International
Bells of Notre Dame Cathedral ring in streets of Paris for first time since 2019 fire
From LifeSiteNews
The bells of Notre Dame Cathedral have been heard in the streets of Paris for the first time since the devastating fire in 2019.
On November 8, the eight bells of the Notre Dame Cathedral finally rang in Paris following five years of restoration after the devastating 2019 fire that destroyed the historic church, according to AFP reporters.
The bells of Notre Dame in Paris rang out together on Friday for the first time since a 2019 fire that devastated the historic cathedral, AFP reporters said.https://t.co/P7BQwDtrLZ pic.twitter.com/zvjTbnlvsP
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) November 8, 2024
“This is a beautiful, important and symbolic step,” Philippe Jost, head of the public body tasked with restoring the cathedral, said.
The restoration of the cathedral’s bells marks a significant moment in French history after the beloved church was destroyed by a fire on April 15, 2019. As the fire raged, Parisians stood on the street watching the cathedral burn, many of whom saw the fire as a symbol of destruction of society and culture.
The Cathedral itself was a symbol of France’s rich Catholic history which is inseparable from French culture. The gothic church, filled with detailed art and majestic architecture, survived the French revolution, which destroyed hundreds of churches as the country attempted to wipe out Catholic influence.
Following the 2019 fire, many Catholics saw the destruction as a sign.
Bishop Athanasius Schneider viewed the fire as a “symbolic and evocative” sign of the “spiritual conflagration” that has attacked Catholicism in recent decades.
Similarly, Cardinal Raymond Burke described the fire as a “sobering reflection” on the “attacks upon the infinite beauty of the faith by the grievous sins and crimes of our day.”
Now, many are celebrating the restoration of Notre Dame, voicing hopes that it marks restoration within the Church and society.
“Represents the end of a dark era,” one user wrote. “The symbolism is clear.”
“In Catholic theology, church bells are blessed by priests to serve as audible exorcisms of local demons,” Catholic commentator Dr. Taylor Marshall wrote.
“The bells of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris just began ringing again… just in time,” he added.
Notre Dame Cathedral is scheduled to formally reopen on December 8, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of Our Lady.
DEI
University System of Georgia to ban DEI, commit to neutrality, teach Constitution
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“The basis and determining factor” for employment will be “that the individual possesses the requisite knowledge, skills, and abilities associated with the role, and is believed to have the ability to successfully perform the essential functions, responsibilities, and duties associated with the position for which the individual is being considered.”
The University System of Georgia’s Board of Regents has recommended a number of new and revised policies for its institutions, such as a commitment to institutional neutrality, the prohibiting of DEI tactics, and a mandatory education in America’s founding documents.
The University System of Georgia (USG) is made up of Georgia’s 26 public colleges and universities as well as Georgia Archives and the Georgia Public Library Service.
“USG institutions shall remain neutral on social and political issues unless such an issue is directly related to the institution’s core mission,” the board’s proposed revisions read.
“Ideological tests, affirmations, and oaths, including diversity statements,” will be banned from admissions processes and decisions, employment processes and decisions, and institution orientation and training for both students and employees.
“No applicant for admission shall be asked to or required to affirmatively ascribe to or opine about political beliefs, affiliations, ideals, or principles, as a condition for admission,” the new policy states.
Additionally, USG will hire based on a person’s qualifications and ability.
“The basis and determining factor” for employment will be “that the individual possesses the requisite knowledge, skills, and abilities associated with the role, and is believed to have the ability to successfully perform the essential functions, responsibilities, and duties associated with the position for which the individual is being considered.”
Beginning in the 2025-2026 academic year, the school’s civic instruction will require students to study founding American documents among other things.
USG students will learn from the Declaration of Independence, the United States Constitution and Bill of Rights, the Articles of Confederation, the Federalist Papers, the Gettysburg Address, the Emancipation Proclamation, and Martin Luther King Jr.’s Letter from Birmingham Jail, as well as the Georgia Constitution and Bill of Rights.
When reached for comment, the Board of Regents told The Center Square that “these proposed updates strengthen USG’s academic communities.”
The recommended policies allow a campus environment “where people have the freedom to share their thoughts and learn from one another through objective scholarship and inquiry,” and “reflect an unyielding obligation to protect freedom, provide quality higher education and promote student success,” the board said.
The board told The Center Square that it proposed strengthening “the requirements for civics instruction” with the inclusion of “foundational primary sources” because of higher education’s duty to students.
Colleges and universities “must prepare [students] to be contributing members of society and to understand the ideals of freedom and democracy that make America so exceptional,” the board said.
As for ditching DEI, the board explained that “equal opportunity and decisions based on merit are fundamental values of USG.”
“The proposed revisions among other things would make clear that student admissions and employee hiring should be based on a person’s qualifications, not his or her beliefs,” the board said.
The Board of Regents also said it wants to “ensure [its] institutions remain neutral on social and political issues while modeling what it looks like to promote viewpoint diversity, create campus cultures where students and faculty engage in civil discourse, and the open exchange of ideas is the norm.”
USG’s Board of Regents recently urged the NCAA to ban transgender-identifying men from participating in women’s sports, in line with the NAIA rules, The Center Square previously reported.
Censorship Industrial Complex
G20’s Online Speech Clampdown Calls Set To Ignite Free Speech Fears
G20 leaders convened in Rio de Janeiro have called for enhanced responsibility and transparency from digital platforms to tackle the growing challenges of “misinformation,” “disinformation,” “hate speech,” and others on their long list of supposed online “harms.”
The summit’s final declaration highlighted the transformative role of digital platforms in global communication but noted the adverse effects of digital content’s rapid spread. It called for increased accountability from platforms to manage speech, which should raise eyebrows among free speech advocates who’ve heard all this before.
We obtained a copy of the declaration for you here.
During the summit, the leaders highlighted the transformative impact of digital platforms in communication and information dissemination across the globe. However, they also alleged negative ramifications of unchecked digital spaces, where “harmful” content can proliferate at an unprecedented pace and scale.
In response, the G20’s final declaration underscored the critical role of digital platforms in ensuring their ecosystems do not become breeding grounds for speech they don’t like.
The declaration states: “We recognize that digital platforms have reshaped the digital ecosystem and online interactions by amplifying information dissemination and facilitating communication within and across geographical boundaries. However, the digitization of the information realm and the accelerated evolution of new technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), has dramatically impacted the speed, scale, and reach of misinformation and disinformation, hate speech, and other forms of online harms.”
The G20 goes on to say that it emphasizes the “need for digital platforms’ transparency and responsibility in line with relevant policies and applicable legal frameworks and will work with platforms and relevant stakeholders in this regard.”
The declaration even says more measures need to be taken to control what it says is the spread of online misogyny and the need to combat it “online and offline.”
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