Peek-a-Boo! God and The Bornean Rainbow ToadSCHIFFER: Wrap your mind around this (can you see it?). It’s a Bornean Rainbow Toad.
God, in His infinite wisdom and creativity, designed a panoply of creatures so diverse, so fantastic, so colorful, so… well, so HUNGRY.
And because no one—not even a lowly amphibian—likes to be someone else’s lunch, God thought up a bunch of cool ways to hide. It’s called “cryptic camouflage” and it allows a toad or a moth or a caterpillar to blend into the environment so well that a hawk or a sand crane is unlikely to see it and think “Dinner!”
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Plane spotters seek 'Wayne's World' thrills
Plane spotters seek 'Wayne's World' thrills - CNN.com: Plane spotters sometimes talk about grabbing a "Wayne's World" moment.
If you've seen the 1992 movie, you may remember when Mike Myers as Wayne and Dana Carvey as Garth are parked near an airport runway. They're reclining on the hood of a funky AMC Pacer, discussing "Babe-raham Lincoln," when suddenly a huge airliner swoops by just a few feet overhead.
That's when they begin screaming above the airplane's deafening roar.
If you've seen the 1992 movie, you may remember when Mike Myers as Wayne and Dana Carvey as Garth are parked near an airport runway. They're reclining on the hood of a funky AMC Pacer, discussing "Babe-raham Lincoln," when suddenly a huge airliner swoops by just a few feet overhead.
That's when they begin screaming above the airplane's deafening roar.
What happens if you die on a cruise ship?
What happens if you die on a cruise ship?: Cruise ships are floating cities. They carry thousands of people from port to port, while life passes on the shore. And with that many people on board, it's inevitable that sometimes, someone dies.
But what happens to your body, if you die on board a cruise ship, days away from port? What kind of problems can this cause for your friends and family? And what exactly do the cruise ships tell the other passengers about a death on board?
But what happens to your body, if you die on board a cruise ship, days away from port? What kind of problems can this cause for your friends and family? And what exactly do the cruise ships tell the other passengers about a death on board?
My firsthand experience of the UK's National Health Service
My Experience of the National Health ServiceLONGENECKER: I lived in England for twenty five years and lived with the National Health Service. The argument for the National Health Service was simple: through taxes the state provides basic health care for the whole population. I hear my right wing American friends grumbling about yesterday’s Supreme Court decision and raising their voices about the coming wave of socialism, but I’m not sure everyone has thought it through.
All of us already pay taxes and receive certain services for the whole community which we take advantage of when we need them. Nobody bleats about socialism when they pay taxes to pay for the police, the national guard, the armed forces, the judicial system, the prisons, and fire fighters. Nobody complains too much that we pay taxes and receive education for our children, libraries, museums and city, state and national parks to enjoy. I don’t hear people complaining when they get their social security check in old age or their elderly parents get medicaid and medicare. I don’t see people campaigning to close the food welfare banks or calling for all welfare payments to cease.
All of us already pay taxes and receive certain services for the whole community which we take advantage of when we need them. Nobody bleats about socialism when they pay taxes to pay for the police, the national guard, the armed forces, the judicial system, the prisons, and fire fighters. Nobody complains too much that we pay taxes and receive education for our children, libraries, museums and city, state and national parks to enjoy. I don’t hear people complaining when they get their social security check in old age or their elderly parents get medicaid and medicare. I don’t see people campaigning to close the food welfare banks or calling for all welfare payments to cease.
God, death, and life: The readings for the upcoming 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time
The Sacred Page: God, Death, and Life: The Readings for the 13th Sunday in Ordinary TimeBERGSMA: Our Lord’s concern for the healing and physical life have been reflected in the Church’s involvement in what we now call “health care.” To my shame, it wasn’t until I was in my doctoral program in Scripture at the University of Notre Dame that I discovered the “hospital”—a concept I always took for granted—was a Catholic invention, and that traditional nurses outfits were actually derived from the habits worn by women religious (i.e. “nuns”). This Sunday may present the homilist with the opportunity to say something about the Church’s contribution and role in health care, a subject which is of rather acute concern, since recent government legislation poses the risk of forcing the Church out of all public health care provision, by forcing Church agencies to be involved in killing (i.e. abortion) as the price to be involved in healing. No irony there!
What is the secret to understanding Scripture?
What is the Secret to Understanding Scripture? | Archdiocese of WashingtonPOPE: Some years ago a scripture professor asked: “Do you know what the biggest obstacle is in understanding Scripture?”
Now since we were doing graduate level Scripture study, a few of us opined that it was the lack of the knowledge of Greek or Hebrew. Or perhaps it was that people today do not know the culture of Jesus’ time, or have not studied the historical-critical method (that answer usually got us extra points in Scripture class back in those days). Other students opined that fundamentalism was the biggest problem (another answer sure to gain points back then).
Now since we were doing graduate level Scripture study, a few of us opined that it was the lack of the knowledge of Greek or Hebrew. Or perhaps it was that people today do not know the culture of Jesus’ time, or have not studied the historical-critical method (that answer usually got us extra points in Scripture class back in those days). Other students opined that fundamentalism was the biggest problem (another answer sure to gain points back then).
UNESCO adds Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity to World Heritage List
Unesco Adds Nativity Church to World Heritage List - NYTimes.com: The Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, along with the Pilgrimage Route, was added on Friday to Unesco’s World Heritage List, a move that was celebrated by Palestinians who hailed it as a significant political and diplomatic achievement as much as a cultural one.
SSPX's Bishop Fellay at Ecône ordination homily: “Things are at a standstill, we cannot sign”
Fellay: “Things are at a standstill, we cannot sign” - Vatican InsiderTORNIELLI: He had not made any public statement during the meeting with Cardinal William Levada on 13 June, in the Vatican. But today, the Superior of the Society of St. Pius X, Bishop Bernard Fellay, confirmed that no agreement could be signed with the Holy See at the present time.
During this morning’s homily for the priestly ordinations celebrated in Ecône, Fellay also made some comments about the negotiations with Vatican leaders.
You can listen to the homily - which lasts approximately half an hour - by clicking on this link. The passage about the Society’s relations with Rome can be heard when the player gets to 21.50. “You rightly ask me how things are going with Rome.” The Lefebvrian superior said, before going on to add: “Things are currently at a standstill.”
During this morning’s homily for the priestly ordinations celebrated in Ecône, Fellay also made some comments about the negotiations with Vatican leaders.
You can listen to the homily - which lasts approximately half an hour - by clicking on this link. The passage about the Society’s relations with Rome can be heard when the player gets to 21.50. “You rightly ask me how things are going with Rome.” The Lefebvrian superior said, before going on to add: “Things are currently at a standstill.”
Washington Post: "The Supreme Court ruling has big implications for American Catholics"
Affordable Care Act ruling promises religious fights for the forseeable future - Under God - The Washington Post: The Supreme Court’s decision Thursday to uphold the core of President Obama’s health care law guaranteed that the law and its potential impact on abortions and contraception will remain a powerfully divisive issue for religious groups for the forseeable future. Attorneys already challenging the law on behalf of mostly Catholic institutions said the decision opened the door for more future litigation.
The decision immediately electrified religious progressives, including many Mainline Protestant and Reform Jewish leaders, who believe expanding coverage meets a core priority of Scripture to heal the sick.
The decision immediately electrified religious progressives, including many Mainline Protestant and Reform Jewish leaders, who believe expanding coverage meets a core priority of Scripture to heal the sick.
Archbishop Fulton Sheen beatification could come 'very quickly'
x: A priest connected with the cause of Archbishop Fulton Sheen has said the “historic speed” with which he was declared venerable could be a sign that next steps to the beatification and canonization of the famous U.S. television evangelist and author might proceed at a rapid pace.
Msgr. Stanley Deptula, the executive director of the Archbishop Fulton John Sheen Foundation, told a June 29 telephone press conference that only God knows whether and when Ven. Fulton Sheen will advance to sainthood.
However, the speed of Fulton Sheen’s cause has been “remarkably quick.”
Msgr. Stanley Deptula, the executive director of the Archbishop Fulton John Sheen Foundation, told a June 29 telephone press conference that only God knows whether and when Ven. Fulton Sheen will advance to sainthood.
However, the speed of Fulton Sheen’s cause has been “remarkably quick.”
The Secret Is Out!
The Secret Is Out!BARNES: So Obamacare is through, HHS mandate included. This means the battle over artificial contraception is about to get real.
Don’t be sad! This should be cause for much rejoicing, as artificial contraception can only be super-cool-awesome part of our culture if it’s never given any serious discussion. The moment we look at what it’s actually doing to our bodies, our relationships, the environment and our general society, well that’s the moment all the wackness comes to light.
So my friends and I have been working on a website documenting the silliness that is artificial contraception, a grassroots movement promoting great, natural sex to the entire universe.
Don’t be sad! This should be cause for much rejoicing, as artificial contraception can only be super-cool-awesome part of our culture if it’s never given any serious discussion. The moment we look at what it’s actually doing to our bodies, our relationships, the environment and our general society, well that’s the moment all the wackness comes to light.
So my friends and I have been working on a website documenting the silliness that is artificial contraception, a grassroots movement promoting great, natural sex to the entire universe.
Friday, June 29, 2012
Feeling optimistic on the Roberts ruling on Obamacare
xSCALIA: Yesterday many in the comboxes, on the internets and within the talking head culture went on a wholesale spree of self-indulgent, often rambling catharsis, generally informed by what feeling has held them most enthralled through months of bowel-clutching anticipation of the announcement of a ruling on Obamacare. While some on the right may be feeling a bit wrist-slitty, today, I’m sensing a dawning of hung-over awareness that is hitting folks on both the left and the right like a bright sliver of light that brings either the wincing pain of doubt or the warmth of new life — and not all of your wincing is on the right, and not all of your spreading defrost is on the left.
Archbishop Chaput: 'It's going to be a long fight...'
xPENTIN: Following the U.S. Supreme Court decision June 28 on the government’s health-care reform legislation, Archbishop Charles Chaput of Philadelphia spoke with the Register’s Edward Pentin about his reaction to the news and what this now means in the Church’s battle to overturn the law’s requirement that all health-care insurance programs must include coverage for contraception.
Archbishop Chaput received the pallium this morning at a Mass in the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls on the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul.
Must-read: What is happening at Medjugorje? Much more than most people realize. Here's what you need to know...
xKAINZ: Last week I received a mailing from Caritas of Birmingham, in Sterret, Alabama. It was an invitation to come to the four-storey Tabernacle of our Lady’s Messages at Caritas, where a visionary, Marija Pavlovic Lunetti, is slated to receive five messages and apparitions during the 2012 gathering from July 1 to July 5.
Caritas is a group devoted to the Medjugorje Marian apparitions in Bosnia-Herzegovina. It is a continuation of international devotional interest in a phenomenon beginning on June 24, 1981, when six young people said they had received apparitions from the “Gospa” (Madonna). I’m not sure how we got on to their mailing list. Possibly a relative submitted our name and address.
An American moment in the Vatican
xALLEN: For those who can only see the world in terms of left vs. right, recent personnel moves in the Vatican undoubtedly look like the same old stuff on a different day.
Politically, all this may seem like just another string of victories for the conservatives. Alternatively, some of it might be styled as struggles within the conservative camp, since the Vatican Bank president who got bounced was himself a member of Opus Dei.
Yet if I may make the bold suggestion that we set aside ideology for a moment, there's another lens through which to view what's going on. In effect, we're witnessing the dawn of a new "American moment" in the Vatican.
Video: Pope gives pallium to 43 new archbishops at St. Peter's Basilica...
Pope gives pallium to 43 new archbishops: "The Church is not a community of the perfect": The feast of St. Peter and St. Paul is one of the most solemn ceremonies at the Vatican. Something that is easily seen in St. Peter's Basilica. First, the statue of St. Peter is decorated with robes and the papal ring. Also because the pope places the pallium on the archbishops that were appointed over the past year.
The pallium itself is made of lambswool and reminds the bishops of their work as pastors in taking care of their flocks.
The pallium itself is made of lambswool and reminds the bishops of their work as pastors in taking care of their flocks.
Homily for the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul and the Conferral of the Pallium
Whispers in the Loggia: "The Theme of Brothers"BENEDICT: We are gathered around the altar for our solemn celebration of Saints Peter and Paul, the principal Patrons of the Church of Rome. Present with us today are the Metropolitan Archbishops appointed during the past year, who have just received the Pallium, and to them I extend a particular and affectionate greeting. Also present is an eminent Delegation from the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, sent by His Holiness Bartholomaios I, and I welcome them with fraternal and heartfelt gratitude. In an ecumenical spirit, I am also pleased to greet and to thank the Choir of Westminster Abbey, who are providing the music for this liturgy alongside the Cappella Sistina. I also greet the Ambassadors and civil Authorities present. I am grateful to all of you for your presence and your prayers.
Thursday, June 28, 2012
US bishops urge Congress to 'fix' problems in health care law
US bishops urge Congress to 'fix' problems in health care law :: Catholic News Agency (CNA): The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has renewed its call for Congress to correct problems within the 2010 health care law, now that the legislation has been upheld by the nation’s highest court.
The conference said that it did not join in “efforts to repeal the law in its entirety” after it was passed in 2010 and added that “we do not do so today.”
However, it argued, the Affordable Care Act contains “fundamental flaws” that were not addressed by the Supreme Court’s decision. Further legislation is necessary to fix the law’s problems with abortion funding, conscience protection and treatment of immigrants, the group said.
The conference said that it did not join in “efforts to repeal the law in its entirety” after it was passed in 2010 and added that “we do not do so today.”
However, it argued, the Affordable Care Act contains “fundamental flaws” that were not addressed by the Supreme Court’s decision. Further legislation is necessary to fix the law’s problems with abortion funding, conscience protection and treatment of immigrants, the group said.
On Infant Baptism and the Complete Gratuity of Salvation
On Infant Baptism and the Complete Gratuity of Salvation | Archdiocese of WashingtonPOPE: Both Tradition and Scripture affirm the practice of baptizing infants. Strange then that some among the Protestants (not all) should criticize us for this practice. Even stranger that the Baptists are usually be the ones to do so. You’d think with a name like “Baptist” they’d be more into baptism. (Truth be told, most of the other Protestant denominations do baptize infants). It is primarily Baptists and some Evangelicals who refuse the practice.
Part of the reason for this is that they seem to water down (pardon the pun) the fuller meaning of baptism, no longer seeing it as washing away sins and conferring righteousness per se. Rather they seem to see it more as a symbol of faith already received when they said the sinners prayer and accepted Christ as their savior. No time here to argue the full logic of their position and why it falls short of a biblical and Traditional understanding of Baptism.
Part of the reason for this is that they seem to water down (pardon the pun) the fuller meaning of baptism, no longer seeing it as washing away sins and conferring righteousness per se. Rather they seem to see it more as a symbol of faith already received when they said the sinners prayer and accepted Christ as their savior. No time here to argue the full logic of their position and why it falls short of a biblical and Traditional understanding of Baptism.
Pallium Eve
Whispers in the Loggia: Pallium EvePALMO: Even if all remains quiet for now, one of the Catholic imagination's more unique rituals continues as this Friday dawns in Rome.
Every year on the vigil of Saints Peter and Paul, the year's freshly-woven batch of the pallium -- the symbol worn by metropolitan archbishops within their provinces to signify "the fullness of the episcopal office" -- are placed in the gilt casket shown above, to spend the night in the tomb of the First Apostle. From there, in the morning, the Pope will confer the lambswool bands of ancient origin on 44 prelates named to archdioceses across the globe over the last year, giving it as "a bond of love, and an incentive to courage."
Every year on the vigil of Saints Peter and Paul, the year's freshly-woven batch of the pallium -- the symbol worn by metropolitan archbishops within their provinces to signify "the fullness of the episcopal office" -- are placed in the gilt casket shown above, to spend the night in the tomb of the First Apostle. From there, in the morning, the Pope will confer the lambswool bands of ancient origin on 44 prelates named to archdioceses across the globe over the last year, giving it as "a bond of love, and an incentive to courage."
How I (sort of) overcame my fear of flying
How I (Sort of) Overcame My Fear of Flying |Blogs | NCRegister.comFULWILER: Every time I travel by air, there comes a point in the flight when I decide that I am never, ever flying again. It invariably occurs when the plane is woefully far from the earth and we hit turbulence. I can deal with some bumps during takeoff and landing, since something about being close to the ground gives me an irrational sense of security, but when things get bad at 30,000 feet, I freak. I resolve that this will be my last flight, one way or the other; on the off chance that I survive until landing, I will never make the terrible mistake of getting onto an aircraft again. Then, inevitably, the memories fade (or perhaps I block them out), and when the next trip comes up, I do not in fact insist on driving three thousand miles across the country, as I had promised myself on the last plane ride that I would.
The Four Last Things and the Tour de France
The Four Last Things and the Tour de FranceRUSE: Tomorrow morning in Liege, Belgium 198 men will begin the most grueling sporting event in the world. Over the course of twenty-one days of individual races – called “stages” – these men will ride their bicycles around the whole of France, a distance totaling 2,172 miles.
Along with largely flat stages of 100 miles and more, they will ride across the tops of more than twenty-five mountains including summits and passes in the Vosges, Jura, Swiss Jura, Alps, and Pyrenees. The mountains are graded by levels based on incline and distance. The most terrifying climbs are called Hors Catégorie – “beyond category.”
Along with largely flat stages of 100 miles and more, they will ride across the tops of more than twenty-five mountains including summits and passes in the Vosges, Jura, Swiss Jura, Alps, and Pyrenees. The mountains are graded by levels based on incline and distance. The most terrifying climbs are called Hors Catégorie – “beyond category.”
What can St. Catherine teach us about Purgatory?
What Can St. Catherine Teach Us About Purgatory?AKIN: As someone who came to the Catholic faith from Evangelicalism, one of the doctrines that I had to was purgatory.
Upon starting work as an apologist, I had to dig even deeper into the subject, and I discovered that over the course of time it has been understood in different ways.
One of my early helps in understanding the doctrine was the thought of St. Catherine of Genoa, whose thought on the subject as presented in the Treatise on Purgatory and the Dialogues Between the Body and the Soul have proved increasingly influential over time. In particular, elements of it have played a role in the thought of Joseph Ratzinger (back before he was pope) and in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
Upon starting work as an apologist, I had to dig even deeper into the subject, and I discovered that over the course of time it has been understood in different ways.
One of my early helps in understanding the doctrine was the thought of St. Catherine of Genoa, whose thought on the subject as presented in the Treatise on Purgatory and the Dialogues Between the Body and the Soul have proved increasingly influential over time. In particular, elements of it have played a role in the thought of Joseph Ratzinger (back before he was pope) and in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
Video: Alvaro del Portillo, who led Opus Dei for twenty years after St. Josemaría Escrivá died, declared "Venerable"...
Opus Dei - NEWS - Pope Declares Alvaro del Portillo "Venerable": On June 28, in Rome, the Pope signed a decree that recognizes the heroic virtues of Alvaro del Portillo. He was the first successor to St. Josemaría Escrivá, who founded Opus Dei. He was also the person who worked most closely with him.
This is an important step in his beatification process. It means that Benedict XVI recognizes that “Don Alvaro” exemplified heroic Christian virtues in his life.
The Vatican is also studying a documented miracle attributed to the intercession of Alvaro del Portillo. If approved by experts, theologians and of course the Pope, his beatification could follow.
This is an important step in his beatification process. It means that Benedict XVI recognizes that “Don Alvaro” exemplified heroic Christian virtues in his life.
The Vatican is also studying a documented miracle attributed to the intercession of Alvaro del Portillo. If approved by experts, theologians and of course the Pope, his beatification could follow.
George Will: Supreme Court gives conservatives a consolation prize
George Will: Supreme Court gives conservatives a consolation prize - The Washington Post: Conservatives won a substantial victory Thursday. The physics of American politics — actions provoking reactions — continues to move the crucial debate, about the nature of the American regime, toward conservatism. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. has served this cause.
The health-care legislation’s expansion of the federal government’s purview has improved our civic health by rekindling interest in what this expansion threatens — the Framers’ design for limited government. Conservatives distraught about the survival of the individual mandate are missing the considerable consolation prize they won when the Supreme Court rejected a constitutional rationale for the mandate — Congress’s rationale — that was pregnant with rampant statism.
The health-care legislation’s expansion of the federal government’s purview has improved our civic health by rekindling interest in what this expansion threatens — the Framers’ design for limited government. Conservatives distraught about the survival of the individual mandate are missing the considerable consolation prize they won when the Supreme Court rejected a constitutional rationale for the mandate — Congress’s rationale — that was pregnant with rampant statism.
American bishops have never objected to the health care law in its entirety, but we do oppose three particular provisions...
The Supreme Court’s Decision | Bishop Kevin FarrellFARRELL: American bishops have never joined in efforts to repeal this law in its entirety and do not do so today but today’s opinion does not diminish the moral imperative to ensure decent healthcare for all, nor eliminate the need to correct the fundamental� flaws mentioned above. We continue to urge Congress to pass and the Administration to sign legislation to correct these three flaws as expeditiously as possible.
We will continue to advocate affordable health care for all and �will continue to study the Court’s opinion to understand its full implications for healthcare reform and for our religious liberty.
We will continue to advocate affordable health care for all and �will continue to study the Court’s opinion to understand its full implications for healthcare reform and for our religious liberty.
Wonderful news! Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen and Sister Mary Angeline Teresa declared Venerable...
Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen and Sister Mary Angeline Teresa Declared Venerable � The Gospel in the Digital AgeDOLAN: Today’s announcement from the Congregation for the Causes of Saints about these two newly declared Venerables, each very much in tune with today’s world, show that Archbishop Sheen and Sister Mary Angeline Teresa are still hard at work helping show us the way to heaven.
One you probably know – Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen is buried below the altar at Saint Patrick’s in New York.� The other new “Venerable” you may not be as familiar with, Sister Mary Angeline Teresa, the foundress of the Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirmed.
One you probably know – Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen is buried below the altar at Saint Patrick’s in New York.� The other new “Venerable” you may not be as familiar with, Sister Mary Angeline Teresa, the foundress of the Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirmed.
Catholic legal experts: Details of Supreme Court ruling allow religious freedom lawsuits to proceed with hope
Court ruling allows religious freedom lawsuits to proceed with hope :: Catholic News Agency (CNA): In the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the 2010 health care law, a leading religious freedom law firm has new confidence in the future of its lawsuits against the federal contraception mandate.
Hannah Smith, senior counsel at The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, explained that the arguments against the law that were recently rejected by the court are “separate and distinct legal challenges” from those being brought against the contraception mandate.
Hannah Smith, senior counsel at The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, explained that the arguments against the law that were recently rejected by the court are “separate and distinct legal challenges” from those being brought against the contraception mandate.
Tom Scocca: Obama wins the battle, Roberts wins the war...
Roberts health care opinion, Commerce Clause: The real reason the chief justice upheld Obamacare. - Slate Magazine: There were two battles being fought in the Supreme Court over the Affordable Care Act. Chief Justice John Roberts—and Justice Anthony Kennedy—delivered victory to the right in the one that mattered.
Yes, Roberts voted to uphold the individual mandate, joining the court's liberal wing to give President Obama a 5-4 victory on his signature piece of legislation. Right-wing partisans are crying treason; left-wing partisans saw their predictions of a bitter, party-line defeat undone.
Yes, Roberts voted to uphold the individual mandate, joining the court's liberal wing to give President Obama a 5-4 victory on his signature piece of legislation. Right-wing partisans are crying treason; left-wing partisans saw their predictions of a bitter, party-line defeat undone.
Ezra Klein: The political genius of John Roberts
The political genius of John Roberts: After Chief Justice Charles Evan Hughes deftly beat back Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s court-packing proposal, FDR said, with grudging admiration, that Hughes was the best politician in the country. “That was hardly the way Hughes would have chosen to be remembered,” writes James Simon in “FDR and Chief Justice Hughes,” “though there was much truth in the president’s remark.”
I doubt Roberts wants to be known for his political skills, either. But in today’s decision, he showed that, like Hughes before him, he’s got those skills in spades.
The decision today is being reported as 5-4, with Roberts voting with the liberals. Akhil Reid Amar, a constitutional scholar at Yale Law, sees it differently. “The decision was 4-1-4,” he said.
I doubt Roberts wants to be known for his political skills, either. But in today’s decision, he showed that, like Hughes before him, he’s got those skills in spades.
The decision today is being reported as 5-4, with Roberts voting with the liberals. Akhil Reid Amar, a constitutional scholar at Yale Law, sees it differently. “The decision was 4-1-4,” he said.
PDF: Here is the Supreme Court opinion in the health care cases...
x: Twenty-six States, several individuals, and the National Federation of Independent Business brought suit in Federal District Court,
challenging the constitutionality of the individual mandate and the
Medicaid expansion. The Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
upheld the Medicaid expansion as a valid exercise of Congress’s
spending power, but concluded that Congress lacked authority to enact the individual mandate. Finding the mandate severable from the
Act’s other provisions, the Eleventh Circuit left the rest of the Act intact.
challenging the constitutionality of the individual mandate and the
Medicaid expansion. The Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
upheld the Medicaid expansion as a valid exercise of Congress’s
spending power, but concluded that Congress lacked authority to enact the individual mandate. Finding the mandate severable from the
Act’s other provisions, the Eleventh Circuit left the rest of the Act intact.
How the Church converted the Pagan West and how we can do it again...
Converts and Kingdoms: How the Church Converted the Pagan West and How We Can Do It AgainMCCLOSKEY: Okay, I confess. My two favorite Church historians of this century and the last are the late Warren Carroll and Diane Moczar, the author of this book.Why? Simply because Carroll was and Moczar is a fully credentialed historian who clearly believes that the Catholic Church is the Body of Christ and who makes the history of the Church excitingly page-turning while not being fictional.They write from a faith perspective that recognizes the strengths and weaknesses of the members of the Church, from popes to laymen, who populate their pages, but they recognize that all will be well in the end. After all, we await the Parousia, which we all will experience either in this life or in the life above (we hope!).
A reader recalls her encounter with Archbishop Sheen
The Dawn PatrolEDEN: I was thrilled to learn this morning that the Pope has authorized the Congregation for the Causes of Saints to promote a decree confirming the heroic virtues of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen. That means he is just one miracle away from beatification and two miracles away from formal canonization. An investigation of one alleged miracle has already been completed, awaiting the Holy See's ruling on whether it may be credited to Sheen's intercession. (Note that beatification and canonization do not make a person a saint in heaven. Rather, they acknowledge that God has shown, by answering prayers through a soul's intercession, that the soul is already a saint in heaven.)
Struggling with Church doctrine? The problem isn't your intellect. It's your will. That's why Confession will help...
Struggling with Church Doctrine? Go to Confession! | Matins MusingsPARTAMIAN: It has often been argued that the problem of so-called “cafeteria” Catholics is poor catechesis. �This may be so. �But not in the way most people mean it. �Most people mean that if these people had just been taught the doctrines of the faith properly, they wouldn’t be so antagonistic to the Church, or so dismissive of the teaching authority of the Church, or so darn lukewarm about attending mass. �The underlying assumption is that the problem is one of the intellect.
What did the Vatican really decide in Father Pavone's case?
On The News : What did the Vatican really decide in Father Pavone's case? - Catholic CultureLAWLER: The “victory” of Father Frank Pavone in his appeal to Rome illustrates something seriously wrong with the ordinary application of canon law.
The word “victory” belongs in quotation marks above because we don’t know whether the Congregation for Clergy accepted all, or even most, of Father Pavone’s canonical argument. The text of the Vatican decision has not been released. Therein lies the problem.
The word “victory” belongs in quotation marks above because we don’t know whether the Congregation for Clergy accepted all, or even most, of Father Pavone’s canonical argument. The text of the Vatican decision has not been released. Therein lies the problem.
In other news, Archbishop Fulton Sheen is “Venerable”
In other News, Fulton Sheen is “Venerable”SCALIA: America is in need of many things; it can only help her, and particularly the church in America, to have a holy and clear-thinking American Catholic to look up to.
Like my dear Cardinal John Joseph O’ Connor, Sheen was of working-class Irish stock which I think is what made both of them so accessible; even though they were highly degreed and much-honored men, they never lost the common touch. I believe Sheen’s cause was begun under O’ Connor and they’re both buried in the crypt beneath St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York.
Like my dear Cardinal John Joseph O’ Connor, Sheen was of working-class Irish stock which I think is what made both of them so accessible; even though they were highly degreed and much-honored men, they never lost the common touch. I believe Sheen’s cause was begun under O’ Connor and they’re both buried in the crypt beneath St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York.
Logos releases first-ever Catechism mobile app
Logos Releases First-Ever Catechism Mobile App : BrandonVogt.comVOGT: Huge news from Logos Bible Software today: they’ve premempted the USCCB in making the first ever Catechism of the Catholic Church mobile application. It’s available on iPad, iPhone, and Android devices and comes with all of Logos’ awesome features–internal cross-referencing, pop-out excerpts, Scriptural links, and a whole lot more.
Let's raise a glass to the bad popes!
Let’s Raise a Glass to the Bad Popes! | Crisis MagazinePRUDLO: It may seem odd, on the feast day of the Roman Fact, to discuss the less-than-stellar occupants of the Chair of Peter. I would propose that it is precisely these weak and sometimes sordid men who offer one of the most startling historical and apologetical claims for the indefectibility of the church. Catholics ought not to be reticent or ashamed about such men. A frank analysis of their weaknesses shows that often the Church survives in spite of the papacy, while the office endures as a witness to the seamless garment of Church tradition.
USCCB responds to Supreme Court health care decision...
Bishops Renew Plea To Congress And Administration To Repair Affordable Care Act: Today the United States Supreme Court issued a decision upholding as a tax the provision of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that requires individuals to purchase a health plan—the so-called "individual mandate."
For nearly a century, the Catholic bishops of the United States have been and continue to be consistent advocates for comprehensive health care reform to ensure access to life-affirming health care for all, especially the poorest and the most vulnerable.Although the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) did not participate in these cases and took no position on the specific questions presented to the Court, USCCB's position on health care reform generally and on ACA particularly is a matter of public record.The bishops ultimately opposed final passage of ACA for several reasons.
For nearly a century, the Catholic bishops of the United States have been and continue to be consistent advocates for comprehensive health care reform to ensure access to life-affirming health care for all, especially the poorest and the most vulnerable.Although the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) did not participate in these cases and took no position on the specific questions presented to the Court, USCCB's position on health care reform generally and on ACA particularly is a matter of public record.The bishops ultimately opposed final passage of ACA for several reasons.
St. Irenaeus, the priest who captured the smugness of Gnosticism
The priest who captured the smugness of Gnosticism | CatholicHerald.co.uk: Gnosticism flourished before the birth of Christ, and in some aspects persists today. The phenomenon, however, has always been so diffuse that it is difficult to define.
The heresy’s starting-point is that this world is too fundamentally flawed to be the creation of a perfect God. Rather, the Gnostics speculated, it was the work of the Demiurge, a partially corrupted emanation from the supreme deity. The ultimate divinity remains hidden from mankind. Even so, buried deep within us, there are inklings of its existence, discernible by those inherently gifted with spiritual insight, or possessed of the appropriate secret formulae.
The heresy’s starting-point is that this world is too fundamentally flawed to be the creation of a perfect God. Rather, the Gnostics speculated, it was the work of the Demiurge, a partially corrupted emanation from the supreme deity. The ultimate divinity remains hidden from mankind. Even so, buried deep within us, there are inklings of its existence, discernible by those inherently gifted with spiritual insight, or possessed of the appropriate secret formulae.
Five ways for Catholics to rebel against the world...
So, You Want to Be a (Catholic) Rebel? : The Integrated Catholic LifeHAIN: Come on, we know better than the Church, don’t we?� After all, this is the 21st Century and times have changed.� Modern man is fully capable of deciding what is moral on his own, right?� All the really smart people in the media, government and academia who encourage us to embrace abortion, contraception, euthanasia and gay marriage can’t be wrong, can they?� After all, everyone knows that new and fresh ideas must clearly trump over two millennia of Church teaching.� Right?
I swear this is not an open letter to my wife...
Catholic PhoenixELLISON: Let me first begin by declaring that, in what follows, I am not saying anything I haven’t already shared with her.� I do not believe that a blog post is the proper venue to speak boldly about matters I am afraid to bring up in personal conversation with my spouse, and while my performance is far from exemplary in the healthy marital communication area, what I am about to say here will be neither novel nor shocking to the fetching Mrs. Ellison’s ears.� She’s heard it all before.�
The Art of Manliness: How to Read a Topographic Map
How to Read a Topographic Map | The Art of Manliness: The ability to fuse these major factors is the most critical skill one can learn when using a topographic map. The primary purpose of a topographic map is to accurately represent the shape of the Earth’s surface, but the utility doesn’t stop there. Topographic maps also represent streets and trails, vegetation, streams, and every type of feature that may positively or negatively impact your ability to navigate through the terrain.
Austria's Cardinal Schönborn sends an ultimatum to "Call to Disobedience" priests in the Archdiocese of Vienna
Austrian cardinal cracks down on rebel priests | Reuters: Austria's Roman Catholic Church has laid down the law to its rebel priests by telling them they could not support a reform manifesto criticized by Pope Benedict and stay in an administrative post.
One priest told Reuters he had already stepped down from the post of deacon rather than renounce the "Call to Disobedience" manifesto that challenges Church teaching on taboo topics such as women's ordination and offering communion to non-Catholics.
One priest told Reuters he had already stepped down from the post of deacon rather than renounce the "Call to Disobedience" manifesto that challenges Church teaching on taboo topics such as women's ordination and offering communion to non-Catholics.
Opus Dei and the gendarmes win the first round
Vatican Diary / Opus Dei and the gendarmes win the first roundMAGISTER: The pope's "butler," Paolo Gabriele, remains in custody as the only suspect in the crime. At the moment, it is one of aggravated theft. The investigative commission of cardinals that is working in parallel with the Vatican magistracy is continuing its hearings.
It is not known how long it will take for the two investigations to the reach a conclusion. But this does not mean that the so-called "Vatileaks" case has not already had an impact on the life of that particular organism which is the Roman curia.
Far from it. Some consequences, in fact, can already be identified in the short term, while others can be conjectured in the medium and long term.
It is not known how long it will take for the two investigations to the reach a conclusion. But this does not mean that the so-called "Vatileaks" case has not already had an impact on the life of that particular organism which is the Roman curia.
Far from it. Some consequences, in fact, can already be identified in the short term, while others can be conjectured in the medium and long term.
Some thoughts on privacy: God is watching, and so are many others...
Some Thoughts on Privacy – God is Watching (and so are many others) | Archdiocese of WashingtonPOPE: At the bottom of this post is an older video from CBS news that indicates that if you have or use a digital copier, everything you have copied on it going back years is stored on a hard drive in the copier. The drive is evidently so large in them that they can store over 20,000 documents and hundreds of thousands of pages.
Hence if you have ever photocopied personal materials containing social security numbers, checking info, personal data, etc, it is on that hard drive. The CBS news crew showed how easy it is to remove the hard drive and download its contents. It’s a stunning little segment if you never saw it, and I recommend you watch it and share it with 500 of your closest friends.
Hence if you have ever photocopied personal materials containing social security numbers, checking info, personal data, etc, it is on that hard drive. The CBS news crew showed how easy it is to remove the hard drive and download its contents. It’s a stunning little segment if you never saw it, and I recommend you watch it and share it with 500 of your closest friends.
Vatican announces changes in 2012 pallium ceremony
Vatican announces changes in pallium ceremony : News Headlines - Catholic Culture: The Vatican has announced a change in the ritual in which new archbishops will receive the pallium from Pope Benedict XVI on June 29, the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul.
The pallium is a thin white woolen vestment, worn around the neck, as a sign of the authority of a metropolitan archbishop. Each year on the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul, the Pope confers the pallium on the archbishops who have been installed during the past 12 months.
This year, the actual imposition of the pallium will take place before the Mass, rather than after the homily. The Vatican announced that the change was intended to make the ceremony shorter, to avoid interrupting the liturgy, and to make it clear that the imposition of the pallium, while an honored tradition, is not a sacramental rite.
The pallium is a thin white woolen vestment, worn around the neck, as a sign of the authority of a metropolitan archbishop. Each year on the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul, the Pope confers the pallium on the archbishops who have been installed during the past 12 months.
This year, the actual imposition of the pallium will take place before the Mass, rather than after the homily. The Vatican announced that the change was intended to make the ceremony shorter, to avoid interrupting the liturgy, and to make it clear that the imposition of the pallium, while an honored tradition, is not a sacramental rite.
Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen declared "venerable", moves one step closer to canonization...
Whispers in the Loggia: Fulton the Venerable: In an audience this morning with his chief Saintmaker, Cardinal Angelo Amato SDB, the Pope assented to several decrees of canonization, beatification and the heroic virtue of souls on the path to sainthood.
Of them all, however, none are as likely to resonate among this crowd more than the declaration as "Venerable" of the figure who's arguably the most celebrated and effective evangelist in the history of the faith on these shores, once the nation's most-watched TV personality -- the epic, great and beloved "Bishop Sheen"....
Of them all, however, none are as likely to resonate among this crowd more than the declaration as "Venerable" of the figure who's arguably the most celebrated and effective evangelist in the history of the faith on these shores, once the nation's most-watched TV personality -- the epic, great and beloved "Bishop Sheen"....
Vatican Bank prepares to open its doors to the media
Vatican Bank Prepares to Open its Doors to the Media |Blogs | NCRegister.comPENTIN: The supervisory board of the Institute for Works of Religion (IOR), popularly known as the Vatican Bank, held its first meeting today since the board issued a vote of no confidence in former president Ettore Gotti Tedeschi last month.
The meeting, in which members discussed the selection of Gotti's successor, took place a day before the IOR receives a large group of journalists at its offices as part of efforts, initiated by Pope Benedict XVI, to increase transparency.
In a communique published this afternoon, the Vatican announced the board had “two very useful meetings for sharing information and proposals both regarding day to day management as well as the universal criteria of professionalism and experience that are called for in light of the choice of [the Bank's] new president."
The meeting, in which members discussed the selection of Gotti's successor, took place a day before the IOR receives a large group of journalists at its offices as part of efforts, initiated by Pope Benedict XVI, to increase transparency.
In a communique published this afternoon, the Vatican announced the board had “two very useful meetings for sharing information and proposals both regarding day to day management as well as the universal criteria of professionalism and experience that are called for in light of the choice of [the Bank's] new president."
Praying in your native tongue
Praying In Your Native Tongue |Blogs | NCRegister.comFISHER: The saints all found different ways of praising God according to who they are, according to the native language He gave to them.� And so we have St. Francis in his tattered robe, and also Josemaria Escriva with his precisely groomed hair; King David with his wild dancing, and Mother Theresa washing wounds.� These orientations are not something to struggle against; they are languages which God gives us so we can sing love songs to Him.
Supreme Court hands huge victory to Obama, upholds health care act as constitutional; Chief Justice Roberts sides with Left in 5-4 decision
x: The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the individual insurance requirement at the heart of President Barack Obama's health care overhaul. The decision means the historic overhaul will continue to go into effect over the next several years, affecting the way that countless Americans receive and pay for their personal medical care. The ruling also handed Obama a campaign-season victory in rejecting arguments that Congress went too far in requiring most Americans to have health insurance or pay a penalty.
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Are you a phlegmatic?
Offering It Up: Are You a Phlegmatic?MATENAER: God, in His infinite love and mercy, gave me a beautiful phlegmatic as a mother.� When we, her adult children, come home to visit her and my dad, the red carpet is rolled out.� Mom makes up the beds as if in a hotel, turning down the sheets, sometimes laying out magazines of interest on the nightstands, and always making sure the bathrooms are stocked with pretty soaps and toiletries.� If the visiting party has children—which we all do—toys, gifts, clothes, or diapers are laid out on the children’s beds.� Dinner is the favorite of whomever is visiting: beef paprika, chicken marsala, gorgeous chicken salad.� Mom stocks the kitchen with homemade tea breads, gourmet coffee, and whatever cold beverage we haggard parents can dream of.� And there is no work to be done.� Should someone so much as try to bring a dirty plate to the sink, Mom’ll insist that he sit down and if challenged, will whisper, “Put that plate down before I cut off your hands.”
Personally, I loathe tattoos, but it's a matter of taste, not morality...
Tattoos are a matter of taste, not morality | CatholicHerald.co.ukLUCIE-SMITH: Tattoos are in the news again. It seems that not only does virtually everyone have one these days, but that you can go into the Royal Enclosure at Ascot and no one will bat an eyelid if you show off acres of inked flesh. Indeed, if you are tattooed you are in very good company, along with Edward VIII, George V and of course Samantha Cameron, all of whom were or are tattooed.
"Clearly unacceptable": A summary of the SSPX situation in light of the leaked June 25 letter...
Religion News Service | Faith | Leaders & Institutions | Traditionalist SSPX calls Vatican offer ‘clearly unacceptable’: A letter by the Rev. Christian Thouvenot, secretary general of the SSPX, to SSPX bishops and regional leaders was leaked on the Internet on Tuesday (June 26). Thouvenot later confirmed its authenticity.
The letter says that the SSPX superior general, Bishop Bernard Fellay, told the head of the Vatican doctrinal office, American Cardinal William J. Levada, that “he couldn't sign” the Vatican's doctrinal offer during a meeting on June 13.
The letter says that the SSPX superior general, Bishop Bernard Fellay, told the head of the Vatican doctrinal office, American Cardinal William J. Levada, that “he couldn't sign” the Vatican's doctrinal offer during a meeting on June 13.
The Vatican Secret Archives unveiled...
The Vatican Secret Archives Unveiled - George Weigel - National Review OnlineWEIGEL: The very name “Vatican Secret Archives” tends to trigger the Dan Brown reflex in minds given to conspiracy theories and black legends about the Catholic Church. In fact, there is nothing sinister about the title of this treasure trove of historical materials; “secret,” in this case, is Vaticanspeak for the private archives of the papacy, which were opened to qualified scholars in 1881 by Leo XIII, the founder of the modern papacy and a man unafraid of the truths that history could teach.
Two Americans will play key roles at Vatican
On The News : Two Americans will play key roles at Vatican - Catholic CultureLAWLER: The early days of summer are always a season for speculation around Rome, and this year especially so. With a flurry of appointments, is Pope Benedict XVI sending important signals about his policies and priorities? Yes, he is.
Ordinarily I avoid predictions about Vatican affairs. As the old saying goes, “Those who know don’t talk, and those who talk don’t know.” But the creation of two entirely new Vatican positions—as it happens, both to be filled by Americans—makes me confident now in saying...
Ordinarily I avoid predictions about Vatican affairs. As the old saying goes, “Those who know don’t talk, and those who talk don’t know.” But the creation of two entirely new Vatican positions—as it happens, both to be filled by Americans—makes me confident now in saying...
Irenaeus: A Saint for Then and Now
Irenaeus: A Saint for Then and NowSCHIFFER: Oh, things were so confusing in the earliest days of Christianity!
St. Irenaeus—the second-century bishop of Lyons, France, whose feastday we celebrate on June 28—had to explain and defend the Faith both from within the Church and from outside critics.
As a young boy, Irenaeus was dedicated by his mother to the service of the Church; and he was placed in the care of Polycarp, a bishop and apologist who had learned the faith directly from St. John the Evangelist.� From Polycarp, he attained a good education in the Catholic Faith.
St. Irenaeus—the second-century bishop of Lyons, France, whose feastday we celebrate on June 28—had to explain and defend the Faith both from within the Church and from outside critics.
As a young boy, Irenaeus was dedicated by his mother to the service of the Church; and he was placed in the care of Polycarp, a bishop and apologist who had learned the faith directly from St. John the Evangelist.� From Polycarp, he attained a good education in the Catholic Faith.
Cleveland begins process to reopen 11 mothballed churches after reversal by Vatican...
Cleveland Catholic churches begin re-opening process; pastoral appointments expected Wednesday | cleveland.com: Cleveland Catholic Bishop Richard Lennon is expected to announce the appointments of up to five pastors Wednesday as he moves forward to reopen 11 mothballed churches.
The bishop had said last month that he hoped to have all 11 — most of them closed for more than two years — reopened by the beginning of August.
Most of the sacred artifacts already have been returned to the closed churches and today work crews began cleaning St. Barbara’s on Cleveland’s West Side.
The bishop had said last month that he hoped to have all 11 — most of them closed for more than two years — reopened by the beginning of August.
Most of the sacred artifacts already have been returned to the closed churches and today work crews began cleaning St. Barbara’s on Cleveland’s West Side.
Why don't we dress up anymore?
Why Don't We Dress Up Anymore? |Blogs | NCRegister.comFULWILER: My 98-year-old grandfather often remarks upon how much more formally people used to dress. When he would talk about women pulling out their favorite attire to wear to church, or a man taking the time to press his shirt before going into town, I felt like there was something good there. Of course, this era had its own problems; like Msgr. Pope, who went out of his way to make it clear that he doesn't think everything was perfect in the past, it wasn't that I thought my grandfather's generation had everything figured out in all areas of life. Rather, it was just a vague sense that there was something positive behind the old customs regarding how people dressed and comported themselves in public, even though I couldn't put my finger on what it was.
Pope's Wednesday audience: "Man still wants to build the tower of Babel", but the Cross is necessary to reach the heights of God...
Vatican Radio - Audience: Jesus Christ, the Lord of our lives: In a world in which so many “masters” want to direct and guide us, we need a scale of values that gives primacy to God, and to realise that Jesus Christ is the only Lord of our lives. This was the message at the heart of Pope Benedict XVI’s Wednesday audience. The Holy Father’s appointment with pilgrims from across the world was moved indoors to the Paul VI audience hall, as summer temperatures continue to climb in the Eternal City.
"The ultimate handshake": Queen Elizabeth shakes hands with ex-IRA chief Martin McGuinness
Queen Elizabeth shakes hands with ex-IRA chief | Reuters: Britain's Queen Elizabeth shook the hand of former IRA guerrilla commander Martin McGuinness for the first time on Wednesday, drawing a line under a conflict that cost the lives of thousands of soldiers and civilians, including that of her cousin.
The meeting with McGuinness, who is now the deputy first minister of Northern Ireland, comes 14 years after the Irish Republican Army ended its war against British rule in the province, and is one of the last big milestones in a peace process whose success has been studied around the world.
The meeting with McGuinness, who is now the deputy first minister of Northern Ireland, comes 14 years after the Irish Republican Army ended its war against British rule in the province, and is one of the last big milestones in a peace process whose success has been studied around the world.
At this critical moment in history, there are two social justice priorities for the Catholic Church in the United States...
Fortnight for Freedom - Social Justice Priorities: Life and Religious Liberty | First ThingsWEIGEL: As the language of the First Amendment to the Constitution indicates, religious freedom in the United States has always been understood as one of a cluster of fundamental freedoms—spheres of free thought and action essential to individual liberty and civil society. That idea of constitutionally limited government—a government that makes no theological judgments (religious freedom), that does not control the media (freedom of the press), that does not control thought and culture (free speech), and that does not occupy all the “space” in society (freedom of assembly)—rests, philosophically, on the premise of fundamental human equality.
Vatican sides with Fr. Frank Pavone in appeal of suspension; Amarillo bishop to keep him in restricted chaplaincy but allow pro-life apostolate on case-by-case basis...
Vatican: “Father Pavone is not now nor has ever been suspended”: Seems to be a little bit confusing, and it’s unclear what the implications are. Stay tuned.
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
What was the Golden Year of the Liturgy?
What was the Golden Year of the Liturgy? | Archdiocese of WashingtonPOPE: I recently had an interesting discussion with a traditional Catholic who questioned me about a Traditional Latin Mass Wedding I did. He seemed concerned that the couple was permitted to be married at the foot of the altar. In other words they were inside the altar rail, along with their best man and maid of honor.
He said that such a thing was not allowed, and that the presbyterium (sanctuary) was only for the clergy and servers.
He said that such a thing was not allowed, and that the presbyterium (sanctuary) was only for the clergy and servers.
5 interesting, forgotten things about the Bible
Truth & CharityMURPHY: For instance, Adam and Eve had a third son. If you didn’t know this, congratulations! You’re a typical Catholic. My recommendation: read the Bible more often, and don’t just skip the parts you think are boring. Plenty of people don’t know the Book of Genesis very well because they’ve written off the whole Torah (that’s the first 5 books). Don’t be like them. The Book of Genesis is a great read that really sets the stage for everything after it. Anyway, Adam and Eve had a third son and named him Seth.
A strange exorcism gone awry: Details emerge in new sex abuse lawsuit filed against HLI, the Diocese of Arlington, and Fr. Thomas Euteneuer
Courthouse News Service: Jane Doe sued the Catholic Diocese of Arlington, its Bishop Paul Loverde - who is not the priest accused of the abuse - and Human Life International and the HLI Endowment Inc., of Charlottesville, in Arlington County Court. Doe claims she was sexually abused repeatedly by her "exorcist," Thomas J. Euteneur, who was president of Human Life International and the HLI Endowment; Euteneur, however, is not named as an individual defendant.
The Wisdom of a Moral Panic
The Wisdom of a Moral Panic - NYTimes.comDOUTHAT: Looking backward on those early debates, it’s easy to tell ourselves (as Garber tells her readers) that our laissez-faire approach to bioethics is grounded in the wisdom of experience, whereas the moral qualms of an earlier generation were rooted in an irrational fear of the new and untried. But a culture facing the new and untried has one advantage in moral reasoning over a culture judging from deep and intimate experience: The naive culture hasn’t yet implicated itself in the practice it’s trying to assess. Sometimes it’s easier to recognize the costs of a revolution when you haven’t yet tasted its benefits. And the hardest evils to acknowledge and combat are often the ones whose advantages we can’t imagine living without.
Philadelphia judge orders Msgr. William Lynn to remain in jail for now
Judge orders Catholic cleric to remain in jail for now - CNN.com: The highest-ranking Catholic church cleric charged and convicted in the landmark child sexual abuse trial will remain in jail for the time being, a Philadelphia judge ordered Tuesday.
Monsignor William Lynn was found guilty Friday of one count of child endangerment, the first time a U.S. church leader has been convicted of such a charge.
The trial marked the first time U.S. prosecutors have charged not just the priests who allegedly committed abuses but church leaders for failing to stop them. Lynn is the highest-ranking cleric accused of imperiling children by helping cover up sexual abuse.
Monsignor William Lynn was found guilty Friday of one count of child endangerment, the first time a U.S. church leader has been convicted of such a charge.
The trial marked the first time U.S. prosecutors have charged not just the priests who allegedly committed abuses but church leaders for failing to stop them. Lynn is the highest-ranking cleric accused of imperiling children by helping cover up sexual abuse.
For mysterious reasons, the Left has chosen to ignore sexual sins while focusing its Puritan obsessiveness on the digestive tract...
One more reason to love DominicansSHEA: It’s fascinating to watch Puritanism mutate into secular nannyism.� The intense sense of guilt remains.� The need to micromanage and control with rules remains.� The search for redemption through moral superiority remains.� The fastidious obsession with purity remains. The missionary zeal to conquer and control all of humanity remains. All that is gone is Jesus Christ, hope, forgiveness, and the heart and soul of the gospel.
If you really must forward something to your email list, start with this...
To Forward or Not to Forward | Catholic ExchangeARMSTRONG: A popular forward among Christians are prayers promising something wonderful if the email gets forwarded to ten people in the next ten minutes. I’ve had devout Catholics send me prayers and words of inspirations about angels or saints (sometimes prefaced with “I don’t usually forward these but…”) with big promises attached if I forward quickly and to many.
There are the anti-Obama emails that claim he and Michelle surrendered their law licenses and another story that college transcripts reveal that Obama received a Fulbright Scholarship only awarded to foreign-born students.� There are so many disturbing stories about the current administration which are true that the totally made-up ones easily get passed into email traffic.
There are the anti-Obama emails that claim he and Michelle surrendered their law licenses and another story that college transcripts reveal that Obama received a Fulbright Scholarship only awarded to foreign-born students.� There are so many disturbing stories about the current administration which are true that the totally made-up ones easily get passed into email traffic.
Is Bishop Fellay about to reject Rome's offer, as a "confidential" new letter might suggest? Or does Archbishop Di Noia's transfer hint at some good news?
SSPX Bp. Fellay say “No” to Rome? Maybe so. Maybe not. | Fr. Z's Blog – What Does The Prayer Really Say?ZUHLSDORF: It is hard to imagine that SSPX modifications to the Doctrinal Preamble which the Holy Father would have had to sign off on would be then circumvented by anyone in the CDF before the Preamble was given back to Bp. Fellay.
While this is not positive news, I read it in the context of the move of Archbishop DiNoia to the Pontifical Commission “Ecclesia Dei“. �It is hard to imagine why they would be boosting up the PCED if not in preparation for the reunion of the SSPX…. unless… it is for the sake of adjusting the Novus Ordo and Traditional calendars or adding some saints to the 1962 MR.
That said, Benedict XVI is the Pope of Christian Unity.
While this is not positive news, I read it in the context of the move of Archbishop DiNoia to the Pontifical Commission “Ecclesia Dei“. �It is hard to imagine why they would be boosting up the PCED if not in preparation for the reunion of the SSPX…. unless… it is for the sake of adjusting the Novus Ordo and Traditional calendars or adding some saints to the 1962 MR.
That said, Benedict XVI is the Pope of Christian Unity.
Video: The End of America? The HHS Mandate's Threat to Freedom...
The End of America? The HHS Mandate's Threat to Freedom - YouTube: Eric Metaxas and Dr. Jennifer Roback Morse articulate the grave dangers of the Health & Human Services (HHS) Mandate with regard to religious freedom in America.
Eric Metaxas is a public intellectual and author of Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy, the thrilling biography of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. A German theologian in Nazi Germany, Bonhoeffer is remembered for his clandestine efforts to overthrow Hitler and the Nazis in the struggle for human freedom.
Dr. Jennifer Roback Morse is an economist. She is the Founder and President of the Ruth Institute, a non-profit focused on promoting the sanctity of marriage as the critical foundation for families, communities, and society.
Eric Metaxas is a public intellectual and author of Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy, the thrilling biography of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. A German theologian in Nazi Germany, Bonhoeffer is remembered for his clandestine efforts to overthrow Hitler and the Nazis in the struggle for human freedom.
Dr. Jennifer Roback Morse is an economist. She is the Founder and President of the Ruth Institute, a non-profit focused on promoting the sanctity of marriage as the critical foundation for families, communities, and society.
Video of Pope Benedict's helicopter trip to Emilia Romagna
Pope to earthquake victims: "You are not and will not be alone": The Pope arrived by helicopter to Italy's Emilia Romagna region, which has been affected by the recent earthquakes, that killed several people and injured hundreds.
He then boarded a jeep and personally saw the destruction, from fallen debris to damaged� buildings. During a brief, but emotional stop, he prayed before the Catherine of Alexandria Church. It's here that priest Ivan Martini died during a recent earthquake, while attempting to rescue a statue inside the church.
Hundreds of people greeted the Pope in the� Roverto� di Novi square, where the Pope said he actually wanted to visit the area immediately after the earthquakes struck.
He then boarded a jeep and personally saw the destruction, from fallen debris to damaged� buildings. During a brief, but emotional stop, he prayed before the Catherine of Alexandria Church. It's here that priest Ivan Martini died during a recent earthquake, while attempting to rescue a statue inside the church.
Hundreds of people greeted the Pope in the� Roverto� di Novi square, where the Pope said he actually wanted to visit the area immediately after the earthquakes struck.
Some scholars tend to downplay Flannery O’Connor’s Catholic faith. She herself did not. Jesus Christ was at the center of her life and writings...
No Vague Believer: The Specificity of the Person of Christ According to Flannery O’Connor and Benedict XVIFERENCE: The Onion, America’s favorite satirical newspaper, featured a story with the headline, “Pope to Ease Up On Jesus Talk; Pontiff Trying Hard Not To Be So In- Your-Face With That Stuff.”1 Of course, the title is funny because it’s not true—it is actually the furthest thing from the truth. The article was published just as Benedict’s second volume of Jesus of Nazareth was being released, a work in which the Holy Father continues his life-long project of understanding the person of Jesus Christ as the Son of God and Savior of the world. Yet this is how satire works—it exposes the truth in a backhanded sort of way, disclosing what is present by means of what is absent.
How abortion defies common sense
Abortion Defies Common Sense : The Integrated Catholic LifeKREEFT: I doubt there are many readers of this magazine who are pro-choice. Why, then, do I write an argument against abortion for its readers? Why preach to the choir?
Preaching to the choir is a legitimate enterprise. Scripture calls it “edification,” or “building up.” It is what priests, ministers, rabbis, and mullahs try to do once every week. We all need to clean and improve our apologetic weapons periodically; and this argument is the most effective one I know for actual use in dialogue with intelligent pro-choicers. I will be as upfront as possible.
I will try to prove the simple, common-sensical reasonableness of the pro-life case by a sort of Socratic logic. My conclusion is that Roe v. Wade must be overturned, and my fundamental reason for this is not only because of what abortion is but because we all know what abortion is.
Preaching to the choir is a legitimate enterprise. Scripture calls it “edification,” or “building up.” It is what priests, ministers, rabbis, and mullahs try to do once every week. We all need to clean and improve our apologetic weapons periodically; and this argument is the most effective one I know for actual use in dialogue with intelligent pro-choicers. I will be as upfront as possible.
I will try to prove the simple, common-sensical reasonableness of the pro-life case by a sort of Socratic logic. My conclusion is that Roe v. Wade must be overturned, and my fundamental reason for this is not only because of what abortion is but because we all know what abortion is.
How does one think of the actually aborted? Tiny as they are, they constitute a significant proportion of all human beings called into existence...
The AbortedSCHALL: Each human being begins at conception and lasts until that initial life force ends in death, say, four score and ten years later if not sooner – for the aborted, much sooner. Many human lives never reach birth for reasons of sickness, accidents, or malformation. We call them “mis-carriages.” The immediate cause of their death was not willed human intervention.
Karl Rahner once wrote: “‘To be born’ means to come into existence without being asked.” An abortion terminates a begun human life by human agency. The aborted or its agency is again not asked or considered. Murder is the unjust destruction of an already born human being at the hands of another, again without the victim’s being asked. The aborted have the act ending their life “done unto them.”
Karl Rahner once wrote: “‘To be born’ means to come into existence without being asked.” An abortion terminates a begun human life by human agency. The aborted or its agency is again not asked or considered. Murder is the unjust destruction of an already born human being at the hands of another, again without the victim’s being asked. The aborted have the act ending their life “done unto them.”
When I was a child, I thought that living through a degenerate historical period would be great fun. Now, as an adult, I really am living through such an era and it's not fun at all...
The Imaginative Conservative: On the Way DownREILLY: Take a good look at the poster above. It is not a parody. How did we get to the pink Pentagon? It is the product of the reversed judgment on the morality of homosexual acts. If sodomy is the moral equivalent of the marital act, then those who base their lives on it must not only be welcomed, but celebrated, and in some way compensated for past discrimination. When I was working at the Voice of America back in the 1990s, there were already such posters in the lobby of our building during Gay Pride Month. It was only a matter of time before the march through the institutions reached the Pentagon.
Pope accepts resignation of Argentine bishop caught frolicking on a beach...
Argentine bishop seen frolicking with woman quits | Fox News: The pope has accepted the resignation of an Argentine bishop photographed frolicking on a Mexican beach with a woman, one of several personnel changes announced Tuesday by the Vatican before the pontiff heads off for summer vacation.
Monsignor Fernando Maria Bargallo, bishop of Merlo-Moreno outside Buenos Aires, initially denied having had any improper relationship with the woman, whom he described as a childhood friend. But the 57-year-old Bargallo later decided to step down under the church rule that lets bishops retire before age 75 if they're found to be unfit for office.
Monsignor Fernando Maria Bargallo, bishop of Merlo-Moreno outside Buenos Aires, initially denied having had any improper relationship with the woman, whom he described as a childhood friend. But the 57-year-old Bargallo later decided to step down under the church rule that lets bishops retire before age 75 if they're found to be unfit for office.
Pope Benedict visits earthquake-stricken region of Emilia Romagna
Pope brings personal reassurance to earthquake victims : News Headlines - Catholic Culture: Pope Benedict XVI brought a message of comfort to earthquake victims in the Emilia Romagna region of Italy during a morning visit on June 26.
Arriving by helicopter from Rome in the morning, the Pope visited Rovereto di Novi, where he stopped to pray in the church of St. Catherine of Alexandria—a church whose pastor had been killed when the building partially collapsed in the tremor. Then he spoke to local residents in the town square.
The Pope said that he had “felt the impelling need to come among you in person” as he heard about the suffering caused by the earthquake, the death of the pastor, and the anguish of the people as aftershocks continued to shake the town. The Pope encouraged the local residents to remember the promise of Psalm 46: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”
Arriving by helicopter from Rome in the morning, the Pope visited Rovereto di Novi, where he stopped to pray in the church of St. Catherine of Alexandria—a church whose pastor had been killed when the building partially collapsed in the tremor. Then he spoke to local residents in the town square.
The Pope said that he had “felt the impelling need to come among you in person” as he heard about the suffering caused by the earthquake, the death of the pastor, and the anguish of the people as aftershocks continued to shake the town. The Pope encouraged the local residents to remember the promise of Psalm 46: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”
The sons of Caesar, still pulling Peter down...
The Sons of Caesar, Still Pulling Peter Down by Elizabeth Scalia | First ThingsSCALIA: In the first chapter of Father Robert Barron’s remarkable book Catholicism, he discusses the utterly revolutionary fact and idea of Jesus Christ, son of Mary, son of God, as communicated in the “fighting words” that open Saint Mark’s Gospel, and through the subversive teachings of Saints Paul and Peter: “Fighting” because the gospel states baldly that human authority is illusory in the face of creator and sustainer of life; subversive because their teachings took notions of freedom, defeat, and victory and turned them on their heads.
Yves Congar's account of Vatican II is theologically fascinating and just plain entertaining...
RealClearReligion - Diary from Vatican IIBARRON: One of the most theologically fascinating and just plain entertaining books I've read in a long time is Yves Congar's My Journal of the Council.
Catholics of a certain age will recognize the name, but I'm afraid that most Catholics under the age of 50 might be entirely unaware of the massive contribution made by Congar, a Dominican priest and certainly one of the three or four most important Catholic theologians of the twentieth century. After a tumultuous intellectual career, during which he was, by turns, lionized, vilified, exiled and silenced, Congar found himself, at the age of 58, a peritus or theological expert at the Second Vatican Council.
Catholics of a certain age will recognize the name, but I'm afraid that most Catholics under the age of 50 might be entirely unaware of the massive contribution made by Congar, a Dominican priest and certainly one of the three or four most important Catholic theologians of the twentieth century. After a tumultuous intellectual career, during which he was, by turns, lionized, vilified, exiled and silenced, Congar found himself, at the age of 58, a peritus or theological expert at the Second Vatican Council.
A Dominican friar discusses the theology of Bloomberg's soda ban...
Theology of the Soda Ban | First Things: People often talk about Catholic guilt, but I’d say gym guilt is at least as prevalent. I meet people all the time who feel like a moral failure if they miss a workout or, in a moment of weakness, cave in and eat carbs after 7:00 p.m. And in almost comical parody of religious devotion, the health god beckons its shamefaced disciples to run back to the gym and confess to the trainer: “That’ll be ten push-ups and ten sit-ups; now make a good act of contrition.”
Attorneys for Philadelphia's Msgr. William Lynn ask for move from jail to house arrest until August 13 sentencing...
Lynn’s lawyers to seek bail, home confinement - Philly.com: For the last four nights, William J. Lynn has been known as number 1102886 - one of 2,883 men living at the Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility, the largest of the city's prisons, in Northeast Philadelphia.
On Tuesday, Lynn's lawyers hope they can persuade a Philadelphia judge to grant Lynn bail, allowing him to resume his title of monsignor of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and, at least temporarily, live at home instead of in solitary confinement.
Lynn, 61, was found guilty Friday by a Common Pleas Court jury of a count of child endangerment, the first church official criminally charged for his administrative duties as part of the Catholic church sex-abuse scandal.
On Tuesday, Lynn's lawyers hope they can persuade a Philadelphia judge to grant Lynn bail, allowing him to resume his title of monsignor of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and, at least temporarily, live at home instead of in solitary confinement.
Lynn, 61, was found guilty Friday by a Common Pleas Court jury of a count of child endangerment, the first church official criminally charged for his administrative duties as part of the Catholic church sex-abuse scandal.
49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh describes joy of Peru mission work
49ers head coach describes joy of Peru mission work :: Catholic News Agency (CNA): It's not every day that children in Piura, Peru, learn to play American football from the coach of a National Football League team.
Jim Harbaugh, the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers, told CNA that impromptu lessons with the kids during a recent eight-day trip to the town brought him joy.
Harbaugh was one of several U.S. volunteers who traveled in June to Piura – a small town nearly 600 miles north of Lima – to help the Most Blessed Sacrament Parish with its daily ministries to the poor.
Jim Harbaugh, the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers, told CNA that impromptu lessons with the kids during a recent eight-day trip to the town brought him joy.
Harbaugh was one of several U.S. volunteers who traveled in June to Piura – a small town nearly 600 miles north of Lima – to help the Most Blessed Sacrament Parish with its daily ministries to the poor.
Are people who believe in Heaven more likely to commit crime?
Science: People Who Believe in Heaven More Likely to Commit Crime? |Blogs | NCRegister.comAKIN: That seems to be the implication of this story by CBS News, which is headlined:
Study Finds People Who Believe In Heaven Commit More Crimes
I guess we should all stop believing in heaven in order to have a more orderly society.
Okay. Let's phone the Pope and give him the bad news, tell him he can start closing churches and winding down that whole new evangelization thing.
It seems the whole 2,000 year experiment has produced undesirable results, and it's time to close up shop.
Study Finds People Who Believe In Heaven Commit More Crimes
I guess we should all stop believing in heaven in order to have a more orderly society.
Okay. Let's phone the Pope and give him the bad news, tell him he can start closing churches and winding down that whole new evangelization thing.
It seems the whole 2,000 year experiment has produced undesirable results, and it's time to close up shop.
Nine brief examples of the power of metaphor and story...
Nine Brief Examples of the Power of Metaphor and Story | Archdiocese of WashingtonPOPE: Words, while a precious human capacity, also get in the way of reality. But how can we live without them? At some level we must allow for a deeper level of language to help us in sorting out reality. Something that helps us to form a mental picture. And for this, since words are often a necessary mediator, we turn to metaphors, and stories.
A metaphor is a figure of speech in which an implied comparison is made between two unlike things that actually have something in common. A metaphor expresses the unfamiliar, in terms of the familiar.
A metaphor is a figure of speech in which an implied comparison is made between two unlike things that actually have something in common. A metaphor expresses the unfamiliar, in terms of the familiar.
Analysis: The Vatican's 'Next Generation' PR maneuver
Analysis: The Vatican's 'Next Generation' PR maneuver | National Catholic ReporterALLEN: In the original "Star Trek," Capt. James T. Kirk was both the brilliant tactician and the swashbuckling ladies' man. When "Star Trek: The Next Generation" rolled around, Kirk's character was split in half, with Capt. Jean-Luc Picard as the brains and First Officer Will Riker as the brawn.
In effect, the Vatican has now unveiled a "Next Generation" strategy to address its perceived PR woes.
During the John Paul years, the Vatican had its Kirk on the communications front, someone who combined both external visibility and insider clout. Spanish layman Joaquin Navarro-Valls was a power broker in his own right, with a place at the table when decisions were made and the public face of the institution, second only in terms of visibility to the pope himself.
Under Benedict XVI, the Vatican has limped by on half that formula. Jesuit Fr. Federico Lombardi, the current spokesperson, is endlessly accessible and visible, but he lacks the insider muscle wielded by Navarro-Valls.
In effect, the Vatican has now unveiled a "Next Generation" strategy to address its perceived PR woes.
During the John Paul years, the Vatican had its Kirk on the communications front, someone who combined both external visibility and insider clout. Spanish layman Joaquin Navarro-Valls was a power broker in his own right, with a place at the table when decisions were made and the public face of the institution, second only in terms of visibility to the pope himself.
Under Benedict XVI, the Vatican has limped by on half that formula. Jesuit Fr. Federico Lombardi, the current spokesperson, is endlessly accessible and visible, but he lacks the insider muscle wielded by Navarro-Valls.
What the experts don't tell you about becoming a parent...
just showing up: What the experts don't tell youHELDT: Becoming a parent for the first time is intimidating.� I can remember the jumble of emotions as if it were yesterday, even though it was nine years ago when we discovered, on our first wedding anniversary, that our first baby was on the way.
From the moment the test read positive, I was thrilled.� Elated.� Over-the-moon in love with the precious soul now inhabiting my womb.� I had no first-hand experience with motherhood, but I knew I loved this little being with everything that was in me.� Something profound had happened, and was continuing to happen, and even though I knew parenting would be hard, I believed it would be beautiful too.
From the moment the test read positive, I was thrilled.� Elated.� Over-the-moon in love with the precious soul now inhabiting my womb.� I had no first-hand experience with motherhood, but I knew I loved this little being with everything that was in me.� Something profound had happened, and was continuing to happen, and even though I knew parenting would be hard, I believed it would be beautiful too.
Video: On August 5, 2012, Curiosity will plunge into the Martian atmosphere, and 'seven minutes of terror' will begin...
Challenges of Getting to Mars: Curiosity's Seven Minutes of Terror - YouTube: Team members share the challenges of Curiosity's final minutes to landing on the surface of Mars.
Without warning, Facebook just switched your listed email address to one ending in @facebook.com. Here's how to change it back...
How to reverse Facebook's decision to force its email on you | DVICE: In a move to boost usage of the email that nobody apparently wants, Facebook just went ahead and made the "@facebook" email the default on your profile. Say, what? Yeah, Facebook just changed your default email without notifying you.
Pope Benedict announces series of new curial appointments
Pope Announces Series of New Curial Appointments |Blogs | NCRegister.com: In the first of a number of senior Vatican appointments expected this summer, Pope Benedict XVI has nominated American Archbishop Augustine Di Noia as vice president of the commission charged with helping to bring the Society of St. Pius X back into full communion with Rome.
The Vatican announced today that the 68 year-old Dominican archbishop will become vice president of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei, and that his current position, as Secretary to the Congregation for Divine Worship, will be filled by Bishop Arthur Roche of Leeds, England. Bishop Roche will be raised to the rank of archbishop.
The Vatican announced today that the 68 year-old Dominican archbishop will become vice president of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei, and that his current position, as Secretary to the Congregation for Divine Worship, will be filled by Bishop Arthur Roche of Leeds, England. Bishop Roche will be raised to the rank of archbishop.
Monday, June 25, 2012
Can you be good without God?
Can You be Good Without God?LONGENECKER: Atheists like to tell us that they can be “good without God.”
What they rarely do is define what they mean by “good”. If they mean they can have good manners, do volunteer work, give to worthy causes to make the world a better place, then of course they can be “good without God.” If they mean they can be sophisticated people of good taste with fine connections in the world and a place at high table, of course they can be “good without God.” If they mean they can be noble souls who endure suffering in a dignified silence, weep at moments of tragic romance, gasp with delight at the finest art and the beauties of nature, of course they can be “good without God.” If they mean they can love family and friends and country and be loyal and kind and gentle and feel the sweep of fine feelings within their heart, of course they can be “good without God.” Can they feel themselves to be good and have high self esteem and deem themselves upright and worthy individuals? Then they can indeed by “good without God.” Geesh, not only can they be good but at least one atheist feels able to write his own Bible. Go here.
What they rarely do is define what they mean by “good”. If they mean they can have good manners, do volunteer work, give to worthy causes to make the world a better place, then of course they can be “good without God.” If they mean they can be sophisticated people of good taste with fine connections in the world and a place at high table, of course they can be “good without God.” If they mean they can be noble souls who endure suffering in a dignified silence, weep at moments of tragic romance, gasp with delight at the finest art and the beauties of nature, of course they can be “good without God.” If they mean they can love family and friends and country and be loyal and kind and gentle and feel the sweep of fine feelings within their heart, of course they can be “good without God.” Can they feel themselves to be good and have high self esteem and deem themselves upright and worthy individuals? Then they can indeed by “good without God.” Geesh, not only can they be good but at least one atheist feels able to write his own Bible. Go here.
Five ways to shush the church chatter...
Truth & CharitySCIBA: We’ve all been there before; churchgoers in a nearby pew chatting it up during Mass.� Their conversation can be heard by all those around unless they whisper, which we all know rarely happens.� Regardless, on the off-chance they speak in low-tones, rest assured that they’re doing it just to annoy you.
What is a Catholic to do?� I’ve seen priests glare down parishioners and say, suspending their own homily, “Yoo-hoo! [yes, he said 'yoo-hoo']� Hello?� Yes, you.� It’s my turn to talk.”� I’ve heard them work a correction into a homily (… it’s fair to suppose the Judas was the only Apostle to interrupt Jesus while he spoke…), hurling lightning bolts of public guilt toward anyone who dared steal the attention from the clergy.� The rest of us were silently fist-pumping in our pews.
What is a Catholic to do?� I’ve seen priests glare down parishioners and say, suspending their own homily, “Yoo-hoo! [yes, he said 'yoo-hoo']� Hello?� Yes, you.� It’s my turn to talk.”� I’ve heard them work a correction into a homily (… it’s fair to suppose the Judas was the only Apostle to interrupt Jesus while he spoke…), hurling lightning bolts of public guilt toward anyone who dared steal the attention from the clergy.� The rest of us were silently fist-pumping in our pews.
Without freedom no one's got a prayer...
Without Freedom No One’s Got a Prayer - Kathryn Jean Lopez - National Review OnlineLOPEZ: The warmth with which four elderly Catholic nuns have been greeted on their bus tour protesting Representative Paul Ryan’s budget is a great breeze of encouragement on the eve of the bishops’ designated Fortnight for Freedom. The sisters and I may have prudential disagreements on the young Catholic congressman’s plan, but what a blessed country we live in when our arguments are about how best to care for the least among us.
Dying for love, “wonderful love that grew more and more…”
Dying for love, “wonderful love that grew more and more…”SCALIA: God’s complex ideas, when they are introduced to our personal lives, often seem like actions working “against all sense” because that’s what they are; they are meant to move us out of the idolatry of our own ideas, our own reasonings, our own minds, and enter us into his ideas, his reasonings, his mind. If we consent to it, then we are admitted into the staggering sweetness of his enraptured love for us, where the only real price is trust.
The world will never understand it, or appreciate the value of that trust — it cannot understand because it has not consented to that same all-loving capture; it is too afraid of the ransom.
The world will never understand it, or appreciate the value of that trust — it cannot understand because it has not consented to that same all-loving capture; it is too afraid of the ransom.
As iron sharpens iron, we can help perfect each other...
As Iron Sharpens Iron | The Catholic WifeKATIESCIBA: I was late for Mass yesterday morning. Andrew and I were forced to divide and conquer our Sunday obligation and so I dashed out the door (after tripping our house alarm) and slipped into a back pew just two minutes into the 8 o’ clock. Not far behind me was a girl about my age, who stepped into the same pew, and we exchanged a quick smile before assuming liturgical reverence.
“Little Volcanoes”: An Interview with Amy Welborn
“Little Volcanoes”: An Interview with Amy Welborn: Michael Dubruiel, a popular Catholic author and speaker, died of a heart attack on February 2, 2009—only months after he and his wife, Amy Welborn, had relocated to Birmingham Alabama. In her new memoir, Wish You Were Here: Travels Through Loss and Hope, Welborn chronicles her somewhat spontaneous trip to Sicily with their young sons and teenage daughter in the aftermath of her husband’s sudden passing. A poignant meditation on grief and faith, the book is also filled with vivid descriptions of the culture and beauty of Sicily.
Welborn has long enjoyed a substantial following through her previous publications—nineteen books in all—and her online writing. Wish You Were Here is a uniquely personal and deeply moving portrait of her own family life, one with appeal to a wide variety of readers. We were fortunate to talk with Amy more about how the book came to be and how her family looks back on that time in their lives.
Welborn has long enjoyed a substantial following through her previous publications—nineteen books in all—and her online writing. Wish You Were Here is a uniquely personal and deeply moving portrait of her own family life, one with appeal to a wide variety of readers. We were fortunate to talk with Amy more about how the book came to be and how her family looks back on that time in their lives.
Do you own the space above your house?
Do You Own The Space Above Your House? - Mental Floss: Cuius est solum, eius est usque ad coelum et ad inferos means “whoever owns the soil, it is theirs up to Heaven and down to Hell.”� This property right principle asserts that a person who owns a particular piece of land owns everything directly above and below that piece of land, no matter the distance, and can prosecute trespassers who violate their border on the surface, underground and in the sky. But has that held up in court over the years?
Rare father and son priest ordination set for this Saturday
Rare father and son priest ordination set for this SaturdayKANDRA: I got the following e-mail press release today from the Anglican Ordinariate’s Susan Gibbs, and there’s at least one compelling detail worth noting: 'Six former Episcopal priests from the Fort Worth area, including a father and son, will become part of history when they are ordained Catholic priests together on June 30.' Remarkable? I think so. Keep all these men and their families in your prayers. You can find out more about doings in the Anglican Ordinariate at its website: the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter.
U.S. bishops greet Supreme Court decision on immigration with a mix of hope and caution...
Bishops Greet Supreme Court Decision on Immigration with Hope, Caution: The U.S. bishops greeted with hope and caution the June 25 Supreme Court decision to strike down provisions of an Arizona immigration law that would have allowed warrantless arrests of people suspected of an offense that is deportable, that would have made it a crime to seek work in the state and that would have made undocumented presence a state crime.
The bishops found hope in the decision in Arizona vs. United States and said it reflects the bishops' call for humane and just immigration laws and concern for laws that could tear families apart. Their caution lay in the lifting of an injunction against immigrants having to show papers in some circumstances.
The bishops had filed a friend of the court brief in the case.
The bishops found hope in the decision in Arizona vs. United States and said it reflects the bishops' call for humane and just immigration laws and concern for laws that could tear families apart. Their caution lay in the lifting of an injunction against immigrants having to show papers in some circumstances.
The bishops had filed a friend of the court brief in the case.
Greg Burke talks to CNA about his new job as Vatican media adviser...
Fox News' Greg Burke hailed as new Vatican media adviser :: Catholic News Agency (CNA): Fox News Rome correspondent and former National Catholic Register journalist Greg Burke has been praised as the ideal choice for the Vatican's new media adviser post.
“It's an incredible challenge,” Burke told CNA on June 24. “I didn't want to leave the job at Fox, which has been a wonderful gig.”
“But I think if I didn't take it, I would always be wondering if I could have made a difference,” he said. “I guess now I'll get to find out.”
Burke's newly created position requires him to assist the Vatican with communications issues between the Holy See press office, other Vatican communications departments and the Secretariat of State.
“It's an incredible challenge,” Burke told CNA on June 24. “I didn't want to leave the job at Fox, which has been a wonderful gig.”
“But I think if I didn't take it, I would always be wondering if I could have made a difference,” he said. “I guess now I'll get to find out.”
Burke's newly created position requires him to assist the Vatican with communications issues between the Holy See press office, other Vatican communications departments and the Secretariat of State.
Pope Benedict meets with the Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta
Pope meets with Grand Master of the Order of Malta: On Monday morning, Benedict XVI welcomed the prince and grand master of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, Fra' Matthew Festing.
The 79th Prince and Grand Master, greeted the Pope at the Vatican along with other high ranking members of the Order.
The meeting between the two took place just a day after the Catholic Church celebrated the birthday of St. John the Baptist, who is the patron saint of the Order of Malta.
The 79th Prince and Grand Master, greeted the Pope at the Vatican along with other high ranking members of the Order.
The meeting between the two took place just a day after the Catholic Church celebrated the birthday of St. John the Baptist, who is the patron saint of the Order of Malta.
Single Catholic guys: There are thousands of lovely, faithful Catholic women waiting for you to court them. But you're doing it all wrong. Consider this your wakeup call...
Single Catholic Guys: Wake Up! | St. Joseph's VanguardDEVINROSE: It’s never been a better time to be a single Catholic guy.
Why? Because there are thousands of lovely, faithful young Catholic women waiting for you to step up to the plate and court them!
Yet many Catholic guys are unsure about themselves, uncertain, dithering, wavering, vicissitudening. Stop it! In Christ, with the power of the Holy Spirit, you can change this and face your fears, be courageous, bold, and manly. It’s not about being a boor, or having enormous muscles (though it wouldn’t hurt to go work out), or swaggering around like you’re Tom Cruise after a Scientology retreat. It’s about being yourself and living up to who God made you to be.
Why? Because there are thousands of lovely, faithful young Catholic women waiting for you to step up to the plate and court them!
Yet many Catholic guys are unsure about themselves, uncertain, dithering, wavering, vicissitudening. Stop it! In Christ, with the power of the Holy Spirit, you can change this and face your fears, be courageous, bold, and manly. It’s not about being a boor, or having enormous muscles (though it wouldn’t hurt to go work out), or swaggering around like you’re Tom Cruise after a Scientology retreat. It’s about being yourself and living up to who God made you to be.
50 really creative billboards from around the world...
50 Really Creative Billboards: Last week’s post on creative floor stcikers was well received, so I thought I’d do a follow-up post on really funny and creative billboards. I spent last night going through hundreds of examples and there’s a ton of really impressive work! As a former ad agency employee, I always have fun doing these kind of compilation posts. Here are 50 clever, funny and creative billboards for your enjoyment and inspiration.
For a really great archive and resource of advertisements (of all mediums), I highly recommend Ads of the World. They do a fantastic job of cataloguing ads and are a great source for inspiration.
For a really great archive and resource of advertisements (of all mediums), I highly recommend Ads of the World. They do a fantastic job of cataloguing ads and are a great source for inspiration.
Pearl Buck and the importance of a father's love
Pearl S. Buck and the Importance of a Father’s LoveSCHIFFER: Pearl Sydenstricker Buck was an American writer born of missionary parents. She was born on June 26, 1892, and until 1934 she lived mainly in China, where she was also called by her Chinese name Sai Zhenzhu. Buck was passionate about social issues ranging from women’s rights to adoption, and especially to the plight of babies of Asian women left behind when American soldiers returned to the U.S. following their tour of duty. In 1949 she established Welcome House, Inc.—the first international, interracial adoption agency. In 1964, Buck established the Pearl S. Buck Foundation, created to address the problem of poverty and discrimination faced by children in Asian countries. In 1965, she dedicated the Opportunity Center and Orphanage in South Korea; the center later expanded to the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.
Concerning the obsession for photos at liturgies...
Concerning the obsession for photos at Liturgies – A Consideration of a Liturgical and Pastoral Problem | Archdiocese of WashingtonPOPE: Consider the scene. The Bishop has taken his place at the entrance to the sanctuary. He is prepared to confirm some twenty children. It is a sacred moment, a Sacrament is to be conferred. The parents are in deep prayer thanking the Holy Spirit who is about to confirm their children for mission….. Oops, they are not!
Actually, they are fumbling with their cell phone cameras. Some are scrambling up the side aisle to “get the shot.” Others are holding the “phone” up in the air to get the blurry, crooked shot. The tussling continues in the side aisle as parents muscle to get in place for “the shot.” If “the shot” is gotten, success! If not, “woe is me.” Never mind that a sacrament has actually been offered and received, the point was “the shot,” the “photo-op.”
Actually, they are fumbling with their cell phone cameras. Some are scrambling up the side aisle to “get the shot.” Others are holding the “phone” up in the air to get the blurry, crooked shot. The tussling continues in the side aisle as parents muscle to get in place for “the shot.” If “the shot” is gotten, success! If not, “woe is me.” Never mind that a sacrament has actually been offered and received, the point was “the shot,” the “photo-op.”
Many Church leaders want to focus catechesis on the very young. This is a serious mistake, says one expert: it will be the adults who decide the success or failure of the upcoming Year of Faith...
Religious Illiteracy. The First to Send Back to School Are the AdultsMAGISTER: The Year of Faith conceived and proclaimed by Benedict XVI is drawing near.
It will begin next October 11. Fifty years after the opening of Vatican Council II and twenty years after the publication of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which for Benedict XVI is the most important document produced so far in order to realize the first objective of the Council: that of reviving the faith.
For pope Joseph Ratzinger, in fact, the extinguishing of the faith even in many countries of ancient Christian tradition is the greatest difficulty that the Church is going through today.
In the eastern regions of his Germany, those who do not believe in any religion are now in the majority. And also in the Czech Republic. While in Ireland, a steep decline is underway that is comparable only to the one already experienced by Quebec, which in a very few years went from being an extremely Catholic region to a largely dechristianized area.
It will begin next October 11. Fifty years after the opening of Vatican Council II and twenty years after the publication of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which for Benedict XVI is the most important document produced so far in order to realize the first objective of the Council: that of reviving the faith.
For pope Joseph Ratzinger, in fact, the extinguishing of the faith even in many countries of ancient Christian tradition is the greatest difficulty that the Church is going through today.
In the eastern regions of his Germany, those who do not believe in any religion are now in the majority. And also in the Czech Republic. While in Ireland, a steep decline is underway that is comparable only to the one already experienced by Quebec, which in a very few years went from being an extremely Catholic region to a largely dechristianized area.
Salvation: Past, Present, and Future
The Sacred Page: Salvation - Past, Present, and FutureBARBER: A few weeks back I did a podcast on the biblical understanding of salvation: "TSP 21: What does it mean to be saved? What is the role of works in salvation?". There I highlighted the fact the New Testament describes salvation as something more than just a past event--it has present and future dimensions as well.
One of my former students, Nate Sjogren, a graphic design wiz who posts on the website, All You Can Eat Catholics, came up with a helpful graphic to illustrate this.
One of my former students, Nate Sjogren, a graphic design wiz who posts on the website, All You Can Eat Catholics, came up with a helpful graphic to illustrate this.
Mark your calendars: Supreme Court to issue Obamacare ruling at 10am ET Thursday...
Supreme Court to rule Thursday on health care - CNN.com: The U.S. Supreme Court will rule Thursday on the constitutionality of the sweeping health care law championed by President Barack Obama.
The high court announced a series of other decisions on Monday, but not the most anticipated one. It announced that all remaining rulings for the year will come in three days.
The stakes cannot be overstated -- what the justices decide will have an immediate and long-term impact on all Americans, both in how they get medicine and health care, and also in vast, yet unknown areas of "commerce."
The high court announced a series of other decisions on Monday, but not the most anticipated one. It announced that all remaining rulings for the year will come in three days.
The stakes cannot be overstated -- what the justices decide will have an immediate and long-term impact on all Americans, both in how they get medicine and health care, and also in vast, yet unknown areas of "commerce."
Roman jewelry found in ancient Japanese tomb
Roman jewellery found in ancient Japan tomb - Yahoo! News: Glass jewellery believed to have been made by Roman craftsmen has been found in an ancient tomb in Japan, researchers said Friday, in a sign the empire's influence may have reached the edge of Asia.
Tests have revealed three glass beads discovered in the Fifth Century "Utsukushi" burial mound in Nagaoka, near Kyoto, were probably made some time between the first and the fourth century, the Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties said.
The government-backed institute has recently finished analysing components of the glass beads, measuring five millimetres (0.2 inches) in diametre, with tiny fragments of gilt attached.
Tests have revealed three glass beads discovered in the Fifth Century "Utsukushi" burial mound in Nagaoka, near Kyoto, were probably made some time between the first and the fourth century, the Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties said.
The government-backed institute has recently finished analysing components of the glass beads, measuring five millimetres (0.2 inches) in diametre, with tiny fragments of gilt attached.
When Cherie Blair says that having a working mother is better for children, and makes them more independent and self-confident, she is talking the most ineffable drivel...
Cherie Blair says it’s ‘dangerous’ for women to stay at home to look after their children, who benefit if their mother works. But the evidence says not | CatholicHerald.co.ukODDIE: Well, Cherie Blair has sounded off again, in her usual arrogant Left-wing elitist manner: this time giving us an almost archetypal specimen of feminist hostility to traditional marriage. It is also another specimen of hostility to what the Church thinks about marriage, and thus of her own very odd brand of secularised Catholicism-lite (she and her husband, of course, are notoriously great pals of Hans Küng).
Last week, at an international conference of “most powerful women”, organised by Fortune magazine, she explained that mothers who gave up work in order to concentrate on bringing up their children were making “a dangerous mistake”.
Last week, at an international conference of “most powerful women”, organised by Fortune magazine, she explained that mothers who gave up work in order to concentrate on bringing up their children were making “a dangerous mistake”.
Vatican releases new guidelines for promoting vocations to the priesthood...
Vatican releases guidelines on promoting vocations | CatholicHerald.co.uk: In an effort to respond to a “clear and pressing” need for priests, the Vatican has released a set of guidelines to help bishops and Church communities promote, recruit and educate a new generation of men for the priesthood.
The Church needs “suitable” candidates and must avoid men who “show signs of being profoundly fragile personalities”, while helping others heal from any possible “individual deviations” from their vocations, the document said.
“The witness of Christian communities giving account of the faith that is in them becomes even more necessary,” because it’s a community of believers committed to passing on God’s love that “prepares the Lord’s call that invites people to consecration and mission,” it said.
The Church needs “suitable” candidates and must avoid men who “show signs of being profoundly fragile personalities”, while helping others heal from any possible “individual deviations” from their vocations, the document said.
“The witness of Christian communities giving account of the faith that is in them becomes even more necessary,” because it’s a community of believers committed to passing on God’s love that “prepares the Lord’s call that invites people to consecration and mission,” it said.
Reductionism, Ridicule and Red Herrings
Reductionism, Ridicule and Red HerringsLONGENECKER: I usually avoid reading the atheists because I find (not surprisingly) that they don’t have much to say. Not believing in anything gives one precious little to write about. All that is left is to attack what other people believe in. The atheists are rather like the ultimate Protestant. What belief they have is derived from the thing they hate, and with the atheists it is even worse: they have no belief, so nothing left but a constant sophomoric rant against the big bad one: Catholicism.
Meditations on the Rosary: The Scourging at the Pillar
Meditations on the Rosary: The Scourging at the Pillar |Blogs | NCRegister.comSHEA: In the Rosary, we are invited to contemplate the reality of redemptive suffering in the mysterious Scripture that "with his stripes we are healed" (Isaiah 53:5). In our culture, that's supposed to be the same thing as saying, "We are invited to contemplate sick, masochistic weirdness." For our culture appears, at first glance, to have no place for redemptive suffering. It is, we are sure, a relic from the Dark Ages when the Church was obsessed with pain as being somehow meritorious. Today, we are assured, things are different.
Conversion is the scariest happy ending in the world...
Conversion: The Scariest Happy Ending in the World |Blogs | NCRegister.comFULWILER: As you've probably heard, last week the popular atheist blogger Leah Libresco announced that she no longer considers herself an atheist, and has begun the process to convert to Catholicism. Among the hundreds of responses she received were well wishes from fellow Catholic converts, many of them that included warnings about the difficulties that she will inevitably face -- not only in the process of conversion, but if and when she comes into communion with the Church as well. Calah Alexander spoke for many others when she wrote a moving post about the losses that inevitably come with conversion. And quoting Paul Johnson, Elizabeth Scalia quipped, "Come on in; it's awful!"
A historic first: Westminster Abbey Choir to sing alongside Sistine Chapel Choir in St. Peter's Basilica...
Ecumenism in action: Westminster Abbey in Rome - Nigel BakerBAKER: The development of the Anglican choral tradition is an essential element of Anglican patrimony. And an integral part of English culture. But it also links directly to the more ancient, Catholic roots of the Anglican tradition. By singing alongside the Sistine Chapel Choir, the two ensembles will explore their different traditions and development over the centuries. But they will also share what they have in common. It will be a live demonstration of the importance of culture as a bridge to cross historical divisions.
Sunday, June 24, 2012
Far from being a Catholic fable, Purgatory is rooted in the thought of the Apostle Paul himself...
“To Be Absent from the Body Is to be Present with the Lord”?AKIN: There is a common argument used against the idea of purgatory in some circles which goes like this: “St. Paul says that ‘to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord’ (2 Cor. 5:8). It’s that simple: If you’re a Christian and you aren’t in your body then you are with Jesus in heaven. There is no room for purgatory in St. Paul’s view. Purgatory is just a Catholic fable–a ‘man made tradition.’”
Is this true?
It turns out that if you examine what St. Paul really said, the whole argument is based on a misquotation. St. Paul said nothing of the kind.
Is this true?
It turns out that if you examine what St. Paul really said, the whole argument is based on a misquotation. St. Paul said nothing of the kind.
At the Catholic Media Conference, an all-star panel of Catholic bloggers: Coyne, Kandra, Palmo, Scalia...
The Catholic Review > The Welcome Matt: Audio of Catholic bloggers panel at Catholic Media Convention: Earlier today I had the honor of attending the Catholic bloggers panel at the 2012 Catholic Media Convention in Indianapolis.
Among those that appeared on the panel: Rocco Palmo (Whispers in the Loggia), Bishop Christopher Coyne, Deacon Greg Kandra (Deacon's Bench), Monsignor Paul Tighe and Elizabeth Scalia (The Anchoress). Each addressed the issues of Catholic blogging in the 21st century and how they play a role in it.
There are lots of good issues at play, including how they interact with traditional media, what they choose to write about and how they foster community online and in the Catholic Church. In terms of internet religious power players, it doesn't get much bigger or better than this. You can follow my tweets on the Catholic blogger panel and now listen to the panel as well. I'm sorry that it starts just a minute or so into Elizabeth Scalia's talk. Enjoy the panel, which is nearly an hour in length.
Among those that appeared on the panel: Rocco Palmo (Whispers in the Loggia), Bishop Christopher Coyne, Deacon Greg Kandra (Deacon's Bench), Monsignor Paul Tighe and Elizabeth Scalia (The Anchoress). Each addressed the issues of Catholic blogging in the 21st century and how they play a role in it.
There are lots of good issues at play, including how they interact with traditional media, what they choose to write about and how they foster community online and in the Catholic Church. In terms of internet religious power players, it doesn't get much bigger or better than this. You can follow my tweets on the Catholic blogger panel and now listen to the panel as well. I'm sorry that it starts just a minute or so into Elizabeth Scalia's talk. Enjoy the panel, which is nearly an hour in length.
Want to get away from it all? You can't do better than Point Nemo, the remotest spot in the seven seas...
Where is Point Nemo?: Want to get away from it all?
You can't do better than a point in the Pacific Ocean popularly known as 'Point Nemo,' named after the famous submarine sailor from Jules Verne's Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea.
This remote oceanic location is 2,688 kilometers from the nearest land—Ducie Island, part of the Pitcairn Islands, to the north; Motu Nui, one of the Easter Islands, to the northeast; and Maher Island, part of Antarctica, to the south.
You can't do better than a point in the Pacific Ocean popularly known as 'Point Nemo,' named after the famous submarine sailor from Jules Verne's Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea.
This remote oceanic location is 2,688 kilometers from the nearest land—Ducie Island, part of the Pitcairn Islands, to the north; Motu Nui, one of the Easter Islands, to the northeast; and Maher Island, part of Antarctica, to the south.
Before she was a New Yorker, she was French: Surreal old photos of the Statue of Liberty standing in Paris...
Old photos of the Statue of Liberty standing in Paris were extraordinarily surreal: In science fiction filmdom, the destruction of the Statue of Liberty is merely a sign that the carnage is chugging along at a steady tack. But reality provides some equally strange views of Lady Liberty, particularly when she was under construction in Paris during the mid-1880s. Here are some curious photographs of this iconic Statue in various states of disarray.
The Statue of Liberty was supposed to be a centennial gift from France to the United States, but funding difficulties waylaid the project for almost a decade.
The head and torch were completed long before the base and the rest of the body — these disembodied sculptures were put on display years prior, with the hand ending up at the Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition in 1876. Only after a decade of fundraising did construction accelerate. As the National Park Service explains:
The Statue of Liberty was supposed to be a centennial gift from France to the United States, but funding difficulties waylaid the project for almost a decade.
The head and torch were completed long before the base and the rest of the body — these disembodied sculptures were put on display years prior, with the hand ending up at the Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition in 1876. Only after a decade of fundraising did construction accelerate. As the National Park Service explains:
How your body beats the heat...
How your body beats the heat - The Washington Post: Why do those first hot days of the year feel so bad? Because our bodies' best methods of coping with heat haven’t been tested in three seasons. But if you’re slogging though your work or workout now, you are already starting the process of acclimatization, which will make you better able to withstand heat all summer. These changes can happen in as little as two weeks, according to Lawrence Armstrong, a bioenergetics expert who has studied heat’s effect on the body since 1982.
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