Jerusalem Sep 5, 2012 / 03:44 pm (CNA).- Vandals set fire to the door of the Latroun Monastery near Jerusalem on the morning of Sept. 4 and spray painted the walls with blasphemous phrases in Hebrew.

The monks at the monastery were awakened in the early morning hours and found the front door on fire and their outside wall spray painted with the phrases, “Jesus is a monkey” and “Ramat Migron.” The second phrase was an apparent reference to the illegal Jewish settlement in the Palestinian West Bank, which was dismantled by Israeli authorities on Sunday.

The BBC reported that Israeli police have launched an investigation into the attack on the monastery, which is located in Palestinian territory just 15 kilometers from Jerusalem.  They said the attack may have been committed by pro-settlement Jewish extremists as revenge for the eviction of 300 Israelis from Ramat Migron, which has become a symbol for hard-line groups that oppose any withdrawal from the West Bank.

In a Sept. 4 statement, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem said it was “indignant” over the “disgraceful and hideous” attacks which “dishonor Christian sites in Israel and attack the person of Christ, Son of this Holy Land.” The patriarchate oversees all Roman Catholic churches in the Holy Land.

The patriarchate also condemned any attempt to “create divisions between the communities” and called for tolerance and values that “bear witness to human greatness.”

The Assembly of Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land issued its own statement asking, “Why are Christians still in the crosshairs?

“What is happening in Israeli society to the point that Christians are the sacrificial lambs of such violence?” 

  President Michel Suleiman praised on Monday the army on its efforts in defending Lebanon and maintaining civil peace. He stressed on the anniversary of the end of the Nahr al-Bared clashes the “importance of internal unity and national will in allowing the security forces and army in fulfilling their duties towards the nation and people.” He […]

  It’s an overused and oft abused metaphor that Beirut is the Paris of the Middle East,  but the phrase seemed to ring true Sunday – at least in a section of Ashrafieh. With pedestrianized streets, people cycling everywhere, and art littering the sidewalks, all part of the Ashrafieh 2020 initiative, the area seemed positively […]

  * هل اتّفاق الطائف ما زال قابلاً للتطبيق؟ – إتّفاق الطائف، وكأيّ اتّفاق مفصليّ في الحياة السياسية اللبنانية، يُعتبر وليد ظروف معيّنة كانت سائدة في أواخر الثمانينيات، ويعبّر مضمونه عن شقّين: سياسي وسيادي. إلّا أنّ حصر القرار اللبناني بالشؤون الأساسية في الجانب السوري حال دون تطبيق الإصلاحات السياسية والبنود السيادية، فكنّا أمام واقع تحويل […]

    لم تتأخر بيروت كثيراً في اللحاق بركب التكنولوجيا الرقمية ، فها هو المشروع النموذجي  Beirut digital; district ينطلق من منطقة الباشورة قرب وسط العاصمة كباكورة مشاريع ستعم لبنان تباعا ً. إنه المبنى الأول من أصل ستة مبان ستبنى في المنطقة على مدى السنوات الخمس المقبلة بمساحة تصل الى أربعين ألف متر مربع الهدف […]

  Prime Minister Najib Miqati stressed on Saturday that any dispute with Speaker Nabih Berri would be short-lived, warning opponents against banking on any disputes emerging between them. He said: “I enjoy excellent ties with Berri and Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun is our partner in government.” He made his remarks after holding talks in […]

Tampa, Fla., Aug 31, 2012 / 01:54 am (CNA).- Jim Nicholson, former U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See, thinks that the Catholic vote remains an important force in modern politics and that more Catholics than in the past will vote for Romney and the Republican Party in the upcoming election.

“The Catholic vote is very relevant,” Nicholson told CNA on Aug. 29, “because there is a large number of Catholics” in the United States. The country currently has 55.6 million voting age Catholics and in swing states they make up 19 percent of the electorate, according to Georgetown’s Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate.

Nicholson, who has also served as U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs and Chairman of the Republican National Committee, explained that the U.S. has one of the largest Catholic populations in the world.

But, he qualified, the “Catholic vote is not a monolith.” And while “Catholics are traditionally Democrat,” Nicholson says that is changing.

He observed that Church leaders are strongly “imploring the people to look at the values espoused by the candidates for office and see how they align with Catholic values.”

“And in the case of the president, they don’t align at all,” he said. “There’s a mal-alignment.”

Ryan’s opponents efforts to demonize him and think they can deflect the American public from listening to his considered positions on the vital issues and challenges we face as a Nation will not only fail, I now believe they will backfire. Ryan’s demeanor is warm, human and real – a refreshing change in a political atmosphere polluted with vitriol, vapid detraction and denigration. He lifts up the listener while he speaks truth to a Nation struggling through a desperate hour. He gives the listener hope that they, with good and effective leadership, can actually rebuild the American promise and re-secure the American dream for their children. In short, he dispenses hope in an hour when it is in short supply.

TAMPA, FL (Catholic Online) – On the 13th of August, after returning from the Rally in Norfolk, Virginia where Mitt Romney introduced Paul Ryan as his Vice Presidential running mate, I wrote an article entitled "Romney Goes Bold: Pro-Life Catholic Paul Ryan Chosen as Republican Vice Presidential Candidate." 

I made clear I was writing that article as a private citizen. I once again make that clear as I write this article. I opined that I thought the choice of Paul Ryan demonstrated that Mitt Romney was willing to make bold decisions in the interest of tackling a serious crisis in this Nation. I underscore that after having just heard one of the finest political convention speeches I have heard in many years.

On the 13th of August I wrote, "I believe Mitt Romney is correct in his assessment of this gifted man. He is a talented public servant, a truly good family man, a faithful, genuinely Pro-Life Catholic and, as I found out today, much, much more.  This man is a tremendous communicator. I have never heard him speak in public and I was truly impressed."

"When Governor Romney called Congressman Ryan up to the podium, he mistakenly referred to him as "the next President of the United States". He quickly returned to correct the gaffe. However, as Congressman Ryan spoke, I actually wondered if the mistake may someday prove to have been accurate.  Ryan’s sincerity, down to earth demeanor, warmth and believability reminded me of a young Ronald Reagan. This man is a gifted communicator. The first decision made by the 2012 Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney, choosing Paul Ryan as his running mate, was bold and brilliant."