Vatican Unveils Stairs That Jesus Walked to Face Pilate’s Judgement for First Time in 300 Years

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The Vatican uncovered the stairs that Jesus walked to face Pontius Pilate’s judgement, revealing the bare marble for the first time in 300 years.

Pope Innocent XIII ordered that the Holy Stairs, or Scala Sancta, be covered with walnut planks in 1723 to protect the marble, but Vatican caretakers removed the planks for a two-month renovation project, allowing visitors to walk in what Christians believe to be the footsteps of Christ.

Tradition holds that Jesus ascended and descended the 28 steps several times to face the judgement of Roman governor Pontius Pilate before his crucifixion, staining them with his blood. . .

Crosses mark three spots where Jesus’ blood is said to have fallen on the steps when he returned to Pilate after authorities flogged him. Christian faithful ascend the steps, often on their knees, and pause to kiss these spots. . .

The steps lead to a room called the Holy of Holies, which once served as a private chapel for popes. An icon of Jesus dating back to the fifth century and several relics of church saints lie within. (Read more from “Vatican Unveils Stairs That Jesus Walked to Face Pilate’s Judgement for First Time in 300 Years” HERE)

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IDF General Warns That Hezbollah Plans for Invasion of Sea of Galilee

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Although Israel’s Sunni jihadist Hamas neighbors to the country’s southwest may take up more international headlines, it is Israel’s Shiite jihadist Hezbollah neighbors to the country’s Lebanese (and, of a more recent vintage, Syrian) north that many feel poses a greater long-term challenge to Israel’s national security interests. Hezbollah, after all, is a proxy of the terrorist Iranian regime and is exceedingly well-armed in terms of its missile and rocket arsenal. Consider this 2016 piece at The Tower bluntly entitled, “The New Hezbollah: Israel’s Next War Will Be A Godawful Mess”:

Hezbollah’s own preparations for its next war with Israel betray its intentions to once again act as a guerrilla force. Hezbollah has expanded and upgraded its already formidable underground tunnel network in south Lebanon. Replicating its strategy of using civilian cover, it has built up over 200 Shiite villages into fortified fighting zones, with rockets, anti-aircraft missiles, and command centers. Israel will be forced once again to choose between the unsavory options of striking the villages and killing civilians, or withholding fire. Despite rhetoric from the IDF brass that these areas will be considered targetable military bases, the Gideon Doctrine still acknowledges this as a real dilemma.

Now, The Times of Israel reports that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is warning that Hezbollah is still actively planning an invasion into Israel’s north — and, specifically, into the Sea of Galilee:

The new commander of the IDF’s Ground Forces said Thursday the Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah was still planning to carry out a surprise invasion of northern Israel, despite the recent Israeli operation to uncover and destroy an extensive network of cross-border attack tunnels dug by the Iran-backed militia.

Maj. Gen. Yoel Strick was tapped to lead the military’s Ground Forces in February, amid increased criticism charging that Israeli troops were not prepared for war. His comments came less than four months after the IDF concluded its anti-tunnel operation along the Lebanese border.

(Read more from “IDF General Warns That Hezbollah Plans for Invasion of Sea of Galilee” HERE)

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Kim Jong Un Celebrates Testing of New Weapons

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By The Blaze. North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un praised his administration after reports of a successful test firing of a “new tactical guided” weapons system.

Kim called the development of the weapon “an event of very weighty significance,” according to the Korean Central News Agency.

The KCNA reported that Un supervised the firing of the weapon.

“After watching the power of the new-type tactical guided weapon, [Kim] pointed out that our national defense scientists and workers in the field of the munitions industry performed another great work in increasing the country’s defense capabilities,” they said.

President Donald Trump has had two meetings with the North Korean leader but neither have produced a substantive agreement on the goal of “denuclearization” of the regime. (Read more from “Kim Jong Un Celebrates Testing of New Weapons” HERE)

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North Korean Leader Kim Supervises ‘New-Type Tactical Guided Weapon’ Test

By The Hill. “Saying that the completion of the development of the weapon system serves as an event of very weighty significance in increasing the combat power of the People’s Army, [Kim] noted that it is a very good thing that the field of national defense science has waged a dynamic struggle for attaining core research goals,” KCNA said, according to South Korean news agency Yonhap. . .

KCNA did not specify whether Wednesday’s test was of a missile, but it did not immediately appear to violate the moratorium, much like a North Korean test of an “ultramodern tactical weapon” in November.

The February summit in Hanoi, Vietnam, ended without an agreement between the two leaders amid an impasse over how much sanctions relief the United States was willing to give and how much North Korea was willing to give up to get it. . .

Last week, Kim said he would be open to a third summit with Trump, but gave the United States until the end of the year to be more flexible in negotiations. (Read more from “North Korean Leader Kim Supervises ‘New-Type Tactical Guided Weapon’ Test” HERE)

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Woman Claims She Could See ‘Silhouette of Jesus’ in Notre Dame Fire

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As Christians around the world observe Holy Week and focus their attention on Christ, one mother from Scotland said she could “see Jesus” in the fire that engulfed the Notre Dame Cathedral Monday evening in a post on social media. . .

“When I looked at this photo last night, I was really astounded by what I saw,” Rowan told Scotland’s Daily Record. “When I look at it I see a silhouette of Jesus. I really see a vivid image.”

Rowan said she hopes it will “bring comfort to people in Paris and all over the world at this sad time.”

The Notre Dame Cathedral caught on fire a little after closing time Monday evening, one day after Palm Sunday during Holy Week. The Catholic church burned for over 13 hours as onlookers posted videos and photos of the fire and smoke billowing from the Gothic cathedral. Dramatic footage showed Notre Dame’s spire collapsing, but many relics were saved and no one was harmed during the catastrophic blaze.

French President Emmanuel Macron has vowed to rebuild what was destroyed within the next five years. (Read more from “Woman Claims She Could See ‘Silhouette of Jesus’ in Notre Dame Fire” HERE)

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Rugby Star Faces Termination for Posting Bible Verses on Instagram

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Australian international rugby star Israel Folau is on notice. He has until 3 p.m. Wednesday to issue a formal response to claims that he committed a “high-level” breach of the players’ code of conduct by posting a paraphrased Bible verse on Instagram. Rugby Australia has threatened the career of this Wallabies superstar over posts considered anti-gay.

“Israel has 48 hours to accept the sanction or have the matter sent to a code of conduct hearing,” Raelene Castle, CEO of Rugby Australia (RA), said in a statement. Folau, who is the fourth highest scoring Australian international rugby player, allegedly “committed a high-level breach of the Professional Players’ Code of Conduct warranting termination of his employment contract.”

The “high-level” breach involved an Instagram post in which Folau referenced Galatians 5:19-21. He posted a graphic that paraphrased the passage, reading, “WARNING: Drunks, Homosexuals, Adulterers, Liars, Fornicators, Thieves, Atheists, Idolaters HELL AWAITS YOU Repent! Only Jesus Saves.” . . .

View this post on Instagram

Those that are living in Sin will end up in Hell unless you repent. Jesus Christ loves you and is giving you time to turn away from your sin and come to him. _______________ Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these , adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revelings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
Galatians 5:19‭-‬21 KJV _______________ Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Acts 2:38 KJV _______________ And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:
Acts 17:30 KJV _______________

A post shared by Israel Folau (@izzyfolau) on

Importantly, he responded to claims that “I am homophobic and bigoted and that I have a problem with gay people,” saying, “This could not be further from the truth.” Folau recalled having “fronted the cover of the Star Observer magazine to show my support for the Bingham Cup, which is an international gay rugby competition for both men and women. I believe in inclusion. In my heart, I know I do not have any phobia towards anyone.”

He concluded by saying “I have faith that God’s path is the right one and that path is outlined in the Bible. I will keep sharing that.” The rugby star added, “God loves each and every one of us. He just doesn’t love the sin we live in.” (Read more from “Rugby Star Faces Termination for Posting Bible Verses on Instagram” HERE)

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Hard Left Celebrates Notre Dame’s Destruction

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As Christians and non-Christians alike stood in solidarity on Monday and mourned the loss of a cathedral that Pope Francis humbly labeled an “architectural jewel of a collective memory,” the halls of social media were occasionally disrupted by vocal minorities of hard leftists who reveled in Notre Dame’s destruction.

What joy could people possibly be expressing as fires savaged an 800-year-old cathedral? According to some of these hard leftists, the destruction symbolized the Catholic Church’s karma for centuries of cruelty or, at the very least, colonial France’s karma for what it has allegedly done to other cultures. A thread compiled by Andy Ngo of Quillette best illustrated the collective mockery:

“I wonder how many art pieces and artifacts that were sitting in the Notre Dame were stolen from former colonies,” said user Shaziya. When confronted with criticism and backlash, she doubled down: “I’m criticizing French colonialism, if this bothers you so much then you ought to reevaluate your morals, bye.”

“I think it sucks that Notre Dame is burning but f*** imagine if we had this same energy for every historic building we carpetbombed in the Middle East,” said another user.

Other users reveled in the fact that “white people” were saddened to see Notre Dame go up in flames. “I’m dying at the white people triggered,” said one person named Aly. “It’s a damn building that’s literally used for tourism, no one died, move on.”

(Read more from “Hard Left Celebrates Notre Dame’s Destruction” HERE)

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Human Sacrifice Victims Discovered at Gruesome Ancient Site

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Some 26 human skeletons from the Iron Age and Roman periods were found at the site in Childrey Warren, Oxfordshire, some of which are believed to be ritual burials.

One female skeleton at the site was found buried with her feet cut off and placed side by side with her arms bound behind her head. . .

“The Iron Age site at Childrey Warren was particularly fascinating as it provided a glimpse into the beliefs and superstitions of people living in Oxfordshire before the Roman conquest,” said Neil Holbrook, chief executive of Cotswold Archaeology, in a statement. “Evidence elsewhere suggests that burials in pits might have involved human sacrifice.” . . .

Workers made the discovery as part of a project to protect a rare chalk stream. “We’ve found significant historical items on many previous upgrade projects but this is one of our biggest and most exciting yet,” said Chris Rochfort, Thames Water environmental manager, in the statement.

Experts also found an array of sacrificial remains during an excavation at the base of the Templo Mayor temple site in downtown Mexico City. Reuters reports that the finds include the body a 9-year-old boy dressed as Huitzilopochtli, the Aztec god of war. The Aztecs made human sacrifices to the deity, who was also the god of the Sun. (Read more from “Human Sacrifice Victims Discovered at Gruesome Ancient Site” HERE)

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Muslims Celebrate as Blaze Destroys Notre Dame

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By WND. Social-media users with Muslim names are celebrating the catastrophic fire at the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris on Monday. . .

Jihad Watch Director Robert Spencer pointed out many Muslims “believe that the ruins and destruction of non-Muslim structures testifies to the truth of Islam.”

The Quran, wrote Spencer, “suggests that the destroyed remnants of ancient non-Muslim civilizations are a sign of Allah’s punishment of those who rejected his truth. . .

WND reported Monday that while there was no indication that the Notre Dame fire is related to terrorism, a YouTube algorithm designed to combat fake news and conspiracy theories equated the Paris catastrophe with the 9/11 New York City terror attacks. (Read more from “Muslims Celebrate as Blaze Destroys Notre Dame” HERE)

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Youtube Links Notre Dame Fire to 9/11 Attacks

By WND. While there is no indication that the devastating fire at the iconic Notre Dame is related to terrorism, a YouTube algorithm designed to combat fake news and conspiracy theories equated the Paris catastrophe with the 9/11 New York City terror attacks.

Beneath live streams Monday from various broadcasters, YouTube viewers saw an explainer for the 9/11 attacks.

The Verge reported the 9/11 context was briefly visible below live streams from CBS News, NBC News and France 24 on Monday afternoon before being removed.

The 9/11 explainer is part of YouTube’s fact-checking effort to prevent the spread of misinformation on the platform, the Verge pointed out.

A YouTube spokesman said the panels “are triggered algorithmically and our systems sometimes make the wrong call.” (Read more from “Youtube Links Notre Dame Fire to 9/11 Attacks” HERE)

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Trump Peace Plan Likely Won’t Include Palestinian State

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President Donald Trump’s long-awaited peace plan will include major economic and other incentives for Palestinians, but is likely to stop short of establishing a Palestinian state, the Washington Post reported on Sunday.

The plan will likely “enshrine” Israeli control in the West Bank, the report said, citing anonymous U.S. officials as well as Arab officials familiar with “sales pitches” delivered by Trump’s senior advisor and son-in-law Jared Kushner.

Washington will call for tens of billions of dollars in aid from Gulf nations to be invested into both the West Bank and Gaza Strip, as well as Egypt and Jordan.

“The economic plan only works if the region supports it. This is a very important part of the overall equation,” a U.S. official told the Post. “But this is not a so-called economic peace. We are taking very seriously both aspects of this, the political, which deals with all the core issues, and the economic.”

“Core issues” generally refers to borders, status of Jerusalem, and the so-called right of return in which Palestinian “refugees” in the diaspora and their descendants will have the right to move inside Israeli proper, something that has always been a red line for Israel since it would spell the end of the Jewish state by demographic means. (Read more from “Trump Peace Plan Likely Won’t Include Palestinian State” HERE)

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Medical Students in Africa Outraged Over U.S. Based Org Enticing Them to Become Abortionists

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A U.S. based pro-abortion group that misleadingly calls itself “Catholics for Choice” is enticing unsuspecting medical students in Africa’s most vibrant Catholic countries to become not only abortion promoters but even abortionists, according to medical students who attended a workshop hosted by the organization.

Ugandan medical students recently became troubled when they realized too late that a seminar about “reproductive health” offered by Catholics for Choice (CFC) was really about ending the lives of children in their mothers’ wombs.

They felt they were deceived by the euphemistic terminology employed by the CFC. The seminar, titled “Values Clarification Workshop,” turned out to be what they said was abortion “indoctrination” that perverted Catholic teaching on the sanctity of life.

CFC wooed students to the abortion propaganda event by bringing them free of charge to Kampala’s most lavish resort, The Lake Victoria Serena Golf Resort & Spa—the country’s only five-star hotel—for a luxury weekend.

Catholics for Choice, an advocacy group based in Washington, D.C. with an annual budget of $3,000,000, states on its website that it “helps people and organizations confidently challenge the power of the Catholic hierarchy.” The group promotes contraception, abortion, and sex education. LifeSiteNews reached out to Catholics for Choice several times for comment during the writing of this report but received no response. (Read more from “Medical Students in Africa Outraged Over U.S. Based Org Enticing Them to Become Abortionists” HERE)

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