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Pope Meets with Russian President: Full Diplomatic Relations with Holy See a Major Step Forward

From LifeSiteNews

By Hilary White

The President of Russia, in a visit to Rome, has pledged his government to full diplomatic relations with the Vatican, a move that is being called an historic step forward for relations between the former communist state and the Catholic Church.

On a one-day visit to Rome, Dmitry Medvedev met with the pope for 30 minutes, speaking through interpreters. A media release from the Vatican said that President Medvedev had spoken with Pope Benedict on the "value of the family and the contribution believers make to life in Russia."

Previous visits by Russian leaders to the Holy See have failed to heal the rift between the Catholic Church and Russia after 70 years of anti-religious communism and a thousand years of schism between Catholicism and the Russian Orthodox Church.

The Russian presidential spokeswoman Natalia Timakova said that the Russian foreign ministry has been asked to "lead discussions to establish the relations and raise the level of representation to apostolic nuncio and embassy." Until now Russia and the Vatican have maintained diplomatic representation, but below the rank of ambassador.

The visit follows moves to create stronger ties between the Vatican and the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, with both bodies expressing concerns about the secularization of European life.

The Russian government has increased its attention to supporting marriage and childbirth in the face of massive loss and aging of its population. The country has considerably improved its economic condition since the collapse of communism, with a 72 percent increase in GDP and 150 percent increase in average wages during the premiership of Vladimir Putin. But Russia still faces huge challenges including a looming demographic crisis with a below-replacement birth rate and staggeringly high rates of abortion.

Demographers have estimated that Russia's population has been declining at about 0.5 per cent per year, or about 750,000 to 800,000 people per year during the late 1990s and most of the 2000s. A UN report warned that Russia will lose about a third of its population by 2050 unless the current trends are halted.

Improvement of relations between the Russian Federation, the Russian Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church could signal the country's determination to stand against the depopulating and secularizing trends in Europe.

In a statement released today, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia stressed the importance of Orthodox-Catholic dialogue in opposing the challenges of atheistic society. Kirill thanked the Catholic Church for its support in opening an Orthodox seminary in France.

"Today we're facing the challenges of secularism. We need to respond the challenges together basing on historical experience," Patriarch Kirill said at a Thursday meeting with a delegation of the Catholic Church at the Moscow patriarchal residence.

"Therefore Churches working in apostolic tradition are called to close interaction,"
Patriarch Kirill said.

Relations between the Catholic and Russian Orthodox churches have warmed considerably recently since the death of the former primate, the late Patriarch Alexy II, a hardliner who accused the Catholic Church of "poaching" Orthodox believers.

Reuters reports that Medvedev, himself a practicing Russian Orthodox, took part in a ceremony in which the Italian government granted a pilgrimage centre in the southern city of Bari to the Orthodox Church in March.

The Russian Orthodox Patriarchate of Moscow has published in both Russian and Italian a collection of speeches by Pope Benedict XVI titled, Europe Spiritual Homeland, and CatholicCulture.org reports that a government official in Belarus suggested that his country might be an appropriate place for the much-anticipated ecumenical summit between the two faiths.

"A Date Which Will Live in Infamy"

Sixty-eight years ago this week, the First Air Fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy attacked American military installations and our fleet at Pearl Harbor. The attack killed more than 2,400 Americans and brought America’s entry into World War II.

The next day President Roosevelt addressed a Joint Session of Congress and gave his “Day of Infamy” address. It remains a striking and memorable response to an act of brutal aggression:

Yesterday, December 7th, 1941 -- a date which will live in infamy -- the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.

The United States was at peace with that nation and, at the solicitation of Japan, was still in conversation with its government and its emperor looking toward the maintenance of peace in the Pacific.

Indeed, one hour after Japanese air squadrons had commenced bombing in the American island of Oahu, the Japanese ambassador to the United States and his colleague delivered to our Secretary of State a formal reply to a recent American message. And while this reply stated that it seemed useless to continue the existing diplomatic negotiations, it contained no threat or hint of war or of armed attack.

It will be recorded that the distance of Hawaii from Japan makes it obvious that the attack was deliberately planned many days or even weeks ago. During the intervening time, the Japanese government has deliberately sought to deceive the United States by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace.

The attack yesterday on the Hawaiian islands has caused severe damage to American naval and military forces. I regret to tell you that very many American lives have been lost. In addition, American ships have been reported torpedoed on the high seas between San Francisco and Honolulu.

Yesterday, the Japanese government also launched an attack against Malaya.

Last night, Japanese forces attacked Hong Kong.

Last night, Japanese forces attacked Guam.

Last night, Japanese forces attacked the Philippine Islands.

Last night, the Japanese attacked Wake Island.

And this morning, the Japanese attacked Midway Island.

Japan has, therefore, undertaken a surprise offensive extending throughout the Pacific area. The facts of yesterday and today speak for themselves. The people of the United States have already formed their opinions and well understand the implications to the very life and safety of our nation.

As commander in chief of the Army and Navy, I have directed that all measures be taken for our defense. But always will our whole nation remember the character of the onslaught against us.
No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory.

I believe that I interpret the will of the Congress and of the people when I assert that we will not only defend ourselves to the uttermost, but will make it very certain that this form of treachery shall never again endanger us.

Hostilities exist. There is no blinking at the fact that our people, our territory, and our interests are in grave danger.

With confidence in our armed forces, with the unbounding determination of our people, we will gain the inevitable triumph -- so help us God.

I ask that the Congress declare that since the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan on Sunday, December 7th, 1941, a state of war has existed between the United States and the Japanese empire.

* * *

As terrible as this moment in history was, it is important to remember that even more Americans were murdered on September 11, 2001. Then, like now, most Americans wanted no part in war. But there was a consensus that the evil foisted upon Americans required a firm and resolute response. That generation rolled back the evil and created a better world in the process. May each generation respond to the troubles and evil of its own day with the same determination to “gain the inevitable triumph – so help us God.”

Russia and Vatican to Establish Full Diplomatic Relations

From Catholic World News

Russia and the Holy See have agreed to establish full diplomatic relations. The agreement was announced on December 3 after Pope Benedict XVI met with Russian President Dmitri Medvedev.

Since 1990, Russia has maintained a mission at the Vatican. That representation will now be upgraded to a fully accredited embassy, and an apostolic nunciature will be established in Moscow.

Source(s): these links will take you to other sites, in a new window.

• Pope, Russia agree to upgrade diplomatic ties (AP)
• Russia establishes diplomatic relations with Vatican (RIA Novosti)

Bishops Consult Lesbian on Health Care

Good Come Back!

NY Senate Hands Sodomites Crushing Defeat on Same-Sex "Marriage" Bill

Victory for Democrat Sen. Ruben Diaz, who led tireless campaign to defend natural marriage.

From LifeSiteNews
By Peter J. Smith

At about 3:00pm on Wednesday afternoon the New York State Senate voted to overwhelmingly reject legislation that would have legalized same-sex "marriage."

The measure, which would have amended New York State's Domestic Partnership Law, failed by a broad margin of 24 in favor with 38 against.

The Senate vote effectively means that same-sex "marriage" is dead in New York: a resounding victory for pro-family advocates in the state, and a heavy defeat for Gov. David Paterson and Democratic leaders, who were looking to deliver same-sex "marriage" advocates their first victory after their latest defeat in Maine.

Just moments before the vote, Sen. Tom Duane, the chief sponsor of the same-sex "marriage" bill, confidently told members of the Senate that he was looking forward to not just being "an old gay" but soon a "married gay."

However, those anticipations were dashed by a coalition of Democrats, who joined Sen. Ruben Diaz, Jr. (D-NY 32), the leader of the fight against same-sex "marriage" in the Senate, in voting their consciences with Republicans against the bill.

Debate began after a short noon recess with Sen. Duane arguing that this "legislation would provide me and tens of thousands of other New Yorkers equal rights in New York State."

"It would make me equal in every way to everyone else in this chamber," declared Duane in his brief opening remarks.

In the final speech before the vote, Sen. Duane once more encouraged his colleagues to vote on same-sex "marriage" saying, "It's always the time to be on the right side of history!"

Only Sen. Diaz spoke on the floor of the Senate against same-sex "marriage" and he told the Senate that it was a supreme "irony" that the same gay lobby, which fought so hard and spent an enormous amount of money to wrest control of the Senate from the GOP in order to get a bill on same-sex "marriage," now "is depending on them to make this happen."

"The reality is that it has been the Republican Party and their traditional values, and the Republican Party with their moral values, and the Republican Party with their family values, that has been for years and years what has kept the values in this whole nation alive," declared Diaz. "And now they are being asked to throw away these values."

Diaz mentioned that adherents of the world's major religions - not just Evangelicals - oppose same-sex "marriage," including Jews, Muslims, and Catholics. Diaz specifically praised those Catholic bishops who signed the Manhattan Declaration as a testament of their opposition to same-sex "marriage."

"The majority of the people has opposed their will to same-sex 'marriage,'" said Diaz, pointing out that in 31 states where same-sex "marriage" was put to a vote, the people voted against it. By contrast, he continued, same-sex "marriage" was legalized in three states by court order, and by legislation in two states that have no right of referendum.

Diaz proposed that instead the Senate should let New Yorkers decide on same-sex "marriage" and appealed to the Republicans once again to hold fast to their principles and vote that the people, not the legislature decide the fate of marriage.

"Remember your rules, remember your values, remember your family values, traditional values, moral values. Go back to the defense of your traditional values, join me a Democrat, join me a Hispanic, join me a black, join me a Puerto Rican, and join me in bringing a referendum to the people," said Diaz.

However the rest of the speeches proceeded from Democrats speaking out in favor of the bill.

Sen. Malcolm Smith, President Pro Tempore of the Senate, told the Senate that at stake with same-sex "marriage" was "an individual's right to feel good about themselves."

"For the first time, all men and women will be created equal," said Sen. Eric Schneiderman, Deputy Majority Leader (D-NY 34) adding that, "This law will expand the central American ideal of equality."

Sen. Eric Adams (D-NY 20) politely accused Sen. Diaz of not speaking "from his head." Adams compared banning gay marriage to "reaching back to the most ugliest [sic] period of America," when states like Virginia had laws banning interracial marriages until the 1967 US Supreme Court decision in Loving v. Virginia.The senator also told his colleagues that,

"When I walk through these doors, my bible stays out.

"The statement drew a sharp rebuke from Sen. Diaz, who stated that given the crime and state of society in America, "That is the wrong statement to send." Diaz, a Hispanic Evangelical minister, urged Senators to remember their Bibles before voting.