His Eminence  Francis Arinze
Prefect Emeritus of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments
Archdiocese	Velletri-Segni
Appointed	1 October 2002
In Office	21 April 2005 - 9 December 2008
Predecessor	Jorge Arturo Augustin Medina Estévez
Successor	Antonio Cañizares Llovera
Other posts	Cardinal-Bishop of Velletri-Segni
Orders
Ordination	23 November 1958 by Grégoire-Pierre XV Agagianian
Consecration	29 August 1965 by Charles Heerey
Created Cardinal	25 May 1985
Rank	Cardinal-Bishop
Personal details
Born	(1932-11-01) 1 November 1932 (age 79) Onitsha, Nigeria
Nationality	Nigerian
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Previous post	Coadjutor Bishop of Onitsha (1965 - 1967) Titular Bishop of Fissiana (1965 - 1967) Archbishop of Onitsha (1967 - 1985) Pro-Prefect of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue (1984 - 1985) Cardinal-Deacon of S. Giovanni della Pigna (1985 - 1996) President of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue (1985 - 2002) Cardinal-Priest of S. Giovanni della Pigna (1996 - 2005)
Motto	Regnum Christi floreat (May the Kingdom of Christ flourish)
Coat of arms

Francis Arinze, (born 1 November 1932) is an Igbo Nigerian^[1] Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He is Prefect Emeritus of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, having served as prefect from 2002 to 2008. He is the current Cardinal Bishop of Velletri-Segni (succeeding Joseph Ratzinger, who became Pope Benedict XVI) since 2005. Arinze was one of the principal advisors to Pope John Paul II, and was considered papabile before the 2005 papal conclave, which elected Benedict XVI.^[2]

Early life[link]

Arinze was born in Eziowelle, Anambra State, Nigeria, Africa. A convert from an African traditional religion,^[3] he was baptized on his ninth birthday (1 November 1941) by Father Michael Tansi, who was beatified by John Paul II in 1998. His parents themselves later converted to Catholicism. At age 15, he entered All Hallows Seminary of Onitsha from which he graduated and earned a degree in philosophy 1950. His father was initially opposed to his entering the seminary, but after seeing how much Francis enjoyed it, he encouraged him. Arinze stayed at All Hallows until 1953 to teach. In 1955, he went to Rome to study theology at the Pontifical Urban University, where he ultimately earned a doctorate in sacred theology summa cum laude. On 23 November 1958, at the chapel of the university, Arinze was ordained to the priesthood by Grégoire-Pierre Agagianian, pro-prefect of the Sacred Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith and future cardinal.

As priest[link]

After ordination, Father Arinze remained in Rome, earning a master's in theology in 1959 and doctorate in 1960. His doctoral thesis on "Ibo Sacrifice as an Introduction to the Catechesis of Holy Mass" was the basis for his much used reference work, "Sacrifice in Ibo Religion", published in 1970. From 1961 to 1962, Arinze was professor of liturgy, logic, and basic philosophy at Bigard Memorial Seminary. From there, he was appointed regional secretary for Catholic education for the eastern part of Nigeria. Eventually, Arinze was transferred to London, where he attended the Institute of Education and graduated in 1964.

As bishop[link]

Francis Arinze became the youngest Roman Catholic bishop in the world when he was ordained to the episcopate on 29 August 1965, at the age of 32. He was appointed titular bishop of Fissiana, and named coadjutor to the Archbishop of Onitsha, Nigeria. He attended the final session of the Second Vatican Council in that same year along with the 45 year old Archbishop of Krakow, Poland, Karol Wojtyla, the future Pope John Paul II. Following the death of the Archbishop of Onitsha in February 1967, Arinze was appointed to the position a few months later, on 26 June 1967. He was the first native African to head his diocese, succeeding Archbishop Charles Heerey, an Irish missionary.

As archbishop[link]

The new Archbishop did not have much time to settle into his office before the Nigeria-Biafra War broke out. The entire archdiocese was located in the secessionist Biafran territory. As a result of the war, Archbishop Arinze had to flee his see city of Onitsha and to live as a refugee, first in Adazi and then Amichi, for the three years of the war, which lasted from 1967 to 1970.

Despite his own refugee status, Archbishop Arinze worked tirelessly for refugees, displaced persons, the sick and the hungry, offering support to priests and religious, and giving the faithful hope for the future. With the help of foreign missionaries, he supervised what one international relief worker called one of "the most effective and efficient distributions of relief materials" in history. He also took care to keep the Church separate from the ongoing political conflict, gaining the respect of all factions in the country.

Francis Arinze was still Archbishop of Onitsha when the Nigeria-Biafra war ended in 1970. As a part of Biafra, Onitsha and its people had suffered greatly in the three-year war. The homes and businesses of the people had been devastated, and the already poor region was sinking deeper into poverty. The end of the war did not mean an end to the challenges facing the young Archbishop.

The Nigerian government deported all foreign missionaries stationed in the archdiocese, leaving only the native clergy and religious, who were few in number. The government also confiscated the Catholic schools, most of which also served as churches or parish halls.

Impressed by Arinze's many accomplishments as the leader of an archdiocese with few resources, and his ability to work side by side with Muslims in a country that is majority Christian (the fearful refusal of Muslims in the north, where they are a local majority, not to allow religion and ethnicity to feature in the recent census in Nigeria is viewed by analysts as an acknowledgement of the Christian numerical superiority in the country as a whole), and with a strong and not-to-be-ignored Muslim population, Pope John Paul II in 1979 appointed Arinze pro-president of the Vatican's Secretariat for Non-Christians, later renamed the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue. Archbishop Arinze continued as the ordinary of his archdiocese, and was the unanimous choice of his brother bishops for President of the Nigerian Bishops Conference in 1984.

A year later, the people of Onitsha organized a pilgrimage to Rome when they learned that Archbishop Arinze would be named a Cardinal at the Consistory of 25 May 1985. At the age of 53, Cardinal Arinze was among the youngest members of the College of Cardinals.

As cardinal[link]

On 8 April 1985, Arinze resigned from his post in Onitsha, and the Pope named him a Cardinal-Deacon of San Giovanni della Pigna, little more than a month later in the consistory held on 25 May 1985; he was raised to the rank of Cardinal-Priest in 1996. Two days following his elevation to Cardinal Deacon, Arinze was appointed President of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, holding the office until 1 October 2002, when he was named Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. All major Vatican officials automatically lose their positions during a sede vacante, and so, the cardinal lost his position on 2 April 2005 due to the death of the Pope.

Cardinal Arinze actively catechises via Familyland TV to the Americas, the Philippines, Africa, and Europe. He has produced over 1,700 television programs with the Apostolate for Family Consecration. The programs cover almost all of Pope John Paul II's encyclicals and apostolic letters, Vatican II, and many other topics. He is also the author of several books along with a complete "Consecration and Truth Catechetical Program" for children and adults.

Styles of Francis Arinze
Reference style	His Eminence
Spoken style	Your Eminence
Informal style	Cardinal
See	Velletri (suburbicarian see)

Arinze was one of the cardinal electors who participated in the 2005 papal conclave that elected Pope Benedict XVI. He returned to his post as Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments when confirmed by Benedict XVI on 21 April 2005. Four days later, on 25 April 2005, he was advanced to Cardinal Bishop of Velletri-Segni, which had been vacated by the ascension of Cardinal Ratzinger to the papacy. On 9 December 2008 Benedict XVI accepted the resignation of Arinze as prefect of the Congregation of Divine Worship. His successor, who took office that same day, is Cardinal Antonio Cañizares Llovera.^[4] He remains active and in 2009 gave the commencement address at the Augustine Institute in Denver.

Cardinal Arinze will be eligible to participate and vote in any future conclaves occurring as the result of any period of sede vacante (such as might be caused by the death of Pope Benedict XVI), provided that such period begins prior to his 80th birthday on 1 November 2012.

Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue[link]

Arinze's service on the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue thrust the Cardinal into a position of increased visibility to the world public. This post is largely considered to have made Cardinal Francis Arinze's career. Arinze was created cardinal just before taking the post. He then served in various related capacities including the President of the Special Assembly for Africa of the Synod of Bishops. Accordingly, leadership of the Council is seen by some as a career-maker in the global Church.

His status also rose within the Church. As a member of the Committee of the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000 he worked closely with individual bishops and priests throughout the world and further impressed Pope John Paul II, who on 1 October 2002, made him Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.

He also received honours in this capacity: On 24 October 1999 he received a gold medallion from the International Council of Christians and Jews for his outstanding achievements in inter-faith relations. He traveled extensively and became a popular speaker in the United States.

Cardinal Arinze became even more visible to the world public as a member of the Committee of the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000. In that capacity, he worked closely with individual bishops and priests throughout the world in preparation for the rare celebration of the Church. Pope John Paul II was greatly impressed with the leadership of Cardinal Arinze and on 1 October 2002, he became Prefect of the Congregation of Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. On 25 April 2005, Pope Benedict XVI further honored Cardinal Arinze by naming him Cardinal Bishop of Velletri-Segni, replacing Benedict himself in that titular see.

Publications[link]

• The Family Catechism on Tape, Apostolate for Family Consecration
• Divine Providence: God's Design in Your Life (2005)
• Building Bridges: Interreligious Dialogue on the Path to World Peace (2004)
• Cardinal Reflections: Active Participation and the Liturgy (2005)
• The Holy Eucharist (Our Sunday Visitor, 2001) ISBN 0-87973-978-9
• The Church in Dialogue: Walking With Other Believers (1990)
• Meeting Other Believers: The Risks and Rewards of Interreligious Dialogue (1998)
• Celebrating the Holy Eucharist (2006)
• Religions for Peace (Darton, Longman & Todd, 2002)
• God's Invisible Hand: The Life and Work of Francis Cardinal Arinze, Ignatius Press, 2006
• Great Figures in Salvation History: David and Solomon, an interview with Cardinal Arinze and Roy Schoemann, Ignatius Press, 2006

References[link]

External links[link]

• Cardinal Arinze bio
• Xclusive 20 minutes with Cardinal Arinze

Kevin James Barrett (born February 1959) is a former university lecturer and Muslim convert.^[1][2] He is a member of the Scientific Panel for the Investigation of 9/11 (SPINE),^[3] and is a founding member of the Muslim-Jewish-Christian Alliance (MUJCA), established October 30, 2004 ^[4] with the stated aim of improving "interfaith dialogue, coexistence, and understanding" in light of the events of 9/11.^[5] Barrett first received national attention when he introduced Dr. David Ray Griffin at Griffin's lecture in April 2005, in Madison, Wisconsin to 450 people. The talk was shown on C-Span's Book TV.^[6]

In the fall of 2006, Barrett taught an introductory class called "Islam: Religion and Culture", an undergraduate course for which he had formerly been a teaching assistant.^[7] Before the semester began, it was reported that he planned to devote a week or two of the sixteen-week class to the September 11, 2001, terrorist attack and the War on Terrorism. Controversy erupted when it became known Barrett was planning to discuss conspiracy theories in his lectures.^[8] An internal university review found that "although Mr. Barrett presented a variety of viewpoints, he had not discussed his personal opinions in the classroom" and that the department-approved syllabus, which included a section on the War on Terror, had been followed.^[9]

Early life[link]

Barrett was born in Madison, Wisconsin in 1959 to Olympic sailor Peter Barrett and University of Wisconsin–Whitewater professor Laurie Barrett.^[10]

In the early 1990s, Barrett received master's degrees in both English literature and French from San Francisco State University and married a Moroccan-born Muslim woman.^[11] He converted to Islam in 1992, having been a former Unitarian.^[1][12]

Barrett returned to the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1995. The United States State Department gave him a Fulbright Scholarship in 1999 to study a year in Morocco. He received a Ph.D. in African languages and literature with a minor in folklore from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 2004, focusing his dissertation on the topic of Moroccan legend.^[7][11][13] Barrett has taught English, French, Arabic, American Civilization, Humanities, African Literature, Folklore, and Islam at colleges and universities in the San Francisco Bay area, Paris, and Madison, Wisconsin.^[1]

9/11 Truth[link]

Barrett first drew attention to his views by publishing guest op-eds in the Madison Capital Times, in which he alleged that Muslims had nothing to do with the attacks: "As a Ph.D. Islamologist and Arabist I really hate to say this, but I'll say it anyway: 9/11 had nothing to do with Islam. The war on terror is as phony as the latest Osama bin Laden tape."^[14] Barrett has also alleged the 2005 London bombings and the 2004 Madrid bombing appear to have been committed by U.S. or western military intelligence and not Islamic terrorists.

Following a June 28, 2006 talk radio segment on WTMJ, Barrett's views came to the attention of Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle, U.S. Representative Mark Green, and State Representative Stephen L. Nass. After conducting a 10-day review of Barrett's past teaching and plans for the class, UW–Madison Provost Patrick Farrell determined that Barrett was fit to teach. Barrett told the Provost that his course will spend one week examining current issues, such as viewpoints on the war on terror which will be based on the discussion on readings representing a variety of viewpoints.^[7]

Barrett has written a largely autobiographical book covering the controversy, entitled "Truth Jihad: My Epic Struggle against the 9/11 Big Lie," published by Progressive Press in early 2007. He also edited "9/11 and American Empire" (vol. 2) from Interlink Books, published in Dec. 2006.

Barrett taught the Fall 2006 class he'd been hired for. Comments in students' class evaluation forms were 73% generally favorable, and Provost Farrell said he'd mostly heard positive comments about the class.^[15]

Also in fall 2006 Barrett began hosting an Internet talk show weekly on Republic Broadcasting Network titled "Truth Jihad Radio." Twice a week he had another Internet talk show on the Genesis Communications Network called "The Dynamic Duo," (hosted on other days of the week by Dr. James Fetzer). Fetzer was by this time becoming controversial in the 9/11 Truth movement because of his conflicts with Dr. Steven E. Jones, and Barrett's continued loyalty to Fetzer would come to hurt Barrett's prestige in the movement. The topic of both shows is mainly conspiracy theories surrounding 9/11.

Barrett's views on Jews and Zionism came under focus in late 2006 when statements from an email exchange were documented in which he stated, "As a rational person who is not a specialist in the subject of WWII, but who has studied the history of Zionist Big Lies vis-a-vis Palestine, I cannot possibly dismiss the arguments of people like Green, Irving, and even Zundel."^{[16][unreliable source?]}

Toward the end of the Fall 2006 semester Barrett said he would not teach the following spring due to conflicting plans.^[17] He applied to teach "Canterbury Tales" during the Fall 2007 semester, but was not hired.^[18] After his old lecturer position went to another applicant and Barrett was not hired for another position, Barrett alleged that he had been discriminated against for his political beliefs.^[19]

Recent history[link]

In April and October 2007, Barrett did a series of speaking engagements in Michigan, Chicago, and Wisconsin with William Rodriguez. The month after this tour, Barrett announced to the press his intention to fly to Morocco to "apprehend accused 9/11 hijacker Waleed al-Shehri." ^[20] Unable to locate his quarry, Barrett had to content himself with penning dispatches from cafes, and a humorous airport story. Barrett began promoting Captain Eric May and his numerological predictions of upcoming "false flag" (faked) terrorist attacks, none of which ever came to pass. In early August Barrett spoke at a conference in Madison, "The Science of 9/11: What's Controversial, What's Not" that featured the notion that TV reporting of the World Trade Center attacks was faked.^[21]

In early October, Barrett started the website "WhereTheyLive.org — Confronting the elite and their agents WHERE THEY LIVE" which stated as its mission the publishing of home addresses of evil-doers.^[22] Though the website espoused nonviolent principles, Barrett's simultaneous promotion of the "War on War Week," ^[23] a series of demonstrations that were to feature firecrackers and "V for Vendetta" disguises, led some activists to express concern about the vigilante overtones involved, and after a west-coast 9/11 group voted to deny funding,^[24] the project flopped. Barrett expressed a fascination with the V for Vendetta movie in an interview on internet radio, adding the claim that apartheid had been ended in South Africa through threats of violence, and stating that political power grows from the barrel of a gun.^[25][26]

Later that fall, Barrett resigned as head of MUJCA.

On May 22, Barrett published confidential email correspondence with Noam Chomsky, after Chomsky had asked him to keep the emails private and after Barrett had promised he would do so. Barrett's reason for doing this, he said, was because Chomsky had implied that he was a liar and because Chomsky had backed out of an agreement to appear on Barrett's internet radio program.^{[citation needed]}

Barrett introduced architect Richard Gage at Gage's presentation of "9/11: Blueprint for Truth" at the University of Illinois Chicago campus on May 30, 2008.^[27]

Barrett's "Truth Jihad" internet radio program on Republic Broadcasting Network was cancelled some time in 2008. As of December the program no longer appears on RBN's schedule ^[28] and is omitted from RBN's list of archived programs.^[29] The last available archives are from mid-July, 2008.^[30] As of November 2011, Truth Jihad Radio was currently begin broadcast on American Freedom Radio.

"The Dynamic Duo" radio program on Genesis Communications Network ceased to broadcast after the November 21, 2008 show. Barrett's final live broadcast on that show was on November 7.^[31]

Congressional campaign[link]

Barrett announced in May 2008 his plans to run for U.S Representative in Wisconsin's 3rd congressional district as a third-party challenger to incumbent Rep. Ron Kind in the November 2008 election. On May 14, 2008 Barrett sent an email to supporters claiming to have received the endorsement of WTDY talk radio show host John "Sly" Sylvester. Questions were immediately raised about this claim, which Barrett was never able to prove. Some said Sly was joking.^[32] Also on May 14 Sean Haugh, the Political Director of the National Libertarian Party, asked the Wisconsin Libertarians not to nominate Barrett, and stated that he (Haugh) would "go out of my way to disassociate him from the national LP." ^[33] Michael Badnarik, Libertarian presidential candidate in 2004, has signed the 9/11 Truth Statement,^[34] and Haugh said he had no problem with 9/11 Truthers in the Libertarian party. Barrett won 59% of the Libertarian vote in the primary September 9.^[35]

Wearing a V-for-Vendetta mask, Barrett visited Rep. Kind's office in La Crosse, WI on October 2 to deliver a "pink slip" symbolic of Kind's imminent removal from office in the election November 4. ^[36] A poll sponsored by the La Crosse Tribune, Wisconsin Public Radio and the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse and released a couple of weeks later showed Kind could expect 63 percent of the vote and Barrett 3 percent.^[37]

Barrett received the endorsements of 9/11 activists Dr. Robert M. Bowman, Carol Brouillet, Dr. David Ray Griffin, and Kevin Ryan in late October.^[38] On election day Barrett received 2.3% of the vote, and the incumbent got 62 percent.^[39]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Barrett's Website
• Barrett's Blog
• 2008 Campaign Website
• The Kevin Barrett case at UW–Madison
• Barrett's original website: The Muslim-Christian-Jewish alliance for 9/11 Truth
• Wisconsin State Journal article on the Nass/Barrett Controversy
• Channel 3000: "Official: UW–Madison Will Allow Controversial Instructor To Teach"
• Muslim Jewish Christian Alliance for 9/11 Truth: Holocaust denial, no planes and a State Department grant
• Log of Barrett's Radio and Road Appearances
• Truth Jihad Radio archives, Barrett's weekly radio show
• The Dynamic Duo, Barrett's radio show on The Genesis Communications Network, cohosted with fellow 9/11 activist Jim Fetzer
• Campus Watch What Makes Kevin Barrett Tick?
• Kevin Barrett 911 whistleblower on hannity and colmes on YouTube July 6, 2006

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (November 2010)

The Tongue
Birth name	Xannon Shirley[1]
Also known as	Lil' Teezy, Osama Bin Rappin
Origin	Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Genres	Hip hop
Years active	2004-present
Labels	Elefant Traks[2]
Associated acts	Astronomy Class, Urthboy, The Herd, Ozi Batla, Spit Syndicate, Horrorshow, Hermitude, Thundamentals, Bag Raiders, DJ Skoob, Joyride[disambiguation needed ]
Website	Official Webpage

The Tongue (born Xannon Shirley) is a Sydney music artist signed to Australian independent label Elefant Traks. He has recorded with Dudley Perkins, Ozi Batla, DJ Diaz,^[3] Urthboy, Bertie Blackman, The Bag Raiders, Gift Of Gab (Blackalicious), Katalyst, Braintax, Georgia Anne Muldrow, and Muph & Plutonic.^[4]

He has released an EP (Bad Education), two LPs (Shock And Awe and Alternative Energy) and three mixtapes (Redux,^[5] The Tongue Is Dead and "The Sextape).

Biography[link]

The Tongue is an emcee/songwriter from East Sydney, New South Wales, also known for his live freestyle ability. He represented Australia in the "Battle 4 Supremacy" competition/DVD against New Zealand in 2005 and won the Revolver emcee battle the same year.

As a recording artist, he went on to sign with independent Sydney record label Elefant Traks and immediately embarked on a national tour with The Herd. He has had songs on rotation by national broadcaster Triple J.^[6] To date he has released an EP and two albums. His second album Alternate Energy features production from El Gusto (Hermitude) and M-Phazes.^[7] He has toured extensively around Australia since 2006 and from 2008 to 2010 he also toured as a backup vocalist with Sydney group Astronomy Class (Ozi Batla, Chasm and Sir Robbo). He released three free mixtapes in 2008, 2009 and 2011.^[8]

In 2009, The Tongue hosted and performed on the "Elefant Traks 10th Anniversary Party Live DVD" which was released nationally the same year and showcased the Elefant Traks roster's live show.

He has performed at major Australian festivals including Big Day Out, Good Vibrations, Groovin The Moo, Sydney Festival, Peats Ridge, Sounds Of Spring, Coaster and Park Jam.^[9][10] He has also completed national tours with Drapht and Pharoahe Monch.^[11]

Discography[link]

EP's[link]

• Bad Education - Elefant Traks (2006)^[12]

Albums[link]

• Shock & Awe - Elefant Traks (2007)^[13][14]
• Alternative Energy - Elefant Traks (2010)

Mixtapes[link]

• Redux - (2008)
• The Tongue Is Dead - (2009)
• The Sextape - (2011)^[15]

Compilation appearances[link]

• Triple J Hip Hop Show - (2005) (song: "Counterfeit Cheques")
• Trampled - The Elephant Traks Remix Album - Elefant Traks (2006) (song: "Corruption Dub")
• Elefant Traks 10th Anniversary Party DVD - Elefant Traks (2009)

Guest appearances[link]

• "Wrong One" by Urthboy (The Signal (2007) Elefant Traks)
• "Catch Of The Day Remix" by Bias B (Beemixes (2007) Obese Records)
• "All You Got Remix" by Katalyst (All You Got 12" (2007) Invada Records)
• "Superpowers" by Chasm (Beyond The Beat Tape (2008) Obese Records)
• "Today" by Muph & Plutonic (And Then Tomorrow Came (2009) Obese Records)
• "War Of The Worlds" & "Award Show" by Astronomy Class (Pursuit Of Happiness (2009) Elefant Traks)

References[link]

External links[link]

• Elefant Traks artist profile
• Official website