At every Baptism, the angels are present and active

At Every Baptism, the Angels Are Present and Active| National Catholic RegisterPOPE: There is a hint at the role of angels in baptism in a passage from John’s Gospel that prefigures the healing power of baptism. It is the passage about the paralyzed man by the sheep pools at Bethesda. It was said that an angel stirred the waters there every so often and that the first one into the water after that would be healed. Jesus asks the man if he wants to be healed:

Sacred Heart of Mary church in Boulder, Colorado, hit hard by pro-abortion vandals. That parish must be doing something right...

Boulder-area Catholic church vandalized, graffitied | 9news.com: The Boulder County Sheriff's Office is investigating after Sacred Heart of Mary Catholic Church was vandalized early Wednesday morning. “As I drove up, I saw the front signs and I saw the crosses, and as I got closer, I go 'this is way worse than I had envisioned,'" Mark Evevard, the church's Youth Director, said.

Voodoo and its enchantments

The Catholic ThingMAIER: George Orwell, the writer, and Josef Pieper, the Catholic philosopher, came from very different backgrounds. They had very different views. But both shared a keen interest in the use, and abuse, of language. The reason was simple. Words have power. Words matter. But words and their meanings can be slippery creatures...

The persecuted Church deserves better than Casaroli’s failed ‘Ostpolitik.’ So does a world in dire need of moral clarity...

undefinedWEIGEL: When I met Cardinal Agostino Casaroli on February 14, 1997, the architect of the Vatican’s Ostpolitik and its soft-spoken approach to communist regimes in east central Europe in the 1960s and 1970s could not have been more cordial. I was then preparing the first volume of my biography of Pope John Paul II, Witness to Hope, and in requesting a session with the retired cardinal, I emphasized two points...

Father Kapaun imitated Christ's love ‘throughout his ministry,’ bishop says at funeral Mass

Father Kapaun imitated Christ's love 'throughout his ministry', bishop says at funeral Mass: During Wednesday's funeral Mass for Father Emil Kapaun, the Bishop of Wichita called the U.S. Army chaplain who died in a North Korean prisoner of war camp a “humble, and saintly priest.” “We come to pray for Father's repose, to pay our respects to this fallen soldier, this Medal of Honor recipient, to this humble, and saintly priest...”

‘Eucharist,’ by Bishop Robert Barron, is an excellent explanation of the Blessed Sacrament, Holy Sacrifice and Real Presence

New Liturgical Movement: Book Recommendation: Eucharist by Bishop Robert BarronCLAYTON: The book is short - a little over 100 pages long - but rich in content. Bishop Barron establishes his arguments by drawing on Salvation History, Church history, and Thomistic philosophy and theology. Throughout, he does so in an accessible style appropriate to a wide readership, one that both assumes the intelligence of the reader yet demands little prior knowledge of formal theology.

Happy Michaelmas! Here’s a recipe for St. Michael’s Bannock, a Scottish tradition

St.%20Michael%u2019s%20Bannock%20%u2013%20Hearth%20%26%20FieldSTOREY: eptember 29th is the traditional feast of Saint Michael and All Angels, or Michaelmas. Historically one of the British quarter days, when school terms started and rents came due, Michaelmas also has particular foods associated with it, especially roast goose, carrots, and apples. Most charming of all, Michaelmas is traditionally the last day on which you should pick and eat blackberries...

Dozens killed in Islamist attacks in northern Nigeria

Dozens killed in Islamist attacks in northern Nigeria | Crux NowCOLLINS: Dozens of people have been killed in a series of attacks in the northern Nigerian state of Kaduna. Christian Solidarity Worldwide says 49 people were killed in the attacks, which took place Sept. 26 and 27. The organization also says 27 people were kidnapped during the attacks, which the government claims were committed by Islamic State Group-affiliated organizations.

18 things every Catholic should know about Father Emil Kapaun

Father Emil Kapaun: 18 Things Every Catholic Should Know About This Heroic Priest| National Catholic RegisterMURPHY: Servant of God Emil Kapaun will be laid to rest Wednesday, 70 years after the U.S. Army chaplain died in a prison camp in North Korea. Reflecting on his life, legacy and his path to sainthood, here are 18 interesting and inspiring facts about this courageous chaplain who offered so much hope amid despair.

Watch this video in honor of Father Emil Kapaun, a true American and Catholic hero

Watch This Video in Honor of Father Emil Kapaun, a True Hero| National Catholic RegisterSTEFANICK: Today is a historic day for the Church in America! Father Emil Kapaun, the Korean War hero whose remains were identified in March, is finally having his funeral. I filmed a video about him a few years ago that ended up being one of the most-viewed Catholic social media videos of all time. There’s an amazing back story here...

U.S. Bishops Warned of Multiple Instances of Transgendered Seminarians; Cases Involve Scrubbed Medical Records, Fraudulent Sacramental Records

Archbishop%20Listecki%3A%20Transgender%20Students%20%u2018Unknowingly%u2019%20Admitted%20to%20Catholic%20Seminaries%7C%20National%20Catholic%20Register: Bishops should consider requiring DNA tests or physical examinations to ensure that all seminarians are biological men, said Archbishop Jerome Listecki in a recent memo sent to the members of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. In one case, said Archbishop Listecki, “the individual’s sacramental records had been fraudulently obtained to reflect her new identity.”

Watch here: Livestream of Father Emil Kapaun’s funeral Mass in Wichita

Watch%20Here%3A%20Livestream%20of%20Father%20Emil%20Kapaun%u2019s%20Funeral%20Mass%7C%20National%20Catholic%20Register: Father Kapaun died in a prison camp May 23, 1951, at 35 years of age. He was known for risking his life on the battlefield during the Korean War to minister to troops on the front lines. He was taken as a prisoner of war in November 1950; as a POW he suffered from pneumonia and a blood clot in his leg. He continued to serve fellow prisoners until his death.

Thankless lepers: On San Marino and the Church today

Thankless lepers: On San Marino and the Church today | Catholic CultureMIRUS: If you are looking for a microcosm of the modern West, try San Marino: The tiny, land-locked nation just west of the port city of Rimini on the Adriatic Sea. Its population of just under 35,000 inhabits an area of 24 square miles. Based on GDP per capita, San Marino is one of the wealthiest nations in the world. This same population is also 91% Catholic. Yet San Marino has just legalized abortion, not through a political trick but through a public referendum.

This was the last prayer of the four Missionaries of Charity before they were killed by terrorists in 2016

Martyr-nuns' last prayer before being killed: In early March of 2016, a terrorist attack at a convent and nursing home in Yemen left 16 dead. Four of the victims were Sisters of the Missionaries of Charity, the community founded by Mother Teresa. I found a hand-written prayer card this morning commemorating the tragedy. It was tucked inside my journal, and I quickly taped it to the fridge, as hardships at home and in the news headlines have left me sad to the point of distraction.

In storm-damaged Louisiana, there is not victimhood, but resilience and gratitude

Louisianans Show Strength after Hurricane Ida | National ReviewLOPEZ: Mattresses waiting for sanitation pickup. Downed trees. Trees pruned by nature. Bags and bags and bags of garbage that has not been picked up, but mercifully not the first Ida-round of once-frozen meat. On the way from the airport into New Orleans, you saw refrigerators outside homes, too; you wound up having to discard it if you didn’t get a chance to empty your freezer before the storm hit.

Nancy Pelosi keeps invoking awful theology to defend her abortion radicalism

Nancy%20Pelosi%u2019s%20Faulty%20Theology%3A%20Free%20Will%20and%20Abortion%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterKENGOR: A week after Pope Francis again referred to abortion as “murder,” akin to “hiring a hitman,” Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi put forward a bill that the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops called “the most radical abortion bill of all time.” Pelosi’s bishop in San Francisco, Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone, described the bill as...

The Tuesday Pillar Post: They might be saints

They might be saints - by JD Flynn - The PillarJDFLYNN: A few weeks ago, a friend, discouraged by the news of the world, asked me whether The Pillar could have a “good-news-only” week sometime. Well, today’s Tuesday Pillar Post, with several good news stories, comes close to fitting the bill. This was purely coincidental, I assure you...

Without the right of conscience, there is no common good

Without the Right of Conscience, There Is No Common GoodCLARK: Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich recently mandated that all priests and employees of his diocese receive vaccinations against COVID-19. While medical exemptions to his mandate will be granted, religious exemptions will be refused. You read that correctly. With a broad appeal to the “common good,” the cardinal is refusing to recognize individual objections of conscience...

Meet Blessed Vilmos Apor, a bishop who died defending women from the Soviets

Meet Bl. Vilmos Apor, a bishop who died defending womenKOSLOSKI: During World War II, Bishop Vilmos Apor was a strong advocate for all the oppressed, especially Jews who were being taken away by Nazi soldiers. He would often use his own episcopal residence to shelter those who were being persecuted, while he would use a small room for himself. After the Nazis were driven out, the Soviet government stepped in and enacted their own atheistic regime.

The Baltimore Ravens’ record-setting kicker Justin Tucker is a devout Catholic. Listen to him sing Schubert’s Ave Maria...

NFL Kicker Justin Tucker is a Devout Catholic - Listen to Him Gloriously Sing the Ave Maria!: NFL player Justin Tucker set an amazing record on Sun., Sept. 26. The 31-year-old Baltimore Ravens player set the NFL record for kicking the longest fieldgoal ever – 66 yards! Did you know he is also a devout Catholic and an opera singer? The talented professional athlete makes the Sign of the Cross before every kick to “give glory” to God and “say ‘thanks’ for the opportunity.”

‘Let down your nets!’ — In 2001, John Paul II spelled out this 5-step plan for our times...

%27Let%20down%20your%20nets%21%27%20John%20Paul%u2019s%205-step%20plan%20for%20our%20timesHOOPES: “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” Those words of Jesus Christ were also favorites of St. John Paul II, and 20 years ago, he got very practical about what they should mean for us in our time. He gave a very specific plan for the years that would follow the year 2000, and promised it would bring the same result as it did for Simon: “When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish.”

Our good sentiments are not enough to change law and culture. We have to become signs of contradiction...

Becoming Signs of Contradiction | J. D. Flynn | First ThingsJDFLYNN: Last week, British judges upheld a law that permits children with Down syndrome or other disabilities to be aborted in the U.K. at any time before they are born, while abortions of children without disabilities are prohibited after twenty-four weeks’ gestation. The law was challenged by a British woman with Down syndrome, who said it discriminates against people like her...

Canonization cause advances for Cyprien and Daphrose Rugumba, married couple killed in Rwandan genocide

Canonization cause advances for married couple killed in Rwandan genocide - by Michelle La Rosa - The Pillar: The diocesan inquiry into the lives of Cyprien and Daphrose Rugumba concluded last week. If canonized, the couple will become the first Rwandan saints. The couple is known for their humanitarian efforts and their work with the Emmanuel Community, which is promoting their story. Cyprien studied at a Catholic seminary as a young man. However, he was scandalized by some of the behavior of the seminarians there and discouraged by encountering anti-Catholic philosophers...

Everything your friends know about Galileo is wrong — here’s how to set the record straight

Everything%20Your%20Friends%20Know%20About%20Galileo%20Is%20Wrong%20%u2014%20Here%u2019s%20How%20to%20Set%20the%20Record%20Straight%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterGRANEY: Galileo did not prove that the Earth moves. He did not invent the telescope. He was not excommunicated, tortured or burned. So where do these ideas originate? Unfortunately, all too often they have originated with seemingly respectable, scholarly sources; who else would talk about a 17th-century scientist? Even recently a number of respectable-seeming books have been published that promote what Pope St. John Paul II once called the “myth” of Galileo...

What does God do when I sin?

What does God do when I sin? | Knowing Is DoingTORRE: Awareness of your sins I argue is perhaps one of the most valuable charisms a person can possess. The ability to renounce sinful behavior and embrace an active relationship with Jesus Christ is what St. Paul would describe as the way not be conformed to this world but instead be transformed by the renewal of your mind...

Brilliant dashcam fireball videos help scientists find 3 meteorites in Slovenia

Brilliant dashcam fireball videos help scientists find 3 meteorites in Slovenia | Live Science: By diligently tracing dashcam footage from a particularly spectacular fireball seen over central Europe in February 2020, a team of scientists identified the possible source of the space rock.

With support of 64% of voters, Switzerland becomes world’s 30th country to approve same-sex marriage

Swiss Voters Back Same-Sex Marriage| National Catholic Register: Switzerland voted Sunday to legalize same-sex marriage. Around 64% of voters backed the measure in a referendum on Sept. 26, making Switzerland the world’s 30th country to approve gay marriage. The country bordering Italy, France, Germany, Austria, and Liechtenstein has recognized civil unions for same-sex couples since 2007, following a 2005 referendum.

After decades of going against the tide, San Marino (nominally 97% Catholic) votes overwhelmingly to legalize abortion

San Marino Votes to Legalize Abortion| National Catholic Register: The Republic of San Marino voted Sunday to legalize abortion up to 12 weeks of pregnancy. The referendum vote on Sept. 26 ended the country’s ban on abortion, which had been in place since 1865. More than 77% of voters approved the motion to allow abortion in the first trimester of pregnancy...

What proponents of bodily autonomy miss

Surrogacy, Abortion & Bodily Autonomy: Flawed Worldview | National ReviewMERING: The discussion surrounding surrogacy is a fraught one. With all that is wrong in the world, one might wonder why we should take issue with distressed people using science and mutually beneficial market arrangements to orchestrate a goal as human and wholesome as parenthood. Buttressing this position, Ella Whelan argues...

Cardinal Burke Provides Update on His Recovery From COVID-19

Cardinal Burke Provides Update on His Recovery From COVID-19| National Catholic Register: Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke updated his followers on his recovery from COVID-19 and thanked them for their prayers in a letter published late Sunday evening, saying it will be “several more weeks” until he will be ready to return to his normal activities.

The body and the mystery of prayer

Beginning to Pray: The Body and the Mystery of PrayerLILLES: If Christian prayer plummets dim but real reflections of eternal glory in the passing shadows of the world, it is because God has fashioned the world to contain mysteries beyond what is material and visible. By faith, everything becomes a sacrament that gives us God, even the most painful circumstances...

Will souls in Hell receive resurrected bodies too?

Will souls in Hell receive resurrected bodies?KOSLOSKI: While the Church often highlights the glorious resurrection of the body for those in Heaven, we sometimes forget what will happen to any who choose to go to Hell. They too will receive a resurrected body, but not in the same way as those in Heaven. The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains this teaching...

Rome’s great, savage divide will be played out again tonight

Rome%u2019s%20great%2C%20savage%20divide%20to%20play%20out%20again%20tonight%20%7C%20Crux%20NowALLEN: There is a genuine laceration in the Vatican just like all of Rome, unyielding and savage, where “nuance” never applies. Especially for those who hail from Rome itself, it grips everyone from cardinals to street sweepers. I’m talking about the chasm between Laziali and Romanisti, meaning fans of the two great professional soccer teams in the city of Rome...

How artificial intelligence “completed” Beethoven’s unfinished Tenth Symphony

How Artificial Intelligence Completed Beethoven's Unfinished Tenth Symphony | Innovation | Smithsonian Magazine: When Ludwig von Beethoven died in 1827, he was three years removed from the completion of his Ninth Symphony, a work heralded by many as his magnum opus. He had started work on his Tenth Symphony but, due to deteriorating health, wasn’t able to make much headway: All he left behind were some musical sketches.

Remains of Father Emil Kapaun, Medal of Honor recipient and possible future saint, returned to Kansas

Father Kapaun's remains returned to Kansas: The remains of Servant of God Fr. Emil Kapaun returned to his hometown of Pilsen, Kansas on Saturday, ahead of his formal funeral Mass on Wednesday, Sept. 29. The arrival in Kansas marks the conclusion of a 70-year journey since Kapaun, a U.S. Army Captain and chaplain in both World War II and the Korean War, died in a North Korean prisoner of war camp at the age of 35...

In this 26th Week of the Year, the Lord teaches us how to tell the difference between His friends from His foes

Of Friends and Foes: A Homily for the 26th Sunday of the Year - Community in MissionPOPE: In this Sunday’s Gospel there is a certain tension between legitimate freedom and truths we must insist upon. We also have a lot to learn in sorting out friends and foes. The text begins, John said to Jesus, “Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name, and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow us”...

Advice from 3 monks for overcoming the “noonday devil” of acedia

Advice from 3 monks for overcoming acedia: Acedia is a sort of listlessness, a strange state of mind of sadness and melancholy. It was a problem faced by the first Christian monks, those who chose to take refuge in the desert to live more intensely their ideal of spiritual perfection in solitude or in small communities. These men sometimes suffered from discouragement that left them troubled, dissatisfied, sad, and tired...

Here are the largest predators ever to have lived in North America

What were the largest predators in North America? | Live Science: With ecosystems as varied as oceans, plains and frozen tundras, North America is home to some giant and ferocious predators. But these modern creatures — including alligators, great white sharks and polar bears — look minuscule next to the continent's slew of ancient predators. So, what are the largest predators that have ever lived in North America?

Spin cycles surround Cardinal Parolin’s “correction” of Pope Francis

Spin%20cycles%20surround%20Parolin%u2019s%20%u2018correction%u2019%20of%20Pope%20Francis%20%7C%20Crux%20NowALLEN: A few days ago, I and some other journos were engaging in some shoptalk when a veteran reporter, who’s not a Vatican specialist, posed a “food for thought” question. Could any of us think of any global leader in recent memory, outside a totalitarian regime, who’s received such consistently adoring press coverage as Pope Francis? None of us could...

How to own a bull for more than 38 seconds

How%20to%20Own%20a%20Bull%20for%20More%20Than%20Thirty-Eight%20Seconds%3A%20An%20Introduction%20to%20Livestock%20Fencing%20%u2013%20Hearth%20%26%20FieldHANNING: You may have heard that “good fences make good neighbors.” This is particularly true when you are hoping to keep a bull and your neighbors are hoping you will keep it on your own property. For longer than thirty-eight seconds. More on that in a moment. The famous saying is, of course, often attributed to Robert Frost, who used it in a poem...

Catholics know when life begins. We don’t “believe” it because we’re Catholics — we know it because we know the science

Catholic%20%u201Cbeliefs%u201D%20and%20the%20abortion%20debateWEIGEL: Do Catholics “believe that human life begins at conception” — a formulation that’s become ubiquitous in recent weeks? Well, yes, in precisely the same sense that Catholics “believe” that the Earth is spherical, not flat; that Venus is the second planet in the solar system; that a water molecule is composed of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom...

This Sunday — His friend is my friend, His enemy is my enemy

This Sunday, His Friend Is My Friend; His Enemy Is My Foe | Ex Corde at Benedictine CollegeHOOPES: The Gospel for the 26th Sunday of Ordinary Time gives a very basic, and therefore very powerful, way to understand the Christian life. The friend of my friend is my friend; the enemy of my friend is my enemy. We know that instinctively on the natural level. Jesus wants us to see that it is also true on the supernatural level. It all starts when John makes the error we do.

How can I know the will of God in my life?

How can I Know the Will of God in my Life (Part I of II)BARTUNEK: The spiritual life is, in its most basic elements, nothing less than a following of Christ, an imitation of him. And his very food – the thing that he hungered for and the thing that nourished and strengthened him – was “to do the will of the one who sent me.” The mere fact that you submitted this question is sure proof that the Holy Spirit...

Conscience, COVID vaccines and the common good

Conscience, COVID Vaccines and the Common Good| National Catholic RegisterPOPE: We have come to a new chapter in the COVID-19 crisis and conflict that has gripped our Church, this nation and the world. The new chapter involves vaccinations, and the increasing mandates to receive them “or else.” The price of refusal ranges from the irritating weekly testing to fines, and all the way to job termination and banishment from places of trade and restaurants.

My husband’s porn addiction is a cross I could never bear without Christ

My%20Husband%u2019s%20Porn%20Addiction%20Is%20a%20Cross%20I%20Could%20Never%20Bear%20Without%20Christ%7C%20National%20Catholic%20Register: Our Lord wants our response to his love to be sincere and wholehearted. That is how he loves the Church. That is how I want my husband to love me.

California governor Gavin Newsom moves to protect ‘privacy’ of minors who procure abortions

California governor Gavin Newsom moves to protect 'privacy' of minors who procure abortions: California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a pair of bills Sept. 22 that relate to privacy surrounding abortion, both of which could make it easier for minors to hide abortions from their parents.

Surgeon who operated on Cardinal Sarah: ‘I could feel his holiness’

Surgeon%20who%20operated%20on%20Cardinal%20Sarah%3A%20%u2018I%20could%20feel%20his%20holiness%u2019: The surgeon who performed an operation on Cardinal Robert Sarah in southern Italy in July said that treating the Guinean cardinal allowed him to see the prominent churchman in a new way. “When he was alone in his room, I took a few chances to talk to him a bit,” Domenico Veneziano told CNA.

Cardinal Pell says he ‘underestimated’ opponents to his Vatican financial reform attempts

Cardinal%20Pell%20says%20he%20%u2018underestimated%u2019%20opponents%20to%20his%20Vatican%20financial%20reform%20attempts%20%7C%20Crux%20Now: Australian Cardinal George Pell has again spoken out about his attempted reform efforts of the Holy See’s finances while he was still head of the Vatican’s Secretariat for the Economy, saying he underestimated those who resisted his decisions.

Argentinean trial of Bishop Gustavo Zanchetta, former Vatican official, postponed until February

Argentinean trial of former Vatican official postponed until February | Crux NowSANMARTIN: Following a request from the official defense counsel, the criminal trial against Argentine Bishop Gustavo Zanchetta, a veteran prelate who once boasted of his friendship with Pope Francis, has been postponed until Feb. 2022, Crux has been able to confirm. The reason given is the fact that the Vatican has allegedly not provided the office of Enzo Giannotti with the canonical file of the Church’s own investigation of the bishop...

The Pope is a well-trained Jesuit. Keep that in mind when you read his carefully-chosen words about abortion and Communion

Pope%20Francis%u2019%20Recent%20Words%20on%20Communion%20and%20His%20Own%20Practice%20Reveal%20a%20Potential%20Lesson%20for%20Bishops%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterDESOUZA: “I have never refused the Eucharist to anyone!” That line from the airborne press conference of Pope Francis, returning from Slovakia, ricocheted around the world, to the effect that the Eucharist should not be denied to people in grave sin, or who persist is advancing public policies that promote grave evils. More to the point, given that the question related explicitly to President Joe Biden...

The Friday Pillar Post: Free Bird, German bishops, homeschooling, John Garvey and Canada

Play Free Bird - in the delivery room - by Ed. Condon - The PillarCONDON: One of the side effects of the pandemic has been a boom in the homeschooling in the U.S. - the Census Bureau found that the number of families educating their children at home doubled between spring and autumn last year. While the shift during the widespread school closures of last year is perhaps self-explanatory, the numbers appear to be mostly sticking, even as in-classroom education opens back up.

Pope Francis Confirms Cardinal Woelki in Post After Apostolic Visitation of Germany’s Cologne Archdiocese

Pope%20Francis%20Confirms%20Cardinal%20Woelki%20in%20Post%20After%20Apostolic%20Visitation%20of%20Germany%u2019s%20Cologne%20Archdiocese%7C%20National%20Catholic%20Register: Pope Francis has ruled that Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki should remain in charge of Germany’s Cologne archdiocese after a Vatican investigation into his handling of abuse cases, the Holy See announced on Friday. The Holy See said on Sept. 24 that the pope had asked the 65-year-old cardinal to continue leading the archdiocese in western Germany following a apostolic visitation...

Traditionalist, Progressive: Sorting out the Catholic tradition

Traditionalist, Progressive: Sorting Out the Catholic Tradition | Prime Matters: During the last many decades, Catholic life has been dominated by the question of tradition: what it is, whether and how it is important, and how it should take its place in the life of faith. This has not just been an occupation of academic theologians; questions concerning Catholic tradition have increasingly been taken up in popular books and talk shows, on the internet and in podcasts, and these conversations involve...

Wheresoever Eve was, there was Eden

Wheresoever%20She%20Was%20There%20Was%20Eden%u2014Introduction%20to%20Mark%20Twain%u2019s%20%u201CDiaries%20of%20Adam%20and%20Eve%u201DKAMPOWSKI: Samuel Clemens, also known as Mark Twain, was born in Florida, Missouri in 1835. Four years later, he and his family moved to the river town of Hannibal in the same state. There he was sent to Sunday school and received a strict Presbyterian-Calvinist religious formation.[2] As a result, he had great familiarity with Holy Scripture...

Remember, you made a vow to guard her soul

Remember, you made a vow to guard her soul | Knowing Is DoingTORRE: Many years ago, a high school youth group had asked my wife to talk about her experiences on relationships, dating, what the Church taught about these things and ultimately what led her to marry her husband, me. When she asked me if I wanted to come along with our three young children at the time, I said sure...

‘Come to New York for abortions,’ says New York’s Catholic governor

New%20York%u2019s%20New%20Catholic%20Governor%3A%20Come%20to%20NY%20for%20AbortionsKENGOR: In January 2019, a year before COVID-19 descended upon New York, Governor Andrew Cuomo and a beaming group of New York progressives enacted a hideous piece of legislation. They made abortion possible right up until the moment before delivery and even stripped the baby of protections if he or she accidentally survived the scalpel. Their legislation also expanded the field of lawful abortionists, creating a broader array of “reproductive health” specialists in New York to perform abortions.

We’re called to read the signs of the times, not to whine about them. So let’s start by staring this chaos in the face...

The Cross Amid the Crisis - The Catholic ThingEBERSTADT: Thinking about what to share today, one sentence kept coming to mind by novelist extraordinaire Evelyn Waugh. It appeared in a disarmingly casual account that he gave to a newspaper in 1930, about the reasons for his conversion to the Catholic Church. Waugh summarized that momentous decision in twenty-eight neat words. He said...

Like a small, unnoticed basement fire that can destroy your home, Communism is lurking in the shadows of America

The Hidden Threat of Communism in America | The StreamMILLS: Americans don’t know enough about communism to see it when it starts here. Writing in the Tablet, Mary Mycio notes that we have “a certain herd immunity to Nazism and fascism.” But not to communism. The Soviet Union fell a long time ago, as people’s memories go. It fell almost 30 years ago. That means that no one under 45 or 50 will have any real memory of communism as a living force in the world...

Why a ‘peace pope’ could get behind a Europe preparing for war

Why%20a%20%u2018peace%20pope%u2019%20could%20get%20behind%20a%20Europe%20preparing%20for%20war%20%7C%20Crux%20NowALLEN: U.S. President Joe Biden went before the United Nations Tuesday and declared, “We are not seeking a new Cold War, or a world divided into rigid blocs.” The statement became necessary in the wake a week earlier of the new “AUKUS” pact among the U.S., the UK and Australia, seen precisely as the dawn of a new Cold War between the Anglo-Saxon powers and China.

Padre Pio, pray for us!

Padre Pio, Pray for Us!| National Catholic RegisterGRAVES: Francesco Forgione was born in Pietrelcina, in southern Italy, in 1887. His parents were poor farmers, whose eight children attended Mass and prayed the Rosary daily, and abstained from meat three days a week in honor of the Blessed Mother. As a child, Francesco saw visions of Our Lord, the Blessed Mother, St. Francis of Assisi and his guardian angel...

How the CIA and one man’s obsession put Bishop Frederic Baraga on the path to canonization

Wings - September 23, 2021: How far would you go to insure that someone you loved and admired was put on the path to sainthood? In order to obtain the documentation necessary for Rome to process a canonization cause for his hero, Bishop Frederic Baraga (1797 – 1868), an engineer from Chicago by the name of Joe Gregorich traveled to Europe to undertake a covert operation during the Cold War...

‘While Earth Rolls Onward Into Light’ — A beautiful meditation on time from an old hymn

While Earth Rolls Onward into Light - A Beautiful Meditation on Time from an Old Hymn - Community in MissionPOPE: My blog is usually posted in the evening at about 21:00 (9:00 PM) U.S. Eastern Time. But in Sydney, Australia, it is 1:00 in the afternoon of the following day. As I prepare for bed, they are eating lunch on a day that has not even begun for me. And proceeding farther west from there, in the Philippines and Japan the afternoon is winding down and the workday is coming to an end!

The stories behind 20 inventions that changed the world — mostly for the better, but some (like no. 4) for the worse

The Stories Behind 20 Inventions That Changed the World | Mental Floss: You might find it impossible to imagine a world without your smartphone, or have trouble remembering a time when Wi-Fi wasn’t everywhere, but many of today’s most relied-upon technologies would not have been possible, or even dreamed of, if it weren’t for the game-changing inventions that came before them.

Heidi Crowter, a woman with Down syndrome, challenged the UK’s abortion law. The High Court in London just rejected it...

Court%20Rejects%20Challenge%20to%20UK%u2019s%20Down%20Syndrome%20Abortion%20Law%7C%20National%20Catholic%20Register: The High Court in London rejected on Thursday a landmark challenge to a U.K. law allowing abortion up to birth for disability. In its Sept. 23 ruling, the court declared that a law allowing abortion up to birth for disability was not discriminatory. The challenge was brought by Heidi Crowter, a woman with Down syndrome, and Máire Lea-Wilson, a mother whose son has Down syndrome.

I’ve always attended Mass in the ordinary form. Here’s what I saw when I went to a traditional Latin Mass recently...

What I Saw When I Went to a Traditional Latin Mass| National Catholic RegisterMILLS: She had a nose ring with little spikes, a lip ring, a leather collar with steel studs, dark eye shadow and dark maroon lipstick, spiderweb patterned pants, big leather boots and a black leather jacket with lots of studs. She’d joined a conversation while I was away, and as I came back, the woman I’d been talking to — a middle-aged woman looking as normal as you could wish...

Is it moral to display Egyptian mummies and other human remains in museums?

The Morality of Archaeology and Respecting Human Mortal Remains| National Catholic RegisterBRUGGER: We need to answer three questions here. First, whether excavating, examining and displaying the contents of ancient tombs, including human remains, is a kind of desecration? Second, is it a kind of theft, that is, is it expropriating what belongs to another against his rightful will? And finally, even if it is neither desecration nor theft, do we have stronger reasons for respecting the original funerary intentions for interred bodies and related possessions than for acting contrary to them?

Cardinal Kasper on the German Synod: ‘Many Wonder Whether All This is Still Entirely Catholic’

Cardinal%20Kasper%20on%20German%20Synod%3A%20%u2018Many%20Wonder%20Whether%20All%20This%20is%20Still%20Entirely%20Catholic%u2019%7C%20National%20Catholic%20Register: Cardinal Walter Kasper has again expressed his concerns about the Synodal Path of the Church in Germany, this time lending his firm support to the counterproposal that a German bishop critical of the process presented earlier this month. In a lecture given in Rome on Sept. 17, Cardinal Kasper criticized the official text of one of the themes of the Synodal Path — on the exercise of power and authority in the Church — saying that it attempts to “reinvent the Church, so to speak, with the help of an erudite theological and theoretical framework.”

A guide to resources in apologetics, including two new ones

A guide to resources in apologetics, including two new ones | Catholic CultureMIRUS: I have always liked apologetics, or the rational defense of the Catholic Faith. At times this can include not only Catholic principles of faith and morals but Catholic practices which seem bizarre to those outside the fold. One of the most convenient sources for clear explanations and defenses of what Catholics believe is Catholic Answers, founded by Karl Keating back in 1979...

House Democrats, White House push aggressive new law to cut through challenges to Roe v. Wade

House Democrats, White House Push Aggressive New Law to Cut Through Challenges to Roe| National Catholic RegisterBROWN: House Democrats are voting this week on a bill to ensure abortion without limits nationwide and eliminate pro-life legislation in the states in response to the Supreme Court leaving in place a Texas law prohibiting abortion after detection of a fetal heartbeat at about 6 weeks. Another point of concern for abortion advocates is the possibility that the court could overturn Roe v. Wade...

Protestant on Reddit shares incredible first experience at Mass: ‘I felt something through my body’

Protestant Shares Incredible First Experience at Mass: Reddit user MicahTheManiac shared an amazing story about his first Catholic Mass experience on the platform’s Catholicism message board. The user explained that he is Protestant, attended his first Mass, and “loved it.”

The largest space telescope in history, 100 times as powerful as the Hubble, is about to blow our minds

The Webb Space Telescope is 100x as powerful as the Hubble. It will change astronomy. - Vox: Exploring strange new worlds. Understanding the origins of the universe. Searching for life in the galaxy. These are not the plot of a new science fiction movie, but the mission objectives of the James Webb Space Telescope, the long-awaited successor to the Hubble Space Telescope. NASA is building and launching the Webb in partnership with the European Space Agency and Canada.

Here’s how ‘spiritual multiplication’ works

Spiritual Multiplication - Catholic Missionary Disciples - College Station, TXLEJEUNE: Think of the greatest evangelists (e.g. St. Paul, St. Francis Xavier, or St Teresa of Calcutta) who changed thousands (some tens of thousands) of lives in their lifetimes. Amazing isn’t it? But, it is also a bit overwhelming, because this kind of evangelist is not common and most of us won’t ever be able to live up to such fruitfulness in our lifetimes. But, that isn’t the way in which the vast majority of Christians are called to be fruitful...

Stop waiting for the perfect circumstances. You need to baptize your baby as soon as possible...

Why you should baptize your pandemic baby as soon as possibleKOSLOSKI: The COVID-19 pandemic has put on hold the plans of countless people, who are waiting until the day when they can reunite with family and friends. For some parents, this also means putting on hold the sacrament of baptism for their baby, born in the midst of the pandemic. These parents continue to wait, while the pandemic continues to spread and has no end in sight.

An autumn resolution: Fill your barn, then rest...

An Autumn Resolution: Fill Your Barn, Then Rest - LifeCraftCUDDEBACK: Today is the first day of autumn. Seasons are a gift it has become more difficult to recognize and receive. As a philosopher I love how Aristotle’s understanding of nature, which is much richer than just plants and animals ‘out there,’ is verified and amplified—if we have eyes to see—in the flow of seasons. A key feature of all that is natural is the ordering toward fulfillment and rest...

Catholic University president John Garvey announces plans to step down

Catholic University president says he will step down next year: John Garvey, president of The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., will be stepping down from his role as of June 30, 2022, the school announced today.

Being an exorcist is like flying an airplane. It is very safe, but mistakes can be deadly...

Exorcist Diary: Upping Your Game - SpiritualDirection.comROSSETTI: I was recently giving a training session for new exorcists. A few were a little skittish, fearing demonic retaliation. I assured them the ministry was safe. God would protect them. But I did add, “You need to up your game.” I explained. Being an exorcist is like flying an airplane (I used to be in the Air Force). It is very safe, but mistakes can be deadly...

Today we celebrate St. Matthew, extortionist and Apostle

Today We Celebrate St. Matthew, Extortionist and Apostle| National Catholic RegisterCRAUGHWELL: No one likes taxes. But anti-tax animosity was especially intense in ancient Israel during the first century of the Christian era. In the Gospels, tax collectors (also known as publicans) are frequently mentioned in the same breath as harlots and sinners. If tax collectors had a lousy reputation 2000 years ago, they deserved it...

Benedictine College’s classical architecture program builds toward a beautiful future

Benedictine%20College%u2019s%20Classical%20Architecture%20Program%20Builds%20Toward%20a%20Beautiful%20Future%7C%20National%20Catholic%20Register: John Haigh, director of the architecture program at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas, doesn’t want his students to build only for today, or even for tomorrow. He wants their work to point to forever. “We’re not going to build Utopia or the heavenly Jerusalem right here and now,” he told the Register, “but our students can use their training to point to the idea that with God there will be an ultimate happiness.”

In meeting with Jesuits, Pope pillories ‘large Catholic TV channel,’ says ‘some people wanted me to die’ amid health problems

Pope%20Francis%20to%20Slovakian%20Jesuits%3A%20%u2018Some%20people%20wanted%20me%20to%20die%u2019%20amid%20health%20problems: In a private meeting with Jesuits in Slovakia on Sept. 12, Pope Francis said that there were people who wanted him to die after he underwent colon surgery in July. During the encounter, a Jesuit priest asked the pope how he was doing, to which he replied: “Still alive, even though some people wanted me to die.”

The Tuesday Pillar Post: In the news, Canada, and St. Matthew’s genealogy

Oh, Canada! - by JD Flynn - The PillarJDFLYNN: When Juliana Taimoorazy was smuggled out of Iran as a teenager, she probably didn’t expect to spend her adult life advocating for the religious freedom of women in neighboring Iraq. But — thanks to the invitation of Cardinal Francis George — that’s what she’s done. And now she’s nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. The Pillar’s Michelle La Rosa talked with Taimoorazy about her extraordinary life story, her work with women in Iraq, and what she’s now asking of the Biden administration.

Did the Vatican really issue a vaccine mandate? Did a Canadian archdiocese?

Did the Vatican really issue a vaccine mandate? Did a Canadian archdiocese? - by The Pillar - The Pillar: Cardinal Giuseppe Bertello, president of the governorate of Vatican City, instituted on Monday a new set of public health regulations for the city-state, in response to the coronavirus. The announcement has been widely pitched as a vaccine “mandate” in media reports, especially since it comes amid public debate about similar measures...

Does Jesus have an arc?

Does Jesus Have an Arc? | Parishable ItemsFELTES: When I was growing up, my dad read a lot of science fiction novels and he once made an observation that I’ve remembered ever since. He noted how science fiction stories always feature some futuristic thing (like cloning, time-machines, or space travel) but if a sci-fi story only talked about the technology, it would be boring...

Francis tacks again: Did press catch the Pope’s entire message on abortion and Eucharist?

Francis%20tacks%20again%3A%20Did%20press%20catch%20pope%27s%20whole%20message%20on%20abortion%20and%20Eucharist%3F%20%u2014%20GetReligionMATTINGLY: How does a ship’s captain sail against a headwind? The maneuver is called “tacking” and it consists of steering the ship back and forth, at roughly 45 degree angles across the chosen course. The question — with all the left and right turns — is this: What is the course that runs through the middle? Where is the captain trying to go? It’s impossible to figure that out...

Canadian Archbishop: Only Fully Vaccinated Can Attend Mass

Canadian Archbishop: Only Fully Vaccinated Can Attend Mass| National Catholic Register: Anyone age 12 or over attending a gathering at Catholic churches, rectories or community centers under the responsibility of the Archdiocese of Moncton must present proof that they are fully vaccinated, the archdiocese announced Friday. The new policy applies to all religious celebrations, Sunday and weekday Masses, baptisms, wedding and funerals...

175 years ago, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared at La Salette, and wept

175 Years Ago, Mary Appeared at La Salette, and Wept| National Catholic RegisterGARRETT: Tears are mysterious. While they “rise in the heart and gather in the eyes,” their purpose and cause remain subjects of curiosity and scientific study. Marian apparitions too, are soaked in mystery. Why do a select few experience inexplicable phenomena where others see nothing. This week marks the 175th anniversary of a mysterious rendezvous between two French peasant children and a woman in tears...

Karma may be trendy, but it’s also a lot darker and less hopeful than people realize

Should Christians Believe in Karma?| National Catholic RegisterSTEFANICK: You know, it’s really common among young people — if you hadn’t noticed — to rebel against their parents. As part of that, they adopt phrases or images from other religions, as if they’re kind of cool. But Christian phrases and images aren’t. You go to the typical teenage store, and despite the fact that there are almost no young people in America who are really sincere Buddhists...

Did a religious search help shape Norm Macdonald’s haunting humor?

New%20podcast%3A%20Did%20a%20religious%20search%20help%20shape%20Norm%20Macdonald%27s%20haunting%20humor%3F%20%u2014%20GetReligionMATTINGLY: While it may sound strange, I would argue that there are theological “ghosts” hiding inside the great comic Norm Macdonald’s most famous joke. This was the “moth” story, of course. Right. This joke wasn’t a Saturday Night Live shot at O.J. Simpson or Bill Clinton...

All the major languages of the world, in one stunning visualization

All World Languages in One Visualization, By Native Speakers: Today’s infographic from Alberto Lucas Lopez condenses the 7,102 known living languages today into a stunning visualization, with individual colors representing each world region.

St. Januarius’ Blood Liquefies for the Second Time in 2021

San%20Gennaro%202021%3A%20St.%20Januarius%u2019%20Blood%20Liquefies%20for%20the%20Second%20Time%7C%20National%20Catholic%20Register: The blood of St. Januarius, patron of the Italian city of Naples, liquefied on Sunday. The miraculous event took place in the city’s Cathedral of the Assumption of Mary during morning Mass on Sept. 19, the saint’s feast day.

Francis knows the Church is in a rut. But does he know why?

Francis knows the Church is in a rut. But does he know why? | Catholic CultureMIRUS: I haven’t written much about Pope Francis’ bizarre pontificate for a long time, but I am moved to do so now by the decision to focus the next General Synod of the Church on synodality. In this, clearly, Pope Francis hopes for a vibrant response which will pry the Church out of what we might call the “same old rut” (however defined) so that it becomes more actively evangelical (however defined)...

This Sunday, Jesus give us a shortcut to greatness

This Sunday, Jesus Gives a Shortcut to Greatness | Ex Corde at Benedictine CollegeHOOPES: If serving children makes you great, then a mom is greater than a CEO, a faithful father is greater than a billionaire; and what we do at home far greater than what we do in the office. If what Jesus says is true, it makes openness to life true greatness and makes contraception and abortion our nation’s great refusal of God himself.

Supreme Court poised to hear biggest challenge to Roe v. Wade in 48 years

Supreme Court ready to hear Dobbs v Jackson Women's Health abortion case: Jackson Women’s Health Organization, Mississippi’s lone abortion clinic, presented its legal argument Monday for why the U.S. Supreme Court should strike down the state’s 2018 law prohibiting abortions after the first 15 weeks of pregnancy, setting the stage for a momentous showdown over Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision that legalized abortion nationwide.

Will the blood of St. Januarius turn to liquid this Sunday?

Will the Blood of St. Januarius Turn to Liquid This Sunday?| National Catholic RegisterPRONECHEN: Once again on Sept. 19, thousands of people will be waiting to see if the blood of fourth-century martyr St. Januarius will liquefy on his feast day, as it has done almost ceaselessly for hundreds of years. People in Naples, where the saint’s body and head along with his blood have been kept for centuries...

Who was the Servant of God Mother Mary Lange?

A bold Catholic investment in inner city education: It’s a safe bet that “Mother Mary Lange” is not a household name in most U.S. Catholic circles. That unhappy state of affairs may change, though, thanks to a courageous initiative now underway in Baltimore, one of America’s most troubled cities. A few years after her birth on the island of Hispaniola, the child christened Elizabeth Clarisse Lange was taken by her parents to Santiago de Cuba...

Pope St. John Paul II brought God into my suffering, just when I need Him most

Pope St. John Paul II Brought God Into My Suffering, Just When I Needed Him Most| National Catholic RegisterBECKER: It was hot in Phoenix when I got there, mid-September, 1987. Sunny, hot, and dry — just the way I like it. But I wasn’t there for the climate or a tan. I was there to see Pope John Paul II on his swing through the southwestern United States — a Catholic convert’s pilgrimage to honor the Vicar of Christ, but also a pilgrimage of healing after a string of personal misfortunes.

2023 synod faces a credibility and practicality gap

2023 Synod Faces a Credibility and Practicality Gap| National Catholic RegisterDESOUZA: Six weeks before the Catholic Church-wide consultations for the 2023 synod on synodality are set to begin, the Vatican released a vademecum, or “handbook,” that will guide a process that is supposed to occupy every single diocese in the world from October 2021 to April 2022. The most massive set of meetings ever conducted in the history of the Catholic Church was announced only four months ago...

Catholic apologetics begins at home

Apologetics Begins At HomeCLARK: Atheism is clearly on the rise—a point brought to light recently when Harvard University appointed an atheist as the school’s chaplain. This should not come as a surprise. Atheism has good marketing. Like cigarette smoking in the 1950s and 1960s, atheism is marketed as cool. After all, who doesn’t want to be more like atheist Ricky Gervais (comedian)? Or Penn Gillette (famous magician)? Or Daniel Radcliffe (guy who plays a magician on TV)?

Father James Altman buys Wisconsin home in La Crosse amid diocesan conflict

Altman buys Wisconsin home amid diocesan conflict - by The Pillar - The Pillar: State real estate records in Wisconsin indicate that Fr. James Altman intends to comply with a diocesan order to live in the Diocese of La Crosse, where the priest has made a Vatican appeal against his canonical removal as a parish pastor. Despite speculation that Altman would transfer to another diocese amid ongoing conflict with his bishop, the priest’s Aug. 20 purchase of a home in the La Crosse diocese suggests a canonical transfer is unlikely.

The politics of being pastoral, and the overview effect

The politics of being pastoral, and the overview effect - by Ed. Condon - The PillarCONDON: The Pope’s most recent in-flight press conference caused a bit of a stir. Francis rather directly addressed the issue of abortion - again. He compared it - again - to “hiring a hit man to solve a problem.” Calling the concept of legal abortion “daily homicide” the pope made it clear that Catholic politicians who adance abortion are “outside” the community of the Church.

Sept. 17 is the feast day of St. Hildegard of Bingen

September%2017%3A%20Feast%20Day%20of%20St.%20Hildegard%20of%20Bingen%20%u2013%20The%20Five%20Beasts: St. Hildegard (1098-1179) was born into a noble family and who, because of her visionary gift, was given as a child to be raised by the Church and eventually became an abbess. She is not only a confirmed saint but a Doctor of the Church. Her writing is prolific, covering her extraordinary visions of salvation history, medicine, and even music composition...

Benedict XVI warns: Legalization of same-sex marriage is a ‘distortion of conscience’

Benedict%20XVI%3A%20Legalization%20of%20Same-Sex%20Marriage%20is%20%u2018A%20Distortion%20of%20Conscience%u2019%7C%20National%20Catholic%20Register: Pope emeritus Benedict XVI has said that the legalization of same-sex marriage in many countries is “a distortion of conscience” which has also entered some Catholic circles. In an introduction to a new anthology of his writings on Europe, Benedict XVI said that “with the legalization of ‘same-sex marriage’ in 16 European countries, the issue of marriage and family has taken on a new dimension that cannot be ignored.”

Amid COVID-19 spike in Philippines, Catholic cardinal, 130 nuns test positive

Amid COVID-19 spike in Philippines, Catholic cardinal, 130 nuns test positive: Cardinal Jose Advincula of Manila has tested positive for COVID-19, two days after a religious congregation in the Philippine capital announced that 62 of its nuns also tested positive for COVID.

The worst prayer you’ve ever seen

The Worst Prayer You've Ever Seen | The StreamMILLS: It’s a bad, bad prayer. A servant girl found it clenched in John Ward’s hand after his death in the mid-1700s. You will never have heard of him. He did nothing notable in life, though he seems to have tried very hard to make money any way he could. What fame he has is as the writer of a horrible prayer. The English writer Edith Sitwell quotes the prayer in her book English Eccentrics...

The UK’s last aerial ropeway uses no power, moves 300 tons a day, and will be gone by 2036

New%20Advent%3A%20The%20UK%u2019s%20last%20aerial%20ropeway%20uses%20no%20power%2C%20moves%20300%20tons%20a%20day%2C%20and%20will%20be%20gone%20by%202036: In Claughton, Lancashire, the Forterra brickworks produces 50 million bricks a year, from shale that's quarried a mile and a half away. To get that shale to the brickworks: the last aerial ropeway in the country. These used to be common: but now, the last one will be gone by 2036.

Poland’s two new ‘blesseds’ and Divine Providence

Poland%u2019s%20New%20%u2018Blesseds%u2019%20and%20Divine%20Providence%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterDESOUZA: “Poland, the nation of Mary, the land of saints and blesseds!” Thus Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, concluded his homily at the beatification Mass in Warsaw of Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński and Mother Elżbieta Róża Czacka. The Marian dimension was a dominant theme of the beatification...

What’s next in Afghanistan? Press will have to face issues of religion, culture and gender

What%27s%20next%20in%20Afghanistan%3F%20Press%20will%20have%20to%20face%20issues%20of%20religion%2C%20culture%20and%20gender%20%u2014%20GetReligionMATTINGLY: The headline on the National Catholic Register story is simple and timely: “Trapped by the Taliban, Praying for Escape from Afghanistan.” The reporting is simple, as well, as long as the journalists involved have established contacts with people inside Kabul who have smartphones and there are functioning cell towers and satellites. The story is built on people describing what they claim is going on around them, especially events affecting their families and friends.

After latest presser, the great game of parsing the pope can roll on

After latest presser, the great game of parsing the pope can roll on | Crux Now: Pope Francis delivered another of his impromptu airborne news conferences Wednesday on his return flight from Slovakia, and, as ever, it was fascinating. In part, it confirmed the pontiff’s reputation for answering questions in a style that’s both carefully nuanced and practically imprecise, so that no one party to a debate ever is quite able to claim vindication.

Respect Life Radio: Father Brian Mullady on receiving and retaining God’s grace

Fr.%20Brian%20Mullady%3A%20Receiving%20and%20retaining%20God%u2018s%20grace: “For a person to be fully alive, as a human being, grace is absolutely necessary ... One of the reasons I wrote the book is because [in] giving parish missions around the country, I found out that most Catholics are clueless now as to what sanctifying grace means for them. ...”

The lies of the devil and the empty promises of the world

The Lies of the Devil and the Empty Promises of the World - Community in MissionPOPE: One of the great illusions under which we labor is that if we only get just one more thing from this world, then we will be happy. Perhaps we think that if we just had a little more money, or a better job, or the latest iPhone, or if we were married to so-and-so, or if we lived in a better neighborhood, then we would be satisfied and content at last...

What did the Pope just say about abortion and Holy Communion? The Pillar explains...

Abortion and the Eucharist: What did the pope just say? - by The Pillar - The Pillar: During the return flight from his recent trip to Hungary and Slovakia, Pope Francis on Wednesday fielded press questions on the issue of holy communion for Catholic politicians who promote legal protection for abortion. So what did the pope say? What does the Church say? And what’s the context? The pope made the comments while discussing the Church’s absolute prohibition of abortion, which, Francis said, is always the taking of an innocent human life...

WWII hero Father Verbis Lafleur — one of St. Landry’s most valiant sons

WWII%20Hero%20Father%20Verbis%20Lafleur%20%u2014%20One%20of%20St.%20Landry%u2019s%20Most%20Valiant%20Sons%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterLANDRY: At the beginning of August, I traveled to Grand Coteau, Louisiana, to preach some conferences to the seminarians of the Diocese of Lafayette. I always love to go to Lafayette, not just because I have several priest and lay friends there but because within the diocese there’s a county felicitously called “St. Landry Parish”...

Is it mortally sinful to stay silent about sin?

Is Remaining Silent About Sin Mortally Sinful?| National Catholic RegisterBRUGGER: Let’s look at your two scenarios. In the first, you overheard remarks suggestive of erroneous thinking about expressing gender. In the second, you overheard remarks indicating that a girl dressed in a sexually suggestive way for Halloween. You obviously believe that gender and modesty are important or you wouldn’t have asked this question...

Trapped by the Taliban, praying for escape from Afghanistan

Trapped by the Taliban, Praying for Escape From Afghanistan| National Catholic RegisterPETERSMITH: For two decades, Sher Shah had worked alongside U.S. personnel and Afghans to build a democratic country free from the Taliban and war. He had established a new life with his family in the U.S. with the help of Catholic Charities and a Catholic sponsor family, but briefly returned to Afghanistan this summer to attend his father’s funeral. Now, he’s a man trying to escape the Taliban and get back home to the United States.

Our homes give our lives a center that grounds us, and draws us together

Physical Home as Common Ground - LifeCraftCUDDEBACK: Recently my wife and I were struck anew by a significant aspect of being-at-home, in the physical place. Our lives are given a center that grounds us and draws us together. Of late we have done some travelling, and this following upon an unusually busy summer. By and large the things that called us away from our home, and also demanded that time in our home be focused on things remote from it, were important and worthy of attention...

How to live a meaningful life

How to Live a Meaningful Life - Word on Fire Article by Bishop BarronBARRON: Last week, I had the great good fortune to sit down for a Zoom interview with Jordan Peterson, Jonathan Pageau, and John Vervaeke. As I’m sure you know, Peterson, Professor of Psychology at the University of Toronto, is one of the most influential figures in the culture today...

Full text: Pope Francis’ in-flight press conference from Slovakia

Full%20text%3A%20Pope%20Francis%u2019%20in-flight%20press%20conference%20from%20Slovakia: Pope Francis landed in Rome on Sept. 15 after a four-day journey to Hungary and Slovakia. Please read below for CNA’s transcript of Pope Francis’ 30-minute press conference during the flight from the Slovakian capital, Bratislava, to Rome.

On Papal Flight, Pope Francis Tackles Debate Over Communion for Politicians Who Support Abortion

On Papal Flight, Pope Francis Tackles Debate Over Communion for Politicians Who Support Abortion| National Catholic Register: Pope Francis said Wednesday that the Catholic Church is firm in its stance on abortion because “abortion is murder,” and urged priests to be pastoral rather than political when faced with the question of who can receive Communion.

Pope Francis in Slovakia: ‘Our Lady of Sorrows teaches us compassion for the suffering’

Pope Francis in Slovakia: Our Lady of Sorrows teaches us compassion for the suffering: At Slovakia’s national Catholic shrine on Wednesday, Pope Francis said that Our Lady of Sorrows is a model of how to live the faith with compassion and care for the suffering.

Imagine if the guards at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier treated their duty as shabbily as we’ve treated the Mass

Shadows of the LiturgyESOLEN: I’ve heard a lot of gloating in the last few weeks, as Catholics of a certain sort enjoy the discomfiture of their brothers who attend the Latin Mass. Evil motives prompt those brothers, they say: hatred of Pope Francis, disdain for Vatican II, unease with women in the sanctuary, and a Right-wing politics that makes a fetish of the unborn child while ignoring the Church’s social teaching as regards the poor.

The 5 biological sisters who joined the religious life in just two years

The 5 biological sisters who joined the religious life in just two years: The story of five biological sisters who became nuns in a period of just 2 years has drawn attention in Spain, their home country. The family includes a total of 7 adult children — six sisters and one brother. All 5 sisters joined the same Spanish contemplative religious community, Iesu Communio, founded in 2010 in Burgos, in the north of the country...

How a lost masterpiece of sacred art was discovered thanks to children — and their chewing gum

How a lost masterpiece of sacred art was discovered thanks to children ... and their chewing gum: This rare masterpiece by a great Spanish master is not kept in a museum. Francisco de Zurbaran’s painting of the Immaculate Conception sits discreetly behind grills in a recess of the church of Saint Gervais-Saint Protais, in Langon, a small town in the Gironde department of southwestern France.

What awaits the Pope in October

MondayVatican%20%u2013%20Vatican%20%BB%20Pope%20Francis%2C%20what%20awaits%20him%20starting%20in%20October%20%7C%20MondayVaticanGAGLIARDUCCI: In Pope Francis’ trip to Budapest, there is an issue that must make us reflect. Pope Francis wanted to go to Hungary for a pastoral visit only, without even meeting the government. This choice also betrayed some hard feelings towards the executive headed by Viktor Orban, whom the Vatican also targeted for its migration policies...

Exorcist tells what CNN got wrong in story about ghostly encounters

Exorcist Tells What CNN Got Wrong in Story About Ghostly Encounters| National Catholic RegisterARMSTRONG: Can loved ones contact us from beyond the grave? CNN recently considered the possibility focusing on communication from people who died from COVID-19. A secular look at the supernatural, however, leaves gaping holes where religion belongs. In “They Lost Their Loved Ones to Covid; Then Again, They Heard From Them,” CNN reported on experiences referred to in the psychological field as...

Count Dracula and the Holy Cross

Count Dracula and the Holy Cross| National Catholic RegisterTURLEY: Ninety years ago, Count Dracula came to haunt America. Released in 1931, Dracula, the film adaptation of the celebrated 1897 novel, starred Bela Lugosi. On account of the film’s success, its eponymous lead actor became an international movie star overnight. A respected stage performer, Lugosi’s life thereafter was transformed...

700 years after his death, the great Dante still has lessons to impart

Dante%u2019s%20Message%20From%20the%20Underworld%20to%20Today%u2019s%20World%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterESOLEN: I have heard that after Dante’s Inferno had been made public, boys in the streets of Verona tagged after Dante, crying, “Look at the man who went to hell! Look at the man who went to hell!” Some things never change. Perhaps those merry children would grow up someday and see that if you do not draw near to the darkness of suffering or confront the emptiness of your own sin, you will do much to make a hell on earth...

Today is the 700th anniversary of Dante’s death. He truly deserves the epithet of the ‘supreme poet’

Our%20Greatest%20Poet%3A%20Celebrating%20Dante%20after%20700%20Years%20%u2013%20Catholic%20World%20ReportSTAUDT: This year we celebrate the Year of Dante, marking 700 years since the poet’s death on September 14, 1321. It is fitting that Dante died on the day when we commemorate the triumph of the Holy Cross, as he narrates the drama of salvation as it plays out concretely over the course of life, showing its eternal significance. The unparalleled achievement of his Divine Comedy stands as one of the greatest...

Pope gets lucky as this Hungary/Slovakia trip offers an unplanned chance to reassure Jews

Pope gets lucky as trip offers unplanned chance to reassure Jews | Crux NowALLEN: In college I had a history professor who insisted that the principal blind spot of his profession is that it won’t accept dumb luck as an explanation. He’d once wanted to write an academic paper, he said, on how Meade simply got lucky against Lee at Gettysburg, but he was told it wouldn’t do because it would be tantamount to admitting historians can’t explain everything.

Spiritual fathers and mothers lead souls to the deepest center around which the world turns

Beginning to Pray: Spiritual Fatherhood and Spiritual MotherhoodLILLES: Christian formation requires above all formation in the truth. We are formed truth when our judgements conform to the way things actually are and we act in harmony with what we know. No one can arrive at such judgments or action by himself. To judge rightly, one must be formed. Only when one is gratuitously loved does such formation take place...

Today is the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, and this is the Tuesday Pillar Post

Lift High the Cross - by JD Flynn - The PillarJDFLYNN: Pope Francis is visiting Slovakia today, after a seven-hour visit to Hungary for the closing Mass of the Church’s International Eucharistic Congress. The pope will be in Slovakia until Wednesday afternoon. On Monday, The Pillar brought you a quick run-down of where he’s been, what’s he’s said, and where he’s going next. Also, ast week, Cardinal Wilton Gregory told journalists that theologians...

Christianity without the Cross is ‘sterile,’ says Pope Francis at Byzantine Divine Liturgy in Slovakia

Christianity%20without%20the%20Cross%20is%20%u2018sterile%2C%u2019%20says%20Pope%20Francis%20at%20Byzantine%20Divine%20Liturgy: On the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, Pope Francis celebrated the Byzantine Divine Liturgy and called Christianity without the Cross worldly and sterile.

Christian, go home, and live like Jesus

Christian, go home - Our Sunday VisitorMILLS: She was peeved. A friend had come across a quote from a “motivational speaker.” “There are too many people who would rather get home than get ahead,” he had said. They only want to get by. He had it backwards, she said. She got by in a hard time and then got ahead by going home. It’s the kind of glib line a “motivational speaker” would use. But not innocent. It expresses an inhuman and unchristian idea of what matters in life. It’s a very worldly line.

I love you more than I love my sins

I love you more than my sins | Knowing Is DoingTORRE: An acquaintance who wasn’t particularly affiliated with any faith tradition once asked me how the Catholic Church defines love. I asked him what his view or interpretation of love was. He explained that his limited understanding of love revolved around a willingness to help someone in need. A genuine act of love I said, is simply placing the other persons needs before your own and expecting nothing in return...

Archbishop Cordileone and Archbishop Gomez in the WSJ: ‘Don’t Slander St. Junípero Serra’

Don%u2019t%20Slander%20St.%20Jun%EDpero%20Serra%20-%20WSJ: California lawmakers have passed legislation to replace a statue of St. Junípero Serra at the Capitol in Sacramento with a new monument honoring the state’s native peoples. The Serra statue has been in storage since it was torn down by protesters in July 2020. A humble 18th-century Franciscan priest, Serra would surely approve of a new monument honoring the indigenous Californians he spent his life serving.

‘Through the Cross to Heaven’: The life of Blessed Elżbieta Róża Czacka, who was just beatified

%u2018Through%20the%20Cross%20to%20Heaven%u2019%3A%20The%20Life%20of%20Blessed%20El%u017Cbieta%20R%F3%u017Ca%20Czacka%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterGRONDELSKI: Sister Elżbieta Róża Czacka (elz-BEE-eta ROOZ-ah CHA-ska) was beatified Sunday, alongside Stefan Cardinal Wyszyński, the Primate of Poland for 33 years, from 1948-1981. Many know about Cardinal Wyszyński, both for his heroic resistance to communist oppression and his friendship with the future Pope, St. John Paul II. Far fewer, especially outside Poland, know of Sister Czacka.

How to stay Catholic in high school and college

How to Stay Catholic in School| National Catholic RegisterDANTUONO: Whether you are in high school or college, secular or Catholic, private or public, your faith and morals will be challenged in the coming school year. Even if you are not in school but into any mix of people from various backgrounds and belief systems, you will face objections to your worldview. In standing up to the ideas brought against Catholicism, there are two key questions you can ask...

St. John Chrysostom and the plank in your eye

St. John Chrysostom and the Plank in Your Eye| National Catholic RegisterCUSH: St. John Chrysostom (349-407) was known as the “Golden-Tongued one.” This Father of the Church was an eloquent preacher and, ultimately, a real pastor of souls. The patristic texts he composed were not meant for a classroom as a lecture, but as a father in faith engaging with his spiritual children, and he had to deal with practical problems that perennially perplex the People of God.

Pope Francis visits former ‘Bronx of Slovakia’ transformed by Mother Teresa’s nuns

Pope%20Francis%20visits%20former%20%u2018Bronx%20of%20Slovakia%u2019%20transformed%20by%20Mother%20Teresa%u2019s%20nuns: Pope Francis on Monday visited a center in Slovakia run by Mother Teresa’s nuns. The pope toured the Bethlehem Center in Bratislava on Sept. 13, during his four-day visit to the central European country. The center, established by the Missionaries of Charity in 1997 in a former kindergarten, provides shelter, food, and assistance...

In Slovakia, Pope Francis calls for freedom in both civil society and Church

In Slovakia, Pope Francis calls for freedom in both civil society and Church | Crux NowSANMARTIN: Speaking to the civil authorities of Slovakia, a country that for decades was under one-party Communist rule, Pope Francis warned against the “single-thought” system of consumerism and ideological colonization. He also said that it’s his hope that Slovaks won’t allow the rich “flavors of your finest traditions” to be ruined by the “superficiality of consumerism and material gain”...

When my friend cussed in front of Mother Teresa, this was her surprising (and funny) reaction...

When My Friend Cussed in Front of Mother Teresa, This Was Her Surprising (and Funny) Reaction| National Catholic RegisterSTEFANICK: You know, we should always watch our mouths because God is always listening. But have you ever let a curse fly out of your mouth in front of the wrong person? Kind of humiliating, isn’t it? Imagine what would happen if you cussed in front of ... I don’t know, say ... Mother Teresa of Calcutta. I have a friend who did just that! And what happened gives you an insight into one of the great souls of modern times...

This atheist went from mocking Jesus to worshiping Him

From Mocking Jesus to Worshipping Him - The Coming Home NetworkSHOTT: I was baptized Christmas Eve 2001. I was six years old, and my family was very active in our local Baptist church in Largo, FL. We were members of a homeschooling co-op group in our church, so we were often there multiple times each week. At home and in our Sunday school class, the stories of Scripture were recounted to me, and I was taught to memorize important Bible verses...

The feast of St. Thérèse of Lisieux is October 1. Sign up for this online Dominican novena to help prepare...

Preached Novena for St. Therese - The Parish of St. Vincent Ferrer and St. Catherine of Siena: Topics for the Preaching will include: Thérèse’s insights into how the Father loves us with delight. How she was both a little daughter and a great mother of souls. How she prayed for scandalous sinners, with a love far mightier than sin ... and many more!

Do you want to give your children a lifelong gift? Give them the gift of more siblings...

The Blessing of Siblings: My parents were in over their head. They couldn't maintain any illusion of order or control as they welcomed 8 kids via C-section in 13 years. The last few deliveries became increasingly fraught, such that when they announced my mom was pregnant at Christmas, my curmudgeon teen comment was a sigh. "There goes the summer." After that baby, to their sadness and relief, their run of fertility ended...

You may be a glutton. Screwtape knows how...

You May Be a Glutton. Screwtape Knows How - Catholic HeraldMILLS: It’s a half of this and a touch of that, a quarter of this and slightly less than a third of that. A young friend who works in a coffee shop showed me an online order with about fifteen ingredients, each very specific. The order wasn’t that unusual, nor the worst she had seen. Customers want their coffee just so, and getting it just so requires more precision than running a nuclear power plant.

They lied about J.R.R. Tolkien. One more reason to be careful with memes you really, really like

They Lied About Tolkien | The StreamMILLS: The editor rejected J.R.R. Tolkien’s draft of The Fellowship of the Ring because Tolkien had used “dwarves” instead of “dwarfs.” So said a meme that popped up a lot on my Facebook page. A pastor I know posted it with the note, “Which he did.” Very quickly 29 of his friends shared it. Who knows how many dozens or hundreds of times friends shared it on. According to the meme, the editor appealed to the Oxford English Dictionary, saying that...

How close can baptism bring us to God? Much closer than a ‘personal relationship,’ it can bring true union with Him...

How close can baptism bring us to God? | Angelus NewsKACZOR: In the book, “Christ Alive in Me,” Father David Vincent Meconi recalls an encounter with a street preacher. She asked him, “Do you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ?” His answer: “I do, but I don’t want one.” She was shocked. He was shocked. This answer sprung from his mouth without prior planning. “With you and with friends,” Meconi continued, “I want a relationship. But with Jesus Christ, I want something else. I do not want a relationship; I want something more. I want union...”

A generation of American men give up on college: ‘I just feel lost’

A%20Generation%20of%20American%20Men%20Give%20Up%20on%20College%3A%20%u2018I%20Just%20Feel%20Lost%u2019%20-%20WSJ: Men are abandoning higher education in such numbers that they now trail female college students by record levels. At the close of the 2020-21 academic year, women made up 59.5% of college students, an all-time high, and men 40.5%, according to enrollment data from the National Student Clearinghouse, a nonprofit research group. U.S. colleges and universities had 1.5 million fewer students compared with five years ago, and men accounted for 71% of the decline.

Pope Francis travels to Budapest for International Eucharistic Congress: ‘Let’s Make Time for Adoration’

Pope%20Francis%20at%20International%20Eucharistic%20Congress%3A%20%u2018Let%u2019s%20Make%20Time%20for%20Adoration%u2019%7C%20National%20Catholic%20Register: Pope Francis encouraged Catholics at the International Eucharistic Congress in Budapest to spend more time in adoration of the Blessed Sacrament to become more like Christ. “Dear brothers and sisters, let us allow our encounter with Jesus in the Eucharist to transform us, just as it transformed the great and courageous saints you venerate,” Pope Francis said in his homily in Hungary on Sept. 12.

Cardinal Wyszyński and Mother Elżbieta, ‘two towering figures of Polish Catholicism,’ beatified in Warsaw

Cardinal%20Wyszy%u0144ski%20and%20Mother%20El%u017Cbieta%20Beatified%20in%20Poland%7C%20National%20Catholic%20Register: A Vatican cardinal beatified two towering figures of 20th-century Polish Catholicism on Sunday. Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, declared Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński and Mother Elżbieta Róża Czacka “Blessed” at a Mass at the Temple of Divine Providence in Poland’s capital, Warsaw.

Was Cardinal Wyszyński’s approach to Communism a guide to how the Vatican should engage with China?

Was%20Cardinal%20Wyszy%u0144ski%u2019s%20Approach%20to%20Communism%20a%20Guide%20About%20How%20the%20Vatican%20Should%20Engage%20With%20China%3F%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterDESOUZA: The recent ordination of a new bishop for Wuhan, China, has drawn attention to the still-unpublished accord between the Holy See and China on the appointment of bishops. The agreement is de facto with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which holds authority over all religious affairs in China. There are few details, but AsiaNews, a respected Catholic news source, is reporting that...

In the Vatican as elsewhere, dialogue is always easier outside the fold

In%20Vatican%20as%20elsewhere%2C%20dialogue%u2019s%20always%20easier%20outside%20the%20fold%20%7C%20Crux%20NowALLEN: Pope Francis today is in Hungary, where he’ll be welcomed by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. Given that the two leaders have several well-known differences, the encounter is a reminder of the Vatican’s longstanding diplomatic commitment to keeping channels of communication open even, perhaps especially, with one’s foes.

Repaid in full: 9/11 and the people of Halifax, Nova Scotia

Repaid in full: 9/11 and the people of Halifax - by Tim Clark - Between The PawsTIMCLARK: Twenty years ago, September 11, 2001, amid the the suffering and chaos that was unleashed that day, something else emerged—a torrential outpouring of kindness and charity. To the widowed. To the injured. To the wayfarers. No one expected anything in return. They acted simply because they saw a fellow soul—wounded—and in need of the balm of human kindness.

The Catholic heroes of 9/11

Catholic Living: The Catholic Heroes of 9/11 | Ex Corde at Benedictine CollegeHOOPES: The story of 9/11, to me, is more about the ordinary virtues of Catholic heroes than it is about terrorism or anything else. A coincidence put the National Catholic Register in an extremely strong position to cover Sept. 11, 2001, and it changed my approach to the way I do my job. I first wrote for the Register when I was in college 32 years ago and I’d been editor since 1999...

Father Francis Grogan — The other priest who died on 9/11

General%20absolution%20on%20Sept.%2011%2C%202001%20%u2013%20Catholic%20DigestLOONEY: During the meeting of the Mariological Society of America back in May 2019, I had the opportunity to visit Holy Cross Family Ministries and learn more about the life and legacy of the “Rosary Priest,” Fr. Patrick Peyton, CSC. Part of our field trip excursion included a visit to the cemetery and the grave of Fr. Peyton on the grounds of Stonehill College...

Fewer will be praying today than 20 years ago, as there are fewer people who pray at all. That’s part of the tragic legacy of 9/11...

September%2011%20Impacted%20Secularism%u2019s%20Advance%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterDESOUZA: Secularization — at least in North America and Europe — has been a long-term trend, with many contributing factors. It is likely that, 500 years from now, the biggest contributors to secularization will be identified as the two world wars. If Europe’s Christian faith was not sufficient to prevent depravity and destruction on such a scale, what then was it good for? Yet for our specific passage through history we might take account of those events...

Stage production on life of Venerable Augustus Tolton soon to be a movie

Stage production on life of Venerable Augustus Tolton soon to be a movie: A one-man show that retells the life of Venerable Fr. Augustus Tolton is picking up where it left off before the pandemic. The show, Tolton: From Slave to Priest, has resumed touring, and the stage production has been filmed for an upcoming release. Since opening in 2017, the show has been faithfully spreading the story of America’s first Black Catholic priest. The biographical play follows Fr. Tolton’s life from his escape from slavery to his ordination and work as a priest. Fr. Tolton’s efforts saw the founding a Black Catholic school in his hometown of Quincy and the first Black parish in Chicago.

September 11, 2001: 20 Years Later, the Nation Has Not Forgotten

September 11 Attacks: 20 Years Later People Have Not Forgotten the Pain or the Heroism| National Catholic RegisterPRONECHEN: On Sept. 11, 2001, Father Conrad Osterhout of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal was living in St. Joseph Friary in Harlem on 142nd Street as head of the house. “The first alarm for us were the people in the street calling out to us,” he told the Register of that tragic day...

Grandma won’t die from Alzheimer’s — unless we kill her

Grandma%20Won%u2019t%20Die%20from%20Alzheimer%u2019s%u2026Unless%20We%20Kill%20Her%20%7C%20God-Haunted%20LunaticBECKER: Several months ago, I heard an ad that got me muttering. It was for a non-profit Alzheimer’s research fund. “The first person to survive Alzheimer’s disease is out there,” said the lady in the voiceover. “Wait – what?” I asked out loud. “Everybody survives Alzheimer’s!” It’s true. Alzheimer’s itself is a devastating disease but it does not directly attack vital bodily functions...

Watch: Earthquake disrupts ‘Hail Mary’ in Mexico church’s livestream after abortion is legalized in country

Earthquake Disrupts 'Hail Mary' in Mexico Church's Livestream After Abortion Legalized in Country |BURKEPILE: Mexico’s highest court, the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation, denied protecting life from the moment of conception on Sept. 9 in the state of Sinaloa’s Constitution. That evening, the city of Acapulco, Guerrero in Mexico experienced a 7.0 magnitude earthquake.

From Flanders to Sicily, contradictions abound on Europe’s religious scene

From%20Flanders%20to%20Sicily%2C%20contradictions%20abound%20on%20Europe%u2019s%20religious%20scene%20%7C%20Crux%20NowALLEN: Having spent most of my adult life and career living in western Europe and covering Catholicism, I’ve developed three broad observations about the cultural landscape here vis-à-vis the Church. First, the Church is undergoing a long-term transition from a culture-shaping majority to an optional subculture, sometimes in harmony with the broader majority and sometimes at odds with it...

What is the difference between Confession and spiritual direction?

What is the Difference between Confession and Spiritual Direction?BARTUNEK: The essence of confession is the sacramental grace that Christ gives to our soul through the ministry of his priest. When we open our hearts to him through sincere repentance and honest confession of our sins within the sacrament of reconciliation, we receive an infusion of grace that forgives our sins, strengthens our spiritual weakness, and increases the bond of our supernatural friendship with Christ...

Pope Francis about to make first COVID-era European trip to Hungary, Slovakia

Pope Francis about to make first COVID-era European trip to Hungary, Slovakia | Crux NowSANMARTIN: At the crack of dawn on Sunday, Pope Francis will leave for Slovakia – after first making a seven-hour stop in Budapest, Hungary – for a Sept. 12-15 visit. This will be his first trip since his July colon surgery, and the question in the mind of many is: “Why?” The reasons are plenty: The central one, at least in Pope Francis’s mind, is the Eucharist...

Catholic theologian Mary Healy: ‘The Lord Jesus, from the time of the Apostles until now, loves to heal and wants to heal, even miraculously, far more often than we think’

US Catholic Speaker Recounts Miracle Healings at International Eucharistic Congress| National Catholic Register: U.S. Catholic speaker Mary Healy led the crowd at the International Eucharistic Congress on Thursday in a series of prayers for forgiveness and healing at the end of a talk on miracle healings. “I have seen the Lord do so many amazing healings, including last night on the streets of Budapest,” Healy said in her livestreamed speech on Sept. 9, referring to an event at a healing service in the Hungarian capital...

A pilot spent 17 years building this amazing 1:3 scale B-17 bomber. And it really flies...

A Pilot Spent 17 Years Building A Flyable 1:3 Scale B-17 Bomber: Jack Bally was a veteran and aviation enthusiast with a knack for building and flying kit planes. His list of builds includes a bush plane and a parasol monoplane. But in 1999, he would take on his greatest challenge yet, spending 17 years and 40,000 man hours building a near-perfect replica of a Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress in 1:3 scale.

The strange race to track down a missing billion years from the geological record

The strange race to track down a missing billion years - BBC Future: “Fearful disaster,” read the headline on the front page of the Chicago Tribune on 3 July 1869. The paper was referring to an incident involving a motley team of explorers led by the one-armed, self-taught geologist John Wesley Powell. Their mission was simple, though not easy — to travel 1,000 miles (1,609km) downstream from the banks of the Green River in Wyoming, cataloguing their finds as they went.

There is no doubt in my mind that the ‘demons of discord’ are now running rife in this country

Exorcist Diary: The Demons of Discord - SpiritualDirection.comROSSETTI: During my night prayer, I experienced strong feelings of discord regarding some others. It was out of proportion with the events. It didn’t make sense. Why am I so upset about nothing? It continued for quite some time. Then it occurred to me ... demons of discord. So I repeated this deliverance prayer for about 15 minutes...

Where is the elite news coverage of tensions between Pelosi and her bishop?

New%20podcast%3A%20Where%20is%20the%20elite%20news%20coverage%20of%20tensions%20between%20Pelosi%20and%20her%20bishop%3F%20%u2014%20GetReligionMATTINGLY: Here is a political science question for you, but it’s relevant to an important religion-beat story. The vice president of the United States is No. 2, in terms of the presidential line of succession, just ahead of the Speaker of the House of Representatives. But in terms of real, day-by-day power, who has more clout in America’s system of government, the vice president or the speaker?

If you’ve never read the work of the late Father Paul Mankowski, you should. Here’s where to begin...

The mighty pen of Father Paul Mankowski, S.J. - Denver CatholicWEIGEL: In the summer before the Second Vatican Council opened, Pope John XXIII met with Cardinal Léon-Joseph Suenens in the papal residence at Castel Gandolfo. “I know what my part in the Council will be,” the Pope told the Belgian archbishop. “It will be to suffer.” Pope John was prescient, and not just because the Council’s opening weeks would prove contentious; shortly before Vatican II began its work, the Pope was diagnosed with the painful cancer that would kill him in less than a year.

International Eucharistic Congress in Budapest: ‘Faith in Europe has become a very small flame’

International%20Eucharistic%20Congress%202021%3A%20Cardinal%20says%20%u2018faith%20in%20Europe%20has%20become%20a%20very%20small%20flame%u2019: A cardinal said on Friday that “faith in Europe has become a very small flame.” Celebrating Mass at the International Eucharistic Congress in Budapest, Hungary, on Sept. 10, Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich said he prayed that the continent would rediscover the missionary dimension of the faith.

A day to remember, a tale of two bishops, and a man named Toad

A day to remember, a tale of two bishops, and a man named Toad - by Ed. Condon - The PillarCONDON: Tomorrow is the twentieth anniversary of the September 11 attacks. It will be, for many, many families in this country, a day of profound memory, of grief, and of loving recollection for those who were killed. We have compiled a reader of some of Catholic homilies, stories, and remembrances to mark the day. Some are quite powerful.

“God gives us such a father and shepherd as Cardinal Wyszyński once in a thousand years”

Cardinal%20Stefan%20Wyszy%u0144ski%3A%20%u2018The%20Primate%20of%20the%20Millennium%u2019%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterDESOUZA: Forty years ago, the massive funeral procession of Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński was led by a banner that read, “God gives us such a father and shepherd once in a thousand years.” He will be beatified on Sept. 12 in Warsaw and known henceforth as “Blessed Stefan Wyszyński.” But in Poland he will remain always the “Primate of the Millennium,” as that processional banner acknowledged.

Stephen Baskerville on what it means to be a gentleman

Respect Life Radio Podcast - S.K. Baskerville: What it means to be a gentleman | Free Listening on Podbean App: "There's always been over the centuries attempts to infuse the definition of a gentleman with new meaning, and it usually means some kind of ethical and moral meaning that is perceived to be lacking," said S.K. Baskerville, Ph.D., author of "A Gentleman’s Guide to Manners, Sex, and Ruling the World: How to Survive as a Man in the Age of Misandry – and Do So with Grace" (Sophia Institute Press)...

New York City’s 9/11 Cross is a sign of our enduring hope

New%20York%20City%u2019s%209/11%20Cross%20Represents%20Our%20Enduring%20Hope%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterLANDRY: After I moved to New York City in early 2015 to serve the Church at the Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to the United Nations, one of my first excursions was to go to Ground Zero to visit the 9/11 Museum that had opened about 10 months before. Every time I had visited New York over the previous 14 years...

We have to encourage each other to get up and keep fighting. After all, we’re in this fight together...

Encouraging Perseverance - The Christian Response - Seton MagazineCLARK: During the process of writing a new course for Seton called “Virtue-Based Leadership,” I have spent considerable time reading Aquinas’ Treatise on Virtues. In my research, I have come to appreciate the relationship between encouragement and the virtue of perseverance. When we consider Cicero’s definition of perseverance as...

Why September 11, 2001 was different

Why September 11, 2001 was different | Angelus NewsLOPEZ: Less than two years before September 11, 2021, I felt like my world had fallen apart. My father, who I trusted and loved as a daughter does to a good father, died suddenly of a heart attack. As the eldest, already working at National Review magazine in my hometown of New York, I had fallen into provider mode, wanting to help my Catholic school principal mother with the seemingly impossible task of putting two children through college alone.

Colombo cardinal says Sri Lankan officials out to mislead Pope over probe into 2019 attacks

Colombo cardinal says Sri Lankan officials out to mislead pope over probe into 2019 attacks: The Archbishop of Colombo, Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, warned that Sri Lanka’s top government officials are out to mislead Pope Francis regarding the result of the investigation into the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings in the country’s capital.

The exorcistic effect of the Word of God

The Exorcistic Effect of the Word of God - Community in MissionPOPE: Many often think of exorcism only in relation to driving out demons from possessed people using ancient prayers. But, truth be told, we all have afflictions, oppressions, temptations and other negative thoughts and drives that are influenced by demons. Such influences may be direct and personal, but there are also sources of error and negativity that come from the world...

Spanish bishop allegedly stepped down because of relationship with writer of erotic novels

Spanish bishop allegedly stepped down because of relationship with novelist | Crux NowSANMARTIN: When Pope Francis accepted the resignation of a Spanish bishop for “strictly personal reasons” two weeks ago, speculation was rampant as to why, with several news sites claiming the pontiff had fired him for his support of the independence of Catalonia. Yet, according to several reports coming from Spain this week, the former bishop of Solsona, Xavier Novell...

The ultimate key to vision, and relationship

The Ultimate Key to Vision, and Relationship | LifeCraftCUDDEBACK: We humans are made to see. We are also made to be seen. I think that often what really hurts us in our relationships is that we do not feel understood. Seeing reality takes much cultivation, and likewise if we are really to be seen by others much is required—both on their part and on ours. There is something scary about this dependence on others. What if they just cannot or will not see us? Herein is part of the mystery...

‘Today Mexico is dressed in mourning’: In world’s second-largest Catholic nation, Supreme Court votes to decriminalize abortion

Mexican Supreme Court Invalidates State Pro-Life Law| National Catholic Register: Mexico’s Supreme Court on Tuesday invalidated several articles that protected life from conception in the penal code of the state of Coahuila, opening the door to legal abortion. The ruling is expected to have wide-ranging effects throughout Mexico.

Exorcist Diary: Angels’ voices in our head

Exorcist Diary: Angels' Voices in Our Head - SpiritualDirection.comROSSETTI: Recently I have been struck by Satan’s exploiting our psychological weaknesses, particularly in demonic “obsessions.” He is a master at sensing our fears, our desires for control, cracks in our self-esteem, and our vain desires to be held in esteem by others. Then, when these flawed emotions surface, Satan exploits and exaggerates them.