Italy's constitutional court rules in favour of assisted death in cases of irreversible condition and "intolerable" pain

I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: Deuteronomy 30:19

The pro-death attitude of the world--especially that of the post-Christian and anti-Christian West--continues apace, as reported by Nick Squires of the London Daily Telegraph, September 26, 2019:

Euthanasia is justified in cases where a person is suffering from an irreversible condition and “intolerable” pain, Italy’s constitutional court has ruled in a landmark decision.

The court said that, in certain circumstances, anyone who "facilitates the suicidal intention... of a patient kept alive by life-support treatments and suffering from an irreversible pathology" should not be punished.

The ruling was strongly criticised by the Catholic Church but applauded by right-to-die activists and some politicians.

In its judgment, the court said that assisted dying should be allowed if a patient had an irreversible condition which caused him or her severe physical and psychological suffering.

The court made the decision after considering the case of Marco Cappato, a right-to-die activist who was accused of assisting the suicide of a 40-year-old DJ who was left a tetraplegic after a horrific car accident in 2014.

Fabiano Antoniani, better known as DJ Fabo, took his own life at a Swiss euthanasia clinic in 2017.

He had been left profoundly disabled by the crash, as well as blind and in need of assistance to eat and breath.

Mr Cappato welcomed the ruling, saying that “as of today, all of us in Italy are freer.”

In a trial in Milan, he was facing up to 12 years in jail for "instigating or assisting suicide" but is now likely to be acquitted.

The DJ’s former girlfriend also hailed the court’s judgment, saying that it meant his suffering had not been for nothing.

"Fabo's body had become a cage and he lived in that prison for two years and nine months. If a person in these conditions dreams of dying at home, I find it profoundly unfair that someone else should say no,” said Valeria Imbrogno.

But the Italian Bishops’ Conference called the judgment a “grave decision” which violated the sanctity of life.

“I don’t understand how you can talk of freedom. This is creating the preconditions for a culture of death,” said Monsignor Stefano Russo, the secretary general of the Catholic body.

The court’s decision divided politics. It was supported by members of the centre-Left Democratic Party, who together with the populist Five Star Movement formed a new coalition last month.

Andrea Marcucci, a Democrat senator, said the “ping pong” debate that had gone on for years between society and the Catholic Church should now be laid to rest, and called on parliament to pass a new law.

But Matteo Salvini, the leader of the hard-Right League who was interior minister and deputy prime minister until his coalition with Five Star imploded last month, said he would never agree to "suicide by law".

Simone Pillon, a senator from the League, was highly critical of the judgment, saying that patients should be given all possible palliative care but should not be allowed to end their own lives. “Human life is sacred and inviolable,” he said. The decision of the court’s judges would “weigh on their consciences for life,” he said.

An association of Catholic doctors said they would not abide by the court’s decision and would fight "a slide towards euthanasia and a violation of our professional code".

Russian Orthodox priest in Nova Scotia fired for praying for the peace of Israel

If anyone wants to know what the position of Russian Orthodoxy is regarding Israel, this might offer a clue; as reported by Joel Jacobson of Canadian Jewish News, September 5, 2019:

HALIFAX – A Christian Orthodox priest in Nova Scotia was forcibly retired for delivering a sermon that honoured Judaism and Israel.

The head priest of St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Church in Halifax, Father Vladimir Tobin, received a letter from Orthodox Church in America Archbishop Irénée, the archbishop of Ottawa and Canada, on Aug. 12, informing him that he is being forcibly retired due to the alleged “Jewish twist in your ministry.”

The phrase likely alludes to a sermon Father Tobin delivered that mentioned Israel and Judaism in favourable terms, asked for congregants to pray for Israel and reminding the congregation that Jesus was a Jew.

“I’ve always been straightforward, have always spoken my mind,” said Father Tobin from his home in New Germany, about 120 kilometres south of Halifax.

He admits that his sermons over the last several years have tied together Christianity’s roots and the Old Testament’s Jewish background.

The 77-year-old cleric said he travelled to Israel in May for the first time in 30 years. In the late 1960s, he visited for two weeks, and returned in 1985 to earn a doctorate in Egyptology at Hebrew University.

Born in Halifax, Father Tobin said his grandmother was Jewish, but he was baptized a Christian. When studying the early Christian period at Dalhousie University, he said he realized that early Christians were Jewish and their scripture was the Old Testament.

Ordained as an Anglican priest, with a part-time pulpit while also teaching at St. Mary’s University in Halifax, Father Tobin felt something was lacking in that denomination and was urged to go to the Orthodox side.

“I was happy in Orthodoxy, but felt there was some anti-Jewishness there. I wrote a piece for publication, but was told by my superiors that it was ‘too Jewish.’ That increased my determination that Christianity grew from Judaism. My own theology recognized a faith that started with Abraham and grew through the centuries through Christ,” he said.

He was first sent a letter from Archbishop Irénée in April, following a written complaint by the assistant priest, Father Alexander Treiger, who alleged that Father Tobin was, among other things, including prayers for Israel in his services.

“After much thought and consideration, I have decided that effective this date, April 8th, 2019, you are officially retired as Rector of St. Vladimir Orthodox Church, Halifax, NS,” wrote the archbishop.

Father Tobin responded by writing: “It is true that I regularly pray for both Israel and United States, its armies and its president, and for ‘the land of Israel and the armies which protect her.’ What is to prevent us for praying for other countries that need it? The U.S. and Israel are our allies and need our support for peace in the Middle East. There are precedents of praying for other nations within our tradition. My prayers are mainly intended to advance peace in the Middle East .”

The Parish Council, unhappily shocked by the dismissal, wrote a letter urging Father Tobin’s reinstatement, to which Archbishop Irénée agreed, only to renege on last month.

On Aug. 12, the archbishop wrote to Father Tobin: “Now, I place you once more on retirement as of Monday, August 26, 2019. This will permit you to say your farewells to the Faithful of Saint Vladimir Parish and remove your personal possessions from the church premises.”

Father Tobin, while obviously upset, said he has plenty to do in retirement, things he couldn’t do while preaching and teaching.

“I have many CDs to hear and books to read, a dog to walk and a grand piano that wants to be played,” he said with a chuckle in his voice.

“But I don’t feel right deserting the congregation like this. I had planned to retire in a year or so, by my 78th birthday, but obviously wanted to retire on my own terms. I would have been sad. The congregation would have been sad, but everyone would have understood. This way is not the best thing.”

Yet another "Christian" singer comes out of the closet

As reported by Clement Uwiringiyimana of Reuters, September 23, 2019:

KIGALI, Sept 23 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Since the popular Rwandan gospel singer Albert Nabonibo came out as gay, he has been flooded with insults from fans, shunned by friends and asked to leave his job.

Yet despite the backlash, the 35-year-old does not regret his decision to go public about his sexuality in a recent interview with a Christian YouTube channel, hoping his stance would encourage others to also stop living a lie.

“The community in general is not happy with me ... People are insulting me everywhere, even on Facebook - but I don’t care,” Nabonibo, 35, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

“I know some of my fans will go, but that will not deter me. I know that others will stay with me. My intention is to tell the truth.”

Rwanda is one of a handful of African nations not to criminalise gay sex, but same-sex marriage is banned and LGBT+ rights groups in the largely conservative Christian nation say homophobic attitudes are widespread.

Sexual minorities face stigma and discrimination, from being ostracised by their families or abused by neighbours to being denied a job or housing.

Nabonibo, a well-known singer who has released eight gospel songs since 2012, said he had been inundated with hate on social media, with people telling him he was “cursed” and “sinful”.

Nabonibo said some friends had stopped talking to him, while relatives were asking why he had come out.

Nabonibo said he was asked to resign from his job as a finance after the YouTube interview. The company said he was not meeting professional expectations.

Growing up in Gicumbi region of northern Rwanda, Nabonibo knew from early adolescence that he was gay but as a member of the Pentecostal church - which considers homosexuality a sin - he had struggled to reconcile his faith with his sexuality.

“Some church pastors say you can pray for anything, but I tried to control myself but there was no change,” he said.

“The church, they will accept me or not - but what I am sure is that inside the church there are people like me.”

Years of living a lie had taken their toll, he said, and he decided to come out despite knowing the response would be harsh.

But he also received support from some unexpected quarters.

Olivier Nduhungirehe, Rwanda’s state minister for foreign affairs, tweeted that the government would ensure Nabonido’s rights were protected.

“All Rwandans are born and remain equal in rights and freedoms,” he wrote.

Nabonibo has also received encouraging messages from the LGBT+ community and hoped he would give others living in the shadows the courage to fight the stigma and live their lives.

“They tell me that I am brave to have told the truth and have sent me messages telling me ‘Albert, keep it up,’” he said.

“I am happy for what I did. I felt like I belonged nowhere before. But after coming out I feel okay. I am free in my mind.”

Let's pray that Mr. Nabonibo will come to true salvation in Jesus Christ.

Relics of Roman Catholic saints go on display in Montreal

More evidence that Roman Catholicism is a religion of superstition and idolatry, as reported by the Montreal Gazette, September 17, 2019 (links in original):

Relics from two modern Catholic saints, including a vial of blood from Saint John Paul II, will be on display in several churches around Montreal starting on Friday.

Pilgrims can pay their respects to the relics of the former pope and a linen used by Saint Pio of Pietrelcina (Padre Pio) during the week-long tour. The visits are free and open to the public.

Traditionally, Catholics venerate relics by touching or kissing the reliquary, in which the fragment of the holy person’s physical remains or personal item is kept.

They also seek the saint’s assistance spiritual guidance of physical healing.

“It’s a feeling of having the saint close to you,” said Erika Jacinto, a press officer at the Archdiocese of the Catholic Church of Montreal. ‘It’s really unique.”

From earliest times, Christians have honoured relics, which are the physical remains and personal effects of early Christians who were martyred or lived holy lives.

When Pope John Paul II visited Quebec in 1984, an estimated 350,000 people celebrated mass with him at Jarry Park, the largest religious gathering in Canadian history.

Padre Pio was declared a saint by Pope John Paul II in 2002 after a campaign crediting him with acts of healing and making reference to signs of stigmata, a term the Catholic Church uses to refer to bodily wounds on an individual that correspond to the wounds of Jesus Christ.

John Paul II was declared a saint in 2014 after he was canonized by Pope Francis.

Events will be held in Spanish with simultaneous French translation because the organizers of the event are from Columbia.

When the relics visit St-Thomas à Becket Parish in Pierrefonds on Monday night, events will be in English only.

Here is a detailed schedule of the tour, which is being organized by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Montreal and Totus Tuus Canada, a missionary community.

Friday, Sept. 20

St-Nazaire Parish, 111 Belanger Ave., LaSalle

6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. — public veneration



Saturday, Sept. 21

Notre-Dame Basilica, 424 St-Sulpice St.

2:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. — public veneration



Sunday, Sept. 22

Mary Queen of the World Cathedral, 1085 de la Cathédrale St.

2:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. — rosary and confessions

3 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. — “Pray, be hopeful and let nothing disturb you” Conference (Spiritual theme of St-Padre Pio with messages for the family from Saint John Paul II)

3:45 p.m. to 4 p.m. — break

4 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. — conference

5 p.m. — mass and veneration of relics



Monday, Sept. 23

St-Thomas à Becket Parish

4320 Ste-Anne St., Pierrefonds

6:30 p.m.to 9:30 p.m. — public veneration (English only)



Tuesday, Sept. 24

St. Kevin’s Parish, 5600 Côte-des-Neiges Rd.

6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. — rosary, mass, talk and veneration



Wednesday, Sept. 25

St-Gilbert Parish, 5420 des Angevins St., St-Léonard

From 6:30 p.m.to 9:30 p.m. — public veneration



Thursday Sept. 26

Paroisse St-Éphrem, 3155 Cartier Blvd. W., Laval

From 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. — public veneration



Friday, Sept. 27

St-René-Goupil Parish, 4251 Parc René-Goupil St.

6:30 p.m.to 9:30 p.m. — public veneration



Saturday, September 28, 2019

St-Louis-de-France Church, 825 St-Louis St., Terrebonne

8 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. — public veneration



St-Charles-Borromée Parish

3341 St-Charles Rd., Terrebonne

2:30 p.m.to 6 p.m. — public veneration

70 years ago: The Reformed Church of France continues on its downward liberalizing direction by allowing women to become pastors

Like so many mainline denominations, the Reformed Church of France began a downward slide into apostasy in the 19th century. By 1949 the liberalism had extended to the decision to allow women into the clergy. The Edmonton Journal of September 3, 1949 contained the following report from an unidentified international source:

Paris -- National synod of the Reformed Church of France has voted to admit unmarried women as pastors in certain exceptional cases.

First exceptional case will be that of Mlle. Elizabeth Schmidt, an Alsatian, who since she took up church work during a pastoral vacancy in 1928, has been unofficially acting as a pastor, with great success.

As is inevitably the case, the decision to put women in positions of leadership was both a harbinger of greater liberalism in the future and an indication of how far the liberalism had already spread in the Reformed Church of France, which declined to the point that it was no longer able to exist on its own, but merged with the liberal Evangelical Church in France in 2013 to become the United Protestant Church of France, which not only ordains women, but performs same-sex "marriages."

Race takes precedence for some in hierarchy of diversity among alphabet perverts in Charleston, South Carolina

Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.
And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them. Romans 1:24-32

As reported by Kalyn Oyer of the Charleston Post and Courier, September 7, 2019:

Charleston Pride Week has begun, but not all of the Lowcountry’s LGBTQ community is celebrating.

A group of Charleston Pride members have split from the organization, claiming it wasn’t meeting their needs.

One of those members was Regina Duggins, a former Charleston Pride board member and an African American lesbian. In June, she started a new local organization created to support LGBTQ people of color. It is called Charleston Black Pride.

Duggins said she felt like other Charleston Pride board members, many of whom are white gay males, were not actively seeking and supporting diversity within the organization. There are at least five people of color, out of 15 members, currently on the Charleston Pride board.

When she became a board member two years ago, Duggins was the only African American lesbian to fill the role, but she said the board wasn’t the only place in the organization lacking people of color. Many of the organization’s programs, she said, were inherently exclusive, from their locations to their themes to their pricing.

“Most of the events have a downtown location, while a lot of the LGBTQ black community is in North Charleston and Summerville,” she explained.

Last year, she said Charleston Pride also dropped the ball in flying a variation of the Pride rainbow flag that represents LGBTQ people of color, though it was approved during a board meeting. That broke trust within the organization, she said.

Yet Duggins said she didn’t found Charleston Black Pride to start a rivalry. Instead, she wants to show that awareness, inclusivity and diversity have to be more present within the organization. There are hopes to rejoin with Charleston Pride once those values have been prioritized...

...Charleston isn’t the only city to have a Black Pride organization. Duggins attended an August conference in Kansas City hosted by the Center for Black Equity that convened Black Prides from across the country and beyond, including New York City, Atlanta and Paris. There is also a South Carolina Black Pride organization based in Columbia.

During a weekend of training, Duggins and the others discussed issues that they’ve faced in regards to other non-black Prides. One unique aspect to Charleston that poses a challenge is that religion is closely tied with the local African American community.

“People of color are in a hidden society when they’re in a Bible Belt state because of religious affiliation and people feeling ostracized from their families and their churches,” Duggins said.

Reverend Robert Arrington, pastor of the Unity Fellowship Church of Charleston, said he is the area’s only openly gay African American reverend. He’s been supportive of Charleston Black Pride since Duggins founded it.

“So much of the LGBTQ community of color are in churches where they are abused and talked down to because of their sexuality,” Arrington said.

He said that’s a part of the local black religious culture, but he’s trying to change that...

...A new role of Chief Strategy Officer was created within Charleston Pride, in part to address diversity issues. The person filling that role now is Evan Nowell, and he says it’s all about listening, observing, being a citizen and engaging.

“As a white, gay queer male, I want to use my privilege to sit back and listen to those who haven’t had a seat at the table,” Nowell said.

Nowell helped Charleston Pride launch a physical space, which was rented to unite the Alliance for Full Acceptance, Charleston Pride and We Are Family under one roof so that they might better collaborate to meet the needs of the entire LGBTQ community. It also provides a space where conversation can be had and brainstorming can take place.

This year at the festival, he added, all of the Pride flags will be flown, including the one for people of color which was left out last year...

Rabbi in Toledo presents lecture on "Jewish Mindfulness"

Mindfulness is a practice rooted in Buddhism that's being increasingly promoted in Western society. As Ray Yungen stated,

mindfulness involves focusing on the breath to stop the normal flow of thought. In effect, it acts the same way as a mantra; and as with Yoga, it is presented as something to cure society’s ills.

As reported by the Toledo Blade, September 13, 2019 (link in original):

Rabbi Laibl Wolf presents “Jewish Mindfulness and Meditation: Techniques to De-Stress a Stressful Life” via live webcast at Chabad House of Greater Toledo on Wednesday. Rabbi Wolf “has spent more than 30 years studying and serving as a spiritual mentor of the mystical side of Judaism,” and is expected to explore mindfulness in a Jewish context. He draws his teachings from the Kabbalah, which is described as “the source for much of the ‘new age’ wisdom that we are familiar with today.”

Rabbi Wolf speaks at Chabad House, 2728 King Rd., at 7 p.m. Wednesday. There is no cost to attend. To register, $12, go to chabadtoledo.com or call 419-843-9393.

Go to Lighthouse Trails Research Project and search under "mindfulness" for more information.

See also my post United Church of Canada-affiliated St. Stephen's College offers courses in Wicca, mindfulness, and Jungian psychology (April 3, 2017)

Christian nightclub opens in Wichita

The people behind the place mentioned in the following article--which appeared in the entertainment section of the paper--seem sincere, but there's an old saying on the subject of getting people into church, that "what you win them with is what you win them to." Put another way, "what wins them is what keeps them." As reported by Denise Neil of the Wichita Eagle, August 26, 2019 (bold, links in original):

A group of three local entrepreneurs say that are close to settling on a location for a new Christian lounge and night club in Wichita that will be open to all ages.

It’s name: Club His Hop Wichita.

The club, which will be under the umbrella of a Las Vegas club of the same name, will be operated by PC Patton, Darin Smalls and Greg Pianga. It will be in a centrally located spot in Wichita and will offer Christian outreach during the week and an alcohol-free, family-friendly nightclub environment on the weekends.

The club, which the operators hope to have open by the end of this year or early in 2020, will feature a variety of entertainment, from comedians to live bands, and the music will come from all genres. It’ll also have food and arcade games.

“We have the resources already,” said Patton, who works as a para educator and coach at Mayberry Middle School and who also is a hip hop performer. “We’re just makings sure we put this in the right area for everyone.”

They hope to share the location in a couple of weeks, they said.

Patton said the idea for the club was born last spring, when he was invited to perform at an after party for the Stellar Awards, a gospel music awards show staged in Las Vegas. His performance was at Club His Hop Las Vegas, owned by Sam Stewart.

He loved the vibe of the club, which was positive and wholesome and embodied Patton’s belief that hip hop and rap music could carry a positive message.

“I was like, ‘Man, I would love to open something like this in Wichita,’” Patton said.

He met Stewart, and about a month ago, the two reconnected. Stewart, who opened his Vegas club about seven years ago, told Patton he wanted to expand the club into other states. He wondered if Patton was still interested.

Patton pulled in two collaborators he knew from Church on the Street, a homeless outreach ministry that puts on weekly services in an alley near Douglas and St. Francis: Smalls is a general contractor in town, and Pianga is the onetime owner of The Big Apple food truck.

The two loved the idea, and Pianga said it sparked memories of the Eclipse Teen Center that was open in Wichita when he was younger, giving teenagers a safe place to hang out.

But the club won’t be just for teens, they said. When Patton was at the Las Vegas Club His Hop, the patrons ranged in age from 2 to 62, he said.

“It’s going be something good for the whole family,” he said. “You don’t have to worry about anything. You don’t have to drop your kids off to the babysitter. Everyone can come to this lounge and just enjoy.”

The club will serve as an outreach center during the week, offering a space for Bible studies and other group meetups. On Friday and Saturday nights, it’ll be a party zone, and entertainment will rotate every week, the owners said. There could be a rock and roll band one week, a “praise dance” the next and a Christian comic the next.

It will have concessions and will offer food. Mo’s Hut owner Shawn Gordon will be involved with food service, the owners said. He moved to Wichita to serve as the project manager of Church on the Street and earlier this year opened his Hawaiian restaurant at 2800 E. Central.

Smalls said that this is the type of club that Wichita needs, and he’s especially excited to offer young people a safe, positive space to gather.

“A lot of people, when they hear ‘Christian,’ they think, ‘Okay, life is over, you can’t have fun,’” Smalls said. “But no. You can be a Christian and you can still have fun. Life doesn’t end. It only begins truly when you become a Christian.”

The club in Wichita sounds better than the one in Las Vegas that inspired it; I pray that the Bible studies attract more people than the entertainment.

London's Southwark Cathedral hosts fashion show featuring scantily-clad models

Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them...
...And they shall teach my people the difference between the holy and profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean. Ezekiel 22:26, 44:23

If church leaders want their buildings to be filled, I suggest preaching the true gospel of Jesus Christ; if they know what the gospel is. As reported by Jack Hardy and Gabriella Swerling of the London Daily Telegraph, September 17, 2019 (links in original):

Southwark Cathedral has been accused of promoting the “antithesis of the Christian gospel” by allowing its nave to be used as a catwalk to sell clothes.

British designer Julien MacDonald brought his collection to the place of worship on Monday night as part of London Fashion Week, turning the aisle into a parade of scantily dressed models.

It was described by the 48-year-old British designer as a “celebration of women” and attracted celebrity guests including the actor Ed Westwick and socialite Lady Victoria Hervey.

However, a leading Anglican clergyman has questioned whether the cathedral should be “giving a platform” to an event which promotes “a narcissistic self-referential display for the very rich”.

High-profile catwalk shows are big money-spinners for fashion houses which build the reputation of designers and cement their links with wealthy and influential customers.

Last night, Rev Dr Gavin Ashenden, the former chaplain to the Queen, urged the diocese “think twice” about whether its holy buildings were being used in a manner fitting for a faith that renounces materialism.

The grade-listed south London church, which has stood since the 12th century, is available for hire for “special events”, from formal dinners to drama and musical productions.

The cathedral has charged money for the use of its buildings since 2000, using the money to help fund the upkeep of the building and costs of worship, as well as ensuring it stays open to the public free of charge.

It comes at a time when church leaders across the country are attempting to combat shrinking congregations with increasingly inventive methods to stump up cash.

Earlier this year, Norwich Cathedral installed a 55-ft helter skelter, available for just £2 a ride, while Rochester Cathedral opened a crazy golf course in its 11th-century building.

Dr Ashenden, who was ordained at Southwark Cathedral, told The Daily Telegraph: “Southwark Cathedral has made its premises available for fashion in the past and one of the things they try and do is build a bridge between secular society and the Christian church and that's no bad thing.

“The problem comes comes when the ethical content of what they are trying to host is in direct contradiction to Christian values. It's like what happened with Rochester and Norwich - it's the Disneyfication of entertainment.

“The cathedral should ask itself to see if the complaints about the fashion industry - as promoting a narcissistic self referential display for the very rich - is indeed conducive with the values of the Christian gospel.

“I think the fashion industry is the antithesis of the Christian gospel. It's about the exposure of the poverty of our souls and that’s about hiding the state of the soul in an excess of glamour.

“A cathedral ought to think twice before it provides a platform to a cultural venture like this.”

London Fashion Week has previously been embroiled in controversy over the use of churches by some of the shows on its schedule.

In 2017, Turkish designer Dilara Findikoglu prompted outrage by dressing models in satanic costumes for their appearance at an event in St Andrew Holborn church in central London.

Officials at Westminster Abbey were similarly accused of selling their soul “for a pair of trousers” after allowing a Gucci show to take place in 2016.

The British Fashion Council, which organises London Fashion Week, said it did not allocate venues to designers to stage their shows, apart from the main hub on the Strand.

A spokesman for Southwark Cathedral said: “Southwark Cathedral has over many years been used for a variety of different events, including those related to the fashion industry. We were pleased to be invited to work with the British designer Julien MacDonald as part of this year’s London Fashion Week.

“His show brought many people into the Cathedral who might not otherwise have come, and many recognised it as a beautiful and special place. The show was delivered in a professional, respectful and energetic way.

“Fashion and its impact on the environment, how we use clothes as part of daily life and what clothing is appropriate are important issues for Christians and others to engage with as aspects of modern living.”

Representatives of Julien MacDonald did not respond to requests for comment.

Dr. Ashenden is unbiblical in his attempt to "build a bridge between society and the Christian church" and in saying that "that's no bad thing." On the contrary, God's instruction to His people is to build walls of separation, as stated by the apostle Paul:

Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. II Corinthians 6:17

An increasing presence of Augmented Reality is predicted

As reported by The Trend Letter, September 12, 2019 (bold in original):

Innovation and imagination often go hand in hand to bring new technologies into being and into the mainstream. Augmented Reality (AR) is one technology that is on the cusp of dramatically expanding its mainstream presence. Many of us remember how AR burst into the mainstream with Nintendo’s Smartphone game, Pokémon Go. This “activity” game showed us all how AR can integrate digital images with reality, but can AR go beyond entertainment, can it be put to use in other ways to enhance and improve the human condition? Here are some of the latest ideas and projects that aim to do just that, in a wide range of fields:

Medicine: There are many imaging technologies that provide information for medical practitioners, such as X-Ray, MRI, CT scan, Mammography, and Ultrasound. As digital images, they can be fed into an AR system to display in the real setting, such as in the Operating Room, hovering just above the patient undergoing surgery. The surgeon, wearing AR lens technology, can view these helpful images without taking his/her eyes off the surgical site – no need to look away at a nearby screen. Not looking away during critical moments is seen as one of the key benefits of many AR technology applications. Other healthcare applications in use or development include:

--showing nearby defibrillators on your Smartphone (more critical than Pokémon)

--showing phlebotomists and nurses the image of exact vein locations right on the patient’s arm

--showing patients what their medical condition would look like if left untreated, such as the consequences of cataracts

Military Defense: The safety of soldiers on a field of battle can be enhanced with the use of AR technology. “Radio Silence” is a lifesaver on the battlefield because modern scanning technologies can find and locate all radio frequency (RF) transmissions. The saying goes that” If you’re transmitting, you can be found”, so ensuring that you are NOT transmitting can be a lifesaver. The US Navy is testing a prototype AR system that can detect and display any RF transmission. This allows the user to detect and turn off transmitting sources located on themselves, as well as detecting all other RF transmission sources. The system uses a specially designed AR heads-up display, which superimposes RF waves over heavy sunglasses in the real-world environment. This replaces older, bulky portable tablet type devices that located RF signal sources. This hands-free display allows the user to keep his eyes on the battlefield at all times, a critical need in dangerous situations. The system responds to voice commands or hand gestures to navigate through various bits of information about the detected RF signals, helping to locate and deactivate the transmission source.

Sports Training: Amateurs and professionals in various sports are always looking for more and better ways to train and get motivated, with the goal of enhancing performance. One of the interesting and somewhat amusing AR applications for sport and fitness is a game called ZOMBIES, RUN. This game plays on the knowledge that fear can motivate, and that turning a boring activity like running into a game can make it seem like fun. The game runs on your phone and provides various ZOMBIE Missions, with scary audio sounds and narrations (use your earphones), as well as visuals on your phone screen if you have the nerve or time to look at your phone while running from Zombies. Other sports could have other motivators, such as being presented with the Stanley Cup or an Olympic medal. With AR technology all kinds of visual and audio elements can be added to your surrounding reality, such as bicycle riding with Tour de France competitors nipping at your rear wheel or passing you by. The possibilities are many and varied – just use some imagination.

Technology can be empowering and beneficial in many other facets of our life, helping us to unwind, decompress, relax, and enjoy life. AR gaming and entertainment is making huge advances, and Virtual Reality (VR) gaming is already a big industry.

Superstition on display at Greek Orthodox Church in Chicago

It isn't just the Roman Catholic Church that's characterized by superstition; so are the various Orthodox churches. As reported by Javonte Anderson of the Chicago Tribune, September 9, 2019 (links in original):

The Rev. Nicholas Jonas says he was in disbelief when he saw tears streaming down the face of a painting of Mary holding the child Jesus in his chapel.

“When these things happen, I feel like a little kid when first going into a candy factory, and you’re just in awe,” said Jonas, the presiding priest at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, 6041 W. Diversey Ave. in the Belmont Central neighborhood.

Jonas said he was sitting in his office Sunday morning when a church employee burst into his office and informed him of the “weeping Virgin.”

Jonas hurried to the altar in the church sanctuary where the painting stands amid other holy paintings.

“It’s common throughout the Orthodox church to see a phenomena like that … but to have it personally was very overwhelming,” Jonas said.

After examining the tears, Jonas placed cotton balls at the bottom of the picture to absorb the streaks of moisture and posted a photo of the weeping Virgin on Facebook Sunday evening.

By Monday morning, the word had spread. Parishioners and visitors came out in large numbers to see what many of them are calling a miracle.

The Rev. Dobrivoje Milunovic, the presiding priest of Holy Resurrection Serbian Orthodox Cathedral in the O’Hare neighborhood, was one of the first priests to visit to venerate the icon.

Dressed in a black cassock, Milunovic said the weeping icon was a miracle, but also a warning from the mother of God.

“This is a calling on all of us to change our lives,” he said. “We need to turn to her in prayer and humility. And cleanse our hearts and souls of inequities so we may find salvation.

His Eminence Metropolitan Nathanael inspected and confirmed the legitimacy of the tears Sunday, Jonas said.

Others also view the phenomenon as a possible sign as the Greek Orthodox Church has worked to keep from losing the church after it experienced financial troubles, with a bankruptcy hearing scheduled for Tuesday.

Monday morning, Greek prayers and hymns played softly in the sanctuary. The aroma from more than a hundred lit candles filled the air as visitors sat in the wooden pews. Other snapped pictures with their smartphones.

The icon was no longer weeping Monday morning, but the residue from the liquid was still visible on her cheek.

“Mary weeping is a sign, and the miracle is actually in our hearts,” said Laura Tovar, who was visiting with her sister, who was married at the church.

Many parishioners were hoping that the Virgin Mary’s tears forecast a potential miracle that would save the church from closing its doors.

Jonas, however, has a different interpretation of the weeping icon.

“Some people say this is a sign,” he said. “I stop short of that. I would just rather say that the Virgin Mary is talking to us; I would just let her finish her conversation. And, let’s see what happens.”

(video)

What John Nelson Darby said in the 19th century about Roman Catholicism is also true of Orthodoxy: "Superstition is not faith."

Israeli scholars investigate pre-Columbian Puerto Rican artifacts alleged to be from lost ten tribes

There is still much research to be done, as reported by the University of Haifa, circa August 2019:

The secret of a collection of mysterious art objects from Puerto Rico, which in the past were alleged to have been made by members of the Ten Lost Tribes, has moved a step closer to a solution. Dr. Iris Groman-Yaroslavsky examined the objects in depth at her laboratory. Her findings confirmed that the objects were carved in the sixteenth century, and are not a modern forgery, and she also discovered evidence showing that some of the objects were coated in gold and in red paint. “This is definitely one of the strangest and most fascinating stories I’ve been involved in,” Dr. Groman-Yaroslavsky confessed. “To date, we have not found any similar carved stone art objects from this region of America, and this is why many researchers assumed that they must be fake. However, the microscopic tests we performed show beyond any doubt that the stones were carved around 600 years ago.”

The story of these art objects, known as the Library of Agüeybaná, sounds like the plot of an Indiana Jones movie. In the nineteenth century, a Puerto Rican monk by the name of José María Nazario presented a collection of some 800 carved stone statuettes, some of which had a clearly human form while others appeared to be artistic or ritual items. Many of the statuettes were engraved with markings that can only be some form of writing. The problem is that no similar statuettes or art objects have ever been found from this region of America, and there is no evidence at all of any writing system in the other pre-Columbian cultures of the region. The markings bore no resemblance to the writing systems developed by the Aztecs or Mayans. The story as told by the monk Nazario himself is no less bizarre: An old woman close to death invited him to her hut in the mountains, and there she told him of a treasure her family had been guarding for centuries that had belonged to the ancient inhabitants of the area. She gave him detailed instructions as to where the treasure was buried. Nazario followed her instructions and headed deep into the mountains, eventually reaching a pit covered by a large stone, just as the woman had told him. When he removed the stone, he found hundreds of statuettes. As a religious man, his explanation was that these were art objects made my members of the Ten Lost Tribes, who must have reached Puerto Rico after traveling across Siberia.

Over the years that followed, different researchers raised various suggestions about the stones and the engravings they bear. Some suggested that while some of the stones are authentic, others were forged by local people in the nineteenth century when they saw the great interest the statuettes had created. Other scholars claimed that all the statuettes are forged, and were probably made by Nazario himself, or by others. There was no agreement regarding the engravings, either: some experts claimed that the writing system was similar to Sumerian, others felt it was closer to Phoenician, and so forth.

The absence of any similar findings makes it particularly difficult to prove or disprove the authenticity of the statuettes, and as a result researchers gradually lost interest in the collection. In 2001, however, a research student called Reniel Rodríguez Ramos saw the stones during a study trip and was enchanted. He completed his doctorate in pre-Columbian cultures and returned to investigate the stones. “I decided to study the stones from scratch – to come to a ‘clean slate’ without any assumptions about whether they are real or fake, and to let the findings talk,” he explained. Rodríguez noted that even at first glance it was clear that the stones were several centuries old. Many of them showed changes in color on one side only, showing that one side had been buried in the ground while the other was exposed to air and sunlight, causing its color to change. But it could still be suggested that while the stones themselves were ancient, the engravings and carvings were only added in the nineteenth century.

After a long search, Rodríguez came to Dr. Groman-Yaroslavsky's Use-wear Analysis Laboratory. The unusual laboratory specializes in microscopic examinations revealing how various objects were made, what tools were used, whether the techniques and tools are ancient, and so forth. The microscopic tests undertaken by Dr. Groman-Yaroslavsky showed unequivocally that the stones were carved in ancient times. “Under the microscope, we can see the erosion of the stones and the brown-gray patina that is typically found when items have been buried or exposed to the ravages of nature for extensive periods. The items are made from a mineral that was originally a greenish black, but the erosion covers the engravings across the entire item, and there is no evidence of any modern manipulation that would have exposed the natural surface of the mineral,” she explains. “The processing marks on the items show that special chiseling tools were used, and all the items appear to share a unique style.” However, the analysis also revealed something that Dr. Rodríguez had not been expected: remnants of gold that appears to have coated some of the items. This reinforces still further the hypothesis that the items were used in ancient worship. Remnants were also found of a red paint that covered parts of the eyes and mouth in the figures, reflecting a complex process of design and finishing. Gold and ochre mines can be found in Puerto Rico, and there is extensive evidence regarding the use of these minerals in ritual contexts. The association with ritual activity became even more apparent when the facial design details were examined. “The items were clearly struck with a solid object, since we can see deliberate destruction around the nose and chin.”

In light of the new findings uncovered at the University, Prof. Rodríguez is now continuing his quest to unravel the secret of the statuettes. His next port of call will be an expert in the ancient writing systems of pre-Columbian America. A long journey lies ahead, but with each step Rodríguez is drawing closer to his conclusion: the existence of a previously unknown pre-Columbian civilization waiting to be uncovered.

Israel's Chief Rabbinate looks into biblical justification for Jews to pray on Jerusalem's Temple Mount

And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it. Zechariah 12:3

As reported by David Sidman of Breaking Israel News, September 5, 2019 (links in original):

During their annual meeting the The Temple Headquarters organization noted that the police said that they are able to enforce and protect Jewish prayer on the Temple Mount reports Rotter. More and more senior officials, including the prime minister, are willing to consider Jewish prayer on the holy site as well as extended Jewish visiting hours and also opening it on Shabbat.

This has compelled Israel’s Chief Rabbinate to begin expediting Halachik (Jewish law) studies on the matter of Jewish prayer on the Temple Mount.

The Chief rabbinate is the state’s religious authority. It has both legal and administrative authority over religious matters in Israel.

This phenomenon lies in stark contrast with the fact that when entering the Temple Mount, there is a prominent sign posted by the same Chief Rabbinate of Israel that warns: “According to Torah Law, entering the Temple Mount area is strictly forbidden due to the holiness of the site.”

But due to the massive amount of Jewish Pilgrims who have ignored their warnings, the Rabbinate appears to now be reconsidering their position.

In an interview with Breaking Israel News, Joshua Wander, an independent public relations consultant in and around the Old City of Jerusalem explained that the sign is out of date. That’s because following 1967 when Israel reunited Jerusalem and received access to the Temple Mount, Jews began flocking there, unaware of the conditions upon which one is allowed to go up according to Jewish law.

Today, because of vast archaeological and historical research, there is more understanding about where one may go or must avoid according Jewish purity laws.

Breaking Israel News also reported that Prime Minister Netanyahu made assurances that Jewish prayer would be allowed on the Temple Mount before the Messiah arrives.

As reported by Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz of Breaking Israel News, August 30, 2019 (links in original):

In the course of an interview last week in Ukraine, Ze’ev Kam, a reporter for Kan News, asked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the “elementary rights of the Jews to pray at the Temple Mount, their holiest site.” Netanyahu’s answer, which was published in “Sheva”, was, “Don’t worry, it will happen, and before the arrival of the Messiah.”

On the website for Temple Mount advocacy, Har-Habait, they noted that Netanyahu had already made this promise. Yehuda Etzion, founder of the Chai V’Kayam temple mount advocacy group, sent a letter to then-Likud candidate Netanyahu asking about his views on Jewish rights at the site.

“The right of the Jewish people to their holy place, the Temple Mount, is unquestionable,” Netanyahu wrote, “I believe that the right of prayer for Jews in this place should be arranged, and even more so that we should provide for the freedom of worship for all religions in Jerusalem.”

“It is clear that we should do this with the proper sensitivity,” Netanyahu wrote. “I believe we can do this properly after we return to the leadership of the state.”

As per Israeli law which legislates freedom and equality of religion, Jewish prayer is legally mandated but the Israeli police, tasked with maintaining order, are permitted to use their judgment in how to implement this law. As Minister of Internal Security, Gilad Erdan is tasked with overseeing this task. He was put to the test two weeks ago when the Jewish holy day of Tisha B’Av coincided with the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha. The Muslim religious authorities closed all of the mosques in Jerusalem except for the silver-domed Al Aqsa on the Temple Mount, calling for the Palestinians to prevent the Jews from visiting the site. The police delayed Jewish entrance to the site until after the Muslim times of prayer but the Palestinians stayed at the site en masse and rioted. Rather than back down and bar the Jews from entering, the Israeli police valiantly protected the Jews and the Jewish right to visit the site. Thanks to their efforts, a record 1,729 Jews commemorated the destruction of the Jewish Temples precisely where they once stood.

In response to the Arab threat of violence, Erdan responded by asserting that religious freedom is necessary on the Temple Mount.

“I think there is in an injustice in the status quo that has existed since ’67,” he told Israel’s Radio 90. According to an agreement between Jordan and Israel in the wake of the Six-Day War, the status quo mandate established by the Ottoman Empire in the 19th century governing the holy sites in Jerusalem would remain in place. This restricted non-Muslims prayer at Muslim sites.

“We need to work to change it so in the future Jews, with the help of God, can pray at the Temple Mount,” Erdan said. “This needs to be achieved by diplomatic agreements and not by force.”

It is important to note that when Israel conquered the Temple Mount in 1967, there was one mosque. There are currently five locations on the Temple Mount that the Waqf designates as mosques and off-limits to non-Muslims.

The Jews are certainly reawakening to the Temple Mount. In 2009, 5,658 Jews ascended to the Temple Mount and had doubled by 2015. Just two years later, a total of 25,000 Jews visited the site.

“We completely condemn Israel’s violations of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque,” Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi wrote on Twitter. “The occupation [Israeli] authorities’ absurd actions and attempts to change the status quo in occupied Jerusalem will only lead to the conflict being exacerbated and the situation blowing up, threatening international peace and security. We call on the international community to assume its responsibilities and pressure Israel to stop its violations.”

It should be noted that no Jews approached the Al-Aqsa Mosque but Arab rhetoric has changed the term in recent years to include all of the Temple Mount.

Colourful mosaic unearthed at "Burnt Church" in Hippos, overlooking Sea of Galilee

As reported by the University of Haifa, circa late August-early September 2019 (photos by Dr. Michael Eisenberg):

birds drinking from wine glasses

fishes

peacock

A colorful mosaic, well-preserved and laden with decorations, including dedication inscriptions and descriptions of baskets with loaves and fish, was exposed in the excavation at the “Burnt Church” in Hippos. According to the researchers, the descriptions in the mosaic along with the location of the church, overlooking the Sea of Galilee, immediately raise the connection to the Feeding the Multitude (the 5000) miracle performed by Jesus, according to the New Testament, in the area. “There can certainly be different explanations to the descriptions of loaves and fish in the mosaic, but you cannot ignore the similarity to the description in the New Testament: for example, from the fact that the New Testament has a description of five loaves in a basket or the two fish depicted in the apse, as we find in the mosaic”, said Dr. Michael Eisenberg, head of the excavation team in Hippos on behalf of the Institute of Archaeology.

Hippos, which overlooks the Sea of Galilee from the top of a mountain approximately 2 km to the east, is located within the Hippos National Park of the Israel Nature and Parks Authority. It was the central city in the region around the eastern Sea of Galilee and the south of the Golan during Roman and Byzantine times. The ancient city has been exposed over the past twenty years by an expedition on behalf of the Institute for Archaeology.

A few weeks ago, the researchers exposed the Burnt Church, built in the second half of fifth-early sixth century AD and was probably burnt down during the Sasanian conquest in the beginning of the seventh century. This church was partially exposed about a decade ago, and now Dr. Eisenberg and his partner in managing the excavation, Arleta Kowalewska, have returned to expose it. The fire caused the church mosaic floor to be conserved in an amazing way, since the roof was burnt down and collapsed on the floor of the church and covered it in a layer of ash, thus protecting it from being damaged over time. Now, as the researchers have returned to expose it, they have found a magnificent mosaic, which was excellently preserved. The excavation of the church was placed in the hands of Jessica Rentz from the USA, who has exposed the entire internal area of the church, at an area of 10x15 meters. During the excavation of the main portal, she exposed within the remains of the burnt doors, a pair of door knockers in bronze casting in the form of roaring lions. During the preservation process, headed by Yana Vitkalov from the Israel Antiquities Authority, most of the mosaic area was cleaned and preserved, and most of its decorations and two inscriptions in Greek were exposed. The first one tells about the two fathers of the church, Theodoros and Petros constructing a sanctuary for a martyr, while the second one, which is located inside a medallion at the center of the mosaic, exposes the name of the martyr – Theodoros. An initial reading of the inscriptions was done by Dr. Gregor Staab from the University of Cologne in Germany, expedition epigraphist.

According to Dr. Eisenberg, the people who ordered the mosaic wanted to create an extremely prominent and dense colorfulness, which includes geometric patterns and depictions of birds, fish and fruit placed densely throughout the mosaic. In some of the baskets, the researchers have found five or more loaves in different colors, which, along with the fish, were associated to the Feeding the Multitude miracle described four times in the New Testament. According to the New Testament, Jesus performed the miracle in an isolated area, probably in the northeast part of the Sea of Galilee, where he used five loaves and two fish to feed a multitude of 5,000 men without counting the women and children. Later, as the story goes, he performed the miracle of walking on water and reached the north-west of the Sea of Galilee. At this place, around current day Kibbutz Ginosar/Tabgha, the Church of the Multiplication was built already in the fifth century, and according to the early Christian tradition, is where the miracle took place.

Dr. Eisenberg continues to be cautious about the interpretation of the new mosaic, however he states that there are a number of points worth paying attention to, “nowadays, we tend to regard the Church of the Multiplication in Tabgha on the north-west of the Sea of Galilee as the location of the miracle, but with careful reading of the New Testament it is evident that it might have taken place north of Hippos within the city’s region. According to the scripture, after the miracle Jesus crossed the water to the north-west of the Sea of Galilee, to the area of Tabgha/Ginosar, so that the miracle had to take place at the place where he began the crossing rather than at the place he finished it. In addition, the mosaic at the Church of Multiplication has a depiction of two fish and a basket with only four loaves , while in all places in the New Testament which tell of the miracle, there are five loaves of bread, as found in the mosaic in Hippos. In addition, the mosaic at the burnt church has a depiction of 12 baskets, and the New Testament also describes the disciples who, at the end of the miracle, were left with 12 baskets of bread and fish”, stated Dr. Eisenberg.

However, he is also aware that there are also differences between the depiction in the mosaic at the burnt church and the description in the New Testament: thus, for example, some of the baskets in the mosaic are full of fruit and not only bread, and in other places there are three fish, one next to the other, and not only two. “The church is located right at the western edge of Mount Sussita and is the most western point in the city and overlooks – today as it did then – the Sea of Galilee and Jesus ministry and where most of his miracles occurred. There is no doubt that the local community was well familiar with the two miracles of Feeding the Multitude and perhaps knew their estimated locations better than us. The assumption that the artisan or the persons who ordered the work wanted to create an affinity to a miracle which took place nearby must be logical. We will finish the excavation and cleaning of the remaining twenty percent of the mosaic and will carefully examine this assumption. The fish themselves have a number of additional symbolical meaning in the Christian world, and their interpretation requires caution”, he summarized.

60 years ago: Upcoming talks on Roman Catholic-Eastern Orthodox reunification announced

On September 3, 1959, Vatican radio announced that representatives of the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches would meet in Venice for unofficial talks on possible reunification.

I haven't been able to find if such talks have taken place, but formal reunification has yet to take place. There will eventually be a union of false Christianity, however, centred in Rome, during the Great Tribulation when the Antichrist and False Prophet deceive the world. God is making sure that biblical prophecy is fulfilled according to His schedule, which isn't necessarily in accord with the plans of men.

Roman Catholic church in Northern Ireland removes memorial tribute to pedophile priest after protest

As reported by David O'Dornan of the Belfast Telegraph, August 30, 2019:

The parish priest for a Co Down Catholic Church which recognised the anniversary of paedophile priest Brendan Smyth has said he has no idea how the tribute found its way into a memorial book and pledged it would be removed immediately.

The daily listings at Our Lady of the Assumption Church in Newcastle included 'Fr Brendan Smyth 1997' for August 22 - the same date the evil cleric died in prison.

When the Belfast Telegraph alerted Fr Jim Crudden yesterday, he said: "I don't know how that's got into there so I'll just check that now and take it out."

He said that after removing it, he would look into how it found its way there.

He added: "I just didn't see that in there, I don't check that book. That shouldn't have happened."

Campaigner Jon McCourt from Survivors North West called it a "knife in the heart" for victims of Smyth and other abusers.

He said: "I think it's disgusting. I mean, good God, how insensitive do they have to get? It's the best way I can put it, insensitive is like a very mild word.

"He (Smyth) should have been defrocked, his title should have been taken away from him. They actual buried him with 'Father' on his gravestone and they covered it with concrete to make sure nobody could get at it.

"That guy should have been literally written out altogether and to think that they are memorialising him in that way in the Church - look, okay, lost souls deserve prayers, but I think there's a special exemption that should be given to people like Brendan Smyth.

"I knew some of his victims and the lives that have been destroyed as a result of what he was involved in. They'll never be repaired. This is not a slap in the face, this is a punch in the mouth and a knife in the heart of surviving victims and survivors...

...Smyth, a serial child abuser, is widely viewed as one of the most heinous examples of a paedophile priest.

The infamous image of him leering into a camera lens as he prepared to face justice for his crimes compounded his notoriety and public contempt for his evil deeds.

Belfast-born Smyth was eventually convicted of dozens of offences against children over a 40-year period, and the scandal of his sickening acts rocked the Catholic Church across the island of Ireland.

Despite allegations being previously investigated by Church officials, including former Irish primate Sean Brady, as far back as 1975, it was almost 20 years before he was jailed.

Cardinal Brady found himself under pressure in 2010 after confirming he was at meetings when two alleged victims of a paedophile priest signed an oath of silence. Instead of taking action against Smyth, a member of the Norbertine order, the Church moved him between parishes, dioceses and even countries where he preyed on victims who were as young as eight.

As a priest in the Falls Road area of Belfast, he targeted four children from the same family. It was their courage in reporting the abuse to the police that led to his first conviction.

In 1991 he was arrested and released on bail, before spending the next three years out of the reach of police in Northern Ireland by hiding out at his order's Kilnacrott Abbey in Co Cavan in the Republic.

His case led to the collapse of the Republic's Labour/Fianna Fail coalition government when it emerged there had been serious delays in his extradition to Northern Ireland in 1994.

When the priest finally appeared before a Belfast court, he was convicted of 43 charges of sexually assaulting children in Northern Ireland and was sentenced to four years in prison.

He was later found guilty of another 26 charges and given a three-year sentence to run concurrently. Upon his release from prison, Smyth was immediately arrested and extradited to the Republic.

In 1997, the convicted paedophile again appeared before a judge - this time in Dublin - where he admitted to 74 charges of child sexual abuse over a 35-year period. He had assaulted children in a hotel, a cinema, a convent and other venues across nine different counties.

Smyth - born John Gerard before changing his name to Brendan - died of a heart attack in prison in August 1997, just a month into his 12-year prison sentence.