Pew Research survey: Two-thirds of Catholics say Biden should be able to receive Communion

Survey: Two-Thirds of Catholics Say Biden Should Be Able to Receive Communion| National Catholic Register: Two-thirds of U.S. Catholics say that President Joe Biden, who has contradicted Church teaching on abortion, marriage, and gender ideology, should be allowed to receive Communion.

Do Catholic bishops no longer defend the deposit of faith?

Does the Church No Longer Defend the Deposit of Faith?REGISMARTIN: When I first heard the story of a silly nun who’d gotten herself ordained as a Protestant priestess while teaching theology at a major Catholic University, I was not surprised. Nor was I surprised to learn of the subsequent lawsuit she filed to prevent her being fired. What did surprise me, however, was the fact that it was thrown out, thus enabling the institution to go ahead with her dismissal.

Do you carry around guilt and shame? Give it to Jesus...

New Advent: Do you carry around guilt and shame? Give it to Jesus...STEFANICK: I was at an event in New Jersey and a woman came up to me afterward. She had a baby in her arms. She said, “Chris, this baby’s because of your trip to New Jersey last year.” And I said, “What?’ And she said, “I had an abortion in high school and I was convinced that I was damned, and after I heard the message of the Gospel and the Father’s love for me.”

In a world gone mad, what would Pope St. John Paul II do?

In a World Gone Mad, What Would St. John Paul Do?| National Catholic RegisterHOOPES: “WWJPD,” I scribbled frantically on the piece of paper. “What Would John Paul II do?” I poked my wife, pointed at the paper, and then frantically tried to get the moderator’s attention. We were at the final talk in a Catholic conference, listening to speakers explain, with increasing alarm, that Catholics in the United States face overwhelming odds against enemies who are destroying everything we believe.

I recently watched Mel Gibson’s “Passion of the Christ” again and was stunned afresh at how good it is

Revisiting%20Mel%20Gibson%u2019s%20%22Passion%20of%20the%20Christ%22%20%7E%20The%20Imaginative%20ConservativePEARCE: It’s been seventeen years since the premiere of Mel Gibson’s Passion of the Christ, and it’s been almost as long since I’d last seen it. There was a period of several years after its release that my wife and I had made a point of watching it during Holy Week...

‘Forever Young’ and the German problem

'Forever Young', and the German problem - The PillarJDFLYNN: If you work in parish or diocesan ministry, Holy Week can feel a bit like Super Bowl week, especially if you’re preparing liturgies, preparing catechumens and candidates, or — like canon lawyers everywhere — fielding phone calls from pastors about paperwork, or confirmation faculties, or any of other things not yet completed before the Easter Vigil.

Archbishop Charles Chaput - ‘I call you friends’

Archbishop Chaput - 'I call you friends' - The Pillar: Archbishop Charles Chaput, OFM Cap., who retired in January 2020 as Archbishop of Philadelphia, sat down with The Pillar this week to talk about the future of the Church, a Jay-Z song he likes, and his new book, “Things Worth Dying For.”

What was the Lord doing on Tuesday of Holy Week?

What Was the Lord Doing on Tuesday of Holy Week? - Community in MissionPOPE: It is Tuesday of Holy Week. Jesus likely arises early, as did all the ancients. Days both ended and started early, at dusk and dawn, prior to the advent of electric lighting. They leave Bethany and head back to Jerusalem. Perhaps a few converts can be made before the transcendent events of the Passion begin.

‘No shot, no absolution’ — New Jersey priest forced to reverse vaccine mandate for confession

New Jersey Parish Reverses Vaccine Mandate for Confessions| National Catholic Register: A parish in the Diocese of Trenton will no longer restrict the sacrament of confession to those who have received a COVID vaccine, after a clarification from the diocese. On Sunday, the Church of the Precious Blood in Monmouth Beach, New Jersey, had posted on its website that confessions would once again be available - but only for those who had already received the coronavirus vaccination.

I’m happily teaching a banned book in my classroom at Steubenville

I%u2019m%20Happily%20Teaching%20a%20Banned%20Book%20in%20My%20Classroom%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterWIKER: I’m not just happy to teach a banned book. I’m elated, and grateful. As to being grateful, I am thankful to be at Franciscan University, where professors can actually teach truths now considered heretical by “cancel culture.” Why, just this semester I was able to pass on to our students the astounding fact that there are only two sexes...

What was the Lord doing on Monday of Holy Week?

What Was the Lord Doing on Monday of Holy Week? - Community in MissionPOPE: According to Matthew 21:10-17, Mark 11:15-17, and Luke 19:45-46, Jesus returns to Jerusalem today. Seeing shameful practices in the Temple area, He cleanses it. The Gospels also recount His weeping over Jerusalem and His cursing of the fig tree. Matthew and Mark relate that He returned to Bethany that night.

Exorcist, Catholics react to rapper Lil Nas X's ‘Satan Shoes’ containing human blood

Exorcist, Catholics React to Rapper Lil Nas X's Nike 'Satan Shoes' Containing Human Blood |: Catholics are reacting to the recent release of Lil Nas X’s “Satan Shoes.” Rapper Lil Nas X announced his “Satan Shoes” release on March 27, creating an uproar amongst Christian conservatives. The Nike Air Max shoes contain one drop of human blood, a pentagram, and have “Luke 10:18” stitched on them. The shoes cost $1,018.00 per pair and sold out in less than one minute.

During Holy Week, rapper Lil Nas X releases line of Satan-themed shoes (containing drop of human blood) to promote gay music video to kids [NYTimes paywall]

These Shoes Contain a Drop of Human Blood. Nike Does Not Approve. - The New York Times: Some workplaces encourage employees to donate blood as an act of charity. But six workers at MSCHF, a quirky company based in Brooklyn that’s known for products like toaster-shaped bath bombs and rubber-chicken bongs, offered their blood for a new line of shoes.

Cardinal Sarah joins calls to withdraw rules suppressing individual Masses in St. Peter’s Basilica

Cardinal%20Sarah%20Joins%20Calls%20to%20Withdraw%20Rules%20Suppressing%20Individual%20Masses%20in%20St.%20Peter%u2019s%20Basilica%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterPENTIN: Cardinal Robert Sarah has become the latest cardinal to publicly oppose recent norms suppressing individual Masses in St. Peter’s Basilica, explaining in a seven-point appeal to Pope Francis why he believes they are a mistake and calling on the Holy Father to withdraw them.

Prophecy of Venerable Fulton Sheen offers hope to a troubled America

Prophecy of Venerable Fulton Sheen Offers Hope to a Troubled America| National Catholic RegisterPRONECHEN: During one of his radio talks in 1943 on his series “Crisis in Christendom,” Archbishop Fulton Sheen saw not only what was happening in his times, but was prophetic about our times. He warned that “the beginnings of a new era are often marked by a general barbarization, when the whole historical order is dissolved ... when Truth in some nations is nailed to a Cross, and in others rejected in a stroke of false broadmindedness.”

Padre Pio worked a miracle for this little girl — and amazed the future U.S. surgeon general

Padre Pio Miracle Healing Amazes Future U.S. Surgeon General| National Catholic RegisterSCHIFFER: You might remember C. Everett Koop — he served as U.S. Surgeon General under President Reagan from1981 through 1989. Dr. Koop, who died in 2013, was best known for raising our national awareness regarding the health dangers of cigarette smoking. He established a government policy toward AIDS. Koop advocated for the Baby Doe Rules...

The ‘Pope of the Little Guy’ finds himself caught up in the heavy lifting of reform

'Pope of the Little Guy' caught up in the heavy lifting of reformALLEN: In any reform, stating principles and staging feel-good ways to illustrate them, however inspiring, is always the easy part. Figuring out how to embed those principles in operations – and being willing to pay the political price for doing so – is where the heavy lifting starts, and that would seem to be where Pope Francis finds himself now.

Suicide bomb hits Palm Sunday Mass in Indonesia, 20 wounded

Suicide bomb hits Palm Sunday Mass in Indonesia, 20 wounded: Two attackers blew themselves up outside a packed Roman Catholic cathedral during a Palm Sunday Mass on Indonesia’s Sulawesi island, wounding at least 20 people, police said.

Two suicide bombers hit Palm Sunday Mass in Indonesia, 14 wounded

Suicide bomb hits Palm Sunday Mass in Indonesia, 14 wounded: Two attackers blew themselves up outside a packed Catholic cathedral during a Palm Sunday Mass on Indonesia’s Sulawesi island, wounding at least 14 people, police said. A video obtained by The Associated Press showed body parts scattered near a burning motorbike at the gates of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Cathedral in Makassar, the capital of South Sulawesi province.

Jesus has already won the victory. It is true that we get there through the cross, but never forget what the end shall be...

See What the End Shall Be - A Homily for Palm Sunday - Community in MissionPOPE: The Passion, which we read in the liturgy for Palm Sunday, is too long to comment on in detail, so we will only examine a portion of it here. It may be of some value to examine the problems associated with the more moderate range of personalities involved. The usual villains...

At Angelus, Pope Francis prays for Indonesian Catholics injured in Palm Sunday cathedral bombing

At Angelus, Pope Francis prays for Indonesian Catholics injured in Palm Sunday bombing: Pope Francis prayed Sunday for Indonesian Catholics injured in a bombing as they left a Palm Sunday Mass. Speaking before the recitation of the Angelus on March 28, the pope referred to the attack that took place at around 10:30 a.m. local time on Sunday outside Sacred Heart of Jesus Cathedral in Makassar, capital of South Sulawesi province.

Vatican now in crisis management mode with German bishops

Vatican Now in Crisis Management Mode with German Bishops| National Catholic RegisterPENTIN: In January, two Vatican cardinals wanted to summon the president of the German bishops’ conference to Rome and correct him about a media interview in which he expressed his dissent from Church teaching in a number of areas. Such a meeting, which some believe should have been used to give the Vatican’s formal opposition to the Synodal Path...

Before Steve Jobs changed the world, ‘Koyaanisqatsi’ captured a moment in history

Before%20Steve%20Jobs%20Changed%20the%20World%2C%20%u2018Koyaanisqatsi%u2019%20Captured%20a%20Moment%20in%20History%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterTURLEY: In 1983, while Koyaanisqatsi was showing at art house cinemas around the globe, two men were having a conversation. In fact, a number of conversations as an entrepreneur tried to lure a company executive away from one of the top jobs in corporate America. The pitches of the entrepreneur initially fell on deaf ears. Then, almost as a throwaway line...

Pope Francis to Vatican tribunal: Be guided by ‘founding principles of ecclesial life’

Pope%20Francis%20to%20Vatican%20tribunal%3A%20be%20guided%20by%20%u2018founding%20principles%20of%20ecclesial%20life%u2019: Pope Francis said on Saturday that the Vatican’s quest for transparency should be inspired by “the founding principles of ecclesial life” and conform to international standards.

5 reasons everyone in Church work could use a mentor or coach

5 Reasons Everyone In Ministry Needs a Mentor or Coach - Catholic Missionary Disciples - College Station, TXLEJEUNE: I was about to start my first full-time job working for the Church (at the campus ministry at Texas Tech) and I realized I didn’t know a thing about what I was supposed to do. I needed help and I needed it more than I knew. So, before I started, I was blessed to go to a conference where I met my first mentor / coach. It changed the trajectory of my professional life.

Planned Parenthood’s mission is to deny science, exploit people and make profits

Mary Szoch: How Planned Parenthood leads the culture of death: “Planned Parenthood took the lives of 354,871 unborn children in 2019, the most in any given year. It is also the second largest provider of hormone therapy to those who identify as transgender/have gender dysphoria,” according to a key-point summary in the report.

This is what we should do in the face of any conspiracy against Jesus...

This Sunday: Jesus Faced a Conspiracy, Too | The Gregorian Institute at Benedictine CollegeHOOPES: You hear it all the time, from left and right: We feel like we are victims of forces that are lined up against our freedoms, using whatever is at hand — notably, the COVID-19 pandemic — to force us to comply. Call it a “conspiracy” if you must. It is real, it is total, and it has targeted each of us as a victim.

5 Catholic books you should read this Easter season

5 Catholic Books You Should Read This Easter SeasonLISI: The Lenten season is all about preparing for the crucifixion, death, burial and resurrection of Christ. During this 40-day season, many Christians commit to fasting and giving up luxuries as a way to replicate Jesus’ own sacrifice. Abstaining from meat, for example, is one way Roman Catholics and followers of other Christian traditions mark the period.

How to love bad thinkers while rejecting their bad thinking

How to Reject Bad Thinking and Love Bad Thinkers| National Catholic RegisterCLARK: “What this country needs is fewer people who know what this country needs. We’d be better off, in my opinion, without so many opinions. Especially without so many political opinions. Including my own.” Thus pronounced political humorist P.J. O’Rourke last year...

By our estimate, U.S. parishes have lost $1.2 billion in collections during the pandemic. What happens next?

Collections and the pandemic: Beyond the numbers - The PillarHODGE: We set out to understand the effect of the pandemic on parish collections. In one sense, it was an easy task. The data was out there in a publicly available form: updates on weekly collections in parish bulletins published online by parishes all over the country. The only reason it wasn’t possible for someone to sit down and analyze the data immediately...

Vienna’s Cardinal Schönborn ‘not happy’ with Vatican statement on same-sex unions

Vienna cardinal 'not happy' with Vatican same-sex statement - Catholic News Service: Austria’s Cardinal Christoph Schönborn has said he cannot deny same-sex couples a blessing if they request one and that he was “not happy” with the Vatican’s mid-March statement on same-sex unions.

The Pope’s German gamble is failing — he led with an open hand but is getting a clenched fist (and a possible schism) in return

Schism Looms: Pope Francis and the Willfully Rebellious Church in Germany| National Catholic RegisterDESOUZA: In March 2013, Pope Francis spoke of how much he would like a “poor Church for the poor.” At his eighth anniversary, it is the richest of all local churches that threatens to devour his entire pontificate. The Holy Father began his ninth year with yet another attempt to rein in the rebellious Church in Germany...

Sweden is a hostile culture for the Church — but the Church is still growing, and returning to Catholic tradition

Catholic Church in Sweden: Between Expansion, Adversity and Return to Tradition| National Catholic RegisterTADIE: In the collective imagination, Sweden is often associated with an ultimate expression of cultural progressivism —of the secularization process that has been spreading throughout the West for the past century. And the official figures serve to consolidate such a perception.

Beware — the chickens of ‘choice’ are coming home to roost

Beware%20%u2014%20the%20Chickens%20of%20%u2018Choice%u2019%20Are%20Coming%20Home%20to%20Roost%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterFORREST: Unintended consequences. It’s an old, well-known principle or adage meaning that we need to exercise wisdom and prudence because actions can sometimes cause other, unforeseen effects or outcomes. Typically, the direct actions themselves are positive or at least well intended...

700 years after his death, Dante still inspires popes

700 years after his death, Dante still inspires popesSANMARTIN: During the 2015 celebration of the 750th birthday of Dante Aligheri, Pope Francis invited Catholics from all over the world to read The Divine Comedy, one of the most important works of Western and Christian civilization. For those who find the task of reading this medieval poem daunting, the Argentine pontiff is releasing an apostolic letter called Candor Lucis Aeternae, to mark the 700th anniversary of the Italian poet’s death.

On Solemnity of Annunciation, Pope releases document on life and work of Dante, calling him a ‘prophet of hope’

Pope Francis calls Dante a 'prophet of hope'SANMARTIN: Following in the footsteps of his predecessors, Pope Francis on Thursday released a document reflecting on the life and work of Italian poet Dante Alighieri, calling him a prophet of hope in a historic moment where inhumanity and lack of prospect loom large.

4 bright spots of good news after a very bad year

Good news after a very bad year - Denver CatholicWEIGEL: There is no need to belabor the awfulness of the year of lockdowns, shutdowns, and other downers that began in mid-March 2020. Among the failures that will bear serious scrutiny going forward are those of inept local governments. If Americans can fly an SUV-sized robotic rover to a planet 292 million miles away...

If you’re a new Catholic, or a longtime Catholic who still doesn’t get Lent, think of it this way...

When Catholic Puritans Ruin Lent - Catholic HeraldMILLS: He’d failed at Lent. The poor man, despondent in the middle of his first Lent, found he couldn’t keep the disciplines. He felt farther from God than when he’d started, and wondered at how much faith he actually had, if any. It was a sad note. But not unusual...

What are you willing to die for? A conversation with Archbishop Charles Chaput

What are you willing to die for? A conversation with Archbishop Charles Chaput | America Magazine: Three weeks after he retired as archbishop of Philadelphia, Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap., went into lockdown. It gave him time to catch up on a lot of things, including television. “I’ve seen more television this year than I’ve seen in the last 40 years,” he said recently toward the end of a phone interview with America that lasted for over an hour...

Jesus entrusted Mary to us ‘as a Mother ... not as co-redeemer,’ says Pope

Pope%20Francis%3A%20Jesus%20Entrusted%20Mary%20to%20Us%20as%20a%20Mother%2C%20%u2018Not%20as%20Co-Redeemer%u2019%7C%20National%20Catholic%20Register: The pope gave his address, dedicated to prayer in communion with Mary, in the library of the Apostolic Palace due to coronavirus restrictions.

NASA’s Ingenuity Mars helicopter has part of the Wright brothers’ first airplane

NASA Mars rover has part of Wright brothers' first airplane | TheHill: NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter, which is attached to the belly of the Perseverance rover, holds a small relic from the Wright brothers’ first airplane, which took flight more than 100 years earlier.

The Sisters of Life are our pro-life credibility. They should be lavished on for what they do and who they are. Believe me, they are not...

Sr. Magdalene Teresa, a Woman Who Makes the World Better | National ReviewLOPEZ: Sr. Magdalene of the Sisters of Life reminds me of Mother Cabrini, who walked the streets of Manhattan, too. She perseveres in darkness and sometimes ridiculous circumstances. She has a radiant grace about her and real wisdom and understanding and compassion for the misery humanity faces in these times...

Reading the ‘Republic,’ I was struck by a bolt of lightning: Plato saw the root question of human life...

To Be or Not To Be, a Craftsman | LifeCraftCUDDEBACK: To be or not to be a craftsman. That is the question for every human person. I think I’m finally beginning to see it. One of the notable aspects of the Republic is that Socrates suggests that justice, the main virtue of human living, is itself a kind of craft. Socrates sees a craft as a steady, rational practice of taking care of something...

Officer Eric Talley, killed while responding to Boulder shooting, to be buried from Denver cathedral with Traditional Latin Mass

After%20Boulder%20shooting%2C%20Catholic%20Archbishop%20Samuel%20Aquila%20calls%20for%20%u2018conversion%20of%20hearts%u2019: Archbishop Samuel Aquila said he is “deeply saddened” by a mass shooting in northern Colorado early this week, and called for conversion of hearts to eradicate violence from society. On Monday, a gunman opened fire at a King Soopers grocery store in Boulder, Colorado, killing 10 people.

On the frequent fatuity of scholarship

On the frequent fatuity of scholarship | Catholic CultureMIRUS: I am continuing to read through N. T. Wright’s incisive new book on the importance of the person of Christ to what we call “natural theology”. But it brings me face to face with a question that has troubled me for a very long time. I mean the question of the spiritual utility of scholarship...

A kind of systemic clericalism that favors inoffensive “Catholic Lite” pastoral strategies has infected the hierarchy

The Ten Commandments and Systemic Clericalism | Catholic CulturePOKORSKY: The Ten Commandments represent God’s immutable laws. The Commandments, fulfilled in Jesus, form the “skeletal structure” of Christian morality. Our virtuous response forms the muscles, sinews, and flesh. But we remain in conflict with ourselves because of our sinful inclinations...

The massacre in Boulder shows that ‘evil always has a name and a face’ — but never a final victory

The%20Boulder%20Shooting%20Shows%20That%20%u2018Evil%20Always%20Has%20a%20Name%20and%20a%20Face%u2019%20%u2014%20but%20Never%20a%20Final%20Victory%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterJABLONSKA: There is always a limit imposed upon evil. Good constrains evil, the Divine Good and the human good. Good has a foundation in God alone. Only God is Good. As understood by St. Thomas Aquinas, following in the tradition of St. Augustine, and restated by John Paul II...

4 simple steps toward a deeper prayer life with God

New Advent: 4 simple steps toward a deeper prayer life with GodSTEFANICK: Prayer is a simple conversation between you and your Heavenly Father who loves you. In a conversation you listen and you speak, so how do we listen to God? Every day I wake up and I open up the Gospel according to iPhone. I actually find the daily Mass reading...

Scandal-plagued Legionaries of Christ publish latest abuse report for the congregation

Legionaries of Christ publish latest abuse report for the congregationSANMARTIN: On Monday, the scandal-plagued Legionaries of Christ religious order published its latest report detailing what they have done and what they still need to do to repair the damage done and guarantee safe spaces for minors, from third-party investigations to mandatory formation seminars and revealing the names of priests found guilty of abuse.

Priest who filmed sex on altar criminally charged, Archdiocese of New Orleans mum on canonical charges

Priest who filmed sex on altar criminally charged, archdiocese mum on canonical charges - The Pillar: The priest arrested last year after having sex with two prostitutes atop a parish altar has been charged with felony vandalism. But while criminal charges are being pressed the Archdiocese of New Orleans has declined to say what kind of canonical charges the priest will face, or whether he might be laicized after desecrating the altar.

What kept parish giving going during the pandemic — and what stopped it?

What kept parish pandemic giving going - and what stopped it? - The Pillar: There was no correlation between local coronavirus deaths and the rise or fall of parish offertory income in 2020, while there was a correlation between declining parish revenue and rising unemployment rates.

Colorado baker Jack Phillips, who won Supreme Court Masterpiece Cakes case, sued again for refusing ‘gender transition’ cake

Lakewood%20Baker%20Jack%20Phillips%20Sued%20For%20Refusing%20Gender%20Transition%20Cake%20%u2013%20CBS%20Denver: A Colorado baker who won a partial victory at the U.S. Supreme Court in 2018 for refusing to make a wedding cake for a same-sex couple went on trial Monday in yet another lawsuit, this one involving a birthday cake for a transgender woman...

Louisiana priest who desecrated altar charged with vandalism

Louisiana priest who desecrated altar charged with vandalism: A priest of the Archdiocese of New Orleans arrested last year along with two women after filming a pornographic video on a parish church altar has been charged with vandalism.

Drone pilot flies drone directly over Iceland’s new volcano

New%20Advent%3A%20Drone%20pilot%20flies%20drone%20over%20Iceland%u2019s%20new%20volcano: From drone pilot Bjorn Steinbekk

Catholic teaching on same-sex marriage has never changed. It never will. So why leave the Church now?

When Catholics Leave Over Same-Sex Marriage - Catholic Herald: It was heartbreaking to read the recent piece by Jobert E. Abueva for the Philadelphia Inquirer, “Why I’m finally done with the Catholic Church.” He’s responding to the Vatican’s reaffirmation of Catholic teaching about marriage, that the Church can’t bless same-sex unions.

Brendan Hodge of ‘The Pillar’ combed through thousands of parish bulletins to gauge the pandemic’s impact on parish finances. Here’s what he discovered...

The pandemic and the collection plate - The Pillar: The near-universal closure of Catholic parishes that began in late March 2020 was an unprecedented event in American Catholic history: one with spiritual, pastoral, and operational consequences for the nearly 17,000 Catholic parishes in the U.S.

With the St. Peter’s Mass decree, the Vatican has taken a bizarre, almost inexplicable step in an age that can little afford it

A%20Catholic%20Cathedral%3A%20%u201CA%20Sort%20of%20World%u201D%20-%20The%20Catholic%20ThingROYAL: This may seem a small matter, especially during the COVID lockdowns, when there are few pilgrims entering St. Peter’s anyway. But this was not an order issued in response to the potential dangers from the virus at side-altar Masses, nor does it bear any explanation that this is just a temporary measure...

Experience the Resurrection with Mary in the new film ‘Resurrection’

Experience the Resurrection with Mary in the New Film ResurrectionLOONEY: My book, A Lenten Journey with Mother Mary, allowed the messages of Mary’s apparitions to become a guidepost for one’s Lenten observance. Mary’s messages help to examine one’s conscience, provide intentions for which to pray, allow Mary to become a teacher of prayer, and entrust to her intercession those in need of healing...

The Equality Act is a push for ideological submission, not civil rights

Equality Act & Transgenderism: A Push for Ideological Submission, Not Civil Rights | National ReviewLOPEZ: Consider the very name of the Equality Act, which would add “gender identity” and “sexual orientation” to the classes protected under the Civil Rights Act of 1964. While I have no interest in discriminating against anyone, we’re at a moment when the media and so much of the Democratic Party, corporate world, and popular culture...

St. Nicholas Owen, the carpenter-saint who built secret hiding places for priests in Elizabethan England

St. Nicholas Owen, a Carpenter Saint for the Year of St. Joseph| National Catholic RegisterDESOUZA: We think of St. Joseph as a carpenter, teaching the Lord Jesus his trade. In this Year of St. Joseph, we ought to honor another carpenter saint, Nicholas Owen, one of the English Martyrs, killed in 1606. His feast day is today. St. Nicholas was canonized as one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales by St. Paul VI in October 1970...

‘Like a museum’: Dead silence in St. Peter’s Basilica as suppression of individual Masses comes into force

%u2018Like%20a%20Museum%u2019%3A%20Dead%20Silence%20in%20St.%20Peter%u2019s%20Basilica%20as%20Suppression%20of%20Individual%20Masses%20Comes%20into%20Force%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterPENTIN: Cardinal Gerhard Müller, prefect emeritus of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, told the Register March 22 that the directive will have the effect of making clergy working in the Vatican “more like functionaries and with less priestly identity.”

4 proofs advanced by Jesus to show His divinity

Four Proofs Advanced by Jesus to Show His Divinity - Community in MissionPOPE: In the Gospel for Thursday of the Fourth Week of Lent, Jesus sets forth a case for his divinity and presents evidence to his Jewish listeners of his divine status. He does not just come out of Galilee calling himself God. He demonstrates his power and calls other witnesses to testify. Let’s look at the case Jesus sets forth...

We visited the new volcano in Iceland and it blew our mind

New Advent: We visited the new volcano in Iceland and it blew our mind: We visited the new volcano in Fagradalsfjall, called Geldingardalsgos. It’s safe to say that nature put out the most impressive display we have seen in Iceland for years. But don’t take our word for it, see it for yourself...

This short video may change your life (and transform your death): What it means to “offer it up” and how sacrifice redeems the world

New%20Advent%3A%20This%20short%20video%20may%20change%20your%20life%20%28and%20transform%20your%20death%29%3A%20What%20it%20means%20to%20%u201Coffer%20it%20up%u201D%20and%20how%20sacrifice%20redeems%20the%20world: From Dominican Father James Brent...

Two brothers, John Peter and Father James Yamauchi, have brought back Paul Harvey-style stories for Catholics

UD%20alumni%20tell%20stories%20of%20virtue%20in%20%u201CThat%u2019s%20The%20Word%u201D%20podcast%20%7C%20The%20University%20News: Two University of Dallas alumni are finding new ways to evangelize and engage in the art of storytelling through their new weekly podcast, That’s the Word.

Why the world’s best mathematicians are hoarding chalk

New%20Advent%3A%20Why%20the%20world%u2019s%20best%20mathematicians%20are%20hoarding%20chalk: Pencils down, please, as we tell the tale of a writing implement so irreplaceable that professors started stockpiling it...

The Holy Spirit’s blessings through God’s Church

The%20Spirit%u2019s%20Blessings%20Through%20God%u2019s%20Church%20%7C%20Parishable%20ItemsFELTES: Right before ascending into heaven to sit at his Father’s right hand, Jesus gave his disciples these final instructions. After seeing Jesus ascend, the disciples returned to Jerusalem rejoicing. There in the Upper Room, the apostles, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and other Christians...

Christ’s miracles tell more than those of the Old Testament

Christ%u2019s%20miracles%20tell%20more%20than%20those%20of%20the%20Old%20Testament%20%7C%20Catholic%20CultureMIRUS: Divine action is manifested throughout the history of the Jewish people, but there are various shadings between what we might regard as God working through natural processes and God doing something that is self-evidently miraculous, because it cannot be explained by natural processes...

St. Joseph shows that, when courage and creativity meet, worlds can be conquered

The Creative Courage of Fatherhood As Taught by Saint Joseph - Seton MagazineCLARK: In his recent Apostolic Letter Patris Corde (With A Father’s Heart), Pope Francis has called the faithful to ponder the wondrous life of Saint Joseph. It’s a beautiful reflection of Saint Joseph’s life, and an echo of the previous pontiffs who had much to write about the foster father of Jesus...

The Cross wins. The Cross always wins...

The Cross Wins, It Always Wins. A Meditation on the Gospel of the Fifth Sunday of Lent - Community in MissionPOPE: The Gospel today is, to the world and to those who are perishing, utter madness, utter foolishness. For Christ, in effect, declares that dying (to this world) is the only way to true life. While the world’s so-called wisdom declares to us that the way to life is power, prestige, possessions and popularity, Jesus says, die to all that and you’ll find true life.

Pope’s Sunday Angelus: ‘It is your Christian duty to help people know Jesus’

Pope Francis at the Angelus: It is our Christian duty to help people know Jesus: Pope Francis said Sunday it is our Christian duty to help people know Jesus, which we cannot do without giving of our lives in service and love.

3D chess in Rome? Pope Francis approves Vatican decree affirming doctrines on marriage

3D%20chess%20in%20Rome%3F%20Pope%20Francis%20approves%20Vatican%20decree%20affirming%20doctrines%20on%20marriage%20%u2014%20GetReligion: All together now: Is the pope Catholic? Actually, in this age of conspiracy theories — on right and left — the question of the day appears to be: Is THIS pope Catholic? I am referring, of course, to the Vatican’s decision to affirm centuries of Christian doctrine stating that sex outside of marriage is (trigger warning) “sin” and that the sacrament of marriage is limited to the union of a man and a woman.

Father Thomas Morrow: How to overcome sinful thoughts and realign your thinking

Respect Life Radio Podcast - Fr. Thomas Morrow: How to overcome sinful thoughts | Free Listening on Podbean App: "By turning away from sin, we have the opportunity to become happy. That's why the saints are so important. You realize, when you read their lives, that they were virtuous and they were happy. When people live lives of sins, they're not happy. They live ... the life of an addict who needs another fix from their sins and they don't find the happiness that they're looking for...

Vatican names former head of financial police to lead foundation managing scandal-ridden IDI hospital

Vatican names former head of financial police to lead foundation managing IDI hospital: The Vatican announced Saturday it had appointed the former commander general of Italy’s financial police force as president of the foundation overseeing a scandal-ridden dermatological hospital in Rome.

Ecuador to host International Eucharistic Congress in 2024, Vatican announces

Archdiocese of Quito, Ecuador to host International Eucharistic Congress in 2024: The Vatican announced Saturday that Pope Francis had designated the Archdiocese of Quito in Ecuador the host of the 2024 International Eucharistic Congress. The conference, in its 53rd edition, will also take place during the 150th anniversary of the consecration of Ecuador to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Woke “rights,” the Equality Act, and Speaker Pelosi

Woke%20%u201Crights%2C%u201D%20the%20Equality%20Act%2C%20and%20Speaker%20Pelosi%20-%20Denver%20CatholicWEIGEL: On February 25, 2021, the U.S. House of Representatives could have addressed any number of pressing issues. The nation was in its 11th month of a pandemic that had already caused enormous economic and social dislocation. Schools remained closed as evidence mounted that online learning was disserving vulnerable poor children...

Can the souls in Purgatory pray for us? And do they?

Can the Souls in Purgatory Pray for Us? - Catholicism.org: This is a question that I have been asked recently. I always assumed that the answer was “yes;” but, after doing some research in the Catholic Encyclopedia I see that the question has been open to opinion, or least it used to be before the sixteenth century.

This Sunday, the Gospel of John gives us a great gift: Jesus explaining to Gentiles what his crucifixion means...

This Sunday, Victory Only Comes in the Jaws of Defeat | The Gregorian Institute at Benedictine CollegeHOOPES: After the head of our Church was tortured, killed, and rose from the dead, you see that same pattern repeat. The most dire examples seem to have come every 500 years or so. In the first 500 years of the Church, Christians faced fierce persecutions, and the Church rose to prominence despite them.

Father Kevin O’Brien, priest who celebrated Biden’s inaugural Mass, under investigation for violating ‘protocols and boundaries’

Priest%20who%20celebrated%20Biden%u2019s%20inaugural%20Mass%20under%20investigation: A Jesuit priest who celebrated Joe Biden’s inaugural Mass in January is under investigation for alleged inappropriate behavior, according to the California university he heads.

It’s hard to think clearly about marriage if folks don’t speak clearly about marriage

It%u2019s%20hard%20to%20think%20clearly%20about%20marriage%20if%20folks%20don%u2019t%20speak%20clearly%20about%20marriage%20%7C%20In%20the%20Light%20of%20the%20LawEDPETERS: These remarks are occasioned by Cdl. Farrell’s recent musings toward, it seems, admitting the Church’s inability to bless the sacramental marriages of same-sex couples but suggesting the possibility of blessing their non-sacramental or civil marriages (?) but, rather than sort through all that, let’s set out some distinctions crucial to discussions of marriage...

This fancy coffee table sat in a New York apartment for years. Turns out it was actually a 1st-century mosaic from a Roman ship...

Emperor's mosaic displayed in Italy after stint as NYC table: A looted mosaic that once decorated a ship of the Roman Emperor Caligula and ended up as a coffee table in New York City finally returned home Thursday, as details emerged about the lucky break in the investigation that got it there.

Catholic Answers apologist Tim Staples recalls his conversion

Catholic Apologist Tim Staples Recalls His Conversion| National Catholic RegisterGRAVES: More than three decades ago, after much searching, Tim Staples, 56, Director of Evangelization for Southern California-based apologetics organization Catholic Answers, was surprised to discover his own pearl of great price in the teachings of the Catholic Church. A former Baptist, Tim was “saved” (declared his belief in Christ) at age 10 and, after several “prodigal” years...

This book is the most helpful book on St. Joseph I have ever read

This Book is the Most Helpful Book on St. Joseph I Have Ever Found| National Catholic RegisterLANDRY: This year’s celebration of the Solemnity of St. Joseph on March 19 is special, coming as it does within the Year of Saint Joseph, called by the Vatican to mark the 150th anniversary of St. Joseph’s being declared patron of the Church. While the Solemnity is clearly one of the highlights of the Holy Year, it shouldn’t be regarded as the climax

Getting creative: CDF statements, lukewarm bishops, and a great white shark

Getting creative: CDF statements, lukewarm bishops, and a great white shark - The PillarCONDON: Some Church watchers were surprised to see the Vatican take the bull by the horns in such a public way in its Monday statement. Others were surprised, apparently, to see the Church reaffirm its own teaching. JD took a look at what some bishops had to say, and what some others appear unwilling to say. Among those who took issue with the Vatican statement was Elton John...

The untold story of Roe v. Wade: Pro-life movie filmed in secret set to release on Good Friday

The Untold Story of Roe v. Wade: Pro-Life Movie Filmed in Secret Set to Release on Good Friday |: The long-awaited Roe v. Wade movie about the most detrimental Supreme Court decision hits streaming and on-demand services on April 2 (also Good Friday). Due to its topic and fear of backlash from pro-abortion supporters, the producers filmed the movie in secret.

Solemnity of St. Joseph: ‘Through his ordinary life, he accomplished something extraordinary in the eyes of God’

World Day of Prayer for Vocations: Pope Francis prays St. Joseph will help young adults find their vocations: Pope Francis said Friday that St. Joseph is a model for all vocations and he prays the saint will help young people discern the vocation God is calling them to...

Why did Our Lord die in His 30s, rather than as an older man?

Why Did Jesus Die in His Thirties? - Community in MissionPOPE: St. Thomas notes that because Jesus died while in the prime of His life, the sacrifice was greater. His apparent lack of any disease or physical imperfections also increased His sacrifice. This is a model for us...

Democratic Party double standard: #MeToo for Kavanaugh, #NotSoFast for Cuomo

Democratic Party Double Standard: #MeToo for Kavanaugh, #NotSoFast for Cuomo| National Catholic RegisterBROWN: Many prominent Democrats — notably including Vice President Kamala Harris and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi — have shown very different responses over the recent allegations of sexual harassment and assault against New York’s Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo and to those made against Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh during his 2018 confirmation hearings.

German abuse report exonerates Cologne cardinal, incriminates Hamburg archbishop

Abuse report exonerates Cologne cardinal, incriminates Hamburg archbishop - Catholic News Service: A much-anticipated report on the handling of abuse cases in the Archdiocese of Cologne exonerates Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki but incriminates Hamburg Archbishop Stefan Hesse and Cologne Auxiliary Bishop Dominik Schwaderlapp.

Calling Catholic writers! Catholic News Agency (a frequently-linked site on New Advent) is looking to hire a reporter. Here are the details...

Staff Writer (Denver, CO) CatholicJobs.com - Catholic Jobs Online: The Staff Writer assists the CNA's editors by quickly researching, contacting sources and writing articles in accordance with CNA's style. The writer will also coordinate various tasks related to providing or adapting content for other audio or video platforms.

This Irish chalice held the Precious Blood when the Precious Blood was outlawed

This Irish Chalice Held the Precious Blood When the Precious Blood Was Outlawed| National Catholic Register: Every St. Patrick’s Day brings back the happy memories of when I was a seminarian of the Archdiocese of New York. In celebration of our local church’s patronal feast we would always be given the day off from class so we could travel to Manhattan to serve the cardinal’s Mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral before watching the famous parade up 5th Avenue.

St. Patrick was the Moses of Ireland

St. Patrick, the Moses of Ireland | Parishable ItemsFELTES: St. Patrick, the Apostle to Ireland, and Moses from the Exodus have a lot in common. Moses was targeted by the wicked as a baby; Pharaoh ordered that all newborn Hebrew boys be tossed into the Nile River to die.

Exorcism and the snakes of St. Patrick

Exorcism and the Snakes of St Patrick | Fr. Dwight LongeneckerLONGENECKER: The other day I saw a snarky comment about the legend of St Patrick casting all the snakes out of Ireland: “Thing is” said snarker “Ireland never had any snakes anyway. The climate is too damp and cold. Duh.” Duh indeed. The legend was never about snakes anyway. It was about serpents, meaning Satan and the demons. Hearing this legend and coming up with such a snarky comment is about as smart as reading the poem and saying...

Everyone loves pasta. Here are the stories behind 15 pasta shapes...

The Stories Behind 15 Pasta Shapes | Mental Floss: Most people know the story of Venetian explorer Marco Polo bringing noodles back home from China. It’s a fun story, but it’s also inaccurate: Pasta was already popular in Italy by the time Marco Polo made his famous voyage to China at the end of the 13th century...

Should you be worried about the ‘Three Days of Darkness?’

nunblog: Three Days of Darkness?: One afternoon about thirty years ago I got a call from my mom. She had been talking to some of the ladies at Church, the really holy ones (that was Mom’s way of speaking about someone who did a lot of Church things). “Anne, what is this about three days of darkness? Do I need to get blessed candles? How many would we need?” Her voice was pinched with anxiety.

Israeli archaeologists announce discovery of more Dead Sea Scrolls

Israeli experts announce discovery of more Dead Sea scrolls: Israeli archaeologists on Tuesday announced the discovery of dozens of Dead Sea Scroll fragments bearing a biblical text found in a desert cave and believed hidden during a Jewish revolt against Rome nearly 1,900 years ago.

During the Troubles, we in Northern Ireland were all political prisoners

During the Troubles, We Were All Political Prisoners in Ireland| National Catholic RegisterTURLEY: “How many political prisoners are there in Ulster?” I was asked once. “A million and half,” was my reply. We were all prisoners — the roughly 1.5 million people living in Northern Ireland. That was because we were in a land where history was never in the past. It was our present: all 500 years of disputed claims of who had inflicted the most hurt and who was still hurting most.

William and Katherine, Harry and Meghan — A tale of two weddings

A Tale of Two Weddings | Raymond J. de Souza | First ThingsDESOUZA: Royal weddings can be solemn or superficial, yet remain in either case of utmost importance. They are the most watched weddings in the world. They both reveal and shape popular wedding culture. That’s why ten years ago the marriage of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Will and Kate, was so encouraging...

Yes, you can eat meat on the Solemnity of St. Joseph this Friday, even if your bishop doesn’t dispense you

Meat Friday: Thanks, St. Joseph - The Pillar: Friday, March 19 is the Solemnity of St. Joseph. It’s also a Friday in Lent — which usually means no meat. At The Pillar, we have heard from a lot of Catholics in the past week, all with the same question: “Can we eat meat on St. Joseph’s Day?” Of course, we could just tell you the answer. But we decided to write a whole explainer instead.

Prevost and Cupich: Can the bishops judge themselves?

Prevost and Cupich: Can the bishops judge themselves? - The PillarCONDON: The Pillar reported Tuesday morning that Bishop Robert Prevost had, while he was a provincial Augustinian superior in the U.S., permitted a known sexual abuser to reside near a Catholic elementary school without alerting the school or parish to the priest’s presence.

German Catholics and Protestants pursue intercommunion despite Vatican objections

German Catholics and Protestants pursue intercommunion despite Vatican objections: Catholics and Protestants in Germany announced on Tuesday that they would press ahead with intercommunion at an event in May despite Vatican objections.

We have a fail-safe vaccine for the deadlier pandemic of hopelessness

Fail-Safe Vaccine for the Deadlier Pandemic: Hopelessness | National ReviewLOPEZ: On the first-ever papal visit to Iraq, Pope Francis said, “We know how easy it is to be infected by the virus of discouragement that at times seems to spread all around us.” He was talking to a persecuted people, but he was also talking to every one of us.

Papal subordinates trigger another ‘imbergoglio’ with St. Peter’s side-altar Mass ban

St.%20Peter%u2019s%20Side-Altar%20Mass%20Ban%3A%20Papal%20Subordinates%20Trigger%20Another%20%u2018Imbergoglio%u2019%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterDESOUZA: Ad multos annos Holy Father! Just try to avoid the anniversaries. … Your subordinates ruin them by launching embarrassing “imbergoglios.” The eighth anniversary of Pope Francis’ election brought a completely unexpected and wholly unnecessary controversy. The Vatican Secretariat of State, without forewarning or any apparent consultation...

Catholic Church does not have the power to bless same-sex unions, says Vatican

Vatican%u2019s%20Doctrinal%20Office%3A%20Catholic%20Church%20Cannot%20Give%20Blessings%20to%20Same-Sex%20Unions%7C%20National%20Catholic%20Register: The Vatican’s doctrinal office on Monday clarified that the Catholic Church does not have the power to give liturgical blessings of homosexual unions. Answering the question “does the Church have the power to give the blessing to unions of persons of the same sex?,” the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith responded, “negative.”

June 27 may decide if the Vatican’s financial gamble is paying off

June%2027%20may%20decide%20if%20Vatican%u2019s%20financial%20gamble%20pays%20offALLEN: On Friday the Vatican released a detailed budget statement for 2020, confirming earlier reports that in 2020 it ran a deficit of about $60 million, which would have been closer to $100 million had income from Peter’s Pence, an annual collection to support the works of the pope, not been included for the first time.

Strong families, strong selves

Strong Families, Strong Selves | Charles J. Chaput | First ThingsCHAPUT: To borrow a thought from Catherine of Siena, nothing great is ever achieved without suffering. No one wants to suffer. No healthy person seeks to do so. But most people do know that accomplishing anything important is hard. Suffering can be fruitful if we understand its roots and channel it toward good ends.

The Enduring Love of God – A Homily for the 4th Sunday of Lent

The%20Enduring%20Love%20of%20God%20%u2013%20A%20Homily%20for%20the%204th%20Sunday%20of%20Lent%20-%20Community%20in%20MissionPOPE: The readings from Sunday Mass speak to us of our desperate condition and how God’s abiding love has not only set us free but has lifted us higher as well. God was not content to restore us to some earthly garden, paradise though it was. No, He so loved the world that He sent His Son, who opened Heaven itself for us and has given us a new, transformed, and eternal life.

He is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty

At%20the%20Father%u2019s%20Right%20Hand%20%7C%20Parishable%20ItemsFELTES: Jesus tells Nicodemus, “Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.” First, Jesus is raised up on the Cross. Next, he is raised up from the tomb. And finally, he is raised up to heaven. As this week’s section of The Apostles’ Creed proclaims...

Pope Francis celebrates 500 years of ‘the joy of the Gospel’ in the Philippines, home of 90 million Catholics

Pope Francis celebrates 500 years of 'the joy of the Gospel' in the Philippines: Pope Francis offered Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica on Sunday to mark 500 years of Catholic faith in the Philippines.

Cancel culture comes to Catholics and all Christians

Cancel culture comes to Catholics and all Christians | Catholic Culture: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has imposed a Gag Rule on Catholics and other Christians who are the targets of her pro-LGBTQ so-called “Equality Act,” HR 5. No Catholic or Evangelical representatives who opposed HR 5 testified before the April, 2019 Judiciary Committee hearing...

Amazon breaks silence in attempt to explain why it erased ‘When Harry Became Sally’

Amazon%20Breaks%20Silence%2C%20Explains%20Why%20It%20Erased%20%u2018When%20Harry%20Became%20Sally%u2019%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterDESMOND: This week Amazon broke its silence over the purging of Ryan Anderson’s When Harry Became Sally: Responding to the Transgender Moment, and explained why it had delisted the book in a letter to GOP senators who had demanded answers from the tech giant.

Founder of ecumenical Bose Monastery strikes back in tug-of-war with Vatican

Founder, ecumenical monk strikes back in tug-of-war with Vatican: In a lengthy post on his personal blog, Italian lay monk Enzo Bianchi broke his silence amid an ongoing showdown with the Vatican, defending himself against what he said are “lies” about him that misconstrue the facts of his case.

Addiction has risen during the pandemic, but help is nearby

Addiction%20has%20risen%20during%20the%20pandemic%2C%20but%20help%20is%20nearby%20%u2013%20Catholic%20Philly: It was nearly three decades ago that I first uttered those words to a roomful of strangers, having no idea of the life-changing impact that one simple sentence would make. Alcoholics Anonymous gave me the tools to rebuild my life. It also, as one of many unintended consequences, brought me back to the Catholic faith, a faith I had practically abandoned in my late teens.

What can we learn from the repentant thief?

What can we learn from the repentant thief? | Knowing Is DoingTORRE: The anatomy of a good question is meant to awaken both the intellect and will. Regardless of the topic, the aim of a good question is to arrive at objective truth. Engaging reality versus fallacy is vital for any group, community, or civilization to foster fruitful conversation that nourishes both the mind and heart...

Vatican prohibits priests from celebrating private daily Masses at St. Peter’s side altars

Vatican%20Prohibits%20Priests%20From%20Celebrating%20Private%20Daily%20Masses%20At%20St.%20Peter%u2019s%20Side%20Altars%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterGAGLIARDUCCI: A new letter from the Vatican Secretariat of State has banned the daily private celebration of Masses at side altars in St. Peter’s Basilica, effective March 22. The regulation might seem tailored to meet COVID restrictions, as Italy prepares to tighten its pandemic measures once again. However, the new rule appears to be permanent.

Cardinal Burke expresses ‘deepest concerns’ about Vatican’s instruction on Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica, says it should be rescinded

Cardinal%20Burke%20Says%20Vatican%u2019s%20Instruction%20on%20Mass%20in%20St.%20Peter%u2019s%20Basilica%20Should%20Be%20Rescinded%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterPENTIN: Cardinal Raymond Burke has expressed his “deepest concerns” about an internal Vatican letter regarding new rules for Masses celebrated in St. Peter’s basilica, saying it is in “direct violation of universal Church law” and should be “rescinded immediately.”

Does President Joe Biden need ‘Catholic safe spaces’ in order to receive Communion?

Does%20President%20Joe%20Biden%20need%20%27Catholic%20safe%20spaces%27%20in%20order%20to%20receive%20Communion%3F%20%u2014%20GetReligionLISI: Whether some Catholic politicians can receive Holy Communion has been a matter of debate for decades. The election of Joe Biden, a man constantly identified as as a “devout Catholic” by his staff and, thus, the mainstream press — has put a hot spotlight on this familiar issues...

“Don’t Worry, Be Happy!” is neither a hymn nor a liturgical guideline

%u201CDon%u2019t%20Worry%2C%20Be%20Happy%u201D%20Is%20Not%20a%20Hymn%20%u2014%20or%20a%20Liturgical%20Guideline%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterGRONDELSKI: Popes lament the loss of a sense of sin. Pope Pius XII in 1950 wrote, “Perhaps the greatest sin in the world today is that men have begun to lose the sense of sin.” Almost 65 years later, Pope Francis said essentially the same thing...

The world episcopate and the German apostasy

The world episcopate and the German apostasy - Denver CatholicWEIGEL: As the names Ambrose, Augustine, Athanasius, and John Chrysostom suggest, the middle centuries of the first millennium, the era of the Church Fathers, were the golden age of the Catholic episcopate. The Catholic Church recognizes 35 men and women as exemplary teachers...

Survey: One in three Catholics in Germany thinking of leaving Church

Survey: One in three Catholics in Germany thinking of leaving Church: A third of all German Catholics are considering leaving the Church, according to a new survey published on Thursday.

Jonathan Butcher: Critical Race Theory and the new intolerance

Respect Life Radio Podcast - Jonathan Butcher: Critical Race Theory and the new intolerance | Free Listening on Podbean App: Critical Race Theory “is the idea that we can only see the world through a racial lens: America is systemically racist. And we must disrupt and, frankly, overturn systems of governing authority in the United States," said Jonathan Butcher, the Will Skillman Fellow in Education at The Heritage Foundation...

On airplanes that fail and the God Who does not

On Airplanes That Fail and the God Who Does Not| National Catholic RegisterMARTIN: Imagine the following scenario, and never mind how entirely insane it may seem. You must permit each man his own metaphor. Here, then, is mine. You are to picture yourself happily ensconced in an airplane as it hurtles across an ocean sky some 40,000 feet high.

A hero for our time

A Hero for Our Time| National Catholic RegisterESOLEN: Begin in revolution; end in farce. I have a vision of a new monument, befitting what my beloved country has become. It will not be a statue of a statesman. Tucked into a green triangle between Massachusetts Avenue, L Street and 11th Street, in Washington, D.C., there stands a fine bronze sculpture of Edmund Burke.

Vatican says general absolution still permissible during pandemic

Vatican says general absolution still permissible during pandemic - Catholic News Service: Offering general absolution to the faithful without having them personally confess their sins first may still be done in places seeing serious or increasing levels of coronavirus infections, a Vatican official said.

Year of St. Joseph #1 — Activist Milo Yiannopoulos is now ‘ex-gay,’ consecrating his life to St. Joseph

Activist%20Milo%20Yiannopoulos%20is%20now%20%u2018Ex-Gay%2C%u2019%20consecrating%20his%20life%20to%20St.%20Joseph%20%7C%20News%20%7C%20LifeSite: Milo Yiannopoulos, the gay man whose conservative messaging and willingness to speak the truth sparked riots on university campuses may well trigger more outrage now that he describes himself as “Ex-Gay” and “sodomy free,” and is leading a daily consecration to St. Joseph online.

When a woman says ‘yes’ to a marriage

When a Woman Says Yes | LifeCraftCUDDEBACK: One telling aspect of a marriage proposal is that the man usually has a bit to say. Even if he doesn’t actually put it all into words, he needs to be ready to give an account for himself and why he is making this specific proposition, to this particular person. For this reason, in the stories of the proposal we tend to focus on what the man does and says...

Year of St. Joseph #2 — Is Christ moving in Jordan Peterson? Psychologist weeps while discussing Christianity

Is Christ Moving in Jordan Peterson? Psychologist Weeps While Discussing Christianity |: Internationally acclaimed psychologist Jordan Peterson recently spoke with Eastern Orthodox artist Jonathan Pageau about various topics, including Christianity. The video’s description states that two discuss...

Moose caught ‘genuflecting’ at Catholic church in Steamboat Springs, Colorado

Moose%20Caught%20%u2018Genuflecting%u2019%20at%20Steamboat%20Springs%20Catholic%20Church%20%7C%20Unofficial%20Networks: A motorist in Steamboat Springs, CO captured a moose and her calf ‘genuflecting’ in front of Holy Name Catholic Church yesterday evening. Pretty silly video, but it’s funny to imagine a moose just strolling up to your church’s front lawn and eating grass.

Year of St. Joseph #3 — Arkansas passes near-total abortion ban (and a possible test case to overturn ‘Roe v. Wade’)

Arkansas Passes Near-Total Abortion Ban : NPR: Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Tuesday signed into law one of the country's most restrictive abortion bans, a measure supporters hope will force the U.S. Supreme Court to revisit its 1973 decision sanctioning the procedure.

Cardinal Sarah offers first comments since resignation: ‘The only thing that counts is to seek God ever more deeply’

Cardinal%20Sarah%3A%20%u2018The%20Only%20Thing%20That%20Counts%20Is%20to%20Seek%20God%20Ever%20More%20Deeply%u2019%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterPENTIN: In his first interview since Pope Francis accepted his resignation as prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments last month, Cardinal Robert Sarah has revealed how ideological struggles over worship were a source of ‘great suffering’ for him.

In dramatic viral images, Catholic nun begs police not to shoot protesters during Burma unrest

Catholic nun begs police not to shoot protesters during Burma unrest: A religious sister in northern Burma knelt before police on Monday, begging them not to use violence against protesters.

Could St. Sabina’s, Father Pfleger’s Chicago parish, become a South Side showdown?

Could St. Sabina's become a South Side showdown? - The PillarJDFLYNN: Ten years ago, Cardinal Francis George of Chicago and Fr. Michael Pfleger found themselves in a stand-off. Depending on whom you ask, the story could be framed as a misunderstanding that spun out of control. But Pfleger didn’t see it that way, and neither do a lot of other Chicago Catholics.

Why is everyone so confused about vaccines right now? Three reasons: nuance, bad writing, and prominent outliers

Bishops and vaccines: Why'd you have to go and make things so complicated? - The Pillar: The controversy for Catholics is rooted in the use of genetic material derived from aborted children in the 1970s, specifically the HEK (Human embryonic kidney) 293 cell line. This genetic material has been used for decades in the development of vaccines for various diseases, in the manufacture of other medical treatments, and, as a recent statement from a group of Catholic pro-life scholars noted, for testing many of the processed foods sold in the United States.

Filipino molecular biologist/moral theologian says American Catholics should rethink rhetoric on vaccines

Filipino expert urges American Catholics to rethink rhetoric on vaccinesALLEN: As American Catholics continue to wrangle over the morality of COVID-19 vaccines using stem cell lines remotely derived from aborted fetuses, one Filipino Dominican priest, who’s both a moral theologian and an MIT-trained molecular biologist, is pleading with them to consider the potentially dangerous global consequences of their rhetoric.

Disney princess movies like Cinderella and Moana are full of hidden Christian parallels

Finding Christ in Disney Princess Movies: The Biblical Meaning Hidden in Disney Fairytales |: Being a father of young children always brings about unexpected perspectives within everyday life. My wife and I are blessed with five children under the age of seven. Three of them are girls. This means that watching Disney movies – especially Disney princess movies – is a regular occurrence within our home...

Meet the Catholic priests who have gone on the ‘spiritual offense’ during the COVID-19 pandemic

Meet%20the%20Catholic%20Priests%20Who%20Have%20Gone%20on%20%u2018Spiritual%20Offense%u2019%20During%20the%20COVID-19%20Pandemic%7C%20National%20Catholic%20Register: Last March, when Father Brian Gannon, pastor of St. Theresa Catholic Church in Trumbull, learned of an impending government-ordered lockdown to prevent transmission of the novel coronavirus, his heart sank, and he feared for the future.

When the Church loses her mission, people lose their faith

When the Church Loses Its Mission People Lose Their Faith - Catholic Missionary Disciples - College Station, TXLEJEUNE: I recently helped a friend move into his new home. He is a Catholic priest and got assigned as Pastor to a new parish. This parish has multiple locations and dozens of buildings. When he realized just how many things he is responsible for, it was a bit disorienting...

MSNBC is not exactly a bastion of Catholicism — which makes this Rachel Maddow segment on Fr. Emil Kapaun all the more compelling to watch

New%20Advent%3A%20MSNBC%20is%20not%20exactly%20a%20bastion%20of%20Catholicism%20%u2014%20which%20makes%20this%20Rachel%20Maddow%20segment%20on%20Fr.%20Emil%20Kapaun%20all%20the%20more%20compelling%20to%20watch: The Rachel Maddow Show – "Impossible" from Rocco Palmo on Vimeo...

Masses following CDC health guidelines ‘extremely safe’ to attend, expert says

Masses following CDC health guidelines 'extremely safe' to attend, expert says - Catholic San Francisco - San Francisco, CA: With parishes across California resuming their liturgical lives, Massgoers should be reassured about the level of risk going to church entails. “It is extremely safe to attend Mass indoors following common sense precautions as recommended by the CDC,” Dr. Timothy Flanigan said. Flanigan, professor of medicine and of health services, policy and practice at Brown University, member of the university’s Division of Infectious Diseases and a Catholic deacon...

In a big win for First Amendment rights, Supreme Court rules 8-1 in favor of Georgia student whose college evangelization efforts were suppressed

Court revives lawsuit from student seeking nominal damages for free-speech violation at public college - SCOTUSblog: The Supreme Court on Monday issued a major ruling in a dispute over free speech on the grounds of a public college. By a vote of 8-1 in Uzuegbunam v. Preczewski, the justices agreed that a lawsuit by a Georgia student who alleges that his constitutional rights were violated when college officials enforced speech restrictions can go forward even after officials abandoned the policy.

The consequences of the Equality Act, if passed, would be severe. Here are just a few examples...

Christian Agitation and the Equality Act - Denver Catholic: I don’t know about you, but I find myself getting agitated pretty easily these days, often in ways that are not fitting for a believing Christian. I have been thinking a lot about the perils of living in a society which is becoming more and more overtly hostile to many of the norms that were simply taken for granted by the vast majority of our fellow citizens a mere 20 years ago. I’ll come back to that in a minute.

Here’s good background to help understand the significance of today’s Supreme Court free speech ruling

The Supreme Court, Taylor Swift and Religious Freedom| National Catholic Register: The question of whether people whose freedom has been illegally curtailed can be vindicated when they only seek nominal damages may seem nothing more than a legal technicality. Trust me: It isn’t.

Pope Francis’ visit to Iraq is arguably the most emblematic papal trip of all time

Francis in Iraq arguably the most emblematic papal trip of all timeALLEN: Every papal trip is, in a sense, an exercise in storytelling. A pope chooses to travel to a given destination in part because he believes it has a story the world needs to hear, and, for a few days, he lends it his spotlight, so the global media pay attention.

Vatican foreign minister says Pope wants to save Middle East Christianity

Vatican foreign minister says Pope wants to save Middle East ChristianitySANMARTIN: British Archbishop Paul Gallagher, in effect the Vatican’s foreign minister, told Crux that trying to stop the hemorrhaging of Christians from the Middle East was one of the reasons behind the pope’s steadfast determination to carry out his March 5-8 trip to Iraq despite the challenges.

Are German bishops poised to become liberal Luthers?

Attention%20news%20editors%3A%20Are%20German%20Catholic%20bishops%20poised%20to%20become%20liberal%20Luthers%3F%20%u2014%20GetReligionLISI: Germany’s Catholic bishops embarked on a series of conversations in 2018 aimed at reforming Church teachings. It was an ambitious, if not audacious, effort addressing everything from homosexuality, priestly celibacy and the ordination of women. As always, the word “reform,” in this context, means modernizing ancient church doctrines.

Christ was lifted up

Christ Was Lifted Up | Parishable ItemsFELTES: People would pilgrimage to the Temple in Jerusalem from across the known world to worship, often bringing money to purchase oxen, sheep, or doves for sacrifices to God. So vendors had set up shop in the Temple’s outermost court exchanging foreign currencies into Hebrew coins for a percentage fee and selling animals for a healthy profit.

‘This is the pure Gospel’: Moved by Iraqi Christians’ witness, Pope Francis returns to Rome, promises future visit to Lebanon

%u2018This%20is%20the%20pure%20Gospel%u2019%3A%20Pope%20Francis%20moved%20by%20Iraqi%20Christians%u2019%20witness: Pope Francis said Monday that the sight of the destroyed churches and ruins in Mosul and the Nineveh Plains in northern Iraq left him speechless.

Do you struggle with depression? Take heart, and take advice, from a bishop who has been there too...

There Will Be Light | Prime MattersCONLEY: Most Rev. James D. Conley, Bishop of Lincoln, joined Dr. James Link, a Catholic clinical psychologist based in Bismarck, North Dakota, via Zoom on January 30, 2021, to discuss the relationship between Catholic spirituality and psychology. In December 2019, Bishop Conley requested time away in order to seek assistance...

Do you struggle with anxiety? Here are 3 problems with worry, and 2 things you should do when you start worrying...

New Advent: Are you anxious? Here are 3 problems with worry, and 2 things you should do when you start worrying...STEFANICK: Are you worried? Worrying is at an all-time high. What about my wife my kids? My investments? My lack of investments? Relationship problems? The ‘Great Reset?’ What am I going to do about all this stuff? Listen, I’m going to tell you three problems with worry and two things you have to do when you start worrying, and what all that has to do with juggling.

Pope Francis in Erbil: ‘Today I can see at first hand that the Church in Iraq is alive’

Pope%20Francis%20in%20Erbil%3A%20%u2018Today%20I%20can%20see%20at%20first%20hand%20that%20the%20Church%20in%20Iraq%20is%20alive%u2019: Pope Francis on Sunday expressed joy at the vitality of the Church in Iraq despite years of fierce persecution.

On Day 2 of Iraq trip, Pope tells Chaldean Catholics: ‘Love is our strength’

Pope Francis trip to Iraq 2021: Pope Francis to Chaldean Catholics: 'Love is our strength': At Mass in Baghdad on Saturday, Pope Francis told Iraqi Christians that no matter what the world thinks, love is a strength, and it always triumphs over sin and evil.

Exactly 310 years after Guadalupe, Our Lady appeared to Indians in the present-day U.S.

Exactly 310 Years After Guadalupe, Our Lady Appeared to Indians in the Present-Day U.S.| National Catholic RegisterPRONECHEN: It was Christmas Eve, 1841, in Montana’s Bitterroot Valley. Montana was still decades from statehood. The Salish Indians in that locality had welcomed missionaries only in September. Father Pierre-Jean De Smet, the well-known Jesuit missionary, had arrived with two fellow priests to found a mission among the Salish, also then called the Flatheads, who were eager to learn the Catholic faith and be baptized.

COVID-19 vaccines, and how scientists like Dr. Amesh Adalja get science and religion wrong

Getting%20Science%20and%20Religion%20Wrong%20%28Plus%20COVID%20Vaccines%29%20%u2013%20Jimmy%20AkinAKIN: It isn’t often that I come across an editorial filled with as much factual inaccuracy and misunderstanding as the recent one by Dr. Amesh A. Adalja. This is striking, because he’s a Senior Scholar at the Johns Hopkins University Center for Health Security, and his editorial is on health security.

Here’s an excellent comparison of Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, and 33 other COVID-19 vaccines

Assessing the Morality of COVID-19 Vaccines Developed with Abortion-Derived Tissue: A Register Guide| National Catholic Register: Shortly after a new single dose COVID-19 vaccine from Johnson & Johnson was approved for use in the U.S., Bishop Gregory Aymond of New Orleans issued a statement warning the faithful that the vaccine was “morally compromised” due to its reliance on abortion-derived cells in both its development and testing, and advising Catholics that they consequently should use vaccines that are more morally acceptable vaccines if those vaccines are available.

God made you for happiness in Heaven, not comfort on Earth

God Made You For Happiness in Heaven, Not Comfort on Earth| National Catholic RegisterGRONDELSKI: “Happy” is unlikely an adjective most people associate with Lent. By the First Sunday of Lent, Catholics in the United States will have already experienced their one (of a whole two) fast days of the year and returned to Friday abstinence (which used to be year round). We talk about what we will “give up” for Lent, and we hear of penance. What’s “happy?”

Iraq has given many great saints to the Church

The Saints of Iraq| National Catholic RegisterPENTIN: As one of the oldest continuous Christian communities in the world, the Christians of Iraq — whom Pope Francis will visit March 5-8 — have not only given the world a culturally rich ecclesiastical heritage, but also accorded the Church innumerable great saints, many of whom are martyrs for the faith.

Medal of Honor chaplain Father Emil Kapaun’s body identified, as sainthood inquiry continues

Medal of Honor chaplain Fr Emil Kapaun's body identified, as sainthood inquiry continues: Department of Defense investigators have identified the remains of U.S. Army chaplain and Servant of God Fr. Emil Kapaun among the unknown Korean War soldiers buried in a Hawaiian cemetery, much to the surprise and joy of the priest’s relatives and devotees in his home state of Kansas.

Curial speculation follows Pope’s meeting with Cardinal Cupich and Bishop Prevost

Curial speculation follows papal meetings with bishops: Sources have told CNA that Pope Francis may choose two US-born prelates as prefects of congregations in the Roman Curia. The two are Blase Cardinal Cupich, Archbishop of Chicago, and Bishop Robert Prevost of Chiclayo. Pope Francis had a private audience with Cardinal Cupich Jan. 30, while he met Bishop Prevost March 1.

Pope intervenes to ask founder of ecumenical Community of Bose to pack his bags

Pope intervenes to ask ecumenical founder to pack his bags: An ongoing showdown between the Vatican and an Italian lay monk who’s repeatedly dodged an order to leave the ecumenical monastery he founded took a new turn Friday, as Pope Francis directly intervened to request the founder’s compliance.

Pope Francis in Iraq, Wuerl’s $2 million raises big questions, and Andrew Cuomo

Pope%20Francis%20in%20Iraq%2C%20Wuerl%u2019s%20%242m%20raises%20big%20questions%2C%20and%20Andrew%20Cuomo%20-%20Action%20Man%21%20-%20The%20PillarCONDON: Pope Francis is in Iraq. It is an historic trip, in the proper sense of the term. The region is home to Catholic communities far older than the name “Iraq,” or the concept of a nation state, and the suffering of that people as they try to hold on to their ancient homes is truly worthy of our every attention and effort of support.

Pope Francis arrives in Iraq: ‘The name of God cannot be used to justify acts of murder’

Pope%20Francis%20in%20Iraq%3A%20%u2018The%20name%20of%20God%20cannot%20be%20used%20to%20justify%20acts%20of%20murder%u2019: In his first speech in Iraq, Pope Francis called for an end to violence and extremism so that ordinary Iraqis can live, work, and pray in peace. Speaking to Iraqi government authorities from the hall of the Presidential Palace in Baghdad, the pope said that “religion, by its very nature, must be at the service of peace and fraternity.”

Father Edward Meeks: ‘Why politics is not our religion’

Respect Life Radio Podcast - Fr. Edward Meeks: Why politics is not our religion | Free Listening on Podbean App: "Whether we're accused of being overly political or not, we have to take a stand for the sanctity of life, the sanctity of marriage and religious liberty, because all three of them are under assault in this culture today," said Fr. Edward Meeks, the founding pastor of Christ the King Church in Towson, Maryland...

2021 OSV Challenge will help build up Catholic innovators and non-profits

2021%20OSV%20Challenge%20will%20help%20build%20up%20Catholic%20innovators%20and%20non-profits%20%u2013%20Catholic%20World%20ReportGRAVES: The OSV Institute for Catholic Innovation is accepting application submissions for the 2021 OSV Challenge, an entrepreneurial competition designed to “incubate unique project ideas in any stage from Catholics whose faith has motivated them to make a difference.” Three prizes of $100,000 each will be awarded to three Catholic non-profits...

Are Germany’s Catholic bishops paving the way to a schism?

Germany's Catholic bishops aim to rewrite the catechism, igniting a potential schismLISI: Germany’s Catholic bishops embarked on a series of conversations in 2018 aimed at reforming church teachings. It was an ambitious, if not audacious, effort on everything from homosexuality, priestly celibacy and the ordination of women.

How does society measure mothers?

How%20Does%20Society%20Measure%20Mothers%3F%20%u2013%20Theology%20of%20HomeMERING: Quarantine and political violence have made city life considerably less appealing, leading to a noticeable exodus out of cities in favor of simpler lives and less expensive locales. Accompanying this trend are large numbers of women leaving the workforce. With school-age children suddenly at home, this can come as no surprise. Many erstwhile employed women surely lament this change and feel eager to get their children back in school and their jobs back on track...

Newark’s Cardinal Tobin appointed member of the Vatican’s Congregation for Bishops

Cardinal%20Joseph%20Tobin%20appointed%20member%20of%20Vatican%u2019s%20Congregation%20for%20Bishops: Pope Francis on Thursday appointed the archbishop of Newark, Cardinal Joseph Tobin, a member of the Congregation for Bishops. Pope Francis also named Cardinal Sérgio da Rocha, archbishop of São Salvador da Bahia, Brazil, a member of the same 25-member Vatican congregation. As a member, Cardinal Tobin joins...

In Iraq, the Pope will honor the memory of a martyred Christian population, and reach out to the Shi’a

In%20Iraq%2C%20Pope%20can%20deepen%20ties%20with%20Church%u2019s%20natural%20Islamic%20partnersALLEN: Tomorrow Pope Francis leaves for Iraq, and in most of the Christian world it’ll be seen as a trip to honor the memory of a martyred Christian population that suffered unimaginable horrors under an ISIS occupation of the Nineveh Plains region of the country between 2014 and 2017.

Archdiocese of Washington defends Cardinal Wuerl’s $2,000,000 fund for ‘continuing ministry activities’ during COVID-19 shutdown

Washington account of $2m Cardinal Wuerl fund raises transparency questions - The Pillar: The Archdiocese of Washington on Thursday said that more than $2 million allocated for the “continuing ministry activities” of emeritus archbishop Cardinal Donald Wuerl was given by donors to cover Wuerl’s living and travel expenses, along with charitable gifts given on behalf of the cardinal.

From feckless episcopal leadership, Lord save us

From feckless episcopal leadership, Lord save us | Catholic CultureLAWLER: Do you wonder why many Catholics have grown cynical about their bishops? The Pillar news site reports that this year’s budget for the Archdiocese of Washington includes $2 million for the “continuing ministry” of Cardinal Donald Wuerl, who resigned from active ministry nearly two years ago amid what polite people call questions about his role in the McCarrick scandal.

St. Thomas Aquinas says Heaven is like a baby who has a beard

Heaven is Like a Baby with a Beard | Dominicana: This isn’t my own original idea. It belongs to Saint Thomas Aquinas, who used it to argue against the claim that in heaven we’ll somehow lose our humanity. If we spend time thinking about it, the beatific vision—the strange and glorious union with God that we will enjoy in heaven—can seem like something unnatural to us.

People will always be interested in conspiracy theories. We need a tool kit for discriminating among different fringe ideas...

Opinion | A Better Way to Think About Conspiracies - The New York TimesDOUTHAT: No problem concerns journalists and press-watchers so much these days as the proliferation of conspiracy theories and misinformation on the internet. “We never confronted this level of conspiracy thinking in the U.S. previously,” Marty Baron, the former executive editor of The Washington Post, told Der Spiegel in a recent interview...

Archdiocese of Washington allocates $2,000,000+ for retired Cardinal Wuerl’s ‘continuing ministry’ in 2020

Washington%20archdiocese%20allocates%20%242m%20for%20Cardinal%20Wuerl%u2019s%20%u2018continuing%20ministry%u2019%20-%20The%20Pillar: The Archdiocese of Washington has allocated more than $2 million for the “ministry activities” of retired Cardinal Donald Wuerl. The archdiocese, which has pledged in recent years a commitment to financial transparency, has not responded to questions about the details of Wuerl’s continued ministry, the costs associated with it, or the source of the funds allocated for Wuerl.

Servant of God Shahbaz Bhatti proclaimed Christ in a Muslim nation — and 10 years ago, he was assassinated

Servant%20of%20God%20Shahbaz%20Bhatti%20Proclaimed%20Christ%20in%20a%20Muslim%20Nation%20%u2014%2010%20Years%20Ago%2C%20He%20was%20Assassinated%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterSIMONSON: What was it like growing up Muslim in the United States? The answer, in my case, is that it was a cakewalk. I’d met a fair number of people who’d converted to Islam, and not one of them suffered any legal ramifications whatsoever for having done so. I never had to worry about the prospects of a Christian neighbor arbitrarily accusing me of blasphemy, much less being thrown in jail on any such charge.

“I animated this classic childhood photo of St. Thérèse of Lisieux using a new AI-based platform. This is pretty amazing...”

(12) Dr. Joseph D. White on Twitter: "I animated this classic childhood photo of St. Therese of Lisieux using a new AI-based platform. This is pretty amazing! Like meeting #StTherese herself! @SocLittleFlower @OSV https://t.co/bR0ifv4TD7" / Twitter: I animated this classic childhood photo of St. Thérèse of Lisieux using a new AI-based platform. This is pretty amazing! Like meeting St. Thérèse herself...

St. Katharine Drexel inherited her father’s fortune — and Our Father’s Kingdom

Mother%20Drexel%20Inherited%20Her%20Father%u2019s%20Fortune%20%u2014%20and%20Our%20Father%u2019s%20Kingdom%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterSCHIFFER: Twenty million dollars. That’s how much St. Katharine Drexel donated to the education and care of the poor. The young Philadelphia heiress, who was raised by her father, banking magnate Frederick Drexel, and her stepmother Emma Bouvier, had more money than most people can imagine...

I never really liked Dr. Seuss much anyway

I never really liked Dr. Seuss much anyway | Charlotte was BothWELBORN: Write what you want. Publish what you want. Teach what you want. Stock your libraries with what you want. Withdraw what you want. Prohibit what you want. Just do it on the most local scale possible, so the rest of us can write, publish, teach, stock, withdraw and prohibit what we want, as well.

10 mysterious things to know about guardian angels

10 Mysterious things to know about guardian angelsKOSLOSKI: Guardian angels are mysterious beings that are invisible to our eyes, but surround us and accompany us on a daily basis. Here are 10 fascinating facts about these spiritual creatures and how they affect our everyday lives.

These pastors are learning how to create an ‘Amazing Parish’

These pastors are learning how to create an "Amazing Parish"BURGER: Except for a few cynics, pretty much everyone accepts the fact that a church is not a business. But Patrick Lencioni wants to bring to Catholic parishes the principles he’s been sharing for years with businesses like Southwest Airlines. The key difference is, when visitors walk into a church...

When a man proposes

When a Man Proposes | LifeCraftCUDDEBACK: Even as marriage between a man and a woman is undermined, ridiculed, or simply set aside, we naturally feel the power and poignancy of a man proposing to a woman. This particular form of human interaction holds an almost limitless interest for us. We want to hear the whole story, even when we already know how it turns out in the end.

78 years ago, one of the best dance routines ever was filmed, unrehearsed on the first take

75 Years Ago, One of the Best Dance Routines Ever Was Filmed, Unrehearsed on the First Take TwistedSifter: Fred Astaire said it was ‘the greatest dancing he had ever seen on film’. In a dance performance for the ages, the Nicholas Brothers, Fayard (1914–2006) and Harold (1921–2000), dazzled audiences with their acrobatic routine to Cab Calloway’s hit song, Jumpin’ Jive. Not only that, but the routine was unrehearsed and what you see was the first take!

U.S. bishops address concern over Johnson & Johnson vaccine’s abortion link

Bishops address concern over Johnson & Johnson vaccine's abortion link - Catholic News Service: Use of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, approved Feb. 27 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, raises moral concerns because it was “was developed, tested and is produced with abortion-derived cell lines,” the chairmen of two U.S. bishops committees said March 2.

Cardinal Pell and squirming Catholics

Cardinal Pell and squirming Catholics - Denver CatholicWEIGEL: According to the movie Love Story, “Love means never having to say you’re sorry.” Typical Hollywood fluff, you might say. Yet the best answer to that asininity was given by a Hollywood all-star, the late, great Charlton Heston. Asked the secret of what would eventually become his 64-year long marriage to Lydia, Chuck Heston replied...

Pope’s Wednesday audience: ‘Prayer opens us up to the Trinity’; faithful asked to pray for Iraq trip and Burma

Pope%20Francis%20calls%20at%20general%20audience%20for%20end%20to%20%u2018bloody%20clashes%u2019%20in%20Burma: Pope Francis appealed on Wednesday for an end to “bloody clashes” and the release of political leaders in Burma. Speaking at the end of his general audience on March 3, the pope lamented the deaths of protesters following a military coup in the Southeast Asian country on Feb. 1.

How British Intelligence manufactured a Satanic Panic in Northern Ireland 50 years ago

How British Intelligence manufactured a Satanic Panic in Northern Ireland | Boing Boing: The British government once launched a PsyOps campaign against the Provisional IRA that attempted to frame them as devil-worshipping Cultists. They even went as far as having Intelligence Agents research Crowley and other occultists in order to accurately replicate "black masses" and other rituals, which they staged throughout the Northern Irish countryside.

President Biden mentions Our Lady of Guadalupe, displays rosary beads, in virtual meeting with Mexican president

Biden mentions Our Lady of Guadalupe, shows rosary beads, in meeting with Mexican president: President Joe Biden cited Our Lady of Guadalupe and displayed his rosary beads in a conversation with the president of Mexico on Monday. In the virtual conversation with Mexico’s President López Obrador, Biden, a Catholic, claimed a devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe from his previous travels to Mexico as vice president.

As others realized before them, Harry and Meghan discovered that royal life is luxurious — but not indulgent

Aristocratic Freedom and Duty | Fr. Raymond J. de Souza | First ThingsDESOUZA: It is rare for a single family to be the subject of action by both Buckingham Palace and the Holy See in the same week. The Spencer clan, though, is no ordinary family—it includes the dukes of Marlborough, Sir Winston Churchill, and, latterly, Diana, Princess of Wales...

Here are 4 vital elements of Catholic renewal

4 Vital Elements of Catholic Renewal - Catholic Missionary Disciples - College Station, TXLEJEUNE: Imagine taking a small portion of every item in your fridge and cooking them into one dish tonight. You would probably end up with a gross mess for dinner. It may be “food” and provide some kind of nourishment, but it certainly isn’t going to taste good. Now imagine being served this mess at a restaurant. I highly doubt you would go back...

Ring doorbell camera captures FedEx driver making a delivery — then stopping to pray before a statue of Our Lady

FedEx Delivery Driver Stops to Pray Before Statue of Our Lady in Viral Video |: Footage from a personal home security camera captured a FedEx delivery man stopping to pray before a statue of Our Lady on his way back to the delivery truck.

Fr. Pfleger’s Chicago parish is withholding $100,000 per month. Why is it so much, and what are the canonical issues?

Chicago parish to withhold $100k: The sum, and the canonical issues, explained - The Pillar: A Chicago parish made headlines this weekend, saying it planned to withhold $100,000 dollars per month from the archdiocese until a canonical investigation is concluded into the parish’s suspended pastor, Fr. Michael Pfleger. A parish spokesperson explained the sum, and the parish’s decision, which also raises questions about who exactly is leading the parish during Pfleger’s absence.

If Heaven is our aim, why refute the Creed?

If Heaven is our aim, why refute the Creed? | Knowing Is DoingTORRE: There is a specific chapter in the book of Deuteronomy where Moses prepares, proclaims, and instructs Israel to obey God. The Shema or Law of God is what Moses specifically directs Israel to faithfully adhere. After the miraculous events of God’s sovereign power witnessed by the Israelites, one would hope Israel would not hesitate to obey God’s commands...

Have you ever thought of praying outside an abortion clinic?

On Praying outside an Abortion Clinic | National ReviewLOPEZ: Do you know about 40 Days for Life? It’s a campaign of prayer outside of abortion clinics. I’ve been trying to stick with it most days, often signing up for a slot at 3 in the afternoon on weekdays. I quickly learned that 3 is an especially hard time. At this particular clinic...

The ‘Hamilton’ saint: Elizabeth Ann Seton and the Ten-Dollar Founding Father

The%20%u2018Hamilton%u2019%20saint%3A%20Elizabeth%20Seton%20and%20the%20Ten-Dollar%20Founding%20Father%A0%20-%20The%20PillarFARROW: When the orphan and Scotsman dropped in the middle of a forgotten spot in the Caribbean, aka Alexander Hamilton, finally made his way to New York City as a budding revolutionary, he rubbed elbows with other influential members of early American society, including a future Catholic saint, Elizabeth Ann Seton...

Vandals strike at St. Mary Church in New Haven, Connecticut, historic mother church of Knights of Columbus

Vandals Strike at Historic Mother Church of Knights of Columbus| National Catholic RegisterPRONECHEN: On Saturday, Feb. 27, St. Mary Church in New Haven, Connecticut, was the victim of a vandal or vandals. The parish church is also renowned with a shrine of the Infant of Prague and known as the birthplace of the Knights of Columbus. Blessed Michael McGivney, founder of the Knights, is entombed in a sarcophagus in the church.

Chicago’s St. Sabina parish plays hardball, says they’ll withhold monthly $100,000 assessments until Cupich announces results of Father Michael Pfleger’s sex abuse investigation

St. Sabina plans to withhold monthly $100,000 assessments until investigation of the Rev. Michael Pfleger complete - Chicago Tribune: St. Sabina Church plans to stop paying about $100,000 in monthly assessments to the Archdiocese of Chicago to try to hasten the investigation into decades-old sexual abuse allegations involving the Rev. Michael Pfleger.

“Father forgive them, they know not what they do.” But don’t we really know what we are doing?

"Father Forgive them, They Know Not What They Do." But Don't We Really Know What We Are Doing? - Community in MissionPOPE: One of the most powerful things Jesus said from the Cross was, “Father forgive them, they know not what they are doing.” It is beautiful in its graciousness and loving in its leniency. But it is also enigmatic. Did they not in fact, know exactly what they were doing? They had been plotting for several years to set up Jesus and trap him...

The German question risks putting the whole Church in crisis

MondayVatican%20%u2013%20Vatican%20%BB%20Pope%20Francis%2C%20the%20German%20question%20risks%20putting%20the%20whole%20Church%20in%20crisis%20%7C%20MondayVaticanGAGLIARDUCCI: With the appointment of its first lay woman secretary-general, and the first anywhere in the world, the German Bishops’ Conference last week wanted to indicate the fruits of the Synodal Path of the Church in Germany. In short, a signal that the changes they are discussing will be implemented, whether Rome wants it or not.

True love requires a patience that takes us to the terror of the Cross

Beginning to Pray: Christian FormationLILLES: Today, in discerning how to address formation for ministry, the Church states its concerns over human formation. True formation requires the addressing of three dimensions of our human experience: First, conversion from sin; second, accepting and dealing with reality; and third, hoosing the totality of what Christ has revealed a complete surrender of one's whole existence to Him.

Massive Catholic center planned for east Texas

Massive Catholic Center Planned for East Texas| National Catholic RegisterSCHIFFER: A grand oratory, seven Catholic institutes, a retreat center, residences, multilevel educational programs: These are among the ambitious projects about to launch in the bucolic east Texas countryside of Winona, outside of Tyler. Called Veritatis Splendor (The Splendor of Truth), after the encyclical by Pope St. John Paul II on the Church's moral teaching...

In rare new interview, Benedict XVI discusses resignation, Biden, Iraq, conspiracy theories

Pope%20Benedict%u2019s%20%u2018Conscience%20Is%20Clear%u2019%20Regarding%20His%202013%20Resignation%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterPENTIN: In a rare new interview, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI has said his “conscience is clear” about his resignation from the papacy eight years ago, that there is “only one Pope,” and that his decision to resign was a “conscious choice” and unrelated to “conspiracy theories.”