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Pope brings World Youth Day to prisoners, hears confessions

LAS GARZAS, Panama (AP) — Pope Francis on Friday brought World Youth Day to Panama's juvenile delinquents, celebrating an emotional penitential liturgy inside the country's main youth prison since the inmates couldn't participate in the Catholic Church's big festival of faith outside. Fulfilling his belief that no one should be separated from God's mercy, Francis also heard the confessions of five inmates at the Las Garzas de Pacora detention center. At least one of them wept uncontrollably afterward. "There are no words to describe the freedom I feel in this moment," one of the ...

Pope wants bishops to punish sex abusers, not cover up cases

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis is insisting that bishops attending his high-stakes sex abuse prevention summit will learn the laws to use against predators, how to care for victims and will make sure that no cleric abuse cases are covered up again. The Vatican on Wednesday provided details about the Feb. 21-24 meeting, saying its main aim is to guarantee that bishops around the world "clearly understand what they need to do to prevent and combat the worldwide problem of the sexual abuse of minors." Francis will attend the full summit, which includes plenary meetings, working ...

Russians plunge into icy waters to mark feast of Epiphany

MOSCOW (AP) — Across Russia, the devout and the daring are observing the Orthodox Christian feast day of Epiphany by immersing themselves in frigid water through holes cut through the ice of lakes and rivers. Epiphany celebrates the revelation of Jesus Christ as the incarnation of God through his baptism in the River Jordan. Russian believers imitate the baptism by entering the water and ducking themselves three times either on the evening before Epiphany or on that Jan. 19 feast day. Many make the sign of the cross, some others hold their noses. The ritual is watched by priests ...

Hard core values

In 1982, Tylenol, made by Johnson and Johnson, was the leading pain-killer medicine. They held 35 percent of the market share. Sadly, there were seven mysterious deaths via poisoning within a short time in the Chicago area. Detectives put the details together, realizing the source of the poisoning was from extra-strength Tylenol purchased from five different Chicago stores. Someone had tampered with the product and laced the tablets with potassium cyanide. CEO James Burke was faced with a major crisis and a major decision. How would they communicate this threat to the general public ...

‘Wisdom’ my choice for 2019, for me and you

Since 2008, I’ve chosen a word to guide my new year. Selecting it involves prayer, as well as tuning into what might be needed most in the next 12 months. Some years, I struggle with my “one word” selection, but this year, I thought of my friend Vicky Westra, a partner in bringing a word along in the new year. For 2018, her “one little word,” as she called it, was “love.” There could be no better final word to surround a woman who loved well, was loved well in turn, and whose love continues to resound even after her death. Vicky and I always excitedly shared our ...

Yes, there is a war between science and religion

(THE CONVERSATION) As the West becomes more and more secular, and the discoveries of evolutionary biology and cosmology shrink the boundaries of faith, the claims that science and religion are compatible grow louder. If you’re a believer who doesn’t want to seem anti-science, what can you do? You must argue that your faith – or any faith – is perfectly compatible with science. And so one sees claim after claim from believers, religious scientists, prestigious science organizations and even atheists asserting not only that science and religion are compatible, but also that they ...