Shillong holds Requiem Mass
Shillong
:
Catholic faithful
gathered at the
Mary Help of Christians Church
in Laitumkhrah on Tuesday to participate in a
Requiem Mass
in honour of the late
Pope Francis
. The state began three days of official mourning, in line with the rest of the country, reports Manosh Das.
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Time of India
18 hours ago
- Time of India
What US adults think about Pope Leo XIV, according to new AP-NORC poll
Just over a month after Pope Leo XIV became the first US-born pontiff in the history of the Catholic Church , a new poll shows that American Catholics are feeling excited about their new religious leader. About two-thirds of American Catholics have a "very" or "somewhat" favourable view of Pope Leo, according to the new survey from The Associated Press-NORC Centre for Public Affairs Research, while about 3 in 10 don't know enough to have an opinion. Very few Catholics - less than 1 in 10 - view him unfavourably. Among Americans overall, plenty of people are still making up their minds about Pope Leo. But among those who do have an opinion, feelings about the first US-born pope are overwhelmingly positive. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like You Might Want To Buy Baking Soda In Bulk After Reading This Read More Undo The survey found that 44 per cent of US adults have a "somewhat" or "very" favourable view of Pope Leo XIV. A similar percentage say they don't know enough to have an opinion, and only about 1 in 10 see him unfavourably. As he promises to work for unity in a polarised church, Americans with very different views about the future of the church are feeling optimistic about his pontificate. Live Events Terry Barber, a 50-year-old Catholic from Sacramento, California, hopes Leo will seek a "more progressive and modern church" that is more accepting of all. "I'm optimistic. Certainly, the first pope from the United States is significant," said Barber, who identifies as a Democrat. "Since he worked under the previous pope, I'm sure he has similar ideas, but certainly some that are original, of his own. I'm looking forward to seeing what, if any changes, come about under his leadership." Bipartisan appeal About half of Democrats have a favourable view of the new pope, as do about 4 in 10 Republicans and independents. Republicans are a little more likely than Democrats to be reserving judgment. About half of Republicans say they don't know enough to have an opinion about the pope, compared to about 4 in 10 Democrats. Republicans, notably, are no more likely than Democrats to have an unfavourable opinion of the pope. About 1 in 10 in each group view Pope Leo unfavourably. Victoria Becude, 38, a Catholic and Republican from Florida, said she's excited about the first US-born pope and hopes he can steer the country back to Catholic doctrine and make Americans proud. "I'm rooting for him," she said. "I hope that America can get back to faith, and I hope he can do that." Being a political liberal or conservative, of course, isn't the same thing as identifying as a liberal or conservative Catholic. But the poll found no discernible partisan gap among Catholics on Pope Leo, and Catholics across the ideological spectrum have expressed hope that Leo will be able to heal some of the divisions that emerged during the pontificate of his predecessor, Pope Francis. Pope Leo recently criticised the surge of nationalist political movements in the world as he prayed for reconciliation and dialogue - a message in line with his pledges to make the Catholic Church a symbol of peace. Before becoming pope, Cardinal Robert Prevost presided over one of the most revolutionary reforms of Pope Francis' pontificate by having women serve on the Vatican board that vets nominations for bishops. He also has said decisively that women cannot be ordained as priests. Donald Hallstone, 72, a Catholic who lives in Oregon, said he expects that Leo will continue to promote women in governance positions "at a time when there's a shortage of priests" and other leaders in the church. "It'd be great to see women in those roles," he said. "Women were not excluded in the first centuries." On the other hand, some right-wing US Catholics hope Leo will focus on Catholic doctrinal opposition to same-sex marriage and abortion. Becude, the Republican, said she's against same-sex relationships because she believes that unions should be between a man and a woman, something that Pope Leo has reiterated. Even though she describes herself as "very conservative," though, she's in favour of reproductive rights even when church teaching opposes abortion. "I don't believe that they should stop women from having abortions," she said. "We should have our own rights because you don't know the circumstances behind the reason why a woman would want the abortion in the first place." Few have negative views - yet There's plenty of room for views to shift as Leo's agenda as pope becomes clear. Not all Americans have formed an opinion of the new pope yet; particularly, members of other religious groups are more likely to be still making up their minds. About half of born-again Protestants, mainline Protestants, and adults with no religious affiliation don't know enough to have an opinion about the pope, although relatively few - about 1 in 10 - in each group have an unfavourable view of him. Older Americans - who are more likely to identify as Catholics - are also more likely than younger Americans to be fans of Leo's. About half of Americans ages 60 and older have a favourable view of Pope Leo, compared to about 4 in 10 Americans under 30. But even so, only about 1 in 10 US adults under 30 have an unfavourable view of the pope right now. Mercedes Drink, 31, is from the pope's hometown of Chicago. She still hopes that women will become ordained under his pontificate. "It's cool; I like him because he brings something different," said Drink, who lives in Minnesota and identifies as being part of the "religious nones" - atheists, agnostics, or nothing in particular. "As a young woman, I hope that he can bring change ... considering who he is, he brings something new to the table. I hope he opens the world's eyes to modernising the church, bringing more people in, having more diversity."
Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Hindustan Times
What do US adults think about Pope Leo XIV? New poll reveals
Just over a month after Pope Leo XIV became the first U.S.-born pontiff in the history of the Catholic Church, a new poll shows that American Catholics are feeling excited about their new religious leader. About two-thirds of American Catholics have a 'very' or 'somewhat' favorable view of Pope Leo, according to the new survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, while about 3 in 10 don't know enough to have an opinion. Very few Catholics — less than 1 in 10 — view him unfavorably. Among Americans overall, plenty of people are still making up their minds about Pope Leo. But among those who do have an opinion, feelings about the first U.S.-born pope are overwhelmingly positive. The survey found that 44% of U.S. adults have a 'somewhat' or 'very' favorable view of Pope Leo XIV. A similar percentage say they don't know enough to have an opinion, and only about 1 in 10 see him unfavorably. As he promises to work for unity in a polarized church, Americans with very different views about the future of the church are feeling optimistic about his pontificate. Terry Barber, a 50-year-old Catholic from Sacramento, California, hopes Leo will seek a 'more progressive and modern church' that is more accepting of all. 'I'm optimistic. Certainly, the first pope from the United States is significant,' said Barber, who identifies as a Democrat. 'Since he worked under the previous pope, I'm sure he has similar ideas, but certainly some that are original, of his own. I'm looking forward to seeing what, if any changes, come about under his leadership.' About half of Democrats have a favorable view of the new pope, as do about 4 in 10 Republicans and independents. Republicans are a little more likely than Democrats to be reserving judgment. About half of Republicans say they don't know enough to have an opinion about the pope, compared to about 4 in 10 Democrats. Republicans, notably, are no more likely than Democrats to have an unfavorable opinion of the pope. About 1 in 10 in each group view Pope Leo unfavorably. Victoria Becude, 38, a Catholic and Republican from Florida, said she's excited about the first U.S.-born pope and hopes he can steer the country back to Catholic doctrine and make Americans proud. 'I'm rooting for him,' she said. 'I hope that America can get back to faith, and I hope he can do that.' Being a political liberal or conservative, of course, isn't the same thing as identifying as a liberal or conservative Catholic. But the poll found no discernible partisan gap among Catholics on Pope Leo, and Catholics across the ideological spectrum have expressed hope that Leo will be able to heal some of the divisions that emerged during the pontificate of his predecessor, Pope Francis. Pope Leo recently criticized the surge of nationalist political movements in the world as he prayed for reconciliation and dialogue — a message in line with his pledges to make the Catholic Church a symbol of peace. Before becoming pope, Cardinal Robert Prevost presided over one of the most revolutionary reforms of Pope Francis' pontificate by having women serve on the Vatican board that vets nominations for bishops. He also has said decisively that women cannot be ordained as priests. Donald Hallstone, 72, a Catholic who lives in Oregon, said he expects that Leo will continue to promote women in governance positions 'at a time when there's a shortage of priests' and other leaders in the church. 'It'd be great to see women in those roles,' he said. 'Women were not excluded in the first centuries.' On the other hand, some right-wing U.S. Catholics hope Leo will focus on Catholic doctrinal opposition to same-sex marriage and abortion. Becude, the Republican, said she's against same-sex relationships because she believes that unions should be between a man and a woman, something that Pope Leo has reiterated. Even though she describes herself as 'very conservative,' though, she's in favor of reproductive rights even when church teaching opposes abortion. 'I don't believe that they should stop women from having abortions,' she said. 'We should have our own rights because you don't know the circumstances behind the reason why a woman would want the abortion in the first place.' There's plenty of room for views to shift as Leo's agenda as pope becomes clear. Not all Americans have formed an opinion of the new pope yet; particularly, members of other religious groups are more likely to be still making up their minds. About half of born-again Protestants, mainline Protestants, and adults with no religious affiliation don't know enough to have an opinion about the pope, although relatively few — about 1 in 10 — in each group have an unfavorable view of him. Older Americans — who are more likely to identify as Catholics — are also more likely than younger Americans to be fans of Leo's. About half of Americans ages 60 and older have a favorable view of Pope Leo, compared to about 4 in 10 Americans under 30. But even so, only about 1 in 10 U.S. adults under 30 have an unfavorable view of the pope right now. Mercedes Drink, 31, is from the pope's hometown of Chicago. She still hopes that women will become ordained under his pontificate. 'It's cool; I like him because he brings something different,' said Drink, who lives in Minnesota and identifies as being part of the 'religious nones' — atheists, agnostics, or nothing in particular. 'As a young woman, I hope that he can bring change … considering who he is, he brings something new to the table. I hope he opens the world's eyes to modernizing the church, bringing more people in, having more diversity.'
The Print
3 days ago
- The Print
Obama was the deportation-in-chief first. Trump must share credit
Earlier, Tom Homan, US President Donald Trump's pick to oversee immigration and border security, publicly disagreed with Pope Francis on the immigration issue. In an open letter to US Catholic bishops, the former Argentinian Pope had criticised Trump's mass deportation policy, arguing that undocumented immigrants should not be treated as criminals and that the overall plan violated human dignity. Commenting on the Pope's 'harsh words,' Homan replied: 'I've got harsh words for the pope: I say this as a lifelong Catholic. He ought to focus on his work and leave enforcement to us. He's got a wall around the Vatican, does he not?' In 2016, when asked about Trump's pledge to build a border wall between the US and Mexico, the Pope commented, 'Building walls instead of bridges is not Christian.' Similar protests, against ICE officials and other representatives of federal agencies of the Trump administration, could spread to major cities like New York, Chicago, Seattle, Denver, San Francisco, Atlanta, and more. California, Texas, Florida, New York, and Arizona are five states with major Hispanic populations. The protests come as ICE races to meet the White House's immigration arrest quotas . The Trump administration's efforts to identify, weed out, and deport illegal immigrants have met with violent protests, leading to greater deployment of forces to quell the riots in Los Angeles. The action against illegal immigrants carried out by federal immigration officers and officials from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) took place mainly in the Westlake district as well as in Paramount, south of LA, where the population is more than 82 per cent Hispanic. Homan has now warned of more stringent measures, as the deportation of immigrants will continue. 'Every day, not only in California, Los Angeles, as we have teams throughout the country that are out there looking for those in the country.' Curtain raiser to deportation operation For several reasons, it won't be a limited-time operation against illegal immigrants, nor will it be an easy task. ICE, originally mandated to focus on public safety and national security threats, has now become the key agency for the Trump administration to crack down on immigrants. Not being a police force, the ICE has its own issues in dealing with a riotous mob. The supposedly far-Right architect of Trump's anti-immigration agenda, Stephen Miller, is said to have held a meeting of ICE officials and handed down quotas, telling them, 'Just go out there and arrest illegal aliens.' It is the Trump administration that lit the fuse of protests and is now paying a heavy price. Another reason LA protests could escalate is its political background. California, the most populous state in America, has voted for Democratic presidential candidates since 1992. Trump's opponent in the presidential election, Kamala Harris, a California native who served as the state's Attorney General for six years and later as U.S. Senator, polled 58.45 per cent votes as against Trump's 38.32 per cent votes. In Los Angeles alone, she secured 64.82 per cent votes while Trump just managed to get 31.91 per cent votes. California experienced immigration-driven demographic change in the 1990s, as former US Senate member Pete Wilson's anti-immigrant and racist re-election campaign for governor of California in 1994 targeted undocumented Latinos in rhetoric and policy. Wilson's anti-immigrant campaign stimulated Latinos and other immigrant groups. It gave rise to a new generation of Latino politicians, who enlarged their vote bank. In the absence of federal immigration reform, California began supporting the Democrats who helped their voter base create a structure of state-level citizenship for undocumented Americans—a euphemism for illegal immigrants. Today, California is an anti-Trump state and immigrants who have stood by the Democrats are not going to be easily let down. While the Democrats and Republicans are at loggerheads with each other on the issue of illegal migrants, the ICE action in LA is seen as a curtain raiser to Trump's 'biggest deportation operation', which is yet to be unveiled. Also read: G7 is no more than a relic of the past. India should focus more on G20, BRICS Deporter-in-chief Incidentally, Trump isn't the first president of America to deport immigrants. The 1996 Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act and the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act empowered states and cities to implement immigration law—encouraging police officers to question individuals about their immigration status during stops. Noncitizens could then be transferred to ICE custody and deported. In 2008, ICE launched the Secure Communities and Section 287(g) agreements, which facilitated data-sharing links between local police officers, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), which ramped up deportations. During his tenure as President, Barack Obama had deported nearly three million non-citizens compared to two million deported during the tenure of George W Bush. This earned him the nickname 'Deporter in Chief.' In a victory for immigrant rights activists, Secure Communities was reined in during Obama's second term due to racial profiling concerns. However, during Trump's first term, the Executive Order on Border Security resuscitated 'Secure Communities'. The second Executive Order, 'Enhancing Public Safety in the Interior of the United States,' delineated Trump's interior enforcement priorities. The order resurrected and expanded efforts to bridge local and federal law enforcement agencies and increased the number of ICE agents. As every country has a right and is obliged to protect its citizens and national interest from being outpaced by illegal immigrants and 'foreigners', what Trump and other presidents before him have done is perfectly constitutional. Yet, Trump could do a course correction and share the credit of deporting illegals with former presidents (possible) and try to be suave and more diplomatic (difficult), at the least. Whatever be the politico-legal consequences of deporting illegal immigrants, America, the land of immigrants and the land of opportunities, is deeply engaged in the process of defining who is 'more American'. Seshadri Chari is the former editor of 'Organiser'. He tweets @seshadrichari. Views are personal. (Edited by Ratan Priya)
