Former Catholic theologian says much of the clergy is gay

Theologian David Berger, was correspondent professor for the Pontifical Academy of St Thomas Aquinas in the Vatican, where he said his academic work was watched and censored where it concerned homosexuality.

As a gay man himself, he told Der Spiegel in an interview that living among the Catholic homophobia was a nightmare.

“It must be acknowledged that a large number of Catholic clerics and trainee priests in Europe and the United States are homosexually-inclined,” he said.

He said when he was writing for theological magazines, he had to use phrases such as fornication-partner rather than life-partner, and that the neutral word homosexual could not be used, but gay men were described as perverse sodomites.

“The worst homophobia in the Catholic Church comes from homophile priests, who are desperately fighting their own sexuality,” he said.

“Obviously, those who follow their urges are repudiated more fiercely when one is so painfully repressing that disposition oneself.”

Now working as a teacher in Cologne, Berger outed himself as gay this April after the Bishop of Essen Franz-Josepf Overbeck described homosexuality as perverse and a sin during an appearance on a television chat show.

Berger’s book about his experiences within the Church The holy illusion – a gay theologian in the Catholic Church which is published this week.

The Local/hc

Rosh Hashanah

...In the seventh month, on the first of the month, there shall be a sabbath for you, a remembrance with shofar blasts, a holy convocation. -Leviticus 16:24

Rosh Hashanah occurs on the first and second days of Tishri. In Hebrew, Rosh Hashanah means, literally, "head of the year" or "first of the year." Rosh Hashanah is commonly known as the Jewish New Year. This name is somewhat deceptive, because there is little similarity between Rosh Hashanah, one of the holiest days of the year, and the American midnight drinking bash and daytime football game.

There is, however, one important similarity between the Jewish New Year and the American one: Many Americans use the New Year as a time to plan a better life, making "resolutions." Likewise, the Jewish New Year is a time to begin introspection, looking back at the mistakes of the past year and planning the changes to make in the new year. More on this concept at Days of Awe.

The name "Rosh Hashanah" is not used in the Bible to discuss this holiday. The Bible refers to the holiday as Yom Ha-Zikkaron (the day of remembrance) or Yom Teruah (the day of the sounding of the shofar). The holiday is instituted in Leviticus 23:24-25.

The shofar is a ram's horn which is blown somewhat like a trumpet. One of the most important observances of this holiday is hearing the sounding of the shofar in the synagogue. A total of 100 notes are sounded each day. There are four different types of shofar notes: tekiah, a 3 second sustained note; shevarim, three 1-second notes rising in tone, teruah, a series of short, staccato notes extending over a period of about 3 seconds; and tekiah gedolah (literally, "big tekiah"), the final blast in a set, which lasts (I think) 10 seconds minimum. Click the shofar above to hear an approximation of the sound of Tekiah Shevarim-Teruah Tekiah. The Bible gives no specific reason for this practice. One that has been suggested is that the shofar's sound is a call to repentance. The shofar is not blown if the holiday falls on Shabbat.

No work is permitted on Rosh Hashanah. Much of the day is spent in synagogue, where the regular daily liturgy is somewhat expanded. In fact, there is a special prayerbook called the machzor used for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur because of the extensive liturgical changes for these holidays.

Another popular observance during this holiday is eating apples dipped in honey, a symbol of our wish for a sweet new year. This was the second Jewish religious practice I was ever exposed to (the first one: lighting Chanukkah candles), and I highly recommend it. It's yummy. We also dip bread in honey (instead of the usual practice of sprinkling salt on it) at this time of year for the same reason.

Another popular practice of the holiday is Tashlikh ("casting off"). We walk to flowing water, such as a creek or river, on the afternoon of the first day and empty our pockets into the river, symbolically casting off our sins. Small pieces of bread are commonly put in the pocket to cast off. This practice is not discussed in the Bible, but is a long-standing custom. Tashlikh is normally observed on the afternoon of the first day, before afternoon services. When the first day occurs on Shabbat, many synagogues observe Tashlikh on Sunday afternoon, to avoid carrying (the bread) on Shabbat.

Religious services for the holiday focus on the concept of G-d's sovereignty.

The common greeting at this time is L'shanah tovah ("for a good year"). This is a shortening of "L'shanah tovah tikatev v'taihatem" (or to women, "L'shanah tovah tikatevi v'taihatemi"), which means "May you be inscribed and sealed for a good year." More on that concept at Days of Awe.

You may notice that the Bible speaks of Rosh Hashanah as occurring on the first day of the seventh month. The first month of the Jewish calendar is Nissan, occurring in March and April. Why, then, does the Jewish "new year" occur in Tishri, the seventh month?

Judaism has several different "new years," a concept which may seem strange at first, but think of it this way: the American "new year" starts in January, but the new "school year" starts in September, and many businesses have "fiscal years" that start at various times of the year. In Judaism, Nissan 1 is the new year for the purpose of counting the reign of kings and months on the calendar, Elul 1 (in August) is the new year for the tithing of animals, Shevat 15 (in February) is the new year for trees (determining when first fruits can be eaten, etc.), and Tishri 1 (Rosh Hashanah) is the new year for years (when we increase the year number. Sabbatical and Jubilee years begin at this time).

Jewish Year 5772: sunset September 28, 2011 - nightfall September 30, 2011

Jewish Year 5773: sunset September 16, 2012 - nightfall September 18, 2012

Bishop 'blames Jews' for criticism of Catholic church record on abuse

A furious transatlantic row has erupted over quotes that were attributed to a retired Italian bishop, which suggested that Jews were behind the current criticism of the Catholic church's record on tackling clerical sex abuse.

A website quoted Giacomo Babini, the emeritus bishop of Grosseto, as saying he believed a "Zionist attack" was behind the criticism, considering how "powerful and refined" the criticism is.

The comments, which have been denied by the bishop, follow a series of statements from Catholic churchmen alleging the existence of plots to weaken the church and Pope Benedict XVI.

Allegedly speaking to the Catholic website Pontifex, Babini, 81, was quoted as saying: "They do not want the church, they are its natural enemies. Deep down, historically speaking, the Jews are God killers."

The interview was spotted on Friday by the American Jewish Committee, which said Babini was using "slanderous stereotypes, which sadly evoke the worst Christian and Nazi propaganda prior to world war two".

On its website, the American Jewish Group Committee quoted bishop Vincenzo Paglia, an official at the Italian Bishops' Conference, as saying Babini's remarks were "entirely contrary to the official line and mainstream thought of the Catholic church".

As the interview appeared on Italy's main newspaper sites today, complete with the American reaction, the Bishops' Conference rushed out a statement quoting Babini denying he had ever given the interview in the first place. "Statements I have never made about our Jewish brothers have been attributed to me," he said.

Babini has previously been quoted on the Pontifex website accusing Jews of exploiting the Holocaust, as well as criticising homosexuality.

As cases of alleged priestly abuse emerge in the US and Europe, Benedict's handling of proven molesters before he became pope in 2005 has now been questioned in cases in Munich, Wisconsin and, most recently, in California, where his signature appears on an 1985 letter resisting calls to defrock a paedophile priest.

Vatican hit by gay sex scandal

he Vatican has been hit by a gay sex scandal after allegations that a chorister had procured male prostitutes for a papal gentleman-in-waiting. The chorister, 29-year-old Thomas Chinedu Ehiem, was sacked after police heard him talking on a wiretap to Angelo Balducci, a Gentleman of His Holiness. Papal gentlemen-in-waiting are called upon to act as ushers at the Vatican for major occasions.

Balducci, who was also a construction consultant to the Vatican, as well as being a senior government employee, is said to given Ehiem a description of the men he wanted and it has been reported that Ehiem may have procured a number of male prostitutes for him.

Balducci was being investigated by police over allegations of corruption when the claims of gay sex were revealed. He is alleged to have steered government contracts towards preferred bidders.

Excerpts of the wiretaps and police documents were published in the Italian newspaper La Repubblica.

They showed that the pair had been in regular contact before Balducci was arrested last month and that they had discussed gay sex.

According to the newspaper, police said they were part of an organised male prostitution network and one of the men referred to was a student for the priesthood.

Baldacci remains in custody after being arrested last month. His lawyer has refused to comment and the Vatican has not released any statement on the claims.

A news magazine called Panoramas is due to publish an interview with Ehiem tomorrow. According to the Guardian, Ehiem will say: “”He [Baldacci] asked me if I could procure other men for him. He told me he was married and that I had to do it in great secrecy.”

The Catholic Church sees homosexuality as a sin and “intrinsically disordered”, while the Pope has spoken out against it a number of times.

The scandal is the latest to rock the Vatican, after investigations found endemic abuse of children in church-run institutions.

The Dark Secrets of Vatican

Let me state sincerely that I have no desire to attack the millions of Catholics followers but they deserve to know the dark secrets of Vatican. This church has an astonishing chronicle of secrets, blackmail, betrayal, corruption and even brutal torture. This extraordinary and controversial topic is packed with intrigue; it begins where others have ended. For the most part we learn both political and religious history by way of national or clerical propaganda, and this often becomes absolute dogma, teachings which may not be challenged for fear of reprisals.

His Holiness, Pope John Paul II, note the date, 12th March 2000, beg forgiveness for the crusades (Holy War), the Inquisitions (offence against the canon law), the persecution of the Jewish people, injustice towards women, that form part of the world’s half human race. Five million Women killed and burnt since the set up of the Church on witchcraft charges. How can we forget the force conversion of indigenous people especially South Americans, the African slave trade, the admission continues with forgiveness that Galileo was right about the Earth and the silence during the final solution or Shoa (Holocaust) and it does not end here but there is smaller but significant vows and bad conscience to have include rape and torture of orphans and children in church or school in almost every country on Earth from Ireland to Australia.

These are very serious matters not to be laughed down by references to the occasional work of Catholic Church or charities but I draw your attention not to just apologies, but to the vague form they take.

The current Pope Benoit XVI considered by some Catholics as a victory of Christ on Earth. In one of his few comments he made, on the institutionalisation of rape, malnutrition and torture of children in Catholics institution, he said, it is a very severe crisis which involves us in the following

“In need to the applying to these victims the most loving pastoral care”
Well, I am sorry, they will always have that. And to say this is the responsibility laid upon you. By horrific admission that you had to make is not accepting the responsibility in any adult sense.

Moreover, Anti-Semitism (that is being anti-Jewish) was preached as an official doctrine of the church until 1964. Do you think I had something to do with public opinion in Austria, Bavaria and Poland? There will come a time when the church will issue an apology and explanation and half bakes appeal for forgiveness for things it’s still doing.

Upon the fall of the Ustasha government in Croatia, 1945, assets valued between 50 and 180 million dollars were transferred from the capital, Zagreb. The majority of these funds, estimated at more than 80 million dollars, were transferred to Vatican City with the assistance of Roman Catholic cardinals and refuge were given to war criminals who killed millions of innocent people and Vatican even relocated them secretly in Spain, Argentina and United States. Let me quote what Dr Joseph McCabe, A renowned 20th Century Historian, said in his book “History of the Popes”- "centuries of trafficking in clerical appointments, deceit, scandals, immorality, aggression, frauds, murder and cruelty, and the true disposition of the popes is knowingly falsely presented by the Church today".

I think that there will be an apology for what happened in Rwanda, the most Catholic Country in Africa where priests and nuns and Bishops are on trial for inciting from their pupils, radio stations and newspapers the massacre of their brothers and sisters. One million people killed in this genocide.

Standing in Africa, it would one day be admitted with shame that it might be in error that to say “Aids is bad as a disease, very bad but not quite bad as condoms are bad not as immoral as in the some way.” I say it without fear that the preaching of the church is responsible for the deaths and sufferings and miseries of millions of people in Africa.

Someone could not be a member of a church because he is born in sin. He is not condemned for what he does but for what he is. Your child admitted in image of God “Oh No you are not, you are a fagot” and you cannot join our church and you cannot go to Heaven. Is it graceful not but inhuman, it’s obscene and it comes from a clutch of hysterical Sinister Virgins who already betrayed their charge in the children of their own church.

We all have the quest of reality, the search of truth, or the restless striving of the human soul for the satisfaction of its needs for the deeper self- realisation. Today we are aware of truth of crusades, inquisitions, injustice towards women, the persecution of the Jewish People and the force conversion. I can confirm you; there are deeper secrets that will be revealed at the right time. It is your duty and responsibility to look for the real teachings that have been forgotten.

I would like to quote from the famous coded word of the Painter Nicolas Poussin in his picture of The Sheppard “Et in acardia Ego” meaning, “oh Lord, leaving this world, I carry on your secrets”

57% of Swiss approved ban on Mosque Minarets

Swiss voters overwhelmingly approved a constitutional ban on minarets on Sunday, barring construction of the iconic mosque towers in a surprise vote that put Switzerland at the forefront of a European backlash against a growing Muslim population.

Muslim groups in Switzerland and abroad condemned the vote as biased and anti-Islamic. Business groups said the decision hurt Switzerland's international standing and could damage relations with Muslim nations and wealthy investors, who bank, travel and shop there.

"The Swiss have failed to give a clear signal for diversity, freedom of religion and human rights," said Omar Al-Rawi, integration representative of the Islamic Denomination in Austria, which said its reaction was "grief and deep disappointment."

About 300 people turned out for a spontaneous demonstration on the square outside parliament, holding up signs saying, "That is not my Switzerland," placing candles in front of a model of a minaret and making another minaret shape out of the candles themselves.

"We're sorry," said another sign. A young woman pinned to her jacket a piece of paper saying, "Swiss passport for sale."

The referendum by the nationalist Swiss People's Party labelled minarets as symbols of rising Muslim political power that could one day transform Switzerland into an Islamic nation. The initiative was approved 57.5 to 42.5 percent by some 2.67 million voters. Only four of the 26 cantons or states opposed the initiative, granting the double approval that makes it part of the Swiss constitution.

Muslims comprise about 6 percent of Switzerland's 7.5 million people. Many are refugees from the Yugoslav wars of the 1990s and about one in 10 actively practices their religion, the government says.

The country's four standing minarets, which won't be affected by the ban, do not traditionally broadcast the call to prayer outside their own buildings.

The sponsors of the initiative provoked complaints of bias from local officials and human-rights group with campaign posters that showed minarets rising like missiles from the Swiss flag next to a fully veiled woman. Backers said the growing Muslim population was straining the country "because Muslims don't just practice religion."

"The minaret is a sign of political power and demand, comparable with whole-body covering by the burqa, tolerance of forced marriage and genital mutilation of girls," the sponsors said. They said Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan compared mosques to Islam's military barracks and called "the minarets our bayonets." Erdogan made the comment in citing an Islamic poem many years before he became prime minister.

Anxieties about growing Muslim minorities have rippled across Europe in recent years, leading to legal changes in some countries. There have been French moves to ban the full-length body covering known as the burqa. Some German states have introduced bans on head scarves for Muslim women teaching in public schools. Mosques and minaret construction projects in Sweden, France, Italy, Austria, Greece, Germany and Slovenia have been met by protests.

But the Swiss ban in minarets, sponsored by the country's largest political party, was one of the most extreme reactions.

"It's a sad day for freedom of religion," said Mohammed Shafiq, the chief executive of the Ramadhan Foundation, a British youth organization. "A constitutional amendment that's targeted towards one religious community is discriminatory and abhorrent."

He said he was concerned the decision could have reverberations in other European countries.

Amnesty International said the vote violated freedom of religion and would probably be overturned by the Swiss Supreme Court or the European Court of Human Rights.

The seven-member Cabinet that heads the Swiss government had spoken out strongly against the initiative but the government said it accepted the vote and would impose an immediate ban on minaret construction.

It said that "Muslims in Switzerland are able to practice their religion alone or in community with others, and live according to their beliefs just as before." It took the unusual step of issuing its press release in Arabic as well as German, French, Italian and English.

Sunday's results stood in stark contrast to opinion polls, last taken 10 days ago, that showed 37 percent supporting the proposal. Experts said before the vote that they feared Swiss had pretended during the polling that they opposed the ban because they didn't want to appear intolerant.

"The sponsors of the ban have achieved something everyone wanted to prevent, and that is to influence and change the relations to Muslims and their social integration in a negative way," said Taner Hatipoglu, president of the Federation of Islamic Organizations in Zurich. "Muslims indeed will not feel safe anymore."

The People's Party has campaigned mainly unsuccessfully in previous years against immigrants with campaign posters showing white sheep kicking a black sheep off the Swiss flag and another with brown hands grabbing eagerly for Swiss passports.

Geneva's main mosque was vandalized Thursday when someone threw a pot of pink paint at the entrance. Earlier this month, a vehicle with a loudspeaker drove through the area imitating a muezzin's call to prayer, and vandals damaged a mosaic when they threw cobblestones at the building.

Italian scientist reproduces Shroud of Turin

ROME (Reuters) – An Italian scientist says he has reproduced the Shroud of Turin, a feat that he says proves definitively that the linen some Christians revere as Jesus Christ's burial cloth is a medieval fake.

The shroud, measuring 14 feet, 4 inches by 3 feet, 7 inches bears the image, eerily reversed like a photographic negative, of a crucified man some believers say is Christ.
"We have shown that is possible to reproduce something which has the same characteristics as the Shroud," Luigi Garlaschelli, who is due to illustrate the results at a conference on the para-normal this weekend in northern Italy, said on Monday.

A professor of organic chemistry at the University of Pavia, Garlaschelli made available to Reuters the paper he will deliver and the accompanying comparative photographs.
The Shroud of Turin shows the back and front of a bearded man with long hair, his arms crossed on his chest, while the entire cloth is marked by what appears to be rivulets of blood from wounds in the wrists, feet and side.

Carbon dating tests by laboratories in Oxford, Zurich and Tucson, Arizona in 1988 caused a sensation by dating it from between 1260 and 1390. Sceptics said it was a hoax, possibly made to attract the profitable medieval pilgrimage business.But scientists have thus far been at a loss to explain how the image was left on the cloth.

Garlaschelli reproduced the full-sized shroud using materials and techniques that were available in the middle ages.They placed a linen sheet flat over a volunteer and then rubbed it with a pigment containing traces of acid. A mask was used for the face.

PIGMENT, BLOODSTAINS AND SCORCHES

The pigment was then artificially aged by heating the cloth in an oven and washing it, a process which removed it from the surface but left a fuzzy, half-tone image similar to that on the Shroud. He believes the pigment on the original Shroud faded naturally over the centuries.

They then added blood stains, burn holes, scorches and water stains to achieve the final effect.

The Catholic Church does not claim the Shroud is authentic nor that it is a matter of faith, but says it should be a powerful reminder of Christ's passion.

One of Christianity's most disputed relics, it is locked away at Turin Cathedral in Italy and rarely exhibited. It was last on display in 2000 and is due to be shown again next year.Garlaschelli expects people to contest his findings.

"If they don't want to believe carbon dating done by some of the world's best laboratories they certainly won't believe me," he said.

The accuracy of the 1988 tests was challenged by some hard-core believers who said restorations of the Shroud in past centuries had contaminated the results.The history of the Shroud is long and controversial.

After surfacing in the Middle East and France, it was brought by Italy's former royal family, the Savoys, to their seat in Turin in 1578. In 1983 ex-King Umberto II bequeathed it to the late Pope John Paul.

The Shroud narrowly escaped destruction in 1997 when a fire ravaged the Guarini Chapel of the Turin cathedral where it is held. The cloth was saved by a fireman who risked his life. Garlaschelli received funding for his work by an Italian association of atheists and agnostics but said it had no effect on his results.

"Money has no odor," he said. "This was done scientifically. If the Church wants to fund me in the future, here I am."

YOM KIPPUR, the Day of Atonement

Yom Kippur (יוֹם כִּפּוּר, Day of Atonement) is the holiest day of the Jewish calendar. On this day, G-d seals our fate for the coming year. The Torah commands us to spend this day fasting and praying for G-d’s forgiveness and a good year.

In Israel, this day feels very special – the businesses are closed, there are no vehicles driving in the streets and no broadcasting on the radio or TV; many people, dressed in white walk to and from synagogues, and children enjoy the empty roads by riding bicycles. On Yom Kippur of the year 1973, it felt different. People walking to synagogues started noticing military vehicles driving in the streets, some reserve soldiers were called to their headquarters and some people tried to turn on the radio to hear if there was some explanation for the unusual events. At 2 PM sirens sounded all over Israel – Israel was under attack!

The Yom Kippur war came as a surprise to the state of Israel, which felt complacent after the great victory of the Six-Day-War of 1967. The Yom Kippur war began on October 6th 1973, with a joint attack against Israel by Egypt and Syria: Egyptian armored forces crossed the cease-fire lines in the Sinai, and Syrian tanks crossed the cease-fire lines along the Golan Heights. The thin Israeli defense lines were annihilated by massive Arab forces.

Unlike other armies, most of the Israeli Defense Forces depend mainly on reserve forces (milu’im, מִלּוּאִים). The everyday citizens of Israel (who work in the public and private sectors – those who went to synagogues on Yom Kippur) were called on to defend our country. The grocer immediately became a tank commander, the banker wore his flight suit, and the farmer replaced his sandals with heavy military boots and joined his paratrooper unit. They all left their loved ones and families in a hurry to form the barrier between the invading forces and the citizens of Israel.

After a few days of fierce fighting, the Israeli forces managed to stop the invaders and found ways to infiltrate behind their lines. In a surprise movement, Israeli forces under the command of Ariel Sharon (אֲרִיאֵל שָׁרוֹן) crossed the Suez Canal into Egypt, effectively cutting the supply lines to the invading Egyptian forces. Facing no opponents, the Israeli army stopped voluntarily 101 km from Cairo.

On the north, the Syrians met stubborn Israeli defense that was led by individuals and small units that slowed their advance. In one case, a single tank commander named Avigdor Kahalani, managed to destroy over 200 Syrian tanks, changing tanks time-after-time utilizing all their ammunition. In yet another case, a small tank unit called “Zvika Force” (כּוֹחַ צְבִיקָה) stopped a full Syrian division.

The Israeli Defense Forces pushed the Syrian army back into Syria and reached 35 km from Syria’s capital, Damascus. On October 22nd the Golani Brigade and Sayeret Matkal commandos recaptured the most strategic point in the Golan Heigts - Mount Hermon (הַר הַחֶרְמוֹן). In a famous broadcast, one of the warriors described the mountain peak as “the eyes of the country” (הָעֵינַיִם שֶׁל הַמְּדִינָה, ha’eynayim shel hamedina) – an expression that became the symbol of the Hermon as a place that scouts deep into the enemy’s zone.

The proximity of Israeli forces to the capitals of Egypt and Syria and the siege on the Egyptian army made the two superpowers of the world at that time, the USSR and the USA, massively intervene in a strict demand for an immediate cease-fire that took place on October 24th 1973.

In spite of the fast recovery and the military victory, Israel was left wounded with the loss of 2,656 soldiers and wounded national pride. The fact that Israel was surprised caused a loss of confidence in the ability of the country to protect and guard its citizens. After the war, the Prime minister of Israel, Golda Meir, and the Defense Minister, Moshe Dayan, assumed responsibility and resigned.

Every Yom Kippur, as we pray and ask for forgiveness, we remember the soldiers and the heroes of the war that changed our nation. This gives a special context to the prayer verse:

(וְכִתְּתוּ חַרְבוֹתָם לְאִתִּים, וַחֲנִיתוֹתֵיהֶם לְמַזְמֵרוֹת--לֹא-יִשָּׂא גוֹי אֶל-גּוֹי חֶרֶב, וְלֹא-יִלְמְדוּ עוֹד מִלְחָמָה. (יְשַׁעְיָה ב, ד
and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. (Isaiah 2:4)

גְּמַר חֲתִימָה טוֹבָה,
Gmar Xatima Tova
May you be inscribed for Good

Happy Rosh Hashana

Chaverim Yedidim:(Dearest Friends)
Sheyihiye l'cha bishana habaa: (May this coming year be for you):
shnat Aohr (A year of Light)
shnat Bracha (A year of Blessing)
shnat Gemilut chasadim (A year of Acts of Kindness)
shnat Ditza v'Dilug (A year of Joy and Quantum Leaps)
shnat Hod v'Hadar (A year of Magnificence and Splendor)
shnat Vatikut (A year of Maturity)
shnat Zman (A year of Timeliness)
shnat Chesed v'Chen(A year of Kindness and Grace)
shant Tova (A year of Goodness)
shnat Yididut (A year of Belovedness)
shnat Kavod (A year of Honor)
shnat Limud (A year of Learning)
shnat Malchut (A year of Revealed G-dliness)
shnat Netzach, v'Niflaot, v'Noi (A year of Victories, Wonder and Beauty)
shnat Sof Sof (A year of Utter Completeness)shnat 'Ayin tova, v''Anivut (A year of Good Fortune and Humility)shnat P'er,uParnoso (A year of Loveliness and Wealth) shnat Tzedek v'Tzedakah(A year of Righteousness and Charity)shnat Kedusha, v'Kol masoor (a year of Holiness and Devoted Voice)
shnat Rina, v' Rosh (A year of Song and Leadership)
shnat Shalom, v'Sheket, vShalva, v'Shana Tova uMituka (A year of Peace and Quiet and Tranquility; and A Good and Sweet Year)
shnat Torah, v'Temimut, v'Tikva! (A year of Torah, and Wholeness, and Hope!)
'Kativa v'Chatima Tovah,

May you be inscribed and sealed for the good,

Shana Tova. Happy Rosh Hashana 5770

The lies perpetuated on Humanity

The greatest hoax perpetuated on humanity has created wars, murders, subterfuge and an enslavement of a large majority of the masses. Having researched Rennes le Chateau extensively, there are vast number of treasure seekers upon the Knights Templar and Mary Magdalene. The figure of a demon or devil called Asmodeus was at the entrance of the church of Mary Magdalene at Rennes le Chateau and why there was a sign over the church entrance stating “Terribilis est locus iste” and generally translated as This place is terrible. The most correct documentary made was Bloodline.

Even though there have been many interpretations of the paintings and decorations of this church, none of the researchers gave a valid translation or found Saunière's treasure. Ben Hammott had a dedicated tenacity to search and find the secret. This led him to the discovery of bottles containing these clues, which he had to decipher. In his book, Lost Tomb of the Knights Templar: A Tomb; A Treasure; A Great Secret, Hammott deciphered the clues Saunière had left in the bottles. On page 316 of Hammott's book begins the deciphered statements of Saunière.

Saunière found a tomb with a mummified body covered by a tattered shroud with the Knights Templar symbol of a red cross. Saunière realised that this was the body of Jesus Christ from the crucifixion marks on the body. He realized that the Catholic Church knew the story and that Christianity was based on a lie. This is explosive information.

Hammott writes that Saunière decided to preserve his information and thus we have a renovated church created by Saunière with his clues for future seekers. Hammott's discovery of another message is apparently documents of the Knights Templar giving information that they discovered the body of Jesus under the Temple in Jerusalem and brought it back to France (Gaul) and reburied in this tomb.

Ben Hammott discovered a tomb; however the mummified corpse in it was not covered by a tattered shroud, but a seemingly intact shroud. This body has no crucifixion scars. Are there two tombs? Is one of Jesus and the second the body of Mary Magdalene? Ah mystery! In the tomb, Hammott found a possibly anointing jar and a cup that could be the wedding cup of Mary Magdalene and Jesus.

If this is so, then it does indicate the duplicity of the Vatican—the cover-up and lies over the centuries. The demon Asmodeus represents the Catholic Church and the phrase This place is terrible refers to religion.

Ben Hammott's book of 680 pages is never boring. Writing with humour and with photos, he has documented his journey of discovery and the DNA testing of the body in addition to the artifacts found in the tomb. From Andre Douzet's book Saunière's Model and the Secret of Rennes-le-Chateau, he writes There is very little difference between Galilee, Galicia and 'Gaule', the area of France and England. Douzett writes that one could say that "Gallile" can be read as "en galles il est," in Gallie (Gaule) he is." This indicates that there are those who think Jesus came to France.

Can the general public accept this? Probably not. The Church has over the centuries coerced, plundered, murdered, burned at the stake, tortured, warred, and above all lied. Was there ever a Paul, formerly called Saul? What else is to be uncovered? An interesting quote that Pope Leo X (1475-1521) supposedly said: It has served us well, this myth of Christ. I have often wondered why there are no factual historical documents that include Jesus and Mary Magdalene. Too many researchers depend on the Bible as true documentation and nothing could be further from the truth.

Josephus is quoted widely by scholars writing about Jesus and his life. In the translation there was no mention of Jesus or Mary Magdalene. Is it odd? The version of Jewish Antiquities 18.3.3 there is a short paragraph regarding Jesus. It is possible that this paragraph was added later.

Ralph Ellis has done extensive research into the Bible and ancient history, especially that of ancient Egypt. In Ellis' book Jesus, Last of the Pharaohs, chapter VII, titled The Evangelist, pages 220-221, he writes about the evangelist named Paul formerly called Saul—the author of the Book of Acts, which is his autobiography. Ellis also researched Josephus' own autobiography and found amazing coincidences between Josephus and Paul/Saul. The events of their lives are primarily identical, so much so that it is obvious that Josephus and Paul/Saul is the same person. It was the writings of Paul/Saul that named Jesus as Christ. It could be that Josephus admired Jesus whom he would have heard of in Jerusalem and created the character of Paul.

Josephus was a turncoat as an undercover spy for the Romans. When the Romans conquered Jerusalem and destroyed its temple, Josephus, a Jew was taken to Rome and given Roman citizenship. While living in Rome, he began his writing. Even though Josephus' creation was a hoax, it is not the greatest one—or perhaps his was the beginning of the greatest hoax perpetuated by the Vatican in order to control the people and their minds. Today the Vatican is extremely wealthy and the papal palace filled with priceless objects. It is all about power. It is time the truth be revealed to those who have the eyes to see and the ears to hear. We are living in the era of revelations.

Poor turn out for the Pope mass

Roman Catholic officials will seek an explanation from Israel over the poor turnout at Pope Benedict XVI's open-air mass in Jerusalem last week, the Vatican's ambassador to the Holy Land said Thursday.

Monsignor Antonio Franco, the papal nuncio to the Holy Land, said church officials were conducting an "inquiry" into reports that people with tickets were turned away at the entrance.
"For sure," he added, worshippers received tickets so late that they were unable to attend.

About 5,000 worshippers were expected at the mass, held on May 12 next to the Garden of Gethsemane, where Christians believe Jesus prayed before he was arrested. But no more than 3,000 people arrived, Franco said.

Worshippers were required to have tickets to enter, and due to heavy Israeli security, they had to arrive hours ahead of time. Franco said it was premature to blame Israel for the logistical problems, but said he would press the Israelis for answers.

"I don't have enough information to give my view of the situation," Franco said. "I want to get a clear understanding of what happened."

On Wednesday, a local church leader complained that tight security had affected the pope's pilgrimage "badly." Fouad Twal, the Latin patriarch in Jerusalem, said he understood the need for security, "but when it is too much, it is too much."

Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said the event went smoothly from a security perspective and he did not know why people did not attend. He said there was "full coordination" with church officials, and police did everything possible to make sure everyone with a ticket got in.

"It worked very well," he said. If people didn't get tickets, he added, "it had nothing to do with Israeli police."

Wadie Abunassar, the church's media coordinator during the pilgrimage, said Israel allowed the church to distribute tickets only "days, not weeks" ahead of the mass, making it difficult for people to make arrangements. He added that many Palestinian Christians chose to stay away, intimidated by strict security checks by Israeli police.

Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor was surprised. "We have not heard anything like it from the Vatican itself or the embassy ... or from the people traveling with the pope," Palmor said. Officials at the Vatican declined comment.

The pope was dogged by controversy throughout his five-day trip to Israel and the West Bank.

If people are turning out to see the Pope because they know the reality of the Roman church and it has already entered into decline. Also, the recent report publishing the crime of "Fathers" in Ireland where these Holy Father who were on the path of God, abused innocent children.