si Crashing Economy, Rising Stocks: What’s Going On? By www.nytimes.com Published On :: Thu, 30 Apr 2020 21:26:14 GMT What’s bad for America is sometimes good for the market. Full Article
si 16" MacBook Pro deals: save up to $450 on every single model with coupon By appleinsider.com Published On :: Thu, 07 May 2020 08:30:00 -0400 AppleInsider has rounded up the best 16-inch MacBook Pro deals going on right now, with coupon savings knocking up to $450 off every single model. Whether you're in the market for a standard config or looking for a loaded Core i9 model, it pays to check out the cash discounts. Full Article
si 'Scoob!' coming to iTunes on May 15, bypassing theaters and rental windows entirely By appleinsider.com Published On :: Thu, 07 May 2020 11:35:00 -0400 Instead of a theater release in May, or a digital rental period, Warner Brothers will release their new movie 'Scoob!' on iTunes for a $25 one-time purchase. Full Article iTunes
si Samsung to launch 'innovative' physical debit card this summer By appleinsider.com Published On :: Thu, 07 May 2020 19:21:07 -0400 Following in the footsteps of Apple Card, and in the shadow of a rumored debit card solution from Google, Samsung on Thursday announced plans to field a physical debit card product in partnership with finance company SoFi. Full Article
si 13-inch MacBook Pro refreshed, WWDC date announced, and HomeKit device roundup on the AppleInsider Podcast By appleinsider.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 08:00:08 -0400 Apple has refreshed the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Magic Keyboard, the start of Apple's online WWDC has been announced, the iPad Pro Smart Keyboard gets a teardown, and your hosts provide a massive roundup of HomeKit and smart home devices. Full Article iPad/Tips
si Apple diversifying AirPods supply chain, potentially pushing refresh back By appleinsider.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 11:05:51 -0400 Apple is shifting a substantial portion of its current AirPods production from China to Vietnam, and appears to be considering a release schedule later than previously predicted for an AirPods refresh. Full Article
si Best iTunes movie and television deals for Mother's Day weekend By appleinsider.com Published On :: Sat, 09 May 2020 08:00:41 -0400 Apple frequently places movies on sale, and this week is no exception. Here's the latest batch of movies that you can get on the cheap for this Mother's Day weekend. Full Article iTunes
si Small visit - big help! By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Wed, 28 Aug 2013 08:55:12 +0000 She only came for a week, but impacted lives of several families with children with autism. Isabel Black shares about her experiences in Montenegro. Full Article
si Creative blessings By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Fri, 08 Jun 2018 20:16:26 +0000 Even if things don't go quite to plan, the kids' craft sessions at OM Montenegro's Lighthouse centre result in wonderful presents for families. Full Article
si Cincinnati auxiliary bishop resigns after failing to act on allegations By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 07 May 2020 07:55:00 -0600 Washington, D.C. Newsroom, May 7, 2020 / 07:55 am (CNA).- Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of Bishop Joseph Binzer, Cincinnati's auxiliary bishop, who was accused in August of failing to act on allegations made against a priest. A statement from the Holy See press office May 7 said the pope had accepted the 65-year-old bishop’s resignation but gave no reason for the decision. In a statement released by the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Archbishop Dennis Schnurr said the pope accepted Binzer’s resignation after conversations between the bishop and the Holy See. The archdiocese also included a brief statement from Binzer in which he said he was “deeply sorry for my role in addressing the concerns raised about Father Drew, which has had a negative impact on the trust and faith of the people of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati.” “In April, having studied this matter since last summer, the Holy See informed me that it agreed with this assessment. As a result, and after much prayer and reflection, I offered my resignation from the Office of Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati,” said Binzer. ”I believe this to be in the best interest of the archdiocese.” Archbishop Schnurr said that although retired, Binzer will continue to serve in the archdiocese with the title of “Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus.” “What exactly that ministry will look like will be determined after discussions between Bishop Binzer, the Priest Personnel Board, and me,” Schnurr said. “In this difficult and unfortunate time, please keep Bishop Binzer and all the people of the archdiocese in your prayers.” Archbishop Schnurr removed Binzer from his position as head of priest personnel in August, after CNA presented officials with its investigation into claims that Binzer failed to pass on reports that a priest had engaged in inappropriate behavior with teenage boys. In August last year, Schnurr told CNA that “We obviously made serious mistakes in our handling of this matter, for which we are very sorry.” While Schnurr’s public comments did not address Binzer’s role directly, senior sources in the archdiocese told CNA in August that Schnurr had “gone nuclear” when he discovered the situation. “The archbishop was as mad as I have ever seen him. When he was told that Bishop Binzer had withheld information, well, he used words I have never heard him use before,” one senior source told CNA, saying Schnurr called Binzer’s actions a “firestorm” for the archdiocese. In September, 2019, an archdiocesan spokesperson told CNA that Schnurr had sent a "full report to Rome on the whole case and he is waiting for the Vatican’s response,” and he expected "a full investigation” to be conducted by the Vatican. Binzer later resigned as a member of the U.S. bishops’ conference committee for the protection of children and young people, on which he represented Region VI. CNA reported in August last year that Binzer was told in 2013 about allegations concerning a recently suspended priest, Fr. Geoff Drew, and failed to disclose them to Cincinnati Archbishop Dennis Schnurr and other archdiocesan officials. While the archdiocesan victims’ assistance coordinator, who reported to Binzer, was aware of the allegation, the information was not made known to the diocesan priest personnel board or Archbishop Schnurr. In 2015, similar allegations were again made against Drew. The matter was forwarded to Butler County officials, who determined that the activity was not criminal. Again, Binzer reported neither the complaints nor the investigation to the archbishop or informed the priest personnel board. Sources in the archdiocesan chancery told CNA in August that Binzer met with Drew twice, was assured by him that he would reform his conduct, and considered this sufficient. In early 2018, Drew applied for a transfer to St. Ignatius of Loyola Parish in Green Township, which is attached to the largest Catholic school in the archdiocese. As head of priest personnel, Binzer was in charge of the process that considers requests and proposals for reassignment, in conjunction with the priest personnel board. Neither the board nor the archbishop were made aware of the multiple complaints against Drew, and the transfer was approved. The allegations were also reportedly not recorded by Binzer in the priest’s personnel file that would have been available to the archdiocesan personnel board as part of the process. A month after Drew’s arrival at St. Ignatius, a parishioner at Drew’s former parish resubmitted the 2015 complaints about the priest, but this time it was also brought to the attention of Archbishop Schnurr. Also in 2018, Binzer received an additional complaint of similarly inappropriate contact by Drew, dating to his time as a high school music teacher, before his ordination as a priest. Following a diocesan investigation, Drew was ordered to attend counselling with a psychologist. On July 23, Drew was removed from ministry, when it emerged that he had sent a series of inappropriate text messages to a 17-year-old. Chancery sources told CNA in August that it was only after the recent incident at St. Ignatius that archdiocesan officials discovered that the otherwise undisclosed complaints about Drew had been made to Binzer, and that the auxiliary bishop had failed to report them to other diocesan officials, or raise them during the decision to approve his transfer in 2018. Full Article US
si Senior nurse says prayer life is essential during COVID-19 crisis By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 07 May 2020 10:48:00 -0600 Washington, D.C. Newsroom, May 7, 2020 / 10:48 am (CNA).- A Catholic nurse said the coronavirus pandemic has presented challenges she has never encountered before—and that a prayer life is critical to get her through her shift. “If I don’t have my faith in me, I cannot give what I don’t have,” said Maria Arvonio, a registered nurse for almost 40 years and a board member of the National Association of Catholic Nurses. As the current night shift supervisor at Virtua Willingboro Medical Center in southern New Jersey—a COVID-19 “hot spot,” she says—Arvonio told CNA she and her colleagues were facing a new kind of disease. Over the decades she has had experience treating previous diseases including the AIDS epidemic, before which nurses didn’t wear gloves. “I’m still standing—that is God,” she said. Yet the new coronavirus pandemic is something unprecedented, she admitted. “It’s different in that it appears that no matter what we’re doing, it seems to just multiply,” she said. As she treats COVID-19 patients, Arvonio told CNA that she leans on her prayer life to lead the team of nurses at the hospital. “I cannot help those other nurses stand strong, if they look at me and I look afraid. Why would they want us to continue to work? I cannot show fear,” she said. “I start my job with prayer. Before I even go into the workplace, I’ve already been either doing the rosary with someone, praying ‘Jesus, come and seal me in your most Precious Blood, Blessed Mother help me,’” Arvonio said. Arvonio was one of several nurses to appear at the White House on Wednesday for National Nurses Day, and told President Trump of her experience treating patients in a COVID-19 “hot zone.” New Jersey has been one of the hardest-hit states by the virus, with nearly 132,000 confirmed cases and more than 8,500 deaths. Treating the person, and not just the sickness, is part of the mission of nurses, she said at the event. “It’s not just our science, it’s our compassion.” In an interview with CNA after her White House appearance, Arvonio said she pressed an official close to the President on the need for the administration to push for more access to COVID patients by hospital chaplains. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control has reportedly been working on guidelines for restarting religious services as states begin to loosen stay-at-home restrictions. CNA reported that on April 28 and 29, officials from the White House domestic policy council and the CDC had discussed the matter with four Catholic bishops who are resuming public Masses. New Jersey, Arvonio said, has allowed golf courses and liquor stores to be open, but Catholics do not have public Mass. “That’s a problem,” she said. The spiritual needs of the COVID-19 patients are just as real as their physical needs, she said. As a board member of the National Association of Catholic Nurses, U.S.A., Arvonio says that organization’s mission is critical now more than ever, to emphasize caring for the spiritual needs of patients. In the case of one patient who was heading to hospice, a priest could only talk to her remotely, on Zoom. “She was in tears, an elderly woman worried to leave on hospice because her priest wasn’t there to give her the last rites. This is wrong! This is our right as a Catholic!” Arvonio said. For some hospitals, chaplains cannot administer the sacramental anointing because of a shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) available for them. Yet, Arvonio said, she has seen staff wearing PPE in situations where it’s not necessary. “Look at how we’re using our equipment and give it to the essential personnel, which is the priest,” she said. “We need him in the hospital more than ever.” “We need to start thinking about getting the spiritual care back to these patients. They need their priests, they need their pastor.” She has started making care packages for patients to provide something tangible in the absence of the sacraments; for one patient she assembled a care bag with holy water, blessed oil, and plastic rosaries. “I said ‘he’s not alone. God always has somebody for every person,” she said. Full Article US
si Catholic teen seeks to inspire neighborhood with Marian sidewalk art By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 07 May 2020 18:01:00 -0600 Denver Newsroom, May 7, 2020 / 06:01 pm (CNA).- A young Catholic artist has drawn an image of the Blessed Virgin Mary on her parents' driveway bringing religious art to her local community during the quarantine. The Diocese of Fargo posted on Facebook May 4 an image of Our Lady of Lourdes drawn by Maria Loh, a 17-year old who grew up in Fargo. She said it was an enjoyable experience to share her faith and art with her neighborhood. “Being able to interact with people when they walked by was very moving in a way because a lot of people have never really seen sidewalk art done like that locally. So being able to share in that kind of experience, it was very, very good,” she told CNA. Loh has recently been inspired by chalk art and pastels, which, she said, have vibrant and beautiful colors. She has drawn on the sidewalks a few times, including two images of Mary - Madonna of the Lillies and the Pieta by William Adolphe-Bouguereau. Her most recent chalk drawing was Our Lady of Lourdes by Hector Garrido - an image she had seen as a magnet on her grandparents' refrigerator growing up. The picture has always been an inspiration, she said, noting that she decided to replicate it after Our Lady of Lourdes Shrine in France had temporarily closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. “I heard that the shrine had been temporarily closed off to the public, and I remember … thinking that's really sad because especially in this time, we’re really looking for healing in more ways than one, like physically and mentally and spiritually,” she said. “It really felt like people wouldn't be able to go to experience that. So I felt like drawing this image of Our Lady of Lourdes would be a good way to remind people that Our Lady is still with us even if we can’t go to her shrine.” Loh, the oldest of five, has been involved with art projects and drawing for her entire life. She said, growing up in a Catholic family, she has been inspired by her faith and the religious art in churches. “I see our faith as so precious... Especially in the form of the Eucharist - the actual body and blood of Christ, I've seen that we are very blessed to have that in our faith. It's something that has impacted a lot of my life growing up,” she said. While she was working on the piece, Loh said, a majority of passersby did not know who the lady in the image was. She expressed hope that the picture would help remind people of Mary and the beauty of the Church, which, she said, is a powerful attraction to the faith. “One thing that I hope this kind of art and image will evoke is a desire to come to know who Mary is and how rich our faith is. … All the beautiful art that can be seen in Catholic churches, especially like in Rome, there's almost a transcendental beauty to them that draws people into the faith to come to know things that they've never dreamed of before,” she said. As Loh finishes her junior year of high school, she expressed the possibility of art school after graduation, but, while she is still uncertain of the future, said art will not be dropped anytime soon. “I can definitely see [art school] being a possibility. I’ll have to spend some time, especially with God trying to figure out what he wants me to do. But, I don't think art is going out of my life anytime soon,” she said. Full Article US
si What Catholic business ethics brings to the coronavirus crisis By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 07 May 2020 20:19:00 -0600 Denver Newsroom, May 7, 2020 / 08:19 pm (CNA).- A Christian ethic of service and solidarity must be an important feature of the business response to the coronavirus epidemic and its economic impact, Catholic business educators have said. For Karel Sovak, associate professor in the University of Mary’s Gary Tharaldson School of Business, two of the biggest skills that business can bring to recovery efforts are self-awareness and empathy. “A business needs to help the community identify who they are, which may have been lost during this time of stay at home,” he told CNA. “Businesses need to help communities focus on what makes it viable in the first place, which are the people. Business can be used as a force for good only if they understand what that ‘good’ means. Being aware of those strengths can help transform a community as they seek to overcome any devastating tragedy, natural or otherwise.” He cited the symbolic unity and mutual support shown by individuals and businesses, whether by showing hearts in windows, purchasing gift cards for businesses, or taking meals to essential personnel. Over 75,000 deaths are attributed to Covid-19 in the U.S., with over 1.25 million confirmed cases, John Hopkins University said Thursday. Efforts to prevent the spread of infection led to public officials’ orders to close businesses, with the exception of some businesses deemed essential services. Millions of people have been left unemployed due to the closures, while those with essential jobs worry that their places of employment are newly dangerous. Sovak emphasized the importance of trust as a business skill, but noted that low trust and polarization were problems even before the epidemic. Community is about bringing people into communion, and business has a role to play in that community building. “Business can reassure families, non-profits and churches that they are there for them. Solidarity is the word that comes to mind when determining how to establish trust,” he said. The social and spiritual nature of the human being means people will need to come together once again “to use the gifts God gave to each person to meet the needs of others.” Laura Munoz, associate professor of marketing at the University of Dallas’ Satish and Yasmin Gupta College of Business, said her business school emphasizes both a skill-based and a virtue-based education that can help respond to the crisis. Business professors aim to help students become resilient and adaptable. They must become critical thinkers “aware of multiple stakeholder perceptions in an ethical way,” she told CNA. These skills can also help in the service of others, as in the case of a business student who used her business skills to fund raise for an Argentine orphanage on social media. “Yes, skills are needed but they cannot come if the ‘business person’ is not aware of the needs of the environment and does not have love, charity, for others,” said Munoz. “Businesses that acknowledge that serving a community is give and take, not just take, will probably receive more community support as well.” For Sovak, Catholic business education focuses on virtues, “servant-leadership,” and upholding the tenets of Catholic social teaching. “There is no proof that any instruction can adequately prepare anyone, let alone young minds, for such a large-scale disruption as this pandemic has caused,” he said. However, teaching students the cardinal virtues of prudence, courage, justice and temperance is a good path in both strong economies and in economic downturns. Such an education helps students “to understand that life is not about them; it is about serving others who are in need, which is what we are called to do.” Students should be prepared “to recognize their vocation is more than a job and they are called to greatness, ‘magnanimity,’ especially in dire times.” This helps them to “focus less on self and more on the situation at hand” and to bring about “true humility.” This path helps students be optimistic and trusting in innovative ways and help contribute to solutions “Life is full of disruptions, simply because we can’t predict the future,” Jay Wesley Richards, assistant research professor at the Catholic University of America’s Busch School of Business, told CNA. “I think two of the most important business skills are simply virtues. One is courage—which means you’ll act even if you might fail. The other is resilience or anti-fragility—which means you learn from disruption and failure. The pandemic, and more precisely, the shutdown in response to it, is a historic and massive disruption. But disruption itself is part of life.” Richards said one of his classes this semester had been discussing looming disruptions from technology and “the need to develop virtues and skills that humans will always do better than machines.” “The discussion was mostly abstract until spring break, when the semester itself was disrupted by the pandemic shutdown, and we had to move online,” he said. “Suddenly, we were using disruptive (if imperfect) video-conferencing technology! At that point, students started asking more questions about disruption in the economy.” Economic downturns in the business cycle are a standard topic in business education. Munoz said a pandemic is one of many possibilities taught through case studies, role playing, business planning, and discussions. “We focus on going beyond a disruption and thinking ‘so what? How do we continue?’” “Instead of the business coming to a stop, we think: ‘and what else can we do? How else can we do it?’” she said. Michael Welker, an economics professor at Franciscan University of Steubenville, reflected on the need for creativity given the conditions of a pandemic event. “Such an event, in our lifetimes, is one that is unprecedented, complex, and so widespread, that there is a need for courage, openness to failure, iteration of ideas and experiments, and a need for management decisions to frame their enterprise cultures to engender this powerful way that human beings image the Creator,” Welker said. Efforts to re-open businesses and other social venues, including places of worship, have come to be the focus of debate, planning, and activity. Welker said the focus on “restarting the economy” means a focus on “a critical aspect of human life--a prudent and wise engagement with the world in many dimensions.” These dimensions include work, leisure, community, worship, and recreation. He suggested any approach to “restarting” the economy should take place in a context that recognizes “the great dignity of work” with the added sense of “the essential things, which are beyond just ‘making a living’.” “This disruption has brought much multi-dimensional damage to people,” he said. “I believe authorities are attempting to walk the fine line between a serious and known risk and the need to get people into ‘normal’ living and acting, with the heightened concerns for safety and health.” Sovak said that while there was indeed economic disruption, in part the economy “never really stopped.” Consumers continued to purchase, many people found different ways to trade, and the government infused additional money seeking a positive impact. “If we are discussing how to get people back into the mix of work, travel, or play, again, much of that never stopped with work at home, it just got more creative,” he said. At the same time, Sovak said that a too cautious approach to re-opening business will mean many businesses close, unable to adapt to the coronavirus epidemic. There is also another risk. “The risk of being too reckless means this thing (the epidemic) will come back around in a couple of months and bring about an even more devastating grind to the economy,” he added. “Again, the virtue of prudence comes to mind on how to tell what the times call for.” “This isn’t a one-size fits all solution – what is controllable and what is predictable will be two ways to view the danger,” Sovak continued. “How much certainty does one have in the situation? The more certainty there is, the less risk and easier the decision that can be made.” Richards similarly said there is no one right answer for a business response. “Every business will have specific, even unique challenges, depending on where it is and what it does,” he said. “But the same general rules apply for businesses as for everyone else: Treat every person with respect and dignity, and that includes employees and customers.” “It’s a serious mistake to present the current debate as if it were between the ‘economy’ on one side, and ‘lives’ on the other,” Richards said. “We should care about the economy precisely because we care about human lives and well-being. Really families, real companies, employers, and employees. Real lives.” Richards cited the massive unemployment in recent weeks. The unemployment rate was at an historic low of 3.5% in February. Since mid-March, 33.3 million people have filed unemployment claims, making the unemployment rate higher than 20%, BBC News reports. “There’s no such thing as a zero-risk option this side of the kingdom of God,” Richards continued. “Any challenge, like the coronavirus, involves a multi-side risk: Lives were at stake no matter what path we took,” he said. “The path of wisdom lies in understanding what the real risks are, and how likely various outcomes are. Only then do we have much chance of responding so that the benefits are greater than the costs.” In the coronavirus epidemic, policymakers face the challenge of making “far-reaching decisions without having very good information to work with.” “A response that puts 30 million people out of work isn’t just an economic inconvenience. It leads, and will lead, to loss of life and well-being,” said Richards. “The president understood this from the beginning. This is why he worried on Twitter that the ‘cure’ not be worse than the ‘disease’.” “The question we will be asking for the next several years is this: Did the government response, and in particular, the shutdown of businesses and shelter-in-place orders for healthy people, save more lives than, in the long run, it will have cost?” Sovak told CNA there are signs that tell whether a business mentality is dominating a discussion or or being neglected. When there is “negativity, pessimism or placing blame,” a conversation is likely headed in a wrong direction, whether a business community is being criticized or is offering criticism. “Business certainly can’t solve every issue or does it have all the answers; however, there can be many benefits in taking a business approach to address any situation,” he said. At the same time, a business analysis may not appeal to many, given the human cost. “People are acting on emotion more today than facts and reason. Thirty million people are unemployed – putting a business touch on that doesn’t help that situation,” Sovak said. “Supply and demand means prices will rise, and inflation will come about but that doesn’t mean we have to bring that approach into the conversation when many people’s lives have been disrupted both financially and health-wise. This is where empathy has to come into play.” Full Article US
si Andrew Walther appointed president of EWTN News By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 06:00:00 -0600 CNA Staff, May 8, 2020 / 06:00 am (CNA).- EWTN Global Catholic Network, the world’s largest Catholic media organization, announced Friday that Andrew Walther – an experienced Catholic journalist, media executive, and advocate for persecuted Christians – has been named president and chief operating officer of EWTN News, Inc. The appointment is effective June 1. Walther began his Catholic media career as a journalist writing for the National Catholic Register two decades ago. Most recently he has served as vice president for communications and strategic planning at the Knights of Columbus. In his role as president of the news division, Walther will oversee EWTN’s vast news media platforms, which create content in English, Spanish, German, French, Portuguese and Italian. Its holdings include Catholic News Agency, the National Catholic Register, the ACI Group, ChurchPop and EWTN’s lineup of television and radio news programming. “As well as being an accomplished Catholic journalist and media executive, Andrew Walther brings to this role unique expertise in the global Church,” said EWTN Chairman and CEO Michael P. Warsaw. “His leadership experience with a global Catholic communications and media operation – and his previous work with the National Catholic Register and EWTN News Nightly – gives him the added advantage of already knowing the Catholic media world and many of the people within the EWTN family. We look forward to having him lead and strengthen our news division,” Warsaw said. Since 2005, Walther has worked in senior roles at the Knights of Columbus. During his tenure at the Knights, Walther helped launch the organization’s modern communications department, overseeing work with Catholic and secular media outlets, the launch of social media channels and video production, and the organization’s global media work, especially in Europe and the Middle East. He was also heavily involved in the organization’s charitable work and disaster relief initiatives. Walther also organized and led the Knights’ work on behalf of persecuted Christians in the Middle East, traveling to Iraq several times and successfully leading a public effort to have ISIS’ campaign of persecution declared a genocide by Secretary of State John Kerry. His advocacy for persecuted Christians and other religious minorities in the Middle East helped shape policy in both the Obama and Trump administrations, and he also helped play a role in forging a bipartisan legislative consensus on behalf of persecuted Christians and other victims of ISIS in the Middle East. Walther’s efforts included working with other governments and the UN as well as with Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, Jewish and Muslim leaders to end violence and persecution and bring relief to persecuted Christian communities. “Andrew Walther has been a good friend and a trusted colleague for many years,” said Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles, who is president of the U.S bishop’s conference and a longtime member of EWTN’s board of governors. “Andrew is one of the Church’s finest strategic thinkers and a highly respected advocate for international religious liberty. All of this will serve him well as head of the world’s largest Catholic news organization. I wish him great success.” While working closely over the years with many bishops, dioceses and Catholic organizations in North America, Walther also worked closely with the Vatican on several projects under both Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. “Mother Angelica created a network dedicated to ‘the advancement of truth’ and Catholic news is a vital part of this mission,” Walther said Friday. “I look forward to working with the talented and dedicated team of journalists at EWTN News to provide news from a Catholic perspective and to highlight important stories that might otherwise be overlooked.” In addition to his roles in media and religious freedom advocacy, Walther also oversaw the Knights’ polling and book publishing operations, which included several New York Times bestsellers. Together with his wife, Maureen, he co-authored “The Knights of Columbus: An Illustrated History,” a book released this year. Full Article US
si Designing and Troubleshooting Immunopanning Protocols for Purifying Neural Cells By cshprotocols.cshlp.org Published On :: 2014-12-01T06:30:39-08:00 Purifying and culturing cells from the central nervous system (CNS) has proved to be an incredibly powerful tool for dissecting fundamental neuron and glial properties, and especially powerful in understanding neuronal–glial interactions. In a series of detailed protocols, we have provided step-by-step instructions for purifying and culturing specific types of neurons, glia, and vascular cells from the CNS by immunopanning. This article discusses common pitfalls and errors as well as important design considerations for the immunopanning procedure. Full Article
si The Impact of Image Quality on SOLIDWORKS Performance and File Size By blogs.solidworks.com Published On :: Mon, 30 Dec 2019 16:00:32 +0000 SOLIDWORKS Image Quality settings have the biggest impact on file size and system performance. We always assumed that it would have an impact on overall performance also. The effect varies widely across different files, so we decided to do SOLIDWORKS Author information EGS India Managing Director at EGS Computers India Private Limited E G S Computers India Private Limited, since 1993, has been in the forefront of delivering solutions to customers in the areas of Product Design and Development with SOLIDWORKS 3D CAD,Remaining Life Calculations, Validation using Finite Element Analysis, Customization of Engineering activities and Training in advanced engineering functions relating to design and development. EGS India - Authorized Reseller for SOLIDWORKS Solutions in India - Chennai, Coimbatore, Trichy, Madurai - Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry. For any queries on SOLIDWORKS Solutions contact @ 9445424704 | mktg@egs.co.in | Website - www.egsindia.com The post The Impact of Image Quality on SOLIDWORKS Performance and File Size appeared first on SOLIDWORKS Tech Blog. Full Article 3D Printing Design SOLIDWORKS SOLIDWORKS 2020 Tips & Tricks engineering manufacturing Mechanical Industry SOLIDWORKS File Size SOLIDWORKS Image Quality solidworks performance solidworks tips and tricks Tessellation Setting
si DraftSight 2019 – new, better … and not free to use anymore 2D CAD – but it’s still worth it! By blogs.solidworks.com Published On :: Thu, 02 Jan 2020 16:00:16 +0000 2D design Despite the great popularity of spatial design programs and their unquestioned advantages, 2D design programs such as AutoCAD are still very popular and useful. One of such programs is DraftSight, which over the years has become very recognizable Author information SOLIDEXPERT SOLIDEXPERT is an Authorised SOLIDWORKS Reseller in Poland that was established in 2002 in Cracow. During this time the company put much pressure on technical skills of it’s team. This help to build a good connection between SOLIDEXPERT and Customers, trust and confidence in the support and consulting that provides. The post DraftSight 2019 – new, better … and not free to use anymore 2D CAD – but it’s still worth it! appeared first on SOLIDWORKS Tech Blog. Full Article DraftSight
si Efficient Simulation Workflows By blogs.solidworks.com Published On :: Tue, 07 Jan 2020 16:00:00 +0000 SOLIDWORKS 2020 continues our mission of delivering powerful Simulation Capabilities with enhancements that provide increased power, more realistic simulations, and more efficient workflows. When running simulation on Weldment Structures, beam elements are typically used since they are fast to setup Author information Andrew Gross Andrew is a Senior Territory Technical Manager at SOLIDWORKS, and lives in Los Angeles, CA. He has years of experience working with resellers and customers, and has a strong background in Engineering Simulation and Design Validation. More recently, Andrew has expanded his interest and passion into Industrial Design. Andrew holds a Master’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from UCLA. The post Efficient Simulation Workflows appeared first on SOLIDWORKS Tech Blog. Full Article SOLIDWORKS 2020 SOLIDWORKS Flow Simulation enhancements Flow simulation sw 2020
si Creating Your Own Sky for VR Mode in eDrawings Professional 2020 using SOLIDWORKS Visualize By blogs.solidworks.com Published On :: Wed, 08 Jan 2020 16:00:34 +0000 eDrawings Pro 2020 now supports choosing your own 360˚ images as your custom environment in VR! This blog post will help walk you through the process of creating a 360˚ equirectangular image in SOLIDWORKS Visualize and adding it to your Virtual Reality scene in eDrawings Pro 2020. Author information Yun Li Yun Li is a User Experience Design Engineer at SOLIDWORKS. She is always excited to hear from users and learn more about them. She specializes in designing and prototyping for interesting emerging technologies such as Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality. The post Creating Your Own Sky for VR Mode in eDrawings Professional 2020 using SOLIDWORKS Visualize appeared first on SOLIDWORKS Tech Blog. Full Article Extended Reality (AR/VR) PhotoView 360 SOLIDWORKS 2019 SOLIDWORKS Visualize tech tip visualize VR
si Introduction to SOLIDWORKS Simulation – Finite Element Analysis By blogs.solidworks.com Published On :: Thu, 09 Jan 2020 16:00:30 +0000 Have you ever been interested in SOLIDWORKS Simulation but didn’t know where to start? With such a wide variety of design analysis solutions, Simulation can be an intimidating product for someone newer to the SOLIDWORKS suite of products. Well we Author information Alignex, Inc. Alignex, Inc. is the premier provider of SOLIDWORKS software and partner products to the mechanical engineering industry in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Colorado, Wyoming and Illinois. With more than 25 years of technical experience, Alignex offers consulting services, training and support for SOLIDWORKS as well as support for partner products. For more information, visit alignex.com. The post Introduction to SOLIDWORKS Simulation – Finite Element Analysis appeared first on SOLIDWORKS Tech Blog. Full Article SOLIDWORKS Simulation Simulation
si SOLIDWORKS Solution for Complex Structure Design By blogs.solidworks.com Published On :: Mon, 20 Jan 2020 16:00:18 +0000 Structure System Solidworks The term structural system or structural frame in structural engineering refers to the load-resisting sub-system of a building or object that transfers loads through interconnected elements or members. In SOLIDWORKS 2020, the structure system feature is an advanced Author information EGS India Managing Director at EGS Computers India Private Limited E G S Computers India Private Limited, since 1993, has been in the forefront of delivering solutions to customers in the areas of Product Design and Development with SOLIDWORKS 3D CAD,Remaining Life Calculations, Validation using Finite Element Analysis, Customization of Engineering activities and Training in advanced engineering functions relating to design and development. EGS India - Authorized Reseller for SOLIDWORKS Solutions in India - Chennai, Coimbatore, Trichy, Madurai - Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry. For any queries on SOLIDWORKS Solutions contact @ 9445424704 | mktg@egs.co.in | Website - www.egsindia.com The post SOLIDWORKS Solution for Complex Structure Design appeared first on SOLIDWORKS Tech Blog. Full Article Design SOLIDWORKS SOLIDWORKS 2020 Technical Communication Tips & Tricks Complex Structure Design solidworks 2020 SOLIDWORKS Solution Structure Design
si SOLIDWORKS Tech Tip – Using Cut Planes By blogs.solidworks.com Published On :: Tue, 21 Jan 2020 16:00:00 +0000 Learn how to use Cut Planes to slice and dice your geometry. Author information SOLIDWORKS Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corp. offers complete 3D software tools that let you create, simulate, publish, and manage your data. SolidWorks products are easy to learn and use, and work together to help you design products better, faster, and more cost-effectively. The SolidWorks focus on ease-of-use allows more engineers, designers and other technology professionals than ever before to take advantage of 3D in bringing their designs to life. The post SOLIDWORKS Tech Tip – Using Cut Planes appeared first on SOLIDWORKS Tech Blog. Full Article SOLIDWORKS 2019 SOLIDWORKS Visualize
si SOLIDWORKS Tech Tip – Using DFMXpress By blogs.solidworks.com Published On :: Tue, 28 Jan 2020 16:00:00 +0000 DFMXpress is the smaller brother of the full blown version DFMPro by HCL Technologies, LTD and is included in each level of SOLIDWORKS. DFM stands for Design For Manufacturability. This is a tool we can use to improve our designs Author information Mike Sabocheck Mike Sabocheck is a Technical Sales Director with Dassault Systemes SOLIDWORKS. Mike has been with DS SOLIDWORKS for 21 years. Prior to SOLIDWORKS he worked for Xerox for 17 years and then for Intergraph. His specialties are applying SOLIDWORKS to different design and manufacturing processes. The post SOLIDWORKS Tech Tip – Using DFMXpress appeared first on SOLIDWORKS Tech Blog. Full Article SOLIDWORKS 2020 Tips & Tricks dfmxpress sheet metal
si SOLIDWORKS Tech Tip – Using a Transparent Background By blogs.solidworks.com Published On :: Tue, 18 Feb 2020 16:00:44 +0000 Learn how to use a transparent background to add your renders on top of an existing image or background. Author information SOLIDWORKS Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corp. offers complete 3D software tools that let you create, simulate, publish, and manage your data. SolidWorks products are easy to learn and use, and work together to help you design products better, faster, and more cost-effectively. The SolidWorks focus on ease-of-use allows more engineers, designers and other technology professionals than ever before to take advantage of 3D in bringing their designs to life. The post SOLIDWORKS Tech Tip – Using a Transparent Background appeared first on SOLIDWORKS Tech Blog. Full Article SOLIDWORKS Visualize visualize
si Solving “The Hook Debate” with a 3D Scanner and SOLIDWORKS Simulation By blogs.solidworks.com Published On :: Thu, 20 Feb 2020 16:00:22 +0000 This case study seeks to find the answer to a common question: Which way should you affix hooks to your fence so they can properly handle the load of a hanging flower basket? Javelin’s Application Engineer; Colin Murphy CSWE, takes Author information Javelin Technologies Javelin Technologies is a provider of technology solutions since 1997. We are experts in 3D design and have helped thousands of companies with solutions for mechanical design, electrical design and 3D printing. Large or small, we have the skills, experience, and services to propel your organization to new heights so you can aim high. The post Solving “The Hook Debate” with a 3D Scanner and SOLIDWORKS Simulation appeared first on SOLIDWORKS Tech Blog. Full Article Design SOLIDWORKS 2020 SOLIDWORKS Simulation Tips & Tricks
si Home Project Series: Site Plan By blogs.solidworks.com Published On :: Mon, 24 Feb 2020 16:00:01 +0000 Do you enjoy making home improvements? Do you have a flare for design and have some SOLIDWORKS skills? Perhaps, you just want to install a fence? Depending on when and where you purchased your home it may have a fence Author information TPM TPM, Inc. is the Carolina’s largest 3D CAD provider and a leading technology company proud of its reputation of providing cutting-edge solutions to the engineering and design community for the past 40 years. Founded in 1973, TPM Inc. serves more than 3,000 customers across the Southeast each year. Inspired by our founder, Jerry Cooper, we are committed to offering our clients the best: 3D Design Software, 3D Printing and Scanning Options, Data and Document Management Solutions, Large-Format Graphics, Wide-Format Plotters and Office Equipment, and Reprographics. The post Home Project Series: Site Plan appeared first on SOLIDWORKS Tech Blog. Full Article Architecture Community Design SOLIDWORKS 2d drawings 3d cad 3D Design design home projects siteplan solidworks drawings
si Using SOLIDWORKS’ Smart Dimension Tool When Sketching Arcs & Circles By blogs.solidworks.com Published On :: Mon, 23 Mar 2020 15:00:23 +0000 This helpful #TechTip is brought to you by our Training Manager John Setzer, and covers using the smart dimension tool when sketching arcs and circles. Find more options available to you, when you want to create a dimension and don’t Author information GSC GSC fuels customer success with 3D engineering solutions for design, simulation, data management, electrical schematics, PCB, technical documentation, and 3D printing, as well as the most comprehensive consulting, technical support, and training in the industry. As a leading provider of SOLIDWORKS solutions, HP, and Markforged 3D printing technologies, GSC’s world-class team of dedicated professionals have helped numerous companies innovate and increase productivity by leveraging advanced technologies to drive 3D business success. Founded in 1989, GSC is headquartered in Germantown, WI. For more information about GSC, please visit www.gsc-3d.com. The post Using SOLIDWORKS’ Smart Dimension Tool When Sketching Arcs & Circles appeared first on SOLIDWORKS Tech Blog. Full Article SOLIDWORKS Tips & Tricks Sketching Smart Dimensions SOLIDWORKS Sketches tutorial
si Another way to draw in SOLIDWORKS: Using Golden ratio By blogs.solidworks.com Published On :: Thu, 02 Apr 2020 15:00:57 +0000 Many designers use golden ratio in their artworks as it can create organic and aesthetically pleasing composition. You can easily find examples in daily life such as shell, flower and logos. We can also use golden ratio in SOLIDWORKS. It Author information Intelligent CAD/CAM Technology Ltd. Intelligent CAD/CAM Technology Ltd. The post Another way to draw in SOLIDWORKS: Using Golden ratio appeared first on SOLIDWORKS Tech Blog. Full Article Tips & Tricks golden ratio
si How to set up an automatically updated revision table By blogs.solidworks.com Published On :: Thu, 16 Apr 2020 15:00:06 +0000 Being able to have an overview of changes to designs since initial release is an important aspect to time-efficient engineering. Making use of an automatically updated revision table helps with that. What version are we using? Who has made these Author information CAD2M CAD2M is certified reseller of SOLIDWORKS, SolidCAM, DriveWorks and our private label dddrop 3D printer. The CAD2M approach integrates this range of products into an all-in-one solution that covers the complete product development process. Take the full advantage of working in 3D with our advice, training and expertise. For more information, visit www.cad2m.nl. The post How to set up an automatically updated revision table appeared first on SOLIDWORKS Tech Blog. Full Article SOLIDWORKS Enterprise PDM SOLIDWORKS PDM SOLIDWORKS revision tables
si Eliminating Over Design Cost Using SOLIDWORKS Costing By blogs.solidworks.com Published On :: Mon, 20 Apr 2020 15:00:18 +0000 SOLIDWORKS Costing is ready to use with both customized and standard templates for our company to accompany the more specific manufacturing needs. SOLIDWORKS Costing Templates Sheet Metal / Weldment Parts Machined Parts Plastic Molded / Cast Parts 3D Printed Parts Author information EGS India Managing Director at EGS Computers India Private Limited E G S Computers India Private Limited, since 1993, has been in the forefront of delivering solutions to customers in the areas of Product Design and Development with SOLIDWORKS 3D CAD,Remaining Life Calculations, Validation using Finite Element Analysis, Customization of Engineering activities and Training in advanced engineering functions relating to design and development. EGS India - Authorized Reseller for SOLIDWORKS Solutions in India - Chennai, Coimbatore, Trichy, Madurai - Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry. For any queries on SOLIDWORKS Solutions contact @ 9445424704 | mktg@egs.co.in | Website - www.egsindia.com The post Eliminating Over Design Cost Using SOLIDWORKS Costing appeared first on SOLIDWORKS Tech Blog. Full Article SOLIDWORKS 2020 engineering manufacturuing Mechanical industries solidworks 2020 solidworks costing
si Keep the Children in Line with SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional 2020 By blogs.solidworks.com Published On :: Mon, 27 Apr 2020 15:00:08 +0000 Child Reference State One of my favorite new features in SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional 2020 is the Child Reference State condition in Workflow Transitions. I can’t tell you how many times as a PDM administrator I had wished for a feature Author information TPM TPM, Inc. is the Carolina’s largest 3D CAD provider and a leading technology company proud of its reputation of providing cutting-edge solutions to the engineering and design community for the past 40 years. Founded in 1973, TPM Inc. serves more than 3,000 customers across the Southeast each year. Inspired by our founder, Jerry Cooper, we are committed to offering our clients the best: 3D Design Software, 3D Printing and Scanning Options, Data and Document Management Solutions, Large-Format Graphics, Wide-Format Plotters and Office Equipment, and Reprographics. The post Keep the Children in Line with SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional 2020 appeared first on SOLIDWORKS Tech Blog. Full Article SOLIDWORKS SOLIDWORKS 2020 CAD Child Reference State PDM PDM Professional Vault
si SOLIDWORKS Command, Delete Face: Easily Remove Faces From a Solid or Surface Body By blogs.solidworks.com Published On :: Thu, 30 Apr 2020 15:00:52 +0000 Learn how to easily delete a face from a solid or surface body when modeling in SOLIDWORKS. Our #TechTip this week is by Training Manager John Setzer. Video Transcript Hi and welcome to another GSC tech tip. Today we’re going Author information GSC GSC fuels customer success with 3D engineering solutions for design, simulation, data management, electrical schematics, PCB, technical documentation, and 3D printing, as well as the most comprehensive consulting, technical support, and training in the industry. As a leading provider of SOLIDWORKS solutions, HP, and Markforged 3D printing technologies, GSC’s world-class team of dedicated professionals have helped numerous companies innovate and increase productivity by leveraging advanced technologies to drive 3D business success. Founded in 1989, GSC is headquartered in Germantown, WI. For more information about GSC, please visit www.gsc-3d.com. The post SOLIDWORKS Command, Delete Face: Easily Remove Faces From a Solid or Surface Body appeared first on SOLIDWORKS Tech Blog. Full Article SOLIDWORKS SOLIDWORKS 2020 Tips & Tricks Delete Face SOLIDWORKS Commands SOLIDWORKS Modeling Tech Tips tips & tricks tutorial
si US group calls Pakistan blocking of aid to Christians, Hindus 'reprehensible' By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Wed, 15 Apr 2020 15:30:00 -0600 CNA Staff, Apr 15, 2020 / 03:30 pm (CNA).- The U.S. Commission on Religious Freedom has called on the Pakistani government to ensure aid for the COVID-19 pandemic is being justly distributed to religious minorities, after receiving reports that aid organizations were barring Christians and Hindus from receiving food assistance. “These actions are simply reprehensible,” USCIRF Commissioner Anurima Bhargava said in an April 13 statement. “As COVID-19 continues to spread, vulnerable communities within Pakistan are fighting hunger and to keep their families safe and healthy. Food aid must not be denied because of one’s faith. We urge the Pakistani government to ensure that food aid from distributing organizations is shared equally with Hindus, Christians, and other religions minorities,” she said. According to the commission, recent reports have shown that in Karachi a non-government aid organization, the Saylani Welfare International Trust, has been denying food assistance to Christians and Hindus, telling them that the aid was reserved for Muslims. Pakistan’s state religion is Islam, and around 97 percent of the population is Muslim. The authorities of Pakistan have consistently failed to implement safeguards on behalf of religious minorities, despite numerous policies in favor of economic and physical protections for members of non-Muslim religions. For example, the country has promised to provide quotas for employment to ensure that religious minorities are granted equal access to jobs, but so far it has not done so. Additionally, strict blasphemy laws in the country are reportedly used to settle scores or to persecute religious minorities. While non-Muslims constitute only 3 percent of the Pakistani population, 14 percent of blasphemy cases have been levied against them. In a recent highly publicized case, Asia Bibi, a Christian mother of five, spent eight years on death row on blasphemy charges after being accused of making disparaging remarks about Muhammad after an argument stemming from a cup of water. Amid strong international pressure, the Pakistan Supreme Court acquitted her in late 2018. A 2019 report from USCIRF found that Christians and Hindus “face continued threats to their security and are subject to various forms of harassment and social exclusion,” the USCIRF statement said. The country was also designated by the US Department of State as a “Country of Particular Concern” in December 2018 for its poor religious freedom record. USCIRF Commissioner Johnnie Moore noted in the April 13 statement that in a recent address to the international community, Prime Minister Imran Khan said that governments in developing countries must work to save people from starvation during the coronavirus pandemic. Pakistan’s health ministry has reported nearly 6,000 cases of coronavirus in the country of 212 million people as of April 15. “This is a monumental task laying before many countries. Prime Minister Khan’s government has the opportunity to lead the way but they must not leave religious minorities behind,” he said. “Otherwise, they may add on top of it all one more crisis, created by religious discrimination and inter-communal strife.” A March 2020 report from USCIRF noted other countries who have had religious freedom problems in dealing with the coronavirus pandemic, including in China, where the virus originated. According to USCIRF, reports indicated that Chinese authorities forced Uighurs, a Muslim minority that has been forced into concentration camps since 2017, to work in factories to make up for the lack of workers during the country’s coronavirus quarantine. Reports also indicated that some Uighur residents in the city of Ghulja had “limited access to food and local officials have demanded payments in order to bring supplies,” USCIRF noted. In South Korea, the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, a fringe Christian group that reported already facing “hostility” from mainline Protestants before the pandemic, faced additional pressures and harassment from the government and citizens after a 61-year-old female member of the church - known as Patient 31 - attended a church service with a fever before being diagnosed with coronavirus, and thus spreading the infection to thousands of others. “The Shincheonji church has faced considerable criticism and even harassment from the South Korean government and society. Although some government measures appeared to be driven by legitimate public health concerns, others appeared to exaggerate the church’s role in the outbreak,” USCIRF reported, adding that members of the church have faced “discrimination at work and spousal abuse because of their affiliation with the church.” Other countries in which coronavirus is reportedly impacting religious freedoms include Iran, Saudi Arabia, Georgia, Italy and the Vatican (for government-mandated cancellation of religious services), the United Arab Emirates, Georgia, and Tajikistan. Full Article Asia - Pacific
si US commission faults Indian hospital's alleged religious segregation of coronavirus patients By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Fri, 17 Apr 2020 19:00:00 -0600 CNA Staff, Apr 17, 2020 / 07:00 pm (CNA).- Reports of an Indian hospital's segregated wards for Hindu and Muslim coronavirus patients drew concern from the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, though Indian authorities strongly disputed the allegation. "USCIRF is concerned with reports of Hindu and Muslim patients separated into separate hospital wards in Gujarat,” the commission said on Twitter and Facebook April 15. “Such actions only help to further increase ongoing stigmatization of Muslims in India and exacerbate false rumors of Muslims spreading COVID-19.” The bipartisan U.S. federal government commission linked to a story in the Indian Express newspaper that cites a hospital official and a patient in the city of Ahmedabad in the western coastal Indian state of Gujarat. India's Ministry for External Affairs opposed the commission, saying it was spreading “misguided reports” and “adding religious color” that distracts from India's efforts to combat the novel coronavirus. “No segregation is being done in civil hospitals on the basis of religion, as clarified by the Gujarat government,” the ministry said April 15. The reports concern Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, where there are some 1,200 beds prepared for patients suffering from the novel coronavirus. Medical Superintendent Dr. Gunvant. H. Rathod described the hospital division to the Indian Express, saying “generally, there are separate wards for male and female patients. But here, we have made separate wards for Hindu and Muslim patients.” “It is a decision of the government and you can ask them,” he said. Deputy Chief Minister and Health Minister Nitin Patel said he was not aware of the situation and would make inquiries. Ahmedabad's district magistrate, K.K. Nirala, also was not aware of any decision, the Indian Express reports. However, the Indian Express cited a hospital patient who said the names of 28 men in a ward were called out, and they were moved to another ward. “While we were not told why we were being shifted, all the names that were called out belonged to one community. We spoke to one staff member in our ward today and he said this had been done for ‘the comfort of both communities’,” the patient said. The Gujarat Health and Family Welfare Department said the reports were “absolutely baseless.” Rather, it said, patients are treated based on symptoms and severity and “according to treating doctors' recommendations. As of Wednesday, new known cases of coronavirus in Gujarat rose by 127 to 766, with 88 cases in Ahmedabad. The death toll there totals 33, the Times of India reports. The Indian newspaper The Week reported that the commission had previously criticized India's Citizenship Amendment Act, which became effective in January 2020. In December 2019 the commission expressed concern about the legislation, which enshrined a pathway to citizenship for immigrants but specifically excluded Muslims. The commission recommended U.S. sanctions on India as a possible response. The U.S. Commission on Religious Freedom reviews alleged religious freedom violations and makes policy recommendations to the U.S. president, Secretary of State, and Congress. The commission’s 2019 report said that religious freedom conditions in India “continued a downward trend” in 2018. It said India’s “history of religious freedom has come under attack in recent years with the growth of exclusionary extremist narratives—including, at times, the government’s allowance and encouragement of mob violence against religious minorities—that have facilitated an egregious and ongoing campaign of violence, intimidation, and harassment against non-Hindu and lower-caste Hindu minorities. Both public and private actors have engaged in this campaign.” Mob violence against Christians by Hindus has been particularly acute. In August 2019, six suspected members of a radical Hindu group were arrested after dozens of Catholics were attacked on a Marian pilgrimage from Karnataka to the Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health in Velankanni, a coastal town in south east India. In September, around 500 armed Hindu extremists attacked a Jesuit mission in the Archdiocese of Ranchi. Armed with sticks, chains, iron bars, knives, and pistols, the mob beat tribal students including two who were seriously injured, and also seriously damaged the school’s facilities. Archbishop Leo Cornelio of Bhopal has said numerous mob lynchings of Christians have occurred in which the victims are accused of eating beef or otherwise harming cattle, which are considered sacred in Hinduism. Karnataka state suffered a wave of anti-Christian violence in 2008, when Hindu extremist groups led attacks on churches, schools and homes of Christians and physically beat hundreds of people. A 2011 independent report on the violence, known as the Saldhana Report, charged that attacks were pre-planned and backed by the state’s highest government authorities. Full Article Asia - Pacific
si Young Catholics in Indonesia provide aid amid coronavirus By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 23 Apr 2020 17:13:00 -0600 CNA Staff, Apr 23, 2020 / 05:13 pm (CNA).- A Catholic youth organization in Indonesia has instituted a movement to provide assistance to families struggling during the coronavirus pandemic. Orang Muda Katolik, or Catholic Young People, recently began the initiative “Adopt One Brother,” which encourages youth to volunteer time and money to support poorer families, many of whom are now unemployed. Indonesia has over 7,500 cases of COVID-19, and 647 deaths. According to data from the country’s Ministry of Labour, Aljazeera reported, 2.8 million Indonesians have lost their jobs because of the pandemic. Stefanus Gusma, who leads OMK’s COVID-19 task force, said the initiative has spread to 26 of the country’s 34 provinces and involved thousands of OMK members. He said volunteers are encouraged to donate 200,000 to 500,000 rupiah ($12-32) per week. "First, we mobilized our own members to help our fellow brothers and sisters who are experiencing difficulties. Then we extended our reach to anyone who was willing to help others,” Gusma told UCA News. "After we receive their data, we contact them about where they would like their donations to go,” he said. “If a donor wants to donate to a family in East Nusa Tenggara province, we will coordinate with our members there to seek a family in need.” With help from the local dioceses and governments, the organization has also distributed about 2,000 aid packages, electricity vouchers, and hygienic products. According to UCA News, other OMK members said the organization has not only provided aid to families but to hospitals and orphanages as well. Maskendari, an OMK member in Pontianak, said the organization has distributed “hundreds of aid packages and thousands of personal protection items such as masks and bottles of hand sanitizer.” “We want others to act, not only through our organization but also individually or with other groups,” Gusma told UCA News. "We want to show the importance of showing human solidarity in the midst of this current crisis," he added. Orang Muda Katolik seeks to mentor young Catholics, aged between 15 and 35, by providing educational resources, coaching, and volunteer opportunities. Bishop Pius Prapdi of Ketapang issued a letter to OMK at the end of March. He encouraged young Catholics to follow social distancing rules and other safety precautions. However, he also challenged the youth to find creative ways to help the community, like investigating free food assistance for those in need and checking-in on neighbors through social media. “Catholic Young People can also help others in a safe way,” he wrote. “With creativity, young people can become leaders in this situation and go through critical times together.” “Pope Francis invites young people to become the main actors (protagonists) in renewing the world, let us in this crisis period stop for a moment to reflect back on what we have made for ourselves, the environment, the Church and the citizens of the world.” Full Article Asia - Pacific
si Arrested Catholic lawyer warns of Chinese repression in Hong Kong By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Fri, 24 Apr 2020 15:32:00 -0600 Denver Newsroom, Apr 24, 2020 / 03:32 pm (CNA).- A Catholic lawyer says his arrest last Saturday is part of mainland China’s wide-ranging efforts to tighten control over Hong Kong. His ordeal follows his participation in months of pro-democracy protests on the island, which have been slowed by the coronavirus pandemic. Hong Kong police arrested 81-year-old Martin Lee, along with 14 other pro-democracy protestors, on April 18. Lee has been demonstrating for universal suffrage in Hong Kong for nearly 40 years, and this is his first arrest, the Washington Post reports. CNA spoke with one of Lee’s close friends, who said Lee and those arrested with him are currently bailed out of prison, and are safe. Lee, the founder of Hong Kong’s Democratic Party, wrote in an April 21 column in the Washington Post that he was arrested for taking part in protests last year against an extradition bill— now withdrawn— which would have allowed the Chinese government to extradite alleged criminals from Hong Kong to the mainland to stand trial. Hong Kong is currently facing two plagues from China, Lee wrote: the coronavirus (COVID-19) and “attacks on our most basic human rights.” “We can all hope a vaccine is soon developed for the coronavirus. But once Hong Kong’s human rights and rule of law are rolled back, the fatal virus of authoritarian rule will be here to stay,” Lee wrote. He said that the free press in Hong Kong was vital for alerting the world to the dangers of the coronavirus, even as Chinese state media sought to repress information about the outbreak. Now, Chinese authorities are attempting to pass legislation to increase their influence over Hong Kong, Lee said. Hong Kong is a special administrative region of China. Hong Kongers enjoy freedom of worship and evangelization, while in mainland China, there is a long history of persecution for Christians who run afoul of the government. In January, China appointed Luo Huining as the head of the powerful Central Liaison Office in Hong Kong. Luo last week intensified calls for Communist China to exercise more control in Hong Kong by passing “national security legislation.” The legislation would outlaw “sedition, subversion and the theft of state secrets,” Lee wrote. This is not the first time the legislation has been introduced— in 2003, widespread protests against the measure led China to withdraw it. The passing of such a “subversion” law would give China even more power to quash Hong Kongers’ freedoms, Lee warned. “These vague standards are designed to protect the Chinese Communist Party and undermine core freedoms of Hong Kong, such as freedoms of religion, assembly and the press — including the reporting of pandemics that embarrass Beijing,” he wrote. The Justice and Peace Commission of the Diocese of Hong Kong released a statement condemning the arrests April 18, calling for an end to all arrests until an independent commission can be established, and for the police to return the mobile phones of all arrested persons in order to ensure their privacy. The diocese also reiterated that the government must respond to the demands for which the pro-democracy demonstrators have been calling for months, which include an independent inquiry into police tactics. A Hong Kong friend of Lee, who declined to be identified for safety, said they believe Sun Li Jun— the deputy public security minister for Hong Kong who oversees the Chinese secret police— wanted to send a message of power ahead of Chinese Workers’ Day celebration on May 1. The friend believes Sun— who is reportedly under investigation by China for corruption— ordered the arrests to show that the authorities have control of the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong. “As the followers of God, we will keep praying for [Hong Kong] and let our Lord lead the way,” Lee’s friend told CNA. “In HK we all love China and Chinese people but we are against CCP [Chinese Communist Party] for what they did to all of us now and before.” An estimated 1 million protesters turned out at the first major pro-democracy demonstration in Hong Kong on June 6, 2019. Catholics have played a major role in the protests, which continued after the extradition bill was revoked. Protestors largely called for the resignation of chief executive Carrie Lam— herself a Catholic— more open elections in the region, and an investigation into police brutality allegations. In October, the legislature of Hong Kong completed the process of officially withdrawing the controversial extradition bill. “Had the extradition bill been passed, we could have faced trial already in China instead of Hong Kong,” Lee noted in his column. The impetus for the bill was a case involving a young Hong Kong man whom Taiwan requested be extradited for an alleged murder. Hong Kong previously has no formal extradition agreements with mainland China or Taiwan. Christians and advocates widely opposed the bill, fearing that the Chinese government, which already seeks to control and suppress Christianity on the mainland, would use it to further tighten its grip on free exercise of religion in Hong Kong. Full Article Asia - Pacific
si Cardinal Pell 'surprised' by Royal Commission findings By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 07 May 2020 11:00:00 -0600 CNA Staff, May 7, 2020 / 11:00 am (CNA).- Cardinal George Pell has expressed his “surprise” at newly released findings of an Australian investigation, which concluded that the cardinal was aware of sexual abuse by clerics in the 1970s and 80s, and failed to act. In 2017, Australia’s Royal Commission released a report on sexual abuse of minors in the country, the result of a five-year enquiry into the behavior and responsibility of institutions including the Church. Sections of the report relating to Cardinal Pell were redacted until the conclusion of criminal legal proceedings against the cardinal. The redacted portions were released May 6. In the newly available material, the commission found that Pell knew about the abusive activities of two priests during his own years as a priest, and that he failed to act to stop them. On Thursday, Pell said through a spokesperson that the commission’s conclusions about him were “not supported by evidence.” Pell gave evidence to the commission in 2016 via video link from Rome. During his testimony, he denied failing to act against known sexual abusers in the clergy. Pell specifically denied that while he was a priest in Ballarat in the 1970s and 80s, he had any awareness of the actions of then-Father Gerald Ridsdale, a serial abuser from the same diocese. The Royal Commission concluded that, as a member of Bishop Ronald Mulkearns’ college of priest consulters in the diocese, Pell would have been made aware of allegations of abuse against Ridsdale during discussions about the priest’s transfers between assignments in 1977 and 1982. But Pell told the commission that he and the other consulters had been deceived by Mulkearns and were unaware of Ridsdale’s crimes until years later. “The Consultors who gave evidence on the meetings in 1977 and 1982 either said they did not learn of Ridsdale’s offending against children until much later or they had no recollection of what was discussed. None said they were made aware of Ridsdale’s offending at these meetings,” Pell said in a statement released through a spokesperson late Wednesday evening. In a 2017 statement, Pell said “I would never have condoned or participated in a decision to transfer Ridsdale in the knowledge that he had abused children, and I did not do so.” The commission rejected Pell’s testimony, and found that it “ought to have been obvious” why Ridsdale was being transferred from one assignment to another. “We are satisfied Bishop Mulkearns gave reasons for it being necessary to move Ridsdale. We are satisfied that he referred to homosexuality at the meeting, in the context of giving reasons for Ridsdale’s move,” the report found. “However, we are not satisfied that Bishop Mulkearns left the explanation there, as Cardinal Pell said there would have been a discussion." “We do not accept that Bishop Mulkearns lied to his consultors.” The commission did not delineate specific proofs for its conclusion. The commission also said that Pell would have known about allegations of abuse made against Fr. Peter Searson, who was active as a Melbourne priest during Pell’s time as an auxiliary bishop in the Melbourne archdiocese. In 1989, Pell held a meeting with representatives from the parish and school in Doveton, where Searson was assigned. During that meeting a number of complaints were made against Searson but, according to Pell, sexual misconduct with children was not raised, and Searson’s removal was not requested. Following Pell’s installation as Archbishop of Melbourne in 1996, Pell placed Searson on administrative leave and removed him from parish ministry in 1997. Searson died in 2009 and was never charged by police. A spokesman for Victoria Police, which brought charges against Pell leading to his imprisonment for more than a year before the High Court freed him last month, told the Guardian that the newly released sections of the report would be studied and police would “undertake an assessment of those findings.” “At this time it would not be appropriate to comment further about any possible action,” The spokesman said. Current Archbishop of Melbourne Peter Comensoli released his own statement in response to the new material from the commission, in which he repeated his previous apologies “for the failure of the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne to responsibly care for and protect our young people and vulnerable adults.” “Child safety and care is not a project with an end date”, Comensoli said, but a project that “requires life-long vigilance.” In December 2018, Pell was convicted of five counts of sexual abuse, but was acquitted by the Australian High Court last monthl. Following that decision, the redacted portions of the commission’s findings were released. Full Article Asia - Pacific
si Pakistan minorities commission excludes Ahmadi religious group By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Sat, 09 May 2020 06:01:00 -0600 CNA Staff, May 9, 2020 / 06:01 am (CNA).- Pakistan’s government has declined to include the Ahmadi religious group in its National Commission for Minorities, drawing attention to the group whose Muslim self-identification is rejected by many Muslims. In a note seen by Reuters, Pakistan’s Ministry of Religious Affairs said Ahmadis should not be included in the commission “given the religious and historical sensitivity of the issue.” Pakistan’s constitution does not recognize the Ahmadis as Muslim. However, Ahmadis consider themselves part of Islam. The movement was founded in 1889 in British-ruled India. They consider their founder Mirza Ghulam Ahmad a “subordinate prophet.” Other Muslims see this as a violation of the tenet that Muhammad was the last prophet. There are about 500,000 Ahmadis in Pakistan and up to 20 million adherents worldwide. Some observers estimate the Ahmadi population in Pakistan is higher, but persecution encourages Ahmadis to hide their identity. Pakistan’s religious freedom record has been a matter of international concern. The 2020 report of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom has said Ahmadis continue to face “severe persecution from authorities as well as societal harassment due to their beliefs.” Both government authorities and mobs target their places of worship. In October 2019, the report said, police in Punjab partially demolished a 70-year-old Ahmadiyya mosque. Pakistan’s National Commission for Minorities gives some status, voice, and protections to minorities in a country where over 90% of people identify as Muslim. A Hindu has been nominated to chair the minorities commission, whose members include representatives of Christian, Kalash, Sikh, and Zoroastrian communities. Government officials and the head of Pakistan’s Council of Islamic Ideology also have commission seats. State Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan, a vocal opponent of including the Ahmadis on the commission, has referred to them as agents of chaos. “If they want to avail constitutional rights they must accept the constitution first,” he told Reuters. “The Pakistani constitution considers them non-Muslims.” Usman Ahmad, an Ahmadi representative, told Reuters it is a “complete myth” that they did not accept the constitution. He added that many people disagree with parts of the constitution but still have rights under it. He said his community is used to exclusion and has never accepted classification as non-Muslim. “We’ve never joined such commissions that require us to accept our non-Muslim status,” he said. Minister of Information Shibli Faraz has said the rights of all people were fully respected in the handling of the commission. “Every country has the sovereign right to make judgments according to its ground realities,” he told Reuters. Khan, the Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, had posted to Twitter, then deleted, a comment “There is only one punishment for insulting the Prophet - chopping off the head.” He said he believed in “legal procedures and court proceedings” for those accused of blasphemy. Twitter told him to delete the post, Reuters reports. Pakistan’s blasphemy laws impose strict punishment on those who desecrate the Quran or who defame or insult Muhammad. Although the government has never executed a person under the blasphemy laws, accusations alone have inspired mob and vigilante violence. The laws, introduced in the 1980s, are reportedly used to settle scores or to persecute religious minorities. While non-Muslims constitute only 3 percent of the Pakistani population, 14 percent of blasphemy cases have been levied against them. Many of those accused of blasphemy are murdered, and advocates of changing the law are also targeted by violence. The Governor of Punjab Salman Taseer was one such critic of the law who was assassinated in January 2011. Just months later, in March 2011, Shahbaz Bhatti, the first Federal Minister For Minorities Affairs and the only Christian in Pakistan’s cabinet, was assassinated by extremists who characterized him as a blasphemer. Bhatti had criticized the law and defended Asia Bibi, a Catholic woman sentenced to death by hanging in 2010 for blasphemy. Bibi spent nine years on death row, but left Pakistan for Canada in 2019 at the age of 53 after her death sentence was overturned in October 2018. The verdict and her subsequent release from prison sparked protests from Islamic hardliners who support strong blasphemy laws. In Punjab last year, a mob attacked a Christian community after a mosque broadcast over loudspeaker a claim that the Christians had insulted Islam. In another incident in Karachi, false blasphemy accusations against four Christian women prompted mob violence that forced nearly 200 Christian families to flee their homes, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom said. The situation in Pakistan has attention from some prominent Catholics. In a Jan. 21, 2020 letter written on behalf of Philadelphia’s Pakistani Catholic community, then-Archbishop of Philadelphia Charles J. Chaput encouraged Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan to shape a culture of religious freedom The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom’s latest annual report said religious freedom conditions in Pakistan continued to deteriorate last year, citing “The systematic enforcement of blasphemy and anti-Ahmadiyya laws, and authorities’ failure to address forced conversions of religious minorities—including Hindus, Christians, and Sikhs—to Islam.” The bipartisan federal commission advises the U.S. government on policy. Its report recommended that the U.S. government name Pakistan a country of particular concern for “systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom.” In December 2018, for the first time, the U.S. State Department designated Pakistan a “Country of Particular Concern.” The designation, which can trigger sanctions under U.S. law, had been recommended by the U.S. Commission for International Religious Freedom in 2017 and 2018. The latest commission report recommended that Pakistan be re-designated a “Country of Particular Concern,” given “systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom.” Full Article Asia - Pacific
si ‘I want to be a missionary’ By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Wed, 01 Oct 2014 13:15:53 +0000 OM friend and volunteer Eddie Ramamonjiarivelo, from Madagascar, is a teacher and businessman with a heart for God’s kingdom. Full Article
si Missions is for everyone By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Tue, 07 Mar 2017 08:57:19 +0000 An outreach to the north of Madagascar was a new experience not only for those being reached, but for the participants and church as well. Full Article
si Media in missions By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Fri, 22 Sep 2017 20:47:56 +0000 “Before Media Trek I thought: media--cool hobby, but not necessarily missional,” admitted Kotie-Alet from South Africa. Full Article
si Für eine langfristige Sicht der Dinge By www.bis.org Published On :: 2017-06-25T10:30:00Z German translation of the speech delivered by Mr Jaime Caruana, General Manager of the BIS, on the occasion of the Bank's Annual General Meeting, Basel, 25 June 2017. Full Article
si BIZ-Quartalsbericht September 2017: Verbesserte Aussichten und niedrige Inflation beleben die Risikoübernahme By www.bis.org Published On :: 2017-09-17T16:00:00Z German translation of the BIS press release about the BIS Quarterly Review, September 2017 Full Article
si Die Gunst der Stunde nutzen, um nachhaltiges Wachstum zu sichern By www.bis.org Published On :: 2018-06-24T10:30:00Z German translation of the BIS press release on the presentation of the Annual Economic Report 2018, 24 June 2018. Die politischen Entscheidungsträger können dem gegenwärtigen Wirtschaftsaufschwung eine nachhaltige Basis verleihen, schreibt die Bank für Internationalen Zahlungsausgleich (BIZ) in ihrem Wirtschaftsbericht. ... Full Article
si Technologiekonzerne im Finanzbereich: Chancen und Risiken By www.bis.org Published On :: 2019-06-23T16:00:00Z German version of BIS Press Release - Big tech in finance: opportunities and risks, 23 June 2019 Full Article
si Music opens doors to hearts By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Wed, 02 Jun 2010 18:46:51 +0000 In each village, a small crowd of people gathered, and children and adults watched the puppet theatre with much interest. The team also put on a concert featuring songs by Istvan Horvath, a member of the OM Hungary team, as well as English songs by the international team. during Easter Full Article
si A mission trip for the whole family By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Fri, 16 Nov 2012 10:16:51 +0000 Ministry opportunities in Hungary open up the mission experience for families with younger children. Full Article
si SOLIDWORKS 2020 SP3.0 EV (Early Visibility) is available for download By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Mon, 27 Apr 2020 14:57:28 EST Latest SOLIDWORKS press releases, news, technical alerts and announcements. These feeds are seen on... Full Article
si Fin24.com | IMF to discuss SA request for coronavirus assistance By www.fin24.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 11:11:37 +0200 The South African government is seeking a $4.2 billion loan from the IMF to support its response to the Covid-19 crisis. Full Article
si Master and Expand Your SOLIDWORKS Skills with LIVE Design series By blogs.solidworks.com Published On :: Fri, 10 Apr 2020 12:00:32 +0000 Don't miss tuning in for our LIVE Design web series to see our own SOLIDWORKS experts as they model a variety of products and provide design Tips, training, and more ways to increase your design knowledge. Author information SOLIDWORKS Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corp. offers complete 3D software tools that let you create, simulate, publish, and manage your data. SolidWorks products are easy to learn and use, and work together to help you design products better, faster, and more cost-effectively. The SolidWorks focus on ease-of-use allows more engineers, designers and other technology professionals than ever before to take advantage of 3D in bringing their designs to life. The post Master and Expand Your SOLIDWORKS Skills with LIVE Design series appeared first on The SOLIDWORKS Blog. Full Article Collaboration Community Dassault Systèmes Design Education New Features Product Designers and Mechanical Engineers SOLIDWORKS Tips & Tricks Usability LIVE design live stream SOLIDWORKS Live