News and Prophecy Staff

Reuters reports that, according to the Vatican’s doctrinal office, those who believe themselves to be “transgender,” even after having hormone treatments and surgery, “can be godparents at Roman Catholic baptisms, witnesses at religious weddings and receive baptism themselves” (November 8, 2023). In July, Pope Francis met with “transgender” people and said to one, “Even if we are sinners, he (God) draws near to help us.

While Israel methodically seeks to rid Gaza of Hamas, the United States and other nations are discussing who will govern Gaza once Hamas is removed (Wall Street Journal, November 2, 2023). The current Palestinian leader, Mahmoud Abbas, is 87 years old and seen by many as too weak to lead in the short term.

The events in Europe and the Middle East have put pressure on Germany to speed up its efforts toward a more powerful and fully operational army. Germany’s defense minister, Boris Pistorius, is pushing hard for the military to modernize as rapidly as possible (Deutsche Welle, October 31, 2023). In a recent interview, he stated, “We have to become fit for war. We have to be fit for defense.

Jordan is unique among the Muslim Arab nations in the Middle East due to its extremely close ties with the United States and peaceful working relationship with Israel. In fact, Jordan is one of the largest recipients of American military aid in the region (Reuters, October 29, 2023). Jordan is also the custodian of the Temple Mount located within the boundaries of Israel.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and President Frank-Walter Steinmeier are in Africa strengthening economic ties with Nigeria, Ghana, Tanzania, and Zambia (Deutsche Welle, October 29, 2023). In the wake of the war in Ukraine, which is greatly impacting food availability and prices in Africa, and as a counter to China’s growing influence in Africa, Germany feels it imperative to improve economic relations and trade with nations in Africa.