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African Popes
Many Catholics say the future of the Catholic Church may rest with Africa. The long history of the Catholic Church reveals three African Popes and all three were declared saints by the Church many years ago.

The first African Pope was Pope St. Victor (189-199 A.D.). It is strongly believed that he decreed the celebration of Easter on Sunday. He also persuaded the Emperor Commodus to end the persecution of Christians.

The second African Pope was Pope St. Miltiades (311-314 A.D.) during the reign of Emperor Constantine. He declared the Donatist Christians as heretics. The Donatist heresy was a major problem for the Church. He saved the Church from a schism.

The third African Pope was Pope St. Gelasius (492-496 A.D.). He was a Liturgical reformer. He ordered the reception of Holy Communion for Catholics under the two form (bread and wine).

Can Jews Forgive After the Holocaust?
Rabbi Klenicki* says, “I can do it on the condition set by the rabbis: the sinner changes completely his heart, confesses his or her sins, and helps society through a life of virtue and goodness. My forgiveness is also a response to my own personal resentment. My forgiveness of the other who has gone through confession and repentance is the beginning of healing, my personal healing, and hopefully of the one who confessed and repented. Forgiveness, though difficult at times, is a process of overcoming resentment and achieving healing..

Let is be clear, however, that the resentment towards those who hurt my people or me, personally, does not extend to the sinners’ children, unless they continue the evil tradition of their parents.”

*Rabbi Klenicki is the retired Director for Interfaith Affairs of the Anti Defamation League, where he became internationally known for his dedication to Jewish-Christian study and dialogue.

Ashkenazic and Sephardic Jews
Ashkenazic Jews are the Jews of France, Germany, and Eastern Europe. Sephardic Jews are the Jews of Spain, Portugal, North Africa and the Middle East. The word “Ashkenazic” is derived from the Hebrew word for Germany. The word “Sephardic” is derived from the Hebrew word for Spain.

Most American Jews today are Ashkenazic, descended from Jews who came from Germany and Eastern Europe in the mid-to-late 1800’s, although most of the early Jewish settlers of this country were Sephardic. The first Sephardic congregation in North America was founded in New York in 1684. It is still active.

The prayer services of these two groups are somewhat different from one another. They also have different holiday customs and different traditional foods.

The Yiddish language is really the language of the Ashkenazic Jews. Sephardic Jews have their own international language: ladino, which was based on Spanish and Hebrew in the same way that Yiddish was based on German and Hebrew.

Permision: T.Rich@FAQ.Org

The Catholic Answer: Will the world end soon?
Every generation asks this question. One’s own time always appears to be worse than that of the past generation. The question is linked to three problems: the problem of nuclear weapons, the justice of God, and the interpretation of Biblical prophecies. What can we say about all of this? Certainly not easy to answer these questions.

The Catholic Church’s answer is that we do not know when the world will end. As Jesus Himself said, “ No one know the day or the hour, not the angels, not even the Son, only the Father” (Mk 13:32).

Instead of asking “When will the world end?” it might be better to ask “How can we create a better world with our God-given talent?”

What Do Muslims Believe About Jesus?
Jesus is mentioned several times in the Muslim scriptures, the Koran. Like the Jews, Muslims believe in the absolute uniqueness of God, or Allah. For Muslims, Jesus is a great prophet, a messenger of Allah who performed many miracles. Muslims believe in the Virgin birth, holding that, though Jesus was human, he was created by the direct will of God (Allah).

Why Do Jews Break the Glass at a Wedding?
The symbolism of the breaking of the glass by the groom at the conclusion of the Jewish wedding ceremony has several meanings. One meaning is historical. It is a remembrance of the destruction of the Great Temple in Jerusalem in 70 A.D. by the Romans. Another meaning is the fragility of happiness like the fragility of the glass-protect your happiness.