Pope Francis Makes History By Allowing Women to Vote at Bishops' Meetings
Video Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories - Duration: 01:31s - Published
Pope Francis Makes History By Allowing Women to Vote at Bishops' Meetings
Pope Francis Makes History , By Allowing Women , to Vote at Bishops' Meetings .
On April 26, the Vatican published
new rules allowing women to vote
in an upcoming meeting of bishops.
NPR reports that the historic move reflects
Pope Francis' hope that women will gain more
decision-making responsibilities in the church.
The changes to longstanding norms reportedly emphasize
the pope's vision for laypeople to have a greater role
in decisions long left to clerics, bishops and cardinals.
This is a significant crack in
the stained glass ceiling,
and the result of sustained
advocacy, activism and the witness, Kate McElwee, Women's Ordination Conference, via NPR.
Under the new changes, five religious
sisters will join the Synod of Bishops as
voting representatives for religious decisions.
Under the new changes, five religious
sisters will join the Synod of Bishops as
voting representatives for religious decisions.
NPR reports that Francis will also appoint
70 non-bishop members to join the synod, and he
requested that half of those new members be women.
NPR reports that Francis will also appoint
70 non-bishop members to join the synod, and he
requested that half of those new members be women.
New members will be nominated
by regional blocs and
approved by Francis himself.
NPR reports that the next synod is scheduled for October 4 through 29 and will focus on "synodality," or making the church more reflective of the laity.
It's an important change,
it's not a revolution, Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich, top organizer of the synod, via NPR.
Change is normal in life and history.
Sometimes there are revolutions
in history, but revolutions have victims.
We don't want to have victims, Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich, top organizer of the synod, via NPR
The pontiff also voiced concerns about the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza and expressed concerns about the welfare of Rohingya, thousands of whom have fled a bloody military crackdown in Myanmar.
Credit: euronews (in English) Duration: 01:46Published
Vatican Denounces, Gender Theory and Surrogacy.
On April 8, the Vatican released a statement declaring that
gender-affirming surgery and surrogacy are violations
of human dignity that reject God's plan for human life.
Associated Press reports that
the Vatican's doctrine office released
the 20-page declaration titled 'Infinite Dignity.' .
The document, approved on March 25 by
Pope Francis, includes a rejection of "gender theory,"
or the idea that a person's gender can be changed.
It follows that any sex-change
intervention, as a rule, risks
threatening the unique dignity
the person has received from
the moment of conception, “Infinite Dignity” Vatican doctrine, via Associated Press.
AP reports that the document has been
criticized as outdated by LGBTQ+ Catholics
who call its release harmful and contrary to
recognizing the "infinite dignity" of all people. .
While it lays out a wonderful rationale
for why each human being, regardless
of condition in life, must be respected,
honored, and loved, it does not apply
this principle to gender-diverse people, Francis DeBernardo, New Ways Ministry, via Associated Press.
The Vatican document also denounces countries that
criminalize homosexuality, echoing the pope's 2023
statement that "being homosexual is not a crime." .
However, the document also lays out
that surrogacy is also a violation of dignity
of both the child and the surrogate mother.
Previously, the Vatican has focused on
the potential for the exploitation of
poor women as surrogate mothers. .
Considering this, the legitimate desire
to have a child cannot be transformed
into a ‘right to a child’ that fails to
respect the dignity of that child
as the recipient of the gift of life, “Infinite Dignity” Vatican doctrine, via Associated Press
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 01:30Published
Pope Francis called for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in his traditional Easter message delivered following renewed concerns over the health of the 87-year-old pontiff. In the message, delivered in front of tens of thousands gathered at St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican, Francis addressed the conflicts in Europe and the Middle East, condemning war as an “absurdity.”
#GazaCeasefire #PopeFrancis #PopeFrancisGazaCeasefire #EasterMass #IsraelHamas #RussiaUkraine #WarCrises #PeaceCall #InternationalAppeal #GlobalConflict #HolyWeek
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Advocates Fight For Those , Sickened By US Nuclear Testing , Program on Capitol Hill.
On June 7, the federal Radiation Exposure Compensation
Act (RECA) program is set to expire, ending a lifeline
for families sickened by the country's nuclear testing. .
On June 7, the federal Radiation Exposure Compensation
Act (RECA) program is set to expire, ending a lifeline
for families sickened by the country's nuclear testing. .
NPR reports that advocates have gathered
on Capitol Hill to fight for so-called atomic
veterans and save the RECA program.
Over the past year, multiple bipartisan
bills were approved by the Senate to
reauthorize and expand the program. .
Those bills stalled out in the House,
due to some Republicans objecting
to the cost of the program. .
According to sponsors of the bills, those concerns
were addressed by reducing the initial 2023 estimate
of $143 billion down to between $50 and $60 billion. .
NPR reports that RECA has provided payments up to
$75,000 to those sickened by the nuclear testing
program, totaling $2.7 billion to over 400,000 recipients. .
One of the groups fighting to have
the program extended is the
Tularosa Basin Downwinders Consortium. .
The group works to raise awareness of illnesses
linked to Trinity, the government's code word for
the first nuclear bomb test, which took place in 1945.
Martinez White, a member of the group,
says fallout from those tests resulted in at
least six cases of cancer in her family of ten. .
I would often go home for
funerals and everybody in
Tularosa was dying of cancer.
We knew something was very weird. , Martinez White, Tularosa Basin
Downwinders Consortium member, via NPR.
There's no industry in the whole
Tularosa Basin but for White Sands
Missile Range, where the
Trinity bomb was detonated, Martinez White, Tularosa Basin
Downwinders Consortium member, via NPR
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 01:31Published
Walmart Lays Off Hundreds of Workers , While Requiring Others to Relocate.
On May 14, the retail giant announced layoffs impacting several hundred employees at campus offices, NPR reports.
It was also revealed that most remote workers and
employees in Dallas, Atlanta and Toronto will be required
to move to "Bentonville, Arkansas; Hoboken, New Jersey;
and the San Francisco Bay Area," NPR reports.
Chief People Officer Donna Morris
let workers know in a memo.
It has been a little over four years since
we faced the global pandemic that
reshaped our lives in many ways,
including our ways of working. , Chief People Officer Donna Morris, via memo.
With the goal of bringing more of us
together more often, we are asking the
majority of associates working remotely,
and the majority of associates within our
offices in Dallas, Atlanta, and our
Toronto Global Tech office, to relocate. , Chief People Officer Donna Morris, via memo.
Morris went on to address the
"reduction of several hundred campus roles." .
While the overall numbers are small
in percentage, we are focused on
supporting each of our associates
affected by these changes, Chief People Officer Donna Morris, via memo.
A reason for the layoffs was not provided other than the fact that "some parts of our business have made changes," Morris said.
We have had discussions with
associates who were directly
impacted by these decisions. , Chief People Officer Donna Morris, via memo.
We will work closely with them in
the coming days and months to
navigate the best path forward, Chief People Officer Donna Morris, via memo
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 01:31Published
How to Be , a Better Neighbor.
You don't even know
your neighbors, do you?.
Per a Pew Research study conducted in 2018, only a quarter of adults under 30
said they know even one of their neighbors.
A fostered sense of community may be what's missing in your young life.
A fostered sense of community may be what's missing in your young life.
Here are a few ways to
become a better neighbor:.
Say
Hello.
Obvious, yes, but the logical first
step to becoming a better neighbor
is to introduce yourself.
Don't do anything grandiose so you
don't come on too strong.
You don't have to show up with a fresh apple pie or anything like that. , Chris Loggins, supervising producer
Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood, via NPR.
You don't have to show up with a fresh apple pie or anything like that. , Chris Loggins, supervising producer
Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood, via NPR.
Small Acts
of Kindness.
Show your neighbors that you can
be a kind and generous person.
Always clean up after your pets,
and don't litter.
Connect.
Often it may feel easier to just go home, but experts believe human connection is worth the effort.
Overcoming the initial anxiety may trouble you, but meeting new people could increase your happiness
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 01:30Published
Biden Is Giving $6 Billion , to Micron Technology , for Semiconductor Production.
On April 25, President Biden will travel to Syracuse, NY, to announce over $6 billion in federal grants that his administration is awarding to Micron Technology, NPR reports. .
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who was heavily involved in enacting the CHIPS and Science Act, issued a statement about the investment. .
This is the federal government taking back the reins, putting money where its mouth is when we say we want the future of tech to be stamped: 'Made in America.', Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, via statement.
Micron will invest $100 billion of the funds to construct a manufacturing facility in Syracuse.
Schumer referred to the plan as "quite a
great return" on the government's investment.
A factory will also be built in
Boise, Idaho, NPR reports. .
That facility is expected to be ready for production by 2026, while two New York factories will likely be ready by 2028 and 2029.
The White House estimates that
the projects could create 20,000 jobs
in construction and manufacturing.
in addition to "tens of thousands of
indirect jobs in the regions," NPR reports. .
The CHIPS and Science Act has also provided funding for Intel, TSMC and Samsung
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 01:30Published
Are You in a Creative Rut? , Here's How to Stay Inspired.
Have you had a hard time accessing the creative part of your brain lately?.
Maybe you're hoping for a magical breakthrough
like something you'd see in a movie.
Experts say it may not be so easy, but it's still possible to pull yourself out of a creative rut if you keep these things in mind:.
Creativity Is for Everyone.
Most folks are creative, and experts
say you don't have to be a genius
to harness the power.
I think we are already
creative beings and
how you use that
[creativity] is
up to you, Sarah Urist Green, producer of
'The Art Assignment,' via NPR.
You don't need to have particular skills; you don't need to have
particular materials. , Sarah Urist Green, producer of
'The Art Assignment,' via NPR.
Take a Break.
Experts say allowing your brain to de-stimulate is great practice
if your schedule allows. .
What our brains actually need is periods of destimulation, Rahaf Harfoush, host of 'The Thought Experiment,' via NPR.
which means no screens, no emails, no audiobooks. , Rahaf Harfoush, host of 'The Thought Experiment,' via NPR.
Don't Force
Yourself.
Experts say don't use stress as a tool
to get things done.
Being overly reliant on pressure and stress may deepen your creative rut.
It could also increase chances of
anxiety attacks and depression
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 01:30Published
This Day in History: , Pope John Paul II Is Shot.
May 13, 1981.
Mehmet Ali Agca shot
Pope John Paul several times
in St. Peter's Square in Vatican City.
Agca was a Turkish terrorist
and fugitive wanted for the
murder of a journalist.
The Pontiff was rushed to
the hospital and survived
the attack, asking for Catholics
to pray for the would-be assassin.
In a trial considered extraordinary
because of its short length, Agca
was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison.
In 1983, Pope John Paul visited
Agca in prison and publicly
forgave him for the shooting.
In 2000, the Pope requested
a pardon for Agca, which was
granted. Agca was released
from prison.
14 years later, Argca returned to
Rome to lay white roses
on John Paul's tomb
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 01:02Published
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