African Cardinal Tests Positive for Coronavirus as Pandemic Spreads: Cardinal Philippe Ouédraogo of Burkina Faso has tested positive for the coronavirus, his archdiocese announced Tuesday. He is the second cardinal known to have tested positive for the virus, which is now a global pandemic.
Cardinal Ouédraogo, 75, has been admitted to a medical clinic in Burkina Faso’s capital Ouagadougou. He is “in good condition and his close collaborators are reported to be self-isolating,” a spokesman for Burkina Faso’s bishops’ conference, Fr. Paul Dah, told ACI Africa on March 31.
The cardinal is president of the African continental bishops’ conference, the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM). He was elected to the post in July 2019. He has been Archbishop of Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso for ten years, and was made a cardinal by Pope Francis in 2014.
Tuesday, March 31, 2020
After WWII and 9/11 our churches were filled. I would be willing to bet, when the coronavirus passes, they will be filled again...
Tragedy, Contingency, and a Deeper Sense of God | Word on FireBARRON: I have lived in Santa Barbara, California for the past four years. In that brief time, my neighbors and I have experienced a number of real tragedies. Just over two years ago, the terrible Thomas Fire broke out in my pastoral region, in the vicinity of Thomas Aquinas College (hence the name). For a frightening month it made its devastating way from Santa Paula through Ventura, Carpenteria, Montecito, and eventually commenced to devour the foliage on the hills just north of my home. As I was standing one Saturday morning on my front lawn, staring uneasily at the flames, a retired fire captain stopped his car and yelled out the window, “Bishop, what are you still doing here? Embers are flying everywhere; this whole neighborhood could go up.”
African cardinal tests positive for coronavirus as pandemic spreads across the continent
African cardinal tests positive for coronavirus as pandemic spreads across the continent: Cardinal Philippe Ouédraogo of Burkina Faso has tested positive for the coronavirus, his archdiocese announced Tuesday. He is the second cardinal known to have tested positive for the virus, which is now a global pandemic.
Ouédraogo, 75, has been admitted to a medical clinic in Burkina Faso’s capital Ouagadougou. He is “in good condition and his close collaborators are reported to be self-isolating,” a spokesman for Burkina Faso’s bishops’ conference, Fr. Paul Dah, told ACI Africa on March 31.
The cardinal is president of the African continental bishops’ conference, the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM). He was elected to the post in July 2019. He has been Archbishop of Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso for ten years, and was made a cardinal by Pope Francis in 2014.
Ouédraogo, 75, has been admitted to a medical clinic in Burkina Faso’s capital Ouagadougou. He is “in good condition and his close collaborators are reported to be self-isolating,” a spokesman for Burkina Faso’s bishops’ conference, Fr. Paul Dah, told ACI Africa on March 31.
The cardinal is president of the African continental bishops’ conference, the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM). He was elected to the post in July 2019. He has been Archbishop of Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso for ten years, and was made a cardinal by Pope Francis in 2014.
If St. Corona was not a plague saint before, she is now...
In Defense of Saint Corona - Crisis MagazineMICHAELWARRENDAVIS: There are only two kinds of people who seem to relish a national emergency: busybodies and buzzkills. Both take it as their life’s work to prove they know better than the poor hayseed who lives next door.
In the middle of March, Catholic news outlets began to report an extraordinary coincidence: not only is there a saint named Corona, but she happens to be the patroness of epidemics. Suddenly, her cult exploded. The internet was flooded with new prayers and litanies beseeching this obscure Saint Corona to end the COVID-19 pandemic.
By the end of the month, however, the “fact”-checkers at Snopes (those renowned experts on the Roman martyrology) announced that Saint Corona was not, in fact, a patroness of epidemics. They cited Catherine M. Mooney, an associate professor at Boston College—clearly, someone much smarter than you—who pointed out that, “along with those [saints] who actually existed, there are many more that have simply appeared in legends over the centuries, often made up out of whole cloth. Online web sites on saints are notorious for repeating legendary information.”
In the middle of March, Catholic news outlets began to report an extraordinary coincidence: not only is there a saint named Corona, but she happens to be the patroness of epidemics. Suddenly, her cult exploded. The internet was flooded with new prayers and litanies beseeching this obscure Saint Corona to end the COVID-19 pandemic.
By the end of the month, however, the “fact”-checkers at Snopes (those renowned experts on the Roman martyrology) announced that Saint Corona was not, in fact, a patroness of epidemics. They cited Catherine M. Mooney, an associate professor at Boston College—clearly, someone much smarter than you—who pointed out that, “along with those [saints] who actually existed, there are many more that have simply appeared in legends over the centuries, often made up out of whole cloth. Online web sites on saints are notorious for repeating legendary information.”
In the story of Susanna we have a lesson on the anatomy of sin...
The Anatomy of Sin - Community in MissionPOPE: The first reading from Monday’s Mass (Monday of the 5th Week of Lent) is the story of Susanna, an extraordinary moral tale from the Book of Daniel. The full passage (which is quite lengthy) can be found here: Daniel 13:1-62. Interestingly, it is missing from Protestant bibles, which use a truncated version of the Book of Daniel. It is not well-known among Catholics, either, because it is only read once each year, at a weekday Mass.
The story is of a beautiful young woman, Susanna, who is married to a man named Joakim. One day as she is bathing in a private garden, two older men who have hidden themselves there try to seduce her. When Susanna rebuffs their brazen overture, they threaten to falsely accuse her of having committed adultery with a young man in the garden if she does not submit to their desires. She still refuses and they follow through with their threat, even demanding that she be stoned. Things look bleak for Susanna until Daniel comes to the rescue; through crafty interrogation he exposes their lie. The story is a small masterpiece; if you have never read it, I recommend you do so.
The story is of a beautiful young woman, Susanna, who is married to a man named Joakim. One day as she is bathing in a private garden, two older men who have hidden themselves there try to seduce her. When Susanna rebuffs their brazen overture, they threaten to falsely accuse her of having committed adultery with a young man in the garden if she does not submit to their desires. She still refuses and they follow through with their threat, even demanding that she be stoned. Things look bleak for Susanna until Daniel comes to the rescue; through crafty interrogation he exposes their lie. The story is a small masterpiece; if you have never read it, I recommend you do so.
6 answers to coronavirus-related canonical questions
Canonical deep breath time | In the Light of the LawEDPETERS: Since COVID19 left Communist China last month and began its rampage around the world a myriad of issues and problems have been confronting us all. Among these crisis items are a host of canonical questions, questions that arise on a daily, sometimes an hourly, basis and which take almost innumerable forms, often reformulating themselves before anything like coherent answers from informed persons or authorities can be formulated to their first instantiation. The internet, of course, magnifies and speeds the dissemination of canonical views and opinions, right ones as well as wrong. In short, folks, it’s deep breath time. Not everything is going to be sorted, let alone sorted correctly, within a few minutes of its popping up.
‘OPChant’ on YouTube introduces Gregorian chant to a new generation
‘OPChant’ on YouTube Brings Gregorian Chant to Modern EarsTADIE: In his letter to Cardinal Joseph Höffner for the Seventh International Congress of Sacred Music, John Paul II praised the unifying power of Gregorian chant within Catholic liturgy because of its “genuine sense of religion.” In his view, Gregorian chant was, compared to new sacred music, like a “statue in front of a painting.”
These words illustrate the high esteem that this holy pope had for what is considered one of the greatest treasures of the Christian heritage. In the same way, his successor on the throne of St. Peter, Benedict XVI, made it a point of honor to bring Gregorian chant back to the center of the Church through numerous initiatives.
These words illustrate the high esteem that this holy pope had for what is considered one of the greatest treasures of the Christian heritage. In the same way, his successor on the throne of St. Peter, Benedict XVI, made it a point of honor to bring Gregorian chant back to the center of the Church through numerous initiatives.
Monday, March 30, 2020
Cardinal De Donatis, Vicar General of Rome, is first cardinal known to have coronavirus
Rome’s Cardinal De Donatis is First Cardinal Known to Have Coronavirus: Cardinal Angelo De Donatis, vicar general of the Diocese of Rome, has tested positive for coronavirus. He is the first cardinal known to have the virus.
The cardinal has been admitted to the Gemelli Hospital in Rome with a fever. He is reportedly in good condition, and his close collaborators are reported to be self-isolating, according to a statement from the Vicariate of Rome.
“I feel serene and confident amid this trial,” the cardinal said in a statement March 30. “I entrust myself to the Lord and to support from the prayers of all of you, dear faithful of the Church in Rome.”
“I live this moment as an occasion given to me in Providence so that I can share the sufferings of so many brothers and sisters. I offer my prayers for them, for the whole diocesan community and for the inhabitants of the city of Rome,” the cardinal added.
The cardinal has been admitted to the Gemelli Hospital in Rome with a fever. He is reportedly in good condition, and his close collaborators are reported to be self-isolating, according to a statement from the Vicariate of Rome.
“I feel serene and confident amid this trial,” the cardinal said in a statement March 30. “I entrust myself to the Lord and to support from the prayers of all of you, dear faithful of the Church in Rome.”
“I live this moment as an occasion given to me in Providence so that I can share the sufferings of so many brothers and sisters. I offer my prayers for them, for the whole diocesan community and for the inhabitants of the city of Rome,” the cardinal added.
We are all a ship full of vulnerables. Could this be our strength?
Coronavirus: Realities and Memories Help Us Look Forward | National ReviewLOPEZ: There have been a few moments in recent weeks when this coronavirus experience suddenly hit me in a deeper way. We’re funny, humans. So one of us was when Amazon put books on the bottom of our priority list. Bookish type that I am, that is what Amazon is for me: books. And I’ve had a whole new rediscovery of those boo stores and distributors I used to rely on before Amazon made things so simple. I’m thinking I really shouldn’t go back. Aren’t we all having a renewed appreciation for the smaller businesses in our lives and the people behind them, and the lives they try to help make possible, even in such difficult circumstances?
6 skills for coronavirus “sheltering in place” that I learned by sailing across the Atlantic
How Sailing Prepared Me for Sheltering in Place | Outside Online: Three years ago, I sailed across the Atlantic Ocean from Cape Town, South Africa, to Martinique, in the Caribbean. I was aboard Saltbreaker, a 32-foot 1979 Valiant sailboat, along with my husband, Alex, my brother-in-law, Nick, and his girlfriend, Alex. All told, the trip took about four months, and our longest passage without sighting land—from Ascension Island in the South Atlantic to Martinique—lasted 31 days. It was an experience that was simultaneously epic and monotonous, profound and incredibly dull. It was also, for better or worse, good preparation for quarantine.
‘The Veil Removed’ — A 7-minute short film that will change the way you see the Holy Mass
New Advent: ‘The Veil Removed’ — A 7-minute short film that will change the way you see the Holy Mass: The Veil Removed is a short film that reveals the coming together of heaven and earth at Mass, as seen by saints and mystics, revealed by Scripture and in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
Take a fascinating, free online class on the Perpetual Virginity of Mary
New Advent: Take a fascinating, free online class on the Perpetual Virginity of Mary: The wide availability of material like this, from teachers like Christendom College theology department chairman Matthew Tsakanikas, is one of the unexpected graces of this moment in history.
Get the Sunday morning prayer and Sunday Mass readings every week from Keep the Lord’s Day
Keep the Lord's Day: The public celebration of the Mass may be canceled but that doesn’t mean that the prayer of the Church must stop. Wherever you are, whoever you are with, you can still unite with Catholics throughout the world, and the angels and saints in heaven, in the one, unceasing liturgical prayer of the Church. Each week you can find Sunday Morning Prayer from the Liturgy of the Hours right here, along with step-by-step guidance to help you learn to pray it effectively with your family in your home. You will also find an order of the Sunday Mass Readings and Prayers to help you keep the Lord’s Day holy. Sign up to get Sunday Prayer in your inbox each week.
‘Blue Movie’ time again: Massive New York Times op-ed says the ‘pew gap’ is real and growing
'Blue Movie' time again: Massive New York Times op-ed says the 'pew gap' is real and growing — GetReligionMATTINGLY: It’s deja vu time, all over again. Again and again.
This week’s “Crossroads” podcast (click here to tune that in) felt like one long time-travel ride in the WABAC machine (think “Rocky and Bullwinkle”) or Doctor Who’s TARDIS.
Let’s start at the beginning. Way back in 2003, I read an article in The Atlantic Monthly that — more than any other — made me start thinking about creating some kind of website about how many (not all) reporters in the mainstream press struggle to see the role that religion plays in public life.
The essay was called, “Blue Movie — The ‘morality gap’ is becoming the key variable in American politics” and it was written by Thomas B. Edsall, a former Washington Post political reporter who had moved to the faculty of the Columbia University journalism school.
This week’s “Crossroads” podcast (click here to tune that in) felt like one long time-travel ride in the WABAC machine (think “Rocky and Bullwinkle”) or Doctor Who’s TARDIS.
Let’s start at the beginning. Way back in 2003, I read an article in The Atlantic Monthly that — more than any other — made me start thinking about creating some kind of website about how many (not all) reporters in the mainstream press struggle to see the role that religion plays in public life.
The essay was called, “Blue Movie — The ‘morality gap’ is becoming the key variable in American politics” and it was written by Thomas B. Edsall, a former Washington Post political reporter who had moved to the faculty of the Columbia University journalism school.
On Monday night, the Met is streaming a free live performance of Poulenc’s “Dialogues des Carmélites” about the martyrs of Compiègne (H/T Sister Helena Burns)
Metropolitan Opera | Nightly Met Opera Streams: During this extraordinary and difficult time, the Met hopes to brighten the lives of our audience members even while our stage is dark. Each day, a different encore presentation from the company’s Live in HD series is being made available for free streaming on the Met website, with each performance available for a period of 23 hours, from 7:30 p.m. EDT until 6:30 p.m. the following day. The schedule will include outstanding complete performances from the past 14 years of cinema transmissions, starring all of opera’s greatest singers.
No matter when you look at your clock, some priest is offering Mass for you
No Matter When You Look at Your Clock, Some Priest is Offering MassBEHE: In his article on “phrases that show everyday Catholic wisdom,” Tom Hoopes shared a few of his favorite sayings. To his list, I’d like to add one of my own:
“It’s 5 o’clock somewhere.”
Not sure about my choice? It’s no wonder. A popular saying on party flags and bar décor, the phrase is commonly used as a lighthearted excuse to tipple before the socially accepted “happy hour.”
But to Catholics, the phrase “it’s 5 o’clock somewhere” can have eternal significance. Before there was any such thing as www.masstimes.org, Catholics relied on something called a “Mass clock” to tell them where in the world, at any hour of the day or night, Mass was being celebrated.
“It’s 5 o’clock somewhere.”
Not sure about my choice? It’s no wonder. A popular saying on party flags and bar décor, the phrase is commonly used as a lighthearted excuse to tipple before the socially accepted “happy hour.”
But to Catholics, the phrase “it’s 5 o’clock somewhere” can have eternal significance. Before there was any such thing as www.masstimes.org, Catholics relied on something called a “Mass clock” to tell them where in the world, at any hour of the day or night, Mass was being celebrated.
In the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood in New York, Father George Rutler is helping keep faith alive during the coronavirus crisis
Hell's Kitchen pastor helping keep faith alive during coronavirus crisis: Devine: When people are frightened, they turn to God, but one of the cruelties of this pandemic is that places of worship are closed.
While booze, marijuana and guns are essential services in various parts of the country, spiritual solace has been deemed superfluous.
But the pastor of Hell’s Kitchen, Father George Rutler, whose parish was hard hit by the Spanish flu in 1918, has kept his Church of St. Michael the Archangel on West 34th Street open for private worship by anyone who happens to wander in through the open doors and sits in back — as long as they keep a safe distance from one another — after the archdiocese, on medical advice, canceled all Masses indefinitely two weeks ago, in the middle of Lent.
While booze, marijuana and guns are essential services in various parts of the country, spiritual solace has been deemed superfluous.
But the pastor of Hell’s Kitchen, Father George Rutler, whose parish was hard hit by the Spanish flu in 1918, has kept his Church of St. Michael the Archangel on West 34th Street open for private worship by anyone who happens to wander in through the open doors and sits in back — as long as they keep a safe distance from one another — after the archdiocese, on medical advice, canceled all Masses indefinitely two weeks ago, in the middle of Lent.
Rare Yosemite Falls rainbow phenomenon — ‘This is the sign of the covenant’
New Advent: Rare Yosemite Falls rainbow phenomenon — ‘This is the sign of the covenant’: Spotted in February 2019 and well worth another look. Captured by photographer Greg Harlow from Glacier Point, Yosemite National Park, California...
Anxious about coronavirus? Family? Finances? The 33-day preparation for Consecration to St. Joseph starts today...
New Advent: Anxious about coronavirus? Family? Finances? The 33-day preparation for Consecration to St. Joseph starts today...: Today we’ve got a spiritual famine. Our churches are closed. We’ve got people sheltered in their homes, and living in fear and anxiety of the future. Let’s ask St. Joseph... to give us again the bread... the bread of everlasting life. Let's ask him for this grace. St. Joseph has the power to do this, the intercessory power to be able to do this for us.
Some Good News you’ll want to see from John Krasinski (and Steve Carell) of ‘The Office’
New Advent: Some Good News you should see from John Krasinski (and Steve Carell) of ‘The Office’: John Krasinski highlights some good news from around the world, including an interview with Steve Carell to mark the 15th anniversary of The Office, as well as John’s newest hero, Coco.
Pope Francis and reforms — He has never been more alone than now
MondayVatican – Vatican Pope Francis and reforms. He has never been more alone than now | MondayVaticanGAGLIARDUCCI: While Italy is locked down because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Holy See has nevertheless continued to work, though with less staff on site. Also, Pope Francis has kept seeing regularly the heads of dicasteries, according to the so-called “udienze di tabella” (pre-scheduled and recurrent according to a fix cycle). The life of the Church does not stop.
Cardinal Marc Ouellet, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops, met the Pope on March 14, March 21 and March 29. Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, the prefect of the Congregation for the Eastern Churches, had an audience with Pope Francis on March 14. Archbishop Giacomo Morandi, secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, was received by the Pope on March 12 and March 26.
Cardinal Marc Ouellet, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops, met the Pope on March 14, March 21 and March 29. Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, the prefect of the Congregation for the Eastern Churches, had an audience with Pope Francis on March 14. Archbishop Giacomo Morandi, secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, was received by the Pope on March 12 and March 26.
On going to our own house
On Going to Our Own House - Community in MissionPOPE: The Gospel for Mass this past Saturday contains one line that deserves some attention from us, especially in a time like this. On one level it seems like a mere scene-ender, a line that ends the section and has the dramatis personae (cast of characters) walk off the stage. But as most who are familiar with Scripture know, there is rarely a wasted syllable, particularly in John’s Gospel. There is not one word or syllable that should be dismissed as “filler” when the Holy Spirit is at work inspiring the sacred authors.
Six sisters from same Italian convent have died, as coronavirus spreads among religious orders
Six sisters from same Italian convent have died, as coronavirus spreads among religious orders: Six sisters in one northern Italian convent have died of coronavirus, and nine sisters are being treated in the hospital after testing positive for COVID-19, according to Italian media. Coronavirus is spreading among several religious houses in Italy.
An outbreak in the Little Missionary Sisters of Charity Mother House in Tortona, Italy led half of its 40 sisters to test positive for COVID-19 earlier this month.
An outbreak in the Little Missionary Sisters of Charity Mother House in Tortona, Italy led half of its 40 sisters to test positive for COVID-19 earlier this month.
Sunday, March 29, 2020
Springfield’s Bishop Rozanski doubles down on debacle, tells priests to refuse sacramental anointing to the sick and dying
Bishop ‘Suspends’ Sacramental Anointing While Rescinding Controversial Policy: After rescinding a controversial policy concerning sacramental anointing of the sick, the bishop of Springfield, Massachusetts told priests Friday afternoon that anointing of the sick is “suspended” within the Diocese of Springfield.
Earlier this week, Bishop Mitchell Rozanski authorized a change to norms for the sacrament of the anointing of the sick, permitting a nurse, rather than a priest, to conduct the physical anointing, which is an essential part of the sacrament.
“I am allowing the assigned Catholic hospital chaplains, standing outside a patient's room or away from their bedside, to dab a cotton swab with Holy Oil and then allow a nurse to enter the patient's room and administer the oil,” Bishop Rozanski told priests in an email March 25.
Earlier this week, Bishop Mitchell Rozanski authorized a change to norms for the sacrament of the anointing of the sick, permitting a nurse, rather than a priest, to conduct the physical anointing, which is an essential part of the sacrament.
“I am allowing the assigned Catholic hospital chaplains, standing outside a patient's room or away from their bedside, to dab a cotton swab with Holy Oil and then allow a nurse to enter the patient's room and administer the oil,” Bishop Rozanski told priests in an email March 25.
Advice (and 5 tips) for teaching kids at home, from a veteran homeschool mom
Advice (and 5 Tips) for Teaching Kids at Home, from a Veteran Homeschool Mom: We are all concerned about the spread of COVID-19. Schools are closed. So what should we do about our children’s education? And what about all of the “free time” they have when they would normally be in school? Do we really want to increase screen time? Do we anticipate trouble between siblings?
Believe me, I know what it is like to be “stuck” in the house with my kids. I have not exclusively homeschooled my kids (my husband is a former school administrator, so they went to “Dad’s school” for a while), but there was a point when I was educating all five children at home. I found it... challenging.
Believe me, I know what it is like to be “stuck” in the house with my kids. I have not exclusively homeschooled my kids (my husband is a former school administrator, so they went to “Dad’s school” for a while), but there was a point when I was educating all five children at home. I found it... challenging.
Sherlock Holmes and the haunting of Arthur Conan Doyle
Sherlock Holmes and the Haunting of Conan DoyleTURLEY: Walking through Edinburgh’s West End, early one winter morning, I spied a familiar face.
The unmistakable features of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle looked down upon me from an impressive Victorian town house. Below a larger than life portrait there was a sign; it announced: “The Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Centre.” I made a mental note, intending to visit what I assumed was a place dedicated to the memory and literary legacy of the creator of one of literature’s most famous figures: Sherlock Holmes. It was then that I noticed another sign. It offered “services” and other activities: the building was a center for spiritualism — necromancy by another name. Standing there beneath the gaze of Conan Doyle, I knew then that I could never enter such a place. And with that, my heart sank, for it was then I remembered a fellow Catholic, a great writer, driven by grief to seek refuge in such dangerous falsehood.
The unmistakable features of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle looked down upon me from an impressive Victorian town house. Below a larger than life portrait there was a sign; it announced: “The Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Centre.” I made a mental note, intending to visit what I assumed was a place dedicated to the memory and literary legacy of the creator of one of literature’s most famous figures: Sherlock Holmes. It was then that I noticed another sign. It offered “services” and other activities: the building was a center for spiritualism — necromancy by another name. Standing there beneath the gaze of Conan Doyle, I knew then that I could never enter such a place. And with that, my heart sank, for it was then I remembered a fellow Catholic, a great writer, driven by grief to seek refuge in such dangerous falsehood.
Why the blessing in St. Peter’s Square mattered
Why the Blessing Mattered - Kevin M. Tierney - MediumTIERNEY: Yesterday, Pope Francis livestreamed a special Urbi et Orbi blessing (a blessing traditionally reserved for a new pope and the Church’s highest feasts), featuring Adoration and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. The purpose of this event was to beseech God for an end to the coronavirus pandemic sweeping through the globe, a pandemic which has shut down the majority of society for the world. This address left a profound impact on citizens of the world, and many Catholics are calling it the finest hour of this pontificate. I’d like to explain why.
Sunday Angelus Message: God is life and gives life, yet takes on the drama of death
God’s answer to the problem of death is Jesus: Pope’s inspiring Angelus addressCOATOFARMS: The Gospel passage of this fifth Sunday of Lent is that of the resurrection of Lazarus. Lazarus was the brother of Martha and Mary; they were good friends of Jesus. When He arrives in Bethany, Lazarus has already been dead for four days; Martha runs towards the Master and says to Him: “If you had been here, my brother would not have died!” Jesus replies to her: “Your brother will rise again” and adds: “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die.”
St. Thérèse of Lisieux and the pandemic
St. Therese of Lisieux and the Pandemic: If you are scared, frustrated, angry, frightened, restless, and/or torn between staying in bed (doors locked, sheets pulled up over your head) and going out somewhere — anywhere — before you go stir crazy (or your kids do), you are certainly not alone!
The Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord, which we celebrated so recently, is not a Holy Day of Obligation in the U.S.A. Moreover, falling as it does 9 months before Jesus’ birth at Christmas, this March 25th date often means the Annunciation is a transposed feast – if it falls in Holy Week or Easter Week, it gets transferred to somewhere around the second Monday of Easter . . . and so March 25 may not normally be a day when Catholics in our country always make it to Mass.
The Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord, which we celebrated so recently, is not a Holy Day of Obligation in the U.S.A. Moreover, falling as it does 9 months before Jesus’ birth at Christmas, this March 25th date often means the Annunciation is a transposed feast – if it falls in Holy Week or Easter Week, it gets transferred to somewhere around the second Monday of Easter . . . and so March 25 may not normally be a day when Catholics in our country always make it to Mass.
Wanted: spiritual leadership during a medical crisis
Wanted: spiritual leadership during a medical crisis | Catholic CultureLAWLER: Over the course of this past weekend I heard of several different ingenious schemes, concocted by energetic pastors, that would have allowed Catholics to attend Mass without violating “social distance” or government regulations. In every case the plan was vetoed by the diocesan bishop.
Yes, I understand that bishops are concerned about the possible transmission of a deadly virus— but so are the pastors who invented ways to allow parishioners to worship in small groups, standing 10 or more feet apart. Yes, I understand that we all have a moral obligation to obey government regulations that are issued for the sake of the common good— but these schemes would have fallen within the scope of the existing regulations.
Yes, I understand that bishops are concerned about the possible transmission of a deadly virus— but so are the pastors who invented ways to allow parishioners to worship in small groups, standing 10 or more feet apart. Yes, I understand that we all have a moral obligation to obey government regulations that are issued for the sake of the common good— but these schemes would have fallen within the scope of the existing regulations.
Exposing the Blessed Sacrament “to the city and the world,” Pope Francis on Friday delivered an iconic image that stirred a country’s soul
Francis on Friday delivered an iconic image that stirred a country’s soulALLEN: Twenty years from now, if you were to ask Italians to think back about what images stuck in their minds from the coronavirus, it’s a good bet that after Friday night, many would give the same answer.
“Papa Francesco standing alone in St. Peter’s Square, under the rain, praying for it to end,” they’d likely say.
In one fell swoop Friday night, Francis not only delivered what seems destined to become the most iconic image of the pandemic, he effectively shut down what had been a mounting undercurrent of criticism about the supposed “invisibility” and “silence” of the Church.
“Papa Francesco standing alone in St. Peter’s Square, under the rain, praying for it to end,” they’d likely say.
In one fell swoop Friday night, Francis not only delivered what seems destined to become the most iconic image of the pandemic, he effectively shut down what had been a mounting undercurrent of criticism about the supposed “invisibility” and “silence” of the Church.
Saturday, March 28, 2020
Vatican tests 170 people for coronavirus, says Pope Francis does not have virus
Vatican does coronavirus testing, says Pope Francis does not have virus: The Vatican said Saturday Pope Francis does not have the coronavirus, and that recent testing of 170 Holy See employees for COVID-19 resulted in only one new case.
This brings the total number of coronavirus cases connected to Vatican City to six, papal spokesman Matteo Bruni said in a statement March 28.
“I can confirm that neither the Holy Father nor his closest collaborators are involved,” the spokesman stated.
This brings the total number of coronavirus cases connected to Vatican City to six, papal spokesman Matteo Bruni said in a statement March 28.
“I can confirm that neither the Holy Father nor his closest collaborators are involved,” the spokesman stated.
You’re probably washing your hands wrong. Here’s how to do it...
New Advent: You’re probably washing your hands wrong. Here’s how to do it: The best way to avoid getting sick and spread germs to other people is to keep your hands clean. You touch your nose, eyes, and mouth dozens of times a day, often without noticing it. And that's how germs usually get inside your body...
Untie him and let him go free: A homily for the 5th Sunday of Lent
Untie Him and Let Him Go Free - A Homily for the 5th Sunday of Lent - Community in MissionPOPE: In today’s Gospel, we hear the story of the raising of Lazarus from the dead. The story marks a significant turning point in the ministry of Jesus: it is because of this incident that the Temple leadership in Jerusalem resolves to have Jesus killed; a supreme irony to be sure.
As is proper with all the Gospel accounts, we must not see this as merely an historical happening of some two thousand years ago. Rather, we must recall that we are Lazarus; we are Martha and Mary. This is also the story of how Jesus is acting in our life.
As is proper with all the Gospel accounts, we must not see this as merely an historical happening of some two thousand years ago. Rather, we must recall that we are Lazarus; we are Martha and Mary. This is also the story of how Jesus is acting in our life.
Baptism as Resurrection: Readings for 5th Sunday of Lent
Baptism as Resurrection: Readings for 5th Sunday of Lent – The Sacred PageBERGSMA: In the season of Lent, the Gospel of John becomes very prominent, especially in Year A, the readings of which can be used in any year that a parish is doing RCIA.
Unlike the other Gospels, John recounts only a limited number of miracles of Jesus, which he designates as “signs,” a rare term in the other Gospels. Although John tells us of only a few miracles, he describes them in much greater depth than the other gospel writers do. This is quite evident in this weekend’s Gospel reading, in which we get a very lengthy description of all the events surrounding the resurrection of Lazarus from the dead.
The Raising of Lazarus is the sixth of the seven “signs” of the Gospel of John: [1] The Water to Wine (John 2), [2] the Healing of the Official’s Son (John 4), [3] the Healing of the Paralytic at Bethesda (John 5), [4] the Feeding of the 5,000 (John 6), [5] The Healing of the Man Born Blind (John 9), [6] the Raising of Lazarus (John 11), and [7] the Death and Resurrection of Jesus (John 19-20). The signs seem to escalate as the Gospel progresses. The Healing of the Man Born Blind (last Sunday’s reading) was pretty impressive, but raising Lazarus is going to top it. The Gospel is building toward the seventh and final sign, the Resurrection of Christ.
Unlike the other Gospels, John recounts only a limited number of miracles of Jesus, which he designates as “signs,” a rare term in the other Gospels. Although John tells us of only a few miracles, he describes them in much greater depth than the other gospel writers do. This is quite evident in this weekend’s Gospel reading, in which we get a very lengthy description of all the events surrounding the resurrection of Lazarus from the dead.
The Raising of Lazarus is the sixth of the seven “signs” of the Gospel of John: [1] The Water to Wine (John 2), [2] the Healing of the Official’s Son (John 4), [3] the Healing of the Paralytic at Bethesda (John 5), [4] the Feeding of the 5,000 (John 6), [5] The Healing of the Man Born Blind (John 9), [6] the Raising of Lazarus (John 11), and [7] the Death and Resurrection of Jesus (John 19-20). The signs seem to escalate as the Gospel progresses. The Healing of the Man Born Blind (last Sunday’s reading) was pretty impressive, but raising Lazarus is going to top it. The Gospel is building toward the seventh and final sign, the Resurrection of Christ.
Why Jesus wept
Why Jesus Wept | Parishable ItemsFELTES: Why did Jesus weep on his way to Lazarus’ tomb? Was it because he had only just learned of his dear friend Lazarus’ death? No, for Jesus had known long before he arrived at the village. He had already told his disciples, “Lazarus has died. And I am glad for you that I was not there, that you may believe.” Did Jesus weep because he had not planned to immediately resurrect Lazarus until sorrow changed his mind? No, for when the news of Lazarus’ sickness first arrived he told his disciples, “This illness is not to end in death,” and two days later he added, “Our friend Lazarus is asleep, but I am going to awaken him.” Were Jesus’ tears in fact not shed for Lazarus at all?
Friday, March 27, 2020
Need a laugh? Watch Leonard Nimoy sing “The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins”
Need a laugh? Watch Leonard Nimoy sing "The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins" - Voyage Comics & PublishingKOSLOSKI: J.R.R. Tolkien’s influence on pop-culture has had an enduring legacy ever since The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings were published. The universal (Catholic) messages found in Tolkien’s stories make them appealing to all people, no matter their belief system.
In one of the most obscure (and hilarious..though also embarrassing) moments of pop-culture, actor Leonard Nimoy, most well-known for his performance as Spock in the original Star Trek series, sang a “Ballad of Bilbo Baggins.”
RollingStone gives a brief history behind the music video.
In one of the most obscure (and hilarious..though also embarrassing) moments of pop-culture, actor Leonard Nimoy, most well-known for his performance as Spock in the original Star Trek series, sang a “Ballad of Bilbo Baggins.”
RollingStone gives a brief history behind the music video.
Should Catholic politicians act on what the Church teaches?
Rusty Reno: Should Catholic politicians act on what the Church teaches?: "A lot of what the Church teaches about public affairs is really the common stock of Christian wisdom, so the sanctity of life is something that obviously we share with Evangelicals and thoughtful Christians of all stripes," said Rusty Reno, editor of First Things. "Catholicism, at least in the modern era, has really been characterized by — in this sense it shares with Judaism — a very strong concern about the common good. That's a distinctive mark of a Catholic political outlook."
Deacon Geoff Bennett, host of Respect Life Radio, asked Reno, "So are practicing Catholics who are running for office, or are already elected to office, are they obliged to believe everything the Church teaches on faith and morals?"
Listen to Reno's answer and the rest of the interview on Respect Life Radio.
Deacon Geoff Bennett, host of Respect Life Radio, asked Reno, "So are practicing Catholics who are running for office, or are already elected to office, are they obliged to believe everything the Church teaches on faith and morals?"
Listen to Reno's answer and the rest of the interview on Respect Life Radio.
This photographer captured a rare sight — frozen waves on a lake in Colorado’s Rocky Mountain National Park
This Photographer Captured A Rare Sight—Frozen Waves At Dream Lake, Colorado | Bored Panda: The coronavirus has been occupying both the airwaves and our minds for the past several weeks. So, why not take a break from the stresses of the lockdown and focus our minds, even if for a moment, on things that await us once the quarantine period is over.
Eric Gross is a landscape photographer from Colorado, US who’s in search of unseen natural gems in North America and beyond. And so it happened that he stumbled upon a unique phenomenon that has since then mesmerized the world. Bored Panda reached out to Gross for an interview.
Eric Gross is a landscape photographer from Colorado, US who’s in search of unseen natural gems in North America and beyond. And so it happened that he stumbled upon a unique phenomenon that has since then mesmerized the world. Bored Panda reached out to Gross for an interview.
Doctor sentenced for saving mom and child with emergency C-section instead of aborting baby
Doctor sentenced for saving mom and child with emergency C-section instead of aborting baby: An Argentinian doctor has been sentenced to a 14-month suspended jail term, plus 28 months of disqualification from holding public office because he refused to commit an abortion on a woman who was 23 weeks pregnant. The ruling will be appealed.
Dr. Leandro Rodríquez Lastra was convicted in May 2019 of failing to carry out his duty as a public official by refusing to do an abortion requested of him in 2017. The woman was 19 years old and had become pregnant through a sexual assault by a relative. She had been given an abortion drug by the feminist NGO “La Revuelta” but it did not work and her baby survived because she was too far along in her pregnancy. She went to Pedro Moguillansky Hospital in severe pain, telling doctors she had been given Misoprostol to induce an abortion. Taking the abortion pill after 10 weeks increases the risks to the mother’s health and can cause incomplete abortions.
Dr. Leandro Rodríquez Lastra was convicted in May 2019 of failing to carry out his duty as a public official by refusing to do an abortion requested of him in 2017. The woman was 19 years old and had become pregnant through a sexual assault by a relative. She had been given an abortion drug by the feminist NGO “La Revuelta” but it did not work and her baby survived because she was too far along in her pregnancy. She went to Pedro Moguillansky Hospital in severe pain, telling doctors she had been given Misoprostol to induce an abortion. Taking the abortion pill after 10 weeks increases the risks to the mother’s health and can cause incomplete abortions.
What will be the long-term impact of the coronavirus on the Catholic Church?
The Long-Term Impact of Coronavirus on The Catholic Church - Catholic Missionary Disciples - College Station, TXLEJEUNE: When the Catholic Church, in the USA, faced the biggest problem in her history (the clergy abuse scandal), the reaction and change was dramatic. In fact, due to changes made after the scandal, the Church in the USA has now become one of the most effective organizations in the country, in terms of protecting children and vulnerable adults. Still, one of the main reasons it got so bad was a failure of our leaders to do the right thing in the first place (we are seeing some of the same issues in the face of the Coronavirus). The scandals were due to a failure to live out Jesus' teachings. But, it was also magnified by our leaders who wanted to maintain the status quo of the institution.
How Christ makes Himself present to the City and to the World
How Christ Makes Himself Present to the City and to the WorldDEMELO: Communal prayer has taken a completely different form in the face of the reality of the novel coronavirus. We no longer can go to Mass. Many of us can’t even go into a church. But still we pray.
As I’ve participated in prayer through virtual reality — especially today, when I took part in the Pope’s profound Urbi et Orbi blessing from afar — many questions have come to my mind about the efficacy of what I’m doing, and of how I’m praying in this new reality.
As I’ve participated in prayer through virtual reality — especially today, when I took part in the Pope’s profound Urbi et Orbi blessing from afar — many questions have come to my mind about the efficacy of what I’m doing, and of how I’m praying in this new reality.
No gods before me: Leaving Thomas Merton behind
No Gods Before Me: Leaving Merton Behind - SpiritualDirection.comMARCO: Like many young men who read him, I was taken with Thomas Merton. I connected with him on many levels, from his struggles and complex personality to his path to conversion, his thirst for experience, and being a seeker. Though I discovered his writing about a year after I came into the Catholic Church in 1998 at the age of 18, I felt I had found a spiritual kin, and considered him a kind of older brother in the Faith.
Google Earth launches virtual tours of America’s national parks
Google Earth Launches Virtual Tours of America's National Parks: Google Earth is offering virtual tours of some of the world's most incredible national parks to provide an escape for people during social distancing. While following government guidelines to stay at home and help stop the spread of coronavirus COVID-19, we can be mentally whisked-away to inspiring destinations on the other side of the planet.
You can visit the most high-profile bucket-list of America's national parks, including the sweeping vistas of the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone and Yosemite, the alligators of the Everglades and the rock salt basins, polished rocks and marble walls of Death Valley.
You can visit the most high-profile bucket-list of America's national parks, including the sweeping vistas of the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone and Yosemite, the alligators of the Everglades and the rock salt basins, polished rocks and marble walls of Death Valley.
A Baptist pastor discovers St. Peter
A Baptist Pastor Discovers Peter - The Coming Home NetworkHENSLEY: It’s humbling for me to think about passages in the New Testament I simply didn’t see when I was a Baptist pastor, passages that came alive and became bright with meaning only after I began to read them in the light of Catholic teaching.
One of those passages is Matthew 16:13-18.
You remember the story. Jesus leads His disciples into the region of Caesarea Philippi, where He asks them: “Who do men say that the Son of Man is?” The disciples begin to repeat what they’ve heard on the street: “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” Jesus then directs the question to them personally: “But who do you say that I am?”
One of those passages is Matthew 16:13-18.
You remember the story. Jesus leads His disciples into the region of Caesarea Philippi, where He asks them: “Who do men say that the Son of Man is?” The disciples begin to repeat what they’ve heard on the street: “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” Jesus then directs the question to them personally: “But who do you say that I am?”
Many patients and not enough ventilators: Is religion part of this coronavirus debate?
Many patients and not enough ventilators: Is religion part of this coronavirus debate? — GetReligionMATTINGLY: Let’s state this coronavirus question bluntly: Is the emerging “let Granny die” puzzle a political story, an economics story or a religion story? Based on the coverage I am seeing, it appears that the safe route is to call this a “medical ethics” story.
Something tells me — based on his fierce writings about materialism, greed and modernity — that Pope Francis would insist that centuries of traditions in multiple faiths are relevant during debates about this equation.
But I understand that news organizations only have so much space and time. However, I believe this is a case where some editors are editing religious questions and voices out of stories that — for millions of people in America and around the world — are “haunted” by religion. This is, of course, what GetReligion is all about.
Something tells me — based on his fierce writings about materialism, greed and modernity — that Pope Francis would insist that centuries of traditions in multiple faiths are relevant during debates about this equation.
But I understand that news organizations only have so much space and time. However, I believe this is a case where some editors are editing religious questions and voices out of stories that — for millions of people in America and around the world — are “haunted” by religion. This is, of course, what GetReligion is all about.
Coronavirus could kill 81,000 Americans and subside “by June at the latest,” says University of Washington study
Coronavirus could kill 81,000 in U.S., subside in June: The coronavirus pandemic could kill more than 81,000 people in the United States in the next four months and may not subside until June, according to a data analysis done by University of Washington School of Medicine.
The number of hospitalized patients is expected to peak nationally by the second week of April, though the peak may come later in some states. Some people could continue to die of the virus as late as July, although deaths should be below epidemic levels of 10 per day by June at the latest, according to the analysis.
The analysis, using data from governments, hospitals and other sources, predicts that the number of U.S. deaths could vary widely, ranging from as low as around 38,000 to as high as around 162,000.
The number of hospitalized patients is expected to peak nationally by the second week of April, though the peak may come later in some states. Some people could continue to die of the virus as late as July, although deaths should be below epidemic levels of 10 per day by June at the latest, according to the analysis.
The analysis, using data from governments, hospitals and other sources, predicts that the number of U.S. deaths could vary widely, ranging from as low as around 38,000 to as high as around 162,000.
‘Urbi et Orbi’ homily: “You, Lord, will not leave us at the mercy of the storm”
Pope Francis’ Homily at Extraordinary ‘Urbi et Orbi’ BlessingCOATOFARMS: “When evening had come” (Mk 4:35). The Gospel passage we have just heard begins like this. For weeks now it has been evening. Thick darkness has gathered over our squares, our streets and our cities; it has taken over our lives, filling everything with a deafening silence and a distressing void, that stops everything as it passes by; we feel it in the air, we notice in people’s gestures, their glances give them away. We find ourselves afraid and lost. Like the disciples in the Gospel we were caught off guard by an unexpected, turbulent storm. We have realized that we are on the same boat, all of us fragile and disoriented, but at the same time important and needed, all of us called to row together, each of us in need of comforting the other. On this boat... are all of us. Just like those disciples, who spoke anxiously with one voice, saying “We are perishing” (v. 38), so we too have realized that we cannot go on thinking of ourselves, but only together can we do this.
The Cross is our hope: Pope gives extraordinary ‘Urbi et Orbi’ blessing during coronavirus
The cross is our hope: Pope gives Urbi et Orbi blessing during coronavirus: On Friday, before an empty and rain-covered St. Peter’s Square, Pope Francis held Eucharistic adoration and gave an extraordinary Urbi et Orbi blessing, praying for the world during the coronavirus pandemic which has killed more than 25,000 people.
The holy hour March 27 included a reading from the Gospel and a meditation by Pope Francis, who spoke about faith and trust in God during a time when people fear for their lives, as did the disciples when their boat was caught in a violent storm.
The holy hour March 27 included a reading from the Gospel and a meditation by Pope Francis, who spoke about faith and trust in God during a time when people fear for their lives, as did the disciples when their boat was caught in a violent storm.
Watch Live: Pope’s Extraordinary ‘Urbi et Orbi’ Blessing
Watch Live: Pope’s Extraordinary ‘Urbi et Orbi’ Blessing: “This Friday, March 27 at 6 p.m., I will preside over a moment of prayer outside of St. Peter's Basilica with the square empty. As now, I invite everyone to participate spiritually through the media,” the Pope said Sunday.
“It’s a razor’s edge we’re walking”: Inside the race to develop a coronavirus vaccine
'It’s a razor’s edge we’re walking': inside the race to develop a coronavirus vaccine | World news | The Guardian: Of the dozens of places where a coronavirus vaccine might be born, one is DIOSynVax, a small company started by a Canadian pathologist named Jonathan Heeney. In ordinary times, I’d have visited Heeney in his office, in a stately red-brick building in Cambridge. I’d have met his team and his Aria III cytometer, which looks like as if might brew a strong, space-age espresso but which, in fact, uses its four lasers to separate cells marked with fluorescent dyes as they flow through the machine at 10,000 cells per second. I’d have tried to wangle my way into the lab designated containment level 3, the highest-but-one level of biosafety security, where Heeney’s biologists investigate pathogens such as the West Nile virus or the tuberculosis bacterium. These would be so lethal if they escaped that the lab is nearly hermetic. The joints along the walls, floor and ceiling are sealed and re-sealed; the steel panels in the walls, according to government guidelines, have to be “of the type used in the nuclear industry”; a flow of air must constantly be forced in if the door is open, to prevent the germs inside from drifting out. I would have even seen the coronavirus vaccine candidates themselves: samples of clear liquid, held in glass vials.
Peyton Manning surprises UT online class with a special message for students going through this time...
Peyton Manning surprises University of Tennessee online class: It’s been nearly 25 years since Peyton Manning last stepped foot in a University of Tennessee classroom. Earlier this week, he returned — sort of.
The former Broncos quarterback made a surprise appearance in a UT online class, with Professor John Haas first introducing him as “Mr. Thompson” before chastising him for being late for class. Manning went on to apologize, confessing he hasn’t been to class since 1996 or ’97, then gave words of encouragement to students who have been unable to attend classes on campus due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The former Broncos quarterback made a surprise appearance in a UT online class, with Professor John Haas first introducing him as “Mr. Thompson” before chastising him for being late for class. Manning went on to apologize, confessing he hasn’t been to class since 1996 or ’97, then gave words of encouragement to students who have been unable to attend classes on campus due to the coronavirus pandemic.
WSJ asks: Could this plague be America’s best hope for religious revival? There’s reason to think so...
A Coronavirus Great Awakening? - WSJ: Three-quarters of a century has dimmed the memory of that gruesome conflict and its terrible consequences: tens of millions killed, great cities bombed to rubble, Europe and Asia stricken by hunger and poverty. Those who survived the war had to grapple with the kinds of profound questions that only arise in the aftermath of calamity. Gazing at the ruins from his window at Cambridge University, British historian Herbert Butterfield chose to make sense of it by turning to the Hebrew Bible.
That discomfort you’re feeling is grief. Let yourself feel the grief and keep going, with God’s grace...
That Discomfort You’re Feeling Is Grief: Some of the HBR edit staff met virtually the other day — a screen full of faces in a scene becoming more common everywhere. We talked about the content we’re commissioning in this harrowing time of a pandemic and how we can help people. But we also talked about how we were feeling. One colleague mentioned that what she felt was grief. Heads nodded in all the panes.
We need to do what Moses did: Plead to God for divine mercy...
A Plea From Moses for Mercy Is Needed for Us As Well. - Community in MissionPOPE: I want to be clear that I am not concluding that God is directly punishing us, but he has permitted this. And, as we know, the people of Bible used times like these to repent and call on God. As I prayed these readings today at a private Mass the following prayerful thoughts came to mind:
Lord God we are in a great crisis, a worldwide crisis. I am going to guess we probably had this coming. For, we have collectively forgotten you, we have been ungrateful and done every sort of wicked deed.
Lord God we are in a great crisis, a worldwide crisis. I am going to guess we probably had this coming. For, we have collectively forgotten you, we have been ungrateful and done every sort of wicked deed.
Beyond the chattering classes, Catholics are ambivalent about shutting down
Beyond chattering classes, Catholics often ambivalent about shutting downALLEN: Today’s Catholic debate over suspending Masses and closing churches amid the coronavirus is a serious conversation with high stakes, and it’s striking how often people of intelligence and good will, Catholics who take both faith and public health deeply seriously, appear to feel ambivalent about it.
Earlier this week I participated in an online discussion group with Catholics from several different countries, which was ostensibly on a different subject but a good deal of which was devoted to talking about the Church’s evolving response to the crisis. The priest who convened the discussion began by channeling his inner Aquinas, offering a version of omnis virtus in medio consistit.
Earlier this week I participated in an online discussion group with Catholics from several different countries, which was ostensibly on a different subject but a good deal of which was devoted to talking about the Church’s evolving response to the crisis. The priest who convened the discussion began by channeling his inner Aquinas, offering a version of omnis virtus in medio consistit.
Pope asks Catholics worldwide to take part in historic “Urbi et Orbi” blessing today at 6 p.m. Rome time, 1 p.m. Eastern, 10 a.m. Pacific
Friday at 6 PM in Rome: Pope to Give 'Urbi et Orbi' Blessing - Opus Dei: Pope Francis has decided to give an extraordinary "Urbi et Orbi" blessing on Friday, March 27, in light of the current pandemic: “I invite everyone to participate spiritually through the means of communication.”
Why the Pope’s March 27 “Urbi et Orbi” blessing will be absolutely unique
Why the pope’s blessing on March 27 will be absolutely unique: How can the pope get closer to believers scattered around the planet at a moment of grave danger? This is a question that Francis undoubtedly reflected upon when the coronavirus began its rapid spread around Italy and the globe. The answer does not consist in live-streaming Mass so that everyone can follow him through the Internet, even though he is in fact doing that each morning.
Thursday, March 26, 2020
5 saints Catholics are calling on to fight the pandemic
5 saints Catholics are calling on to fight the pandemicLISI: The coronavirus outbreak has led millions upon millions of Christians around the world — and other faith traditions as well — to prayer. Pope Francis prayed the rosary last Thursday with Catholics around the world via internet to ask God to end the COVID-19 pandemic, which has killed more people in Italy than anywhere else.
The Vatican also announced that Holy Week and Easter services would go on without any public participation for the first time ever. Churches around the world have closed to help stop the spread of the deadly virus. As a result, people are worshipping from home. As the need for for more respirators and protective masks grows to combat the pandemic, more and more people are praying these days.
The Vatican also announced that Holy Week and Easter services would go on without any public participation for the first time ever. Churches around the world have closed to help stop the spread of the deadly virus. As a result, people are worshipping from home. As the need for for more respirators and protective masks grows to combat the pandemic, more and more people are praying these days.
What’s afoot in German Catholicism today is “Wittenberg” in synodal slow motion
“Wittenberg” in synodal slow motion - Denver CatholicWEIGEL: As Yale’s Carlos Eire masterfully demonstrated in Reformations: The Early Modern World, 1450-1650, there was no one “Protestant Reformation” but rather several religious movements, often in disagreement with each other, that shattered western Christendom in the 16th century. Still, Martin Luther’s protest at Wittenberg on October 31, 1517, has long been taken as the starting gun for “the Reformation,” and various Protestant denominations celebrate “Reformation Day” on the Sunday closest to October 31. So “Wittenberg” can serve as a synonym for other efforts to distance Christian communities from the authority of Rome and the papacy.
What does it mean to live “The Gospel of Life” today?
What Does It Mean to Live The Gospel of Life Today? | National ReviewLOPEZ: Today is the 25th anniversary of John Paul II’s Evangelium Vitae, “The Gospel of Life.” I remember when he died how many tributes flooded my inbox from so many members of Congress at the time who had been inspired by his words in it. I daresay most of them were not Catholic. Back then Evangelicals and Catholics together was a real thing, and in no small part because of this document. Even today, as you read it, caricatures are destroyed and invitations are delivered. If words can be healing, and I do believe that they can be, “The Gospel of Life” is a great model for this.
If you see things as they truly are, you’ll see that you have nothing to fear
Overcoming Fear | LifeCraftCUDDEBACK: Fear is an essential human emotion, so it surely must have its proper place. Yet there are different kinds of fear, or ways of fearing, and it is hard to know how to fear well. It is especially difficult to think clearly about this when much of the fear that we experience probably needs to be set aside, or in any case transformed or redirected.
How do we recognize the difference between good fear and bad fear? This is a great question. The first step is to know that there is a difference. Often, the admonition we need to hear is “Do not be afraid.” But this is difficult, because we know intuitively that some fear is appropriate, and so we are challenged to discern which fear needs to be set aside and which doesn’t.
How do we recognize the difference between good fear and bad fear? This is a great question. The first step is to know that there is a difference. Often, the admonition we need to hear is “Do not be afraid.” But this is difficult, because we know intuitively that some fear is appropriate, and so we are challenged to discern which fear needs to be set aside and which doesn’t.
The four possible timelines for life returning to normal
When Will Coronavirus Social Distancing Be Over? - The Atlantic: The new coronavirus has brought American life to a near standstill, closing businesses, canceling large gatherings, and keeping people at home. All of those people must surely be wondering: When will things return to normal?
The answer is simple, if not exactly satisfying: when enough of the population—possibly 60 or 80 percent of people—is resistant to COVID-19 to stifle the disease’s spread from person to person. That is the end goal, although no one knows exactly how long it will take to get there.
The answer is simple, if not exactly satisfying: when enough of the population—possibly 60 or 80 percent of people—is resistant to COVID-19 to stifle the disease’s spread from person to person. That is the end goal, although no one knows exactly how long it will take to get there.
How the world will change over the next 18 months
A Coronavirus Timeline: From One Month To 18 Months | Esquire: We are in lockdown.
Supermarket shelves are stripped bare. Flights are grounded. Workers have been laid off; furloughed; transformed into primary school teachers. A Conservative government has nationalised the railways and is paying people not to work. And this is still only week two. In less than a fortnight, Britain has experienced the kind of social and political upheaval that normally only comes when you guillotine some royals, or storm a winter palace. But is this a brief moment of national solidarity, or a 'new normal'?
Supermarket shelves are stripped bare. Flights are grounded. Workers have been laid off; furloughed; transformed into primary school teachers. A Conservative government has nationalised the railways and is paying people not to work. And this is still only week two. In less than a fortnight, Britain has experienced the kind of social and political upheaval that normally only comes when you guillotine some royals, or storm a winter palace. But is this a brief moment of national solidarity, or a 'new normal'?
Did a Hobby Lobby letter really say God told them to keep stores open during the coronavirus crisis?
Did Hobby Lobby letter really say God told company to keep stores open during virus crisis? — GetReligionMATTINGLY: It’s totally logical that many unbelievers (and thus some pros in newsrooms) have trouble understanding how religious believers talk about prayer.
This is especially true when it comes to evangelical and Pentecostal Protestants, who have their own lingo about spiritual matters that is easy for outsiders to mock. This can become a problem, for example, when an evangelical who is a political conservative becomes Secretary of the Interior and starts using insider language about creation and the end times.
This is especially true when it comes to evangelical and Pentecostal Protestants, who have their own lingo about spiritual matters that is easy for outsiders to mock. This can become a problem, for example, when an evangelical who is a political conservative becomes Secretary of the Interior and starts using insider language about creation and the end times.
Saving for a rainy day (like today) as modeled in Scripture
Saving for a Rainy Day (like today) as Modeled in Scripture - Community in MissionPOPE: In the young adult Bible study at my parish (conducted on Zoom during the current crisis) we have been reading through the Book of Genesis. Most recently, we’ve been studying the story of Joseph the Patriarch. Genesis 41 features the memorable story of how Joseph interpreted Pharaoh’s dream of the seven cows and the seven sheaves of grain. God’s word always seems to be right on time: this story gave us an opportunity to discuss the anxiety brought about by the pandemic, with a particular focus on the fact that most of us were caught unprepared.
Wednesday, March 25, 2020
Person who lives in Casa Santa Marta, current residence of Pope, tests positive for coronavirus
Person who lives in papal residence tests positive for coronavirus - report - Reuters: A person who lives in the same Vatican residence as Pope Francis has tested positive for coronavirus and is being treated in an Italian hospital, the Rome newspaper Il Messaggero reported on Wednesday.
The Vatican had no immediate comment on the report.
Francis, who has cancelled public appearances and is conducting his general audiences via television and the internet, lives in the Santa Marta guesthouse.
The Vatican had no immediate comment on the report.
Francis, who has cancelled public appearances and is conducting his general audiences via television and the internet, lives in the Santa Marta guesthouse.
8 things to know and share about the Annunciation
8 Things to Know and Share About the AnnunciationAKIN: We are celebrating the solemnity of the Annunciation.
This day celebrates the appearance of the Angel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary to announce of the birth of Christ.
What's going on and why is this day important?
Here are 8 things you need to know.
First, what does the word “Annunciation” mean?
It's derived from the same root as the word “announce.” Gabriel is announcing the birth of Christ in advance.
“Annunciation” is simply an old-fashioned way of saying “announcement.”
Although we are most familiar with this term being applied to the announcement of Christ's birth, it can be applied in other ways also.
This day celebrates the appearance of the Angel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary to announce of the birth of Christ.
What's going on and why is this day important?
Here are 8 things you need to know.
First, what does the word “Annunciation” mean?
It's derived from the same root as the word “announce.” Gabriel is announcing the birth of Christ in advance.
“Annunciation” is simply an old-fashioned way of saying “announcement.”
Although we are most familiar with this term being applied to the announcement of Christ's birth, it can be applied in other ways also.
Mulier Fortis — A homily for the Solemnity of the Annunciation
Mulier Fortis - A Homily for the Feast of the Annunciation - Community in MissionPOPE: In preparation for the Feast of the Annunciation I picked up Jesus of Nazareth, Vol. 3 (The Infancy Narratives), by Pope Emeritus Benedict. I was very moved by a brief reflection that he made on Mary as the Angel Gabriel left her. His remarks consider her faith in a very touching manner.
I must say that I have always been moved—and intrigued—by the faith of the Blessed Mother. She is mulier fortis (a strong woman) and “a woman wrapped in silence,” a phrase that forms the title of an excellent book by Fr. John Lynch. The pope’s words capture both her faith and her mystery
I must say that I have always been moved—and intrigued—by the faith of the Blessed Mother. She is mulier fortis (a strong woman) and “a woman wrapped in silence,” a phrase that forms the title of an excellent book by Fr. John Lynch. The pope’s words capture both her faith and her mystery
U.S. Senate passes $2 trillion coronavirus economic rescue bill
Senate passes coronavirus economic rescue bill: The Senate reached a bipartisan agreement early Wednesday morning on a rescue package for the U.S. economy as part of the government response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) called the $2 trillion “the largest rescue package in American history,” while Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said it was a “historic relief package for this pandemic.”
Funding for Planned Parenthood and abortion providers was a sticking point in the negotiations on Tuesday, according to Bloomberg. McConnell and Republicans had inserted a provision stating that non-profits already receiving federal funding—such as Planned Parenthood’s Medicaid reimbursements—would be ineligible for Small Business Administration (SBA) loans.
Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) called the $2 trillion “the largest rescue package in American history,” while Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said it was a “historic relief package for this pandemic.”
Funding for Planned Parenthood and abortion providers was a sticking point in the negotiations on Tuesday, according to Bloomberg. McConnell and Republicans had inserted a provision stating that non-profits already receiving federal funding—such as Planned Parenthood’s Medicaid reimbursements—would be ineligible for Small Business Administration (SBA) loans.
J.R.R. Tolkien’s Bible translation is basis of new comic book version of Jonah story
J.R.R. Tolkien’s Bible translation is basis of new comic book version of Jonah storyBURGER: he ancient city of Nineveh is under the spell of a malevolent demon who thirsts for souls. In an effort to liberate the people from the evil darkness that enslaves them, God sends the prophet Jonah to deliver a message of warning. That’s the setting of a new comic book by Philip Kosloski, author of Finnian and the Seven Mountains and The Mission of Joan of Arc. In writing his new comic book, Kosloski, spirituality writer for Aleteia and founder of Voyage Comics & Publishing, was inspired by the Old Testament Book of Jonah — as translated by J.R.R. Tolkien. Not many people know that the author of the Lord of the Rings trilogy translated Jonah for the Jerusalem Bible in the late 1950s.
The Annunciation and the perpetual virginity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
The Annunciation and the Perpetual Virginity of the Blessed Virgin – Fr. Dwight LongeneckerLONGENECKER: In the story of the Annunciation the word ‘overshadowed’ is full of multi leveled significance. One connection is that it is an allusion to the the story of Ruth and Boaz in the Old Testament. You may remember that the young widow Ruth presented herself for marriage to her husband’s kinsman, Boaz, and that he evidenced his betrothal to Ruth by wrapping his cloak around her. The word for cloak is the same word used in Hebrew for angels’ wings, and the transliteration of the word in the New Testament is ‘overshadowed’. The clear reference is that the Blessed Virgin is being ‘betrothed’ to God through the ministry of the angel who ‘overshadows’ her as the Hebrew bridegroom does to express his intentions to his bride.
Lima parish holds rooftop Holy Hour for neighbors confined to home
Lima Parish Hosts Rooftop Holy Hour for Neighbors Confined to Home: With their country under a nationwide stay-at-home order, parishioners at Saint Anthony of Padua parish in Lima, Peru, approached their pastor, Fr. Enrique Díaz, with the idea of exposition of the Blessed Sacrament from the church’s roof.
The pastor agreed, and preparations were made for rooftop Holy Hours on March 21 and 22. They’d begin after dusk, with Peruvian music, and they’d aim to bring hope to the people confined in the surrounding buildings.
In a statement to ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish language news partner, Fr. Díaz said that “it was beautiful, and it was very well received by all the people in the neighboring buildings.”
The pastor agreed, and preparations were made for rooftop Holy Hours on March 21 and 22. They’d begin after dusk, with Peruvian music, and they’d aim to bring hope to the people confined in the surrounding buildings.
In a statement to ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish language news partner, Fr. Díaz said that “it was beautiful, and it was very well received by all the people in the neighboring buildings.”
Tuesday, March 24, 2020
Can you catch coronavirus twice? Microbiologist sheds light on immunity question...
Can you catch coronavirus twice? Microbiologist sheds light on immunity question: As the global number of COVID-19 cases soars, there are a few thousand reasons to be hopeful: As of Monday, March 23, over 100,000 people across the globe have recovered from the novel coronavirus.
What we know about coronavirus deaths and severe cases by age
Coronavirus deaths and severe cases by age: What we know - Vox: Nobody’s risk is zero when it comes to the Covid-19 coronavirus.
Anybody can get sick in this pandemic. But different people have different risks of getting severe symptoms that require hospitalization or intensive care — and the chances of dying from Covid-19 vary widely across age groups.
The conventional wisdom says kids and young people may be fine even if they get infected, with the risk of a case being more severe increasing with age. It’s the older folks, we need to worry about, this thinking says, given death rates reach 20 percent or more among people 80 and older. Public health experts have seemed exasperated by the social media images of younger Americans who continue to socialize or even take a spring break vacation, worried that the perception a young person has little to fear from the coronavirus has given them a false sense of security.
Anybody can get sick in this pandemic. But different people have different risks of getting severe symptoms that require hospitalization or intensive care — and the chances of dying from Covid-19 vary widely across age groups.
The conventional wisdom says kids and young people may be fine even if they get infected, with the risk of a case being more severe increasing with age. It’s the older folks, we need to worry about, this thinking says, given death rates reach 20 percent or more among people 80 and older. Public health experts have seemed exasperated by the social media images of younger Americans who continue to socialize or even take a spring break vacation, worried that the perception a young person has little to fear from the coronavirus has given them a false sense of security.
The patron saint against plague and the great art he inspired
The Patron Saint against Plague and the Great Art He Inspired – Building Catholic CultureSTAUDT: I stumbled across the pilgrim plague survivor, St. Rocco, when I was 15. It was my first time in Europe, visiting my aunt who was studying at the University of Montpellier in southern France. I hadn’t heard of Rocco before, but I found myself praying in his hometown church, the very first medieval church I visited. St. Rocco (Roche or Rock) lived in the mid 14th century during the outbreak of the Black Death. He was orphaned as a young man and renounced his inheritance before his uncle, the lord of Montpellier. He set out as a pilgrim for Rome, but stopped to serve plague victims along the way, healing the sick through prayer. After visiting the Eternal City and an audience with the pope, he came down with the plague himself, the reason most depictions of the saint show a boil on his leg. He took refuge in a self-made hut, where a dog brought him food, whose owner eventually nursed the saint back to health. After recovering, he returned home only to be thrown into prison for five years, suspected as a spy. Weakened to the point death, a miraculous light shone from his cell, leading to the discovery of his true identity, confirmed by his birthmark in the shape of a cross.
The faithful are rising to the challenge
The faithful are rising to the challenge - Our Sunday VisitorLOPEZ: Well, now. These are certainly some different times. I normally travel a bit like a maniac. Because I have platforms to share news and commentary, I have long felt it a little bit of my responsibility to make sure I am seeing and hearing as much as possible. It’s sometimes wearing for an introvert, but it’s really an honor and a privilege to get to meet people and listen to them, tell a few of their stories and learn from them and share some of their wisdom. Even on a given day, the number of people I am able to interact with can be amazing — and sometimes overwhelming, but always blessings, even when things are unexpected and challenging and even painful.
Your questions about plenary indulgences, answered by a priest
Plenty of Questions about Plenary Indulgences: A Priest's Answers | Bellator Society: First, we incur the guilt of sin, which in the case of grave or mortal sin destroys supernatural charity within us and deprives us of communion with God, or eternal life with him. Second, we incur temporal punishment, a spiritual debt to God.
The Catechism describes this as “an unhealthy attachment to creatures” (CCC 1472), a result of our having chosen something earthly over Him. In the Sacrament of Penance, the guilt of eternal punishment is forgiven by the individual’s confession and contrition and by the absolution of the priest. Supernatural grace is restored, and the possibility of eternal life returns. But even then, the temporal punishment remains. If that debt is not atoned for in this life, then it will have to be made up in purgatory.
The Catechism describes this as “an unhealthy attachment to creatures” (CCC 1472), a result of our having chosen something earthly over Him. In the Sacrament of Penance, the guilt of eternal punishment is forgiven by the individual’s confession and contrition and by the absolution of the priest. Supernatural grace is restored, and the possibility of eternal life returns. But even then, the temporal punishment remains. If that debt is not atoned for in this life, then it will have to be made up in purgatory.
“Storm Heaven with prayer”: Dan Burke, Avila Institute founder and former head of EWTN news, in intensive care with coronavirus
New Advent: “Storm Heaven with prayer”: Dan Burke, Avila Institute founder and former head of EWTN news, in intensive care with coronavirus symptoms: “Nothing is impossible with God...”
When might experimental drugs to treat coronavirus be ready? Here’s a forecast...
When might experimental drugs to treat Covid-19 be ready? A forecast: There is a desperate need for new medicines to treat Covid-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus that has shut down much of the world. A vaccine to prevent infection entirely would be even better.
Drug companies and medical researchers are making heroic efforts to deliver new medicines. Several dozen are now in development, and you can see highlights of those efforts here. Studies so far are mostly small and lack real control groups, making it hard for researchers to be sure of their conclusions.
Drug companies and medical researchers are making heroic efforts to deliver new medicines. Several dozen are now in development, and you can see highlights of those efforts here. Studies so far are mostly small and lack real control groups, making it hard for researchers to be sure of their conclusions.
The healing of the man born blind
New Advent: The healing of the man born blindPOPE: This Gospel doesn’t address directly what we’re going through now, but indirectly it does. The Word of God is always right on time. It’s the gospel of the blind man. Open your Bible to John Chapter 9 and I’ll give you a little bit of an introduction to what we mean by lectio divina and how it how it works. You’re going sit before the text of God and say be still, my soul, for the God I love is about to speak to me. I’m about to hear a word from the God who loves me...
Coronavirus vignettes from the global epicenter of the crisis
Coronavirus vignettes from the global epicenter of the crisisALLEN: One feature of the coronavirus phenomenon - not the disease, but the social and cultural dynamics surrounding it - is that it’s upended normal routines, generating unexpected and, occasionally, surreal new experiences.
Herewith three such vignettes from the global epicenter of the crisis in Italy. By now, viral images have made the rounds showing Italians popping out onto their balconies to sing, play musical instruments, and otherwise break through the isolation of the national lockdown.
Herewith three such vignettes from the global epicenter of the crisis in Italy. By now, viral images have made the rounds showing Italians popping out onto their balconies to sing, play musical instruments, and otherwise break through the isolation of the national lockdown.
Is coronavirus God’s judgment?
Is Coronavirus God’s Judgment? – Fr. Dwight LongeneckerLONGENECKER: “Theodicy” is the name for the conundrum at the heart of faith. “If God is all good and all powerful why is there suffering? If he is all good God would want to end suffering. If he is all powerful he is able to end suffering. Therefore he must not be either all good or all powerful.”
That certainly seems reasonable from a sort of seventh grade level of logic, and it has always astounded me that grown up philosophers and theologians still pick their brains over it. I’ve therefore suspected that they don’t really puzzle over the question. It’s really just an adolescent hissy fit because they have decided they don’t like God.
That certainly seems reasonable from a sort of seventh grade level of logic, and it has always astounded me that grown up philosophers and theologians still pick their brains over it. I’ve therefore suspected that they don’t really puzzle over the question. It’s really just an adolescent hissy fit because they have decided they don’t like God.
Monday, March 23, 2020
Say “No” to death’s dominion
Say “No” to Death’s Dominion | R. R. Reno | First ThingsRENO: At the press conference on Friday announcing the New York shutdown, Governor Andrew Cuomo said, “I want to be able to say to the people of New York—I did everything we could do. And if everything we do saves just one life, I’ll be happy.” This statement reflects a disastrous sentimentalism. Everything for the sake of physical life? What about justice, beauty, and honor? There are many things more precious than life. And yet we have been whipped into such a frenzy in New York that most family members will forgo visiting sick parents. Clergy won’t visit the sick or console those who mourn. The Eucharist itself is now subordinated to the false god of “saving lives.”
Stay positive: Here are 23 pieces of good news about the new coronavirus
Stay positive: Here are 23 pieces of good news regarding COVID-19 - seattlepi.com: The novel coronavirus news is scary, we get it.
Headlines continuously read distressing news regarding the virus so we can all take advanced safety measures to protect not just ourselves, but also those around us.
Yet, there's a handful of worldwide news doling out glimmers of hope in the midst of frightening times, and that's important too.
So, we've rounded up all the good news about the virus worth catching up on.
Headlines continuously read distressing news regarding the virus so we can all take advanced safety measures to protect not just ourselves, but also those around us.
Yet, there's a handful of worldwide news doling out glimmers of hope in the midst of frightening times, and that's important too.
So, we've rounded up all the good news about the virus worth catching up on.
Coronavirus leads Indiana priest to offer Mass in parking lot, using low-power FM transmitter
Coronavirus leads priest to think ‘outside the box’ to offer Mass (March 20, 2020): As a pastor, Father Shaun Whittington wanted to keep the Eucharist available to the people he ministers to at St. Anthony Parish in Morris and St. Nicholas Parish in Ripley County in the midst of the growing national outbreak of the coronavirus, also known as COVID-19.
Texas becomes latest state to halt abortion services amid coronavirus outbreak
Texas becomes latest state to halt abortion services amid coronavirus outbreak - CBS News: The Texas Attorney General's office just ordered all clinics that provide abortion to immediately stop providing the procedure in order to comply with the state's temporary suspension of surgeries that are not deemed "medically necessary," according to a statement from the office shared with CBS News. Texas is the latest state to halt abortion services amid the COVID-19 outbreak.
Photos: New Orleans priest blesses empty seafood restaurants in a gesture of hope during the coronavirus pandemic
Photos: New Orleans priest blesses empty seafood restaurants in a gesture of hope during the coronavirus pandemic | Photos | nola.com: As restaurants are shuttered because of the coronavirus, Reverend Monsignor Christopher Nalty, pastor of Good Shepherd Parish in New Orleans, visited six restaurants on Friday (March 20) to offer a blessing and prayer for the Fish Fry Friday meal. During Lent Catholics abstain from eating meat and thus seafood becomes a popular meal during that time. Rev. Nalty blessed Station 6, Luke, GW Fins, Bourbon House, Pêche, and Le Petite Grocery. The gesture took on special meaning this year as restaurants continue to layoff staff and face an indefinite shutdown because of the virus. The restaurants are trying to stay alive by offering takeout meals and handing them off to drivers when they pull up outside their places of business.
Former Swiss Guard: The elderly are ‘united in prayer’ in coronavirus-hit Italy
Former Swiss Guard: the elderly are 'united in prayer' in coronavirus hit-ItalyMCKEOWN: Mario Enzler’s mother always wanted a big family.
“My mother wanted twenty children, but got only me,” Enzler said with a laugh.
Enzler, a former Swiss Guard for St. John Paul II, is an Italian expat living in New Hampshire with his wife and five children. He is a professor at the Busch School of Business at the Catholic University of America.
His octogenarian parents live in the medieval city of Bergamo in northern Italy. They come to the United States to visit quite often, Enzler said, and he said his mother is already excitedly making plans to come and visit the US in July.
“My mother wanted twenty children, but got only me,” Enzler said with a laugh.
Enzler, a former Swiss Guard for St. John Paul II, is an Italian expat living in New Hampshire with his wife and five children. He is a professor at the Busch School of Business at the Catholic University of America.
His octogenarian parents live in the medieval city of Bergamo in northern Italy. They come to the United States to visit quite often, Enzler said, and he said his mother is already excitedly making plans to come and visit the US in July.
Bergamo priest Don Giuseppe Berardelli dies of coronavirus after giving up respirator for stranger
Coronavirus, rinuncia al respiratore per darlo a un paziente pi giovane: muore sacerdote: He died after testing positive for coronavirus , but also because he chose to sacrifice himself for another person. Don Giuseppe Berardelli , 72-year-old priest from Casnigo (Bergamo), renounced the respirator he needed and that his parish community had purchased just for him. And he did it so that respirator could go to someone else. Someone younger, but ill like him. Someone who didn't even know.
Archbishop Gregory Aymond of New Orleans becomes first U.S. bishop to test positive for coronavirus
Archbishop Gregory Aymond of New Orleans has coronavirus: The Archbishop of New Orleans has tested positive for coronavirus. He is the first U.S. bishop known to have tested positive for the virus, which is now a global pandemic.
“Recently, I had very mild symptoms, which included fever only. Out of an abundance of caution, I took the Coronavirus test which came back positive,” Archbishop Gregory Aymond announced March 23.
“I have notified those with whom I have been in close proximity. Needless to say, I have self-quarantined in order to be responsible and not affect others. I will use this quiet time for additional prayer and sacrifice for all those seriously affected by the virus,” the archbishop wrote.
“Recently, I had very mild symptoms, which included fever only. Out of an abundance of caution, I took the Coronavirus test which came back positive,” Archbishop Gregory Aymond announced March 23.
“I have notified those with whom I have been in close proximity. Needless to say, I have self-quarantined in order to be responsible and not affect others. I will use this quiet time for additional prayer and sacrifice for all those seriously affected by the virus,” the archbishop wrote.
Archbishop Fulton Sheen’s advice for humanity in a time of crisis
Fulton Sheen’s Advice for Humanity in a Time of CrisisHOWARD: Our Lord warned us that crises and judgment can come like a thief in the night. And that is exactly what has happened with this COVID-19 pandemic event. On one level, it doesn’t matter the nature or gravity of the actual virus because the hysteria it has caused around the globe, especially the United States has led to a global lockdown. Fear, panic, apocalyptic sentiments (coronapocalypse), etc., fill everyone’s mind. Some have been preparing for a moment like this, but many haven’t and this is a decisive moment in the history of the modern world.
America loses pro-life Democrat Dan Lipinski just when it needs him most
Dan Lipinski, Pro-Life Democrat: America Loses Him When It Needs Him Most | National ReviewLOPEZ: here are many sorrows of this time of coronavirus, and one of them is actually political. On the first Tuesday we were really truly grappling with it as a country, one of our national leaders in defense of innocent human life lost his primary race. Dan Lipinski of Illinois is pretty much the pro-life Democrat, at least in Washington, D.C. Democrats who were intent on seeing him voted out of Congress will tell you he was a conservative in disguise, having opposed President Obama’s health-care plan. But the only reason he opposed it in the end is that he wasn’t a cheap date — he wasn’t going to take assurances that had no substance to them about conscience protections. The fact that the Little Sisters of the Poor remain with a case pending before the Supreme Court is evidence that Lipinski was standing up against lies from the leaders of his party.
Nobel laureate Michael Levitt offers coronavirus prediction: “What we need is to control the panic. We’re going to be fine...”
Coronavirus Prediction: Nobel Laureate Michael Levitt Says Spread Is Slowing, Emphasizes On Social Distancing: Nobel laureate Michael Levitt has predicted that coronavirus is slowing down and that the recovery will be quicker than expected.
After analyzing the coronavirus cases worldwide, the American-British-Israeli biophysicist had calculated and predicted that the deadly virus would disappear from China by the end of March.
He noted that on Jan. 30, China reported 42 deaths and the following day, the country reported 46 deaths due to the virus. Although the number had increased, the rate of increase had begun to fall. Predicting that the number of deaths would decrease with each passing day, Levitt said, “This suggests that the rate of increase in number of the deaths will slow down even more over the next week.”
After analyzing the coronavirus cases worldwide, the American-British-Israeli biophysicist had calculated and predicted that the deadly virus would disappear from China by the end of March.
He noted that on Jan. 30, China reported 42 deaths and the following day, the country reported 46 deaths due to the virus. Although the number had increased, the rate of increase had begun to fall. Predicting that the number of deaths would decrease with each passing day, Levitt said, “This suggests that the rate of increase in number of the deaths will slow down even more over the next week.”
Doing nothing is doing something
Doing Nothing is Doing Something - The Catholic ThingFREEH: In the face of an assault, natural disaster, or act of war, humans have an overwhelming desire to do something. Here in Nebraska, we suffered historic floods last year and our citizens united to work hard in sandbagging, cleaning, donating food and water. There was something for us to do in response to the catastrophe. Tornadoes recently struck Nashville, Tennessee, and killed twenty-five people and devastated parts of their downtown. Thousands of people came out to assist in the rescue and clean up of Nashville. So many, in fact, that the FEMA authorities had to turn people away.
The sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick heals ‘the whole man, soul and body’
Healing ‘the Whole Man, Soul and Body’MULLADY: The coronavirus crisis has upset plans and upturned everyday routines. But perhaps there is an upside to this unprecedented and global health emergency. Will we look back on 2020 as the year of the universal Lent? Certainly, for the world, as for Christians, it has become a time in which to reconsider the value of essential things. For Catholics, among these essential things are the sacraments.
However, there is a mild irony involved here — for even as churches around the country and around the world are discontinuing public celebrations of the Eucharist, the more “private” sacraments of confession and anointing of the sick may become more dear and, it is hoped, more frequented in the days and weeks to come. In this time when the world is affected by concern over the pandemic, it seems appropriate to discuss the theology and practice of the sacrament that most directly addresses both physical and spiritual health: the anointing of the sick.
However, there is a mild irony involved here — for even as churches around the country and around the world are discontinuing public celebrations of the Eucharist, the more “private” sacraments of confession and anointing of the sick may become more dear and, it is hoped, more frequented in the days and weeks to come. In this time when the world is affected by concern over the pandemic, it seems appropriate to discuss the theology and practice of the sacrament that most directly addresses both physical and spiritual health: the anointing of the sick.
You’ve seen and heard them on TV — now meet the members of EWTN’s superb Mass choir
EWTN’s TV Mass Choir Lifts Hearts With Heavenly SongPRONECHEN: In addition to attending their local parish, Angelo and Bette Attanasio watch Mass every day on EWTN. On Sunday, March 15, because of the coronavirus and their age, and because no public Masses were offered in their diocese, they didn’t attend Sunday Mass as usual. But they did watch the Mass on EWTN.
“In fact,” Angelo Attanasio emphasized, “I watched it twice. Father’s sermon was so beautiful and from the heart, and the choir outdid themselves.”
Even Father Miguel Marie of the Franciscan Missionaries of the Eternal Word commented on the choir that first Sunday of coronavirus-induced solidarity.
“In fact,” Angelo Attanasio emphasized, “I watched it twice. Father’s sermon was so beautiful and from the heart, and the choir outdid themselves.”
Even Father Miguel Marie of the Franciscan Missionaries of the Eternal Word commented on the choir that first Sunday of coronavirus-induced solidarity.
10 secrets of success from veteran homeschoolers
10 Secrets of success from veteran homeschoolers: As schools close all over the globe, parents suddenly find themselves at home with their kids all day, having to do what feels a lot like homeschooling. Luckily the homeschool community has got their back!
These tips from veteran homeschool parents will make this time smoother for you and your family — whether you’re also working from home or not. Long-term homeschoolers know what works and what doesn’t for learning at home, and they’re sharing their wisdom with the rest of us!
These tips from veteran homeschool parents will make this time smoother for you and your family — whether you’re also working from home or not. Long-term homeschoolers know what works and what doesn’t for learning at home, and they’re sharing their wisdom with the rest of us!
How to tweak your store-bought tomato sauce so it tastes as good as homemade
New Advent: How to tweak your store-bought tomato sauce so it tastes as good as homemade: Jars of tomato sauce often waste away in the back of our pantries. But a couple minutes of easy doctoring can radically improve a bland jarred red sauce. Farideh uses garlic, onion, pepper flakes, and butter to make a brand new sauce that tastes as good as homemade.
How your state has reacted to social distancing, in charts
Opinion | How Has Your State Reacted to Social Distancing? - The New York Times: The coronavirus pandemic has ground America to a halt from coast to coast. But not all states have reacted the same way or to the same degree, despite warnings from health experts that drastic measures are needed to slow the spread.
Seminarians at North American College in Rome ordered to return home during coronavirus pandemic
American Seminarians in Rome Ordered to Return Home During Coronavirus Pandemic: Amid the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, the Pontifical North American College has ordered its students to return to the United States by the end of this week, CNA has learned.
A student of the North American College (NAC), who did not wish to be identified due to concerns of reprisal, told CNA on Sunday, March 22 that both houses of the college – the seminary and Casa Santa Maria – were informed following that evening’s dinner they would have to depart campus and return home.
Bishop Joseph Strickland of Tyler, Texas confirmed with CNA that he was told on Sunday that everyone at the college would be sent home. The seminarians from Bishop Strickland’s diocese studying at the NAC had returned to the United States earlier in March.
A student of the North American College (NAC), who did not wish to be identified due to concerns of reprisal, told CNA on Sunday, March 22 that both houses of the college – the seminary and Casa Santa Maria – were informed following that evening’s dinner they would have to depart campus and return home.
Bishop Joseph Strickland of Tyler, Texas confirmed with CNA that he was told on Sunday that everyone at the college would be sent home. The seminarians from Bishop Strickland’s diocese studying at the NAC had returned to the United States earlier in March.
Capuchin history a reminder that death often brings new Catholic life
Capuchin history a reminder that death often brings new Catholic lifeALLEN: Regular readers of my work will know that I have a special affinity for the Capuchin Franciscans, since they’re the ones who educated me and formed me in the faith out on the high plains of western Kansas something like a million years ago.
I’ve said this before, but it bears repeating: You will never need any proof of the forbearance and sanctity of the Capuchins beyond putting up with me.
I’ve said this before, but it bears repeating: You will never need any proof of the forbearance and sanctity of the Capuchins beyond putting up with me.
A Church “at home” — on Rose Sunday, our “altared state”
Whispers in the Loggia: A Church "At Home" – On Rose Sunday, Our "Altar-ed" StatePALMO: Before anything else, is everybody OK?
At least so far, here's hoping this deeply uncertain, unsettling road is going as smoothly as it can for you and yours.
Back to the work at hand, perhaps fittingly given this Sunday's Gospel, we are all just hoping to find our way in the dark... yet with it, history is unfolding in real-time.
While the thread began last weekend across roughly a fifth of the American Catholic map, this Sunday sees the nation's largest religious body echoing the life of the country at large: a complete shutdown of public worship, and one without precedent in its likelihood to stretch through Holy Week and Easter.
At least so far, here's hoping this deeply uncertain, unsettling road is going as smoothly as it can for you and yours.
Back to the work at hand, perhaps fittingly given this Sunday's Gospel, we are all just hoping to find our way in the dark... yet with it, history is unfolding in real-time.
While the thread began last weekend across roughly a fifth of the American Catholic map, this Sunday sees the nation's largest religious body echoing the life of the country at large: a complete shutdown of public worship, and one without precedent in its likelihood to stretch through Holy Week and Easter.
A solemn reminder from the Lord Jesus in this time of crisis
A Solemn Reminder from The Lord Jesus in This Time of Crisis - Community in MissionPOPE: Jesus said something in yesterday’s Gospel (4th Sunday in Lent) that I think we can apply to our current troubles:
While it is daytime, we must do the works of Him who sent Me. Night is coming, when no one can work (John 9:4).
A purely natural understanding would be that the passage is merely noting that worked stopped at sundown by necessity in those times, but of course the text is far deeper. Let’s ponder two related spiritual meanings and apply them to this time of crisis.
First, as St. Ambrose observes of this text, “Daytime is this present life; night is death and the time that follows death.” He then warns us have a sober fear of death and to realize that now is the time to accept what God is offering because tomorrow is not promised.
While it is daytime, we must do the works of Him who sent Me. Night is coming, when no one can work (John 9:4).
A purely natural understanding would be that the passage is merely noting that worked stopped at sundown by necessity in those times, but of course the text is far deeper. Let’s ponder two related spiritual meanings and apply them to this time of crisis.
First, as St. Ambrose observes of this text, “Daytime is this present life; night is death and the time that follows death.” He then warns us have a sober fear of death and to realize that now is the time to accept what God is offering because tomorrow is not promised.
Pope Francis and the response to coronavirus
MondayVatican – Vatican Pope Francis and the response to coronavirus | MondayVaticanGAGLIARDUCCI: On March 15, Pope Francis made one of his usual big gestures: while the city of Rome is locked down because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Pope went to the St. Mary the Major Basilica and then to the church of St. Marcello al Corso. In St. Marcello, there is a cross that saved Rome from the 1522 plague. In front of that cross, the Pope prayed that the Lord extend his hand and bring and end to the pandemic.
The gestures came at the end of a particularly convulsed week. When the Italian government decreed its measures to counter the pandemic, the Church in Italy followed the rules, and immediately canceled public masses and any other possibility of having a crowd.
The gestures came at the end of a particularly convulsed week. When the Italian government decreed its measures to counter the pandemic, the Church in Italy followed the rules, and immediately canceled public masses and any other possibility of having a crowd.
Thinking about these times: Reporter asks cloistered nun for tips on healthy ‘social distancing’
Thinking about these times: Reporter asks cloistered nun for tips on healthy 'social distancing' — GetReligionMATTINGLY: There are few things in life that I enjoy more than getting to send out a “Hurrah!” message (that would be “Axios!” in the Orthodox world) to a former journalism student.
So that’s what this weekend’s think piece begins.
Social distancing is, of course, one of the biggest stories in the world, right now.
For some of us, that started almost two weeks ago. For others, the hammer fell this last week. There is going to be another wave of news in one or two weeks if and when we all find out that this New Normal is going to need to last until June or even longer.
So that’s what this weekend’s think piece begins.
Social distancing is, of course, one of the biggest stories in the world, right now.
For some of us, that started almost two weeks ago. For others, the hammer fell this last week. There is going to be another wave of news in one or two weeks if and when we all find out that this New Normal is going to need to last until June or even longer.
Scientists identify 69 drugs to test as possible treatments for COVID-19
Scientists Identify 69 Drugs to Test Against the Coronavirus - The New York Times: Nearly 70 drugs and experimental compounds may be effective in treating the coronavirus, a team of researchers reported on Sunday night.
Some of the medications are already used to treat other diseases, and repurposing them to treat Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus, may be faster than trying to invent a new antiviral from scratch, the scientists said.
Some of the medications are already used to treat other diseases, and repurposing them to treat Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus, may be faster than trying to invent a new antiviral from scratch, the scientists said.
Sunday, March 22, 2020
Watch: From EWTN, the Mass for the Fourth Sunday of Lent
Watch Today’s Mass from EWTN: EWTN broadcasts the daily Mass live at 8 a.m. Eastern from Our Lady of the Angels Chapel on the EWTN campus in Irondale, Alabama. You can watch live on TV or online via streaming at ewtn.com/tv/watch-live. The text of the readings is available here.
Digital Masses and Johnny Cash on the pain of lonely Sundays
Digital Masses and Johnny Cash on the Pain of Lonely Sundays | The Catholic GentlemanCRAIG: As this issue nears printing the coronavirus is forcing many into “social isolation” to slow the pandemic. Whatever your opinion of such measures, there is the real possibility that many feasts days will go by without true feasting, without people gathered to celebrate. Easter is approaching, the feast of feasts, but we also have various saints, including St. Patrick and St. Joseph in the third week of Lent, with the Annunciation coming March 25th. There is a real chance that heaven will be rejoicing as catechumens enter the Church at the Easter Vigil, yet the church will be empty and void of a corresponding celebration.
Celebrations of the Liturgy of the Word in your family
Celebrations of the Liturgy of the Word in Family | Matthew SchneiderSCHNEIDER: With the inability to go to Sunday Mass for many families, many parishes are offering live streaming of Mass. I think this a good option for many. However, for some families doing the liturgy of the Word together may be a better option. As I could not find a clear document online for this, I threw one together based on the Celebrations of the Word and Communion without a priest. I think for most printing out THIS PDF would be ideal but I paste it all below as well.
How to stay quarantined, stay married, and keep your friends
How to stay quarantined, stay married, and keep your friends: The policy of social distancing means that the newly-homebound are seeing less of coworkers than they did just weeks ago. They’re seeing fewer friends too. But they might be seeing a lot more of their family, or their roommates. And that isn't easy.
For some, especially those who live alone, social distancing can bring with it a sense of isolation and loneliness. But for those who live with family or roommates, staying home means spending a lot of time together. After a few days of fun, being “alone together,” all the time, can become difficult.
For some, especially those who live alone, social distancing can bring with it a sense of isolation and loneliness. But for those who live with family or roommates, staying home means spending a lot of time together. After a few days of fun, being “alone together,” all the time, can become difficult.
Learning Latin the medieval way
Learning Latin the Medieval Way ~ The Imaginative ConservativeCHAMPAGNE: The value of Latin hardly needs be argued to anyone who reads here, but I will nevertheless restate what may be obvious: Latin, as the primary historical language of erudition and learning in the West, is the sole gateway into the halls of Western thought and humanistic learning. Without the use of this language, we can hardly know ourselves, and certainly not the road that brought us to the modern day. Since Latin opens the door to our intellectual tradition, its study is absolutely indispensable even to those with the most threadbare scholastic aspirations. Furthermore, it demands admiration per se, as an object and instrument of mellifluous beauty.
Rejoice! Public Masses may be canceled, but we have reasons for great hope today
Rejoice! We Have Reasons For Great Hope TodayCLARK: During this week, as the bishops of the world have steadily announced the suspension of public Masses, the Catholic faithful have been shocked, distressed and dismayed. The thought that we and our loved ones cannot physically attend Mass is a concept that most of us have never even pondered, much less experienced. At a time of virus and viral panic, we cannot physically receive the “Physician of souls and bodies.” So for many Catholics in America today, sadness and fear are the prevailing emotions. And yet, amid all this, there are reasons today for great hope and joy.
For idle lockdown hours, a thought experiment: What if there were a conclave now?
For idle lockdown hours, a thought experiment: What if there were a conclave now?ALLEN: One of the things about a lockdown is that it encourages mental exercises which, under other conditions, might seem utterly pointless. Here in Italy, where it often requires an hour or so just to be allowed into a grocery store right now, one has to be endlessly creative about finding ways to occupy the time. For those of us fascinated by the Vatican and its vicissitudes, here’s one such thought experiment: What would happen if Pope Francis were to die or resign today? For those of us fascinated by the Vatican and its vicissitudes, here’s one such thought experiment: What would happen if Pope Francis were to die or resign today?
Franciscan friar becomes the first known coronavirus fatality in D.C.
A Franciscan Friar is DC’s First Known Coronavirus Fatality: A Franciscan friar is the first person known to have died as a result of coronavirus (COVID-19) in the District of Columbia.
Br. John-Sebastian Laird-Hammond was hospitalized with the virus last week, and died Friday, the Washington Post reported.
The friar had been in residence at the Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land in America since the 1980s, Father Larry Dunham, superior of the monastery, told the Post March 21. Laird-Hammond, 59, had been battling leukemia for years, Fr. Dunham added.
DC Mayor Muriel Bowser had announced the District’s first death related to the virus on Friday but did not reveal the person’s identity.
Br. John-Sebastian Laird-Hammond was hospitalized with the virus last week, and died Friday, the Washington Post reported.
The friar had been in residence at the Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land in America since the 1980s, Father Larry Dunham, superior of the monastery, told the Post March 21. Laird-Hammond, 59, had been battling leukemia for years, Fr. Dunham added.
DC Mayor Muriel Bowser had announced the District’s first death related to the virus on Friday but did not reveal the person’s identity.
Holy! Comics! Saint-in-the-making joins the pack in ‘The Tale of Patrick Peyton’
Holy! Comics! Saint-in-the-Making Joins the PackPRONECHEN: Superheroes have always been popular in comic books and movies, and the genre has even highlighted the “super” quality of faith by featuring various Catholic saints, including St. John Paul II. The latest “Catholic” comic book highlights Venerable Father Patrick Peyton, “the Rosary Priest,” in a book-style graphic novel called The Tale of Patrick Peyton.
The comic highlights major events in Father Peyton’s life, from his birth in Ireland in 1909 to his death in 1992. Beginning with his early family life and religious stirrings at home, the story follows him emigrating to America to make it big in business with his brother, but, instead, he was unable to find work. After suffering a life-threatening illness and receiving a miraculous cure, he revisited discernment and headed for the priesthood. The story follows his great leap into bringing the message of Mary, the Rosary and family prayer to millions via radio, television and immense rallies, before again being sidelined by illness. But he was soon back to work, meeting the likes of Mother Teresa of Calcutta and influencing people one at a time before his death in California.
The comic highlights major events in Father Peyton’s life, from his birth in Ireland in 1909 to his death in 1992. Beginning with his early family life and religious stirrings at home, the story follows him emigrating to America to make it big in business with his brother, but, instead, he was unable to find work. After suffering a life-threatening illness and receiving a miraculous cure, he revisited discernment and headed for the priesthood. The story follows his great leap into bringing the message of Mary, the Rosary and family prayer to millions via radio, television and immense rallies, before again being sidelined by illness. But he was soon back to work, meeting the likes of Mother Teresa of Calcutta and influencing people one at a time before his death in California.
“Humanity trembles”: Pope Francis asks all Christians to pray Our Father on March 25 at noon; announces special Urbi et Orbi this Friday
Pope Francis: As Humanity Trembles From Coronavirus, Let Us Unite in Prayer: Pope Francis has asked Christians around the world to unite in praying the Our Father prayer at noon on March 25 in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
“In these days of trial, while humanity trembles at the threat of the pandemic, I would like to propose to all Christians to unite their voices to heaven,” Pope Francis said March 22.
“I invite ... the leaders of all Christian communities, together with all Christians of various confessions, to invoke the Most High, Almighty God, while simultaneously reciting the prayer that Jesus Our Lord has taught us,” he said following the Angelus prayer.
March 25 is the Solemnity of the Annunciation, the date “when many Christians remember the Archangel Gabriel's announcement to the Virgin Mary of the Incarnation of the Word,” the pope said.
“May the Lord hear the unanimous prayer of all his disciples who are preparing to celebrate the victory of the Risen Christ,” he said.
“In these days of trial, while humanity trembles at the threat of the pandemic, I would like to propose to all Christians to unite their voices to heaven,” Pope Francis said March 22.
“I invite ... the leaders of all Christian communities, together with all Christians of various confessions, to invoke the Most High, Almighty God, while simultaneously reciting the prayer that Jesus Our Lord has taught us,” he said following the Angelus prayer.
March 25 is the Solemnity of the Annunciation, the date “when many Christians remember the Archangel Gabriel's announcement to the Virgin Mary of the Incarnation of the Word,” the pope said.
“May the Lord hear the unanimous prayer of all his disciples who are preparing to celebrate the victory of the Risen Christ,” he said.
Saturday, March 21, 2020
Scott Hahn’s web team launches “The Quarantined Catholic Hub”
The Quarantined Catholic Hub | St. Paul Center: We’re all feeling an absence. What can we do if we’re unable to attend Mass and receive the Eucharist? Remember, Jesus is still present in His Church—in tabernacles, with His priests, and, in a very real and powerful way, in Scripture.
This is an opportunity for great spiritual growth. Take advantage of this time to increase your devotion to the Blessed Sacrament, explore the richness of Sacred Scripture, and deepen your understanding of the faith. On this page, you’ll find all the resources you need to continue growing with the Lord no matter where you are.
This is an opportunity for great spiritual growth. Take advantage of this time to increase your devotion to the Blessed Sacrament, explore the richness of Sacred Scripture, and deepen your understanding of the faith. On this page, you’ll find all the resources you need to continue growing with the Lord no matter where you are.
How to manage your anxiety during the coronavirus pandemic
How to manage anxiety during the coronavirus pandemic - Vox: Anxiety is so idiosyncratic that it’s difficult to pinpoint a “type” that’s most common. For some, it might feel like vines of dread roping themselves around you the night before a big work deadline, or maybe like a creeping cloud of unease that settles in during your morning commute. Maybe you cope by taking prescribed medication or going for a run; maybe you’ve gotten suspiciously into baking bread.
Catholic hospital chaplains prepare for “tsunami” of COVID-19 patients
Hospital chaplains prepare for “tsunami” of COVID-19 patients: As the coronavirus pandemic spreads across the United States, the ministry of hospital chaplains is essential for patients and health care professionals. One New York priest told CNA on Thursday that hospitals are the front line for saving souls, as well as lives. “The hospital situation in the last five to ten years is one of the best places that we are doing evangelization,” Fr. John Anderson of ArchCare, a health care ministry of the Archdiocese of New York, told CNA March 19. “A lot of folks we see haven’t seen a priest, or been in a church in five, ten, 15, maybe even longer, years,” he said. “So when we train priests for hospital ministry, we really talk a lot about welcoming people back, being hospitable. And we certainly want that to continue during this crisis.”
4th Sunday of Lent: I went, I washed, and now I see
I Went, I Washed, And Now I See - A Homily for the 4th Sunday of Lent - Community in MissionPOPE: In today’s Gospel, Jesus, the Light of the World, brings light to a man born blind. If you are prepared to accept it, you are the man born blind, for all of us were born blind and in darkness. It was our baptism and the faith it gave that rendered us able to see and to come gradually more fully into the light. The man in today’s Gospel shows forth the stages of the Christian walk, out of darkness and into the beautiful light of Christ. Let’s take a moment to ponder the stages of the blind man’s walk, for each of us is the man.
This is His Body, given up to save many
This is His Body Given up to Save Many | Parishable ItemsFELTES: Today, and in the critical weeks and months ahead, all of us are called to sacrifice in ways that will seriously limit our activities and impact our finances. Why are we doing this? To stop the spread of a deadly disease not merely to ourselves but to our many neighbors around us. From my research into this grave topic, it appears that hundreds of thousands—potentially millions—of American lives depend upon the extent of our collective and individual actions now. So please respond with a firm resolve from a Christian love for others.
When you ache today because you can neither gather for Mass nor physically receive our Lord, take heart in the reason for your sacrifice. This is his Body given up to save many; we do this in memory of Him. And soon, when you are asked to help people in the community meet their material needs, sacrifice for them knowing whom you are also serving. For whatever you do for the least of your brethren, you do it for Him. Invite Jesus now to enter into your heart and be with you, to console and strengthen you, today and in the trials ahead of us.
When you ache today because you can neither gather for Mass nor physically receive our Lord, take heart in the reason for your sacrifice. This is his Body given up to save many; we do this in memory of Him. And soon, when you are asked to help people in the community meet their material needs, sacrifice for them knowing whom you are also serving. For whatever you do for the least of your brethren, you do it for Him. Invite Jesus now to enter into your heart and be with you, to console and strengthen you, today and in the trials ahead of us.
Ohio attorney general sends letters to 2 abortion clinics, telling them to “immediately stop performing non-essential and elective surgical abortions”
Ohio Attorney General sends letters to 2 abortion clinics, telling them to stop all non-essential procedures - cleveland.com: Ohio Attorney General’s office has sent letters to two abortion clinics Friday, saying that they’ve received complaints that they are continuing surgical abortions despite coronavirus restrictions.
“On behalf of the Department, you and your facility are ordered to immediately stop performing non-essential and elective surgical abortions,” said each letter, send by Ohio Deputy Attorney General Jonathan Fulkerson.
“On behalf of the Department, you and your facility are ordered to immediately stop performing non-essential and elective surgical abortions,” said each letter, send by Ohio Deputy Attorney General Jonathan Fulkerson.
175-year-old Pittsburgh Catholic newspaper terminates all employees, comes as ‘a shock’ to staff
Pittsburgh Catholic newspaper terminates all employees, comes as 'a shock' to staff | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: The historic Pittsburgh Catholic newspaper — the official weekly publication of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh since 1844 — terminated all employees during a conference call that came as a surprise to staff Thursday.
Questions about anointing, Extreme Unction, and absolution in time of pandemic
ASK FATHER: Questions about anointing, Extreme Unction, absolution in time of pandemic | Fr. Z's BlogZUHLSDORF: There is a difference between being unconscious because you are asleep or passed out because you are drunk or drugged or hit your head and, on the other hand, because you are in danger of death. You can be in danger of death and also unconscious for other reasons, but danger of death is the game changer.
In the case of an unconscious person who is otherwise okay, you don’t absolve.
In the case of an unconscious person who is in danger of death, the sacrament to give is anointing, Extreme Unction. Remember that one of the effects of that sacrament, for people who are unable to make a sacramental confession, is the forgiveness of sins. If the person is unconscious, you anoint. If conscious, you hear the confession, or attempt to, or do what you can, then absolve, then afterwards anoint.
In the case of an unconscious person who is otherwise okay, you don’t absolve.
In the case of an unconscious person who is in danger of death, the sacrament to give is anointing, Extreme Unction. Remember that one of the effects of that sacrament, for people who are unable to make a sacramental confession, is the forgiveness of sins. If the person is unconscious, you anoint. If conscious, you hear the confession, or attempt to, or do what you can, then absolve, then afterwards anoint.
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