The Scottish island that buried America's dead - BBC News: It is the whisky-making Scottish island, world famous for its peaty single malts and warm hospitality.
But the isle of Islay, in the Inner Hebrides, is now being recognised for an almost forgotten example of huge courage and humanity.
A hundred years ago, Islay was on the frontline in the battle at sea during World War One.
The island coped with mass casualties from two major troopship disasters just eight months apart.
Monday, April 30, 2018
Down Under, the reckoning – Pope's CFO to stand trial for abuse
Whispers in the Loggia: Down Under, The Reckoning – Pope's CFO To Stand Trial for AbusePALMO: For everything the Catholic world has seen over its decades-long horror show of abuse scandals, this May Day brings news of a rare uncharted moment – a cardinal will stand trial on sex crimes... and not just any cardinal, at that.
Capping a two-month preliminary hearing to weigh the evidence against Cardinal George Pell, a judge in Melbourne ruled early Wednesday that the first-ever Vatican CFO – likewise a member of Pope Francis' "Gang of Nine" lead advisers – would be tried on "multiple historical sexual offenses," with courtroom reports relaying that half the original charges had been dismissed on grounds of lacking witnesses or other corroboration.
Capping a two-month preliminary hearing to weigh the evidence against Cardinal George Pell, a judge in Melbourne ruled early Wednesday that the first-ever Vatican CFO – likewise a member of Pope Francis' "Gang of Nine" lead advisers – would be tried on "multiple historical sexual offenses," with courtroom reports relaying that half the original charges had been dismissed on grounds of lacking witnesses or other corroboration.
Waste Land: Britain’s culture of death
Waste Land: Britain’s Culture of Death - Crisis MagazineTURLEY: April 23 is St. George’s Day, the national feast day of England.
On April 23, 2018 three events occurred.
Ealing Council in west London became the first English Local Authority to implement a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) for the area around a local abortion facility. It was claimed that this order was necessary “to protect women from distress and intimidation.”
Abortion providers and various pro-abortion groups had lobbied local politicians convincing them of the need for what are declared as “safe zones,” or by pro-life groups known as “censorship zones.” The politicians had been told of fanatical “groups” of pro-lifers accosting women as they entered the facility, forcing them to look at explicit pictures of abortions while calling them names—all influenced by tactics imported from the United States. The conclusion of the politicians was that the very act of praying outside an abortion facility was an act of intimidation.
On April 23, 2018 three events occurred.
Ealing Council in west London became the first English Local Authority to implement a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) for the area around a local abortion facility. It was claimed that this order was necessary “to protect women from distress and intimidation.”
Abortion providers and various pro-abortion groups had lobbied local politicians convincing them of the need for what are declared as “safe zones,” or by pro-life groups known as “censorship zones.” The politicians had been told of fanatical “groups” of pro-lifers accosting women as they entered the facility, forcing them to look at explicit pictures of abortions while calling them names—all influenced by tactics imported from the United States. The conclusion of the politicians was that the very act of praying outside an abortion facility was an act of intimidation.
Charlie Douglass and his Laff Box invented the laugh track as we know it
Charlie Douglass and his Laff Box invented the laugh track as we know it.: Imagine that television is brand-new. You’ve just gotten your very first set. It weighs a ton and it’s the size of a bureau, with wood paneling and a couple of dials on the side. You set it up in the living room, and you call in the whole family and turn it on.
The Jack Benny Program is on. Originally a hit radio show, the series starred Jack Benny, a onetime vaudeville performer and comedian, as a version of himself, a radio star. And now that show from the radio is on your television, and even though you’ve heard it before, you’ve never seen anything like it.
The Jack Benny Program is on. Originally a hit radio show, the series starred Jack Benny, a onetime vaudeville performer and comedian, as a version of himself, a radio star. And now that show from the radio is on your television, and even though you’ve heard it before, you’ve never seen anything like it.
Who were the barbarians?
Who Were the Barbarians?: Barbarians — a word that today often refers to uncivilized people or evil people and their evil deeds — originated in ancient Greece, and it initially only referred to people who were from out of town or did not speak Greek. Today, the meaning of the word is far removed from its original Greek roots. A poignant example comes from a 2012 speech given by then U.S. President Barack Obama in New York City.
George Cardinal Pell to stand trial on alleged sex abuse, Australian court rules
Cardinal George Pell to stand trial on alleged sex abuse, court rules: Australian Cardinal George Pell, the most senior Vatican official to be charged in the Catholic Church sex abuse crisis, must stand trial on charges that he sexually abused multiple victims decades ago, a magistrate ruled Tuesday.
Magistrate Belinda Wallington dismissed some of the charges that had been heard in the four-week preliminary hearing in Melbourne but decided the prosecution’s case against was strong enough to warrant a trial by jury.
When she asked Pell how he pleaded, the cardinal stood and said in a firm voice: “Not guilty.”
Magistrate Belinda Wallington dismissed some of the charges that had been heard in the four-week preliminary hearing in Melbourne but decided the prosecution’s case against was strong enough to warrant a trial by jury.
When she asked Pell how he pleaded, the cardinal stood and said in a firm voice: “Not guilty.”
UK bishops appoint ‘strongly anti-life and anti-family’ politician to Catholic schools post
Catholic Education Service appoints anti-life and anti-family ex-MP as deputy director: The Catholic Education Service (CES), an agency of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales, has appointed Greg Pope (pictured), former Labour MP for Hyndburn, as its new deputy director. Mr Pope has a lengthy and strongly anti-life and anti-family parliamentary record - see below. According to a CES press release earlier this week...
Never forget the suffering it took to bring the Faith and the Gospel
Never Forget the Suffering it Took To Bring the Faith and the Gospel! - Community in Mission : Community in MissionPOPE: As we read the Acts of the Apostles and behold, in today’s reading, that St. Paul was stoned, we do well to ponder the kinds of sufferings the Apostles endured in order to announce the Gospel and win souls for Christ. In the “softer” Church of the declining West, it is hard for us even to imagine such suffering. How many Catholics today can barely rouse themselves to get to an hour-long Mass on Sunday? How many of us clergy will not risk so much as a raised eyebrow in order to speak the truth?
Pope Francis faces ‘delicate task’ at Thursday’s crucial meeting on German Communion proposal
Pope Francis Faces ‘Delicate Task’ Over German Intercommunion ProposalPENTIN: Thursday’s Rome meeting between German bishops and Vatican officials on whether Protestant spouses can receive Holy Communion in some exceptional cases is crucial not only for its subject matter, but also as it is likely to confirm where Pope Francis stands on the issue.
The Vatican announced today that two of the seven signatories of a letter to the Vatican opposed to the controversial proposal or pastoral handout — which the overwhelming majority of German bishops voted for in February — will be attending the 4pm meeting.
Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki of Cologne will be joined by Bishop Rudolf Voderholzer of Regensburg, who is understood to have been the prime mover of the seven bishops’ letter to the Vatican, driven by a concern that the Eucharist is becoming a pawn of Church politics.
The Vatican announced today that two of the seven signatories of a letter to the Vatican opposed to the controversial proposal or pastoral handout — which the overwhelming majority of German bishops voted for in February — will be attending the 4pm meeting.
Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki of Cologne will be joined by Bishop Rudolf Voderholzer of Regensburg, who is understood to have been the prime mover of the seven bishops’ letter to the Vatican, driven by a concern that the Eucharist is becoming a pawn of Church politics.
Portland’s Archbishop Sample offers traditional Pontifical High Mass for 3,500 worshipers at DC’s National Shrine
‘Liturgy of Timelessness’ at the National Shrine in Washington: The grandeur and beauty of Catholic worship were in full array as Archbishop Alexander Sample celebrated a pontifical high Mass at the National Shrine of the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception Saturday afternoon.
Sacred ministers — including deacons, subdeacons, two deacons and a subdeacon of the cross — diocesan priests and priests in the habits of the Dominican, Franciscan and Oratorian orders, and two Eastern rite clergy, along with vested laymen and laywomen of several Catholic orders of chivalry, walked up the basilica’s long aisle in solemn procession.
A capacity crowd had gathered in the basilica’s vast Upper Church, which seats 3,500, to hear and see Archbishop Sample, of Portland, Oregon, celebrate Mass in the extraordinary form according to Pope St. John XXIII’s 1962 Missale Romanum.
Sacred ministers — including deacons, subdeacons, two deacons and a subdeacon of the cross — diocesan priests and priests in the habits of the Dominican, Franciscan and Oratorian orders, and two Eastern rite clergy, along with vested laymen and laywomen of several Catholic orders of chivalry, walked up the basilica’s long aisle in solemn procession.
A capacity crowd had gathered in the basilica’s vast Upper Church, which seats 3,500, to hear and see Archbishop Sample, of Portland, Oregon, celebrate Mass in the extraordinary form according to Pope St. John XXIII’s 1962 Missale Romanum.
Watch: Brazilian breaks world record for surfing an 80-foot wave, the biggest wave ever surfed
New Advent: Brazilian breaks world record for surfing an 80-foot wave, the biggest wave ever surfed: Rodrigo Koxa, 38 years old from Brazil, just won the WSL Biggest Wave Award yesterday in a ceremony held in Los Angeles. The wave in question was ridden back in November 8, 2017 in Praia do Norte, Nazaré, Portugal, and was now officially measured at 80 feet, making this a new Guinness World Record for “Biggest Wave ever Surfed”, and beating the previous record of 78 feet by just 2 feet, held by legendary big wave surfer Garrett McNamara on a wave also ridden in Nazaré back in 2011.
Inside the spectacular implosion of Religion News Service (RNS)
Inside the Spectacular Implosion of Religion News Service | The New Republic: Jerome Socolovsky originally didn’t know why he was fired. The former editor-in-chief of Religion News Service found out he’d lost his job on April 20, in an email signed by RNS publisher Tom Gallagher and a human resources official. Since then, matters have been clarified. “Tom and I had serious differences over the editorial vision for RNS,” Socolovsky, an experienced religion reporter who has also worked for the Associated Press, told me. Current and former RNS staffers, however, insist that those differences stretch beyond disagreements over editorial strategy.
ESA’s GAIA satellite opens our eyes to the Milky Way galaxy
GAIA Opens Our Eyes to the Galaxy - The Catholic AstronomerFRYE: There is a release of new astronomical data by the European Space Agency satellite called "Gaia." The main purpose of GAIA is to report accurate distances to stars in the Milky Way. GAIA does this by measuring parallaxes.
This method relies on measuring what we might colloquially call "perspective." The idea is that a high precision snapshot of a nearby star will make a pattern on the sky with respect to its fixed stellar neighbors. If you then wait for six months and take another snapshot image of that same nearby star, you will see a slightly different pattern.
This method relies on measuring what we might colloquially call "perspective." The idea is that a high precision snapshot of a nearby star will make a pattern on the sky with respect to its fixed stellar neighbors. If you then wait for six months and take another snapshot image of that same nearby star, you will see a slightly different pattern.
Why would RNS bust an editor for upsetting the Archdiocese of Chicago? This 2015 CNA story might provide a clue...
An Arcus news service? RNS denies LGBT money influences religion coverage: The editor of Religion News Service has denied that a grant from a wealthy LGBT advocacy funder has biased its coverage of traditional religion, which includes a recent controversial story on Cardinal Raymond Burke.
The Arcus Foundation dispenses millions of dollars in grants every year to support LGBT activism. Its 2014 grants included $120,000 to the Religion Newswriters Foundation, the owner of the widely syndicated Religion News Service.
The Arcus Foundation’s grant listing said the one year of support was intended “to recruit and equip LGBT supportive leaders and advocates to counter rejection and antagonism within traditionally conservative Christian churches.”
The Arcus Foundation dispenses millions of dollars in grants every year to support LGBT activism. Its 2014 grants included $120,000 to the Religion Newswriters Foundation, the owner of the widely syndicated Religion News Service.
The Arcus Foundation’s grant listing said the one year of support was intended “to recruit and equip LGBT supportive leaders and advocates to counter rejection and antagonism within traditionally conservative Christian churches.”
German Bishops to discuss Communion-for-Protestant-spouses proposal in Rome
German Bishops to Discuss Communion-for-Protestant-Spouses Proposal in Rome: The Vatican confirmed Monday that a delegation of six German bishops and one priest will meet with Vatican officials, including the head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith later this week to discuss the issue of the reception of the Eucharist by non-Catholic spouses of Catholics.
The meeting will take place May 3 with Archbishop Luis Ladaria Ferrer, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, and Father Hermann Geissler, head of the department’s doctrinal section.
The German delegation, which includes Cardinal Reinhard Marx of Munich and Freising and Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki of Cologne, will also meet with Cardinal Kurt Koch, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, and Father Markus Graulich, undersecretary of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts.
The meeting will take place May 3 with Archbishop Luis Ladaria Ferrer, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, and Father Hermann Geissler, head of the department’s doctrinal section.
The German delegation, which includes Cardinal Reinhard Marx of Munich and Freising and Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki of Cologne, will also meet with Cardinal Kurt Koch, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, and Father Markus Graulich, undersecretary of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts.
If Marvel's Avengers were saints, here’s which saints they would be...
If Marvel's Avengers were saints --Aleteia: This weekend sees the opening of the most highly anticipated film of the Marvel universe, Avengers: Infinity War. It is the culmination of an immensely successful series of movies based on characters from Marvel comic books and has sparked a renewed interest in extraordinary heroes who save the world.
Yet, while the superheroes featured in the movies possess amazing superhuman abilities, they are no match for the real life men and women who were granted incredible supernatural gifts from God and continue to intercede for us from Heaven.
Theses saints are truly inspiring and remind us that God can use anyone to accomplish his marvelous plan of salvation.
Yet, while the superheroes featured in the movies possess amazing superhuman abilities, they are no match for the real life men and women who were granted incredible supernatural gifts from God and continue to intercede for us from Heaven.
Theses saints are truly inspiring and remind us that God can use anyone to accomplish his marvelous plan of salvation.
A meditation on heavy lifting, from an Olympic-style weightlifting coach
A Meditation for Weightlifters: “First do the ordinary things well, then you can think of extraordinary things” (del Gal, The Spiritual Life of Cardinal Merry del Val, 110, emphasis added). These are the words of Servant of God Rafael Cardinal Merry del Val as recalled by someone under his spiritual direction.
As an Olympic-style weightlifting coach this is the same approach I have to convince, plead, cajole, and maybe even threaten into my athletes. Let’s face it, the kind of person that decides a barbell is going to be a part of their life does not come to me so they can just get a little better, lift just a little bit more. They want to do extraordinary things with the barbell, but then reality sets in. It’s the long, slow process of doing the ordinary things well that leads to extraordinary outcomes.
As an Olympic-style weightlifting coach this is the same approach I have to convince, plead, cajole, and maybe even threaten into my athletes. Let’s face it, the kind of person that decides a barbell is going to be a part of their life does not come to me so they can just get a little better, lift just a little bit more. They want to do extraordinary things with the barbell, but then reality sets in. It’s the long, slow process of doing the ordinary things well that leads to extraordinary outcomes.
How one Catholic husband reacted when he found out about his wife’s past abortions
After Abortion, ‘Just Love Her’: Sisters of Life Share a Couple’s Message | National ReviewLOPEZ: Rob describes himself as a “super pro-life guy.” And after marrying Yalixa, he found himself learning about the two abortions she had in her past. He also describes himself as someone who loves God, and God kicked into high gear when for the first time she began sharing her pain with her husband.
“I’ve read a billion books, I have all these pro-life arguments, and here I am being told by God to shut up and just love her. You know? Just love her. Be there for her. I definitely didn’t want to overstep and get in God’s way.”
“I’ve read a billion books, I have all these pro-life arguments, and here I am being told by God to shut up and just love her. You know? Just love her. Be there for her. I definitely didn’t want to overstep and get in God’s way.”
Shopping for a terminal address
Shopping for a Terminal Address | God-Haunted LunaticBECKER: My students thought it was sketchy. Several of them had seen me standing on a curb near the campus service entrance earlier in the day – just standing there. “What’s up, Mr. Becker?” one of them called out as she drove past. “I’m waiting for my wife to pick me up,” I called back. “I’m taking her someplace to show her something.”
Someplace. Something. So mysterious. “What was all that about?” my students ventured later that afternoon before our evening hospital clinical. I was happy to explain. “We went to the cemetery so I could show her our grave plots.”
What?
Someplace. Something. So mysterious. “What was all that about?” my students ventured later that afternoon before our evening hospital clinical. I was happy to explain. “We went to the cemetery so I could show her our grave plots.”
What?
Priest shot dead after Mass in northern Philippines
Priest shot dead after Mass in northern Philippines - ucanews.com: A Catholic priest was shot and killed after saying Mass in the northern Philippine town of Gattaran in Cagayan province on April 29.
Police said Father Mark Anthony Yuaga Ventura, 37, was shot twice by a lone gunman.
The priest was blessing children who attended the Mass while talking to members of the choir when a man in motorcycle helmet approached him.
Father Ventura sustained gunshot wounds to the head and chest and died at the scene, according to the police.
The assailant walked out of the gymnasium, where the Mass was held, and fled on a motorcycle with an accomplice.
Minutes after the shooting, pictures uploaded on social media showed the lifeless body of the priest on the ground near the altar.
Father Ventura, known for being an anti-mining advocate and for his work with tribal people in the province of Cagayan, was ordained a priest in 2011.
He was director of San Isidro Labrador Mission Station based in the nearby village of Mabuno. He used to be rector of the St. Thomas Aquinas Major Seminary in the town of Aparri.
Police said Father Mark Anthony Yuaga Ventura, 37, was shot twice by a lone gunman.
The priest was blessing children who attended the Mass while talking to members of the choir when a man in motorcycle helmet approached him.
Father Ventura sustained gunshot wounds to the head and chest and died at the scene, according to the police.
The assailant walked out of the gymnasium, where the Mass was held, and fled on a motorcycle with an accomplice.
Minutes after the shooting, pictures uploaded on social media showed the lifeless body of the priest on the ground near the altar.
Father Ventura, known for being an anti-mining advocate and for his work with tribal people in the province of Cagayan, was ordained a priest in 2011.
He was director of San Isidro Labrador Mission Station based in the nearby village of Mabuno. He used to be rector of the St. Thomas Aquinas Major Seminary in the town of Aparri.
Cardinal Marx rebukes Bavaria for ordering crosses in state buildings
Germany: Catholic cardinal rebukes Bavaria for ordering crosses in state buildings | News | DW | 30.04.2018: The head of the German Bishops' Conference has sharply criticized the premier of the southern German state of Bavaria for ordering Christian crosses to be hung in all state buildings. Cardinal Reinhard Marx told German daily newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung on Monday that Premier Markus Söder's order had sparked public "division, unrest and animosity." Söder issued the directive — set to enter into force on June 1 — on Wednesday. On Twitter, he wrote that the cross was a "clear avowal of our Bavarian identity and Christian values."
Cardinal Nichols says Alfie Evans case ‘used for political aims’
Cardinal Nichols says Alfie Evans case ‘used for political aims’ | CatholicHerald.co.uk: Cardinal Vincent Nichols has defended Alder Hey hospital’s role in the Alfie Evans case.
During a visit to Poland on Sunday, the cardinal reportedly criticised people who “sought political capital” from the case, and said some who took a stand on the case “didn’t serve the good of the child”.
“It’s important to remember Alder Hey Hospital cared for Alfie not for two weeks or two months, but for 18 months, consulting with the world’s top specialists – so its doctors’ position that no further medical help could be given was very important,” he said, according to The Tablet.
During a visit to Poland on Sunday, the cardinal reportedly criticised people who “sought political capital” from the case, and said some who took a stand on the case “didn’t serve the good of the child”.
“It’s important to remember Alder Hey Hospital cared for Alfie not for two weeks or two months, but for 18 months, consulting with the world’s top specialists – so its doctors’ position that no further medical help could be given was very important,” he said, according to The Tablet.
Can I get an 'Amen'? For the press, that was the White House correspondents' dinner from hell
Can I get an 'Amen'? For the press, that was the White House correspondents' dinner from hell — GetReligionMATTINGLY: Pardon me for a moment, because I would like us to pause for a second and think about the &%^ @#$ %*&^@#$ 2018 edition of the White House correspondents' dinner.
Wait a minute. What's the religion-news angle of this story?
Well, on one level there isn't one. However, I'd be willing to bet the farm (that's a common expression out here in flyover country) that the moral, cultural and religious views of people who laughed at what happened last night are completely different than those of people who were appalled by it.
Wait a minute. What's the religion-news angle of this story?
Well, on one level there isn't one. However, I'd be willing to bet the farm (that's a common expression out here in flyover country) that the moral, cultural and religious views of people who laughed at what happened last night are completely different than those of people who were appalled by it.
Sunday, April 29, 2018
The saints slay the dragons and adore the Lamb
The Saints Slay the Dragons and Adore the LambRUTLER: It occurred to me this past week, celebrating Saint George the Martyr (or “Mega-Martyr” as he is known among the effervescent Byzantines), that friendship with a patron saint, on one’s name day day—or “onomastico”—is a practice that needs revival.
There are friends and acquaintances, but it is a special privilege to have a heavenly friend as a companion and encourager. It is helpful, but not necessary, to know much about what they did when they were alive here. In the case of George, little is known, and when the unknown bits are embellished with fanciful legends such as stabbing dragons, they can seem remote. But think of an athlete, who has a native talent for some sport, and how a coach can protect and develop it. In that sense, albeit in a strained analogy, the patron saint is available to help.
There are friends and acquaintances, but it is a special privilege to have a heavenly friend as a companion and encourager. It is helpful, but not necessary, to know much about what they did when they were alive here. In the case of George, little is known, and when the unknown bits are embellished with fanciful legends such as stabbing dragons, they can seem remote. But think of an athlete, who has a native talent for some sport, and how a coach can protect and develop it. In that sense, albeit in a strained analogy, the patron saint is available to help.
Archdioceses of New York and Philadelphia digitize millions of records for historians, genealogists
(Catholic) Family Trees — Unlocking Church History via GenealogyMCDONALD: The handwriting is cramped, the entry in barely-legible Latin on the yellowing pages of a sacrament register for the year 1814:
“15th Baptisavi Miriam filial Roberti Bankhead et Catherinae Magee natum Maii. Sponsa Elizabeth Lyons. P.F. McNulty.”
That is: On May 15 in 1814, Mary, the child of Robert Bankhead and Catherine Magee, born on the 4th, was baptized by Father McNulty at St. Paul’s in Philadelphia, with Elizabeth Lyons as the godmother. No godfather is listed.
Opening one of these parish registers — large, sometimes fragile volumes filled margin-to-margin with names and dates — is a journey into the past. The work used to require time, travel and vast stores of patience.
“15th Baptisavi Miriam filial Roberti Bankhead et Catherinae Magee natum Maii. Sponsa Elizabeth Lyons. P.F. McNulty.”
That is: On May 15 in 1814, Mary, the child of Robert Bankhead and Catherine Magee, born on the 4th, was baptized by Father McNulty at St. Paul’s in Philadelphia, with Elizabeth Lyons as the godmother. No godfather is listed.
Opening one of these parish registers — large, sometimes fragile volumes filled margin-to-margin with names and dates — is a journey into the past. The work used to require time, travel and vast stores of patience.
A deer migration you have to see to believe
New Advent: A deer migration you have to see to believe: Researchers have only recently found the longest large mammal migration in the continental United States: Mule deer migrate 150 miles (241 kilometers) in western Wyoming each year. And it's no easy task for them — barriers include highways, fences, tough terrain, and bodies of water. In this video by Joe Riis, a National Geographic grantee and regular contributor, see the modern-day obstacles mule deer overcome to make the migratory trek that they likely have been making for generations.
Pope’s Regina Coeli address: ‘Abide in Jesus, as branches in the vine’
Regina Coeli Address: On the Lord Jesus as the Vine (Full Text) - ZENIT - English: Here is a ZENIT translation of the address Pope Francis gave today, before and after praying the midday Regina Coeli with those gathered in St. Peter’s Square.
Saturday, April 28, 2018
Swiss scientists perform massive test of 80-year-old, ‘spooky’ quantum paradox
Swiss Scientists Perform Massive Test of 80-Year-Old, 'Spooky' Quantum Paradox: A team of Swiss scientists has performed a massive test of one of the strangest paradoxes in quantum mechanics, a huge example of the sort of behavior Albert Einstein skeptically called "spooky action at a distance."
The story begins more than 80 years ago. Way back in 1935, Einstein and physicists Boris Podolsky and Nathan Rosen found something strange. They entangled two particles — let's call them Alice and Bob — so that their physical properties were linked even across wide distances, and anything you did to one particle would impact the other. Intuitively, you'd think that if you had access to Alice, you'd know way more about her than you would about Bob, who's a distance away. This is also what you'd expect given Einstein's relativistic laws of physics at large scales. But the physicist trio discovered something odd, now called the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (EPR) paradox: By studying Alice, you actually learn much more about Bob than you do about Alice.
The story begins more than 80 years ago. Way back in 1935, Einstein and physicists Boris Podolsky and Nathan Rosen found something strange. They entangled two particles — let's call them Alice and Bob — so that their physical properties were linked even across wide distances, and anything you did to one particle would impact the other. Intuitively, you'd think that if you had access to Alice, you'd know way more about her than you would about Bob, who's a distance away. This is also what you'd expect given Einstein's relativistic laws of physics at large scales. But the physicist trio discovered something odd, now called the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (EPR) paradox: By studying Alice, you actually learn much more about Bob than you do about Alice.
Why you should read the Fathers of the Church
Why You Should Read the Fathers of the Church - St. Philip InstituteTAMISIEA: The terms “Fathers of the Church,” “Church Fathers,” “early Church Fathers,” or simply “the Fathers,” are used by Catholics and other Christians to refer to the outstanding teachers of the Christian faith from antiquity. The underlying idea behind calling these men “Fathers” is that a teacher of the Christian faith is a spiritual father who helps give spiritual birth to those who receive his teaching. St. Paul, for example, claims to be a spiritual father to those who receive the Gospel through his ministry: “I do not write this to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my beloved children. For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the Gospel” (1 Cor 4:14–15). St. Irenaeus (c. 125 – 202 ad), a Church Father himself, explains the idea of spiritual fatherhood in his famous work Against the Heresies: “For when any person has been taught from the mouth of another, he is termed the son of him who instructs him, and the latter [is called] his father” (IV, 41, 2).
Baseball, like the Church, should give young people what they need, not what they think they want...
Baseball and Synod 2018 - Denver CatholicWEIGEL: I trust it won’t cause heartburn among the editors of Commonweal if I confess to having cheered at a recent article they posted, “Quit Trying to ‘Fix’ Baseball.” Therein, Professor Gregory Hillis of Bellarmine College took on MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred’s efforts to appeal to millennials – creatures from that deep lagoon known as “social media” – by speeding up the pastime. Prof. Hillis called the ball foul, and I heartily concur.
Fundamentals for fruitful discipleship — A homily for the 5th Sunday of Easter
Fundamentals for Fruitful Discipleship – A Homily for the 5th Sunday of Easter - Community in Mission : Community in MissionPOPE: In this Easter Season, we continue to reflect on how the risen Lord Jesus minsters to us and supplies our needs. Last week we considered Jim as our shepherd. This week we learn how He is the vine and we the branches, wholly dependent on Him for everything. As we consider how He cares for us as His disciples, we need to rescue the word “care” from its rather sentimental modern sense. True care does not merely include pleasant things such as providing food and shelter. Sometimes care involves difficult things, but ones that are necessary to discipline and purify us so that we grow and bear more fruit. Thus, the Lord speaks of “pruning” in this passage. While caring, pruning is not often pleasant, but it is proper care. Let’s look at how the Lord cares for us so that we can be true disciples.
Why can’t the Church stop harping on purity?!
Why can’t the Church stop harping on purity?! | Catholic CultureMIRUS: In the wake of yesterday’s conviction of comedian Bill Cosby for sexual assault, we might well revisit what many regard as the obnoxious Catholic emphasis on purity. While we hear less about it in a secularized Church, everybody knows the traditional emphasis is always just beneath the surface. This is so obvious to outsiders that the Church has often been accused of not really caring about any other kind of sin. That’s not true, of course. But the barest whiff of Catholic emphasis on sins of the flesh is enough to send the world into paroxysms of denunciation.
Play-Doh wasn’t originally meant to be a toy. Here’s the real reason it was invented...
Play-Doh Originally Was Invented to be a Wallpaper Cleaner, Not a Toy: Play-Doh has been a classic children’s toy for so many generations that it’s hard to imagine it was invented to be anything other than a fun, squishable way for kids to show off their creativity.
But it turns out it was a wallpaper cleaner, first. Back in the late 1920s, a man named Cleo McVicker convinced the parent company of Kutol, a failing Cincinnati soap company, to let him and his brother, Noah McVicker, try and turn the brand around, according to the Huffington Post.
But it turns out it was a wallpaper cleaner, first. Back in the late 1920s, a man named Cleo McVicker convinced the parent company of Kutol, a failing Cincinnati soap company, to let him and his brother, Noah McVicker, try and turn the brand around, according to the Huffington Post.
What Nietzsche got right
What Nietzsche Got Right | Fr. Dwight LongeneckerLONGENECKER: I’m not usually one to defend the thought of Nietzsche, but in reading his Genealogy of Morality it seems that his critique of Christianity is on target.
I should say, “His critique of what he thought Christianity was.”
In his usual passionate style he bemoans what he calls the “slave revolt in morality.” This is the idea that the underclass are full of suppressed rage at their poor treatment and so they eventually flip the whole concept of morality so that the weakness, not strength becomes the virtue.
Therefore the poor, the weak, the slave, the disabled, the meek and the downtrodden become the virtuous ones and the strong, the rich, the powerful, the noble, the aristocrats automatically become the villains and the oppressors.
I should say, “His critique of what he thought Christianity was.”
In his usual passionate style he bemoans what he calls the “slave revolt in morality.” This is the idea that the underclass are full of suppressed rage at their poor treatment and so they eventually flip the whole concept of morality so that the weakness, not strength becomes the virtue.
Therefore the poor, the weak, the slave, the disabled, the meek and the downtrodden become the virtuous ones and the strong, the rich, the powerful, the noble, the aristocrats automatically become the villains and the oppressors.
The shape of things to come
The shape of things to come – Catholic PhillyCHAPUT: I’ve been a lifelong fan of science fiction stories. Two of my favorites are classic novels by H.G. Wells (d. 1946), The War of the Worlds and The Time Machine. Both were twice produced as movies. Both make great reading even today. Not everything he wrote had such lasting success, though. Another Wells-inspired movie, Things to Come starring Raymond Massey in 1936, is far more obscure today. Yet I’ve always found it just as intriguing as his other work, for reasons that have nothing to do with Martians or underground monsters.
The New York Times: ‘Pope Francis in the Wilderness’
Pope Francis in the Wilderness - The New York Times: Five years ago, Pope Francis was elected to be an agent of change within a church shaken by scandals and the historic resignation of Benedict XVI. He quickly became a global force in geopolitics, setting the agenda on climate change and care for migrants. World leaders wanted to be near him. Even non-Catholics adored him.
Today, Francis is increasingly embattled. The political climate has shifted abruptly around the world, empowering populists and nationalists who oppose much of what he stands for. Conservative forces arrayed against him within the Vatican have been emboldened, seeking to thwart him on multiple fronts.
Yet a close look at his record since becoming pope and the strong reactions he has engendered also shows that Francis continues to get his way in reorienting the church. And his supporters say that the backlash against his views has only made his voice more vital in the debate inside and outside the church over the issues he has chosen to highlight, like migrants, economic inequality and the environment.
Today, Francis is increasingly embattled. The political climate has shifted abruptly around the world, empowering populists and nationalists who oppose much of what he stands for. Conservative forces arrayed against him within the Vatican have been emboldened, seeking to thwart him on multiple fronts.
Yet a close look at his record since becoming pope and the strong reactions he has engendered also shows that Francis continues to get his way in reorienting the church. And his supporters say that the backlash against his views has only made his voice more vital in the debate inside and outside the church over the issues he has chosen to highlight, like migrants, economic inequality and the environment.
Alfie Evans dies at Alder Hey hospital
Alfie Evans Dies: The 23 month-old toddler, at the center of a legal battle between his parents, doctors and judges, passed away at 2.30am his parents Thomas Evans and Kate James announced on social media. “My gladiator lay down his shield and gained his wings at 02:30... absolutely heartbroken... I LOVE YOU MY GUY,” Thomas Evans said. Little Alfie’s mother wrote: “Our baby boy grew his wings tonight at 2:30 am. We are heart broken. Thank you everyone for all your support.”
In a statement issued on its website, Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool, England, said: “We wish to express our heartfelt sympathy and condolences to Alfie's family at this extremely distressing time. All of us feel deeply for Alfie, Kate, Tom and his whole family and our thoughts are with them. This has been a devastating journey for them and we would ask that their privacy and the privacy of staff at Alder Hey is respected.”
In a statement issued on its website, Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool, England, said: “We wish to express our heartfelt sympathy and condolences to Alfie's family at this extremely distressing time. All of us feel deeply for Alfie, Kate, Tom and his whole family and our thoughts are with them. This has been a devastating journey for them and we would ask that their privacy and the privacy of staff at Alder Hey is respected.”
Friday, April 27, 2018
St. Laurence O'Toole's heart found six years after theft
St Laurence O'Toole's heart found six years after theft - BBC News: The 800-year-old heart of an Irish saint has been recovered six years after it was stolen from a Dublin cathedral.
The heart of St Laurence O'Toole was found undamaged in the city's Phoenix Park by Irish police following "an intelligence-led investigation".
The bizarre theft happened at Christ Church Cathedral in 2012.
It is believed the thief hid overnight in the cathedral before carrying out the heart heist.
The heart-taker is believed to have used cutters to prise open the iron bars protecting the wooden box holding the saint's heart.
The individual then lit two peace candles on the Trinity altar in the cathedral before leaving.
The heart of St Laurence O'Toole was found undamaged in the city's Phoenix Park by Irish police following "an intelligence-led investigation".
The bizarre theft happened at Christ Church Cathedral in 2012.
It is believed the thief hid overnight in the cathedral before carrying out the heart heist.
The heart-taker is believed to have used cutters to prise open the iron bars protecting the wooden box holding the saint's heart.
The individual then lit two peace candles on the Trinity altar in the cathedral before leaving.
The 8th-century Benedictine monk who accidentally invented ‘do-re-mi’
The 8th C. Benedictine Monk Who Accidentally Invented Do-Re-Mi | ChurchPOP: So many cool things have come from Catholics! This is just another example.
You’ve probably heard the song from the musical The Sound of Music called “Do-Re-Mi” (“Do a deer, a female deer,” etc). That song is based on something called solfège, in which each note in a musical scale is given a word, namely do, re, mi, fa, so, la, ti, and then back to do.
Where did this system come from? Well it turns out, at least to the standard theory, it ultimately came from an 8th century Catholic hymn written by a Benedictine monk!
Here’s the story: In the 8th century, an Italian Benedictine monk named Paul the Deacon composed the Latin hymn “Ut queant laxis” in honor of St. John the Baptist.
You’ve probably heard the song from the musical The Sound of Music called “Do-Re-Mi” (“Do a deer, a female deer,” etc). That song is based on something called solfège, in which each note in a musical scale is given a word, namely do, re, mi, fa, so, la, ti, and then back to do.
Where did this system come from? Well it turns out, at least to the standard theory, it ultimately came from an 8th century Catholic hymn written by a Benedictine monk!
Here’s the story: In the 8th century, an Italian Benedictine monk named Paul the Deacon composed the Latin hymn “Ut queant laxis” in honor of St. John the Baptist.
How do you know that you’re saved? Readings for the 5th Sunday of Easter...
The Sacred Page: How Do You Know That You Are Saved? 5th Sunday of EasterBERGSMA: Back in the nineties, when I was serving as an urban pastor/missionary in West Michigan, I did a lot of door-to-door and contact evangelism. I was trained to talk with people and hone in on their assurance of salvation: the key question was, “If you died tonight, are you sure you would go to heaven?” This would often lead to a follow-up where I would share some Scriptures with them that seemed to show that you could know with certainty that you were saved provided you “believed” in Jesus. There were many problems with my approach, but my concern about being confident in one’s salvation was not entirely misplaced. We should all be concerned about our salvation: it’s the most important question in life. Jesus said, “What does it profit a man that he gain the whole world, but lose his own soul?” You can fail at everything in life, but if you succeed in gaining eternal life, your failures ultimately don’t matter. Conversely, you can succeed at everything in life, but if you fail to gain eternal life, all your successes ultimately don’t matter.
Bill Cosby offers a lesson: Don’t take the world’s heroes as your heroes
Bill Cosby the Hero | The StreamMILLS: He lived in my town for a while, which we thought was kind of cool, since he was so famous and so loved. Bill Cosby worked on a doctorate in education at the University of Massachusetts. Friends would excitedly report the rare Cosby sighting. We had America’s beloved uncle in town.
Who was, it turns out, a sexual predator. A really horrible one. Yesterday a court convicted him of three felonies: “penetration with lack of consent, penetration while unconscious, and penetration after administering an intoxicant.” That’s just one woman, among the 50-some who say he did the same thing to them. The New York Times noted that “In recent years, Mr. Cosby, 80, had admitted to decades of philandering, and to giving quaaludes to women as part of an effort to have sex.”
And he was America’s beloved uncle. Look at the headline of this story from June, 2014, fewer than four years ago: “Bill Cosby Tops List of Most Admired Fathers in America According to New Poll.”
Who was, it turns out, a sexual predator. A really horrible one. Yesterday a court convicted him of three felonies: “penetration with lack of consent, penetration while unconscious, and penetration after administering an intoxicant.” That’s just one woman, among the 50-some who say he did the same thing to them. The New York Times noted that “In recent years, Mr. Cosby, 80, had admitted to decades of philandering, and to giving quaaludes to women as part of an effort to have sex.”
And he was America’s beloved uncle. Look at the headline of this story from June, 2014, fewer than four years ago: “Bill Cosby Tops List of Most Admired Fathers in America According to New Poll.”
Admit it. True humility is tough...
Humility is Hard - A Meditation on Some Aspects of Humility - Community in Mission : Community in MissionPOPE: Pride is our most pervasive and serious sin. Humility is its antidote and the foundation of our spiritual life, and as the remedy to our most deep-seated pathology, it must be strong medicine. Humility is hard to swallow and has a lot of things it needs to work on. Humility as a foundation is a good image, because by it we bow toward the earth or soil and abase ourselves before God. Foundations and holes in the earth go together.
'Weird Catholic Twitter' offers a reminder of Catholic complexity
'Weird Catholic Twitter' offers a reminder of Catholic complexityALLEN: E.J. Dionne of the Washington Post is known as quite a Pope Francis fan and Ross Douthat of the New York Times as one of the pontiff’s more trenchant critics, so when the two of them came together Wednesday night at the Catholic University of America, their interaction was expected to create some of the evening’s most compelling drama.
Vatican continues its financial clean-up
Vatican continues its financial clean-upSANMARTIN: When it comes to clean-up of the Vatican’s troubled finances, officials often say that no news is good news. Such is the case with a 2017 report from the Financial Information Authority (AIF), in effect the Vatican’s financial watchdog unit.
According to the report, suspicious financial activity in the Vatican has decreased for the second year in a row.
Some 150 suspicious financial transactions were flagged in 2017, meaning 57 fewer than the previous year. However, no transactions were suspended, while in 2016 four had been. As in the previous year, only one account was frozen, worth $1.7 million.
According to the report, suspicious financial activity in the Vatican has decreased for the second year in a row.
Some 150 suspicious financial transactions were flagged in 2017, meaning 57 fewer than the previous year. However, no transactions were suspended, while in 2016 four had been. As in the previous year, only one account was frozen, worth $1.7 million.
Alfie Evans continues to fight for life as parents ask supporters to leave Alder Hey hospital
Alfie Evans continues to fight for life as parents ask supporters to leave Alder Hey hospital | Metro News: The parents of Alfie Evans have pledged to work alongside doctors to give him ‘the dignity and comfort he needs’.
His father, Tom, 21, also appealed to the family’s many supporters to step aside and allow them to ‘form a relationship’ with Alder Hey Children’s Hospital and go on to ‘build a bridge and walk across it’.
Earlier on Thursday, Mr Evans said he and Alfie’s mother, Kate James, 20, hoped to have a ‘positive’ meeting to discuss his son’s care with medics in Liverpool after they previously failed in an 11th-hour attempt to take the 23-month-old to a foreign hospital for treatment.
His father, Tom, 21, also appealed to the family’s many supporters to step aside and allow them to ‘form a relationship’ with Alder Hey Children’s Hospital and go on to ‘build a bridge and walk across it’.
Earlier on Thursday, Mr Evans said he and Alfie’s mother, Kate James, 20, hoped to have a ‘positive’ meeting to discuss his son’s care with medics in Liverpool after they previously failed in an 11th-hour attempt to take the 23-month-old to a foreign hospital for treatment.
Democrats denounce Paul Ryan over ousting of House chaplain
Democrats furious at Ryan over ousting of House chaplain - POLITICO: Democrats are outraged over the resignation of the House chaplain, alleging he was unjustly forced out by Republicans.
In the 10 days since Father Pat Conroy resigned, there’s been widespread chatter about what prompted the Jesuit priest’s unexpected departure. But like all things on Capitol Hill, there are different versions of what happened and why.
In the 10 days since Father Pat Conroy resigned, there’s been widespread chatter about what prompted the Jesuit priest’s unexpected departure. But like all things on Capitol Hill, there are different versions of what happened and why.
Thursday, April 26, 2018
For the third time in a week, a priest is found dead in Mexico
For the third time in a week, a priest is found dead in Mexico: A Catholic priest who had been reported kidnapped has been found dead in central Mexico. He’s the third priest to die under violent circumstances in the past week.
Prosecutors in Morelos state said a relative identified the body of Father Moises Fabila Reyes, 83. Even though he appears to have died of a heart attack, his death is considered suspicious, since he was kidnapped in early April.
On Thursday, Cardinal Carlos Aguiar Retes, archbishop of Mexico City, sent out a statement, asking for “Our Lady of Guadalupe to intervene for him before her Son.”
Prosecutors in Morelos state said a relative identified the body of Father Moises Fabila Reyes, 83. Even though he appears to have died of a heart attack, his death is considered suspicious, since he was kidnapped in early April.
On Thursday, Cardinal Carlos Aguiar Retes, archbishop of Mexico City, sent out a statement, asking for “Our Lady of Guadalupe to intervene for him before her Son.”
Braco the Gazer is no joke
Braco the Gazer is No JokeARMSTRONG: When I clicked on a video about “Braco, He Who Gazes” I kept waiting for the punch line. I did not imagine that people were actually spending money for a man to look at them.
It must be a satire, I thought. No way this could be serious! The video showed thousands of people that paid $8 each to see a man stare at them in five-minute sessions, with a spacy, smirk-like expression. No speaking. No juggling. No singing. No punch line.
Later this month, Braco is live streaming on his website so that people can “receive free help through Braco's gaze from every corner of our planet.” He apparently did the same free gazing last October — yet still, no world peace.
Braco, who is originally from Croatia, travels the globe to stare at people. Lots of people. Videos attest that indeed, no small number of people are seriously deluded. After getting gazed on, people report everything from emotional hot flashes to tears, to all-encompassing solutions to life problems.
It must be a satire, I thought. No way this could be serious! The video showed thousands of people that paid $8 each to see a man stare at them in five-minute sessions, with a spacy, smirk-like expression. No speaking. No juggling. No singing. No punch line.
Later this month, Braco is live streaming on his website so that people can “receive free help through Braco's gaze from every corner of our planet.” He apparently did the same free gazing last October — yet still, no world peace.
Braco, who is originally from Croatia, travels the globe to stare at people. Lots of people. Videos attest that indeed, no small number of people are seriously deluded. After getting gazed on, people report everything from emotional hot flashes to tears, to all-encompassing solutions to life problems.
A review of ‘Avengers: Infinity War’
SDG Reviews ‘Avengers: Infinity War’GREYDANUS: Joss Whedon, who wrote and directed the first two Avengers movies, once defined the difference between television shows and movies this way: Television shows are a question, and movies are an answer. Where television offers a venue for exploring a subject for years, movies make a definite statement.
The Avengers, which brought the first phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe project to a close, was a real movie in this Whedonesque sense. With Avengers: Age of Ultron, a creative tug-of-war erupted between Whedon and Marvel Studios (one Whedon later admitted “broke” him) over the studio’s insistence on using the film to set the stage for the next phase, like a TV episode.
The Avengers, which brought the first phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe project to a close, was a real movie in this Whedonesque sense. With Avengers: Age of Ultron, a creative tug-of-war erupted between Whedon and Marvel Studios (one Whedon later admitted “broke” him) over the studio’s insistence on using the film to set the stage for the next phase, like a TV episode.
Women aren't sisterless when they have sisters in Christ
Prayer with Sisters in ChristSOLENNI: Because I grew up as the only girl in a family of boys, my notion of what it meant to have a sister was, shall we say, limited. To be honest, many of my experiences of sisters involved watching them fight over even the most ordinary matters; so I was generally grateful that I was sisterless.
In high school, I was on the debate and speech teams. The former routinely placed me in a mostly male environment with which I was quite comfortable, given my family experience. Still I had very little experience of being around other women. Then I went to college, where I lived in an all-women dormitory for four years. Even with the challenges of sharing closets and kitchens, it was nowhere near as bad as what I had anticipated.
In high school, I was on the debate and speech teams. The former routinely placed me in a mostly male environment with which I was quite comfortable, given my family experience. Still I had very little experience of being around other women. Then I went to college, where I lived in an all-women dormitory for four years. Even with the challenges of sharing closets and kitchens, it was nowhere near as bad as what I had anticipated.
What cosmology tells us about the kind of Creator we have
What Cosmology Tells Us About the Kind of Creator We HaveBEALE: That modern cosmology suggests a Creator has long been argued by apologists. But what does cosmology—the study of our universe, or the cosmos—tell us about the kind of Creator we have?
That question was raised in a recent lecture I attended by Harvard astrochemist and Catholic convert Karin Oberg, who was at Brown University to discuss the theological implications of her professional work, which involves looking for other solar systems that might be hospitable to life. In the lead-up to the main topic of the evening, Oberg briefly noted that something about the way the universe developed over time gives us insight into the nature of its Creator.
That question was raised in a recent lecture I attended by Harvard astrochemist and Catholic convert Karin Oberg, who was at Brown University to discuss the theological implications of her professional work, which involves looking for other solar systems that might be hospitable to life. In the lead-up to the main topic of the evening, Oberg briefly noted that something about the way the universe developed over time gives us insight into the nature of its Creator.
Finding Courage as a same-sex attracted, Catholic man
Finding Courage as a same-sex attracted, Catholic man | America Magazine: At 15, I was active in high school ministry and discerning a place in the priesthood. At 16, I had my first sexual experience with another man. At 18, I found myself in a confessional, confronted by a priest who said I must choose between my love for both the church and my so-called sexual liberation. And at 20, I walked away from the Catholic Church, determined that the fun I was having in dance clubs, bars and my bedroom was more worthy of my time than my faith.
Mary, the Mother of All Christians
Mary, the Mother of All Christians | Parishable ItemsFELTES: Earlier this year, the Vatican announced that the Monday after Pentecost Sunday shall henceforth be celebrated as a new feast day: the Memorial of the “Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church.” Its worldwide inaugural celebration will be on May 21st this year. The Holy Catholic Church has defined four dogmas about Mary: that she is ever-virginal and the Mother of God, that she was immaculately conceived and assumed body and soul into Heaven. What Pope Francis has decreed is not on the level of defining a fifth Marian dogma, but he is highlighting a precious truth about Our Lady for us to treasure and valuable for us to share with our Protestant brothers and sisters.
How to hunt a giant sloth—according to ancient human footprints
How to hunt a giant sloth—according to ancient human footprints: Rearing on its hind legs, the giant ground sloth would have been a formidable prey for anyone, let alone humans without modern weapons. Tightly muscled, angry and swinging its fore legs tipped with wolverine-like claws, it would have been able to defend itself effectively. Our ancestors used misdirection to gain the upper hand in close-quarter combat with this deadly creature.
Nigerian herdsmen kill 19 in attack on Catholic church during Mass
Nigerian herdsmen kill 19 in Catholic church attack: At least 19 people, including two priests, were killed on Tuesday when nomadic cattle farmers in central Nigeria opened fire at morning Mass in a Catholic parish.
Reports indicated that Fulani herdsmen attacked Saint Ignatius Church in Ayar-Mbalom, a town within Nigeria’s Benue State, on April 24. According to officials, the herdsmen killed 17 worshipers and two priests: Father Joseph Gor and Father Felix Tyolaha.
After the attack on the church, the herdsmen proceeded to shoot residents in the area and set fire to around 50 homes, according to survivor Peter Iorver, whose stepmother had been a victim.
Reports indicated that Fulani herdsmen attacked Saint Ignatius Church in Ayar-Mbalom, a town within Nigeria’s Benue State, on April 24. According to officials, the herdsmen killed 17 worshipers and two priests: Father Joseph Gor and Father Felix Tyolaha.
After the attack on the church, the herdsmen proceeded to shoot residents in the area and set fire to around 50 homes, according to survivor Peter Iorver, whose stepmother had been a victim.
Neither wit nor power could spoil Benedict XIV, a faithful pope of the Enlightenment
A Faithful Pope of the Enlightenment - Crisis MagazineRUTLER: In the early 1950s, children watched a puppet show Kukla, Fran, and Ollie broadcast from Chicago all the way to the Eastern seaboard through the innovative marvel of television. It was more of a children’s show for adults, for how else could the sophisticated puns make sense, or what child could understand how Ollie the Dragon confused “The Mikado” with “Madame Butterfly?” Beulah the Witch was a puppet of a mien too ridiculous to frighten any but the most neurasthenic child. One day she threw down her broomstick and declared that she had decided to abandon witchcraft for the wonderful world of empiricism.
Jesus wants you to love everyone, and still have a best friend
Jesus wants you to love everyone, and still have a best friendMILLS: It’s not easy: You don’t want to hang out with the guy, but he wants to hang out with you. You might be going to dinner with a good friend and this other person asks to join you. You would be doing a kindness to include him. You might like him, or you might feel sorry for him, but you want to spend the evening one-on-one with your friend.
What the story of St. Mark teaches us about reconciliation
What the Story of St. Mark Teaches Us About Reconciliation - Community in Mission : Community in MissionPOPE: Today’s Feast of St. Mark (also known as John Mark) reminds us that the Gospel occurs within the human setting and condition. Mark was at the center of the tension between Paul and Barnabas; their differences were so severe that it led to a parting of ways.
Yet St. Mark, despite his less-than-stellar beginning in Church leadership came to prove his worth and was reconciled to St. Paul.
To fill in the back story, let’s begin by St. Barnabas and then turn our attention to St. Paul.
Yet St. Mark, despite his less-than-stellar beginning in Church leadership came to prove his worth and was reconciled to St. Paul.
To fill in the back story, let’s begin by St. Barnabas and then turn our attention to St. Paul.
Wednesday, April 25, 2018
Video: Tornado rips through Fort Walton Beach, Florida
New Advent: Tornado rips through Fort Walton Beach, Florida: From Facebook user Dave Perkins
Full text of seven German bishops’ letter on Holy Communion for Protestant spouses
Full Text of Seven German Bishops’ Letter on Holy Communion for Protestant SpousesPENTIN: The Register obtains a copy of the March 22 missive which expresses serious concerns about the recent German bishops’ decision to give Holy Communion to Protestant spouses in some cases. Sources say the seven bishops’ call for clarification, which is being fiercely opposed by the German episcopal conference, has the full support of Benedict XVI.
New priests: Orthodoxy among key factors in ordination numbers
New Priests: Orthodoxy Among Key Factors in Ordination Numbers: What makes a diocese fertile ground for encouraging men to follow a path to the Catholic priesthood?
When Anne Hendershott, a sociology professor at Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio, began to do research on the dioceses in the United States that have consistently ordained the largest numbers of men to the priesthood, she was able to identify the top five: the Archdioceses of Newark (New Jersey), St. Louis and Atlanta and the Dioceses of Paterson, New Jersey, and Arlington, Virginia.
Over a 10-year period (2006-2016), those dioceses produced the most priests per 100,000 people.
Why these dioceses have full seminaries year after year is an important question. While some dioceses languish with zero ordinations, these “superstar dioceses” are vibrant and flourishing.
When Anne Hendershott, a sociology professor at Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio, began to do research on the dioceses in the United States that have consistently ordained the largest numbers of men to the priesthood, she was able to identify the top five: the Archdioceses of Newark (New Jersey), St. Louis and Atlanta and the Dioceses of Paterson, New Jersey, and Arlington, Virginia.
Over a 10-year period (2006-2016), those dioceses produced the most priests per 100,000 people.
Why these dioceses have full seminaries year after year is an important question. While some dioceses languish with zero ordinations, these “superstar dioceses” are vibrant and flourishing.
When it comes to Alfie Evans, extraordinary actions by Pope and Italy draw little ink in America
Extraordinary actions by pope and Italy draw little USA ink, when it comes to Alfie Evans — GetReligionMATTINGLY: Once again, people who care about religion news have proof – as if they needed more – that not everything Pope Francis does and says is worthy of intense coverage by elite news media.
What's the overarching trend?
When Pope Francis sounds small-o "orthodox," it isn't news. When this pope sounds small-p "progressive," it's big news.
Yes, say hello to Dr. James Davison Hunter of "Culture Wars" fame.
The latest case is, of course, the struggle over the body and dignity of British toddler Alfie Evans who, as I type, is still alive and breathing on his own. His hospital room is surrounded by guards just in case his parents or anyone else attempts to carry him to the medical care that is waiting for him in Italy.
What's the overarching trend?
When Pope Francis sounds small-o "orthodox," it isn't news. When this pope sounds small-p "progressive," it's big news.
Yes, say hello to Dr. James Davison Hunter of "Culture Wars" fame.
The latest case is, of course, the struggle over the body and dignity of British toddler Alfie Evans who, as I type, is still alive and breathing on his own. His hospital room is surrounded by guards just in case his parents or anyone else attempts to carry him to the medical care that is waiting for him in Italy.
Bavaria orders Christian crosses to be placed at entrances to all public buildings
NCRegister: The government of Bavaria has decided to instruct all state administrative buildings in the German state to display a cross in their public entrances by June 1.
The move intends to “express the historical and cultural character of Bavaria” and present “a visible commitment to the core values of the legal and social order in Bavaria and Germany,” the office of Markus Söder, Bavaria’s premier, announced April 24.
Bavarian Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann hailed the decision as a “clear signal for Christian tradition.” Söder was quick to put his cabinet’s decree into action, personally hanging up a cross on the wall of the State Chancellery and tweeting that this constitutes a commitment to Bavarian identity and Christian values.
The Pope's kitchen cabinet right now is a distracted bunch
Pope's kitchen cabinet right now is a distracted bunchALLEN: According to William Shakespeare, “the course of true love never did run smooth.” Pope Francis might be forgiven right now for thinking much the same thing is true of efforts to reform the Roman Curia, meaning the central bureaucracy of the Vatican.
Francis was elected in March 2013 partly on a mandate to clean up a perceived governance mess in the Vatican, and shortly afterwards he created a new body to advise him on reform - a council of eight cardinal advisers from around the world, swiftly dubbed the “C8.” After the pontiff added his new Secretary of State, Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin, it became the “C9.”
Francis was elected in March 2013 partly on a mandate to clean up a perceived governance mess in the Vatican, and shortly afterwards he created a new body to advise him on reform - a council of eight cardinal advisers from around the world, swiftly dubbed the “C8.” After the pontiff added his new Secretary of State, Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin, it became the “C9.”
Pope’s Wednesday Audience: ‘Baptism isn't magic; it's a gift that helps us fight the devil’
GENERAL AUDIENCE: On Baptism (Part III): Not a Magic Formula, But a Gift - ZENIT - English: This morning’s General Audience was held at 9:25 in St. Peter’s Square, where the Holy Father Francis met with groups of pilgrims and faithful from all over the world
In his address in Italian, the Pope focused his meditation on Baptism: 3. The Strength to Overcome Evil.
After summarizing his catechesis in several languages, the Holy Father expressed special greetings to groups of faithful present. Then he made an appeal for the Inter-Korean Summit.
The General Audience ended with the singing of the Pater Noster and the Apostolic Blessing.
In his address in Italian, the Pope focused his meditation on Baptism: 3. The Strength to Overcome Evil.
After summarizing his catechesis in several languages, the Holy Father expressed special greetings to groups of faithful present. Then he made an appeal for the Inter-Korean Summit.
The General Audience ended with the singing of the Pater Noster and the Apostolic Blessing.
A miracle in Liverpool, and a witness against the culture of death
A Miracle in Liverpool | commentaryAHMARI: On Monday evening, doctors at Alder Hey hospital in Liverpool, England, removed the 23-month-old toddler’s respirator following an effective death sentence handed down by Britain’s High Court of Justice. The court ruled that “continued ventilatory support is no longer in Alfie’s best interest” and prohibited his parents from flying their baby to Rome’s Bambino Gesù hospital for additional treatment at the Italian government’s expense. An international outcry led by Pope Francis failed to move British authorities.
Tuesday, April 24, 2018
A call to humility in the mystery of the Seven Thunders of the Apocalypse
A Call to Humility in the Mystery of the Seven Thunders - Community in Mission : Community in MissionPOPE: In the Office of Readings last week, we examined some of the more terrifying passages from the Book of Revelation, related to the seven trumpets, seals, and bowls of wrath. There is also a reference to the underreported “seven thunders,” reminding us that there are some things that are not for us to know. Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven. He was robed in a cloud, with a rainbow above his head; his face was like the sun, and his legs were like fiery pillars. He was holding a little scroll, which lay open in his hand. He planted his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land, and he gave a loud shout like the roar of a lion. When he shouted, the voices of the seven thunders spoke...
St. Kevin's church in Dublin is undergoing a stunning restoration process. Check out the pics...
Stunning Renovation of St. Kevin's in Dublin ~ Liturgical Arts JournalSONNEN: I have to say one of the most enjoyable Holy Weeks of my life was spent at St. Kevin's on Harrington Street in Dublin. It has been a few years since I have been there, but nevertheless, the experience remains vivid. Such a vibrant parish community! St. Kevin's is home of the Archdiocese of Dublin's Latin Mass Chaplaincy -- going strong ten plus years. A very fine and vibrant parish, I encourage other dioceses to look to it as a successful working model to integrate the Extraordinary Form into the liturgical life of the diocese. The location is fantastic, just a short walk from downtown (on your way be sure to see where John Henry Cardinal Newman lived, now a private residence).
Yes, California is on the verge of banning some Christian books. Here's how...
California AB 2943 -- Christian Books & Booksellers Would Be Threatened | National ReviewFRENCH: Late last week, I wrote an article that caused a bit of a furious reaction in social-justice Twitter. Activists claimed I was lying, arguing in bad faith, and/or exaggerating the effect of California’s AB 2943, a bill that purports to declare “sexual orientation change efforts” to be an “unlawful business practice.” I claimed the bill was so broad that it could even ban books.
Alfie Evans: 'Air ambulance on standby' at Alder Hey hospital to take him to Italy
Alfie Evans: 'Air ambulance on standby' at Alder Hey hospital to take him to Italy | Metro News: An air ambulance has been spotted a Alder Hey hospital ready to take Alfie Evans to Italy as a court decides his fate.
His parents were this afternoon asking the High Court judge to let the youngster travel to an Italian hospital, a campaign group helping the couple says.
His parents were this afternoon asking the High Court judge to let the youngster travel to an Italian hospital, a campaign group helping the couple says.
Hero nun of World War II, the Angel of Dieppe, dies at 103
Hero Nun Of WWII, the Angel of Dieppe, Dies At 103ARCHBOLD: A nun who became known as The “Angel of Dieppe,” for her heroic efforts in caring for WWII soldiers at the disastrous Battle of Dieppe, died at 103 years old.
Sister Agnès-Marie Valois of Canada, an Augustinian nun, was trained as a surgical nurse before the war. She passed away on April 19 at a monastery near Dieppe, France.
Her efforts and bravery during that dark battle are legendary and inspiring.
It was 1942. At that time northern France had fallen under the control of the Nazis. The Allies sought to change that by landing troops on the Normandy shoreline near Dieppe. It was called Operation Jubilee and was launched on Aug. 19, 1942.
Sister Agnès-Marie Valois of Canada, an Augustinian nun, was trained as a surgical nurse before the war. She passed away on April 19 at a monastery near Dieppe, France.
Her efforts and bravery during that dark battle are legendary and inspiring.
It was 1942. At that time northern France had fallen under the control of the Nazis. The Allies sought to change that by landing troops on the Normandy shoreline near Dieppe. It was called Operation Jubilee and was launched on Aug. 19, 1942.
The Holy Mass is more than just a trip down memory lane
The Mass: More Than a Trip Down Memory Lane | Fr. Dwight LongeneckerLONGENECKER: I remember once a seminarian asked me if I got tired of saying Mass and whether it wasn’t “a bit boring sometimes?”
The answer is no. Somehow each time one celebrates Mass the Holy Spirit is at work within that great prayer. Sometimes your mind goes to something or someone who needs to be brought to the altar in prayer. Other times a new meaning or detail in the readings or the words of the Mass come alive in a new way.
There is life and creativity and dynamism at the heart of the Mass and while it may become routine it does not become boring.
The answer is no. Somehow each time one celebrates Mass the Holy Spirit is at work within that great prayer. Sometimes your mind goes to something or someone who needs to be brought to the altar in prayer. Other times a new meaning or detail in the readings or the words of the Mass come alive in a new way.
There is life and creativity and dynamism at the heart of the Mass and while it may become routine it does not become boring.
Outgoing Speaker Paul Ryan gives an exit interview to the National Catholic Register
Paul Ryan’s Exit Interview: Rethinking How a Great Society Helps People Rise: The federal government has a vital role in helping people fight poverty “person to person, soul to soul,” according to Speaker Paul Ryan.
However, Ryan also believes the federal government can do a much better job — not by providing direct services, but through partnership with more localized governments and private charities that are close to the people they serve and can provide customized solutions that fit their needs.
Ryan, a Catholic Republican from Wisconsin, is retiring from Congress at the end of his term. In this interview with the Register, Ryan explains the Catholic social vision, built on the principles of solidarity and subsidiarity, behind his approach for how the federal government can give people a hand up — not a handout — from poverty.
However, Ryan also believes the federal government can do a much better job — not by providing direct services, but through partnership with more localized governments and private charities that are close to the people they serve and can provide customized solutions that fit their needs.
Ryan, a Catholic Republican from Wisconsin, is retiring from Congress at the end of his term. In this interview with the Register, Ryan explains the Catholic social vision, built on the principles of solidarity and subsidiarity, behind his approach for how the federal government can give people a hand up — not a handout — from poverty.
The practice of Communion for everyone at Mass, prepared or not, ‘is an abuse that must be corrected’
On the Worthy Reception of Holy Communion (part two) - Community in Mission : Community in MissionPOPE: In yesterday’s post we considered the term “closed communion,” the practice of offering Holy Communion only to those who hold to the full doctrine of the Church. This practice emphasizes that communion of mind and heart to all the Holy Catholic Church teaches to be revealed by God is included in the “Amen” that affirms the true presence.
Today we will discuss the need to approach the Sacrament of Holy Communion free from serious and unrepentant sin. Let’s consider some texts showing that the Church’s desire that her sons and daughters receive Holy Communion only when in such a state is not only a proper but loving. The excerpts are followed by my own commentary, presented in red text.
Today we will discuss the need to approach the Sacrament of Holy Communion free from serious and unrepentant sin. Let’s consider some texts showing that the Church’s desire that her sons and daughters receive Holy Communion only when in such a state is not only a proper but loving. The excerpts are followed by my own commentary, presented in red text.
Number of priestly ordinations in US plunges in 2018
Number of priestly ordinations in US plunges in 2018 : News Headlines | Catholic Culture: “The total number of potential ordinands for the class of 2018, 430, is a lower number from 590 in 2017,” according to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Young men need help with prayer, catechesis and pursuing virtue. Here's one solution...
Path to Answer the High Calling: New Program for Future Seminarians Pilots in LADEFFNER: Is there such a thing as a “typical seminarian”?
“Guys are coming from all different walks of life — so what’s the typical candidate for vocations?” asks Father Sam Ward, associate director of vocations for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.
“Thirty or 40 years ago, he was from a solid Catholic family, an altar boy who went to Catholic school. Now we have guys in discernment who are coming out of a Catholic high school; guys in their 30s, 40s, even 50s; from different socioeconomic backgrounds.
“Some were raised in very, very traditional, solid Catholic families; some have been away from the faith a long time. We have converts; reverts; some who are very well catechized and evangelized, who know the faith well. Some have really strong prayer lives, but don’t know the faith.”
“Guys are coming from all different walks of life — so what’s the typical candidate for vocations?” asks Father Sam Ward, associate director of vocations for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.
“Thirty or 40 years ago, he was from a solid Catholic family, an altar boy who went to Catholic school. Now we have guys in discernment who are coming out of a Catholic high school; guys in their 30s, 40s, even 50s; from different socioeconomic backgrounds.
“Some were raised in very, very traditional, solid Catholic families; some have been away from the faith a long time. We have converts; reverts; some who are very well catechized and evangelized, who know the faith well. Some have really strong prayer lives, but don’t know the faith.”
Monday, April 23, 2018
‘It's the duty of every man’: Rescue on the killer mountain
Rescue on the Killer Mountain | Outside Online: It was already late—just one hour before sunset on January 25, 2018—and they had yet to reach the summit. The shadows of the high Himalayan peaks were growing longer every second, covering the surrounding valleys with a dark veil and turning the air so cold that every breath became painful. Elisabeth Revol, a thin, 38-year-old French climber with four 8,000-meter peaks on her résumé, filmed the landscape as they began their final push. Her camera swept left, then right, capturing the steep terrain and the snow and ice interwoven with bald rocks.
Learn how to read the secret language of ships
The Secret Language of Ships | Hakai Magazine: Approaching the container ship in San Francisco Bay, the tugboat looks like a pit bull puppy chasing an eighteen-wheeler. When the vessels are an arm’s length apart, the ship’s mate throws down a line. Now leashed to the ship, the tug can push and pull it around the bay. Big ships can’t easily slow down or maneuver by themselves—they’re meant for going in a straight line.
We’re a people in need of ‘Babette’s Feast’
Babette’s Feast Nourishes Soul, Offers Foretaste of Heaven | National ReviewLOPEZ: Everything seems to become at once deeper and lighter from the moment you sit down in the Theatre at St. Clement’s Episcopal Church for the off-Broadway production of Babette’s Feast. Originally a short story first published in English in Ladies’ Home Journal, it’s the story of a Christian community in Berlevag, Norway – “the most northern outpost of the continent of Europe in the arctic circle . . . at the edge of space and time (summer’s nights are white and winter’s nights are black),” as the director’s note describes it. Through the arrival of a stranger whose exemplary cooking skills make for the culminating feast, the story raises the deepest questions about what constitutes human happiness. Also implicated is a whole host of issues that make their way into the most contentious politics — most obviously immigration. In Babette’s Feast, welcome is not only of mutual benefit but a road to peace, resilience, and eternity.
Latin: A convert’s romance in three movements
Latin: A Convert’s Romance in Three Movements | God-Haunted LunaticBECKER: The waitress dropped off our check, and the busboy was starting to clear away our syrupy dishes. “Do you have any other questions?” the priest asked.
Like the waitress, Fr. Tom was itching to get on with his day. He’d already given up a good chunk of his morning over breakfast with me, but he was being trying to be understanding and polite. I was an utterly naïve Catholic wannabe who had parachuted intellectually into the melee of early-1980s catechetical confusion, and I was desperate for straight answers and guidance. As pastor of my Uptown parish, Fr. Tom was generously taking the brunt, and he did his best to field my many questions about Mary, the papacy, confession, and the like.
Like the waitress, Fr. Tom was itching to get on with his day. He’d already given up a good chunk of his morning over breakfast with me, but he was being trying to be understanding and polite. I was an utterly naïve Catholic wannabe who had parachuted intellectually into the melee of early-1980s catechetical confusion, and I was desperate for straight answers and guidance. As pastor of my Uptown parish, Fr. Tom was generously taking the brunt, and he did his best to field my many questions about Mary, the papacy, confession, and the like.
C.S. Lewis Doodle: The problem with priggery
New Advent: C.S. Lewis Doodle: The problem with priggery: This is an illustration of C.S Lewis’ article published in the British magazine ‘The Spectator’ on Dec. 7, 1945.
My journey back in time
My Journey Back in Time… | Fr. Dwight LongeneckerLONGENECKER: Cardinal Newman’s favorite quote is “to be deep in history is to cease to be Protestant.”
Certainly that was the case for me. The little Evangelical church in which I was brought up was founded in 1963 (or thereabouts) We were big on “new” but not so big on “old.”
I was attracted to the historic church when I was at college and that church was the Church of England. Enchanted by England, illuminated by C.S.Lewis and inspired by Tolkien and Eliot, I went to England and plunged into the historic church. All represented by Canterbury Cathedral–pictured here.
But that only took me back five hundred years to the Protestant revolution. However, lurking there in the ancient cathedrals and parish churches was another church that was already a thousand years old and more. It was, of course, the Catholic Church, and when, in 1987 I travelled across Europe to Jerusalem, staying in monasteries along the way, it was the Catholic Church I met, and when I visited the tombs of the apostles and finally walked where Jesus walked, the Catholic Church was there to greet me with the words, “We have been here all this time…”
Certainly that was the case for me. The little Evangelical church in which I was brought up was founded in 1963 (or thereabouts) We were big on “new” but not so big on “old.”
I was attracted to the historic church when I was at college and that church was the Church of England. Enchanted by England, illuminated by C.S.Lewis and inspired by Tolkien and Eliot, I went to England and plunged into the historic church. All represented by Canterbury Cathedral–pictured here.
But that only took me back five hundred years to the Protestant revolution. However, lurking there in the ancient cathedrals and parish churches was another church that was already a thousand years old and more. It was, of course, the Catholic Church, and when, in 1987 I travelled across Europe to Jerusalem, staying in monasteries along the way, it was the Catholic Church I met, and when I visited the tombs of the apostles and finally walked where Jesus walked, the Catholic Church was there to greet me with the words, “We have been here all this time…”
When someone is new to the Church, meeting his Mother might take a while. And that's OK...
When Mary is the problemMILLS: It was a particularly mind-twisting conversation. A Protestant man on his way into the Church told me how much he loved praying to the saints. He loved the idea of saints being patrons of different things. I brought up Mary. I think I suggested he start saying the Angelus.
He told me he didn’t like Mary being elevated over all the other saints. He liked other saints a lot more, and he’d keep talking to them instead. Weirdly, he loved the Marian dogmas. As far as I could tell, he liked Mary as an idea, but didn’t like her as a person he should know well. Much less know as his own Mother.
He told me he didn’t like Mary being elevated over all the other saints. He liked other saints a lot more, and he’d keep talking to them instead. Weirdly, he loved the Marian dogmas. As far as I could tell, he liked Mary as an idea, but didn’t like her as a person he should know well. Much less know as his own Mother.
Still thinking about Chick-fil-A, as well as the emerging face of world Christianity
Still thinking about Chick-fil-A, as well as the emerging face of world Christianity — GetReligionMATTINGLY: Every now and then, a magazine like The Atlantic Monthly – a must-read publication, no matter what one's cultural worldview – publishes a cover story that transforms how thinking people think about an important issue. At least, that's true if lots of members of the thinking classes are open to thinking about information that may make them uncomfortable.
This was certainly the case in October, 2002, when historian Philip Jenkins published a massive Atlantic cover story that ran with this provocative headline: "The Next Christianity." For those with an even longer attention span, there was the book, "The Next Christendom: The Coming of Global Christianity."
This was certainly the case in October, 2002, when historian Philip Jenkins published a massive Atlantic cover story that ran with this provocative headline: "The Next Christianity." For those with an even longer attention span, there was the book, "The Next Christendom: The Coming of Global Christianity."
How the Barbara Bush cartoon took on a life of its own
Barbara Bush: How editorial cartoon took on a life of its own: My phone went off. The alert read, "Former First Lady Barbara Bush has died." I was in the middle of being a dad and didn't drop what I was doing to draw a cartoon about it. That probably is why the cartoon turned out like it did. I came at it from a different angle.
Obituary cartoons are tough. Who do you draw one for? What can you say that won't be said 1,000 times by other cartoonists? A scene at the Pearly Gates is always a popular theme.
My paper was blank.
So was my brain.
More caffeine was necessary.
Obituary cartoons are tough. Who do you draw one for? What can you say that won't be said 1,000 times by other cartoonists? A scene at the Pearly Gates is always a popular theme.
My paper was blank.
So was my brain.
More caffeine was necessary.
Alfie Evans granted Italian citizenship
Alfie Evans granted Italian citizenship | CatholicHerald.co.uk: Italy’s Foreign and Interior ministers have granted Alfie Evans Italian citizenship. In a statement on the Foreign Ministry website, the ministers said they hoped this would allow the “immediate transfer” of the seriously ill infant to the country.
The act came as supporters tried to storm Alder Hey hospital, which is treating Alfie, in protest at the decision to withdraw life support from the 23-month-old child.
The protesters had broken away from a larger group of around 200 supporters who had gathered outside the hospital in Liverpool.
The act came as supporters tried to storm Alder Hey hospital, which is treating Alfie, in protest at the decision to withdraw life support from the 23-month-old child.
The protesters had broken away from a larger group of around 200 supporters who had gathered outside the hospital in Liverpool.
‘I was the butler of three Popes. Let me tell you about John Paul II’s miracle...’
“I was the butler of three Popes, let me tell you about Wojtyla’s miracle Ë® - La Stampa: Angelo Gugel, now on the threshold of his 83th birthday, begins to tell some episodes of his long life alongside three Popes. The discreet and extremely reserved “valet” comes from Miane, in Veneto, and was a pontifical policeman at the end of Pius XII‘s pontificate, he used to work in the Governorate during Paul VI’s pontificate and in 1978 he found himself to be John Paul I’s butler. Since then he has never left the papal apartment, and after 33 days with Pope Luciani, he served uninterruptedly for 27 years his successor Karol Wojtyla. He remained in office, despite having reached retirement age, even during the first months of Benedict XVI’s pontificate. His successor as Papal butler, was Paul Gabriel, the protagonist of the first Vatileaks scandal. During those difficult months, many in the Vatican remembered and regretted the Gugel’s impeccable style. He has now given a long interview to daily newspaper Corriere della Sera, telling some episodes of his life with the Popes, starting from a grace he received through the intercession of John Paul II, whom Gugel held in his arms on the pope-mobile in the afternoon of 13 May 1981, when Ali Agca attempted to the Polish Pontiff’s life.
Catholic Voices succeeds by reframing arguments rather than retorting
Catholic Voices succeeds by reframing arguments rather than retortingALLEN: While there are undoubtedly many ways to measure the greatness of an idea, here’s one: When it outlives its original application, and becomes a permanent part of a much larger reality.
That, in short, is the story of Catholic Voices, which is undoubtedly the most successful Catholic communications initiative of the last decade - and a nominee, at least, for being one of the most effective of all time.
Catholic Voices was born in 2010, in the run-up to Pope emeritus Benedict XVI’s trip to the United Kingdom. That outing was projected to be one of the most difficult any pontiff had ever faced, in part because of a secularized and sometimes openly anti-Catholic culture in the UK, in part because of the clerical sexual abuse scandals washing across Europe at the time, and in part because of the Darth Vader-esque caricature that often defined (and, of course, badly distorted) Benedict’s public image.
That, in short, is the story of Catholic Voices, which is undoubtedly the most successful Catholic communications initiative of the last decade - and a nominee, at least, for being one of the most effective of all time.
Catholic Voices was born in 2010, in the run-up to Pope emeritus Benedict XVI’s trip to the United Kingdom. That outing was projected to be one of the most difficult any pontiff had ever faced, in part because of a secularized and sometimes openly anti-Catholic culture in the UK, in part because of the clerical sexual abuse scandals washing across Europe at the time, and in part because of the Darth Vader-esque caricature that often defined (and, of course, badly distorted) Benedict’s public image.
States battle in courts while tightening noose on abortion clinics
Abortion laws get court challenge in states that close clinics - Washington Times: For 38 years, EMW Women’s Surgical Center has been performing abortions in Louisville, Kentucky.
It’s now the last abortion provider in the state, and it’s fighting to keep its doors open and to prevent Kentucky from becoming the first state in the nation without an abortion option.
The administration of Gov. Matt Bevin, a Republican, said last year that EMW doesn’t have valid transfer agreements with an ambulance service and hospital. State law requires transfer agreements in case a procedure goes wrong.
A judge has delayed the clinic’s closure.
It’s now the last abortion provider in the state, and it’s fighting to keep its doors open and to prevent Kentucky from becoming the first state in the nation without an abortion option.
The administration of Gov. Matt Bevin, a Republican, said last year that EMW doesn’t have valid transfer agreements with an ambulance service and hospital. State law requires transfer agreements in case a procedure goes wrong.
A judge has delayed the clinic’s closure.
Sunday, April 22, 2018
Holy Communion is not a “come one, come all” event
On the Worthy Reception of Holy Communion, Part One - Community in Mission : Community in MissionPOPE: In the modern debate about who can and should receive Holy Communion there is generally the presumption that everyone has a right to approach the Eucharistic Sacrifice and partake of the Body and Blood of the Lord. Thus, to limit or discourage indiscriminate reception of Communion is not only dismissed as unjust, but also, contrary to the practice of Jesus Christ who “welcomed everyone,” even the worst of sinners.
In this sort of climate, it is necessary to explain the Church’s historical practice of what some call “closed communion.” Not everyone who uses this terminology means it pejoratively, though some do. But to some extent, it is fair to say, that we do have “closed communion.” For the Catholic Church, Holy Communion is not a “come one, come all” event. It is reserved for those who, by grace, preserve union with the Church through adherence to all the Catholic Church believes, teaches, and proclaims to be revealed by God. Our response of “Amen” at Holy Communion signifies our communion with these realities along with our faith in the true presence of Christ in the Eucharist.
In this sort of climate, it is necessary to explain the Church’s historical practice of what some call “closed communion.” Not everyone who uses this terminology means it pejoratively, though some do. But to some extent, it is fair to say, that we do have “closed communion.” For the Catholic Church, Holy Communion is not a “come one, come all” event. It is reserved for those who, by grace, preserve union with the Church through adherence to all the Catholic Church believes, teaches, and proclaims to be revealed by God. Our response of “Amen” at Holy Communion signifies our communion with these realities along with our faith in the true presence of Christ in the Eucharist.
This ice is nearly as hot as the sun’s surface
This Ice Is Nearly As Hot As the Sun. Scientists Have Now Made It On Earth: It's both solid and liquid, it's 60 times denser than ordinary water ice, and it forms at temperatures almost as hot as the sun's surface.
It's superionic ice — and for the first time, scientists have made it in the lab.
This high-pressure form of water ice has long been thought to exist in the interiors of Uranus and Neptune. But until now, its existence was only theoretical.
It's superionic ice — and for the first time, scientists have made it in the lab.
This high-pressure form of water ice has long been thought to exist in the interiors of Uranus and Neptune. But until now, its existence was only theoretical.
The King of Love My Shepherd Is
The King of Love My Shepherd Is - A Homily for the 4th Sunday of Easter - Community in Mission : Community in MissionPOPE: On this fourth Sunday of Easter, we turn a corner of sorts. Up until now we have been reading of the resurrection appearances themselves. Today we begin to see how the risen Lord ministers to us as the Good Shepherd. In effect, the Lord gives us four basic pictures or teachings of how, as the King of Love, He shepherds us. Here, then, are four portraits of His love:
Pope Francis to new priests: Be like Jesus the Good Shepherd
Pope Francis to new priests: Be like Jesus the Good Shepherd: On Sunday Pope Francis ordained 16 men to the priesthood, reminding them to be like Jesus the Good Shepherd in the way they serve the members of their spiritual flock and minister to those who are lost and searching for God.
“Always have before your eyes the example of the Good Shepherd, who did not come to be served, but to serve and to seek and save what was lost,” the pope said in a homily before the ordination of 16 priests during a Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica April 22.
“Always have before your eyes the example of the Good Shepherd, who did not come to be served, but to serve and to seek and save what was lost,” the pope said in a homily before the ordination of 16 priests during a Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica April 22.
Saturday, April 21, 2018
Why seek ye the living in the culture of death?
Why Seek Ye the Living in the Culture of Death?GRONDELSKI: The conquest of death as the “last enemy” is a promise the Old Testament already proposes: Isaiah speaks of Yahweh “swallowing up death forever” (25:7b), while Hosea’s God promises to “deliver this people from the power of the grave (13:14). Ezekiel consoles Israel with resurrection in the valley of the bones (37:1-14), while the writer of Wisdom (1:13-15) assures us “God did not make death.” The whole theology is consummated in Paul’s correlation of Jesus’ Resurrection to ours, the first fruits that makes ours possible, letting him sing: “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” (1 Corinthians 15:55).
The little boy with Down syndrome who helped Our Lord carry His Cross
The Little Boy With Down Syndrome Who Helped Jesus Carry His CrossCLARK: ChurchPop recently reported about the story of a little boy with Down syndrome who comforted an actor portraying Jesus in a Passion procession in Mexico. (See the video above.) Not understanding that it was only a staged performance, the little boy ran up to the actor playing Jesus, comforting him and trying to protect him from the cruel “Roman soldiers.” Sometimes, people emerge as unlikely heroes, but this time, the hero was perhaps the most likely of them all: an innocent child. The world might quickly dismiss this story, and that would be a shame. Because this little boy has a message that the world needs to hear.
Pro soccer player shares heart-stopping story
Pro Soccer Player Shares Heart-Stopping StoryBEATTIE: Things were going very well for Drew Beckie in 2017. The Regina, Saskatchewan, native had a solid season with the Jacksonville Armada soccer team and had just made a positive showing in November at a tryout for a top-level Finnish team. With the real possibility of playing in Europe in 2018 on the horizon, the 27-year-old took time to meet up with a former teammate in Sweden.
That’s when something totally unexpected happened.
On a Sunday morning, Beckie arose with pain in his back, which then moved to his chest. When he lost feeling in his arms and jaw, his former teammate drove him to the hospital. He was surprised to learn that he was suffering a heart attack. The pains he first experienced were slight in comparison with those he suffered immediately afterward as his heart adjusted to the trauma.
That’s when something totally unexpected happened.
On a Sunday morning, Beckie arose with pain in his back, which then moved to his chest. When he lost feeling in his arms and jaw, his former teammate drove him to the hospital. He was surprised to learn that he was suffering a heart attack. The pains he first experienced were slight in comparison with those he suffered immediately afterward as his heart adjusted to the trauma.
A reflection on the Fourth Sunday of Easter
The Shepherd’s Voice: Scott Hahn Reflects on the Fourth Sunday of Easter | St. Paul CenterHAHN: Jesus, in today’s Gospel, says that He is the good shepherd the prophets had promised to Israel.
He is the shepherd-prince, the new David—who frees people from bondage to sin and gathers them into one flock, the Church, under a new covenant, made in His blood (see Ezekiel 34:10–13, 23–31).
His flock includes other sheep, He says, far more than the dispersed children of Israel (see Isaiah 56:8; John 11:52). And He gave His Church the mission of shepherding all peoples to the Father.
He is the shepherd-prince, the new David—who frees people from bondage to sin and gathers them into one flock, the Church, under a new covenant, made in His blood (see Ezekiel 34:10–13, 23–31).
His flock includes other sheep, He says, far more than the dispersed children of Israel (see Isaiah 56:8; John 11:52). And He gave His Church the mission of shepherding all peoples to the Father.
How would Earth be different if it rotated the other direction?
Reversing Earth’s Spin Moves Deserts, Reshapes Ocean Currents - Eos: Suppose some cosmic event, say, an asteroid impact, stopped Earth from rotating and then set it spinning the other way. What would the planet’s new climate be like?
Actually, an asteroid impact strong enough to pull that off would do the job a bit too well, says Florian Ziemen of the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology in Hamburg, Germany. “You probably wouldn’t see the Earth anymore.” He used a gentler approach to find the answer.
In a computer model of Earth’s evolving climate, Ziemen and his colleagues reversed a few key physical processes that are the result of Earth’s actual rotational direction, called prograde rotation. It was as simple as that to create a “retrograde rotating Earth,” which they watched develop as the model’s virtual calendar ticked off 7,000 years.
Actually, an asteroid impact strong enough to pull that off would do the job a bit too well, says Florian Ziemen of the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology in Hamburg, Germany. “You probably wouldn’t see the Earth anymore.” He used a gentler approach to find the answer.
In a computer model of Earth’s evolving climate, Ziemen and his colleagues reversed a few key physical processes that are the result of Earth’s actual rotational direction, called prograde rotation. It was as simple as that to create a “retrograde rotating Earth,” which they watched develop as the model’s virtual calendar ticked off 7,000 years.
Inside Prop Heaven, where Hollywood goes to get its fake food and restaurant sets
Where Hollywood Goes to Get Its Restaurant Sets - Eater: In most movies or TV episodes, characters are bound to eat, at least once. Whether that happens in a pivotal scene or just provides a delicious-looking background, these scenes need highly specific ingredients in order to be brought to life: 36 identical bar stools or a cotton candy machine, maybe; possibly a fro-yo dispenser, or hundreds of fake fruits and vegetables. That’s where a place like Prop Heaven comes in.
Here’s the real reason traditional Catholic worship will survive and thrive
Rene Girard and the Real Reason Traditional Catholic Worship Will Survive | Fr. Dwight LongeneckerLONGENECKER: It begins with the very basic element of human existence: desire. Rene Girard put into contemporary terms what we already knew. He wrote about “mimetic desire”. Put simply, this is the desire to have what someone else has and you feel you do not have. It is there in the very first temptation. Satan says to Eve, “you will be like God.” She doesn’t just want the fruit from the tree. She wants to be like God and to have the knowledge and power that God has.
This “mimetic desire” is otherwise known as “envy.” I guess Girard uses a fancy academic term for it because he is trying to move beyond the superficial form of envy in which one guy envies another guy’s sports car or one woman envies another woman’s posh holiday cruises. Instead we’re talking about a deeper form of envy which focusses more on the other person’s prestige, power and position. When we get down to this deeper form of envy we are jumping into another one of the mortal sins–in fact the worst one: pride.
This “mimetic desire” is otherwise known as “envy.” I guess Girard uses a fancy academic term for it because he is trying to move beyond the superficial form of envy in which one guy envies another guy’s sports car or one woman envies another woman’s posh holiday cruises. Instead we’re talking about a deeper form of envy which focusses more on the other person’s prestige, power and position. When we get down to this deeper form of envy we are jumping into another one of the mortal sins–in fact the worst one: pride.
Pope appoints new consultors to CDF, including three women
Laywomen among new CDF appointees: On Saturday Pope Francis named five new consultors of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, including three female academics and two priests.
The women are Dr. Linda Ghisoni, professor of canon law at the Pontifical Gregorian University; Dr. Michelina Tenance, professor of theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome; and Dr. Laetitia Calmeyn, lecturer of theology at the Collège des Bernardins in Paris.
The other two new consultors are Fr. Sergio Paolo Bonanni, professor of theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University, and Claretian Fr. Manuel Jesús Arroba Conde, dean of the Institutum Utriusque Iuris at the Pontifical Lateran University.
The women are Dr. Linda Ghisoni, professor of canon law at the Pontifical Gregorian University; Dr. Michelina Tenance, professor of theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome; and Dr. Laetitia Calmeyn, lecturer of theology at the Collège des Bernardins in Paris.
The other two new consultors are Fr. Sergio Paolo Bonanni, professor of theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University, and Claretian Fr. Manuel Jesús Arroba Conde, dean of the Institutum Utriusque Iuris at the Pontifical Lateran University.
Ironically enough, Rome's the right place to learn Church communications
Ironically enough, Rome is the right place to learn Church communications: In light of the old mantra that people in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones, there’s a semi-ironic sense in which Church communication professionals from around the world might want to think about coming to Rome to learn how to improve their job performance.
After all, in nearly one month’s time, the Vatican has managed to entangle itself in three high-profile communication debacles
After all, in nearly one month’s time, the Vatican has managed to entangle itself in three high-profile communication debacles
Friday, April 20, 2018
The person who made this video must be the world’s greatest drone pilot
New Advent: The person who made this video must be the world's greatest drone pilot: Micro Drone HD filming with JK group Onnanocos
The temptation to make Christianity a club is nothing new...
Mark Shea: Why Creeds? The Danger of Making the Church a ClubSHEA: Jesus welcomes anybody with trust in him to approach him and encourages his disciples to help those with some light to find more light. And that meant the apostles and disciples need to make their faith intelligible to every Tom, Dick, and Harry.
To their credit, his disciples learned their lesson. You can see this, for instance, in the book of Acts:
Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, well-versed in the Scriptures. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue; but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him and expounded to him the way of God more accurately.
To their credit, his disciples learned their lesson. You can see this, for instance, in the book of Acts:
Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, well-versed in the Scriptures. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue; but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him and expounded to him the way of God more accurately.
Mary’s ultimate act of humility: La Negrita in Cartago, Costa Rica
Mary’s Ultimate Act of Humility: La Negrita in Cartago, Costa Rica – Marge FenelonFENELON: They call her La Negrita, or the Black Madonna, and she’s the Patron Saint of Costa Rica. In many ways, you might call her a “real doll.”
In 1635, a young Tico, or native, girl looking for firewood in the forest saw a peculiar black rock in the shape of a doll that was sitting on top of a large boulder. A mysterious image of a woman and child was engraved on it. The image appeared to be that of the Blessed Virgin Mary holding Baby Jesus. Thinking that it was a wonderful toy, the girl took the rock home with her and placed it among her belongings. The next day, and she was gathering firewood, she discovered the “doll” sitting on the rock where she had originally found it.
In 1635, a young Tico, or native, girl looking for firewood in the forest saw a peculiar black rock in the shape of a doll that was sitting on top of a large boulder. A mysterious image of a woman and child was engraved on it. The image appeared to be that of the Blessed Virgin Mary holding Baby Jesus. Thinking that it was a wonderful toy, the girl took the rock home with her and placed it among her belongings. The next day, and she was gathering firewood, she discovered the “doll” sitting on the rock where she had originally found it.
Memoir of Jewish boy taken from home by Pius IX altered in translation
Memoir of Jewish boy taken from home by Pius IX altered in translation: It’s an incident that has caused controversy for 160 years: A 6-year-old Jewish boy taken from his family by papal police and brought to Rome to be raised Catholic after Church authorities learned his housekeeper had secretly had him baptized.
Now the case has reared its head again, with new evidence that memoirs the boy wrote as an adult were altered to take the edge off his anti-Semitic views and enhance details favorable to the Catholic Church.
Now the case has reared its head again, with new evidence that memoirs the boy wrote as an adult were altered to take the edge off his anti-Semitic views and enhance details favorable to the Catholic Church.
Catholic sexual liberation: A rerun way too late
Catholic sexual liberation: A rerun way too late | Catholic CultureMIRUS: First Things editor R. R. Reno gets things right almost as often as I do, and with a consistently richer mix of public awareness and erudition. In this month’s issue, he editorialized about the new Catholic rush to accompany those who are committed to lifestyles which give the lie to Catholic teachings on sexuality, including the permanence of marriage. As Reno explains, “I’ve seen this movie before”, most notably in the collapse of main-line Protestantism in the face of the sexual revolution of the 1960s, as one church after another moved publicly to embrace moral liberation on demand. In contrast, Reno points out, the Catholic Church did not openly follow this path, preferring instead to accommodate privately and quietly without appearing to challenge the natural law. Now, of course, the question is whether this accommodation will become public, even if not definitive, under Pope Francis.
SDG reviews ‘The Devil and Father Amorth’
SDG Reviews ‘The Devil and Father Amorth’GREYDANUS: “He who sups with the devil,” a wise medieval proverb has it, “needs a long spoon.”
William Friedkin, forever known as the director of The Exorcist, may or may not appreciate that proverb, but in The Devil and Father Amorth, a 69-minute documentary featuring Father Gabriele Amorth — perhaps the world’s best-known exorcist until his death in 2016 — Friedkin does interview two people who clearly do.
One is Jeffrey Burton Russell, a historian noted for a five-volume history of demonology who talks about how depressing it was to “work with evil all the time.” His advice: “Don’t concentrate on the devil all the time. … Concentrate on the good, concentrate on God, concentrate on the positive, and don’t think that much about the evil side.”
William Friedkin, forever known as the director of The Exorcist, may or may not appreciate that proverb, but in The Devil and Father Amorth, a 69-minute documentary featuring Father Gabriele Amorth — perhaps the world’s best-known exorcist until his death in 2016 — Friedkin does interview two people who clearly do.
One is Jeffrey Burton Russell, a historian noted for a five-volume history of demonology who talks about how depressing it was to “work with evil all the time.” His advice: “Don’t concentrate on the devil all the time. … Concentrate on the good, concentrate on God, concentrate on the positive, and don’t think that much about the evil side.”
Paul VI approved the liturgical reform, but he didn’t like it very much
Paul VI and the Liturgical Reform. He Approved It, But Didn't Like It Much - Settimo Cielo - Blog - L’EspressoMAGISTER: “The pope wants it.” This is how Monsignor Annibale Bugnini (1912-1982), the author of the liturgical reform that followed Vatican Council II, silenced the experts every time they contested one or another of his most reckless innovations.
The pope was Paul VI, who in effect had entrusted to none other than Bugnini the role of secretary and factotum of the council for the reform of the liturgy, headed by Cardinal Giacomo Lercaro.
The pope was Paul VI, who in effect had entrusted to none other than Bugnini the role of secretary and factotum of the council for the reform of the liturgy, headed by Cardinal Giacomo Lercaro.
My angry pro-choice critic called it lying. He was wrong...
My Angry Pro-Choice Critic Called It Lying. He Was Wrong | The StreamMILLS: “Bravo for lying through omission and appeal to emotion.” The young man didn’t like my Look Out, Pro-Choicers, You’re in Danger, published last Friday. Commenting on The Stream’s Facebook page, my angry pro-choice critic said, “Thanks for misrepresenting the arguments for choice w/r/t abortion and placing it only in terms of your values and perspective. No mention of privacy, bodily autonomy, viability, personhood, or difficulty of policing.”
In today’s Sycophancy Sweepstakes, it’s hard to top Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill
Patriarch Kirill and Mr. Putin - Denver CatholicWEIGEL: The annals of sycophancy are, alas, replete with examples of churchmen toadying to political power. Here in the United States, we’ve seen too much of that among certain evangelical leaders recently. In today’s Sycophancy Sweepstakes, however, it’s hard to top Kirill, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia.
Facebook privacy scandal a wake-up call for Catholics, experts say
Facebook privacy scandal a wake-up call for Catholics, experts say - Denver Catholic: As Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified before the senate with regards to the Cambridge Analytica privacy scandal April 10 and 11, many Catholics wondered how this moral issue affected them and whether the Church could provide any insight.
Although the Church has not directly weighed-in about privacy and confidentiality in the contemporary sense, experts believe this to be a special opportunity for Catholics to reflect on the way they utilize this means of communication, encouraging them to remain truthful and not live a double life, while remaining cautious about the information they share.
Although the Church has not directly weighed-in about privacy and confidentiality in the contemporary sense, experts believe this to be a special opportunity for Catholics to reflect on the way they utilize this means of communication, encouraging them to remain truthful and not live a double life, while remaining cautious about the information they share.
C.S.Lewis, St. Thérèse and our resurrection bodies
C.S.Lewis, St Therese and Our Resurrection Bodies | Fr. Dwight LongeneckerLONGENECKER: In Perelandra C.S.Lewis puts out an interesting discussion about the physicality of angels. He says we conceive of angels and the spiritual realm as less real than this material world, but what if is the other way around?
I explained it in an earlier post here. Simply put, the gospels make it clear that Jesus was not a ghost, but they also make it clear that he was not simply a resuscitated body. Jesus’ body was physical, not spiritual and ghostly and ephemeral. However, it was also not like our bodies. It didn’t relate to the physical world like ours.
The simplest way to put this is that Jesus’ resurrection body was not less real than this physical world, but more real.
I explained it in an earlier post here. Simply put, the gospels make it clear that Jesus was not a ghost, but they also make it clear that he was not simply a resuscitated body. Jesus’ body was physical, not spiritual and ghostly and ephemeral. However, it was also not like our bodies. It didn’t relate to the physical world like ours.
The simplest way to put this is that Jesus’ resurrection body was not less real than this physical world, but more real.
Chilean cardinal says bishop should resign over abuse crisis
Chilean cardinal says bishop should resign over abuse crisis: The head of Chile’s Catholic Church said on Thursday that a Chilean bishop accused of covering up sexual abuse should resign, little more than a week after Pope Frances said he had made mistakes in handling Chile’s sexual abuse crisis.
Cardinal Ricardo Ezzati told reporters that Juan Barros, a Chilean bishop who allegedly concealed abuse of minors by his mentor Father Fernando Karadima, should resign “without a doubt,” while adding he would not judge “whether or not [Barros] had covered up” the incidents.
Cardinal Ricardo Ezzati told reporters that Juan Barros, a Chilean bishop who allegedly concealed abuse of minors by his mentor Father Fernando Karadima, should resign “without a doubt,” while adding he would not judge “whether or not [Barros] had covered up” the incidents.
Mexican priest stabbed to death in parish amid continuing wave of violence
Priest murdered in Mexico amid continuing wave of violence: A Catholic priest in the Diocese of Cuautitlán Izcalli, México, was stabbed to death inside a church Wednesday, local reports said.
The death of Fr. Rubén Alcántara DÃaz, judicial vicar of the diocese, makes 22 priests who have been murdered since 2012, the Catholic Multimedia Center reported.
The death of Fr. Rubén Alcántara DÃaz, judicial vicar of the diocese, makes 22 priests who have been murdered since 2012, the Catholic Multimedia Center reported.
Thursday, April 19, 2018
Your life is not about you — as illustrated in a Bible story
Your Life is Not About You, As Illustrated in a Biblical Story - Community in Mission : Community in MissionPOPE: In Wednesday’s reading, the Acts of the Apostles sets forth an event that amounts to a tale of one Church in two cities or regions. It illustrates well a couple of points: that the Church is always in need of reform and that our lives are not merely about us and what we want. Let’s look at the event in two scenes.
How St. Ignatius of Loyola rescued a man from a demon
Michael Ludwig and the DemonMCDONALD: In the Église des Jésuites of Molsheim in Northern France there was curious relic described as late as the 17th century. Within the soaring grandeur of the Gothic cathedral is found the Baroque chapel of St. Ignatius of Loyola, which housed among other items two scraps of paper written in Greek. The story behind them was investigated on the order of Pope Paul V and inscribed in the chapel walls, and is related at length in Bartoli’s Della vita e dell'istituto di s. Ignatio, fondatore della Compagnia di Gesù.
How to respond to transgenderism
How to Respond to TransgenderismHELDT: When Harry Became Sally combines solid scientific evidence (much of which has been compiled by transgender-friendly researchers and experts), personal anecdotes and testimonies from transgendered men and women themselves, and a well-documented overview of the current political game to paint a clear, rather distressing picture of what is being done to children in the name of “compassion” and “science.” Puberty-blocking drugs, cross-sex hormones, and an ideology rooted in the false notion that sex is somehow “assigned” to children at birth comprise the current approach kids (as young as 4 years old) who may express discomfort with his or her gender. Never mind that up to 90 percent of these children, given the opportunity to experience puberty naturally, will grow out of their gender dysphoria. Never mind that people who have transitioned are 19 times more likely to commit suicide — even in countries that are the most embracing of transgendered people. Never mind that the Obama administration is on record as saying that research could not demonstrate that the outcomes of transitioning are in any way positive, or worth the risks.
Habemus Pappy: Francis praises gift of ‘very good bourbon’ from Kentucky priest
Kentucky’s Father Jim Sichko gives Pappy 23 bourbon to Pope Francis | Lexington Herald Leader: If you’re from Kentucky and get invited to the boss’s house, to make a good impression you might bring a bottle of bourbon. If your boss is the Pope, you have to go above and beyond.
And this Kentucky priest did. Last week, Father Jim Sichko personally delivered a bottle of 23-year-old Pappy Van Winkle to Pope Francis.
Sichko, who lives in Madison County, tweeted about the event, posting a photo of him handing over the pricey bourbon on April 10 with the caption, “Pope Francis receiving his 23 yr old Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon as we shared our love of My Ole Kentucky Home!” He also posted a selfie taken with the Pope outside after mass on Sunday.
And this Kentucky priest did. Last week, Father Jim Sichko personally delivered a bottle of 23-year-old Pappy Van Winkle to Pope Francis.
Sichko, who lives in Madison County, tweeted about the event, posting a photo of him handing over the pricey bourbon on April 10 with the caption, “Pope Francis receiving his 23 yr old Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon as we shared our love of My Ole Kentucky Home!” He also posted a selfie taken with the Pope outside after mass on Sunday.
Check out these rare photos of St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein)
St. Teresa Benedicta of the CrossKOSLOSKI: These photos of Edith Stein show a beautiful and confident young woman. Her bold quest for the truth led her through the depths of philosophy and into the loving arms of the Catholic Church, eventually becoming a Carmelite nun. When faced with persecution from the Nazis, she stood up for her Jewish heritage and Christian faith and implored the pope to intercede. She never wavered, even when it cost her life.
As nuns lead fight against trafficking, governments say they're listening
As nuns lead fight against trafficking, governments say they're listeningALLEN: Though a sprawling network of Catholic activists, usually featuring determined members of women’s religious orders, are helping to lead today’s social and humanitarian crusade against human trafficking and modern-day slavery, they know they need the unique resources and powers of governments to turn the tide.
A Rome summit on consumerism on Wednesday suggested that at least some governments around the world are listening.
“Traffickers are inventive, they make increasing use of technology, and they’re very inventive,” said Prince Jaime De Bourbon De Parme, Ambassadors of the Netherlands to the Holy See, summing up the observations of his country’s law enforcement community.
A Rome summit on consumerism on Wednesday suggested that at least some governments around the world are listening.
“Traffickers are inventive, they make increasing use of technology, and they’re very inventive,” said Prince Jaime De Bourbon De Parme, Ambassadors of the Netherlands to the Holy See, summing up the observations of his country’s law enforcement community.
Chinese Catholics warned by provincial officials not to take children to Mass
Chinese Catholics warned by provincial officials not to take children to Mass: Catholics in China’s Henan province have been warned that venues will be closed if they do not adhere to the revised regulations on religious affairs.
Ucanews.com reported that a clampdown on religious freedom has intensified in the province in recent months, with crosses removed from churches, minors banned from entering churches, church-run kindergartens closed and children expelled from Mass.
Now Henan Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association and Henan Catholic Administration Commission have jointly issued a circular, warning worshippers to take the new rules seriously.
Ucanews.com reported that a clampdown on religious freedom has intensified in the province in recent months, with crosses removed from churches, minors banned from entering churches, church-run kindergartens closed and children expelled from Mass.
Now Henan Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association and Henan Catholic Administration Commission have jointly issued a circular, warning worshippers to take the new rules seriously.
The truth about Benedict XVI’s resignation: revelations in a new documentary
The truth about Benedict XVI’s resignation: revelations in a new documentary: It was February 11, 2013, when Benedict XVI communicated to the world his decision to resign from the exercise of the papal ministry. This historic event has left many open questions.
Five years later, on the occasion of the Pope Emeritus’ 91st birthday, a documentary has been presented in the Vatican, called “Benedict XVI: in Honor of Truth,” precisely in order to clarify the reasons for that decision.
Some of the people closest to Joseph Ratzinger relive that moment—including his brother, Georg; Fr. Federico Lombardi, former spokesman of the Holy See; and the Prefect of the Papal Household, Archbishop Georg Gänswein, who was his personal secretary for years.
Five years later, on the occasion of the Pope Emeritus’ 91st birthday, a documentary has been presented in the Vatican, called “Benedict XVI: in Honor of Truth,” precisely in order to clarify the reasons for that decision.
Some of the people closest to Joseph Ratzinger relive that moment—including his brother, Georg; Fr. Federico Lombardi, former spokesman of the Holy See; and the Prefect of the Papal Household, Archbishop Georg Gänswein, who was his personal secretary for years.
Vatican rejects German Bishops’ intercommunion proposal
Vatican Rejects German Bishops’ Intercommunion ProposalPENTIN: Sources confirm that, with the Holy Father’s approval, the Vatican’s head of doctrine has thrown out the bishops’ pastoral guide allowing Holy Communion for some Protestant spouses, but the Pope wishes the rejection letter to remain secret.
Reel Presence: How friendship is a synonym for salvation
Reel Presence: How Friendship is a Synonym for SalvationHAHN: What I know about film can fit comfortably in a single frame. I am neither Siskel nor Ebert, nor even the little robot characters on “Mystery Science Theater 3000.”
But I know a thing or two about the New Testament, and I know what I like in a movie, and I was deeply moved by the film Paul, Apostle of Christ. It made me aware, for the first time, of something that should have been obvious to me — something hidden in plain sight in every Bible.
The movie made me see the colossal importance of Paul’s friendship with Luke — not only for the Apostle, and not only in his generation, but in God’s providential plan for the Christian Church.
But I know a thing or two about the New Testament, and I know what I like in a movie, and I was deeply moved by the film Paul, Apostle of Christ. It made me aware, for the first time, of something that should have been obvious to me — something hidden in plain sight in every Bible.
The movie made me see the colossal importance of Paul’s friendship with Luke — not only for the Apostle, and not only in his generation, but in God’s providential plan for the Christian Church.
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