Latest news with #Apostolic
Irish Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Church confirms 'miraculous' moment face of Jesus appears on bread
The Catholic Church has declared the appearance of an image of Jesus Christ on a ceremonial bread during a Holy Communion in India as a genuine miracle. This extraordinary event took place over a decade ago in the southern Indian hills, when a mysterious face appeared on a Consecrated Host being raised by Father Thomas Pathicka. What initially seemed like a peculiar stain gradually became more luminous, slowly morphing into what looked like the figure of Christ. News spread and numerous visitors began to flock to the church in Vilakkannur to kneel and worship beside what they believed to be a Eucharistic miracle. The village was soon completely inundated with pilgrims - roads were congested and strewn with vehicles, prompting authorities to step in to ensure crowd safety. Shortly after, the Catholic Church discreetly took possession of the host and initiated an investigation, both theological and scientific, in accordance with Vatican protocols, reports the Mirror US. Between 2018 and 2020, the host was returned for public veneration, with the decision to acknowledge the event as 'miraculous' only being made now, some 12 years after the incident. The Vatican has officially recognised it as a true miracle following a visit to Vilakkannur by Archbishop Joseph Pamplany of Tellicherry to verify the 'miraculous' moment. The announcement was relayed through Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli, the Apostolic Nuncio to India, and was proclaimed during a special mass. This event joins a select list of rare and sacred happenings in church history that are said to defy natural explanation, yet strengthen spiritual belief. Most recorded Eucharistic miracles usually involve the Host 'bleeding', with scientific tests confirming the presence of human heart tissue and AB blood group. However, in the Vilakkannur incident, there was no blood or tissue, just a face appearing on the bread itself.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
DOJ probes Chicago hiring practices after Mayor Brandon Johnson's comments on Black officials
The U.S. Department of Justice launched an investigation into the city of Chicago after Mayor Brandon Johnson touted the number of Black officials in his administration while speaking at a church on Sunday. The DOJ announced the probe on Monday in a letter addressed to Johnson from the head of the department's civil rights division, Harmeet Dhillon. "So when we say, our people, hire our people, I just want to name this," Johnson said while speaking at the Apostolic Church of God. The mayor said that during other administrations the majority of the city's employees were white, but noted that under his leadership 45% of the administration is Black, 25% is Latino, 30% is white and 8% is Asian. Trump's war on 'woke': Both sides say the issue is further dividing the country "It is the most diverse administration in the history of Chicago. And here's why I'm naming this is because there are some detractors that will push back on me and say, you know, the only thing [the] mayor talks about is the hiring of Black people," Johnson said. "No, what I'm saying is, when you hire our people, we always look out for everybody else. We are the most generous people on the planet." According to Chicago ABC station WLS, Johnson's comments went viral and caused an uproar on social media, with some users calling for an investigation. Dhillon directly cited Johnson's comments in the letter and said that the investigation is "based on information suggesting that you have made hiring decisions solely on the basis of race." The letter also pointed to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 -- a federal law that prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex and national origin. ABC News reached out to Johnson's office for comment. 2 federal judges block Trump's effort to ban DEI from K-12 education Johnson, who said in a March interview that the "soul of Chicago" is its "multi-ethnic coalition," said in his remarks on Sunday that having a diverse administration will help "ensure that our people get a chance to grow their business." "Having people in my administration that will look out for the interest of everyone and everyone means you have to look out for the interests of Black folks, because that hasn't happened," Johnson said. "That's how we ensure long-term sustainable growth." Johnson, a former Cook County commissioner and teacher, won the mayoral race in April 2023 after running a progressive campaign with a platform focused on addressing racial and economic disparities in the city. "I hear people wanting more," Johnson said in March when asked what Black Chicagoans want -- whom he said have been historically underserved in the city -- during an interview with The Triibe, a Black media outlet in Chicago. Speaking about economic inequalities, Johnson said during the interview that "our pain is so deep and so severe," so the investments in the Black community "have to go deep and wide." "One of the first things that I did was it's not enough to win the power, you have to protect the power," Johnson said during the interview while touting his administration's hiring of Black officials. "And the first thing that I did for our people was made sure that I put key Black people in positions of power to protect it." How the Trump administration is working to 'combat' DEI in the private sector The DOJ investigation comes amid a sweeping crackdown by the Trump administration on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) practices in the federal government and in the private sector. The president issued a series of executive orders after taking office in January in which he mandated that his administration work to end DEI practices -- policies and guidelines that he called "illegal and immoral discrimination programs." ABC News has reached out to the DOJ for further comment. DOJ probes Chicago hiring practices after Mayor Brandon Johnson's comments on Black officials originally appeared on
NBC News
11-05-2025
- Politics
- NBC News
How Leo became the unexpected pope
'Nobody does drama like the one Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church,' said Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York,shortly after emerging from the conclave that elected Pope Leo XIV on Thursday. The quick decision, made some 33 hours after the Sistine Chapel's doors closed and the cardinals went into sequestration, was a sign that they likely entered the conclave with enough unity around the decision to continue Francis' legacy that they did not have to spend days tussling over a new direction for the Vatican. In the weeks ahead of the conclave, Cardinal Joseph Tobin, Archbishop of Newark, said in a joint press conference with five other American cardinals on Friday. 'We listened to each other. What does the church need? What does the world need? What are we hoping for? What are we dreaming about?' Leo, previously Cardinal Robert Prevost, a U.S. native with Peruvian citizenship and deep ties to Latin America, is described by the Vatican as the 'second pope from the Americas,' to Francis' first. He is known to have been close to the late pontiff, both in their daily dealings at the Vatican, and ideologically. Like Francis, Leo is known for his concern for the poor and marginalized, and in his first Sunday blessing as pope, quoted Francis and called for ceasefires in Ukraine and Gaza, the subjects of Francis' final message to the world. The conclave is shrouded in secrecy, and many of the dealings that lead up to it remain in the shadows, but since the end of the conclave some cardinals have offered glimpses to what happened in the hours that led up to Leo's election. Once the Sistine Chapel's doors close, the cardinals swear an oath of "absolute and perpetual secrecy," as do all Vatican staff assisting them, including cooks, cleaners and drivers. Mobile phones are confiscated, an ancient reason for a digital detox that at least one cardinal, Vincent Nichols, the Archbishop of Westminster, appreciated for giving him 'more time on my hands just to be prayerful, just to reflect, just to be still, rather than being constantly agitated," he told the BBC. On the first evening, the cardinals cast their first round votes, but black smoke billowed from the chimney, meaning no pope was chosen. The cardinals adjourned for the night to Casa Santa Marta, the guesthouse were most of them were staying — and eating. Cardinal Wilton Gregory said that "a lot of dialog occurred at mealtime, coffee breaks, those moments when you can engage in smaller groups." 'The only method is the human method, to get to talk to another, the dialogue, to listen to one another," Cardinal Robert McElroy, Archbishop of Washington, said, about the conversations that eventually lead to the two-thirds majority required to elect a pope. The next morning the cardinals returned to the Sistine Chapel and two more ballots were cast, but black smoke emerged once again. 'Voting is like watching a glacier move, but sometimes glaciers under stress move a lot faster,' Tobin said. We don't know who the other frontrunners were in the three votes that preceded Prevost's election, or why they fell behind, but Dolan told CNN that Prevost's name had begun to emerge from relative obscurity even before the conclave began. And he continued to confer with his brother cardinals into the conclave. 'It wasn't that he stood up and made this overwhelmingly convincing speech that just wowed,' said Gregory. 'I don't remember any particular intervention, but I do believe he engaged quite effectively in the smaller group conversations.' And while conclaves in centuries past could stretch for weeks, Prevost's election began to take shape on the second day. Or as Gregory framed it: 'There was a great movement on the second day, a great movement within the body that was there and there could be nothing other than the grace of God moving us toward this consensus." 'What I experience is that everything begins in politics and finishes mystic,' added McElroy. Tobin recalled the moment after casting his vote. 'I walked back and I took a look at Bob, and because his name had been floating around, and he had his head in his hands,' he said. 'I was praying for him, because I couldn't imagine what happens to a human being when you're facing something like that.' During a press conference on Saturday, Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, himself considered one of the leading candidates for pope, said he was seated next to Prevost. In the minutes after his election, when the new pope was gasping for air as the weight of his new role descended on him, Tagle said he asked him if he wanted a piece of candy. Prevost accepted and Tagle pulled one from a pocket beneath his cardinal's robe, 'that's my first act of charity," he said he told Prevost, jokingly, "for our new Holy Father.' Soon after, Prevost emerged on the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica as Pope Leo XIV, proof of an efficient and sucessful conclave. 'This wasn't our first rodeo,' Dolan said. 'We've been through this 268 times.'
Daily Express
03-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Express
Dompok hosts Apostolic Nuncio
Published on: Saturday, May 03, 2025 Published on: Sat, May 03, 2025 Text Size: From left: Viola Dompok, Puan Sri Diana Dompok, the Nuncio, Fr Wilfred and Bernard. PENAMPANG: Former Ambassador to the Vatican, Tan Sri Bernard Dompok, hosted the Apostolic Nuncio to Malaysia to a private dinner at his residence at Mansakazon Heights in Penampang, Thursday. The Nuncio, Most Reverend Archbishop Wojciech Zaluski is the Pope's representative to Malaysia and is equivalent to an Ambassador. He was in Penampang to attend the Diocese-level Kaamatan celebration at St Michael officiated by Archbishop Datuk John Wong earlier in the day. Among those invited to the dinner were local priests and religious sisters headed by the Vicar-General Msgr Nicholas Stephen and the Chancellor, Rev Fr Wilfred Atin. Also present were the management team from Montfort Youth Training Center in Kinarut of which Dompok is founder and Chairman. Dompok is also former Sabah Chief Minister, Federal Minister twice and Penampang MP. * Follow us on Instagram and join our Telegram and/or WhatsApp channel(s) for the latest news you don't want to miss. * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
The Citizen
25-04-2025
- General
- The Citizen
Old Apostolic Church under threat
A significant and cherished landmark in Krugersdorp West is under threat. • Also read: Echoes of Krugersdorp: The old magistrate's court Following recent discussions with the Krugersdorp Heritage Association (KHA), it has come to light that plans are underway to demolish the unused Old Apostolic Church building located in Windram Street, Krugersdorp West. This was confirmed by the public notice of its demolition, as seen below: Co-founder of the KHA, Jaco Mattheyse, said that in light of this news, it is essential to share the historical background of this unique structure and the church that built it, to better understand its cultural and historical value to the community. 'The Old Apostolic Church has its roots in the Catholic Apostolic Church, which was formed in 1832 as a result of the Albury Movement. The church was established in South Africa by Carl George Klibbe, who was born on 24 December 1852 in Pomerania, near the Baltic Sea. Klibbe was a preacher in the Lutheran Church before encountering Apostolic teachings in Schladen, Germany, where he met Apostle Heinrich Niemeyer,' Jaco explained. He added it was only after emigrating to Hatton Vale, Queensland, Australia, in 1886 that Klibbe and his family fully embraced this doctrine. 'They were sealed into the Apostolic faith by Niemeyer himself. By the time of Klibbe's passing on 22 May 1931, the Old Apostolic Church had grown to over a million followers. Before his death, he appointed Apostles Ernest Fredrick Wilhelm Ninow, Carl Fredrick Wilhelm Ninow, and William Campbell as his successors, with EFW Ninow taking over as the chairperson and spiritual leader of the church.' Jaco confirmed with a long-time resident, who was born in Krugersdorp West in 1936, that the church building on Windram Street is among her earliest memories. The building is a fine example of modest ecclesiastical architecture from the early 20th century. 'It features a single large hall, a stage, and a small front porch, and boasts beautiful pressed steel ceilings and intricate woodwork – all of which add to its aesthetic and historical charm,' he explained. He added that in the 1950s, the congregation split into two after purchasing the old Dutch Reformed (Nederduitsch Hervormde) church located diagonally across the street. This was made possible after the Dutch Reformed community built a new church on Rustenburg Road, near what is now SalvageNet. Both buildings were used jointly until the early 2000s. He continued, later, the church bought two homes from a retired local policeman, and demolished them along with the old Dutch Reformed building to make way for a new, larger brick church that could accommodate the reunited congregation. 'After the merger, the original building at Windram Street was rented out to another church for a few years before standing vacant. In 2023, the Old Apostolic Church sold the property to a developer, who now intends to redevelop the site into student accommodation,' he revealed. Jaco explains that there are also legal and heritage-related concerns; buildings older than 60 years with historic or architectural significance fall under the protection of the National Heritage Resources Act of 1999. Section 34 says no one is allowed to alter or demolish a building [or part of it] that is over 60 years old unless they get a permit from the provincial heritage authority. 'If the permit is denied, the authority must, within three months, consider giving the site formal heritage protection.' The Krugersdorp West community, supported by concerned residents from surrounding areas, has since launched a petition to express their deep concern over the potential loss of this beloved building. If any resident wants to sign this petition, contact Jaco via email at or call 084 799 2438. 'Preserving the history of places like this building is not just about protecting bricks and mortar – it's about honouring the legacy, culture, and shared memories of a community,' Jaco concluded. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
