Ecumenism of the barstool? Drunken Anglican vicar claims Vatican immunity

From The "You Can't Make This Stuff Up" Department (RNS)-

The Anglican Communion and the Roman Catholic Church have been on a long road to reconciliation in the centuries since Henry VIII broke with the pope.

But it’s unlikely that the latest faith-sharing move by a drunken Church of England vicar will do much to advance the cause of ecumenism.

Indeed, the Rev. Gareth Jones is only making headlines in England because authorities found him passed out in central London after a night-long binge and Jones — still wearing his collar — kicked, punched, bit and spat at them when they tried to rouse him.

Realizing he was too inebriated to have the desired physical effect, the vicar then took another tack, claiming he was with the Holy See’s embassy to Great Britain and therefore had diplomatic immunity.

More here-

http://gazette.com/ecumenism-of-the-barstool-drunken-anglican-vicar-claims-vatican-immunity/article/1577528

Young people can save us: they're being trained to survive the apocalypse

From The Pittsburgh-Post Gazette

Like many of today’s teens, I was excited for the release of “Catching Fire,” the newest film in “The Hunger Games” trilogy. Like many of today’s teens, I’ve read and loved every book in the series. The difference is that I’m not a teen. Having grown up in the 1960s and 1970s, I’m a bit more “chronologically enhanced.”

I first became interested in these novels when my daughters became interested in them. I wanted to screen what they were reading. It began with the Harry Potter series, which surprisingly captured me much as “The Chronicles of Narnia,” “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of the Rings” did when I was a teen.

I then read “The Hunger Games” trilogy, followed by the first four books in the yet-to-be completed seven-part Lorien series. A movie version (filmed in the Murrysville area) of the first book, “I Am Number Four,” was released in 2011. I then read the books of the Divergent series, the first film of which will be released in March.

Read more: 

http://www.post-gazette.com/opinion/2013/12/08/Can-young-people-save-us/stories/201312080043#ixzz2mspCqOKX