Latest news with #faithful
Bloomberg
15-07-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Bitcoin Faithful Rejoice as $100 Billion Era Nears
For months, Bitcoin sat still. The 'number only goes up' prophecy did not deliver. The faithful waited. Now though the liturgy returns, after the world's largest cryptocurrency surged past $123,000 for the first time on Monday.
Mail & Guardian
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Mail & Guardian
Pope Leo a breath of fresh air in Trump's belligerent world
Pope Leo XIV. (X) Pope Leo XIV, in the strict sense of the word, is no politician. But, as the foremost world church leader — head of the Catholic Church — his voice holds sway, and carries weight, in shaping the world's political discourse. He speaks to the universal church and, by extension, to the people who populate the world. His voice reverberates; it reaches billions of the faithful — and those with no faith. He speaks with the authority conferred on him by his office, and when he does, the world takes notice; the political principalities of the world pay attention. This is because his views are couched in language that, although gentle, speaks with great force to all citizens of the world — especially to political leaders who abuse their authority, causing great pain to 'the children of God', to use the biblical lexicon. Of course, for a variety of reasons, this seems a tall order. Implied in what is given to us by historical facts is that society, since time immemorial, has been driven by different understandings of the workings of the world. The people of the world have been at each other's throats, even as they seek to achieve happiness. Billions of dollars, or whatever denomination one might prefer to choose, have been used to try to settle political and ideological scores, while billions of people throughout the world continue to starve to death because of a plethora of unfavourable human conditions that militate against good living. It does bother the pope when political ideologies are used to cause conflict that threatens peace in the world — and he does raise his concerns sharply, offering advice through the church and its bishops and archbishops, who in turn become transmitters of his concerns and words to the world. We know Donald Trump, president of the US, wants to make, in his own words, 'America great again', whatever that might mean. This he does through belligerent language, and at the risk of creating worldwide tensions, keeping everyone on tenterhooks, with no knowledge of what might happen next. Some political analysts and thinkers have, in the recent past, responding to Trump's belligerence, expressed trepidation about what might happen if the stand-off between the warring parties does not stop. Some are already predicting the onset of an armageddon or a third world war. In the past few months and weeks, dangerous missiles have flown, causing mayhem and panic, with Israeli soldiers and American bombers being, in the main, the aggressors and seemingly stoking fires and showing their countries' military muscle. World War II was caused by belligerence and racial animosity. Adolf Hitler's madness contributed to the madness. This was because of a lack of foresight, with the mind of a sadist and racial bigot at work, obsessed with power and putrid thoughts of racial hatred, driven by anti-Semitism that knew no bounds. And the desire to corrupt the world order. Trump, driven by his own destructive and divisive evangelical zeal, and given to a great deal of abusing biblical texts, consistent with what American religious zealotry stands for, is hellbent on resurrecting America and 'rescuing' it from the imagined jaws of communism and socialism which, in his small mind, are a threat to the well-being of society. The world Trump inhabits is marked by America spoiling for a fight, flaunting the military might of the US army. His language is militaristic. But we have to wonder, at a philosophical level, could it be that humans have not been completely cleansed of their original state of nature, as seen by philosopher Thomas Hobbes, when the world is beset by leaders of Trump's calibre? In that old society, disruption was the order of the day, with no rules, and a society marked with unmitigated violence, with no government to speak of. But the recent election of Pope Leo XIV as the head of the worldwide Catholic Church seemed to bring about a much-needed breath of fresh air — and indirectly critiqued the chaos unleashed by Trump and his warring allies and adversaries. First, it is axiomatic that political leaders ought to set the tone for sound world politics and for good governance. When World War II ended, the UN committed itself to securing international peace, preventing conflicts and promoting cooperation, among other things, underpinned by a culture of human rights. This is exactly where Leo comes in. As the head of the Catholic Church his comments about society, morality, politics and social justice carry weight. Recently, when the pope addressed his archbishops in Rome, he talked about the value of good ethical leadership and the need for the archbishops to cascade this value down to communities. He spoke about 'the human virtues of fairness, sincerity, magnanimity, openness of mind and heart … great openness to listening and engaging in dialogue and willingness to serve'. A few points can be teased out of what the pope is telling, not only the faithful, but the world at large. First, he explores the idea of human virtue which is made up of fairness, sincerity, magnanimity and openness. Without these qualities, or virtues, society is bound to produce self-serving world leaders who are incapable of thinking about the people they lead. To make 'America great' is to play a dominant role in world affairs — and possibly shorthand for expressing racial barbs directed at Barack Obama's two-term tenure in the White House — the first black US president. Trump, in his wildest dreams, could never countenance the idea of a black man elected to the high office of president of the US. These sentiments are contrary to what the UN demands and desires. It encourages cooperation; gestures of support for others, particularly under-resourced nations; dialoguing about the well-being of all countries and being magnanimous in all things, of human rights and social justice and the willingness to embrace others for the common good of all nations. Also, significantly, it is for the powerful nations 'to rejoice with those who rejoice and suffer with those who suffer' — in a spirit of human solidarity, of caring about others and ensuring, if you are a wealthy nation, you owe it to yourself to help less well-endowed countries. Speaking pertinently about things that matter, albeit theological, the pope said: 'Our patron saints followed different paths, had different ideas and at times argued with one another with evangelical frankness. Yet this did not prevent them from a fruitful harmony in diversity.' We all need each other. Our separateness, continent by continent, is artificial and has often resulted in seeing each other as different. In biblical language, humans are children of God, belonging to one common ancestry, sharing the same life-giving planet and the wisdom it offers — which is that we ought to belong to each other and desist from mounting hegemonic battles against each other. And so, we all belong to Mother Earth — we are all her products. We need to disabuse ourselves of the notion that some belong and others do not belong. Colonisation was driven by the idea that others, weaker folk, could easily be dispensed of or displaced by stronger folk — all in the name of hegemony. Stephen Bantu Biko, using his liberating black consciousness philosophy, urged black people to recognise their inherent worth and unite to challenge the psychological effects apartheid and racial oppression imposed on them and, with pride and conviction, he urged them to focus on black solidarity and strive to create an egalitarian society where all races coexist. Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe, the president of the Pan Africanist Congress of Azania — and in some circles regarded as the 'president Azania (South Africa) never had' — rejected the notion of multiracialism. However, he strongly averred that 'there is only one race, the human race', emphatic throughout his short life — he died at 53 in 1978 — about the shared humanity of all people, holding that, in the 'new Azania', racial classification would be rendered irrelevant, arguing that it is an artificial construct 'used to divide the oppressed', which must have no place in a nonracial society. Today, Leo is saying the same things — he is telling us to be complete as humanity. We need each other, even though we might not always agree on everything. The world is lucky to have a thoughtful leader such as Pope Leo XIV — a wise prophet emerging from the crucible of human struggle in Peru — described in an editorial in that country in these terms: 'We have a pope who understands the true meaning of living in solidarity with the poor.' Contrast him with Trump, his countryman. They are poles apart, with the pope filled with the spirit of love and humanity and compassion and kindness, and Trump given to bullying and with no time to entertain other people's viewpoints. Jo-Mangaliso Mdhlela is an independent journalist, a social justice activist, a former trade unionist and an Anglican priest.
The Independent
18-06-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Watch: Vatican releases Pope Leo fundraising video amid financial crisis
The Vatican has released a new fundraising video centred on newly elected Pope Leo XIV, urging the faithful to support his mission amid a serious financial crisis for the Catholic Church. The one-minute video, shown on giant screens in St. Peter's Square and spread on social media, asked for donations to Peter's Pence - a papal fund used to support church activities and charity work. According to the latest available records, the fund received 48.4 million euros in donations in 2023. The Vatican has not published a full budget report since 2022, but the last set of accounts included an 83-million-euro shortfall, sources said.
Times
22-05-2025
- General
- Times
Body of St Teresa draws tens of thousands to Spanish church
'She looks good for her age,' said a pilgrim moments after gazing upon the corpse of St Teresa of Avila, who has been dead for more than 440 years. Beholding the desiccated remains of the Spanish mystic in the flesh, as it were, moved many of the faithful to comment approvingly on her physical state. 'She's muy chiquitita [very small], the señora,' said a middle-aged woman in the Venecia bar at Alba de Tormes, where in the Carmelite convent's basilica the saint's corpse, dressed in the habit of her order and reposed in an open silver coffin, has been exhibited for the past two weeks. Nearly 70,000 people — rich and poor, dukes and nuns — have flocked from across Spain and as far
CBS News
18-05-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Pope Leo XIV calls for unity in inaugural Mass at the Vatican
Pope Leo XIV called for unity in the Catholic Church during his inaugural mass in St. Peter's Square before an estimated 150,000 pilgrims, presidents, patriarchs and princes. Pope Leo officially opened his pontificate by taking his first popemobile tour through the piazza, a rite of passage that has become synonymous with the papacy's global reach and mediatic draw. The 69-year-old Augustinian missionary smiled and waved from the back of the truck. Pope Leo XIV waves to the faithful in St. Peter's Square for the Inauguration Mass on May 18, 2025 in Vatican City, Vatican. Simone Risoluti / Getty Images During the Mass, the pontiff appeared to choke up when the two potent symbols of the papacy were placed on him – the pallium woolen stole over his shoulders and the fisherman's ring on his finger. He turned his hand to look at the ring and seal and then clasped his hands in front of him in prayer. In his homily, Pope Leo said he wanted to be a servant to the faithful through the two dimensions of the papacy, love and unity, so that the church could be a force for peace in the world. "I would like that our first great desire be for a united church, a sign of unity and communion, which becomes a leaven for a reconciled world," he said. "In this our time, we still see too much discord, too many wounds caused by hatred, violence, prejudice, the fear of difference, and an economic paradigm that exploits the Earth's resources and marginalizes the poorest." Pope Leo XIV (formerly Robert Francis Prevost) presided over his inauguration mass in St Peter's Square after his election on May 8th. Elisabetta Trevisan / Getty Images His call for unity was significant, given the polarization in the Catholic Church in the United States and beyond. Vice President JD Vance, one of the last foreign officials to meet Pope Francis before he died, led the U.S. delegation honoring the Chicago-born Pope Leo. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and multiple members of Congress joined him. "Let us build a church founded on God's love, a sign of unity, a missionary church that opens its arms to the world, proclaims the word, allows itself to be made restless by history, and becomes a leaven of harmony for humanity," Leo said, referencing some of the themes of Francis' pontificate as well. U.S. Vice President JD Vance arrives at St. Peter's Square for Pope Leo XIV's celebration of the Mass for the inauguration of his pontificate in the Vatican, on May 18, 2025. Valeria Ferraro/Anadolu via Getty Images At the end of the Mass, Pope Leo expressed hope for negotiations to bring a "just and lasting peace" in Ukraine and offered prayers for the people of Gaza — children, families and elderly who are "reduced to hunger," he said. Leo made no mention of hostages taken by Hamas from southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, as Francis usually did when praying for Gaza. After the Mass, Pope Leo greeted the delegations one by one in the basilica and had proper audiences scheduled on Sunday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Peruvian President Dina Boluarte.
