8 ways to share your Catholic faith on Ash Wednesday

8 Ways to Share Your Catholic Faith on Ash Wednesday - Catholic Missionary Disciples - College Station, TXLEJEUNE: Ash Wednesday will soon be here and it is a good day to share your Catholic faith with others. In fact, Ash Wednesday Masses generally have more people attend that even Christmas and Easter - which shows a high level of engagement. Below are some suggestions on how to evangelize on Ash Wed.

How to master 15 levels of pool, from basic fundamentals to dazzling trick shots

New Advent: How to master 15 levels of pool, from basic fundamentals to dazzling trick shots: Professional pool player Tony Robles explains eight-ball pool in 15 levels of difficulty, from easy to complex.

Did the dinosaurs die on a pleasant North Dakota spring day?

Did the Dinosaurs Die on a Pleasant North Dakota Spring Day? - Atlas Obscura: Spring was in full swing along the Tanis River that day. It curved lazily through forest and wetland on its way to the Western Interior Seaway, a shallow sea several miles away that covered much of what is now North America’s Great Plains. Winter’s chill, when temperatures dipped to just above freezing, was a distant memory, but the full heat of summer had not yet arrived. Plants were budding or starting to bloom, and turtles rested along the river banks, taking what warmth they could from the sun. The river was thick with fish, including animals similar to today’s paddlefish and sturgeon. They foraged for tiny plankton along the riverbed with their elongated snouts, or rostrums, and whisker-like barbels. Plankton numbers would not peak until summer, but there was still plenty to go around, and the fish were plump and healthy. About 66 million years ago, life was good that day. Until, say researchers behind a new paper, it wasn’t.

The strange reason migrating birds are flocking to cities

The strange reason migrating birds are flocking to cities - BBC Future: Ana Morales stepped through the shrubbery, scanning the airwaves with a radio receiver. The device had picked up a signal from a transmitter that she and colleagues had previously attached to a Swainson's thrush, a small brown and white speckled bird native to the Americas. The same signal had popped up on Morales' handheld receiver a few days earlier, emanating from exactly the same bush in a park on the edge of Montreal in Canada.

Pope Francis hears an ‘exchange of views’ on the Order of Malta’s future

Pope Francis hears 'exchange of views' on Order of Malta's future: Pope Francis met Saturday with representatives of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta and Cardinal Silvano Tomasi, his special delegate to the knights, to discuss proposals for the constitutional reform of the order. The audience followed Francis’ decision, announced at the beginning of this month, that he would decide personally on the future of the order, after work on a new constitution ground to a halt following a public dispute between Cardinal Tomasi’s papally appointed commission and the order’s own leadership.

What Hugh Hefner and the demon Screwtape can teach us about Lent

What Hugh Hefner and the demon Screwtape can teach us about Lent - Our Sunday VisitorMILLS: He’s usually depicted in the middle of an orgy or a debauch. We usually see Bacchus, the Roman god of agriculture, fertility and wine, eating and drinking and making merry, and in a way that in the real world, for us non-gods, ends in tears. America had its own Bacchus in Hugh Hefner, now the subject of an apparently blistering A&E documentary called “Secrets of Playboy.” I won’t go into the details, which are sordid, but he hurt many, many people — not just the young women who were exploited and even raped, but the men who indulged themselves under his guidance. And all the men induced to lust by his magazine, and all the people who bought into his idea of the good life. And all their victims.

UFOs, ETs and other Earths: The birth of a popular (but not scientific) idea

Other Earths: The Birth of a Popular (but Not Scientific) Idea| National Catholic RegisterGRANEY: When Giordano Bruno promoted the idea that the universe was full of other suns, orbited by other earths, the brilliant early-17th-century astronomer Johannes Kepler showed that science proved Bruno wrong, and that there was only one single sun: ours (see Part I in this series). But the idea of stars being suns had appeal, despite Kepler and his appeal to science. René Descartes (“I think therefore I am”), a younger contemporary of Kepler, helped the idea along a bit when he came up with a theory that provided a physical mechanism to explain why orbits worked (in contrast to Kepler, who developed the mathematics of how they worked). Descartes proposed that the universe was filled with of a sort of fluid matter; all planets, moons and so forth would then be immersed in it. Orbital motion resulted from whirlpools or vortices in this fluid.

Are Christians supposed to correct the sins of others?

On Fraternal Correction | Parishable ItemsFELTES: Back in your school days, did you ever have a teacher whom you really liked teaching you a subject you would not have otherwise cared about? The winsome way your teacher presented the material, and your personal respect and affection for her or him, motivated you to learn. Even back then, you recognized that your best teachers were not there to control or manipulate you, to make you obey just so they could collect a paycheck. You knew they wanted to give to you a good gift: knowledge, for the improvement of your life. You behaved better in their classrooms and gave your best effort in their classes because you knew they cared about you and willed your good. This common experience of excellent teachers helping students absorb lessons they would have otherwise rejected contains lessons for how we ought to fraternally correct one another.

Putin goes Soviet: Shades of the 1956 Hungarian uprising

Putin Goes Soviet: Shades of Hungary 1956| National Catholic RegisterKENGOR: I’m being asked for a sense of historical perspective to capture the gravity of what Vladimir Putin and his Russian troops are doing right now in the Ukraine. Is this unprecedented? Is there a parallel in recent Russian history? In recent Russian history, no. Modern Russia is post-Cold War Russia, the once-hopeful product of the collapse of the USSR in December 1991. That Soviet disintegration was prompted by every “republic” of the Soviet Union, including Ukraine, declaring independence from the monster parent-state prior to that December.

John Paul II: ‘Most Holy Virgin, Protectress of Ukraine, watch over your children’

John%20Paul%20II%3A%20%u2018Most%20Holy%20Virgin%2C%20Protectress%20of%20Ukraine%2C%20Watch%20Over%20Your%20Children%u2019%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterKENGOR: Russian armed forces are pushing hard to capture the city of Kyiv. Ukrainian military forces and armed citizens of Kyiv are courageously defending their city. Many will die. Who knows what Kyiv will be tomorrow? Kyiv is a city of historic Christian importance. It is the place where St. Volodymyr (Vladimir) was baptized and soon began the Christianization of the Rus. On Sunday, June 24, 2001, Pope St. John Paul II offered the Holy Mass at Chaika Airport near Kyiv. The words of his homily from that Mass provide a historic overview of Christianity in Ukraine and selections are presented below in solidarity with the people of Kyiv

Ukrainian Catholic Leader: ‘May Dialogue and Diplomacy Conquer War’

Ukrainian%20Catholic%20leader%3A%20%u2018May%20dialogue%20and%20diplomacy%20conquer%20war%u2019%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20Agency: The leader of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church expressed hope on Monday that dialogue and diplomacy will “conquer war” in Ukraine. In a video message recorded in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on Feb. 28, Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk alluded to talks between representatives of Ukraine and Russia taking place in neighboring Belarus. “We know that the alternative to war is diplomacy and dialogue. And always, at the end of war, it is necessary to sit down at the negotiating table. May dialogue and diplomacy conquer war,” he said.

The sacred liturgy is not a plaything! Here’s what’s wrong with ‘we baptize’ and other liturgical abuses

What%u2019s%20Wrong%20With%20%u2018We%20Baptize%u2019%20and%20Other%20Liturgical%20Abuses%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterPOPE: The story of a priest in the Diocese of Phoenix conducting invalid baptisms has been widely reported and commented on. But it would be good to reflect on this sad debacle by asking and answering a few questions. As a disclaimer, this article is not a personal attack on the priest involved. He seems contrite and did not seem to have a dissenting attitude. More likely he was poorly trained or came under the influence of some bad liturgical fashions. This article seeks to look to some of the deeper roots of the problem that have affected the Church. Now to some of our questions.

The hidden Catholicism of Johannes Vermeer, the great Dutch painter who converted from Calvinism

The hidden Catholicism of Vermeer: Much has been written on the perils of being a Catholic during England’s long years of religious oppression. The heroes of this time are well known, and many became saints. Hardly any were painters. For two centuries after Henry VIII’s split from Rome, artists of any faith were so rare in England they had to be imported. The situation was very different in the nearby Dutch Republic, which had an abundance of artists, many of them Catholic. The most famous is Johannes Vermeer. He surely didn’t convert from the Dutch Reformed Church to Catholicism for the career opportunities. He had no big international ambitions and probably never left his hometown of Delft.

U.S. Senate to vote on pro-abortion Women’s Health Protection Act

US%20Senate%20to%20Vote%20on%20Pro-Abortion%20Women%u2019s%20Health%20Protection%20Act%7C%20National%20Catholic%20Register: The U.S. Senate is expected to vote next week on a piece of legislation that one pro-life group is calling the “Abortion Until Birth Act.” The Women’s Health Protection Act (WHPA) would “effectively enshrine an unlimited abortion ‘right’ in federal law,” Marjorie Dannenfelser, the president of Susan B. Anthony List (SBA List), said Feb. 18. Her comments came after Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., cleared the way for the upcoming vote, scheduled for Feb. 28. The Biden administration has repeatedly expressed support for the bill, which would override states’ pro-life laws and remove restrictions on abortion up to the point of birth in some cases.

As Russians Besiege Kyiv, Priests ‘Descend to the Bomb Shelters’ to Celebrate Sunday Divine Liturgy

Ukrainian Catholic Leader in Kyiv: Priests Will Celebrate Sunday Liturgies in Bomb Shelters| National Catholic Register: The leader of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church said that priests “will descend to the bomb shelters” of Kyiv on Sunday to celebrate the Divine Liturgy. In a video message on Feb. 27, Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk noted that the residents of Ukraine’s capital city are unable to attend church due to a government-mandated curfew. “But in that case, the Church will come to the people. Our priests will descend to the underground, they will descend to the bomb shelters, and there they will celebrate the Divine Liturgy,” he said in the video released by the Secretariat of the Major Archbishop in Rome.

Must-see video: Instead of a comedy bit, SNL’s cold open this week featured a Ukrainian choir solemnly singing ‘A Prayer for Ukraine’

Ukrainian chorus performs hymn in solemn SNL cold open: After a monthlong hiatus for the Winter Olympics, Saturday Night Live returned Saturday with a solemn and moving tribute to Ukraine's ongoing struggle against Russian aggression. The broadcast began with Kate McKinnon and Cecily Strong standing side by side. "Ladies and gentlemen: the Ukrainian Chorus Dumka of New York," they said, Strong beginning the sentence and McKinnon finishing it. "Dumka" is a Ukrainian musical term for a short, often melancholic folk ballad.

With war in Ukraine, the global religious landscape is destined to shift

With war in Ukraine, the global religious landscape is destined to shift | CruxALLEN: Wars always have wildly unforeseen consequences, eviscerating a status quo and violently shaping new realities. While most pundits are pondering the geopolitical, diplomatic and military fallout from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Putin’s war also seems destined to have important consequences on the religious scene. Right now what those consequences may be seems impossible to descry, but it’s certainly worth contemplating the possibilities.

Dear Science: What if kids need their moms?

Dear Science: What If Kids Need Their Moms? | Catholic AnswersMERING: For early education advocates, the benefits of working toward universal preschool have been unimpeachable. A meticulously researched study, however, is throwing the conventional wisdom into question. For over a decade, researchers at Vanderbilt have been studying the benefits of a voluntary pre-K program in Tennessee offered to low-income children. The state-funded program operates on a lottery system, and the researchers followed children who got in as well as a control group of their peers who did not.

Pronoun wars? The ‘usual suspects’ quoted by the press skewed the Baptism-gate coverage

Pronoun%20wars%3F%20The%20%27usual%20suspects%27%20quoted%20by%20the%20press%20skewed%20Baptism-gate%20coverage%20%u2014%20GetReligionLISI: What is the role of journalism? Above all, it is to inform and educate. We know that reliable information is needed for any society to properly work. At the very least, readers deserve accurate information. What happens when this isn’t the case? That’s the dilemma that befell many news organizations in recent days when a big Catholic news story came across their newsroom desks. Yes, I’m referring to the botched baptism story out of Arizona last week that made so many headlines. And that’s hard to do considering the ongoing pandemic, the Beijing Olympics and Russia-Ukraine crisis.

The 30 best national parks in the world

The 30 Best National Parks in the World - Outside Online: Though the U.S. often gets all the credit for inventing the national parks idea, there are a wealth of countries that, since Yellowstone was instated as the first national park in 1872, have taken the notion and run with it. The result? Protections over vast natural empires of electric-blue glacial lakes, galloping wildebeest, colorful eroded badlands, and craggy, snow-capped peaks worldwide.

If you live in a house built between the 1920s and 1970s, your bathroom wall might be full of razor blades

If you live in an old house, your bathroom wall might be full of razor blades | Boing Boing: If you live in a house that was built between the 1920s and 1970s, the inside of your bathroom wall might be filled with dusty old razor blades. If you have a medicine cabinet, look to see if yours has a slit in it. These slits were used to get rid of used razor blades before disposable razors were popular.

A stunning image of Christian faith in the public square of Kharkiv, Ukraine

New Advent: A stunning image of Christian faith in the public square of Kharkiv, Ukraine: This small group of people gathered in the main square of Kharkiv, Ukraine, to kneel and pray...

7 things to know about Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson

7 things to know about Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson | Catholic News AgencyYODER: The 51-year-old judge clerked for Justice Stephen G. Breyer — whose seat she would fill at the Supreme Court — in 1999 and 2000. Biden elevated Jackson to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, one of the most powerful courts in the country, in 2021. But Jackson first became a federal judge in 2013, serving the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia as a President Barack Obama appointee.

Putin has alienated Ukraine’s powerful Orthodox community. The importance of this development should not be underestimated...

Putin%20has%20alienated%20Ukraine%u2019s%20powerful%20Orthodox%20community%20%7C%20Catholic%20CultureLAWLER: Ukraine is a mostly Orthodox nation (albeit with a heavy Byzantine Catholic presence, particularly in the west). But the Orthodox Church there has been split since the country gained its independence, with a newly autocephalous (that is, self-governing) Ukrainian Orthodox Church (OCU) to rival the larger faction affiliated with the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP). Not surprisingly, the OCU has strongly favored the Kiev government, and denounced Russian expansionism. But the UOC-MP has been quiet, no doubt loath to cause tensions with its brothers in Moscow—until the invasion began. Now the UOC-MP leadership has denounced Russian belligerence. And even the Moscow Patriarchate itself is choosing its words carefully. Ukraine is a religious country, and Putin has alienated the largest religious bloc.

Human life is a great drama, and the power of little boys points to that drama

The Power of Little Boys - LifeCraftCUDDEBACK: The other day while cutting firewood I had occasion to reflect on one of the great wonders of the world: the human boy-child. My two and a half year old grandson is, how else to say this?, one hundred percent boy. Boyness manifests in young males with amazing variety and striking consistency. Dealing with boys is at times terrifying, often frustrating, occasionally pushing-you-over-the-edge, always demanding, and sometimes deeply gratifying if not inspiring. Just ask the parents of boys.

Pope Opens Rare Special Process to Canonize 16 Carmelite Martyrs of Compiègne, Guillotined During French Revolution

Pope Francis opens special process to canonize 16 Carmelite martyrs of the French Revolution | Catholic News Agency: Their voices sang out from the scaffold as they went to their death on July 17, 1794, during the Reign of Terror, the frightening period of the French Revolution which oversaw the execution of at least 17,000 people. At the request of the bishops of France and the Order of Carmelites Discalced (OCD), Pope Francis agreed on Feb. 22 to open a special process known in the Catholic Church as “equipollent canonization” to raise the 16 Carmelite martyrs of Compiègne to the altars.

This Sunday’s readings: You may be a failure, but that shouldn’t stop you from achieving greatness

This%20Sunday%2C%20You%20May%20Be%20a%20Failure%20%u2014%20But%20You%20Can%20Be%20Great%20%7C%20Ex%20Corde%20at%20Benedictine%20CollegeHOOPES: The readings for the Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C, are perfect for the Sunday before Ash Wednesday. They point directly at our Lenten goal of Easter renewal and the obstacles that stand in our way: our own pride, vanity and sensuality. And of course, our Lenten goal is just a proxy for our ultimate goal: a successful life that ends in our own resurrection to Jesus’s side, with our family and friends, forever. I mention family and friends because Jesus wants us to know that our pride not only makes us fail personally — it leads to the failure of our loved ones.

As the Pope remains mum on Russia, some see an opening behind the scenes

As Pope remains mum on Russia, some see an opening behind the scenes | CruxSANMARTIN: Although Pope Francis took the extraordinary step of visiting Russia’s Embassy to the Holy See on Friday in order to demonstrate concern for the war in Ukraine, so far the pontiff still has not directly named Russia as the aggressor, nor has he condemned the actions of Russian President Vladimir Putin like many other global leaders have. While some sympathizers with the Ukrainian cause may be frustrated with the apparent diplomatic tact, others believe it may be the price of contributing to a diplomatic resolution of the conflict.

These nerds saw the Ukraine invasion start on Google Maps before Putin said a word

These Nerds Saw Ukraine Invasion Start On Google Maps Before Putin Said a Word: The world saw Russia’s buildup to war on a dance app. But it was a traffic app that tipped off a handful of researchers in California that the invasion was underway even before Russian President Vladimir Putin made the announcement late Wednesday night.

Original sin is the decoder of human nature

Original Sin, the Decoder of Human Nature | Catholic Answers: The cultural landscape provides us with many challenges that require clear thinking and compassion. A correct understanding of original sin—and its effects—is necessary to distinguish between normal and abnormal. The misunderstanding of the nature of the sin of Adam damages our spiritual and moral lives and distorts public policy. Adam and Eve disobeyed God in response to the devil’s temptation: “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Gen. 3:5). The devil persuaded our first parents to eat the forbidden fruit with the promise they would be in charge (“knowing” in biblical language) of defining good and evil. Original sin—an act of sinful pride—brought us suffering and death. We inherit original sin at conception. “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me” (Ps. 51:5). Like a DNA pathology, concupiscence inclines us to evil, and we commit many more sins.

Russian tennis player Andrey Rublev writes ‘No War Please’ on camera at tournament

New%20Advent%3A%20Russian%20tennis%20player%20Andrey%20Rublev%20writes%20%u2018No%20War%20Please%u2019%20on%20camera%20at%20tournament: Rublev did this following his advancement to the final in Dubai.

On Ukraine

On UkraineWEIGEL: For months now, the world press has described Russian troop deployments along Ukraine’s borders as spearheads of a possible invasion. The truth, however, is that Russia invaded Ukraine seven years ago, when it annexed Crimea and Russian “little green men” ignited a war in eastern Ukraine that has taken over 14,000 lives and displaced over a million people. Whatever the current military developments, a Russian invasion of Ukraine has not been “imminent;” the invasion is ongoing.

BBC's Olga Malchevska sees pictures of her family’s bombed Kyiv home live on air

New%20Advent%3A%20BBC%27s%20Olga%20Malchevska%20sees%20pictures%20of%20her%20family%u2019s%20bombed%20Kyiv%20home%20live%20on%20air: BBC journalist Olga Malchevska discussed seeing pictures of her family's bombed out home in Kyiv live on air. “When we agreed yesterday to come to the studio in the morning, I could not have imagined that at 3am London time I would fid out that my home is bombed,” she said, before the camera cuts to footage of the building. “That footage that everybody saw is literally my home.”

St. Matthias brings good out of evil

St. Matthias Brings Good Out of Evil | Catholic AnswersFITZPATRICK: The greatest conundrums of the Catholic faith are also the greatest consolations. The problem of evil is the occasion for the provision of goodness, and it is in the darkest mysteries of the world that the brightest mysteries of heaven find occasion to shine forth. That Jesus Christ picked one of the Twelve who would be his betrayer is a paradox. That Judas Iscariot would play a part in bringing about the glory of God is a perfection. And one of the glorious fruits that sprang from the Field of Blood to enact the mission of the Church was the man who filled the vacancy left by Judas—the man who made the Twelve twelve again, though not selected by the incarnate hand of the Son of God. St. Matthias took up the post that Judas had sold for thirty pieces of silver and held it as a true apostle until he too sold it, but for a martyr’s crown.

‘No time for whining,’ a Knoxville lawsuit, and the rules of Calvinball

%u2018No%20time%20for%20whining%u2019%2C%20a%20Knoxville%20lawsuit%2C%20and%20the%20rules%20of%20CalvinballCONDON: After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine Thursday morning, fighting continues throughout much of the country. Although the Vatican, as a rule, maintains diplomatic neutrality in all conflicts, always calling for peace, Pope Francis made the extraordinary gesture of going to the Russian embassy this morning to express his anguish at what is unfolding. We talked yesterday with Bishop Andriy Rabiy of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church about what has happened, the history of the two countries, and what it means to have “hope” while your home is being invaded.

Priest working for EWTN risks life to stay in Ukraine: ‘Our life is in God’s hands’

Priest%20Working%20for%20EWTN%20Risks%20Life%20to%20Stay%20in%20Ukraine%3A%20%u2018Our%20Life%20Is%20in%20God%u2019s%20Hands%u2019%7C%20National%20Catholic%20Register: With Russia’s invasion of Ukraine underway, one local priest says that he and Ukrainian Catholics are placing their trust in God. “As Catholics, we pray to God and hope that our life is in [his] hands,” Father Oleksandr Zelinskyi, the director general of EWTN Ukraine, told CNA on Thursday. He called the situation very difficult.

Pope Francis Visits Russian Embassy ‘to Show His Concern’ Over Invasion of Ukraine

Pope%20Francis%20Visits%20Russian%20Embassy%20%u2018to%20Show%20His%20Concern%u2019%20Over%20Ukraine%20Conflict%7C%20National%20Catholic%20Register: Pope Francis visited the Russian Embassy to the Holy See on Friday morning, according to the Vatican press office. The Vatican said on Feb. 25 that Francis went to the embassy “to show his concern for the war.” The Pope’s visit lasted a little more than a half hour, the Holy See press office said. The Russian Embassy to the Holy See is located on Via della Conciliazione, the broad street leading to St. Peter’s Basilica.

Prayer for the Deliverance of Ukraine in Time of Invasion

Prayer for the Deliverance of Ukraine in Time of Invasion| National Catholic Register: O Lord God of powers, and God of our salvation, O God, who alone work wonders: look down with mercy and compassion on Your humble servants, and out of love for mankind hearken and have mercy on us and on the land of Ukraine. For, behold, enemies have once more gathered together, in order to cause division and enmity. But You who know all things, understand that they have risen up unrighteously, and that it will be impossible to oppose their multitudes unless You show us Your help.

Here are a few (of many) saints and blesseds of Ukraine worth getting to know

Saints and blesseds of Ukraine - The Pillar: After a shocking wave of Russian military strikes across Ukraine on Thursday — attacks beginning a full-scale military assault on the country — Ukranians officials say they are prepared to fight back against Russian invasion, and say they will win. \ Catholic Ukrainians, and those around the world praying for their country, may well turn to the intercession of Ukrainian saints and blesseds.

Vatican Decries ‘Tragic’ Russian Invasion of Ukraine

Vatican%20Decries%20%u2018Tragic%u2019%20Russian%20Invasion%20of%20Ukraine%7C%20National%20Catholic%20Register: Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin lamented on Thursday the “tragic scenes” taking place in Ukraine after Russia’s attack and said wisdom is needed to save the world “from the folly and horrors of war.” “The tragic scenes which everyone feared are unfortunately becoming reality,” Cardinal Parolin said in a video statement on Feb. 24, after Ukrainian officials reported that Russia had launched a full-scale invasion of their country.

Jeeves, Middle Earth and our journey toward ‘ultimate perfection’

Jeeves%2C%20Middle%20Earth%20and%20Our%20Journey%20Toward%20%u2018Ultimate%20Perfection%u2019%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterBECKER: The incomparable Jeeves, valet extraordinaire, quotes Browning frequently throughout the P.G. Wodehouse corpus: “God is in his heaven, and all’s right with the world.” It’s always a hopeful insertion indicating some kind of resolution, and, in a way, Jeeves is referring to Wodehouse himself as the resolution’s architect — and that Wodehouse, by putting those words in the mouth of Jeeves, was acknowledging the source of his own talent and creativity.

You’re doing Italian food all wrong, say Italians. Here are 11 ‘food crimes’ committed against Italian cuisine by the rest of the world...

You%u2019re%20doing%20Italian%20food%20all%20wrong%2C%20say%20Italians%20%7C%20YouGov: A 2018 YouGov survey found that Italian cuisine is the world’s most popular. While that may prove a point of pride for Italy, a new international YouGov survey shows that elsewhere in the world many people are treating the cuisine in ways that will make Italians weep. Late last year, YouGov compiled a list of 19 ways in which foreigners have been accused of abusing Italian food, and asked people in 17 countries and territories (including Italy) whether they were acceptable or unacceptable.

St. Polycarp, bishop and martyr, pray for us

St. Polycarp, Bishop and Martyr, Pray For Us| National Catholic RegisterGRONDELSKI: St. Polycarp was a bishop and martyr who lived in the first and second centuries of the Christian era. His time is often called the “sub-apostolic age,” because his was the first generation of Christians to take responsibility for the Church after the death of the last Apostle, John. The traditional dates for his life were AD 69-155. Tradition says Polycarp was converted to Christianity by St. John the Apostle. Polycarp was bishop of Smyrna, an important city in Asia Minor (today’s Turkey), for decades.

Sigrid Undset wrote great books and scared the Nazis. She is a Catholic woman for our time...

Sigrid%20Undset%20%u2014%20A%20Catholic%20Woman%20for%20Our%20Time%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterDEMARCO: Sigrid Undset walked into the manager’s office of the Aschehoug publishing company, one of the largest in Norway, and tossed G.K. Chesterton’s The Everlasting Man (1925) onto his desk, exclaiming that “this is the best book ever written. It has to be translated into Norwegian!” It was translated into that language and she did the translation (1931). This anecdote compresses Undset in a nutshell. She was a strong Catholic, an apostle of the faith, a great admirer of Chesterton’s writings, at odds with her contemporary world, and a woman of considerable talent and determination.

Pope’s Wednesday Audience: ‘Pray That the Queen of Peace Will Preserve the World From the Madness of War’

Pope Francis Calls for an Ash Wednesday Fast for World Peace| National Catholic Register: Expressing great sadness at the worsening situation in Ukraine, Pope Francis asked world leaders on Wednesday to “make a serious examination of conscience before God.” Speaking at his live-streamed general audience on Feb. 23, the pope called for people to fast for peace on Ash Wednesday, which inaugurates the Catholic Church's penitential season of Lent, praying that “the Queen of Peace will preserve the world from the madness of war.”

Caught: one red herring

Caught: one red herring | Catholic CultureLAWLER: A report in the Buenos Aires Times on the trial of Bishops Zanchetta concludes this way: The Catholic Church, which forbids priests from marrying, has been repeatedly rocked by child sex abuse scandals around the world over the last three decades. Notice anything peculiar about that sentence? We are all sadly aware of the scandals. But suppose I were to rewrite the conclusion slightly, so that it read...

For the first 400 years of Christianity, St. Joseph was not portrayed in art. That has changed...

Arriving at St. Joseph | Catholic CultureMIRUS: My relationship with St. Joseph was relatively slow to develop. I hadn’t singled him out in my devotional life until two of my sons-in-law undertook a special devotion to Joseph. It is not too much to say that my own pilgrimage to Joseph was similar to that of the whole Church, which came only slowly to develop a strong devotion to Our Lady’s protector and Our Lord’s foster father—and has remained a little confused about how best to deal with Joseph in both prayer and art. Should he be ignored in favor of the Virgin and Child? Should he be portrayed as old and somewhat doddering to strengthen our grasp of Mary’s virginity? Should he be a secondary figure in art, smaller, in the background, and somewhat foolishly out of place? Can artists be so bold as to portray his masculine virtues? Might Joseph have at times thought himself in an impossible situation? Are we permitted to imagine that Mary, so preoccupied with Jesus, ever even looked at Joseph—ever delighted in his presence?

Pterosaur fossils are incredibly rare — but a perfectly-preserved 170-million-year-old specimen has been discovered in Scotland

Rare Middle Jurassic Pterosaur Found Perfectly Preserved in Scotland | Discover Magazine: Pterosaurs first appeared 215 million years ago. They took to the air 50 million years before birds. And while they lived alongside some of the bigwigs of the Cretaceous period like Tyrannosaurus rex, Velociraptor and Spinosaurus, these weren’t dinosaurs — they were flying reptiles that successfully ruled the skies until they went extinct 66 million years ago.

Pontifical Academy for Life members’ support for assisted suicide draws criticism

Pontifical%20Academy%20for%20Life%20Members%u2019%20Support%20for%20Assisted%20Suicide%20Draws%20Criticism%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterPENTIN: Two members of the Vatican’s Pontifical Academy for Life have come under fire for publicly urging support for assisted suicide as a tactic to prevent the legalization of voluntary euthanasia in Italy. Jesuit Father Carlo Casalone, a professor of moral theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University, proposed such an approach that critics stress fully contradicts Church teaching in a Jan. 15 article in the Jesuit periodical La Civilta Cattolica — a journal whose articles are cleared by the Secretariat of State.

5 books about black Catholics to read during Black History Month

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As War Looms, Vatican Congregation Considers Proposal to Give Ukrainian Catholics a Patriarch

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From Cardinal Cupich’s Chicago, here’s the exceptionally cringeworthy ‘guitar blessing’ that lit up the internet this weekend

Exceptionally%20cringeworthy%20Fr.%20Jackass%20and%20his%20final%20%u201Crock%20on%u201D%20guitar%20blessing.%20%28NB%3A%20CHICAGO%u2026.%20CUPICH%u2026.%29%20%7C%20Fr.%20Z%27s%20BlogZUHLSDORF: The Traditional Latin Mass has to be suppressed, they say. But take a look at this video. This abomination is the last few minutes of a streamed Mass. The parish is Holy Family Catholic Community in Inverness, Illinois. It’s in the Archdiocese of Chicago where the people who want the TLM are brutally and cruelly marginalized by Archbishop Cupich.

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Pope’s Sunday Angelus: ‘Why Turn the Other Cheek? To Defeat Hatred and Evil’

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Date: Sun, Feb 20, 2022 at 9:32 AM
Subject: CNA: Why turn the other cheek? To defeat hatred and evil, Pope Francis says
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To love one's enemies and to turn the other cheek seems impossible, but Jesus Christ's love gives Christians this strength that can save even those who hate them, Pope Francis said Sunday.

"Turning the other cheek is not the loser's fallback, but the action of those who have greater inner strength," the pope told crowds in St. Peter's Square gathered for the Angelus Feb. 20. "Turning the other cheek is to overcome evil with good, which opens a breach in the heart of the enemy, unmasking the absurdity of his hatred. And this attitude, this turning the other cheek, is not dictated by calculation or hatred, but by love."

"Dear brothers and sisters, it is the gratuitous and undeserved love that we receive from Jesus that generates in the heart a way of acting similar to his, which rejects all revenge," Pope Francis said.

The Pope's remarks reflected on the Sunday gospel reading from the Gospel of Luke's sixth chapter.

There, Jesus Christ tells his disciples: "love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. To the person who strikes you on one cheek, offer the other one as well, and from the person who takes your cloak, do not withhold even your tunic."

Pope Francis acknowledged that this can be hard.

"When we hear this, it seems that the Lord asks the impossible," he said. "Besides, why love enemies? If you do not react to the bullies, every abuse is given the green light."

It can be among "the most difficult situations" when we are placed before our enemies and those who "always try to harm us."

But here, the disciple of Jesus is called "not to give in to instinct and hatred, but to go much further. Go beyond instinct, go beyond hatred," said the pope.

He encouraged his audience to consider their "sense of injustice" at turning the other cheek, and to contrast this feeling with Jesus' behavior in his unfair trial before the high priest during his Passion, as recounted in the Gospel of John.

At one point, when a guard slaps him in the face, Jesus does not insult the guard but responds "If I have spoken badly, show me where the evil is. But if I spoke well, why are you beating me?"

To turn the other cheek, the pope explained, does not mean "suffering in silence" or "giving in to injustice."

"With his question Jesus denounces what is unjust. But he does it without anger, without violence, indeed with kindness. He does not want to trigger an argument, but to defuse resentment, this is important: extinguish hatred and injustice together, trying to rescue the guilty brother," said Pope Francis.

"This is not easy, but Jesus did it and he tells us to do it too," the pontiff said. "This is turning the other cheek: Jesus' meekness is a stronger response than the blow he received."

Pope Francis warned against keeping rancor in our hearts which hurts and destroys. He acknowledged that some people question whether it is possible for a person to love his or her enemies.

"If it depended only on us, it would be impossible," he said. "But let us recall that, when the Lord asks for something, he wishes to give it. When he tells me to love my enemies, he wants to give me the capacity to do so."

"What should we ask of him? What is God happy to give us?" the pope asked. "The strength to love, which is not a thing, but rather the Holy Spirit, and with the Spirit of Jesus, we can respond to evil with good. We can love those who do us harm. This is what Christians do. How sad it is, when people and populations proud of being Christians see others as enemies and think to wage war against each other!"

The pope encouraged Christians to think of someone who has harmed them.

"Maybe there is some resentment within us," he said. "So, alongside this rancor we place the image of Jesus, meek, during the trial, after the slap. And then we ask the Holy Spirit to act in our hearts. Finally, let us pray for that person: pray for those who have hurt us."

"When they have done something bad to us, we immediately go and tell others and we feel victims. Let us stop, and pray to the Lord for that person, to help him, and so this feeling of resentment disappears," he continued. "Praying for those who have treated us badly is the first thing to transform evil into good."

"May the Virgin Mary help us be workers of peace towards everyone, especially those who are hostile to us and do not like us," he prayed.

In his remarks after the Angelus, Pope Francis expressed his particular closeness to the people affected by natural disasters.

He specifically mentioned the people of Madagascar affected by a series of cyclones. The storms have displaced thousands and killed more than 100 people this month.

The pope sent a telegram to Madagascar's President Andry Rajoelina on Feb. 19, as the island in the Indian Ocean braced for another potential cyclone hit.

The Pope also spoke of those affected by landslides and flooding in the Brazilian city of Petropolis. These disasters have claimed at least 146 lives and left almost 200 missing, BBC News reports.

"May the Lord welcome the dead into his peace, comfort family members and support those who help," the pope said.

Citing Italy's National Day of Health Personnel, Pope Francis remembered the doctors, nurses, medical workers and volunteers who are close to the sick, treat them, and try to help them.

"Nobody saves himself alone. And in sickness we need someone to save us, to help us," he said. He praised "heroic" medical staf" who showed their heroism in the Covid-19 pandemic, and he added that their heroism "remains every day."

"To our doctors, nurses, and volunteers a round of applause and a big thank you!" he said.

Pope Francis greeted various pilgrims and groups, asking those gathered in St. Peter's square to remember to pray for him.

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Is “religious music” suitable for Mass?

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Bob Fu: How the Chinese Communist Party threatens liberty: “The Chinese Communist Party [is] not only posing a threat from far away, they are penetrating deeply in our society already, in every sphere of our society,” said Bob Fu, Ph.D., founder and president of ChinaAid, based in Midland, Texas. Fu, a pastor and author, is Senior Fellow for International Religious Freedom at Family Research Council and "was a student leader during the Tiananmen Square demonstrations for freedom and democracy in 1989," according to his ChinaAid profile.

There’s an ‘imponderable’ movement shaping history in the newest Catholic census numbers

In%20new%20Catholic%20numbers%2C%20an%20%u2018imponderable%u2019%20movement%20shaping%20history%20%7C%20CruxALLEN: An old saying has it that “journalism is the first draft of history.” Frankly, I’ve always been a bit dubious about that claim. In my experience, and to paraphrase John Lennon, history often seems to be what happens while journalists are talking about other things. Here’s a quote from historian Arnold J. Toynbee in his book Civilization on Trial which I try to take to heart.

In my search to discover the true lines of manliness, something has become clear to me...

A Man's Fear about Being a Man - LifeCraftCUDDEBACK: There is often fear in marriage, and it can be of several kinds. I think Shakespeare’s object here is perhaps the primary fear attending marriage, even those going ‘well.’ Will this marriage be what it really can and should be? Men, feeling a special responsibility in marriage, experience this fear in a particular way. And it is bound up with other deep fears. Many if not most men who marry have a sense that something of unique seriousness is undertaken, this even given the corroding power of popular culture. Their fear might not be in the forefront of their minds, but it is nonetheless real. Some men, grasping better the nature of marriage, experience this fear more intensely, precisely because they perceive more clearly what is at stake and that it connects with their very identity as men.

An interview with Father Matt Hood, the priest who discovered he was invalidly baptized (and ordained)

Interview: Father Matt Hood, the priest who discovered he was invalidly baptized (and ordained) | America Magazine: For a man who had just been baptized, confirmed, ordained and catapulted into the headlines in the space of two weeks, the Rev. Matt Hood of St. Lawrence Parish in Utica, Mich., sounded remarkably relaxed. I caught the 30-year-old priest on the phone while he and his father drove to Minnesota, where they were going to pick up a puppy named Sherman.

This chart showing the ages of moms when kids are born in the U.S. is eye-opening

Age of Moms When Kids are Born | FlowingData: People have kids at a wide range of ages, but the moments tend towards where we are in life. There are social norms and biological norms. Based on data from the National Center for Health Statistics, we can see how these ranges shift by child number.

Cardinal Becciu’s ‘Classified’ Tech Company Linked to Trump-Russia Allegations

Becciu%u2019s%20%27classified%27%20tech%20company%20linked%20to%20Trump-Russia%20allegations: The technology company to which Cardinal Angelo Becciu authorized millions of dollars of payments in Australia has been named in an emerging U.S. political scandal, raising new questions about the Vatican’s business with the firm.

The Pope’s new laws, Ukrainian Church and state, and very bad advice

The pope's new laws, Ukrainian Church and state, and very bad adviceJDFLYNN: Today is the feast of Blessed Michal Sopocko, and this is The Tuesday Pillar Post. Fr. Sopocko was the spiritual director of St. Faustina Kowalska, whose spiritual journals and paintings inspired much of the Church’s devotion to Divine Mercy, including the Divine Mercy Chaplet. The priest arranged for the first depiction of the Divine Mercy image to be painted by a Lithuanian artist, and he obtained the Church’s initial imprimatur for the Divine Mercy devotion.

Kansas City Chiefs placekicker speaks out in defense of Traditional Latin Mass

NFL Star Speaks Out in Defense of the Traditional Latin Mass| National Catholic Register: Super Bowl Sunday is a day of great tradition for many Americans, but for Super Bowl champion Harrison Butker, the tradition he wanted to bring attention to that day was one of eternal significance: the Traditional Latin Mass and his frustration with new Vatican rules restricting its use. Butker, 26, is the starting placekicker for the Kansas City Chiefs. His 2020 Super Bowl ring is a symbol of great accomplishment. But during CNA’s exclusive interview with the NFL star on Feb. 13, it was his wedding ring that he was twisting and turning as he thought about his wife, Isabelle, and their two young children and what their future might be if he is no longer able to take them to the Traditional Latin Mass.

The devil offers no one mercy, but Jesus remedies this through Confession

The devil offers no one mercy, Jesus remedies this through the sacrament of penance | Knowing Is DoingTORRE: Many of us at one time face what I call Our Prodigal Opportunity. What I mean here is that there will come a time where all of us will encounter a temptation so great, that our human appetite deliberately ignores the Divine nourishment of our Father in heaven through His Son Jesus Christ. St. Paul reminds us of this scenario where professes that he does the very things he should not do but does them anyway. And, if this does occur, will we have enough courage to admit our faults and humbly return to our Father in heaven and ask for forgiveness and be welcomed back home.

Seeking ‘Healthy Decentralization’ With Second Motu Proprio in Two Days, Pope Makes 10 Changes to Code of Canon Law

Pope Francis changes 10 articles of the Code of Canon Law, which rules the Church | Catholic News Agency: Pope Francis unveiled new changes to Church law in an apostolic letter published Tuesday, saying that he was seeking to promote “a healthy decentralization” in the Church. In the letter issued motu proprio (“on his own impulse”) on Feb. 15, the pope said that his intention with the changes was to “foster a sense of collegiality and pastoral responsibility” on the part of bishops, local bishops’ conferences, and major superiors religious communities, as well as to “support the principles of rationality, effectiveness, and efficiency.”

Love is for eternity

Love Is for Eternity | National ReviewLOPEZ: ‘It makes no sense to accumulate, if one day we will die.” Pope Francis was referring to the inevitability of death, in talking about Saint Joseph, who is known as the patron of a happy death. That death could be happy is somewhat foreign to us. Even deep into the Covid pandemic, our culture seems somewhat oblivious to the fact that, however many booster shots we get, we are going to die of something, now or later. We, of course, at the same time should be good stewards of our lives and care for our neighbor — so we aren’t reckless when we are sick or driving or anything else.

A Protestant minister named Greg Locke is claiming that autism is demonic. He is spectacularly wrong...

Greg Locke, Autism Is not Demonic - Fr. Matthew P. Schneider, LCSCHNEIDER: Pastor Greg Locke has made a number of controversial statements. Recently, he was claiming autism is demonic. This is ridiculous. I will cover three things: summarizing his claim, and referring to why this is not demonic in three aspects: another person’s rebuke, some of my prior writings, and then further from rules for determining demonic presence in the Church.

Cardinal Hollerich is wrong — the Church cannot change her teaching on homosexuality

The Church Cannot Change Teaching on Homosexuality (Hollerich Errs) - Fr. Matthew P. Schneider, LCSCHNEIDER: Last week, another leader in the Church has suggested we should change our teaching on homosexuality. However, “should” implies there that the one doing the action is able. However, the Church has no power to change her teaching on homosexual relations. Let’s look at what the Cardinal said, look at the Catechism, look at magisterial teaching, and note what a change would imply.

Engineers are starting to build bridges with repurposed wind turbine blades

These%20are%20the%20world%u2019s%20first%20wind%20turbine%20blade%20bridges%20-%20The%20Verge: On a former train track bed connecting the towns of Midleton and Youghal in County Cork, Ireland, workers recently excavated the rusted remains of an old railway bridge and installed a pedestrian one in its place. The bridge would have been an unremarkable milestone in the development of a new pedestrian greenway through the Irish countryside, if not for what it’s made of: recycled wind turbine blades.

5 varieties of mission drift, and 5 corresponding remedies

Five%20Varieties%20of%20Mission%20Drift%2C%20and%20Five%20Corresponding%20Remedies%20%u2014%20ConversationsKACZOR: Leaders in Catholic higher education and beyond have long spoken of “mission drift,” something that happens when the core values and goals inherent in an institution’s mission are neglected. If we can be more specific about the various forms that mission drift takes, we might be better situated to recognize it and to consider possible remedies. Jesuit institutions tend to define their mission in terms of the service of faith, the promotion of justice, and the education of the whole person. With this in mind, I propose that we can distinguish five senses of mission drift: inattention, reduction, dilution, segregation, and discrimination. I further propose that we can identify five corollary remedies: mindfulness, comprehensiveness, depth, integration, and affirmation.

The season of Lent is only 16 days away — check your heart for an invitation

Jesus Invites You | Parishable ItemsFELTES: When we come before our Lord for the Holy Mass it is good to prepare ourselves. Greet Jesus present for us in the Tabernacle. Ask his help so that you may also be fully present and worship well. Also before Mass, form Mass intentions; choose which persons or problems you wish to be especially blessed by the graces which will flow from this Sacrifice on the altar. Having a Mass intention helps ward off distractions because you will not be merely a spectator—just watching the priest pray—but an invested, active-participant in offering his sacrifice and yours, for the needs of many. If you have prayerfully prepared for Mass and there’s still a few minutes remaining before it begins, perhaps look over the day’s readings printed in the missalette.

Catholic athlete Sarah Escobar makes history as Ecuador’s first female athlete to compete in the Winter Olympics

Catholic Athlete Sarah Escobar Makes History at Winter Olympics| National Catholic Register: When Sarah Escobar packed her bags for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, she included a memento from her mother: a stone carved with the word “Faith.” “Sarah’s mom said she gave it to her, and Sarah holds it near because she feels that she is grounded in her belief in God and in the fact that we are all connected in our humanity,” Pamela Madzy, the coordinator of the migrant ministry at Escobar’s hometown parish, told CNA.

Archbishop Gänswein tells inside story of Benedict XVI’s response to the Munich abuse report

Archbishop%20G%E4nswein%20Tells%20Inside%20Story%20of%20Benedict%20XVI%u2019s%20Response%20to%20the%20Munich%20Abuse%20Report%7C%20National%20Catholic%20Register: Archbishop Georg Gänswein has shared the inside story of how Pope emeritus Benedict XVI responded to a report criticizing his handling of four abuse cases when he led Germany’s Archdiocese of Munich and Freising. In an exclusive interview with EWTN’s Vatican Bureau Chief Andreas Thonhauser, Benedict XVI’s personal secretary defended the retired pope’s actions, described his pioneering work in combating clerical abuse despite resistance at the Vatican, and spoke of Pope Francis’ strong personal support for his predecessor. The full interview will air on Feb. 14 at 6:30 p.m. EST on a special episode of EWTN’s Vaticano program.

Pope Issues Motu Proprio ‘Fidem Servare,’ Changing Structure of Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith

Pope Francis Changes Structure of Vatican Doctrinal Office| National Catholic Register: Pope Francis on Monday reorganized the internal structure of the Vatican’s doctrine office into two sections — the latest step in his ongoing reform of the Roman Curia. In a letter issued motu proprio (of his own accord) on Feb. 14, Pope Francis centralized the tasks of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith into a doctrinal section and a disciplinary section. The department previously had a third section, which dealt with marriage cases. With the motu proprio, titled Fidem servare, the responsibilities of the marriage office will be moved under the doctrinal section.

New Denver Broncos assistant coach Ben Steele makes rosaries, spreads his Catholic faith, and talks of Super Bowls

New%20Denver%20Broncos%u2019%20Coach%20Talks%20of%20Super%20Bowls%20Past%2C%20Present%20and%20Future%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterBEATTIE: There is a feeling among some people that the Rosary is just for women — or even for older women alone. This mistaken notion has been weakened over the years, as the spiritual competence of men has been strengthened. More and more men, including professional athletes, have become familiar with the Rosary — including former NFL player and current coach Ben Steele. The 6-foot-5-inch Denver native is, like a set of rosary beads, “coming full circle” in his return to the Mile High City. After a playing career from 2001 to 2007 that included stints with six different NFL teams as a tight end, Steele was a coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Atlanta Falcons and, just last season, the Minnesota Vikings.

Pope’s Sunday Angelus: Accept the ‘Paradox of the Beatitudes’

Pope Francis at the Angelus: accept the 'Paradox of the Beatitudes' | Catholic News Agency: Pope Francis spoke on the paradox of the Beatitudes in his Sunday Angelus address on Feb. 13, saying that the defining characteristic of a disciple of Jesus is joy. “Indeed, the Beatitudes define the identity of the disciple of Jesus,” said Pope Francis to a crowd gathered in St. Peter’s Square. “That might sound strange, almost incomprehensible to those who are not disciples, but if we ask ourselves what the disciple of Jesus is like, the answer is precisely in the beatitudes.”

Here are my Top 10 Films of 2021, with 10 runners-up and 10 honorable mentions

2021: The year in reviews - Decent FilmsGREYDANUS: One year ago, for the first time in 17 years, I didn’t do a year-end write-up or a top films list for the previous year. Partly this was because of the impact of the Covid pandemic in 2020 both on the film industry and also on my viewing and writing habits; partly, too, in 2020 I had chosen for a variety of reasons to focus on other things. (Instead I capped 2020 with an even more ambitious list, picking my favorite films from 2000–2020: the 21 years of my critical career, with 21 top films, 21 runners-up, and 21 honorable mentions.)

You don’t want to be an antinomian, and you don’t want to be a legalist ... you want to be just right, like Goldilocks

Goldilocks and the Law of Moses | Catholic AnswersAKIN: Two terms that often appear in Protestant discussions of faith and works are legalism and antinomianism. The first is giving law too much emphasis, and the second is giving law too little emphasis. The law in question is God’s law, and in the Bible, the most famous expression of God’s law, was given through Moses. It contains the Ten Commandments, as well as all the other regulations that were part of the Mosaic covenant.

Men who defend Vatican II with a clenched fist could undercut one of Vatican II’s greatest accomplishments...

Undercutting Vatican II to defend Vatican II?WEIGEL: Archbishop Arthur Roach, prefect of the Vatican’s Congregation for Divine Worship, recently sent the world’s bishops instructions regulating local usage of the Traditional Latin Mass. Those instructions were intended to implement Pope Francis’s 2021 motu proprio, Traditionis Custodes (Guardians of the Tradition), which strictly limited the celebration of Mass according to the 1962 Roman Missal. Traditionis Custodes presented itself as a defense of the authority and integrity of the Second Vatican Council — which, it was claimed, was under assault from liturgical traditionalists. In several interviews, Archbishop Roach has emphasized that defending the Council was the rationale for both Traditionis Custodes and his congregation’s detailed regulations.

Relying on the mysterious gift of the Holy Spirit will change everything

Relying on the mysterious gift of the Holy SpiritSTAUDT: Jesus makes a startling statement at the Last Supper: “It is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you” (Jn 16:7). What could be better than Jesus’s presence alongside us? Only his presence within us, made possible by his gift of the Holy Spirit! The Spirit, who Jesus calls the Counselor (advocate or helper), will lead his followers, moving them from within and guiding them in how to live. The Spirit is the breath and life of God, poured into us as the gift of God’s own love. Although it can be easy to overlook the role of the Spirit, we see that Jesus’s mission culminated in sending the Spirit upon his Church, granting her the divine life that she needed to fulfill the mission he entrusted to her. In Confirmation, he gives each of us the most precious gift he has: his own Spirit to make us fully alive with his divine life, enabling us to live a supernatural life in the world. The Spirit teaches us how to pray and how to live, gives us gifts, and inspires us with courage to live out our mission. When we rely on the Holy Spirit, we allow him to shape us in these ways.

Gizmodo: The crypto community sells itself as cancel-proof — until they canceled one of their own for his Catholic faith

A Crypto Community 'Cancels' One of Its Own: For years, crypto stans have maintained that the blockchain is a powerful tool to fight censorship. You can find any number of op-eds arguing that the immutable nature of the ledger protects free speech, and, relevantly, Bitcoin bros have often deemed it a haven from political correctness—a place where “cancel culture” does not functionally exist. But, it turns out Web2 and Web3 have more in common than some may have thought. A crypto DAO, the Ethereum Name Service (ENS), recently booted or, to use another phrase, “canceled” its former director of operations, Brantly Millegan, over a tweet he made some five years ago.

Super Bowl Roundtable: Are you ready for some (faith-informed perspectives on) football?

Super Bowl Roundtable: Are You Ready for Some (Faith-Informed Perspectives on) Football?| National Catholic RegisterLIEDL: When the plucky Cincinnati Bengals square off against the star-studded Los Angeles Rams this Sunday in Super Bowl LVI, it’ll be a chance to answer some pertinent questions: Does experience trump the bravado of youth, or just bring added pressure? Can you trade your way to a championship, or is “draft and develop” the better approach? And will the NFL’s overtime rules unduly affect the outcome of yet another high-stakes playoff game?

Have you been holding your phone wrong this whole time?

Have You Been Holding Your Phone Wrong This Whole Time?: At the annual National Football League awards presentation, it is customary to recall those who have recently died in a combined video montage. This past Thursday though, one man was singled out for special feature: John Madden. Madden coached the Oakland Raiders for 10 seasons from 1969-1978, won a Super Bowl and achieved the best winning percentage of any coach in NFL history who coached at least 100 games. After an early retirement at age 42, he became most famous as a television commentator for nearly 30 years. He was the best of his profession, better than anyone else at explaining the game and sharing the fun — offering both education and entertainment.

John Madden, a happy death and the Communion of Saints

John Madden, a Happy Death and the Communion of Saints| National Catholic RegisterDESOUZA: At the annual National Football League awards presentation, it is customary to recall those who have recently died in a combined video montage. This past Thursday though, one man was singled out for special feature: John Madden. Madden coached the Oakland Raiders for 10 seasons from 1969-1978, won a Super Bowl and achieved the best winning percentage of any coach in NFL history who coached at least 100 games. After an early retirement at age 42, he became most famous as a television commentator for nearly 30 years. He was the best of his profession, better than anyone else at explaining the game and sharing the fun — offering both education and entertainment.

Cardinal Müller says orthodox Catholics are being persecuted by ‘secularized people’ within the Church

Cardinal%20M%FCller%3A%20For%20Faithful%20Catholics%2C%20It%u2019s%20a%20%u2018Time%20of%20Tribulation%20and%20Psychological%20Terror%u2019%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterPENTIN: Faithful Catholics are today facing a period of persecution, tribulation and “psychological terror” that, in an unprecedented way, is coming from within their own countries that have ancient Christian traditions, Cardinal Gerhard Müller has observed. The German cardinal made the observation in an exclusive Feb. 5 interview with the Register, during which he issued a blistering attack on the state of the Church in Germany and the “Synodal Way,” a controversial multiyear reform process that grew out of the clergy sexual-abuse crisis.

Strategic cardinal floats trial balloon, saying Catholic LGBTQ doctrines are wrong

Podcast%3A%20Strategic%20cardinal%20floats%20trial%20balloon%2C%20saying%20Catholic%20LGBTQ%20doctrines%20are%20wrong%20%u2014%20GetReligionMATTINGLY: If you follow political news, you’re probably familiar with the concept of a “trial balloon.” One online dictionary definition states: “A trial balloon is a proposal that you mention or an action that you try in order to find out other people's reactions to it, especially if you think they are likely to oppose it.” Here’s a famous example. Let’s say that the Obama White House wants to shift its stance on gay marriage, once the president has reached a point — in 2012 — where he may or may not need strong support from social-conservative Black church leaders. Thus, it was a surprise, kind of, when Vice President Joe Biden, went on “Meet the Press” and said that he was “absolutely comfortable” with same-sex marriages.

The leaner, meaner Beatitudes of St. Luke

This Sunday, The Leaner, Meaner Beatitudes | Ex Corde at Benedictine CollegeHOOPES: The Gospel for this Sunday, the Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time is the Beatitudes in Luke — the leaner, meaner version of the Beatitudes we know from Matthew. As Pope Benedict XVI pointed out, we needn’t worry about the contradictions between the two. Of course Jesus shared the Beatitudes on more than one occasion in his teaching, and of course it wasn’t exactly the same each time. The Beatitudes we know from Matthew are magnificent, but I’ve always preferred the direct, concrete approach in Luke.

French Catholic Nun Turns 118, Making Her the Second Oldest Person in the World

Sour%20Andre%20Randon%20turns%20118%2C%20Catholic%20nun%20is%20Europe%u2019s%20oldest%20person%2C%20second%20in%20the%20world%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20Agency: Sister Andre Randon, a French nun, celebrated her 118th birthday on Feb. 11. This milestone makes her the second-oldest living person in the world and the oldest living person in Europe, according to the Gerontology Research Group, which validates details of people believed to be 110 or older. In anticipation of the big day, the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, sent the beloved nun a greeting.

Are Diplomatic Relations Between the Vatican and Beijing on the Horizon?

Are diplomatic relations between the Vatican and Beijing on the horizon? | Catholic News AgencyGAGLIARDUCCI: According to Vatican sources, the establishment of diplomatic relations with Beijing is not on the horizon, despite what some recent appointments might suggest. On Jan. 31, the Vatican said that Msgr. Arnaldo Catalan, its chargé d’affaires in Taiwan, was being posted to Rwanda, where he will serve as apostolic nuncio. Days later on Feb. 5, Msgr. Javier Herrera Corona, head of the Holy See Study Mission in Hong Kong, was named apostolic nuncio to the Republic of the Congo and Gabon.

Benedict XVI’s departure from the PR “playbook” makes for effective spiritual reading

Pope%20Benedict%u2019s%20Departure%20From%20the%20Public-Relations%20Handbook%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterDESOUZA: For more than 70 years as a priest, Joseph Ratzinger set for himself the mission of seeking and proclaiming the truth; he chose “cooperators of the truth” as his episcopal motto. He did just that in his response to the Munich inquiry in sexual abuse, defending the facts of the matter against prevailing opinion, and elevating the entire matter by placing it in the liturgical context of sin, contrition, judgment and salvation.

There’s a movement afoot that wants to destroy Benedict XVI’s legacy, says Archbishop Gänswein

Archbishop%20G%E4nswein%3A%20Movement%20Wants%20to%20Destroy%20Benedict%20XVI%u2019s%20Life%20and%20Work%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterPENTIN: Archbishop Georg Gänswein has claimed that a movement is not only out to destroy Benedict XVI’s life and work but also views the recent accusations of mishandling abuse as an opportunity to erase him from the official memory of the Church. In Feb. 9 comments to the Italian daily Corriere della Sera, the pope emeritus’ personal secretary said he believed a movement exists “that really wants to destroy the person and the work [of Benedict XVI].

Your eye color, explained: Scientists are still learning new things about one of our most striking features

Your Eye Color, Explained | Discover Magazine: Eye color is complicated. But until a few years ago, few scientists described it that way. As recently as the aughts, it was believed that eye color was determined by a single gene — brown, dominant; blue, recessive. It’s a rule many may remember from high school biology class when studying Gregor Mendel, considered the father of modern genetics. But recent research has helped makes things much clearer. In fact, eye color is determined by multiple genes. And, further, eye color is as specific to an individual as a thumbprint.

Russian painting worth $1,000,000 sent for restoration after guard doodles eyeballs on it with a ballpoint pen on his first day

Russian%20painting%20vandalised%20by%20%u2018bored%u2019%20gallery%20guard%20who%20drew%20eyes%20on%20it%20%7C%20Art%20%7C%20The%20Guardian: A valuable avant garde painting has been vandalised by a “bored” security guard who drew eyes on faceless figures in the artwork on his first day working in a Russian gallery. Anna Leporskaya’s Three Figures was painted between 1932 and 1934, and had been insured for 75m roubles (A$1.3m, £740,000). It was on display as part of an abstract art exhibition at the Boris Yeltsin Presidential Center in Ekaterinburg when the guard drew eyes on it using a ballpoint pen.

Here are 20 English-language words that men know better than women, and vice versa

Table 2 | Word prevalence norms for 62,000 English lemmas | SpringerLink: From Word prevalence norms for 62,000 English lemmas, via SpringerLink...

Cryptocurrency network fires ChurchPop founder Brantly Millegan for 2016 tweet expressing Catholic moral doctrine

Cryptocurrency network fires Catholic for 2016 tweet: Ethereum Name Services (ENS), a virtual “community” of cryptocurrency users, has fired its director of operations, Brantly Milligan, because of a Tweet he posted in 2016, reported Coindesk.com. In the tweet, Millegan wrote, “Homosexual acts are evil. Transgenderism doesn’t exist. Abortion is murder. Contraception is perversion. So is masturbation and porn.”

“Grotesque behavior”: Video captures Communist activists invading Catholic church during Mass in Brazil

"Grotesque Behavior": Activists Invade Church During Mass in Brazil (Video Inside) -: Please pray for the conversion of these people! Left-wing activists angry about the death of two African-Brazilians invaded a Catholic church in Brazil during the celebration of the Mass on Sat., Feb. 5. Groups representing the Brazilian Communist Party (PCB) and the Workers Party (PT) invaded the Church of the Rosary in Curitiba, Paran� in Brazil.