Tag: Catholic

INTERNATIONAL: Nigeria’s Oldest Catholic Priest Dies at Age 104

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JEFF TURNER

The Catholic Diocese of Auchi in Nigeria announced the death of Right Reverend Monsignor Thomas Oleghe, who passed away on November 24, 2024. At 104 years of age, Msgr. Oleghe held the distinction of being Nigeria’s most senior Catholic priest.

Bishop Gabriel Dunia of the Auchi Diocese confirmed that Msgr. Oleghe died in the early hours of Sunday morning at 2:30 a.m. The Diocese plans to hold funeral services for the late priest on Wednesday, November 27, 2024.

The announcement came through an official statement from the Diocese of Auchi, located in Nigeria’s Edo State. Bishop Dunia shared the news with the Catholic community through both formal channels and social media.

The Diocese of Auchi made preparations to honour Msgr. Oleghe’s life through a funeral service, acknowledging his lengthy service to the Catholic Church in Nigeria.

This news marks a significant moment for the Catholic community in Nigeria, as Msgr. Oleghe’s age and position made him a notable figure in the country’s religious history.

Gunman targets US church building twice in same week

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JEFF TURNER

Police in the United States are investigating two incidents in which someone fired shots at a Catholic Church building.

The first incident happened August 6 and the second on August 8. Someone fired shots at the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church building in Adams County, Colorado.  This is near the city of Denver.  No injuries were reported in either incident.

Security video from one of the shootings shows shots fired at the church by a person on a motorcycle.

The criminal, or criminals, responsible have not made their motive for the shooting known.

Bronze statue stolen from Surrey church, RCMP say

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SURREY – Investigators are asking for the public help finding a statue stolen from a church in Surrey, BC.

A news release from RCMP says it happened around 4:30 a.m., July 13, 2022. Video shows two men taking a bronze statue of St. Andrew Kim which was located on church property outside of the Education Centre Building at 10222 161 Street. The suspect used a dolly to transport the statue and load it into a camper van.

The statue is described as two metres tall and depicts St. Andrew Kim. It is difficult to make out a suspect description based on the current evidence. The investigation is ongoing and police are actively working to identify the suspects.

“A theft of this nature goes beyond the monetary value, the statue has sentimental significance to the St Andrew Kim Parish, says Surrey RCMP Media Relations Officer, Cst. Sarbjit K. Sangha Investigators are actively working to locate the statue so that it can be returned to the Parish. If anyone recognizes the suspects, suspect vehicle or knows that whereabouts of the statue, we encourage you to contact police.

Anyone with information about this incident or video from the surrounding area is asked to contact the Surrey RCMP at 604-599-0502, or Crime Stoppers, if they wish to remain anonymous, at 1-800-222-8477 or http://www.solvecrime.ca.

Facebook: Image of Jesus on the cross too shocking for advertisement

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2018-04-03 rejected ad

An advertisement campaign for The Franciscan University of Steubenville’s MA Theology and MA Catechetics programs has been rejected by Facebook.  The reason given by the social media site?  An image of Jesus on the cross is shocking, sensational and has excessive violent content.

The image at issue features the San Damiano Cross with a crucified Jesus.  Facebook sent the university a notice that says, “”Your image, video thumbnail or video can’t contain shocking, sensational, or excessively violent content.”

The university released the following statement on its website:

The San Damiano Cross.  Jesus in glory, reigning from his cruciform throne. This is what the monitors at Facebook consider excessively violent, sensational, and shocking.

And indeed, the Crucifixion of Christ was all of those things. It was the most sensational action in history: man executed his God.

It was shocking, yes: God deigned to take on flesh and was “obedient unto death, even death on a cross.” (Philippians 2:8)

And it was certainly excessively violent: a man scourged to within an inch of his life, nailed naked to a cross and left to die, all the hate of all the sin in the world poured out its wrath upon his humanity.

“but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews, an absurdity to Gentiles. But to those who are called, both Jew and Gentile, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:23-24)

As Father Mike Schmitz points out in today’s #ShareJesus message, it was not the nails that held Jesus to the cross: he was God, he could have descended from the Cross at any moment. No, it was love that kept him there. Love for you and for me, that we might not be eternally condemned for our sins but might have life eternal with him and his Father in heaven.

This is sensational, this is shocking. This is only possible because of the excessive violence that he endured for us.

“He was despised and rejected of men.” It was ever thus and will ever be, for those who do not see with the eyes of faith, and love with a love unquenchable.

Facebook later said a spam detection tool was responsible for the ads rejection.