President Obama and the first family celebrated Easter at a Washington church built by freed slaves in 1863. Since Obama mostly attends services on Christmas and Easter, does that make him our Chreaster in Chief?
Pope Benedict XVI urged an end to fighting in Libya and used his Easter Sunday message to call for diplomacy and peace in the Middle East, according to the AP.
It wasn’t a very happy holiday for Chinese Christians, 36 of whom were arrested after they tried to hold an Easter service in a public square. Meanwhile, a Tibet advocacy group says two Tibetans were killed Thursday night by Chinese paramilitary officers who were raiding a monastery to detain rebellious monks.
The Jesuit Restorative Justice Initiative in LA held a sunrise service on Sunday to give victims of violence a forum to forgive their attackers. The story reminded me of Manya Brachear’s great series about families of murder victims, who — inspired by their faith — ended capital punishment in Illinois. (h/t: MNB)
Must have been quite the scene in NYC yesterday: Archbishop Dolan delivered his Easter sermon while gay and lesbian Catholics protested outside St. Pat’s and the flamboyant annual Easter Day Parade, more concerned with the millinery arts than with resurrection, sashayed down Fifth Avenue. (See NY Daily News pic at top left.)
The Rev. Franklin Graham said he might support the Donald in the 2012 presidential election. As the Charlotte Observer noted: “There was no discussion of how Graham, a conservative Christian, could support a thrice-married owner of gambling casinos.” Graham also repeated the debunked claim that Obama does not have a birth certificate and suggested that the Second Coming will be tweeted.
Maltese ambassador Douglas Kmiec, who submitted his resignation last week, said he’s disappointed he wasn’t allowed to talk to Obama about the whole faithy mess. “I mean if I could get Barack Obama to fly into the Malta airport for 30 seconds, I think I’d be canonized,” Kmiec told TPM.
Speaking of sainthood, with the upcoming beatification of Pope John Paul II, NPR examines how the Vatican investigates miracles.
Sathya Sai Baba, a Hindu guru revered by millions worldwide, died Sunday; NYT columnist Ross Douthat says Tony Soprano belongs in hell.
Yr hmbl aggregator,
Daniel Burke
