Ecumenical activities are increasing between Anglicans and the Vatican.  “Pope Francis is being credited with the new ‘ecumenical spring’ after the chill brought on by the ordination of women and moves towards women bishops in the Church of England and wider Anglican Communion” (The Times, January 4, 2014). The Pope and the Archbishop of Canterbury seem to have “a meeting of souls as much as a meeting of minds” (ibid.).

A recent Georgetown University study showed that when people in the lowest caste in an Indian city began to follow Biblical values, they were much more likely to break the poverty cycle (Catholic News Agency, December 20, 2013). Biblical values like hard work, integrity, taking care of one’s home and planning for the future were central to people breaking free of their generations-old cycle of poverty (ibid.).

Conditions are deteriorating in the CAR, foreign governments are evacuating their citizens, and African Union and French forces are being sent to quell the violence which is mostly Muslim vs. Christian (BBC, December 31, 2013). There are more than 6,000 child soldiers in CAR, and factions are murdering and beheading children in “atrocious revenge attacks,” in a clear violation of international humanitarian law (ibid.).

For centuries, Jews have been forbidden to pray on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem—a site that is only open to Muslim worship (The Times, December 23, 2013). However, there is a growing movement in Israel for Jews to be able to pray where the ancient Temple stood.