BILLY GRAHAM-BIRTHDAY
Billy Graham marks 96th birthday with evangelistic message
MONTREAT, N.C. (AP) — The Rev. Billy Graham is 96 years old today.
Last year, the evangelist had a birthday party with 900 guests.
On this 96th birthday, he’s releasing a program called “Heaven: A new message from Billy Graham.”
The 30-minute program features recent interviews with the evangelist at his North Carolina home. It also includes archived crusade footage from Graham’s younger days and dramatic reenactments with personal testimonies from a firefighter who was almost killed and from the daughter of a murder victim.
His son, the Rev. Franklin Graham, says his father is in good spirits and his mind is still sharp, but this will be a simple birthday at home with family and friends.
Billy Graham uses a wheelchair and has been hospitalized for several health-related issues in recent years.
Online: www.billygraham.org
Sound:
300-w-32-(Steve Coleman, AP religion editor, with the Reverend Billy Graham)–Today, November 7, is the Reverend Billy Graham’s 96th birthday. AP Religion Editor Steve Coleman reports. (6 Nov 2014)
< GAY MARRIAGE-NORTH CAROLINA Court official defends directive to NC magistrates RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The chief administrator of North Carolina’s courts says magistrates must perform same-sex marriages regardless of their religious beliefs. Administrative Office of the Courts Director John W. Smith wrote this week in response to a recent letter from state Senate leader Phil Berger. Berger and other Senate Republicans wanted Smith to revise a memo ordering magistrates to perform civil weddings for gay couples or face losing their jobs. At least six magistrates have quit rather than perform same-sex marriages, including the Rev. Gilbert Breedlove, who was Swain County magistrate for almost 24 years. Smith wrote that while he respects their religious convictions, other magistrates see the difference “between marriage as a civil ceremony conferring legal status, and marriage as a religious institution.” Berger responded Thursday that magistrates shouldn’t “have to abandon their religious beliefs to save their jobs.” Sound: 246-a-06-(The Reverend Gilbert Breedlove, former Swain County magistrate, in AP interview)-“shape it takes”-The Reverend Gilbert Breedlove says marrying same-sex couples would have violated his Christian faith. (6 Nov 2014) < 243-a-04-(The Reverend Gilbert Breedlove, former Swain County magistrate, in AP interview)-“believe it’s right”-The Reverend Gilbert Breedlove says he resigned after more than 23 years as Swain County magistrate rather than perform a same-sex marriage. (6 Nov 2014) < 242-w-33-(Steve Coleman, AP religion editor, with the Reverend Gilbert Breedlove, former magistrate of Swain County, N.C.)–The chief administrator of North Carolina’s courts says magistrates must perform same-sex marriages regardless of their religious beliefs. AP Religion Editor Steve Coleman reports. (6 Nov 2014) < 244-a-09-(The Reverend Gilbert Breedlove, former Swain County magistrate, in AP interview)-“to step down”-The Reverend Gilbert Breedlove says it would have violated his faith to perform same-sex marriages. (6 Nov 2014) < 245-a-16-(The Reverend Gilbert Breedlove, former Swain County magistrate, in AP interview)-“to their demands”-The Reverend Gilbert Breedlove says he had to resign as magistrate after a federal court overturned his state’s ban on same-sex marriage. (6 Nov 2014) < TEACHER RESIGNS-EBOLA Teacher told to stay away after trip to Africa LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — A Catholic school teacher in Kentucky was told to take a leave of absence for 21 days when she returned from a mission trip to Kenya, even though the East African country is thousands of miles from the epicenter of the Ebola outbreak. Louisville Archbishop Joseph Kurtz said Thursday the decision by St. Margaret Mary school in Louisville was “not the right judgment.” The religion teacher, Susan Sherman, resigned last week. Sherman and her husband spent nine days working with Kenya Relief, an organization that provides health care, food and water and builds churches and distributes Bibles. Kurtz said, “We regret any pain that has been caused to the Sherman family.” CHURCH ABUSE-CHICAGO Chicago archdiocese releases more abuse records CHICAGO (AP) — The Archdiocese of Chicago has released thousands of pages of internal documents pertaining to how it dealt with allegations of child sexual abuse by 35 priests going back decades. The archdiocese posted the documents on its website Thursday. They’re in addition to records related to 30 other abusive priests that it released as part of a legal settlement in January, when the archdiocese revealed it had concealed the abuse for decades. Cardinal Francis George had pledged to release the records before he retires later this month. His office says he didn’t want to leave the matter to his successor, Bishop Blase Cupich (BLAYZ’ SOO’-pihch). The documents detail more than 350 incidents of abuse since 1952. Most occurred decades ago and none involved active priests. Sound: 221-c-13-(Tammy Webber, AP correspondent)-“couple of weeks”-AP correspondent Tammy Webber reports documents relating to abuse allegations against dozens of priests were released before Chicago’s archbishop retires. (6 Nov 2014) < 220-c-11-(Tammy Webber, AP correspondent)-“abuse of children”-AP correspondent Tammy Webber reports that the names of more Catholic priests who were accused of sexual abuse in the Chicago area have been released. (6 Nov 2014) < 222-c-10-(Tammy Webber, AP correspondent)-“70s and 80s”-AP correspondent Tammy Webber reports that the allegations against priests go back decades. (6 Nov 2014) < ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS Israel: No change at Jerusalem holy site JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he has assured Jordan’s King Abdullah that there will be no change in the status of Jerusalem’s most sensitive holy site amid spiking tensions in the area. His outreach came a day after Jordan recalled its ambassador to protest an Israeli police assault on the hilltop compound in Jerusalem’s Old City. Tensions were further heightened after a Palestinian slammed his van into a crowd waiting at a train stop, killing an Israeli policeman. The holy site in Jerusalem’s Old City is known to Jews as the Temple Mount and is the most sacred spot in Judaism. Muslims revere it as the Noble Sanctuary, Islam’s third-holiest site and home to the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the gold-topped Dome of the Rock. Since Israel captured east Jerusalem and the Old City in 1967, Jewish worshippers have been allowed to visit — but not pray — at the site, which is run by Muslim authorities under the custody of Jordan. In recent weeks hard-line Israeli politicians have stepped up demands that Jews be allowed to pray at the site. Sound: 200-a-04-(Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, speaking to a visiting official from India)-“quiet and security”-Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he assured Jordan’s King Abdullah that there won’t be any change in the status of the site known to Jews as the Temple Mount and to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary. (6 Nov 2014) < 199-a-09-(Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, speaking to a visiting official from India)-“the Temple Mount”-Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he has spoken with Jordan’s King Abdullah about tensions surrounding Jerusalem’s most sensitive holy site. (6 Nov 2014) < PAKISTAN-BLASPHEMY Pakistani officer kills man suspected of blasphemy ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistani police say an axe-wielding officer killed a Shiite man in police custody, claiming he had committed blasphemy by insulting companions of the Prophet Muhammad. Officer Mukhtar Ahmed says the incident took place at a police station in the city of Gujrat in eastern Punjab province early Thursday. Ahmed says the officer, Sarfraz Naveed, was questioning Syed Tufail Hyder who was detained Wednesday following a street fight. Ahmed says Naveed killed Hyder with an axe, gave himself up and said he did it because Hyder allegedly repeatedly insulted companions of the Prophet during questioning. Thursday’s incident came days after a Muslim mob killed a Christian couple and burned their bodies in a brick kiln where the man and his wife worked, claiming they had desecrated the Quran. PARAGUAY-ACCUSED WITCH Paraguay: woman accused of witchcraft burned alive ASUNCION, Paraguay (AP) — Officials in Paraguay say an indigenous woman was burned alive after being accused of witchcraft. Prosecutor Fany Aguilera said members of the Mbya Guarani ethnic group tied 45-year-old Adolfina Ocampos to a wooden pole and shot arrows at her before they burned her alive. Ocampos was sentenced to death last week by the community’s chief. Aguilera has charged nine men in the Paraguayan village with first-degree murder, and they have already acknowledged killing the woman. A report by the UN Refugee Agency estimates that thousands of people worldwide are accused of being witches every year. The UN says they are often abused, cast out of their families and communities and sometimes killed. VATICAN-POPE-ARGENTINA Pope planning Argentina visit in 2016 VATICAN CITY (AP) — An Argentinian woman who met with Pope Francis as part of a human rights delegation says the pope told her that he plans to travel to his native Argentina in 2016. Estela De Carlotto led the Plaza De Mayo delegation that met Thursday with Francis to discuss efforts to find children who disappeared when their parents were arrested for political activism during Argentina’s military dictatorship of the 1970s. De Carlotto said she asked the pope during their audience when he was coming to Argentina and he replied in 2016. The Argentine-born pontiff was unable to add his homeland to his schedule when he traveled to Brazil last year for World Youth Day. The Vatican does not as a rule confirm papal travel plans until several months ahead of time.
