DAWN OF THE AGE OF AQUARIUS: Precursors To The End Of Christian Dominionism, White Supremacy Paradigm And The Piscean Age Of Belief - Catholic And Anglican Leaders Say That Christians Are Now A MINORITY In The UK And Must Pull Together In Order To SURVIVE, As The MONUMENTAL PARADIGM SHIFT OF AGES Accelerates!

© Toby Melville / Reuters

February 10, 2016 - UNITED KINGDOM - Practicing Christians are now a minority in the UK and the Catholic and Anglican churches must pull together in order to survive, according to two senior British clerics.

The Right Reverend Richard Chartres, Bishop of London, and Cardinal Vincent Nichols, head of the Catholic Church in England and Wales, were speaking at an event at Hampton Court Palace, London, on Tuesday.

They hailed the reconciliation between two churches that have traditionally been rivals, and the gathering also saw the first Catholic act of worship at the chapel of Henry VIII for 450 years.

“I would like to think of this evening as a celebration of how far we’ve come and also a celebration of a common agenda,” Chartres said.

Nichols spoke about the contribution Catholics had made to the UK as a “significant minority,” to which Chartres said “we are all minorities now.”

“What I see, particularly around London, is that increasingly we are living in a post-denominational era,” Chartres added.

Recent studies suggest the cleric may be correct, with figures showing a plunge in regular worshippers in the UK.

The church’s annual pew count reports only 1.4 percent of the population of England attends Anglican services every Sunday. Mid-week services have also slipped below the one million mark for the first time.

Average Sunday attendance has fallen by 22,000 from 764,700 in 2014. That is a third less than the average during the 1960s.

The fall is partly down to the ageing and death of worshipers, with the church losing one percent of its attendees per year.

Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby told a recent crisis meeting of Anglican leaders the church is being affected by an “anti-Christian culture.”

“In this country many talk of the post-Christian society, but the Church of England educates more than a million children in our schools,” he told the gathered Primates. - RT.

DAWN OF THE AGE OF AQUARIUS: Global Awakening; Paradigm Shift; Symbolism; Precursors To The End Of Christian Dominionism, The White Supremacy Paradigm And The Piscean Age Of Belief - Faith No More, As Attendance At The Church Of England Plummets; Baffled Archbishop Of Canterbury Issues Dire Warning Against The Rise Of "ANTI-CHRISTIAN" Culture!

© Tilman2007 / Wikipedia

January 12, 2016 - ENGLAND - Church of England attendance has slumped dramatically, leading the Archbishop of Canterbury to warn against the rise of “anti-Christian” culture and defend the church’s record as a force for good in society.

The church’s annual pew count reports only 1.4 percent of the population of England attends Anglican services every Sunday. Mid-week services have also slipped below the one million mark for the first time.

Average Sunday attendance has fallen by 22,000 from 764,700 in 2014. That is a third less than the average during the 1960s.

The fall is partly down to the ageing and death of worshipers, with the church losing 1 percent of its attendees per year.

Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby told a recent crisis meeting of Anglican leaders the church is being affected by an “anti-Christian culture.”

“In this country many talk of the post-Christian society, but the Church of England educates more than a million children in our schools,” he told the gathered Primates.


WATCH: Church of England presents guide on how Christians should vote.

“We are involved in almost all the food banks as, for the first time since the 1930s, we have hunger in this country. We are still a major part of the glue that holds society together.”

Welby also claimed the church remains a key source of leadership in society.

“The Church of England is still a primary source of leadership for communities, to the dismay of the secularists,” he said.

A 2015 poll showed that Britain is one of the least religious countries in the world, coming sixth from bottom in a global study of belief carried out across 65 countries.

Win/Gallup International polling suggested over 50 percent of Britons do not subscribe to any religion, 13 percent are committed atheists and the rest are unsure how to define their beliefs.

Only 30 percent said they are religious. - RT.

DAWN OF THE AGE OF AQUARIUS: Paradigm Shift, Symbolism, And Precursors To The End Of Christian Dominionism And The Piscean Age Of Belief - Modern Britain Is NO LONGER A CHRISTIAN COUNTRY; Christianity Declining As Islam More Popular, Report Shows!

© Suzanne Plunkett / Reuters

December 7, 2015 - BRITAIN - Modern Britain is no longer a Christian country, a report by the Commission on Religion and Belief in Public Life concludes.

It calls on institutions to adapt to the nation’s increasingly multi-faith and non-religious makeup.

The commission, set up by the Woolf Institute and chaired by former high court judge Elizabeth Butler-Sloss, is a leading think tank studying relations between Christian, Jewish and Muslim communities.

The massive decline in churchgoing and the rise of Islam means a “new settlement” is needed for religion in the UK, the independent study finds.

The House of Lords, which includes a number of Church of England (CoE) bishops, should also feature imams, rabbis and other non-Christian clerics to give more official influence to other faith groups, the report suggests.

It added that acts of worship in school assemblies should be abolished and replaced with “time for reflection.”

“Three striking trends in recent decades have revolutionized the landscape on which religion and belief in Britain meet and interact,” the report said.

“The first is the increase in the number of people with non-religious beliefs and identities. The second is the decline in Christian affiliation, belief and practice and within this decline a shift in Christian affiliation that has meant that Anglicans no longer comprise a majority of Christians.

“The third is the increase in the number of people who have a religious affiliation but who are not Christian.”

The report was strongly condemned by Cabinet ministers and the Church of England, who said it was a “sad waste.”

In a statement, a spokesman for CoE said: “The report is dominated by the old-fashioned view that traditional religion is declining in importance and that non-adherence to a religion is the same as humanism or secularism.”

A source close to Education Secretary Nicky Morgan described the report’s recommendations on faith schools as “ridiculous.”

“Nicky is one of the biggest champions of faith schools and anyone who thinks she is going to pay attention to these ridiculous recommendations is sorely misguided,” the source told the Telegraph.

In his Easter message earlier this year, Prime Minister David Cameron insisted that the UK is “still a Christian country.”

He praised Christians for living out their religious faith in schools, and took credit for investing “tens of millions to repair churches.”

However, shortly after his speech, YouGov released a poll which found 62 percent of Britons describe themselves as “not religious.”

Some 68 percent of those surveyed said religion is “not important” to their life.

According to the Pew Research Centre, the proportion of the British population identifying itself as Christian is expected to fall from 64 percent to 45 percent by 2050, while the proportion of Muslims is predicted to rise from 5 percent to 11 percent. - RT.

DAWN OF THE AGE OF AQUARIUS: Obama, Paradigm Shift, Symbolism, And Precursors To The End Of Christian Dominionism And The Piscean Age Of Belief - United State Universities Avoiding Basically Anything Religious, Christmas Or Holiday-Related In-Order To Ensure Diversity And Inclusivity!

#CheckYourCheer 

December 7, 2015 - UNITED STATES - Universities across the country are telling students and staff that they should avoid basically anything holiday-related in their seasonal displays and parties — including even certain color combinations — in order to ensure “inclusivity.” It’s bad — and these three schools may be the worst:

1. Cornell University
Cornell University has some pretty infantilizing guidelines for a school supposedly attended by our brightest and most capable minds. They declared that no one should hang mistletoe, and it’s not even for the reason you might think, (which would be, of course, because mistletoe pressures people to kiss which perpetuates rape culture and sexual assault and no one would be safe.)

Nope, the reason is even more ridiculous than that: Mistletoe is associated with Christmas, and non-Christian students could obviously be traumatized by having to see Christmas-related things during Christmastime.

Other items in this category included trees decorated with any kind of religious anything (it did clarify that trees with bows, garlands, or lights were allowed “But Should be Basis of Dialogue Within Unit or Living Area,” whatever the hell that means), as well as angels, trees with stars on top, and menorahs.

“University members are reminded to be respectful of the religious diversity of our students and colleagues and are encouraged to use an inclusive approach . . . focusing on the winter season rather than a particular holiday,” it advised.

By the way, the “Guidelines for the Display of Religious Symbols” and “Guidelines for Inclusive Seasonal Displays” were included in a document titled “Fire Safety Guidelines for Holidays Decorations [sic],” which could technically suggest that they’re saying mistletoe would also be a fire hazard. Perhaps they don’t realize that you actually don’t need to douse mistletoe in gasoline over an open flame before hanging it.

To be fair, the university did say it was okay for students to “privately” place religious-related items in their own rooms. (Yes – “privately.” So, like where? Inside of their pillow cases and under their beds?)  

2. University of Tennessee–Knoxville
UT–Knoxville openly stated that its so-called “Best Practices for Inclusive Holiday Celebrations in the Workplace” was not an official policy, but a way to show that the school is “fully committed to a diverse, welcoming, and inclusive environment.” 

“Ensure your holiday party is not a Christmas party in disguise,” it advises. (After all, you know how sneaky and insidious people can be with their holiday spirit!)

The document recommended including “food and decor from multiple religions” — which was actually a bit confusing, considering that the guidelines later stated that “refreshment selection should be general, not specific to any religion or culture.”

It also advised that you not call Secret Santa “Secret Santa,” but instead something like “practical joke gift exchange” or “secret gift exchange,” neither of which really have the same ring to it. Games of Dreidel were deemed totally offensive no matter what you called them.

“Consider having a New Year’s party and include décor and food from multiple religions and cultures,” it suggested. “Use it as an opportunity to reinvigorate individuals for the new year’s goals and priorities.”

Yes… a snowflake-themed life-coaching session! How fun! 

3. Ohio State University
Ohio State described its guidelines as a “living document” of suggestions for how to avoid showing “disrespect or disregard for the religious beliefs or nonbeliefs of our students and colleagues. “Decorations and food should be general and not privilege any religion,” it stated.  

So, you know, keep your sugar cookies blank. Probably a good idea. After all, whenever I see one of those Pillsbury “Ready To Bake!” Christmas tree-printed sugar cookies, the first thing I do is get upset about how brutally disrespected I’ve been.

It did state that bows were kind of okay, but “preferably not red and green” ones — which seems to be taking it a bit far. Seeing red and green can be pretty traumatizing, but I feel like a simple sign outside of the party saying “Trigger Warning: You may encounter red and green at this party!” would probably be enough. The guidelines were previously covered in an article on Campus Reform. - National Review.

DAWN OF THE AGE OF AQUARIUS: Obama, Paradigm Shift, Symbolism, And Precursors To The End Of Christian Dominionism, The White Supremacy Paradigm And The Piscean Age Of Belief - Pope Francis Declares That Christian Fundamentalism Is A Sickness; Euro-Parliament President Says Christians Are No Longer Safe In Europe; Influence Of Churches, Once Dominant, Now Waning In The U.S. South!

Reuters

December 4, 2015 - THE NEW AGE - Is a belief in the strict, literal interpretation of the Bible “a sickness”?  Pope Francis appears to think so.  Just a few days ago, multiple reporters heard Francis describe fundamentalism as “a sickness that is in all religions” – including Christianity. 

Pope Francis Declares That Christian Fundamentalism ‘Is A Sickness’

But precisely what is fundamentalism?  If you go to Google, it is defined as “a form of a religion, especially Islam or Protestant Christianity, that upholds belief in the strict, literal interpretation of scripture.”  So does Pope Francis really intend to “combat” those that believe in a literal interpretation of the Bible?

I know that this may sound really bizarre to many of you.  But apparently the Pope really said these things.  The following is an excerpt from an article that has been posted on Life Site News…

“Fundamentalism is a sickness that is in all religions,” Francis said, as reported by the National Catholic Reporter’s Vatican correspondent, Joshua McElwee, and similarly by other journalists on the plane.  “We Catholics have some — and not some, many — who believe in the absolute truth and go ahead dirtying the other with calumny, with disinformation, and doing evil.”

“They do evil,” said the pope. “I say this because it is my church.”

“We have to combat it,” he said. “Religious fundamentalism is not religious, because it lacks God. It is idolatry, like the idolatry of money.”

But the Pope didn’t stop there.

He went on to blame Christians for starting many wars…

“Like everything, there are religious people with values and those without,” he said. “But how many wars … have Christians made? The sacking of Rome was not done by Muslims, eh?”

Pope Francis

During his papacy, Francis has made it a point to reach out to leaders from all sorts of different religions.

But apparently his “tolerance” does not extend to those that believe that the Bible is actually true.  And this is not the first time that he has said something like this.  Last year, he publicly stated that there is not any room for “fundamentalism” in Christianity…

Following his first visit to the Middle East as pope last month, the pontiff criticized fundamentalism in Christianity, Islam and Judaism as a form of violence.

“A fundamentalist group, even if it kills no one, even it strikes no one, is violent. The mental structure of fundamentalism is violence in the name of God.”

Sadly, these comments have not gotten the international attention that they deserve.

If the Pope really does not believe that the Bible is literally true, that would explain a lot.  For example, the Bible tells us that we are to reject other gods, but earlier in his papacy Francis authorized “Islamic prayers and readings from the Quran” at the Vatican for the first time ever…

For the first time in history, Islamic prayers and readings from the Quran will be heard at the Vatican on Sunday, in a move by Pope Francis to usher in peace between Israelis and Palestinians.

Francis issued the invitation to Israeli President Shimon Peres and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas during his visit last week to Jordan, Israel, and the Palestinian Authority.

Abbas, Peres, and Francis will be joined by Jewish, Christian and Islamic religious leaders, a statement released by Peres’s spokesperson said, according to the Times of Israel.

Pope Francis also apparently believes that Christians and Muslims worship the exact same God. - TMIN.

Euro-Parliament Prez: Christians ‘Not Safe In Our Continent’

In a high-level meeting on religious persecution in Brussels, the President of the European Parliament (EP) said that Europe cannot afford to continue ignoring the fate of Christians, who are “clearly the most persecuted group” in the world.

In Wednesday’s meeting, EP President Martin Schulz said that the persecution of Christians is “undervalued” and does not receive enough attention, which has also meant that it “hasn’t been properly addressed.”

Schulz’s concerns were echoed by EP Vice President Antonio Tajani, who warned that Europe sometimes “falls into the temptation of thinking we can ignore this task,” referring to the protection Christians throughout the world who suffer persecution.

Speakers cited the work of Open Doors, a human rights organization that monitors the persecution of Christians, noting that 150 million Christians worldwide suffer torture, rape and arbitrary imprisonment. Christians in Iraq, Somalia, Syria, Pakistan, North Korea and Nigeria are among those hardest hit.

The Open Doors report for 2015 found that “Islamic extremism is by far the most significant persecution engine” of Christians in the world today and that “40 of the 50 countries on the World Watch List are affected by this kind of persecution.”

For Islamists, Tajani said, Christians are the new “crusaders” of Europe, and because of Islamic persecution in the Middle East more than 70 percent of Christians have fled Iraq since 2003, with another 700 thousand Christians who have been forced to leave their home in Syria since the outbreak of civil war.

“Each month 200 churches and places of worship in the world are attacked and destroyed. Every day and in every region of the world, there are new cases of persecution against Christians,” said Tajani.

“No religious community is as subject to hatred, violence and systematic aggression as the Christians,” he said.

Tajani suggested that where radicalized religion is the problem, religion can also be the solution. “In the name of religion, we have an obligation to condemn all those who show contempt for life and kill in the name of God,” he said. “Whoever shoots in the name of God, shoot against God.”

Another speaker, auxiliary bishop Jean Kockerols of Brussels, said that the idea that Christians are intruders in certain Muslim-dominated countries must be debunked, since the Christian presence in the Middle East and the Indian sub-continent “dates back to centuries before the spread of the Koran.”

“The West must break the silence on the persecution of Christians in the world,” said Tajani, and Europe must promote “a model of society in opposition to religious radicalism and brutal and criminal projects, such as creating an Islamic caliphate in Iraq and Syria and then extending its tentacles into to Libya.”

“It should shake us up,” said Schulz, “that on our continent, Christians are not safe.” - Breitbart.

Influence Of Churches, Once Dominant, Now Waning In South

This photo taken Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2015, shows owner Dee Walker talking to a customer at The Fermenter’s Market at The Rex, a craft beer and wine shop now open on
Sunday after voters in Sylacauga, Ala., decided to legalize alcohol sales on Sunday. The change is part of a broad pattern across the South as churches lose
their grip on a region where they could long set community standards. (AP Photo/Jay Reeves)

Prayers said and the closing hymn sung, tea-drinking churchgoers fill Marble City Grill for Sunday lunch. But hard on their heels comes the afternoon crowd: craft beer-drinking, NFL-watching football fans.

Such a scene would have been impossible just months ago because Sunday alcohol sales were long illegal in Sylacauga, hometown of both the actor who played TV's Gomer Pyle and the white marble used to construct the U.S. Supreme Court building. While the central Alabama city of 12,700 has only one hospital, four public schools and 21 red lights, the chamber of commerce directory lists 78 churches.

Yet few were surprised when residents voted overwhelmingly in September to legalize Sunday alcohol sales. Churches lacked either the heart or influence to stop it.

That shift is part of a broad pattern across the South: Churches are losing their grip on a region where they could long set community standards with a pulpit-pounding sermon or, more subtly, a sideward glance toward someone walking into a liquor store.

In metro Atlanta, youth sports teams regularly practice and play games on Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights - times that were strictly off-limits a generation ago because they conflicted with church worship services. In Mississippi, dozens of businesses display anti-discrimination stickers distributed by a gay rights group rather than worry about a church-based backlash.

"It doesn't matter who wants to buy a house," said real estate agent Diana Britt, who drives around Jackson, Mississippi, in a work vehicle decorated with one of the stickers. "If they want to buy a house, I'll sell them a house."

Church-based crusaders against gambling also are on a losing streak as all but two Southern states, Alabama and Mississippi, have lotteries. And, perhaps most tellingly, a recent survey by the Pew Research Center showed 19 percent of Southerners don't identify with any organized religion. That's fewer "nones" than in other regions, but the number is up 6 percentage points in the South since 2007.

The South is still the Bible Belt, and that same Pew survey found that church affiliation remains stronger in the states of the old Confederacy than anywhere else in the United States. Seventy-six percent of Southerners call themselves Christians, and political advertisements often show candidates in or near church. Religious conservatives remain a powerful force in many Southern statehouses.

Still, the same South that often holds itself apart from the rest of the country is becoming more like other U.S. regions when it comes to organized religion, said Jessica Martinez, a senior researcher in religion and public life at Pew.

And while race divides many things in the South, the trend is evident among blacks, whites and Hispanic adults, she said.

"We've seen this sort of broader shift throughout the country as a whole with fewer people identifying as being part of the religious base," she said. "In the South you see a pattern very similar to what we are seeing in other regions."

Thomas Fuller, a religion professor at Baptist-affiliated Samford University near Birmingham, said there's no single reason churches are losing the cultural wallop they once packed. Migration into the region and the Internet are but two factors chipping away at a society that seemed much more isolated just a generation ago, he said.

"The South is not nearly as homogeneous, is far more diverse culturally now than it's ever been," said Fuller. "In a way you're a little hard-pressed now to talk about Southern culture in a singular fashion. It's not nearly as one-dimensional anymore or easy to describe."

In Sylacauga, 45 miles southeast of Birmingham, Mayor Doug Murphree said the push for Sunday alcohol sales was linked to attracting new businesses.

"We're not really trying to promote drinking in Sylacauga. But if you look at a big chain restaurant like Ruby Tuesday or O'Charley's, they're open on Sunday and a big part of their business is alcohol," said the mayor.

Murphree, who attends a Baptist church, said he met with members of the local ministerial association before the citywide vote to explain the city's economic situation and the need for Sunday alcohol sales. Pastors listened, and by and large they didn't preach against it.

"They said they were not going to try to block us," he said.

So now, Marble City Grill can sell alcohol after 1 p.m. on Sunday just two blocks up North Broadway Avenue from the white-columned First Baptist Church of Sylacauga.

"Things have changed," said Julie Smith, who owns the restaurant with her husband. "We've been open 10 years and at first we had people who wouldn't come because we sold alcohol. They come now."

Around corner from the restaurant, Dee Walker said he's attracting a larger crowd every Sunday afternoon at his craft beer and wine shop, The Fermenter's Market at The Rex, named for the old hotel in which it is located.

Walker grew up in neighboring Clay County, the last dry county in Alabama, and recalls the petition drives and fire-and-brimstone sermons anytime someone mentioned legalizing alcohol sales. Southern churches no longer have that kind of influence in many places, Walker said.

"You've got some diminishing populations when it comes to the religious opposition," said Walker, standing behind a bar with 36 taps for craft beer. Walker said his customers include church deacons and elders; a Baptist layman quoted Scripture while drinking a hoppy brown ale on a recent weekday afternoon.

Joe Godfrey, a Southern Baptist minister and head of a group that calls itself "Alabama's Moral Compass," recalls a time when churches were the center of Southern society.

"I can remember when schools looking to schedule an event would call the local churches to see if they had anything ... that might conflict with the school's tentative plans. If so, the school would find a different date to hold their event. That is no longer true," said Godfrey, executive director of Alabama Citizens Action Program.

"Today, churches try to find a time to schedule their events when ball teams, schools and civic clubs are not already planning something else," said Godfrey. "Instead of being the 'hub' of the community, churches today are simply one 'spoke' in the wheel of people's lives."

Fuller, the religion professor, said the loss of influence isn't all bad for Southern churches. The idea of churches controlling Southern society is giving way to individuals searching for a deeper faith, he said.

"The fact that you didn't drink, cuss or chew or go with girls who do, didn't dance, didn't do this or that, was far more a litmus test of one's faith and devotion to Christ in a previous day and in many instances in a way that, I think, produced a superficial sort of religion in many respects," he said. "I think there has been some growth and development in outlook." - AP.

 

DAWN OF THE AGE OF AQUARIUS: Obama, Paradigm Shift, Symbolism, And Precursors To The End Of Christian Dominionism And The Piscean Age Of Belief - After 33 Years, "Christmas In Washington" Has Been Cancelled!

The first family, from third left to right, Malia Obama, Sasha Obama, President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama, join performers Aloe Blacc, left, Darius Rucker
and Rita Ora, right, on stage singing the Christmas carol during the taping of the 2014 Christmas in Washington presentation
at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 14, 2014. (Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP)

"In my first term, we ended the war in Iraq; in my second term, I will win the war on Christmas." - President Obama, White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner 2012.

December 2, 2015 - WASHINGTON D.C., UNITED STATES - After more than three decades and five administrations, “Christmas in Washington,” the celebrity-packed holiday special attended by the first family, won’t be returning for its 34th holiday season.

No, the Grinch didn’t have anything to do with it — at least we don’t think he did.

After last year’s show, hosted by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, TNT announced that it would no longer broadcast the Christmas special, ending a 15-year partnership with veteran producer George Stevens Jr. and his son, Michael. The Stevenses, who had just been ousted as the producers of the Kennedy Center Honors gala, said they were in search of a new broadcast partner.

But a new network sponsor was never found, and according to the Stevens Co., the 2014 broadcast was the last.

“Christmas in Washington,” which began in 1982, was like a grade-school pageant on steroids. The night was filled with marquee musicals acts such as Earth, Wind & Fire, Tim McGraw, Gloria Estefan, Justin Bieber and Mariah Carey, who crooned Christmas classics on stage while the first family and other Washington VIPs sang along from the audience.

For the big finale everyone, including the first family, headed to the stage for hand-holding, hugging and a big singalong. It was a hot holiday ticket and decades-long tradition.

The special, which benefited the Children’s National Health System, was created by producer-writer George Stevens Jr. His son Michael signed on as a producer in 1993 and went on to direct the show from 2004 to 2014. Michael Stevens died Oct. 15 from complications caused by stomach cancer.

When asked what George Stevens, who received an honorary Oscar for lifetime achievement in 2012, was planning to do next, a representative from his company said: “Mr. Stevens always has stuff going on but nothing right now.” - Washington Post.

DAWN OF THE AGE OF AQUARIUS: Precursors To The End Of Christian Dominionism, White Supremacy Paradigm And The Piscean Age Of Belief - Christianity On The Brink, Facing Middle East PURGE Within Decade, Says Group!

ISIS fighters destroyed a porcelain statue of Jesus, which is now missing its face.

"Last Christmas was the first time that bells did not ring out in the city of Mosul in 2000 years. I think that speaks to the reality that hundreds of thousands of Christian families are living on the edge of extinction." - Elijah Brown, 21st Century Wilberforce.

November 13, 2015 - MIDDLE EAST - The dwindling Christian population of the Middle East could vanish completely within a decade unless the global community intervenes, say alarmed aid groups who say followers of the Bible are being killed, driven from their land or forced to renounce their faith at an unprecedented pace.

The world has largely stood by as a dangerous tide of intolerance has washed over the region, according to a new study by the international Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need. The study includes disturbing data about the plunging numbers of Christians in the part of the world that gave birth to the faith, and makes a dire prediction of what could happen.

“It’s an answer that depends on the response of the world,” Edward Clancy, director of outreach for the New York-based Aid to the Church in Need, told FoxNews.com. “What response is there going to be toward us if we act?”

Syrian refugees near the Christian village of Kaa, Lebanon. The Christian presence may disappear completely within a decade
or even sooner according to a recently released study. (Aid to the Church in Need-US)

While Christians are under siege from Islamic State radicals in war-torn Syria and Iraq, the report notes that the religion is being targeted throughout the region. Christians who have managed to escape ISIS have fled to places like Europe and Lebanon, while members of the faith also are under increasing pressure in Iran, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and other Gulf nations.

The Christian population in Iraq has plummeted from 1.5 million in 2003 to current estimates of 275,000 and could be gone for good within five years, according to the report. The dwindling numbers are due to genocide, refugees fleeing to other countries, those who are internally displaced, and others hiding in plain sight and not allowing their faith to be publicly known. A dozen Christian families flee Iraq each day, according to 21^st Century Wilberforce Initiative, a Falls Church, Va., nonprofit dedicated to promoting religious freedom worldwide.

“Unless the global community gets involved, we will witness the loss of Christian witnesses in a land that is biblically significant,” Elijah Brown, executive vice president for 21st Century Wilberforce, told FoxNews.com.
He noted that Iraq's second-largest city, once home to a thriving Christian community as old as the faith itself, has now been overrun by ISIS and purged of Christians.

“Last Christmas was the first time that bells did not ring out in the city of Mosul in 2,000 years," Brown said. “I think that speaks to the reality that hundreds of thousands of Christian families are living on the edge of extinction.”

In Syria, where Aid to the Church in Need has sent $9 million in aid to help Christians driven from small villages north of Damascus, an estimated 15,000 Christians have left their villages to seek refuge in Homs, Zaidal and Fairouzeh in recent days, according to Syrian Orthodox Archbishop Selwanos Boutros Alnemeh. He told the charity Christians are terrified that ISIS, in a constant see-saw battle for territory with government forces, will capture their villages and kill all non-Muslims. They are particularly fearful for the key city of Sadad, where Christians lived peacefully with Muslims for centuries.

“We are afraid that ISIS -- which God will hopefully prevent -- will conquer the town. We would lose the center of Christianity in our diocese,” Archbishop Selwanos said, adding that two years ago, jihadists held the town briefly and killed at least 45 Christians, and destroyed churches and homes.

The report names Egypt as the one nation in the Middle East that has reversed the trend under President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, following the ouster of the Muslim Brotherhood and its Islamist agenda. El-Sisi, himself a Muslim, has vowed to protect Egypt's Coptic Christians, and last Christmas attended church services with them in an unprecedented show of tolerance and solidarity.

"Such a development holds out a potential beacon of hope for Christians and others in the Middle East against a backdrop of growing Islamism," the report stated.

While the situation is most dire in the Middle East, Christianity is under assault in Africa and Asia, too, according to the Aid to the Church in Need study. It cited persecution at the hands of Islamist terror groups such as Boko Haram in Nigeria and other extremists in Sudan, Kenya, Tanzania and other parts of the continent. Asia's Christians have been targeted by nationalist religious movements -- Muslim, Hindu and Buddhist -- in such countries as Pakistan, Hindu and Myanmar. Many of these groups increasingly view Christianity as a foreign, "colonial" import, and believe its practitioners are doing the bidding of the West, said Clancy.

Persecution has been allowed to spread in many of these countries because of the complacency of its citizens and inaction of the international community, said Brown.

“On average, in many of the Muslim majority countries, an average of 73 percent believe that they already have religious freedom,” he said, referring to a Pew research poll. “So we often see a passive public that is resistant to change.

“Unfortunately, there are also many who are hesitating to use the proper label for what is occurring in many of these countries, which is genocide.”

Both 21^st Century Wilberforce and Aid for The Church in Need agree that preventing further genocide requires an international undertaking.

“It’s going to have to be a multi-tiered effort,” Clancy said. “We can definitely start with restrictions on the borders of some of these countries. There are definitely weapons flowing into the region. These channels need to be squeezed.

“We need to start putting on the pressure and if and when there is some sort of peace, we need to ensure that minority religious groups are represented in newly forming governments.” - FOX News.

EVANGELII GAUDIUM: The Priest Class Of The Magi's Deftly Orchestrated Blueprint To Maintain Power And Evangelical Relevance In The Transition To The Age Of Aquarius - In A Most Shocking Revelation, Pope Francis Exposes Christian Deception, That The Biblical Characters Adam And Eve Are NOT REAL, There Is NO HELL And That God EVOLVES?!

March 05, 2014 - VATICAN - One man who is out to open many old “secrets” in the Catholic church is Pope Francis. Some of the beliefs that are held in the church but contrary to the loving nature of God are now being set aside by the Pope who was recently name The Man of The Year by TIME Magazine…

In his latest revelations, Pope Francis said:

“Through humility, soul searching, and prayerful contemplation we have gained a new understanding of certain dogmas. The church no longer believes in a literal hell where people suffer. This doctrine is incompatible with the infinite love of God. God is not a judge but a friend and a lover of humanity. God seeks not to condemn but only to embrace. Like the fable of Adam and Eve, we see hell as a literary device. Hell is merely a metaphor for the isolated soul, which like all souls ultimately will be united in love with God.”

In a shocking speech that is reverberating across the world, Pope Francis declared that:

“All religions are true, because they are true in the hearts of all those who believe in them. What other kind of truth is there? In the past, the church has been harsh on those it deemed morally wrong or sinful. Today, we no longer judge. Like a loving father, we never condemn our children. Our church is big enough for heterosexuals and homosexuals, for the pro-life and the pro-choice! For conservatives and liberals, even communists are welcome and have joined us. We all love and worship the same God.”

In the last six months, Catholic cardinals, bishops and theologians have been deliberating in the Vatican City, in discussing the future of the church and redefining long-held Catholic doctrines and dogmas. The Third Vatican Council, is the largest and most important since the Second Vatican Council was concluded in 1962.

Pope Francis convened the new council to “finally finish the work of the Second Vatican Council.”
The Third Vatican Council concluded with Pope Francis announcing that…

Catholicism is now a “modern and reasonable religion, which has undergone evolutionary changes. The time has come to abandon all intolerance. We must recognize that religious truth evolves and changes. Truth is not absolute or set in stone. Even atheists acknowledge the divine. Through acts of love and charity the atheist acknowledges God as well, and redeems his own soul, becoming an active participant in the redemption of humanity.”

One statement in the Pope’s speech has sent traditionalists into a fit of confusion and hysteria…

“God is changing and evolving as we are, For God lives in us and in our hearts. When we spread love and kindness in the world, we touch our own divinity and recognize it. The Bible is a beautiful holy book, but like all great and ancient works, some passages are outdated. Some even call for intolerance or judgement. The time has come to see these verses as later interpolations, contrary to the message of love and truth, which otherwise radiates through scripture. In accordance with our new understanding, we will begin to ordain women as cardinals, bishops and priests. In the future, it is my hope that we will have a woman pope one day. Let no door be closed to women that is open to men!”

A few cardinals in the Catholic church are against Pope Francis’ latest declarations. - EGN.

EVANGELII GAUDIUM: The Priest Class Of The Magi's Deftly Orchestrated Blueprint To Maintain Power And Evangelical Relevance In The Transition To The Age Of Aquarius - U.S. Plan Gives Jerusalem "Holy Sites" To The Vatican!

December 15, 2013 - ISRAEL - Secretary of State John Kerry quietly presented a U.S. plan for eastern Jerusalem that calls for an international administrative mandate to control holy sites in the area, according to informed Palestinian and Israeli diplomatic sources.

The exact composition of the international mandate is up for discussion, the sources said, but Kerry’s plan recommended a coalition that includes the Vatican, together with a group of Muslim countries such as Turkey and Saudi Arabia.

The international arrangement is being proposed as a temporary solution for about two to three years while security arrangements in Jerusalem between Israelis and Palestinians are finalized, said the sources.

Israel, the sources said, was not receptive to the particulars of Kerry’s plan, especially the concept of Turkish participation in Jerusalem. Kerry told the Israelis he would hold talks with the Kingdom of Jordan about its playing a leading role in the proposal in the place of Turkey, the sources added.

Kerry was in Jerusalem on Friday as part of an Obama administration effort to reach a deal for a Palestinian state by April, a timeline that is still on track, Kerry told reporters.

“We are working on an approach that both guarantees Israel’s security and fully respects Palestinian sovereignty,” Kerry added.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry with Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

According to the Israeli and Palestinian diplomatic sources speaking to WND, Kerry’s trip this time around focused specifically on the particulars of security arrangements for the strategic Jordan Valley following a deal.

In October, WND exclusively reported Kerry was strongly urging Israel to give up the Jordan Valley in closed-door talks with the Palestinian Authority.

The current round of U.S.-brokered talks is attempting to hash out the details of a plan for the valley.

The Jordan Valley cuts through the heart of Israel. It runs from the Tiberias River in the north to the Dead Sea in the center to the city of Aqaba at the south of the country, stretching through the biblical Arabah desert.

The U.S. proposal calls for international forces to maintain security control along with unarmed Palestinian police forces, a senior Palestinian Authority negotiator told WND in October. Israel will retain security posts in some strategic areas of the Jordan Valley, according to the U.S. plan.

Previous talks incorporated an element of Jordanian authority in the Jordan Valley, but the Kingdom of Jordan is wary of participating in a future Palestinian state, the negotiator said.

The Palestinian negotiator pointed to the insurgency in Syria and changes of leadership in Egypt as reasons for Jordanian reluctance to assume any security control over Palestinian areas. - WND.

EVANGELII GAUDIUM: The Priest Class Of The Magi's Deftly Orchestrated Blueprint To Maintain Power And Evangelical Relevance In The Transition To The Age Of Aquarius - Against The Background Of The Imminent Collapse Of Christian Dominionism And The White Supremacy Paradigm, Time Magazine Names Pope Francis Person Of The Year!

December 11, 2013 - ITALY - Pope Francis has been named Person of the Year by Time magazine.

During his nine months in office, the Pope had pulled "the papacy out of the palace and into the streets", managing editor Nancy Gibbs said.

"Rarely has a new player on the world stage captured so much attention so quickly - young and old, faithful and cynical," she added.

NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden was runner-up.

Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the then cardinal archbishop of Buenos Aires, was made Pope last March. He named himself Francis after a 12th Century Italian saint who turned his back on an aristocratic lifestyle to work with the poor.

Since then, he has eschewed some of the more regal trappings of high office, made headlines by washing the feet of prisoners, and is planning some major reforms to the Church.

"In his nine months in office, he has placed himself at the very centre of the central conversations of our time: about wealth and poverty, fairness and justice, transparency, modernity, globalisation, the role of women, the nature of marriage, the temptations of power," Ms Gibbs wrote.

Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi said it was "a positive sign" that one of the international media's most prestigious recognitions had been given to "a person who proclaims.. spiritual, religious and moral values and speaks out forcefully in favour of peace and greater justice".

"The Holy Father is not looking to become famous or to receive honours,'' said Mr Lombardi. "But if the choice of Person of Year helps spread the message of the Gospel - a message of God's love for everyone - he will certainly be happy about that."

This is the third time a Pope has received the recognition from Time magazine. John Paul II was selected in 1994 and John XXIII was chosen in 1962.

Besides Mr Snowden, this year's other finalists were US gay rights activist Edith Windsor, US Senator Ted Cruz of Texas and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. - BBC.

AGE OF OBAMA & THE DAWN OF THE AGE OF AQUARIUS: Knowing Thyself And The Precursors To The End Of The Piscean Age Of Belief And The Externalization Of God - For Fourth Straight Year, Obama’s Thanksgiving Message Doesn’t Thank God; U.S. Air Force Drops "So Help Me God" From Oaths; And Obama Removes "God" From Gettysburg Address!

November 20, 2013 - UNITED STATES - Here are three stories out of the United States, two featuring President Obama, sparking rounds of backlash from right-wingers and Christians, over a curious omission - the reference to "God."

For Fourth Straight Year, Obama’s Thanksgiving Message Doesn’t Thank God.

Yet again, President Obama’s Thanksgiving message eschewed any direct reference to thanking God, making this the fourth straight year in which the President of the United States has ignored the central message of the holiday in favor of political grandstanding.

This year, Obama’s central message was that now that he’s been re-elected, Americans should agree with all of his policies. His unity routine sounds strangely empty after a campaign in which he focused on dividing Americans:

But most of all, it’s a time to give thanks for each other, and for the incredible bounty we enjoy.

That’s especially important this year.  As a nation, we’ve just emerged from a campaign season that was passionate, noisy, and vital to our democracy.  But it also required us to make choices – and sometimes those choices led us to focus on what sets us apart instead of what ties us together; on what candidate we support instead of what country we belong to ….

We’re also grateful that this country has always been home to Americans who see these blessings not simply as gifts to enjoy, but as opportunities to give back.  Americans who believe we have a responsibility to look out for those less fortunate – to pull each other up and move forward together.

How are we supposed to move forward together, you ask? Why, with greater government spending, of course!

As for God, here was the only mention – as a throwaway line in a hackneyed aphorism, used constantly by this president for communitarian sloganeering:

As Americans, we are a bold, generous, big-hearted people.  When our brothers and sisters are in need, we roll up our sleeves and get to work – not for the recognition or the reward, but because it’s the right thing to do.  Because there but for the grace of God go I.  And because here in America, we rise or fall together, as one nation and one people.

No mention of thanking God. None.

But, of course, we’re used to this. In 2011, there was no mention of God at all. In 2010, Obama was closer, but still missed the mark (‘we’ll spend some time taking stock of what we’re thankful for: the God-given bounty of America, and the blessings of one another’). In 2009, Obama didn’t thank God, either.

Compare that to Obama’s Thanksgiving Day proclamations, which he does not read or speak. Those are filled with God – at least for the last three years. In his first year, filled with the vim and vigor of his original election, Obama preferred to eschew any direct thanking of God even in his proclamation.

2012: “On Thanksgiving Day, individuals from all walks of life come together to celebrate this most American tradition, grateful for the blessings of family, community, and country. Let us spend this day by lifting up those we love, mindful of the grace bestowed upon us by God and by all who have made our lives richer with their presence.”

2011: “As we gather in our communities and in our homes, around the table or near the hearth, we give thanks to each other and to God for the many kindnesses and comforts that grace our lives.  Let us pause to recount the simple gifts that sustain us, and resolve to pay them forward in the year to come.”

2010: “As Americans gather for the time-honored Thanksgiving Day meal, let us rejoice in the abundance that graces our tables, in the simple gifts that mark our days, in the loved ones who enrich our lives, and in the gifts of a gracious God.”

Of course, nobody sees these proclamations, so Obama doesn’t have to be embarrassed about them.

It’s no wonder that this President’s Democratic National Committee platform tried to remove God. He’s not a big fan of the Big Guy. Even on Thanksgiving. After all, what need do you have for God when you’ve got the state? - Breitbart.


WATCH:  Weekly Address - Wishing the American People a Happy Thanksgiving.

U.S. Air Force Drops "So Help Me God" From Oaths.

Cadet Bradely Dewees recites the oath of office along with his fellow Air Force
Academy cadets on his way to becoming a second lieutenant during the
graduation ceremony May 27 2009. (US Air Force Public Affairs)

The Air Force Academy has admitted they removed the phrase ‘so help me God’ from three oaths in the 2012 edition of their official cadet handbook, Fox News has learned.

The revelation came after more than two dozen members of Congress sent a letter to Academy Supt. Lt. Gen. Michelle Johnson demanding that she explain why the phrase was removed.

The lawmakers contend the 2012 edition of the Contrails Cadet Handbook excludes the phrase ‘so help me God’ in the Cadet’s Oath of allegiance, the Oath of Office for Officers and the Oath of Enlistment.

‘The Constitution does not require that this phrase be scrubbed from the oath,’ read the letter drafted by Rep. Jim Bridenstein (R-Okla.) and signed by 28 lawmakers. ‘The First Amendment to the United States Constitution prohibits the establishment of religion’ however, the inclusion of the phrase ‘so help me God’ in an oath of service does not rise to this level.’

Bridenstein said ‘editing the oath for all Academy students is extreme and unnecessary, and does a disservice to the countless individuals who wish to include the phrase as a solemn reminder that they are pledging their fidelity to God and country.’

Air Force Academy spokesman Maj. Brus Vidal told me the omission was a simple mistake.

‘It was an editorial oversight,’ he said. ‘We learned within the last few weeks there was a problem.’

Vidal said there was no reasoning behind the omission and there was no forethought.

‘Whoever was doing the editing didn’t catch it,’ he said...

Last month, the Air Force Academy was embroiled in another controversy involving ‘so help me God’ after they decided to make it an optional part of the Honor Oath. - FOX News.

Obama Removes "God" From Gettysburg Address.

Washington DC talk show host Chris Plante reported today that Barack Obama omitted the words ‘under God’ from the Gettysburg Address when reciting the great speech for a Ken Burns documentary.

Burns had filmed all living presidents as well as various Hollywood personalities and luminaries to pay homage to the speech which was delivered by Abraham Lincoln 150 years ago, today.


WATCH: President Barack Obama Recites the Gettysburg Address.

Plante broke the story on Washington DC talk radio station WMAL on his mid-morning program, ‘The Chris Plante Show.’

WMAL reports:

Curiously enough, in his version of the speech, President Barack Obama’s delivery contained an omission – in a line that every other celebrity delivered as “that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom,” the President left out the words “under God.

- Breitbart.

DAWN OF THE AGE OF AQUARIUS: Precursors To The End Of Christian Dominionism And The Piscean Age Of Belief - [Non]Mass Movement Of Atheist Mega-Churches Are Taking The Western World By Storm!

"There is no place in our world for an ideology that seeks to close minds, force obedience, and return the world to a paradise that never was. Students should learn that the universe can be confronted and understood, that ideas and authority should be questioned, that an open mind is a good thing. Education does not exist to confirm people's superstitions, and children do not learn to think when they are fed only dogma." - Tim Berra, Evolution and the Myth of Creationism.


November 13, 2013 - UNITED STATES - Singing songs, clapping hands, praising acts of giving and community work – all the things present in a Church have now found an official home in so-called ‘atheist mega-churches’, a quirky idea spreading like wildfire across the Western world.

One of the latest countries to come into contact with the trend is the United States, with dozens of gatherings by those sharing in their non-belief in God planned ahead. A similar situation can be seen happening in Australia and Canada. But it all started in the United Kingdom in January 2013, when two popular comedians started seeking an outlet for their feelings on the subject.

Sanderson Jones and Pippa Evans then embarked on a quest to collect hundreds of thousands of dollars to help atheists the world over connect with each other, do good deeds and laugh in the kind of community atmosphere a Church would offer – except without God.

The Associated Press reported from Los Angeles on Sunday, where several hundred people gathered to do just that – as they had been doing more and more in places like New York, San Diego, Nashville and others.

Jones and Evans have dedicated an entire comedy tour around the US and Australia – called ‘40 days, 40 nights’ – to raise $800,000 to establish such congregations around the globe. They have just passed the $50,000 mark.

What is perhaps unexpected of Jones’ and Evans’ atheism is their refusal to crucify believers in God. In fact it is just the opposite. Jones remembers being very moved six years ago by the feeling of a Christmas carol concert, which, sadly for him, was just short of what he was looking for.

"There was so much about it that I loved, but it's a shame because at the heart of it, it's something I don't believe in," Jones explains to his 'disciples'. "If you think about church, there's very little that's bad. It's singing awesome songs, hearing interesting talks, thinking about improving yourself and helping other people. And doing that in a community with wonderful relationships. What part of this is not to like?”

British comedians Sanderson Jones (L) and Pippa Evans (R) co-founders of The Sunday Assembly,
an atheist service held at a converted church, pose for pictures after a service in north London.
(AFP Photo / Leon Neal)

He told RT at one of the group's London congregations that "I think that, just because you don't believe in God, doesn't mean you don't want to hear really interesting talks, to think about improving yourself, to sing with others and have a cup of tea with them at the end. This is really all the best things about Church, but without the one thing I'm uncomfortable with - which is the religion part."

Although the Sunday Assembly – as its founders christened it – is a godless place and not an official religious institution, it is marked by a uniquely religious atmosphere. Evans would enter, followed by a band playing classic rock hits. Queen’s ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’ is the anthem. There is a ‘service’, with reading, discussion, moments for reflection, and activities directed at engaging the members in getting to know each other. But a lot of this has a very serious mission – to engage in community work and the setting up of projects.

Just like a real Church, there is a sermon. But it is dedicated to questions about the universe and things like quantum theory and anti-matter, all very tongue-in-cheek.

All this is then tied up with Stevie Wonder’s ‘Superstition’, with everyone standing up to sing.

 “The Sunday Assembly is a godless congregation that celebrates life. Our motto: live better, help often, wonder more. Our mission: to help everyone find and fulfill their full potential. Our vision: a godless congregation in every town, city and village that wants one.”

So says the homepage of the organization set up to promote Jones’ and Evans’ atheist congregations. Founded in January this year, it went from its cradle in an East London community center to sending out press releases containing expansion plans, coupled with a 3,000 percent growth in the several months the movement was in operation.

British comedians Sanderson Jones (R) and Pippa Evans.(AFP Photo / Leon Neal)

Jones and Evans are confident that the world is looking at “the fastest growing church in the world,” as Alternet cites them as saying. And this was before the giant fund-raising campaign-slash-comedy-tour was launched.

And the duo’s initiative is far from a joke, as the rise of their movement coincides with the increasing view that there are more atheists in America than previously thought. So claims the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, after discovering that the percentage of atheist responders to their survey has risen by 5 percent in the course of five years, to 20 percent. That group was further broken down into categories that view themselves as either ‘spiritual’, or believers – but not in an organized religion.

In Britain, a quarter describe themselves as having no religion at all, and that figure is going up by about 750,000 people each year. Meanwhile, Christianity is losing believers at an incredible pace - more than half a million followers annually. At those speeds, the number of atheists is projected to overtake the number of believers by 2030, RT's Polly Boiko reported from London.

 "The congregations are getting older and older. And I think we're getting now to the stage where there are second and third generations of people who've just never been to a Church. More and more people are finding that the Church is not relevant, particularly when the leaders of Churches taking positions on women's rights and gay rights, which are totally [different] from what people in the congregation think," said Keith Porteous Wood, Executive Director at the National Secular Society.

Each place where the movement takes root also has its own reasons for allowing it to flourish, explained Phil Zuckerman, professor of secular studies at Pitzer College in Claremont, US.


WATCH:  Godless Gatherings.

"In the US, there's a little bit of a feeling that if you're not religious, you're not patriotic. I think a lot of secular people say, 'Hey, wait a minute. We are charitable, we are good people, we're good parents and we are just as good citizens as you and we're going to start a church to prove it… it’s still a minority, but there’s enough of them now.”

Naysayers of course exist, even among the atheist camp. Some of them flat-out do not believe a movement so closely resembling religion should be set up for anything indicating a lack of belief. Others are pessimistic about the movement’s growth because they think atheism for many is the exact opposite of community.

Roy Spekchardt, executive director of the America Humanist Association, told Alternet that the one strong challenge he sees to the movement is that "it tends to overlook the fact that the majority of involved atheists and humanists aren’t actually interested in personally being involved in a congregation atmosphere.”

But as criticism continues to pour in – and is expected – the Sunday Assembly continues to grow at a rapid rate. - RT.

THE PRIEST CLASS OF THE MAGI: Precursors To The End Of European Vampirism And Christian Dominionism And The Ultimately Collapse Of The White Supremacy Paradigm - In An "Holy" Reveal, The Vatican Bank Publishes Annual Report For The First Time In Its 125-Year History!

October 02, 2013 - VATICAN - For the first time in its 125-year history, the Vatican bank has disclosed its annual financial report to the public. The bank seeks to be more transparent amid the investigation into an alleged money-laundering scandal.

The report covers details from 2012, during which the Vatican bank - formally known as the Institute for Religious Works (IOR) - was accused of money laundering and lack of diligence in allowing non-religious businessmen to hold accounts in what amounted to an international offshore tax haven.

Nevertheless, 2012 was an “economically successful year" for the IOR, as net earnings rose to 86.6 million euros (US$116.95 million). The numbers are up four-fold from the 20.2 million euro profit made in 2011, the financial report states.

The lion’s share of the proceeds - 54.7 million euros - was given to the Pope to carry out the Church's mission around the world, according to the document.

Aside from the earnings, the 100-page report reveals that the IOR possessed 41.3 million euros worth of gold, metals, and precious coins, owned a real estate company, and was bequeathed two investment properties worth 1.9 million euros. It also made some 25.8 million euros worth of loans in 2012.

The balance sheet shows a total of 4.98 billion euros in assets and 769 million euros in equity funds. The assets were primarily held in bonds and money market accounts.

Complete transparency, ‘zero tolerance’ for illegitimacy

Bank President Ernst Von Freyberg, who started his job this year, said the report was an attempt to meet the bank’s commitment to transparency.

"The annual report seeks to contribute to the transparency which the Catholic Church, our customers, our correspondent banks, our authorities and the public rightfully expect," he said.

However, Von Freyberg stated that 2013 is not expected to be as successful.

"Overall, we expect 2013 to be marked by the extraordinary expenses for the ongoing reform and remediation process, and the effects of rising interest rates," he said in a statement.

The bank has around 18,900 clients which include religious orders, Vatican embassies, cardinals, and foreign embassies that have connections with the Holy See.

An exterior view of the tower of the Institute for Works of Religion in Vatican City (Reuters).

The Vatican has long insisted the IOR isn't a bank, but rather a unique financial institution that manages assets for religious works and charity. This has helped the institution to avoid typical banking regulations.

The report follows a money laundering scandal in June 2012 which involved senior cleric Monsignor Nunzio Scarano and two others who were arrested by Italian police after allegedly trying to transfer 20 million euros ($26 million) illegally. Following the scandal, the Vatican froze the account of the cleric, saying it would have "zero tolerance for any activity, whether conducted by laity or clergy, that is illegal or outside the Statutes of the Institute.”

In August, newly elected Pope Francis stepped up the fight against corruption, strengthening supervision of financial transactions at the IOR by issuing a decree to fight against illegal transactions.

Recently, the Pope also appointed a committee to prepare a report on how to reform the bank – which does not exclude the possibility of closing it down. - RT.

THE PRIEST CLASS OF THE MAGI: Precursors To The End Of European Vampirism And Christian Dominionism And The Ultimately Collapse Of The White Supremacy Paradigm - Pope Francis To "RIP UP AND REWRITE" Vatican Constitution, In Continuance Of Revolutionary Changes As Incoming Cosmic Energies Signal The End Of Religion As We Know It!

"As our ancestors predicted, we are currently moving from one sphere of influence into an higher octave of influence, through the doorway of the fourth age into the fifth age, when the true planetary caretakers or the ancient ones will rise. In chronicling Earth's spiral orbit with the Sun's carousel of light, they understood that we will enter a new form of consciousness with the birth of a new sun. This consciousness envelope of the planet will adjust with the changing spin orientation of the electrons around the atom as we enter a more compact and intense field of light, brought on as we go through a denser cloud of magnetic dust, these cosmic rays will eventually lead to the compression of our atmosphere, seeding and perfecting conscious awareness. This sphere of influence will bring about a new paradigm, where our vibrations will rise in word, deeds and actions by detachment from the frequencies of fear under the Priest Class and fully embrace the natural laws of Ma'at, finding order, spiritualize matter and ascend in accordance with cosmic dictates." - The COSMIC Spirit.

September 30, 2013 - VATICAN - The cardinals, who were appointed in April by Pope Francis and will confer with him for the first time at the Vatican on Oct. 1-3, were briefed to revise the constitution, known as Pastor Bonus, drawn up in 1988 by Pope John Paul, in a bid to give a great voice to bishops around the world.

Sphere Within Sphere by Pomodoro in the Cortile della Pigna, Vatican, Rome.

But Cardinal Oscar Rodríguez Maradiaga, the group’s leader, said as the meeting loomed they were planning to go much further that just changing “this and that.”

"No, that constitution is over," he said in a TV interview. "Now it is something different. We need to write something different,” he added.

“In the past the Vatican has just revised existing rules so this is a rupture after a century of increasing centralisation,” said Gerard O’Connell, a Vatican analyst at the Vatican Insider.

"Cardinal Maradiaga is hinting that the Pope is asking the fundamental question: What can be decided in Rome and what at local level? How can the Roman Curia serve bishops instead of being an office of censure and control?”

Pope Francis appointed eight Catholic cardinals to shake up the
Vatican’s murky and autocratic bureaucracy Photo: AFP

O’Connell cited Japanese bishops as victims of the Vatican’s centralisation.

“They must ask advice from Rome on the correct Japanese to use in their liturgies, yet you would think they would be the best judge.”

On Saturday, Francis gave another clear indication that he sees the Vatican as a hotbed of intrigue and power struggles when he instructed Vatican policemen on Saturday to crack down on gossip within the Vatican’s walls as well as looking out for intruders.

Defining gossip as the devil’s work, “a forbidden language” and “a war waged with the tongue”, he told gendarmes gathered for mass to tell gossipers they caught in the act, “Here there can be none of that: walk out of St. Anne’s Gate. Go outside and talk there! Here you cannot!”

Cardinals gathering in Rome before Francis was elected in March complained Vatican officials had become a self serving elite indifferent to the needs of dioceses around the world.

Cardinal Rodríguez Maradiaga said his group had received suggestions on Vatican reform from around the world, including 80 pages of suggestions from Latin America. The convergence on a few main themes suggested God’s will was at work, he said.

Cardinal Oscar Rodríguez Maradiaga.

“You cannot have millions of Catholics in the world suggesting the same unless the Holy Spirit is inspiring."

Francis is also set to relax the control the Vatican exerts over the Italian conference of bishops, Italian media reported on Sunday. Unlike in other countries, the head of the Italian conference is not elected by bishops but picked by the pope, a system Francis is reportedly planning to scrap.

“The head of the conference wields political influence in Italy, so this move by the pope means the Vatican’s power over Italian politics will decline,” said Maria Antonietta Calabro, a Vatican expert at Italian daily Corriere della Sera. “The Pope has already told Italian bishops he wants them to deal with Italian politics, not the Vatican,” she added.

Francis last month said he would replace the Vatican’s long time secretary of state, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone – who reportedly had frequent contact with Italian politicians – with Archbishop Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s nuncio in Venezuela. - Telegraph.

THE PRIEST CLASS OF THE MAGI: Precursors To The Total Collapse Of Global Economic Order, Christian Dominionism And The White Supremacy Paradigm - THE VATICAN And Consulates Thrown Into Chaos As Britain's Biggest Bank, HSBC, Tells Them To Find Another Bank!

August 05, 2013 - BRITAIN - Diplomats in London have been thrown into chaos after Britain’s biggest bank, HSBC, sacked them as customers and gave them 60 days to move their accounts.

Marching orders: The Vatican's representative office in Britain has been told by HSBC to find another bank.

Their situation has been made far worse because other banks have been closing ranks and refusing to take their business.

More than 40 embassies, consulates and High Commissions have been affected. Even the Vatican has been given its marching orders.

The Pope’s representative office in Britain, the Apostolic Nunciature, has banked with HSBC for many years but was told to find another bank.

One diplomatic source said he believed HSBC feared being exposed to embassies after it was fined $2billion (£1.32billion) by US authorities last year.

 It was blamed for alleged money-laundering activities said to have been conducted through its Latin American operations by drug cartels. HSBC admitted at the time that it had failed to effectively counter money laundering.

Bernard Silver, head of the Consular Corps, which represents consuls in the UK, said: ‘HSBC’s decision has created havoc. Embassies and consulates desperately need a bank, not just to take in money for visas and passports, but to pay staff wages, rent bills, even the congestion charge.’

Embassies also have to pay for ambassadorial accommodation and sometimes even school fees for diplomats’ children. None of these bills can be settled without a valid British bank account.

Havoc: HSBC's decision to sack embassies as customers has caused chaos also because
other banks refused to take their business.

John Belavu, minister at the Papua New Guinea High Commission, said: ‘We’ve been banking with HSBC for 22 years and for them to throw us off in this way was a bombshell.’

Lawrence Landau, honorary consul of Benin, said: ‘We have been trying everyone, but all the UK banks are clamming up.’

Other embassies are equally fraught. One said: ‘HSBC did not give us any real explanation. They have only given us until the middle of August to find another bank. We can’t find one and we are going crazy.’

Banking sources said diplomatic missions are considered to be ‘politically exposed’, which means they are at risk of money laundering activities.

HSBC, however, claims its decision is part of an assessment of all business customers to see if they satisfy five criteria – ‘international connectivity, economic development, profitability, cost efficiency and liquidity’.

One diplomat said: ‘We don’t even know what these criteria mean.’

HSBC would not explain the requirements to The Mail on Sunday and merely said: ‘HSBC has been applying a rolling programme of “five filter” assessments to all its businesses since May 2011, and our services for embassies are no exception.’

The Foreign & Commonwealth Office said it was in contact with HSBC and had provided a number of diplomatic missions with letters of introduction ‘to help in opening a new bank account’.

The debacle comes as HSBC prepares to unveil its half-year profits tomorrow. The group is expected to report that it made $14.6billion (£9.6billion) in profits for the first six months of the year. It made $12.7billion in the same period last year. - Daily Mail.