Pope Francis Names 800 New Saints In One Go

Pope Francis's first canonization ceremony was a record-breaking one. The new pontiff named over 800 new saints on Sunday. That's already almost double the number of saints declared by Pope John Paul II, whose 480-odd canonizations were, at the time, more than those of all of his predecessors since 1588, combined. But the latest canonization bonanza is notable for another reason: most of the 800 new saints are 15th-century martyrs, who were approved as a group for sainthood by Francis's predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI. Given Pope Francis's previous public commitment to improving the Catholic church's relationship with Muslim communities worldwide, Benedict XVI's unfinished business put the new pontiff in a delicate position. The 813 "Martyrs of Otranto" were beheaded by Ottoman soldiers for refusing to convert to Islam. 

RELATED: Is Francis the Most Humble Pope Ever?

Pope Francis, who is also fighting against Benedict XVI's overall poor reputation among many in the Muslim community, tried to handle the potentially awkward moment by declining to mention "Islam" in his entire speech marking the canonizations. Instead, he emphasized the Christian faith of the martyrs, with a relatively toned-down nod to ending inter-religious violence: "Let us ask God to sustain those many Christians who, in these times and in many parts of the world, right now, still suffer violence, and give them the courage and fidelity to respond to evil with good,” he told the crowd in St. Peter's Square. 

RELATED: The Inauguration of Pope Francis

The pope also canonized two women from Latin America, which seems to be a more fitting way for the first pope from the continent to kick off his tenure. Those two new saints are Laura of St. Catherine of Siena Montoya y Upegui (also the first saint from Columbia) and Maria Guadalupe Garcia Zavala of Mexico. Saints, as you might know, must have performed two miracles in the eyes of the church to qualify for the Catholic church's highest honor. 

View the original article here

Well-known political names seek South Carolina seat

By Harriet McLeod

CHARLESTON, South Carolina (Reuters) - Voters went to the polls on Tuesday to choose among several high profile candidates in a special primary election to fill a vacant seat in coastal South Carolina's 1st Congressional District.

The vacancy was left by Republican Tim Scott, who was appointed to replace Republican Jim DeMint in the Senate after he resigned last December to head the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank.

Sixteen Republicans competing in Tuesday's primary include former Governor Mark Sanford, who gained notoriety in 2009 for trying to hide an affair with an Argentine woman, and Teddy Turner, the son of media mogul Ted Turner. If no Republican gets more than 50 percent of the vote on Tuesday, the top two vote-getters will meet in a primary run-off on April 2.

Two Democrats on Tuesday's ballot include Elizabeth Colbert Busch, sister of TV comedian and political satirist Stephen Colbert. She faces a perennial candidate in the Democratic primary and is expected to win in her first run for political office.

The general election is set for May 7.

The district, which was redrawn after the 2010 Census, takes in the city of Charleston and parts of four nearby rural counties and stretches south along the coast to include wealthy Hilton Head Island.

Sanford, who held the congressional seat from 1995 to 2001, spent Monday in the Charleston area at businesses and announced campaign stops for Tuesday in Charleston. Sanford has been pointing to his record of "standing up to big spenders, regardless of party," his campaign said.

As governor, he carried two squealing piglets, named "Pork" and "Barrel," into the Statehouse in Columbia to protest the state's budget deficit. He was the first governor to formally reject federal stimulus money, his campaign said. In 2009, the state Supreme Court ordered him to accept $700 million in stimulus funds.

Colbert Busch released her second television ad, with the Port of Charleston as her backdrop, over the weekend. She touted her experience as director of sales for a shipping line and a leader in advocating science and math education in South Carolina.

Under South Carolina's new voter photo identification law, voters will have to present any one of five photo identifications, which include a military ID, driver's license, passport or new voter registration card. Voters without a photo ID can state a reasonable impediment to their having one and cast a provisional ballot.

(Editing by David Adams and Grant McCool)

View the original article here

Brazil names new agriculture, labor and aviation ministers

BRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff appointed new ministers for agriculture, civil aviation and labor on Friday, the presidential office said, in a Cabinet shuffle that left her economic team intact.

Congressman Antonio Andrade from Minas Gerais state was named agriculture minister, replacing Mendes Ribeiro, who is recovering from brain tumor surgery. Both men belong to the PMDB, Brazil's largest political party and Rousseff's main ally in her unwieldy 17-party governing coalition.

Moreira Franco, until now secretary of strategic affairs, was moved to the civil aviation portfolio, replacing Wagner Bittencourt.

That switch came after criticism of last year's auction of private concessions to run three major airports, including the country's largest in Sao Paulo, which drew smaller and less experienced consortia than the government had hoped for.

Manoel Dias, the secretary general of the PDT party, a minor coalition partner and the party where Rousseff began her political career, will move to the Labor Ministry, replacing Brizola Neto from the same party.

Despite her government's failure to restore solid growth to Brazil's once-booming economy, which grew by a disappointing 0.9 percent last year, Rousseff did not make changes to the economic team headed by Finance Minister Guido Mantega.

Other Cabinet changes are in the works, and Rousseff is expected to name an ally to the newly created ministry of small and micro businesses.

Rousseff, whose approval rating is in the high 70s, plans to run for re-election in 2014 and Cabinet appointments provide an opportunity to appease coalition allies jostling for government posts.

(Reporting by Jeferson Ribeiro; Writing by Anthony Boadle; Editing by Peter Murphy and David Brunnstrom)

View the original article here