Pope reportedly displeased by sumptuous canonization banquet

Pope reportedly displeased by sumptuous canonization banquet :: Catholic News Agency (CNA)

Happy Anniversary, Father!

Catholic nun dies after being assaulted

(news.va)  Kuala Lumpur - Sister Juliana Lim, 69, of the Congregation of the Infant Jesus, died yesterday after a violent attack suffered on May 14 in Seremban, a town near Kuala Lumpur. This is confirmed to Fides Agency by sources in the local Church. The Malaysian religious was attacked on May 14, along with Sister Mary Rose Teng, 79, by a man with covered face, while the two were in the Church of the Visitation. The man savagely beat them, and even stole a few dollars, and left them dying. Sister Juliana, was immediately taken to hospital, was in a coma for seven days and struggled between life and death. Even Sister Mary Rose was seriously injured and is still in hospital. As Fides learns, the funeral will be held tomorrow, May 23 in the same Church of the Visitation, in Seremban, presided by Archbishop Emeritus of Kuala Lumpur, His Excellency Mgr. Murphy Pakiam.

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Notre Dame won't recognize 'traditional marriage' student club

(Fox) “As such, the Club Coordination Council felt there was not a need for another similar-type club,” the letter continued. “You are encouraged to contact the Club Coordination Council’s Social Service Division to learn about collaborating with the existing clubs working toward your mutual goals.”

SCOP, which was founded in January, is comprised of Notre Dame undergraduate and graduate students focused on the debate about marriage in Indiana, where the school is based, according to its Facebook profile, which had 69 members as of Tuesday.

“SCOP's overarching concern is that policymakers are failing to approach their task with a view to how those policies will affect children,” the group’s Facebook page reads. “They seem to conceive of policy only as it will affect the stable, independent adult with resources. We see this approach affecting a number of important political issues, not just the current question about the definition of marriage. Still, marriage is both foundational and at a critical point in this state and country, and therefore, SCOP has decided to focus on the issue in its initial conference.”

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Pornography faulted as a root of human trafficking

(CNA/EWTN News).- An expert in combating human trafficking urged congressmen last week to focus their efforts against the scourge on reducing the demand for commercialized sex, including pornography.

“In order to combat sex trafficking we must also reduce demand for prostitution.”

She noted that one of the most effective means of combating human trafficking is to decrease the demand for the commodification of sex. Pointing to Norway and Sweden, which have enacted laws “criminalizing the purchase, not the sale, of sex,” she noted the decrease not only in prostitution, but in the number of men who buy sex and a decrease in sex trafficking rates.

In further fighting sex trafficking, Mickelwait argued that laws and policy must focus on combating the “root cause” of pornography, because of its role in creating a demand for sex.

This demand is further commodified in society through advertisements and popular culture.

“Pornography is ubiquitous and self perpetuating,” Mickelwait offered, and results in a system that is “both creating and supplying demand for commercial sex...

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5 common airline ticket myths debunked

By Rick SeaneyPublished May 14, 2014, FOX

Somewhere I'm sure there are folks who won't mind spending $42,000 for a round-trip flight on Etihad's new super-duper first class –which comes with a shower and butler.

If you’re not that person, then let's bust some myths so you can find the cheapest tickets possible. 

1. Myth #1 - One airline always has the cheapest fares

FALSE. No airline has a lock on the cheapest fares every time, everywhere because airlines match prices of competitors.  Even ultra-discounter Spirit sometimes costs more than, say, Virgin America, if you add in the cost of a single carry-on and the fee for choosing a seat. This is why you must compare prices. Always.

2. Myth #2 - Buy your tickets super early and you'll save a bundle

FALSE. Airlines don't begin actively managing their fares for domestic flights until about three to three-and-a-half months ahead (for international flights, about five months). If you buy before that window opens, you'll likely pay a mid-range price. It may not be the most expensive fare but it probably won't be the cheapest, either. Exception: For holiday periods such as Thanksgiving and Christmas, you can buy earlier.

3. Myth #3 - Wait until the last minute and airlines practically give tickets away

FALSE: Once upon a time, this used to be true but not since airlines became capacity experts. Now they know when people want to fly and where, so they can fill up planes without a single empty middle seat (or at least very few). This means there are no more last-minute steals.

4. Myth #4 - If you take the long way to your destination, you'll always save

FALSE. While it is true that adding a stop (or two) to a flight can often save you money, it isn't always the case. This is just one more reason why you must always compare airfare prices including prices for various routes.

5. Myth #5 - Overweight and oversize fees do not apply to carry-on bags

FALSE: Almost every airline specifies size limits for carry-ons, and an increasing number are adding weight limits. Hawaiian Airlines, for example, allows up to 25 pounds. Ditto for Allegiant. Europe's Ryanair allows a mere 22 pounds. Anything over may cost you an overweight fee and if the airline sends your bag to the cargo hold, you could wind up paying the checked-bag fee.