News and Prophecy Staff

Sunday, the day many professing Christians today view as the Sabbath, is losing its protections in the UK. “Judges have been accused of diluting the rights of Christians after a key judgment on whether they can refuse to work on Sundays.” In a recent court case, a High Court judge ruled that “Christians have no right to decline working on Sunday as it is not a ‘core component’ of their beliefs” (Telegraph, December 29, 2012).

Vatican watchers are questioning how a newly elected pope might function while a living “past Pope” resides within the Vatican.  Some warn that “Benedict XVI may be too frail to continue as Pope, but even in retirement he will be able to keep an iron grip on the church... Benedict XVI has embarked on an unprecedented and potentially perilous endgame.

For a century the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) has molded boys into men with character and a vow to remain “morally straight.” Over 50 percent of American men have participated in the Scouts, and they are more likely to be successful in life than those who did not (Values of Scouting, May 2005). In 2000, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a ruling supporting the BSA’s prohibition of homosexual volunteers and scouts.

The Vatican has long desired to gain control of Jerusalem and is patiently working towards this end.  Now, “Israel has granted the pope an official seat in the room where the Last Supper is believed to have taken place, on Mount Zion in Jerusalem” (Israel Hayom, January 30, 2013). Israeli officials see this as an opportunity to bring more tourism to Jerusalem (ibid.).

Pope Benedict XVI surprised the world by announcing his resignation, effective later this month. The first papal resignation since 1415 leaves many questioning, “What’s next?”