The Papal Abdication
Joseph Bottum, The Weekly Standard
Benedict XVI’s problematic farewell.
No One Could Take His Life
Fr. Patrick Henry Reardon, Preachers Institute
Although the Gospel of St. John does not record the Lord’s Agony in the Garden, it does include several texts that put us in mind of that scene inasmuch as they reflect the sentiments and resolution expressed by Jesus during the Synoptics’ accounts of the Agony.
Gay marriage: no opt-out for Christian registrars in UK
John Bingham, The Telegraph
Christian registrars will not be able to opt out of performing gay marriages if they object on grounds of belief, the Government’s human rights watchdog has said.
Syrian Christians ‘running out of places to survive’
Michael Carl, OCP Media Network
Human-rights activists say the situation for Christians in Syria is growing more intense and that the ever-shrinking Christian population is near the breaking point.
Regarding the “no opt-out” for Christian registrars in the UK, I must again ask:
Can a registrar decline a civil marriage license to a heterosexual couple on the grounds of religious objections (such as if they know the person has been previously married numerous times or if it is an interfaith couple)?
If not, how is not being able to decline a civil license to a gay couple imposing a new type of violation of one’s freedom of conscience that doesn’t already exist?