Speaking in a high-profile interview with the newspaper Bild am Sonntag recently, German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble commented, “In 10 years we will have a structure that corresponds much stronger to what one describes as political union.”

The huge successes of the Harry Potter and Twilight movies, as well as TV shows featuring witches, vampires and werewolves have captured the interest of younger generations. Proponents say, “Fantasy is harmless.”  But is it really?

Most people don't realize it, but their religion is a blend of paganism and Christianity. Is that a good thing? Does it make any difference to God that at least part of one's beliefs and practices came from a pagan religion?

On December 9 and the weekend that followed, six million people descended on Mexico City during the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, in order to visit the Basilica of Guadalupe. This shrine contains a cape reported to be miraculously imprinted with an image of Mary—following a vision by a farmer in 1531. Approximately 95,000 people per hour filed past the cape for a fleeting glance at the holy relic.

In late November, representatives from a dozen South American nations gathered in Georgetown, Guyana, for a meeting of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR). The meeting focused on unity and working more closely together as neighboring nations.  Leaders pledged to the spread of democracy in the region, as well as efforts to “…construct our economy through democratic institutions, making decisions to open our economies, reconstruct our social services, and promote common infrastructure.”