Faith Watch

Pope Leo Says Migrants Should Integrate And Obey The Law– thefederalist.com

pgnewser June 17, 2026 0

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When Pope Leo XIV last week completed his seven-day trip to Spain by visiting the Canary Islands, where thousands of migrants have died attempting to reach Europe, one would expect the usual boilerplate language typical of the Catholic hierarchy of late. This would include that Western nations need to treat immigrants with respect and dignity (hint: unreservedly welcoming them in and putting them on the fast track to citizenship) and that immigrants have the right to leave their nations of origin. There was certainly some of that, similar to his predecessor, Francis.

But what was surprisingly welcome was that the pope tempered that language with exhortations and warnings to those same migrants, a message that has been often frustratingly absent from the Catholic Church’s public commentary regarding one of the greatest crises facing the West. It’s language that many of the Catholic faithful — and the broader world that, to various degrees, still looks to the papacy as a moral compass — desperately yearned to hear, especially given that Catholic teaching is actually quite nuanced and moderate on the topic of immigration and borders. One hopes the rest of the Catholic hierarchy were paying attention.

Anti-Christian extremism, assassination culture linked to plot against Erika Kirk: report | The Post Millennial– thepostmillennial.com

pgnewser June 17, 2026 0

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Jacob Wenske, 26, was charged in late May with one count of making a terroristic threat against Kirk.

A new report has revealed that anti-Christian extremism and “assassination culture” could have fueled a recent assassination attempt that targeted the widow of Charlie Kirk, Erika Kirk, who is now leading Turning Point USA. The report comes as threats against public officials have increased.

Jacob Wenske, 26, was charged in late May with one count of making a terroristic threat involving public fear of serious bodily injury or public disruption after he allegedly planned to bomb a Turning Point USA event where Kirk was set to speak as the keynote.

At the time, he wrote in an email to Turning Point USA that he was targeting Kirk as well as other “Christian nationalists,” according to police documents. The suspect had also posted multiple threats on social media in addition to the email, according to the Fox News.

The threats against Kirk allegedly from Wenske emerge as there have been a record number of threats against members of Congress as well as other political figures in the US. According to the US Capitol Police Threat Assessment, there was a 58 percent increase in threats against members of Congress from 2024 to 2025.

Pope Leo Demands the West Take In More Third World Migrants: “You are people with a family and a home”– www.louderwithcrowder.com

pgnewser June 15, 2026 0

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There are many reasons as to why open borders are evil and anti-Biblical. This is why it is both bizarre and inappropriate for Pope Leo to demand Western countries take on the problems of the Third World, especially considering no one asked him. Nonetheless, according to Pope Leo, “all of us are migrants.” And while you think of these people as foreigners today, they could very well be your neighbor tomorrow.

Per The Guardian:

On Friday Leo called on leaders to do more to welcome and integrate migrants, warning that many face a “silent shipwreck” after they arrive, finding themselves “left alone in a city, without a voice, without ties, work or a sense of security, and susceptible to those who take advantage of vulnerability”.

Christians Caught in Crossfire of Sudan’s Brutal Civil War, 160 Churches Damaged or Destroyed– www.cbn.com

pgnewser June 10, 2026 0

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OMDURMAN, Sudan — Four years of violent warfare between factions of the Sudanese military have spawned the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.

Estimates range between 12 million and 14 million people who have been forcibly displaced. Even more, approximately 20 million people face severe hunger. That’s more than a third of the entire population. And anywhere between 60,000 and 400,000 lives have been claimed since the fighting began in 2023.

The overwhelming majority of the suffering has fallen on civilians, bystanders of the power struggle between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. The latter is the successor to the notorious Janjaweed Arab militia responsible for the genocide in Darfur in the early 2000s.

While women and children are the most vulnerable victims — often preyed upon for violent sexual attacks or recruited as child soldiers — Christians also are among the communities hardest hit in Sudan.

“Christians in the midst of this volatility are often last in line,” explained Ryan Brown, CEO of Open Doors US, a nonprofit that highlights Christian persecution worldwide. “If there is any type of aid to be made available, very rarely would that be provided to Christians. If there is any type of safe havens that are being granted from all the violence, Christians are often not welcome in.”

Two Catholic priests executed by communist regime in Czechoslovakia now beatified– www.lifesitenews.com

pgnewser June 9, 2026 0

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Two Catholic priests who were wrongfully convicted and executed by the communist regime in former Czechoslovakia have been beatified.

On June 6, Fathers Jan Bula (1920-1952) and Vaclav Drbola (1912-1951) were beatified in Brno, Czech Republic, by Cardinal Michael Czerny. According to media reports, 13,000 people attended the ceremony.

Pope Leo XIV had previously recognized the diocesan priests Bula and Drbola as martyrs in October, stating that they had been sentenced to death out of “hatred for the faith.”

Based on fabricated charges, the communist government of Czechoslovakia had accused the priests of involvement in the assassination of communist officials; however, neither of them had anything to do with the attack. In the 1990s, after the fall of the Soviet Union, the Czech judicial system exonerated the priests. They are the first victims of the communist regime to be beatified in the country.

Pope Leo names EWTN News president as first woman to lead Roman curia office– www.lifesitenews.com

pgnewser June 3, 2026 0

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Pope Leo XIV has named Maria Montserrat “Montse” Alvarado, who currently serves as the President and Chief Operating Officer (COO) of EWTN News, as the next Prefect of the Dicastery for Communication.

In its June 2 daily bulletin, the Vatican announced that Alvarado’s appointment will take effect on November 1. The president of the conservative Catholic media outlet will notably be the first laywoman to lead a Roman curia office and will continue the trajectory of Pope Leo and his predecessor, Pope Francis, of naming women and laypeople to key positions in the Vatican.

“While this appointment was unexpected, I receive it with a sincere desire to serve the Holy Father as he begins his pontificate,” Alvarado said in a statement after the appointment.

 

Anthropic asks religious thinkers to help shape Claude as pope warns about AI– www.scientificamerican.com

pgnewser May 27, 2026 0

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In late March around 15 religious thinkers met with the artificial intelligence company Anthropic to discuss one of the strangest and most consequential questions now facing the AI industry: How do you teach a chatbot to be good?

The invitations to these meetings had arrived in different ways. Greg Cootsona’s came via e-mail. Brian Patrick Green’s came via a friend of a friend after Anthropic asked for suggested names. Both ended up in a series of conversations with the company about Claude, Anthropic’s chatbot, and the moral framework meant to guide how it behaves.

The aim wasn’t to make the chatbot Bible-thumping or pious. But it was an acknowledgment that centuries-old traditions of moral reasoning might offer insights to a five-year-old frontier AI lab whose systems are becoming more capable, more persuasive and harder to govern by simple rules.

Christian schools say religious education could be hurt by new student loan rules– www.lifesitenews.com

pgnewser May 26, 2026 0

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WASHINGTON, D.C. (LifeSiteNews) – A new U.S. Department of Education (DOE) rule aimed at curbing “useless” degree programs that leave students high in debt but short on career prospects could have unintended consequences for religious education, several leaders of Christian colleges are warning.

Tucked within President Donald Trump’s wide-ranging One Big Beautiful Bill Act (BBB) last year was a so-called “do no harm” standard for federal student loan eligibility, which would require eligible degree programs to yield higher earnings for graduates than those without the degree. Last October, American University estimated that only about 1.8% of overall students were in programs likely to be negatively impacted by the change.

On April 20, DOE published regulations implementing the new rule by “replacing the former debt-to-earnings (‘D/E’) metric with a revised earnings premium measure, expanding transparency, and strengthening institutional compliance standards.” A “revised version of the earnings premium measure would apply to both GE [gainful employment] and non-GE programs; those failing the earnings premium measure in two of three consecutive years would lose Direct Loan eligibility, though limited extensions may be granted when an orderly program closure […] is in students’ best interest.”

 

After years on the back foot, ISIS ‘on the march’ in Nigeria– www.washingtonexaminer.com

pgnewser May 26, 2026 0

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Northern Nigeria is facing an ascendant ISIS insurgency, drawing Washington into the fray.

Since the jihadist insurgency in northern Nigeria began 13 years ago, the conflict has drastically changed in scope, amid concerted counterterrorism efforts from the Nigerian government, countless jihadist ideological splits, and international interventions. The 2020s began with ISIS and other terrorist groups on the back foot, but a change in tactics and fortunes has sent them back on the offensive in the last couple of years, turning the country into one of the foremost fronts in the Global War on Terror.

Alexander Palmer, a fellow in the Warfare, Irregular Threats, and Terrorism Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told the Washington Examiner that ISIS in Nigeria is “on the march, they are increasingly active, and they’re increasingly threatening military targets,” with a large-scale military campaign ISIS calls “Camp Holocaust.”

Nigerian Christians Rescued from Jihadists – thebethlehem.com

pgnewser May 26, 2026 1

The Nigerian government rescued 92 Nigerian Christians, including seven children, from jihadists who appeared to be attempting to enslave them.

Nigeria’s military spokesperson Sani Uba said, “Converging on the terrorists in a well-coordinated pursuit toward the Mangari-Dora general area, Operation HADIN KAI troops engaged the insurgents and forced them to abandon their captives and flee in confusion.”

Go Deeper

Pope Leo called AI an ‘instrument of domination, exclusion and death.’ Anthropic was in the room– fortune.com

pgnewser May 26, 2026 0

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Pope Leo XIV called Monday for robust regulation of artificial intelligence and for its developers to work for the common good rather than profit, issuing a sweeping manifesto on safeguarding humankind as the technology impacts everything from work to war.

“Magnifica Humanitas” (Magnificent Humanity), Leo’s first encyclical, has been eagerly awaited ever since history’s first U.S.-born pope announced days after his election that he considered AI to be the biggest challenge facing humanity today.

In the text, Leo denounced the “culture of power” driving the AI race, especially in developing ever more sophisticated methods of remote warfare. He declared that it was “not permissible” to entrust irreversible, lethal decisions to AI systems, setting up another flash point between the American pope and the Trump administration, which has worked aggressively to deregulate AI development.

“Artificial Intelligence now demands to be disarmed, freed from logics that turn it into an instrument of domination, exclusion and death,″ the pope told a special Vatican presentation of the encyclical, one of the most authoritative types of teaching documents a pope can issue.

Experts in the tech industry, academia and Catholic morality said the document will likely become a benchmark in the debate over AI, a point of reference for policymakers, researchers and ordinary folk alike. It comes as the near-daily developments in the technology trigger concerns over AI replacing human jobs and even human intelligence.

Taylor Black, a Microsoft AI executive and director of Catholic University of America’s AI institute, said the document would prompt people “at the forefront of these tools” to ask questions such as “What does it mean to be human?”

Pope demands AI weapons be ‘disarmed’ — RT World News– www.rt.com

pgnewser May 26, 2026 0

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Pope Leo XIV has delivered a stark warning on artificial intelligence, claiming that the technology is aiding the “normalization of war” and transferring powers of life and death to unaccountable “technological actors.”

The American-born pontiff presented his warning on Monday in an encyclical titled ‘Magnifica Humanitas’ (Magnificent Humanity). In the 42,000-word document, Leo highlighted how the “growth of the military-industrial complex has become a defining feature of the current political landscape,” leading to “a troubling revival of war as an instrument of international politics.”

In this environment, “the development and use of AI in warfare must be subject to the most rigorous ethical constraints, to guarantee respect for human dignity and the sanctity of life and to avoid a race to develop such arms,” he continued.

After years on the back foot, ISIS ‘on the march’ in Nigeria– www.washingtonexaminer.com

pgnewser May 26, 2026 0

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EXCERPT:

Northern Nigeria is facing an ascendant ISIS insurgency, drawing Washington into the fray.

Since the jihadist insurgency in northern Nigeria began 13 years ago, the conflict has drastically changed in scope, amid concerted counterterrorism efforts from the Nigerian government, countless jihadist ideological splits, and international interventions. The 2020s began with ISIS and other terrorist groups on the back foot, but a change in tactics and fortunes has sent them back on the offensive in the last couple of years, turning the country into one of the foremost fronts in the Global War on Terror.

Alexander Palmer, a fellow in the Warfare, Irregular Threats, and Terrorism Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told the Washington Examiner that ISIS in Nigeria is “on the march, they are increasingly active, and they’re increasingly threatening military targets,” with a large-scale military campaign ISIS calls “Camp Holocaust.”

The insurgency in northern Nigeria is notable for the frequency and scale of ideological disputes triggering violent internal conflicts. Over the past few years, northern Nigeria’s main ISIS affiliate, Islamic State West Africa Province, has emerged as the primary jihadist threat.

Bishop Strickland: Pope Leo XIV’s new encyclical centers on a theology of man, not God– www.lifesitenews.com

pgnewser May 26, 2026 0

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As a successor of the apostles, I have a solemn duty not only to preach the Gospel, but also to help the faithful discern the spirits of the age in the light of the unchanging truth entrusted to the Church by Our Lord Jesus Christ.

St. Paul exhorted Timothy to “preach the word: be instant in season, out of season: reprove, entreat, rebuke in all patience and doctrine” (2 Tim. 4:2). That duty belongs to every bishop charged with guarding the deposit of faith.

Therefore, I feel it is important to address concerns regarding the recently released encyclical letter, Magnifica Humanitas, of the Holy Father Leo XIV. Some have found parts of it insightful and compelling. Others have experienced a deep uneasiness while reading it – a concern that, beneath many true statements, the document reflects a broader theological shift that risks placing man at the center in a way that obscures the primacy of God.

Christian Preacher Arrested For Conversion Activities In UP Village: Cops – NDTV

pgnewser May 26, 2026 0

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Police are also looking into the preacher’s “funding sources”. (Representational)

A Christian preacher was arrested on charges of carrying out conversion activities here in a village, police said.

Police said he was allegedly “luring people” by promising that people who convert get a government job and are “married off to a beautiful girl”. The alleged conversion activity was carried out in Jograjpur village, they said.

Police added that the action was initiated based on a written complaint by a local RSS worker, Gaurav Gupta.

Muslims Slaughter 17 People, Set Homes On Fire in Democratic Republic of Congo– gellerreport.com

pgnewser May 26, 2026 0

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A jihadist organization linked to the Islamic State kills at least 17 Christians in the Congo. The jihad genocide of non-Muslims in Africa continues with the silent affirmation of the international community. No Jews, no news.

Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) is not just a “rebel group”; it’s a jihad group with ties to the Islamic State. The idea here is the same as it is everywhere else: to drive the non-Muslims out and incorporate this territory into the global umma.

“17 civilians killed in rebel attack in Democratic Republic of Congo,” En.Haberler.com, May 20, 2026 (thanks to The Religion of Peace):

In the Ituri province of eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, an armed attack by the ADF rebel group killed 17 civilians and set many homes on fire.

According to reports in the national press, members of the rebel group Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) carried out an armed attack on civilians in the town of Babila-Babombi, Mambasa region, Ituri province.

In the attack by ADF members, who set fire to many houses, 17 civilians were killed according to initial assessments. It was reported that many houses were set on fire….

Rubio meets with Pope Leo at the Vatican, discuss ‘peace’ in the Middle East– abcnews.com

pgnewser May 7, 2026 0

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VATICAN CITY — U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed “efforts to achieve a durable peace in the Middle East” in talks at the Vatican on Thursday aimed at easing tensions following U.S. President Donald Trump’s criticisms of Pope Leo XIV.

Rubio met with Leo and then Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin in a visit that lasted 2½ hours.

U.S. State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said that Rubio and Leo discussed the situation in the Middle East “and topics of mutual interest in the Western Hemisphere. The meeting underscored the strong relationship between the United States and the Holy See and their shared commitment to promoting peace and human dignity,” he said.

In a separate statement about the Parolin meeting, Pigott said that the two diplomats discussed “ongoing humanitarian efforts in the Western Hemisphere and efforts to achieve a durable peace in the Middle East. The discussion reflected the enduring partnership between the United States and the Holy See in advancing religious freedom,” the statement said.

Pastor Convicted of Preaching Near Abortion Clinic: “Dark Day For Christian Freedom”– www.lifenews.com

pgnewser May 7, 2026 1

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The Biden administration’s Department of Justice and FBI were aware that the Southern Poverty Law Center was paying “informants” in the KKK — and according to former Obama official Norm Eisen, that apparently means donors have nothing to be upset about.

The SPLC (which has spent years demonizing conservatives, including The Federalist) was indicted by a federal grand jury last month for wire fraud and conspiracy to commit concealment money laundering. The SPLC allegedly funneled millions of dollars it received via donations to pay “a covert network of informants” who were part of “violent extremist groups” such as groups like the KKK. The press release for the indictment alleges that SPLC did not disclose to its donors that “some of their donated money was being used to fund the leaders and organizers of racist groups at the same time that the SPLC was denouncing the same groups on its website.” Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement that SPLC was “manufacturing racism to justify its existence.”

But during a virtual press conference Wednesday held by Democracy Defenders Fund, Eisen suggested the SPLC defrauding donors by funding the KKK could not have been wrong because Biden’s justice agencies were aware of it.

Danielle Smith blasts Liberal bill: ‘I don’t want to see the police monitoring Sunday services’– www.lifesitenews.com

pgnewser May 6, 2026 0

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Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said she does not want to see authorities “monitoring” church services in her province in light of a new federal law that criminalizes religious expression and belief when quoting parts of the Bible.

“I don’t want to see the police monitoring Sunday services!” Smith told a crowd of nearly 1,000 Christians and pastors over the weekend while speaking at the Alberta Christian Leadership Summit.

“Faith is to be expressed openly and carried into the public square.”

A host of Alberta and Canadian Christian politicians gathered with pastors of churches to talk about faith and its importance in society. Campaign Life Coalition (CLC) was there with a booth.

Smith was invited to be the main speaker at the event, which saw hundreds gather to share the importance of Christianity in public life and politics. Her speech touched on several issues, but she did speak out against the controversial Bill C-9.

Ohio Christian Org Vows to Fight on as Crosses Rejected– www.dailysignal.com

pgnewser May 5, 2026 0

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The Center for Christian Virtue is prepared to pursue legal action after the group’s proposal for displaying three crosses on top of its building was rejected by the city of Columbus, Ohio.

The unanimous decision against the center, a 501(c)(3) family policy organization in downtown Columbus, was made on April 28 by six members of the city’s Downtown Commission, which laid out their objections in a staff report.

It’s a move that Aaron Baer, the center’s president, called “frustrating.”

Vance ‘grateful’ to Pope Leo for downplaying Trump rift, says media ‘gins up conflict’ | The Post Millennial– thepostmillennial.com

pgnewser April 20, 2026 0

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President Trump had criticized the pope on April 12 following remarks Leo made about ongoing global conflicts.

Vice President JD Vance responded to Pope Leo XIV’s comments downplaying the divide between him and President Donald Trump, after the pontiff called the reporting of the situation inaccurate.

Leo addressed the issue Saturday while speaking to reporters aboard the papal plane during a trip from Cameroon to Angola as part of an 11-day tour of Africa.

“There’s been a certain narrative that has not been accurate in all of its aspects, but because of the political situation created when, on the first day of the trip, the president of the United States made some comments about myself,” Leo said. “Much of what has been written since then has been more commentary on commentary, trying to interpret what has been said.”

Pope denies ‘tyrants’ speech aimed at Trump — RT World News– www.rt.com

pgnewser April 20, 2026 0

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The US president has lashed out at the pontiff over his criticism of the war in the Middle East

Pope Leo has sought to downplay his public spat with US President Donald Trump, rejecting claims that he was trying to challenge the president with his criticism of the war in Iran and calls for peace.

Speaking to reporters on a flight to Angola on Saturday, the US-born pontiff insisted that his remarks were not meant to be confrontational, while criticizing the media for inflating the row through excessive commentary and speculation.

“There’s been a certain narrative that has not been accurate in all of its aspects… much of what has been written… has been more commentary on commentary, trying to interpret what has been said,” the Pope said. He stressed that his remarks in Cameroon earlier this week, blasting leaders who spend billions on wars and describing the world as “ravaged by a handful of tyrants,” were not directed at Trump.

Pope Leo XIV lands in Angola, says it is ‘not in my interest at all’ to debate Trump– www.euronews.com

pgnewser April 20, 2026 0

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After visiting Cameroon, Pope Leo XIV landed in Luanda, Angola on Saturday, where he was welcomed by faithful. The Holy Father is about to become the third pontiff to visit Angola, after John Paul II (1992) and Benedict XVI (2009).

Meanwhile, during Pope Leo XIV’s plane journey on Saturday he said that it was “not in my interest at all” to debate President Donald Trump about the US-Israeli war in Iran.

But the American pope also took the opportunity to set the record straight, insisting that not everything he says was directed at Trump, but reflects the broader Gospel message of peace.

As soon as Pope Leo XIV landed in Luanda he was scheduled to meet with Angola’s president, João Lourenço, and deliver a speech, the latest on a trip during which he has been stepping up his rhetoric, after becoming the target of criticism from Donald Trump.

PBS Attacks Trump Admin’s Pope Criticisms– www.newsbusters.org

pgnewser April 20, 2026 0

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Ever since Pope Leo assumed the papacy, PBS News Hour Friday contributors MS NOW host Jonathan Capehart and The Atlantic staff writer David Brooks have tried to claim him as one of their own in their fight against the Trump administration. That continued this Friday as the duo essentially told Vice President JD Vance to shut up when it comes to criticizing Leo’s remarks about the Iran War, with Capehart claiming they are among “the most insulting things” a VP could say and Brooks arguing the Iran War is permissible under just war theory, but also isn’t because Trump.

Host Amna Nawaz began with Capehart and wondered, “Pope Leo issued a pretty strong statement rebuking the war in Iran. Trump then unloaded on him online. Vice President Vance jumped in to criticize him as well, telling him to be careful on matters of theology. Is it smart for the president to be getting into it with the pope? What does he stand to gain from that?”

Using logic he would never apply to abortion, Capehart replied:

No, it’s not smart at all to be getting into it with the pope, to be fighting with the pope, even though the president says, ‘I’m not fighting with the pope.’ Yes, you are, and over something where it’s like the president is taking the words from the pope very, very seriously, when any pope, Pope Leo, Pope Francis, Pope John Paul, would have been saying the same thing, because this is about life and death. This is about right and wrong. And it’s something big that’s happening in the world that has commanded the pope’s attention.