Pope closes Mary's month reflecting on her spiritual attitude :: Catholic News Agency (CNA): After a Rosary in St. Peter’s Square to mark the end of May, Pope Francis asked people to “listen, decide, and take action” like Mary did.
“Listen to everyday reality, to people, to the facts because the Lord is at our door and knocks in many ways, he places signs in our path; he give us the ability to see them,” the Pope said in front of thousands of pilgrims, following the 8:00 p.m. Rosary.
He spoke about the Gospel reading for May 31 that recounted Mary visiting her cousin Elizabeth, who was pregnant with John the Baptist.
Friday, May 31, 2013
Why do earthworms come to the surface after rain?
Why Do Worms Surface After Rain? | Mental Floss: Worms coming topside during and after rain used to be explained as them simply trying not to drown in water-logged soil. As biologists learned more about annelids (the group that includes earthworms, ragworms, and leeches), though, we figured out that some of them breathe a little differently than most land animals, and don’t drown as easily as you or I would in a watery hole in the ground.
I'm just trying to find something to wear in a world where there is nothing to wear
Why I'm Wearing This |Blogs | NCRegister.comFISHER: The weather's getting warmer, and here they come: articles from nice Christian men, begging and pleading with their sisters in the faith to dress in a way that shows them as the beautiful women they were meant to be: feminine, modest, and utterly captivating in the best possible way.
Well, well. I, too, am less than thrilled to see the sidewalks a-flutter with girls wearing little more than a strategically draped ruffle, or wrapped tighter than an empanada in strips and straps of hot pink lycra. Some of these ladies look alluring, some of them look just plain dumb, but they all have an unbearable eagerness to present themselves as a product to be approved of and consumed -- possibly something sold by the pound. Some of them even helpfully add product descriptions to their bodies: PINK, it explains, in case you were unclear.
Well, well. I, too, am less than thrilled to see the sidewalks a-flutter with girls wearing little more than a strategically draped ruffle, or wrapped tighter than an empanada in strips and straps of hot pink lycra. Some of these ladies look alluring, some of them look just plain dumb, but they all have an unbearable eagerness to present themselves as a product to be approved of and consumed -- possibly something sold by the pound. Some of them even helpfully add product descriptions to their bodies: PINK, it explains, in case you were unclear.
An afternoon with Cardinal O'Malley and Archbishop Chaput, America's Capuchin heavyweights
An afternoon with America's Capuchin heavyweights | National Catholic ReporterALLEN: In a return to my spiritual roots, I spoke this week to a group of Capuchins from the Province of St. Augustine taking part in a chapter meeting in a Pittsburgh suburb. I was educated and formed in the faith by Capuchins out in western Kansas, and I've always thought of myself as part of their extended family.
My talk, however, was just the undercard. The main event came Tuesday afternoon, when the Capuchins heard from their two most prominent members in the United States: Cardinal Sean O'Malley of Boston and Archbishop Charles Chaput of Philadelphia. Both spoke on "The Capuchin Call to New Evangelization."
My talk, however, was just the undercard. The main event came Tuesday afternoon, when the Capuchins heard from their two most prominent members in the United States: Cardinal Sean O'Malley of Boston and Archbishop Charles Chaput of Philadelphia. Both spoke on "The Capuchin Call to New Evangelization."
Meet Oklahoma State Rep. Rebecca Hamilton, pro-life Democrat and Catholic blogger
Pro-life Oklahoma Democrat turns her attention to religious freedom | CNS Blog: Oklahoma State Rep. Rebecca Hamilton sees no conflict between her pro-life views as a Catholic and being a stalwart Democrat who has served 18 years in the state Legislature. Hamilton, who represents South Oklahoma City, told Catholic News Service during a break this morning in the 2013 National Religious Freedom Conference in Washington that her pro-life stance evolved over time after a “powerful religious experience” in the 1980s.
After this young Virginia girl died in 2007, miraculous things began to happen
The Littlest Suffering Souls, part 2: Margaret Leo of McLeanRUSE: How is it that a Supreme Court Justice keeps two pictures drawn by a little girl who died six years ago on the desk of his office? Or that the head of an influential Washington D.C. think tank prayed to the same girl for his father to be saved from a brain tumor? Or, that a noted Washington thinker has a regular devotion to her?
Margaret Leo was painfully crippled from spina bifida, paralyzed from the waste down. Parts of her cerebellum and brain stem were pushed into the opening of her spinal column. A painful shunt in her brain ensured her spinal fluid circulated. Without it, her head would have swelled, causing death. Titanium rods were inserted to straighten her spine, but bent instead. Over time, one of the rods poked out of her neck.
Margaret Leo was painfully crippled from spina bifida, paralyzed from the waste down. Parts of her cerebellum and brain stem were pushed into the opening of her spinal column. A painful shunt in her brain ensured her spinal fluid circulated. Without it, her head would have swelled, causing death. Titanium rods were inserted to straighten her spine, but bent instead. Over time, one of the rods poked out of her neck.
49 hoaxes (like the myth of "Pope Joan") that some people actually believed
New Advent: 49 hoaxes (like the myth of "Pope Joan") that some people actually believed: A weekly show hosted by John Green, where knowledge junkies get their fix of trivia-tastic information. This week, John looks at some of history's greatest hoaxes including "Balloon Boy" (the boy, by the way is now in a metal band), "Lonelygirl15" and "War of the Worlds" (you didn't think we could do an episode on hoaxes and NOT include it, did you?).
10 things you need to know today: May 31, 2013
10 things you need to know today: May 31, 2013 - The Week: Investigators interview a person of interest about the ricin letters, eurozone unemployment hits another record high, and more
Pope Francis: "You cannot advance the Gospel with sad, hopeless, discouraged Christians. You cannot."
Pope Francis: Long faces cannot proclaim Jesus: The Holy Spirit is the "author" of Christian joy and to proclaim the Gospel we need to have joy in our hearts gifted us by the Spirit of God. There is a certain understanding of Christian life that is marked by sadness, but long faces cannot proclaim Jesus. Joy alone and praise of God are the only way to advance the Gospel. This was the focus of Pope Francis’ homily at morning Mass in Casa Santa Marta.
How the next battle over Obamacare could be the ugliest yet
How the next battle over Obamacare could be the ugliest yet - CNN.com: In what may be the epic battle of the summer, the White House and Republicans are assembling their armies and sharpening their bayonets for a political fight over the selling of Obamacare.
On one side is the Obama administration, which is preparing to carry out the president's landmark health care reform law. It sees success directly linked to his legacy.
On one side is the Obama administration, which is preparing to carry out the president's landmark health care reform law. It sees success directly linked to his legacy.
Here are the Top 10 movie dads
Catholic Digest | The Magazine for Catholic Living | Top Ten Movie DadsGREYDANUS: Picking the top 10 movie dads was both easier and harder than picking the top 10 movie moms. Easier, because there were more candidates to choose from, and harder for the same reason.
As with the moms list, I considered biological, adoptive, and foster fathers for the main list below; the runners-up list also includes some “father-figure” characters. Both lists are alphabetical by film.
As with the moms list, I considered biological, adoptive, and foster fathers for the main list below; the runners-up list also includes some “father-figure” characters. Both lists are alphabetical by film.
Thursday, May 30, 2013
Make your journey with Jesus Christ as one who is amazed and afraid
And They Followed Jesus, Amazed and Afraid: A Reflection on the Call to Joyful Reverence � Archdiocese of WashingtonPOPE: We have come through an era that has trivialized God in many ways. Perhaps it was an over correction to a more severe time of the 1950s when any misstep of ours could result in a quick trip to hell if we didn’t get to confession immediately. Mortal sin was understood only objectively by many in those days and by God, even if there were two feet of snow on the ground and you missed Church, your were in sin and had to get to confession asap. Fear was a strong motivator for many in those days.
But we over corrected and by the 1970s the usual notion was that God didn’t seem to care what we did. He was rendered quite “harmless” actually and it seemed that his main purpose was to affirm us.
But we over corrected and by the 1970s the usual notion was that God didn’t seem to care what we did. He was rendered quite “harmless” actually and it seemed that his main purpose was to affirm us.
The world is more full of glory than you can understand. Here are four examples...
A Week In The Life: Four Scenes That Make Sense Of It All | CatholicVote.orgSOLENNI: Several years ago, my husband was at a dinner with a CNN executive. The inevitable and predictable question arose: “Why do news outlets run so much bad news? Why can’t they tell more positive and heartwarming stories?”
After all, most of us don’t need convincing that ours is a fallen world. The answer was pretty simple, honest, and straightforward. Good news doesn’t sell. People tune in more for bad news than for good news.
Still, I’d argue that we actually need to hear the good stories. Otherwise, the brokeness of life gets to be too much. A professor of mine told the story of a friend who was giving a mission in Trinidad – partway through his stern hellfire and damnation preaching, a woman stood up and said, “Father, we all knows we’s sinners. Tell us something we don’t know.”
After all, most of us don’t need convincing that ours is a fallen world. The answer was pretty simple, honest, and straightforward. Good news doesn’t sell. People tune in more for bad news than for good news.
Still, I’d argue that we actually need to hear the good stories. Otherwise, the brokeness of life gets to be too much. A professor of mine told the story of a friend who was giving a mission in Trinidad – partway through his stern hellfire and damnation preaching, a woman stood up and said, “Father, we all knows we’s sinners. Tell us something we don’t know.”
The tight-knit family speaks the five love languages
The Tight-Knit Family Speaks the 5 Love Languages | The Catholic WifeKATIESCIBA: I’m relatively new to parenting, but despite the green tint to my view, it’s clear that if I’m going to be any good at it, I need to learn what makes my kids tick. What do they like doing? What goes on in their little heads? Most importantly, how can I tell them I love them so that they get it?
Sure there’s the straightforward “I love you,” which is sentimental and sweet, but it doesn’t quite register with small children the way it does with adults. This sort of obstacle isn’t unique to little ones either; the reception of love varies from person to person regardless of age or maturity – e.g. saying “I love you,” might convey affection to a 10-year-old, but not a teenager who needs it expressed differently.
Sure there’s the straightforward “I love you,” which is sentimental and sweet, but it doesn’t quite register with small children the way it does with adults. This sort of obstacle isn’t unique to little ones either; the reception of love varies from person to person regardless of age or maturity – e.g. saying “I love you,” might convey affection to a 10-year-old, but not a teenager who needs it expressed differently.
"Please do not circulate this": Secret memo reveals SNAP damage control strategy over controversial letter
Barbara Blaine SNAP Founder Admits Writing Letter on Behalf of Doc Busted With Kiddie Porn, Plan For Cover-Up Exposed: According to a tip received by TheMediaReport.com, Barbara Blaine, the founder and president of the anti-Catholic group SNAP, has admitted that she wrote a letter on behalf of a Louisiana psychologist, Dr. Steve Taylor, who was arrested and jailed on charges of possessing over 100 images of kiddie porn...
Some brotherly words of advice to newly ordained priests
Fr. Robert Barron's Word On Fire - Spirituality: Fraternal Advice to the Newly OrdainedFERENCE: It’s easy for priests to fall into the Messiah complex. After all, we do stand In Persona Christi when we celebrate the Sacraments. But at the end of the day, Jesus is the one who does all the saving. He simply humbles himself to work through you. Let him save you. Let him love you. Let him live in you. If you find yourself overworked, irritated, upset, angry, envious, frustrated, or underappreciated as a priest, it’s probably because you’ve forgotten that Jesus saves, not you. The best gift you can ever give your parishioners is to let him love you so that you can, in turn, share what you have received with them.
The spirit of the liturgy from Benedict to Francis
New Advent: The spirit of the liturgy from Benedict to Francis: Benedictine Abbot Michael Zielinski, an official at the Vatican's worship congregation, discusses the differences and similarities between the liturgical approaches of Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis.
I’m 22 and a single mom. I used to be “that girl who got pregnant”, but now I've become "that girl who chose life"...
I'm That Girl Who Chose Life - FOCUS BlogKATO: Yes, I chose life, and I gave birth to the most perfect little girl, AvaMarie Rose, on October 23, 2012. She entered the world at 9:56 pm, weighing 6.8 lbs. and measuring 20 inches. She was, and still is, perfect in every way. I never knew how much I could love someone. It totally gives perspective on just how much God loves us.
I have been blessed with this beautiful girl, AvaMarie Rose, and I couldn’t be more in love. She is a constant reminder of how great God’s love is and how precious life is. “Ava” is a variation of Eve which means “life” and “Marie” is a variation of “Mary.” So, it is pretty apparent why I chose to combine those to create her name. It is the perfect representation of her story. She represents a choice of life, and I could not have done so without God’s perfect love, and without Mary’s perfect example of how to say “yes” to life. Mary had an “unplanned” pregnancy too; she had a choice as well. AvaMarie’s middle name, Rose, is after my own middle name, but it is also a beautiful representation of how beauty comes from imperfection, like a thorn bush producing roses.
I have been blessed with this beautiful girl, AvaMarie Rose, and I couldn’t be more in love. She is a constant reminder of how great God’s love is and how precious life is. “Ava” is a variation of Eve which means “life” and “Marie” is a variation of “Mary.” So, it is pretty apparent why I chose to combine those to create her name. It is the perfect representation of her story. She represents a choice of life, and I could not have done so without God’s perfect love, and without Mary’s perfect example of how to say “yes” to life. Mary had an “unplanned” pregnancy too; she had a choice as well. AvaMarie’s middle name, Rose, is after my own middle name, but it is also a beautiful representation of how beauty comes from imperfection, like a thorn bush producing roses.
New IOR head Ernst von Freyberg brings Teutonic thoroughness to Vatican Bank
God’s new banker brings Teutonic thoroughness to Vatican - FT.com: On his last full day of a troubled papacy, Benedict XVI bade farewell to his household staff lining up in the Vatican, greeting cleaners, drivers and gardeners, before stopping to exchange just a few words with a newly arrived fellow German.
“I got a rosary. He wished me strength,” recalls Ernst von Freyberg, who two weeks earlier had been named head of the Vatican bank in the Pope’s last major appointment before his historic abdication in February.
“I got a rosary. He wished me strength,” recalls Ernst von Freyberg, who two weeks earlier had been named head of the Vatican bank in the Pope’s last major appointment before his historic abdication in February.
"This evening we are the crowd of the Gospels": Pope Francis leads Corpus Christi procession on foot through Rome
Whispers in the Loggia: "Do We Let God Lead Us... To Not Be Afraid To Give?" – On Corpus Christi, Francis Calls Church Beyond Its "Fence"PALMO: While the feast is always marked by the pontiffs on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday – its traditional setting, which recalls the institution of the Eucharist on Holy Thursday – where the weekday isn't a holy day of obligation, the observance is now transferred to Sunday, which is the case across the lion's share of the global church. For the first time in two decades, Francis walked the traditional mile-long procession from Rome's cathedral to St Mary Major behind the flatbed truck that carried the exposed Blessed Sacrament, instead of riding on the vehicle and spending the route on his knees before the monstrance.
I'm gay, but I'm not switching to a church that supports gay marriage
I'm Gay, but I'm Not Switching to a Church That Supports Gay Marriage - Eve Tushnet - The AtlanticTUSHNET: When I became Catholic in 1998, as a college sophomore, I didn't know any other gay Christians. I'd been raised in a kind of pointillist Reform Judaism, almost entirely protected from homophobia; when I realized I was gay it was, if anything, a relief. I thought I finally had an explanation for the persistent sense of difference I'd felt since early childhood. This sheltered upbringing may help explain my sunny undergraduate confidence that even though I knew of literally nobody else who had ever tried to be both unashamedly gay and obediently Catholic, I was totally going to do it. No problem, guys, I got this.
The big questions facing that out gay Catholic priest
The big questions facing that out gay Catholic priestMATTINGLY: It is my experience, through my decades on the religion beat, that liberal Catholics genuinely love talking to mainstream news reporters.
That said, I have also observed — click here for a classic example — that liberal Catholics, especially if they are wearing collars or have the word “sister” in front of their name, do NOT enjoy answering doctrinal questions in the vicinity of recording devices.
That said, I have also observed — click here for a classic example — that liberal Catholics, especially if they are wearing collars or have the word “sister” in front of their name, do NOT enjoy answering doctrinal questions in the vicinity of recording devices.
Pope Francis leads Corpus Christi procession through streets of Rome
Pope Francis leads Corpus Christi procession through streets of Rome : News Headlines - Catholic Culture: Pope Francis led the Corpus Christi procession through the streets of Rome on May 30, after celebrating Mass at the basilica of St. John Lateran and telling the congregation that the Eucharist should nourish an attitude of solidarity.
The feast of Corpus Christi is celebrated as a holy day in Rome, and Vatican offices were closed. The Pope celebrated an outdoor Mass on the plaza outside the Lateran basilica for a congregation of about 20,000 people, then joined in the candlelight procession to the basilica of St. Mary Major for Benediction.
The feast of Corpus Christi is celebrated as a holy day in Rome, and Vatican offices were closed. The Pope celebrated an outdoor Mass on the plaza outside the Lateran basilica for a congregation of about 20,000 people, then joined in the candlelight procession to the basilica of St. Mary Major for Benediction.
Ayn Rand really, really hated C.S. Lewis
Ayn Rand Really, Really Hated C.S. Lewis � First Thoughts | A First Things Blog: Ayn Rand was no fan of C.S. Lewis. She called the famous apologist an “abysmal bastard,” a “monstrosity,” a “cheap, awful, miserable, touchy, social-meta physical mediocrity,” a “pickpocket of concepts,” and a “God-damn, beaten mystic.” (I suspect Lewis would have particularly relished the last of these.)
These insults and more can be found in her marginal notes on a copy of Lewis’ Abolition of Man, as printed in Ayn Rand’s Marginalia: Her critical comments on the writings of over 20 authors, edited by Robert Mayhew. Excerpts appear below, with Lewis’ writing (complete with Rand’s highlighting and underlining) on the left and Rand’s notes on the right.
These insults and more can be found in her marginal notes on a copy of Lewis’ Abolition of Man, as printed in Ayn Rand’s Marginalia: Her critical comments on the writings of over 20 authors, edited by Robert Mayhew. Excerpts appear below, with Lewis’ writing (complete with Rand’s highlighting and underlining) on the left and Rand’s notes on the right.
13 words that knocked out Scripps National Spelling Bee finalists
13 Words That Knocked Out Scripps National Spelling Bee Finalists | Mental Floss: Plenty of little logophiles have been there before, and tonight one more will join their ranks as the 86th Annual Scripps National Spelling Bee�declares a victor, with one pre-teen heading home with bragging rights and one (or more) second-place contestants vowing to learn every word in Webster’s Third New International Dictionary before next year’s big event. Here are the 13 words that have knocked out runners-up over the past decade.�
'Epic' is a gorgeously designed film. Too bad it's not better written...
SDG Reviews 'Epic' | Daily News | NCRegister.comGREYDANUS: In a gorgeously designed computer-animated action-fantasy film where striking visuals are the main selling point, one of the most memorable images isn’t one of fantastic creatures, pitched battles or dizzy flight sequences.
It’s a teenage girl futilely trying to get the attention of her distracted father, who looms above her like a colossus, to whose eyes she is practically invisible. Later in the scene, he finally sees her, as if for the first time: a creature as strange to his eyes as a specimen in a jar — which, as it happens, is what she is.
It’s a teenage girl futilely trying to get the attention of her distracted father, who looms above her like a colossus, to whose eyes she is practically invisible. Later in the scene, he finally sees her, as if for the first time: a creature as strange to his eyes as a specimen in a jar — which, as it happens, is what she is.
Since 1620, a Spanish village has celebrated Corpus Christi by having a guy in a yellow outfit jump over some babies...
El Colacho: Corpus Christi and the Devil’s LeapSCHIFFER: Around the world, Catholics and some other Christians celebrate the Feast of Corpus Christi two weeks after Pentecost, the Sunday following Trinity Sunday on the liturgical calendar. This year, the feast will be celebrated in the United States on Sunday, June 2.
On the feast, which is also called the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, Catholics honor Christ fully present, Body and Blood, in the Eucharist. Many parishes have Corpus Christi processions, carrying the Blessed Sacrament through the streets in a monstrance. Following the procession, the faithful gather in the church for Benediction and Eucharistic adoration.
On the feast, which is also called the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, Catholics honor Christ fully present, Body and Blood, in the Eucharist. Many parishes have Corpus Christi processions, carrying the Blessed Sacrament through the streets in a monstrance. Following the procession, the faithful gather in the church for Benediction and Eucharistic adoration.
"Highly-regarded sociologist, prolific author and unabashedly liberal Chicago priest": Father Andrew Greeley dead at 85
Andrew Greely dead at 85 - chicagotribune.com: Rev. Andrew Greeley, the outspoken Roman Catholic priest, best-selling novelist and sociologist known for his deeply researched academic appraisals and sometimes scathing critiques of his church, died Wednesday night, several years after fracturing his skull in a freakish fall in Rosemont.
Rev. Greeley died in his sleep at his apartment at the John Hancock Center, according to his spokeswoman, June Rosner. He was 85.
Rosner said Rev. Greeley had been in poor health since an accident on Nov. 7, 2008. He was at Advocate Lutheran General Medical Center when a piece of his clothing apparently got caught in the door of a departing taxi and he was thrown to the pavement.
Rev. Greeley died in his sleep at his apartment at the John Hancock Center, according to his spokeswoman, June Rosner. He was 85.
Rosner said Rev. Greeley had been in poor health since an accident on Nov. 7, 2008. He was at Advocate Lutheran General Medical Center when a piece of his clothing apparently got caught in the door of a departing taxi and he was thrown to the pavement.
Religious orders to release records of abusive priests in Los Angeles
Religious orders to release records of abusive LA priests :: Catholic News Agency (CNA): Catholic religious orders will soon release confidential files about priests accused of sex abuse who were assigned to work in Los Angeles, fulfilling part of a settlement agreement with victims.
The files involve orders including the Salesians, Vincentians and Marianists and will begin to be released as early as June. Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Emilie Elias set a September deadline for the public release of the documents.
The files involve orders including the Salesians, Vincentians and Marianists and will begin to be released as early as June. Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Emilie Elias set a September deadline for the public release of the documents.
Bishop Michael Barber: "I want to do for Oakland what Francis is doing for the Church"
Whispers in the Loggia: "I Want To Do For Oakland What Francis Is Doing For the Church" – For the "Barber Shop," A Grand OpeningPALMO: For the post-Communion address at the close of his Ordination Mass, the rubrics say that a new bishop is to wear the miter on his head and hold the crozier in hand as he gives his first message to the flock.
When his turn came Saturday, however, Bishop Michael Barber did neither.
The move can ostensibly be chalked up to one of two things: either the Jesuit head of Oakland's 600,000-member church – Pope Francis' first US pick to take office – knew the optic would freak out at least some of the natives... or, coming all of 22 days after his appointment from the other side of the country, the 58 year-old nominee, a longtime Navy chaplain, simply didn't have time to check the books in the unusual rush toward the rites.
When his turn came Saturday, however, Bishop Michael Barber did neither.
The move can ostensibly be chalked up to one of two things: either the Jesuit head of Oakland's 600,000-member church – Pope Francis' first US pick to take office – knew the optic would freak out at least some of the natives... or, coming all of 22 days after his appointment from the other side of the country, the 58 year-old nominee, a longtime Navy chaplain, simply didn't have time to check the books in the unusual rush toward the rites.
One of the joys of Heaven will be to finally see what our prayers actually wrought
A Word from the Lord and a Saint as to what Prayer Does. � Archdiocese of WashingtonPOPE: Yes, even our distracted and imperfect prayers, by God’s grace may well have had the power to bring immense healing, cast out demons, cancel discouragement, push back temptation and even turn away wars.
I know that I am the result of prayer. My conversion to the Lord and my subsequent healing over the years are inexplicable to me, except that someone, indeed, some many, were praying for me.
And so, something tells me that a special joy of heaven will be to know and see what prayer did for us, and what our prayers did for others. For now, things can seem discouraging at times. The effects of our prayers may seem subtle or even non-existent. But God is working his purposes out and collecting and dispensing the fruits of our prayer in due season.
I know that I am the result of prayer. My conversion to the Lord and my subsequent healing over the years are inexplicable to me, except that someone, indeed, some many, were praying for me.
And so, something tells me that a special joy of heaven will be to know and see what prayer did for us, and what our prayers did for others. For now, things can seem discouraging at times. The effects of our prayers may seem subtle or even non-existent. But God is working his purposes out and collecting and dispensing the fruits of our prayer in due season.
When an intolerant mob promotes tolerance as a virtue, watch out
When a Crowd Becomes a Mob | Crisis MagazineDEMARCO: It was Victoria Day in Canada and the Toronto Blue Jays were hosting the Rays of Tampa Bay. The word “hosting,” however, hardly applied to the treatment that one Yunel Escobar, the Rays shortstop, received, who was lustfully booed each time he came to the plate.� When he homered in the 9th inning, he was booed again for employing his signature gesture as he crossed home plate—stretching his arms out to indicate the “safe” sign. Cuban-born, Escobar does not speak English. Through a translator, he expressed his astonishment: “It’s something I do every time I cross home plate.” But that is not the reason for Escobar’s status as a pariah.
Pope Francis reveals for the first time his reasons for shunning the official papal apartments
Pope Francis shunned official papal apartments to live 'normal life' - Telegraph: He has told a friend that he likes being in daily contact with ordinary people, does not want to be isolated and enjoys sitting down to meals with visiting clergy.
The Pope, 76, who on first seeing the papal apartments reportedly exclaimed "But there is room here for 300 people!" hinted that the arrangement may be permanent.
The Pope broke with Vatican tradition when he decided, after being elected on March 13 during a secret conclave of cardinals, not to live in the apostolic apartments.
The Pope, 76, who on first seeing the papal apartments reportedly exclaimed "But there is room here for 300 people!" hinted that the arrangement may be permanent.
The Pope broke with Vatican tradition when he decided, after being elected on March 13 during a secret conclave of cardinals, not to live in the apostolic apartments.
If you want to argue well, attend first to the argument, not the arguer
An Argument for Arguing Well | Catholic World Report - Global Church news and viewsSHEA: As humans made in the image and likeness of God, we have a built-in desire to know what’s really going on and to trace all the little discoveries of what is really going on right back to the source, who is Truth Himself.� We all live out Augustine’s reality in that God has made us for himself and our hearts are restless till they rest in him.
The problem is, as sinners, we also have a very powerful urge to do what Adam and Eve did: hide from Truth when he starts calling our name, since Truth—for fallen creatures—involves death by crucifixion. We know this because when Truth was made flesh and dwelt among us, that is what we did to him.� Our tendency to be leery of Truth in that weird love/hate way is what the Church calls “concupiscence”, a three dollar word that refers to the weakened will, disordered appetites and, most especially, a darkened intellect that afflict us. �It’s that last point that concerns us here, because it means that sin makes us stupid.
The problem is, as sinners, we also have a very powerful urge to do what Adam and Eve did: hide from Truth when he starts calling our name, since Truth—for fallen creatures—involves death by crucifixion. We know this because when Truth was made flesh and dwelt among us, that is what we did to him.� Our tendency to be leery of Truth in that weird love/hate way is what the Church calls “concupiscence”, a three dollar word that refers to the weakened will, disordered appetites and, most especially, a darkened intellect that afflict us. �It’s that last point that concerns us here, because it means that sin makes us stupid.
Parish-based catechesis is a massive failure. We have to stop the madness. Here are three proposals...
Repenting of the Failure of Parish-Based Catechesis: Time for An Old IdeaNICOLOSI: "Who can name the Gifts of the Holy Spirit?" It was Pentecost, and our pastor was walking up and down the middle aisle with a goofy grin and tone that said, "Bear with me, here." There were a few embarrassed chuckles from the congregants who hadn't already tuned out. Father pressed on, "Come on, anybody?" Again, the people dutifully and lightly snickered. This was supposed to be the funny set up of some point, right? I didn't think it was funny at all. I raised my hand.
How does forgiveness work before and after Christ?
How Does Forgiveness Work Before and After Christ? |Blogs | NCRegister.comAKIN: Jesus died on the Cross so that people could be forgiven their sins.
But if he died in A.D. 33, what about all the people who lived and died before that time? Were their sins forgiven?
And if their sins were forgiven, does that mean Jesus’ sacrifice applies to all of history?
If so, does that mean that we’ve been forgiven for all of our sins—past, present, and future—so that we don’t need to go to confession?
How does this all work?
Here’s the story...
But if he died in A.D. 33, what about all the people who lived and died before that time? Were their sins forgiven?
And if their sins were forgiven, does that mean Jesus’ sacrifice applies to all of history?
If so, does that mean that we’ve been forgiven for all of our sins—past, present, and future—so that we don’t need to go to confession?
How does this all work?
Here’s the story...
10 things you need to know today: May 30, 2013
10 things you need to know today: May 30, 2013 - The Week: Ricin is detected on a threatening, anti-gun-control letter sent to Bloomberg, Obama picks a Republican to head the FBI, and more
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
“Come, God of the East. We invoke you and call you, Whirlwind." And so on. I promise that I am not making this up...
“Come, God of the EAST. We invoke you and call you, Whirlwind, God of the birds that fly,…” | Fr. Z's BlogZUHLSDORF: Even while the looniness is subsiding, some pretty strange things are still going on out there.
Here is something just plain strange from the Augustinians, posted by the Chicago province.
I promise: I am not making this up.
And, just to be clear,
I want to give full credit where credit is due.
It’s a little long for a blog post, but let’s see the whole thing, lest in the dawning of pure embarassment the Augustinians remove it from their site. �As I look at this, I don’t even know how to post about it. It’s that weird. �I’ll just let it stand without additional comments.
Here is something just plain strange from the Augustinians, posted by the Chicago province.
I promise: I am not making this up.
And, just to be clear,
I want to give full credit where credit is due.
It’s a little long for a blog post, but let’s see the whole thing, lest in the dawning of pure embarassment the Augustinians remove it from their site. �As I look at this, I don’t even know how to post about it. It’s that weird. �I’ll just let it stand without additional comments.
Boy born in jail frees mother after 19 years of imprisonment
BBC News - Boy born in jail frees mother Vijay Kumari after 19 years: A 50-year-old Indian woman has been released from prison, 19 years after she was granted bail.
Vijay Kumari was unable to post the necessary amount of about $180 to secure her release - so she stayed in prison until the son, who she gave birth to while in jail, got her out.
Sanjoy Majumder reports from Kanpur.
Vijay Kumari was unable to post the necessary amount of about $180 to secure her release - so she stayed in prison until the son, who she gave birth to while in jail, got her out.
Sanjoy Majumder reports from Kanpur.
Signs of Alzheimer's disease: 10 things you should know
Signs of Alzheimer's Disease: 10 Things You Should Know | PBS NewsHour: Mary Wyant loved words. She loved to speak them and write them and read them. She was a stickler for proper grammar and a "mean" Scrabble player. "Mean in both senses of the word," according to those who played with her.
That's why her daughter Rebecca noticed right away when her mother began calling a female friend "him" while telling a story. The small mistake was enough to make Rebecca think something big was wrong.
"My mother was a master of the English language," she said. "I knew it wasn't a tic."
She was right. As much as Mary tried to fight it, the confusion intensified and she began losing her memory at age 65. The official diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease came next, followed by frustration, depression and divorce. She moved in with Rebecca shortly thereafter.
That's why her daughter Rebecca noticed right away when her mother began calling a female friend "him" while telling a story. The small mistake was enough to make Rebecca think something big was wrong.
"My mother was a master of the English language," she said. "I knew it wasn't a tic."
She was right. As much as Mary tried to fight it, the confusion intensified and she began losing her memory at age 65. The official diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease came next, followed by frustration, depression and divorce. She moved in with Rebecca shortly thereafter.
The deadly myth of the "consenting adult"
The Deadly Myth of the "Consenting Adult" - AleteiaZMIRAK: The election of Pope Francis in 2013 briefly awakened the old, sterile debates about which economic system the Vatican might favor – the bloated socialist, state-directed systems prevalent in Europe, or the “neo-liberal,” market-driven system that prevailed throughout most of American history. Those who have used Pope Francis’s love for the poor to trash the market economy are doing something very common in media coverage of the Church: they are entirely missing the point.
Are these beams from the First Temple of Jerusalem?
Are These Beams From the First Temple?MCDONALD: Reused for millennia, discarded, forgotten, left in a padlocked storage space: these rough chunks of wood hewn from cedar, cypress, and oak 3000 years ago may once have been part of the First Temple.
Building materials routinely are recycled throughout ancient times, but these are important because they were removed from the Al-Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount during renovations. They were never really subjected to tests until 1984, when a dendochronologist interested in their age and type analyzed the tree rings and used carbon-14 dating
Building materials routinely are recycled throughout ancient times, but these are important because they were removed from the Al-Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount during renovations. They were never really subjected to tests until 1984, when a dendochronologist interested in their age and type analyzed the tree rings and used carbon-14 dating
Catholicism teaches that some sex is sinful. Calvinism teaches that all sex is dirty. Don't conflate the two...
Dirty SexALEXANDER: Contemporary American culture, a culture that has so influenced other first-world cultures, is profoundly shaped by the heavily Calvinist-influenced Puritanism at its roots. Sex is dirty, according to common Puritan tradition, a dirty (but lamentably necessary) function of a dirty and depraved body. In Calvinist theology, the whole body is dirty, corrupt, depraved, and sin can never be removed. Forgiveness only means that Christ moves to stand between us and God, so that we look clean, although we never really will be. Snow covered dung-hills, that’s what we are. So sexual sins just make us even dirtier, even filthier, even more irreversibly ruined.
We need to be authentic always. That's how we change the culture. That's how we become saints...
A Culture of Piercing WoundsLOPEZ: I wish people listened to Cardinal Dolan’s Catholic Channel Sirius XM radio show like they watch The Voice or The Today Show — or whatever the top rated shows are these days. It’s an hour, so it affords him more time than a sound bite, a quote picked up in the New York Times — or even a homily at St. Patrick’s Cathedral.
Yesterday, he talked about a New York Times story Monday about a fund the Archdiocese has been paying into, since the days of John Cardinal O’Connor, that covers some of the same things the federal government is now about to make them cover for all employees. While the circumstances are different — this is a story about union power politics that the archdiocese felt it simply couldn’t win, not government tyranny — you can guess where the Times went with it, trying to dismiss the Church’s voice in the religious-freedom fight that most of the country still thinks is about taking birth-control out of women’s purses.
Yesterday, he talked about a New York Times story Monday about a fund the Archdiocese has been paying into, since the days of John Cardinal O’Connor, that covers some of the same things the federal government is now about to make them cover for all employees. While the circumstances are different — this is a story about union power politics that the archdiocese felt it simply couldn’t win, not government tyranny — you can guess where the Times went with it, trying to dismiss the Church’s voice in the religious-freedom fight that most of the country still thinks is about taking birth-control out of women’s purses.
The last laugh of Cardinal Ottaviani
The Last Laugh of Alfredo Ottaviani | First ThingsWEIGEL: Despite his humble origins as a baker’s son from Trastevere, Cardinal Alfredo Ottaviani, longtime curial head of the Holy Office (“successor to the Inquisition,” in journalese) and scourge of the nouvelle théologie of the 1950s, was a formidable figure in pre-conciliar Catholicism. Ottaviani’s approach to theology was neatly summarized in the Latin motto of his cardinalatial coat of arms, Semper Idem [Always the Same], and his fierce defense of what he understood to be orthodoxy made him a not-implausible model for the character of Cardinal Leone in Morris West’s novel The Shoes of the Fisherman.
In his morning homily, Pope Francis recalls "a dark moment in my spiritual life"
Pope at Mass: The temptation of triumphalism: Triumphalism impedes the Church: it is the temptation of a Christianity without the Cross, a Church that only wants to go half way on the journey of redemption, overly concerned with organization and success, without understanding that real triumph is born out of failure, like the triumph of Christ on the Cross. This was the focus of Pope Francis’ homily at morning Mass in Casa Santa Marta.
Are babies atheists?
Are Babies Atheists? |Blogs | NCRegister.comAKIN: One of the most common topics in discussion between Christians and atheists is the question of what atheism actually is.
For a long time, the word has been defined as the view that there is no God--i.e., the claim "God does not exist."
More recently, some atheists have begun to define it differently.
According to them, atheism is simply a lack of belief in the existence of God. On this view, a person would be an atheist if he thought there was no God, thought it unlikely that there is a God, or didn't know if there is a God.
For a long time, the word has been defined as the view that there is no God--i.e., the claim "God does not exist."
More recently, some atheists have begun to define it differently.
According to them, atheism is simply a lack of belief in the existence of God. On this view, a person would be an atheist if he thought there was no God, thought it unlikely that there is a God, or didn't know if there is a God.
Anger and the "miserable truce" of the modern age
A Reflection on the Passion of Anger and the “Miserable Truce” of the Modern Age � Archdiocese of WashingtonPOPE: We live in a culture that tends to treat anger as a taboo. One common tactic to unsettle an opponent is to accuse them of being angry. It is amazing how easily humiliated and defensive one can make an opponent by using this tactic. Yes, it is amazing how quickly the one accused of “anger” will be thrown off his game and feel the need to resort to denials or euphemisms such as
10 things you need to know today: May 29, 2013
10 things you need to know today: May 29, 2013 - The Week: Michele Bachmann announces she won't seek re-election, a freight train collides with a truck in Baltimore, and more
Pope's Wednesday audience: "God's plan is to make us all one family, to bring you close to Him, and feel loved by Him"
Whispers in the Loggia: In the Square, Pope Soaks With the Flock: In what'll likely become another enduring image of the new Pope, Francis made his usual "tour" of St Peter's Square before this Wednesday's audience amid a rainstorm to greet the crowd estimated at 90,000.
Since his election, the new pontiff's spins in the open-topped Popemobile have come to run increasingly longer as he's adjusted into the role. On a couple occasions when the crowds have extended beyond the Piazza, the passenger's taken his jeep outside the Vatican's front yard into the Via della Conciliazione. While one of these came as a surprise on the day of Rome's annual pro-life march, an extended drive before the Pentecost Vigil shaped up as a security force's nightmare when some in the "outskirts" of the 200,000 person throng threw gifts at Francis, several of which hit their target as he went around the unsecured area beyond the Colonnade. Not until today, however, has the weather been an issue.
Since his election, the new pontiff's spins in the open-topped Popemobile have come to run increasingly longer as he's adjusted into the role. On a couple occasions when the crowds have extended beyond the Piazza, the passenger's taken his jeep outside the Vatican's front yard into the Via della Conciliazione. While one of these came as a surprise on the day of Rome's annual pro-life march, an extended drive before the Pentecost Vigil shaped up as a security force's nightmare when some in the "outskirts" of the 200,000 person throng threw gifts at Francis, several of which hit their target as he went around the unsecured area beyond the Colonnade. Not until today, however, has the weather been an issue.
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Were the Middle Ages dark? No. They were astonishingly brilliant...
New Advent: Were the Middle Ages dark? No. They were astonishingly brilliant...: There is no period in history more misunderstood than the Middle Ages. Providence College Professor of English, Anthony Esolen, vividly demonstrates why the "Dark Ages" would be better described as the "Brilliant Ages."
How I was baptized by fire in Hollywood
How I Was Baptized By Fire In Hollywood - Aleteia: Some people will do almost anything to make it in Hollywood – my friend Jason even set himself on fire. Granted, he was enrolled in a stunt acting class and someone blasted him with a fire extinguisher within seconds, but still… He then printed up dozens of 8x10 photos of himself engulfed in flames, and while they may have gotten him an A for effort, they never landed him a job.
Watch: Storm chasers capture never-before-seen footage inside a violent wedge tornado
New Advent: Storm chasers capture never-before-seen footage inside a violent wedge tornado: Brandon Ivey and Sean Casey got inside of a violent wedge tornado today. Brandon shot this insane footage of the TIV2 (tornado intercept vehicle) inside of a violent wedge tornado northeast of Smith Center, Kansas over eastern Smith County.
Is it possible to open the door of a commercial jet while it is in flight?
Can an Airplane Door Open in Midflight?: Is it possible for a passenger to open the door of a commercial jet while it is in flight?
We're talking about a pressurized airplane, where the internal cabin is at a higher pressure than the outside. The internal pressure is forcing the door outward against the seal. [To open the door] you have to pull the door inward. Because of the differential [difference in] air pressure, it's beyond the capability of a human to do that - they're not strong enough. It's probably 6 p.s.i. (pounds per square inch) of differential pressure against hundreds of square inches of door. So that means it would be something like a thousand pounds you'd have to pull in.
We're talking about a pressurized airplane, where the internal cabin is at a higher pressure than the outside. The internal pressure is forcing the door outward against the seal. [To open the door] you have to pull the door inward. Because of the differential [difference in] air pressure, it's beyond the capability of a human to do that - they're not strong enough. It's probably 6 p.s.i. (pounds per square inch) of differential pressure against hundreds of square inches of door. So that means it would be something like a thousand pounds you'd have to pull in.
What is the Common Core, and what does it have in common with Twinkies?
The Twinkification of American Education | Intercollegiate ReviewZMIRAK: There’s a famous story (whose source I cannot track down) about a French education minister explaining his country’s schooling system to a visitor. At one point, he looked at his watch and told the visitor: “I know exactly what subjects are being taught and in what manner in every classroom in France right now. From Brittany to Provence, it is all exactly the same.” That kind of rigid centralization has a long history in France: the kings imposed it to stomp out the various local dialects and suppress religious heresy, and after them the revolutionaries used it to crush monarchist sentiment and religion.
Is Obama trying to stack the courts with liberal judges?
Is Obama trying to stack the courts with liberals? - The Week: President Obama is planning to launch an aggressive push to get his judicial nominees through the Senate by simultaneously naming three judges to a key federal court, reports Michael D. Shear at The New York Times. And Republicans aren't happy about it, claiming that the president is trying to "stack" the judiciary with liberals.
By trying to fill all three vacancies on the 11-member U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit at the same time, Obama will "will effectively be daring Republicans to find specific ground to filibuster all the nominees," says Shear.
By trying to fill all three vacancies on the 11-member U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit at the same time, Obama will "will effectively be daring Republicans to find specific ground to filibuster all the nominees," says Shear.
Legion of Christ to be given new superiors, new constitutions by end of 2013
Francis' new Legion - Vatican InsiderGALEAZZI: A Legion for Francis. A general chapter will be held at the end of 2013 to elect the Legion of Christ’s new superiors and approve the new constitutions. This morning the Pope received Cardinal Velasio De Paolis President emeritus of the Prefecture for Economic Affairs of the Holy See, in a private audience. Cardinal De Paolis has been a papal delegate to the Legion of Christ since 2010 and was conferred full decision-making powers by Benedict XVI so as to break completely with the Congregation’s previous leadership. The Congregation was founded and led (until 2005) by Marcial Maciel, a coke-sniffing, child abusing Mexican priest who raped his own children.
Vatican and Israel reach agreement on taxes and the Cenacle
Vatican and Israel reach agreement on taxes and the Cenacle - Vatican InsiderTORNIELLI: The Vatican and Israel are close to reaching an agreement on Church property tax regulations and the running of some places of worship. All that remains, according to Israeli sources, is to resolve the issues relating to two properties in Caesarea and Jerusalem. The Cenacle on Mount Zion where, according to Christian tradition, the Last Supper was held, will become a Catholic place of worship once again.
Pope Francis plans to complete encyclical on faith, Vatican spokesman confirms
CNS STORY: Pope Francis plans to complete encyclical on faith, spokesman says: Continuing a papal tradition of finishing a predecessor's work in progress, Pope Francis intends to complete an encyclical -- on the virtue of faith -- begun during the pontificate of Pope Benedict XVI.
"I can confirm that the plan for an encyclical on faith, begun by Benedict XVI, has been taken up by the new pope," Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, Vatican spokesman, said in a May 24 email response to questions. He said it would "be premature" to guess when the encyclical would be completed.
The statement followed reports in Italian media claiming that the retired pope would be completing the encyclical himself.
"I can confirm that the plan for an encyclical on faith, begun by Benedict XVI, has been taken up by the new pope," Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, Vatican spokesman, said in a May 24 email response to questions. He said it would "be premature" to guess when the encyclical would be completed.
The statement followed reports in Italian media claiming that the retired pope would be completing the encyclical himself.
Jesus, Who loves you, warned of Hell
Jesus, Who loves you, warned of Hell – A Catalogue of Jesus’ Warning texts. � Archdiocese of WashingtonPOPE: Many people today put Hell in opposition to the love of God. But Jesus combines them. Here is an important truth: No one loves you more than Jesus Christ. And yet, no one spoke of or taught on Hell and Judgment more than Jesus Christ. There is from him, warning after warning, parable after parable, that speak and warn, even shout judgment and the reality of Hell.
The Holy Father vs. the Godfather
Holy Father vs The Godfather - AleteiaLONGENECKER: Who can forget the scene at the end of the Godfather movie where Michael Corleone makes promises to reject the world, the flesh and the devil while his thugs are brutally killing his mob rivals. With shady stories about the Vatican bank and the criminal underworld, and with its Italian roots the Catholic Church has too often had to deal with charges of being in the pocket of gangsters.
�
So it is with solid joy that we praise the recent beatification of Fr Guiseppe Puglisi--a priest in Palermo who was assassinated in 1993 by mobsters after he preached against the Mafia in a parish where the mob was in control.�
�
So it is with solid joy that we praise the recent beatification of Fr Guiseppe Puglisi--a priest in Palermo who was assassinated in 1993 by mobsters after he preached against the Mafia in a parish where the mob was in control.�
I have heard much about the "common good", but little about "common evil"
Common Good/Uncommon EvilSCHALL: The common good does not mean that some substantial form exists out there which we are trying to embody in order to perfect our dealings with one another. Such an idea is responsible for much serious evil in the modern world.
Rather the common good signifies that order in which human persons and groups of persons, bound by some common purpose, can themselves flourish because of their own reason, habits, and freedom. It does not mean that everyone does the same things or has the same tasks, talents, rewards, or burdens. It means that they do not. Thus, a wide variety of riches in every area can freely come forth.
Rather the common good signifies that order in which human persons and groups of persons, bound by some common purpose, can themselves flourish because of their own reason, habits, and freedom. It does not mean that everyone does the same things or has the same tasks, talents, rewards, or burdens. It means that they do not. Thus, a wide variety of riches in every area can freely come forth.
A few days into the Boy Scout policy controversy
A few days into the Boy Scout policy controversy | In the Light of the LawEDPETERS: Despite appearing over a holiday weekend, my post on the Boy Scouts of America has garnered thousands of views and generated many comments, pro and con, on the web or sent to me personally. Most comments are positive, which is nice but, for all I know, folks who agree with me are more likely to say so than are folks who disagree. Or maybe not.
Folks who disagree with me typically start off by saying “I agree with Peters on the ‘law’ or on the ‘principles’, but . . .” These folks should stop and reflect on what they are saying. Agreement with Peters on ‘the law or the principles’ is agreement with Peters, period, for I make no claims beyond those directly consequent to the law or principles. May I suggest that critics read with the same precision with which I try to write?
Folks who disagree with me typically start off by saying “I agree with Peters on the ‘law’ or on the ‘principles’, but . . .” These folks should stop and reflect on what they are saying. Agreement with Peters on ‘the law or the principles’ is agreement with Peters, period, for I make no claims beyond those directly consequent to the law or principles. May I suggest that critics read with the same precision with which I try to write?
The lack of smiles during Mass? That may actually be a very good sign...
Smile? |Blogs | NCRegister.comFISHER: Several years ago, an ex-Catholic writer thought she would spend a year sampling all the different churches she could find, one per week.� I haven't read the resulting book, but I do remember hearing her say that Catholics certainly don't smile very much during Mass -- and what a shame that was. I suppose it varies from region to region, but she's right about her observation.� In all the Catholic churches I've been to, I've only seen smiles during Mass on a few occasions:� during the sign of peace (which often feels like an interruption or intermission in the middle of Mass, rather than a part of it); during a homily, if the priest cracks a joke; when there is a "milestone" sacrament, such as First Communion or matrimony, during the Mass; or if something unexpected happens, like a squirrel wanders in or a kid yells out something cute.
Pope Francis: Following Christ is not a career; it is the way of the Cross
Pope at Mass: Following Christ is not a career, it is the way of the Cross: We should not reduce the proclamation of Jesus to being a mere cultural ‘gloss’ or ‘veneer’, it must go ‘straight to the heart’ and change us. Moreover, following Jesus ‘does not mean more power’, it is not a ‘career’ because His way is that of the Cross. This was the focus of Pope Francis’ homily at morning Mass Tuesday in the chapel of the Casa Santa Marta residence.
10 things you need to know today: May 28, 2013
10 things you need to know today: May 28, 2013 - The Week: The E.U. ends its arms embargo on Syrian rebels, Obama teams up with Chris Christie again, and more
Monday, May 27, 2013
The Mormons have the right idea: If you really want to heal our culture, teach your kids to work at Pixar...
When Hollywood Wants Good, Clean Fun, It Goes to Mormon Country - NYTimes.com: The typical B.Y.U. student doesn’t seem like a natural fit for Hollywood. Mormon culture tends to see the entertainment industry as both a reflection of and contributor to our “morally bereft society,” as one alumnus put it. Many of the students I met rarely, if ever, watch R-rated films and could name the handful of exceptions they had made. One 27-year-old junior remembered seeing the Civil War drama “Glory” in high school. Another was working part time at a company in Salt Lake City that cleaned up Hollywood films and released family-friendly versions on DVD. Recently, the student told me, he digitally replaced a cigarette in a character’s hand with a pretzel.
As of last Thursday, there is now only one man alive who was born in the nineteenth century
Outnumbered by the girls, he's the last man standing: With the death in Barbados on Thursday of James Emmanuel ''Doc'' Sisnett, at the age of 113 years and 90 days, Jiroemon Kimura, of Japan, has become the last man alive to have been born in the 19th century.
Literally the last man. There are, according to the Gerontolgy Research Group at UCLA, 21 women born before New Year's Day, 1901, who are still with us, most of them living in the United States or Japan, with others in Europe and Canada.
Literally the last man. There are, according to the Gerontolgy Research Group at UCLA, 21 women born before New Year's Day, 1901, who are still with us, most of them living in the United States or Japan, with others in Europe and Canada.
Why are test givers such sticklers about using only No. 2 pencils?
Are There Other Choices Besides No. 2 Pencils? | Mental Floss: Almost every syllabus, teacher and standardized test points to the ubiquitous No. 2 pencil, but are there other choices out there? Of course.
Pencil makers manufacture No. 1, 2, 3, and 4 pencils—and sometimes other intermediate numbers. The higher the number, the harder the lead and lighter the markings. (No. 1 pencils produce darker markings, which are sometimes preferred by people working in publishing.)
Pencil makers manufacture No. 1, 2, 3, and 4 pencils—and sometimes other intermediate numbers. The higher the number, the harder the lead and lighter the markings. (No. 1 pencils produce darker markings, which are sometimes preferred by people working in publishing.)
15 famous living trees around the world
THE WORLD GEOGRAPHY: 15 Famous Living Trees: There are probably hundreds of famous living trees in the world. They are mostly known because of its location, age, size, unusual appearance, connections with some historical events or because of strange uses by humans. Most of these trees are visited by tens of thousands of tourists from around the world each year.
Pope Francis condemns mafia for "exploiting and enslaving people"
BBC News - Pope Francis condemns mafia for 'enslaving people': Pope Francis has condemned mafia groups for "exploiting and enslaving people", urging mobsters to repent.
Speaking after his weekly blessing in St Peter's Square in Rome, he said "we must pray to the Lord to make these mafiosi convert to God".
His comments came a day after the beatification of Don Giuseppe Puglisi, a Roman Catholic priest murdered by the mafia in Sicily in 1993.
The ceremony marked the penultimate step on the path to his sainthood.
Speaking after his weekly blessing in St Peter's Square in Rome, he said "we must pray to the Lord to make these mafiosi convert to God".
His comments came a day after the beatification of Don Giuseppe Puglisi, a Roman Catholic priest murdered by the mafia in Sicily in 1993.
The ceremony marked the penultimate step on the path to his sainthood.
Pulling up roots from reality
Pulling up Roots From Reality – A Review of a Cogent Analysis of the Post Cartesian West � Archdiocese of WashingtonPOPE: About two years ago I attempted to trace our philosophical disaster of the modern world back to Descartes and the disconnect from reality he introduced (and with which, at least, he struggled). In effect, the radical doubt he introduced, namely,� that anything I see or experience is real,� disconnects us from reality. And, pulling up roots from reality and the revelation of creation, we live increasingly in our mind and out of touch with reality. Welcome to the modern and post Cartesian age, a strange landscape that seems little impressed with reality or stubborn facts.
Memorial Day and the “Shepherd in Combat Boots”
Memorial Day and the “Shepherd in Combat Boots” � Seek First the Kingdom: Catholic Blog by Cardinal Donald Wuerl - Archdiocese of Washington, DC Seek First the Kingdom: Catholic Blog by Cardinal Donald Wuerl – Archdiocese of Washington, DCWUERL: For many, Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer, a day of rest to spend with family and friends. But for all Americans, this should be a time to remember the sacrifice of those men and women who, in the words of President Lincoln, “gave the last full measure of devotion,” sacrificing their lives to preserve our freedom.� Masses will be celebrated today at the Catholic cemeteries of the Archdiocese of Washington, to remember those who died in service to the nation, and to pray for loved ones who died this past year.
10 things you need to know today: May 27, 2013
10 things you need to know today: May 27, 2013 - The Week: Obama visits tornado-ravaged Oklahoma, Tony Kanaan wins the Indy 500, and more
Pope Francis warns of "two cultural riches" that weaken the ability to follow Jesus
Pope: the culture of economic wellbeing and attraction towards the provisional prevent us from following Jesus: In order to follow Jesus we must get rid of our culture based on economic wellbeing and of our attraction for the provisional. This was the message highlighted this morning by Pope Francis during Mass at the Domus Sanctae Marthae. Addressing those present the Pope invited us to examine our consciences and take stock of the riches that prevent us from getting close to Jesus. The Mass, that was concelebrated by Cardinal Philippe Barbarin, Archbishop of Lyon, also saw the participation of members of the Pontifical Council for Healthcare Workers led by Archbishop Zygmunt Zimowski President of the Council, and a group of collaborators of the Vatican Department of Economic Services, led by Mr. Sabatino Napolitano.
Sunday, May 26, 2013
How to decipher the beer list at your local craft beer bar
How to Decipher the Beer List at Your Local Craft Beer Bar | Serious Eats: Drinks: It's happened to the best of us. You fancy yourself to be pretty well-versed in all things ale and lager, but suddenly, you find yourself reading through the extensive menu at an ambitious new beer joint and you feel like someone dropped a foreign-language dictionary into your lap.
With thousands of breweries cranking out new beers at a breakneck pace, the reality is that unless you read the beer news blogs religiously and memorize the names of every new label, it can get tricky to know what to order when you're faced with a beer list at your local bar. That's why we're offering a few handy code-cracking tips to help you figure out which options will please your palate without memorizing thousands of different individual beers.
With thousands of breweries cranking out new beers at a breakneck pace, the reality is that unless you read the beer news blogs religiously and memorize the names of every new label, it can get tricky to know what to order when you're faced with a beer list at your local bar. That's why we're offering a few handy code-cracking tips to help you figure out which options will please your palate without memorizing thousands of different individual beers.
12 things to know and share about the Holy Trinity
12 things to know and share about the Holy Trinity |Blogs | NCRegister.comAKIN: The Church teaches that the Holy Trinity is the central mystery of the Christian Faith.
But how much do you know about this mystery? Where does the word "Trinity" come from, and when was it first used?
What is the history of the doctrine?
What does it mean?
And how can it be proved?
Here are 12 things to know and share...
But how much do you know about this mystery? Where does the word "Trinity" come from, and when was it first used?
What is the history of the doctrine?
What does it mean?
And how can it be proved?
Here are 12 things to know and share...
Thoughts for Catholics impacted by the Boy Scouts of America membership policies
Thoughts for Catholics impacted by the Boy Scouts of America membership policies | In the Light of the LawEDPETERS: Two groups of Catholics are directly impacted by the decision of the Boy Scouts of America to formally admit as scouts youth who profess a same-sex orientation, namely, Catholic sponsoring organizations and Catholic scouts and their families. As always, I speak only for myself in what follows.
"Our Grateful and Charitable Remembrance"
Whispers in the Loggia: "Our Grateful and Charitable Remembrance"PALMO: Sure, this holiday might formally be dedicated to those who gave the ultimate sacrifice on the battlefield. Even so, may we all take a moment to recall the many souls – known and unknown – who've given their lives to make the dream and promise of freedom a reality for us, both in this land and in this church. And to everyone who's on the road, safe travels and have a beautiful one.
We are given an eternal memory when we love the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
SUNLIT UPLANDS: Father Rutler: The Gift of Eternal MemoryRUTLER: Before our present time, not so many people lived long enough for hips and knees to wear out. Memories also fade, but that problem of being old is not new: “Even if [your father’s] mind fails, be considerate of him; do not revile him because you are in your prime” (Sirach 3:13). A whole science is developing to stave off forms of dementia. There is also a spiritual dementia that forgets God, but the mystery of the Holy Trinity is the cure for forgetfulness. Pope Francis recently preached: “The Holy Spirit is God active in us, God who helps us remember, who awakens our memory. Jesus himself explains this to the Apostles before Pentecost: ‘the Spirit that God will send in my name will remind you of everything I have said.’”
10 things you need to know today: May 26, 2013
10 things you need to know today: May 26, 2013 - The Week: British police arrest three more suspects over the gruesome London attack, the Indy 500 fires up, and more
Pope Francis: The Holy Trinity "is not the product of human reasoning; it is the face which God Himself revealed"
God is love but not in 'emotional' sense, Pope says :: Catholic News Agency (CNA): As he celebrated the Feast of the Most Holy Trinity, Pope Francis spoke about how God is love, but not in an “emotional” or “sentimental” way.
“The light of Easter and Pentecost have renewed in us each year the joy and wonder of faith that recognizes that God is not something vague, abstract, but has a name: ‘God is love,’” the Pope said May 26, before reciting the Angelus in St. Peter’s Square.
And this love “is not sentimental, emotional, but the love of the Father who is the source of all life, the love of the Son who died on the cross and rose, the love of the Spirit who renews man and the world,” he stated.
“The light of Easter and Pentecost have renewed in us each year the joy and wonder of faith that recognizes that God is not something vague, abstract, but has a name: ‘God is love,’” the Pope said May 26, before reciting the Angelus in St. Peter’s Square.
And this love “is not sentimental, emotional, but the love of the Father who is the source of all life, the love of the Son who died on the cross and rose, the love of the Spirit who renews man and the world,” he stated.
One and One and One are One: A Meditation on the Feast of the Holy Trinity
1 and 1 and 1 are One – A Mediation on the Feast of the Holy Trinity � Archdiocese of WashingtonPOPE: There is an old Spiritual that says, My God is so high, you can’t over him, he’s so low, you can’t under him, he’s so wide you can’t round him, you must come in, by and through the Lamb.
Not a bad way of saying that God is other, He is beyond what human words can tell or describe, He is beyond what human thoughts can conjure. And on the Feast of the Most Holy Trinity we do well to remember that we are pondering a mystery that cannot fit in our minds.
Not a bad way of saying that God is other, He is beyond what human words can tell or describe, He is beyond what human thoughts can conjure. And on the Feast of the Most Holy Trinity we do well to remember that we are pondering a mystery that cannot fit in our minds.
The truth, the lie, and the last battle
THE TRUTH, THE LIE, AND THE LAST BATTLE | Prayer and PerspectiveHINKEL: The thing that bugs me most about all of the unfolding scandals and problems sprouting and spreading in our culture is the manifest inability for people to distinguish truth from fiction. �Worse, I fear that people are growing disinterested from even pursuing the truth. It seems as though we have taken Pilate’s words to Jesus, “What is truth,” as our own. When a political figure utters all kinds of obvious falsehoods to the media-fed public that is too distracted, disinterested, skeptical, or cynical to notice, this is horribly frustrating and frightening, and has led to a series of inconsistent and sometimes contrary states of affairs.
Saturday, May 25, 2013
Did Pope Francis really say that atheists can get to Heaven by good works?
Did Pope Francis Say That Atheists Can Get to Heaven by Good Works? |Blogs | NCRegister.comAKIN: Color me annoyed.
The press has been going nuts about remarks concerning atheists that Pope Francis made at one of his daily homilies.
As usual, the press is hyping the remarks as if they are earthshaking, unprecedented, and in contrast to mean ol' Pope Emeritus Benedict.
I know this will come as a shock, but they're getting the story wrong.
Here's the real story...
The press has been going nuts about remarks concerning atheists that Pope Francis made at one of his daily homilies.
As usual, the press is hyping the remarks as if they are earthshaking, unprecedented, and in contrast to mean ol' Pope Emeritus Benedict.
I know this will come as a shock, but they're getting the story wrong.
Here's the real story...
A simple guide to Christianity in the Arab world
Christians in the Arab world: A guide - The Week: The Middle East is the birthplace of Christianity and home to some of its oldest communities, but the Christian population has dropped dramatically over time, especially over the last decade. When Christianity was founded 2,000 years ago, it spread rapidly across the Roman Empire, into Egypt and westward. Mohammed began the Arab Muslim conquests in the 7th century, spreading Islam across the region, but he allowed Christians to continue practicing their religion. Christians remained a majority in parts of Iraq until the 14th century, when raids by Central Asian warlord Tamerlane decimated the community. The 20th century saw another precipitous drop, because of low birthrates and emigration among Christians. In 1900 Christians made up 25 percent of the population of the Middle East; by 2000 they were less than 5 percent. And then came the Iraq War.
Does God have just one right choice for you to make each time? Here are some clues to the answer...
Discernment — How can I learn God’s Will for me? : The Integrated Catholic LifeKREEFT: When we pray for wisdom to discern God’s will when it comes to choosing a mate, a career, a job change, a move, a home, a school, a friend, a vacation, how to spend money, or any other choice, big or little, whenever there are two or more different paths opening up before us and we have to choose, does God always will one of those paths for us? If so, how do we discern it?
French bishop punishes priest "at Rome's request" for being an active Freemason
BBC News - Vatican punishes French priest for being a Freemason: Father Pascal Vesin was ordered by his bishop to cease his work in the Alpine resort of Megeve, the parish said.
Bishop Yves Boivineau had warned Fr Vesin about his "active membership" of the Grand Orient de France lodge.
Freemasonry has been condemned as anti-Christian and anti-clerical by various popes through history.
Bishop Boivineau ordered the priest to cease his functions "at Rome's request", the parish said.
Bishop Yves Boivineau had warned Fr Vesin about his "active membership" of the Grand Orient de France lodge.
Freemasonry has been condemned as anti-Christian and anti-clerical by various popes through history.
Bishop Boivineau ordered the priest to cease his functions "at Rome's request", the parish said.
Why the New Evangelization is necessary, as humorously seen in a cartoon
Why the New Evangelization is Necessary, as Humorously seen in a Cartoon � Archdiocese of WashingtonPOPE: A crisis and the inability to do business as usual drives a little man into the world. And thus finally the Church too, is now, like a sleeping giant coming alive and going back into the world. We cannot do business as usual and various crises in and out of the Church has driven us forth. The Church’s presence in the new media is growing and getting more professional. EWTN, Catholic Answers, and huge numbers of Catholic sites are now on line and engaging the culture.
Marvel, friends, at the gift that awaits you, if you die in God’s friendship
WDTPRS Trinity Sunday – shared glory, majesty’s gift | Fr. Z's BlogZUHLSDORF: The First Sunday after Pentecost is Trinity Sunday, a day some well-catechized Catholics dread for what they may hear from the pulpit.
You might, for example, hear that the Trinity is like three burning candles twisted together to have one flame, or like a three-stranded rope.� But then they would all have the same role. �Perhaps Its like the Sun, having heat, light, and motion? �An egg, which has shell, white and yolk?� (Tritheism?) �Water can be ice, liquid, or steam. �(Modalism?)� A tree has branches, leaves, and roots.� Can we chop God up like that?� How about the three dimensions of space (length, width, height)? �They coincide but are distinct. Et cetera.
You might, for example, hear that the Trinity is like three burning candles twisted together to have one flame, or like a three-stranded rope.� But then they would all have the same role. �Perhaps Its like the Sun, having heat, light, and motion? �An egg, which has shell, white and yolk?� (Tritheism?) �Water can be ice, liquid, or steam. �(Modalism?)� A tree has branches, leaves, and roots.� Can we chop God up like that?� How about the three dimensions of space (length, width, height)? �They coincide but are distinct. Et cetera.
Pope Francis warns: "Jesus is indignant" when a false "eighth sacrament of pastoral customs" obscures the Gospel
Don't create sacrament of 'pastoral customs,' Pope preaches :: Catholic News Agency (CNA): Pope Francis warned that some Christians establish the eighth sacrament “of pastoral customs” when they insist on protocol instead of seeking to meet spiritual needs.
He made his remarks during his May 25 homily on the Gospel reading from Mark 10 in which the disciples rebuked people who were bringing children to Jesus.
“I remember once, coming out of the city of Salta, on the patronal feast, there was a humble lady who asked for a priest’s blessing,” Pope Francis recalled in the chapel of St. Martha’s House.
He made his remarks during his May 25 homily on the Gospel reading from Mark 10 in which the disciples rebuked people who were bringing children to Jesus.
“I remember once, coming out of the city of Salta, on the patronal feast, there was a humble lady who asked for a priest’s blessing,” Pope Francis recalled in the chapel of St. Martha’s House.
10 things you need to know today: May 25, 2013
10 things you need to know today: May 25, 2013 - The Week: The 2nd suspect in the gruesome London attack is identified, Obama addresses military sexual assaults, and more
Friday, May 24, 2013
Pope Francis speaks on the immigration issue: "It is about, I emphasize, human beings"
VATICAN Pope: governments should seek incisive initiatives and new approaches to protect the dignity of refugees - Asia News: The Plenary Assembly of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People gave the pope an opportunity to speak to its participants and make his appeal. The council itself is meeting to discuss a paper, 'Welcoming Christ in Refugees and forcibly displaced Persons', which reflects the Church's pastoral concern over forced migration.
Here's the upshot of the Boy Scouts decision: The Mormons won the day
After the Boy Scouts? For a few, camping with doctrineMATTINGLY: If anything, this vote represents another fascinating step in the ongoing journey of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints into the safe mushy middle of American religion, that great shopping mall of the soul.
The BSA leaders decided to go with the Mormons, United Methodists and suburban American Catholics. The clear losers? The Southern Baptists and other traditionalist groups, including America’s few truly conservative Catholic parishes.
So did anyone out there in mainstream media land pay attention to the religion groups and their role in hosting Scout units? Are you kidding me? This is a legal, cultural and political story.
The BSA leaders decided to go with the Mormons, United Methodists and suburban American Catholics. The clear losers? The Southern Baptists and other traditionalist groups, including America’s few truly conservative Catholic parishes.
So did anyone out there in mainstream media land pay attention to the religion groups and their role in hosting Scout units? Are you kidding me? This is a legal, cultural and political story.
Looking for a Catholic study group this summer? Here it is. Pull up a lawn chair...
Lawn Chair Catechism | CatholicMom.com: Welcome to the first “Lawn Chair Catechism” at CatholicMom.com! This is an opportunity for you to kick back while you study along with us.
We’ll be using "Forming Intentional Disciples: The Path to Knowing and Following Jesus" by Sherry Weddell as our basis for this discussion.
Every Wednesday morning this summer, from May 29 to August 28, we’ll post a series of discussion questions from our team here at CatholicMom.com. We’ll also have a link-sharing at the end, so others can participate.
You’ll be able to participate whether or not you have read or are reading the book.
We’ll be using "Forming Intentional Disciples: The Path to Knowing and Following Jesus" by Sherry Weddell as our basis for this discussion.
Every Wednesday morning this summer, from May 29 to August 28, we’ll post a series of discussion questions from our team here at CatholicMom.com. We’ll also have a link-sharing at the end, so others can participate.
You’ll be able to participate whether or not you have read or are reading the book.
Before I entered the Church, I put the "big" in anti-Catholic bigotry
Putting the “Big” in Bigotry : Roman Catholic Spiritual DirectionMCCUSKER: I shudder to think of it now. There I was at a CS Lewis conference and the esteemed teacher Peter Kreeft had been talking about ten things to learn from JRR Tolkien about evil. A brilliant talk. And, at the break, I had a chance to corner Kreeft to ask him a few questions. In the course of that short conversation, he mentioned to me how he had become a Catholic while attending Calvin College.
Everyone else probably knew it, but I didn’t. And I was surprised. But here’s the thing that surprised me and makes me shudder to think of it now: my immediate thought was, “How could a man this smart be a Catholic?”
Everyone else probably knew it, but I didn’t. And I was surprised. But here’s the thing that surprised me and makes me shudder to think of it now: my immediate thought was, “How could a man this smart be a Catholic?”
There are four challenges awaiting Pope Francis at Rio's World Youth Day
Beneath the hype, Rio a major test for Francis | National Catholic ReporterALLEN: In exactly two months, Pope Francis will make his first overseas trip to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for World Youth Day. It shapes up as the biggest Catholic blowout of the early 21st century, a massive celebration of history’s first Latin American pope folded into what’s already the Catholic version of Lollapalooza.
At one level, it’s tempting to start writing success stories now. The crowds will be huge and enthusiastic, Brazil desperately wants the event to go well to showcase its status as the emerging superpower of the developing world (and as a trial run for both the World Cup next year and the Summer Olympics in 2016), and Francis has already proven that he’s more than ready for prime time.
At one level, it’s tempting to start writing success stories now. The crowds will be huge and enthusiastic, Brazil desperately wants the event to go well to showcase its status as the emerging superpower of the developing world (and as a trial run for both the World Cup next year and the Summer Olympics in 2016), and Francis has already proven that he’s more than ready for prime time.
The family fell first then faith followed
The Family Fell First then Faith Followed | Crisis MagazineRUSE: The clearest example of the thesis on how family nurtures faith is in vocations. In the olden days larger intact families produced priests. That’s one reason the seminaries bulged back in the baby boom, also why there was something of a religious revival after the Second World War.
But today’s two-child, one-child, no-child, broken-up, broken-down, single-mother, absent-father disasters pretending to be families simply do not produce priests. Today’s disaster families don’t even produce many Church-goers to speak of let alone vocations to religious life.
But today’s two-child, one-child, no-child, broken-up, broken-down, single-mother, absent-father disasters pretending to be families simply do not produce priests. Today’s disaster families don’t even produce many Church-goers to speak of let alone vocations to religious life.
Don Pino, the priest who stood up to the Sicilian Mafia (and will soon be beatified for it)
The Priest Who Stood Up to Mafia | First Things: On May 25, a mere twenty years after his murder, the Italian Catholic priest Don Giuseppe “Pino” Puglisi will be beatified. A figure much beloved in Sicily, Puglisi will be the first victim of the mafia to be declared a blessed by the Catholic Church. Puglisi’s beatification is a sign of how a Church once deeply complicit with organized crime came to stand heroically against it.
A native of Brancaccio, perhaps the roughest and poorest neighborhood of Palermo, the young Pino Puglisi was exposed to the dangers of the mob since being ordained a priest in 1960. His first assignment was a village called Godrano in Sicily. In this hamlet of only about one hundred people, fifteen villagers were killed by the mafia near the time of his arrival. Puglisi responded by going door to door to preach reconciliation and forgiveness of one’s enemies.
A native of Brancaccio, perhaps the roughest and poorest neighborhood of Palermo, the young Pino Puglisi was exposed to the dangers of the mob since being ordained a priest in 1960. His first assignment was a village called Godrano in Sicily. In this hamlet of only about one hundred people, fifteen villagers were killed by the mafia near the time of his arrival. Puglisi responded by going door to door to preach reconciliation and forgiveness of one’s enemies.
How’s that “culture of encounter” workin’ for ya?
How’s That “Culture of Encounter” Workin’ for Ya?LINDENMAN: If you define a culture of encounter as a search for common ground, then the Church, by the lights of its own leadership, has been participating in one for decades. (George Weigel gives a good overview of the inner-city renewal projects co-signed by the Bishops’ Conference under Cardinal Bernardin’s leadership.) What it got in return was nuns on the bus, Taoiseach Kenny at Boston College, and Andrew Cuomo in Albany. It was an encounter in the way a jailhouse rape is an encounter. Apparently in recognition of these concerns, Pope-Emeritus Benedict issued “De Caritate Ministranda,” a motu proprio requiring that Catholic charities be “managed in conformity with the demands of the Church’s teaching,” lest they become “just another organized form of social assistance.”
The decay of Western culture happened on our watch, because "Beige Catholicism" is good for nothing
Reflections on a Lesser-Known Saying of Jesus � Archdiocese of WashingtonPOPE: Fr. Robert Barron speaks of 70s Catholicism as the era of “beige Catholicism” where all the zest, color, edginess, and zeal of the Catholic faith was painted over and Catholics sought to blend in, even disappear. Welcome to the results of “salt gone flat” Catholicism. Little by little we must recover our salt, our zest, pep and even stinging quality. Flat Catholics are good for nothing.
And if the salt will not be salt, there is no salt-substitute for it. Thus Jesus asks rhetorically: if salt becomes insipid, with what will you restore its flavor? Again there is no substitute for Christians. If we will not be light, the world is in darkness. If we will not be salt the world will not be purified, preserved, or have anything good or tasty about it at all. The decay of Western culture happened on our watch when we collectively decided to stop being salt and light.
And if the salt will not be salt, there is no salt-substitute for it. Thus Jesus asks rhetorically: if salt becomes insipid, with what will you restore its flavor? Again there is no substitute for Christians. If we will not be light, the world is in darkness. If we will not be salt the world will not be purified, preserved, or have anything good or tasty about it at all. The decay of Western culture happened on our watch when we collectively decided to stop being salt and light.
I'm going to share a little life improvement secret I've discovered...
Walk the Walk |Blogs | NCRegister.comFISHER: Even at this late date, I’m still looking for it: that one, simple step I can take that will make my life easier, make my love stronger, make my brain faster, and make my pants looser. Deep down, I know there is no such thing; but hope springs eternal in the heart of a lazy person. I don’t want to have to take all the little steps I’ll have to take to slowly and gradually make minor improvements in thirty-six different areas of my life. I don’t wanna! I want to push a red button and wake up to find that everything’s better.
F. Scott Fitzgerald once wrote a short story about Jay Gatsby's Catholic boyhood
Pursued by Truth: Was Gatsby a Catholic? (& More)NOBLE: The best acting in the entire movie is hands down Elizabeth Debicki as Jordan Baker. She captured the spirit of Fitzgerald's character: a women with a "pleasing contemptuous expression" with a "wan, charming, discontented face" who threw "her body backward at the shoulders like a young cadet." Leonardo does a good job too; I especially appreciated his ability to believably play the mysterious millionaire with date jitters. However, I agree with other reviewers that he did not get the "old sport" line right throughout the whole movie, and this is cause for a bit of anguish as the phrase peppers his dialogue. The rest of the cast is good, with the exception of Tobey Maguire who unfortunately played a terrible Nick Carraway. Instead of capturing Nick's enigmatic, aloof personality, Tobey played a wimpy, flinching kid who can barely grow a beard. He narrates the movie in a voice so hoarse and slow that at first I thought he was narrating from a nursing home. One reviewer said of Tobey's narration: "He manages the excitement levels of a small vole recently awoken from hibernation by the roaring twenties and now anxious to get back to sleep."
Heroine says Catholic faith inspired her to confront Muslims who murdered soldier in London
My Catholic faith inspired my actions, says Ingrid Loyau-Kennett, heroine who faced Woolwich attackerEDEN: Ingrid Loyau-Kennett, the mother of two and former Scout leader who calmly confronted the Woolwich killers in hope of preventing further bloodshed, credits her heroic actions to her Catholic faith. Her Catholic values also come through in the video interview above, when she is asked why she wasn’t scared to confront the murderers. Her answer: “Better me than a child.”
Benedict XVI writing encyclical on faith that will be promulgated by Pope Francis, says Bishop of Molfetta
RORATE C�LI: Relevant: Benedict XVI finishing the encyclical on Faith to be signed by Pope Francis New encyclical on the poor: "Beati Pauperes"?: Following his recent visit ad limina with the bishops of his region, the Bishop of Molfetta (Apulia, Italy), Luigi Martella, spoke of the conversation they had with the new Pope, including the following
10 things you need to know today: May 24, 2013
10 things you need to know today: May 24, 2013 - The Week: The Boy Scouts ends its ban on gay youths, Obama announces limits on controversial drone strikes, and more
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Yes, Pope Francis said that all are ‘redeemed’. But is that news to anyone?
Yes, Pope Francis said: All are ‘redeemed!’ Is that news?MATTINGLY: There is nothing strange about saying that the sacrificial death of Jesus redeemed all of humanity and all of creation. In fact, Pope Benedict XVI made similar remarks, wrestling with the purpose of the Court of the Gentiles in the ancient Jerusalem temple.
So, let’s repeat the theological “nut ‘graph” in this journalism class.
The pope said all are redeemed through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Check.
The pope said that it is important to recognize that all can do good and, thus, to move closer to God — even if they are not believers. Check.
Did the pope, to be blunt, say that hell is empty, that all have chosen to accept the redemption offered by Jesus Christ? Did he say that no one has chosen to remove themselves from the cleansing fire of God’s love? No check.
So, let’s repeat the theological “nut ‘graph” in this journalism class.
The pope said all are redeemed through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Check.
The pope said that it is important to recognize that all can do good and, thus, to move closer to God — even if they are not believers. Check.
Did the pope, to be blunt, say that hell is empty, that all have chosen to accept the redemption offered by Jesus Christ? Did he say that no one has chosen to remove themselves from the cleansing fire of God’s love? No check.
Sign up for the Catholic Apologetics Academy and learn from experts like Patrick Madrid, Peter Kreeft, and Frank Beckwith
Catholic Apologetics Academy | The Envoy Institute's Catholic Apologetics Academy: The Bible exhorts Christians to “always be ready to give a defense to anyone who asks you for the hope that is in you, but do it with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15-16). It also encourages us to “earnestly contend for the Faith” (Jude 1:3).
This is why the Envoy Institute’s Catholic Apologetics Academy was established: To provide thorough, substantive, high-level, and doctrinally orthodox training in apologetics for Catholic adults who desire to live out more effectively those biblical precepts.
This is why the Envoy Institute’s Catholic Apologetics Academy was established: To provide thorough, substantive, high-level, and doctrinally orthodox training in apologetics for Catholic adults who desire to live out more effectively those biblical precepts.
"The Secret of Notre Dame": Cardinal Dolan's 2013 commencement address
New Advent: "The Secret of Notre Dame": Cardinal Dolan's 2013 commencement address: Thank you, Notre Dame, for the joy of your company, the gracious invitation, the warm welcome, and the high honor of this degree.� It was so obvious I almost missed it.� See, ever since, almost a year ago, Father Jenkins, with characteristic thoughtfulness, invited me to deliver this commencement address, I’ve been mulling over just what to say to you, class of 2013.� Only Friday a week ago I still had not yet completed this talk, and I got on the train in New York City to travel to D.C. In Philadelphia, a distinguished looking man boarded the train and sat next to me.� He turned out to be a fanatical, in-your-face, obnoxious Notre Dame alumnus! You ever met one? Nice to meet you! Now I guess I am proudly one, after the privilege of this honorary degree which I so appreciate and cherish! He begins to speak with obviously radiant pride and gratitude about Notre Dame, telling me his faithful Jewish parents wanted him to attend a Catholic college - - because, in their words. “The Church founded the universities, and educate better than anybody else” - - and reporting to me that, even as a faithful Jew, he considers his four years here at this Catholic university a gift beyond measure. When I told him I’d be here for graduation, he beamed.�
"Who are we before God? What are our challenges?" Francis meets the Italian bishops...
Whispers in the Loggia: "Who Are We Before God? What Are Our Challenges?" – Francis Meets the BishopsPALMO: At the close of the Italian bishops' plenary this week in Rome, the home-bench – led by its primate, the Pope – gathered in St Peter's tonight to make a communal Profession of Faith as part of the ongoing Year of Faith.
The event marked Francis' first full encounter with the powerful Italian conference, known as the CEI.
The event marked Francis' first full encounter with the powerful Italian conference, known as the CEI.
Boy Scouts vote to admit gay members; gay activists celebrate victory as "great first step" in strategy
Boy Scouts Lifts Ban on Gay Scouts, Still Bars Gay Leaders - ABC News: The Boy Scouts of America today voted to lift its longtime ban on admitting gay Scouts but will continue to exclude openly gay adults from leadership roles.
The vote by its 1,400 national membership came as no surprise to gay rights advocates, who hailed it as a first step to ending discriminatory practices in the 103-year-old organization.
The vote by its 1,400 national membership came as no surprise to gay rights advocates, who hailed it as a first step to ending discriminatory practices in the 103-year-old organization.
9 foods you're totally eating wrong
The Daily Dot - 9 foods you're totally eating wrong: Sushi, chicken wings, even cupcakes. We all love them. And we're all eating them in the worst way possible.
Most of us are guilty of a stubborn mindset and and overwhelming desire to scarf down food the second it becomes visible. As a result, we never get to appreciate the full potential of what we're served. It's our loss.
Fortunately, YouTube has come to our rescue. Here are several videos that teach us the proper way to consume some of our absolute favorite foods.�
Most of us are guilty of a stubborn mindset and and overwhelming desire to scarf down food the second it becomes visible. As a result, we never get to appreciate the full potential of what we're served. It's our loss.
Fortunately, YouTube has come to our rescue. Here are several videos that teach us the proper way to consume some of our absolute favorite foods.�
Don’t make fun of renowned author Dan Brown, author of renowned book 'The Da Vinci Code'
Don’t make fun of renowned Dan Brown - Telegraph: Renowned author Dan Brown woke up in his luxurious four-poster bed in his expensive $10 million house – and immediately he felt angry. Most people would have thought that the 48-year-old man had no reason to be angry. After all, the famous writer had a new book coming out. But that was the problem. A new book meant an inevitable attack on the rich novelist by the wealthy wordsmith’s fiercest foes. The critics.
Ten marks of a good school
Ten Marks of a Good School |Blogs | NCRegister.comFISHER: In the last nine years, our family has tried five different types of elementary school:� home school, private school, parochial school, public school. and charter school.� We're extremely lucky to have found one that works very well for us, and it's hard to imagine switching for any reason other than, say, statewide devastation by asteroids.� With all that switching around from school to school, we've learned a few things about the basic marks of a good elementary school.� (There are often fewer options for high school; and older kids have different needs, and are more resilient than younger kids.) Since this is the time of year when parents are assessing whether or not their kids are in the right place, I thought this would be a good time to share what we've discovered.
The media coverage of Pope Francis’ "exorcism" isn't journalism. It's just embarrassing...
Pope Francis’ ‘obsession’ with the devilHEMINGWAY: It’s kind of charming that all popes have to deal with bad media coverage and global press frenzies. This week we’ve seen some awful media coverage of Pope Francis, including coverage of his blessing of a man after Mass on Sunday. Part of the blame must go to the Italian press, which really went crazy with the story in a way that might not be prudent. But I’ll restrict myself to the English-language media. Let’s begin with the Telegraph
I was an avid follower of the New Atheists. But when I read the work of their Catholic foes, my life changed forever...
The atheist orthodoxy that drove me to faith | CatholicHerald.co.uk: Last Easter, when I was just beginning to explore the possibility that, despite what I had previously believed and been brought up to believe, there might be something to the Catholic faith, I read Letters to a Young Catholic by George Weigel. One passage in particular struck me.
Talking of the New Testament miracles and the meaning of faith, Weigel writes: “In the Catholic view of things, walking on water is an entirely sensible thing to do. It’s staying in the boat, hanging tightly to our own sad little securities, that’s rather mad.”
In the following months, that life outside the boat – the life of faith –would come to make increasing sense to me, until eventually I could no longer justify staying put. Last weekend I was baptised and confirmed into the Catholic Church.
Talking of the New Testament miracles and the meaning of faith, Weigel writes: “In the Catholic view of things, walking on water is an entirely sensible thing to do. It’s staying in the boat, hanging tightly to our own sad little securities, that’s rather mad.”
In the following months, that life outside the boat – the life of faith –would come to make increasing sense to me, until eventually I could no longer justify staying put. Last weekend I was baptised and confirmed into the Catholic Church.
Apologetics is not a telephone game
Apologetics Is Not a Telephone Game | Catholic AnswersARNOLD: There once was a minister who noticed that his little boy and the neighbor kids had decided to put together a funeral for a dead bird they had found. Being the Preacher's Kid, the minister's son was deputed to lead the services. Standing before the tiny grave, shoebox casket waiting to be laid into the ground, the minister's son confidently intoned
"A war between Catholics": Nigerian bishop installed away from cathedral as tribal tensions threaten Church unity
Nigerian bishops lament disunity among local Catholics :: Catholic News Agency (CNA): As the Catholics of the Diocese of Ahiara protested the appointment of a bishop from a nearby diocese as their shepherd, local bishops expressed sadness at the disunity in the Church of Nigeria.
Bishop Peter Ebere Okpaleke – formerly a priest of the Awka diocese – was consecrated bishop of the Diocese of Ahiara in Nigeria May 21, while many residents of the diocese rallied against the move.
Due to the strong opposition among the local Mbaise community, Bishop Okpaleke was installed outside his new diocese, at Seat of Wisdom Seminary in Ulakwo, in the Archdiocese of Owerri.
Bishop Peter Ebere Okpaleke – formerly a priest of the Awka diocese – was consecrated bishop of the Diocese of Ahiara in Nigeria May 21, while many residents of the diocese rallied against the move.
Due to the strong opposition among the local Mbaise community, Bishop Okpaleke was installed outside his new diocese, at Seat of Wisdom Seminary in Ulakwo, in the Archdiocese of Owerri.
It's been one month since two Orthodox archbishops were kidnapped in Syria, and we still don't know who did it
Bishop of Aleppo: Concern over fate of two Syrian archbishops kidnapped one month ago: It’s exactly one month since two Syrian Orthodox archbishops were kidnapped near the city of Aleppo. The Greek Orthodox archbishop of Aleppo Yohanna Ibrahim and his Syriac Orthodox counterpart Boulos Yazaji were seized by gunmen while travelling back from the Turkish border. No group has claimed responsibility for their abduction. The Catholic Chaldean bishop of Aleppo, Antoine Audo spoke to Susy Hodges about their growing concern over the fate of the two prelates.
In 1960, ABC (and Winston cigarettes) brought something new to the young medium of television: The Flintstones
The Flintstones: A Modern Stone Age Family - Neatorama: In 1960, ABC brought something new to the young medium of television: A full-length (30 minute) animated cartoon TV series. Sure, cartoons had been broadcast since TV's inception, but never an actual primetime cartoon series. The show was "made for adults," but the millions of kids who routinely tuned in didn't know or didn't care about that.
The Flintstones ran for six very successful years (1960-1966). The original pilot for the series was called The Flagstones. This name was changed because of the popular comic strip Hi and Lois, whose last name was Flagstone. Their creators threatened legal action if that surname was appropriated by ABC.
The Flintstones ran for six very successful years (1960-1966). The original pilot for the series was called The Flagstones. This name was changed because of the popular comic strip Hi and Lois, whose last name was Flagstone. Their creators threatened legal action if that surname was appropriated by ABC.
The surprising identity cards of the last two popes
Vatican Diary / The identity cards of the last two popesMAGISTER: With a delay of two months with respect to the traditional timetable, the 2013 edition has finally been published of the Annuario Pontificio, the voluminous publication that constitutes a sort of who's who of the Holy See and of the whole Catholic Church, at least in its hierarchical component.
This delay with respect to the canonical timing is without a doubt due to the unexpected resignation of Benedict XVI, announced on February 11, and to the subsequent conclave that saw the election of the new pope on March 13.
Last year, in fact, as is the tradition, Benedict XVI received a preview of the 2012 edition of the Annuario on March 10. While this year, Pope Francis had it in his hands only on March 13.
Apart from the timing, the new Annuario is not lacking in those surprises which characterize the current pontificate.
This delay with respect to the canonical timing is without a doubt due to the unexpected resignation of Benedict XVI, announced on February 11, and to the subsequent conclave that saw the election of the new pope on March 13.
Last year, in fact, as is the tradition, Benedict XVI received a preview of the 2012 edition of the Annuario on March 10. While this year, Pope Francis had it in his hands only on March 13.
Apart from the timing, the new Annuario is not lacking in those surprises which characterize the current pontificate.
The Book of Genesis is true, and the universe is 13.8 billion years old. There is no contradiction here...
Is God telling us fictions about the past? |Blogs | NCRegister.comAKIN: Wouldn't it be great if scientists invented a device that enabled us to have a clear window into the past--so that we wouldn't just have to read about the past in books?
Instead, with the new device--let's call it a Time Window--we could actually see events occurring in the past in real time, with our own eyes?
That would be wicked awesome, wouldn't it?
The exciting news is that scientists have invented this device!
That's right! The Time Window is real!
What's more, they invented it just over 400 years ago, so they've had the chance to mature the technology to the point that now it's really, really good.
Instead, with the new device--let's call it a Time Window--we could actually see events occurring in the past in real time, with our own eyes?
That would be wicked awesome, wouldn't it?
The exciting news is that scientists have invented this device!
That's right! The Time Window is real!
What's more, they invented it just over 400 years ago, so they've had the chance to mature the technology to the point that now it's really, really good.
The Liturgy of the Hours for the rest of us
The Liturgy of the Hours for the Rest of Us |Blogs | NCRegister.comDANBURKE: If you're like any number of Catholics, you've heard of the breviary, the Divine Office, and the Liturgy of the Hours. Maybe you've tried your hand at an Hour or two. Maybe you've even succeeded.
But maybe, like many of our fellow Catholics, you've failed and given up, coming to the conclusion that those who devote themselves to the Liturgy of the Hours are either insane or much less busy than you are. If this is where you are, I hope you will find encouragement here to reengage or begin a new adventure into the unceasing prayer of the Church.
But maybe, like many of our fellow Catholics, you've failed and given up, coming to the conclusion that those who devote themselves to the Liturgy of the Hours are either insane or much less busy than you are. If this is where you are, I hope you will find encouragement here to reengage or begin a new adventure into the unceasing prayer of the Church.
Did Pope Francis really preach salvation by works, and that all men will be saved?
Did Pope Francis Preach Salvation by Works??LONGENECKER: The Huffington Post has a screaming headline, Pope Francis says Atheists Who do Good are Redeemed, Not Just Catholics. Vatican Radio reports on the homily here.
In a homily at daily Mass in the chapel of the Saint Martha hostel, Pope Francis spoke on the principle that “doing good” is a principle that unites all of humanity. Commenting on the gospel where the disciples want to exclude a person who is doing good, but is not of their number, the Pope observes that Jesus says, “Let him be.” �The Holy Father then goes on to make his main point, that rabid intolerance and exclusion eventually leads to violence.
In a homily at daily Mass in the chapel of the Saint Martha hostel, Pope Francis spoke on the principle that “doing good” is a principle that unites all of humanity. Commenting on the gospel where the disciples want to exclude a person who is doing good, but is not of their number, the Pope observes that Jesus says, “Let him be.” �The Holy Father then goes on to make his main point, that rabid intolerance and exclusion eventually leads to violence.
Did Pope Francis really say that all atheists are redeemed?
Did Pope Francis Really Say All Atheists are Redeemed? | Strange NotionsVOGT: Yesterday, the Internet buzzed about some recent remarks from Pope Francis. A headline at Huffington Post read: "Pope Francis Says Atheists Who Do Good Are Redeemed, Not Just Catholics". A similar Reddit article became yesterday's second most-shared piece.
But was the headline right? Did the Pope really suggest that all atheists are redeemed? And if so, is this a shift in Catholic teaching?
To answer those questions we must first note the Gospel passage Pope Francis preached on when he made the statement...
But was the headline right? Did the Pope really suggest that all atheists are redeemed? And if so, is this a shift in Catholic teaching?
To answer those questions we must first note the Gospel passage Pope Francis preached on when he made the statement...
10 things you need to know today: May 23, 2013
10 things you need to know today: May 23, 2013 - The Week: The U.S. acknowledges killing four American citizens with drones, Oklahoma tornado damage estimates exceed $2 billion, and more
Pope Francis: Be "salt of the earth" and not "museum-piece Christians"
Pope Francis at Mass: be salt of the earth: That Christians might spread the spiritual salt of faith, hope and charity: this was Pope Francis’ exhortation at Mass Thursday morning in the chapel of the Domus Sanctae Marthae residence in the Vatican. The Pope warned against the risk of becoming insipid, “Museum-piece Christians.”
In his homily, Pope Francis focused on the savour that Christians are called to give to their own lives and to others’. The Holy Father said that salt the Lord gives us is the salt of faith, hope and charity. But, he warned, we must be careful that this salt, which is given to us by the certainty that Jesus died and rose again to save us, “does not lose its flavour, does not lose its strength.” This salt, he continued, “is not for keeping, because if the salt is preserved in a bottle it does not do anything: it is good for nothing”
In his homily, Pope Francis focused on the savour that Christians are called to give to their own lives and to others’. The Holy Father said that salt the Lord gives us is the salt of faith, hope and charity. But, he warned, we must be careful that this salt, which is given to us by the certainty that Jesus died and rose again to save us, “does not lose its flavour, does not lose its strength.” This salt, he continued, “is not for keeping, because if the salt is preserved in a bottle it does not do anything: it is good for nothing”
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
"The Coffinmaker": A powerful Memento Mori and winner of Vimeo's Staff Pick award
New Advent: "The Coffinmaker": A powerful Memento Mori and winner of Vimeo's Staff Pick award: Every year, Americans bury enough metal in the ground to rebuild the Golden Gate Bridge, says Vashon Island coffin maker Marcus Daly. His simple, handcrafted wooden coffins are an economical and environmentally friendly burial alternative. But Daly believes a coffin's most important feature is that it can be carried. Here's why.
The last days of Zach Sobiech (1995-2013)
New Advent: The last days of Zach Sobiech (1995-2013): Zach Sobiech is a 17 year old who was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer. With only months to live, Zach turned to music to say goodbye. Zach turned 18 years old on May 3. He died two weeks later and his funeral is scheduled for May 23 at the Church of St. Michael in Stillwater, Minnesota.
Help! My kids still aren't Catholic!
Help My Kids Still Aren’t Catholic!!LONGENECKER: An earlier post this week with a similar title evoked the most passionate comments I’ve had on a post for a long time. I suggested that one of the reasons why Catholic kids leave the church is that our catechism and worship styles and preaching for the past fifty years did not prepare them for the rigors and demands of a fully Catholic life. I would like to add to that.
There is another huge contributing factors to the hemorrhage from the Catholic Church.It is indifferentism, and the indifferentism has three aspects. First is the aspect that it doesn’t really matter what church you go to. You wouldn’t believe the number of potential convert clergy who are told by a Catholic priest to stay where they are in the Protestant denomination and “work for church unity.”
There is another huge contributing factors to the hemorrhage from the Catholic Church.It is indifferentism, and the indifferentism has three aspects. First is the aspect that it doesn’t really matter what church you go to. You wouldn’t believe the number of potential convert clergy who are told by a Catholic priest to stay where they are in the Protestant denomination and “work for church unity.”
The fable of Can and Could
The Fable of Can and Could : Stacy TrasancosTRASANCOS: This story won’t be new to anyone who has read the 1890 elementary textbook, Catholic National Reader, Book Four, but since that number of people may not be very great in 2013, I want to share a charming, poignant story about two people named Can and Could. I took some liberties for brevity.
Could held himself in great esteem, and was always dreaming. “If I were rich, I could…” He felt blessed with a benevolent disposition, and in his imagination he thought of a great many projects for doing good on a grand scale. Can was a simple young woman, not great or so well-dressed. She went about her life neither sauntering nor scheming far into the future. She scarcely knew what a project was.
Could held himself in great esteem, and was always dreaming. “If I were rich, I could…” He felt blessed with a benevolent disposition, and in his imagination he thought of a great many projects for doing good on a grand scale. Can was a simple young woman, not great or so well-dressed. She went about her life neither sauntering nor scheming far into the future. She scarcely knew what a project was.
From the heart of the storm, God has no platitudes, but He offers His participation in the sufferings of the world
God in the Whirlwind - AleteiaLONGENECKER: Out on a wandering-wondering walk this mourning morning I was musing, pondering the ways of God in a broken, battered, and sin-bashed world. Where was God in the whirlwind? Why couldn’t the God of the thunder and storm stop the terrible tornado? Why did the Lord of Heaven not give a haven for children? Where was the Harrower of Hell and why did he not halt the hailstones and horror that has hit Oklahoma? No human has a heart if he has not asked these questions of God. Ever since Job challenged the Almighty, the human mind and heart have demanded an answer. Any merely human being must shake the fist and howl, “How can a loving and all powerful God allow such terrible suffering?”
Is your city on this list? Here are OSV's Top 10 Catholic Cities in the United States...
Top 10 Catholic Cities, USA: Ready for some Catholic sightseeing? Based on culture, history, physical landscape and spirituality, the following list of Top 10 U.S. Catholic Cities — listed in no particular order — highlights American hubs with a Catholic pulse. Each location, whether it be large or small, east or west, contributes to the richness of Catholic life in America.
Should these locations be next door, across the state or across the country, OSV Newsweekly hopes this list will prove useful and inspiring when it comes to incorporating the Faith into your travel plans this summer.
Should these locations be next door, across the state or across the country, OSV Newsweekly hopes this list will prove useful and inspiring when it comes to incorporating the Faith into your travel plans this summer.
Pope makes fourth appeal for Oklahoma tornado victims
Pope makes fourth appeal for Oklahoma tornado victims :: Catholic News Agency (CNA): As he hosted his weekly Wednesday audience in St. Peter’s Square, Pope Francis made his fourth appeal for prayer for the victims of the tornado that killed 24 people in Oklahoma.
Before he greeted all of the English-speaking people at the May 22 general audience, Pope Francis invited everyone present to pray for those who were killed or injured by the May 20 tornado that ravaged the Oklahoma City suburb of Moore.
The death toll was originally reported as 91 people, including 20 children, but subsequent counts showed that some casualties were counted twice in the chaos. According to the state’s chief medical officer Doctor Eric Pfeifer, the correct number of dead stands at 24, with nine of those being children.
Before he greeted all of the English-speaking people at the May 22 general audience, Pope Francis invited everyone present to pray for those who were killed or injured by the May 20 tornado that ravaged the Oklahoma City suburb of Moore.
The death toll was originally reported as 91 people, including 20 children, but subsequent counts showed that some casualties were counted twice in the chaos. According to the state’s chief medical officer Doctor Eric Pfeifer, the correct number of dead stands at 24, with nine of those being children.
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