Weekday NEWS to Comfort the Disturbed and Disturb the Comfortable.
Tuesday 02.12.2013
Ron Paul: "6,000 Years of History,
Gold Is Always Money, Paper Money Fails"
BY MARK O'BYRNE - FinancialSense.com
….Ron Paul spoke with Bloomberg television (see video in Commentary) and said that we are in a currency war and we have been for decades. He noted that governments have always competed against each other's currencies even under Bretton Woods. It has always been a form or protectionism and will make people want to export more.
Dr. Paul said don't blame countries like China and Japan just look at the debt the U.S. is buying. There will always be currency wars. The Bank of Japan claims it has to defend itself against deflation and decades of slow growth.
Pitched Currency War & USDollar Rejection
BY JIM WILLIE - FinancialSense.com
Friend of gold Jim Sinclair, and executive to a mining firm with interests in Tanzania, put it so well. He captures the theme of this article when he said, "It is the constant drop in the dollar's usage as a contract mechanism internationally. No one sees this but it is the Hammer of Thor on the head of the dollar." The rejection of the USDollar in global trade will mean the end of the abused privilege in a currency turned toxic. Its rejection is the marquee event in the financial world for 2013, following isolation. It is unstoppable and all-encompassing, certain to have geopolitical consequences, as it alters the economic and financial landscape in harsh ways much like a band of violent marauders brandishing machetes alter the neckline of their victims. See the Tonton Macoute in Haiti. The greenback is cornered; it is done!
CBO – The Coming Raid on Social Security
BY BRUCE KRASTING - FinancialSense.com
Every politician in America knows that Social Security (SS) is a third rail. Any Pol who tries to mess with the country's largest and most popular entitlement program is going to have the likes of the AARP coming after them. It's not possible to win an election on a platform that advocates cutting back SS.
With that in mind, I find it interesting to report that a very credible source is now predicting that Obama AND Congress will take action over the next 24 months that will substantially undermine both the long and short-term health of SS. The legislative raid on SS will certainly total in the hundreds of billions, it could top $1T over the next fifteen years.
The Economics and Politics of Taxation
BY JR NYQUIST - FinancialSense.com
Recently, in his annual State of the State Address, California Governor Jerry Brown congratulated the California legislature on balancing the state's budget. How was this done? It was accomplished by budget cuts and tax increases. Standing before the state legislature Brown said, "Against those who take pleasure in seeing our demise, California did the impossible. You, the legislature, did it. You cast difficult votes to cut billions…. Then the citizens of California … embraced the new taxes of Proposition 30 by a healthy margin of 55 to 40 percent."
Conservative Dr. Ben Carson speech
upstages Obama at prayer breakfast
By Cheryl K. Chumley-The Washington Times
Move over President Obama. Conservatives are not talking so much about the president's address at Thursday's National Prayer Breakfast, but rather remarks from Dr. Benjamin Carson, a black pediatric neurosurgeon with Johns Hopkins Hospital who took over the stage for 25 riveting minutes.
Mr. Carson spoke of his disdain for political correctness, calling it a "dangerous" and "horrible thing" that has led to such ridiculous fears as wishing people Merry Christmas, according to The Blaze.
Democrat Jan Schakowsky strikes back
at Dr. Ben Carson for prayer breakfast speech
By Cheryl K. Chumley-The Washington Times
It sure didn't take long for Democrats to strike back at Thursday's National Prayer Breakfast remarks made by Dr. Benjamin Carson that took a conservative tack and criticized the national debt and current fiscal tax-and-spend policy.
On a CNN on Sunday, Illinois Rep. Jan Schakowsky accused Dr. Carson of hypocrisy, saying he actually used political correctness — which he had denounced in his speech — for his personal gain.
Driving Doldrums: Gas Prices on the Rise - Again
By Jen Alic -- OilPrice.com
Here we go again—US gas prices are increasing, with AAA putting the average price at around $3.50+, and drivers wondering if they'll ever figure out how to predict prices at the pump. They won't--because even analysts find it challenging.
Let's try to simplify, if only to demonstrate why it's impossible to predict gas prices.
First of all, gas prices rise along with the price of oil, which itself is driven by a number of things, from basic supply and demand to Wall Street speculation and unrest in the Middle East--just for starters.
Banks: G20 must act to avert currency war
By Mark Thompson - CNN.com
LONDON (CNNMoney)
The G20 group of richest nations must act to avoid a currency war and halt a damaging drift toward fragmented regulation, the world's leading banks said Monday.
The Institute of International Finance, representing more than 470 financial firms, warned of the consequences of "possible discord on exchange rates" as countries rely on monetary policy easing to get their economies growing again.
A Carbon Tax may Curb the Rise in Natural Gas Flaring
By Ed Dolan - OilPrice.com
After a few years when the practice was declining, flaring of natural gas is back in the news. (See, for example, Flares take shine off fracking boom in the Financial Timesfor Jan. 27.) Estimates indicate that natural gas flaring accounts for more than 1 percent of all the CO2 that human activity releases into the atmosphere, about as much as the entire country of Spain. The focus of recent attention has been North Dakota, where some 29 percent of all gas that is produced is flared.
Why so much waste of this valuable resource, often touted as the bridge fuel to our clean-energy future, and what can be done about it?
Is Canada Preparing For Keystone XL No Vote?
By Daniel J. Graeber - OilPrice.com
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry waded cautiously into the debate surrounding the planned Keystone XL oil pipeline during last week's meetings with his Canadian counterpart. Supporters describe the project as a panacea for a U.S. economy moving further away from overseas oil markets. Opponents, however, view the project as representative of the problems associated with a carbon-heavy economy. Kerry, seen as a supporter of pro-green regulations, said he wasn't getting into the merits of the project, but would make an announcement soon. Provincial leaders in Canada, however, may have already started preparing for a no vote.
G7 expected to issue statement to cool currency rhetoric
Feb 11 (Reuters) - The Group of Seven nations are considering a statement this week reaffirming their commitment to "market-determined" exchange rates in response to heating rhetoric about a currency war, G20 officials said on Monday.
The language, which could be subject to change, implies that the major powers would not indulge in unilateral currency devaluation and reads very similarly to the last statement issued by the G7 on currencies in 2011.
He Who No Longer Walks on Water Will call for more of the same failed policies.
By ANDREW B. WILSON - Spectator.org
At this stage in our nation's decline, does anyone still care what Barack Obama thinks or says about "the state of the union"?
I think not.
More than 52 million people watched Obama's first State of the Union in 2009. It has been all downhill ever since –– with 48 million viewers in 2010, 43 million in 2011, and just 38 million last year.
That's a decline of 28 percent in four years.
Tax help comes with health insurance advice H&R Block is using customers' 2012 returns to advise them of their options under the Affordable Care Act and possible penalties they can face without insurance.
By Chad Terhune, Los Angeles Times
Derrick Bean filed his income taxes at an H&R Block office in Los Angeles this month, and the 26-year-old left with something unexpected: a price quote on federally subsidized health insurance.
Using the information from his 2012 return, a tax advisor told the actor and waiter that he would qualify for significant government help and pay only about $65 a month in premiums under the federal healthcare law. If he skips coverage, H&R Block warned him, he faces a $95 tax penalty next year and $356 the following year.
Obama to propose pay hike for federal workers
By Jennifer Liberto, NEW YORK (CNNMoney)
President Obama plans to propose a 1% pay hike for civilian federal workers in his budget proposal for 2014.
The White House's Office of Management and Budget officials briefed federal labor leaders late Friday on the proposed pay hike.
Food Stamp Rolls in America
Now Surpass the Population of Spain
By Elizabeth Harrington - CNSNews.com
(CNSNews.com) – Since taking office in 2009, food stamp rolls under President Barack Obama have risen to more than 47 million people in America, exceeding the population of Spain.
"Now is the time to act boldly and wisely – to not only revive this economy, but to build a new foundation for lasting prosperity," said Obama during his first joint session address to Congress on Feb. 24, 2009.
Firefighters, teachers face smaller retirement safety net
By Melanie Hicken - CNN.com
NEW YORK (CNNMoney)
For public sector workers across the country, the difference of a couple of years, months or even days when starting on the job could mean the loss of hundreds of thousands of dollars in retirement benefits.
Facing ballooning bills and strained budgets, 45 states have either cut pension benefits or increased mandatory employee retirement plan contributions, or both, since 2009.
Fed official: Fixing the job market could take years
By Annalyn Kurtz - CNN.com
NEW YORK (CNNMoney)
Healing the job market should take "center stage" on the Federal Reserve's agenda, but that task could still take years, a high-ranking member of the central bank said Monday.
Janet Yellen, who as vice chairwoman of the Federal Reserve Board is number two in command to Ben Bernanke, believes that the central bank should continue to focus its policies on boosting the economy and the job market in particular.
Our Children's Economics
By Barry Eichengreen - Project-Syndicate.org
TOKYO – The economics profession has not had a good crisis. Queen Elizabeth II may have expected too much when she famously asked why economists had failed to foresee the disaster, but there is a widespread sense that much of their research turned out to be irrelevant. Worse still, much of the advice proffered by economists was of little use to policymakers seeking to limit the economic and financial fallout.
We're no longer 'top-dog' in world China unseats U.S. as top trader in world
By Cheryl K. Chumley-The Washington Times
China has unseated the United States, and is now No. 1 when it comes to trade and the total sum of exports and imports, according to U.S. Commerce Department statistics.
Last year, the United States' exports and imports totaled $3.92 trillion. China's, meanwhile, was $3.87 trillion, Newsmax reported.
China's rising economic influence has not gone unnoticed by other nations. Germany, for instance, is predicted to export twice as much to the nation in the coming decade as it will to France, Newsmax reports.
Flash under attack, emergency patch issued:
Update immediately Summary: The Flash developer is rolling out an emergency update to the world's most popular Web plug-in for two vulnerabilities, that are currently being actively exploited by hackers.
By Zack Whittaker - ZDNet.com
Adobe has issued an emergency fix for Flash to prevent two ongoing malware attacks against the world's most popular Web plug-in.
In an advisory note, Adobe announced the latest release of Flash Player 11.5, which will patch two security zero-day vulnerabilities that are actively being used by hackers and malware writers to spread malware.
Iran behind bank cyberattacks, U.S. government officials say Summary: A former government official says the U.S. believes Iran was behind a spate of cyberattacks on U.S. banks, despite claims from a hacking group that it was behind the attempted hacks.
By Zack Whittaker - ZDNet.com
U.S. government officials are reportedly pointing the finger at Iran for a spate of cyberattacks and hacking attempts on U.S. banks, according to a report by The New York Times.
A number of banks, including HSBC, Citigroup, and Bank of America, have in recent months suffered distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, which have crippled Web sites and made it nigh on impossible for banking users to access their online accounts. A group called "Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Cyber Fighters" claimed responsibility for the attacks, but no data was taken and customer funds remained intact.
The One Scary Thing About the GOP's Tech Deficiency The other side not only has data whizzes but the wherewithal to manipulate voters.
By MICHAEL TURK - Spectator.org
There has been a considerable amount of chatter over the past three months about the GOP's challenges and travails. Much of that has focused on the perceived deficiency in the party's technical capability; some written by people with very little technology experience at all outside of booting their computer.
So let me preface this by telling you three things about me. First, I have been building and repairing PCs for almost thirty years. I got my start in technology by jamming RAM chips into motherboards as a teen and built every computer I owned from scratch for almost twenty years. I have been doing tech since long before tech was cool.
Almost all US networks can be hacked:
Intelligence Committee Summary: The chair of the US House Intelligence Committee has said that hackers from China and Iran are stealing not only military documents via online attacks, but also civilian intellectual property, and that the US government is just watching it happen.
By AAP - ZDNet.com
The US is vulnerable to cyberattacks that could shut down financial services or destroy information that companies need for daily operations, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee has said.
Mike Rogers said 95 percent of private sector networks are vulnerable, and most have already been hit.
What's being stolen? Personal identities, money from banks, blueprints for next-generation jobs. At risk are private companies and public agencies.
Lawmakers to reintroduce controversial info-sharing bill Privacy advocates say CISPA would allow private companies to share personal information with few restrictions
By Grant Gross - Computerworld.com
IDG News Service - Two U.S. lawmakers plan to reintroduce a controversial cybersecurity bill that allows private companies to share customers' personal information related to a wide range of cyberthreats with government agencies.
Representatives Mike Rogers, a Michigan Republican, and C.A. "Dutch" Ruppersberger, a Maryland Democrat, are scheduled to reintroduce the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA) on Wednesday, they said in a press release. The new version of CISPA will be identical to the one that passed the U.S. House of Representatives despite objections from several privacy groups.
Obama and the Drones We need to outfight the enemy, not outlawyer him.
By JED BABBIN - Spectator.org
Unless the Constitution really is a suicide note, any American who joins al Qaeda or any other terrorist group that has avowed to attack us should have no more legal rights than any enemy we face on the battlefield. But since the 9-11 attacks, Congress, two presidents, and the courts have tangled us up in so many legal and policy knots that we're now parsing terrorist ranks and duties to determine whether the enemy can be subjected to lethal attack.
We're fighting a war that isn't a war, Congress having only declared an "Authorization for Use of Military Force," and only against al Qaeda, not all the terrorists who are engaged in war against us. We've not defined the enemy — radical Islam and all its adherents — and haven't decided to fight the war in a manner calculated to win it decisively. So we are losing, as Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Egypt, Iran, and Syria — to mention only the top-ranking terrorist nations — are proving daily.
Drone Strikes: Murder is Illegal-Paul Craig Roberts
When it comes to recent revelations about the extensive use of drones to kill terrorists, both foreign and domestic, Dr. Paul Craig Roberts says, "It's not just unconstitutional, murder is illegal." When it comes to drone strikes on U.S. citizens suspected of terror, everyone should be concerned. Roberts says, "Now the principle is if the government says you are guilty, you are—period. No evidence is needed for your termination."
White House: No more information
about drone killings will be released to public
By Vince Coglianese - DailyCaller.com
White House Press Secretary Jay Carney told reporters Thursday that the Obama administration will not be releasing any more information about the controversial use of drones to kill American citizens.
Carney's remarks, via the White House's transcript of the off-camera press gaggle:
"This is not an open-ended process. This is a specific and unique accommodation in this circumstance. The fact is, when it comes to public disclosure, we have been — not with the kind of attention that's been given it this week — but we have been publicly discussing these matters at the highest levels of government for the very reason that I've given, which is the President understands that these are core issues about how we conduct ourselves in war, how the President of the United States — any President — balances his constitutional obligation to protect America and American citizens, and his obligation to do so in a manner that is lawful under the Constitution and reflects our values.
Obama to give Congress classified docs
on targeted killings of Americans
RT.com
Amid growing public controversy over the Obama administration's targeted killings of Americans, the White House has ordered the Justice Department to provide two congressional committees with classified documents justifying the policy.
The move by President Barack Obama comes after a group of US senators requested on Monday the legal justificationfor the killings of US citizens suspected – not convicted or even charged – of terrorism with drone strikes.
"Today, as part of the president's ongoing commitment to consult with Congress on national security matters, the president directed the Department of Justice to provide the Congressional Intelligence Committees access to classified Office of Legal Counsel advice related to the subject of the Department of Justice white paper," said an administration official.
Ex-Defense chief calls for review
before drone strikes on Americans
By Joseph Tanfani - LATimes.com
WASHINGTON -- Former Defense Secretary Robert M. Gateson Sunday said there should be an outside check on the power of a president to order drone strikes on U.S. citizens.
Gates, a former CIA director who served as Defense chief under Presidents Obama and George W. Bush, said decisions to execute Americans should be subject to some outside review, perhaps by a panel of judges or by Congress.
Software that tracks your every move
and predicts future behavior draws heat
RT.com
US defense giant Raytheon has developed a controversial software that uses social networking sites to track your movements, able to predict where a person will be and their future behavior. The program has drawn criticism from civil rights groups.
A video obtained exclusively by The Guardian shows how software developed by the US defense contractor Raytheon, can gather vast amounts of personal information from social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Foursquare.
Raytheon has admitted that the technology was shared with the US government as part of a joint research and development program in 2010, as part of an effort to build a national security system capable of analyzing trillions of entities from cyberspace.
Obama to bypass Congress
on CISPA with cybersecurity executive order
By RT.com
Unable to reach a deal with Congress, President Obama plans to use his power to exert executive actions against the will of lawmakers. The president will issue orders addressing controversial topics including cybersecurity.
Although President Obama has issued fewer executive orders than any president in over 100 years, he is making extensive plans to change that. Due to conflicts with a Congress that too often disagrees on proposed legislation, Obama plans to act alone and fully exercise his executive powers.
Warning over social networking 'snooping' technology New stalking software capable of tracking people's movements and predicting future behaviour using data from social networking websites has been developed, it emerged today.
By Daily Telegraph Reporter
The sophisticated technology relies on websites such as Facebook and Twitter to build a detailed picture of people's lives in a move that could raise concerns over breach of privacy and civil liberties.
The system has been created by Raytheon, the US giant defence contractor.
It was claimed that the technology could be transformed into a "Google for spies" and used by governments as a means of monitoring and controlling people online.
Pope stands down for first time in 600 years.
New pope to be elected in March Vatican spokesman, Fr. Lombardi, has stated that the papal seat will remain vacant as of 12 o'clock on 28 February. Benedict XVI is stepping down because his health is too weak to continue in office and will retire to a life of prayer
GIACOMO GALEAZZI - VATICAN CITY
Benedict XVI is first pope to stand down in 600 years. A new pope will be elected in March Vatican spokesman, Fr. Lombardi, has stated that the papal seat will remain vacant as of 12 o'clock on 28 February. Benedict XVI is stepping down because his health is too weak to continue in office and will retire to a life of prayer
Benedict XVI is the first pope to abdicate in 600 years. "The Pope's decision took us by surprise," Vatican spokesman, Fr. Federico Lombardi admitted, after Benedict XVI announced he would be resigning on 28 February. Cardinals listened to the Pope's words "speechless. I think the majority of those present had not been informed about the announcement the Pope was about to make." The Pope's decision to step down from the papacy was a "personal and deep decision, taken after much prayer and reflection."
Prophecy: Is the next pope the last pope? Commentary: Medieval prophet says only one pontiff remains
By Michael Kitchen
LOS ANGELES (MarketWatch)—Forecasting stock moves is one thing: At least there is only a certain number of possible outcomes. But forecasting all the future popes?
Yet this is what St. Malachy, a 12th-century Irish bishop, apparently managed to do. In 1139, he is said to have received a vision of all future pontiffs, which he then listed with a Latin motto for each future Bishop of Rome.
And so far he's gotten them all right, at least according to the believers of his prophecy.
Now this is certainly not church doctrine—the Catholic Encyclopedia notes strong arguments against the authenticity of the prophecy, and whether it does in fact come from St. Malachy—but enthusiasts say each and every one of the more than 260 mottoes on the list do correspond to their respective popes.
Holy Smokes! Pope Quits The Pope Resigns. Good Decision. The world has too few young-old workers--
and too many old-old ones.
by Megan McArdle - The Daily Beast
I'm not a practicing Catholic, so I try very hard not to have opinions on the internal politics of the Vatican. But the Pope's announcement this morning that he would resign seems worth commenting on, because it was a good decision, and a worthy one. The Pope recognized that he was too frail to continue performing his duties as the spiritual leader of his church, and he stepped down so that the Church could elect someone who can.
That's a very hard decision to make. 89-year old Senator Frank Lautenberg iscurrently embroiled in a spat with Newark's Mayor Cory Booker, who has begun openly campaigning to replace Lautenberg in the Senate. (Lautenberg implied that Booker needed a "spanking" for his impertinence.) Keith Humphreys points out how absurd Lautenberg's indignation is:
Latin-loving pope uses ancient language to quit
ROME | Mon Feb 11, 2013 3:38pm EST
(Reuters) - Pope Benedict announced his historic decision to resign on Monday in an address to cardinals which he delivered in Latin, the ancient tongue whose use he had done much to encourage.
"Quapropter bene conscius ponderis huius actus plena libertate declaro me ministerio Episcopi Romae, Successoris Sancti Petri, mihi per manus Cardinalium die 19 aprilis MMV commissum renuntiare," he said during a meeting on naming new saints.
Pope's sudden resignation sends shockwaves through Church
By Philip Pullella
VATICAN CITY | Mon Feb 11, 2013 6:02pm EST
(Reuters) - Pope Benedict stunned the Roman Catholic Church on Monday when he announced he would stand down, the first pope to do so in 700 years, saying he no longer had the mental and physical strength to carry on.
Church officials tried to relay a climate of calm confidence in the running of a 2,000-year-old institution, but the decision could lead to uncertainty in a Church already besieged by scandal for covering up sexual abuse of children by priests.
Unprecedented, surprise resignation… Benedict XVI's resignation is a first for Canon Law Vatican Insider interviews Giovanni Battista Varnier, Professor of the History of Relations between State and Church at the University of Genoa on Benedict XVI's shocking and historic decision
By LUCA ROLANDI - ROME
The Pope's resignation is a shocking historical fact, which involves the Code of Canon Law. Is this resignation licit under Church law?
Absolutely, it is completely licit because the announcement was made during a Consistory in Rome, in the presence of some cardinals. During the Consistory, the Pope was meant to announce some causes of canonization but instead he came out with this shocking announcement.
What does Canon Law say about cases such as this which involve a resignation not a death?
When a pope resigns, there is a sede vacante and the Cardinal Camerlengo takes over leadership of the Church. When there is a sede vacante, the Curia also loses power. The Dean of the College of Cardinals, Angelo Sodano (who is a non-voting cardinal this time), vicars Vallini and Comastri remain in charge and the Camerlengo, Bertone, heads the process leading up to the Conclave. This time, French Protodeacon, Tauran, will be pronouncing the words Habemus Papam. What is surprising is the decision to postpone the resignation to 28 February. There are clearly going to be many questions and debates on the running of government in the next few days. The Conclave is going to take place earlier than expected, which is inconceivable.
Electing a pope: Conclave, oath, chimney smoke
By AP - WashingtonTimes.com
Pope Benedict XVI's resignation sets in motion a complex sequence of events to elect the next leader of the Roman Catholic Church. The laws governing the selection are the same as those in force after a papal death. Here is the procedure:
Contenders in Line to be Pope
By LIAM MOLONEY And GIADA ZAMPANO - WSJ.com
ROME—The cardinals who will elect the next pope are likely to favor a compromise figure similar to the current pontiff: a traditionalist in doctrine who is open to building bridges between the Vatican and the modern world, Vatican experts said.
The cardinals will look for "someone who has a combination of theological stances, but who also best addresses where we are seeing the church going today," said Francesco Cesareo, president of Assumption College in Worcester, Mass.
Mystery of Benedict's Resignation Why did the pope resign, and why now?
By Ron Fraser - theTrumpet.com
It has shocked the world. The reason for it is unclear. Reuters reported that the reason was not because of illness nor to external pressures that Pope BenedictXVI suddenly decided to resign. The pope gave February 28, four days following the Italian elections, as the operative date for stepping down from office.
"Pope Benedict has no specific illness and his decision to resign was taken with no outside pressure, the Vatican spokesman said on Monday after the pontiff's shock announcement that he would step down at the end of this month. Father Federico Lombardi said the 85-year-old pope's decision was not due to an illness, but to a progressive decline in his strength, which was normal in a man of his age" (Reuters, February 11).
Pope Benedict stepping down, cites poor health:
world shudders at Malachy's prophecy of the End of the World
The Extinction Protocol
February 11, 2013 – VATICAN - Pope Benedict shocked the world on Monday by saying he no longer had the mental and physical strength to cope with his ministry, in an announcement that left his aides "incredulous" and will make him the first pontiff to step down since the Middle Ages. The German-born Pope, 85, hailed as a hero by conservative Roman Catholics and viewed with suspicion by liberals, told cardinals in Latin that his strength had deteriorated recently. He will step down on February 28 and the Vatican expects a new Pope to be chosen by the end of March. Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi said the Pope had not decided to resign because of "difficulties in the papacy" and the move had been a surprise, indicating that even his inner circle was unaware that he was about to quit. The Pope does not fear schism in the Church after his resignation, the spokesman said. The Pope's leadership of 1.2 billion Catholics has been beset by child sexual abuse crises that tarnished the Church, one address in which he upset Muslims and a scandal over the leaking of his private papers by his personal butler. The pope told the cardinals that in order to govern "…both strength of mind and body are necessary, strength which in the last few months, has deteriorated in me to the extent that I have had to recognize my incapacity to adequately fulfill the ministry entrusted to me. "For this reason, and well aware of the seriousness of this act, with full freedom I declare that I renounce the ministry of Bishop of Rome, Successor of Saint Peter." He also referred to "today's world, subject to so many rapid changes and shaken by questions of deep relevance for the life of faith."
Prophecy of St Malachy
Catholic-Pages.com
….The last of these prophecies concerns the end of the world and is as follows: "In the final persecution of the Holy Roman Church there will reign Peter the Roman, who will feed his flock amid many tribulations, after which the seven-hilled city will be destroyed and the dreadful Judge will judge the people. The End." It has been noticed concerning Petrus Romanus, who according to St. Malachy's list is to be the last pope, that the prophecy does not say that no popes will intervene between him and his predecessor designated Gloria olive. It merely says that he is to be the last, so that we may suppose as many popes as we please before "Peter the Roman". Cornelius a Lapide refers to this prophecy in his commentary "On the Gospel of St. John" (C. xvi) and "On the Apocalypse" (cc. xvii-xx), and he endeavours to calculate according to it the remaining years of time.
As Predicted In Petrus Romanus: Pope Benedict XVI In Shock Resignation. Conclave To Elect "Final Pope" Before Easter
BBC.co.uk
Pope Benedict XVI is to resign at the end of this month after nearly eight years as the head of the Catholic Church, saying he is too old to continue at the age of 85. The unexpected development surprised governments, Vatican-watchers and even the 85-year-old's closest aides. The Vatican says it expects a new Pope to be elected before the end of March, ahead of Easter. Papal resignations are not unknown, but this is the first in the modern era. The BBC's Alan Johnston in Rome says the news has come "out of the blue", and that there was no speculation whatsoever about the move in recent days. Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti is quoted as saying he was "greatly shaken by this unexpected news". A Vatican spokesman, Father Federico Lombardi, said that even the Pope's closest aides did not know what he was planning to do and were left "incredulous". He added that the decision showed "great courage" and "determination".
No obvious front-runner yet Pope Benedict XVI to resign at month's end, Vatican says
France247.com
Pope Benedict XVI announced Monday that he would resign on February 28 -- the first pontiff to do so in nearly 600 years -- setting the stage for a conclave to elect a new pope before the end of March.
A Vatican official said the Holy See hopes the period between the pope's resignation and the election of a successor will be "as brief as possible".
With Benedict resigning, can Latin American claim papacy?
By Tom Heneghan, Religion Editor
PARIS | Mon Feb 11, 2013 3:38pm EST
(Reuters) - With Pope Benedict's stunning announcement that he will resign later this month, the time may be coming for the Roman Catholic Church to elect its first non-European leader and it could be a Latin American.
The region already represents 42 percent of the world's 1.2 billion-strong Catholic population, the largest single block in the Church, compared to 25 percent in its European heartland.
Who Will Be Next Pope After Pope Benedict XVI's Resignation?
The Huffington Post | By Cavan Sieczkowski
Pope Benedict XVI announced he will resign from the papal office on Feb. 28, marking the first resignation of a pope in the Catholic Church in almost 600 years.
So, what happens now? Who will be the next pope?
Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi confirmed that the College of Cardinals will meet to elect the next pope some time in March, according to CNN. A new pope is expected to be in position by Easter on March 31.
Will the 'final' Pope be black? Cardinal Peter Turkson Causes Uproar
With 'Muslim Scare' Video At Vatican
Reuters | By Naomi O'Leary - HuffingtonPost.com
(Reuters) - A Roman Catholic cardinal has caused an uproar at the Vatican by screening a spurious YouTube video that makes alarmist predictions about the growth of Islam in Europe.
The seven-minute clip, called "Muslim Demographics," was the talk of an international gathering of bishops on Monday, two days after Cardinal Peter Turkson screened it during a free discussion period.
Turkson, a Ghanaian who is based in the Vatican and is president of its Council for Justice and Peace, sparked consternation among his fellow bishops over the clip.
First black pope?
Emerging contenders include cardinals from Africa
By Cheryl K. Chumley-The Washington Times
The Roman Catholic Church very well could elect its first black pope — or, at the least, its first pope of non-European descent, according to various strategists and analysts.
The Telegraph reports that two princes of the church have emerged as top contenders for the top spot: Cardinals Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson of Ghana and Francis Arinze of Nigeria. Electing one would send a black man — for the first time in history, or at least since the early Middle Ages, according to The Telegraph — to head the church's spiritual direction.
ExoVaticana: Petrus Romanus &
The Vatican's Astonishing Plan
for the Arrival of An Alien Savior
Christians will not immediately need to renounce their faith in God "simply on the basis of the reception of [this] new, unexpected information of a religious character from extraterrestrial civilizations." However, once the "religious content" originating from outside the earth "has been verified" they will have to conduct "a re-reading [of the Gospel] inclusive of the new data…"
– Vatican Astronomer, Eminent Theologian and Full Professor of Fundamental Theology at the Pontificia Università della Santa Croce in Rome [Connected With Opus Dei], Father Giuseppe Tanzella-Nitti
Muslim Brotherhood Nominee
Looks Set to become Egypt's Next Grand Mufti
By Patrick Goodenough - CNSNews.com
(CNSNews.com) – The anticipated naming Monday of a Muslim Brotherhood nominee to the position of grand mufti of Egypt coincides with escalating protests against a ruling party already accused of dominating the nation.
A panel of religious scholars at Al-Azhar – the top seat of learning in Sunni Islam – will name the appointee to the top post after narrowing the field down to three, and then voting by secret ballot to send one name to President Mohammed Morsi.
Report: Iran, Hezbollah setting up militias
to prepare for post-Assad Syria Washington Post quotes enior official in the Obama administration referring to Tehran's claims it is supporting up to 50,000 militiamen in Syria.
By Haaretz
According to a report in the Washington Post on Sunday, Iran and Hezbollah are preparing themselves for the day when the Syrian regime led by Bashar Assad is overthrown. Quoting officials in the U.S. and Middle East, the paper reports that Iran and Hezbollah are building a "network of militias inside Syria" that will protect their interests in a post-Assad Syria.
Officials believe that Iran is cultivating operatives on the ground that can be relied upon in the event that Assad is no longer in power and Syrians are fragmented along religious and ethnic lines. A senior official in the Obama administration referred to Tehran's claims it was supporting up to 50,000 militiamen in Syria, the Washington Post reported.
'Obama is coming to tell Netanyahu not to strike Iran' Army Radio report says first presidential visit aims to ensure the prime minister won't initiate attack on Tehran's nuclear program
By ADIV STERMAN and TIMES OF ISRAEL STAFF
next month primarily in order to tell Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in person to hold off on any military intervention in Iran, it was reported Sunday.
Quoting unnamed Israeli sources, Israel's Army Radio said the president would indeed seek to host some kind of summit meeting between Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, and possibly Jordan's King Abdullah, to try to re-energize the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.
