Obviously, Jesus didn’t own a gun, never said anything directly about firearms. He couldn’t have.
Of course, that won’t solve the debates now roiling this nation about violence and the people and tools that perpetuate it. Nonetheless, the fact that Jesus has nothing to say about guns has not stopped a number of pundits from extrapolating Jesus’ ethics on gun violence. In recent days, some Christians have tried to construct a case that Jesus himself would support self-defense in the form of individually-owned firearms. Others vehemently disagree. Agreement is as hard to find among Christians as it is among the nation more broadly.
What would Jesus have to say to us today about a culture we all admit is far too saturated with violence and death? How would he guide us in light of recent tragedies like Newtown and Aurora?
While events like these rightly elevate our sense that something must be done, it is the truly ordinary nature of our culture’s violence that ought to convince us to lay aside politics for the sake of our neighbors. Unfortunately, our political divisions foreclose most opportunities to have a reasonable conversation about such hot-button issues, even among people of common faith. But here’s one potential route for reflection.
What if we all gave up guns for Lent?
This last week, Christians around the world gathered to mark the beginning of Lent, the 40 days leading to Easter and the celebration of Jesus’ victory over the death. The first step on this annual pilgrimage is Ash Wednesday, when believers receive a tangible reminder of our mortality. With crosses of ash on our foreheads, we remind ourselves and the rest of the world that our bodies are frail, too easily broken, even as we look forward to God’s final victory over death.
As we begin this season of Lent, Luke 4:1-13 narrates Jesus facing a triad of famous temptations. In the passage, Jesus is impelled by the Holy Spirit to wander in the wilderness, the place of Israel’s ancient sojourn and also a place of great danger. For forty days, Jesus fasts, depriving his body of sustenance, giving up something vital and necessary. When he is at his weakest, the devil approaches.
First, the devil invites Jesus to turn stones into bread, to concoct sustenance in the midst of a barren desert. Jesus is certainly capable of such deeds. In fact, later in the narrative, Jesus will feed not himself but a crowd of 5,000 (see Luke 9:12-17). Jesus responds that we do not live by bread alone. That is, in all times and in all places, we rely on God and God alone for our sustenance. Jesus’ call is to feed others, not himself.
Second, the devil evokes a panoramic display of all the kingdoms of the world, telling Jesus that their power is in the devil’s hands. If Jesus will only worship him, the devil will hand their power over to Jesus. Luke seems to believe the devil here; the devil indeed has the power of the world’s kingdoms in his hands. When Luke looks at his world, he sees a massive empire capable of massive warfare and oppression with the devil at its reigns. But this empire will not fall by the exertion of military might but the path of service and sacrifice Jesus embraces. Jesus responds to this great temptation finally to free Israel from the bonds of Roman oppression by noting that we ought only to serve God. That is, in all times and in all places, only God is worthy of our worship. Jesus’ call is to exercise power through weakness.


Hi, I'm Bo Lumpkin and I've been thinkin'. Some folks just don't think they've had a good day unless they can make someone mad.
Bro. Ben Shorter is the present pastor of The Gatorhead Baptist Church. The church had been without a pastor for over a year and Bro. Keen, the district Missionary, had been the interim during that time. Deacon I.M. Stearn told Bro. Keen that he was really glad to have him preaching for them, "I really don't want no preacher anyhow," he said, " And you are the nearest thing to not having a preacher as we could get." When it came time for the church to vote whether or not to ask Bro. shorter to be their preacher everyone voted for him except Deacon Stearn. The moderator of the business meeting said it would be nice if could take another vote and make it unanimous. Deacon Stearn stood up and said, "As long as I'm a member of this church there ain't nothing going to be unanimous." Deacon Stearn has a lot of good days because he very seldom fails to make not just one but sometimes a bunch of folks mad.
I'm Bo Lumpkin and I've been thinkin'.
Hey, why don't ya'll write: firstname.lastname@example.org
Ya'll watch my newest video:http://www.motionbox.com/filings?folder_id=6124513
Here is the link for the rest of my videos:http://www.motionbox.com/folders?user_id=ec98dbb9151ee761
5 hours ago


The ACTS program starts with parish based ACTS retreats. Four retreats (2 for men and 2 for women) are initially coordinated with ACTS Missions or its’ closest Chapter to develop a group of people from which the ACTS parish ministry can be formed. ACTS Missions or its’ Chapters do not conduct ACTS retreats but assist the interested parish in facilitating the retreat using the ACTS retreat format.
One method allows individual parishioners to attend ACTS retreats given by other parishes. After a substantial number of parishioners have attended an ACTS retreat and have been part of an ACTS retreat team in other parishes, the parish may form a team to facilitate an ACTS retreat for their parish.
A second method calls for individual parishioners to attend an ACTS retreat offered by other parishes. After a minimum of 10 individuals have attended an ACTS retreat and commit to serving on an ACTS retreat team, ACTS Missions or its’ closest Chapter will form an ACTS retreat team composed of those parishioners and persons from other parishes with team experience to facilitate an ACTS retreat for your parish. This first parish ACTS retreat will be facilitated by one of the experienced team members. The other experienced team members will mentor the parish team members. A second parish ACTS retreat can then be given with a team comprised by a majority of parish members. ACTS Chapter can provide several experienced team members, literature, and guidance for this second team. ACTS Chapter will give your ACTS community literature and guidance to facilitate the continuation of the ACTS retreat movement in your parish. The same process is employed in facilitating both men’s and women’s retreats.
A third method calls for ACTS Missions or its’ closest Chapter to come into your parish with a complete ACTS retreat team and facilitate an ACTS retreat for your parish. The team will organize the retreat and recruit parish members to come to the retreat. ACTS Chapter will then facilitate a second ACTS retreat, building the team with parishioners who attended the first retreat and several experienced team members. Future ACTS retreats may then be conducted by your parish, with teams comprised of ACTS parishioners. ACTS Chapter will give your ACTS community literature and guidance to facilitate the continuation of the ACTS retreat movement in your parish. The same process is employed in facilitating both men’s and women’s retreats.


La abadía de Grimbergen ha quedado reducida a cenizas tres veces y, en cada ocasión, ha renacido con más fuerza. De ahí que haya adoptado el lema de «ardet nec consumitur», que significa «quemada pero no destruida».
In the population of Grimbergen, these three words are etched in fire: Ardet Nec Consumitur. It is the motto of the abbey and means «Burnt, but not destroyed» (may have other local translations).
A true reminder of the dramatic history of Grimbergen Abbey. A story whose origins date back to the Middle Ages, when Norbert van Xanten adopted the name Norbert and founded the Premonstratensian Order.
In 1128, the lords of Grimbergen commissioned him to build an abbey and he made their wish come true.
In 1142, the lords of Grimbergen rebelled against the Duke of Brabant. That episode triggered the Grimbergen War.
For the first time, the abbey was completely razed and reduced to ashes. But the ambitious monks rebuilt it, stone by stone.
After that first reconstruction, the abbey prospered in the hop fields that surround the town.
However, in 1566, during the religious wars, it was destroyed again. The monks were forced to abandon the abbey. They fled to Brussels, where they sought refuge until peace was restored in Grimbergen.
In 1629, the friars laid the last stone of their new abbey and it is not difficult to imagine the celebrations that took place when the brewmaster returned to the town.
From that moment on, they adopted the phoenix as a symbol of rebirth in their coat of arms, accompanied by the motto:
ARDET NEC CONSUMITUR.


Fr Evan Jones was the much loved priest of St James’ Prebend Street for many years, 1992 – 2008. Very sadly he died on 8 January He had been living in one of the Church’s almhouses next to St James’.
Evan’s funeral has now been arranged. It will be at 11am on Monday 14 February at the Church of St John of Jerusalem, Lauriston Rd, Hackney E9 7EY, followed by a committal at City of London Crematorium.
The celebrant will be the Rt Rev Jonathan Clark, Bishop of Croydon (formerly Assistant Priest with Evan at St James’), assisted by the Rev Fiona Weaver (former curate to Evan), and the Rev Canon Justin Gau.
Everybody who knew Evan will be very welcome. St John of Jerusalem is an enormous church so there will be no problem about social distancing. Parking however is a nightmare so public transport or a taxi is recommended.


God has repeatedly tried to make us understand the authority and supremacy he has gifted unto us. Knowing fully well of the things to come; our weaknesses, our self doubt, iniquity and sinful nature.
He however did not deny us still the knowledge of that power. It was stressed repeatedly as to how alike we are with God in his nature, image and how pleasing that was to him.
Looking around us and truly taking the time to see, we realize that God gave us every single thing we need to survive and manipulate this earth to suit our individual preferences.
With the awareness of sin however and the devil’s relentless reminders of our unworthiness and past mistakes we lose sight of who we were created to be from the beginning. And because of the fear and doubt that comes with the guilt, we become subdued by the things we were long given authority over.
The ultimate reminder
The best thing for us and the worst for the devil is that God’s testimonies of his power, supremacy and unending love for us has been documented over the years. And constantly, when those moments of doubt come, we refer back to the manual that tells us just who we are and what aura, confidence and carriage we are meant to exude.
My constant and endless prayer is that God never forsakes us but continually holds our hands and hearts and leads us back to the original course and purpose of our lives when we stray far away from the godlike form we were created in.


Written in EnglishRead online
Includes bibliographical references (p. 229-231).
|LC Classifications||BS2615.52 .S655 2007|
|The Physical Object|
|Pagination||xiv, 231 p. ;|
|Number of Pages||231|
|LC Control Number||2007408811|
Download The synoptic problem
May 26, · Rethinking the Synoptic Problem [David Alan Black, David R. Beck] on ekodeniz.com *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. The problematic literary relationship among the Synoptic Gospels has given rise to numerous theories of authorship and priority. The primary objective of Rethinking the Synoptic Problem is to familiarize students with the main positions held by New Testament scholars in /5(13).
The Synoptic Problem is the problem of the literary relationships among the first three “Synoptic” Gospels. Matthew, Mark, and Luke are called “Synoptic Gospels” because they can be “seen together” (syn-optic) and displayed in three parallel columns.
The three gospels contain many of the same stories and sayings, often related in. Oct 17, · The Synoptic Problem: Four Views edited by Stanley E. Porter and Bryan R. Dyer is a much needed volume in an ongoing conversation that shows little sign of slowing down. It deserves wholehearted welcome and will prove immensely useful for teachers and students of the New Testament/5(8).
Jun 15, · A History of the Synoptic Problem, by David Laird Dungan, is an accessible, academic study of a question that has needled readers of the New Testament since before the Bible was canonized: How does one reconcile the different accounts of Jesus's life given by the four gospels?Today the most highly publicized answer to this question is the one offered by John Dominic Crossan and.
This is especially the case for complex or contested topics such as the Synoptic Problem. The Synoptic Problem: Four Views edited by Stanley E. Porter and Bryan R. Dyer brings together four well-known and capable minds to establish an up-to-date exploration of an age old debate/5.
The "synoptic problem" is the question of the specific literary relationship among the three synoptic gospels—that is, the question as to the source or sources upon which each synoptic gospel depended when it was written. The texts of the three synoptic gospels often agree very closely in wording and order, both in quotations and in narration.
Jan 01, · Didactically this is a great book. It is written in a clear, accessible style, with lots of well-chosen examples, summaries and conclusions. After a discussion of the Synoptic problem itself in the first chapters, the book mainly focuses on three subjects: Markan priority (was the gospel of Mark the first gospel to be written?), the Q hypothesis (which states the existence of The synoptic problem book hypothetical /5.
The Synoptic Problem is not really a "problem" in the normal sense of the term. It is simply a way to refer to questions and possible explanations about the literary relationships between the first three New Testament Gospels.
The word "synoptic" means "with the same eye" or "seeing together.". Jan 02, · Question: "What is the Synoptic Problem?" Answer: When the first three Gospels—Matthew, Mark, and Luke—are compared, it is unmistakable that the accounts are very similar to one another in content and expression.
As a result, Matthew, Mark, and Luke are referred to as the “Synoptic Gospels.”The word synoptic basically means “to see together The synoptic problem book a common view.”. Well, the thing is in the New Testament you’ve got four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
Three of them are very similar and you can look at them together in a book that’s called a Synopsis. So you can get them in columns together—Matthew, Mark, and Luke—so they’re called the Synoptic ekodeniz.com the basic issue that’s going on with the synoptic problem is: how do they relate.
Synoptic Gospels, the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke in the New Testament, which present similar narratives of the life and death of Jesus Christ. The three works are strikingly similar in structure, content, and wording and can be easily compared side by side.
A brief overview of the generally accepted views on the Synoptic Problem are given in these links. If you have little understanding of the problem it would pay to look at these sites first, which generally give an accepted view of the situation, but which is at variance to what is contained on my website.
Synoptic Problem Website. The synoptic problem concerns the literary relationship between the first three "synoptic" gospels of the New Testament: Matthew, Mark, and Luke.
The Synoptic Problem Website surveys proposed solutions and provides a clearing-house for materials related to its resolution. Jul 13, · Overall, The Synoptic Problem is a quality book worth every New Testament scholar’s reading.
Goodacre makes a strong logical and scriptural case for the Farrer Theory (Mark is first; Matthew used Mark; Luke used Matthew and Mark; no Q exists).
While there are weaknesses, the strengths provide for an intriguing and enticing study of the. THE SYNOPTIC PROBLEM. A THEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL SOLUTION INTRODUCTION. For centuries even the most adept biblical scholars have struggled with the idiosyncratic variations between the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke known as the Synoptic Problem which have, at best, encouraged the pursuit of godly scholarship and, at worst, eroded the confidence of seminarians in the character.
This work solves the synoptic problem by compiling a word for word harmony in Greek and English. It thoroughly examines every portion of the Gospels in Greek and English and gives reasons for its association in a chronological order.
Synoptic theories. This section is a brief overview of current speculative solutions to the Synoptic Problem including scholarly thought first proposed in the 's and traveling back through traditional church history and church views citing the writings of the ancient.
Sep 18, · The uncertain relationship between the synoptic gospels is known as “the synoptic problem.” The synoptic problem. Looking at parallel passages, it’s hard to imagine that Matthew, Mark, and Luke don’t share a source or sources of some kind.
What’s unclear is whether or not one or more of the gospels served as a source for the others. New Synoptic Studies (Macon: Mercer University Press, ); Arthur J.
Bellinzoni, Jr., ed., The Two-Source Hypothesis: A Critical Appraisal (Macon: Mercer University Press, )]. In The Synoptic Problem Farmer gave new credence to the Griesbach hypothesis and criticized the received position of Marcan priority.
This is not to say he was the. Jul 19, · The Synoptic Problem is wonderfully accessible, is an ideal point of entry for those new to the topic, and offers fresh perspective on this important and perennial issue."--Jeannine K.
Brown, Bethel Seminary San Diego"Few New Testament issues have garnered more reflection and debate over the last four centuries than the Synoptic Problem/5(16). Jun 15, · Yet the Synoptic Problem remains inaccessible to students, who are often tangled up in its apparent complexities.
But now Goodacre offers a way through the maze, with the promise of emergence at the end, explaining in a lively and refreshing style what study of the Synoptic Problem involves, why it is important and how it might be solved.5/5(1).
Biblical scholars interested in the synoptic problem or in the use of statistical methods for textual analysis can omit the more technical/mathematical aspects of the book. The binary time series data sets and R code used are available on the author’s website.
By Mark Goodacre: companion web site for a book introducing the Synoptic Problem, featuring contents, excerpt and coloured synopses. Now includes the entire text of the book for free (New, ).
The Two Gospel Hypothesis. The Synoptic Gospels A careful comparison of the four Gospels reveals that Matthew, Mark and Luke are noticeably similar, while John is quite different.
The first three Gospels agree extensively in language, in the material they include, and in the order in which events and sayings from the.
What is the Synoptic Problem. The first three Gospels—Matthew, Mark, and Luke—reveal much similarity in content, style, and expression.
As a result, Matthew, Mark, and Luke are referred to as the Synoptic Gospels. Abbott agree agreements between Matthew agreements in omission agreements of Matthew Aramaic argument Augustinian hypothesis avrov Burkitt C.
Turner canonical century Chreia church common conflated consensus context copied Mark document Eichhorn Evangelists evidence Ewald explained fact Gospel of Mark Gospel of Matthew Greek Griesbach.
Aug 23, · While this is not the last word on the Synoptic Problem, Watson has produced a major attack on the consensus view of Q.
While others have done similar work, Gospel Writing is one of the most comprehensive and cohesive argument against the Q theory to date. Watson offers a “process” that explains how (and why) the Gospel writers used and. Oct 15, · The “Synoptic Problem” is a phrase used in NT studies to refer to the comparison of the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke) and examine their relationship.
This new book, edited by Stanley Porter and Bryan Dyer, gives an overview of four main views: the Two Source hypothesis, the Farrer hypothesis, the Two Gospel hypothesis, and the. modern development with a brief historical overview. The Synoptic Problem continues to fascinate biblical scholars and students of the New Testament, with no end in sight so far as arriving at a final solution or even a truce in the ongoing debate A probable reaction upon hearing the term „synoptic problem‟ is a.
Stanley Porter and Bryan Dyer have edited a nice volume called The Synoptic Problem: Four Views that looks at four ways of explaining the relationship between the these three Gospels.
I should note that I have studied under both Craig Evans and Stanley Porter (I even co-wrote a book with Stan). For anyone who wants to study the Synoptic Problem, as its basic and cheapest form, below is two links that may be helpful.
One is a book you can buy (not the best translation, but it does its job). Second, Mark Goodacre has made available online his downloadable book on the Synoptic Problem for. Biblical literature - Biblical literature - The Synoptic problem: Since the s, Matthew, Mark, and Luke have been referred to as the Synoptic Gospels (from synoptikos, “seen together”).
The extensive parallels in structure, content, and wording of Matthew, Mark, and Luke make it even possible to arrange them side by side so that corresponding sections can be seen in parallel columns.
Leading experts discuss topics relating to the serious study of the Synoptic Gospels. Contributors to the volume include: Craig Blomberg, Darrell Bock, Scot McKnight, William Farmer, and Grant Osborne.
Rethinking the Synoptic Problem () by David Alan BlackBrand: Baker Books. This Synoptic Problem Web Site is the home page for Q sceptics. It expounds the Farrer Theory, which maintains Markan Priority but dispenses with Q.
Its author, Mark Goodacre is Lecturer in New Testament at the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom. The term Synoptic means to see together or to view from a common perspective. The first three Gospels are so designated because they present the life and ministry of Jesus from a common point-of-view that is different from that of the Gospel of John, whose content is 92% unique.
Further, John’s Gospel, written between A.D. 80 and 95, is usually dated later than the Synoptics, and no. Thep Q source (also called Q document, Q Gospel, or Q from German: Quelle, meaning "source") is a hypothetical written collection of primarily Jesus' sayings ().Q is part of the common material found in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke but not in the Gospel of ekodeniz.coming to this hypothesis, this material wpas drawn from the early Church's oral tradition.
The synoptic gospels often recount the same stories about Jesus, though sometimes with different and more or less detail, but mostly following the same sequence and to a large extent using the same words. The question of the relationship between the three is called the synoptic problem.
The Synoptic Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke are very similar, but all three are quite different from the Gospel of John.
Differences between these three Gospels and John's include the material covered, language used, timeline, and John's singular approach to Jesus Christ's life and ministry. In fact, John's approach is so unique that 90 percent of the information he provides regarding the. His research interests include the synoptic Gospels, the historical Jesus and the Gospel of Thomas.
Goodacre is editor of the Library of New Testament Studies book series and the author of four books including The Case Against Q (Trinity Press, ) and Thomas and the Gospels (Eerdmans, ). What has been called the "synoptic problem" concerns finding some hypothesis that addresses the origin of the Gospels and that accounts both for their agreements and for their differences.
Many different solutions have been proposed, but no one of them is fully accepted by all New Testament scholars. Note: Citations are based on reference standards.
However, formatting rules can vary widely between applications and fields of interest or study. The specific requirements or preferences of your reviewing publisher, classroom teacher, institution or organization should be applied.The synoptic problem The first three books of the New Testament which are Matthew, Mark and Luke are compared, and it is discovered that they look similar to one another in content and expression.
As a result they a referred to as the synoptic gospels. The word “synoptic” basically means “to see together with a .After five years of guilty looks at my unread copy of Dennis R. MacDonald's Two Shipwrecked Gospels: The Logoi of Jesus and Papias's Exposition of Logia about the Lord, I finally overcame my fear of reading its pages of radically new argument addressing the "synoptic gospel problem" -- and was v.


OUR NORWALK CHURCH
By Pastor Richard
I want you to know that our sister church down the street, Grace Brethren Church in Norwalk, has been honored as church of the week by KKLA radio. Pastor Wayne Ayer and his family were honored on July 29th. Congratulations Wayne and Amber and church family.
Come to Summer Sunday tonight. I always tell you to come and don’t worry about who is the speaker because you will be blest. I know that today some of you are going to accuse me of SAVING SOME OF THE BEST SPEAKERS TILL AUGUST. I tell you the truth that THIS SUMMER EACH WEEK THE SPEAKERS HAVE BEEN A BLESSING. And tonight is more of the good stuff we have received every Sunday evening. And bring a dessert to share.
I’d ask you to remember our brother, Tim Ramos, in prayer. Tim leads us often in the call to worship time as our worship services begin on Sundays. This week he lost the love of his life as his wife, Sandy, lost the battle with cancer.
Our Dodger game is set for this coming Saturday evening. It’s the Dodgers vs the Rockies. Sign the list in the lobby indicating how many tickets you need then speak with me today about the details.
One of the series of meetings I participated in during our National Conference in Winona Lake earlier this month was the National Ministerium (aka Association of Pastors). At that time JACK CHURCHILL received the LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN MINISTRY AWARD (even though he wasn’t present due to illness). RICK NUSOME received the PASTOR OF THE YEAR AWARD. DAVE PLASTER received the EXCELLENCE IN MINISTRY AWARD. A number of decisions were made or announced at the conference. I have put some of the material explaining those matters at the Information/Materials Center for you to review. At the Military Chaplains meeting Ken Townsend spoke for the last time as a chaplain in our military for he announced that he was retiring before Summer, 2008.
SERMONRECAP-Larry Williams finished up a two-week miniseries last Sunday by focusing on the role of husbands in the marriage relationship. The previous week he focused on the role of wives. Thank you, Larry.
Come on over to our Todd house tomorrow evening for Monday Evening Concerts in the Park. The City of Whittier is the sponsor and they use the park and street in front of our house to conduct concerts Monday evenings through the end of August (see ad on other page). You can get a map at the Information Center or just ask me for directions.
This morning I will be speaking to you on A VIEW FROM THE PITS OF LIFE from the life of the Apostle Paul and his words in 2 Timothy 4.
ARE YOU READY TO BE BAPTIZED? There is now a special page on our church web site to help you consider this step in your spiritual life.
Here are a few upcoming events to put on your family calendars:
Celebrate 08 is scheduled for July 26-31, 2008 at Innisbrook Golf Resort near Tampa, Florida.
Momentum in 2008 is scheduled for the West Coast (June 21-28) and Midwest (July 21-28).
Southwest FOCUS Retreat is scheduled for January 28-30, 2008.
Family Camp at Forest Home will be August 3-9, 2008.
God’s best to you,
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
I THOUGHT HE WAS A BRETHREN PASTOR
One of our families at the conference in Indiana saw Tommy Lasorda at a local restaurant in the Winona Lake area last week and knew he looked familiar but couldn’t place him right away in his context as the great Tommy Lasorda of LA Dodger fame. Get Tommy’s autograph.
My writings or whatever you want to call them are regularly emailed to missionaries and others wanting to keep in touch with the Community Grace Brethren family. If you or someone you know wants to receive his article and a pdf of today’s program (bulletin) then send an email request to firstname.lastname@example.org. You can also find my writings and view our church photo album and other material by going to whittierbrethren.net and follow the links.7 years ago • 0 notes


- Pope Francis did not accept the resignation of Cardinal Reinhard Marx, Archbishop of Munich and Freising.
- This is what the head of the Catholic Church wrote in a letter published by the Holy See.
The German clergyman, an important figure in the Church of the World, published a letter to the Pope last Friday in which he submitted his resignation over the abuse scandal.
“And that is exactly my answer, dear brother. Continue what you are proposing, but as Archbishop of Munich and Freising,” the head of the Catholic Church wrote in a letter to Marx now published by the Holy See. “I agree with you that we are dealing with a catastrophe: the sad history of sexual abuse and the way you dealt with it. The Church is with her until recently,” Francis continued.
Marx, 67, had tendered his resignation in a letter to Pope Francis on May 21. So Francis must decide to “use it again”. Marx’s request caused an uproar in the Catholic Church. Marx was president of the German Bishops’ Conference (DBK) from 2014 to 2020.
In April 2013, Francis appointed him to the eight-member Council of Cardinals, which advised him on the reform of the Curia in Rome. A little later, Marx appointed coordinator of a newly created economic council in the Vatican.
Marx is considered a reformer among the Catholic bishops of Germany. He also took part in the Catholic Church’s reformist debate, the “Conciliar Method”. Marx received recognition from many in the Catholic Church for his move. His successor as president of DBK, Bishop George Patsingh, showed understanding of the decision.
Abuse scandals lead to resignations
An expert opinion on sexual assault issues is expected in the diocese of Munich and Freising this summer, which will work primarily on how sexual assault of priests occurs in the diocese and whether high-ranking clergy protect the perpetrators.
Abuse scandals in the Catholic Church in Germany amplified the exodus that had been felt for decades. In 2019, 272,771 departures were recorded. Currently, about 27 percent of the German population still belongs to the Catholic Church, and the number of active churchgoers is much smaller.
“Tv specialist. Friendly web geek. Food scholar. Extreme coffee junkie.”


From the Seasons of Grace blog by Kathy Schiffer, emphases and hyperlinks are in the original:
NASA Astronaut Dr. Thomas D. Jones, a Catholic who flew four missions on the space shuttle, tells a dramatic story about experiencing God in space—in the Eucharist, and in Creation. He was aboard the space shuttle Endeavor on a Sunday morning in April 1994; one of his fellow crew was a Eucharistic minister who had brought consecrated hosts aboard in a pyx; and they shared a brief communion service on the flight deck. Tom wrote of his experience, “Our silent reflection was interrupted by a sudden burst of dazzling white light. The sun had risen (as it did 16 times each day) just as we finished Communion, and now its pure radiance streamed through Endeavour’s cockpit windows and bathed us in its warmth. To me, this was a beautiful sign, God’s gentle touch confirming our union with Him.”
Tom continued, “We are designed to be awed in space. If our imperfect species has found such glimmers of delight in our first tentative encounter with the cosmos, then we have truly found a most caring and generous God.”
See the rest of astronaut Tom Jones’ dramatic story in the St. Anthony Messenger (June 2004).
And if you smile to think of our astronaut heroes engaged in prayer for our nation up there on the moon or in earth orbit, check out On a Wing and a Prayer: Astronauts “Touch the Face of God.”
And have you heard of the tiny (1 1/2 inch) Bible which astronaut Edgar Mitchell carried aboard Apollo 14? Here’s that story.