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Pope Francis has officially presented his first Apostolic Exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium (the Joy of the Gospel), at a press conference in Rome. The Exhortation marks the end of the Year of Faith celebrated by Catholics around the world,and was presented by the Pope on Sunday. It aims to encourage believers to embark upon a new chapter of evangelisation marked by joy, and presents a vision for the life of the Church in the future. In the document, Pope Francis declares that all Catholics are called to proclaim the Gospel and to see the responsibility to evangelise as their own. He reminds the faithful that ‘the word of God constantly shows us how God challenges those who believe in Him to go forth’. He names God as ‘the source and inspiration of all our efforts at evangelisation’, and says that in order to lead ‘a dignifying and fulfilling life’, we must reach out to others.
Pray: that the Church will take up the responsibility of evangelisation as encouraged by the Pope. (Col.2:2)
Poland's state TV network has given in to demands by the Roman Catholic Church and promised not to re-employ a ‘death metal’ rock star on its most popular music talent show. ’ Polish TV's president, Juliusz Braun, issued the following statement on 13 October ,‘In connection with press reports about Adam Darski's behaviour during a recent Warsaw club concert provocatively showing a lack of respect for religious convictions, as well as for the sick and handicapped,. The statement was issued after reports that Darski, whose stage name is Nergal, had appeared as a priest and pretended to cure a handicapped person during a Warsaw concert by his band, Behemoth. When it was announced Darski would appear on Voice of Poland, several church leaders and Catholic organizations threatened to withhold their licence fees. Darski's concert stunts have included tearing up a Bible and describing the Roman Catholic Church as a ‘criminal sect.’
Pray: as the church makes a stand against the behaviour of ‘death metal’ bands that the media would hold back from promoting such behaviour. (Jas.1:27)
Descendents of Nazi SS officers, together with Holocaust survivors and their offspring completed a week-long march across Poland and through the sites of former Nazi death camps today. The symbolic march began at Auschwitz, near Krakow, in southern Poland on Monday and ends on Friday 31st at Treblinka, 65 miles north-east of the capital Warsaw. At the opening ceremony one of the descendents of a Nazi SS officer asked for forgiveness for her grandfather, an electrician who installed the electrified barbed wire fence at Auschwitz-Birkenau and wired the camp's gas chambers. Other descendants spoke at the opening ceremony in an effort to try to begin to rectify the unspeakable bitterness that divides the two peoples. Lia Shemtov, an Israel member of Knesset for Yisrael Beiteinu, together with hundreds of people from Israel, Poland and Germany, will attend the final ceremonies.
Pray: According to the words of St Francis that where there is hatred, let there be love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is discord, union; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light’ where there is sadness, joy. Amen (Col.1:19-22)
More: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/159125#.UD35FaAsE9Z
Prosecutors in Poland say a British historian who denies the Holocaust is touring World War II sites including former Nazi death camps. Author David Irving is leading a group on a visit to the camps and other World War II sites but is not releasing his exact itinerary. Poland's National Remembrance Institute said on 22 September that its prosecutors know where Irving is. The Institute's spokesman Andrzej Arseniuk said prosecutors are watching his public statements for any violations of the law that forbids the denial of the Holocaust. Violations are prosecuted and can lead to prison terms of up to three years. Irving was convicted under a similar law in Austria in 2006 and served 13 months in prison. Pray: that sceptics about the horrors of the ungodly Holocaust are saved by the Holy Spirit from the path they have taken. (Gal.4:11)
A Polish atheist billboard campaign compares believing in God to killing and stealing, in what observers call an open challenge to the Roman Catholic Church. ‘In a country considered to be Catholic it's hard to be an atheist. Contrary to popular belief there are many of us although not all of us have let our beliefs be known. The billboard action is not aimed at believers. It is to show people that in a country where the stereotypical Pole is a Catholic there is a large group of atheists,’ Jacek Tabisz, President of the Polish Association of Rationalists, explained to The Scotsman. Over 80% of the Polish country identify as Catholic. The controversial billboards have been put up in several Polish cities featuring three boxes labelled ‘Do Not Kill,’ ‘Do Not Steal,’ ‘Do Not Believe,’ with tick marks next to each one. Another billboard asks the question ‘Don't believe in God,’ following it by ‘You are not alone.’
Pray: that this billboard action will have the opposite effect to that intended by causing many non believers to discuss and seek out Christian values.
The Polish government prayed for the health of the EU on Sunday at a special ‘EU Mass’ in Warsaw. ‘The construction of a European union of countries, people and nations can become permanent not on the basis of a joint economy and foreign policy, but mainly on the basis of spiritual unity and common values,’ Archbishop Jozef Kowalczyk said in his homily to a congregation including Poland’s foreign minister. The Archbishop also prayed for Poland’s EU presidency saying, ’We commend unto God the Polish presidency in the EU Council. It is a great undertaking, challenge and opportunity for our executive powers, and our whole society.’ The call for divine intervention came as the Euro fell to an eight-month low and US president Barack Obama told a public meeting in Mountain View, California, that the debt crisis in Europe is ‘scaring the world’ Source: http://euobserver.com/1016/113745
Pray: for God to use the EU as a force for good in the world. (Ps.2:1)
More: http://www.thenews.pl/1/12/Artykul/55788,Archbishop-calls-for-divine-intervention-during-EU-crisis
A Nigerian-born pastor has become the first black member of Poland's lower house of parliament (Sejm) in what is being seen as a large step forward in the nation's race relations, reports Michael Ireland, Chief Correspondent, Assist News Service. According to the website www.newspoland.pl John Godson has held Polish citizenship for ten years. He will take the place of Civic Platform’s Hanna Zdanowska, who resigned from her parliamentary post after winning Sunday’s local government elections in Lodz. Godson was previously serving as a local councillor in Poland’s central city. In an interview with Polish Radio Lodz, Godson declared that he will still remain active in promoting his home city even though he will be spending much of his time in Warsaw on national affairs. Godson is also the president of the African Institute in Poland as well as a pastor of the Church of God in Christ, a Christian Pentecostal church active in Poland.
Pray: that Godson will live up to his name and Jesus will be seen in him in all that he does. (1Cor.2:5)
Climate activists say Europe failed to deliver at the UN’s Doha conference on climate change. ‘This time Europe - usually seen as a leader on climate change - comes away with dirty hands,’ Kumi Naidoo, Executive Director of Greenpeace international, said in a statement on Saturday. Poland demanded to keep its ‘hot air’ carbon credits awarded to them in the 1990s in opposition to developing countries, which wanted the surplus emissions scrapped altogether. The credits were handed out under the initial 1997 Kyoto protocol and allow Poland to emit far greater carbon into the atmosphere than its EU counterparts. European decision makers at the summit, says Greenpeace, sided with Poland to keep the surplus emission credits. A recent study published in the journal Nature Climate Change says current global carbon emissions may increase the world's temperature between 4 to 6 degrees Celsius. The Doha summit brought together almost 200 nations to extend, by seven years, the Kyoto Protocol.
Pray: for the EU decision makers that they will not keep procrastinating over decisions that affect our world. (Ge1:26)
More: http://euobserver.com/environment/118464
The offices of several firms involved in the oil market hav e been raided by European Commission officials. The commission said it had concerns that ‘the companies may have colluded in reporting distorted prices’. It did not name the firms, and said the raids did not mean the companies were guilty of any charges. BP, Royal Dutch Shell, Norway's Statoil and the pricing agency Platts confirmed that they were working with the authorities in their inquiries. The investigation relates to the pricing of oil, refined products and biofuels. Even small distortions of assessed prices may have a huge impact on the prices of crude oil, refined oil products and biofuels purchases and sale s, potentially harming final consumers,’ the Commission said. As part of the investigation, the Commission said it was examining whether the companies may have prevented others from participating in the pricing process ‘with a view to distorting published prices’.
Pray: that the investigation into the oil market will reveal the truths and bring fair and just pricing. (Lev.19:15)
More: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-22530379
There has been an alarming rise in the number of children sleeping rough across Europe, which is why the system needs an overhaul, writes Kate Moss. The number of rough sleeping children across Europe is on the rise. These are young people who have mostly run away either from home or from sheltered accommodation. They may also include minors who have made border crossings in search of a better life and improved opportunities or for any number of other reasons. Financed by the EU Daphne programme, the pioneering two-year children rough sleepers research project which we at the University of Wolverhampton are currently leading has been tasked with conducting precisely this study, for which ongoing collaboration is currently underway among a team comprising ten partner countries from around Europe. There is very little information about children who sleep rough. Figures show that 100,000 children go missing every year in the UK.
Pray: against this trend and the dangers that sleeping rough brings to young people. (Pro.22:3)
More: http://www.theparliament.com/latest-news/article/newsarticle/number-of-children-rough-sleepers-on-the-riseaccording-to-new-study/#.UjcNu39kln4