BAHAMAS PLANE CRASH-MYLES MUNROE
Prominent pastor, author killed in plane crash
FREEPORT, Bahamas (AP) β The Rev. Myles Munroe, a pastor and prolific author, was among the nine people killed when a small plane crashed Sunday night in the Bahamas.
Munroe’s wife, Pastor Ruth Munroe was also killed. Munroe was founder & president of Bahamas Faith Ministries International. According to the ministry website, three other ministry leaders, senior vice-president Dr. Richard Pinder, youth pastors Lavard and Radel Parks and their son Johannan also died.
Officials say the plane was on approach when the crash occurred during severe weather.
Born in 1954 in the islands’ capital of Nassau, Munroe founded the ministry after studying at Oral Roberts University, in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
The charismatic pastor quickly became an influential religious leader among many evangelical Christians, giving sermons around the world. He was also a motivational speaker and the author of numerous books, including the 2008 best-seller “God’s Big Idea: Reclaiming God’s Original Purpose for Your Life.”
Sound:
047-c-14-(Ben Fox, AP correspondent)-“held in Grand Bahama”-AP correspondent Ben Fox reports the plane crash victims are believed to be members of a religious organization who were flying to Grand Bahama. (10 Nov 2014)
< 317-r-06-(Rev. Myles Munroe, pastor, Bahamas Faith Ministries International)–This is sound of the Rev. Myles Munroe. (10 Nov 2014) < CATHOLIC BISHOPS Catholic Church leaders gather in Baltimore BALTIMORE (AP) β Roman Catholic bishops are meeting in Baltimore. It’s the fourth such meeting by church leaders since Pope Francis was elected. The public sessions at the U.S. bishops’ meeting are focused on religious liberty, upholding marriage between a man and a woman, and moral issues in health care. While many Catholics have praised Francis’ new emphasis on mercy over the culture wars, many theological conservatives have said Francis is failing to carry out his duty as defender of the faith. Some U.S. bishops have resisted turning their focus away from gay marriage, abortion and other contentious social issues to take up Francis’ focus on the poor, immigrants and those who feel unwelcome in the church. Protesters gathered outside the site of the conference in Baltimore. Some charged that the bishops are too focused on conservative social teachings. But Cardinal Timothy Dolan, president of the conference, says bishops don’t choose positions, but are simply advocating church interpretation of the gospel of Jesus. Sound: 311-a-10-(Cardinal Timothy Dolan, president, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, at news conference)-“of human life”-Cardinal Timothy Dolan says there are young activists who support the positions of the church. (10 Nov 2014) < 310-a-07-(Cardinal Timothy Dolan, president, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, at news conference)-“too left wing”-Cardinal Timothy Dolan says he would have joined protesters outside who say bishops are focused too much on conservatives issues and not enough on helping the poor and immigrants. (10 Nov 2014) < 312-a-10-(Cardinal Timothy Dolan, president, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, at news conference)-“for two millennia”-Cardinal Timothy Dolan says bishops are not seeking to take up controversial positions. (10 Nov 2014) < MONSIGNOR-ABUSE CHARGES CLEARED Vatican exonerates former Los Angeles monsignor LOS ANGELES (AP) β Church officials say a high-ranking Roman Catholic official has been exonerated of clergy sex abuse allegations by a Vatican tribunal after a decade of investigation and is once more considered a priest in good standing with the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. The decision to reinstate Msgr. Richard Loomis is rare β particularly after so many years β and the move drew immediate condemnation from an attorney for the alleged victim and church critics who say the tribunal never reached out to the accusers of Loomis after they gave an initial account and didn’t inform them of the decision. Loomis, who is 68, has been on inactive leave and living outside the church since allegations surfaced. The archdiocese settled one civil claim against Loomis in 2007 as part of a record-breaking, $660 million deal with hundreds of people who accused priests of abuse. An official with SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, says Loomis may be “cleared” by the church but could still be held liable in civil court. SNAP western regional director Joelle Casteix (KA’-stihx) also says Loomis played an active role in covering up for predator priests under the leadership of former Los Angeles Cardinal Richard Mahony. Sound: 315-a-07-(Joelle Casteix (KAS’-tihx0, western regional director, SNAP, Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, in AP interview)-“of Cardinal Mahony”-Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests western regional director Joelle Casteix says Loomis was part of the protection of predators. (10 Nov 2014) < 316-a-10-(Joelle Casteix (KAS’-tihx), western regional director, SNAP, Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, in AP interview)-“is motivation there”-Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests western regional director Joelle Casteix says the announcement that Loomis has been cleared is unusual. (10 Nov 2014) < 314-a-09-(Joelle Casteix (KAS’-tihx), western regional director, SNAP, Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, in AP interview)-“of civil liablity”-Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests western regional director Joelle Casteix says Loomis is not legally exonerated. (10 Nov 2014) < 313-a-09-(Joelle Casteix (KAS’-tihx), western regional director, SNAP, Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, in AP interview)-“attorneys were consulted”-Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests western regional director Joelle Casteix says she’s not sure there was a complete investigation. (10 Nov 2014) < GAY MARRIAGE-KANSAS Kansas AG appeals to high court on gay marriage TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) β Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to allow the state to continue enforcing its ban on gay marriage. Schmidt’s office filed the request Monday with U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor. She handles emergency requests from the federal appeals circuit that includes Kansas. An appeals court rejected a similar request last week. Schmidt wants the high court to put on hold an injunction last week from U.S. District Judge Daniel Crabtree that prohibits Kansas from enforcing its policies against gay marriage, including a provision of its state constitution. Crabtree’s order is due to take effect at 5 p.m. Tuesday. GAY DISCRIMINATION Michigan group expands effort to bar anti-gay bias LANSING, Mich. (AP) β A coalition of business and civil rights leaders is expanding an effort to lobby Michigan’s Legislature to make it illegal to discriminate against gay and transgender people. The Michigan Competitive Workforce Coalition has unveiled its Freedom Michigan campaign and website as lawmakers began their “lame-duck” session. Advocates are hoping that by year’s end, the Republican-led Legislature will update the state’s civil rights law to include protections for gay and transgender residents. They say discrimination is wrong and hurts Michigan’s ability to attract talent. The Freedom Michigan campaign plans to deploy organizers to key districts to keep the pressure on legislators. GOP leaders have indicated an interest in sending legislation to Gov. Rick Snyder. But some Republicans have concerns about infringing on people’s religious beliefs. BRAZIL-CHURCHGOERS RUN OVER Brazil driver runs over 15 people leaving church SAO PAULO (AP) β Police in Brazil’s biggest city say a driver lost control of his car and ran over 15 people standing on a sidewalk after leaving a church service. At least two people are in grave condition. Police in Sao Paulo say they’re trying to track down the driver, who fled the scene Sunday night after striking a group of people that included at least seven children. Police said Monday they suspect the driver was under the influence of alcohol, and possibly drugs. Substances that appear to be cocaine and marijuana were found in the abandoned car. The car that struck the people shows the violence of the crash. Its windshield was smashed, along with the hood and front bumper. CHRISTIAN SCHOOL FIRE Man denies setting 2 fires at Christian school BOZEMAN, Mont. (AP) β A former student at Heritage Christian School in Bozeman, Idaho, has denied charges that he set fires that caused more than $4.5 million in damages at the facility. The Bozeman Daily Chronicle Zachary James Silflow has pleaded not guilty to two counts of arson and two counts of burglary. His bail has been set at $500,000. Silflow is charged with setting a fire in August 2012 and another last month. Court records say Silflow is shown in surveillance video breaking into the school early on Oct. 24 with a gas can. Investigators say he acknowledged being responsible for the 2012 fire, as well. He allegedly said he was angry over being mistreated at the school. Silflow’s attorney has said his client suffers from serious mental health issues for which he takes medication. MISSING HIKERS Hikers from church group recovered PASADENA, Calif. (AP) β Fifteen hikers from a Seventh Day Adventist church group who failed to return from a day hike on Sunday are alive and well. Officials say the group — 11 adults and four teens — were in a popular hiking spot in the San Gabriel Mountains, northeast of downtown Los Angeles. Because they became wet and exhausted from rappelling waterfalls and were losing daylight, they decided to build a fire and wait until Monday morning. That’s when a helicopter plucked them safely out of the wilderness. They were driven to a nature center to be reunited with anxious family and friends.
