Thursday, July 31, 2014
Flannery O’Connor broke the silence to shout the truth...
Flannery O’Connor—Fifty Years After - Crisis MagazineREGISMARTIN: Flannery O’Connor has been dead a half-century now, and the weight of her reputation remains as fixed as Faulkner’s. A remarkable achievement for someone whose actual published work amounted to a couple of novels and a handful of short stories. But altogether astonishing in light of her last years, the fourteen or so she spent literally dying of lupus. A rare and terrible disease, its cumulative debilities failed utterly to diminish the grace of her spirit. “All my life,” she would say, “death and suffering have been brothers to my imagination.”
Twin Cities Archbishop John Nienstedt declares he won’t step down: "I have strong pockets of support"
Archbishop John Nienstedt declares he won’t step down | Star Tribune: Archbishop John Nienstedt declared he will not resign as head of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, and insisted the archdiocese has turned the corner on the clergy abuse scandal and is now “in a much better place.”
In a series of media interviews Wednesday — his first in six years — and in a column published Thursday in the Catholic Spirit newspaper, Nienstedt apologized for the “distractions” of the controversy and acknowledged he had lost the confidence of some followers — but that he was working to earn that back.
In a series of media interviews Wednesday — his first in six years — and in a column published Thursday in the Catholic Spirit newspaper, Nienstedt apologized for the “distractions” of the controversy and acknowledged he had lost the confidence of some followers — but that he was working to earn that back.
Wednesday, July 30, 2014
This is probably the strangest thing I’ve ever read...
Probably the strangest thing I’ve ever read. A refutation of the rant of a cultural radical. � Archdiocese of WashingtonPOPE: A reader recently alerted me to an article in Slate Magazine that is so bizarre that, as you read it, you think it is a joke, an April Fools farce, or someone illustrating absurdity by being absurd. Yet, as far as I can tell, the author means every word she says.
I must say, I have never read anything stranger in my life (except a couple things in Mad Magazine, but they actually were jokes). If you dare to read the excerpt below, prepare for your brain to explode.
I must say, I have never read anything stranger in my life (except a couple things in Mad Magazine, but they actually were jokes). If you dare to read the excerpt below, prepare for your brain to explode.
6 tools to help you if you're scrupulous
6 Tools for the Scrupulous |Blogs | NCRegister.comAKIN: Scrupulosity and obsessive-compulsive disorder are two painful conditions that frequently go together.
Scrupulosity involves excessive anxiety about the sinfulness of particular actions. For example, having a fear that a typical, everyday action like forgetting to turn off the lights and thus “wasting electricity” might be a mortal sin. Such fears are known as scruples.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a related condition in which a person experiences frequent, painful thoughts (obsessions, such as fear of germs on one’s hands), which may drive him to perform various actions (compulsions, such as repeatedly washing the hands) in order to relieve the anxiety.
Scrupulosity involves excessive anxiety about the sinfulness of particular actions. For example, having a fear that a typical, everyday action like forgetting to turn off the lights and thus “wasting electricity” might be a mortal sin. Such fears are known as scruples.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a related condition in which a person experiences frequent, painful thoughts (obsessions, such as fear of germs on one’s hands), which may drive him to perform various actions (compulsions, such as repeatedly washing the hands) in order to relieve the anxiety.
If you liked 'Into Great Silence', you'll like this movie about St. Sharbel...
Te Deum laudamus!: Saint Charbel, The MovieKORZENIEWSKI: Why would a lay person - whether they are single or married, take interest in the life of a holy man who lived much of his life in silence and solitude? �While it is not practical for father or mother to practice silence when they should be paying attention to children, there are times during the day, that anyone can choose to turn off various forms of noise - from TV and radio, to text messaging and social media. �The question is, do we make use of opportunities to be in silence, and to explicitly offer that silent period up to God for the conversion of sinners or for those in purgatory? �These things are hardly taught any more and they are far from pass�.
It’s a terrible thought: dying excommunicated...
It’s a terrible thought: dying excommunicated… | Fr. Z's BlogZUHLSDORF: Let’s get a couple things clear.
We should never wish Hell for a person out of malice. �We must pray that both God’s mercy and God’s justice place people exactly where they ought to be. �If that place is Hell, so be it, but we should prefer and pray that all find the means to attain heaven, even after an unfathomably long time of purgation. �We especially pray for God’s mercy on all obvious sinners, just as we pray for mercy for ourselves, for wee, too, are sinners. �We should desire that even the most horrible of sinners, in their last moments at least, repent and throw themselves on God’s loving mercy.
We should never wish Hell for a person out of malice. �We must pray that both God’s mercy and God’s justice place people exactly where they ought to be. �If that place is Hell, so be it, but we should prefer and pray that all find the means to attain heaven, even after an unfathomably long time of purgation. �We especially pray for God’s mercy on all obvious sinners, just as we pray for mercy for ourselves, for wee, too, are sinners. �We should desire that even the most horrible of sinners, in their last moments at least, repent and throw themselves on God’s loving mercy.
Catholic blogger Sarah Harkins ("The Clay Rosary Girl") dies, leaving four young children...
The Clay Rosary Girl: July 28, 2014: With great sadness we share the devastating news that Sarah, with her unborn daughter, Cecilia, unexpectedly passed away on Monday, July 28, 2014 after suffering a brain aneurysm. �A fund has been established for the long-term needs of her children at this site: �www.youcaring.com/harkinschildren. �Your prayers and support are deeply appreciated.
Let's look at the hard numbers behind the Catholic man-crisis...
The Fallout of the Catholic “Man-Crisis” | Those Catholic Men: Whenever we have a baby, people ask “how much did he weigh”?� When I answer they just nod satisfyingly.� I don’t get it.� Does knowing John weighed 8 pounds 9 ounces help you understand the mystery of John? �No, but numbers make us feel like we’ve grasped something, but I think for many folks I could say he weighed three pounds and they would just nod and move on. �Facts helps us feel like we know something, but the truth is that fact will never be true again.� To know John any better you’ll need to see his face and hear his voice, and with every bit of flesh that goes on that image of him you’ll understand the wonder of John.� But his facts – weights, heights – are changing, they’re growing.
The culture wars aren't just about sex. They're about civilization itself...
Sex can't explain the culture war - The WeekMORRISSEY: Earlier this week, my colleague Damon Linker wrote a thoughtful essay on the nature of the culture war, distilling it down to how attitudes about sex changed radically over a very short period of time. As Damon typically does, he stakes out his own position while giving fair treatment to reasonable and rational disagreement. He ends by suggesting that traditionalist views deserve respect — mainly because the implications of the sexual revolution are largely still unknown. But the framing of the question mirrors the disconnect between the traditionalists and the modernists in the culture war, cutting to the heart of the conflict.
What we can learn from Eastern Christianity
What We Can Learn From the EastTIERNEY: Life is tough as a traditionalist in today’s Church.� Thanks to the Pontificate of Benedict XVI, we were given the tools to promote the Mass we love, and a lot of our views and dispositions gain increasing tolerance if not acceptance.� Ten years ago I had to drive 90 minutes into one of the worst neighborhoods to fulfill my “lawful aspiration” (to use St. John Paul II’s term for devotion to the 1962 Missal) in communion with the Roman Pontiff.� Today I have five choices within that radius, several of them far closer.
Praying doesn't necessarily make things happen, but it does make things possible...
Prayer Doesn't Make Things Happen |Blogs | NCRegister.comFISHER: When a scientist or an engineer or a researcher does something that "makes the world better," it's not just "getting up off his ass" that makes that possible. It's a thousand other things, which are not necessarily directly or obviously related to the great discovery or achievement itself -- and yet they are indispensable. Scientists need, for instance, to sleep at night. They need to eat. They need to go to school. They need to exercise their bodies. They need to talk to other people. They need to learn about great scientists of the past. And they need encouragement from people they admire.
‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ is a rare summer spectacle that’s fun instead of grim...
SDG Reviews ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ | Daily News | NCRegister.comGREYDANUS: Surveying the prison commons, Rocket identifies three articles he will need to engineer an escape: a control device worn by the guards on their arms; a battery powering a device high on a tower in the middle of the commons — and a fellow prisoner’s prosthetic robot leg.
It’s a goofily random yet specific list, vaguely reminiscent of Westley in The Princess Bride, tallying the assets for storming the castle and sighing that it’s hopeless — though if only they had a wheelbarrow… And then, when the breakout comes, there’s an unexpected, hilarious punchline as Rocket’s reasons for including each of the items becomes clear.
It’s a goofily random yet specific list, vaguely reminiscent of Westley in The Princess Bride, tallying the assets for storming the castle and sighing that it’s hopeless — though if only they had a wheelbarrow… And then, when the breakout comes, there’s an unexpected, hilarious punchline as Rocket’s reasons for including each of the items becomes clear.
You'll never guess how many times St. John Paul would visit the Blessed Sacrament each day (autoplay video)...
The Eye of the Storm with Jason Evert - OneBillionStories.com: Jason Evert sits down with our OBS team in the Philippines, for a reflection on his ‘eye of the storm’ experience, of living in the modern world as a son of God. Throughout Jason’s inspiring story, Saint John Paul the Great has impacted his life, and continues to challenge him to pursue the spiritual life with vigor. In fact, he shares in the video a story on a little known fact on how many times a day Saint John Paul the Great would visit the adoration chapel. 20 times a day!
10 reasons why 110 degrees is better than 10 degrees
10 Reasons Why 110 Degrees Is Better Than 10 Degrees | TOM PERNAPERNA: Two weeks ago, Phoenix, Arizona, endured the hottest temperatures we have seen so far this summer. For nearly one week, the temps were over 110 degrees, and some days we maxed out at 118 degrees depending on where you lived in the Desert Southwest. Over the past week, the temps have decreased and the humidity has returned (yes we have humidity, it’s not always a dry heat) with the Monsoons appearing again. Beginning tomorrow and for the next couple of days, we are headed back towards 110 degrees plus. The Weather Channel has even issued a special weather statement about the high temperatures for the lower deserts of California, the Southwest, and South-Central Arizona.
Imagining the path of Christian exile
Imagining the Path of Christian Exile | Elizabeth Scalia | First ThingsSCALIA: To be ripped from our neighborhood, the ancient land we have shared, so companionably for so long, is a tragedy that must transform each of us. I have been forever changed by the experience of being marched away at gunpoint, empty-handed, my past wrested from me. They gave me two choices, leave or die. And you, too, are changed for having to quietly watch me go, or die yourselves. It is not how old neighbors should part.
If you want to make converts, pray and be patient. And listen, listen, listen...
The Convert Maker: Questions for Father C. John McCloskey | America MagazineMCCLOSKEY: I’ve written about this on my website, but everyone’s called to have a spiritual director or guide, including myself. We all need someone who helps us in our journey to Christ and the next life. So that’s my basic approach in three decades or more of priesthood. As a priest of Opus Dei, I have a certain spirituality of the laity. But the question is what people take from direction, the question of their freedom to take out of it what they can, and not of what the director says. That’s why I say on my business card that I’m a “spiritual consultant,” not a guru.
Huffington Post: Are you "spiritual but not religious"? Please stop boring me...
Lillian Daniel: Spiritual But Not Religious? Please Stop Boring Me.: On airplanes, I dread the conversation with the person who finds out I am a minister and wants to use the flight time to explain to me that he is "spiritual but not religious." Such a person will always share this as if it is some kind of daring insight, unique to him, bold in its rebellion against the religious status quo.
Next thing you know, he's telling me that he finds God in the sunsets. These people always find God in the sunsets. And in walks on the beach. Sometimes I think these people never leave the beach or the mountains, what with all the communing with God they do on hilltops, hiking trails and ... did I mention the beach at sunset yet?
Next thing you know, he's telling me that he finds God in the sunsets. These people always find God in the sunsets. And in walks on the beach. Sometimes I think these people never leave the beach or the mountains, what with all the communing with God they do on hilltops, hiking trails and ... did I mention the beach at sunset yet?
All the dating terms you didn’t know but were afraid to ask about
All the dating terms you didn’t know but were afraid to ask about | Clare Halpine | First Things: We are pleased to offer the below definitions to help clarify some of the most misunderstood terms connected with dating and relationships today...
The land of pickles, refills and drug ads: One Aussie's take on American culture...
The Impractical Catholic: Pickles, refills and American weirdness: Away far away, in a land inhabitants deliberately call "Aus" (because it sounds like "Oz"), some wit has had the chutzpah to call America a weird place. And not for any political reason; no, if the unidentified Aussie had gone into political weirdness, I might or might not have agreed with him/her fully. No, let's see why this person thinks America is weirder than the Land Down Under:
What the Second Vatican Council did for Marian devotion
Vatican II & Marian Devotion | Present.me: Dr. Matthew Tsakanikas at www.nikacatholic.com produced "Vatican II & Marian Devotion" on 07-25-2014. Find it at the "Free Distance Education" tab. It is an attempt to help explain why and what Vatican II did in an effort to encourage more Marian devotion. Feel free to share this on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn using the links above. 'like' this presentation so you can find it again later (like a favourite).
What does Catholic social teaching have to say about the environment?
NCRegister | Winds of Change: Catholic Stewardship and ClimateGUTIERREZ: The issue of climate change seems to have taken on a life of its own all of a sudden. A French foreign minister recently claimed that we only have about two years before it’s too late for our world. The U.S. Navy reports that climate change is a growing threat to national security.
The Democratic Party, facing a chill in their power in Washington leading up to this year’s midterm elections, has been using this issue to rally its base. From an all-night talkathon on the Senate floor and Secretary of State John Kerry referring to it as the world’s “most fearsome weapon of mass destruction” to the National Climate Assessment just released this May, the climate is once again a national story.
The Democratic Party, facing a chill in their power in Washington leading up to this year’s midterm elections, has been using this issue to rally its base. From an all-night talkathon on the Senate floor and Secretary of State John Kerry referring to it as the world’s “most fearsome weapon of mass destruction” to the National Climate Assessment just released this May, the climate is once again a national story.
LGBT foundation aims to counter Vatican family synod
LGBT foundation aims to counter Vatican family synod :: Catholic News Agency (CNA): An LGBT activist foundation headed by a former Obama White House staffer gave a $200,000 grant to a dissenting Catholic coalition to target the upcoming Synod on the Family and World Youth Day.
The Michigan-based Arcus Foundation gave the 2014 grant to Dignity USA “to support pro-LGBT faith advocates to influence and counter the narrative of the Catholic Church and its ultra-conservative affiliates.”
“The effort will build advocacy and visibility in connection with two special events, the Synod of the Family and World Youth Day,” the foundation said on its website.
The Michigan-based Arcus Foundation gave the 2014 grant to Dignity USA “to support pro-LGBT faith advocates to influence and counter the narrative of the Catholic Church and its ultra-conservative affiliates.”
“The effort will build advocacy and visibility in connection with two special events, the Synod of the Family and World Youth Day,” the foundation said on its website.
Pope Francis' advice for those who search for true happiness
How to Be Happy, Pope Francis-StyleSCHIFFER: What is the recipe for happiness?
Argentine journalist Pablo Calvo asked that question of Pope Francis during an audience July 7 at the Domus Sanctae Marthae. �The pope answered amiably, addressing a group of Argentine emigrants and offering ten points.
I confess: �I read these pointers in La Croix, the French Catholic newspaper. �That means I read the Pope’s pointers in English translated from French which was translated from Spanish. �To simplify all of this, I offer the pointers in my own words.
Argentine journalist Pablo Calvo asked that question of Pope Francis during an audience July 7 at the Domus Sanctae Marthae. �The pope answered amiably, addressing a group of Argentine emigrants and offering ten points.
I confess: �I read these pointers in La Croix, the French Catholic newspaper. �That means I read the Pope’s pointers in English translated from French which was translated from Spanish. �To simplify all of this, I offer the pointers in my own words.
Jim Caviezel jumps over a table to greet a young fan at Comic-Con
Jim Caviezel Jumps Over a Table to Greet a Young Fan at Comic-ConROSSI: The “Person of Interest” panel at San Diego Comic Con this weekend featured stars Jim Caviezel, Michael Emerson, Kevin Chapman, Sarah Shahi, and Amy Acker – and executive producers Greg Plageman and Jonathan Nolan.
When the moderator opened the floor to questions from the audience, one of the people who approached the microphone was a nervous young girl. She directed her question at Caviezel, who then smiled at her to put her at ease. The girl’s question was, “Which was more fun to work on? [Person of Interest] or The Passion of the Christ?”
When the moderator opened the floor to questions from the audience, one of the people who approached the microphone was a nervous young girl. She directed her question at Caviezel, who then smiled at her to put her at ease. The girl’s question was, “Which was more fun to work on? [Person of Interest] or The Passion of the Christ?”
10 things you need to know today: July 30, 2014
10 things you need to know today: July 30, 2014 - The Week: Gaza's humanitarian crisis deepens, Obama unveils new sanctions against Russia, and more...
If it looks like a duck: The Islamist-Nazi connection
If It Looks Like a Duck: The Islamist-Nazi Connection - Crisis MagazineKILPATRICK: One of the great advantages we have over our ancestors is hindsight. With a clearer picture of the past, we can avoid making the same mistakes they made. But what if we’re not allowed to use our hindsight? What if we’re forced to pretend that what happened in the past bears no relation to what is happening now?
Of course, there’s something to be said for learning from your own mistakes, but some mistakes are so costly that it’s far better to learn about them in history books. The appeasement of the Nazis prior to World War II is an example of the kind of mistake the world can’t afford to repeat. Yet there’s much to suggest that we are engaged in a similar folly today.
Of course, there’s something to be said for learning from your own mistakes, but some mistakes are so costly that it’s far better to learn about them in history books. The appeasement of the Nazis prior to World War II is an example of the kind of mistake the world can’t afford to repeat. Yet there’s much to suggest that we are engaged in a similar folly today.
Mysteries should be appreciated and lived more than "solved"
Mysteries Should be Appreciated and Lived More Than “Solved” � Archdiocese of WashingtonPOPE: Today we tend to use the word “mystery” differently than in Christian antiquity, to which the Church is heir. We have discussed this notion on this blog before. In today’s brief post I’d like to review that idea and then add a new insight I gained recently from Fr. Francis Martin.
As we have noted before, our modern culture tends to think of a mystery as something to be solved. And thus the failure to resolve it is considered a negative outcome. In the typical mystery novel, some event (usually a crime) takes place and it is the job of the hero to discover the perpetrator of the crime or the cause of the problem. And if he does not do so he is considered a failure.�And frankly, if word got out that, in a certain mystery movie, the mystery was not solved, there would be poor reviews and low attendance. Imagine if, in the TV series House, M.D., Dr. House routinely failed to “solve” the medical mystery—ratings would drop rather quickly.
As we have noted before, our modern culture tends to think of a mystery as something to be solved. And thus the failure to resolve it is considered a negative outcome. In the typical mystery novel, some event (usually a crime) takes place and it is the job of the hero to discover the perpetrator of the crime or the cause of the problem. And if he does not do so he is considered a failure.�And frankly, if word got out that, in a certain mystery movie, the mystery was not solved, there would be poor reviews and low attendance. Imagine if, in the TV series House, M.D., Dr. House routinely failed to “solve” the medical mystery—ratings would drop rather quickly.
"I'd kill myself if I had that many kids"
I'd Kill Myself if I Had That Many Kids |Blogs | NCRegister.comMATTARCHBOLD: My wife and I recently attended a sports banquet for one of our kids' sports teams at a local restaurant. It was one of those events that I wanted to go to about as much as I wanted to get three teeth pulled. But my wife assured me it would be fun. I didn't believe her but I came anyway.
We've gone to so many of these things as my five kids are all on at least three sports teams.�All the kids sat together at a very long table and all the parents sat at another table with the coaches. I have a theory about sports teams, the worse a team is the more coaches it has. And this team had lots of coaches.
We've gone to so many of these things as my five kids are all on at least three sports teams.�All the kids sat together at a very long table and all the parents sat at another table with the coaches. I have a theory about sports teams, the worse a team is the more coaches it has. And this team had lots of coaches.
Catholic Bishops plead with U.S. government to help Iraqi Christians
Bishops' plea to US government: help Iraqi Christians :: Catholic News Agency (CNA): The U.S. bishops have urged the U.S. government to assist Iraqi Christian victims of persecution, while France has offered asylum to Iraqi Christians who have fled Mosul.
“The Islamic State has taken control of large swaths of territory in northern Iraq, leaving a trail of destruction, burning and looting ancient churches and mosques, homes and businesses,” Bishop Richard E. Pates, the U.S. bishops’ chairman of International Justice and Peace, said July 25.
“The Islamic State has taken control of large swaths of territory in northern Iraq, leaving a trail of destruction, burning and looting ancient churches and mosques, homes and businesses,” Bishop Richard E. Pates, the U.S. bishops’ chairman of International Justice and Peace, said July 25.
Tuesday, July 29, 2014
'Amazing Parish' movement unites clergy, laity in renewal...
'Amazing Parish' movement unites clergy, laity in renewal :: Catholic News Agency (CNA): A new movement seeking to unite the faithful and their pastors in the formation of thriving parishes has seen a wide scope of interest throughout the U.S. in the time since it was started little more than a year ago.
“The response has been great,” Pat Lencioni, one of the founders, told CNA.
The Amazing Parish movement seeks to give Catholic leaders, both clergy and lay, the resources and support they need to create strong, fruitful parishes. �
“For most Catholics, the parish is where they come to know Christ and the Church. If parishes aren’t vibrant and strong, it’s really tough for most Catholics to connect with their faith,” Lencioni said.
“The response has been great,” Pat Lencioni, one of the founders, told CNA.
The Amazing Parish movement seeks to give Catholic leaders, both clergy and lay, the resources and support they need to create strong, fruitful parishes. �
“For most Catholics, the parish is where they come to know Christ and the Church. If parishes aren’t vibrant and strong, it’s really tough for most Catholics to connect with their faith,” Lencioni said.
What can you do to help persecuted Christians in the Middle East?
Aggie Catholics: What Can Christians Do To Help Persecuted Christians In The Middle EastLEJEUNE: If others don't know what is happening in Iraq (and parts of Syria), there are areas, especially in Mosul and the surrounding area, where Christians have been threatened by Muslim extremists (and some have been killed, beaten, and raped). They have been told they need to convert, move, or die. These are the only three options they have been given. Sadly, it is thought that the entire Christian population has had to flee from the persecution and the international community and the Iraqi government have done very little to support the Christians who are now refugees from persecution and threats. Many others have been killed, raped, and abducted. A new religious cleansing is now taking place. A genocide.
Monday, July 28, 2014
France expresses "outrage" at forced exile, offers asylum to Iraq's persecuted Christians
France offers asylum to Iraqi Christians - Human Rights - Al Jazeera English: France has said it is ready to welcome Christians fleeing the area of Iraq controlled by Islamic State (IS) fighters, saying it is "outraged" by their persecution.
Islamic State fighters seized large swaths of northern Iraq last month, prompting hundreds of Christian families in
Mosul to flee a city which has hosted the faith since its earliest years.
"France is outraged by these abuses that it condemns with the utmost firmness," Laurent Fabius, France's foreign minister, and Bernard Cazeneuve, France's interior minister, said in a joint statement on Monday.
"The ultimatum given to these communities in Mosul by ISIL is the latest tragic example of the terrible threat that jihadist groups in Iraq, but also in Syria and elsewhere, pose to these populations that are historically an integral part of this region," they added, referring Islamic State's former name of Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.
Islamic State fighters seized large swaths of northern Iraq last month, prompting hundreds of Christian families in
Mosul to flee a city which has hosted the faith since its earliest years.
"France is outraged by these abuses that it condemns with the utmost firmness," Laurent Fabius, France's foreign minister, and Bernard Cazeneuve, France's interior minister, said in a joint statement on Monday.
"The ultimatum given to these communities in Mosul by ISIL is the latest tragic example of the terrible threat that jihadist groups in Iraq, but also in Syria and elsewhere, pose to these populations that are historically an integral part of this region," they added, referring Islamic State's former name of Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.
From Gibraltar to Hawaii, here are 5 of the scariest roads in the world...
5 of the Scariest Streets in the World | Mental Floss: Five routes that put the New Jersey Turnpike to shame.
This video proves that St. John XXIII doesn’t like it when you clap in church. So cut it out...
St. John XXIII doesn’t like it when you clap in church. So STOP it! (VIDEO) | Fr. Z's BlogZUHLSDORF: I spotted this today at NLM from my friend Greg DiPippo.
His translation of the Italian in the video, below:
The fourth Sunday of Lent, John XXIII was once again among the crowd, at Ostia. Thousands of people were waiting for him along the street, in the piazza, in the church. They wanted to see him, to applaud him. They did not know that afterwards, he would rebuke them, in a good-natured way, in his simple , spontaneous, familiar way of speaking.
His translation of the Italian in the video, below:
The fourth Sunday of Lent, John XXIII was once again among the crowd, at Ostia. Thousands of people were waiting for him along the street, in the piazza, in the church. They wanted to see him, to applaud him. They did not know that afterwards, he would rebuke them, in a good-natured way, in his simple , spontaneous, familiar way of speaking.
Few Catholics seem aware that traditional church buildings are based on designs given by God Himself
Stained Glass and the Book of Revelation � Archdiocese of WashingtonPOPE: Most Catholics are unaware of the fact that our traditional church buildings are based on designs given by God Himself. Their designs stretch all the way back to Mount Sinai, when God set forth the design for the sanctuary in the desert and the tent of meeting. Many of the fundamental aspects of our church layouts still follow that plan and the stone version of it that became the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. Our traditional church buildings also have numerous references to the Book of Revelation and the Book of Hebrews, both of which describe the heavenly liturgy and Heaven itself.
Show your solidarity with Iraqi Christians by displaying this symbol...
Let’s Show Solidarity with Iraqi ChristiansHAMILTON: ISIS is leaving this symbol on the bodies of the Iraqi Christians they murder. It is the the 14th letter of the Arabic alphabet and is pronounced “noon.” The symbol stands for Nasara or Nazarenes, which is supposed to be a pejorative Arabic word for Christians.
But I can tell you that when I die, there would be no higher honor than to have my body labeled with the word Nazarene. What these murdering brutes intend as a dishonor is in fact, the highest honor. They are publicly labeling these people with the name of Christ the Lord. It is as if they are putting a sign on their bodies saying that, without doubt, the person whose body bears it is in heaven right now.
But I can tell you that when I die, there would be no higher honor than to have my body labeled with the word Nazarene. What these murdering brutes intend as a dishonor is in fact, the highest honor. They are publicly labeling these people with the name of Christ the Lord. It is as if they are putting a sign on their bodies saying that, without doubt, the person whose body bears it is in heaven right now.
What do we mean when we say "Hail Mary, full of grace"? Probably something deeper than you realize...
What Do We Mean By Full of Grace?BEALE: The words are beautiful, angelic, and rich in meaning. They are also a centuries-long fault line between Protestants and Catholics. Everything, it seems, hangs upon what is meant by full of grace, or whether full of grace is even the correct translation of Luke 1:28. In Latin, the phrase becomes two words: plena gratia. In the original Greek, it’s just one, the phonetically unwieldy but potent in meaning verb, kecharitōmenē.
The case for the Catholic reading of this is not only far more compelling than Protestant critics will let on, but also far stronger than many Catholics today probably realize.
The case for the Catholic reading of this is not only far more compelling than Protestant critics will let on, but also far stronger than many Catholics today probably realize.
Is an annulment just a Catholic divorce?
Dead Philosophers Society � Is an Annulment a Catholic Divorce?: Many of us know of couples that have divorced. Some may be Catholic couples that divorced, remarried, and are able to receive the Sacraments with no problems because they received an annulment. Other Catholic couples we may know divorced but were told they could not remarry as they were not given an annulment. This may seem confusing and harsh of the Church, especially if the reason for separation is the infidelity of only one spouse. One of my students put the situation this way: it is as if the Church condemns some people to a lifetime of loneliness because their first marriage failed, even though it is not that spouse’s fault.
How Pope Benedict XV almost put an end to the First World War
How the Peace Pope Almost Put an End to the First World War - Aleteia: A hundred years ago, millions of European Christians greeted the arrival of war with a degree of acceptance, even rejoicing, that in hindsight seems hard to credit.
For Germans especially, this was a moment of Transfiguration, a New Pentecost. Other countries saw a fulfillment of prophecy, an apocalyptic sign. Among all the world’s churches, it is difficult to find leaders who spoke out as we would have wished a Christian statesman to have done in those appalling circumstances. With some relief, though, we can turn to one man who actually did speak as a prophet, and who moreover offered a genuinely realistic vision for peace.
For Germans especially, this was a moment of Transfiguration, a New Pentecost. Other countries saw a fulfillment of prophecy, an apocalyptic sign. Among all the world’s churches, it is difficult to find leaders who spoke out as we would have wished a Christian statesman to have done in those appalling circumstances. With some relief, though, we can turn to one man who actually did speak as a prophet, and who moreover offered a genuinely realistic vision for peace.
100 years ago today, the West attempted suicide
100 Years Ago Today, The West Attempted Suicide | The Daily Caller: We all love the stories about Sherlock Holmes. We enjoy the masterful storytelling and vivid characters, and the ingenious plots that only Holmes’s razor-sharp mind can untangle. But there’s another reason why we treasure them. They remind us of another world, just a hundred years ago, one in which so much appalling evil had not yet reared its head.
Stratford Caldecott to be buried alongside J.R.R. Tolkien, who inspired his conversion to Christianity...
The Tablet - News: Stratford Caldecott, Catholic author and publisher, who died last week, is to be buried alongside his literary hero, J.R.R. Tolkien.
Earlier this month, before his family met the undertaker, the relative of someone buried in Oxford’s Wolvercote Cemetery allegedly attacked a tree on the edge of the Tolkien plot because it encroached on their land. The tree was uprooted, leaving behind a vacant double plot in an oversubscribed cemetery.�
Tolkien’s writing inspired Caldecott’s conversion to Christianity. The co-founder of the Centre for Faith and Culture in Oxford, he wrote and lectured extensively, was the GK Chesterton Research Fellow at St Benet’s Hall, Oxford, and served on the editorial boards of a number of journals, including Oasis and Communio.�
Earlier this month, before his family met the undertaker, the relative of someone buried in Oxford’s Wolvercote Cemetery allegedly attacked a tree on the edge of the Tolkien plot because it encroached on their land. The tree was uprooted, leaving behind a vacant double plot in an oversubscribed cemetery.�
Tolkien’s writing inspired Caldecott’s conversion to Christianity. The co-founder of the Centre for Faith and Culture in Oxford, he wrote and lectured extensively, was the GK Chesterton Research Fellow at St Benet’s Hall, Oxford, and served on the editorial boards of a number of journals, including Oasis and Communio.�
A reader has a question about friends using IVF
A reader has a question about friends using IVF |Blogs | NCRegister.comSHEA: This is one of those things the apostles and fathers of the Church never had to think about. ��I think the first thing to do, if possible, is try to broach with them the question of the morality of IVF. Have you spoken with them about the moral implications of what they are doing? IVF involves fertilizing multiple eggs, picking one for implantation, and then killing the rest. �In short, selective abortion. Perhaps your relationship with them might allow that conversation to happen? �I don't know. If you can't stop them from doing something fundamentally immoral, you can only pray for God to bless and prosper the innocent child who will result from this sinful act, not for the sinful act itself. You can always pray for God's redeeming power to be displayed over this sin and that the parents realize it is a sin and repent of it.
What happened to all of those Catholic weddings?
The Atlantic: What happened to all those Catholic rites?MATTINGLY: If journalists — on the Godbeat or otherwise — needed more evidence that there are multiple “American” Catholic churches at the moment, all they need to do is dig into the following piece from The Atlantic Monthly that focuses on a crucial piece of demographics and, thus, doctrine.
The headline is bland, from the point of view of most journalists. But the opening of the piece gets down to business really quick...
The headline is bland, from the point of view of most journalists. But the opening of the piece gets down to business really quick...
Listen to what Venerable Fulton Sheen has to say about misunderstanding the world...
Te Deum laudamus!: Venerable Archbishop Sheen on "Misunderstanding the World"KORZENIEWSKI: One thing I like about Archbishop Sheen is his approach to discussing the faith. �While he cracks a joke now and then (and is truly funny at times), he's not condescending or bitter when talking about problems in the Church. �He's very matter-of-fact about it all. �When you hear people quoting Archbishop Sheen, or others like Fr. Hardon, and even Bishop Schneider or Cardinal Burke, watch how they quote them. �We should all convey their teachings the way they have been conveyed by them. � Find originals and read, watch, and listen for yourself. �Here is one such example.
10 things you need to know today: July 28, 2014
10 things you need to know today: July 28, 2014 - The Week: Violence declines under Palestinian-Israeli truce, Congress reaches a deal on veterans' health care, and more...
Pope Francis travels to Caserta to meet with Evangelicals
Pope in Caserta asks pardon for persecution of Pentecostals Vatican Radio: Pope Francis returned to the southern Italian city of Caserta on Monday for a private visit to the Pentecostal community known as the Evangelical Church of Reconciliation. The Pope first met the founder of the community, Pastor Giovanni Traettino, during his time as archbishop of Buenos Aires and over the past year he has met and received groups of Pentecostals at his Santa Marta residence here in the Vatican.
Sunday, July 27, 2014
This man may be the greatest double agent in history
The Greatest Double Agent in History: In 1941, Juan Pujol Garcia approached intelligence officers at the British embassy in Madrid to “offer his services” in the war against the Nazis. To the men and women of Britain’s security services, it was not a particularly compelling offer. In the words of Amyas Godfrey, a British expert on military history, [Pujol] “was no James Bond -- he was a balding, boring, unsmiling little man.”�
A former chicken farmer who managed a one star hotel in Madrid, Pujol had spent much of the Spanish Civil War in the 1930s locked in an apartment with the lights off, making no noise so as to avoid being noticed and arrested. He had no background in espionage. British intelligence rebuffed his offer, all but laughing him out of the embassy, according to journalist Stephan Talty, author of Agent Garbo.�
A former chicken farmer who managed a one star hotel in Madrid, Pujol had spent much of the Spanish Civil War in the 1930s locked in an apartment with the lights off, making no noise so as to avoid being noticed and arrested. He had no background in espionage. British intelligence rebuffed his offer, all but laughing him out of the embassy, according to journalist Stephan Talty, author of Agent Garbo.�
Picture of the Day: Crystal clear canoeing on Caserta's Lago del Matese
Picture of the Day: Crystal Clear Canoeing �TwistedSifter: In this fantastic GoPro capture by Cristian Perrella, we see the crystal clear Lago del Matese in Caserta in the south of Italy. What a beautiful landscape to canoe through! The image was selected as GoPro’s photo of the day earlier this year.
Pope Francis may not be the pope you want, but he's the pope we need
Pope Francis and Economic Justice | Daily News | NCRegister.comCHAPUT: I’m a Capuchin Franciscan, and I’ve often found that people think of Francis of Assisi as a kind of 13th-century flower child. St. Francis was certainly “countercultural,” but only in his radical obedience to the Church and his radical insistence on living the Gospel fully — including poverty and all of its other uncomfortable demands. Jesus, speaking to him from the cross of San Damiano, said, “Repair my house.”� I think Pope Francis believes God has called him to do that as pope, as God calls every pope.� And he plans to do it in the way St. Francis did it.
The Pope is making friends with Evangelical Christians around the world
Francis's Secret Friend in CasertaMAGISTER: When the news got out, and was confirmed by Fr. Federico Lombardi, that Pope Francis intended to make a private visit to Caserta to meet with a friend, the pastor of a local Evangelical community, the city's bishop, Giovanni D'Alise, was thunderstruck. He hadn't been told a thing.
Moreover, the pope had planned his visit to Caserta for the same day as the feast of Saint Anne, the city's patron. Seeing themselves snubbed, some of the faithful threatened an uprising. It took a good week to convince the pope to change his schedule and divide the trip into two phases: the first a public one with the faithful of Caserta on Saturday, July 26, and the second in private with his Evangelical friend on the following Monday.
Moreover, the pope had planned his visit to Caserta for the same day as the feast of Saint Anne, the city's patron. Seeing themselves snubbed, some of the faithful threatened an uprising. It took a good week to convince the pope to change his schedule and divide the trip into two phases: the first a public one with the faithful of Caserta on Saturday, July 26, and the second in private with his Evangelical friend on the following Monday.
Pope to belligerents in Ukraine, Iraq, Middle East: "Stop! I am asking you with all my heart. Stop!"
VATICAN "Stop! I am asking you with all my heart. Stop!" says pope as he speaks out on the Middle East, Iraq and Ukraine - Asia News: Putting aside his prepared text, the Holy Father addressed the pilgrims in St Peter's Square at the end of the Angelus today, and reminded them that "all is lost with war, but nothing is lost with peace."
"Brothers and sisters: never war," he said. "My thoughts go especially to the children, from whom we take away the hope for a decent life: dead children, injured children, maimed children, orphaned children, children who have war relics for toys, children who do not know how to smile."
"Brothers and sisters: never war," he said. "My thoughts go especially to the children, from whom we take away the hope for a decent life: dead children, injured children, maimed children, orphaned children, children who have war relics for toys, children who do not know how to smile."
10 things you need to know today: July 27, 2014
10 things you need to know today: July 27, 2014 - The Week: Hamas proposes a new cease fire, fighting thwarts investigators from reaching the MH17 crash site, and more...
What does it really mean to "get wise"? This Sunday's Mass readings tell us...
The Sacred Page: Getting Wisdom: 17th Sunday of OTBERGSMA: This weekend’s First Reading is Solomon’s famous encounter with God in a dream early in his reign.� Faced with the invitation to make any request of God, Solomon asks for the wisdom to rule well.� God is pleased with this request and grants it to him.� In a verse not used in Mass, God adds: “I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that no other king shall compare with you, all your days” (1 Kings 3:13).� We are reminded here of Jesus’ words from the Sermon on the Mount: “Seek first his Kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well” (Matt 6:33).� Solomon’s first thought is for the welfare of God’s Kingdom: to rule it beneficially, he needs divine wisdom.� Since Solomon puts the interests of the Kingdom first, God honors him.
Saturday, July 26, 2014
What is it that you most value? What is it that you most want?
Give Me Jesus – A Sermon for the 17th Sunday � Archdiocese of WashingtonPOPE: Now be careful to answer this question honestly. We tend to answer questions like this as we “should” answer them, rather than honestly. But when we’re with the doctor, (and Jesus is our doctor), the best bet is to answer honestly, so we can begin a true healing process. And the fact is, we all need a heart transplant. That is, we need a new heart, one that desires God and the things waiting for us in heaven, more than any earthly thing.
Pope Francis travels to Caserta for first of back-to-back visits
Mayor of Caserta: We will build on visit by Pope Francis Vatican Radio: Pope Francis was scheduled to visit the Italian city of Caserta on Saturday afternoon, the first of two visits to the city in the Campania region.
The Saturday trip was announced after the previously announced trip to visit Pastor Giovanni Traettino, a Pentecostal minister who is an old friend of the Pope. This second visit will take place on Monday, and according to a Vatican statement, will be “will be a strictly private, simple and quick.”
The mayor of Caserta, Pio Del Gaudio, said the area was excited the Pope agreed to add a public visit to the city to his schedule.
The Saturday trip was announced after the previously announced trip to visit Pastor Giovanni Traettino, a Pentecostal minister who is an old friend of the Pope. This second visit will take place on Monday, and according to a Vatican statement, will be “will be a strictly private, simple and quick.”
The mayor of Caserta, Pio Del Gaudio, said the area was excited the Pope agreed to add a public visit to the city to his schedule.
9 questions about the Israel-Palestine conflict you were too embarrassed to ask
9 questions about the Israel-Palestine conflict you were too embarrassed to ask - Vox: Everyone has heard of the Israel-Palestine conflict. Everyone knows it's bad, that it's been going on for a long time, and that there is a lot of hatred on both sides.
But you may find yourself less clear on the hows and the whys of the conflict. Why, for example, did Israel begin invading the Palestinian territory of Gaza on Thursday, after 10 days of air strikes that killed at least 235 Palestinians, many of them civilians? Why is the militant Palestinian group Hamas firing rockets into civilian neighborhoods in Israel? How did this latest round of violence start in the first place — and why do they hate one another at all?
But you may find yourself less clear on the hows and the whys of the conflict. Why, for example, did Israel begin invading the Palestinian territory of Gaza on Thursday, after 10 days of air strikes that killed at least 235 Palestinians, many of them civilians? Why is the militant Palestinian group Hamas firing rockets into civilian neighborhoods in Israel? How did this latest round of violence start in the first place — and why do they hate one another at all?
The U.S. mass incarceration problem is staggering, and without parallel on a global scale...
The Leader of the Unfree World - Matt Ford - The Atlantic: On Friday, the U.S. Sentencing Commission voted unanimously to allow nearly 50,000 nonviolent federal drug offenders to seek lower sentences. The commission's decision retroactively applied an earlier change in sentencing guidelines to now cover roughly half of those serving federal drug sentences. Endorsed by both the Department of Justice and prison-reform advocates, the move is a significant step forward—though in a global context, still modest—in reversing decades of mass incarceration.
10 things you need to know today: July 26, 2014
10 things you need to know today: July 26, 2014 - The Week: Israel and Hamas enter 12-hour cease-fire, the U.S. embassy in Libya evacuates its staff, and more..
It's hard to let go of money for God...
Pursued by Truth: Kanye West, ISIS and Confronting PovertyNOBLE: When I left my corporate job in California to enter the convent I had to tell my boss I was planning on leaving at the same time he was handing me an offer for a substantial raise. It was a difficult moment. I felt bad for my boss but I was also keenly aware that I looked insane to everyone around me, including myself sometimes. I remember looking at the offer, the stock options, the job title and thinking to myself, “I might never have this chance again.”
There's no guarantee that the immune system of Western liberal democracy will hold up forever
Meriam Ibrahim's Freedom, and Ours | National Review OnlineFRANKOVICH: Meriam Ibrahim is finally free. On Thursday, in Khartoum, she boarded a plane with her husband and two young children and flew to Rome. They will spend the next few days there before flying to the United States. Her husband, Daniel Wani, has a house in New Hampshire. Ibrahim met with Pope Francis yesterday.
The Italian government is being credited with helping to negotiate Ibrahim’s release. In May, she was sentenced to hang. She took refuge with her family in the U.S. embassy in Khartoum in June after she was detained at the airport as she was attempting to flee Sudan.
The Italian government is being credited with helping to negotiate Ibrahim’s release. In May, she was sentenced to hang. She took refuge with her family in the U.S. embassy in Khartoum in June after she was detained at the airport as she was attempting to flee Sudan.
Women with Down Syndrome respond to God's call as contemplatives
Women With Down Syndrome Respond to God’s CallSCHIFFER: This is the mission of the Little Sisters Disciples of the Lamb, a contemplative order in France which opens its doors to women who feel a call to religious life, but who may be turned away from other orders because they have Down Syndrome. �The community depends on other sisters who do not have Down Syndrome, but who have committed to share their lives with these lovely, holy women.
Pope Francis once said that charismatics "confuse liturgy with samba lessons". But times have changed...
Pope Francis to meet with evangelical pastor :: Catholic News Agency (CNA)GAGLIARDUCCI: Pope Francis’ upcoming encounter with the evangelical Christian pastor Giovanni Traettino continues the path of dialogue he has walked with evangelical denominations since his time in Buenos Aires.
Pope Francis met Traettino in 2006, while he was Archbishop of Buenos Aires, at the third fraternal meeting of the Renewed Communion of Evangelicals and Catholics in the Spirit.
On that occasion, Cardinal Bergoglio gave a speech on themes such as God’s embrace and the wounds of Christ. Kneeling down, he received the blessing of pastors, priests, and lay people who attended the meeting.
Pope Francis met Traettino in 2006, while he was Archbishop of Buenos Aires, at the third fraternal meeting of the Renewed Communion of Evangelicals and Catholics in the Spirit.
On that occasion, Cardinal Bergoglio gave a speech on themes such as God’s embrace and the wounds of Christ. Kneeling down, he received the blessing of pastors, priests, and lay people who attended the meeting.
Friday, July 25, 2014
Saint Teresa was right: There's a time for penance, and a time for partridge...
Penance and Partridge: Why Saints *Must* Smile | Seton Magazine: Born in 1515, St. Teresa of Avila was recognized as the first female Doctor of the Church by Pope Paul VI. Teresa not only lived a life of exemplary holiness, but contributed a wealth of writings to the Church: The Interior Castle, The Way of Perfection, and other works. She helped strengthen the Carmelite order and is known as one of the greatest saints in Church history.
The story is told that one day, a friend of Teresa’s came to visit her at her convent and gave her the gift of a partridge, which was apparently considered a delicacy at the time.
The story is told that one day, a friend of Teresa’s came to visit her at her convent and gave her the gift of a partridge, which was apparently considered a delicacy at the time.
Stratford Caldecott was a reflection of the love of Christ for so many throughout the world
Stratford Caldecott: Go With GodLICHENS: On July 17th, Stratford Caldecott fell asleep in the Lord after a long battle with prostate cancer. Already, many have written great words of mourning for one of the most powerful voices of Catholic cultural renewal. The author of several books (and a contributor to many more) and the co-founder and editor of Second Spring, a Catholic journal he and his wife Léonie long edited along with the UK/Irish version of Magnificat; it is hard to put into words how much of an impact this man of Christ had on so many. This is especially hard for me, as Mr. Caldecott was a friend who greatly encouraged my own work and how I view Christ in the world. In short, I am of the opinion that we will never be thankful enough for the great work of Stratford Caldecott.
Unreason unleashes a world of hurt
Blog | With Good ReasonBERG: Peer deeply into any one of the many contemporary conflicts afflicting human beings on the world stage—the ISIS purge of Assyrian Christians and other minorities from the boundaries of their putative new Islamic state, the felling of Malaysia Flight 17 in eastern Ukraine, the seething hell-hole that is Gaza—and you will eventually discover, if not the utter renunciation of human reason, at least catastrophic failures to approach conflicts reasonably.
When I am assaulted by these headlines each day, my thought sooner or later returns to Pope Benedict XVI—the great herald of the scope, and role, and possibilities, and place of God-given human reason in human life and civilization
When I am assaulted by these headlines each day, my thought sooner or later returns to Pope Benedict XVI—the great herald of the scope, and role, and possibilities, and place of God-given human reason in human life and civilization
Is there a demonic element to seemingly ordinary human problems? Sometimes...
Demonic Infection and Victory Over SinLONGENECKER: While full-blown demonic possession is rare, it is much more common for souls to be troubled by what might be called “demonic infection”.
In counseling people spiritually I have come to believe that there is a state of demonic influence in our lives which is greater than temptation and less than obsession. “Demonic infection” is when a person has opened themselves up to the influence of Satan in one particular area of their lives an that holds them back spiritually. I use the term “demonic infection” because it is as if the person has a spiritual infection. It’s not ruining their life completely and its not cutting them off from God totally, but like a physical infection, it is a nuisance. It causes a malady or pain or minor irritation. If it is not dealt with it could spread and become life threatening. So a “demonic infection” can spread and do great damage.
In counseling people spiritually I have come to believe that there is a state of demonic influence in our lives which is greater than temptation and less than obsession. “Demonic infection” is when a person has opened themselves up to the influence of Satan in one particular area of their lives an that holds them back spiritually. I use the term “demonic infection” because it is as if the person has a spiritual infection. It’s not ruining their life completely and its not cutting them off from God totally, but like a physical infection, it is a nuisance. It causes a malady or pain or minor irritation. If it is not dealt with it could spread and become life threatening. So a “demonic infection” can spread and do great damage.
Pope Francis lunches with Vatican employees by surprise
Pope Francis lunches with Vatican employees by surprise :: Catholic News Agency (CNA): The Vatican's blue-collar employees were surprised by a lunch guest on Friday, when their 'boss' and bishop, Pope Francis, turned up at at their cafeteria.
“Pope Francis acted as the humblest of the workers,” Franco Paini, chef of the Vatican cafeteria, told Vatican Radio July 25. “He got here, he took his tray, his utensils, he got in the line and waited his turn, and then we served him.”
“Pope Francis acted as the humblest of the workers,” Franco Paini, chef of the Vatican cafeteria, told Vatican Radio July 25. “He got here, he took his tray, his utensils, he got in the line and waited his turn, and then we served him.”
If you want to understand the theology behind the teaching on divorce and remarriage, start here...
Divorce and Remarriage: A Theological Assessment | Dominican Friars: A Dominican-led group of eight theologians recently released an extended theological analysis of recent proposals regarding the pastoral care of divorced and remarried persons. The document will be published in the upcoming issue of the English edition of Nova et Vetera, and is currently available for free on the Nova et Vetera website in English, German, Spanish, French, and Italian.
Mother reveals "monumental" secret before reuniting with baby she gave up 77 years ago
Mother Reveals "Monumental" Secret Before Reuniting With Baby She Gave Up 77 Years Ago | LifeNews.com: The story of Minka Disbrow sounds almost too horrific in some ways, but also too amazing, to be true.
In 1928, before she even knew where babies came from, at the age of 16, Minka was raped by a stranger and became pregnant. Fortunately, although she initially tried to hide the situation, she was able to turn to her mother to have her explain what was happening.
Like other rape victims from decades past, Minka faced a sense of shame as she was sent away in order to hide her pregnancy from her sister. After giving birth to a baby girl she named Betty Jane, she gave her child up for adoption.
In 1928, before she even knew where babies came from, at the age of 16, Minka was raped by a stranger and became pregnant. Fortunately, although she initially tried to hide the situation, she was able to turn to her mother to have her explain what was happening.
Like other rape victims from decades past, Minka faced a sense of shame as she was sent away in order to hide her pregnancy from her sister. After giving birth to a baby girl she named Betty Jane, she gave her child up for adoption.
Colbie Caillat's powerful music video expresses the teaching of St. John Paul II
John Paul II on the Dignity of the Human Body in Art | Philip Kosloski: Recently I came across a powerful music video by musician Colbie Caillat. This video has been making its way around Facebook and is profound in its ability to highlight the dignity and beauty of the human person as expressed through our bodies. Colbie Caillat said in a recent interview that she was upset because she was “getting a lot of pressure to be someone I’’m not, both musically and image-wise.” She relates how women in our society so often try to please others and hide who they really are. �She says that “everyone is trying to hide their faults”� through make-up or using Photoshop to digitally alter their appearance.�
Whether you know it or not, you're chosen
New Advent: Whether you know it or not, you're chosenSTEFANICK: Faith isn't one of the many components of life. It has everything to do with the happiness we were made for. Jesus didn't come to take away our "fun." In his own words, "I have told you these things so that my joy may be in you, and your joy may be complete!" (John 15:11)...
"It was top secret until the plane took off": Details emerge on Meriam Ibrahim's escape to Rome
Meriam Ibrahim leaves Sudan for Rome: ’It was top secret until the plane took off’ - Telegraph: Meriam Ibrahim had come to expect the unexpected.
First she was thrown into prison on charges of apostasy - renouncing your faith - which many saw as an attempt by distant family to get hold of her business interests. Then on May 15 she was sentenced to hang for the crime of abandoning Islam - even though she maintained she had never been a Muslim in the first place.
She was released by Sudan’s supreme court on June 23, yet when she tried to leave the country three days later, she was detained once more - accused of forging her travel documents.
First she was thrown into prison on charges of apostasy - renouncing your faith - which many saw as an attempt by distant family to get hold of her business interests. Then on May 15 she was sentenced to hang for the crime of abandoning Islam - even though she maintained she had never been a Muslim in the first place.
She was released by Sudan’s supreme court on June 23, yet when she tried to leave the country three days later, she was detained once more - accused of forging her travel documents.
10 things you need to know today: July 25, 2014
10 things you need to know today: July 25, 2014 - The Week: Israeli tank fire kills 15 in a U.N. school, Obama calls for closing overseas tax loopholes, and more...
Thursday, July 24, 2014
The anatomy of etiquette: How to be an old-school gentleman from head to toe...
How to Be a Gentleman From Head to Toe: The Anatomy of Etiquette | The Art of Manliness: There are a lot of ways to categorize the rules of etiquette: business, dinner, conversational, and so on. One of my favorite old etiquette books included another, most clever method: by your anatomy. In Esquire Etiquette, which was published in 1954 in Great Britain, there’s a section that breaks down a man’s essential manners by body part. It’s a little long, but a cheeky and very enjoyable read. And while some of the advice is quite old fashioned (not many men today wear a hat they can alternately tip and lift), much of it still remains relevant for those who aspire to be old school gentlemen.�
Meriam Ibrahim's story ends well, but it puts a face on the plight of thousands of others...
Meriam Ibrahim: Icon of Worldwide Christian Suffering? - AleteiaLONGENECKER: Disasters that happen to large groups of people need a particular face to make them real. News reports of a tsunami, earthquake, war or genocide must have individual cases to bring home the reality of the disaster to ordinary people. Through her tender and intelligent diary the Jewish girl Anne Frank brought home the horror of the Nazi death camps. Perhaps the case of the Sudanese Christian Meriam Ibrahim will help the world realize the horrors of the present persecution of Christians around the world.
This NYTimes report is commendable, but it's missing a crucial detail. The word again is "dhimmitude"...
An ISIS tax on Christians? The accurate word is ‘dhimmitude’MATTINGLY: A month ago, I wrote a post about the events unfolding in Mosul and argued that journalists who covered this story — those brave enough to venture into the Nineveh Plain region — needed to grasp the meaning of the word “dhimmitude.”
Yes, this is a controversial term.
Yes, it is the right word to use when covering the unfolding strategies of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, when dealing with the ancient Christian communities in this region. As I wrote in that post...
Yes, this is a controversial term.
Yes, it is the right word to use when covering the unfolding strategies of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, when dealing with the ancient Christian communities in this region. As I wrote in that post...
The Christians of Iraq are in pain, and they are quoting the Lord Jesus, and calling on His name...
Expelled Iraqi Christians, Give Witness to ISIS Fascism – UPDATE! KURDS!SCALIA: The choice is leave or take a bullet to the head; you have ten hours to get out or die; take nothing but the clothes on your back; oh, you need that glucose meter? Your blood pressure meds? That’s too bad.
The Christians interviewed here make me feel very proud, and very humbled. They are obviously hurting, obviously shocked and displaced, yet full of spirit. And who wouldn’t be a bit angry and undone in such a case? As the lady says, “what have the Christians done to you?”
And yet, when the ISIS thugs forced them from their homes, the Christians said, “Congratulations. You have the house.”
The Christians interviewed here make me feel very proud, and very humbled. They are obviously hurting, obviously shocked and displaced, yet full of spirit. And who wouldn’t be a bit angry and undone in such a case? As the lady says, “what have the Christians done to you?”
And yet, when the ISIS thugs forced them from their homes, the Christians said, “Congratulations. You have the house.”
Here's how to stop people dead in their tracks and bring them to Christ and His Church
How to Stop a Protestant Dead in Their Tracks - �MCAFEE: How many books on apologetics are there? How many do you own? How many say the same thing? Sola Scriptura this, Sola Fide that, Mary this, Eucharist that.
We can hammer our opponents with great arguments but that’s not all a Protestant is searching for. They have questions, but their answers aren’t all found in dogma and apologetics.There is one way to stop a Protestant dead in their tracks, but it takes some skill and development.
If you really want to convert your friends and family, if you really want to being people “back to Rome,” you have to walk the life of a Christian, not just a scholar. You must be imbued with virtue, morality, and piety of a Christian.
We can hammer our opponents with great arguments but that’s not all a Protestant is searching for. They have questions, but their answers aren’t all found in dogma and apologetics.There is one way to stop a Protestant dead in their tracks, but it takes some skill and development.
If you really want to convert your friends and family, if you really want to being people “back to Rome,” you have to walk the life of a Christian, not just a scholar. You must be imbued with virtue, morality, and piety of a Christian.
Why U.S. liberals are so discouraged by this European court decision
Europe's High Court Defends Marriage - AleteiaSHIMEK: When the U.S. Supreme Court handed down its landmark decision in Hobby Lobby v. Burwell, American liberalism suffered an immediate setback. Leftist judicial commentators and political pundits alike took to the airwaves and other media, criticizing the "unjust" ruling. Even Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg registered an almost unprecedented level of dissatisfaction with the court's holding.
Talking heads on MSNBC and other networks contrasted the state of American liberalism with the perceived success of European progressivism, lamenting the American failure to move in Europe's direction.
Talking heads on MSNBC and other networks contrasted the state of American liberalism with the perceived success of European progressivism, lamenting the American failure to move in Europe's direction.
How a solar storm two years ago nearly caused a catastrophe on Earth
How a solar storm two years ago nearly caused a catastrophe on Earth: On July 23, 2012, the sun unleashed two massive clouds of plasma that barely missed a catastrophic encounter with the Earth’s atmosphere. �These plasma clouds, known as coronal mass ejections (CMEs), comprised a solar storm thought to be the most powerful in at least�150 years.
“If it had hit, we would still be picking up the pieces,” physicist Daniel Baker of the University of Colorado tells NASA.
“If it had hit, we would still be picking up the pieces,” physicist Daniel Baker of the University of Colorado tells NASA.
What a Holocaust scholar can teach us on the moral cost of admitting divorced and remarried to Communion
The Dawn Patrol: What a Holocaust scholar can teach us on moral cost of admitting divorced & remarried to Holy CommunionEDEN: On a recent visit to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum's exhibit on collaboration and complicity in the Holocaust, "Some Were Neighbors," I saw a sign at the entrance bearing a arresting quotation from historian Raul Hilberg: "At crucial junctures, every individual makes decisions and...every decision is individual."
The words set the tone for the exhibit, which is, in the words of the museum's special-exhibits curator, intended to make visitors "think about their individual choices." And they succeeded in making me think, as a child of divorce and a survivor of childhood sexual abuse—abuse which is exponentially more prevalent in broken homes—about how parents' choices affect their children. It is an issue worth pondering at this time when some Catholic bishops, during the run-up to the Extraordinary Synod on the Family, are suggesting the Church should admit civilly divorced-and-remarried Catholics to Holy Communion.
The words set the tone for the exhibit, which is, in the words of the museum's special-exhibits curator, intended to make visitors "think about their individual choices." And they succeeded in making me think, as a child of divorce and a survivor of childhood sexual abuse—abuse which is exponentially more prevalent in broken homes—about how parents' choices affect their children. It is an issue worth pondering at this time when some Catholic bishops, during the run-up to the Extraordinary Synod on the Family, are suggesting the Church should admit civilly divorced-and-remarried Catholics to Holy Communion.
5 steps to better mental health, according to St. Paul...
Five Steps to Better Mental Health – According to St. Paul � Archdiocese of WashingtonPOPE: In modern times, we tend to link our notions of happiness and inner well-being to circumstances and happenstance. And thus we think that happiness will be found when the things of this world are arranged in the way and quantity we like.� If we can just get enough money and creature comforts, we’ll be happy and have a better sense of mental well-being.
And yet it remains true that many can endure difficult external circumstances while remaining inwardly content, happy, and optimistic. Further, many who have much are still not content and are beset with great mental anguish, anxiety, and unhappiness. Ultimately, happiness is not about happenstance or circumstances; it is an “inside job.”
And yet it remains true that many can endure difficult external circumstances while remaining inwardly content, happy, and optimistic. Further, many who have much are still not content and are beset with great mental anguish, anxiety, and unhappiness. Ultimately, happiness is not about happenstance or circumstances; it is an “inside job.”
Don't confuse validity and sacramentality in marriage
Confusing validity and sacramentality in marriage | In the Light of the LawEDPETERS: Confusion among Catholics concerning annulments is not helped when “experts” featured in the Catholic press are themselves confused about annulments.
Peter Smith, writing in the National Catholic Register (21 jul 2014), interviewed two experts about the annulment process. The quotes from one of them, Benedict Nguyen (a canonist for the Diocese of Venice FL) are reliable; but the other expert, Dcn. Patrick O’Toole (actually featured in the article) is confused about the central question in every annulment case. According to O’Toole, “We know a valid civil marriage occurred. The only question is whether a valid sacramental marriage occurred” (original emphasis). O’Toole repeats his phrasing later: “What we’re looking for is: Was everything that is required for a sacramental marriage there from the very beginning?” O’Toole is mistaken.
Peter Smith, writing in the National Catholic Register (21 jul 2014), interviewed two experts about the annulment process. The quotes from one of them, Benedict Nguyen (a canonist for the Diocese of Venice FL) are reliable; but the other expert, Dcn. Patrick O’Toole (actually featured in the article) is confused about the central question in every annulment case. According to O’Toole, “We know a valid civil marriage occurred. The only question is whether a valid sacramental marriage occurred” (original emphasis). O’Toole repeats his phrasing later: “What we’re looking for is: Was everything that is required for a sacramental marriage there from the very beginning?” O’Toole is mistaken.
Meriam Ibrahim freed from ordeal in Sudan; lands in Rome, meets with Pope Francis
Meriam Ibrahim lands in Rome, meets with Pope Francis :: Catholic News Agency (CNA): A young Sudanese woman dismissed of a death sentence for refusing to renounce her Christian faith has arrived in Rome with her family, where they met with Pope Francis a few hours after landing.
“Pope Francis was very tender with her, her husband, who was in prison, and thanked her for her courageous witness to perseverance in the Faith,” Vatican spokesman Fr. Federico Lombardi said of the encounter in a July 24 statement.
Describing the meeting between the young family and the Roman Pontiff as “very serene and affectionate,” Fr. Lombardi explained that for him encounter was “a gesture of closeness and solidarity for those who suffer for their faith.”
“Pope Francis was very tender with her, her husband, who was in prison, and thanked her for her courageous witness to perseverance in the Faith,” Vatican spokesman Fr. Federico Lombardi said of the encounter in a July 24 statement.
Describing the meeting between the young family and the Roman Pontiff as “very serene and affectionate,” Fr. Lombardi explained that for him encounter was “a gesture of closeness and solidarity for those who suffer for their faith.”
10 things you need to know today: July 24, 2014
10 things you need to know today: July 24, 2014 - The Week: Arizona is accused of botching an execution, the FAA lifts a ban on flights to Israel, and more...
Wednesday, July 23, 2014
Why Marvel is running circles around DC Comics
Superheroes: And Why Marvel is Running Circles Around DC | A Creative ActMARYDROEGE: Within the past 10 years there has been an increase in the production of comic book movies coming from both Marvel and DC. But while Marvel has opened the gateways to an extensive universe that contains a plethora of fascinating characters that is only continuing to expand, DC has given us… A Batman trilogy, two Superman films, and one Green Lantern movie. And their future plans only consists of a Batman vs. Superman film.
Why your phone freaks out when you get off a plane
Why Your Phone Freaks Out When You Get Off a Plane | Enterprise | WIRED: Every time you step off of an airplane, there’s a fight going on inside your mobile phone. It’s a war for dominance, and it plays out in airports across the world. The casualties are dropped calls, and Paula Doublin is one of the generals.
She’s an assistant vice president 1 with AT&T’s Antenna Solutions Group. They recently invited WIRED to San Francisco International Airport’s spanking new Terminal 3E, where they’re wiring up a new indoor mobile network.
The average mobile phone is programmed to search out the five closest antenna signals. When you’re driving in your car this system lets you switch from antenna to antenna — usually without losing your connection. But in an airport, things can go haywire, especially as you’re switching from the powerful outdoor “macro” antennas that you’ve connected to on the tarmac to the smaller indoor devices that AT&T has tucked all over the airport.
She’s an assistant vice president 1 with AT&T’s Antenna Solutions Group. They recently invited WIRED to San Francisco International Airport’s spanking new Terminal 3E, where they’re wiring up a new indoor mobile network.
The average mobile phone is programmed to search out the five closest antenna signals. When you’re driving in your car this system lets you switch from antenna to antenna — usually without losing your connection. But in an airport, things can go haywire, especially as you’re switching from the powerful outdoor “macro” antennas that you’ve connected to on the tarmac to the smaller indoor devices that AT&T has tucked all over the airport.
Why are some people more prone to mosquito bites?
Why Are Some People More Prone To Mosquito Bites? | Mental Floss: And by "some people" I mean me. Why is it that an evening stroll leaves me feeling eaten alive while my companions are left blissfully un-bitten?
First of all, it's probably not all in my head (although it could be — most people are bad sources about their own mosquito attractiveness). Studies suggest that about 20 percent of people are "high attractor types" who are especially appealing to the female mosquitoes seeking out blood for the extra protein they need to lay eggs. Of course, not all mosquitoes are the same. There are 150 different species in the United States, each with their own blood-sucking proclivities. But since you probably won't know — or care — if the bugger biting you is Culex pipiens or Aedes aegypti, let's consider some of the more general properties that affect your mosquito appeal.
First of all, it's probably not all in my head (although it could be — most people are bad sources about their own mosquito attractiveness). Studies suggest that about 20 percent of people are "high attractor types" who are especially appealing to the female mosquitoes seeking out blood for the extra protein they need to lay eggs. Of course, not all mosquitoes are the same. There are 150 different species in the United States, each with their own blood-sucking proclivities. But since you probably won't know — or care — if the bugger biting you is Culex pipiens or Aedes aegypti, let's consider some of the more general properties that affect your mosquito appeal.
The only inspired book of Church history, the Acts of the Apostles, ends with the story of a shipwreck...
Shipwreck and mission - Denver Catholic RegisterWEIGEL: The post-Vatican II Lectionary for Mass has many fine features, one of which is the continuous reading of the Acts of the Apostles during weekday Masses in the Easter season. As the Church celebrates the Resurrection for 50 days, the Church also ponders the first evangelization: the primitive Christian community, in the power of the Spirit, brings the surrounding Mediterranean world the history-shattering news that Jesus of Nazareth, having been raised from the dead, has been constituted Lord and Savior for the forgiveness of sins. These serial readings from Acts end with Paul established in Rome (probably in today’s Trastevere district), speaking with the Roman Jewish community about the fulfillment of their ancient, covenantal hopes in the Risen Christ.
‘Quo vadis?’ A sobering reminder to leave our comfort zones and go out into the world
‘Quo vadis?’ERLANDSON: Where are we going? Is the Church as we know it dying? That is the provocative question asked in a new documentary called “When God Left the Building.” Produced by Group Productions, it is a stark examination of the erosion taking place in Protestant churches these days.
The film has several story lines: a long-standing church in New Jersey that can’t abide change, even as it withers; the glitz and glamor of high-tech, high production quality megachurches filling cavernous spaces with crowds and measuring their performance with business metrics; a group of Christians looking to reach people in a setting outside the church walls.
The film has several story lines: a long-standing church in New Jersey that can’t abide change, even as it withers; the glitz and glamor of high-tech, high production quality megachurches filling cavernous spaces with crowds and measuring their performance with business metrics; a group of Christians looking to reach people in a setting outside the church walls.
Despite facing anti-Catholic bigotry, presidential hopeful Al Smith persevered in politics and faith
Presidential hopeful mobilized Catholic participation in politicsSHAW: To Franklin Roosevelt, he was the “Happy Warrior.” To suspicious Protestants, he was a pawn of the pope. Amid such conflicting views as these, the remarkable political career of Al Smith was forged.
Four-term governor of New York and Democratic candidate for president in 1928, Smith was a living embodiment of the enormous shifts in America’s cultural and political center of gravity during his lifetime — from rural to urban, Anglo-Saxon to immigrant, Protestant to religiously diverse.
Four-term governor of New York and Democratic candidate for president in 1928, Smith was a living embodiment of the enormous shifts in America’s cultural and political center of gravity during his lifetime — from rural to urban, Anglo-Saxon to immigrant, Protestant to religiously diverse.
1914-2014: Echoes of the Great War
New Advent: 1914-2014: Echoes of the Great War: Marking the centenary of World War One, experts discuss the legacy of the conflict that changed faith and society in the West.
The day-to-day plight of the Christians in Iraq is so much worse than we're hearing...
The ISIS Effect: “Flattened; Everything is Gone” – UPDATEDSCALIA: Orwell said “The most effective way to destroy people is to deny and obliterate their own understanding of their history.” Another way is to simply obliterate their history entirely, give them no connection to their past, no standing reflection of who they are; in this way they become nobodies: people with no past to point to, no footpath to refer back to, so as to gauge a way forward. What a despicable robbery.
Demagogues are like pornographers. They attract two kinds of people: Those who enjoy it, and those who believe it...
Porn and Our Regularly-Scheduled Bi-Election Immigration CrisisHAMILTON: Either way, porn is addicting and degrading. Porn is based on degrading a group of people for the titillation of those who get off on on the degradation.�
Both those who watch porn because they enjoy it, and those who believe it, will become addicted to it if they don’t pull back from it. That alter world where degradation of other people reigns will take them over and the day will come when they find they can’t just turn it off.�
The difference between those who watch it for the titillation alone, and those who get so wound into it that they believe it, is the difference between doing harm to oneself and doing harm to others.�
Both those who watch porn because they enjoy it, and those who believe it, will become addicted to it if they don’t pull back from it. That alter world where degradation of other people reigns will take them over and the day will come when they find they can’t just turn it off.�
The difference between those who watch it for the titillation alone, and those who get so wound into it that they believe it, is the difference between doing harm to oneself and doing harm to others.�
Brother Guy Consolmagno: Carl Sagan medal winner and role model for evangelization
Brother Guy Consolmagno: Carl Sagan Medal Winner and Role Model : The Integrated Catholic Life™TRASANCOS: The American Astronomical Society (AAS) Division for Planetary Sciences announced this month that Jesuit Brother Guy Consolmagno has won the Carl Sagan Medal for outstanding communication about planetary science to the general public. Brother Consolmagno is an astronomer and meteorite expert at the Vatican Observatory. He also serves as their Coordinator for Public Relations. The AAS commended Brother Consolmagno for occupying a “unique position” among astronomers as a “credible spokesperson for scientific honesty within the context of religious belief.”
There's a destructive force in the Church that progressives and traditionalists alike support...
Spiritualdirection.com | Catholic Spiritual Direction | Thinking with the Church - Mysticism and Magisterium (Part I of VI): In his Spiritual Exercises, St. Ignatius of Loyola set down eighteen rules for “thinking with the Church” that are fundamental to the discernment of spirits. ��The Latin phrase sentire cum Ecclesia, “to think with the Church,” succinctly identifies the truly Catholic state of mind.� Christ and His Church possess “the same Spirit which governs and directs us for the salvation of our souls.” ��The Catholic possesses the mind of Christ when he or she thinks with the Church.
How to respond when people tell you they're "spiritual but not religious"
Responding to “Spiritual but Not Religious” Christians | Catholic Answers: Over the last several years I have encountered a fair number of Christians who claim they are “spiritual but not religious.” In other words, they do not identify with a particular Christian denomination, using the Bible alone to guide their faith. It’s an ideology that says religious institutions are outdated and unnecessary.
People may reach this conclusion for a multitude of reasons. Some are disillusioned by what they perceive to be corruption and hypocrisy in religious institutions. Others may feel like they are not being “fed.” Others yet may feel that these intuitions teach something contrary to their beliefs regarding political and social issues.
People may reach this conclusion for a multitude of reasons. Some are disillusioned by what they perceive to be corruption and hypocrisy in religious institutions. Others may feel like they are not being “fed.” Others yet may feel that these intuitions teach something contrary to their beliefs regarding political and social issues.
Thinking about eternity, even with a bit of fear, may be the beginning of sharing in God's eternity
Sharing in God’s EternitySTAUDT: When I was young, even three and four years old, I used to cry at night thinking about death and eternity. It was a feeling as if the wind has gotten knocked out of me and a huge weight was being pressed upon me. Even now, a feeling of terror can come over me when I think of eternity in relation to time. How can our lives which are so limited and passing endure forever? Forever itself seems to be an insolvable puzzle that twists the minds in knots. If I think of eternity, just sheer eternity, it makes me want to crawl under a rock and hide!
Reading what the saints read might help you become one yourself...
Download your FREE copy of "The Saints' Favorite Books" - BrandonVogt.com : BrandonVogt.comVOGT: I love to read. And like all heavy readers, I’m always hunting for good books. I constantly ask friends, what are you reading? What books do you recommend? What books changed your life?
But one day I had a revelation: why not ask the saints?
St. Josemaria Escriva claimed, “Reading has made many saints.” That’s so true. While some saints were illiterate, like Catherine of Siena, many of them were faithful readers. So why not follow their lead?
I spent several months trying to uncover the books they enjoyed. I read biographies, journals, personal letters, and more. I then collected all that research into a new book, titled The Saints’ Favorite Books: Read What They Read, Become Who They Are.
But one day I had a revelation: why not ask the saints?
St. Josemaria Escriva claimed, “Reading has made many saints.” That’s so true. While some saints were illiterate, like Catherine of Siena, many of them were faithful readers. So why not follow their lead?
I spent several months trying to uncover the books they enjoyed. I read biographies, journals, personal letters, and more. I then collected all that research into a new book, titled The Saints’ Favorite Books: Read What They Read, Become Who They Are.
Obama’s executive order and what it means for Catholic organizations
Obama’s Executive Order and What it Means for Catholic Organizations | Catholic World Report - Global Church news and views: One month ago, I warned readers of CatholicVote.org about a new executive order that would be coming out from the Obama White House. The article garnered more than 45,000 views and in excess of 5,600 Facebook “likes.” Then, I took to the air waves, appearing on the EWTN Global Catholic Radio network and the Relevant Radio network, among others, to warn listeners about the forthcoming order. I said this was going to be serious stuff. At first, out ahead of the curve, I was a lone voice. But, I ended up being right on all counts.
There is a fierce persecution of Christians going on in the Middle East...
The Attack on Christians in the Middle East | National Review OnlineBARRON: Though you would never guess it from the paucity of coverage in the major news media, there is a fierce persecution of Christians going on in the Middle East.�In Egypt, convents and churches are being burned to the ground and Copts, members of one of the most ancient Christian communities, are being routinely harassed, tortured, and arrested.�In Iraq, the ISIS group, hoping to re-establish a “caliphate” across the northern sector of the Middle East, is brutally persecuting Christians.�Just recently, an ultimatum was issued in Mosul, where Christians have been living for over 1,600 years, that believers in Jesus have to pay a stiff fine, leave the country, or be put to death.�And the sheer shock of these extreme instances can allow us to overlook the fact that in Saudi Arabia Christians are not permitted to build churches or to practice their faith publicly in any way.�
Anglican archbishop to Catholics and Orthodox: “Don’t give up on us" after vote to ordain women bishops
Archbishop Welby: “Don’t Give Up On Us” After Vote to Ordain Women BishopsSCHIFFER: “Don’t give up on us…. We need each other!” �That was the message from Archbishop Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, to the Orthodox and Catholic churches this week, after the General Synod of the Church of England voted to ordain women bishops.
With so much troubling the world today, Archbishop Welby emphasized that common witness to the Gospel was of greater importance than ever.
With so much troubling the world today, Archbishop Welby emphasized that common witness to the Gospel was of greater importance than ever.
"God drew me into the light of His Church": The conversion story of Alicia Smith
Taking Courage: How God Drew Me into the Light of His Church - Conversion Story of Alicia Smith* - The Coming Home Network: This story is about how I became a Christian as an adult, and, much later, came home to the Catholic Church. I sincerely hope the reader will be more amused at my follies than appalled. I also hope that my stumbling sentences show how someone like me may be intercepted and brought into the light more quickly than my own personal stubbornness allowed!
Our journey to God never ends—even for saints...
Our Journey to God Never Ends—Even For SaintsBEALE: When Catholics speak of conversion, we usually mean the journey of our hearts, minds, and souls to God — not an instantaneous experience, a sudden surge of faith and emotion, or a bolt of supernatural lightning that seals us forever as the elect.
The idea of faith as a journey is well illustrated in the lives of some of the twentieth century’s greatest apologists. Thomas Merton climbed the “seven story mountain.” C.S. Lewis went from the Church of Ireland to atheism to high Anglicanism. Malcolm Muggeridge, a prominent British journalist, spent most of last century on his path to conversion, ending in the Church in the early 1980s. Muggeridge described it as finding his “resting place.”
The idea of faith as a journey is well illustrated in the lives of some of the twentieth century’s greatest apologists. Thomas Merton climbed the “seven story mountain.” C.S. Lewis went from the Church of Ireland to atheism to high Anglicanism. Malcolm Muggeridge, a prominent British journalist, spent most of last century on his path to conversion, ending in the Church in the early 1980s. Muggeridge described it as finding his “resting place.”
God's gifts come in strange and terrifying packages
Gifts in Strange and Terrifying Packages – A Meditation on a Saying from Job � Archdiocese of WashingtonPOPE: I spent today high in the Cascades of Washington State.� I was near Mt. Baker, one of the volcanic peaks in the range along the “ring of fire” that comes up the coast along the Pacific plate. Despite the nearness of the volcanic cone, snow and glaciers were what we most noticed today, July 25th.
As I stood on the snowy heights looking at these sleepy but still inwardly fiery volcanic heights...
As I stood on the snowy heights looking at these sleepy but still inwardly fiery volcanic heights...
Will Obama’s one-man ENDA end up in court?
Will Obama’s One Man ENDA End Up in Court?HAMILTON: One of my Facebook friends called him “the great divider.” Even though I am both aware and horrified by the endless hatred directed at whoever sits behind the desk in the Oval Office, I think that’s a fair thing to say about President Obama. His penchant for one man sledgehammer legislating against the First Amendment is a particular case in point. So far as I am concerned, the HHS Mandate is a permanent blot on his presidency.
I’ve spent the morning, sifting through the product of our President’s mighty pen from yesterday. I’ve been sitting in front of my computer with the screens littered with copies of the executive orders he amended, wondering, where, exactly, is this one man show pointing us?
I’ve spent the morning, sifting through the product of our President’s mighty pen from yesterday. I’ve been sitting in front of my computer with the screens littered with copies of the executive orders he amended, wondering, where, exactly, is this one man show pointing us?
Leisure is the basis of manliness
Leisure: The Basis of Manliness | Those Catholic Men: We Catholics are realist. We receive reality and then respond to it properly. This is true wisdom. Wisdom is not knowledge alone, but is the right response to a clear vision of reality. Catholics are not idealists. We do not generate within reality a new and “ideal” reality and then strive for it. That is not a receptive attitude but is an attitude of imposition; it is not a seeing of reality but a making of it. Why can we not make reality? Because only God is Reality. Only He can reveal His Name to be “I am who am.” And the fullness of that revelation from God reveals that He did not need to make reality, it was not ‘useful’ to Him, but He did so from an abundance of love. Not only do we say God is Reality – God is – but we say God loves reality into existence – God is love.
The alleged war on women is a contrived skirmish
Archdiocese of Milwaukee | The War on Women’s Dirty 100: The latest salvo in the “war on women” came from the nation’s largest organization of feminist activists, returning fire — they would say — in the direction of the Catholic Church.�
The National Organization for Women released a list of those opposed to the federal contraception mandate called The Dirty 100.� This list included Catholic charitable organizations and dioceses across the country. These groups have now filed suit in the wake of the Supreme Court’s ruling in favor of family businesses that challenged the Affordable Care Act’s contraception mandate.�
The National Organization for Women released a list of those opposed to the federal contraception mandate called The Dirty 100.� This list included Catholic charitable organizations and dioceses across the country. These groups have now filed suit in the wake of the Supreme Court’s ruling in favor of family businesses that challenged the Affordable Care Act’s contraception mandate.�
Muslim university professor assassinated after speaking out for Christians of Mosul
Report: Muslim Speaks Out for Christians of Mosul and is Assassinated - Aleteia: A Muslim was outraged by what the radicals who have taken over Mosul was doing to Christians in his city and spoke out against it.
He didn’t live much longer after that.
According to a Chaldean Christian website, ankawa.com, University of Mosul law professor Mahmoud Al-Asali refused to keep silent about the violence against Mosul’s Christians who are forced to choose between converting to the Muslim faith, paying the jizyah (an Islamic tax for non-Muslims, reported to be set at $450 a month) or fleeing.
He didn’t live much longer after that.
According to a Chaldean Christian website, ankawa.com, University of Mosul law professor Mahmoud Al-Asali refused to keep silent about the violence against Mosul’s Christians who are forced to choose between converting to the Muslim faith, paying the jizyah (an Islamic tax for non-Muslims, reported to be set at $450 a month) or fleeing.
10 things you need to know today: July 23, 2014
10 things you need to know today: July 23, 2014 - The Week: Kerry arrives in Israel for cease-fire talks, appeals courts clash on ObamaCare, and more...
"We are N": Christians worldwide mobilize for Iraqi Church
Christians worldwide mobilize for Iraqi Church: #WeAreN Vatican Radio: The campaign is uniting Catholics, Orthodox and Protestant as well as people of good will worldwide, in an effort to raise awareness of the religious cleansing underway in Iraq.� “This is a horrible term” confides Abp. Nona “but it is what is happening, it is what is going on right now on the ground”.
Tuesday, July 22, 2014
After 1600 years, monks ejected from Mar Behnam Monastery by Islamists
After 1600 Years, Monks Ejected From Mar Behnam by IslamistsMCDONALD: The Mar Behnam Monastery (The Monastery of the Martyrs Saint Behnam and his Sister Sarah) was built in the 4th century as an act of penance by Sennacherib II. The Assyrian king had Behnam and Sarah, his son and daughter, executed for converting to Christianity, but later converted and repented.
From that time until this month, the site in Bakhdida has been maintained and expanded by monks of the Syriac faith, which was brought into the Catholic Church in the 18th century.
That has all ended. The monks were visited by ISIS forces and simply thrown out, not even allowed to take their relics
From that time until this month, the site in Bakhdida has been maintained and expanded by monks of the Syriac faith, which was brought into the Catholic Church in the 18th century.
That has all ended. The monks were visited by ISIS forces and simply thrown out, not even allowed to take their relics
Police seek clues in Tony Palmer motorcycle death...
Police Seek Clues in Tony Palmer Motorcycle DeathSCHIFFER: As news becomes available, we learn that it was a head-on collision in Chelwood, U.K. that led to the death of evangelical pastor Tony Palmer July 20.
Bishop Palmer caught the attention of the world in February 2014, when he carried Pope Francis’ video greeting to Pentecostals gathered at the Kenneth Copeland conference.
A reader has sent this information from the Bath Chronicle. �Although the article doesn’t name the victim, the reader–who lives in the local area–confirms that this is the accident which claimed the life of Tony Palmer
Bishop Palmer caught the attention of the world in February 2014, when he carried Pope Francis’ video greeting to Pentecostals gathered at the Kenneth Copeland conference.
A reader has sent this information from the Bath Chronicle. �Although the article doesn’t name the victim, the reader–who lives in the local area–confirms that this is the accident which claimed the life of Tony Palmer
ISIS robs Christians fleeing edict in Mosul; money, belongings, crucifixes stolen
ISIS Robs Christians Fleeing Its Edict in Mosul: Convert, Leave, or Die - The Daily Beast: After being issued an ultimatum from ISIS in Mosul, some of the city’s last Christian families have fled, only to be robbed of their last possessions at ISIS checkpoints. Friday at noon was the deadline for Christian families to meet ISIS’s demands: Convert to Islam, pay an anachronistic Islamic tax for non-Muslims known as jizya, leave Mosul, or be killed. But the day before the final exodus, Christians were informed jizya was no longer an option. The order came to convert, leave, or die.
10 things you need to know today: July 22, 2014
10 things you need to know today: July 22, 2014 - The Week: Ukrainian separatists hand over downed jetliner's black boxes, Obama urges Congress to protect gay workers, and more...
Monday, July 21, 2014
5 things you can do right now as ISIS threatens Iraqi Christians and Shiites
5 Things You Can Do Right Now as ISIS Threatens Iraqi Christians and ShiitesSCALIA: One of Christendom’s oldest and deepest roots is being ripped from an ancient garden, and many in positions of power, even among so-called “Christian” nations, seem content to let it go unremarked upon and unchallenged.
Perhaps they feel inadequate to the task of pleading on these Christian’s behalf.
Perhaps they believe that any engagement in their defense would embroil them in a larger conflict they are unwilling to face — as though mad tyranny will simply burn itself out if left uncontested.
Perhaps they think there is nothing to be done but fling hands to heaven, in which case they expose not only a lack of imagination, but a distinct misunderstanding of time and space, which they want to accept as linear.
Perhaps they feel inadequate to the task of pleading on these Christian’s behalf.
Perhaps they believe that any engagement in their defense would embroil them in a larger conflict they are unwilling to face — as though mad tyranny will simply burn itself out if left uncontested.
Perhaps they think there is nothing to be done but fling hands to heaven, in which case they expose not only a lack of imagination, but a distinct misunderstanding of time and space, which they want to accept as linear.
'St. George and the Dragon' fits the needs of girls and boys (of all ages)
Dragon, Empire, Soldier, Lord | Catholic World Report - Global Church news and views: Boys, you might be shocked to hear, are different from girls. A few years ago one of our sons had a brand-new young teacher eager to help her nine-and ten-year-old charges discover the wonders of math, science, and literature. In the last category, while she started out all right with The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, she then began a streak of books that ran from Heidi to The Secret Garden to Little House on the Prairie and on through several other fantastic books whose only problem was that they are—dare we say it?—girl books. The son in question, who is on the autism spectrum, was not shy about expressing his mounting disdain for these selections in ways that were, ahem, not conducive to classroom order. One of the classroom educational assistants admitted that Young Master Deavel was not the only one getting fed up. He further admitted he himself was flagging with all this literary pink.
Ron Swanson ("Parks and Recreation") inadvertently makes a case for the existence of God
Ron Swanson and the Existence of God | Musings of a Mountain CatholicSEWELL: We need to believe that God created us.
We need to have faith that God loves us and will always be with us. Belief and faith in this sense isn’t like believing in Santa Claus; while faith might allow us to believe that presents will be under the tree on Christmas morning, our reason lets us know real quick that Santa didn’t put them there.
With God, we can use our reason to explain that the ordered universe was probably created by a divine Mind, then use faith to trust that the promises He made through sending Jesus to earth are true.
With God’s existence, love ceases to become a mere accident devoid of any transcendent meaning.
We need to have faith that God loves us and will always be with us. Belief and faith in this sense isn’t like believing in Santa Claus; while faith might allow us to believe that presents will be under the tree on Christmas morning, our reason lets us know real quick that Santa didn’t put them there.
With God, we can use our reason to explain that the ordered universe was probably created by a divine Mind, then use faith to trust that the promises He made through sending Jesus to earth are true.
With God’s existence, love ceases to become a mere accident devoid of any transcendent meaning.
Yo editors: Can the state pay Catholics to help immigrants?
Yo editors: Can the state pay Catholics to help immigrants?MATTINGLY: As usual, there was a stack of Baltimore Sun newspapers waiting for me at the end of last week when I returned from a consulting trip to a campus in Iowa. One of the papers contained a very timely and newsworthy story.
My goal here is to argue that — just possibly — this story was even more newsworthy than the Sun editors thought that it was. More on that in a minute.
The immigrant children crisis is one of the hottest stories in America right now and justifiably so.
My goal here is to argue that — just possibly — this story was even more newsworthy than the Sun editors thought that it was. More on that in a minute.
The immigrant children crisis is one of the hottest stories in America right now and justifiably so.
It's official: Obama signs special protection order for gays, transsexuals; no religious exemption allowed
Obama signs LGBT executive order | Early & Often: President Barack Obama on Monday gave employment protection to gay and transgender workers in the federal government and its contracting agencies, after being convinced by advocates of what he called the "irrefutable rightness of your cause."
"America's federal contracts should not subsidize discrimination against the American people," Obama said at a signing ceremony from the White House East Room. He said it's unacceptable that being gay is still a firing offense in most places in the United States.
"America's federal contracts should not subsidize discrimination against the American people," Obama said at a signing ceremony from the White House East Room. He said it's unacceptable that being gay is still a firing offense in most places in the United States.
7 simple suggestions to help you combat your technology addiction
Catholicism and the Perils of TechnologyMCCLOSKEY: A confession: I am writing this column on my MacBook Air computer with my iPhone at my side. And I regularly enlist the help of a cellphone App to pray the Liturgy of the Hours. And after all, I live in the heart of Silicon Valley and have lectured to 300 actual and would-be Techies and Masters of the Universe.
In addition, the Church has actually pronounced itself in favor of modern technology, inasmuch as it enables people to communicate directly throughout the world, in directly personal ways (e-mail, texting, Twitter, Skype, etc.) as well as in more formal or purely informational forms of group collaboration and instruction. Through this assortment of techniques for “distance learning” of all kinds, the hope is that technology can help different countries and races to understand one another better and thus contribute to world peace and prosperity.
In addition, the Church has actually pronounced itself in favor of modern technology, inasmuch as it enables people to communicate directly throughout the world, in directly personal ways (e-mail, texting, Twitter, Skype, etc.) as well as in more formal or purely informational forms of group collaboration and instruction. Through this assortment of techniques for “distance learning” of all kinds, the hope is that technology can help different countries and races to understand one another better and thus contribute to world peace and prosperity.
I used to be fiercely pro-choice, but then everything changed. I had an abortion...
I know because I had an abortion. - Made in His Image: Every morning, the faithfulness of the sun touches our eyelids. Unfortunately, the faithfulness of the alarm clock also reaches our ears. We slowly rise from the pillow, sneak out from under the sheets, and begin the tasks for that day. For most people, there is a passion that gives us the encouragement to live each day. It might be a job, a child, a spouse, a religion.�
My passion is being pro-life. It drives and it motivates me. I find joy in being the voice for the unborn every day, even if it’s just in the smallest ways. There was a time in my life when you couldn’t have paid me a million dollars to truthfully and passionately say the statement above. I used to be pro-choice. Pro-choice to my very core and then everything changed…
My passion is being pro-life. It drives and it motivates me. I find joy in being the voice for the unborn every day, even if it’s just in the smallest ways. There was a time in my life when you couldn’t have paid me a million dollars to truthfully and passionately say the statement above. I used to be pro-choice. Pro-choice to my very core and then everything changed…
Setting aside all earthly cares: Why dads need to make Holy Hours
Setting Aside All Earthly Cares: Why Dads Need Holy Hours | Seton MagazineJOHNCLARK: When you write a column such as this, your life tends to be an open book.
(By the way, that is literally true. You can buy my “open book” by clicking here!)
In the course of my writing, I occasionally admit to certain things that I probably shouldn’t divulge in print, and here is one: until recently, I had never committed to a Holy Hour.
Of course, I have spent time in adoration before the Blessed Sacrament, but I had never signed up to do so, nor did I usually devote sixty minutes at a time. However, a few months ago, I finally committed to doing so. I am very happy that I did, and I have found that this is the perfect devotion for the Catholic father.
When you are the father of many children, it is hard to find one-on-one time with Jesus. Divine Liturgy seems like the perfect opportunity, but I usually feel like I fall short of perfect attention.
(By the way, that is literally true. You can buy my “open book” by clicking here!)
In the course of my writing, I occasionally admit to certain things that I probably shouldn’t divulge in print, and here is one: until recently, I had never committed to a Holy Hour.
Of course, I have spent time in adoration before the Blessed Sacrament, but I had never signed up to do so, nor did I usually devote sixty minutes at a time. However, a few months ago, I finally committed to doing so. I am very happy that I did, and I have found that this is the perfect devotion for the Catholic father.
When you are the father of many children, it is hard to find one-on-one time with Jesus. Divine Liturgy seems like the perfect opportunity, but I usually feel like I fall short of perfect attention.
Satan is brilliant at tactics, but he leaves himself vulnerable to God's strategy...
Obama Issues Order Forcing Church Agencies to Hire Homosexuals or Give Up Federal Funding - AleteiaZMIRAK: By cutting the spigot of federal money to church-based agencies, Obama has done us a paradoxical favor -- as Garibaldi unwittingly aided the Church by stealing the Papal States. (Would we really want them back?) However wicked are Obama’s manifest intentions, he is offering us a profound opportunity to rebuild our outreach to the needy along truly Christian lines. We won’t be rubbing shoulders with (and taking orders from) abortionists and euthanasia doctors, or competing for grants with staffers from Planned Parenthood who teach bondage classes to teenagers. We will have to act like our ancestors in the faith, who cobbled together their pennies to build the Catholic school system and cathedrals like St. Patrick’s.
How to use music to reach the sleeping soul
Reaching the Sleeping Soul Through Music � Archdiocese of WashingtonPOPE: I have learned in my life, that music is powerful beyond words, and often does what words alone can never do.
Historically, when my soul was asleep morally, it was music that called me back. I joined the church choir to meet girls, but through the music, the Lord showed me a deeper desire in my heart, for goodness, beauty and truth, indeed, my desire for God Himself. The music awoke my sleeping soul to God.
Historically, when my soul was asleep morally, it was music that called me back. I joined the church choir to meet girls, but through the music, the Lord showed me a deeper desire in my heart, for goodness, beauty and truth, indeed, my desire for God Himself. The music awoke my sleeping soul to God.
Is the “missio ad gentes” still a priority for Pope Francis’ Church?
MondayVatican – Vatican � Is the “missio ad gentes” still a priority for Pope Francis’ Church? | MondayVaticanGAGLIARDUCCI: That Pope Francis is very attentive to the dialogue with non-believers is clear from his most recent conversation with Eugenio Scalfari, the founder of the Italian leftist newspaper “La Repubblica”.� Scalfari, a self-proclaimed atheist, who even wrote a book entitled “Me and God”, on his being a non-believer. The conversation published by “La Repubblica” on July 16 – which was partly downplayed and its content clarified by Father Federico Lombardi, director of the Holy See Press Office – also showed that what the secular press think about him is very close to Pope Francis’ heart. This is ultimately the original sin of the cardinals’ general congregation which led to the election of Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the Pope who came from the end of the world.
These 'FOBs' (Friends of Bergoglio) are driving the train under Pope Francis
‘FOBs’ driving the train under Pope Francis - World - The Boston GlobeALLEN: During the Clinton administration, American politics developed a new bit of argot: “FOB,” meaning “friend of Bill,” an intimate of the president who enjoyed access to the corridors of power and perhaps helped shape his agenda.
Today Catholicism has its own emerging “FOB” class, in this case standing for “friend of Bergoglio.” The reference is to those with personal ties to Jorge Mario Bergoglio, better known to the world as Pope Francis, who could be positioned to influence his papacy.
The degree to which those friends have the pope’s ear makes the Vatican’s official chain of command less revealing these days about who’s driving the train in the Catholic Church than, say, the pontiff’s Facebook account.
Today Catholicism has its own emerging “FOB” class, in this case standing for “friend of Bergoglio.” The reference is to those with personal ties to Jorge Mario Bergoglio, better known to the world as Pope Francis, who could be positioned to influence his papacy.
The degree to which those friends have the pope’s ear makes the Vatican’s official chain of command less revealing these days about who’s driving the train in the Catholic Church than, say, the pontiff’s Facebook account.
Meet Msgr. Paul Tighe, the Irish priest behind the Vatican's digital miracle
The Irish priest behind Vatican's digital miracle - Independent.ie: A Mexican psychologist, a British peer and an Irishman walk into the Vatican. That line might just read like there's a jokey punchline coming (there's not), but the Vatican's latest attempt to reform its communications involves such an international line-up, and the Vatican is very serious.
Something about this grave (like a guy with a shotgun) scared road workers so much they paved around it...
See the grave that scared road workers so much they paved around it | Roadtrippers: If you find yourself cruising along County Road 400 in Amity, Indiana, you'll eventually come to a strange hill in the middle of the rural, two-lane road. Normally, road crews would flatten out the mound and pave right over it without thinking twice, but in this case, the pavement actually splits around it. Why? Because road crews were terrified of disturbing it.
Long before a paved road ever ran through the area, Amity was a small village near Sugar Creek. In 1808, a 14 year old girl named Nancy Kerlin married a man named William Barnett, and the two lived happily in the area, having 11 children. Nancy passed away in 1831, and in keeping with her wishes, William buried her on her favorite plot of land; a hill with a beautiful view overlooking the creek. Nancy was the first to be laid to rest there, but before long, other locals followed suit and an official cemetery was built around Nancy's grave.
Long before a paved road ever ran through the area, Amity was a small village near Sugar Creek. In 1808, a 14 year old girl named Nancy Kerlin married a man named William Barnett, and the two lived happily in the area, having 11 children. Nancy passed away in 1831, and in keeping with her wishes, William buried her on her favorite plot of land; a hill with a beautiful view overlooking the creek. Nancy was the first to be laid to rest there, but before long, other locals followed suit and an official cemetery was built around Nancy's grave.
Catholic group helps religious aspirants pay off student loan debt
Catholic group helps religious aspirants pay off student loan debt | Detroit Free Press | freep.com: Finally.
After nearly two years of waiting, Melanie Bruss headed earlier this month to Minnesota to join the Consecrates of the Most Holy Savior, a Catholic religious order.
Bruss was accepted to the order in November 2012, but had been held up by a stumbling block — her student loans.
Like a growing number of people seeking full-time religious service — one study estimates about 4,200 people nationwide are in the same boat — Bruss had student loans, but the order she wanted to join required her to be debt free in order to get started
After nearly two years of waiting, Melanie Bruss headed earlier this month to Minnesota to join the Consecrates of the Most Holy Savior, a Catholic religious order.
Bruss was accepted to the order in November 2012, but had been held up by a stumbling block — her student loans.
Like a growing number of people seeking full-time religious service — one study estimates about 4,200 people nationwide are in the same boat — Bruss had student loans, but the order she wanted to join required her to be debt free in order to get started
Great visualization: A day in the life of a New York City taxi
A Day in the Life: This visualization displays the data for one random NYC yellow taxi on a single day in 2013. See where it operated, how much money it made, and how busy it was over 24 hours.
The 1970s (and lay homilists) are slowly coming to an end in the Diocese of Rochester...
Catholic diocese upends custom on homilies: For the better part of 40 years in churches across the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester, clergy ceded the floor to laypeople for the delivery of the homily — the sermon that follows the reading of the Gospel at Mass.
The practice, which dated to the mid-1970s and was simultaneously derided by the faithful for running afoul of church law and praised for its inclusiveness, has come to an end.
In an extensive interview, Bishop Salvatore Matano said he has been confronting the issue on a case-by-case basis since his installation in January and is now drafting guidelines to clarify that homilies are reserved for ordained priests and deacons, as prescribed by canon law.
The practice, which dated to the mid-1970s and was simultaneously derided by the faithful for running afoul of church law and praised for its inclusiveness, has come to an end.
In an extensive interview, Bishop Salvatore Matano said he has been confronting the issue on a case-by-case basis since his installation in January and is now drafting guidelines to clarify that homilies are reserved for ordained priests and deacons, as prescribed by canon law.
Pope laments exodus of last Christians from Mosul
Pope laments exodus of last Christians from Mosul :: Catholic News Agency (CNA): In his weekly Sunday Angelus address Pope Francis mourned the fleeing of the last Christians from the Iraqi city of Mosul, who were told by ISIS forces last week to either convert, pay the Jizya tax or leave.
“They are persecuted; our brothers are persecuted, they are driven out, they have to leave their houses without having the possibility of taking anything with them,” Pope Francis voiced in his July 20 Angelus address.
“I want to express my closeness and my constant prayer to these families and these people,” he continued. “Dear brothers and sisters who are so persecuted, I know how much you suffer, I know that you are stripped of everything. I am with you in the faith of the one who has conquered evil!”
“They are persecuted; our brothers are persecuted, they are driven out, they have to leave their houses without having the possibility of taking anything with them,” Pope Francis voiced in his July 20 Angelus address.
“I want to express my closeness and my constant prayer to these families and these people,” he continued. “Dear brothers and sisters who are so persecuted, I know how much you suffer, I know that you are stripped of everything. I am with you in the faith of the one who has conquered evil!”
Anglican Bishop Tony Palmer, Pope Francis’ friend, dies in motorcycle crash
BREAKING: Bishop Tony Palmer, Pope Francis’ Friend, Dies in Motorcycle CrashSCHIFFER: Tony Palmer, the charismatic young preacher who enjoyed a friendship with Pope Francis, has apparently died in a motorcycle accident.
Not a Catholic, Palmer was bishop in the Communion of Evangelical Episcopal Churches, a group that is inspired by the “middle way” of classical Anglicanism and considers itself part of the Convergence Movement.
News is spotty at this point; but according to Archbishop Charles Hill, presiding prelate at Ambassadors for Christ Ministries of America (AFCMOA) in Atlanta, Palmer was in an accident while riding a motorcycle in the U.K. �After hours of surgery, Bishop Palmer died on Sunday, July 20, 2014.
Not a Catholic, Palmer was bishop in the Communion of Evangelical Episcopal Churches, a group that is inspired by the “middle way” of classical Anglicanism and considers itself part of the Convergence Movement.
News is spotty at this point; but according to Archbishop Charles Hill, presiding prelate at Ambassadors for Christ Ministries of America (AFCMOA) in Atlanta, Palmer was in an accident while riding a motorcycle in the U.K. �After hours of surgery, Bishop Palmer died on Sunday, July 20, 2014.
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