Deutsche Bank said on Friday it will pay USD 1.9 billion to settle claims that it defrauded two US government-controlled companies in the sale of mortgage-backed securities before the 2008 financial crisis. LINK

In an interview with the Italian daily Corriere della Sera, Archbishop Gerhard Müller said that although Pope Benedict XVI lifted the canonical excommunication of SSPX prelates, they remain suspended from the sacraments because “by their schism they have broken away from communion with the Church.” LINK

Christmas Lights Manger Scene

By the light of a star they traveled far to seek the lowly Manger. Let us Rejoice on the Day Christ was born, and let us also Rejoice on the Day He will come back on. Pentecost Sunday. Sorry no return for 2014. A Blessed Merry Christmas and a productive Spiritual New Year.

Grace be with you, In Christ,
Joseph B. D. Saraceno

 

North Korean Christians aren’t simply killed for their faith in Christ. They are pulverized with steamrollers, used to test biological weapons, shipped off to death camps or shot in front of children, while newborn babies have their brains pithed with forceps in front of their mothers. LINK

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In private conversations, Pope Francis often acknowledges that reforming the Vatican will be a difficult task opposed by powerful interests in the church. Developments on Monday showed both the progress he has made and the challenges that remain. LINK

In a Tournament of Roses first, two Los Angeles men will celebrate their gay marriage on a Rose Parade float as it goes down Colorado Boulevard on New Year’s Day. The wedding of Danny Leclair, 45, and Aubrey Loots, 42, will take place atop a giant wedding cake-shaped float sponsored by the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, LINK

A Houston grand jury has refused to indict late-term abortionist Douglas Karpen after a months-long investigation into allegations of illegal late-term abortions and the killing of babies born alive at his two abortion clinics. LINK

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Apple’s iPhone assistant Siri sometimes gives an odd response about “opening [the] gates of Hades,” the Greek mythological term for Hell, or the underworld, when one asks what will happen on July 27th, according to reports. Several Epoch Times reporters got the response. LINK

The weekend before Christmas, Mother Nature is gifting — or, rather, clobbering — the United States with a little bit of everything. Ice storms, snow, flooding, thunderstorms, tornadoes and record-setting warmth are all in store, and with this maddening mix comes a massive headache for more than 94 million expected holiday travelers. LINK

Ugandan lawmakers on Friday passed an anti-gay law that toughens the punishment for homosexuality, which will see repeat offenders jailed for life. The bill also makes it illegal to not report gay people and criminalizes the public promotion of homosexuality — including discussions by rights groups. LINK

A group of researchers from the Nordic Society for Invention and Discovery, based in Malmö, Sweden, claims to have the solution. It is a device similar to a helmet that is installed on the dog’s head, which monitors brain activity, translating the dog’s thoughts into human language. The device is called “No More Woof”. LINK