not come in until late 20th century. But the signatures are the same as modern lathing.

I am actually saying the ancients were smart. I am praising them, highlighting their amazing ability. It is skeptics who are restricting these people to traditional ways and limiting the possibilities.

The ancients themselves claim that they had advanced knowledge that defied convention. If anything I am supporting their culture as I am not denying the possibility of this alternative advanced knowledge.

Actually you explained why it is necessary. You explained how the near precise symmetry and circularity was produced by lathing. That lathing explains this signature and not unaided hands without lathing and just chisels and pounders.

lol my imagination is making me laugh.

Then after I posted my imagination ran wild lol. I could use my bare hands as you said and pull out a precision vase lol.

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Really, I have lost track of what you are trying to prove by showing that ancient Egyptians used stonecutting lathes.

Hail Mary,
Full of Grace,
The Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women,
and blessed is the fruit
of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary,
Mother of God,
pray for us sinners now,
and at the hour of our death.
Amen

ABUJA, Nigeria — Suspected Fulani criminals in western Nigeria kidnapped and killed a Christian pastor despite receiving 5 million naira ($3,125) in ransom, sources said.

The Rev. James Audu Issa of the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) in the Ekati area of Kwara state was found dead in the wilderness last Thursday after he was kidnapped from his home within ECWA premises in Ekati town, Patigi County, on Aug. 28.

“The pastor was killed by Fulani bandits terrorizing Edu and Patigi Local Government Areas in Kwara state,” area resident Peter Kolo said.

His captors initially had demanded an exorbitant sum of 100 million naira ($62,500 USD), Kolo said.

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Theophilus

Noble Nathan

Antartica

George Clooney

Edging

Jelly

bbbbbbb said:

Please define for me your term "the set of laws which God has given". Thank you.

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Any law that God has given is part of the set of laws that God has given.

Jewellery

Action Figure

Is this the beginning of the 7 year peace deal or the peace in the middle east that is broken mid way through lol.

Esau