Render unto Google the things which are Google’s …MATTINGLY: First of all, let me state right up front that it is hard to do a news critique of a graphic device. I concede that point.
At the same time, I also know that Google is not, in and of itself, a news source.
Google is, of course, much more than a news source.
Google is one of the most powerful forces shaping culture and information in this digital age in which we live, read and think.
Google is a portal, a door and a gateway. If the editors at Google decide to shape our world, our reality, into some new form then dang it, it will be shaped into that new form. If the principalities and powers at Google decide that certain forms of information are more worthy, more valuable, more acceptable than others, then that perception will become search-engine reality. It’s kind of like that showdown between Apple’s iTunes overlords and the circle of religious conservatives that produced the Manhattan Declaration.
Sunday, March 31, 2013
The truth of the resurrection of the body is bound up with the question of justice
The Logic of the Resurrection | Catholic World Report - Global Church news and viewsSCHALL: The resurrection of the body is not primarily a question of logic. It is a question of fact, of witness. We do not begin from a philosophical theory to deduce the resurrection of the body. Rather we start from the fact of the resurrection of Christ. We ask whether it makes sense, whether it is “reasonable” in some basic manner. In this sense, philosophy follows fact, provided we can accept the facts of what is.�
Christ is Risen! Alleluia!
Christ is Risen! Alleluia! � Neal Obstat Theological OpiningNEAL: Every Easter I like to re-post this jubilant middle eastern outpouring of flash-mob Paschal joy in Arabic and Greek. This is the text they sing: Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and upon those in the tombs bestowing life!
He who obeys God conscientiously, and lives holily, forces all about him to believe and tremble before the unseen power of Christ
The Few Witnesses to the ResurrectionNEWMAN: It might have been expected, that, on our Saviour’s rising again from the dead, He would have shown Himself to very great numbers of people, and especially to those who crucified Him; whereas we know from the history, that, far from this being the case, He showed Himself only to chosen witnesses, chiefly His immediate followers; and St. Peter avows this in the text.
This seems at first sight strange. We are apt to fancy the resurrection of Christ as some striking visible display of His glory, such as God vouchsafed from time to time to the Israelites in Moses’ day; and considering it in the light of a public triumph, we are led to imagine the confusion and terror which would have overwhelmed His murderers, had He presented Himself alive before them.
This seems at first sight strange. We are apt to fancy the resurrection of Christ as some striking visible display of His glory, such as God vouchsafed from time to time to the Israelites in Moses’ day; and considering it in the light of a public triumph, we are led to imagine the confusion and terror which would have overwhelmed His murderers, had He presented Himself alive before them.
The Resurrection of Jesus is the crowning truth of our faith in Christ
Veritas Lux MeaGELDART: The Season of Lent and the celebration of the Easter Triduum, leading up to the Easter Vigil, are important observances for us as Catholics. But we can sometimes fall into the trap of thinking that they are simply commemorations of historical events that transpired 2,000 years ago. They are so much more than that...and they can be powerfully effective in our lives.
Consider the Season of Lent. Through this observance, we are called to remember and draw strength from the strength of our Lord Jesus who overcame His temptations. But when we think how many times we fail in our Lenten commitments, rather than give in we should allow ourselves to be reminded that we are not strong enough to fight against the world, the flesh, and the devil alone. No! We can only overcome insofar as we are strengthened by the power of God’s grace. We should also learn that when we fall, God the Good Father in all His graciousness is there to pick us up, to forgive us, and to set us on our way again.
Consider the Season of Lent. Through this observance, we are called to remember and draw strength from the strength of our Lord Jesus who overcame His temptations. But when we think how many times we fail in our Lenten commitments, rather than give in we should allow ourselves to be reminded that we are not strong enough to fight against the world, the flesh, and the devil alone. No! We can only overcome insofar as we are strengthened by the power of God’s grace. We should also learn that when we fall, God the Good Father in all His graciousness is there to pick us up, to forgive us, and to set us on our way again.
8 things you need to know about Easter Sunday
8 things you need to know about Easter Sunday |Blogs | NCRegister.comAKIN: The great day is finally here: Easter, the most important day of the Christian calendar. More important even than Christmas.
What happened on this day?
Was Jesus' resurrection a real, historical event?
How does the Church celebrate this day?
Is Easter a pagan holiday?
Here are 8 things you need to know.
What happened on this day?
Was Jesus' resurrection a real, historical event?
How does the Church celebrate this day?
Is Easter a pagan holiday?
Here are 8 things you need to know.
"Happy Easter! Happy Easter! What a joy it is for me to announce this message: Christ is risen!"
Whispers in the Loggia: "The Mercy of God Always Triumphs!": Dear brothers and sisters, Christ died and rose once for all, and for everyone, but the power of the Resurrection, this passover from slavery to evil to the freedom of goodness, must be accomplished in every age, in our concrete existence, in our everyday lives. How many deserts, even today, do human beings need to cross! Above all, the desert within, when we have no love for God or neighbour, when we fail to realize that we are guardians of all that the Creator has given us and continues to give us. God’s mercy can make even the driest land become a garden, can restore life to dry bones (cf. Ez 37:1-14).
10 things you need to know today: March 31, 2013
10 things you need to know today: March 31, 2013 - The Week: Texas' district attorney is killed, Gabby Giffords' husband argues for mental health checks for gun purchases, and more in our roundup of stories that are making news and driving opinion
Saturday, March 30, 2013
Full text of the Holy Father's Easter Vigil homily
Whispers in the Loggia: H�c Nox Est....: In the Gospel of this radiant night of the Easter Vigil, we first meet the women who go the tomb of Jesus with spices to anoint his body (cf. Lk 24:1-3). They go to perform an act of compassion, a traditional act of affection and love for a dear departed person, just as we would. They had followed Jesus, they had listened to his words, they had felt understood by him in their dignity and they had accompanied him to the very end, to Calvary and to the moment when he was taken down from the cross. We can imagine their feelings as they make their way to the tomb: a certain sadness, sorrow that Jesus had left them, he had died, his life had come to an end. Life would now go on as before. Yet the women continued to feel love, the love for Jesus which now led them to his tomb.
"Let the risen Jesus enter your life": Pope Francis celebrates Easter Vigil Mass at St. Peter's Basilica
Welcome Jesus as a friend, Pope encourages at Easter Vigil :: Catholic News Agency (CNA): Pope Francis called on Christians to let the risen Jesus enter their lives and to welcome him with trust as a friend during the Church's most holy night of the year.
“If up until now you have kept him at a distance, step forward...he will receive you with open arms,” Pope Francis said at Saint Peter's Basilica during the Easter Vigil Mass.
“If you have been indifferent, take a risk, you won’t be disappointed,” he told thousands gathered at the Vatican on March 30.
“If up until now you have kept him at a distance, step forward...he will receive you with open arms,” Pope Francis said at Saint Peter's Basilica during the Easter Vigil Mass.
“If you have been indifferent, take a risk, you won’t be disappointed,” he told thousands gathered at the Vatican on March 30.
The power of simplicity and authenticity
The Power of Simplicity and AuthenticityLONGENECKER: Why am I a Christian today? Why am I a Catholic today? It is because of the witness of authenticity. Put very simply–I am a Christian today because of the lived witness of my parents and I am a Catholic today because of the lived witness of two remarkable women–a mother and daughter.
I am a Christian today because my father and mother lived out their Christian faith. They did so with honesty, integrity, compassion, generosity, sincerity and love. Of course they were not perfect, but they were consistent. They acted on their faith without showing off–with trust and open-ness of heart and home. I am a Catholic today because of a similar witness of a woman called June Reynolds and her daughter–a Poor Clare nun named Sister Mary Lucy. They exhibited a similar simplicity, honesty, good humor, intelligence and reality.
I am a Christian today because my father and mother lived out their Christian faith. They did so with honesty, integrity, compassion, generosity, sincerity and love. Of course they were not perfect, but they were consistent. They acted on their faith without showing off–with trust and open-ness of heart and home. I am a Catholic today because of a similar witness of a woman called June Reynolds and her daughter–a Poor Clare nun named Sister Mary Lucy. They exhibited a similar simplicity, honesty, good humor, intelligence and reality.
4-billion-pixel panorama from Curiosity Rover brings Mars to your computer screen
4-Billion-Pixel Panorama From Curiosity Rover Brings Mars to Your Computer Screen | Wired Science | Wired.com: Sweep your gaze around Gale Crater on Mars, where NASA’s Curiosity rover is currently exploring, with this 4-billion-pixel panorama stitched together from 295 images. After several technical glitches shut down operations for a while, Curiosity resumed its science investigations earlier this week. Before the shutdown, the rover had been hard at work drilling into the Martian surface and discovering excellent evidence that the planet was once a place that could have hosted life. Though the probe is back up and running, it will be ceasing operations for a while beginning in April, when Earth and Mars are on opposite sides of the sun, which can mess with communications.
Video: Pray along with this ancient homily on Holy Saturday
New Advent: An ancient homily on Holy Saturday: A reading of the ancient homily on Holy Saturday found in the Office of Readings for Holy Saturday. The homily synthesizes and proclaims the salvific action of Jesus at the end of Holy Week through a dramatic imagining of what Christians call "The Harrowing of Hell," in which all who had believed in God's saving promises before the time of Christ were liberated by Christ himself.
Our Lord entered Jerusalem to battle more than a human enemy
New Advent: Our Lord entered Jerusalem to battle more than a human enemyRUTLER: There is a moral difference between sight and perception, just as there is between height and stature. Someone with 20/20 vision may be blind to reality, and a very tall man may be a moral midget. There is also a difference between clock time, which measures days, and moral time which measures destiny. When Christ said, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified”, He was not looking at an hour glass but at the Cross. That is why he prayed, “Yet what should I say? ‘Father save me from this hour’? But it was for this purpose that I came to this hour”.
Do you hear what I hear? It sounds like a call for conversion...
Do You Hear What I Hear? - Kathryn Jean Lopez - National Review OnlineLOPEZ: Too often, particularly when we cover politics, our cynicism, our practicality, and our desire for concise, yes-or-no sound-bite answers keep us from acknowledging the depth and the reality of the supernatural in our daily lives. I often replay in my head a Meet the Press segment that captured our secularist mindset perfectly: The host insisted that religion is meant to be but a “safe harbor” in times of trial. Actually, it calls us to new life; to lives fully ordered to the eternal and capable of seeing beyond what the world — and our schedules — seem to value most.
The prophecies of Maria Divine Mercy are clearly false, and here's why...
New Advent: A closer look at the false prophecies of Maria Divine MercyMARKMIRAVALLE: The single greatest danger present in this false message, in my opinion, is the alleged justification for Catholics to place an individual false revelation over the God-given authority of the present Pope as the Vicar of Christ on earth.
Ironically, the alleged message predicts an upcoming schism in the Church. This could well become a self-fulfilling prophecy, a Satanic goal and strategy, which could result, in some part, from the following of extremely dangerous and materially schismatic messages such as those promulgated by “Maria Divine Mercy.”
Ironically, the alleged message predicts an upcoming schism in the Church. This could well become a self-fulfilling prophecy, a Satanic goal and strategy, which could result, in some part, from the following of extremely dangerous and materially schismatic messages such as those promulgated by “Maria Divine Mercy.”
10 things you need to know today: March 30, 2013
10 things you need to know today: March 30, 2013 - The Week: North Korea issues more threats, the Vatican defends the pope's feet-washing, and more in our roundup of stories that are making news and driving opinion
12 things you need to know about Holy Saturday
12 things you need to know about Holy Saturday |Blogs | NCRegister.comAKIN: Every time we say the creed, we note that Jesus "descended into hell."
Holy Saturday is the day that commemorates this event.
What happened on this day, and how do we celebrate it?
What happened to Jesus while He was dead? Are the sacraments celebrated? What is the Easter Vigil? When should Easter Vigil be celebrated? What is the Easter Proclamation?
Holy Saturday is the day that commemorates this event.
What happened on this day, and how do we celebrate it?
What happened to Jesus while He was dead? Are the sacraments celebrated? What is the Easter Vigil? When should Easter Vigil be celebrated? What is the Easter Proclamation?
Friday, March 29, 2013
Thousands pray Way of the Cross with Pope Francis at Roman Colosseum
Thousands pray Way of the Cross with Pope :: Catholic News Agency (CNA): Pope Francis presided over the Way of the Cross at the place where early Christians were martyred, recalling the Passion of Christ.
“Christians must respond to evil with good, taking the Cross upon themselves as Jesus did,” the Pope said at Rome’s Coliseum on March 29.
“One word should suffice this evening, that is the Cross itself,” he said. “The Cross is the word through which God has responded to evil in the world.”
Thousands gathered at the Coliseum, holding candles while the 14 stations of the cross were recalled. The Coliseum was lit up with torches and a giant cross stood at the main entrance lit up by several small torches.
“Christians must respond to evil with good, taking the Cross upon themselves as Jesus did,” the Pope said at Rome’s Coliseum on March 29.
“One word should suffice this evening, that is the Cross itself,” he said. “The Cross is the word through which God has responded to evil in the world.”
Thousands gathered at the Coliseum, holding candles while the 14 stations of the cross were recalled. The Coliseum was lit up with torches and a giant cross stood at the main entrance lit up by several small torches.
The 25 least-visited countries in the world
Migrating Mania on Media, Tech and Travel: The 25 Least Visited Countries in the World: Are you up for going on that unique trip that almost no one has done before you? The problem might just be finding the right destination. The least visited country in the world may not be the one you would think.
I am currently conducting research through visits to all 198 countries of the world. The reason? To figure out where I eventually want to go on proper holiday. I have been to 190 countries so far and I often wondered which countries are the very least visited ones. Remoteness, visa regulations, governments, available travel information and how many visitors I see on my travels give me a certain idea, but what do the statistics say? If they even exist. And where can I find such official statistics?
I am currently conducting research through visits to all 198 countries of the world. The reason? To figure out where I eventually want to go on proper holiday. I have been to 190 countries so far and I often wondered which countries are the very least visited ones. Remoteness, visa regulations, governments, available travel information and how many visitors I see on my travels give me a certain idea, but what do the statistics say? If they even exist. And where can I find such official statistics?
Why is Pope Francis doing the things he's doing? Because we are not succeeding in evangelizing, and he knows it...
What is Pope Francis really saying? | Fr. Z's Blog (olim: What Does The Prayer Really Say?)ZUHLSDORF: Here is what I think Pope Francis is up to.
In this explanation I am not necessarily endorsing specific things that he is doing (washing the feet of females in a prison) or not doing (refusing the mozzetta, etc.).
I am trying to get at what I think Pope Francis is really up to.
Before liberals and traditionalists both have a spittle-flecked nutty, each for their own reasons, try to figure out what he is trying to do.
Firstly, we are not succeeding in evangelizing. �We are going backwards, globally. �Francis knows this. This has to be foremost in his mind. This fact was probably foremost in the considerations of the College of Cardinals. �How could it not be? �So, Francis is faced with the obligation to address the problem of evangelization.
In this explanation I am not necessarily endorsing specific things that he is doing (washing the feet of females in a prison) or not doing (refusing the mozzetta, etc.).
I am trying to get at what I think Pope Francis is really up to.
Before liberals and traditionalists both have a spittle-flecked nutty, each for their own reasons, try to figure out what he is trying to do.
Firstly, we are not succeeding in evangelizing. �We are going backwards, globally. �Francis knows this. This has to be foremost in his mind. This fact was probably foremost in the considerations of the College of Cardinals. �How could it not be? �So, Francis is faced with the obligation to address the problem of evangelization.
Common clothing stains and how to remove them
Common Clothing Stains and How to Remove Them | The Art of Manliness: Plop.
That’s the sound of BBQ sauce landing on your brand new blazer coat as you’re chowing down on some mouthwatering ribs.
Dadgummit. You need to wear that jacket to a business presentation at the end of the week. What to do?
From sliding into first base to finding a leaky pen in your pocket, everybody stains their clothing from time to time. But stains aren’t just common annoyances; if you can’t get them out, they can cut short the life of otherwise perfectly nice (and sometimes expensive) duds.
That’s the sound of BBQ sauce landing on your brand new blazer coat as you’re chowing down on some mouthwatering ribs.
Dadgummit. You need to wear that jacket to a business presentation at the end of the week. What to do?
From sliding into first base to finding a leaky pen in your pocket, everybody stains their clothing from time to time. But stains aren’t just common annoyances; if you can’t get them out, they can cut short the life of otherwise perfectly nice (and sometimes expensive) duds.
How to pray for people you can't pray for
Praying for People You Can't Pray For |Blogs | NCRegister.comFULWILER: A couple of years ago, a spiritual director gave me a hard assignment. I had just finished railing at him about someone with whom I was very angry. After marveling at the amazing odds that I, of all people, would just so happen to encounter the worst human being on the face of the planet, as well as rehashing the part of the story about my own innocence and the utterly unprovoked nature of the bad person's evildoing, I asked the priest how I should handle the situation. He thought for a moment, then replied, "You need to pray for this person." And he didn't mean just once: He was suggesting that I regularly keep this individual in my prayers.
7 ways Pope Francis is reforming the priesthood
Pope Francis and the Reform of the Priesthood | Daily News | NCRegister.comROGERLANDRY: If there were any doubt that Pope Francis was elected by the cardinals to lead the reform of the Vatican, he himself implied as much when he joked with journalists on March 16 that various cardinals had suggested he take the name “Adrian” after Adrian VI, a Pope who aggressively reformed the Church’s central administration after the beginning of the Protestant Reformation.
But the reform that man proposes is often just a small part of the renewal God disposes.
But the reform that man proposes is often just a small part of the renewal God disposes.
9 negative effects divorce has on children
9 negative effects divorce reportedly has on children - The Week: Divorce is hardly an exception anymore. In fact, with the rate of marriage steadily dipping over the past decade, and the divorce rate holding steady, you are likely to know more previously married couples than those who are legally bound. Accompanying this trend are multiple studies analyzing the effects that divorce has on children. And the results aren't good, even if the stigma of divorce has faded.
When Muslim convert Magdi Allam left the Church, he gave four interesting reasons
Is there a little Magdi Allam in all of us? | National Catholic ReporterALLEN: Amid the generally positive reaction to Pope Francis, Monday brought a dissenting note. The most celebrated convert of the Benedict years announced he has abandoned the Catholic church, primarily for what he sees as its overly indulgent view of Islam as well as distaste for the "papal idolatry" aroused by Francis' election.
Magdi Cristiano Allam, an Egyptian-born politician and essayist in Italy, rose to fame by styling Islam not as a religion but a violent ideology akin to fascism and communism. He was personally received into the church by Benedict XVI during the Easter vigil of 2008 and announced in the pages of Il Giornale on Monday that he now considers his Catholicism "expired in conjunction with the end of his papacy."
Magdi Cristiano Allam, an Egyptian-born politician and essayist in Italy, rose to fame by styling Islam not as a religion but a violent ideology akin to fascism and communism. He was personally received into the church by Benedict XVI during the Easter vigil of 2008 and announced in the pages of Il Giornale on Monday that he now considers his Catholicism "expired in conjunction with the end of his papacy."
Good Friday 2013
9 things you need to know about Good Friday |Blogs | NCRegister.comAKIN: Good Friday is the most solemn day of the Christian year.
It is the day our Savior died for us.
It is the day we were redeemed from our sins by the voluntary death of God Himself at the hands of man.
Here are 9 things you need to know.
It is the day our Savior died for us.
It is the day we were redeemed from our sins by the voluntary death of God Himself at the hands of man.
Here are 9 things you need to know.
10 things you need to know today: March 29, 2013
10 things you need to know today: March 29, 2013 - The Week: North Korea threatens a rocket attack, France proposes a 75 percent tax, and more in our roundup of the stories that are making news and driving opinion...
Thursday, March 28, 2013
Pope Francis and the boys in Los Angeles
Francis and the Boys in Los Angeles - By Kathryn Jean Lopez - The Corner - National Review OnlineLOPEZ: Today Christians remember the Last Supper, and Christ’s subsequent betrayal by Judas. Pope Francis celebrated Holy Thursday Mass at a juvenile detention center, giving gifts to and washing the feet of boys and girls there.
“Help one another,” he told them. “This is what Jesus teaches us. This is what I do. And I do it with my heart.”
Learning that the new pope would be doing this, boys in a detention center in Los Angeles wrote some of the most moving letters to Pope Francis
“Help one another,” he told them. “This is what Jesus teaches us. This is what I do. And I do it with my heart.”
Learning that the new pope would be doing this, boys in a detention center in Los Angeles wrote some of the most moving letters to Pope Francis
What would the world look like without the Catholic Church?
Aggie Catholics: What The World Would Look Like Without The Catholic ChurchLEJEUNE: Take a journey into your imagination with me for a minute and imagine a world without the Catholic Church.
What would it look like?
How would we be structured?
What would our culture be like?
Some might rejoice at this. In fact, this number is growing rapidly.
Some would mourn.
Some would be indifferent.
Regardless of our initial reaction to this exercise, I think it is important to remind ourselves of what the Catholic Church has done.
What would it look like?
How would we be structured?
What would our culture be like?
Some might rejoice at this. In fact, this number is growing rapidly.
Some would mourn.
Some would be indifferent.
Regardless of our initial reaction to this exercise, I think it is important to remind ourselves of what the Catholic Church has done.
A good shepherd smells just like his sheep
Eau du Sheep | CatholicVote.orgSTEPHENWHITE: A good priest, like a good shepherd, knows his flock. He spends time with them; he lives among them; he shares in their cares and concerns, no matter how trivial they seem. In return, he receives the love and prayers of the people. He receives the gratitude of those he enriches through his ministry. He receives the joy and peace that come from doing the work of the Lord. But there is something else he receives—the telltale sign of a man who lives among his flock, who knows “the realities of their everyday lives, their troubles, their joys, their burdens and their hopes.”
How should we understand Pope Francis washing the feet of women?
How Should We Understand Pope Francis Washing Women's Feet? |Blogs | NCRegister.comAKIN: It has been widely reported that, when he was still the cardinal archbishop of Buenos Aires, the future Pope Francis washed the feet of women during the Mass of the Lord's Supper.
Now he has done so as pope.
Here are some thoughts on Pope Francis's decision and what it means.
Now he has done so as pope.
Here are some thoughts on Pope Francis's decision and what it means.
Pope washes young offenders’ feet at Holy Thursday Mass
Pope washes young offenders’ feet at Holy Thursday Mass | CatholicHerald.co.uk: Pope Francis washed the feet of 10 young men and two young women during the Mass of the Lord’s Supper at the Casal del Marmo young offenders’ institute in Rome this evening.
The Catholic News Service reported that as he washed the young people’s feet the Pope wore a smock made from fabric imported from the Holy Land and created by children with family problems at the community of Villa San Francesco in Belluno, north-east Italy.
According to a translation provided by Vatican Radio, he said in his short homily: “This is moving, Jesus washes the feet of his disciples. Peter understands nothing. He refuses but Jesus explains to him. Jesus, God did this, and He Himself explains it to the disciples. ‘Do you realize what I have done for you? You call me ‘teacher’ and ‘master,’ and rightly so, for indeed I am. If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another’s feet. I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do’.
The Catholic News Service reported that as he washed the young people’s feet the Pope wore a smock made from fabric imported from the Holy Land and created by children with family problems at the community of Villa San Francesco in Belluno, north-east Italy.
According to a translation provided by Vatican Radio, he said in his short homily: “This is moving, Jesus washes the feet of his disciples. Peter understands nothing. He refuses but Jesus explains to him. Jesus, God did this, and He Himself explains it to the disciples. ‘Do you realize what I have done for you? You call me ‘teacher’ and ‘master,’ and rightly so, for indeed I am. If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another’s feet. I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do’.
One surprise of Pope Francis’ first two weeks is that he’s speaking almost exclusively in Italian
John Thavis | A Latin American pope who's sticking to ItalianTHAVIS: This is a man who, according to the Vatican, is fluent in five languages – Spanish of course (he is Argentinian), as well as Italian, English, German and French. Yet at his first general audience this week, he skipped the traditional summary of his talk in various languages and stuck to italiano.
No one’s sure yet if this represents a change in communication policy or an easing into the role of pope. Luis Badilla, a Vatican Radio journalist who runs a popular blog called Il Sismografo, speculated that perhaps in his first days, the pope has not had time to prepare multi-lingual versions of his remarks.
There are other possible explanations, too. One is simplicity, which seems to be one of the guiding principles of this pontificate. Speeches or greetings that jump around in five or six languages require advance planning and editing, typically involving linguistic sections of the Secretariat of State.
No one’s sure yet if this represents a change in communication policy or an easing into the role of pope. Luis Badilla, a Vatican Radio journalist who runs a popular blog called Il Sismografo, speculated that perhaps in his first days, the pope has not had time to prepare multi-lingual versions of his remarks.
There are other possible explanations, too. One is simplicity, which seems to be one of the guiding principles of this pontificate. Speeches or greetings that jump around in five or six languages require advance planning and editing, typically involving linguistic sections of the Secretariat of State.
4 ways to deal with the C&E crowd this Easter
The C&E Crowd:� How to Deal |Blogs | NCRegister.comFISHER: Speaking of confession, here's one: I have a really hard time dealing with the C&E Catholics -- you know, the ones who clog up the pews twice a year on the big holidays, chattering and chewing gum like they're in a football stadium, treating the Nativity and Resurrection of our Lord into a photo op, turning what should be the most joyous holy days into an occasion of sin for faithful Catholics.
Now, some of you will be saying, "Yeah, right on! I wish our pastor would put his foot down and flush out creeps like that once and for all. This year, I'm bringing my BB gun -- you bet I'll get a seat. And if your park in my spot and your car has an Obama sticker, let's just say I hope you've enjoyed having such nice, unslashed tires up until now."
Now, some of you will be saying, "Yeah, right on! I wish our pastor would put his foot down and flush out creeps like that once and for all. This year, I'm bringing my BB gun -- you bet I'll get a seat. And if your park in my spot and your car has an Obama sticker, let's just say I hope you've enjoyed having such nice, unslashed tires up until now."
How to Survive a Bear Attack: An Illustrated Guide
How to Survive a Bear Attack: An Illustrated Guide | The Art of Manliness: Walk away slowly. Don't run. Retrieve bear spray...
Reaping the whirlwind: A reflection on the deepening darkness that celebrates homosexual activity
Reaping the Whirlwind: A reflection on the deeping darkness that celebrates homosexual unions and activity. � Archdiocese of WashingtonPOPE: There is, among faithful Catholics, a dismay, and even an understandable anger at the events unfolding at the Supreme Court these past days related to to gay unions. And even if the court were to uphold traditional marriage (which does not seem likely), or merely return the matter to the States,� it seems quite clear where our culture is going regarding this matter, approving things once, not so long ago, considered unthinkable.
What then to do with our dismay and anger? It is too easy to vent anger, which is not only unproductive, but in the current state of “hyper-tolerance” for all things gay, angry denunciations are counter-productive.
What then to do with our dismay and anger? It is too easy to vent anger, which is not only unproductive, but in the current state of “hyper-tolerance” for all things gay, angry denunciations are counter-productive.
10 great things about the Catholic Church
Ten Great Things About CatholicismCROCKER: With its divine foundation, sanction, and mission, nothing could be more glorious than the Catholic Church. But, of course, many people — even many baptized Catholics — don’t see it that way.
Yet when the sins of men — secular material progress, or our own self-centeredness — blind us to this, they blind us to everything. The Renaissance, a great Catholic moment, enlightened the world by seeing it afresh with both the light of faith and the light of classical civilization, which was Catholicism’s seedbed. So, too, today, if we look on the world through truly Catholic eyes, we will find that the fog lifts, our perspectives grow deeper, and beauty and truth beckon above the puerility of mass popular culture.
What’s so great about Catholicism? Here are ten things –in countdown order — to which one could easily add hundreds of others.
Yet when the sins of men — secular material progress, or our own self-centeredness — blind us to this, they blind us to everything. The Renaissance, a great Catholic moment, enlightened the world by seeing it afresh with both the light of faith and the light of classical civilization, which was Catholicism’s seedbed. So, too, today, if we look on the world through truly Catholic eyes, we will find that the fog lifts, our perspectives grow deeper, and beauty and truth beckon above the puerility of mass popular culture.
What’s so great about Catholicism? Here are ten things –in countdown order — to which one could easily add hundreds of others.
Vatican officials caught off guard by Pope's decision to visit youth prison
Vatican did not expect Pope to visit youth prison :: Catholic News Agency (CNA): Vatican officials thought Pope Francis would only celebrate Holy Thursday Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica, but an invitation from a government minister changed their plans.
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The Italian Justice Minister, Paola Severino, “was visiting the psychiatric hospital where I serve as chaplain, and she showed interest in inviting the Pope to visit an Italian prison,” explained Monsignor Gino Belleri in a March 26 interview with CNA.
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It turned out that “as soon as the Pope knew of the invitation of Minister Severino, he grabbed the occasion,” Msgr. Belleri said.
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The Italian Justice Minister, Paola Severino, “was visiting the psychiatric hospital where I serve as chaplain, and she showed interest in inviting the Pope to visit an Italian prison,” explained Monsignor Gino Belleri in a March 26 interview with CNA.
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It turned out that “as soon as the Pope knew of the invitation of Minister Severino, he grabbed the occasion,” Msgr. Belleri said.
For his first official appointment, Pope Francis names his own successor in Buenos Aires
Vatican Diary / Rapid succession in Buenos AiresMAGISTER: On Holy Thursday, after the chrism Mass celebrated by Pope Francis in the basilica of St. Peter, the new metropolitan archbishop of Buenos Aires was announced as Monsignor Mario Aurelio Poli, age 65, since 2008 the bishop of Santa Rosa, in the Argentine pampas.
As the first appointment of his pontificate, Jorge Mario Bergoglio wanted in this way to install a successor in the Church of which he was pastor until last March 13, selecting a bishop whom he knows well, seeing that from 2002 to 2006 he was his auxiliary.
And he did so fifteen days after his election as pope. In record time it may be said, an instance of a capacity for decision making and of an unpredictability that seem to characterize in a particular way the beginning of this pontificate.
As the first appointment of his pontificate, Jorge Mario Bergoglio wanted in this way to install a successor in the Church of which he was pastor until last March 13, selecting a bishop whom he knows well, seeing that from 2002 to 2006 he was his auxiliary.
And he did so fifteen days after his election as pope. In record time it may be said, an instance of a capacity for decision making and of an unpredictability that seem to characterize in a particular way the beginning of this pontificate.
Researchers explain why having lots of money doesn't make people happier
BBC - Future - Health - Why money can't buy you happiness: Think a lottery win would make you happy forever? Many of us do, including a US shopkeeper who just scooped $338 million in the Powerball lottery – the fourth largest prize in the game's history. Before the last Powerball jackpot in the United States, tickets were being snapped up at a rate of around 130,000 a minute. But before you place all your hopes and dreams on another ticket, here’s something you should know. All the evidence suggests a big payout won’t make that much of a difference in the end.
How did we arrive at this sad juncture in history, and how can we defend marriage? Here are three ideas...
Some Thoughts on Marriage : The Integrated Catholic LifeHAIN: It is impossible to ignore the ongoing and hotly contested debate in our country about the definition of marriage as being between one man and one woman.� The partisans on both sides of the issue have well-articulated arguments defending their positions and the issue is now before the Supreme Court to determine the future of marriage in California and possibly other states.� What Christ gave us as a sacrament will have its “civil” future determined by a man-made institution.� How did we arrive at this sad juncture in history?
10 things you need to know about Holy Thursday
10 things you need to know about Holy Thursday |Blogs | NCRegister.comAKIN: Every single Mass, we hear the words "on the night he was betrayed."
That night was Holy Thursday, and it is one of the most important nights in all of history.
So what happened on the original Holy Thursday? Why is it sometimes called Maundy Thursday? What happens on this day liturgically, and what is the Chrism Mass?
That night was Holy Thursday, and it is one of the most important nights in all of history.
So what happened on the original Holy Thursday? Why is it sometimes called Maundy Thursday? What happens on this day liturgically, and what is the Chrism Mass?
Stop worrying, and watch. Benedict cleared the way for the Holy Spirit to move. Francis' pontificate will be fascinating...
The Quiet Menace: Fixating on Francis, Missing the Point – UPDATEDSCALIA: Having just gone to confession after mass this morning, it was not my intention to get into a little tiff with a media outlet on Twitter, but being who I am, I couldn’t let it go when I saw one of those lazy, thoughtless sneers cross my timeline, to the effect that Pope Francis (good guy) was refusing to stay in (bad guy) “Pope Benedict’s luxurious apartments.”
I needed to disabuse the writer of the notion that Pope Benedict owned anything, including a “luxurious apartment” but that the papal apartment in the Vatican was simply that — the apartment of whoever happens to be pope, used by every pope since 1906, until now. Francis has chosen not to use it, and that’s perfectly fine, but I find myself objecting strenuously when I see people trying to use Francis’ simple tastes as a kind of hammer against his predecessors.
I needed to disabuse the writer of the notion that Pope Benedict owned anything, including a “luxurious apartment” but that the papal apartment in the Vatican was simply that — the apartment of whoever happens to be pope, used by every pope since 1906, until now. Francis has chosen not to use it, and that’s perfectly fine, but I find myself objecting strenuously when I see people trying to use Francis’ simple tastes as a kind of hammer against his predecessors.
10 things you need to know today: March 28, 2013
10 things you need to know today: March 28, 2013 - The Week: Banks reopen in Cyprus, Malala Yousafzai signs a book deal, and more in our roundup of the stories that are making news and driving opinion
Pope to priests at Chrism Mass: "A good priest can be recognized by the way his people are anointed"
Whispers in the Loggia: Pope to Priests: "Go To the 'Outskirts'": Dear Brothers and Sisters, This morning I have the joy of celebrating my first Chrism Mass as the Bishop of Rome. I greet all of you with affection, especially you, dear priests, who, like myself, today recall the day of your ordination.
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Pope Francis presents a peculiar problem for the modern world. He's neither conservative nor liberal...
Neither Conservative nor Liberal: Solving the Conundrum - Truth and Charity ForumDEMARCO: At the root of the problem is the unfortunate and unfortunately common practice of politicizing religion. Traditionally, a Catholic was faithful or not faithful, orthodox or heretical, devout or lukewarm. These categories are intrinsic to Catholicism itself. Concerning the dignity of the person, Catholicism abides no such divisions since each person is created in the image of God and is of incalculable worth.
Charles Darwin, in accordance with his own theory of biological evolution, divided all human beings into the “fit” and the “unfit.” In On The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or The Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life, he proclaims that “all ought to refrain from marriage who cannot avoid abject poverty for their children . . . the most able should not be prevented by laws or customs from succeeding best and rearing the largest number of offspring”.
Charles Darwin, in accordance with his own theory of biological evolution, divided all human beings into the “fit” and the “unfit.” In On The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or The Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life, he proclaims that “all ought to refrain from marriage who cannot avoid abject poverty for their children . . . the most able should not be prevented by laws or customs from succeeding best and rearing the largest number of offspring”.
Neil Gaiman, author of the bestselling 'Sandman' graphic novels, pays tribute to Lewis, Tolkien, and Chesterton
Neil Gaiman on Lewis, Tolkien, and Chesterton…WEATHERS: I’ll be the first to admit that I’m late to the party of those who admire Neil Gaiman. I’ve only read a few of his graphic Sandman novels, and shared them with my children.
Today, though, a friend shared a post from Gaiman’s website in which he acknowledges the debt he owes to three giants of literature, C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, and G.K. Chesterton, �as well as to the treasures that can be unearthed in libraries. It’s a confession, of sorts, that he made in a speech given in 2004 to a body of literati known as the Mythopoeic Society.
Today, though, a friend shared a post from Gaiman’s website in which he acknowledges the debt he owes to three giants of literature, C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, and G.K. Chesterton, �as well as to the treasures that can be unearthed in libraries. It’s a confession, of sorts, that he made in a speech given in 2004 to a body of literati known as the Mythopoeic Society.
6 things you need to know about the Easter Triduum
6 things you need to know about Triduum |Blogs | NCRegister.comAKIN: We are about to leave Lent and enter the liturgical season known as the Easter Triduum.
What is this season? Why is it does the Church say that it is "the culmination of the entire liturgical year"? When does it begin and end? Why is it important? How is fasting observed in this season? What is Tenebrae?
What is this season? Why is it does the Church say that it is "the culmination of the entire liturgical year"? When does it begin and end? Why is it important? How is fasting observed in this season? What is Tenebrae?
Open the floodgates of mercy
Open the Floodgates of Mercy! : Roman Catholic Spiritual DirectionLILLES: One of the beautiful truths that Blessed John Paul II illustrates in his Encyclical on Divine Mercy is that logic of mercy only makes sense from the inside, from those who are implicated in it. �He using the Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15: 11ff), �he observes that when we remain on the outside of the relationship between the father and the son of the parable, what the father does appears foolish. � This indeed is how the older son looks at it. � It is only when we think about the father’s words and actions from within the logic of his relationship with his sons that the depths of his love is disclosed to us. �In both cases, the figure of the father suffers the misery of his sons. �In the first instance, awareness of the living death into which his younger son had fallen pained his own heart. �In the second instance, his heart is pained that the older son, after all they had been through together, still did not understand how much he had been loved, how much was his. � In both instances, the father’s heart is pierced by the plight of his sons.
What every Catholic should know about Church teaching regarding ‘same-sex marriage’
A primer on Church teaching regarding ‘same-sex marriage’ | In the Light of the LawEDPETERS: No matter which way the US Supreme Court rules in the “gay marriage” cases before it the international debate over the definition of marriage will continue because that debate is, at root, about matters beyond a civil court’s competence, things like the nature of human beings and the fundamental good of society. Because we Catholics are and will surely remain major participants in such a debate we should be clear among ourselves as to what our Church teaches in this area.
Video: A look at St. Francis and his hometown of Assisi
New Advent: A look at St. Francis and his hometown of Assisi: A look at the person and place of St. Francis of Assisi, the inspiration for the name of the new pope.
Video: Bullies and home battles, vanquished with a piece of chalk
New Advent: With a Piece of Chalk: A young boy called Justen, who went through doleful past, discovers a way to change his situation greatly.
The Pope's reform project has already begun
John Thavis | The pope's 'reform' project has already begunTHAVIS: Pope Francis’ reform of the Vatican has already begun.
Not in the way the world was expecting, through high-profile appointments of Roman Curia heads – though that will come in due time.
Instead, the pope has embarked immediately on what might be called “re-evangelization” inside the Vatican walls.
He dropped in today after a Vatican employees’ Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica and spoke about the value of work, thanking them for their service and asking them for their prayers because “I am a sinner, too.”
Not in the way the world was expecting, through high-profile appointments of Roman Curia heads – though that will come in due time.
Instead, the pope has embarked immediately on what might be called “re-evangelization” inside the Vatican walls.
He dropped in today after a Vatican employees’ Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica and spoke about the value of work, thanking them for their service and asking them for their prayers because “I am a sinner, too.”
How to love homosexuals in politically volatile times
Christ-Like Love of Same-Sex Attracted Persons: A Timely Reminder | Daily News | NCRegister.comNASH: Given recent victories of “marriage” redefinition advocates at the state level, and their prospects for national advances via two U.S. Supreme Court decisions expected by early summer, Catholics need to resist the temptation to view those struggling with same-sex attraction (SSA) as incontrovertible enemies or social/ecclesiastical lepers.
Many who struggle with SSA are not on the cultural front lines pushing for a redefinition of marriage, and even those who are, and who do so with animosity toward the Church, are not implacable enemies. Unlike the devil and his demonic associates — who have made an irrevocable, everlasting choice against God — even the most hardened member of the homosexual lobby is certainly not beyond the redemptive, merciful love of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Many who struggle with SSA are not on the cultural front lines pushing for a redefinition of marriage, and even those who are, and who do so with animosity toward the Church, are not implacable enemies. Unlike the devil and his demonic associates — who have made an irrevocable, everlasting choice against God — even the most hardened member of the homosexual lobby is certainly not beyond the redemptive, merciful love of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
What one simple meal taught me about the vicious cycle of consumption
What One Simple Meal Taught Me About the Vicious Cycle of Consumption |Blogs | NCRegister.comFULWILER: I didn't do much for Lent this year. As anyone who's followed the whining over at my personal blog knows, 2013 has already brought me a veritable cornucopia of opportunities for detachment from worldly pleasures and redemptive suffering, so I knew better than to push myself to try to take on much more. However, as proof that God blesses even the most minuscule efforts of his weakest children, some of my smallest sacrifices from this season have borne more fruit than the much larger ones I undertook in previous years. In fact, despite my inability to "do" much at all, I'm coming out of this Lent with a renewed perspective on my relationship with God -- and the things I tend to put before it.
What it sounds like to pray in Our Lord’s native tongue
Praying in Our Lord’s Native Tongue | Dominicana Blog: During his recent visit to the Dominican House of Studies, the Student Brothers were privileged to speak at length with patristic scholar Fr. Nageeb Michael, O.P., Director of the Digital Center for Eastern Manuscripts. Fr. Nageeb explained his current work which focuses on the preservation of ancient Christian manuscripts in the Middle East. In this, the first of three interviews with Fr. Nageeb produced by Dominicana, he discusses the beauty of praying in his native language, and then prays the Our Father and Hail Mary in Aramaic.
Chummy email between judge and attorneys raises questions of judicial impropriety in gay marriage case
Email Reveals Chummy Relationship between Judge Walker and Winning Attorneys in Gay Marriage Case - Aleteia: An alleged friendly email exchange between a judge and the law firm that is arguing against California’s ban on same-sex “marriage” this week raised further questions about the judge and his objectivity in the original case.
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The blog “Patterico’s Pontifications” March 22 published the email exchange, which it said it had obtained from a “trusted source.” It declined to name that source.�
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In the exchange, retired federal Judge Vaughn R. Walker, who had ruled California’s Proposition 8 unconstitutional, asked someone at the Washington law firm Gibson Dunn & Crutcher about whether Walker should attend oral arguments in the case. The email asked if “Ted” would think Walker’s presence at the Supreme Court oral arguments would be a distraction.�
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The blog “Patterico’s Pontifications” March 22 published the email exchange, which it said it had obtained from a “trusted source.” It declined to name that source.�
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In the exchange, retired federal Judge Vaughn R. Walker, who had ruled California’s Proposition 8 unconstitutional, asked someone at the Washington law firm Gibson Dunn & Crutcher about whether Walker should attend oral arguments in the case. The email asked if “Ted” would think Walker’s presence at the Supreme Court oral arguments would be a distraction.�
The culture war was never a fair fight to begin with
The culture war was never a fair fight - The WeekLEWIS: I've written a lot lately about how conservatives lost the culture war. Some of my socially conservative friends were upset when I argued that at least part of the reason for this was that "pro-family" activist groups aren't as effective as fiscally conservative groups. I still believe that to be true, but I also believe that the culture war wasn't a fair fight. It has always been rigged.
Social conservatives are greatly outnumbered (a byproduct of having lost the culture war argument). We hear a lot about the supposed "three-legged-stool" of the conservative movement, but in fighting the culture war, social conservatives are on their own. In fact, it's wrong to think of this in terms of a left versus right paradigm. It would be better understood as part of the continuing struggle between virtue (as social conservatives define it) and liberty (defined by our modern secular society to mean the freedom to do whatever we want). In that light, liberty is murdering virtue.
Social conservatives are greatly outnumbered (a byproduct of having lost the culture war argument). We hear a lot about the supposed "three-legged-stool" of the conservative movement, but in fighting the culture war, social conservatives are on their own. In fact, it's wrong to think of this in terms of a left versus right paradigm. It would be better understood as part of the continuing struggle between virtue (as social conservatives define it) and liberty (defined by our modern secular society to mean the freedom to do whatever we want). In that light, liberty is murdering virtue.
4 reasons liberals should be wary of legalizing gay marriage
4 reasons liberals should be wary of legalizing gay marriage - The Week: Based on oral arguments at the Supreme Court on Tuesday, it seems unlikely that there are five votes to recognize a constitutional right to same-sex marriage — the most sweeping option available to the nine justices, and the outcome many liberals and gay-rights supporters most want to see.
Photos: There is no residence closer to St. Peter's tomb than the Domus Sancta Marthae
Letter #62: Staying in the DomusMOYNIHAN: Everyone likes a home they can be comfortable in. And the new Pope is no exception.
And he likes the Domus Santa Marta. He’s comfortable there.
A view of the main lobby in the Domus. At the far end, where the light is shining, is the entrance. To the left is the dining hall. Behind the photographer is the chapel.
And so, for the moment, Pope Francis will not move into the grand, majestic Apostolic Palace which overlooks St. Peter’s Square, where every Pope since 1903 has lived.
This is causing a small sensation in the Vatican.
It is another sign of Pope Francis’s simplicity. His life is coherent with his words.
And he likes the Domus Santa Marta. He’s comfortable there.
A view of the main lobby in the Domus. At the far end, where the light is shining, is the entrance. To the left is the dining hall. Behind the photographer is the chapel.
And so, for the moment, Pope Francis will not move into the grand, majestic Apostolic Palace which overlooks St. Peter’s Square, where every Pope since 1903 has lived.
This is causing a small sensation in the Vatican.
It is another sign of Pope Francis’s simplicity. His life is coherent with his words.
Vatican family czar says pro-life and peace-and-justice work are a package deal
Vatican family czar says pro-life, peace-and-justice work a package deal | National Catholic ReporterALLEN: When a brief mini-tempest broke out a few days ago over whether Pope Francis had, or had not, once signaled openness to civil registration of same-sex unions in Argentina, nobody in the Vatican was probably in a better position to appreciate where it might lead than Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, President of the Pontifical Council for the Family. Last February, just a week before Benedict XVI's resignation announcement, Paglia said during a Vatican news conference that while the church is opposed to anything that treats other unions as equivalent to marriage between a man and a woman, it could accept "private law solutions" for protecting people's rights.
10 things you need to know today: March 27, 2013
10 things you need to know today: March 27, 2013 - The Week: Petraeus apologizes, Obama names the first female Secret Service chief, and more in our roundup of the stories that are making news and driving opinion
Pope Francis' first Wednesday Audience: "Holy Week is a time to open the doors of our hearts"
Whispers in the Loggia: Francis: For Holy Week, "Let Us Open Our Hearts!"PALMO: Continuing the weekly tradition of his predecessors, this morning saw Pope Francis' first turn at the General Audience, his focus on Holy Week.
Speaking only in Italian, the new pontiff made it a point to note his intent to resume the topic begun by Benedict XVI in his Wednesday talks "after Easter."
For now, though – just two weeks since his election – today's appearance launches Francis into the intense cycle of Holy Week's climactic days.�
Speaking only in Italian, the new pontiff made it a point to note his intent to resume the topic begun by Benedict XVI in his Wednesday talks "after Easter."
For now, though – just two weeks since his election – today's appearance launches Francis into the intense cycle of Holy Week's climactic days.�
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
The strange case of the "half-cardinal"
Vatican Diary / The strange case of the "half-cardinal"MAGISTER: If one wishes to identify the first surprising action of this pontificate, one must go back to the end of the conclave, to the minutes immediately following the election of Pope Francis.
Just after his election at 7 pm on Wednesday, March 13, Jorge Mario Bergoglio took off his red cardinal's zucchetto and placed it on the head of the secretary of the conclave, Archbishop Lorenzo Baldisseri.
The action took place in the Sistine Chapel in front of all of the cardinal electors, who applauded it.
"La Stampa" furthermore wrote that the initiative had been suggested to Pope Francis by “one of the elderly masters of ceremonies present at that moment in the Sistine,” who presented it to him as an “ancient custom.”
Just after his election at 7 pm on Wednesday, March 13, Jorge Mario Bergoglio took off his red cardinal's zucchetto and placed it on the head of the secretary of the conclave, Archbishop Lorenzo Baldisseri.
The action took place in the Sistine Chapel in front of all of the cardinal electors, who applauded it.
"La Stampa" furthermore wrote that the initiative had been suggested to Pope Francis by “one of the elderly masters of ceremonies present at that moment in the Sistine,” who presented it to him as an “ancient custom.”
Finding the good in Good Friday
FInding the Good in Good Friday – A Holy Week Meditation � Archdiocese of WashingtonPOPE: When I was younger and through my seminary years I had usually seen the crucifix and Jesus’ suffering on the cross in somber tones. It was my sin that put him there, had made him suffer. The cross was something that compelled a silent reverence, and suggested to me that I meditate deeply on what Jesus had to go through. Perhaps too I would think of Mary and John and the other women mournfully beneath the cross beholding Jesus slowly and painfully dying. These were heavy and somber notes, but deeply moving themes.
Egyptian mosque turned into house of torture for Christians after Muslim Brotherhood protest
Egyptian mosque turned into house of torture for Christians after Muslim Brotherhood protest | Fox News: Islamic hard-liners stormed a mosque in suburban Cairo, turning it into torture chamber for Christians who had been demonstrating against the ruling Muslim Brotherhood in the latest case of violent persecution that experts fear will only get worse.
Such stories have become increasingly common as tensions between Egypt’s Muslims and Copts mount, but in the latest case, mosque officials corroborated much of the account and even filed a police report. Demonstrators, some of whom were Muslim, say they were taken from the Muslim Brotherhood headquarters in suburban Cairo to a nearby mosque on Friday and tortured for hours by hard-line militia members.
Such stories have become increasingly common as tensions between Egypt’s Muslims and Copts mount, but in the latest case, mosque officials corroborated much of the account and even filed a police report. Demonstrators, some of whom were Muslim, say they were taken from the Muslim Brotherhood headquarters in suburban Cairo to a nearby mosque on Friday and tortured for hours by hard-line militia members.
Why "same-sex marriage" is a terrible idea
Aggie Catholics: Why Same-Sex Marriage Is A Bad IdeaLEJEUNE: Marriage is personal, but not merely private. Marriages are by definition, a part of society. Marriage is also not merely about two people. It is about the others that become bound to them - their children. �The natural way a child is created and brought into the world is through sexual relations between a man and woman. Studies consistently prove the common sense notion that the best place for a child to be raised is in a stable marriage of their mother and father. Thus, the state has a compelling interest in helping marriage become stronger and more stable. Promoting a re-definition of marriage undermines these efforts.
Vatican-sponsored "The Pope App" tops the iTunes charts
Pope App Tops iTunes Charts | Daily News | NCRegister.com: A Vatican-sponsored news application for smartphones known as “The Pope App” has risen to the top of the charts in the iTunes store, reflecting a spike in interest in the papacy and newly elected Pope Francis.
In the last week, The Pope App is the most downloaded news app for the iPhone in the U.S., Canada, Spain, Venezuela, Peru, Poland, Chile, Mexico, Portugal and Pope Francis’ home country of Argentina.
It is the second most downloaded news app in France and Germany and the third most downloaded in Germany. The app also ranks in the top 10 in eight other countries, the Pontifical Council for Social Communications said.
In the last week, The Pope App is the most downloaded news app for the iPhone in the U.S., Canada, Spain, Venezuela, Peru, Poland, Chile, Mexico, Portugal and Pope Francis’ home country of Argentina.
It is the second most downloaded news app in France and Germany and the third most downloaded in Germany. The app also ranks in the top 10 in eight other countries, the Pontifical Council for Social Communications said.
Lies, damned lies, and quotations
Lies, Damned Lies, and Quotations |Blogs | NCRegister.comFISHER: As Shakespeare once said, there's the rub. Consider the purported source. Listen to your spidey sense. If you see a quote by a famous person, and it either sounds the tiniest bit "off" to you -- or, conversely, if it makes you think, "Oh man, that's exactly the kind of thing I knew he was thinking all along, and now we've got him" -- then think, and do a little research, before you forward it to all your friends!
Holy Week promises that all things are made anew in Christ, even without our over-busy meddling
A Gospel Pasteurized for Our Protection | First ThingsSCALIA: My gratitude at arriving home after a difficult trip abroad meant that my guard was down. So happy was I to be back in the bosom of my family that I consented to attend Palm Sunday Mass at a parish whose liturgical committee sometimes indulges in the painfully “creative” modernization of standard liturgies.
I do not wish to be unjust by suggesting that this liturgy committee despises its parishioners, but each time I encounter one of its “improvements” to liturgies that mostly worked rather well until about 1979, it seems to me this committee must believe its community to be lacking in taste, education, discernment, and basic human intelligence. That is the only reasonable explanation I can find for their dedication to dumbed-down, Romper Room-ish “entertainments” meant to evangelize.
I do not wish to be unjust by suggesting that this liturgy committee despises its parishioners, but each time I encounter one of its “improvements” to liturgies that mostly worked rather well until about 1979, it seems to me this committee must believe its community to be lacking in taste, education, discernment, and basic human intelligence. That is the only reasonable explanation I can find for their dedication to dumbed-down, Romper Room-ish “entertainments” meant to evangelize.
When a civilization attacks marriage, the civilization dies
Why Can’t We Just Give Marriage Back to the Churches?POPCAK: In the debate about the nature of marriage, many people wonder why we don’t just give marriage back to the churches.
Well, in the first place, it’s gone too far for that. Gay marriage advocates would never be satisfied with that option.
More importantly though, the question is based on the false idea that marriage was invented by churches. It wasn’t. Marriage began as a natural institution (men and women deciding on their own to make a lifelong committment to each other) that became a social institution when Hammurabi (late 1700′s BC) distinguished it as separate and distinct from cohabiting, or same sex relationships, or hookups with temple prostitutes etc.
So marriage existed as a natural institution that was raised to a social institution because of the benefits marriage gave to society.
Well, in the first place, it’s gone too far for that. Gay marriage advocates would never be satisfied with that option.
More importantly though, the question is based on the false idea that marriage was invented by churches. It wasn’t. Marriage began as a natural institution (men and women deciding on their own to make a lifelong committment to each other) that became a social institution when Hammurabi (late 1700′s BC) distinguished it as separate and distinct from cohabiting, or same sex relationships, or hookups with temple prostitutes etc.
So marriage existed as a natural institution that was raised to a social institution because of the benefits marriage gave to society.
Will Pope Francis inspire a new generation of priest scientists?
Will Pope Francis Inspire More Priest Scientists? - Forbes: This week’s issue of Nature notes with approval that the new Pope Francis has a background in science. A pope who’s also a scientist is rare. But these days even parish priests who are scientists are not exactly common. To be sure, everyone knows the name of Gregor Mendel, the founder of genetics. And there’s my hero, the Belgian priest and physicist Georges Lemaître, who came up with version 1.0 of The Big Bang. But there used to be many more.
See the real-life models for your favorite Disney characters
See the Real Life Models for Your Favorite Disney Characters: The look, movements and personalities of the Disney characters come from many different sources. For some characters, actors and models are brought in to act out scenes from the film. These performances are filmed and given to the animators to study and drawn inspiration from. Here are some of the unsung talents who modeled for your favorite Disney characters.
Western society is becoming more stupid. Only the Catholic Church can make sense of life and the world...
Stupidity: A Malady of the Cultural Elite | Crisis Magazine: We live in something of a meritocracy, and our rulers believe they are by far the most enlightened and well-informed people who ever lived. For that reason they feel entitled to make the aspirations of the present day, or what they consider such, the compulsory standard for public life. They view the claim that there are principles that transcend those aspirations as the sort of thing that led to 9/11, and treat the past as worth considering only as something to escape from or a foreshadowing of the glories of the present.
Nonetheless, a variety of conditions, from the state of education and the arts to that of political discussion, makes it evident that Western society is growing less and less able to think clearly and effectively. That’s a big problem, and one that’s hard to deal with, because it is difficult to cure oneself of mindlessness. Still, we should do our best to understand what’s going on.
Nonetheless, a variety of conditions, from the state of education and the arts to that of political discussion, makes it evident that Western society is growing less and less able to think clearly and effectively. That’s a big problem, and one that’s hard to deal with, because it is difficult to cure oneself of mindlessness. Still, we should do our best to understand what’s going on.
The next two days are destined to stand among the most significant days in our nation’s constitutional history
AlbertMohler.com – Marriage in the Dock—The Supreme Court Considers Same-Sex MarriageMOHLER: For Christians, the issue of marriage is not merely a legal or constitutional issue. The Bible reveals marriage to be the sacred union of a man and a woman for a lifetime. The goods of marriage are revealed to be intimacy, union, companionship, friendship, procreation, children, and a host of related gifts. Christians must see marriage as essential for human flourishing and not open for human negotiation.
The very fact that the march for same-sex marriage has reached this point is telling. It reveals a fundamental confusion at the very heart of our society. The ideological support for same-sex marriage is deeply embedded in a host of ideas that are driving our society to the point of moral breakdown.
The U.S. Supreme Court may well decide the future of marriage as a legal institution, but the church must hold to marriage as far more, but not less than, a legal reality. Marriage is one of God’s most gracious gifts to humanity. It will be the Church’s responsibility to honor marriage, no matter what the Court may decide.
The very fact that the march for same-sex marriage has reached this point is telling. It reveals a fundamental confusion at the very heart of our society. The ideological support for same-sex marriage is deeply embedded in a host of ideas that are driving our society to the point of moral breakdown.
The U.S. Supreme Court may well decide the future of marriage as a legal institution, but the church must hold to marriage as far more, but not less than, a legal reality. Marriage is one of God’s most gracious gifts to humanity. It will be the Church’s responsibility to honor marriage, no matter what the Court may decide.
10 things you need to know today: March 26, 2013
10 things you need to know today: March 26, 2013 - The Week: The Supreme Court debates gay marriage, Amanda Knox's acquittal is overturned, and more in our roundup of the stories that are making news and driving opinion
Pope Francis shuns the Apostolic Palace for the Domus Sanctae Marthae
Whispers in the Loggia: Home Sweet Domus – No Palace for The PopePALMO: Not that it's terribly a surprise, but now it's official – Pope Francis has chosen not to live in the Papal Apartment of the Apostolic Palace, opting instead to remain in the simpler, more communitarian atmosphere of the Domus Sanctae Marthae, the Vatican "hotel."
Less than two weeks since the pontiff's election, the latest move in Papa Bergoglio's Vatican "revolution" was announced by the Holy See's lead spokesman, Jesuit Fr Federico Lombardi, confirming a report in today's La Nación, the Argentine daily of record. Francis himself spoke of the decision at today's morning Mass in the Domus chapel – which, continuing his now-daily custom, was celebrated with guests: in today's case, the permanent community in residence at the Domus.
Less than two weeks since the pontiff's election, the latest move in Papa Bergoglio's Vatican "revolution" was announced by the Holy See's lead spokesman, Jesuit Fr Federico Lombardi, confirming a report in today's La Nación, the Argentine daily of record. Francis himself spoke of the decision at today's morning Mass in the Domus chapel – which, continuing his now-daily custom, was celebrated with guests: in today's case, the permanent community in residence at the Domus.
U.S. Supreme Court hears arguments on "gay marriage"; landmark decision expected in June
Supreme Court hears arguments on gay marriage - Jennifer Epstein - POLITICO.com: The Supreme Court began hearing two days of oral arguments on same-sex marriage Tuesday morning — the first major gay rights cases before the court in nearly a decade.
Tuesday’s hearing is on Hollingsworth v. Perry, a case challenging California’s ban on gay marriage, which reversed a short-lived period of same-sex marriages in the state in 2008. Fifty-two percent of Californians voted in favor of the ban — Proposition 8 — on Election Day that year, while 48 percent opposed it; 61 percent of voters in the state voted for Barack Obama that same day.
Tuesday’s hearing is on Hollingsworth v. Perry, a case challenging California’s ban on gay marriage, which reversed a short-lived period of same-sex marriages in the state in 2008. Fifty-two percent of Californians voted in favor of the ban — Proposition 8 — on Election Day that year, while 48 percent opposed it; 61 percent of voters in the state voted for Barack Obama that same day.
The top 7 tasks for Pope Francis
The Top 7 Tasks for Pope Francis - AleteiaMCCLOSKEY: You are not a young man, but neither was Blessed John XXIII, and he accomplished quite a lot in a scant five years. Your emphasis on the poor will certainly help the many countries and indeed continents that are still undeveloped. And you are witnessing powerfully to your passion for the poor by your personal example of living detachment in the Vatican in these first weeks of your pontificate.
There's a potential danger in the new pope's popularity. It's the danger that we'll miss what he's trying to tell us...
Francis, Poverty, and Freedom - Kathryn Jean Lopez - National Review OnlineLOPEZ: The pope, petting a seeing-eye dog? It happened at Pope Francis’s audience with members of the media the Saturday morning after his election. As a blind man approached the stage, even the most hardened journalist might have found himself cheering the pontiff on. They wondered: Would he do it? Do popes do such things? Well, of course. They’re human. And knowing Francis of Assisi, his namesake and a friend to all God’s creatures, the room would have been disappointed by anything less.
iIncarnate: New iPhone app coming out on April 8
iIncarnate: Meet Jesus in Mary’s Womb | CatholicMom.comREINHARD: Whether you’re pregnant or you just want a different way to connect with Jesus in Mary’s womb, this app looks awesome. In the words of the developer: Jesus was in Mary’s womb for nine months. He became one of us. Each week you will receive progress on baby Jesus’ development, a daily scripture reading connecting with that week, and a personal call to action.
Book of future Pope's conversations with rabbi to be published in English in May
Book of future Pope's conversations with rabbi to be published in English in May : News Headlines - Catholic Culture: A book of conversations between then-Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio and Rabbi Abraham Skorka will be published in English in May by Image.
Entitled On Heaven and Earth, the book provides of the Pontiff’s views on controversial topics including sexual abuse, homosexual unions, and abortion, as well as specifically religious topics such as atheism and fundamentalism. A Spanish edition of the book was published in 2010.
In the text, Cardinal Bergoglio tells Rabbi Skorka that when he was approached by a bishop looking for advice on how to handle a priest who abused children: “I told him to take away the priests' licenses, not to allow them to exercise the priesthood any more and to begin a canonical trial in that diocese's court."
Regarding same-sex unions, the future Pontiff apparently put forward a tentative proposal to provide legal recognition for homosexual unions, as a gambit to ward off full legal acceptance of same-sex marriages.
Entitled On Heaven and Earth, the book provides of the Pontiff’s views on controversial topics including sexual abuse, homosexual unions, and abortion, as well as specifically religious topics such as atheism and fundamentalism. A Spanish edition of the book was published in 2010.
In the text, Cardinal Bergoglio tells Rabbi Skorka that when he was approached by a bishop looking for advice on how to handle a priest who abused children: “I told him to take away the priests' licenses, not to allow them to exercise the priesthood any more and to begin a canonical trial in that diocese's court."
Regarding same-sex unions, the future Pontiff apparently put forward a tentative proposal to provide legal recognition for homosexual unions, as a gambit to ward off full legal acceptance of same-sex marriages.
Monday, March 25, 2013
U.S. Supreme Court takes up gay marriage for the first time; oral arguments begin today
U.S. justices take up gay marriage for the first time | Reuters: America's top court takes up the delicate and divisive issue of gay marriage on Tuesday when the nine Supreme Court justices consider the legality of a California ballot initiative that limits marriage to opposite-sex couples.
Tuesday will be the first of two days of oral arguments on the issue. On Wednesday, the court will consider the 1996 federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which limits the definition of marriage to opposite-sex couples.
Rulings in both cases are expected by the end of June.
Tuesday will be the first of two days of oral arguments on the issue. On Wednesday, the court will consider the 1996 federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which limits the definition of marriage to opposite-sex couples.
Rulings in both cases are expected by the end of June.
One woman's journey from Satanism to the Catholic Church
“Satanism is about destroying the Church” | Catholic World Report - Global Church news and viewsGRAVES: The world of Satanism is a secretive one, often vulgar and sometimes dangerous, or so says ex-Satanist and Catholic “revert.” Fifty-one-year-old Deborah [who requested her last name not be used in this article] said that although the beliefs of Satanists vary tremendously, they center on indulgence of the appetites and a mockery of Christianity.�Additionally, you’d be surprised to discover that seemingly respectable citizens in your community are members of Satanic covens.� As she explained, “They’re people you meet on the street.”
Since memberships in covens are so secretive—with the threat of death for members who share details of their participation, according to Deborah—it is rare to find ex-Satanists willing to share their experiences.
Since memberships in covens are so secretive—with the threat of death for members who share details of their participation, according to Deborah—it is rare to find ex-Satanists willing to share their experiences.
On the significance of the "N." in the Eucharistic prayers
On The Significance of the “N” in the Eucharistic Prayers � Archdiocese of WashingtonPOPE: How true this is. We Catholics were prepared to love the pope and support him long before we knew his name. Somehow, for faithful Catholics,� we instinctively know, despite all the anti-authority attitudes of Western culture, that the pope is Christ’s true vicar and the one who unites us. Whatever his name, nationality or background, he represents Christ, and is the successor to Simon Peter to whom the Lord entrusted the task of uniting and strengthening us, whom the devil would sift like wheat...
Rosa Margherita, Pope Francis’ “theologian” grandmother
Rosa Margherita, Francis’ “theologian” grandmother - Vatican InsiderTORNIELLI: As he usually does during his frequent off-the-cuff speeches, yesterday Francis raised his eyes from the text and after the phrases “wounds inflicted upon humanity” and “greed for money,” he said: “our grandmother used to say: a shroud has no pocket.” �Whatever possessions one has accumulated during the course of their lives, cannot come with them on their final journey. Unusually for a papal mass in St. Peter’s Square, even Francis’ grandmother got a mention in his Palm Sunday homily.
Is Magdi Allam still a Catholic?
Is Magdi Allam still a Catholic? | In the Light of the LawEDPETERS: Magdi Allam, “a prominent Muslim-born journalist baptized by Pope Benedict XVI” has now blogged about “leaving the [C]hurch because it is too ‘weak with Islam.’” Maybe it’s just me, but this modern proclivity to parade one’s spiritual angst in the blogosphere is wearing pretty thin. Besides, as Chesterton remarked, there are a thousand reasons to leave the Church and only one reason to stay: It’s true. So, Magdi cited two or three reasons to leave the Church, and not reasons especially high up on the “Top 1000 Reasons To Leave the Catholic Church” list at that. Whatever.
Video: The best NFL 'Sound FX' moments of the 2012-2013 season (language warning)
New Advent: The best NFL 'Sound FX' moments of the 2012-2013 season: Highlights of some of the best sounds of the 2012-2013 NFL Season.
The Benedictines and Franciscans approach poverty differently
Benedictine and Franciscan PovertyLONGENECKER: A Benedictine monk takes three vows: obedience, stability, and conversion of life. He doesn’t take a vow of poverty. However, the Rule of St Benedict does forbid private ownership of any kind. A Benedictine monk does not take a vow of poverty, but he lives under a rule of no personal possessions. The monastery owns stuff. In fact, a monastery could be very wealthy. However, it is all owned in common, and each individual monk makes use of what is owned in common, but does not own it himself.
Salvadorans hope new pope will advance cause for canonization of Archbishop Oscar Romero
Salvadorans hope new pope will advance sainthood for martyred Archbishop Romero - The Washington Post: Salvadorans marched through the streets of San Salvador on Palm Sunday to honor the slain Archbishop Oscar Arnulfo Romero and express hope the new Pope Francis will advance him along the path to sainthood.
Chief Justice John Robert's lesbian cousin to attend Proposition 8 hearing as his guest
Creative Minority Report: Justice John Robert's Lesbian Cousin To Attend Prop 8 HearingMATTARCHBOLD: I know this doesn't mean anything. Not a thing. I'd be crazy to read anything into this. Absolutely batty, right?
The fact that Roberts is hosting his lesbian cousin in the courtroom for the hearing on Prop 8 is absolutely nothing to worry about, right?
And it means nothing that his lesbian cousin has actively pushed for gay marriage, right? This is just Matt being crazy, right?
The fact that Roberts is hosting his lesbian cousin in the courtroom for the hearing on Prop 8 is absolutely nothing to worry about, right?
And it means nothing that his lesbian cousin has actively pushed for gay marriage, right? This is just Matt being crazy, right?
"He makes fantastic stuffed calamari": Pope's sister says few people know he's also an excellent cook
The Catholic Review > Home > Despite close ties, pope skipped family barbecues to minister in slumsGLATZ: Even though Pope Francis is very close to his family, he would often skip their barbecues to spend Sundays or holidays in Buenos Aires’ slums, the pope’s sister said.
“That’s the way he is: totally devoted to the mission of a priest; he is the pastor of the least,” said Maria Elena Bergoglio.
The youngest of five, Bergoglio, 65, is the pope’s only surviving sibling, said a report in the Italian Catholic newspaper, Avvenire, March 19.
She told the newspaper that said she and her brother are extremely close, which she attributes to their parents’ emphasis on the “the value of love.”
“That’s the way he is: totally devoted to the mission of a priest; he is the pastor of the least,” said Maria Elena Bergoglio.
The youngest of five, Bergoglio, 65, is the pope’s only surviving sibling, said a report in the Italian Catholic newspaper, Avvenire, March 19.
She told the newspaper that said she and her brother are extremely close, which she attributes to their parents’ emphasis on the “the value of love.”
In times like these: Some very eerie and prophetic words spoken by Jesus on the way to Golgotha
In times like these: Some very eerie and prophetic words spoken by Jesus on the way to the cross. � Archdiocese of WashingtonPOPE: Though we like to think ourselves civilized in comparison to previous centuries, our blood bath is far deeper than any age before. True, we murder our millions in less publicly brutal ways. We do not experience hoards of warriors descending from day to day on unsuspecting cities. Our brutality takes place in more hidden ways, out of sight if you will, in concentration camps, abortion “clinics”, killing fields, and remote locations away from cameras.
Yes, our murder seems more abstract, but it is not. The death toll is almost unimaginable. And meanwhile we go on considering ourselves civilized.
Yes, our murder seems more abstract, but it is not. The death toll is almost unimaginable. And meanwhile we go on considering ourselves civilized.
Like the silent St. Joseph, every father learns that simply being there can be half the job...
Fathers and SonsMINER: Every father – especially so the father of sons – learns that there are times when simply being there – cheering, explaining, scolding, but often silent – is at least half the job.
In the New York City playground where my sons cavorted as tots, they would often stop in the middle of frolicking and run to me. They would touch my hand or lean against me breathless before running back to whatever game engrossed them. It was if I were a battery charging station – but not a boost to their energy, which was boundless, but to top-off their souls. Daddy’s here; we’re safe.
Compared to Joseph, Mary, and Jesus, my wife and I and our sons (now grown men) have lived like aristocrats. When His parents presented Jesus to the temple, their offering was not a lamb but a couple of birds – a poor folks’ sacrifice. When we presented our younger son to the temple of higher education, we laid out six figures. But I think the boys know their principle education – courtesy of the parents – was gratis, as love always is.
In the New York City playground where my sons cavorted as tots, they would often stop in the middle of frolicking and run to me. They would touch my hand or lean against me breathless before running back to whatever game engrossed them. It was if I were a battery charging station – but not a boost to their energy, which was boundless, but to top-off their souls. Daddy’s here; we’re safe.
Compared to Joseph, Mary, and Jesus, my wife and I and our sons (now grown men) have lived like aristocrats. When His parents presented Jesus to the temple, their offering was not a lamb but a couple of birds – a poor folks’ sacrifice. When we presented our younger son to the temple of higher education, we laid out six figures. But I think the boys know their principle education – courtesy of the parents – was gratis, as love always is.
Vatican source: Frontrunners for Secretary of State include Bertello and Filoni; Baldisseri also in the running
Pope's election changed headlines but decisions loom :: Catholic News Agency (CNA): “The election of Pope Francis marked a change in the newspapers headlines regarding the Church,” according to Archbishop Lorenzo Baldisseri, the secretary of the conclave that elected the new pontiff.
In a March 20 interview with CNA, Archbishop Baldisseri invited journalists “not to speculate too much” about why the cardinals chose Pope Francis, but he also maintained that “there was a need for a Pope of this kind, a shepherd able to guide and reform the Church.”
The “kindness of this Pope, who is very close to people, marked a changed in the newspaper headlines,” he underscored, adding, “his gestures will surely give a different image of the Church to the world.”
In a March 20 interview with CNA, Archbishop Baldisseri invited journalists “not to speculate too much” about why the cardinals chose Pope Francis, but he also maintained that “there was a need for a Pope of this kind, a shepherd able to guide and reform the Church.”
The “kindness of this Pope, who is very close to people, marked a changed in the newspaper headlines,” he underscored, adding, “his gestures will surely give a different image of the Church to the world.”
Paris police use tear gas to disperse 300,000+ citizens marching against gay "marriage"
Police tear-gas anti-gay marriage protesters in Paris - Telegraph: Interior Minister Manuel Valls said there were "dozens of arrests", without giving further details.
Authorities had earlier banned the protestors from marching on the Champs-Elysees. They followed a nearby route and organisers claimed their numbers swelled to 1.4 million, while police gave an initial estimate of 300,000.
Authorities had earlier banned the protestors from marching on the Champs-Elysees. They followed a nearby route and organisers claimed their numbers swelled to 1.4 million, while police gave an initial estimate of 300,000.
Francis is the pope, but he seems reluctant to say so
He's Pope But Doesn't Want To Say SoMAGISTER: If innovations can be expected from Pope Francis, these cannot in any way diminish the powers of primacy that belong to him as successor of Peter, authoritatively affirmed by Vatican Council II, with completeness and precision.
The innovations could concern, on the other hand, the forms in which the pope will exercise his powers in conjunction with the whole body of the bishops, as happens in councils, or in synods, or in other unprecedented forms of collegial governance of the Church, both intermittent and permanent, expanded or restricted, in any case always convened, presided over, and confirmed by him, as prescribed by Vatican Council II and by other documents of the magisterium.
The innovations could concern, on the other hand, the forms in which the pope will exercise his powers in conjunction with the whole body of the bishops, as happens in councils, or in synods, or in other unprecedented forms of collegial governance of the Church, both intermittent and permanent, expanded or restricted, in any case always convened, presided over, and confirmed by him, as prescribed by Vatican Council II and by other documents of the magisterium.
Pope Francis sends Passover telegram to Rome's Jewish community
Pope Francis: Passover telegram to Jewish Community (full text): Pope Francis has sent a telegram to Rome’s Jewish community, to mark the feast of Passover, which this year begins at sundown, Monday, March 25th. Below, please find Vatican Radio’s translation of the full text of the message, addressed to the Chief Rabbi of Rome, Riccardo di Segni, with whom the Holy Father met on March 20th during the course of his audience with delegations from other Christian confessions and non-Christian religions.
"Pope Francis was last straw": Magdi Allam, high-profile Muslim convert baptized by Pope Benedict, leaves Catholic Church
The Tablet - High profile Muslim convert quits Catholic Church: Magdi Cristiano Allam, an Egyptian-born Muslim whom Pope Benedict publicly baptised at Easter five years ago in St Peter's Basilica has announced that he is leaving the Church because it has taken too soft a stand against Islam.
"My conversion to Catholicism, which came at the hands of Benedict XVI during the Easter Vigil on 22 March 2008, I now consider finished in combination with the end of his pontificate," Mr Allam wrote on Monday in the right-wing Milan daily, Il Giornale.
The 61-year-old journalist and right-wing politician has long been an Italian citizen. He said he had pondered his decision to leave the Church for some time. However, he affirmed that the "last straw" was the election of Pope Francis, which he said was proof that the Church is "troppo buonista" - excessively tolerant.
"My conversion to Catholicism, which came at the hands of Benedict XVI during the Easter Vigil on 22 March 2008, I now consider finished in combination with the end of his pontificate," Mr Allam wrote on Monday in the right-wing Milan daily, Il Giornale.
The 61-year-old journalist and right-wing politician has long been an Italian citizen. He said he had pondered his decision to leave the Church for some time. However, he affirmed that the "last straw" was the election of Pope Francis, which he said was proof that the Church is "troppo buonista" - excessively tolerant.
10 things you need to know today: March 25, 2013
10 things you need to know today: March 25, 2013 - The Week: Cyprus gets its bailout, a snowstorm blankets the Midwest, and more in our roundup of the stories that are making news and driving opinion
Sunday, March 24, 2013
In the drama of Holy Week, you are part of the cast, and the play is the real thing
New Advent: In the drama of Holy Week, you are part of the cast, and the play is the real thingRUTLER: The Great Week is here, putting into perspective each day of every week. Following the events of Christ’s Passion expands our biological existence into a life of hope. The solemn ceremonies are like the axle in a wheel, and without this axle the year spins out of control. Every day of our lives has its Good Friday moments in minuscule and its Resurrection moments in majuscule. Mortal life, with all its trials, lived as a daily walk toward eternal life with Christ who is Love, “bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things” (1 Corinthians 13:7).
Pope Francis' frequent references to the reality of the Devil have struck many
Letter #61: “Prepare well”MOYNIHAN: Pope Francis built his Palm Sunday homily around three words: joy, cross, youth.
On the obelisk are written the words: “Plebem suam defendat.” Not shown are the words above, which say “Christus vincit, Christus regnat, Christus imperat, ab omni malo”; so the words taken together mean “Christ conquers, Christ reigns, Christ rules, may He defend his people from every evil.”
But, as on a several other occasions in the first days of his pontificate, he also referred to “the Evil One” (the devil), saying: “We must not believe the Evil One when he tells us: you can do nothing to counter violence, corruption, injustice, your sins! We must never grow accustomed to evil! With Christ we can transform ourselves and the world.”
On the obelisk are written the words: “Plebem suam defendat.” Not shown are the words above, which say “Christus vincit, Christus regnat, Christus imperat, ab omni malo”; so the words taken together mean “Christ conquers, Christ reigns, Christ rules, may He defend his people from every evil.”
But, as on a several other occasions in the first days of his pontificate, he also referred to “the Evil One” (the devil), saying: “We must not believe the Evil One when he tells us: you can do nothing to counter violence, corruption, injustice, your sins! We must never grow accustomed to evil! With Christ we can transform ourselves and the world.”
To anyone steeped in Jewish history, Jesus claimed clearly to be the Messiah. And Palm Sunday was the clearest claim of all...
xSHEA: We sometimes hear it said that Jesus was just a teacher full of punchy aphorisms and turns of phrase: a mystic who wandered around saying nice things about the niceness of being Nice. But his stupid disciples, being 2000 years, stupider than Extremely Clever Us, managed to completely misunderstand him and construct an elaborate religion around him that he absolutely never intended. It's a narrative in which our culture places an extraordinary amount of faith--far more faith, in fact, than the Christian story requires, since the Christian story does not require us to believe in absolutely ridiculous claims about human psychology that nobody would ever advance for one second were it not for the special need to debunk Christianity. To be sure, the faith advances extraordinary claims--the two principal ones being "God became man" and "Jesus rose from the dead in glory." These claims have been disputed as matters of fact down through the ages, of course, but they are not ridiculous claims on the face of them. Anybody can see that, if there is a God, he might if he chose, become human and he might, if he chose, rise from the dead. Whether he did or not is a matter of evidence and faith. But there is nothing prima facie laughable about the claim, unless you happen to have an irrational prejudice against miracles...
See what the end shall be: A meditation on St. Luke's Passion narrative
See What the End Shall Be – A Meditation on the Lucan Passion Narrative � Archdiocese of WashingtonPOPE: The Passion which we read in today’s liturgy is too long to comment on in detail. We are only able to take a portion and examine it.
The usual villains such as the Temple leaders, Judas, and the recruited crowd, which shouted “Crucify him!” are fairly obvious in displaying their sinfulness and are unambiguously wicked.
But there are others who participate in the Passion accounts whose sinfulness, struggles and neglect are more subtle, but still real and contribute significantly to the Lord’s sufferings on Good Friday. It is, perhaps, in these figures that we can learn a great deal about ourselves. For while we may not overtly shout “crucify,” we are often not as holy and heroic as the persecutors were wicked and bold.
The usual villains such as the Temple leaders, Judas, and the recruited crowd, which shouted “Crucify him!” are fairly obvious in displaying their sinfulness and are unambiguously wicked.
But there are others who participate in the Passion accounts whose sinfulness, struggles and neglect are more subtle, but still real and contribute significantly to the Lord’s sufferings on Good Friday. It is, perhaps, in these figures that we can learn a great deal about ourselves. For while we may not overtly shout “crucify,” we are often not as holy and heroic as the persecutors were wicked and bold.
One unanswered question from the meeting between Francis and Benedict: What was in that mysterious white box?
John Thavis | What was in the box?THAVIS: The Vatican video showed the two men sitting down for their 45-minute private conversation, facing a table on which a white box was placed. On top of the box were two large envelopes.
As soon as the image was shown in the Vatican press office, reporters joked that the box must have held the famous Vatileaks dossier, the confidential report prepared for Benedict by three cardinals and left by the ex-pope to Francis.
If the dossier needed a box that big, things were worse than anyone thought.
As soon as the image was shown in the Vatican press office, reporters joked that the box must have held the famous Vatileaks dossier, the confidential report prepared for Benedict by three cardinals and left by the ex-pope to Francis.
If the dossier needed a box that big, things were worse than anyone thought.
Debunking three 'urban legends' about Pope Francis
Debunking three 'urban legends' about Pope Francis | National Catholic ReporterALLEN: In the early days of a papacy, absolutely everything the new pope says or does is subject to endless interpretation as a hint of things to come. At times, the frenzy produces a few instant “urban legends,” meaning words or deeds attributed to the new pope that never actually happened, or that are subjected to so much over-interpretation that they become essentially unrecognizable.
Pope Francis made it official at his Palm Sunday Mass: He’s going to Brazil in July for World Youth Day
John Thavis | 'Look up toward God, but also down toward others': In his homily in a packed St. Peter’s Square, the pope told young people he was “setting out on a journey with you” that would bring him to Rio de Janeiro this summer.
“I will see you in that great city in Brazil! Prepare well – prepare spiritually above all – in your communities, so that our gathering in Rio may be a sign of faith for the whole world,” he said.
Under sunny skies, the pope led his first Palm Sunday procession through the square, as faithful waved palm fronds and olive branches. The Vatican estimated the crowd at 250,000.
“I will see you in that great city in Brazil! Prepare well – prepare spiritually above all – in your communities, so that our gathering in Rio may be a sign of faith for the whole world,” he said.
Under sunny skies, the pope led his first Palm Sunday procession through the square, as faithful waved palm fronds and olive branches. The Vatican estimated the crowd at 250,000.
"A burial shroud has no pockets": Pope Francis celebrates Palm Sunday Mass in St. Peter's Square
VIS news - Holy See Press Office: PALM SUNDAY HOMILY: WE MUST LIVE THE FAITH WITH A YOUNG HEART: Following is the whole text of Pope Francis' homily during the Palm Sunday Mass that begins the Holy Week celebrations. The Holy Father commented on the World Youth Day that the entire Church celebrates today, asking that we live the faith “with a young heart”. The pontiff urged the youth to “tell the world that it is good to follow Christ!”
Francis gave Benedict a Russian icon on Saturday. There's an interesting little story behind the gesture...
Letter #60: “We are brothers”… in humilityMOYNIHAN: Now, what does all this mean?
Well, it means that at the moment Pope Francis and Pope Benedict first met, at the first meeting ever of the “two Popes” of the Roman Catholic Church, there was a “Russian connection” and an “Orthodox connection” which was present, which was between them, joining them: an image of the Virgin Mary, the Madonna of Humility, brought from Russia and given to Pope Francis in Rome on March 20, an image which immediately struck Pope Francis when he received it as reminding him of Benedict, an image which he decided to bring with him today, to give to Emeritus Pope Benedict, on the occasion of the unprecedented, historic occasion, of their first meeting.
Well, it means that at the moment Pope Francis and Pope Benedict first met, at the first meeting ever of the “two Popes” of the Roman Catholic Church, there was a “Russian connection” and an “Orthodox connection” which was present, which was between them, joining them: an image of the Virgin Mary, the Madonna of Humility, brought from Russia and given to Pope Francis in Rome on March 20, an image which immediately struck Pope Francis when he received it as reminding him of Benedict, an image which he decided to bring with him today, to give to Emeritus Pope Benedict, on the occasion of the unprecedented, historic occasion, of their first meeting.
10 things you need to know today: March 24, 2013
10 things you need to know today:�March 24, 2013 - The Week: John Kerry touches down in Baghdad in unannounced Iraq visit, Quantico shooter and victims are identified, and more in our roundup of the stories that are making news and driving opinion
Saturday, March 23, 2013
9 things you need to know about Palm Sunday
9 things you need to know about Palm (Passion) Sunday |Blogs | NCRegister.comAKIN: Palm Sunday--or is it Passion Sunday?--marks the beginning of Holy Week.
This day commemorates not one but two very significant events in the life of Christ. It's called both "Palm Sunday" and "Passion Sunday."
The first name comes from the fact that it commemorates Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, when the crowd had palm branches.
The second name comes from the fact that the narrative of the Passion is read on this Sunday...
This day commemorates not one but two very significant events in the life of Christ. It's called both "Palm Sunday" and "Passion Sunday."
The first name comes from the fact that it commemorates Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, when the crowd had palm branches.
The second name comes from the fact that the narrative of the Passion is read on this Sunday...
Without love, poverty is useless: The fascinating story of the Witch of Wall Street...
The Life and Times of Hetty the Hoarder, the Witch of Wall Street | Mental Floss: There was an old woman often seen plodding up and down Wall Street at the turn of the 20th century. She walked alone. Her black, faded dress was dirty and ragged at the seams. She carried a case with her with a pitiful lunch tossed inside, usually graham crackers or dry oatmeal. She was such a familiar sight, with her grim face and strange dress, everyone called her “The Witch of Wall Street.”
To call Conrad Black's NRO essay embarrassing is an insult to embarrassing people everywhere
Embarrassing pro-contraception plea gives NRO a Black eye | Catholic World Report - Global Church news and viewsOLSON: I've been reading National Review and NRO for many, many years, and I appreciate the fact that its numerous editors and contributors disagree about a host of issues, many of them political issues, but also many that are religious and moral. For instance, one of my favorite NRO authors, Jonah Goldberg, is a self-professed secular Jew who has strong libertarian leanings, apparently believes in God, and thinks "same-sex marriage" is just fine. [Edit: Goldberg has actually expressed support for civil unions, not "same-sex marriage", although in this March 22, 2013, column, he writes, "I myself have grown both more pro-life and more sympathetic to gay marriage."] In short, I read a lot of essays and articles written by people with whom I disagree on matters big (God), small (sports), and in-between (music).
Not counting Georgetown's loss on Friday, here are 10 March Madness story lines worth knowing about
10 March Madness Story Lines Worth Knowing About -- Daily Intelligencer: Thursday marked the glorious start of the 2013 NCAA tournament. While the next three weeks is the best time of the year for hardcore college-hoops heads, it's also an entertaining spectacle for millions of casual sports fans who filled out their brackets based on their favorite mascots and don't really have any idea of who or what to watch for this tournament season. Well, no more! Prepare yourself for the inevitable March Madness water-cooler conversations with our guide to the ten best characters and story lines of this year's Big Dance.
The crowds who profess to love Pope Francis' simplicity of life are responding sentimentally. It won't last long...
Pope Francis’ Poverty Will be ForgottenLONGENECKER: In this first week of his papacy Pope Francis has made some stunning and memorable gestures toward the Franciscan ideal of poverty. They have produced a fantastic splash of public relations positives, but they are not mere PR gimmicks. Jorge Bergoglio has lived a life of apostolic simplicity for many years, and he lives and works from a position of genuine affection for the poor and ministers positively for the poor.
Ghosts in the news about those monks and their simple caskets
Ghosts in news about those monks and their simple casketsMATTINGLY: So, in one level, my primary task in this post is to point GetReligion readers toward a very interesting business story in The New Orleans Times-Picayune. It is also interesting to note that this business story focuses on an important collision between big business and the free exercise of religion.
So far so good. The story gets the basics, when it comes to to both of those topics, including a nod toward the religious liberty question.
So far so good. The story gets the basics, when it comes to to both of those topics, including a nod toward the religious liberty question.
"We are brothers": Two popes make history with unprecedented meeting at Castel Gandolfo
Whispers in the Loggia: "We Are Brothers": Two Popes, TogetherPALMO: The new Pope arrived by helicopter at the papal "Camp David" in the Alban Hills shortly after noon local time, his predecessor having come to welcome him at the nearby heliport (above).
According to a briefing from the Vatican spokesman, Jesuit Fr Federico Lombardi, when the duo entered the villa's chapel for a moment of prayer, Benedict motioned to Francis to take the seat and pre-dieu reserved for the Pope.�
According to a briefing from the Vatican spokesman, Jesuit Fr Federico Lombardi, when the duo entered the villa's chapel for a moment of prayer, Benedict motioned to Francis to take the seat and pre-dieu reserved for the Pope.�
A historic meeting as Francis visits Benedict
John Thavis | A historic meeting as Francis visits BenedictTHAVIS: For the Vatican, today brought another “first” – two popes, one retired and one in office, met, had lunch and presumably talked about the various challenges facing the Catholic Church.
Pope Francis and ex-Pope Benedict made sure they met in private, respecting Benedict’s wish that he retire to a “hidden” life that would in no way interfere with his successor.
But in the eyes of the faithful, those concerns were not so important.
“I came here to see the popes, naturally,” one Italian woman told Italian television as she waited in front of the papal villa at Castel Gandolfo, hoping the two would make a joint appearance at the window.
Pope Francis and ex-Pope Benedict made sure they met in private, respecting Benedict’s wish that he retire to a “hidden” life that would in no way interfere with his successor.
But in the eyes of the faithful, those concerns were not so important.
“I came here to see the popes, naturally,” one Italian woman told Italian television as she waited in front of the papal villa at Castel Gandolfo, hoping the two would make a joint appearance at the window.
Pope Francis' "circus mozzetta" comment, and other urban legends
Bergoglio, Ratzinger and urban myths - Vatican InsiderTORNIELLI: The other day, a person who is very close and dear to me said: “I can’t help thinking about Benedict XVI and I can’t help feeling bad when I think of him seeing all the affection and enthusiasm that surround the new Pope…”. Knowing Ratzinger (as far as it is possible for one to really know him), it is hard to imagine him resenting the fact that his successor, Francis, is well liked by faithful and non-faithful alike. Frankly, the comments made by those who are concerned about the fondness Bergoglio inspires even in secular environments and contexts that are usually seen as being distant from the Church, appear out of place. It seems as though one cannot be truly Catholic without causing disagreements, disputes, controversies and dislike. Are the events of recent days just a “honey moon” between the new Pope and the people that is destined to end soon? We must wait and see what will happen. But we must recognise the Church’s spectacular ability to renew itself and start afresh with energy, despite the resignation of a Pope.
“No one knows what protocol to follow as there are no precedents” in the meeting of two popes
Benedict XVI and Francis’ historic lunch - Vatican InsiderGALEAZZI: “No one knows what protocol to follow as there are no precedents,” the Curia explains. Archbishop Georg Gänswein, who works closely with both these men dressed in white will definitely play a key role in this historic event. Tomorrow’s lunch will be a sort of handover of power that has not been witnessed in the whole of Christianity’s two thousand-year old history. It is also impossible to know what the two will talk about given the context which brought them together and united them (but has also divided them) for at least eight years: Bergoglio was Ratzinger’s main rival in the 2005 Conclave which elected Benedict XVI. But Ratzinger’s resignation and replacement by the very man who was once his “rival” in the race for the papacy, is a real turning point in terms of Church government...
Pope Benedict wrote a secret 300-page report for Pope Francis
The secret report Benedict wrote for Francis - Vatican InsiderTOSATTI: Pope Francis will have some reading to do in the next few days. And not so much the report by the three Cardinal "wise men" on Vatileaks, as a staff memorandum written by Benedict XVI, a kind of user's manual. It was mentioned in Avvenire (the newspaper of the Italian Bishop's Conference) by Archbishop Loris Capovilla, secretary to John XXIII, whose 98 years have not dimmed, but if anything, added to, his lucidity. Speaking with the nephew of the "Good Pope" (Roncalli), Camarillo said "anyway, and I'm not referring to the Vatileaks dossier, Benedict XVI has left on his successor's desk something like three hundred pages written personally to his attention, that's what they tell me in Rome". Like a good captain, Pope Ratzinger has left a "delivery" for the one who would take over the helm of the boat.
Pope Francis is arguably the luckiest pope in history, because...
Why Francis may like having Benedict around | National Catholic ReporterALLEN: None of his 265 predecessors has ever had access to another living figure who could truly understand the burden they carried. Stay up to date throughout your day: Sign up for NCR email alerts to receive the latest news and your favorite columns. That may be especially important for Francis, who was known in Argentina for not having an inner circle of confidantes, preferring to play his cards close to the vest and to make decisions for himself. For that reason, he doesn’t bring into the papacy a ready-made team of close advisors. It might be especially useful to be able to turn to Benedict for a read on thorny situations, though everything we’ve seen about Francis suggests he’ll end up making his own calls.
10 things you need to know today: March 23, 2013
10 things you need to know today: March 23, 2013 - The Week: Obama plays peacemaker in Israel, Colorado legalizes same-sex civil unions, and more in our roundup of the stories that are making news and driving opinion
"We are brothers": Pope Francis meets Pope Benedict XVI at Castel Gandolfo
“Brothers” Pope Francis, Benedict XVI meet | CNS Blog: Brief video clips and a short briefing from the Vatican spokesman gave observers a glimpse of a historic moment filled with touching gestures — the visit today of Pope Francis to his predecessor, the emeritus Pope Benedict XVI.
Video: Nuns win big on the Game Show Network's "American Bible Challenge"
The Sacred Page: Who Says Catholics Don't Know the Bible? Nuns Win Big for Charity on Bible Game Show (VIDEO): You've got to love the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist!
They just appeared on The American Bible Challenge hosted by Jeff Foxworthy (Game Show Network).
And won.
Who says Catholics don't know the Bible?
They just appeared on The American Bible Challenge hosted by Jeff Foxworthy (Game Show Network).
And won.
Who says Catholics don't know the Bible?
Cartoon: The world's reaction to Pope Francis
Cartoon: The World’s Reaction to Pope Francis | Truth & Charity The Intersection of Faith & Life: Originally from Portland, Oregon, Jason Bach has been drawing cartoons for as long as he can remember.
Friday, March 22, 2013
Friday in the "Garden" with Francis
Whispers in the Loggia: Il "Giardino" del Papa – Friday In the "Garden" With FrancisPALMO: Continuing his outreach into his new world, the Pope started this last Friday of Lent by celebrating a quiet Mass for the employees of the Vatican's gardening and sanitation services in the chapel of the Domus Sancta Marthae, the Vatican guest-house where he's remained since his election.
The simple rite moved the 30 or so in attendance – "we're the invisible ones," one worker told Vatican Radio, noting that his colleagues "were all teary-eyed" when he looked around the room.
The simple rite moved the 30 or so in attendance – "we're the invisible ones," one worker told Vatican Radio, noting that his colleagues "were all teary-eyed" when he looked around the room.
The importance of Francis’s words today cannot be overestimated
Letter #56: Holding to BenedictMOYNIHAN: What Francis said today was critical, and should be read carefully by all who want to understand “where he is coming from.”
So far, the “pundits” — and really, all of us — have been “circling” Pope Francis, like the group of blind men circling the elephant, one touching the rope-like tail, one the smooth, sheet-like ear, one the hard, ivory tusk, all “seeing” only a small part… none seeing the whole.
One pundit notes the Pope’s simplicity, his actual poverty, his love for the poor, and says (wrongly): “He is the people’s Pope, the Pope of the poor, so… he is a liberal, he may very well be a social revolutionary, a ‘liberation’ Pope… and perhaps also breaking with Church teaching on sexual matters…” Another pundit notes that Francis has strongly defended Church teaching on the family, on sexual morality, and says (wrongly) “he is a conservative, he won’t ‘rock the boat’ at all…”
So far, the “pundits” — and really, all of us — have been “circling” Pope Francis, like the group of blind men circling the elephant, one touching the rope-like tail, one the smooth, sheet-like ear, one the hard, ivory tusk, all “seeing” only a small part… none seeing the whole.
One pundit notes the Pope’s simplicity, his actual poverty, his love for the poor, and says (wrongly): “He is the people’s Pope, the Pope of the poor, so… he is a liberal, he may very well be a social revolutionary, a ‘liberation’ Pope… and perhaps also breaking with Church teaching on sexual matters…” Another pundit notes that Francis has strongly defended Church teaching on the family, on sexual morality, and says (wrongly) “he is a conservative, he won’t ‘rock the boat’ at all…”
Peanuuuuuts to you! Today is Chico Marx's birthday...
Peanuuuuuts to You! |Blogs | NCRegister.comFISHER: Look, I know it's a Friday in Lent, but this has been kind of a rough week for all of us, whether we're happy about our new pope or not -- and I predict that next week is going to be even more harrowing. I keep having the "oh no, I forgot to write my term paper, and it's due in forty minutes!" dream, and the "well, I guess I'll try and cram this huge, thick, scummy contact lens into my eyeball" dream, and the "uh oh, there's a flood coming, but I bet I can drive fast enough to get ahead of -- noooooooooo, I can't!" dream. And my eye is twitching again.
Pope calls Argentine kiosk owner to cancel newspaper delivery
Pope calls Argentine kiosk owner to cancel paper delivery :: Catholic News Agency (CNA): Pope Francis surprised the owner of a kiosk in Buenos Aires with a telephone call to send his greetings and explain that he will no longer need a morning paper delivered each day.
Around 1:30 p.m. local time on March 18, Daniel Del Regno, the kiosk owner’s son, answered the phone and heard a voice say, “Hi Daniel, it’s Cardinal Jorge.”
He thought that maybe a friend who knew that the former Archbishop of Buenos Aires bought the newspaper from them every day was pulling a prank on him.
Around 1:30 p.m. local time on March 18, Daniel Del Regno, the kiosk owner’s son, answered the phone and heard a voice say, “Hi Daniel, it’s Cardinal Jorge.”
He thought that maybe a friend who knew that the former Archbishop of Buenos Aires bought the newspaper from them every day was pulling a prank on him.
Five tests of whether Pope Francis' reform of the Vatican could be real
Five tests of whether Pope Francis' reform of the Vatican could be real | National Catholic ReporterALLEN: Saturday will mark 10 days since the start of the Pope Francis era, and as introductions go, it's been a tour de force. Polling around the world suggests that overwhelming majorities have a positive impression of the new pope, and the media have fallen in love with a man who packs his own bags, makes his own calls and prefers to walk rather than taking the limo.
Everything Francis does, however banal, is now a sensation. The fact that TV cameras caught him checking his watch near the end of Tuesday's inaugural Mass, for instance, launched an essay in one of the Italian papers about his pastoral concern for not holding people too long for an overly elaborate liturgy.
Everything Francis does, however banal, is now a sensation. The fact that TV cameras caught him checking his watch near the end of Tuesday's inaugural Mass, for instance, launched an essay in one of the Italian papers about his pastoral concern for not holding people too long for an overly elaborate liturgy.
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