MIDEAST CHRISTMAS
Santa Claus gives away Christmas trees in Jerusalem
JERUSALEM (AP) β Santa Claus is coming to town, even in Jerusalem where Christians are a small minority.
As nearby Bethlehem prepares to celebrate the birth of Jesus, a red-suited Santa has spread holiday cheer at Jerusalem’s Jaffa Gate.
Embracing the role, Issa Qassassiyeh (EE’-sah kah-sah-SEE’-ah) stood atop the city wall on Monday, ringing a bell and shouting a jolly “ho ho ho.” He then joined nuns at the city gate distributing Christmas trees provided by the municipality of Jerusalem, and led tourists in singing “We Wish You a Merry Christmas.”
As Santa Claus, he wished “peace and health and safety for all around the world.”
Sound:
242-a-08-(Issa Qassassiyeh (EE’-sah kah-sah-SEE’-ah), dressed as Santa Claus, in AP interview)-“”ho ho ho””-Issa Qassassiyeh, dressed as Santa Claus, says he’s come to spread Christmas cheer. (22 Dec 2014)
< 243-r-10-(Issa Qassassiyeh (EE’-sah kah-sah-SEE’-ah), dressed as Santa Claus, with tourists)–Sound of Issa Qassassiyeh, dressed as Santa Claus, leading tourists in singing “We Wish You a Merry Christmas.” (22 Dec 2014) < 241-w-33-(Steve Coleman, AP religion editor, with Issa Qassassiyeh, dressed as Santa Claus)–Santa Claus is coming to town, even in Jerusalem where Christians are a small minority. AP Religion Editor Steve Coleman reports. (22 Dec 2014) < 244-r-15-(Issa Qassassiyeh (EE’-sah kah-sah-SEE’-ah), dressed as Santa Claus, ringing bell atop Jerusalem’s city wall)–Sound of Issa Qassassiyeh, dressed as Santa Claus,ringing bell atop Jerusalem’s city wall. (22 Dec 2014) < IRAQ-AMNESTY Iraqi Yazidi girls abducted by IS endured horror BAGHDAD (AP) β An international watchdog group says women and girls from Iraq’s Yazidi minority have endured horrors while held captive by Islamic State extremists. In a report issued Tuesday, the London-based Amnesty International says IS fighters took them as slaves when they captured their town in northern Iraq, then forcibly married, “sold” or gave them as “gifts” in August to militants or their supporters. Some committed suicide, fearing to be raped. The report was based on interviews with over 40 former captives. In their summer onslaught, the IS group targeted indigenous religious minorities across the country’s north, including Christians and followers of the Yazidi faith, forcing tens of thousands from their homes. The Yazidis are a centuries-old religious minority viewed as apostates by Islamic extremists in Iraq. INDIA-RELIGIOUS CONVERSION India lawmakers demand Modi speak on conversion to Hinduism NEW DELHI (AP) β Opposition lawmakers have thrown India’s Parliament into an uproar by charging that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has done little to stop hard-liners in his party from forcibly converting religious minorities to Hinduism. Right-wing Hindu groups allied to Modi’s ruling party have conducted a series of ceremonies across India over the past week to convert Christians and Muslims to Hinduism. Some of the Muslims have later complained that they changed their religion out of fear. India is largely Hindu, but has large Muslim and Christian minorities. Opposition lawmakers say Modi’s silence is damaging the secular nature of Indian society and the religious freedoms guaranteed by its Constitution. The upper house of Parliament was adjourned Monday after opposition lawmakers demanded the prime minister clarify his position on the conversions. VATICAN-REFORM Pope issues blistering critique of Vatican bureaucracy VATICAN CITY (AP) β Pope Francis has issued a blistering critique of the Vatican bureaucracy. He has denounced how some lust for power at the expense of others, live hypocritical double lives and suffer from “spiritual Alzheimer’s” that has made them forget they’re supposed to be joyful men of God. Francis’ Christmas greeting Monday to the cardinals, bishops and priests who run the Holy See was less a joyful exchange of holiday good wishes than a sobering catalog of what Francis called the “ailments of the Curia” that he hoped would be atoned for and cured. Francis has not shied from complaining about the gossiping, careerism and power intrigues that afflict the Vatican. But as his reform agenda gathers steam, he seems even more emboldened to highlight what ails the institution. Sound: 162-c-09-(Nicole Winfield, AP correspondent)-“of their hearts”-AP correspondent Nicole Winfield reports that the pope wants to see the Vatican bureaucracy spiritually cleansed. (22 Dec 2014) < 160-c-21-(Nicole Winfield, AP correspondent)-“to begin with”-AP correspondent Nicole Winfield reports that Pope Francis has issued a blistering critique of the Vatican bureaucracy — a critique that came during his seasonal greeting to cardinals, bishops and priests. ((note length)) (22 Dec 2014) < 163-r-18-(Sound of Pope Francis, in critical Christmas message to cardinals, bishops and priests)–Sound of the pope delivering a critique of the Vatican bureaucracy, saying any clergy who do not focus on the spiritual aspect of service to the Church will be little more than a dry, dead branch on a vine. (22 Dec 2014) < 161-c-19-(Nicole Winfield, AP correspondent)-“their future holds”-AP correspondent Nicole Winfield reports that the pope’s critique is not that surprising, given his commitment to wholesale reform. ((note length)) (22 Dec 2014) < 164-r-29-(Sound of Pope Francis, in critical Christmas message to cardinals, bishops and priests)–Sound of the pope criticizing what he describes as the illnesses of Vatican administration, including gossip and the lust for power. (22 Dec 2014) < AP POLL-SEASON’S GREETING Poll: Cards, gifts cross religious lines WASHINGTON (AP) β Christmastime is here. And a new poll reveals the cards and gifts that are part of celebrating the holiday aren’t just exchanged among those who share the Christian beliefs behind the story of the Magi who gave the first Christmas gifts According to the Associated Press-GfK poll, 77 percent of Americans plan to exchange gifts this holiday season and 48 percent will send greeting cards. The gift-giving set includes about 8 in 10 Christians and 73 percent of those who say they have no religious beliefs. Greeting cards also cross denominational lines, with 53 percent of Protestants, 55 percent of Catholics and 40 percent of those without religious beliefs saying they will send cards this year. But the poll finds that older Americans and those who are married are more likely to send holiday cards. Sound: 224-v-30-(Steve Coleman, AP religion editor)–Christmastime is here, and a new poll finds that many non-Christian Americans are exchanging holiday cards and gifts. AP Religion Editor Steve Coleman reports. (22 Dec 2014) < 225-c-23-(Steve Coleman, AP religion editor)-“of unmarried men”-AP Religion Editor Steve Coleman reports that older Americans and those who are married are more likely to send holiday cards. (22 Dec 2014) < CHURCH DEBT FORGIVEN $93,000 debt owed by Saginaw church is forgiven SAGINAW, Mich. (AP) β The congregation at Christ Image Community Church in Saginaw, Michigan, has another reason to celebrate this holiday season after a $93,000 debt was forgiven. The Rev. Eugene Burton and his wife, the Rev. Melissa Burton, entered into a $125,000 land contract with the Episcopal Diocese of Eastern Michigan in 2010 to purchase a building that formerly housed Calvary Memorial Episcopal Church for their independent congregation. The Saginaw News reports that a payment of $93,000 was coming due on the building in 2015. But Bishop Todd Ousley of the Episcopal Diocese of Eastern Michigan says the Burtons and Christ Image Community Church will own the building outright within the next month. Eugene Burton says he was “in tears, just thanking God” after learning this month that the debt was being forgiven. THE GIFT OF GIVING Church members each get $500 to do good for world CHICAGO (AP) β Chicago Pastor Laura Truax says her congregation is doing just what she hoped when she handed out checks in September. On a very memorable Sunday, Truax announced that LaSalle Street Church had received $1.6 million from a real estate deal, so $160,000 β a typical 10 percent tithe β would be divided among some 320 regular attendees. Each would get a $500 check to do something positive. LaSalle, a non-denominational church, has long been involved in social causes, from feeding homeless families to buying an ambulance for a medical clinic in Niger. Not surprisingly, many donations will reach far-flung places, including a school in the Himalayas and an irrigation project in Tanzania. Closer to home, some checks are going to families and friends in financial trouble. Truax says the checks have helped church members see “the power they had to bless others and change somebody’s life.” FLORIDA-SATANIST DISPLAY Florida Capitol gets Satanic Temple display TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) β The Satanic Temple has set up a holiday display in the Florida Capitol’s rotunda. The diorama showing an angel falling into a pit of fire went on public display Monday. Writing across the top says, “Happy Holidays from the Satanic Temple.” Groups in recent years have been allowed to put up displays β initially religious in nature β in the Statehouse rotunda because the area is considered to be a public forum. Non-religious groups responded with displays that included a Festivus pole β based on the TV series “Seinfeld” β made of beer cans and a depiction of the Flying Spaghetti Monster. The Department of Management Services rejected the Satanic Temple’s display last year, saying it was “grossly offensive.” The state allowed the display this year, following threats of legal action from the non-partisan group Americans United for Separation of Church and State. ISLAMIC CENTER-ST CLOUD St. Cloud faith leaders support Muslim community ST. CLOUD, Minn. (AP) β Religious leaders in St. Cloud, Minnesota, are standing with local Muslims whose mosque was damaged by vandals four times in one month. The St. Cloud Times reports that faith leaders met Sunday at the Central Minnesota Islamic Center to discuss the issue and see the damage. St. Cloud police are still investigating and patrols have been increased. The vandalism has included broken windows on the center and vehicles. In one incident, a window was shot 10 times with a pellet gun. Center spokesman Mohamoud Mohamed says he doesn’t understand why someone would target a building meant for peace. The Rev. Randy Johnson is associate pastor at First United Methodist Church. He says a small minority is causing the damage, and those voices don’t speak for the community. GERMANY-REMARRIED CATHOLICS German bishops signal opening for some divorcees BERLIN (AP) β The head of the German Bishops’ Conference says German bishops support allowing divorced and civilly remarried Catholics to receive communion “under certain conditions.” Church teaching holds that, without an annulment of the first marriage, such Catholics are living in sin and thus ineligible to receive communion. Pope Francis has sought to end what he calls “de facto excommunication” for those Catholics, but conservative bishops oppose change. Cardinal Reinhard Marx, the head of the German Bishops’ Conference, said in a statement issued Monday that the German bishops favor “differentiated solutions that do justice to the individual case and under certain conditions allow admission to the sacraments.” Marx has previously signaled personal support for an opening but the statement is significant in throwing the weight of his country’s bishops behind change. POLAND-CHURCH-ABUSE Poland suspends abuse probe of Vatican ex-envoy WARSAW, Poland (AP) β A prosecutor says that Poland has suspended an investigation into the alleged sexual abuse of minors in the Dominican Republic by a Polish-born former Vatican ambassador due to a lack of evidence. A spokesman for Warsaw’s regional prosecutor’s office says Dominican investigators have not provided any documents or evidence concerning the allegations against Jozef Wesolowski, making it impossible to proceed. Last summer the Vatican stripped its ex-ambassador Wesolowski of his diplomatic immunity and expelled him from the priesthood after a Vatican canon law tribunal found him guilty of sexually abusing young boys in the Dominican Republic. Wesolowski is in confinement in Vatican City, facing charges from a criminal tribunal there.
