OREGON SCHOOL SHOOTING-CHURCH
Pastor describes daughter’s ordeal during Oregon college shooting
ROSEBURG, Ore. (AP) β A pastor is describing his daughter’s terrifying experience inside an Oregon community college classroom as gunman Christopher Sean Harper-Mercer shot and killed his victims.
The father of 18-year-old Lacey Scroggins says she heard the gunman tell one victim he would spare that person’s life if the student begged, but then shot the begging victim anyway. Pastor Randy Scroggins says his daughter survived because she appeared to be dead as she lay still on the floor in the blood of another student.
He says Lacey heard another victim being asked, “are you a Christian?” The next thing his daughter heard was a shot and a thud.
Scroggins told his Roseburg congregation that the hardest part of his job is being asked why things like this happen. The pastor choked back tears as he said, “I don’t know.”
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263-r-21-(Sound of choir singing, at service at New Beginnings Church of God, where pastor spoke of the killings in his daughter’s classroom at Umpqua (UHMP’-kwah) Community College.)–Sound of choir singing, at service at New Beginnings Church of God, where pastor spoke of the killings in his daughter’s classroom at Umpqua Community College. ((Umpqua is pronounced UHMP’-kwah)) Updated: 10/04/2015-11:26:05 PM ET (4 Oct 2015)
< 237-a-14-(The Reverend Craig Schlesinger, pastor of Garden Valley Church, in AP interview)-“in Jesus Christ”-The Reverend Craig Schlesinger, pastor of Garden Valley Church, says it appears that the Oregon college gunman singled out Christians for execution. (4 Oct 2015) < 238-a-12-(The Reverend Craig Schlesinger, pastor of Garden Valley Church, in AP interview)-“be a Christian”-The Reverend Craig Schlesinger, pastor of Garden Valley Church, says local Christians are reeling from the killings of nine people. (4 Oct 2015) < 204-a-19-(The Reverend Randy Scroggins, pastor of New Beginnings Church, in Sunday sermon)-“he shot her”-The Reverend Randy Scroggins, pastor of New Beginnings Church, says his daughter Lacey heard one victim try to connect with the gunman. ((note length of cut)) (4 Oct 2015) < 202-a-12-(The Reverend Randy Scroggins, pastor of New Beginnings Church, in Sunday sermon)-“and a thud”-The Reverend Randy Scroggins, pastor of New Beginnings Church, says his daughter Lacey, who survived the shootings, says the gunman asked victims about their religious beliefs. (4 Oct 2015) < 203-a-16-(The Reverend Randy Scroggins, pastor of New Beginnings Church, in Sunday sermon)-“he shot him”-The Reverend Randy Scroggins, pastor of New Beginnings Church, says his daughter Lacey heard the gunman quiz and taunt victims before they were shot. (4 Oct 2015) < 200-a-16-(The Reverend Randy Scroggins, pastor of New Beginnings Church, in Sunday sermon)-“I don’t know (second reference)”-The Reverend Randy Scroggins, pastor of New Beginnings Church, says the shootings are hard to comprehend. (4 Oct 2015) < 201-a-08-(The Reverend Randy Scroggins, pastor of New Beginnings Church, in Sunday sermon)-“that controlled him”-The Reverend Randy Scroggins, pastor of New Beginnings Church, says he doesn’t hate the gunman. (4 Oct 2015) < VATICAN-FAMILY Pope asserts marriage is forever at start of family meeting VATICAN CITY (AP) β Pope Francis has opened a meeting of the world’s bishops on family issues by forcefully asserting that marriage is an indissoluble bond between man and woman. But he said the church doesn’t judge and must “seek out and care for hurting couples with the balm of acceptance and mercy.” Francis dove head-on into the most pressing issue confronting the meeting of 270 bishops during a solemn Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica: How to better minister to Catholic families experiencing separation, divorce and other problems when the church’s teaching holds that marriage is forever. One of the major debates at the synod is whether divorced and civilly remarried Catholics can receive Communion. A first meeting of bishops ended last October with no consensus on how to better welcome gays and divorced and civilly remarried Catholics in the church. Conservatives insisted that Catholic doctrine is clear and unchanging. Progressives acknowledged the doctrine but sought wiggle room in pastoral practice. In the ensuing 12 months, both sides have dug in and sparks are expected to fly in Round 2. Sound: 142-r-22-(Sound of Pope Francis, speaking in Italian, at a divisive meeting of the world’s bishops on family issues)–Sound of Pope Francis, speaking in Italian, at a divisive meeting of the world’s bishops on family issues, where he forcefully asserted that marriage is an indissoluble bond between man and woman. COURTESY: Vatican TV ((mandatory on-air credit)) (4 Oct 2015) < 141-r-13-(Sound of choir singing, as Pope Francis opened the Vatican Synod – a contentious meeting of 270 of the world’s bishops.)–Sound of choir singing as Pope Francis opened the Vatican Synod – a contentious meeting of 270 of the world’s bishops. COURTESY: Vatican TV ((mandatory on-air credit)) (4 Oct 2015) < VATICAN-GAY PRIEST Vatican fires gay priest on eve of synod VATICAN CITY (AP) β The Vatican has fired a monsignor who came out as gay on the eve of a big meeting of the world’s bishops to discuss Catholic outreach to gays, divorcees and more traditional Catholic families. The Vatican took action after Krzysztof Charamsa, a mid-level official in its doctrine office, came out in newspaper interviews in Italy and Poland saying he was happy and proud to be a gay priest, and that he was in love with a man whom he identified as his boyfriend. Vatican spokesman the Rev. Federico Lombard, said in a statement that Charamsa’s “pointed statement on the eve of the opening of the synod appears very serious and irresponsible, since it aims to subject the synod assembly to undue media pressure.” Lombardi said that as a result, Charamsa could no longer work at the Vatican or its pontifical universities. Despite his dismissal, Charamsa remains a priest, although Lombardi hinted that his superiors could take further action. PRIEST REMOVED-CHICAGO Chicago priest removed after ‘inappropriate relationship’ CHICAGO (AP) β The Archdiocese of Chicago says it has removed a Roman Catholic priest because of an “inappropriate relationship with an adult man.” A statement Sunday says the Rev. Marco Mercado was removed as rector of the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Des Plaines. The brief statement provided no details. 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