Is God Gaslighting Me? | ncregister.comGRIFFIN: After finishing my master’s degree at Oxford about a year ago, I felt called to look seriously at the possibility of entering religious life. I visited a couple convents, had soul-searching conversations with trusted spiritual guides, and was pretty sure that I had a religious vocation. Family and friends expressed concern that I was throwing away a good education and plenty of worldly opportunities. But I didn’t care. I imagined myself wearing the habit, praying the hours, and getting rid of all of my earthly possessions. God had led me to this precipice, and I was ready to jump.
Then it wasn’t so clear. The communities I was most interested in didn’t seem like a good fit. Whether it was the charism, or the type of apostolate, or even misalignments about the idea of what a vocation is, something was always a little off. While it may be that God has a plan to draw me into religious life on His timeline, I don’t have immediate plans to join a novitiate.
Saturday, September 30, 2017
Pope Francis re-names Cardinal Burke to Vatican's highest court
Pope Francis re-names Cardinal Burke to Vatican's highest court :: Catholic News Agency (CNA): Saturday the Vatican announced Pope Francis’ appointment of Cardinal Raymond Burke as a member of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura – the Holy See's highest court – which he previously headed for six years.
Burke, 69, is currently patron of the Order of the Knights of Malta, which he was appointed to in 2014 by Pope Francis. An expert in canon law, he served as prefect of the Apostolic Signatura from 2008 to 2014.
Other members added to the tribunal were Cardinal Agostino Vallini, 77, and Cardinal Edoardo Menichelli, also 77. Vallini was prefect of the Apostolic Signatura before Burke, from 2004 to 2008. He then served as Vicar General of Rome until his retirement in May of this year.
Burke, 69, is currently patron of the Order of the Knights of Malta, which he was appointed to in 2014 by Pope Francis. An expert in canon law, he served as prefect of the Apostolic Signatura from 2008 to 2014.
Other members added to the tribunal were Cardinal Agostino Vallini, 77, and Cardinal Edoardo Menichelli, also 77. Vallini was prefect of the Apostolic Signatura before Burke, from 2004 to 2008. He then served as Vicar General of Rome until his retirement in May of this year.
How a 14-year-old Mozart stole music from the Vatican
The Day Mozart Stole Music From the Vatican - The Imaginative Conservative: The fourteen-year-old Mozart didn’t see himself as being a music pirate, mind you. He was just doing the thing he so excelled at, with his musical genius and photographic memory, back in the spring of 1770. He and his father Leopold were in Rome, working their way through Italy for the month as the young Wolfgang performed and studied and learned. Their timing was perfect: Rome during Holy Week. This was the only time and place you could hear Allegri’s famous “Miserere mei Deus” being sung. In the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel, to be more exact, as part of the exclusive Tenebrae service on Wednesday and Friday of Holy Week. It was a big tradition; since 1514, a total of twelve Misereres had been chanted/sung at this service. This twelfth one, a setting of Psalm 51, composed by Gregorio Allegri in the late 1630’s for Pope Urban VIII, had become the mainstay, far and away the most popular Miserere. To attend this service and hear this music was a big deal. Visitors, musicians, and travelers would arrange their schedules well in advance to be sure and catch a performance.
From Swiss Guard to Christian educator: One man’s journey to obey God
From Swiss Guard to Christian Educator: One Man's Journey to Obey God | The StreamFLORY: “I fell into Catholic education,” said former Swiss Guard and businessman Mario Enzler, in a recent interview with The Stream. Enzler didn’t plan to start a small school. He didn’t plan to be in Catholic higher education. The journey from Swiss banker to Catholic educator in the U.S. led him to answer his question: “Why does the Lord want me here?”
After finishing his doctorate in Milan, Dr. Mario Enzler served as a Swiss Guard to the Vatican for three years. He was not only a Swiss Guard, he was the conductor of the Swiss Guard Band. Following his time serving the Vatican, Enzler worked in investment banking and finance for many years. Enzler “fell into” Catholic education when he and his wife first came to the U.S. to be near his newly-widowed mother-in-law. They found the Catholic and parochial schools lacking. They wanted a Catholic education for their children, but what they found “basically didn’t really please us. What we found there really wasn’t Catholic education.” Public education wasn’t an option.
After finishing his doctorate in Milan, Dr. Mario Enzler served as a Swiss Guard to the Vatican for three years. He was not only a Swiss Guard, he was the conductor of the Swiss Guard Band. Following his time serving the Vatican, Enzler worked in investment banking and finance for many years. Enzler “fell into” Catholic education when he and his wife first came to the U.S. to be near his newly-widowed mother-in-law. They found the Catholic and parochial schools lacking. They wanted a Catholic education for their children, but what they found “basically didn’t really please us. What we found there really wasn’t Catholic education.” Public education wasn’t an option.
The ministry of angels, as seen in a TV commercial
The Ministry of Angels, as Seen in a Commercial - Community in Mission : Community in MissionPOPE: Most of us struggle with the fact that God allows bad things to happen to us. Why does He not intervene more often to protect us from attacks of various kinds and from events that cause sadness, setbacks, or suffering?
While mysterious, the clearest answer is that God allows suffering in order that some greater blessing may occur. To some degree I have found this to be so; some of my greatest blessings required that a door slam shut for me or that I endure some suffering. If my college sweetheart had not ended things, I would most likely not have the very great blessing of being a priest today. Had I gotten some of my preferred assignments in my early years as a priest, I would not have been enriched by the assignments I did have. Those difficult assignments have drawn me out and helped me to grow far more than the cozy, familiar placements I desired would have. Had I not entered into the crucible of depression and anxiety in my thirties, I would not have learned to trust God as much as I do, and I would not have learned important lessons about myself and about life.
While mysterious, the clearest answer is that God allows suffering in order that some greater blessing may occur. To some degree I have found this to be so; some of my greatest blessings required that a door slam shut for me or that I endure some suffering. If my college sweetheart had not ended things, I would most likely not have the very great blessing of being a priest today. Had I gotten some of my preferred assignments in my early years as a priest, I would not have been enriched by the assignments I did have. Those difficult assignments have drawn me out and helped me to grow far more than the cozy, familiar placements I desired would have. Had I not entered into the crucible of depression and anxiety in my thirties, I would not have learned to trust God as much as I do, and I would not have learned important lessons about myself and about life.
Take heart. Rise. He is calling you...
Rise. He is Calling You. - Catholic Missionary Disciples - College Station, TXLEJEUNE: My name is Bartimae’us and I have been blind from birth. My parents tell me I was cursed by God who made me blind because of the sin of our ancestors. It is hard for me to believe this, but all the teachers of Moses’ Law say it is true. Most people don’t want anything to do with me.
I am pitied by many.
Loved by none.
Alone.
From an early age my parents left me on the side of the road to beg, because this was the only way I could earn my keep. Soon after my 13th birthday, when I became a man, my parents left brought me by Jericho’s city gates and never came back.
I am pitied by many.
Loved by none.
Alone.
From an early age my parents left me on the side of the road to beg, because this was the only way I could earn my keep. Soon after my 13th birthday, when I became a man, my parents left brought me by Jericho’s city gates and never came back.
Here’s how far a human could possibly hit a baseball
What's the Longest Possible Home Run?: Home runs have soared out of baseball parks at a historic rate in 2017, as MLB hitters have slugged more than 5,700 dingers to set the record for a single season. Those homers are flying awfully far, too.
Perhaps no shot was more impressive than one from New York Yankees rookie Aaron Judge, who blasted a home run 495 feet in Yankee Stadium this summer. And fans who tuned into the Home Run Derby in July saw Judge send baseballs where no baseballs had gone before—including one homer that doinked off the roof of Marlins Park in Miami.
Perhaps no shot was more impressive than one from New York Yankees rookie Aaron Judge, who blasted a home run 495 feet in Yankee Stadium this summer. And fans who tuned into the Home Run Derby in July saw Judge send baseballs where no baseballs had gone before—including one homer that doinked off the roof of Marlins Park in Miami.
A close look at the fascinating graffiti in a medieval English church
Medieval Graffiti of the Church of St. Mary the Virgin – Ashwell, England - Atlas Obscura: Perhaps the most noteworthy graffiti in the church is what’s believed to be an image of Old St. Paul’s Cathedral, which sadly burned down during the Great Fire of London. It’s extremely rare to find such detailed depictions of medieval buildings, making this little bit of outsider art a true archaeological treasure. It was most likely etched sometime between 1340 and 1561, though it’s unclear exactly when the unknown artist decided to leave his or her mark.
How a crisis of fidelity and faith led Hugh Hefner to pornography
The crucial 'M' word -- Methodist -- that needed to be in every Hugh Hefner obituary — GetReligionMATTINGLY: This is how I will remember him: Articulate, witty, with a probing intellect, He was a strong First Amendment liberal, a lover of music, magazines and books. And there was the pipe, of course. He'd look over the top of his glasses, puffing on the pipe, while he was thinking.
I'm talking about Theodore Peterson, of course, the legendary journalism professor at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign whose class on modern magazines was a rite of passage for thousands of young writers and editors.
Take Hugh Hefner, for example.
If you took Peterson's class (as I did in graduate school), you learned quite a bit about the back-story on Hefner and the class-project dream that years later turned into a magazine celebrating sex and grown-up toys, linking consumerism with moral libertarianism.
I'm talking about Theodore Peterson, of course, the legendary journalism professor at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign whose class on modern magazines was a rite of passage for thousands of young writers and editors.
Take Hugh Hefner, for example.
If you took Peterson's class (as I did in graduate school), you learned quite a bit about the back-story on Hefner and the class-project dream that years later turned into a magazine celebrating sex and grown-up toys, linking consumerism with moral libertarianism.
Become a champion of the Rosary
Become a champion of the rosary - Denver CatholicSTAUDT: On October 13th, Archbishop Aquila will consecrate of the Archdiocese of Denver to Our Lady of Fatima, at the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception. The day marks the 100th anniversary of Our Lady’s final apparition at Fatima, the day of the great Miracle of the Sun. Central to Our Lady of Fatima’s message was praying the rosary in reparation for sin and for conversion. On the day of the final apparition, Mary told the three visionary children: “I am the Lady of the Rosary. Continue always to pray the Rosary every day.”
After 80 years, ‘The Hobbit’ is still going strong
"The Hobbit" at Eighty - The Imaginative ConservativePEARCE: “In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit.” When Tolkien wrote these words, which would become one of the most famous and most memorable opening sentences in all of literature, he could not have known what literary power would be unleashed by his creation of the diminutive hole-dwelling creature, Bilbo Baggins. This year, as we celebrate the eightieth anniversary of the publication of The Hobbit, we can see that the book’s success has been nothing short of a worldwide phenomenon. It is now rated as the sixth bestselling work of literature of all time, with over 100 million copies sold. As if this were not enough in itself, the adventures of Bilbo’s nephew, Frodo, as told in the later book, The Lord of the Rings, have proved even more popular, more than 150 copies being sold, making it the third bestselling book of all time.
How I went from the Godless philosophers to St. Thomas Aquinas, the philosopher of God
From the Godless Philosophers to the Philosopher of God - The Coming Home NetworkVOST: What does it mean to be a man? What is the key to happiness and fulfillment? I’ve always thought the ancient Greek philosophers were really onto something with their answer — the complete and happy man has a sound mind in a sound body.
Before I knew about those Greeks, my childhood embodiment of such a man came straight from my television set. Here was a man more powerful than a speeding locomotive and able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, yet totally devoted to “Truth, Justice, and the American Way.” My early childhood fascination with Superman, you see, led me later to the Man of Steel’s ancient Greek prototypes — to Odysseus and Achilles, and most especially, to the mighty Hercules himself.
Before I knew about those Greeks, my childhood embodiment of such a man came straight from my television set. Here was a man more powerful than a speeding locomotive and able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, yet totally devoted to “Truth, Justice, and the American Way.” My early childhood fascination with Superman, you see, led me later to the Man of Steel’s ancient Greek prototypes — to Odysseus and Achilles, and most especially, to the mighty Hercules himself.
Pope re-ups Cardinal Raymond Burke at Vatican's supreme court
Pope re-ups Cardinal Raymond Burke at Vatican's supreme court: Pope Francis on Saturday re-appointed American Cardinal Raymond Burke, along with five other clerics, as a member of the Apostolic Signatura, the Vatican's supreme court, thereby extending Burke's term at the body he once led until he was removed by Francis in 2014. Despite disagreements, both Francis and Burke have described impressions of a rupture between the two men as exaggerated.
Friday, September 29, 2017
Step inside a 13th-century chapel filled with human remains—using digital models
Step Inside a 13th-Century Chapel Filled With Human Remains—Using Digital Models | Mental Floss: In medieval Britain, if human remains were disturbed in the grave or disinterred, they would be removed from the cemetery and placed in what was called a charnel chapel, a religious structure that often had walls stacked high with human remains that temporarily lacked a proper resting place. Charnel houses were popular in England between the 13th and 16th centuries (and are still used in some countries). Only two original charnel chapels are undisturbed today in the UK. One, the Rothwell charnel chapel, is now becoming much more accessible to the public through digital modeling.
How to receive Holy Communion worthily
How to Receive the Eucharist Worthily - Those Catholic MenSTAUDT: Catholics receive the Eucharist regularly, but we do not focus our attention on preparing to receive Christ worthily and fruitfully in the sacrament. The danger is complacency and allowing obstacles to creep in that block the graces of the Eucharist from taking root in us.
In the early Church, Christians received the Eucharist frequently, as we can see even in Acts: “And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they partook of food with glad and generous hearts” (2:46). By the time of the Middle Ages, however, it became the norm to receive Communion once a year. Eamon Duffy notes in his monumental work, The Stripping of the Altars, that when the first Protestant Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Cranmer, enforced the practice that one person must receive Communion at each service with the priest, parishioners paid someone else to receive in their place so as not to contravene the traditional practice. To them, the Protestant push for frequent communion was a sacrilege by not taking seriously the Real Presence of Christ.
In the early Church, Christians received the Eucharist frequently, as we can see even in Acts: “And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they partook of food with glad and generous hearts” (2:46). By the time of the Middle Ages, however, it became the norm to receive Communion once a year. Eamon Duffy notes in his monumental work, The Stripping of the Altars, that when the first Protestant Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Cranmer, enforced the practice that one person must receive Communion at each service with the priest, parishioners paid someone else to receive in their place so as not to contravene the traditional practice. To them, the Protestant push for frequent communion was a sacrilege by not taking seriously the Real Presence of Christ.
Pope zeroes-in on 'fake news' for next communications day
Pope zeroes-in on 'fake news' for next communications day :: Catholic News Agency (CNA): With social platforms increasingly targeting so-called “fake news,” Pope Francis has decided to weigh-in, dedicating his message for the 2018 World Day of Social Communications to providing the truth and eliminating the spread of false information.
Announced Sept. 29, the theme for the 2018 message is: “The truth will set you free: Fake news and journalism for peace.”
A communique from the Vatican Secretariat of Communications, headed by Msgr. Dario Eduardo Vigano, said the Pope's message will be centered on “so-called 'fake news,'” which is “baseless information that contributes to generating and nurturing a strong polarization of opinions.”
Announced Sept. 29, the theme for the 2018 message is: “The truth will set you free: Fake news and journalism for peace.”
A communique from the Vatican Secretariat of Communications, headed by Msgr. Dario Eduardo Vigano, said the Pope's message will be centered on “so-called 'fake news,'” which is “baseless information that contributes to generating and nurturing a strong polarization of opinions.”
Thursday, September 28, 2017
In an extensive interview, Cardinal Müller speaks out on ‘Amoris Laetitia,’ the Dubia and the Vatican
Cardinal Mueller Speaks Out on ‘Amoris Laetitia,’ the Dubia and the Vatican | ncregister.comPENTIN: Over the course of Pope Francis’ pontificate, reports from Rome have frequently mentioned the fact that when it comes to drafting documents, the Holy Father has preferred to consult his own advisers rather than depend on the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF), leading to the dicastery’s isolation. Added to this have been reports that since Francis’ election, the congregation has been less stringent in taking action against dissident theologians.
Hugh Hefner, helmsman of the sexual revolution, dies at 91
Hugh Hefner, Helmsman of the Sexual Revolution, Dies at 91 | ncregister.comKNAP: Hugh Hefner, the founder of Playboy magazine, died Wednesday. When I first heard the news, I immediately began praying for his soul. The empire he created aimed to break down what he called “puritanical” views of sex. The promotion of commitment-less relationships, contraception and cohabitation are natural consequences of a view of women as temporary disposable toys. Abortion skyrocketed, along with divorce, eating disorders and children left behind in the wreckage. Hefner only boasted about his media “accomplishments,” the primary one being the mainstreaming of the view that it's perfectly acceptable for men to consume images of women for fun.
Is Rome changing course on Medjugorje?
Is Rome changing course on Medjugorje? | CatholicHerald.co.uk: The Medjugorje movement is very much in tune with the Second Vatican Council. Devotees are prone to uplifting guitar music borrowed from charismatic Protestant revivals. They go in for those warped, El Greco-style crucifixes. They photoshop images of the Virgin Mary over the small Herzegovinian town where she has allegedly been appearing for four decades. The visionaries who claim to consort daily with Our Lady return with messages of peace, tolerance and equality. Is Medjugorje an apparition for our time?
I grew up as a Muslim—but then Rome called
I Grew Up as a Muslim—But Then Rome Called | ncregister.com: “Now, recite Ayet-ul Kursi,” my religious education teacher bellowed.
His bushy mustache twitched as I straightened my back and flawlessly recited the Arabic words. The color of his cheeks changed from pink to red, because he had no other option but to give me full marks. I answered every question and recited every prayer. As far as the Turkish public school was concerned, my knowledge of Islam was impeccable.
He dismissed me from the oral exam. I walked back to my desk at the back of the classroom under the watchful eyes of all sixty of my classmates and said: “You know, there is no God.”
The teacher slammed the table with his ruler and said: “Get out of my classroom!”
His bushy mustache twitched as I straightened my back and flawlessly recited the Arabic words. The color of his cheeks changed from pink to red, because he had no other option but to give me full marks. I answered every question and recited every prayer. As far as the Turkish public school was concerned, my knowledge of Islam was impeccable.
He dismissed me from the oral exam. I walked back to my desk at the back of the classroom under the watchful eyes of all sixty of my classmates and said: “You know, there is no God.”
The teacher slammed the table with his ruler and said: “Get out of my classroom!”
Wednesday, September 27, 2017
The evidence is clear that God exists. Aliens? Not so much...
New Advent: The evidence is clear that God exists. Aliens? Not so much...: All the evidence points to a Creator.
Don’t call it the “Counter‑Reformation”!
Don’t Call it the “Counter‑Reformation”! | ncregister.com: With the observance of the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation around the corner, we’re hearing a lot about the “Counter-Reformation.” This term is often used by historians and students of Church history to describe what happened in the Catholic Church in the wake of the Protestant Reformation, crucially in the Council of Trent.
Other historians, though, contend that this term is misleading, and it is better to speak of the “Catholic Reformation.”
Here’s why the latter are right.
“Counter-Reformation” is misleading on two counts: It implies that reform efforts came to the Catholic Church
Other historians, though, contend that this term is misleading, and it is better to speak of the “Catholic Reformation.”
Here’s why the latter are right.
“Counter-Reformation” is misleading on two counts: It implies that reform efforts came to the Catholic Church
What does a starship need with God?
What Does a Starship Need With God? | ncregister.comGREYDANUS: “What does God need with a starship?”
That line, uttered by William Shatner’s Capt. James T. Kirk in the much-derided Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989) — co-written and directed by Shatner himself — is probably that film’s most famous (or infamous) moment.
In the weeks building up to the recent debut of CBS’s new series Star Trek: Discovery, buzz around the franchise has raised a different question: What does a starship need with God?
The topic was raised several weeks ago when a news story spelled out that — in keeping with Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry’s secular-humanist brand of sci-fi utopianism — the word “God” will not be uttered on the new series, even in casual profanities like “for God’s sake.”
That line, uttered by William Shatner’s Capt. James T. Kirk in the much-derided Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989) — co-written and directed by Shatner himself — is probably that film’s most famous (or infamous) moment.
In the weeks building up to the recent debut of CBS’s new series Star Trek: Discovery, buzz around the franchise has raised a different question: What does a starship need with God?
The topic was raised several weeks ago when a news story spelled out that — in keeping with Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry’s secular-humanist brand of sci-fi utopianism — the word “God” will not be uttered on the new series, even in casual profanities like “for God’s sake.”
It was Jesus himself who revealed to us that everyone (even little children) has a guardian angel
Guardian Angels � Napa InstituteAQUILINA: Our modern world often seems to be obsessed with the idea of angels.� It is usually confused about just who they are and what they do, but it is quite right about the importance of angels.� When we turn to the pages of the New Testament, we find them everywhere we turn.
The coming of Jesus is announced and attended by angels. An archangel appears first to Zechariah and then to Mary. An angel appears in a dream to Joseph. Angels appear to the shepherds and sing “Glory to God in the highest.” And an angel — in the form of a star — leads the wise men on their long journey from Persia to Palestine.
The coming of Jesus is announced and attended by angels. An archangel appears first to Zechariah and then to Mary. An angel appears in a dream to Joseph. Angels appear to the shepherds and sing “Glory to God in the highest.” And an angel — in the form of a star — leads the wise men on their long journey from Persia to Palestine.
The '60s Soviet satellite that crashed into Wisconsin
The '60s Soviet Satellite That Crashed Into Wisconsin - Atlas Obscura: In September 1962, something fell from aloft in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, cracking the asphalt on North 8th Street in front of what’s now the Rahr-West Art Museum.
Dennis Gintner, a Manitowoc-area resident, was a pre-teen at the time. He remembers the to-do about it.
“There was a cop that came along and kicked it off the street,” he says. “Thought it came from a garbage wagon.”
But as the pieces of the mysterious hunk of metal came to light, the town of Manitowoc realized they were dealing with something that was not of this world.
Dennis Gintner, a Manitowoc-area resident, was a pre-teen at the time. He remembers the to-do about it.
“There was a cop that came along and kicked it off the street,” he says. “Thought it came from a garbage wagon.”
But as the pieces of the mysterious hunk of metal came to light, the town of Manitowoc realized they were dealing with something that was not of this world.
Priests, parents and leaders: Take heart!
Priests, Parents, and Leaders: Take Heart! - Community in Mission : Community in MissionPOPE: Today I would like to present excerpts from the stirring sermon “On Pastors,” delivered by St. Augustine to the priests and people of Hippo. Although it is directed to priests, I hope that parents and leaders in general might also take courage from it.
In times like these we must all be reminded of the need to preach the Word of God even if we are reviled and our very proclamation of love is labeled “hate speech.” This is not new; St. Augustine calls us to be resolute and to preach the Word of God in season and out of season. Augustine’s words are shown in bold, while my commentary is in plain text.
In times like these we must all be reminded of the need to preach the Word of God even if we are reviled and our very proclamation of love is labeled “hate speech.” This is not new; St. Augustine calls us to be resolute and to preach the Word of God in season and out of season. Augustine’s words are shown in bold, while my commentary is in plain text.
For 20 years the French have been building a medieval castle using medieval techniques...
For 20 Years The French Have Been Building A Medieval Castle Using Medieval Techniques, And The Result Is Incredible | Bored Panda: If you’re fascinated with the middle ages, you don’t need a time machine to visit the period. Guedelon Castle in Burgundy, France is a unique project where volunteers and researchers are constructing an authentic 13th century castle, using only techniques and materials that were available at the time.
Michel Guyot and Maryline Martin started Guedelon Castle project in 1997, and it has been nearing its inevitable completion ever since. Today, it has created over 55 jobs and draws more than 300,000 visitors every year.
There is even a period-accurate backstory attached to the project that guides the design and construction. In the annals of Guedelon, works began in 1228. Each year that passes is a year in historical time too, so we are now in 1248. “The rule is that only what we know from documents that existed at the time is allowed,” says Sarah Preston, an English guide. “Funnily enough, we found that even though we knew we were being accurate, somehow the castle lacked soul. So we invented a character – the owner – who would have likes and dislikes, wanting this and not wanting that.”
Michel Guyot and Maryline Martin started Guedelon Castle project in 1997, and it has been nearing its inevitable completion ever since. Today, it has created over 55 jobs and draws more than 300,000 visitors every year.
There is even a period-accurate backstory attached to the project that guides the design and construction. In the annals of Guedelon, works began in 1228. Each year that passes is a year in historical time too, so we are now in 1248. “The rule is that only what we know from documents that existed at the time is allowed,” says Sarah Preston, an English guide. “Funnily enough, we found that even though we knew we were being accurate, somehow the castle lacked soul. So we invented a character – the owner – who would have likes and dislikes, wanting this and not wanting that.”
Ratzinger Foundation unveils new prize, announces American winners
Ratzinger Foundation unveils new prize, announces American winners :: Catholic News Agency (CNA): The Vatican’s Joseph Ratzinger Foundation unveiled a new prize called “Expanding Reason,” aimed at promoting dialogue between the sciences and philosophy and theology in scholarly work.
Four Americans – Darcia Narvaez from the University of Notre Dame and Michael Schuck, Nancy C. Tuchman, and Jesuit Fr. Michael J. Garanzini from Loyola University – are among this year’s winners.
“Expanding Reason,” the name of the prize, “is a central idea in the teaching and in the work of Joseph Ratzinger (who would become Pope Benedict XVI) because he's a man of intelligence, he's a man of reason, of the search for truth,” Fr. Federico Lombardi, former director of the Holy See Press Office, told EWTN Sept. 26.
Four Americans – Darcia Narvaez from the University of Notre Dame and Michael Schuck, Nancy C. Tuchman, and Jesuit Fr. Michael J. Garanzini from Loyola University – are among this year’s winners.
“Expanding Reason,” the name of the prize, “is a central idea in the teaching and in the work of Joseph Ratzinger (who would become Pope Benedict XVI) because he's a man of intelligence, he's a man of reason, of the search for truth,” Fr. Federico Lombardi, former director of the Holy See Press Office, told EWTN Sept. 26.
Why doesn't the Pope answer his critics?
Why Doesn't the Pope Answer His Critics?LONGENECKER: The Pope’s response seems to ignore and marginalize his critics. For many this is surprising since Pope Francis has always spoken passionately about the need to listen to others and engage in dialogue. It is also surprising since Austen Ivereigh–Pope Francis’ biographer–has claimed repeatedly that Pope Francis “welcomes criticism.”
However, I think people need to understand some of the underlying currents in this discussion. The elephant in the nave is the yawning gap between the views of contemporary theologians and ordinary Catholics.
However, I think people need to understand some of the underlying currents in this discussion. The elephant in the nave is the yawning gap between the views of contemporary theologians and ordinary Catholics.
Ultimately, the salvation of our souls is the only thing that matters
The Only Thing that MattersKRANICK: Life is fleetingly short. The minutes and seconds of our earthly lives are trickling down inexorably like grains of sand falling through the hourglass. Christ on his judgment seat holds the hourglass for each of our lives, watching, and waiting for that moment when we shall, at last, appear before him. Only he knows how many grains of sand of time are left for us. We must be ready at any moment. That is why Christ declares “behold, now is the day of salvation.” In a world where “all is vanity,” we must cut through the fog of sin and meaninglessness, and seize the weightiest of matters, in fact, the only thing that matters – the salvation of our souls.
Descending into the Chocolate Factory: Are Roald Dahl’s works worth it?
Descending into the Chocolate Factory: Are Dahl’s Works Worth it? - Crisis MagazineFITZPATRICK: Every good child takes some pleasure in being bad. It is the perversity of human inheritance that forbidden fruit is fascinating. Childhood courts devious delights while confronting the boundaries of manners and morals. The rewards of virtue have their appeal, but the thrill of crime is a strong contender for the awakening will. While innocence remains inviolate, impish inclinations spar with domestic governments. That innocence, however, can be threatened especially when children experience the terrible or the twisted through a powerful vicarious medium—that is, through stories. Is it harmless or harmful for a child to live out his fantasies of rebellion and retribution in stories that carry them out for his enjoyment rather than his edification?
NFL soldier Alejandro Villanueva stands tall in the Catholic Church
NFL Soldier Stands Tall in the Catholic Church | ncregister.comBEATTIE: When the annual NFL Draft took place April 30-May 2, many former and current professional players could look back and remember in which round they were chosen. Some players, however, were never drafted, but persevered and found their way onto the active roster of a team.
Alejandro Villanueva is hoping to be one of these men by building on his practice-squad experience with the Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers. At 6 feet 9 inches tall, the 330-pound offensive lineman and tight end wants to be a part of the 2015 Steelers’ 53-man roster and plans to use his experience in the Army to make this happen.
Alejandro Villanueva is hoping to be one of these men by building on his practice-squad experience with the Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers. At 6 feet 9 inches tall, the 330-pound offensive lineman and tight end wants to be a part of the 2015 Steelers’ 53-man roster and plans to use his experience in the Army to make this happen.
Fr. Martin’s bridge: Welcome, but in need of repair
Fr. Martin’s Bridge: Welcome But In Need of Repair | arcoftheuniverse.infoPHILPOTT: Fr. James Martin, S.J., a winsome and widely read writer about all things Catholic and Jesuit, proposes to build a bridge between LGBT Catholics and the leadership of the Church. He published a book this past summer, Building a Bridge: How the Catholic Church and the LGBT Community Can Enter Into A Relationship of Respect, Compassion and Sensitivity, which received much attention in the Catholic press. Critics, including a reviewer in the left-leaning Commonweal, question why Fr. Martin scarcely incorporated the Church’s teachings about sexuality and marriage into his proposal. I will also raise this question. But not just yet. Building a bridge is a very Christian thing to do.
Pope’s Wednesday Audience: When tempted to give up hope, turn to Jesus
When tempted to give up hope, turn to Jesus, Pope Francis says :: Catholic News Agency (CNA): On Wednesday Pope Francis spoke about the enemies of hope that often lead us into discouragement and melancholy, and urged Christians to fight these temptations with the power of prayer.
One of these enemies, he said, is the “demon of noon,” which “wears us out with a busy life just as the sun rises,” but which “surprises us when we are least expecting it.” With this enemy, he said, “the days become dull and boring,” and nothing seems worthy of the effort of “hard work.”
"To have an empty soul is the worst hindrance to hope,” he said. “It is a risk from which no one can be said to be excluded; because to be tempted against hope can happen even when you walk the path of Christian life."
One of these enemies, he said, is the “demon of noon,” which “wears us out with a busy life just as the sun rises,” but which “surprises us when we are least expecting it.” With this enemy, he said, “the days become dull and boring,” and nothing seems worthy of the effort of “hard work.”
"To have an empty soul is the worst hindrance to hope,” he said. “It is a risk from which no one can be said to be excluded; because to be tempted against hope can happen even when you walk the path of Christian life."
Tuesday, September 26, 2017
Cardinal Müller suggests Pope Francis appoint group of cardinals to debate his critics
Cardinal Mueller Suggests Pope Francis Appoint Group of Cardinals to Debate His Critics | ncregister.com: The prefect emeritus of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith says the Pope deserves ‘full respect’ and his ‘honest critics deserve a convincing answer’ as the Vatican declines to comment on a filial correction of the Holy Father, made public on Sunday.
New radiocarbon testing lends weight to medieval legend about Saint Francis of Assisi, scientists say
Age and content of textile fragment is in accordance with a medieval myth about Saint Francis of Assisi: For more than 700 years the Friary of Folloni near Montella in Italy has protected and guarded some small fragments of textile.
Holy See foreign minister Archbishop Paul Gallagher delivers annual address to UN General Assembly
Vatican at UN calls for nuclear-free world - Vatican Radio: The Vatican Secretary for Relations with States has addressed the United Nations General Assembly, urging governments to do more to prevent wars, protect human dignity and work for a nuclear-free world.
Archbishop Paul Gallagher’s speech was delivered on Monday in New York during the 72nd session of the UN General Assembly, addressing the theme ‘Focusing on People: Striving for Peace and a Decent Life on a Sustainable Planet’.
Archbishop Paul Gallagher’s speech was delivered on Monday in New York during the 72nd session of the UN General Assembly, addressing the theme ‘Focusing on People: Striving for Peace and a Decent Life on a Sustainable Planet’.
Monday, September 25, 2017
The best response to the Father Serra statue vandalism is to learn history
Father Serra Statue Vandalized: Best Response Is Learning History | National ReviewLOPEZ: ‘Father, forgive them for they know not what they do” came to mind after, I confess, I’d felt some unholy anger toward people who vandalized a Saint Junipero Serra statue in California recently. It was a somewhat familiar scene at this point. At Old Mission Santa Barbara, his image was decapitated and covered with red paint.
Ho-hum, you might be thinking. We’ve seen this happen in the hours and days and weeks after the shameful violence and hatred on display in Charlottesville over the summer. So much so that it would be quite understandable to not even notice at this point. But the familiarity of the story seemed only to highlight what Pope Francis said in celebrating Serra’s life during his visit to the United States two years ago this fall. It’s important, because it could help us a lot in our current circumstances.
Ho-hum, you might be thinking. We’ve seen this happen in the hours and days and weeks after the shameful violence and hatred on display in Charlottesville over the summer. So much so that it would be quite understandable to not even notice at this point. But the familiarity of the story seemed only to highlight what Pope Francis said in celebrating Serra’s life during his visit to the United States two years ago this fall. It’s important, because it could help us a lot in our current circumstances.
Jesus founded a Church, not a club
Mark Shea: Jesus founded a Church, not a clubSHEA: So last week, Lady Gaga posted a picture of herself praying the Rosary and accompanied it with an explanation of why her health troubles had forced her to cancel her tour. Unlike, say, Madonna’s use of sacred imagery to shock and subvert the point of sacred imagery, this was simply an image of her at prayer as an ordinary supplicant, expressing her suffering and need to God...
Kaepernick vs. Tebow? The Washington Post passes along its flawed take on a crucial heresy
Kaepernick vs. Tebow? Washington Post passes along flawed take on a crucial heresy — GetReligionMATTINGLY: It's a question I have heard over and over during the nearly 14 years that GetReligion has been online. It's a question that I am hearing more and more often these days, as the reality of online economics shapes what we read, see and hear.
The question: Why doesn't GetReligion address journalism issues in opinion pieces, as well as in hard-news stories?
After all, major news organizations keep running more opinion pieces about major events and trends in the news, often in place of actual news coverage. Why does this keep happening?
The question: Why doesn't GetReligion address journalism issues in opinion pieces, as well as in hard-news stories?
After all, major news organizations keep running more opinion pieces about major events and trends in the news, often in place of actual news coverage. Why does this keep happening?
A perfect prayer to pray before using social media
Social media prayer - AleteiaSCALIA: It’s a terrific prayer — useful to offer in many cases besides social media — but I must say that this short and sweet plea seems like something we absolutely ought to utter as we click into our teeming Twitter (and Facebook) timelines, and trip into the madness that lies therein. My great thanks to Beard for writing the piece, and to “Thinkling” for responding thusly, and giving me a great prayer to keep taped to my computer screen, for daily use.
This is why Pope Francis said ‘the devil punishes Mexico with much anger’ in a now-viral video
Pope Francis Viral Video: Why Pontiff Said 'Devil Punishes Mexico' [VIDEO]: An interview recorded several months ago by the newspaper "El Observador," has become viral in the context of the series of earthquakes that have recently hit Mexico. In the video interview, his Holiness Pope Francis is seen and heard explaining why the Devil, according to his word, punishes Mexico.
In the fragment, the pontiff explains that Mexico is a victim of so many catastrophes because they are devotees of the Virgin of Guadalupe: "I think that the devil punishes Mexico with much anger because the devil doesn’t forgive Mexico that she [the Virgin of Guadalupe] has shown her son there. It is an interpretation of mine, that is, Mexico is privileged in martyrdom for having recognized, defended its mother," narrates the Argentine pope.
In the fragment, the pontiff explains that Mexico is a victim of so many catastrophes because they are devotees of the Virgin of Guadalupe: "I think that the devil punishes Mexico with much anger because the devil doesn’t forgive Mexico that she [the Virgin of Guadalupe] has shown her son there. It is an interpretation of mine, that is, Mexico is privileged in martyrdom for having recognized, defended its mother," narrates the Argentine pope.
The benefits of living in a small house with a family
The Benefits of Living in a Small House With a Family | ncregister.comSPENCER: It has taken me a long time to get to the point of being comfortable with intentionally living in a smaller house with our potentially large family. There is that point after having a baby, when I start thinking about if/when the next one might come along, and if/when he or she does come along, what we are going to do about bedrooms. I spend hours planning and rearrange mentally where we are going to put which person. Then I start to wonder, how much space does each of my children really need? At what point would it make sense to get a bigger house? Can we just get by with the space we have?
This litany is a remedy for the darkness of the world
This Litany is a Remedy for the Darkness of the World | ncregister.comGRESS: It has become something of a nightly routine for one of my children to wake me up between 2-4 a.m. I can often get back to sleep quickly, but on one of those nights I found it difficult. I started thinking about all of the things that need prayer and charity in this world. “If only I could bring some light to these places,” I thought, feeling limited by my humanity and vocation to the four tiny souls entrusted to my care.
Carmelite nun: We did not want to lie for the archbishop over the Guam seminary property
Carmelite nuns who donated the $2 million for property in Yona: Carmelite nuns donated the $2 million used by the Archdiocese of Agana to buy a former hotel in Yona, and they considered suing the church after finding out the property was not being used by the archdiocese, but for a seminary operated by the Neocatechumenal Way, said Mother Superior Dawn Marie, of the Carmelite Monastery on Guam.
She said Archbishop Anthony S. Apuron, the Rev. Pius Sammut and others in 2014 tried to get the Carmelites to lie, by saying the Carmelites had purposely earmarked their gift for the use of the Redemptoris Mater Seminary and for the Blessed Diego Luis de San Vitores Catholic Theological Institute for Oceania.
She said Archbishop Anthony S. Apuron, the Rev. Pius Sammut and others in 2014 tried to get the Carmelites to lie, by saying the Carmelites had purposely earmarked their gift for the use of the Redemptoris Mater Seminary and for the Blessed Diego Luis de San Vitores Catholic Theological Institute for Oceania.
Among our aims is the restoration of the world and the transformation of culture through Christ the Word
The Power of Names - The Imaginative ConservativeARBERY: Earlier this week, I was having lunch in the cafeteria with a group of new freshmen and one of their teachers, Dr. Kent Lasnoski, who is working through the early books of Genesis with them in Theology 101. In Philosophy 101, Mr. Kyle Washut, who returns from a year at the Byzantine Catholic Seminary in Pittsburgh, had just moved from Plato’s dialogue Alcibiades into his work on language, the Cratylus. The freshmen were talking about the relation of words to things in Adam’s first naming, and they were excited that the same question was being addressed and worked out philosophically in another class at the same time—the kind of coalescence an integrated curriculum makes possible.
Publishing poetry today: A renewal of the Spirit in language
Publishing Poetry Today: A Renewal of the Spirit in Language - The Imaginative ConservativeLONGENECKER: On a recent trip to Italy, I started writing poetry again. For ten years I have been caught up in so many other things that the contemplative time required for poetry simply wasn’t there. The outpouring of poems in Tuscany made me wonder what the state of publishing poetry might be.
In the past, publishing poetry was a lose-lose proposition. The slim volumes were expensive to produce, which made them expensive to buy. Few got rich and famous on poetry, and in an increasingly utilitarian age, the uselessness of poetry was another mark against it. In addition to these practical problems, much modern poetry, like modern art, has become abstract, bizarre, decadent, inaccessible and unintelligible.
However, good poets still write and good poetry is still savored. Furthermore, with the new technologies, books are increasingly inexpensive to produce, so it should be the case that publishers are willing to risk publishing new poetry. John Riess of Angelico Press is one of those daring souls.
In the past, publishing poetry was a lose-lose proposition. The slim volumes were expensive to produce, which made them expensive to buy. Few got rich and famous on poetry, and in an increasingly utilitarian age, the uselessness of poetry was another mark against it. In addition to these practical problems, much modern poetry, like modern art, has become abstract, bizarre, decadent, inaccessible and unintelligible.
However, good poets still write and good poetry is still savored. Furthermore, with the new technologies, books are increasingly inexpensive to produce, so it should be the case that publishers are willing to risk publishing new poetry. John Riess of Angelico Press is one of those daring souls.
Disconnected by disaster: Photos from a battered Puerto Rico
Disconnected by Disaster—Photos From a Battered Puerto Rico - The Atlantic: Five days after Hurricane Maria made landfall in Puerto Rico, its devastating impact is becoming clearer. Most of the U.S. territory currently has no electricity or running water, fewer than 250 of the island’s 1,600 cellphone towers are operational, and damaged ports, roads, and airports are slowing the arrival and transport of aid. Communication has been severely limited and some remote towns are only now being contacted. Jenniffer Gonzalez, the Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico, told the Associated Press that Hurricane Maria has set the island back decades.
Amid avalanche, real questions about the papacy risk being obscured
Amid avalanche, real questions about the papacy risk being obscuredALLEN: In the last few days, Pope Francis has faced three remarkable accusations -- one of suffering from narcissistic personality disorder, another of heresy, and a third of dropping the ball on financial reform of the Vatican. In trying to sort through it all, one towering problem is that in an environment defined by hysteria, separating legitimate criticism from the same-old, same-old is increasingly difficult.
The punishment of complete loss and what it says to us
The Punishment of Complete Loss and What It Says to Us - Community in Mission : Community in MissionPOPE: In the Office of Readings, we are currently reading from the prophet Ezekiel. Sunday’s reading warns of the possibility that moral conditions in the world can get so awful, even among the people of God, that He must take the strongest and most severe of measures.
Ezekiel experienced the coming disaster upon Israel very personally as a last warning to the people. Ezekiel wrote in the period just before the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem. The loss of his wife was a portent of the coming disaster. God instructed Ezekiel not to mourn, but to turn to the people and say,
Ezekiel experienced the coming disaster upon Israel very personally as a last warning to the people. Ezekiel wrote in the period just before the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem. The loss of his wife was a portent of the coming disaster. God instructed Ezekiel not to mourn, but to turn to the people and say,
Pope’s Sunday Angelus: ‘God uses mercy — do not forget this’
The Pope’s words at the Angelus prayer: In today’s Gospel reading (cf. Mt 20: 1-16), we find the parable of the labourers called for the day, which Jesus tells to communicate two aspects of the Kingdom of God: first, that God wants to call everyone to work for His Kingdom; and second, that in the end He wants to give the same recompense, namely salvation, eternal life, to all.
The master of a vineyard, who represents God, comes out at dawn and engages a group of workers, agreeing with them to salary of one denarius for the day: it was a just salary. Then he goes out again in the subsequent hours – he goes out five times in that day – until the late afternoon, to take on other workers, whom he sees unemployed. At the end of the day the master orders that all the workers be given a denarius, even those who had worked just a few hours. Naturally the workers employed first complain, because they see they were paid the same as those who had worked less. The master, however, reminds them that they had received what was agreed; if he then chose to be generous with the others, they should not be envious.
The master of a vineyard, who represents God, comes out at dawn and engages a group of workers, agreeing with them to salary of one denarius for the day: it was a just salary. Then he goes out again in the subsequent hours – he goes out five times in that day – until the late afternoon, to take on other workers, whom he sees unemployed. At the end of the day the master orders that all the workers be given a denarius, even those who had worked just a few hours. Naturally the workers employed first complain, because they see they were paid the same as those who had worked less. The master, however, reminds them that they had received what was agreed; if he then chose to be generous with the others, they should not be envious.
Sunday, September 24, 2017
Tools for thinking about the Vatican's two latest scandals
Tools for thinking about the Vatican's two latest scandalsALLEN: At the moment, the Vatican finds itself facing two less-than-edifying storylines, one involving a priest in the papal embassy in Washington, D.C., suspected of possible violations of child pornography laws, and the other featuring a Vatican trial for financial misappropriation against former officials of a papally-sponsored pediatric hospital. Here are a few resources for thinking intelligently about each.
Saturday, September 23, 2017
Think VERY carefully before asking God to be “fair”
Dimensions of Discipleship - A Homily for the 25th Sunday of the Year - Community in Mission : Community in MissionPOPE: What Jesus teaches in this Sunday’s Gospel is one of those parables that rock our world and challenge our worldly way of thinking. Frankly, that is one of its purposes. We are tempted to side with the laborers who worked the longest, thinking that their being paid the same amount as those who worked only for an hour is unfair.
Think very carefully before asking God to be “fair.” What we really should ask of God is that He be merciful, for if He were fair, we’d all be in Hell right now. We have no innate capacity to stand before God in pure justice; we simply cannot measure up. It is only grace and mercy that will win the day for us. So be very careful about challenging God’s fairness. In fact, when we see Him being merciful to someone else, we ought to rejoice, for it means that we might stand a chance.
Think very carefully before asking God to be “fair.” What we really should ask of God is that He be merciful, for if He were fair, we’d all be in Hell right now. We have no innate capacity to stand before God in pure justice; we simply cannot measure up. It is only grace and mercy that will win the day for us. So be very careful about challenging God’s fairness. In fact, when we see Him being merciful to someone else, we ought to rejoice, for it means that we might stand a chance.
62 clergy and lay signatories issue formal ‘filial correction’ of Pope Francis
Clergy and Lay Scholars Issue Filial Correction of Pope Francis | ncregister.comPENTIN: A group of clergy and lay scholars from around the world have taken the very rare step of presenting Pope Francis with a formal filial correction, accusing him of propagating heresies concerning marriage, the moral life, and reception of the sacraments.
Entitled Correctio filialis de haeresibus propagatis, meaning ‘A Filial Correction Concerning the Propagation of Heresies,’ the 25 page letter was delivered to the Holy Father at his Santa Marta residence on Aug. 11.
The Pope has so far not responded to the initiative, whose 62 signatories include the German intellectual Martin Mosebach, former president of the Vatican Bank, Ettore Gotti Tedeschi, and the superior general of the Society of St. Pius X, Bishop Bernard Fellay (he learned of the document only after it had been delivered to the Pope and signed it on behalf of the Society).
Entitled Correctio filialis de haeresibus propagatis, meaning ‘A Filial Correction Concerning the Propagation of Heresies,’ the 25 page letter was delivered to the Holy Father at his Santa Marta residence on Aug. 11.
The Pope has so far not responded to the initiative, whose 62 signatories include the German intellectual Martin Mosebach, former president of the Vatican Bank, Ettore Gotti Tedeschi, and the superior general of the Society of St. Pius X, Bishop Bernard Fellay (he learned of the document only after it had been delivered to the Pope and signed it on behalf of the Society).
12 quotes from the great Padre Pio of Pietrelcina
12 Quotes from the Great Saint of Pietrelcina | TOM PERNAPERNA: Today in the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church, we celebrate the memorial of the Great Saint of Pietrelcina, otherwise known as Padre Pio. If you are not familiar with this amazing 20th century Catholic Saint and Franciscan, I would encourage you to read up on him and learn as much as you can. He is one of my favorites and a favorite of many Catholics I know.
So since it is his day in the liturgical calendar, I wanted to provide you with some pretty amazing things he said this side of Heaven. I would encourage you to read them, memorize them, and/or pray with them.
So since it is his day in the liturgical calendar, I wanted to provide you with some pretty amazing things he said this side of Heaven. I would encourage you to read them, memorize them, and/or pray with them.
After centuries of exile, a Grey Friar returns to Walsingham
After Centuries of Exile, a Grey Friar Returns to Walsingham | ncregister.comTURLEY: If you have ever visited Walsingham, England’s National Marian Shrine, you may have seen the poignant sight of a ruined friary standing upon a small hill just outside the village. It forms part of a private property now, and so is not normally accessible to the public.
At the entrance gate, one July day, there stood a figure dressed in dark gray, a member of the Order of Friars Minor Conventual, more commonly known as Grey Friars. This was the order that used to live and worship at the Walsingham Friary centuries earlier.
The Grey Friar in question was Fr. James Mary. Each day of his Walsingham pilgrimage, he would stand at the gate that leads to the ruins. He would gaze upon the ruined friary offering supplication for the friars buried there, and also for those who had caused the destruction of this once holy place. He also offered a unique prayer for a specific intention: namely that, one day, the Grey Friars would return to Walsingham.
At the entrance gate, one July day, there stood a figure dressed in dark gray, a member of the Order of Friars Minor Conventual, more commonly known as Grey Friars. This was the order that used to live and worship at the Walsingham Friary centuries earlier.
The Grey Friar in question was Fr. James Mary. Each day of his Walsingham pilgrimage, he would stand at the gate that leads to the ruins. He would gaze upon the ruined friary offering supplication for the friars buried there, and also for those who had caused the destruction of this once holy place. He also offered a unique prayer for a specific intention: namely that, one day, the Grey Friars would return to Walsingham.
The Eucharistic miracle of Sokolka: The host seems to be tissue from the heart of a dying man
The Eucharistic miracle of Sokolka: Every day, on the altars of Catholic churches around the world, the greatest miracle possible takes place: the transformation of bread and wine into the true Body and Blood of Christ.
Nonetheless, when we receive Communion, we can only touch its true nature with our faith, because our senses only perceive bread and wine, physically unaltered by the consecration.
What are the implications, then, of the Eucharistic event in Sokolka, Poland?
It took place on Sunday, October 12, 2008, two weeks after the beatification of Servant of God Fr. Michael Sopocko.
Nonetheless, when we receive Communion, we can only touch its true nature with our faith, because our senses only perceive bread and wine, physically unaltered by the consecration.
What are the implications, then, of the Eucharistic event in Sokolka, Poland?
It took place on Sunday, October 12, 2008, two weeks after the beatification of Servant of God Fr. Michael Sopocko.
‘Tied in Knots’ is a book we all need
Tied in Knots: A Book We All Need - Snoring ScholarREINHARD: Peace is something I am always seeking. Every.single.day. And…I don’t think I’m alone in that.
I’ve been reading a lot of the news lately, curating content for work I do. It’s been years since I paid close attention to the news headlines (and wow, the peace that inserted in my life was HUGE!), and I’ve found myself praying a lot more, for a lot more things.
My appreciation, therefore, for Tied in Knots and the very practical, honest, and heartfelt way Willits approached it is huge. This is a book I needed to read.
In fact, it’s a book that you could say changed my life in a way. At the very least, it has had a big impact.
I’ve been reading a lot of the news lately, curating content for work I do. It’s been years since I paid close attention to the news headlines (and wow, the peace that inserted in my life was HUGE!), and I’ve found myself praying a lot more, for a lot more things.
My appreciation, therefore, for Tied in Knots and the very practical, honest, and heartfelt way Willits approached it is huge. This is a book I needed to read.
In fact, it’s a book that you could say changed my life in a way. At the very least, it has had a big impact.
Fr. Stanley Rother becomes first US-born martyr to be beatified
VIDEO: Fr Stanley Rother becomes first US-born martyr to be beatified | CatholicHerald.co.uk: Fr Stanley Rother’s distant cousins from Minnesota planned to be in the crowd attending the beatification ceremony of the martyred priest in Oklahoma City.
“We’re all very proud,” Lee Rother said of his third cousin’s upcoming beatification, adding that he feels special that his family has a saint who can intercede for them and now the whole world.
“We’re all very proud,” Lee Rother said of his third cousin’s upcoming beatification, adding that he feels special that his family has a saint who can intercede for them and now the whole world.
Friday, September 22, 2017
An overview of the financial and sexual scandal in Guam's Archdiocese of Agaña
The Guam problem, a diocese rocked by financial and sexual scandal - La StampaCERNUZIO: Corruption, vendettas, lobbies, financial scandals, and sexual abuses. Everything seems to intertwine in Guam, the largest island of the Mariana Archipelago in the Western Pacific Ocean, most recently under the international spotlight because of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un’s threats to bomb the island’s US military bases. The threat of nuclear annihilation is one more worry to be laid on the faithful of Guam, a flock already deeply disturbed by the scandals engulfing the Archdiocese of Agaña—scandals which have paralyzed a church which in the landscape of the Pacific distinguished itself for its liveliness, making up about 85% of the island’s 160,000 inhabitants: a statistic not irrelevant in a part of the world where every trace of Catholicism is gradually disappearing.
In Vatican trial, witness calls spending on Cardinal Bertone's apartment 'anomalous'
In Vatican trial, witness calls spending on cardinal's apartment 'anomalous'ALLEN: In the latest hearing on Friday of the Vatican’s first-ever trial for financial crimes, an official of the Government of the Vatican City State testified that a remodeling project for the private Vatican apartment of Italian Cardinal Tarcisio bypassed the normal bidding process, and was “singular” and “anomalous.”
That remodeling project is at the heart of the case, since two Italian laymen and former officials of a foundation for a papally-sponsored pediatric hospital in Rome called the Bambino Gesù are accused of diverting roughly $500,000 of the hospital’s money to help cover the costs.
That remodeling project is at the heart of the case, since two Italian laymen and former officials of a foundation for a papally-sponsored pediatric hospital in Rome called the Bambino Gesù are accused of diverting roughly $500,000 of the hospital’s money to help cover the costs.
I must confess: Building a habit of the Sacrament of Reconciliation
I must confess: building a habit of the Sacrament of Reconciliation – Mama Needs CoffeeUEBBING: When I was a Catholic kid growing up, like most Catholic kids I’ve ever known, I hated going to confession. I hated the sinking feeling in my stomach as I stood in line, palms sweating and heart speeding up as each penitent in line ahead of me disappeared behind the door with the red light overhead. I hated coming up with a list of things I was ashamed of and having to whisper them aloud to another human being, and I hated most of all knowing that Fr. Bob could probably tell just by my voice exactly who I was.
In short, I had a very human (and very typical) understanding of confession. That it was a painful, inescapable, and necessary (but why?) part of being Catholic, and I just had to soldier through it.
In short, I had a very human (and very typical) understanding of confession. That it was a painful, inescapable, and necessary (but why?) part of being Catholic, and I just had to soldier through it.
Has South Korean President Moon Jae-In's Catholicism influenced his diplomacy?
Has Moon Jae-In's Catholicism Influenced His Diplomacy? | Foreign AffairsGAETAN: Earlier this month, U.S. President Donald Trump took to Twitter to criticize the South Korean leadership for “appeasement” of North Korea. In a dig at South Korean President Moon Jae-in days earlier, Trump likewise cautioned that “Talking is not the Answer!” in reference to Moon’s preference for negotiations with Pyongyang. It is possible that the South Korean president is so focused on talks not only out of electoral commitments, but also because of religious conviction. Moon is a practicing Catholic, and although religious identity is not always an appropriate prism for assessing political decision-making, it may be relevant in this case.
Emergency telegraphs: Inside America's historic fire and police call boxes
Emergency Telegraphs: Inside America's Historic Fire & Police Call Boxes - 99% Invisible: Before 911 (or even household telephones), roughly 500 American cities relied on specialized call boxes tied into police and fire stations for everything from officer check-ins to emergency reports. In many places, these have been abandoned or adapted to new uses, but some still serve their centuries-old function in modern metropolises.
You really should turn off Bluetooth when you're not using it
Turn Bluetooth Off When You're Not Using It | WIRED: You intuitively know why you should bolt your doors when you leave the house and add some sort of authentication for your smartphone. But there are lots of digital entrances that you leave open all the time, such as Wi-Fi and your cell connection. It's a calculated risk, and the benefits generally make it worthwhile. That calculus changes with Bluetooth. Whenever you don't absolutely need it, you should go ahead and turn it off.
Discover the crucifix drawn by Saint John of the Cross after a mystical vision
Discover the crucifix drawn by Saint John of the Cross after a mystical vision--AleteiaCOLINA: In the writings of St. John of the Cross, one of the greatest mystics in history, thousands of people have found a path for drawing closer to God. However, few are familiar with the image of Christ crucified that the saint drew after receiving a mystical revelation.
It’s a small sketch (its original size is roughly 2.25 in. by 1.9 in.), which St. John of the Cross painted during his time in Avila, where, at the request of St. Teresa of Jesus, he was named the confessor of the Carmelite nuns of the monastery of the Incarnation from 1572 to 1577.
Contemporary chronicles recount that St. John had a vision of Christ crucified, which he then represented in a drawing on a small piece of paper. The saint later gave the drawing to one of the nuns at the convent. The sketch, which is preserved at that same convent today in a simple reliquary of gilded wood, can be admired by visitors to the convent’s museum.
It’s a small sketch (its original size is roughly 2.25 in. by 1.9 in.), which St. John of the Cross painted during his time in Avila, where, at the request of St. Teresa of Jesus, he was named the confessor of the Carmelite nuns of the monastery of the Incarnation from 1572 to 1577.
Contemporary chronicles recount that St. John had a vision of Christ crucified, which he then represented in a drawing on a small piece of paper. The saint later gave the drawing to one of the nuns at the convent. The sketch, which is preserved at that same convent today in a simple reliquary of gilded wood, can be admired by visitors to the convent’s museum.
Is it big news when liberal Lutherans say the early Church was wrong on sex? Why not?
Is it big news when liberal Lutherans say the early church was wrong on sex? Why not? — GetReligionMATTINGLY: When it comes to lesbians and gays in the ministry, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America speaks with a clear voice. So that doctrinal stance really isn't news anymore.
When it comes to ecclesiastical approval for same-sex marriage liturgies, the ELCA – at this point – leaves that decision up to local leaders. So it really isn't news when an ELCA congregation backs same-sex marriage.
When it comes to ordaining a trans candidate for the ministry, some folks in the ELCA have crossed that bridge, as well. So an ELCA church embracing trans rights isn't really news.
When it comes to ecclesiastical approval for same-sex marriage liturgies, the ELCA – at this point – leaves that decision up to local leaders. So it really isn't news when an ELCA congregation backs same-sex marriage.
When it comes to ordaining a trans candidate for the ministry, some folks in the ELCA have crossed that bridge, as well. So an ELCA church embracing trans rights isn't really news.
A review of ‘The Unknown Girl’
SDG Reviews ‘The Unknown Girl’ | ncregister.comGREYDANUS: “Listen.”
It’s the first word of dialogue spoken in the Dardenne brothers’ The Unknown Girl, as Dr. Jenny Davin (Adele Haenel), stethoscope held to the back of a heavyset, older patient, presses her intern Julien (Olivier Bonnaud) to diagnose the condition of the man, whose heavy breathing dominates an otherwise mostly silent opening shot.
Jenny will do a lot of listening in the drama that follows. First, though, will come a moment when she does not listen — the only time in the film she ignores a bid for her attention, but that one time hangs over the rest of the film as Jenny, a general practitioner at a modest urban clinic in Seraing, Belgium, finds herself increasingly consumed by the death of a young African girl who may have been murdered.
It’s the first word of dialogue spoken in the Dardenne brothers’ The Unknown Girl, as Dr. Jenny Davin (Adele Haenel), stethoscope held to the back of a heavyset, older patient, presses her intern Julien (Olivier Bonnaud) to diagnose the condition of the man, whose heavy breathing dominates an otherwise mostly silent opening shot.
Jenny will do a lot of listening in the drama that follows. First, though, will come a moment when she does not listen — the only time in the film she ignores a bid for her attention, but that one time hangs over the rest of the film as Jenny, a general practitioner at a modest urban clinic in Seraing, Belgium, finds herself increasingly consumed by the death of a young African girl who may have been murdered.
Why 3 man-sized cages hang from a medieval German church steeple
Why 3 Man-Sized Cages Hang From a Medieval German Church Steeple | Mental Floss: Visitors to St. Lambert’s church in Muenster, Germany may notice something odd about the building’s facade. Three gleaming iron cages, 7 feet tall and a yard wide and deep, hang empty from the church spire. Once home to the mutilated bodies of three revolutionaries who shaped one of the strangest chapters in the Protestant Reformation, the cages have hung there for nearly 500 years. They remain on the spire as a testament to their former occupants’ experiment in religious utopia—and the tremors they sent through German religious and political life for years after their occupants' deaths.
Losing my child at Easter
Losing my Child at Easter | Leah Libresco Sargeant | First ThingsLIBRESCO: The closest my husband got to giving away he was going to propose was at the Easter Vigil. We’d gone back to our college, to see an undergraduate friend received into the Church, and just before we’d gone in to the liturgy, we’d heard that two friends of ours had gotten engaged.
“It’s a little weird to get engaged on Holy Saturday, don’t you think?” I said. “I mean, Christ’s dead, as far as anyone knows. He’s not with us, He’s harrowing Hell.” Alexi started to speak, but I kept going: “Unless, Holy Saturday is the best day to get engaged? Because we spend our lives in Holy Saturday, hoping to be fully united with Christ, but tempted by the fear that He won’t be who He promised.”
“It’s a little weird to get engaged on Holy Saturday, don’t you think?” I said. “I mean, Christ’s dead, as far as anyone knows. He’s not with us, He’s harrowing Hell.” Alexi started to speak, but I kept going: “Unless, Holy Saturday is the best day to get engaged? Because we spend our lives in Holy Saturday, hoping to be fully united with Christ, but tempted by the fear that He won’t be who He promised.”
The 12 people you meet in the adoration chapel
The 12 People You Meet in the Adoration Chapel - LifeTeen.com for Catholic Youth: I’ve seen my fair share of adoration chapels, and they can be pretty different. You’ve got round chapels, rectangular chapels, trapezoidal chapels with a tabernacle in the far corner. There could be pews or chairs, candles or stained glass, maybe a simple, circular monstrance or an intricate wood-carved Mary-holding-Jesus monstrance (those exist, seriously).
But there’s something that always stays consistent: the types of people. Sure, there’s some variation and crossover, but these are the people you are most likely to meet no matter what chapel you visit.
But there’s something that always stays consistent: the types of people. Sure, there’s some variation and crossover, but these are the people you are most likely to meet no matter what chapel you visit.
Why Hollywood turned against Catholic priests
Why Hollywood turned against Catholic priests | CatholicHerald.co.uk: In film history, the priest has been among the most common and enduring characters, and to a large extent has been played by actors of Catholic background.
From the 1930s, Catholics were prominent in Hollywood, whether actors such as Spencer Tracy and James Cagney or directors like John Ford and Leo McCarey. Producers turned to Catholic actors to perform what was judged to be the difficult and delicate role of a priest. Thus Bing Crosby played in Going My Way (1944) and The Bells of St Mary’s (1945), and Gregory Peck in The Keys to the Kingdom (1944). The individual characters may have varied, but the portrayal of the priest remained constant: an image of conviction and steadfastness, compassion and courage, and maturity of judgment.
From the 1930s, Catholics were prominent in Hollywood, whether actors such as Spencer Tracy and James Cagney or directors like John Ford and Leo McCarey. Producers turned to Catholic actors to perform what was judged to be the difficult and delicate role of a priest. Thus Bing Crosby played in Going My Way (1944) and The Bells of St Mary’s (1945), and Gregory Peck in The Keys to the Kingdom (1944). The individual characters may have varied, but the portrayal of the priest remained constant: an image of conviction and steadfastness, compassion and courage, and maturity of judgment.
After public outcry, Anglican church says it was a ‘mistake’ to host satanic fashion show
Church apologises for hosting satanic fashion show: A London church has apologized for hosting a satanic fashion show.
St Andrew's Church in Holborn received criticism after it offered up its building as part of London fashion week on Monday evening.
The Anglican church's altar was transformed into a runway for models wearing inverted crosses, devil horns and vampire costumes to walk down in Turkish designer Dilara Findikoglu's Spring/Summer 2018 collection.
St Andrew's Church in Holborn received criticism after it offered up its building as part of London fashion week on Monday evening.
The Anglican church's altar was transformed into a runway for models wearing inverted crosses, devil horns and vampire costumes to walk down in Turkish designer Dilara Findikoglu's Spring/Summer 2018 collection.
Pope Francis makes surprise visit to Rome neuro rehab center
Pope Francis makes surprise visit to Rome neuro rehab centre - Vatican Radio: Pope Francis on Friday made a surprise visit to a Rome rehabilitation centre for patients with neurological diseases.
A statement from the Holy See press office said the afternoon visit was a continuation of the ‘Fridays of Mercy’ initiative that he inaugurated during the recent Jubilee Year to encourage practical gestures of solidarity with those most in need.
A statement from the Holy See press office said the afternoon visit was a continuation of the ‘Fridays of Mercy’ initiative that he inaugurated during the recent Jubilee Year to encourage practical gestures of solidarity with those most in need.
Mexico City was built on an ancient lake bed. That makes earthquakes much worse...
Mexico City Was Built on an Ancient Lake Bed. That Makes Earthquakes Much Worse. - The New York Times: The earthquake that on Tuesday killed at least 135 people in Mexico City and toppled dozens of buildings there was all the more destructive because of the city’s unusual position atop an ancient lake bed.
The animation above, based on a model by Víctor Cruz-Atienza, a professor of geophysics at the National University of Mexico, shows how the shock waves of a hypothetical earthquake near Mexico City would spread. Darker red areas indicate the strongest ground movement.
The shaking in this simulation is strongest in the low parts of the Valley of Mexico, which cradles the city, and it weakens when it meets the surrounding hills. That’s no coincidence. The darker red areas showing the strongest shock waves trace the shape of an ancient lake.
The animation above, based on a model by Víctor Cruz-Atienza, a professor of geophysics at the National University of Mexico, shows how the shock waves of a hypothetical earthquake near Mexico City would spread. Darker red areas indicate the strongest ground movement.
The shaking in this simulation is strongest in the low parts of the Valley of Mexico, which cradles the city, and it weakens when it meets the surrounding hills. That’s no coincidence. The darker red areas showing the strongest shock waves trace the shape of an ancient lake.
Bishop Athanasius Schneider: Priests must resist pressure from superiors on Communion for remarried
Bishop Schneider: priests must resist pressure on Communion for remarried | CatholicHerald.co.uk: Bishop Athanasius Schneider has said priests have to follow the Church’s constant practice on Communion, even if their bishops and religious superiors command them to do otherwise.
In an interview with the website One Peter Five, Bishop Schneider, an auxiliary bishop in Kazakhstan, encouraged Catholics to “remain faithful to the unchanging and constant teaching and practice of the entire Church”.
In the aftermath of Pope Francis’s exhortation Amoris Laetitia, bishops’ conferences have released different guidelines on Communion. Some have reaffirmed the Church’s traditional practice, that the divorced and remarried can only receive Communion if they resolve to live “as brother and sister”. But others, such as the two bishops of Malta, have suggested that it might be impossible to avoid adultery.
In an interview with the website One Peter Five, Bishop Schneider, an auxiliary bishop in Kazakhstan, encouraged Catholics to “remain faithful to the unchanging and constant teaching and practice of the entire Church”.
In the aftermath of Pope Francis’s exhortation Amoris Laetitia, bishops’ conferences have released different guidelines on Communion. Some have reaffirmed the Church’s traditional practice, that the divorced and remarried can only receive Communion if they resolve to live “as brother and sister”. But others, such as the two bishops of Malta, have suggested that it might be impossible to avoid adultery.
Thursday, September 21, 2017
How to stay human while arguing on social media
Simcha Fisher: How to stay human while arguing on social mediaFISHER: Like many Catholics, I spend a lot of time on social media. Some of this is for my job: I need to find out what people are talking about. Some of this is for my own entertainment: I want to know what’s up. Some of this is for my own sanity: I need to talk to someone who is not a toddler or a kitten or a parakeet. And some of this … is turning me into a monster.
Over the course of the last year, I’ve been thinking hard about how to stay on social media without losing my humanity. I have had mixed success, but I think my principles are good. Here’s what I try to do
Over the course of the last year, I’ve been thinking hard about how to stay on social media without losing my humanity. I have had mixed success, but I think my principles are good. Here’s what I try to do
When you're defending the truth, do it with class, because bad-mouthing the other guy only makes things worse...
Civility and Church Life | Charles J. Chaput | First ThingsCHAPUT: As I write these words I’m looking at an untitled cartoon from the National Catholic Reporter in the Wojtyla-era 1980s. It’s an image of an elaborate canopy with praying angels draped over a Chair of Peter—in this case, a toilet with the papal insignia. It’s tied to a column that argues, among other things, that the “Catholic church is uncomfortable with two things. Sex and bowel movements.” The humor is childish. It’s lightweight snarkiness compared to much of the Reporter’s caustic fare for the past few decades. It pales next to the savage anti-Roman woodcuts of early Lutheran polemics. But the cartoon’s message is nonetheless—how to say it?—not one of filial esteem. Or even Christian civility.
In wide-ranging interview, Raymond Cardinal Burke talks about the Pope, the dubia and the Order of Malta
EXCLUSIVE: Australian interview with Cardinal Burke | Catholic OutlookGRANTHAM: Cardinal Burke in Switzerland. Image: Institute-Christ-King.org
His Eminence, Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke gave Catholic Outlook’s journalist, Jordan Grantham, the privilege of an exclusive wide-ranging interview on current issues faced by the Church regarding His Eminence’s work with the Holy Father, the media, Amoris Laetitia and the dubia.
Cardinal Burke has made two memorable visits to Australia, first in 2011 as guest of the Australian Catholic Students Association and secondly, in 2014, to make keynote addresses and say significant public liturgies, attended by people in Sydney and Melbourne.
The powerful influence of online social media comments, unaccountable media commentary and anonymous websites mean Australian Catholics could be susceptible to false ideas about Pope Francis and Cardinal Burke. News thrives on conflict; the status quo and complexity do not sell newspapers nor drive online traffic.
His Eminence, Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke gave Catholic Outlook’s journalist, Jordan Grantham, the privilege of an exclusive wide-ranging interview on current issues faced by the Church regarding His Eminence’s work with the Holy Father, the media, Amoris Laetitia and the dubia.
Cardinal Burke has made two memorable visits to Australia, first in 2011 as guest of the Australian Catholic Students Association and secondly, in 2014, to make keynote addresses and say significant public liturgies, attended by people in Sydney and Melbourne.
The powerful influence of online social media comments, unaccountable media commentary and anonymous websites mean Australian Catholics could be susceptible to false ideas about Pope Francis and Cardinal Burke. News thrives on conflict; the status quo and complexity do not sell newspapers nor drive online traffic.
Defendant in Vatican trial says cardinal 'clarified' affair with the Pope
Defendant in Vatican trial says cardinal 'clarified' affair with the PopeALLEN: On the second full day of testimony in the Vatican's first-ever trial for alleged financial crimes, one of the defendants told the court told the court he was told there should be "no problems" with spending money from a children's hospital on remodeling an Italian cardinal's private apartment, because that cardinal had spoken personally to Pope Francis and "clarified" the situation.
God's love perfects us amid pain, suffering and despair
BIG C CATHOLICS: God’s Love Perfects Us Amid Pain, Suffering & DespairMATTISON: We have been conditioned by years (centuries?) of teaching to think of love/charity as a virtue, something to do or not. But St. John tells us God is love. He does not tell us that God does love. I want to suggest that this is the insight – although never spoken – that makes Israel think of God as Elector/Electing; having no other identity than the one who chooses his own people. I do not think that we go far wrong when we assert that the only God we know is the one who loves/chooses us. With those observations in mind, I might like to revise the translation of John’s phrase and say that God is Loving, not as an attribute, but as the very dynamic of His being. You may want to reread this paragraph in order to forge ahead.
All roads lead to Rome, and Rome leads to Jerusalem, and Jerusalem to a New Jerusalem
Rome & Jerusalem -- Western Christians Belong to Both | National ReviewFRANKOVICH: As social conservatives, we embrace Western culture and defend it, although what we mean by it is necessarily vague. The closest thing to it in the Middle Ages was a notion of Roman culture, sustained by the late form of Latin that served as the lingua franca for scholarship, religion, and official communication across the continent. The very name of the Holy Roman Empire — “It was neither,” in the historians’ old joke — was a perfect expression of the conceit that a German on the Baltic coast could be as Roman as the pope on the banks of the Tiber.
That’s not right. That’s not even wrong...
That’s not right. That’s not even wrong. | In the Light of the LawEDPETERS: According to Fr. James Martin, although the Church teaches that “LGBT people must be celibate their entire lives” this expectation “has not been received”, by lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, and/or transgender people, and therefore it has failed to become “authoritative” in their regard.
I am reminded of a furrowed-brow comment a friend once made upon hearing some speaker bungle several ecclesiastical terms: “That’s not right,” he said. “That’s not even wrong. I don’t know what that is.” So, as when Martin misconstrued the significance of his book having an “Imprimi potest”, I pause to untangle these concepts for those who would like to understand and apply them more accurately.
First, there is no Church law or teaching that lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, and/or transgender people “must be celibate their entire lives”. None.
I am reminded of a furrowed-brow comment a friend once made upon hearing some speaker bungle several ecclesiastical terms: “That’s not right,” he said. “That’s not even wrong. I don’t know what that is.” So, as when Martin misconstrued the significance of his book having an “Imprimi potest”, I pause to untangle these concepts for those who would like to understand and apply them more accurately.
First, there is no Church law or teaching that lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, and/or transgender people “must be celibate their entire lives”. None.
Postpone the inquisitions; schedule arguments instead
Expect the Inquisition - The New York TimesDOUTHAT: In the Catholic Church of Pope Francis, it is dangerous to be too conservative. Professor Josef Seifert, a distinguished Catholic philosopher from Austria, discovered this recently, when he was dismissed from his position at the University of Granada in Spain by the local archbishop.
Seifert’s sin was to have raised questions about “Amoris Laetitia,” the controversial papal exhortation on marriage, whose ambiguous statements on divorce and remarriage the philosopher described as a potential “theological atom bomb” for Catholic moral teaching. Such stark criticism of a sitting pope “damages the communion of the church,” Granada’s archbishop wrote, while retiring the professor from his academic post.
Seifert’s sin was to have raised questions about “Amoris Laetitia,” the controversial papal exhortation on marriage, whose ambiguous statements on divorce and remarriage the philosopher described as a potential “theological atom bomb” for Catholic moral teaching. Such stark criticism of a sitting pope “damages the communion of the church,” Granada’s archbishop wrote, while retiring the professor from his academic post.
Meet the man who helped build the pope's brand on Twitter
Meet the man who helped build the pope's brand on TwitterSANMARTIN: Pope Francis today is acknowledged as one of the most influential leaders in the world, including on Twitter. Catholic layman Gustavo Entrala, one of the few people in the world who can say they taught a pope how to tweet, defines the “Pope Francis brand” as one of the most consistent in the world.
The pope, Entrala believes, is also the only authentic leader today, and he gives two reasons to back up that claim: Francis has a message that “everyone can understand, and is of universal application,” such as wanting a “poor Church for the poor” and a Church that goes out of herself and into the streets.
“Second, Pope Francis embodies his plan,” Entrala told Crux on Tuesday. “When the pope speaks of poverty, he is manifesting it in a thousand personal ways.”
The pope, Entrala believes, is also the only authentic leader today, and he gives two reasons to back up that claim: Francis has a message that “everyone can understand, and is of universal application,” such as wanting a “poor Church for the poor” and a Church that goes out of herself and into the streets.
“Second, Pope Francis embodies his plan,” Entrala told Crux on Tuesday. “When the pope speaks of poverty, he is manifesting it in a thousand personal ways.”
The little-known exorcisms performed by John Paul II and Benedict XVI at the Vatican
The Little Known Exorcisms Performed by Pope John Paul II and Benedict XVI at the Vatican | uCatholic: The sacramental practice in the Catholic Church of expelling demons from the body of a person who is possessed is termed exorcism. While some may think of the 1973 critically acclaimed film The Exorcist when they hear about exorcisms, the practice is, in fact, a well-defined and procedural process through which clergy members must take specific steps to successfully perform the ritual.
However, the Church regards genuine demonic possession as an extremely rare phenomenon and requires extensive testing to rule out the possibility of mental or physical illness.
However, the Church regards genuine demonic possession as an extremely rare phenomenon and requires extensive testing to rule out the possibility of mental or physical illness.
McElroy and Chaput on chastity
McElroy and Chaput on ChastityLONGENECKER: This week we have an American bishop and Archbishop writing articles touching on the question of chastity.
In this article for London’s Catholic Herald Archbishop Chaput comments that faithful Christians are the West’s “new dissidents.” In the midst of writing about the openly anti-Catholic attack on federal judge nominee Amy Coney Barrett by Dianne Feinstein, Archbishop Chaput notes that the battleground is human sexuality.
In this article for London’s Catholic Herald Archbishop Chaput comments that faithful Christians are the West’s “new dissidents.” In the midst of writing about the openly anti-Catholic attack on federal judge nominee Amy Coney Barrett by Dianne Feinstein, Archbishop Chaput notes that the battleground is human sexuality.
On Jesus’ merciful call of St. Matthew, a great sinner
On Jesus’ Merciful Call of St. Matthew, a Great Sinner - Community in Mission : Community in MissionPOPE: On this Feast Day of St. Matthew, we must acknowledge a great mercy in Jesus’ call. As a tax collector, Matthew was considered a great sinner. In fact, the term “tax collector” was a biblical euphemism for great sinner. Yet despite this, Jesus called him to be an Apostle.
In our times, many set mercy and the fact that we are sinners in opposition to each other, but the Lord Jesus unites these realities together. For the Lord, mercy is necessary because there is sin, not because sin is “no big deal.” It is because sin is a big deal that mercy is needed and is glorious.
In our times, many set mercy and the fact that we are sinners in opposition to each other, but the Lord Jesus unites these realities together. For the Lord, mercy is necessary because there is sin, not because sin is “no big deal.” It is because sin is a big deal that mercy is needed and is glorious.
Notes for Australian Catholics on the ‘same-sex marriage’ postal vote
Notes for Australian Catholics re the ‘same-sex marriage’ postal vote | In the Light of the LawEDPETERS: Even in a free country it is very unusual for a government to ask, plainly and directly, its people for their opinion on a specific proposed policy; but it is nigh-on unheard of that any question concerning a proposed policy would have one, and only one, correct answer. Yet that is exactly what is happening Down Under for the next few weeks as the Australian government, considering legislation to recognize “same-sex marriage”, is asking its people a single, straight-forward question: “Should the law be changed to allow same-sex couples to marry?”
My visit to the scene of Fr. Stanley Rother's martyrdom
My visit to the scene of a martyrdom | CatholicHerald.co.uk: The bullet holes are still there in the room in Santiago Atitlan, in the highlands of Guatemala, where Fr Stanley Francis Rother was murdered on July 28, 1981. One is in the floor under the tabernacle. And there are bloodstains too, faded now but in plain view, on the wall above the low-slung, simple bed, marking the spot where this tall, gentle Oklahoman fought for his life with the death squad that came to silence him forever.
Pope reiterates Church’s commitment to protect minors from abuse
Pope Reiterates Church’s Commitment to Protect Minors From Abuse | ncregister.com: Thursday in a written speech, Pope Francis reiterated the Catholic Church’s commitment to the protection of minors from sexual abuse, stating that the Church will continue to take a “zero tolerance” stance against offenders.
“Let me say quite clearly that sexual abuse is a horrible sin, completely opposite and in contradiction to what Christ and the Church teach us,” the Pope’s prepared remarks stated Sept. 21.
“That is why, I reiterate today, once again, that the Church, at all levels, will respond with the application of the most firm measures to all those who have betrayed their call and abused the children of God.”
Pope Francis addressed members of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors at the opening of their plenary assembly. Handing out copies of his prepared statement to those present, he then delivered off-the-cuff remarks.
“Let me say quite clearly that sexual abuse is a horrible sin, completely opposite and in contradiction to what Christ and the Church teach us,” the Pope’s prepared remarks stated Sept. 21.
“That is why, I reiterate today, once again, that the Church, at all levels, will respond with the application of the most firm measures to all those who have betrayed their call and abused the children of God.”
Pope Francis addressed members of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors at the opening of their plenary assembly. Handing out copies of his prepared statement to those present, he then delivered off-the-cuff remarks.
Wednesday, September 20, 2017
Steve Bannon is right: the Catholic Church “needs” illegal immigrants
Steve Bannon is right: the Catholic Church “needs” illegal immigrants - Vox: In an interview with 60 Minutes, Steve Bannon, formerly President Donald Trump’s chief strategist and current Breitbart news executive, said that the US Conference of Catholic Bishops favored continuation of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program because the bishops are dependent on undocumented immigrants.
Literally dependent: Since they are “unable to really to come to grips with the problems in the Church,” Bannon said, “they need illegal aliens, they need illegal aliens to fill the churches … it’s obvious on the face of it.”
Literally dependent: Since they are “unable to really to come to grips with the problems in the Church,” Bannon said, “they need illegal aliens, they need illegal aliens to fill the churches … it’s obvious on the face of it.”
If you're not poor, you’ve been blessed. So don’t talk trash about the poor...
How should Catholics treat the poor--AleteiaMILLS: The crippled man on the bus had finished his community service; he’d been let down by a social worker who never showed up to give him a ride, and walked a mile to get to the bus stop. He was speaking on his phone to a secretary who told him he’d be marked as a no-show and charged for the appointment with his counselor. He looked “downright afraid, in a helpless way,” writes Mary Pezzulo, who blogs at “Steel Magnificat,” who was sitting on the bus when he got on. She noticed he had one skinny leg.
Our haunting insecurities and the human weeds
The Human Life Review Our Haunting Insecurities and the Human Weeds - The Human Life ReviewMILLS: Modern cosmetics tells us something about our culture’s desire to abort the unborn and euthanize the sick and elderly. In our desire to beautify the body, writes Zygmunt Baumann, “the appearance of the remedy as a rule preceded awareness of the deficiency that clamored to be remedied.”
The Polish sociologist-philosopher, who was expelled from his native communist Poland in 1968, wound up teaching in England and wrote an amazing number of books. Best known for his description of our age as one of “liquid modernity,” he died in early January, at the age of 91.
The Polish sociologist-philosopher, who was expelled from his native communist Poland in 1968, wound up teaching in England and wrote an amazing number of books. Best known for his description of our age as one of “liquid modernity,” he died in early January, at the age of 91.
Enjoy chicken? You have some medieval Benedictines to thank...
Enjoy Chicken? Thank Medieval Catholic Monks. | uCatholic: For the past six thousand years, humans and chicken have shared an intricate common existence. Today’s chickens provide us with plentiful meat and eggs and are the most common form of poultry consumed across the world.
Our current cultivated chickens descended from an ancestral species of Asian jungle fowl, bred to be very passive with little fear of humans and an ability to lay many eggs quickly. However, chickens were not always the easy-going birds they are today. If you can’t get enough of chicken or eggs, you should probably thank medieval Catholic monks.
Our current cultivated chickens descended from an ancestral species of Asian jungle fowl, bred to be very passive with little fear of humans and an ability to lay many eggs quickly. However, chickens were not always the easy-going birds they are today. If you can’t get enough of chicken or eggs, you should probably thank medieval Catholic monks.
In Mannheim presentation, Cardinal Müller notes that St. Robert Bellarmine was sacked three times from the Curia
M�ller criticises Francis papacy for lacking theological rigour, and hints at comeback: The cardinal criticised the Latin American approach to theology, in a thinly veiled critique of the Argentinian Pope. The Vatican’s former doctrine chief has criticised Francis’ papacy for lacking theological rigour, while suggesting he is ready to make a comeback and work in the Roman Curia.
During a book presentation in Germany last Friday, Cardinal Gerhard Müller, dismissed from his job by the Pope in July, recalled how the Jesuit Cardinal Robert Bellarmine (1542-1621) told Pope Clement VIII that he did not understand anything about theology.
During a book presentation in Germany last Friday, Cardinal Gerhard Müller, dismissed from his job by the Pope in July, recalled how the Jesuit Cardinal Robert Bellarmine (1542-1621) told Pope Clement VIII that he did not understand anything about theology.
Bishop Barron talks religion at Facebook headquarters
Bishop Barron Talks Religion at Facebook Headquarters | ncregister.com: People need to learn how to argue better on the internet, especially about religion, Catholic media personality and Los Angeles Auxiliary Bishop Robert Barron said in remarks at Facebook’s headquarters on Monday.
“Seek with great patience to understand your opponent’s position,” he advised, adding that it can be “very tempting just to fire back ‘why you’re wrong.’”
Instead of going after what’s wrong, he said, one should seek to highlight what one’s opponent has right. This is an “extraordinarily helpful” way to get past impasses, he said.
Bishop Barron’s Word on Fire website and media content reach millions of people each year online. The bishop spoke to Facebook employees Sept. 18 at the company’s Menlo Park, California, headquarters on the topic “How to Have a Religious Argument.” The event was live-streamed to around 2,500 viewers.
“Seek with great patience to understand your opponent’s position,” he advised, adding that it can be “very tempting just to fire back ‘why you’re wrong.’”
Instead of going after what’s wrong, he said, one should seek to highlight what one’s opponent has right. This is an “extraordinarily helpful” way to get past impasses, he said.
Bishop Barron’s Word on Fire website and media content reach millions of people each year online. The bishop spoke to Facebook employees Sept. 18 at the company’s Menlo Park, California, headquarters on the topic “How to Have a Religious Argument.” The event was live-streamed to around 2,500 viewers.
A John Paul II Institute alumnus looks at the Pope's motu proprio
Did the Pope just answer the dubia by abolishing the John Paul II Institute? | Blogs | LifeSite: One year ago to this day, four Cardinals submitted five yes-or-no questions to Pope Francis asking him if his 2016 exhortation on marriage and the family — Amoris Laetitia — conforms to perennial Catholic teaching on marriage, moral absolutes, conscience, and the sacraments. The Pope has refused to answer their questions, despite the moral and pastoral chaos that ensued throughout the whole of Christendom as priests, bishops, and cardinals interpreted his teachings in completely contradictory ways. Some allowed civilly-divorced-and-remarried Catholics living in habitual adultery to receive Holy Communion. Some did not.
Sister Marita Rother remembers her brother, the soon-to-be ‘Blessed’ Father Stanley Rother
Sister Marita Rother Remembers Soon-to-Be ‘Blessed’ Father Stanley Rother | ncregister.comGRAVES: Sister Marita Rother, 81, is the younger sister of martyred Father Stanley Rother (1935-81), the venerable servant of God who will be beatified Sept. 23.
The missionary priest was murdered in 1981 in his rectory amid the violence of the Guatemalan civil war. Sister Marita is a member of the Adorers of the Blood of Christ; she made first vows with the religious community in 1955 and final vows in 1960. The community is headquartered in Rome; its 2,500 members are involved in missionary work, nursing, social work and teaching. Sister Marita has served as a teacher and principal for more than 40 years and currently lives in Wichita, Kansas.
In the 1930s and ’40s, she was one of four children growing up on a family farm in Okarche, Oklahoma. Stanley was the oldest; she was second, 14 months his junior. The close-knit family was committed to their Catholic faith, praying the Rosary daily and participating in the life of their local parish.
The missionary priest was murdered in 1981 in his rectory amid the violence of the Guatemalan civil war. Sister Marita is a member of the Adorers of the Blood of Christ; she made first vows with the religious community in 1955 and final vows in 1960. The community is headquartered in Rome; its 2,500 members are involved in missionary work, nursing, social work and teaching. Sister Marita has served as a teacher and principal for more than 40 years and currently lives in Wichita, Kansas.
In the 1930s and ’40s, she was one of four children growing up on a family farm in Okarche, Oklahoma. Stanley was the oldest; she was second, 14 months his junior. The close-knit family was committed to their Catholic faith, praying the Rosary daily and participating in the life of their local parish.
Pope prays for Mexico in its ‘moment of sorrow’ after earthquake
Pope Prays for Mexico After Earthquake, During This ‘Moment of Sorrow’ | ncregister.com: On Wednesday Pope Francis expressed his closeness to the people of Mexico after they suffered a devastating earthquake Sept. 19, asking for the intercession of Our Lady of Guadalupe for all those who have died or lost loved ones.
“Yesterday, a terrible earthquake devastated Mexico. I saw that there are many Mexicans here today among you. It caused numerous victims and material damages,” the Pope said of the tremor in Spanish after the general audience Sept. 20.
“In this moment of sorrow, I want to express my closeness and prayer to all the beloved Mexican population. Let us all raise our prayers together to God so that he may welcome into his bosom those who have lost their lives and comfort the wounded, their families and all those affected.”
“Yesterday, a terrible earthquake devastated Mexico. I saw that there are many Mexicans here today among you. It caused numerous victims and material damages,” the Pope said of the tremor in Spanish after the general audience Sept. 20.
“In this moment of sorrow, I want to express my closeness and prayer to all the beloved Mexican population. Let us all raise our prayers together to God so that he may welcome into his bosom those who have lost their lives and comfort the wounded, their families and all those affected.”
“I ask for America’s prayers”: Hurricane Maria slams Puerto Rico with high rains, storm surge
Hurricane Maria slams Puerto Rico with high rains, storm surge: Hurricane Maria slammed into Puerto Rico on Wednesday as the strongest storm to hit the U.S. territory in nearly 90 years, ripping windows from their fixtures and sending debris hurtling through the streets as it approached the capital, San Juan.
Maria, the second major hurricane to roar through the Caribbean this month, made landfall near Yabucoa, on the southwest coast of the island of 3.4 million people. Thousands of people were seeking safety in shelters.
Carrying winds of 145 miles per hour (233 kph) and driving high storm surges, Maria’s eye was located about 15 miles (25 km) southwest of San Juan at 9 a.m. ET (1300 GMT), the U.S. National Hurricane Center said.
Maria, the second major hurricane to roar through the Caribbean this month, made landfall near Yabucoa, on the southwest coast of the island of 3.4 million people. Thousands of people were seeking safety in shelters.
Carrying winds of 145 miles per hour (233 kph) and driving high storm surges, Maria’s eye was located about 15 miles (25 km) southwest of San Juan at 9 a.m. ET (1300 GMT), the U.S. National Hurricane Center said.
We've got to be carefully taught, before it's too late, to learn how to love...
The power of love | AngelusGOMEZ: Our long, difficult summer in this country seems to continue without end.
Even as the violence of Charlottesville and its aftermath still weigh heavy on our hearts and minds, this past weekend we saw the outbreak of new violence and racial tensions in St. Louis.
We have come a long way in America — but we still have a long way to go.
We are still a nation divided by race in many ways. There are too many young black and Latino men dying in the streets or spending their best years behind bars. Too many of our neighborhoods in too many cities remain “lonely islands of poverty,” where people are perishing — just as they were a generation ago when the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke those words.
Even as the violence of Charlottesville and its aftermath still weigh heavy on our hearts and minds, this past weekend we saw the outbreak of new violence and racial tensions in St. Louis.
We have come a long way in America — but we still have a long way to go.
We are still a nation divided by race in many ways. There are too many young black and Latino men dying in the streets or spending their best years behind bars. Too many of our neighborhoods in too many cities remain “lonely islands of poverty,” where people are perishing — just as they were a generation ago when the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke those words.
Tuesday, September 19, 2017
Our Lady of La Salette reminds us keep holy the Sabbath
Our Lady of La Salette reminds us keep holy the Sabbath – WAF USA – World Apostolate of Fatima U.S.A.FOLEY: The feast of Our Lady of La Salette commemorates the apparition of the Blessed Virgin to two French children, 11-year-old Maximin Giraud and 14-year-old Mélanie Mathieu, which took place on a mountain near the village of La Salette-Fallavaux on Saturday, Sept. 19, 1846. The two children worked as shepherds and lived in the nearby town of Corps in southeastern France.
On that day, they went to pasture their herds on the mountain, driving their cows ahead of them. It was a beautiful warm autumn day with a clear blue sky. After their meager lunch and a midday nap, Melanie saw an astonishing sight – a dazzling globe of light. She called to Maximin in fright, and both children shaded their eyes from the glare of the globe as it grew bigger and began to open, revealing a seated woman with her head in her hands.
On that day, they went to pasture their herds on the mountain, driving their cows ahead of them. It was a beautiful warm autumn day with a clear blue sky. After their meager lunch and a midday nap, Melanie saw an astonishing sight – a dazzling globe of light. She called to Maximin in fright, and both children shaded their eyes from the glare of the globe as it grew bigger and began to open, revealing a seated woman with her head in her hands.
Veni, vidi, gone: A death map of the Roman emperors
Veni, Vidi, Gone: A Death Map of Roman Emperors | Big Think: Totalus Rankium is “a fun, informative podcast where we rank the Roman Emperors based on: fighting ability; madness; their successes; what they looked like and how long they lasted”. For that last metric they also produced this map, showing the locations where Roman emperors expired. To be the Emperor of Rome was to be leader of the biggest and most powerful empire the world had yet seen. However, even in a world where life already tended to be nasty, brutish and short, it was one of the more dangerous jobs: only about a quarter of all Roman emperors died a natural death.
Jailed priest: Abortion centers are ‘modern-day Calvary.’ The Church must be there...
Jailed priest: Abortion centers are ‘modern-day Calvary.’ The Church must be there | News | LifeSite: A priest arrested Friday at a Virginia abortion center says these are the “modern day Calvary” and that he had a “moral obligation” to take part in the peaceful attempt to rescue women and unborn children from the violence of abortion.
“The Church needs to be there,” Fr. Fidelis Moscinski told LifeSiteNews.
“Just as the Blessed Mother and St John were present at Calvary where the innocent blood of Jesus was shed, Christians need to be at the modern day Calvary interceding, praying, offering compassion, alternatives, but most of all offering love and a witness of sacrifice that affirms the precious value of these children,” he said.
“The Church needs to be there,” Fr. Fidelis Moscinski told LifeSiteNews.
“Just as the Blessed Mother and St John were present at Calvary where the innocent blood of Jesus was shed, Christians need to be at the modern day Calvary interceding, praying, offering compassion, alternatives, but most of all offering love and a witness of sacrifice that affirms the precious value of these children,” he said.
For centuries, people celebrated a little boy’s first pair of trousers
For Centuries, People Celebrated a Little Boy’s First Pair of Trousers - Atlas Obscura: John Neal, an 18th-century resident of post–Revolutionary War America, remembered the day that he and his twin sister were torn asunder. “They put me into jacket and trousers,” he wrote in 1795. He gathered up his collection of petticoats and flung them over to his sister. “‘Sis may have these.’ Being twins, we had always been alike, till then; but from that time forward, I was the man-child and she—poor thing! only ‘Sissy,’ and forced to wear petticoats.” Today, almost all Western children start wearing pants of some sort at an early age, but for centuries a little boy’s first donning of trousers was momentous, worthy of celebration.
In Vatican trial, question remains: Whose reputations are on the line?
In Vatican trial, question remains: Whose reputations are on the line?ALLEN: As the latest major Vatican criminal trial resumed on Tuesday, judges seemed to challenge claims by the main defendant that spending $500,000 from funds belonging to a papally-sponsored children's hospital to remodel the private apartment of a Vatican cardinal was entirely routine and above-board. As the trial plays out, the reputations of both that cardinal and Pope Francis's broader financial reform appear at stake.
On prioritizing the values we teach to our children
On Prioritizing the Values Taught to Children - Crisis MagazineBECKER: “You can’t die in every ditch.”
It was a favorite saying of Fr. Ed Madden, my pastor and boss, when I was a greenhorn DRE back in Boulder. So many problems, so many complaints, so many challenges crop up in the course of ordinary parish work, and I was motivated (at first) to tackle them all at once.
Fr. Madden, drawing on decades of parochial experience, held me back. “You’ve got to pick your battles—you can’t die in every ditch,” he’d tell me. “Save your energy for the big fights.”
It was a favorite saying of Fr. Ed Madden, my pastor and boss, when I was a greenhorn DRE back in Boulder. So many problems, so many complaints, so many challenges crop up in the course of ordinary parish work, and I was motivated (at first) to tackle them all at once.
Fr. Madden, drawing on decades of parochial experience, held me back. “You’ve got to pick your battles—you can’t die in every ditch,” he’d tell me. “Save your energy for the big fights.”
Catholics beware: The attack on free speech is growing stronger
Catholics Beware: The Attack on Free Speech is Growing Stronger | ncregister.comPOPE: Hate is a strong word. It means “to regard with extreme ill-will, have a passionate aversion to, treat as an enemy” (source: Online Etymology Dictionary, etmyonline.com). True hatred is ugly. One should exercise care in attributing hatred to others because it identifies a dangerous level of passion in them and can poison reputations. Doing so can even amount to libel or slander.
Sadly, the words “hate” and “hatred” are bandied about today in a very careless manner. Mere disagreements or differing views about issues (not even about persons) are called “hate speech” and people who espouse them are called “haters.” Using such a term to describe a person speaks to his or her psychological state. As such, it is a form of ad hominem argumentum, an argument that seeks to discredit the person rather than address the issue. In effect, the charge is an attempt to shame or discredit rather than to debate the issues at hand openly and honestly.
One of the greatest and most prized things about our country has been our dedication to free speech and open, honest discussion and debate about issues and policies. Unfortunately, that has been eroding over the past few decades.
Sadly, the words “hate” and “hatred” are bandied about today in a very careless manner. Mere disagreements or differing views about issues (not even about persons) are called “hate speech” and people who espouse them are called “haters.” Using such a term to describe a person speaks to his or her psychological state. As such, it is a form of ad hominem argumentum, an argument that seeks to discredit the person rather than address the issue. In effect, the charge is an attempt to shame or discredit rather than to debate the issues at hand openly and honestly.
One of the greatest and most prized things about our country has been our dedication to free speech and open, honest discussion and debate about issues and policies. Unfortunately, that has been eroding over the past few decades.
Pope issues apostolic letter ‘Summa Familiae Cura,’ changes status of John Paul II Institute for Marriage and Family
Pope Francis Sets Up New John Paul II Institute on Marriage and Family | ncregister.com: The Vatican announced today that Pope Francis has established a new Pontifical John Paul II institute for “Marriage and Family Sciences” to replace the previous academic institution founded by John Paul in 1981.
In an apostolic letter Summa Familiae Cura issued motu proprio and published Sept. 19, the Vatican said the new entity — whose name will be the Pontifical John Paul II Theological Institute for Marriage and Family Sciences — is being established to carry forward the work of the two recent Synods of Bishops and the apostolic exhortation that came from those meetings, Amoris Laetitia.
In an apostolic letter Summa Familiae Cura issued motu proprio and published Sept. 19, the Vatican said the new entity — whose name will be the Pontifical John Paul II Theological Institute for Marriage and Family Sciences — is being established to carry forward the work of the two recent Synods of Bishops and the apostolic exhortation that came from those meetings, Amoris Laetitia.
Vatican calls alleged bombshell over vanished girl ‘false and ridiculous’
Vatican calls alleged bombshell over vanished girl 'false and ridiculous'ALLEN: Every culture tends to develop its own peculiar obsessions with conspiracy theories. To this day, for instance, a great way to get three or four Americans arguing is to ask their opinions about whether Oswald acted alone in the JFK assassination.
The rest of the world, however, really doesn’t hold a candle to Italy when it comes to generating what are known here as gialli, basically meaning unresolved mysteries. One of the most popular for almost the last 35 years has focused on Emanuela Orlandi, the 15-year-old daughter of an employee of the Vatican bank who disappeared in 1983, and whose fate has never been established.
The rest of the world, however, really doesn’t hold a candle to Italy when it comes to generating what are known here as gialli, basically meaning unresolved mysteries. One of the most popular for almost the last 35 years has focused on Emanuela Orlandi, the 15-year-old daughter of an employee of the Vatican bank who disappeared in 1983, and whose fate has never been established.
Catholics come out guns a blazin'
Catholics Come Out Guns A Blazin'LONGENECKER: I watched a forgettable film the other evening called Tombstone. It was a predictable Western with Wyatt Earp, his brothers and Doc Holliday shooting up the OK Corral. It made me think of this week’s shoot out between Fr Martin and his pals and some conservative commentators. Both sides came out guns a-blazin’ about Fr Martin’s rather slight and sentimental book about being friendly to gay people. But is it really worth all the nastiness? Fr. Z posed questions about Fr Martin’s suitability as a speaker at seminary and Michael Voris has been clobbering the media darling, but as Fr Z says here, they are mosquitos pestering an elephant. The liberal Catholics control the main Catholic media channels, the majority of mainstream Catholic universities and control most chanceries and the Vatican.
Fr. James Martin Is creating chaos in Catholic circles
Fr. James Martin Is Creating Chaos in Catholic CirclesZMIRAK: You might not follow inside Catholic baseball. I wouldn’t blame you. Lately it has recalled the infamous 1962 Mets, who won only 40 games while losing 120. Their manager, Casey Stengel, famously asked the team, “Can’t anybody here play this game?”
But the latest wild pitch and lost game are important, both to Catholics and other Christians.
There’s a famous, media-savvy priest, James Martin. He’s the kind of man whom Martin Scorcese calls up to consult on movies like Silence. Martin appears on Stephen Colbert, mocking conservatives and roguishly giving the heavy metal “devil horns” salute. He serves as a special advisor to Pope Francis. All this, while he’s pitching himself to the rich and aggressive LGBT lobby as their champion inside the church.
But the latest wild pitch and lost game are important, both to Catholics and other Christians.
There’s a famous, media-savvy priest, James Martin. He’s the kind of man whom Martin Scorcese calls up to consult on movies like Silence. Martin appears on Stephen Colbert, mocking conservatives and roguishly giving the heavy metal “devil horns” salute. He serves as a special advisor to Pope Francis. All this, while he’s pitching himself to the rich and aggressive LGBT lobby as their champion inside the church.
Monday, September 18, 2017
Pope writes letter to Japan: ‘My thought runs to the witness of so many martyrs’
The Holy Father’s Letter to the Bishops of Japan – ZENIT – English: Pope Francis said that when he recalls the Church in Japan, his “thought runs to the witness of so many Martyrs, who offered their life for the faith.” His comments came in a letter to the bishops of Japan during the pastoral visit of Cardinal Fernando Filoni, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of People, September 17-26, 2017.
He went on to encourage the bishops to provide “solid and integral priestly and religious formation.” And he noted the role that can be played by “the Ecclesial Movements approved by the Apostolic See. With their evangelizing impulse and testimony, they can be of help in pastoral service and in the missio ad gentes.”
He went on to encourage the bishops to provide “solid and integral priestly and religious formation.” And he noted the role that can be played by “the Ecclesial Movements approved by the Apostolic See. With their evangelizing impulse and testimony, they can be of help in pastoral service and in the missio ad gentes.”
Don't look at 1917 through a rose-colored looking glass
1917 Through the Rose-Colored Looking Glass | ncregister.comTURLEY: Recently, London’s British Library concluded its five-month exhibition: Russian Revolution: Hope, Tragedy and Myths. I was handed a free ticket and went along, and quickly found myself dismayed at the myths peddled yet again, the real tragedy still ignored.
One wonders, given the history of Communism in the 20th century, why there is still so much residual romanticism attached to it—at least in some quarters in the West. Speaking to some Polish friends recently, I mentioned the exhibition. They had, of course, experienced the full crushing weight of the Soviet imperialism; as you can imagine, they were less than enamored of an institutional fanfare for an ideology that had attempted to strangle their nation’s soul.
One wonders, given the history of Communism in the 20th century, why there is still so much residual romanticism attached to it—at least in some quarters in the West. Speaking to some Polish friends recently, I mentioned the exhibition. They had, of course, experienced the full crushing weight of the Soviet imperialism; as you can imagine, they were less than enamored of an institutional fanfare for an ideology that had attempted to strangle their nation’s soul.
About the roots of the Father James Martin/Theological College controversy
From 'Building Bridges' to 'Building a Bridge' -- About the roots of wars over Father James Martin — GetReligionMATTINGLY: It would be hard to name a media figure in American Catholicism who is more popular than Father James Martin, in part because he is witty, candid and concise. He understands how journalists work, pays attention to deadlines and is relentlessly cooperative.
Martin has his points to make and he makes them, both with his words and with strategic silence. If conservative Catholics want to have a constructive debate with Martin, they need to take all of this into consideration. Attack this particular priest and lots of mainstream journalists will feel like you are attacking them.
Martin has his points to make and he makes them, both with his words and with strategic silence. If conservative Catholics want to have a constructive debate with Martin, they need to take all of this into consideration. Attack this particular priest and lots of mainstream journalists will feel like you are attacking them.
Lady Gaga posts photo of herself praying Rosary with explanation for tour cancelation
Lady Gaga Posts Photo of Herself Praying Rosary with Explanation for Tour Cancelation | ChurchPOP: Music artist Lady Gaga posted a picture of herself praying the rosary on social media, along with a explanation for why her European tour this fall has been canceled.
“I have always been honest about my physical and mental health struggles,” she wrote on Instagram. “[…] They are… keeping me from what I love the most in the world: performing for my fans. I am looking forward to touring again soon, but I have to be with my doctors right now so I can be strong and perform for you all for the next 60 years or more. I love you so much.”
“I have always been honest about my physical and mental health struggles,” she wrote on Instagram. “[…] They are… keeping me from what I love the most in the world: performing for my fans. I am looking forward to touring again soon, but I have to be with my doctors right now so I can be strong and perform for you all for the next 60 years or more. I love you so much.”
Four months after kidnapping, Philippine military rescues Marawi's captive vicar-general
Philippine military rescues Marawi's captive vicar-general - ucanews.com: A senior Philippine priest taken hostage by IS-inspired militants in the conflict torn southern city of Marawi has been freed after almost four months of captivity.
President Rodrigo Duterte's peace adviser Jesus Dureza broke the news on Sept. 17 that Marawi Prelature Vicar-General Father Teresito Soganub was free on his Facebook account.
Military officials initially refused to confirm the news but on Sept. 18 announced that the priest was "rescued," along with another hostage.
Lanao del Sur Provincial Crisis Management Committee spokesman, Zia Alonto Adiong, earlier released photos of the priest on a plane alongside military officers.
The military said the delay in announcing that Father Soganub was free was due to ongoing rescue operations to secure other hostages in a small pocket in Manawi, a once thriving commercial and religious center reduced to rubble by four months of fighting.
President Rodrigo Duterte's peace adviser Jesus Dureza broke the news on Sept. 17 that Marawi Prelature Vicar-General Father Teresito Soganub was free on his Facebook account.
Military officials initially refused to confirm the news but on Sept. 18 announced that the priest was "rescued," along with another hostage.
Lanao del Sur Provincial Crisis Management Committee spokesman, Zia Alonto Adiong, earlier released photos of the priest on a plane alongside military officers.
The military said the delay in announcing that Father Soganub was free was due to ongoing rescue operations to secure other hostages in a small pocket in Manawi, a once thriving commercial and religious center reduced to rubble by four months of fighting.
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