Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi criticized on Thursday the political authority in Lebanon for failing to approve a new parliamentary electoral law, reported the National News Agency.   He said before a delegation from the Bekaa city of Zahleh: “It is shameful that the politicians have been incapable of reaching an agreement over a new […]

  The line about the American general meeting the Arab Christian isn’t as familiar as it should be. "When did your family convert?" the general asked. "About 2,000 years ago," the Arab answered wryly. The general’s ignorance is widely shared. Take but one example from closer to home. Over-zealous teachers in London have recently been pulling […]

  Agriculture Minister Hussein al-Hajj Hassan banned on Wednesday the import of livestock from the southern Brazilian state of Parana where a case of atypical mad cow disease was confirmed last month. Al-Hajj Hassan banned as well the import of frozen meat from Parana.   Brazil is the world’s largest supplier of beef. Several other countries have […]

    ترأس البطريرك الماروني الكاردينال مار بشارة بطرس الراعي قداس رأس السنة لمناسبة "يوم السلام العالمي"، في كنيسة السيدة في الصرح البطريركي في بكركي. وألقى الراعي عظة لفت فيها الى ان "إنَ التوق الى السلام هو في داخل كلِ إنسان، لأنه مخلوق على صورة الله ومن أجل السلام الذي هو في الأساس عطية من […]

  BEIRUT: “Fascination du Liban: 60 Siecles d’Histoire des Religions, d’Art et d’Archeologie” (Fascination of Lebanon: 60 Centuries of History on Religions, Art and Archaeology) is a massive exhibition ongoing at Geneva’s Rath Museum. The show is the fruit of a collaboration between the Lebanese Culture Ministry, the Directorate-General of Antiquities, the National Museum of Beirut […]

  SIDON, Lebanon: Facing an influx of those fleeing the increasingly bitter conflict in its Syria, Beirut is set to host a major conference on Syrian refugees in Lebanon in January. The meeting, dubbed the “First Conference on Syrian Refugees in Lebanon: Issues and Solutions,” was organized by three aid organizations: the Union of Aid Organizations […]

  Fortuneteller Michel Hayek revealed that some Lebanese politicians have started to base their actions based on predictions he made for them, reported As Safir newspaper on Tuesday. He told the daily: “Over 35 percent of politicians resort to fortunetelling.” “The consultations are held in secret as some of the officials want to keep the issue […]

  ترأس البطريرك الماروني الكاردينال مار بشارة بطرس الراعي قداس رأس السنة لمناسبة "يوم السلام العالمي"، في كنيسة السيدة في الصرح البطريركي في بكركي. وألقى الراعي عظة لفت فيها الى ان "إنَ التوق الى السلام هو في داخل كلِ إنسان، لأنه مخلوق على صورة الله ومن أجل السلام الذي هو في الأساس عطية من ألله […]

Have you been hoping for a great year? Finally, you may be in "luck." You may have to work hard for it, but at the same time, 2013 will be dominated by making strong connections with others in an area your life may have been lagging.

Fire Signs (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius): Uranus in Aries, the Moon in Leo, and Venus in Sagittarius form a wide trine that will keep you busy, but it will be a good busy. One person or another will set into motion circumstances that will keep you on your toes, creating new connections to other people and possibly allowing you to make deeper inroads into a more profound romantic life. The people outside your circle may even say how lucky you are, but you will know that your efforts are based on hard work.

Earth Signs (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn): Mercury, Pluto, and the Sun are all posited in Capricorn. Capricorn is generally regarded as a business-oriented sign, which indicates a great deal of hard work. Pluto, the planet of wealth, will make sure your efforts aren’t unrewarded. You may think that things are coming just a little too easy, but don’t wait for the other shoe to drop! If you’re getting more than you’ve gotten previously, you’ve earned it all the way.

Air Signs (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius): The start of the year puts Jupiter, planet of success and good fortune, in lofty Gemini, high in the sky, forming a sextile with Uranus, the planet of luck, in fiery Aries… a truly lucky combination for you. In addition, one of the two incomplete Grand Trines involves Air Signs: Jupiter, planet of luck and success, in Gemini, the Ascendant in Libra, the sign ruling partnerships, and Mars, planet of energy and action, in Aquarius, planet of group activities as well as the future. This means energy within your intellect will create success. Your problem-solving abilities will be at their apex, helping to find solutions with remarkable ease.

Water Signs (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces): The second incomplete Grand Trine is a water trine involving the Midheaven in Cancer, the sign ruling home and family. There is also Saturn, planet of perseverance as well as career matters, in Scorpio, and Neptune, planet of romance and idealism, in romantic and psychic Pisces. This trine creates an environment of elevated spiritual and emotional strength. Aided by a Solar Eclipse in early November, this year is bookended by aspects that are conducive to happy reunions, joyous reconciliations, and strong romantic connections.

Jerusalem,Dec 27, 2012 / 04:11 am (CNA/EWTN News).- The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Archbishop Fouad Twal, has issued a Christmas message that both laments the violence and refugee situation in the Middle East and calls on Christians to live out their faith.,“The joy of Christmas is overshadowed by the staggering violence in Syria,” he said Dec. 20. He noted the Catholic Church’s work to assist 250,000 Syrian refugees in Jordan, saying this shows the Church is “full of compassion for the victims.” Conflict between rebel forces and the Syrian government has killed tens of thousands of people and driven many more from their homes.

The refugees are mainly women and children who need food, shelter, medical treatment and clothes. Caritas Jordan director Wael Suleiman told Fides news agency in November that the Syrian refugees’ numbers in the country could reach half a million by April 2013 if the conflict is not resolved. In addition to the refugees from Syria, there are hundreds of thousands of Iraqi refugees already in Jordan.

Patriarch Twal said that Catholics pray that Jordan will “maintain its stability and common sense.” In the regional picture, there are many concerns surrounding the Middle East situation that leave Christians “perplexed,” but they desire “more stability and democracy,” he said. Patriarch Twal denounced the “severe restrictions” affecting 1.6 million Palestinians, saying they generate “hatred and hostility towards Israel.” He said United Nations recognition of Palestine as a nonmember observer is “a step towards peace and stability.” Israel, he said, can negotiate “on equal state-to-state terms for the good of all.”The Catholic bishops and patriarchs of the Middle East consider the Israel-Palestine conflict as the cause of all conflicts in the region and stress the urgent need for a “just and peaceful solution.” Patriarch Twal urged President Barack Obama to take “immediate action” for a two-state solution. He also spoke of the need for the presence of Christians in public life, pointing to the media as a way for Christian citizens to “assume their historic role,” express values of non-violence and encourage dialogue with believers of other religions. “We are a minority but we are more than just a number,” he said. “I encourage all our faithful to live this Year of Faith in earnest,” he added, invoking the first Christians of Jerusalem as a “model for renewal.” The patriarch thanked those who had participated in interreligious initiatives and stressed the ability of religious leaders to work for peace if they work together. However, he said the meetings did not prevent “an increase in a certain religious radicalism.”

“Interreligious dialogue can only bear fruits in acts of mutual respect,” he said, voicing “dismay” at the ongoing desecrations of churches, convents, synagogues and cemeteries in the Holy Land. In February, the Monastery of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem was vandalized with the words “Death to Christians.” Early in the morning of Sept. 4, vandals set fire to the door of the Latroun Monastery near Jerusalem and spray painted the walls with blasphemous phrases about Jesus in Hebrew. Another vandal attack happened Oct. 2 on the Convent of St. Francis on Mt. Zion, next to the Cenacle complex traditionally regarded as the site of the Last Supper. The graffiti attack derided Jesus and used a phrase common among Israeli extremists for a revenge attack on Palestinians and Arabs.