What People Are Commenting
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UFOs & Drop in Francis’ Popularity
Vatican & UFOs
The progression of perversity seems to be speeding up lately. I used to hear of perversities from time to time, but now it is a daily occurrence! The world is awash in it. It bothers me that Francis encourages these and other aberrations, as if he wants to crush the Church, as if he hates the Church, as if he had co-written the Philosophical Dictionary with Voltaire.
What a coincidence, that the Pope's chief astronomer says that we are not alone (see posting below). I would agree with him, if only he meant that the aliens have been on our planet for a long time. There are not very many, because they cannot or will not reproduce...
Thank God for TIA!
In Maria,
Joseph Shaara, Ph.D.
Richard Gray
MailOnline - August, 4, 2015 - It is just over 380 years since the Catholic Church condemned Galileo Galilei for arguing that the Earth was not the centre of the universe.
But it seems the Vatican has relaxed its view of mankind's place in the cosmos and even believes there may be intelligent alien life out there.
Astronomers at the Vatican Observatory, which has been studying the heavens since 1582, have said discoveries of new Earth like planets have strengthened their belief that there could be life on other planets.
The discovery of the Earth-like planet Kepler-452b has led the director of the Vatican Observatory to say he believes there may well be intelligent life elsewhere in the universe. Fr. Jose Funes, however, said he did not think aliens would have another Jesus as it was a 'unique event'
Despite this, however, they have said even if there is intelligent life beyond our solar system, it is unlikely they would have been sent a second Jesus to save them.
Fr. Jose Funes, director of the Vatican Observatory in Rome, said it was also unlikely mankind may ever get to meet these alien civilizations.
He said: 'Probably there is life and perhaps a form of intelligent life… I don't think we'll ever meet a Mr. Spock.
'The discovery of intelligent life does not mean there's another Jesus. The Incarnation of the son of God is a unique event in the history of humanity of the universe.'
It is not the first time Fr. Funes, who trained as an astronomer at the National University of Cordoba, has discussed the possibility of aliens living among the stars.
In 2008 he said belief in the existence of extraterrestrial life did not contradict Catholic doctrine or the Bible.
His latest comments come in the wake of NASA's discovery of an Earth-like planet 1,400 light years away from our own by the Kepler space telescope.
Kepler 452b, as it has been called, is thought to be a rocky planet orbiting its star within the habitable zone where liquid water may form on the surface.
However, it is around 1.5 billion years older than our own planet.
Fr. Jose Funes said the discovery of rocky planets outside our own solar system made it likely the 'vast majority of stars in our galaxy' could potentially have planets were life could develop. However, he said he remained skeptical about whether mankind would ever manage to meet intelligent alien life forms
Fr. Funes described the discovery as 'great news'.
Writing in the Vatican's daily newspaper L'Osservatore Romano, he said: 'Our galaxy contains more than a 100 billion stars.
“Considering the number of exoplanets discovered, it seems that the vast majority of stars in our galaxy, at least potentially, can have planets where life could develop.”
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The Unknown Soldier
There is a trailer for an upcoming movie on the Tomb of the Unknown guards.
The trailer (5 minutes) is worth a watch, and we all should see the documentary movie when it comes out.
It is available here.
T.H.
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Papal Mass in Cuba near Che Guevara Icon
When I read an article on the coming papal visit to Cuba, I remembered TIA had posted two articles on John Paul II and Benedict XVI doing the exact same thing.
So, Francis continues in the footsteps of JPII and Benedict, detente, friendship and open concessions with communist Cuba. People forget how pro-communist the other post-Vatican ii popes were. The article follows:
M.G.
Cuban workers prepare the altar for Pope Francis' Mass in September at Revolution Square in Havana - Getty Images
Francis won't be the first pope to speak under Havana's huge Guevara portrait. John Paul II did so in 1998, saying that Guevara was now "before God's Tribunal" but was certain "he wanted to serve the poor." Benedict XVI followed suit in 2012, urging Cuba to embrace "genuine" religious freedom.
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Francis Loses Popularity
Below is an article reporting the latest polls on Francis’ popularity. Perhaps you and your readers would like to know these data.
Best regards,
P.M.
* 59% have favorable view of pope, down from 76% in February 2014
* Christians, conservatives fueling the drop in favorability
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Pope Francis' favorability rating in the U.S. has returned to where it was when he was elected pope. It is now at 59%, down from 76% in early 2014. The pontiff's rating is similar to the 58% he received from Americans in April 2013, soon after he was elected pope.
After Pope Francis was elected the leader of the 1.2 billion-member Roman Catholic Church in March 2013, he attempted to focus the church on a renewed sense of protecting the poor, on interfaith relations and on respecting gay and lesbian members of the church. He was lauded in the American news media, with accolades including Time magazine naming him the Person of the Year in 2013. The next time Gallup asked about Pope Francis, in February 2014, his favorability had swelled to 76%.
In the current poll, conducted July 8-12, Francis' favorable rating declined, while his unfavorable rating increased to 16% from 9% in 2014. One-quarter of Americans say they have never heard of him or have no opinion, up from 16% in 2014. Now removed from the plaudits of 2013 and the high ratings of 2014, it appears that fewer Americans know enough about the pope to be able to rate him.
Pope's Image Among Catholics and Conservatives Worsens
The drop in the pope's favorable rating is driven by a decline among Catholics and political conservatives, two groups that have been ardent supporters of the modern papacy. Seventy-one percent of Catholics say they have a favorable image of Francis, down from 89% last year.
Pope Francis' drop in favorability is even starker among Americans who identify as conservative -- 45% of whom view him favorably, down sharply from 72% last year. This decline may be attributable to the pope's denouncing of "the idolatry of money" and linking climate change partially to human activity, along with his passionate focus on income inequality -- all issues that are at odds with many conservatives' beliefs.
Posted August 6, 2015
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The opinions expressed in this section - What People Are Commenting - do not necessarily express those of TIA
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Thank you for this article The Missal Crisis of 1962. My question is: How and where can I purchase two pre-1962 Roman Missals? I am part of a small group of parishioners who are trying to persuade our local priests to say the Tridentine Mass but they do not have pre-1962 Roman Missals.
Thank you,
A.T.
TIA responds:
Dear A.T.,
We contacted Msgr. Perez, who sent us the answer below – TIA
Unfortunately the only way to get a pre-1955 Missal at the moment is to get one on eBay. We are trying to get together enough money to reprint this Missal, but it is VERY expensive.
God bless!
Rev. Msgr. Patrick J. Perez