Blood-red Trevi fountain a wake-up call on Christian persecution :: Catholic News Agency (CNA): Illuminated by the red light that spilled across Rome’s Trevi fountain, voices from persecuted Christian communities across the world shared the stories of friends and loved ones killed for the faith, and urged the world to take greater action in putting the violence to an end.
“Let us remember, tonight, the blood of the Christian martyrs, spilled by the violence of men and the sin of the world,” Cardinal Mauro Piacenza said April 29.
Quoting Pope Francis, he stressed that when confronted with the situation, “silence and secrecy are also sins.”
Saturday, April 30, 2016
Friday, April 29, 2016
A new NASA map shows where the Zika virus could hit America the hardest
A New NASA Map Shows Where the Zika Virus Could Hit America the Hardest: Brace yourself: Zika is coming.
Researchers from NASA, along with the National Center for Atmospheric Research and some others, have forecast how the spread of Zika, a vector-borne illness on par with yellow fever and dengue fever that travels via the female Aedes aegypti mosquito, could hit the United States.
It's not looking good for the south — or just about anywhere else — come summertime.
Researchers from NASA, along with the National Center for Atmospheric Research and some others, have forecast how the spread of Zika, a vector-borne illness on par with yellow fever and dengue fever that travels via the female Aedes aegypti mosquito, could hit the United States.
It's not looking good for the south — or just about anywhere else — come summertime.
California donors fund restoration of Vatican's famous “Gallery of Maps”
Blogs | NCRegister.comPENTIN: A four-year painstaking restoration of the Gallery of Maps in the Vatican Museums has been completed thanks to the generosity of Californian Catholic donors.
The $2.5m project, funded by the California Chapter of the Patrons of the Arts, has fully restored Pope Gregory XIII’s gallery that was painted in 1582 by a team of top artists under the leadership of the famous cartographer and Dominican, Ignazio Danti.
The restoration was needed after the 40 meticulously painted maps of the entire Italian peninsular had suffered years of deterioration and previous botched restorations.
The gallery, which took three years to produce, dates back to the 16th century. Pope Gregory commissioned it so he could explore the Italian peninsula without leaving the safety of Rome. At that time, popes rarely left the city.
The $2.5m project, funded by the California Chapter of the Patrons of the Arts, has fully restored Pope Gregory XIII’s gallery that was painted in 1582 by a team of top artists under the leadership of the famous cartographer and Dominican, Ignazio Danti.
The restoration was needed after the 40 meticulously painted maps of the entire Italian peninsular had suffered years of deterioration and previous botched restorations.
The gallery, which took three years to produce, dates back to the 16th century. Pope Gregory commissioned it so he could explore the Italian peninsula without leaving the safety of Rome. At that time, popes rarely left the city.
Inside "Trinity Church," the stunning Orthodox wonder at the South Pole
Inside "Trinity Church," the Stunning Orthodox Wonder at the South Pole | ChurchPOPMILLEGAN: Trinity Church is the southernmost Eastern Orthodox church in the world. It is not, however, the southernmost church in the world: that coveted title is held by a small Catholic church located in a permanent ice cave near an Argentinian base (check it out here!). The ice cave chapel is certainly “cool” in its own way, but Trinity Church stands out for looking like a normal church.
A normal Eastern Orthodox church, that is: which means it’s adorned with stunningly beautiful iconography.
A normal Eastern Orthodox church, that is: which means it’s adorned with stunningly beautiful iconography.
The merciful mission of the Missionaries of Mercy
The Merciful Mission of the Missionaries of Mercy |Blogs | NCRegister.comSTAGNARO: When Pope Francis proclaimed the Year of Mercy Jubilee in November, 2015, he said, "May the balm of mercy reach everyone."
Little did I know what those simple words would mean to me.
The Jubilee Year, also called a Holy Year, is a tradition whose origin can be traced back to the Old Testament where the yovel year came at the end of a seven-year cycle. As part of the Jubilee Year, those who owned land were required to allow it lay fallow. The Book of Leviticus specifically requires the Faithful to free slaves and prisoners, to forgive debts and to reconcile with one's enemies. During the Jubilee Year, God's mercies would be particularly manifest. (Leviticus 25:8-13.) Since AD 1475, a Holy Year has been declared approximately every 25 years. Our most recent one was in AD 2000.
Little did I know what those simple words would mean to me.
The Jubilee Year, also called a Holy Year, is a tradition whose origin can be traced back to the Old Testament where the yovel year came at the end of a seven-year cycle. As part of the Jubilee Year, those who owned land were required to allow it lay fallow. The Book of Leviticus specifically requires the Faithful to free slaves and prisoners, to forgive debts and to reconcile with one's enemies. During the Jubilee Year, God's mercies would be particularly manifest. (Leviticus 25:8-13.) Since AD 1475, a Holy Year has been declared approximately every 25 years. Our most recent one was in AD 2000.
The emperor has no clothes, and he's definitely not a tall Chinese woman
The Emperor Has No Clothes, And He’s Definitely Not a Tall Chinese Woman |Blogs | NCRegister.comPOPE: I was talking recently with a friend and we were both lamenting the “strange and stranger” quality of our culture today; we had both seen the video at the bottom of this post. In it, the interviewer (who is a 5’9” white man), through a series of questions, gets a number of college students to accept that he is actually a 6’5” Chinese woman, or, alternately, a seven-year-old boy. They consider the way he “identifies” himself to be more significant than the obvious reality before them.
That such an appeal can convince a college student (or anyone for that matter) demonstrates that we have collectively taken leave of our senses. My friend said that the image that came to his mind was of the Mad Hatter’s tea party in Alice in Wonderland. When something as obvious as a person’s sex is unclear, when large numbers of people are willing to go along with calling a well-known man and former Olympic decathlete a woman, we have definitely fallen down a rabbit hole into a strange and nightmarishly bizarre world marked by absurdity after absurdity.
That such an appeal can convince a college student (or anyone for that matter) demonstrates that we have collectively taken leave of our senses. My friend said that the image that came to his mind was of the Mad Hatter’s tea party in Alice in Wonderland. When something as obvious as a person’s sex is unclear, when large numbers of people are willing to go along with calling a well-known man and former Olympic decathlete a woman, we have definitely fallen down a rabbit hole into a strange and nightmarishly bizarre world marked by absurdity after absurdity.
Where do pro-choice Catholic Democrats like Joseph Biden and Nancy Pelosi come from?
Where Do Pro-Choice Catholic Democrats Like Joseph Biden and Nancy Pelosi Come From? | The StreamZMIRAK: When a large group of highly educated people who have dedicated themselves to an organization with firm doctrines, strict rules, and stern demands — such as the Catholic Church — lose their faith in those doctrines, rules and demands, what do they do with themselves instead? Shrug and join the Unitarians? Leave their rectories or convents and go find apartments, maybe jobs as high school guidance counselors?
What do families like the Pelosis, the Kennedys or the Bidens — and millions of non-famous Irish and Italian-American clans with strong ethnic and historical connections to the Church — do with themselves when they reject its teaching authority?
What do families like the Pelosis, the Kennedys or the Bidens — and millions of non-famous Irish and Italian-American clans with strong ethnic and historical connections to the Church — do with themselves when they reject its teaching authority?
Why quitting your job to chase your dream is a terrible idea
Why Quitting Your Job to Chase Your Dream Is a Terrible Idea — Life Learning — Medium: Not long ago, my friend Bryan quit his corporate job working as a technical writer for a Fortune 500 company in order to do something new.
On his last day, everyone in the office expressed a mix of envy and surprise. They couldn’t believe he was leaving, that he was making such a big jump. But the truth is Bryan had been planning this moment for 10 years.
Take a long, hard look at many of the business books on your shelf, listen to a self-help guru wax nostalgic on her own career story, or visit with an old college friend who’s done really well for himself, and you’ll likely hear the same phrase over and over: “I took the leap.”
On his last day, everyone in the office expressed a mix of envy and surprise. They couldn’t believe he was leaving, that he was making such a big jump. But the truth is Bryan had been planning this moment for 10 years.
Take a long, hard look at many of the business books on your shelf, listen to a self-help guru wax nostalgic on her own career story, or visit with an old college friend who’s done really well for himself, and you’ll likely hear the same phrase over and over: “I took the leap.”
Alleged visionary Charlie Johnston dodges critics, ban from Archdiocese of Denver
Alleged Visionary Charlie Johnston Continues Ministry, Despite Denver Archdiocese Ban | Daily News | NCRegister.com: “God loves the ordinary. So do I, and so should you. That’s just a simple fact.”
That’s how Charlie Johnston began a presentation in Birmingham, Ala., last summer. Then he went on to recount conversations he has allegedly had since he was a young boy with his guardian angel about a grave crisis that will happen in his lifetime — a crisis he says has already begun.
“We are given these things as sort of mileposts, so that when they come to pass, we see the hand of God in them — and that, really, is what I do. I’m not trying to convince anybody of anything except to acknowledge God, take the next right step and be a sign of hope to those around them,” said Johnston of his unusual message.
That’s how Charlie Johnston began a presentation in Birmingham, Ala., last summer. Then he went on to recount conversations he has allegedly had since he was a young boy with his guardian angel about a grave crisis that will happen in his lifetime — a crisis he says has already begun.
“We are given these things as sort of mileposts, so that when they come to pass, we see the hand of God in them — and that, really, is what I do. I’m not trying to convince anybody of anything except to acknowledge God, take the next right step and be a sign of hope to those around them,” said Johnston of his unusual message.
“Something happens to you out there”: The transcendental revelations of astronauts
The transcendental revelations of astronauts: Astronaut Kjell Lindgren spent close to five months on the International Space Station last year serving as a NASA flight engineer and mission specialist. He still remembers the first time he saw the Earth from space.
"I saw this really bright white light coming through the small windows of the Soyuz capsule," he told The Week. "I took a peek and saw the beautiful blue and whites of the Earth below, and the curvature of the horizon. Getting to experience the whole disc of the Earth from that point of view, truly for me, it was this breathtaking experience. I got goosebumps."
"I saw this really bright white light coming through the small windows of the Soyuz capsule," he told The Week. "I took a peek and saw the beautiful blue and whites of the Earth below, and the curvature of the horizon. Getting to experience the whole disc of the Earth from that point of view, truly for me, it was this breathtaking experience. I got goosebumps."
Thursday, April 28, 2016
Italian authorities uncover ISIS plot to attack Vatican during Holy Year
Italy Uncovers Islamist Plot to Attack Vatican and Israeli Embassy: Italian authorities arrested four people suspected of extremism on Thursday and issued arrest warrants for two more operating in Syria, according to the Milan prosecutor.
Authorities said one of the suspects is a Moroccan-born national living in Italy who had received orders from the Islamic State militant group (ISIS) to conduct an attack in Rome during the Holy Year, a period announced by Pope Francis that lasts from December 2015 to November 2016.
Authorities said one of the suspects is a Moroccan-born national living in Italy who had received orders from the Islamic State militant group (ISIS) to conduct an attack in Rome during the Holy Year, a period announced by Pope Francis that lasts from December 2015 to November 2016.
Will more Catholic schools pivot from Common Core to Classical Education?
Will More Catholic Schools Pivot From Common Core to Classical Education? | Daily News | NCRegister.com: When Mario and his wife, Julie, left Switzerland for New Hampshire, they faced a frustrating dilemma as parents: Where were they going to educate their five children? Julie, while she had a theology doctorate from the Angelicum, was not able to home school, and both she and Mario, a former Swiss Guard under Pope St. John Paul II, had no confidence in the education coming from the public schools or from New England Catholic schools that followed a similar curriculum with an added religion class.
USA Today asks: Should Notre Dame and other religious schools be kicked out of the NCAA?
USA Today asks: Do private schools with doctrines have a right to the NCAA brand? — GetReligionMATTINGLY: If you didn't see this big-time sports story coming then you haven't been paying attention.
During a radio talk show a few months ago, I speculated that if Baylor (one of my two alma maters) had qualified for the final four in football, it was highly likely that gay-rights groups would petition the NCAA powers that be to have the Bears (and other private schools with doctrinally based lifestyle covenants) kicked out of the association.
Not yet. But the arguments are beginning, as evidenced in the new USA Today feature that ran under the headline, "When religion and the LGBT collegiate athlete collide."
During a radio talk show a few months ago, I speculated that if Baylor (one of my two alma maters) had qualified for the final four in football, it was highly likely that gay-rights groups would petition the NCAA powers that be to have the Bears (and other private schools with doctrinally based lifestyle covenants) kicked out of the association.
Not yet. But the arguments are beginning, as evidenced in the new USA Today feature that ran under the headline, "When religion and the LGBT collegiate athlete collide."
Special Report: Catholic commencement scandals dishonor Class of 2016
Special Report: Catholic Commencement Scandals Dishonor Class of 2016: Research conducted by The Cardinal Newman Society reveals that at least 10 Catholic colleges will be honoring individuals at their 2016 commencement ceremonies who have publicly opposed Church teaching in their statements and actions.
By honoring those who disregard Catholic teaching, and holding them up as role models for students, administrators at these Catholic colleges send a dangerous message to students, betray the religious mission of their institutions and disregard the guidance of the U.S. bishops.
“Families who choose a Catholic education deserve much better than this,” said Patrick Reilly, president of The Cardinal Newman Society. “By passing over the opportunity to present good role models for students — people who embrace not only a call to leadership but God’s call to virtue and faith — a Catholic college falsely honors those who oppose moral truths and dishonors its graduating students.”
By honoring those who disregard Catholic teaching, and holding them up as role models for students, administrators at these Catholic colleges send a dangerous message to students, betray the religious mission of their institutions and disregard the guidance of the U.S. bishops.
“Families who choose a Catholic education deserve much better than this,” said Patrick Reilly, president of The Cardinal Newman Society. “By passing over the opportunity to present good role models for students — people who embrace not only a call to leadership but God’s call to virtue and faith — a Catholic college falsely honors those who oppose moral truths and dishonors its graduating students.”
Another one bites the dust
Another One Bites the Dust | catholicsaintsguyONEEL: Another beatification cause has apparently dimmed into oblivion.
C’est la vie. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. So everything goes. That holds for canonization causes, too.
They either end in success or fade into nothingness. And while for the latter an imprint may remain, perhaps just a faint one, their dust is blown away by history’s inexorable march, and we forget these heroic men and women.
For instance, this is why you’ve likely never heard of the Servant of God Fr. Magín Catalá, OFM († 1830). A near contemporary of St. Junípero Serra, founder of California’s missions, he spent much of his ecclesiastical career in Mission Santa Clara (with some time also spent at Mission San José).
C’est la vie. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. So everything goes. That holds for canonization causes, too.
They either end in success or fade into nothingness. And while for the latter an imprint may remain, perhaps just a faint one, their dust is blown away by history’s inexorable march, and we forget these heroic men and women.
For instance, this is why you’ve likely never heard of the Servant of God Fr. Magín Catalá, OFM († 1830). A near contemporary of St. Junípero Serra, founder of California’s missions, he spent much of his ecclesiastical career in Mission Santa Clara (with some time also spent at Mission San José).
How St. Louis de Montfort inspired 5 different popes
How St. Louis de Montfort Inspired 5 Different Popes - Top Stories - Aleteia.org – Worldwide Catholic Network Sharing Faith Resources for those seeking Truth – Aleteia.orgKOSLOSKI: Today (April 28, 2016) marks the 300th anniversary of St. Louis de Montfort’s death, a saint who has been hailed by many as one of the most influential persons of recent history. His inspiration has remained constant over the past three centuries and has shaped the hearts of many holy men and women, including the beloved St. John Paul II.
Montfort is most well known for his book True Devotion to Mary and for the “total consecration to Jesus through Mary” that he proposed in it. John Paul II highlighted this “total consecration” in his papal motto, a phrase he used up until his death: “Totus Tuus.”
Montfort is most well known for his book True Devotion to Mary and for the “total consecration to Jesus through Mary” that he proposed in it. John Paul II highlighted this “total consecration” in his papal motto, a phrase he used up until his death: “Totus Tuus.”
Norwegian F-16 fighter jet drops training mission to save patient's life
Norwegian Fighter Jet Drops Training Mission to Save Patient - The New York Times: In an unusual life-saving mission, a Norwegian fighter jet flew to the rescue when a patient in the country's north needed urgent help.
On April 4, a patient in Bodoe needed a machine that oxygenates blood and removes carbon dioxide but the closest one available was in Trondheim, 470 kilometers (290 miles) south.
Hospital officials turned to the Air Force for help, and luckily two F-16 fighters in Trondheim were about to take off on a training mission.
Doctor Anders Wetting Carlsen told Trondheim paper Adresseavisen that they helped out "without any questions, besides how big the machine was."
The paper said one of the jets transported the so-called ECMO machine to Bodoe in 25 minutes, saving the patient's life.
On April 4, a patient in Bodoe needed a machine that oxygenates blood and removes carbon dioxide but the closest one available was in Trondheim, 470 kilometers (290 miles) south.
Hospital officials turned to the Air Force for help, and luckily two F-16 fighters in Trondheim were about to take off on a training mission.
Doctor Anders Wetting Carlsen told Trondheim paper Adresseavisen that they helped out "without any questions, besides how big the machine was."
The paper said one of the jets transported the so-called ECMO machine to Bodoe in 25 minutes, saving the patient's life.
10 beautiful photos of traditional altar rails
10 Beautiful Photos of Traditional Altar Rails | ChurchPOPMILLEGAN: Before the Second Vatican Council, the normal way for a Catholic to receive the Eucharist was for him to kneel at an altar rail at the front the church and receive on the tongue. Altar rails were sometimes plain, sometimes very ornate – but they were a predictable part of many Catholic churches.
Today, however, an altar rail is a rare site. Most were removed in the years following the Second Vatican Council.
Whether you think that was a good thing or a bad thing, here are pictures of 17 churches with beautiful altar rails. You can click on any image to view it full size. When information on the name and location of the church is known, it is included in the caption.
Today, however, an altar rail is a rare site. Most were removed in the years following the Second Vatican Council.
Whether you think that was a good thing or a bad thing, here are pictures of 17 churches with beautiful altar rails. You can click on any image to view it full size. When information on the name and location of the church is known, it is included in the caption.
How St. Louis de Montfort changed the Rosary
How St. Louis de Montfort Changed the Rosary | The New Theological MovementERLENBUSH: Have you ever noticed that there is no separate bead for the Glory be prayer in the Rosary? Containing 59 beads, the Rosary string has specific beads only for the 53 Hail Marys and the six Our Fathers. Although certain methods of praying the Rosary will assign the Glory be or Fatima prayers to one bead or another, there is clearly no universally solidified practice – in many places the Glory be will be prayed on the “chain” between the final Hail Mary bead of one decade and the Our Father bead of the following decade.
The cause for this slight “confusion” (if we can call it that) as to in which place the Glory be is to be prayed is found in the fact that the Rosary did not originally include the Glory be (or, of course, the Fatima prayer). This little prayer was added by the great Apostle of the Rosary, St. Louis Marie de Montfort, showing the essentially Trinitarian character of his Marian devotion.
The cause for this slight “confusion” (if we can call it that) as to in which place the Glory be is to be prayed is found in the fact that the Rosary did not originally include the Glory be (or, of course, the Fatima prayer). This little prayer was added by the great Apostle of the Rosary, St. Louis Marie de Montfort, showing the essentially Trinitarian character of his Marian devotion.
God was crucified like a criminal, but He doesn't tell lies like a criminal
Cross Examined | Parishable ItemsFELTES: Once, at a picnic in college, I learned from a Muslim professor about what Islam teaches regarding Jesus — that he is not the divine Son of God but a prophet of Allah. Of course, my own Christian beliefs differed but I sat patiently listening — until he told me something about “Jesus (peace be upon him)” which left me manifestly incredulous. He said Jesus was never crucified; Allah only made it appear as if he suffered and died. Reportedly, most Muslims (like this professor) believe that Allah gave someone else Jesus’s physical appearance to die on the Cross instead.
The most important day of your life
The Most Important Day of Your Life | George Weigel | First ThingsWEIGEL: During talks around the country in recent years, I’ve been asking Catholic audiences how many of those present know the date of their baptism. The high-end response is a little under 10 percent. The average is about 2 to 3 percent. This, brethren, is a problem.
You know your birthday. You know (or you’d better know, gentlemen) your wedding anniversary. You know your children’s birthdays. So why don’t you know the date when you became a friend and companion of the Lord Jesus Christ—the most important day of your life?
I started thinking about this some thirty years ago, when I began working with evangelical Protestants on religious freedom and pro-life issues. (“Religious freedom” in that innocent age meant prying “dissident” Christians and Jews out of the clutches of the KGB, not trying to keep the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services from bullying the Little Sisters of the Poor.) And I discovered that these folks had an interesting way of introducing themselves at meetings.
You know your birthday. You know (or you’d better know, gentlemen) your wedding anniversary. You know your children’s birthdays. So why don’t you know the date when you became a friend and companion of the Lord Jesus Christ—the most important day of your life?
I started thinking about this some thirty years ago, when I began working with evangelical Protestants on religious freedom and pro-life issues. (“Religious freedom” in that innocent age meant prying “dissident” Christians and Jews out of the clutches of the KGB, not trying to keep the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services from bullying the Little Sisters of the Poor.) And I discovered that these folks had an interesting way of introducing themselves at meetings.
Vatican watchdog reports sharp rise in suspicious financial activity
CatholicHerald.co.uk � Vatican watchdog reports sharp rise in suspicious financial activity: The Vatican’s financial watchdog has said it received 544 reports of suspicious financial transactions last year, thanks in part to beefed-up efforts to flag potential tax cheats who are using the Vatican bank to hide money.
In its annual report, the Financial Information Authority said it passed 17 cases on to Vatican prosecutors for follow-up investigation, up from seven a year earlier. In December, European evaluators urged prosecutors to actually bring charges in some of those cases since no indictments have been handed down.
Since 2011, 36 out of 900 suspect transactions have been forwarded to prosecutors for possible follow-up.
In its annual report, the Financial Information Authority said it passed 17 cases on to Vatican prosecutors for follow-up investigation, up from seven a year earlier. In December, European evaluators urged prosecutors to actually bring charges in some of those cases since no indictments have been handed down.
Since 2011, 36 out of 900 suspect transactions have been forwarded to prosecutors for possible follow-up.
Ride along with the team of “cow police” who track down rustlers in Texas
Ride Along with the Cow Police: Late one winter night, under cover of darkness, two young calves were stolen from a ranch in Alvarado, Texas. Someone cut a wire fence bordering the property, allowing a four-wheeler to trundle onto the pasture. The calves, an Angus and a Black Baldy, were loaded into a goat cage and driven seventy miles west, along Highway 67, to a cattle barn in Stephenville. Witnesses recall seeing two men collect a claim ticket for the animals. One of the men, wearing a wide-brimmed cowboy hat, kept his chin tucked to his chest, concealing his face. His partner, hatless, presented the clerk at the cattle barn with a driver’s license in his own name. Several hours later, the calves were sold at auction—the Angus to the agent of a dairy barn in Blanket, the Baldy to a rancher in Bluff Dale, who planned to use the animal to practice roping. By sunset, before the calves’ rightful owner had even noticed their absence, the men had already received a check for the sum of the two sales and disappeared into the dusk.
We are losing our minds because the Left is holding them hostage
We Are Losing Our Minds Because the Left is Holding Them Hostage |Blogs | NCRegister.comARMSTRONG: Our thoughts may be our own, but the radical left wants them.� Pushing agendas, whether about marriage, bathrooms, or climate, is only their first step. The second step is not allowing disagreement.� Without even touching the First Amendment, our right to free speech is being bullied away.
For instance, an opinion that was once mainstream not so long ago, is now grounds for firing.� In 1996, when President Bill Clinton signed the Defense of Marriage Act into Law—defining marriage as the legal union of one man and one woman—it passed both houses of Congress by large, veto-proof majorities. �Twenty years later, TV shows get canceled, Chick-fil-A gets boycotted, bakeries and wedding service businesses get shut down, adoption agencies are closed, and people are denied college degrees, if they dare to express such an opinion.
For instance, an opinion that was once mainstream not so long ago, is now grounds for firing.� In 1996, when President Bill Clinton signed the Defense of Marriage Act into Law—defining marriage as the legal union of one man and one woman—it passed both houses of Congress by large, veto-proof majorities. �Twenty years later, TV shows get canceled, Chick-fil-A gets boycotted, bakeries and wedding service businesses get shut down, adoption agencies are closed, and people are denied college degrees, if they dare to express such an opinion.
How Mother Angelica saved the National Catholic Register
How Mother Angelica Saved the Register | Daily News | NCRegister.comARMSTRONG: Since the Easter Sunday death of Mother Mary Angelica, founder of EWTN Global Catholic Television Network, many who work in the Catholic media have reflected: “Where would we be without her?”
Without Mother Angelica, there would be no National Catholic Register, according to Daniel Burke, the Register’s executive director.
Although she was paralyzed and unable to speak in late 2010 and early 2011, when the Register became part of EWTN, Burke explained in an interview that it was her far-reaching mission to serve the Church through the media that ultimately saved the paper.
Without Mother Angelica, there would be no National Catholic Register, according to Daniel Burke, the Register’s executive director.
Although she was paralyzed and unable to speak in late 2010 and early 2011, when the Register became part of EWTN, Burke explained in an interview that it was her far-reaching mission to serve the Church through the media that ultimately saved the paper.
Ecuador quake victim Sister Clare inspires hometown: ‘She died as she lived, helping’
Ecuador Quake Victim Sister Clare Inspires Hometown: ‘She Died as She Lived, Helping’ | Daily News | NCRegister.com: Sister Clare Crockett, who died during the recent earthquake in Ecuador, wasn’t exactly a martyr for the faith, but she did die steeped in the ministry she loved.
Shortly after her death on April 16, in the 7.8-magnitude quake, details of the young Irishwoman’s efforts to save others emerged.
The 33-year-old was killed, along with five Ecuadorian postulants, when the quake struck.
Shortly after her death on April 16, in the 7.8-magnitude quake, details of the young Irishwoman’s efforts to save others emerged.
The 33-year-old was killed, along with five Ecuadorian postulants, when the quake struck.
Countdown to WYD: Downton Abbey, Polish style
Countdown to WYD: Downton Abbey, Polish Style |Blogs | NCRegister.comGRESS: In her diaries, Countess Franciszka Krasiński (1742-1796) describes in great detail her opulent life at the castle of Maleszowa. Dressing and hair, for instance, took two to three hours each day, followed by lessons in French and German, embroidery, and etiquette. Describing herself and her sisters, the countess wrote: “We are straight as poplars, with complexions white as snow and cheeks pink as roses; our waists, especially when Madame ties us fast in our stays can be, as they say, ‘clasped with one hand.’”
Wednesday, April 27, 2016
Church Tradition is a protection against antiquarianism
Does the Church Need to Constantly Evolve?LITTLE: The historicity of the Catholic Church was key in my conversion: the unbroken line from the Apostles to today. The stalwart tug of doing things—in large part—the way they’ve been done for two thousand years. The assuredness of the authority of the Seat of Peter. An ancient understanding of the Eucharist, Baptism, and hierarchical structure of the Church.
As I meandered a sort of garden path towards a more ancient faith it was these old things that finally brought me home.
But, is older better?
First, it’s important to recognize that Catholics and non-Catholics understand the Christian Church in particularly different ways. This is fundamental for how we speak about the Church, and if we’re going to understand each other most clearly.
As I meandered a sort of garden path towards a more ancient faith it was these old things that finally brought me home.
But, is older better?
First, it’s important to recognize that Catholics and non-Catholics understand the Christian Church in particularly different ways. This is fundamental for how we speak about the Church, and if we’re going to understand each other most clearly.
Pope Francis replied to my letter on infallibility debate, says Hans Küng
CatholicHerald.co.uk � Pope replied to my letter on infallibility debate, says Hans K�ng: The theologian Fr. Hans Küng says Pope Francis has personally responded to his proposal of an open discussion of the dogma of infallibility.
Fr Küng wrote an open letter to the Pope on March 9, asking for “an open and impartial discussion on infallibility of pope and bishops”. He says that the Pope replied in a letter dated March 20. Fr Küng refused to disclose the contents of the reply, except that the Pope had not “set any restrictions”. He did not say the Pope had encouraged a debate on infallibility.
Fr Küng wrote an open letter to the Pope on March 9, asking for “an open and impartial discussion on infallibility of pope and bishops”. He says that the Pope replied in a letter dated March 20. Fr Küng refused to disclose the contents of the reply, except that the Pope had not “set any restrictions”. He did not say the Pope had encouraged a debate on infallibility.
The visionary (St. Ignatius of Loyola) and the missionary (St. Francis Xavier)
The Visionary (St. Ignatius of Loyola) and the Missionary (St. Francis Xavier) |Blogs | NCRegister.comDICAMILLO: One would be hard-pressed—very hard-pressed—to find two more different saints than the founder of the Society of Jesus, Ignatius of Loyola, and his friend and first lieutenant (so to speak), Francis Xavier. While not exactly oil and vinegar, these two Spaniards took a fledging idea—a society dedicated not to a saint, nor even to Mary, but to Jesus Himself—and saw it spread worldwide, even in their lifetimes. Indeed, the Jesuits are the largest religious order within the Catholic Church today, with approximately 18,000 members.
The sad truth that Apple and Exxon reveal about our economy
The Sad Truth That Apple and Exxon Reveal About Our Economy | TIME: How the mighty have fallen.
Tuesday brought two seismic announcements in the business world. First, ExxonMobil was stripped of its AAA rating by S&P, which it held since 1949. The downgrade was thanks to a ballooning of debt, driven in part by a share buyback and dividend program that continued even as the price of oil fell. Hours later, tech giant Apple announced its first quarterly revenue loss in 13 years.
At first glance, these two stories appear unconnected, just two bits of bad news for a couple of corporate giants. But in reality, they are part of a larger trend that reflects just how disconnected stocks — and the capital markets in general – have become from corporate fundamentals and the real economy.
Tuesday brought two seismic announcements in the business world. First, ExxonMobil was stripped of its AAA rating by S&P, which it held since 1949. The downgrade was thanks to a ballooning of debt, driven in part by a share buyback and dividend program that continued even as the price of oil fell. Hours later, tech giant Apple announced its first quarterly revenue loss in 13 years.
At first glance, these two stories appear unconnected, just two bits of bad news for a couple of corporate giants. But in reality, they are part of a larger trend that reflects just how disconnected stocks — and the capital markets in general – have become from corporate fundamentals and the real economy.
In Havana, the revolution continues
Whispers in the Loggia: In Havana, The Revolution Continues – After Cuban Church's "Prince," Pope Picks A PastorPALMO: For the last four years, this has arguably been the global church's most important pending appointment... and over that time, the stakes have only increased.
After the long wait – and a geopolitical shift that revolutionized the context – it's finally come to pass: at Roman Noon this Tuesday, the Pope named Juan García Rodríguez, the 68 year-old archbishop of Camagüey in central Cuba, as archbishop of Havana and de facto chief of the island's church, retiring Cardinal Jaime Ortega y Alamino after a landmark reign of almost 35 years.
In an unusual shot for its time, the archbishop-elect – then the president of the Cuban bishops – is seen above at the right hand of President Raul Castro during the 2010 dedication of the new national seminary outside Havana, which marked the island's first opening of a religious building since the 1959 Revolution that swept Communism into power. And with today's nod, García – a native son of the diocese he's led until today – now fully trades the intimate, earthy confines of "cow country" for the religious and political gauntlet of the capital in an ongoing moment of massive transition, one whose outcome is far from settled.
After the long wait – and a geopolitical shift that revolutionized the context – it's finally come to pass: at Roman Noon this Tuesday, the Pope named Juan García Rodríguez, the 68 year-old archbishop of Camagüey in central Cuba, as archbishop of Havana and de facto chief of the island's church, retiring Cardinal Jaime Ortega y Alamino after a landmark reign of almost 35 years.
In an unusual shot for its time, the archbishop-elect – then the president of the Cuban bishops – is seen above at the right hand of President Raul Castro during the 2010 dedication of the new national seminary outside Havana, which marked the island's first opening of a religious building since the 1959 Revolution that swept Communism into power. And with today's nod, García – a native son of the diocese he's led until today – now fully trades the intimate, earthy confines of "cow country" for the religious and political gauntlet of the capital in an ongoing moment of massive transition, one whose outcome is far from settled.
A look at the early Catholic Church from the Acts of the Apostles
A Look at the Early Catholic Church from the Acts of the Apostles - Community in Mission : Community in MissionPOPE: The second reading from last Sunday’s Mass (5th Sunday of Easter) is very Catholic, and too informative to merely pass up. It presents the Church as rather highly organized and possessed of some of the structures we know today in full form. Granted, some of these structures are in seminal form, but they are there.
We will also notice qualities of the original kerygma that are at variance with what some modern thinkers declare should be the methodology of the Church. The soft Christianity of those who replace the cross with a pillow and who insist on solely inclusion and affirmation is strangely absent in this early setting.
We will also notice qualities of the original kerygma that are at variance with what some modern thinkers declare should be the methodology of the Church. The soft Christianity of those who replace the cross with a pillow and who insist on solely inclusion and affirmation is strangely absent in this early setting.
21 things St. Louis de Montfort said about the Rosary and Marian devotion
21 Things St. Louis de Montfort Said About the Rosary and Marian Devotion |Blogs | NCRegister.comPRONECHEN: April 28 marks the 300th anniversary of the death of St. Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort, one of the most important promoters of Marian devotion, the Rosary, and consecration to Our Lady as a sure means of growing in grace and in love for Jesus her Son and our Lord.
It was de Montfort’s method of consecration to Our Lady that St. John Paul II made and led to his motto: Totus Tuus.
In Crossing the Threshold of Hope, St. John Paul II wrote, “Thanks to St. Louis de Montfort, I came to understand that true devotion to the Mother of God is actually Christocentric, indeed, it is very profoundly rooted in the mystery of the Blessed Trinity, and the mysteries of the Incarnation and Redemption."
It was de Montfort’s method of consecration to Our Lady that St. John Paul II made and led to his motto: Totus Tuus.
In Crossing the Threshold of Hope, St. John Paul II wrote, “Thanks to St. Louis de Montfort, I came to understand that true devotion to the Mother of God is actually Christocentric, indeed, it is very profoundly rooted in the mystery of the Blessed Trinity, and the mysteries of the Incarnation and Redemption."
Joe Biden to give talk at Vatican conference on Friday
Joe Biden to Give Talk at Vatican Conference on Friday |Blogs | NCRegister.comPENTIN: Vice President Joe Biden arrives in Rome on Thursday to attend a conference on breakthroughs in regenerative medicine, part-hosted by the Pontifical Council for Culture.
Biden will deliver a talk the following day about the Obama administration's "Moonshot" initiative which aims to make therapies available to more patients and accelerate cancer research by improving cancer prevention and detecting it at an early stage.
The Vice President, whose son Beau died of brain cancer last year, is aiming to double the rate of progress toward a cancer cure, for which the Obama administration has asked Congress for $1 billion.
Biden will deliver a talk the following day about the Obama administration's "Moonshot" initiative which aims to make therapies available to more patients and accelerate cancer research by improving cancer prevention and detecting it at an early stage.
The Vice President, whose son Beau died of brain cancer last year, is aiming to double the rate of progress toward a cancer cure, for which the Obama administration has asked Congress for $1 billion.
Bishop Athanasius Schneider: Clarification is needed to avoid confusion over “Amoris Laetitia”
Official English translation of Bishop Schneider’s reflection on Amoris Laetitia | News | Lifesitenews: Voice of the Family, with the kind permission of His Excellency Bishop Athanasius Schneider, is delighted to share with our readers his approved translation of his reflection on Pope Francis’s Apostolic Exhortation Amoris Laetitia.
Tuesday, April 26, 2016
Pope Francis names new archbishop of Havana, Cuba
Pope Francis names new archbishop of Havana, Cuba :: Catholic News Agency (CNA): The Holy See announced Tuesday that Pope Francis has appointed Archbishop Juan de la Caridad García Rodríguez of Camagüey to head the Archdiocese of Havana, Cuba. He will be replacing retiring Cardinal Jaime Ortega Almino.
The Archdiocese of Havana expressed in a statement their gratitude for the appointment and announced that the date of the archbishop's possession of his new see will be announced in due time.
“Along with our feelings of thanksgiving to God and gratitude to our Holy Father Francis for this appointment, we lift up our prayers to the Lord that he may continue to pour out on Archbishop Juan García, our new Pastor, the gifts of the Spirit, that will help him fulfill this new mission that the pope has entrusted to him,” the Archdiocese of Havana said.
The Archdiocese of Havana expressed in a statement their gratitude for the appointment and announced that the date of the archbishop's possession of his new see will be announced in due time.
“Along with our feelings of thanksgiving to God and gratitude to our Holy Father Francis for this appointment, we lift up our prayers to the Lord that he may continue to pour out on Archbishop Juan García, our new Pastor, the gifts of the Spirit, that will help him fulfill this new mission that the pope has entrusted to him,” the Archdiocese of Havana said.
April 26 is the 100th anniversary of the Hulloch gas attack in World War I
26 April – 100th anniversary of the Hulloch gas attack | Remembering Fr William Doyle SJ: Fr Doyle had many incredibly close shaves with death during the almost 2 years he spent as a military chaplain. He has recorded many of these in his diaries and in the letters he sent home to his father. One of these dramatic moments occurred on the night of April 26 and early morning April 27 1916. Here is an excerpt from a letter home to his father which recounts the experience in a lot of detail. A few things stand out in this letter. Firstly the fact that he recorded the event in so much detail in order to keep his father informed tells us something of Fr Doyle’s filial respect and love. How many of us would easily excuse ourselves of the duty of writing home, preferring instead to sleep or take it easy in some other way? Secondly there is his trust in Providence and the seemingly supernatural help he received that day. Did he imagine this help, or did his guardian angel assist him in a special way on this day? We do not know, but it would not be the first time in history that somebody has received specific assistance in this form. Thirdly, we see something of the value of the priesthood and the sacraments, and how important the presence of the priest was to the dying soldiers, and how far Fr Doyle would go to assist them.�
What do you get when a sperm meets an egg? A new life, a new soul, and a dazzling flash of light...
The spark of life meets IVF (and Uncle Andrew) – Aleteia.org – Worldwide Catholic Network Sharing Faith Resources for those seeking Truth – Aleteia.orgFISHER: Light brings heartache. Darkness brings heartache. You will not be spared heartache, no matter how hard you try to catch that spark in a jar like a lightning bug. If you love life, then do not quantify. Do not sort. Do not coax, and do not discard. If you love life, you will let it flash out its brilliance in its own time, and you will let it go out when it will. It is not ours to coax into being, and it is not ours to snuff out.
The Eucharist has a nuptial meaning, and marriage has a Eucharistic meaning
Bonfire of the Vanities: The nuptial meaning of the Eucharist; the eucharistic meaning of marriage (Sunday homily): This week I was reading an article entitled,�
“The Cosmic and Eucharistic Meaning of the Openness to Life.”�
That’s a mouthful! But the point it made is fairly straightforward.�
That there is a likeness between God’s plan for creation –�
how he made people and families – and God’s plan for salvation –�
how he came to be with us, and he died on the cross,�
and he gives himself to us in the Holy Mass and the Eucharist.
In the second reading, from the Book of Revelation,�
we heard about a “new heaven and a new earth,” and in that new creation,�
there is a city; but it’s also called “ bride,”�
prepared and “adorned for her husband.”
Think about any weddings you have been to.�
The bride is always beautifully adorned.�
The groom is usually standing up front, and in the back, the doors open, and wow!�
“The Cosmic and Eucharistic Meaning of the Openness to Life.”�
That’s a mouthful! But the point it made is fairly straightforward.�
That there is a likeness between God’s plan for creation –�
how he made people and families – and God’s plan for salvation –�
how he came to be with us, and he died on the cross,�
and he gives himself to us in the Holy Mass and the Eucharist.
In the second reading, from the Book of Revelation,�
we heard about a “new heaven and a new earth,” and in that new creation,�
there is a city; but it’s also called “ bride,”�
prepared and “adorned for her husband.”
Think about any weddings you have been to.�
The bride is always beautifully adorned.�
The groom is usually standing up front, and in the back, the doors open, and wow!�
The forgotten era of moonlight towers
The Forgotten Era of Moonlight Towers | Amusing Planet: Back in the early 19th century, the invention of the dynamo brought promises of an exciting new world ahead, but the most urgent need of the day, or rather the night, was lighting. Edison's revolutionary incandescent light bulbs had not been invented yet, but Sir Humphry Davy, who can be considered the true founder of electric lighting, had demonstrated at the very beginning of the century a method to produce light by bringing two metal electrodes very close together to produce a sustained spark. Known as arc lamps, these became the first practical electric lights.
Why is everyone so bored with everything?
Why are we so bored? | Life and style | The Guardian: It amazes me when people proclaim that they are bored. Actually, it amazes me that I am ever bored, or that any of us are. With so much to occupy us these days, boredom should be a relic of a bygone age – an age devoid of the internet, social media, multi-channel TV, 24-hour shopping, multiplex cinemas, game consoles, texting and whatever other myriad possibilities are available these days to entertain us.
Motherhood is an expression of a life lived radically for Jesus
Motherhood is an Expression of a Life Lived Radically for Jesus |Blogs | NCRegister.comHELDT: Several years ago (and prior to my becoming Catholic), I began to notice a general uneasiness among women when it came to the subject of motherhood.
It seemed as if a lot of us saw children as somewhat of a hindrance to a meaningful and (quite ironically!) fruitful relationship with God--because kids held us back from things like ministry and humanitarian work, or evangelism.� When you’re changing millions (yes, millions) of diapers or nursing an infant around the clock, it’s just not practical to be pounding the pavement or spending long hours at a soup kitchen.
Of course I loved my children and I loved being a mother, but I could also understand and, to a degree, relate to the cognitive dissonance some of my friends were experiencing.� We wanted to live radical lives for Jesus, but was it even possible to do so during the childbearing years?� And if not, was that an indication that maybe we should be approaching motherhood like we approached other things--namely, in moderation?� So we could more quickly move on to the more important things of life?
It seemed as if a lot of us saw children as somewhat of a hindrance to a meaningful and (quite ironically!) fruitful relationship with God--because kids held us back from things like ministry and humanitarian work, or evangelism.� When you’re changing millions (yes, millions) of diapers or nursing an infant around the clock, it’s just not practical to be pounding the pavement or spending long hours at a soup kitchen.
Of course I loved my children and I loved being a mother, but I could also understand and, to a degree, relate to the cognitive dissonance some of my friends were experiencing.� We wanted to live radical lives for Jesus, but was it even possible to do so during the childbearing years?� And if not, was that an indication that maybe we should be approaching motherhood like we approached other things--namely, in moderation?� So we could more quickly move on to the more important things of life?
Why you should read C.S. Lewis' “The Great Divorce”
Why You Should Read C.S. Lewis' “The Great Divorce” | Word On FireBARRON: In my capacity as regional bishop of the Santa Barbara pastoral region, which covers two entire counties north of Los Angeles, I am obliged to spend a good deal of time in the car. To make the long trips a bit easier, I have gotten back into the habit of listening to audio books. Just recently, I followed, with rapt attention, a book that I had read many years ago but which I had, I confess, largely forgotten: C.S. Lewis’ “The Great Divorce”. The inspiration for this theological fantasy is the medieval idea of the refrigerium, the refreshment or vacation from Hell granted to some of the souls abiding there. So Lewis’ narrator leaves the dreary streets of the underworld and, with a coterie of other ghosts, journeys by flying bus to a lovely land that he comes to realize is the forecourt of Heaven. In that enchanted place, the ghosts meet a number of denizens from the heavenly world, who attempt to lure the poor souls out of their misery.
16 common errors that Catholics should avoid like the plague
16 Common Errors That Catholics Should Avoid Like the Plague |Blogs | NCRegister.comSTAGNARO: We can be honest: Catholic theology is more complex than the physics you took in school. At least in physics, one can ask for a physical demonstration of some principle to help the learning process. In Catholic theology, we don't have that option.
This is not to say that Christian principles aren't immediately apparent in a real world situation. The Golden Rule makes immediate and obvious sense and forgiveness is axiomatically better than revenge. But what we know about the nature of Christ or Heaven or the Sacraments is a little more difficult to ascertain. We know what we know about them as a result of logic, deductive/abductive/inductive reasoning, reliance upon the authority of Scriptures, the prudential application of the Spirit-given gift of wisdom, faith in Christ and the authority of the Magisterium rather than empirical evidence in its strictest sense.
This is not to say that Christian principles aren't immediately apparent in a real world situation. The Golden Rule makes immediate and obvious sense and forgiveness is axiomatically better than revenge. But what we know about the nature of Christ or Heaven or the Sacraments is a little more difficult to ascertain. We know what we know about them as a result of logic, deductive/abductive/inductive reasoning, reliance upon the authority of Scriptures, the prudential application of the Spirit-given gift of wisdom, faith in Christ and the authority of the Magisterium rather than empirical evidence in its strictest sense.
The homeless Jesus statue and Padre Pio
Homeless Jesus, Year of Mercy, & the New EvangelizationTURLEY: Occasionally an artist emerges who is of his time and yet somehow timeless in his art. In our day such an artist has appeared, and it is one whose work seems to be as affecting as its effect is universal. This is all the more surprising given that the art in question is overtly Christian. The artist’s name is Tim Schmalz.
Our story has two beginnings.
The first consisted in hearing ‘voices’. Voices that spoke a tongue unknown and whose echo was as dark as their unearthly words foreboding.� The young Tim Schmalz had by then traveled far from his Catholic upbringing. His was a well-worn path away from the Light, and it was one that led him straight to an empty darkness, with these accompanying strange voices all too real evidence of this. They persisted for years. He wondered if he was going mad, or worse if something had gripped him seemingly with no intention of letting him go. Eventually, he managed to free himself from the ‘voices’ and indeed the lifestyle that had provoked them. Today, he prefers to speak little about that period, perhaps understandably so, nevertheless, it is an overture to what comes next, and with that we move to our second beginning.
Our story has two beginnings.
The first consisted in hearing ‘voices’. Voices that spoke a tongue unknown and whose echo was as dark as their unearthly words foreboding.� The young Tim Schmalz had by then traveled far from his Catholic upbringing. His was a well-worn path away from the Light, and it was one that led him straight to an empty darkness, with these accompanying strange voices all too real evidence of this. They persisted for years. He wondered if he was going mad, or worse if something had gripped him seemingly with no intention of letting him go. Eventually, he managed to free himself from the ‘voices’ and indeed the lifestyle that had provoked them. Today, he prefers to speak little about that period, perhaps understandably so, nevertheless, it is an overture to what comes next, and with that we move to our second beginning.
Hollywood is souring on divorce and embracing families again...
Hollywood Sours on Divorce and Embraces the Family - Spotlight - Aleteia.org – Worldwide Catholic Network Sharing Faith Resources for those seeking Truth – Aleteia.orgKOSLOSKI: When Mrs. Doubtfire received a letter from a concerned child asking about how she could get her parents back together, the fake nanny responds by saying, “There are all sorts of different families … but if there’s love, dear, those are the ties that bind. And you’ll have a family in your heart forever.”
While the film’s premise revolves around a man trying to make things right with his wife and kids, its end note suggests that a united family doesn’t matter anymore. Divorced or separated parents are a fact of life, and the children living through it should be content with love in whatever form it takes.
While the film’s premise revolves around a man trying to make things right with his wife and kids, its end note suggests that a united family doesn’t matter anymore. Divorced or separated parents are a fact of life, and the children living through it should be content with love in whatever form it takes.
5 reasons to stay until the end of Mass
5 Reasons to Stay Until the End of Mass - Top Stories - Aleteia.org – Worldwide Catholic Network Sharing Faith Resources for those seeking Truth – Aleteia.orgNOBLE: As a religious sister who has moved around quite a bit, I am surprised by how drastically different parishes in some areas of the country are from others. I am from Oklahoma and rarely see people leaving Mass early. I used to live in California, and in the parish I attended, people came late and sometimes left early. I am now in the northeast and am surprised by how many people leave Mass early. But these patterns also depend on the parish. It is an interesting phenomenon. An isolated incident is not that concerning to me. But when half the parishioners have disappeared to the parking lot before the closing song has ended, it makes my heart a little sad.
Is Pope Francis about to normalize the situation of the SSPX?
Is There a ‘Profound Change’ Between Rome and the SSPX? | Daily News | NCRegister.com: Pope Francis may soon offer the Society of St. Pius X regular canonical status within the Church, without requiring the acceptance of certain texts of the Second Vatican Council with which they disagree.
It also appears the SSPX may itself be poised to take such a historic step, urging that “perhaps only Pope Francis is able to take this step, given his unpredictability and improvisation,” according to an internal SSPX document that was leaked to the press in recent weeks.
The memo, titled “Considerations on the Church and the Position of the Society of St. Pius X in It,” outlines six reasons why the group should accept an offer of regularization by Pope Francis, provided “an appropriate ecclesial structure” is ensured. It also addresses possible objections raised against such a move.
It also appears the SSPX may itself be poised to take such a historic step, urging that “perhaps only Pope Francis is able to take this step, given his unpredictability and improvisation,” according to an internal SSPX document that was leaked to the press in recent weeks.
The memo, titled “Considerations on the Church and the Position of the Society of St. Pius X in It,” outlines six reasons why the group should accept an offer of regularization by Pope Francis, provided “an appropriate ecclesial structure” is ensured. It also addresses possible objections raised against such a move.
No event approaches the Resurrection of Christ in its effect on the world
The Resurrection Difference - Crisis MagazineRUTLER: At the Yorktown surrender in 1781, the British band played a tune traditional to the ballad “The World Turned Upside Down.” In the 1640s the ballad had been written as a broadside against the suppression of Christmas festivities by the Puritan parliament. In some ways, the world had indeed been turned upside down, at least in the civil order. Sir Edward Grey was right in a way, too, when he saw the lamps going out all over Europe at the start of World War I. President Nixon’s unmeasured hyperbole had a measure of logic at least for physics, when he called the days of the Apollo 11 moon landing “the greatest week in the history of the world since Creation.” There are seminal moments that rattle the course of history and, as in James Russell Lowell’s hymn, “New occasions teach new duties, time makes ancient good uncouth.” No event approaches the Resurrection of Christ in its effect on the world. It turned the world upside down or, given the Fall of Man, it turned the world right side up again. A flaccid B.C.E/C.E. instead of B.C./A.D. anesthetizes consciousness of its importance.
St. Louis auxiliary named new Bishop of Springfield-Cape Girardeau
St. Louis Auxiliary Named New Bishop of Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau | Daily News | NCRegister.com: On Tuesday, the Vatican announced that Bishop Edward Rice of St. Louis has been tapped by Pope Francis to take charge of the Springfield-Cape Girardeau diocese in Missouri.
It is an appointment that moved Bishop Rice, who said in an April 26 press release, “I am humbled by the confidence of the Holy Father, and I am grateful for his support in appointing me the seventh bishop of the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau.”
He extended to Pope Francis “the prayers and love” of Springfield-Cape Girardeau’s clergy, religious and laity and voiced his excitement to work alongside his fellow priests in “spreading the beauty of our Catholic faith in the spirit of the New Evangelization” in his new role.
It is an appointment that moved Bishop Rice, who said in an April 26 press release, “I am humbled by the confidence of the Holy Father, and I am grateful for his support in appointing me the seventh bishop of the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau.”
He extended to Pope Francis “the prayers and love” of Springfield-Cape Girardeau’s clergy, religious and laity and voiced his excitement to work alongside his fellow priests in “spreading the beauty of our Catholic faith in the spirit of the New Evangelization” in his new role.
The Life of the Risen Christ is now ours
Christ Our Life And Our PeaceETIENNE: Two tenets of faith stand out for us today.� First, we should not be surprised when we run into roadblocks in our efforts to live our faith.� We should even expect to experience resistance in our efforts to proclaim the good news in the world today.� When we encounter these obstacles, we as Jesus must remember that the ‘ruler of this world’ has no power over us, because of our faith in Jesus.� We, as Paul, are to be courageous and persevere in the faith.
Second, Jesus, who has power over all things, who is LIFE itself, has shared his life with us.� This is the power of the resurrection, the LIFE that IS God has conquered sin and death.� This is the Divine Life that Jesus shares with us through Baptism.� This is the Life that is nourished in us through the Eucharist.� This is the Life we sustain be means of the virtues.
Second, Jesus, who has power over all things, who is LIFE itself, has shared his life with us.� This is the power of the resurrection, the LIFE that IS God has conquered sin and death.� This is the Divine Life that Jesus shares with us through Baptism.� This is the Life that is nourished in us through the Eucharist.� This is the Life we sustain be means of the virtues.
What will our resurrected bodies be like?
What Will Our Resurrected Bodies Be Like? - Community in Mission : Community in MissionPOPE: I once spoke with an older woman who wasn’t all that pleased to hear that her body was going to rise and be joined again to her soul. “Oh, Father, you don’t mean this old decrepit body, do you? If my body has to rise, I’m hoping for an improved model!”
I think most of us can relate to the desire that our current body be improved. And it surely will be. Notice that the passage above says that our lowly (weak, diseased, and often overweight) bodies will be changed and will reflect the glory of the resurrected body of Jesus. Yes, this old general issue clunker is going to be upgraded to a luxury model; I’m headed for first class.
I think most of us can relate to the desire that our current body be improved. And it surely will be. Notice that the passage above says that our lowly (weak, diseased, and often overweight) bodies will be changed and will reflect the glory of the resurrected body of Jesus. Yes, this old general issue clunker is going to be upgraded to a luxury model; I’m headed for first class.
Monday, April 25, 2016
Ecuador’s consolation: Statue of Mary stands untouched after devastating earthquake
Ecuador’s Consolation: Mary Statue Stands Untouched by Devastating Earthquake | Daily News | NCRegister.com: Everything collapsed around it, but the glass case with the statue of Our Lady of Light remained intact after the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck Ecuador on April 16.
The statue was housed at the Leonie Aviat school in the Tarqui administrative district in Manta Canton, Ecuador, one of the areas most strongly affected by the earthquake.
The Oblates have been working in this school since 1960 and had more than 900 students enrolled for this school year.
The statue was housed at the Leonie Aviat school in the Tarqui administrative district in Manta Canton, Ecuador, one of the areas most strongly affected by the earthquake.
The Oblates have been working in this school since 1960 and had more than 900 students enrolled for this school year.
The month of May is the month of Mary
A May for MaryLOONEY: I always look forward to the month of May.� For one, as a Wisconsinite, it finally means the snow might be gone for good!� But most of all, because it is the month, that we as a Church, honor the Mother of God.� To a certain degree, I treat the month of May as I do Lent.� In particular, I try to add one Marian devotion to my daily repertoire or do something concretely Marian that month.� As May 1st, quickly approaches, it is time for me to decide what I’ll do.� Have you ever done something extra special for Mary during the month of May?� If not, here are a couple of suggestions for living May for Mary this year!
Bird-watching and the breathtaking personalism of God
Bird-Watching and the Breathtaking Personalism of God - Top Stories - Aleteia.org – Worldwide Catholic Network Sharing Faith Resources for those seeking Truth – Aleteia.org: A few years ago, as a freshman in college, I was out in the woods late under a full October moon. My classmates, who were drinking in the hut across the field, hollered at me to come back and join them. I shot back gaily, “I can’t! I’m talking to the moon!”
Indeed, I had been standing there enraptured, with my neck craned back at a right angle, and getting stiff, too. Most of this flower-child act, to be perfectly frank, was designed to catch the attention of a certain long-haired senior. It didn’t work.
Now I pass my days as a stay-at-home mama to a son who’s a far stride more genuine than I am, since he actually is enraptured by everything. In the midst of caring for him, I recently decided to do something just for me, something I love — so I took up bird-watching. Goodness knows I do enough standing at the window and saying, “Bird. BIRD. Look, a bird!”
Indeed, I had been standing there enraptured, with my neck craned back at a right angle, and getting stiff, too. Most of this flower-child act, to be perfectly frank, was designed to catch the attention of a certain long-haired senior. It didn’t work.
Now I pass my days as a stay-at-home mama to a son who’s a far stride more genuine than I am, since he actually is enraptured by everything. In the midst of caring for him, I recently decided to do something just for me, something I love — so I took up bird-watching. Goodness knows I do enough standing at the window and saying, “Bird. BIRD. Look, a bird!”
Why is the U.S. suicide rate skyrocketing?
Why is the US Suicide Rate Skyrocketing? |Blogs | NCRegister.comARCHBOLD: Something is wrong in our country. Very wrong. I think we all feel it and know it.
My thirteen year old daughter noticed something the other day. We were stopped at a traffic light on the way to school and she looked around at the other drivers and to be honest they all looked pretty miserable. One woman was crying. Another man had his head in his hand. The other was just staring ahead rather hopelessly. Maybe we were just seeing them all at a bad moment (it was morning) but I don't know. We live in a country with a quality of life which is the envy of the world in many ways. So many of us have cars, cable, and food in the refrigerator. And yet a report just came out that suicide rates are at the highest level in decades, especially among the middle class and women.
My thirteen year old daughter noticed something the other day. We were stopped at a traffic light on the way to school and she looked around at the other drivers and to be honest they all looked pretty miserable. One woman was crying. Another man had his head in his hand. The other was just staring ahead rather hopelessly. Maybe we were just seeing them all at a bad moment (it was morning) but I don't know. We live in a country with a quality of life which is the envy of the world in many ways. So many of us have cars, cable, and food in the refrigerator. And yet a report just came out that suicide rates are at the highest level in decades, especially among the middle class and women.
An Artist, not chance, is the guiding hand behind all creation
Life Imitates Art |Blogs | NCRegister.comSHEA: Take, for instance, the Coconut Crab. Here's a critter that starts as a random egg in the briny deep. After several molts, he grows from a plankton to the size of a couple basketballs (and after dodging a predator or two), and (despite receiving no instruction on how to do coconut crab things from his mommy) crawls up on an island. It is an island he's never seen before and knows nothing about (due to the fact his itsy-bitsy crab brain is pretty much a glorified ganglion). Then, with little waving stalk eyes that can barely see, he crawls over to a coconut tree he's never seen before and climbs it. At the top, he snips off a coconut he's never seen before, crawls back down the tree and gropes around till he finds the coconut. Then, with limbs specially adapted for this, he cuts into the coconut and chows down.
The last-kid barometer: Of mammon, moral formation, and family life
The Last-Kid Barometer: Of Mammon, Moral Formation, and Family Life |Blogs | NCRegister.comBECKER: We were chatting around the dinner table recently, and Katharine, my ten-year-old, remarked that she “still hasn’t learned to cook.”
“No worries, Kath,” I teased. “You can just hire somebody to do your cooking after you marry some rich guy someday.”
“But if I marry a rich guy, then I’ll have to give away all my money,” she shot back, “because I’m Catholic!”
Though debatable, Kath’s reaction was praiseworthy for its assumption of obligatory altruism, and, frankly, I’m very pleased that her conception of how Catholics ought to handle wealth was both so generous and so immediate – no hesitation on her part: “Riches? Give it away – boom!” It put in mind Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, and Mr. Bennett’s intuition regarding his eldest daughter and her wealthy beau: “You are each of you…so generous, that you will always exceed your income.” My Kath clearly perceives such extravagant giving as a moral absolute –the way it would just have to be. What a marvelous indicator of the kind of values she has internalized in the course of her relatively brief span of years.
“No worries, Kath,” I teased. “You can just hire somebody to do your cooking after you marry some rich guy someday.”
“But if I marry a rich guy, then I’ll have to give away all my money,” she shot back, “because I’m Catholic!”
Though debatable, Kath’s reaction was praiseworthy for its assumption of obligatory altruism, and, frankly, I’m very pleased that her conception of how Catholics ought to handle wealth was both so generous and so immediate – no hesitation on her part: “Riches? Give it away – boom!” It put in mind Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, and Mr. Bennett’s intuition regarding his eldest daughter and her wealthy beau: “You are each of you…so generous, that you will always exceed your income.” My Kath clearly perceives such extravagant giving as a moral absolute –the way it would just have to be. What a marvelous indicator of the kind of values she has internalized in the course of her relatively brief span of years.
Correcting media portrayals of Prince’s faith
Correcting Media Portrayals of Prince’s Faith | Catholic AnswersHORN: The recent passing of music icon Prince has motivated many people to look at a once little-known fact about his life: his faith. Though he was baptized a Seventh-day Adventist, Prince became a Jehovah’s Witness. He regularly attended services and even knocked on doors, as this CNN.com story illustrates...
What they didn't teach you in school about Harriet Tubman
Harriet Tubman: $20 Bill Change Honors American Hero: Harriet Tubman is a good choice to replace Andrew Jackson on the front of the $20 bill. Jackson, the first Democratic president, is exactly the sort of overheated, pompous populist that has tended to screw up the American political system. His demotion to the back of the bill is long overdue.
But before we act to raise Tubman’s stature to the point that she is memorialized on commonly used currency, it behooves Americans to understand her role in our common history. It’s a lot more interesting than the description of her as an “Underground Railroad conductor” that appears in my son’s elementary-school materials and many popular accounts of her life.
But before we act to raise Tubman’s stature to the point that she is memorialized on commonly used currency, it behooves Americans to understand her role in our common history. It’s a lot more interesting than the description of her as an “Underground Railroad conductor” that appears in my son’s elementary-school materials and many popular accounts of her life.
How did saloons in the Old West lock their doors at night?
How Did Saloons in the Old West Lock Their Doors at Night? | Mental Floss: If Hollywood has taught us anything, it’s that the ubiquitous watering holes that littered the dusty trails traversed by thirsty cowboys roundin’ up those doggies in the Old West all came equipped with “batwing” doors (technically called “café doors”) hanging in the entryway. But how in the world could a barkeep protect his livelihood after hours with such a tiny barrier between his stash of firewater and the outside world?
Café doors were actually practical for many reasons. They allowed ventilation in a small enclosure that was filled with folks smoking cigars and home-rolled cigarettes. The bidirectional hinges were handy for cowboys who both entered and exited carrying heavy saddlebags (unlike automobiles, horses don’t come equipped with locking storage containers in the rear, and there was always the danger of some low-down sidewinder stealing from you while you were inside getting your drink on). And those abbreviated doors shielded the church-going “proper” passersby from having to view the liquor, gambling, and spitting (spittoons were as common then as ashtrays would be later) going on inside.
Café doors were actually practical for many reasons. They allowed ventilation in a small enclosure that was filled with folks smoking cigars and home-rolled cigarettes. The bidirectional hinges were handy for cowboys who both entered and exited carrying heavy saddlebags (unlike automobiles, horses don’t come equipped with locking storage containers in the rear, and there was always the danger of some low-down sidewinder stealing from you while you were inside getting your drink on). And those abbreviated doors shielded the church-going “proper” passersby from having to view the liquor, gambling, and spitting (spittoons were as common then as ashtrays would be later) going on inside.
Pope's surprise visit to Villa Borghese park: “Change deserts into forests”
Pope Francis surprise visit in Rome: "transform deserts" - Vatican Radio: “We must not be afraid to go into the desert and to transform it into a forest:” that’s what Pope Francis told hundreds of people on a surprise visit to an Earth Day Italy and Focolari Movement event in a Rome park Sunday.
Judge sentences PTSD-stricken veteran to night behind bars — and then goes to jail with him...
N.C. judge goes to jail with PTSD-stricken veteran he sentenced - NY Daily News: A compassionate North Carolina judge worried about locking up a retired soldier with PTSD served the 24-hour sentence with the veteran so he wouldn’t be left alone.
Fayetteville District Court Judge Lou Olivera said he had to punish Green Beret Sgt. Joe Serna for lying to Veterans Treatment Court. But the judge — a Gulf War veteran himself — decided to stay the night with Serna because he worried time in isolation would be particularly damaging for a solider with mental health issues.
“He comes in. They close the door and lock it,” Serna told WTVD. “And that’s when I realized — I said, ‘You’re in here for the entire time with me, huh?’”
Fayetteville District Court Judge Lou Olivera said he had to punish Green Beret Sgt. Joe Serna for lying to Veterans Treatment Court. But the judge — a Gulf War veteran himself — decided to stay the night with Serna because he worried time in isolation would be particularly damaging for a solider with mental health issues.
“He comes in. They close the door and lock it,” Serna told WTVD. “And that’s when I realized — I said, ‘You’re in here for the entire time with me, huh?’”
5 serious problems with chapter 8 of Amoris Laetitia
Five Serious Problems with Chapter 8 of Amoris Laetitia | Catholic World Report - Global Church news and viewsBRUGGER: For Catholics who feel weary about the abuse that the Christian family has lately suffered at the hands of militant secularism, Pope Francis’ post-synodal apostolic exhortation Amoris Laetitia (AL) has many encouraging things to say: e.g., its forthright assertion that “no genital act of husband and wife can refuse” the truth that “the conjugal union is ordered to procreation ‘by its very nature’” (AL, 80; cf. 222); its ardent rejection of the killing of the unborn (no. 83); its unapologetic affirmation that every child has “a natural right” to have a mother and a father (no. 172), and its needed treatment—the lengthiest in any papal document of the last 50 years—of the importance of fathers for children (no. 175).
Sunday, April 24, 2016
For good reason, Our Lord calls Himself the “Good Shepherd” rather than the “Non-Judgmental Shepherd”
Non-Judgmental Shepherds - The Catholic ThingPOKORSKY: The other day I heard a radio commercial advertising “sedation dentistry.” The reworking of your teeth takes place in one session while you are asleep. You meet first with the doctor for a “non-judgmental” evaluation. When he inspects your crooked and missing teeth, he promises, he won’t gasp in horror or give you a lecture. He’s certainly not revealing an inability to properly evaluate teeth by refusing to judge the condition of our smiles. But the term is ambiguous and it’s contrary, “judgmental,” has become, increasingly, a dread weapon of moral destruction.
Who was St. Mark? And why is he pictured as a lion?
Who was St Mark? And Why is he pictured as a lion? | The New Theological MovementERLENBUSH: In the Roman Martyrology for April 25th, we find: “At Alexandria, the [heavenly] birthday of Blessed Mark the Evangelist, he, for the faith of Christ, being stretched and bound with cords, was dragged over the rocks, and grievously tormented. Afterwards, being shut up in prison, he was first comforted by an angelic vision, and at last by the appearance of the Lord Himself, by whom he was called to the heavenly kingdom in the eighth year of Nero.”
In honor of this great saint and evangelist, we do well to consider certain details of his person. Who was he? Is he John Mark? Was he a priest? Had he ever met Jesus? Why is he presented under the figure of a lion?
In honor of this great saint and evangelist, we do well to consider certain details of his person. Who was he? Is he John Mark? Was he a priest? Had he ever met Jesus? Why is he presented under the figure of a lion?
The 2016 Audubon Photography Awards received 7,000 entries. Here are the top 100...
The 2016 Audubon Photography Awards: Top 100 | Audubon: Every year we field thousands of entries for the Audubon Photography Awards, and every year we have to make the terrible choice of picking just a handful of winners. Lucky for us, our readers are always hungry for more amazing bird pics. So we'd like to share a hundred of our favorites (in no particular order)—enjoy!
For Christians in Palestine, life is defined by borders, walls and expropriation
Christians in Palestine: Life Defined by Borders, Walls and Expropriation | Daily News | NCRegister.comGAETAN: Good news for Christians in the Holy Land generally comes with a subtext of anguish.
The only Catholic parish in the Gaza Strip — a 26-mile-long slice of territory on the Mediterranean squeezed between Israel and Egypt — managed to get permits for 857 Christians to travel to Bethlehem and Jerusalem.
That’s about 66% of Gaza’s entire Christian population of 1,300, which includes some 130 Catholics.
Product of a tumultuous recent past, Gaza has been blockaded by Israel since 2007. Many of the people who received the unexpected 45-day travel permits, especially men under age 35, have not been allowed to leave the Palestinian territory, twice the size of Washington, D.C., in eight years. Israel fears they could be terrorists.
Just two border crossings link Gaza with the rest of the world: In the north, the Israeli military controls access, and in the south, Egypt has it locked.
“We praise the Lord for this grace,” said Father Mario de Silva, a priest at Gaza’s Holy Family Church, who helped prepare permit applications. It was the first year Catholics managed the process on behalf of the Catholic and Orthodox communities. Most Palestinian Christians in Gaza are Orthodox.
The only Catholic parish in the Gaza Strip — a 26-mile-long slice of territory on the Mediterranean squeezed between Israel and Egypt — managed to get permits for 857 Christians to travel to Bethlehem and Jerusalem.
That’s about 66% of Gaza’s entire Christian population of 1,300, which includes some 130 Catholics.
Product of a tumultuous recent past, Gaza has been blockaded by Israel since 2007. Many of the people who received the unexpected 45-day travel permits, especially men under age 35, have not been allowed to leave the Palestinian territory, twice the size of Washington, D.C., in eight years. Israel fears they could be terrorists.
Just two border crossings link Gaza with the rest of the world: In the north, the Israeli military controls access, and in the south, Egypt has it locked.
“We praise the Lord for this grace,” said Father Mario de Silva, a priest at Gaza’s Holy Family Church, who helped prepare permit applications. It was the first year Catholics managed the process on behalf of the Catholic and Orthodox communities. Most Palestinian Christians in Gaza are Orthodox.
Pope makes surprise visit to Rome's Villa Borghese park to mark Earth Day
Pope Makes Surprise Visit to Rome Park Marking Earth Day - ABC News: Pope Francis has made a surprise visit to one of Rome's main parks to participate in an Earth Day event.
Francis, who wrote an encyclical decrying the exploitation of the Earth's environment and resources often at the expense of the poor, went to Villa Borghese, a park filled with Sunday strollers.
He sat on an outdoor stage along with an Italian priest who has courageously denounced Naples-area mobsters for systemically dumping toxic waste on local farmland in a lucrative, illicit operation often serving legitimate businesses.
The pope told the audience that money has become a god "at the center of the world."
Francis, who wrote an encyclical decrying the exploitation of the Earth's environment and resources often at the expense of the poor, went to Villa Borghese, a park filled with Sunday strollers.
He sat on an outdoor stage along with an Italian priest who has courageously denounced Naples-area mobsters for systemically dumping toxic waste on local farmland in a lucrative, illicit operation often serving legitimate businesses.
The pope told the audience that money has become a god "at the center of the world."
Neglected for decades, here's the original Divine Mercy image that St. Faustina knew
Countdown to World Youth Day: Interview with Divine Mercy Movie Director Daniel diSilva |Blogs | NCRegister.comGRESS: While many pilgrims to World Youth Day will make their way to St. Faustina’s convent in Krakow, there is another image that predates the well-known one hanging on the convent church wall.
I caught up with film director Daniel diSilva to talk about his movie “The Original Image of Divine Mercy” that features the original image, the mystery around it and its theological significance.
The film features a broad range of theological experts on Divine Mercy including Cardinal Stanisław Dziwisz, archbishop of Kraków, Bishop Robert Barron, auxiliary bishop of Los Angeles, Fr. Dwight Longenecker and papal biographer George Weigel. Comedian Jim Gaffigan and singer, songwriter Harry Connick Jr. bring some unexpected cultural commentary to the film.
I caught up with film director Daniel diSilva to talk about his movie “The Original Image of Divine Mercy” that features the original image, the mystery around it and its theological significance.
The film features a broad range of theological experts on Divine Mercy including Cardinal Stanisław Dziwisz, archbishop of Kraków, Bishop Robert Barron, auxiliary bishop of Los Angeles, Fr. Dwight Longenecker and papal biographer George Weigel. Comedian Jim Gaffigan and singer, songwriter Harry Connick Jr. bring some unexpected cultural commentary to the film.
5 tips for a successful social justice warrior cake hoax
5 Tips For A Successful Social Justice Warrior Cake HoaxHEMINGWAY: Social Justice Warrior hoaxing is having a heyday. Whether you’re a multi-racial family surreptitiously spray-painting your own home with racist graffiti, a lesbian waitress writing fake anti-gay notes on receipts, an overweight teen falsely claiming a store clerk called you fat, or an activist sending yourself hateful tweets, never has the time been better to advance your cause using a bit of fakery.
But as the links above show, you have to be good at your game if you don’t want to be caught. Sure, the media will believe you and run far and wide with your story before checking it, and that’s good enough to keep these hoaxes coming for the years to come. But if you want to keep your cake hoax from being revealed by citizens less credulous than the media, here are some tips to get you going.
But as the links above show, you have to be good at your game if you don’t want to be caught. Sure, the media will believe you and run far and wide with your story before checking it, and that’s good enough to keep these hoaxes coming for the years to come. But if you want to keep your cake hoax from being revealed by citizens less credulous than the media, here are some tips to get you going.
In this Year of Mercy: Mercy for Michael Voris, and for those he has smeared
In This Year of Mercy: Mercy for Michael Voris, and for Those He Has Smeared – Seasons of GraceSCHIFFER: In 2011, I was among 150 bloggers invited by the Vatican to attend the first-ever Vatican Blogfest, a one-day gathering at the offices of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications. The event itself was presented in six languages concurrently; and there were other, off-site gatherings for Catholic writers as well. When the official Blogfest ended, I wandered the streets of Rome, eventually finding my way to one of those independently organized and advertised events in a Rome pub. But I was too late! The planned addresses were over, but there, sitting alone at a table, was Michael Voris. I introduced myself, and we chatted for more than an hour. Since I had told him I was from Detroit, he recounted some stories about events that had happened in the Archdiocese, and how his attempt to bring his “Church Militant” program to the airwaves had been thwarted by officials there.
Tips for how to think your way through Pope Francis coverage
Weekend think piece: Tips for how to think your way through Pope Francis coverage — GetReligionMATTINGLY: Journalists on the religion beat, news-consumers at large, please ask yourself this question: When you stop and think about the public impact of Pope Francis, how much are you reacting to the pope's own words, as opposed to news-media (and church media) commentaries about his words? When you read elite media coverage of a new statement by the pope, are you confident that you know what the pope said as a whole, in context, as opposed to one or two sentences that have been used to create a headline?
New interactive site reveals the secrets of this cryptic Catholic painting
New Interactive Site Reveals the Secrets of This Cryptic Catholic Painting | ChurchPOP: You may not recognize the name “The Garden of Earthly Delights” by Jheronimus Bosch (sometimes Hieronymus Bosch), but there’s a good chance you’ve seen the painting before.
Pope to teens: There isn't a phone app for love and happiness
Pope to teens: There isn't a phone app for love and happiness :: Catholic News Agency (CNA): Freedom does not come from things we possess or from doing whatever we want, Pope Francis said Sunday in his homily for the Jubilee for boys and girls. Rather, true freedom and happiness can only be found in the love of Jesus. �
“Your happiness has no price,” the Pope said during Mass in St. Peter's Square. “It cannot be bought: it is not an app that you can download on your phones nor will the latest update bring you freedom and grandeur in love.”
“That is because love is a free gift which calls for an open heart,” he said. “It is a noble responsibility which is life-long; it is a daily task for those who can achieve great dreams!”
“Your happiness has no price,” the Pope said during Mass in St. Peter's Square. “It cannot be bought: it is not an app that you can download on your phones nor will the latest update bring you freedom and grandeur in love.”
“That is because love is a free gift which calls for an open heart,” he said. “It is a noble responsibility which is life-long; it is a daily task for those who can achieve great dreams!”
The legacy of love: A homily for the 5th Sunday of Easter
The Legacy of Love – A Homily for the 5th Week of Easter - Community in Mission : Community in MissionPOPE: The title of this sermon uses the word legacy, which refers to something transmitted by or received from an ancestor or predecessor.
Perhaps the most accessible image of this is money. If I receive 100 million dollars from a dying relative, I can use those funds to start living differently. My bills, which now seem overwhelming, can be paid with just the interest earned from my newfound wealth. I can start enjoying things I thought I could never afford in the past. In other words, a legacy can completely change the way I live and open up new possibilities.
Perhaps the most accessible image of this is money. If I receive 100 million dollars from a dying relative, I can use those funds to start living differently. My bills, which now seem overwhelming, can be paid with just the interest earned from my newfound wealth. I can start enjoying things I thought I could never afford in the past. In other words, a legacy can completely change the way I live and open up new possibilities.
Saturday, April 23, 2016
Solidarity transforms unjust citizens and states
Solidarity Transforms Unjust Citizens and States | Daily News | NCRegister.comSHEA: The great Roman playwright Terence said, “I am a man. Nothing human is alien to me.” It’s significant Terence was known for his comedies, since comedy is the art form that focuses most strongly on our weaknesses and our need for help from both divine and human grace and mercy.
In tragedies, the protagonists die isolated in their grandeur: great men and women left in splendid ruins, while lesser beings look on in awe and say, “Now cracks a noble heart!” But in comedies, the quintessential ending is when everybody comes together at a great wedding banquet, and all’s well that ends well. It’s rather like the heaven Jesus constantly compares to a wedding banquet: the marriage supper of the Lamb in which the poor, deaf, blind and lame have the seats of honor. In comedy, we’re all in this together and — being recipients of the Playwright’s grace — we all get our richly undeserved rewards from the Founder of the Feast.
In tragedies, the protagonists die isolated in their grandeur: great men and women left in splendid ruins, while lesser beings look on in awe and say, “Now cracks a noble heart!” But in comedies, the quintessential ending is when everybody comes together at a great wedding banquet, and all’s well that ends well. It’s rather like the heaven Jesus constantly compares to a wedding banquet: the marriage supper of the Lamb in which the poor, deaf, blind and lame have the seats of honor. In comedy, we’re all in this together and — being recipients of the Playwright’s grace — we all get our richly undeserved rewards from the Founder of the Feast.
Where did you go, Michelangelo? The problem with ugly churches...
Where Did You Go, Michelangelo? The Problem With Ugly Churches |Blogs | NCRegister.comDICAMILLO: How is it that the oldest churches in Christendom—the four major basilicas of Rome, Notre Dame in Paris, Chartres—all seem timeless, undated almost? That is, if you visited the Cathedral at Rheims or San Marco in Venice or the Duomo in Milan or even some of the finest Minor Basilicas in America (Our Lady of Victory in South Buffalo, Sacred Heart at University of Notre Dame), you’d be hard-pressed to say, “Hey! I know this Church was built in [date]!” without consulting a guide book.
By contrast, it’s not hard to figure out when a post-Vatican II church was built. There seemed to be a time, in those heady days post-1965 when building a “circular” or centrally-focused church meant topping it with something akin to a washing-machine agitator. Strangely, this phenomenon caught on: instead of the roof of the church looking like an upside-down ship—at least from the interior, which is supposed to represent the upside-down hull of St. Peter’s barque—newer houses of worship looked like they were wearing a particularly awful crown. The headquarters of the Blue Army (The World Apostolate of Fatima) in Washington Township, New Jersey is an example of this.
By contrast, it’s not hard to figure out when a post-Vatican II church was built. There seemed to be a time, in those heady days post-1965 when building a “circular” or centrally-focused church meant topping it with something akin to a washing-machine agitator. Strangely, this phenomenon caught on: instead of the roof of the church looking like an upside-down ship—at least from the interior, which is supposed to represent the upside-down hull of St. Peter’s barque—newer houses of worship looked like they were wearing a particularly awful crown. The headquarters of the Blue Army (The World Apostolate of Fatima) in Washington Township, New Jersey is an example of this.
5 ways to avoid unhelpful Pope Francis “mind reading”
5 Ways to Avoid Unhelpful Pope Francis “Mind Reading” |Blogs | NCRegister.comNOBLE: It has been interesting to see the varied reactions to Amoris Laetitia, or The Joy of Love, the new document by Pope Francis on the family. I have learned a lot from the positive, the negative, and the mixed reviews. But I also think that some of the responses to the document, positive and negative, have been a disservice to the Church. After digging around online just a day after the document was released I had to stop because I was feeling depressed and full of despair, not because of the document itself but because of the negativity of some writers, the effusive praise of others (who see only their own agenda in anything the pope says or does), the lies in many of the headlines, and the general confusion.
8 things you should know about the Armenian Genocide
8 Things You Should Know about the Armenian Genocide: During a special mass held in 2015 to mark the centenary of the mass killing, the pontiff referred to “three massive and unprecedented tragedies” of the past century. “The first, which is widely considered the first genocide of the twentieth century, struck your own Armenian people,” he said, quoting a declaration signed in 2001 by Pope John Paul II and Kerekin II, leader of the Armenian church (Source and Video). What was he talking about?
Pope hears confessions in St. Peter's Square at Jubilee event for teens
Pope hears confessions at Jubilee event for teens :: Catholic News Agency (CNA): Pope Francis on Saturday heard the confessions of young people in St. Peter's Square as part of this weekend's Jubilee for Boys and Girls, an event which is expected to draw tens of thousands of teenagers from around the world. Sitting on simple chairs out in the open along with other priests just within the Square's colonnade, the Pope offered the sacrament of reconciliation to 16 boys and girls between 11:30am and 12:45, the Vatican press office said. More than 150 priests were in the square to hear confessions, according to Vatican Radio.
10 towering facts about “The Iron Giant”
10 Towering Facts About 'The Iron Giant' | Mental Floss: When Brad Bird's feature directorial debut hit theaters in 1999, the film was a critical success. But due to misdirected marketing from Warner Bros., that positive reception didn't carry over into the box office. The Iron Giant would have to wait until the next millennium to achieve its cult status as a modern animated classic. Here are 10 facts worth knowing about the beloved cartoon.
Friday, April 22, 2016
Why religious liberty is so important: The USCCB's inspiring new video...
Why Religious Liberty Is So Important: The USCCB's Inspiring New Video | ChurchPOP: The Little Sisters of the Poor currently fighting the HHS mandate at the Supreme Court. The crux of the matter is this: does the U.S. federal government have the right to force them to do something contrary to their faith?
This surprisingly well-done and inspiring video produced by the USCCB explains why this is so important. It’s definitely worth 10 minutes of your time.
Great work, USCCB!
This surprisingly well-done and inspiring video produced by the USCCB explains why this is so important. It’s definitely worth 10 minutes of your time.
Great work, USCCB!
DivineOffice.org removed from app stores
Coffee and Canticles : DivineOffice.org Gone from AppstoresSOCKEY: Even if you don't normally use DivineOffice to say your prayers, it can come in �handy when you are mixed up about which pages to use for any given day in your breviary: they always list them for you right at the begining of the prayers, both for the single volume and the four volume breviary.
How else can you help?
Go to DivineOffice.org and make a small (or large) donation. This licensing process will cost money, you can be sure of that. �If by chance you have some legal expertise in negotiating such things, you might offer your services to CEO Dane Falkner. Contact me privately about this if you are interested. thesockeys"at" gmail "dot" com.
How else can you help?
Go to DivineOffice.org and make a small (or large) donation. This licensing process will cost money, you can be sure of that. �If by chance you have some legal expertise in negotiating such things, you might offer your services to CEO Dane Falkner. Contact me privately about this if you are interested. thesockeys"at" gmail "dot" com.
Norway’s Church to seek Vatican permission to stop officiating at civil weddings
CatholicHerald.co.uk � Norway’s Church to seek Vatican permission to stop officiating at civil weddings: A Norwegian bishop has said the country’s clergy will no longer officiate at civil weddings, after the predominant Lutheran Church’s governing synod voted to conduct gay marriages in Norway.
Bishop Bernt Eidsvig of Oslo told Catholic News Service that he would have to seek permission from the Vatican, saying: “It’s clear we must distinguish our own Church marriages from others.
“This is a matter of liturgy, so it doesn’t necessarily reflect broader change in our society’s moral values. But politicians may now get aggressive toward churches who resist these weddings, so the best option is for us to stop conducting marriages on the state’s behalf.”
Bishop Bernt Eidsvig of Oslo told Catholic News Service that he would have to seek permission from the Vatican, saying: “It’s clear we must distinguish our own Church marriages from others.
“This is a matter of liturgy, so it doesn’t necessarily reflect broader change in our society’s moral values. But politicians may now get aggressive toward churches who resist these weddings, so the best option is for us to stop conducting marriages on the state’s behalf.”
My country is in trouble. This is big, what we’re living through...
That Moment When 2016 Hits You - WSJNOONAN: Have you had your 2016 Moment? I think you probably have, or will.
The Moment is that sliver of time in which you fully realize something epochal is happening in politics, that there has never been a presidential year like 2016, and suddenly you are aware of it in a new, true and personal way. It tends to involve a poignant sense of dislocation, a knowledge that our politics have changed and won’t be going back.
We’ve had a lot to absorb—the breaking of a party, the rise of an outlandish outsider; a lurch to the left in the other party, the popular rise of a socialist. Alongside that, the enduring power of a candidate even her most ardent supporters accept as corrupt. Add the lowering of standards, the feeling of no options, the coarsening, and all the new estrangements.
The Moment is that sliver of time in which you fully realize something epochal is happening in politics, that there has never been a presidential year like 2016, and suddenly you are aware of it in a new, true and personal way. It tends to involve a poignant sense of dislocation, a knowledge that our politics have changed and won’t be going back.
We’ve had a lot to absorb—the breaking of a party, the rise of an outlandish outsider; a lurch to the left in the other party, the popular rise of a socialist. Alongside that, the enduring power of a candidate even her most ardent supporters accept as corrupt. Add the lowering of standards, the feeling of no options, the coarsening, and all the new estrangements.
Archdiocese of New York denies allegation that it sought to smear Michael Voris
CatholicHerald.co.uk � New York archdiocese denies allegation that it sought to smear Michael Voris: The Archdiocese of New York has said it is “absolutely, 100 per cent untrue” that it was preparing to smear the Catholic journalist Michael Voris.
Voris, the editor of ChurchMilitant.com, alleged that the archdiocese had been collecting information about his personal life before he became a Catholic.
In a post on the Church Militant website, Michael Voris wrote: “We have on very good authority from various sources that the New York archdiocese is collecting and preparing to quietly filter out details of my past life with the aim of publicly discrediting me, this apostolate and the work here.”
Voris, the editor of ChurchMilitant.com, alleged that the archdiocese had been collecting information about his personal life before he became a Catholic.
In a post on the Church Militant website, Michael Voris wrote: “We have on very good authority from various sources that the New York archdiocese is collecting and preparing to quietly filter out details of my past life with the aim of publicly discrediting me, this apostolate and the work here.”
Pro-Life women to be honored on new $10 bill
Pro-Life Women to be Honored on New $10 Bill | Parishable ItemsFELTES: The U.S. Treasury recently announced plans to redesign the $5, $10, and $20 bills. The new ten-dollar bill will retain the portrait of Alexander Hamilton but its reverse side will feature Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Sojourner Truth, Alice Paul, and Lucretia Mott alongside the Treasury building. These five famous suffragists advocated for women’s right to vote, but lesser known are the pro-life convictions found among them and other feminists of their era.
Virgin Mary statue, intact among Ecuador’s quake ruins, becomes a beacon of hope
Virgin Mary Statue, Intact Among Ecuador’s Quake Ruins, Becomes a Beacon of Hope - The New York Times: The earth shook and the steeple fell, taking most of the bell tower with it. A white facade gave way, leaving the pews open to the street.
But amid the wreckage at the basilica, one object remained untouched: Our Mother of Monserrate, the statue of the Virgin Mary for which the church was named.
Dressed in gold robes and wearing a tiny crown, she is only about three feet tall. But the statue, which landed on these shores from Spain in the 16th century, has long played an outsize role in the history of Montecristi.
She survived bombardment by pirates and became a rallying point for Catholics when a secular government expelled priests generations later. Every November, hundreds of thousands of pilgrims trek from across Ecuador for nine days of festivities in her honor.
But amid the wreckage at the basilica, one object remained untouched: Our Mother of Monserrate, the statue of the Virgin Mary for which the church was named.
Dressed in gold robes and wearing a tiny crown, she is only about three feet tall. But the statue, which landed on these shores from Spain in the 16th century, has long played an outsize role in the history of Montecristi.
She survived bombardment by pirates and became a rallying point for Catholics when a secular government expelled priests generations later. Every November, hundreds of thousands of pilgrims trek from across Ecuador for nine days of festivities in her honor.
U.S. suicide rate surges to a 30-year high
U.S. Suicide Rate Surges to a 30-Year High - The New York Times: Suicide in the United States has surged to the highest levels in nearly 30 years, a federal data analysis has found, with increases in every age group except older adults. The rise was particularly steep for women. It was also substantial among middle-aged Americans, sending a signal of deep anguish from a group whose suicide rates had been stable or falling since the 1950s.
The suicide rate for middle-aged women, ages 45 to 64, jumped by 63 percent over the period of the study, while it rose by 43 percent for men in that age range, the sharpest increase for males of any age. The overall suicide rate rose by 24 percent from 1999 to 2014, according to the National Center for Health Statistics, which released the study on Friday.
The suicide rate for middle-aged women, ages 45 to 64, jumped by 63 percent over the period of the study, while it rose by 43 percent for men in that age range, the sharpest increase for males of any age. The overall suicide rate rose by 24 percent from 1999 to 2014, according to the National Center for Health Statistics, which released the study on Friday.
Pulling plug on audit means gut-check time for Vatican reform
Pulling plug on audit means gut-check time for Vatican reform – CRUXALLEN: When Pope Francis’ landmark project of financial reform was announced two years ago, one lynch-pin was the idea that the world would no longer just to have to take the Vatican’s word for it in terms of how much money it has and where it’s going.
Instead there would be a credible audit carried out according to generally accepted business standards in the 21st century. That step, officials said, would represent a revolution in the direction of transparency and accountability.
As it turns out, it’s now a revolution delayed.
Instead there would be a credible audit carried out according to generally accepted business standards in the 21st century. That step, officials said, would represent a revolution in the direction of transparency and accountability.
As it turns out, it’s now a revolution delayed.
Wise men, flattering, may deceive us
Wise Men, Flattering, May Deceive Us - A Meditation on an Aria from Judas Maccabeus - Community in Mission : Community in MissionPOPE: Judas Maccabeus was Handel’s most famous oratorio during his lifetime, more popular than the Messiah. There are many wonderful moments in it, especially its bold and brave choruses. Written in 1746, it covers the biblical events of 170–160 B.C., when Judea was ruled by the Seleucids and the people were compelled to worship Zeus. Some resisted; others obeyed. The priest Mattathias went to the hills and gathered others who were willing to fight for their faith. This is all recounted in the First Book of Maccabees in the (complete) Catholic Bible. The words to Judas Maccabeus largely paraphrase the biblical text and were written by Thomas Morell.
Even a stopped clock is right twice a day
Even a Stopped Clock is Right Twice a Day |Blogs | NCRegister.comSHEA: You may want to sit down for this, but once upon a time flamboyantly apostate Episcopal bishop John Shelby Spong actually thrilled me with a prescient bit of insight into Scripture! How is this possible?
Well, there is a basic principle at work in the universe called the Gomer Pyle Axiom of High and Low Expectations. It works this way: when you expect great things from somebody, then merely above average performances are often denounced as disappointing failures. So, when Pixar, whose worst movies still tower over the junk Hollywood emits, makes Cars, people groan at what a weak effort it is, even though Cars still dwarfs 99% of all other movies and 99.9% of all other animated films.
Well, there is a basic principle at work in the universe called the Gomer Pyle Axiom of High and Low Expectations. It works this way: when you expect great things from somebody, then merely above average performances are often denounced as disappointing failures. So, when Pixar, whose worst movies still tower over the junk Hollywood emits, makes Cars, people groan at what a weak effort it is, even though Cars still dwarfs 99% of all other movies and 99.9% of all other animated films.
One mistake we make when we want to make a difference as Catholics
One Mistake We Make When We Want to Make a Difference as Catholics |Blogs | NCRegister.comMCAFEE: Do you have Catholic heroes?
When I converted to the Catholic faith I was on fire to make a mark. Having been into blogging before I converted, my conversion gave me a deep zeal and the new information I had learned was quickly converted into content. But it ran out quickly. The more I wanted to be like my heroes, the more impossible that became, and the more frustrated I ended up.
Perhaps you didn’t notice, but there are many Catholics who are just crazy about Catholics. I mean it. I mean it like I mean I absolutely love thick cut, applewood smoked, crisp and greasy bacon. There’s a serious error many commit and I’m guilty of it, too. And I’m not talking about the bacon.
When I converted to the Catholic faith I was on fire to make a mark. Having been into blogging before I converted, my conversion gave me a deep zeal and the new information I had learned was quickly converted into content. But it ran out quickly. The more I wanted to be like my heroes, the more impossible that became, and the more frustrated I ended up.
Perhaps you didn’t notice, but there are many Catholics who are just crazy about Catholics. I mean it. I mean it like I mean I absolutely love thick cut, applewood smoked, crisp and greasy bacon. There’s a serious error many commit and I’m guilty of it, too. And I’m not talking about the bacon.
Political correctness is a totalitarian ideology
Political Correctness is a Totalitarian Ideology |Blogs | NCRegister.comSTAGNARO: As if we don't have enough things to worry about in our spiritual lives, along comes a Catholic writer that just tries to add to our misery by stirring the pot.
The study of sin is called hamartiology. (Technically, hamartiology is the study of evil in general but I'm limited to the amount I can write in a single article so I'll just stick with sin for now.)
Reflecting our Jewish theological heritage, for something to be a sin, you have to have done it consciously understanding that it is, indeed a sin.
So, if someone thinks Catholics must refrain from meat on Fridays, which hasn't been strictly the case in the United States since the 1960s, and unwittingly eats a pork chop, he has not sinned.
However, if someone mistakenly believes that he must refrain from meat and intentionally scarfs up a pork chop, he has actually sinned even though the prohibition against meat is no longer there.
The study of sin is called hamartiology. (Technically, hamartiology is the study of evil in general but I'm limited to the amount I can write in a single article so I'll just stick with sin for now.)
Reflecting our Jewish theological heritage, for something to be a sin, you have to have done it consciously understanding that it is, indeed a sin.
So, if someone thinks Catholics must refrain from meat on Fridays, which hasn't been strictly the case in the United States since the 1960s, and unwittingly eats a pork chop, he has not sinned.
However, if someone mistakenly believes that he must refrain from meat and intentionally scarfs up a pork chop, he has actually sinned even though the prohibition against meat is no longer there.
There are more than 70 causes for canonization under way for potential American saints
Promoting Saints: What Goes Into Causes That Investigate Holy Lives | Daily News | NCRegister.comONEEL: The benchmark of whether someone is definitively in heaven has always been whether their intercession produces answered prayers, particularly for some miracle, usually an unexplainable healing from some disease.
Bishop Baraga’s cause submitted such a miracle, but the medical commission charged with investigating its validity sent it back, requesting additional information.
The process of Venerable Angeline McCrory is in a similar predicament. Carmelite Sister Patricia Margaret Rawdon, coordinator of the Mother Angeline Society and one who knew Mother Angeline, says the society thought they had a solid miracle, the healing of a baby in utero. But Rome rejected it, the nun related, because the cause hadn’t put forth “definitive proof that there wasn’t a misdiagnosis in the beginning.”
Bishop Baraga’s cause submitted such a miracle, but the medical commission charged with investigating its validity sent it back, requesting additional information.
The process of Venerable Angeline McCrory is in a similar predicament. Carmelite Sister Patricia Margaret Rawdon, coordinator of the Mother Angeline Society and one who knew Mother Angeline, says the society thought they had a solid miracle, the healing of a baby in utero. But Rome rejected it, the nun related, because the cause hadn’t put forth “definitive proof that there wasn’t a misdiagnosis in the beginning.”
An open letter to Target regarding their new restroom policy
An Open Letter to Target: Regarding your New Restroom Policy – Mary From Martha: How can you ensure that the people entering the restrooms of the opposite gender are, indeed, of the “gender persuasion” they are currently claiming to identify with?
Are you willing to send your wives and daughters into a restroom that is occupied by another man and trust that he is who he says he is? How about your son with a woman?
How should I handle an instance where my two and four year olds see a man’s private parts and I have to explain a) why she saw his genitals and b) why is in a women’s restroom long before they should ever have to consider such adult matters?
Are you willing to send your wives and daughters into a restroom that is occupied by another man and trust that he is who he says he is? How about your son with a woman?
How should I handle an instance where my two and four year olds see a man’s private parts and I have to explain a) why she saw his genitals and b) why is in a women’s restroom long before they should ever have to consider such adult matters?
Thursday, April 21, 2016
3 priests separate fact from fiction on the rite of exorcism
BIG C CATHOLICS: Exorcism: Separating Fact from Fiction. 3 Exorcists discuss this Rite of the Church: Exorcism is a term that signifies an insistent request manifested toward God or directed against demons. There are two different types of exorcism within the Church: supplicating exorcisms and imperative exorcisms. A supplicating exorcism is a prayer to God asking to expel a demon. One does not need to be a priest to perform such an exorcism. An imperative exorcism is a command to the demon demanding it depart in the name of God. This liturgical rite of the Church can only be performed by a bishop or a delegated priest-exorcist of a diocese. Rarely, in cases of dire urgency, a bishop may designate any priest an exorcist on a pro re nata basis.
If Margaret Sanger wasn’t a racist down to her bones, then no one is
If Andrew Jackson is out, why is Margaret Sanger in? – Aleteia.org – Worldwide Catholic Network Sharing Faith Resources for those seeking Truth – Aleteia.orgFISHER: Andrew Jackson, racist and jerk, is off the twenty dollar bill. Harriet Tubman, hero, will replace him. Excellent! She deserves honor and accolades. She was one of the America’s greatest, totally worthy of admiration.
Americans have been doing a lot of self-examination lately. In the case of the twenty dollar bill, we’ve identified an ugly growth that deserves to be excised. The Jacksonectomy makes perfect sense. We’re not going to pretend he never existed, but we’re going to say, “This is someone we’re not especially proud of.” A great and healthy thing to do.
The mania for self-examination, though, can be a sickness in itself. They erect boxes around statues of Christopher Columbus. They teach kids that Thomas Jefferson was, above all else, a racist (not that racism was one of his traits or part of his legacy, but his main trait, the essential character of his legacy). They teach kids that Abraham Lincoln was a racist.
Americans have been doing a lot of self-examination lately. In the case of the twenty dollar bill, we’ve identified an ugly growth that deserves to be excised. The Jacksonectomy makes perfect sense. We’re not going to pretend he never existed, but we’re going to say, “This is someone we’re not especially proud of.” A great and healthy thing to do.
The mania for self-examination, though, can be a sickness in itself. They erect boxes around statues of Christopher Columbus. They teach kids that Thomas Jefferson was, above all else, a racist (not that racism was one of his traits or part of his legacy, but his main trait, the essential character of his legacy). They teach kids that Abraham Lincoln was a racist.
How you can avoid becoming a guilty bystander in this new Age of Martyrs
How to Avoid Becoming a Guilty Bystander in This Age of Martyrs |Blogs | NCRegister.comARMSTRONG: Images of poor Christians being tortured and killed on the nightly news makes me feel sick. And sad. I say a prayer. And then I continue making dinner.� I will pray again later during family prayers. That’s been pretty much it because what else can someone cooking dinner in North Dakota do?
We all hate what is happening to our persecuted Christian brothers and sisters.� And it's getting worse. The number of church attacks and Christians killed rose dramatically last year. Yet, hearing about it makes us feel powerless and even somewhat callous because we simply carry on with our next activity as if none of this was happening.
Pope Francis has called the genocide against Christians a “third world war.”�� He wants us to cry out and demand an end to it. We are told to unite with our dear Christian brothers and sisters. �But how?
We all hate what is happening to our persecuted Christian brothers and sisters.� And it's getting worse. The number of church attacks and Christians killed rose dramatically last year. Yet, hearing about it makes us feel powerless and even somewhat callous because we simply carry on with our next activity as if none of this was happening.
Pope Francis has called the genocide against Christians a “third world war.”�� He wants us to cry out and demand an end to it. We are told to unite with our dear Christian brothers and sisters. �But how?
Exploring the mysterious Wieliczka Salt Mines near Krakow, Poland
Countdown to World Youth Day: Giving New Meaning to “Salt of the Earth” |Blogs | NCRegister.comGRESS: Most people who associate salt with a city in Europe think of Salzburg. Salt and Krakow aren’t a usual mix, and yet, for hundreds of years, salt was king for the region. At one point, salt provided a third of Krakow’s income. For a city at the crux of trade routes, it was good to have such a valuable commodity.
Krakow’s salt came from the Wieliczka Salt Mines, located about 10 miles south east of the city center. Mining began there in the 13th century. Although the site stopped producing salt in 2007, today there is a whole lot more to experience at the salt mines than touring old mining shafts.
Hosting a million tourists annually, the Wieliczka Salt Mines were added to the UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage List in 1978. Not only do the old mines tell the story of eight hundred years of mining history, the seven stunning caverns emptied of salt have more than twenty chapels, dining halls, a hotel, and a spa and health center.
Krakow’s salt came from the Wieliczka Salt Mines, located about 10 miles south east of the city center. Mining began there in the 13th century. Although the site stopped producing salt in 2007, today there is a whole lot more to experience at the salt mines than touring old mining shafts.
Hosting a million tourists annually, the Wieliczka Salt Mines were added to the UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage List in 1978. Not only do the old mines tell the story of eight hundred years of mining history, the seven stunning caverns emptied of salt have more than twenty chapels, dining halls, a hotel, and a spa and health center.
'God Save the Queen': Elizabeth II celebrates her 90th birthday
'God Save the Queen': Elizabeth II Celebrates 90th Birthday | Daily News | NCRegister.com: Queen Elizabeth II, 90 years old this year, belongs to what Americans sometimes call the “greatest generation”: those who were young adults during World War II.
In Britain, these are the men and women who, when young, counted themselves privileged to be alive, to be serving in the armed forces or in vital industries, and belonging to a nation with a profound sense of purpose.
The queen married a serving naval officer in a war-battered London, and a few years later, she inherited the throne of Britain and an empire on the edge of enormous change.
In Britain, these are the men and women who, when young, counted themselves privileged to be alive, to be serving in the armed forces or in vital industries, and belonging to a nation with a profound sense of purpose.
The queen married a serving naval officer in a war-battered London, and a few years later, she inherited the throne of Britain and an empire on the edge of enormous change.
Dorothy Day was morally inconsistent, but that doesn't mean she wasn't holy
Dorothy Day Cause Moves Forward | catholicsaintsguyONEEL: As America magazine reports here, the cause for the Servant of God Dorothy is moving forward.
While many will welcome this news, others make some good points as to why her cause is problematic (e.g., her loathing violence when on the part of conservatives, encouraging it on the part of communists, etc.; evidently she wasn’t quite the pacifist her supporters would have us believe) and thus not worthy of becoming a saint. The best, most recent argument in this regard is here.
While many will welcome this news, others make some good points as to why her cause is problematic (e.g., her loathing violence when on the part of conservatives, encouraging it on the part of communists, etc.; evidently she wasn’t quite the pacifist her supporters would have us believe) and thus not worthy of becoming a saint. The best, most recent argument in this regard is here.
Remembering Fr. Thomas Byles, one of the heroes on the RMS Titanic
Remembering Fr. Thomas Byles, One of the Heroes on the RMS Titanic |Blogs | NCRegister.comPRONECHEN: Forget the made-up, special-effects dramas about the Titanic. The real special effects were like the heroic actions of Father Thomas Byles, one of the passengers who perished in that sinking.
On April 14, the 104th anniversary of the Titanic hitting an iceberg, Father Byles was rightly memorialized in Brooklyn N.Y., where he was headed to celebrate the wedding Mass for his brother William and his bride Isabel Katherine.
A plaque dedicated to Father Byles and his holy heroism on that 1912 night of April 14-15 was unveiled and blessed at St. Paul and St. Agnes Church, his brother’s parish. The event included Benediction and presentations on the life of Father Byles.
On April 14, the 104th anniversary of the Titanic hitting an iceberg, Father Byles was rightly memorialized in Brooklyn N.Y., where he was headed to celebrate the wedding Mass for his brother William and his bride Isabel Katherine.
A plaque dedicated to Father Byles and his holy heroism on that 1912 night of April 14-15 was unveiled and blessed at St. Paul and St. Agnes Church, his brother’s parish. The event included Benediction and presentations on the life of Father Byles.
400 years after Shakespeare’s death, he's still required reading (even for econ majors)
400 Years After Shakespeare’s Death, He’s Still Required Reading (Even For Econ Majors) | FiveThirtyEight: William Shakespeare is commonly believed to have died 400 years ago Saturday, but, as he promised in Sonnet 18, his works have lived on “So long as men can breathe or eyes can see.” From tours through English history1 to romances that we can’t stop retelling (in every conceivable place and time) to tragedies, Shakespeare has secured his place on our stages — and in our classrooms.
Curious about how popular Shakespeare remains in academia, I looked at the catalog of more than 1.1 million syllabi available on the Open Syllabus Explorer to see which Shakespeare plays are most often assigned to college students (and which ones tend to turn up outside English courses).
Curious about how popular Shakespeare remains in academia, I looked at the catalog of more than 1.1 million syllabi available on the Open Syllabus Explorer to see which Shakespeare plays are most often assigned to college students (and which ones tend to turn up outside English courses).
Queen Elizabeth II and the 7 popes she has known
Queen Elizabeth and the Popes - Vatican Radio: Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II turned ninety on Thursday. The last time she came to the Vatican it was to meet Pope Francis together with her husband Prince Philip on the 3rd of April 2014. It was an informal meeting which marked her first encounter with this pope. One which was a far cry from the formality of her first encounter with a pope in the Vatican.
Divine Office app and website threatened with shutdown
Coffee and Canticles : Divine Office App and Site to Close!SOCKEY: Each of the 3 major apps for Liturgy of the Hours have had some significant things happening lately--some good and some not.
First and foremost, our friends at DivineOffice.org are having some issues with the permissions for the many texts they quote in the app. This recent post by DivineOffice.org's founder and CEO Dane Falkner pretty much explains it. In short, Dane thought he already had all the permissions he needed, but apparently not. So in three days' time he will suspend sale of the divineoffice.org mobile app until the permission process is completed, and there is no telling how long that might be.
First and foremost, our friends at DivineOffice.org are having some issues with the permissions for the many texts they quote in the app. This recent post by DivineOffice.org's founder and CEO Dane Falkner pretty much explains it. In short, Dane thought he already had all the permissions he needed, but apparently not. So in three days' time he will suspend sale of the divineoffice.org mobile app until the permission process is completed, and there is no telling how long that might be.
The continuing pro-life witness of Dr. Jérôme Lejeune
The Continuing Pro-Life Witness of Jerome Lejeune - Crisis MagazineTURLEY: The headline talked of more blood as the usual suspects called for the killing of Down syndrome children not yet born. I started to feel anger, but then the image of a face came into my mind. And, as it did so, glancing at the calendar, I wondered if the headline and that image were mere coincidence.
Early on Easter Sunday morning, April 3, 1994, a priest rushed to a Rome hospital. He was carrying the Blessed Sacrament. When he arrived, it was too late. The man due to receive Viaticum was already dead. The agony that had started on Good Friday, shortly after receiving the Last Rites, and that, by Holy Saturday, had worsened with breathing difficulties, now was ended. Alone, that morning at approximately 4 AM, Jérôme Lejeune had passed from this life to the next.
Early on Easter Sunday morning, April 3, 1994, a priest rushed to a Rome hospital. He was carrying the Blessed Sacrament. When he arrived, it was too late. The man due to receive Viaticum was already dead. The agony that had started on Good Friday, shortly after receiving the Last Rites, and that, by Holy Saturday, had worsened with breathing difficulties, now was ended. Alone, that morning at approximately 4 AM, Jérôme Lejeune had passed from this life to the next.
Cardinal Pell a “bit surprised” by suspension of auditors
Cardinal Pell a 'Bit Surprised' By Suspension of Auditors |Blogs | NCRegister.comPENTIN: Cardinal George Pell, the prefect of the Vatican Secretariat for the Economy, has said he was “a bit surprised” by the decision of the Secretariat of State to suspend an independent audit of the Vatican's finances.
In a short statement released this morning, he said he anticipates the audit will “resume shortly” after “discussions and clarification" of some issues, and added that the work of the “internal auditor which covers all areas has not been interrupted.”
Yesterday the Register reported that the Secretariat of State had sent a letter this week to all Vatican entities saying the first external audit aimed at raising the Vatican’s finances to international anti-money laundering standards had been suspended.
In a short statement released this morning, he said he anticipates the audit will “resume shortly” after “discussions and clarification" of some issues, and added that the work of the “internal auditor which covers all areas has not been interrupted.”
Yesterday the Register reported that the Secretariat of State had sent a letter this week to all Vatican entities saying the first external audit aimed at raising the Vatican’s finances to international anti-money laundering standards had been suspended.
Wednesday, April 20, 2016
Practical steps for porn-proofing our kids
Porn-proofing our kids: practical steps – Mama Needs CoffeeUEBBING: Porn kills love.
It also kills brain cells and willpower. But before addiction and industry and commercialization and supply and demand, there are broken human persons being brokered for profit, sold into virtual slavery to ensnare others into a detached and depersonalized slavery.
And I want more for my children. And for yours, too.
So we teach love, first. Love for self, love for neighbor, and love for God. All of which can be demonstrated in a quick moment in the checkout line or on Youtube where we shut down the offending device, flip the degrading magazine cover, and have a frank and unemotional 20 second conversation about
It also kills brain cells and willpower. But before addiction and industry and commercialization and supply and demand, there are broken human persons being brokered for profit, sold into virtual slavery to ensnare others into a detached and depersonalized slavery.
And I want more for my children. And for yours, too.
So we teach love, first. Love for self, love for neighbor, and love for God. All of which can be demonstrated in a quick moment in the checkout line or on Youtube where we shut down the offending device, flip the degrading magazine cover, and have a frank and unemotional 20 second conversation about
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)