WOULD YOU LIKE SOME CHEESE....

Gen X Is Kind of, Sort of, Not Really the Boss

Credit...Illustration by Frank Augugliaro, Photographs via Getty Images

OPINION
Aug. 14, 2022
By Pamela Paul
Opinion Columnist

The top job in this country has gone from the baby boomer Barack Obama to the barely boomer Donald Trump to the throwback Joe Biden, a member of the so-called Silent Generation. At this rate, the presidency may do the natural thing and skip over Generation X entirely.

Wait, you may be asking yourself: Gen Xers are supposed to be in charge now?

It may not seem like it, but do the math: Born between the years 1965 and 1980, Gen Xers are now between the ages of 42 and 57, prime time for being the boss, whether of country, corporation or just a small sales team.

And yet after years of being outnumbered in the work force by boomers (born between 1946 and 1964), Gen Xers have already been overtaken by another, larger cohort: millennials (born between 1981 and 1996). According to a Pew analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data, Gen Xers were a majority of the U.S. work force for only a few years — a brief period of dominance ending in 2016.

If Gen Xers are the bosses now, they are the bosses only in a very Gen X way: ambivalently, fleetingly and with dubious authority.

Here’s a refresher on the measliness of Generation X: Our parents were typically members of the Silent Generation, that cohort born between 1928 and 1945 — people shaped by the Great Depression and World War II, people who didn’t get to choose what they were having for dinner and made sure their kids didn’t either. The parents of Gen X believed in spanking and borderline benign neglect, in contrast to the boisterous boomers and their deluxe offspring, the millennial horde.

Grubby Gen Xers were designated the O.G. slackers, which did not bode well for becoming the bosses of the future. It wasn’t our fault! I mean, mostly not. Reality bit for Gen X because when we started to join the work force around 1990, the economy was in a recession; the recovery that followed was sluggish.

These are broad strokes, of course, but as a former editor at the bygone magazine American Demographics, which specialized in generational generalizations, I believe there’s some truth in the truisms.

Once Gen Xers managed to land jobs, we were but lowly peons hanging by a thread, prepared to be fired because we’d worked less than 80 hours that week, because we’d failed to “perform” or simply because our boss liked to yell and one of the things he liked to yell was “You’re fired.”

But we were also a generation that specialized in sucking it up. The contemporary pop culture emblem for the Gen X manager may well be Mark S., the inadvertent and hapless leader of a tiny and testy group of employees in the TV series “Severance.” Mark, as embodied by the ur-Gen Xer Adam Scott, is simultaneously thwarted by his staff members and lorded over by the manager one rank above him, ever subject to the strict bylaws of an indifferent corporation.

Now that’s a Gen X boss.

“We Gen Xers don’t feel like we’re the boss,” Meagan Johnson, who speaks to companies like Merck and Cisco about generational differences, told me. “We’re just kind of forgotten about.”

Fittingly, by the time Gen Xers got a shot at the top job, being in charge was no longer as attractive as it used to be. Consider the two most culturally influential leadership styles for Gen X women as they ascended the ranks: Sheryl Sandberg’s demonic “leaning in” (until you topple over) and Sophia Amoruso’s odious #Girlboss approach, which had the additional drawback of coming with a hashtag. An unironic hashtag.

Naturally, both rubrics are now defunct.

The Great Resignation or Great Reshuffle or whatever we’re calling it this week may also be the worst time to be in charge. According to Microsoft’s work-trend index, 54 percent of managers say that leadership is out of touch with employee expectations, and 74 percent of managers say that they don’t have the influence or resources they need to drive change for their team. Their employees are either at home or wishing they were at home.

Or wishing they were gone. According to an October 2021 survey, 46 percent of millennials planned to leave their jobs within the year. Who can blame them? Employees say they are working harder and for longer hours than ever.

It gets worse. More than half of hybrid workers from Generation Z (born from 1997 to 2012) say they’re moving to a new location because they’re able to work remotely — possibly somewhere their bosses may never be able to reel them back from. A recent report in The Times makes clear that when it comes to recruitment and retention, Gen Z is calling the shots.

In short, Gen X bosses work for their employees, not the other way around.

It would be very Gen X to shrug at this seemingly inevitable outcome. We were probably never meant to be the boss. Baby boomers and millennials have always had a finely tuned sense of how important they are. Gen Xers are under no such illusion. Temperamentally prepared to be criticized and undermined at all times, we never entirely trusted the people in charge anyway.

Least of all ourselves.

Poll: Record 70% of Americans Say Life Will Be Worse for Next Generation


TEHRAN (FNA)- Against the backdrop of mass shootings, foreign policy showdowns, inflation woes and a pandemic, the latest Fox News survey finds a record-high number of registered voters think life for the next generation of Americans will be worse than it is today.

A majority, 70%, says life will be worse for the next generation than it is today — up 29 percentage points from July 2020. The last time voters were close to being this negative about the future was in September 2014, when 61% said it would be worse, Fox News reported.

All of this comes as voters continue to offer pessimistic views of both the national economy and their personal finances. Eight in 10 rate national economic conditions as only fair or poor, while about six in 10 rate their personal finances negatively. On top of this, three-quarters are dissatisfied with the direction of the country — the highest negative rating in a decade.

Almost eight in 10 Republicans (76%) and independents (79%) say life will be worse for the next generation, a 40+ point increase from two summers ago.

Over half of Democrats are also more likely to think life will be more difficult (57%), up 9 points since 2020. However, they are one of the only subgroups where the belief that life will get better for younger generations is up (37% vs. 26% in 2020).

Voters under age 30 (28% better-66% worse) are just as likely as voters ages 65 and over (25-68%) to say life will be worse for the youth of America.

Overall, a quarter (25%) think life will improve for young Americans.

With midterm elections three months away, voters are split on their generic ballot preference (the Democratic candidate in their House district vs. the Republican candidate) at 41% apiece. Of the 70% saying the next generation will be worse off, those voters break for the GOP by 14 points. The 25% who say life will be better favor the Democrat by 34.

Voters say some of the gravest threats to the stability of the US are at home as well as abroad.

Sixty-four percent say it is a "major" threat to the stability of the country. Several high-profile shootings in the last three months could well lead voters to perceive gun violence as a serious concern.

China (60%) and Russia (60%) are also in the top tier of major threats.

Back at home, domestic extremist groups (55%), big government (52%) and climate change (52%) round out a second tier of perceived threats, while illegal immigration (47%) and people refusing to accept election results (46%) come in somewhat lower on the scale.

For Democrats, gun violence is easily seen as the biggest threat to Uncle Sam, with 80% saying it’s a major threat, followed by climate change at 73% and election deniers and domestic extremists at 66%.

Republicans' biggest concern is a tie between China and illegal immigration (71% each). Big government comes in third at 65%.

Just half of Democrats think China is a major threat (49%), while the opposite is true for Republicans on gun violence (51%).

With all their differences, partisans agree that Russia is a major threat (59% for Dems and 58% for Republicans).

Meanwhile, 70% are extremely or very concerned about China's military power. That’s unchanged since last year — and since House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's recent trip to Taiwan, a trip Beijing vehemently opposed.

Conducted August 6-9, 2022, under the joint direction of Beacon Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R), this Fox News Poll includes interviews with 1,002 registered voters nationwide who were randomly selected from a national voter file and spoke with live interviewers on both landlines and cellphones. The total sample has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus three percentage points.

'Now Hiring': US Employers Struggle to Find Enough Workers

August 14, 2022 
Agence France-Presse

A hiring sign is placed at a booth for prospective employers during a job fair Sept. 22, 2021, in the West Hollywood section of Los Angeles.

WASHINGTON —

Salespeople, food servers, postal workers -- "Help Wanted" ads are proliferating across the United States, as companies struggle to deal with a worker shortage caused by the pandemic, a rash of early retirements and restrictive immigration laws.

More than 10 million openings went unfilled in June, according to government data, while fewer than 6 million people were seeking work, even as employers desperately try to boost hiring amid a frenzy of consumer spending.

"We have a lot of jobs, but not enough workers to fill them," the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which represents American companies, said in a statement.

Many of those who stopped working as COVID-19 first ravaged the U.S. economy in early 2020 have never returned.

"There would be 3.4 million more workers today if labor force participation" -- the percentage of the working-age population currently employed or actively seeking work -- was at the pre-pandemic rate, the Chamber calculated. It has slipped from 63.4% to 62.1%.

And where have all these people gone? Many simply took early retirement.

"Part of that is just the US population continues to age," Nick Bunker, a labor-market specialist with jobs website Indeed, told AFP.

Too few immigrants

The huge cohort of baby boomers had already begun leaving the labor market, but there has been an "acceleration in retirements" since the pandemic struck, Diane Swonk, chief economist at KPMG, told AFP.

A worker carries a board at a home construction site June 29, 2021, in Piedmont, Okla.

Millions of people opted for early retirement, concerned for their health and with sufficient assets -- thanks to a then-buoyant stock market and high real-estate prices -- to leave the workplace.

In the short term, Bunker said, "We're unlikely to get back to exactly the pre-pandemic level of labor-force participation because of the aging of the population."

Adding to this, said Swonk, "We haven't had immigration at the pace to replace the baby boomers."

Restrictions imposed under President Donald Trump, plus the impact of COVID, steeply reduced the number of foreigners entering the country.

"It has rebounded a little bit, but still not at the levels we were seeing several years ago," Bunker said.

The Chamber of Commerce also underscored the impact of generous government assistance during the pandemic, which "bolstered people's economic stability -- allowing them to continue sitting out of the labor force."

Long COVID

Large numbers of women quit their jobs in 2020, in part because extended school closings required many to stay home to care for children.

Those who wanted to place children in day care were often frustrated, as labor shortages hit the day care sector as well.

An employer holds flyers for hospitality employment during a Zislis Group job fair at The Brew Hall in Torrance, Calif., June 23. 2021.

Swonk noted that not only COVID infections but also the debilitating effects of long COVID have had a serious impact.

It's "really one of the most underestimated and misunderstood issues" keeping workers sidelined, she said.

To lure workers back, many employers have boosted pay and benefits.

And if Americans' buying frenzy slows, analysts say, companies will need fewer workers.

The labor shortage is expected to ease a bit as the Federal Reserve continues aggressively raising interest rates in its effort to combat inflation.

In the meantime, wage earners have profited. Over the past year, millions have changed jobs, often lured elsewhere by higher wages and better working conditions.

This "Great Resignation" has resulted in higher hourly wages. The private sector average is now $32.27, up 5.2% in a year, adding to inflationary pressures.

The US labor market showed new signs of vitality in July.

The 22 million jobs lost due to COVID-19 have returned, and the unemployment rate is a historically low 3.5%.

Germany’s Chancellor to visit Canada, discuss partnership opportunities: PMO

By Aya Al-Hakim Global News
Posted August 13, 2022 



The Chancellor of Germany, Olaf Scholz, will visit Montréal, Toronto and Stephenville, Newfoundland and Labrador, from Aug. 21 to 23 in an effort to “strengthen the relationship and create jobs”, according to a statement from the prime minister’s office released Saturday.

During the visit, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he and Scholz will be addressing the global impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and discuss ways the two countries can work together to accelerate the global transition to clean energy, through the use of “clean hydrogen and critical minerals.”

“Germany and Canada are close friends on the world stage. We are tied by our shared commitments to democracy, peace and security, including our support for Ukraine, a clean, healthy future, and an economy that works for people,” said Trudeau in a press release.

“I look forward to showing Chancellor Scholz what Canada has to offer, while we further strengthen our relationship, create jobs, and help grow the middle class in both countries.,” he added.

The statement shows that the discussion between the two leaders will include taking strong climate action through policies like pollution pricing and advancing the Canada-Germany trade relationship by attracting investments, including in sectors like automotive and electric vehicle manufacturing, hydrogen and clean energy, and bio-manufacturing and life sciences.

The PMO confirmed the visit will start in Montreal, where meetings will be held with German and Canadian business leaders. A tour is scheduled at an artificial intelligence institute.

The two men will then head to Toronto, where Trudeau will take part in the virtual summit about Russia’s annexation of Crimea, followed by an appearance at the Canada-Germany Business Forum.

The trip will conclude with a stop in Stephenville, N.L., where Trudeau and Scholz will attend a hydrogen trade show.

The office of the prime minister says Canada and Germany have a long history of collaborating to advance the development of a clean economy.

“Canadian and German researchers have been at the forefront of advancing clean hydrogen technologies with Canadian companies deploying their technologies in the German market and German companies investing in growing manufacturing capabilities in Canada,” the office states.

— With files from The Canadian Press

ARMING WHITE SUPREMACY

Brazil's firearm ownership booms, and gun laws loosen, under President Bolsonaro

August 13, 2022
Heard on All Things Considered
NPR
JOHN OTIS

A visitor holds a weapon during the Shot Fair Brasil, an arms exhibition held at the Expoville Conventions and Exhibitions Center in Joinville, Santa Catarina state, Brazil, on Aug. 5.

Albari Sosa/AFP via Getty Images

RIO BONITO, Brazil — At a shooting range a man applying for a gun permit points a pistol and fires 10 shots at a human-shaped target 20 feet away. Nearly all the bullets hit the target's sweet spot in the middle of the torso.

The shooter, Wagner Carneiro, is a former Brazilian army sergeant. He explains that a man in a car asking for directions suddenly pointed a gun to his head and demanded his mobile phone. Now, the 40-year-old Carneiro wants a gun for himself.

Wagner Carneiro at shooting range in Rio Bonito, Brazil, on July 16.

John Otis/NPR

"I need it to protect my family," he says, speaking from the range in the town of Rio Bonito, about 40 miles west of Rio de Janeiro.

Thanks to President Jair Bolsonaro, a right-wing populist whose hero is former President Donald Trump, it's become a lot easier for Brazilians like Carneiro to get guns. Since taking office in 2019, Bolsonaro has issued more than a dozen decrees loosening restrictions on gun ownership for civilians.

Bolsonaro, who faces a tough reelection battle in October, has avidly courted Brazil's growing gun lobby and often poses for photos making a gun sign with his thumb and forefinger.

"Expanding the right of the population to bear arms has been one of Bolsonaro's main electoral promises from day one," says Fábio Zanini, a columnist for Folha de S.Paulo, a leading Brazilian newspaper. "Gun owners are one of his main electoral bases."

There are still more gun regulations in Brazil than in the United States, including mandatory psychological and firearm safety exams. But now private citizens can buy more powerful handguns and ammunition and in greater quantities. Collectors and competitive shooters can purchase automatic rifles.

Brazil's President Bolsonaro Just Made It A Lot Easier For Brazilians To Have Guns Jan. 15, 2019

Since 2018, the number of guns in private hands has doubled to nearly 2 million, according to data from Brazil's army and police analyzed by Brazilian security think tank Sou da Paz.

Gun stores and shooting tournaments are popping up all over Brazil. They include the massive Schützenfest, held in southern Brazil where many people are of German descent, and is a combination of beer-drenched Oktoberfest and shooting guns. An average of one new shooting range per day has opened during Bolsonaro's nearly four years in office, Brazil's UOL website reported.

Some Brazilian gun enthusiasts mimic their American counterparts by talking about their "Second Amendment" rights, even though there is no constitutional right to bear arms here. Others, like Rodrigo Santoro, who is training to become a weapons instructor at the Rio Bonito shooting range, don't trust the police to protect them from well-armed criminals.

"The main principle is to defend yourself, your family, your home," he says. "We defend guns in the hands of the good people because the bad guys already have guns."

After President Bolsonaro, Brazil's highest-profile gun advocate, is his son, congressman Eduardo Bolsonaro. In July, he celebrated his 38th birthday with a cake decorated with a revolver. He claims that looser gun regulations have helped bring down Brazil's homicide rate.

"It was the biggest drop in murders ... since 1980," he told Tucker Carlson of Fox News in June. "So, Brazil is safer, thanks God, because of this policy."

But the country's homicide rate was on its way down even before Bolsonaro took office, says Bruno Langeani, the manager of Sou da Paz. And in spite of this trend, the murder rate here of over 22 killings per 100,000 people was still more than three times higher than in the U.S. in 2020, according to World Bank figures.

What The NRA Is Doing As Part Of Its Effort To Go Global Jan. 4, 2019

Cecília Olliveira, who directs Fogo Cruzado, a project that maps gun violence in Brazilian cities, says that instead of promoting gun ownership for self-protection, authorities should focus on reforming the police.

"When you [say]: 'I have to protect myself because the police are not working,' this is not right," she says. "The point is: We have to make the police work in the right way."

Mass shootings carried out by civilians in Brazil are rare. But rising gun ownership has led to more suicides and gun accidents involving children, says Langeani of the Sou da Paz think tank. In addition, he says drug-trafficking groups are recruiting civilians to legally purchase automatic rifles, which are then passed on to the criminals.

"We are seeing more and more episodes of what in the U.S. you would call 'straw buyer' purchase — diversion of firearms to crime," he says.

A Brazilian citizen shows his identification card to a Federal Police agent (left) as he trades in two collection rifles as part of a national firearm buyback program, in São Paulo, Brazil, July 23, 2004.Mauricio Lima/AFP via Getty Images

Ahead of October's election, polls show President Bolsonaro trailing left-wing candidate Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. He's a former president who tightened Brazil's gun laws when he first took office in 2003. That legislation prevented ordinary citizens from purchasing guns while a buyback program led to the return of more than 700,000 firearms. Immediately afterwards, Brazil's homicide rate went down, though it started creeping back up in 2007.

PARALLELS
The Racket In Brazil: Gangs Are Blowing Up Banks For Cash

So, the prospect that Lula, as the former president is widely known, could return to power has some Brazilians scurrying to apply for gun permits, says Alexandre Coelho, an instructor at the shooting range in Rio Bonito and an ardent supporter of Bolsonaro.

"Left-wing governments don't believe in the right to self-defense. They believe the state has to defend you and will always be [there] to defend you. That is a lie," he says. "Right-wing governments believe in the right to self-defense."

Among his clients is Carneiro, the man who was robbed at gunpoint for his cellphone and who is now finishing up his shooting test. As he examines the bullet holes in the target, Coelho is impressed.

"A total of 95 points" of a possible 100, he says. "He is approved."

Strange 'boom' over Utah baffles experts

Claire Reid

Published 14 August 2022 

Residents of Utah in the US have been left baffled after hearing a loud boom on Saturday morning, 13 August.

The sound was heard shortly after 8.30am, alongside reports that some homes shook because of it. 

Officials have said it was not an earthquake or caused by the the state's military installations. 

In a post on Twitter, University of Utah Seismograph Stations said: "We've received many reports of people feeling or hearing a 'boom' ~8:32 am. We can confirm that it was not an earthquake.” 

And the Utah National Guard wrote: “The UTNG can confirm that the “large boom” heard this morning was NOT from any military training at Camp Williams.”

Posting on Facebook, one resident in South Salt Lake, wrote: “I thought I heard something fall in the house. I have since searched the house top to bottom and the only thing I’ve found was one slat from our wooden fence that had fallen, so that’s a relief.

“It did sound similar to sonic booms I’ve heard before, followed by a short incident of a sound similar to low rolling thunder. 

“This rumbling noise that followed the boom was maybe on 3-4 seconds.”

Another resident told Fox 13: “I have experienced many earthquakes. 

"So because everything shakes, in the house, the walls, definitely it was not that case here – just a big sound."

So far, the most likely theory is that the noise was caused by a meteor. Satellite lightning detection picked up what appeared to a meteor trail over two counties in northern Utah at around 8.31am – moments before the boom was heard. 

In a tweet, the National Weather Service said: “Bolstering the meteor theory for this morning's #boom in #Utah, the two reddish pixels shown over Davis and Morgan counties are from the GOES-17 Lightning Mapper, but not associated with evidence of thunderstorm activity in satellite or radar. Likely the meteor trail/flash."

In a follow up tweet, the National Weather Service said: "In addition to satellite lightning detection picking up on the flash/tail, we've now got video confirmation of the meteor heard across northern Utah, southern Idaho and elsewhere this morning.”

Robert Lunsford from the American Meteor Society said it’s uncommon to hear the noise a meteor creates, but suggested that this particularly meteor may have been bigger than average. 

He told Fox: “Your normal meteor is only the size of a pea or a small pebble. This particular object was probably the size of a beachball.”

If you have a story you want to tell, send it to UNILAD via story@unilad.com 

Featured Image Credit: Nick Fox / Alamy / Twitter / @nwssaltlakecity

 Possible Meteors Caught On Camera Over

Utah

Aug 13, 2022
NBC News

An extremely loud boom was heard throughout Utah this morning, shaking homes and alarming many throughout the state. Multiple residents captured something streaking across the sky on camera, which some experts believe is a meteor.

 

Tigray rebels deny ‘direct engagements’ with Ethiopia govt

AFP

NAIROBI: Tigrayan rebels denied Saturday they have had “direct engagements” with the Ethiopian government, following a statement by the African Union which has been leading a push to end the 21-month conflict.

Getachew Reda, spokesman for the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), said an AFP story that cited an AU statement was “pure fabrication”.

“Such engagement simply didn’t happen!” he said on Twitter.

In a statement dated August 4 but posted on its website on Thursday, the AU’s Peace and Security Council said it “commends the AU High Representative for the direct engagements between the Government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF)”.

But an updated version of the statement on the website has replaced the word “between” by “with” and the original, which was published in both English and French, is no longer available.

AFP has contacted the PSC for comment but there was no immediate response.

Government forces have been at war with the TPLF since November 2020 but in recent weeks both sides have mooted the possibility of peace talks.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government wants any negotiations to be led by the AU, but the rebels want Kenya’s outgoing President Uhuru Kenyatta to mediate.

TPLF leader Debretsion Gebremichael has also insisted that key services would have to be restored in Tigray before dialogue could begin.

In its statement, the AU council called on the warring sides “to place the supreme interests of Ethiopia and its people above all else and embrace inclusive political dialogue as the only viable approach towards finding a consensual solution to the current situation”.

It also urged international partners to support AU-led mediation under former Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo “as the only viable and effective approach towards finding a negotiated lasting solution to the situation in Ethiopia”.

Fighting has eased in northern Ethiopia since a humanitarian truce was declared at the end of March, allowing the resumption of desperately needed international aid convoys to Tigray’s six million people.

Since the war broke out, Ethiopia’s northernmost region has suffered food shortages and access to basic services such as electricity, communications and banking has been severely limited.

In November 2020 Abiy ordered troops into Tigray to topple the TPLF, accusing the rebels of attacking federal army camps.

The TPLF mounted a shock comeback in June last year, retaking Tigray and expanding into neighbouring Afar and Amhara, before the war reached a stalemate.

SUNDAY SERMON

Is the future of faith female?

OR WHY CATHOLICS AREN'T PROTESTANT/ORTHODOX***

OSV

Theresa Civantos Barber - published on 08/13/22

Women have been saints and leaders in the Church throughout the centuries, changing the world and the Church for the better.

Recently Rachel Harkins Ullman was asked an unusual question: Is the future of faith female?

Ullman is Executive Director of The GIVEN Institute, so she has a particular understanding of the role of women in today’s Church.

If you’re not familiar with The GIVEN Institute (GIVEN), it is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to activating the gifts of young adult women for the Catholic Church and the world. 

There’s a powerful description of their mission on their website:

GIVEN inspires and equips the next generation of female leaders to “receive the gift that they are; realize the gifts they’ve been given; and respond with the gift that only they can give.”

So when she heard this question, it gave her pause. Just looking at the numbers and statistics, the answer seemed to be “No.” 

But that’s not the whole story. 

She tells all about it in her OSV Talk, How the Feminine Genius Heals a Hurting World. You can watch it here: 

On the face of it, the future of faith is becoming less and less female. Ullman said that one of the Church’s “greatest challenges” right now is the religious disaffiliation of women.

The Pew Research Center recently reported a 10-point increase in women who are religiously unaffiliated, Ullman said. 

“These numbers are striking, especially when we consider how women have been at the backbone of the life and mission of the Church.”

But Ullman believes that this is only part of the story. 

Women play a critical role in the future of the Church, especially when we understand what it means to be female, to have what the Church calls “the feminine genius.” She explains,

The feminine genius is characterized by four things: receptivity, sensitivity, generosity, and maternity. To me that sounds just like what the doctor ordered. If I could write a prescription to heal a hurting world, it would be those four things.

Ullman points out vivid examples of women who have been saints and leaders in the Church throughout the centuries, explaining how countless women have changed the world and the Church for the better.

She shared a quotation from writer Kate O’Beirne, revealing how nuns have taken a leadership role throughout world history:

Long before NOW held its first organizational meeting, there were female role models who exemplified initiative, intelligence, and independence. America’s first large network of professional women was Catholic nuns. In the 1900s, they built and ran the country’s largest private school and hospital systems. These women were nurses, teachers — and CEOs.

And of course, Ullman points us toward the ultimate example of feminine genius, Our Lady.

We should go to the top; we should look at the greatest Catholic female leader of all time, the woman who took the greatest risk, and that is the Virgin Mother. She accepted a mission that had never been done before and will never be done again. She is the true epitome of bringing forth a new creation to heal a hurting world, just like an entrepreneur, bearing the risks and then enjoying the reward.

Ullman shows how greatly “the world needs what women are,” to quote St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross.

“Is the future of faith female?” She asks. “It could be, if we learn to lead with our feminine hearts.”

***AS BOTH AGREE THE CATHOLIC CHURCH ABSORBED PAGANISM AND WAS ABSORBED BY IT, THE WHORE OF BABYLON AND ALL THAT

The Whore of Babylon | National Gallery of Canada

This chapter sets the scene for the study by briefly introducing some of its core contents and defining the aim of the book: to analyze constructions of femininity and feminine sexuality in interpretations of the goddess Babalon from the fin-de-siècle until today. The chapter presents Babalon and her origins in the writings of the British occultist Aleister Crowley and establishes the focus ...

Encountering the Scarlet Goddess | The Eloquent Blood: The Goddess Babalon and the Construction of Femininities in Western Esotericism | Oxford Academic (oup.com)

Most Canadians saw Pope Francis’ visit as step toward reconciliation

Vincenzo PINTO | AFP

John Burger - published on 08/13/22 -

Aleteia — Catholic Spirituality, Lifestyle, World News, and Culture

But 32% said "penitential pilgrimage" did nothing to move reconciliation forward, a survey finds.

Most Canadians felt that Pope Francis’ recent visit to their country advanced the cause of reconciliation between native peoples and the Catholic Church, a survey found.

Some 60% of Canadians said the pope’s “penitential pilgrimage,” undertaken to apologize for the Church’s role in the nation’s policy of forcefully assimilating indigenous children into Canadian culture, was a step in the right direction.

“The Angus Reid Institute released the findings from its latest online poll in which nearly 60% of participants said they saw the Pope’s apology as a meaningful step toward reconciliation, while 32% said it did nothing to move reconciliation forward,” The Globe and Mail reported. “Respondents who self-identified as Indigenous were less likely to say the apology contributed to reconciliation, at 54%, and 36% said the gesture made no difference.”

The trip took the pope to Alberta, Quebec, and Nunavut, from July 24 to 30. In the photo above, he meets with “Indian residential school” alumni at Nakasuk Elementary School Square in Iqaluit, Nunavut, July 29.

The journey focused on the Church’s role in the residential schools, where, beginning in the 19th century, native children were forcibly taken from their families and placed in boarding facilities where they were not permitted to use their native languages or dress in traditional attire. There were various types of abuse, and many of the children who died at the schools – from disease, neglect of abuse – were never reunited with their families.

When some groups in 2021 began announcing the discovery of mass graves on the grounds of residential schools in the West of Canada, there was a rash of church burnings, suspected to be arson.

Road to reconcilation

A Canadian Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which began work in 2007, listed a number of recommendations, including an apology from the pope.

Although more than 60% of the schools were run by the Catholic Church — particularly Catholic religious orders — Anglican, Methodist, United, Presbyterian, Baptist, and Mennonite groups ran residential schools as well.

The Angus Reid Institute said that two-thirds of respondents who followed the papal voyage viewed his apology as sincere, said The Globe and Mail.

Half the participants said the federal government, Christian churches, and society hold equal responsibility for creating the residential school system and allowing it to persist. …

The poll suggests respondents’ prior views on the relationship between Canada and Indigenous Peoples was a significant driver of whether they viewed the Pope’s trip and apology as something that represented a step toward reconciliation.

“If you’re of the view that it’s worsening, then you’re also more likely to think that the papal visit made no difference towards reconciliation,” said Shachi Kurl, president of the institute.

“If you’re somebody who thinks that that is a relationship that is improving, people express more optimism or a sense that yes, the trip did represent a meaningful step toward reconciliation.”

The survey also found that more than half of respondents said there needs to be more investigations into residential schools before the country can move forward.

This past spring, Indigenous leaders went to Rome to tell the pope their stories, and the bishops of Canada invited the pontiff to come and meet with the Indigenous people on their own land.

 


Read more:The powerful backstory of the pope’s penitential trip to Canada


Read more:Like Canada, U.S. also has history of Native American residential schools