Raleigh church fire being investigated as arson

Raleigh church fire being investigated as arson - WV MetroNews: A Sunday morning fire that destroyed an historic Raleigh County church building is being investigated as an arson. According to the Beaver Volunteer Fire Department, the Saint Colman Catholic Church building along Irish Spring Road in Dillon, not far from Shady Spring, was already on the ground and smoldering when firefighters arrived on the scene Sunday morning. The church, built in 1877-78, is on the National Register of Historic Places, a designation that came in 1984. Services are no longer held there.

Scientific American: How parents’ trauma leaves biological traces in children

How Parents' Trauma Leaves Biological Traces in Children - Scientific American: After the twin towers of the World Trade Center collapsed on September 11, 2001, in a haze of horror and smoke, clinicians at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in Manhattan offered to check anyone who'd been in the area for exposure to toxins. Among those who came in for evaluation were 187 pregnant women. Many were in shock, and a colleague asked if I could help diagnose and monitor them. They were at risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD—experiencing flashbacks, nightmares, emotional numbness or other psychiatric symptoms for years afterward. And were the fetuses at risk?

Where does a legendary 225-year-old working warship get its parts? At the U.S. Navy forest, of course...

Where does a 225-year-old working warship get its parts? At the Navy forest, of course.: In the early 1970s, as the United States began preparing for its Bicentennial, Boston decided that the U.S.S. Constitution would be a focal point of the city’s anniversary celebrations, with a new museum to the celebrated warship opening at the Charlestown Navy Yard.

Initial impressions of ‘Desiderio Desideravi,’ Pope Francis’ new document on the Mass

%u2018Desiderio%20Desideravi%u2019%3A%20Initial%20Impressions%20of%20Pope%20Francis%u2019%20New%20Document%20on%20the%20Mass%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterDESOUZA: After a year of barbed commentary directed at liturgical traditionalists from many quarters, the Holy Father’s apostolic letter Desiderio Desideravi, dated June 29 for the solemn Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul, takes a rather different tack, both in tone and substance. Desiderio Desideravi takes its title from the words of Jesus at the beginning of the Last Supper: “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer” (Luke 22:15). The letter aims to enhance the “liturgical formation of the People of God.” This new papal teaching is a welcome shift, certainly worthy of careful reading and reflection. Some initial impressions suggest themselves.

Vatican inconsistencies: A Tale of Two Bishops

Vatican Inconsistencies: A Tale of Two Bishops| National Catholic RegisterPENTIN: The contrasting recent handling by the Vatican of two bishops has highlighted concerns about discrepancies in the disciplining of bishops, with no explanation available why one of the two bishop was dismissed while the other has been allowed to remain in office. The two cases involve Bishop Daniel Fernández Torres of Arecibo, Puerto Rico, whom Francis relieved from his episcopal duties in March, and Bishop Richard Stika of Knoxville, Tennessee, who has not been sanctioned despite an array of allegations including the mishandling of a case of sexual misconduct by a diocesan seminarian.

Dobbs, Roe and the vindication of American democracy

Dobbs, Roe and the Vindication of American Democracy| National Catholic RegisterWEIGEL: Prior to June 24, the U.S. Supreme Court’s most important civil rights decision was handed down on May 17, 1954. Then, in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, the Court declared racially segregated public facilities unconstitutional, effectively reversing its 1896 decision in Plessy v. Ferguson, which upheld state-mandated segregation laws. Now, in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the Court has effectively buried the gross errors of constitutional interpretation made in Roe v. Wade (1973) and Casey v. Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania (1992), the first of which invented a spurious right-to-abortion that was affirmed by the second.

Still we march! Thoughts on the overturn of Roe v. Wade

Still We March: Thoughts on the Overturn of Roe V. Wade - Community in MissionPOPE: I like many of you will always remember where I was when I heard that Roe v. Wade had been struck down. I was in Wichita, Kansas, preaching a priests retreat and preparing for Mass on the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Tears welled in my eyes as I ran to share the news with the bishop and priests. I have been marching in the March for life almost uninterruptedly since 1975. We knew it was an uphill fight, but we had precedents and hope in the abolitionist movement and the Civil Rights movement that had ultimately prevailed. Some years of the march were cold and snowy others mild or rainy. Some years featured hopeful signs other years discouragement. But we always marched.

Violent Vandalism Attack on Catholic Church in Washington State Caught on Video

VIDEO: Watch Violent Vandalism Attack on Catholic Church in Washington State| National Catholic Register: A woman was praying alone in the perpetual adoration chapel early Tuesday morning when the wave of anti-Catholic vandalism and violence sweeping the U.S. struck St. Louise Catholic Church in Bellevue, Washington. Hearing a commotion outside, the woman ventured into the hallway. There, she confronted a masked intruder standing outside the parish center, smashing the glass front door. The person screamed profanities at the woman, who ran back into the chapel. Terrified, she locked the door behind her and called the pastor, Father Gary Zender, while hiding behind a piano.

Are we obliged to avoid businesses that say they’ll pay for employees’ abortions? Short answer: No. Here’s why...

ASK%20FATHER%3A%20Are%20we%20obliged%20to%20avoid%20businesses%20which%20will%20pay%20for%20employees%u2019%20abortion%3F%20%7C%20Fr.%20Z%27s%20BlogZUHLSDORF: How do we weigh proximate and remote participation in evil? If we were to cut out of our lives anything that had the remotest connection to support for abortion, we would have to separate ourselves from society. That might be a heroic thing to do, and it might be the right thing to do for some people. Yet the Church has always maintained that, since Christians are to act as a leaven in the world, some degree of cooperation is acceptable. Consider that St. Augustine, in his magnificent explanation of Christ washing the feet of the Apostles, says that He did that so to encourage them to get out and get their feet dirty in His service: He would be there to cleanse them. In carrying out the mission He gave them, they would get the muck of the world on themselves. It’s not an excuse for personal sin. It’s reality in a fallen world. It is also a fact of life that when you clean something, you get dirty.

FBI opens sweeping probe of clergy sex abuse in New Orleans; Mann Act may allow prosecution of crimes going back decades

FBI opens sweeping probe of clergy sex abuse in New Orleans - ABC News: The FBI has opened a widening investigation into sex abuse in the Catholic Church in New Orleans going back decades, a rare federal foray into such cases looking specifically at whether priests took children across state lines to molest them, officials and others familiar with the inquiry told The Associated Press. More than a dozen alleged abuse victims have been interviewed this year as part of the probe that’s exploring among other charges whether predator priests can be prosecuted under the Mann Act, a more than century-old, anti-sex trafficking law that prohibits taking anyone across state lines for illicit sex.

The Last Train Robbery in the Old West

The Last Train Robbery: The sun had just set. Darkness surrounded the glow from the gaslights at the railway station in the town of Fairbank, Arizona. Located in Cochise County, the town owed its existence to the railroad. Fairbank was the closest rail stop to the more bustling Tombstone, less than 10 miles to the east. While Fairbank did not have many houses, the town boasted a one-room schoolhouse and a fancy hotel for the train passengers. A large building near the train station housed a restaurant and a general store.

Raising a child like the Little Prince

Raising a Child Like the Little Prince - LifeCraftCUDDEBACK: A merchant is selling special pills—one pill will quench thirst for a whole week! A person will no longer need to find something to drink. “Why are you selling those?” asks the little prince. Answer: Experts say they will save us fifty-three minutes per week. “And what do I do with those fifty-three minutes?” “Anything you like,” answers the merchant. And so, the little prince reflects on how he would spend the fifty-three minutes. He realizes he would like to do the very thing he has supposedly been ‘freed’ from.

Apostolic Letter ‘Desiderio desideravi,’ on the liturgical formation of the People of God

Apostolic Letter Desiderio desideravi, on the liturgical formation of the People of God (29 June 2022) | FrancisCOATOFARMS: My dearest brothers and sisters, with this letter I desire to reach you all – after having written already only to the bishops after the publication of the Motu Proprio Traditionis custodes – and I write to share with you some reflections on the liturgy, a dimension fundamental for the life of the Church. The theme is vast and always deserves an attentive consideration in every one of its aspects. Even so, with this letter I do not intend to treat the question in an exhaustive way. I simply desire to offer some prompts or cues for reflections that can aid in the contemplation of the beauty and truth of Christian celebration.

Nancy Pelosi Meets With Pope Francis, Receives Holy Communion at Papal Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica

pelosi: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi met with Pope Francis on Wednesday and received Communion during a papal Mass in St. Peter's Basilica, witnesses said, despite her position in support of abortion rights. Pelosi attended the morning Mass with her husband Paul - who is awaiting trial for a DUI he was arrested for in May - marking the feasts of St. Peter and St. Paul, during which Francis bestowed the woolen pallium stole on newly consecrated archbishops. She was seated in a VIP diplomatic section and received Communion along with the rest of the congregants, according to two people who witnessed the moment.

Nancy Pelosi reportedly receives Holy Communion at papal Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica on Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul

Nancy Pelosi Reportedly Receives Communion at Papal Mass| National Catholic RegisterBROCKHAUS: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi reportedly received Holy Communion at a Mass with Pope Francis at the Vatican on Wednesday. Pelosi was banned from receiving Holy Communion in her home diocese, the Archdiocese of San Francisco, in May. San Francisco’s Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone said Pelosi should not be admitted to Communion, nor should she present herself to receive the Eucharist, until she publicly repudiates her support for abortion.

Pope Francis Releases ‘Desiderio Desiderata,’ Apostolic Letter on Liturgy After ‘Traditionis Custodes’

Pope%20Francis%20Pens%20Letter%20on%20Liturgy%20After%20%u2018Traditionis%20Custodes%u2019%7C%20National%20Catholic%20Register: Pope Francis published a letter on the liturgy Wednesday, nearly one year after he issued the motu proprio Traditiones custodes, restricting the celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass. In the 15-page apostolic letter, Desiderio Desideravi, the Pope said he wanted “to invite the whole Church to rediscover, to safeguard, and to live the truth and power of the Christian celebration.”

Judges Temporarily Block Abortion Bans in Louisiana, Utah, Texas

Judges temporarily block abortion bans in Louisiana, Utah, Texas | Catholic News Agency: Judges in Louisiana, Utah, and Texas have temporarily blocked the enforcement of those states’ laws banning abortion, after the Supreme Court returned the regulation of abortion to the states. On June 24, the court voted 6-3 in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization to uphold a Mississippi law restricting most abortions after 15 weeks. At the same time, justices voted 5-4, to overturn Roe v. Wade.

Since May 1, pro-abortion groups have heavily outspent pro-life groups to dominate social media ads

Abortion rights ads swamp social media: Pro-abortion rights interests have heavily outspent their opposition on leading social media platforms in the wake of a Supreme Court ruling overturning its landmark Roe v. Wade decision, data shared with Axios show. Why it matters: The court's ruling throws the issue to the states, where heated legislative fights are imminent over the future of abortion access in America.

4 thoughts on the closure of Spencer Trappist Brewery. Is this the end of the Beer Option?

The%20End%20of%20the%20Beer%20Option%3F%20Thoughts%20on%20the%20Closure%20of%20Spencer%20Trappist%20Brewery%20%u2013%20Building%20Catholic%20CultureSTAUDT: Many of us were excited for the first American Trappist brewery back in 2014 at St. Joseph’s Abbey in Spencer, Massachusetts. I was inspired to write The Beer Option: Brewing a Catholic Culture Yesterday & Today by the long tradition of monastic brewing, which pointed to a whole Catholic history of beer. I wrote a couple of articles following the emergence of new monastery beers, Cause for Mirth and Brew Evangelization, which laid the foundation for the Beer Option book. It seemed that a renaissance of monastic brewing was underway.

In Chicago, Cardinal Cupich has cracked down on traditional worship in some parishes — while tolerating grave liturgical abuses in others

The%20City%20of%20Big%20Shoulders%20%u2014%20and%20Liturgical%20Confusion%3A%20Chicago%20Faithful%20Flummoxed%20by%20Inconsistent%20Liturgy%20Policy%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterLIEDL: Perhaps no U.S. diocese has implemented Traditiones Custodes, Pope Francis’s motu proprio restricting what is commonly known as the traditional Latin Mass, as forcefully as the Archdiocese of Chicago. In fact, Cardinal Blase Cupich’s enactment of the decree has gone beyond what the text of both the motu proprio and a subsequent clarification issued by the Vatican require, including additional limitations placed on communities still allowed by Traditiones Custodes to celebrate the pre-conciliar Mass previously known as the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite and an effective ban on the ad orientem celebration of the ordinary form of the Mass by diocesan priests — a measure not even hinted at in the Pope’s original guidance.

Robert Reich dropped 7 old errors about human nature — only to replace them with new errors...

Robert Reich Drops Old Errors About Human Nature, Replaces Them With New Errors| National Catholic RegisterMILLS: He seems weirdly naive for a former cabinet member, professor at a prestigious university, and major public intellectual. Robert Reich admits that the world of the 21st century didn’t turn out the way he expected. What did Reich expect? He expected the world to get better. More peaceful. More cooperative. More democratic. Basically, that kids who’d been fighting on the playground all their lives would suddenly act like those implausibly well-behaved children in ’50s movies.

The 10 commandments of reverencing the Holy Eucharist

The 10 commandments of reverencing the Eucharist - Arlington Catholic HeraldMANGAN: To attend Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation. This serious obligation begins for children when they reach the “age of reason.” We adore the Eucharist by our full, active and conscious participation in the Mass. To prepare well for every Mass we attend. The holy sacrifice of the Mass is “Calvary perpetuated” because it is the representation of Christ’s sacrifice on Good Friday. We abstain from food and drink (medicine and water may be taken) for at least one hour before receiving Communion. We also confess to a priest within the context of Confession our mortal sins that we have not confessed before. (A mortal sin is a thought, word, desire or action that concerns grave matter with sufficient reflection and full consent of the will.) Those who are practicing Catholics and whose marriages are recognized as valid by the Catholic Church may approach the altar to receive the Savior. Frequent Confession of venial sins is highly encouraged.

Four priests, one religious sister murdered in one week

Four priests, one religious sister murdered in one week | CruxSANMARTIN: The past seven days were among the deadliest for Catholic priests and religious in recent years, with one violent murder every 33 hours. Just last Wednesday, June 22, Pope Francis condemned that week’s killing of two Jesuit priests in Mexico. By Sunday, June 26, the pontiff was once again lamenting the death of a religious, this time at the end of his weekly Angelus: Sister Luisa dell’Orto, a Little Sister of the Gospel of Saint Charles de Foucauld, was killed Saturday in Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti.

‘Roe v. Wade’ is still overturned, and other news too!

'Roe v. Wade' is still overturned, and other news too!JDFLYNN: It’s no overstatement: Dobbs v. Jackson has begun a new chapter in American political life. What comes next, politically and culturally? I don’t know. Neither do you. Dobbs does not make abortion illegal across the United States; it localizes the issue to state legislatures — and eventually, to state judiciaries. Twenty states are unlikely to prohibit or strictly regulate abortion, and almost as many with strict bans set to go in place. That leaves a handful of states where there will be fierce fights over the issue. And, eventually, state laws on abortion - for or against - will face challenges in state courts, with advocates looking to see how judges might interpret state constitutions.

The World’s Ugliest Dog Contest 2022 just took place in California. When you see pictures of the winner, we think you’ll agree that he won it fair and square

World's Ugliest Dog Contest 2022: Chinese crested-Chihuahua mix wins: Jeneda Benally reacts to the announcement that her dog, Mr. Happy Face, won the World's Ugliest Dog Contest in Petaluma, Calif., on June 24, 2022. Banelly adopted the dog from an Arizona shelter after he was rescued from a hoarder’s house. Benally said she was told by veterinarians that he would likely only have about a month to live due to tumors and other medical conditions. Now, at age 17, he's a winner.

Did you know some widebody planes have hidden little rooms that are off limits to passengers? Here’s what they look like...

The hidden areas of planes where the crew rests | CNN Travel: There are some secret areas on widebody aircraft, where the pilots and cabin crew go to rest during long flights. Passengers can't access them under any circumstance and they're well hidden from view. They're called Crew Rest Compartments and their location on the plane varies. On newer aircraft, such as the Boeing 787 or the Airbus A350, they are located above the main cabin, in the upper fuselage. But on older aircraft, they can also be in the cargo hold or simply in the main cabin.

‘Pray for the Deceased, the Ailing, and Their Families’: 46 People Found Dead in Trailer, 16 Hospitalized, San Antonio Officials Say

%u2018Stacks%20of%20bodies%u2019%3A%2046%20people%20found%20dead%20in%20trailer%2C%2016%20hospitalized%2C%20San%20Antonio%20officials%20say: Forty-six people were found dead in a tractor-trailer on the Southwest Side, and 16 have been transported to area hospitals, according to San Antonio police and fire officials. “It’s tragic,” said San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg. “They had families ... and were likely trying to find a better life. It’s nothing short of a horrific human tragedy.” Authorities said it was the largest mass casualty event they’ve seen in San Antonio...

Here’s why that Pride flag displayed at the U.S. Embassy to the Holy See is so wrong...

Ecology and the Lie of Pride FlagsTSAKANIKAS: To those familiar with signs, symbols and sacramentals, the LGBTQ+ “Pride” flag is no more a peaceful sign of diversity and tolerance than the Confederate or “Rebel” flag is. The Pride flag inseparably signifies the specific value of accepting the “gay” lifestyle and the sexual acts which are intrinsic to defining one as homosexual. To the point, does anyone honestly believe that someone who hoists the Playboy bunny flag can separate it from support of fornication and adultery? Feel free to pretend you just like the cute sign of bunnies, but any culturally attuned adult knows the flag’s intrinsic sympathy and meaning.

Why are they angry?

Why are they angry? | Knowing Is DoingTORRE: There is a scene in book four of Screwtape Letters where Screwtape is quite insistent that Wormwood keep the patient from developing a prayer life. The last thing Screwtape wants to see is the patient rebuff Wormwood’s attempts to persuade the patient from developing prayerful communication with God. Screwtape is very poignant at keeping human beings from encountering an environment of prayer and this becomes a central theme throughout C.S. Lewis’ masterpiece.

‘The Last Abortion Doctor’ — This 2009 Esquire longform article offers a chilling look at Warren Hern, America’s most notorious abortionist

Abortion Doctor Warren Hern - Abortion Doctor Murders: The young couple flew into Wichita bearing, in the lovely swell of the wife's belly, a burden of grief. They came from a religious tradition where large families are celebrated, and they wanted this baby, and it was very late in her pregnancy. But the doctors recommended abortion. They said that with her complications, there were only two men skilled enough to pull it off. One was George Tiller, a Wichita doctor who specialized in late abortions.

Scientists just discovered the world’s biggest bacteria in a Caribbean mangrove swamp — germs so big they can be seen with the naked eye

The world's largest bacterium found in Caribbean swamps: Scientists discovered the largest bacterium known to man in a shallow mangrove swamp in the Caribbean. The discovery is redefining the possibilities of one of the ancient life forms on the planet. Called Thiomargarita magnifica, the bacteria is noteworthy for both its size and internal architecture. The thin white filament, approximately the size of a human eyelash, is “by far the largest bacterium known to date,” said Jean-Marie Volland, a marine biologist at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and co-author of a paper announcing the discovery Thursday in the journal Science.

In 6-3 Decision, Supreme Court Sides With High School Football Coach Who Sought to Pray After Game

Supreme Court sides with coach who sought to pray after game | AP News: The Supreme Court on Monday sided with a football coach from Washington state who sought to kneel and pray on the field after games. The court ruled 6-3 for the coach with the court’s conservative justices in the majority and its liberals in dissent. The justices said the coach’s prayer was protected by the First Amendment. “The Constitution and the best of our traditions counsel mutual respect and tolerance, not censorship and suppression, for religious and nonreligious views alike,” Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote for the majority.

FBI Investigating Arson and Vandalism Attack on Pregnancy Center in Longmont, Colorado

FBI investigating suspected arson attack on Colorado pregnancy center | Catholic News Agency: The FBI has joined local police investigating a suspect arson at at pro-life pregnancy center in Longmont, Colorado. The center, Life Choices, sustained fire and heavy smoke damage, authorities said. The front of the building also was defaced with pro-abortion slogans, including the words, "If abortions aren't safe neither are you," written in script with black spray paint. Longmont Public Safety responded to the fire Saturday at 3:17 a.m. MT.

This Sunday, Jesus, the free one, wants us to break our bonds

This Sunday, Jesus, the Free One, Wants Us to Break our Bonds | Ex Corde at Benedictine CollegeHOOPES: The readings for the 13th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year C, Jesus and St. Paul offer a picture of freedom that cuts against our instincts about what makes us free. Freedom does not mean doing what you want, it means being able to embrace what is best. And to do that, one thing is necessary. The Gospel and Epistle reading paint a picture of radical freedom. The bracing images of freedom Jesus shares tell us who are and who we will be. “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head,” he says. We are companions of Jesus on the open road, free of attachment to physical comfort to share his comfort instead.

The Pope indicts ‘restorationism.’ I plead guilty...

The%20Pope%20indicts%20%u2018restorationism.%u2019%20I%20plead%20guilty.%20%7C%20Catholic%20CultureLAWLER: Those opening lines from a book I wrote five years ago, Lost Shepherd, came rushing back to mind last week, when I read the Pope’s latest published interview, with its condemnation of “restorationism.” When Pope Francis decried the influence of “restorationist” groups, and added that “there are many in the United States”, he might as well have been rebuking me personally. The restoration of the Church has been my goal throughout my career. I helped to found the Center for the Restoration of Christian Culture at Thomas More College in New Hampshire. Nearly 40 years ago I was excited by the vision Paul Johnson sketched in his book, Pope John Paul II and the Catholic Restoration. The word “restoration” appears frequently in my writing on this site, invariably in a positive context, because I see restoration of the Church as the primary goal of Catholic lay action. Yet now the Sovereign Pontiff cites “restoration” as a disorder.

When your parents divorce, it sticks with you...

When Your Parents Divorce, It Sticks with You | Catholic AnswersMEOLA: As with any trauma, the negative effects of divorce aren’t easily or quickly “gotten over.” Contrary to popular belief, divorce can and does continue to affect children far into the future, even those who outwardly seem to have “made it” relatively unscathed. Being a child of divorce affects a person’s identity, triggering ontological questions about who he is and his place in the world and generating a deep sense of emotional homelessness.

Pope St. John Paul II was an intellectual and moral hero. Those who demean his teaching are recycling the same old same old...

Recycling the same old same oldWEIGEL: In December 2021 and May 2022, I had the pleasure of teaching a mini-course in Rome, exploring the life and thought of St. John Paul II. My students came from a cross-section of world Catholicism and offered a range of insights from different local Churches in our discussions. They were, however, uniformly surprised and disturbed by something I brought to their attention. Vatican II, I explained, had rightly called for a renewal of Catholic moral theology.

The Dobbs decision came on the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart, and June 24 is usually the Solemnity of the Birth of St. John the Baptist. God is telling us something...

The Overturn of Roe v. Wade| National Catholic RegisterDEMELO: The Supreme Court on Friday, June 24 — the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus — overturned Roe v. Wade that created a so-called right to abortion. The justices ruled in a 6-3 decision in favor of the Mississippi abortion restriction law in the case Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health. Today is an answer to many pro-life prayers, and the prayers must continue as our states now face the proper democratic and legislative process to protect the unborn and serve women and families. EWTN’s Catherine Hadro and Lauretta Brown join us with reactions to the news. I’m Jeanette DeMelo, editor-in-chief and executive director of the National Catholic Register, and your host for Register Radio.

Here are the winners and losers of the 2022 NBA draft

The Winners and Losers of the 2022 NBA Draft - The Ringer: Chris Ryan: One of the joys of the second half of the past NBA season was watching how Cade Cunningham never let any defense speed him up. So what did Detroit do in the 2022 draft? Grab a guy who can’t be slowed down. Cade will win Detroit some playoff games, eventually. But Jaden Ivey will put some asses in seats and kick the Pistons up any League Pass ranking.

9 things you might not know about Chick-fil-A

9 Things You Might Not Know About Chick-fil-A: People have all kinds of opinions on the popular chicken chain born in the American South, but for those who choose to frequent Chick-Fil-A, the prevailing opinion is that it’s stinking delicious. Not only that, but if you have kids, you can actually feel good about the healthier options (in my opinion).

A new Vatican investigation in Strasbourg marks the latest upheaval for Catholics in France

Vatican investigation in Strasbourg marks latest upheaval in French church | Crux: In his latest intervention in the Catholic Church in France, Pope Francis has ordered an apostolic visitation of the Archdiocese of Strasbourg, which is set to begin at the end of this month. According to a June 23 press release from the papal embassy in France, the decision was made after the Vatican received information “relating to the pastoral government of the Archdiocese of Strasbourg” and after “hearing the Dicastery for Bishops.”

Dobbs is a monumental accomplishment — the culmination of a half-century of dedicated work by countless Americans committed to overturning Roe v. Wade

Dobbs Decision: A Monumental Moment in the March for Equal Rights for Every Human Life| National Catholic RegisterBRADLEY: The nightmare is over. In his masterful opinion for the Supreme Court in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, Justice Samuel Alito consigned the constitutional right of abortion to the ash heap of history. Alito’s criticisms of Justice Harry Blackmun’s opinion in Roe v. Wade are deep and cutting — and entirely justified. Roe was, Alito wrote, “egregiously wrong from the start.” It was “on a collision course with the Constitution from the day it was decided.” Just so.

Abortion Clinics Across the Country Begin Closing After Dobbs Ruling

Roe v. Wade ruling: Abortion clinics close in Texas, Arkansas: Multiple clinics that provide abortions closed down Friday in the immediate aftermath of the Supreme Court's ruling that will end federal protections on abortion. Driving the news: The Supreme Court issued a ruling Friday that overturns Roe v. Wade, making it so states can legally regulate or ban abortion.

Catholic Parishes Brace for Backlash as DHS Warns Violent Extremism ‘Likely’ in Wake of Roe v. Wade Decision

Violent extremism "likely" in wake of Roe v. Wade decision, DHS memo says: The Department of Homeland Security's intelligence arm said in a memo on Friday that domestic violent extremism is "likely" in response to the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. Why it matters: Violence could take place in multiple locations for weeks as states make changes to their abortion laws, according to the memo, which was obtained by Axios.

This is a wonderful day for pro-life advocates, for the United States on the world stage, for democracy, and for the Constitution that guarantees it...

Roe Overturned: A Wonderful Day for Democracy| National Catholic RegisterALVARE: It seems impossible that I am writing the following words: Today, the United States Supreme Court overturned the two decisions that had invented out of whole cloth a constitutional right of legal abortion: Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey. Its opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Center means that the Constitution no longer protects abortion. Abortion is once again — as it was before the date of the Roe opinion, Jan. 22, 1973 — a matter for state lawmaking.

Dear Catholic men: On this historic day, go to Holy Mass!

New Advent: Dear Catholic men: On this historic day, go to Holy Mass!: Find times and locations at http://masstimes.org.

Life after Roe v. Wade: What happens next in our nation?

Life after Dobbs: What happens next? - by Charlie CamosyCAMOSY: The Supreme Court on Friday issued its a decision in the case Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health, overturning Roe v. Wade in a 6-3 decision and returning the power to legislate limits on abortion to the states. The decision represents a seminal victory for the pro-life movement, one for which generations of lawyers, activists, and legislators have fought. To discuss the significance of the decision and what happens next, Charlie Camosy talked with Carter Snead, a law professor and director of the de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture at the University of Notre Dame — and a member of the Pontifical Academy for Life.

How to debunk 7 common myths about overturning Roe v. Wade

7 Myths About Overturning Roe v. Wade| National Catholic RegisterMCKEOWN: The U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling Friday overturning the 1973 decision Roe v. Wade as well as the 1992 decision Planned Parenthood v. Casey. In simplest terms, this means that abortion is no longer legal nationwide — the legality of abortion will now be determined at the state level. There are a lot of myths out there about what this ruling means and what will happen next. Here are some responses to common myths about the overturning of Roe v. Wade:

5 Ways to Respond to Christ’s Sacrament of Love

5%20Ways%20to%20Respond%20to%20Christ%u2019s%20Sacrament%20of%20Love%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterLANDRY: On Friday, June 24, the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. It is particularly special this year, for two reasons. First, June 24 is normally every year the Solemnity of the Birth of St. John the Baptist, basically six months before Christ’s birth. But since the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart takes place on the Friday after Corpus Christi, this year the celebration of the birth of the Lord’s precursor was moved to June 23. This shows the importance of the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart not just as an historical devotion but as a celebration of the Lord Jesus himself. John the Baptist’s words, “He must increase; I must decrease” (John 3:30), also apply liturgically.

Solemnity of Sacred Heart Becomes Historic Day of Mercy as U.S. Supreme Court Overturns Roe v. Wade

Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade in landmark abortion decision | Catholic News Agency: The Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade in a historic decision released Friday that brings a sudden and dramatic end to nearly a half-century of nationwide legalized abortion in the U.S.

READ FULL DECISION HERE: Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization

Supreme Court overturns constitutional right to abortion - SCOTUSblog: Opinion by Justice Samuel Alito...

What does it mean to follow “all” of the Church's teachings?

What does it mean to follow 'all' of the Church's teachings? - Our Sunday VisitorMILLS: “In the culture, if you stand for virtues and principles and morals, you are far right,” went a Facebook post I stumbled upon. “In the Church, if you are devout and follow ‘all’ of the teachings of the Church, you are rigid. Got that?” Not untrue, though I’d want to qualify both claims. The second sentence is the one that interests me here. It may be meant for encouragement or for virtue-signaling. In either case, the question to be answered is what “follow the teachings” means. It has more possible meanings than we might think, and some of those deceive us into thinking we’re doing better than we are. A Catholic can follow without following.

Dead Time, Living Time, Technology, and Leisure

Dead Time, Living Time, Technology, and Leisure - LifeCraftCUDDEBACK: To get time right, we must get leisure right. Leisure is always the first principle. Leisure in its true sense transcends time. And for this very reason, it alone is what makes time come alive, bringing it to its fruition—even when we are at work. Looking at my own life I realize that my consistent experience of being short on time means at least this: I am failing in living the primacy of leisure, the leisure that “disposes of boundless time!”

What is stagflation, and how can you prepare for it?

What stagflation is, and how to prepare for it: The next big risk to the U.S. economy may be summed up in one word. And no, it’s not necessarily recession, though economists are evenly split on the risks one is coming. Instead, 80% of economists in the same survey named stagflation as the greater long-term risk to the economy, according to the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association. The next biggest risk they identified was deflation, with 13% of respondents.

Here are some of the most famous drivers to take on Pikes Peak

Pikes%20Peak%u2019s%20Most%20Famous%20Drivers%20%7C%20The%20Drive: Qualifying has begun for this year's Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, and as always, that means some of the world's best drivers are giving it their all on the mountain. In doing so, they become part of a class of drivers that—if you browse back through the list of entrants dating back to 1916—you'll find includes some of the greatest and most famous drivers of all time.

Locusts and wild honey: Why St. John the Baptist gets a liturgical birthday party

Locusts and wild honey - Why John the Baptist gets a liturgical birthday party: Like John the Baptist himself, there is a lot unusual about this feast. For example, in most places in the U.S. the solemnity will be celebrated on Thursday, June 23. But if your church is named for John the Baptist, or he’s the patron of your diocese, you might be celebrating the feast on Friday, June 24. And the Church celebrates nativity feasts only for three people - Jesus Christ, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and St. John the Baptist.

Who was St. John the Baptist? 11 things to know and share...

Who Was St. John the Baptist? 11 Things to Know and Share| National Catholic RegisterAKIN: John the Baptist is a mysterious figure in the New Testament. He was famous in his own day, even before he became the herald of Christ. We even know about him from outside the New Testament. The Solemnity of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist is June 24 (or June 23 in most places in 2022, because of the coincidence with the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart on June 24) , and the Memorial of the Passion of St. John the Baptist is Aug. 29, so it’s an excellent time to catch up on him.

‘Viewers are outraged’ — DirecTV Latin America to remove EWTN from platform for 5 million customers

"Viewers Are Outraged": DirecTV Latin America to Remove EWTN from Platform: DirecTV Latin America will eliminate EWTN as of July 31 of this year. The satellite television company’s decision came after EWTN refused to pay a significant sum of money to remain on its platform. DirecTV Latin America‘s decision will impact approximately five million homes. These countries include Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Uruguay. The removal will also affect some of the Caribbean islands, such as Barbados, Trinidad, Tobago, Aruba, and Curaçao.

Cardinal Zuppi Accused of ‘Incorrect and Misleading’ Spin After Blessing of Homosexual Couple in Bologna Church

Cardinal%20Zuppi%20Accused%20of%20%u2018Incorrect%20and%20Misleading%u2019%20Spin%20of%20Same-Sex%20Blessing%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterPENTIN: An Italian Catholic newspaper has accused Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, the president of Italy’s bishops’ conference, of covering up what observers say amounted to the first blessing of a homosexual couple in a church in Italy earlier this month. In an article in Tuesday’s La Nuova Bussola Quotidiana, headlined “Blessing of Gay Couple, Cardinal Zuppi’s Lies,” editor Riccardo Cascioli said that the Archdiocese of Bologna made a number of false claims in a statement attempting to justify the ceremony.

Pope’s Wednesday Audience: ‘Do Not Sugarcoat Your Witness of the Gospel’

Pope Francis: Do not sugarcoat your witness of the Gospel | Catholic News AgencyBROCKHAUS: Do not sugarcoat your witness of the Gospel, but let the truth be made manifest even through your weakness, Pope Francis said in St. Peter’s Square on Wednesday. “We can ask ourselves: are we capable of preserving the tenor of this relationship of Jesus with the disciples, according to that style of his that is so open, so frank, so direct, so humanly real?” the pope said on June 22. “How is our relationship with Jesus? Is it like that, like him with his disciples?”

We march and fight under the banner of Jesus Christ

We March and Fight Under the Banner of Jesus Christ| National Catholic RegisterLANDRY: In St. Ignatius of Loyola’s Spiritual Exercises, the training manual of authentic Jesuit spirituality and the most influential retreat program in the history of the Church, the founder of the Society of Jesus has us meditate on “Two Standards” — two flags or military banners — under one of which we must choose to march and fight. One flag is Lucifer’s, the other Christ’s. Lucifer offers a life of riches, worldly honor and pride, as a prelude to other vices. Christ promises, in respective contrast, spiritual poverty, being hated and humility, which induce to other virtues. St. Ignatius instructs us to make the meditation four times and to beg Our Lady to intercede with Jesus for the grace to be received under his standard and to live in communion with his virtues.

Bobby’s dad was okay. So was mine. John’s wasn’t...

David Mills: Bobby's dad was OK. So was mine. John's wasn't. | Pittsburgh Post-GazetteMILLS: “I love life. Life’s all good.” My friend Bobby has come over to my corner of our townie bar, where I waited to order dinner. The bartender sets down my beer. “I got that,” Bobby tells her. “OK,” she says and nods. He buys a lot of people beers. He’s got on his painters hat and a Sherwin-Williams t-shirt. He’s a house painter and contractor who works for a lot of people in the wealthy communities up river. “You’re always so even-keeled. Nothing ever bothers you,” I say.

For the fallen away: The line between charity and cowardice

For the fallen away: The line between charity and cowardice | Catholic CultureMIRUS: Sadly for Catholics today, most of us have friends or family members who have chosen to leave the Catholic Church and worship instead at a Protestant church of some sort, or no church at all. By far the most common cause of this is marriage issues. Catholics may marry outside the Church to escape a failed marriage which has not been annulled, and so they need either a “Christian” church which permits divorce, or a Justice of the Peace. Alternatively, a Catholic who marries a non-Catholic may think it important to worship together as a family, but finds that this must be done at the non-Catholic’s church because the non-Catholic is not willing to worship as a Catholic.

Vatican security concerns flare after shots fired near St. Peter’s Square

Security%20concerns%20flare%20after%20shots%20fired%20near%20St.%20Peter%u2019s%20%7C%20Crux: Security around the Vatican is on high alert after a renegade vehicle sped erratically towards St. Peter’s Square and broke through police barricades just before the pope’s noontime Angelus address on Sunday. At around 10 a.m., just two hours before Pope Francis was scheduled to appear for the weekly Angelus, a gray BMW was seen swerving at high speed down the Via della Conciliazione, the main street leading up to St. Peter’s Square.

Two Pentecostal Preachers share how they followed the Holy Spirit into the Catholic Church...

Pentecostal Preachers, Catholic Converts - Episode 10 - The Coming Home Network: The road from Pentecostalism to the Catholic Church is more direct than you might think! In this episode, Matt Swaim talks to Marcus Peter and Kenny Burchard, who both had radical conversions to Christ in the Pentecostal movement, and later became convicted to follow the Holy Spirit’s leading into the Catholic Church. They discuss how questions of freedom, authority, and the nature of the Holy Spirit led them through the discernment process. It’s a great conversation...

When you read the Church Fathers, you finally realize the early Church was Catholic...

Jim%20Papandrea%3A%20Pondering%20the%20truths%20of%20the%20early%20Church%3F%20It%u2019s%20Catholic: “Whenever people ask me, ‘Give me the short answer of why you reverted to the Catholic Church’ I tell them I discovered two things. Number one, I discovered sola Scriptura [Scripture alone] is false. The other one I discovered: apostolic succession is true. Apostolic succession is that process of the handing down of the truths of the Church through the Church Fathers. When you read the Church Fathers, you finally realize the early Church is Catholic," said Jim Papandrea...

Birds of a Feather: Why do astrophotographers tend to develop a love for bird photography?

Birds Of A Feather... Why Do Astrophotographers Tend To Develop A Love For Bird Photography? - Vatican ObservatoryKURZYNSKI: As I shared with you last week, I find it interesting how hobby astrophotographers often develop a love for bird photography. Last week, I introduced you to one of my favorite astrophotographers by the name of Trevor Jones – AKA AstroBackyard. As I followed this passionate astrophotographer, I learned that Trevor and his wife Ashley Northcotte have a YouTube channel called “The Bird Nerds.” When I learned this, my first reaction was, “Kindred spirits!” However, the more I followed different astrophotographers, I began to realize that many imagers of the stars have a passion for bird photography. Given my curious soul, I’ve been wondering, “Why is that?”

The Eucharistic Revival, big news, and the Avs

The Revival, big news, and the Avs - by JD FlynnJDFLYNN: The U.S. Church’s Eucharistic Revival has officially begun, and you’re reading The Tuesday Pillar Post. I hope your parish had a cool Eucharistic procession on the feast of Corpus Christi this weekend, and that you got to be a part of it. But whatever that procession looked like, it was probably not as cool as this procession in the Archdiocese of Mobile...

10 musical masterpieces: An entry point into classical music

10%20Musical%20Masterpieces%3A%20An%20Entry%20Point%20into%20Classical%20Music%20%u2013%20Building%20Catholic%20CultureSTAUDT: Classical music speaks to us, even if much of it is wordless. It communicates to us, nonetheless, through its powerful and complex melody, rhythm, and harmony, employing a beautiful and mathematical language that enchants, agitates at times, inspires, sooths, and stimulates. In contrast to the immediately pleasing and entertaining pop music, classical music opens up a new world of ideas and imagination, and leads us to spiritual depths of reflection, even when the music is not explicitly sacred.

Why the U.S. military is listening to shrimp

Why the US military is listening to shrimp - BBC Future: Whale skeletons stand guard around the coastline of Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands, a stark reminder of the damaging effects of military sonar. Sonar from ships and submarines is thought to be one of the contributing factors to whale strandings, confusing the whales' own sonar and casuing them to beach themselves on the shore.

Is this desolate Australian highway the world's emptiest road?

The Outback Way: Is this the world's emptiest road? - BBC Travel: Laverton is the kind of outback town you might expect at the end of an epic desert road trip, not at the start of one. Marooned on the edge of Australia's two largest deserts – the Victoria and the Great Sandy – Laverton felt like the last outpost of frontier civilisation, a 12-hour drive from Perth, five hours from already-remote Kalgoorlie.

I’ve seen ‘Marty’ at least a dozen times — it’s a great classic movie for Catholic families

The%20New%20Old%20Movie%20Review%3A%20%u2018Marty%u2019%20%281955%29%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterCLARK: St. Thomas Aquinas writes that knowledge comes through the senses. But while the senses help us comprehend reality, reality is not limited to the senses. If a man sees a woman, for instance, he might deem her outward appearance more-or-less pretty. But a wise man knows something else of infinitely greater depth: the woman is created in the image and likeness of God. Her soul in the state of grace has an indwelling of the Holy Trinity. If the man could somehow see her soul in that glorious state, he would be overwhelmed with splendor.

St. Aloysius Gonzaga, pray for us!

St. Aloysius Gonzaga, Pray For Us!| National Catholic RegisterGRONDELSKI: Some Americans, particularly in the Washingtons, might associate St. Aloysius Gonzaga with the Spokane university or the DC high school named after him. But the Jesuit saint who died at 23 deserves to be better remembered in our day, particularly because of certain elements of his biography that are exceedingly relevant to our day. Aloysius Gonzaga was born in Castiglione delle Stiviere, in northeast Italy near the southern shore of Lake Garda, east of Verona. (I want to clarify this, because he is not from the more famous Castiglione in Tuscany, on the Italian shore opposite Corsica.) He was born into a noble family — his father was a marquis, his mother related to a baron, and they eventually sent Aloysius off to spend time at the court of the Grand Duke de Medici in Florence. Aloysius was clearly on a path of worldly success, even without taking a single SAT, AP class or international baccalaureate course.

In 6-3 ‘Carson’ Decision, Supreme Court Says States Can’t Exclude Religious Schools from School-Choice Programs

Supreme Court & Carson v. Makin: Win for Religion | National Review: The First Amendment never uses the term “separation of church and state.” It instead contains two religion clauses: one that prevents Congress (or, since the 14th Amendment, the states) from passing any law establishing a state church or “respecting” such an establishment; and the other protecting the free exercise of religion from government prohibitions. A myth has grown up around Thomas Jefferson’s 1802 phrase “wall of separation” that treats religion, not as a thing the government cannot mandate or regulate, but as a kind of kryptonite the government must avoid any contact with even if it means separation of religious people and institutions from equal participation in what the state provides. That is not what the Establishment Clause was understood to mean in 1791, and today, the Supreme Court went further: It concluded that discrimination of that sort violates the Free Exercise Clause.

Japan court rules same-sex marriage ban is not unconstitutional

Japan court rules same-sex marriage ban is not unconstitutional | Reuters: A Japanese court ruled on Monday that a ban on same-sex marriage was not unconstitutional, dealing a setback to LGBTQ rights activists in the only Group of Seven nation that does not allow people of the same gender to marry.

Sanity returns to transgender madness after Lia Thomas’ ban by FINA

Sanity returns to trans madness: FINA bans trans swimmers: Finally, sanity prevailed in the world of women’s sports. Swimming’s world governing body, FINA, announced a ban Sunday on biological men competing in women’s events, unless they had “transitioned” before the age of 12. In other words, transgender athletes who have experienced the enduring competitive advantages of a male puberty flooded with testosterone, such as greater muscle mass, lung capacity and height, will no longer have an unfair advantage in women’s competitions.

Cardinal Farrell appoints Communion and Liberation president, alleges ‘broad dissent’ within movement

Cardinal%20Farrell%20appoints%20Communion%20and%20Liberation%20president%2C%20alleges%20%u2018broad%20dissent%u2019%20within%20movement: Cardinal Kevin Farrell has written to the interim leader of the Communion and Liberation movement, urging an end to “broad dissent” among its senior members, who have reportedly pushed back on Vatican interventions in the movement’s governance. The letter comes amid disagreement among some members of the ecclesial movement over the selection of its future leader, and follows several years of Vatican engagement on the subject.

Intentional or not, the Pope just offered a valuable conclave tip on abuse baggage

Intentional or not, Pope offers valuable conclave tip on abuse baggage | CruxALLEN: Even before Pope Francis stages his latest consistory on Aug. 27, inducting 20 new members into the Catholic Church’s most exclusive club, the event has managed to make news – in this case, not so much for the new cardinals who’ll be there, but the one erstwhile cardinal-designate who won’t. This past Thursday, the bishops’ conference of Belgium announced that the 80-year-old former Bishop of Ghent, Lucas Van Looy, had obtained permission from Pope Francis to refuse his appointment as a cardinal, which the pontiff had announced during his traditional Sunday Regina Caeli address on May 29.

Hello. My name is Tony, and I am a restorationist...

I Am a RestorationistESOLEN: I wasn’t always this way. I grew up in the 1960s and the 1970s, and we all took for granted everything the priests and bishops said we had to do according to the directions of the Second Vatican Council. None of us had read the documents, but we figured that our leaders had, and we obeyed. They counted on it. When our pastor removed the marble communion rail with its mosaic inlays of Eucharistic symbols...

Like maximum-security prisons, but without the coziness: These 7 Catholic churches in Europe are unlike anything you’ve seen before

These%20Catholic%20churches%20in%20Europe%20are%20unlike%20anything%20you%u2019ve%20seen%20befo: After World War II, religion in Europe was declining, and the Catholic Church turned to architecture for a fresh start: Out with the gilt and the traditional symbology, in with the concrete and glass. In an upcoming book, British photographer Jamie McGregor Smith tells the story of these little-known modernist churches, which were built in the 1960s and ’70s. Titled Sacred Modernity, the book, which is currently being crowdfunded on Kickstarter, features striking images of over 50 Catholic churches in Austria, Italy, Switzerland, and England. The collection is an ode to concrete and modernist architecture, but it also nods to the important role that architecture played in the Catholic Church’s mission to bring people back to the church.

Disney Pixar overestimates demand for kids’ movies with lesbian scenes as ‘Lightyear’ flops at the box office

Lightyear underperforms on opening week, lesbian kiss controversy to blame? | Marca: The animated film Lightyear, Disney Pixar's latest project released in theatres earlier this week, did not meet the anticipated earnings in the first three days of its opening week.

Gunmen Kill 3 Worshippers, Kidnap 30 in Attacks on Baptist and Catholic Churches in Nigeria

Two churches in Nigeria attacked during Sunday worship | Catholic News Agency: Gunmen in Nigeria attacked a Catholic church and a Baptist church on Sunday morning, killing three people and reportedly kidnapping more than 30 worshippers. Armed bandits on motorcycles stormed villages in Nigeria’s northwestern Kaduna state and attacked St. Moses Catholic Church and Maranatha Baptist Church on June 19 while people were worshiping, local government officials told the Associated Press.

I have come to realize that the delight of a father in his child has a weight of glory all its own...

Gratitude%20for%20Fatherhood%u2019s%20Delight%20of%20Glory%3A%20Lessons%20From%20Holy%20Dads%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterCLARK: C.S. Lewis once observed, “To please God … to be a real ingredient in the divine happiness … to be loved by God, not merely pitied, but delighted in as an artist delights in his work or a son — it seems impossible, a weight or burden of glory which our thoughts can hardly sustain. But so it is.” These words of Lewis are often quoted — and for good reasons. It is true that we humans can be pitiable creatures at times. We often lack faith. We often lack hope. And our scarcity of charity is repeatedly evidenced. Sometimes, it seems the best we can hope for is to be pitied by God. But Lewis offers us a challenge here: What if we reached beyond mere pity? What if we strove to accept every grace of God? What if we nourished the divine friendship that accompanies sanctifying grace?

This deacon searched for meaning in a deadly Vietnam War accident — and found it in the Holy Eucharist.

%u2018I%u2019m%20Absolutely%20Convinced%20I%20Survived%20Because%20of%20the%20Real%20Presence%u2019%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterMCDONALD: At dawn on Oct. 4, 1966, Maj. Joseph Tedeschi was in the officers’ tent of a forward operating base in Vietnam. The division chaplain, who happened to be a Catholic priest, poked his head in to ask if anyone wanted to attend Mass. Tedeschi and his friend, Maj. Bob Ray, were the only two to respond. Later that day, both men ended up in the twisted wreckage of a transport plane, trapped among the dead and wounded on the side of Hon Cong Mountain at An Khe.

Pope’s Sunday Angelus: ‘in the Eucharist Is Jesus’ Life Given for All of Us’

Pope at Angelus: 'In the Eucharist is Jesus' life given for all of us' - Vatican News: Pope Francis on Sunday reminded believers that the Lord, who is present in the Eucharist, takes each and everyone of us to heart, cares for us and satisfies our need for nourishment, companionship, consolation.

Our Lord has a passionate concern to feed all His people — yes, even your wayward spouse or child...

Jesus Wants to Feed You! Corpus Christi - Community in MissionPOPE: On the Feast of Corpus Christi, we do well to mediate on the desire of the Lord to feed His people and the shocking indifference many have to this fact. This indifference is not just on the part of those who do not come to Mass; it is also found among those in the pews, many of whom don’t seem to care that so many people no longer attend. Let’s consider today’s Gospel in three ways...

Solemnity of Corpus Christi: ‘Whoever Eats This Bread Will Live Forever’

Corpus%20Christi%3A%20%u2018Whoever%20Eats%20This%20Bread%20Will%20Live%20Forever%u2019%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterGRONDELSKI: Today, Catholics in the United States celebrate the Solemnity of Corpus Christi (which most of the rest of the world celebrated last Thursday). Corpus Christi is especially important after the 2019 Pew survey suggested there were real problems with the understanding of Christ’s presence in the Eucharist among Catholics in the United States. What should have been a wakeup call has led to some kind of program of Eucharistic focus by the American bishops, the “National Eucharistic Revival,” set to launch today.

Holy Communion unites you with Christ if you receive in the state of grace — or with the soldiers driving in the nails if you’re not...

This Sunday, Communion Multiplies Your Talents (or Your Woes) | Ex Corde at Benedictine CollegeHOOPES: Why did Jesus give the multitudes bread instead of the Eucharist? Jesus gave them bread, not his body, for a number of theological and historical reasons — but one reason was that not just anybody can receive communion. Sunday’s First Reading, from First Corinthians Chapter 11, is older than the Gospel. In fact, according to the way the written texts are usually dated, what St. Paul shares this Sunday are the oldest recorded words of Jesus. Thus, the first thing we have record of Jesus saying is

True Catholic leadership is rooted in the fear of God

True Catholic leadership: Rooted in the fear of God | Catholic CultureMIRUS: At some point in any leadership situation, we have to evaluate the fruits of that leadership. It isn’t enough to assume that someone means well and ignore the results. This is especially true for Catholic bishops. It is utterly insufficient to speculate as to whether a particular bishop’s “heart is in the right place”, or whether many people find him “warm and likeable”. At some point, we have to ask about practical results: Is the number of priests growing? Is the quality of a specifically Catholic education improving? Do the laity receive encouragement when they uphold unpopular Catholic teachings in the larger social order? Are priests and religious who teach error or abuse the liturgy disciplined? Are Catholic social services explicitly Christian in the way they deal with people, or only fashionably humanitarian? These are all questions which help us to evaluate fruits.

Good news in Canadian, artistic ambitions in Italian, and Francis’ law of power

Good%20news%20in%20Canadian%2C%20artistic%20ambitions%20in%20Italian%2C%20and%20Francis%u2019%20law%20of%20powerCONDON: Some good news this week out of Canada. We covered last month the efforts of a local parish community to buy their own parish church after it was put up for sale by the Archdiocese of St. John’s Newfoundland, along with 17 other properties, as part of a bankruptcy filing to meet the cost of a settlement with abuse victims of the Christian Brothers at the former Mount Cashel orphanage.

Science and the Sacred Heart: Hello, Mandelbrot Set!

Science and the Sacred Heart: Hello, Mandelbrot Set! - The AnchoressSCALIA: During this month of June — the Month dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, in the Church – I have been each day posting an image of the Sacred Heart with some little thought, either my own or someone else’s to my Twitter and Facebook feeds. The action feeds my own devotion to and meditations on the Sacred Heart, but the thoughtful responses of others is certainly gratifying and sometimes enlightening, too.

From the shadows, a fresh voice

From%20the%20Shadows%2C%20A%20Fresh%20Voice%20%u2013%20Theology%20of%20HomeGRESS: I first stumbled upon an article by Denise Trull at Dappled Things some time ago. Since then, I think I've read just about everything she has published there. When her pieces post, I feel a bit like a greedy child grabbing at a new bar of chocolate, looking to savor each sentence. I have yet to be disappointed by her work, and on occasion, even been brought to tears by the beauty and poignancy of her written words.

In a first for Italy, a Bologna Catholic parish just hosted a homosexual blessing ceremony — in the archdiocese of Cardinal Zuppi, head of the Italian bishops’ conference, no less

First%20gay%20blessing%20in%20Italy%2C%20diocese%20of%20Italian%20bishops%u2019%20president%20-%20Daily%20Compass: The diocese of Archbishop Matteo Maria Zuppi, one of the most prominent Italian cardinals of the moment and newly appointed president of the Italian Episcopal Conference (CEI), has staged the first public blessing of a homosexual union.

Bishop David Kagan of Bismarck, North Dakota, begins the process for the canonization of FOCUS missionary Michelle Christine Duppong

About - News & Press Room - Press Releases - Bishop David Kagan Begins the Process for the Canonization of Michelle Christine Duppong - FOCUS: Bishop David Kagan, Diocese of Bismarck, N.D., announced the opening of the diocesan investigation which could lead to the beatification and canonization of North Dakota native Michelle Christine Duppong. At the age of 31, Duppong passed away from cancer on December 25, 2015, while serving as the Director of Adult Faith Formation for the Diocese of Bismarck. Before that, Duppong had served as a FOCUS missionary for six years.

Gallup Poll: Belief in God in U.S. Dips to All-Time Low of 81%

Belief in God in U.S. Dips to 81%, a New Low: The vast majority of U.S. adults believe in God, but the 81% who do so is down six percentage points from 2017 and is the lowest in Gallup's trend. Between 1944 and 2011, more than 90% of Americans believed in God. Gallup's May 2-22 Values and Beliefs poll finds 17% of Americans saying they do not believe in God.

Transgender procedures for kids can start younger, new guidelines say, with hormones at age 14 and surgery at age 15

Trans kids' treatment can start younger, new guidelines say | AP News: A leading transgender health association has lowered its recommended minimum age for starting gender transition treatment, including sex hormones and surgeries. The World Professional Association for Transgender Health said hormones could be started at age 14, two years earlier than the group’s previous advice, and some surgeries done at age 15 or 17, a year or so earlier than previous guidance. The group acknowledged potential risks but said it is unethical and harmful to withhold early treatment.

Catholic Bishop Revokes Catholic Status of Jesuit-Run School in Massachusetts Over LGBT and BLM Flags

Catholic bishop revokes Catholic status of Jesuit-run school in Worcester, Massachusetts | Catholic News Agency: After a months-long impasse, A Jesuit middle school in Worcester, Massachusetts, has had its Catholic status revoked by the local bishop for defying his order to stop flying flags supporting LGBT pride and the Black Lives Matter movement. “The flying of these flags in front of a Catholic school sends a mixed, confusing and scandalous message to the public about the Church’s stance on these important moral and social issues,” Bishop Robert McManus of Worcester said in a June 16 decree.

Pope Francis Accepts Belgian Bishop’s Request Not to Be Made a Cardinal

Pope%20Francis%20accepts%20Catholic%20bishop%u2019s%20request%20not%20to%20be%20made%20a%20cardinal%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20Agency: Pope Francis has accepted a Belgian Catholic bishop’s request not to be made a cardinal at a consistory in August. Bishop Luc Van Looy, the 80-year-old emeritus bishop of Ghent, was due to receive the red hat with 20 other churchmen in Rome on Aug. 27.

Coming back to China during COVID showed me what happens when an unfettered state is allowed free rein, unchecked by law or civil society [The Atlantic paywall]

Zero-COVID China Kept Me From My Wife for 662 Days - The Atlantic: Four days into my COVID-prevention quarantine at a Shanghai hotel, I heard someone knock on the door. Like my fellow travelers at the facility, I wasn’t allowed to interact with anyone during my weeks of isolation, except the medical officers tasked with monitoring my health. An unexpected visit could mean bad news. I had been tested that morning. Could the results have been positive?

A roundtable on the Pope’s recent comments on the Church in the U.S.

Pope%20Francis%2C%20Vatican%20II%2C%20and%20%u2018Restorationism%u2019%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterLIEDL: In a recently published interview with the heads of Jesuit cultural magazines, Pope Francis described the current problem of the Church as “precisely the non-acceptance of [the Second Vatican] Council.” In particular, the Holy Father singled out the problem of “restorationism,” a rejection of the Council at least “in some contexts,” which he described as especially pronounced in the United States.

The brilliant Catholic clues you never noticed in Shakespeare’s ‘Macbeth’

The%20Brilliant%20Catholic%20Clues%20You%20Never%20Noticed%20in%20Shakespeare%u2019s%20%u2018Macbeth%u2019%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterPEARCE: Apart from The Comedy of Errors, Macbeth, a tragedy of errors, is the shortest of Shakespeare’s plays. At only 2,107 lines it is barely half the length of Hamlet, with which it is often compared. The date of its composition is not certain but several clues within the text suggest strongly that it was first performed in 1606, shortly after the notorious Gunpowder Plot in November of the previous year. The discussion of “equivocation” in the play would seem to be an allusion to the trial of the Jesuit, Henry Garnet, who was executed in May 1606 for his alleged complicity in the plot. In the same month, Shakespeare’s daughter Susanna was fined as a Catholic recusant. It is, therefore, against this gloom-laden and doom-driven backdrop of intensified persecution that Shakespeare wrote this darkest of plays.

Elephant in the Zoom: How internal meltdowns have brought leftist advocacy groups (like Planned Parenthood’s Guttmacher Institute) to a standstill

How Meltdowns Brought Progressive Groups to a Standstill: During the first week of June 2020, teams of workers and their managers came together across the country to share how they were responding to the murder of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis and to chart out what — if anything — their own company or nonprofit could do to contribute toward the reckoning with racial injustice that was rapidly taking shape. On June 2, one such huddle was organized by the Washington, D.C., office of the Guttmacher Institute, the abortion rights movement’s premier research organization.

No amount of social approval ever completely erases the impact of personal shame

Rationalization: On replacing moral darkness with light | Catholic CultureMIRUS: The latest news out of Germany is not a surprise: German seminary rector found dead following abuse allegations. This is the suicide of a prominent priest who, after long advocating changes in Catholic teaching on human sexuality, was revealed to be guilty of sexual abuse. It is unsurprising because (a) We have already seen suicide in similar circumstances throughout the world; and (b) We have also repeatedly witnessed the strong correlation between moral failure and and the attempt to change Church teaching.

A double persecution: The witness of Hong Kong’s Cardinal Zen

A%20Double%20Persecution%3A%20The%20Witness%20of%20Hong%20Kong%u2019s%20Cardinal%20Zen%A0STAUDT: If the Church is to continue to be Christ’s presence in the world, then part of that mission includes continuing his sacrifice. I recently wrote about the sacrificial witness of the priest in the face of modern oppression, giving examples such as Cardinal Nguyễn Văn Thuận and Servant of God Walter Ciszek. The reality, however, is that this witness continues right now throughout the world. Priests, religious and members of the lay faithful are regularly kidnapped and martyred by Islamic terrorists in Nigeria. The Church faces persecution even in traditionally Catholic countries such as Nicaragua and Venezuela, where leaders are silenced for speaking out against injustice. The Church remains one of the strongest witnesses for human dignity in the face of continued Communist oppression and the dictatorship of relativism that descended upon Western society.

‘Through Attacking, We Find Joy’ — ‘Jane’s Revenge’ Condemned by White House as Threats to Pro-Life Groups Increase

White%20House%20condemns%20pro-abortion%20violence%20after%20new%20Jane%u2019s%20Revenge%20threats%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20Agency: The words “Jane’s Revenge” have been a calling card in recent incidents of vandalism of pro-life pregnancy centers across the country, but now the name has popped up again at the bottom of a new “communique” that was released threatening “open season” on pro-life clinics.

Will there be marriage in the Heavenly Kingdom?

Is There Marriage in the Heavenly Kingdom?| National Catholic RegisterBRUGGER: he spousal relationship in the Kingdom will not be exclusive in the way it is here. Exclusivity will not be needed for child-raising. But this lack of exclusivity does not imply a lessening of closeness and uniqueness. The perfecting of marital communion means marriage will entail a kind of unity deeper than what is possible through this worldly exclusivity.

It pains me to say this: If ‘Lightyear’ is Andy’s ‘Star Wars,’ what an impoverished childhood Andy had...

Pixar%u2019s%20Lightyear%20is%20an%20anti%u2013space%20opera%20for%20an%20anti-heroic%20age%20%u2013%20Catholic%20World%20ReportGREYDANUS: An opening title positions Pixar’s Lightyear as a movie, not within a movie, but within a movie world: the world of the Toy Story movies. The conceit is that we’re watching young Andy’s “favorite movie” from 1995: the movie behind the Buzz Lightyear merch. First-time feature director Angus MacLane calls Lightyear “Andy’s Star Wars.” He also calls it “Pixar’s first sci-fi action adventure movie,” which takes some nerve coming from a dude whose first credit is the Wall-E spin-off short Burn-E.

There is perhaps no greater intimacy possible between men than when a son looks to a father from whom he has learned to be a father himself...

Authority and the Gift of Fatherhood - LifeCraftCUDDEBACK: This Father’s Day, in addition to remembering my own father, I am reflecting on the astounding gift, and challenge, of being a father myself. It might sound strange to ask: who could have conceived or designed such a reality, such a relationship? I stand in wonder at what is offered to me in fatherhood, and at what is required of me in stepping up to it. A human father is a unique and amazing cause of human life and flourishing. His power to ‘generate’ goes beyond the conception of a child. It extends—that is, it should extend—to the growth and maturing of a child. This is the clear basis for extending the name ‘father’ to an adoptive father. Not the generator in the biological sense, this man nonetheless ‘fathers’ a child by those activities indicated by the term ‘raising’ the child.

Why the Russian invasion is reshaping the global ecumenical landscape

Why the Russian invasion is reshaping global ecumenism: Ukrainian experts say the impact of the war in Ukraine, and a deepening split between the country’s two Orthodox Churches and Moscow has the potential to reshape the global ecumenical landscape. On the specific area of Catholic-Orthodox dialogue, experts say that opposition of the Russian Church has long been a roadblock to meaningful progress in talks. But with Moscow an increasingly isolated pole within global Orthodoxy, Ukrainian scholars say they see new possibilities for talks between Catholics and Orthodox Churches.

Theologian resigns from German ‘Synodal Way’ forum on sexual morality

Theologian%20resigns%20from%20German%20%u2018Synodal%20Way%u2019%20forum%20on%20sexual%20morality%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20Agency: A theologian has resigned from the German “Synodal Way” forum on sexual morality. Katharina Westerhorstmann told the Catholic television station K-TV that she left the forum “not only because of time constraints, but also because of the concrete work in the synodal forum itself,” reported CNA Deutsch, CNA’s German-language news partner.

Pope Francis: Effective Immediately, New ‘Public Associations of the Faithful’ Require Written Vatican Approval

Pope Francis: New public associations of faithful require written Vatican approval | Catholic News AgencyBROCKHAUS: Pope Francis on Wednesday decreed that diocesan bishops must receive written permission from the Vatican before erecting a public association of the faithful that is later expected to become a religious institute. The pope’s rescript, issued on June 15, states that the diocesan bishop must receive a “written license” from the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life before erecting, by decree

Home of ‘Romeo and Juliet’ provides feel-good Catholic political story

Home%20of%20%u2018Romeo%20and%20Juliet%u2019%20provides%20feel-good%20Catholic%20political%20story%20%7C%20CruxALLEN: Basically speaking, there are two great religious faiths in Italy, each surrounded by an imposing body of dogma, law, liturgy, and deep personal devotion: Catholicism and calcio, the Italian word for soccer. It was probably inevitable, therefore, that, sooner or later, somebody would make a political career out of combining them. The success of Damiano Tommasi, the surprise first place finisher in Sunday’s mayoral contest in the city of Verona, is, in a certain sense, also a political parable for our times, with potential significance well beyond the boundaries of Italy.

Pope Francis: There Are Many ‘Restorers’ in the US Who Do Not Accept Vatican II

Pope%20Francis%3A%20There%20are%20many%20%u2018restorers%u2019%20in%20the%20US%20who%20do%20not%20accept%20Vatican%20II%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20Agency: There are many “restorers” in the United States who do not accept the Second Vatican Council, Pope Francis said in an interview published on Tuesday. Speaking to the editors of Jesuit journals, he criticized what he called “restorationism” in the Church, which he defined as the failure to accept Vatican II, the ecumenical council held from 1962 to 1965.

Nearly naked activist shouting pro-abortion chants disrupts Mass in Michigan

Nearly naked activist shouting pro-abortion chants disrupts Mass in Michigan | Catholic News Agency: A nearly naked woman disrupted Mass at a Catholic church in Michigan by standing on pew and shouting pro-abortion chants, an online video shows. “Overturn Roe? Hell, no!” the woman shouted, interrupting the priest's homily. “Abortion without apology!” Two other women visible in the video joined her in the chants and held green cloth bandanna-like banners which often are used by activists with the pro-abortion group Rise Up 4 Abortion Rights.

Breaking the seal is extremely rare, but here’s what you should do if it happens...

What to Do If the Seal of Confession Is Broken | FrMatthewLCSCHNEIDER: Since issues regarding breaking the seal of confession from time to time online, I will write the “for dummies” version of how to respond if this happens. To begin, directly breaking the seal is latae sententiae (automatic) excommunication: they are cut off from the Church and cannot licitly celebrate or receive the sacraments except if death is at hand. However, indirectly breaking the seal depends on the bishop to punish as he sees fit.

Robots in Disguise

Robots in Disguise - by JD Flynn - The PillarJDFLYNN: The U.S. bishops’ conference is on a retreat this week, gathered in San Diego for a week-long “special assembly” focused on unity, fraternity, and collegiality. The USCCB holds a spring retreat once every three years, though in 2019 it was supplanted by a papally-mandated January retreat in Mundelein in the wake of the McCarrick scandals. So this meeting is the first USCCB-organized episcopal retreat in years.

Why does Jesus say that the Father is greater than He if the persons of the Blessed Trinity are equal?

Why Does Jesus Say That the Father Is Greater Than He If the Members of the Trinity Are Equal? - Community in MissionPOPE: In a qualified way, it is possible to speak of a particular greatness of the Father even within the Trinity. While all three persons of the Trinity are co-eternal, co-equal, and equally divine, the Father is the Principium Deitatis (the Source in the Deity). So, although the members of the Trinity are all equal in dignity, there are processions in the Trinity. The Father is the Principium, the Son eternally proceeds from Him and is eternally begotten by Him...

22 dos and don’ts in evangelization

22 Dos and Don'ts in Evangelization - Catholic Missionary Disciples - College Station, TXLEJEUNE: Do truly listen to the other person. It is more important that you really understand where they are coming from and try to meet them at that place, than it is that you find the perfect answer to a question they may not even care about. If you want to be a better listener, then learn to ask better questions.

Getting “left behind” is actually a good thing. The manmade tradition of the rapture gets things exactly backward

You Want to Be Left Behind | Catholic AnswersBROUSSARD: Do you want to be left behind? For those of you familiar with Tim LaHaye’s Left Behind series, you’re probably thinking, “Heck no! I don’t won’t to be left behind.” Well, I’m here to tell you, “You do want to be left behind.” The question is prompted by Jesus’ teaching about his coming at the end of time, which he compares to the days of Noah

As the Roe clock ticks, the media are avoiding news about another big story — attacks on Catholic churches

As%20Roe%20clock%20ticks%2C%20press%20avoids%20news%20about%20another%20big%20story%20--%20attacks%20on%20Catholic%20churches%20%u2014%20GetReligion: There have been at least 41 incidents of attacks against churches and crisis-pregnancy facilities since the May 2 leak of the Supreme Court draft decision that revealed the potential fall of Roe v. Wade. The attacks have included property theft, vandalism, arson and property destruction. How do we know this? A front page New York Times investigation this past Sunday? No. A round-up story in The Washington Post, USA Today, the Associated Press? Coverage on CBS, CNN or another major network? No, no, no and, alas, no.

Pope Francis Steps In to Appoint New Head of Sovereign Military Order of Malta

Pope Francis steps in to appoint new Order of Malta leader: Pope Francis has appointed a new interim head of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, following the sudden death of the Lieutenant of the Grand Master last week. The papal appointment is likely to bring a measure of stability at the head of the order, which has had four leaders since 2017.

Get ready for “Days of Rage” targeting Catholic Churches nationwide

Get Ready for Days of Rage - The Catholic ThingROYAL: I don’t know if the Supreme Court will hand down its decision on Dobbs today. Or whether, when it does, as in Justice Alito’s leaked draft, it will reverse Roe v. Wade. What I do know is that whatever leeway the Court will give states to limit abortion will not lead to “mostly peaceful” protests, but to violence. Radical pro-abortion groups have already carried out attacks on pro-life counseling centers and there have been suspicious incidents around the country at churches. Those same groups have promised much more of this in the summer and fall, and are already organizing “Days of Rage.”

You have to love your wife more than you love your personal demons

Remember to love your wife more than your demons | Knowing Is DoingTORRE: The young man was insistent that he understood what was required of marriage. As he and his fiancee half-heatedly prepared themselves for the pre-cana course, I wrote a specific series of questions on the board to deliberately change the premise of the class. The nature of these questions proposed three things: do they love Jesus Christ above all things; are they willing to serve one another with no expectation of anything in return, do they love their future spouse more than their own demons.

Vatican’s Financial Watchdog Sees Rise in Suspicious Activity Reports in 2021

Vatican%u2019s%20financial%20watchdog%20sees%20rise%20in%20suspicious%20activity%20reports%20in%202021%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20Agency: The Vatican’s financial watchdog authority reported on Monday that it received 104 suspicious activity reports in 2021, an increase from the previous year. In a 35-page annual report, released on June 13, the Supervisory and Financial Information Authority (ASIF) said that it submitted 21 reports to the Vatican’s Promoter of Justice (prosecutor), the highest number in the past five years.

Jesus says that it is only by living in the Trinity that we learn about the Trinity...

This Sunday, the Trinity Shows Us Who We Are | Ex Corde at Benedictine CollegeHOOPES: The Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity Year C — Trinity Sunday this weekend to help us discover who God is, so that we can understand who we are, and what we should do with our lives. When we know God made us like himself, we become more confident in who we are in ourselves, more humble in who we are in the universe, and more loving in who we are to each other.

The appointment of cardinals is personal for Francis. Were John Paul II and Benedict XVI any different?

Appointment%20of%20Cardinals%20Is%20Personal%20for%20Francis%20%u2014%20Were%20John%20Paul%20II%20and%20Benedict%20XVI%20Any%20Different%3F%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterDESMOND: When reporters asked Cardinal-designate Robert McElroy of San Diego to explain why Pope Francis passed over two California-based metropolitan archbishops to give him the red biretta, his explanation was simple and uncomplicated. The cardinal-designate explained that he embraced Francis’ teaching on the promotion of environmental justice, care for migrants...

What if the “walking together” results in a walking apart? Here are 6 points of division in the synodal process...

Six Points of Division in the Synodal Process| National Catholic RegisterDESOUZA: In his Pentecost homily the Holy Father noted that “oddly, the Holy Spirit is the author of division, of ruckus, of a certain disorder.” “Yet at the same time, he is the author of harmony,” Pope Francis continued. “He divides with the variety of charisms, but it is a false division, because true division is part of harmony. He creates division with charisms, and he creates harmony with all this division. This is the richness of the Church.” He used the same image of the Holy Spirit as an agent of disorder when addressing the Catholic-Anglican ecumenical commission on May 13: “The Holy Spirit is the one who creates ‘disorder’ — we can think of the morning of Pentecost — but then the one who creates harmony.”

Scientists have finally figured out why mice are scared of bananas

Mice are terrified of bananas and scientists just found out why | Metro News: Researchers have made an odd discovery about male mice: bananas stress them out. The discovery was made unintentionally while scientists were studying the reaction of male mice to pregnant and lactating female mice. During the course of the study, researchers observed that chemical compounds in bananas triggered a stressful response in the male mice.

The man who built his own cathedral

The man who built his own cathedral | Spain | The Guardian: One late spring evening in 2018, Justo Gallego Martínez said he would show me his grave. The old man was warming his hands by a stove in the dim back room of his cathedral. A dusty film coated the concrete floor. The shelves and tables were full of relics, screws, chipped wood, crushed glass, half-eaten loaves of bread. A bare hanging bulb cast the room in jaundiced light.

One and One and One are One. A homily for Trinity Sunday...

One and One and One are One. A Homily for Trinity Sunday - Community in MissionPOPE: There is an old spiritual that says, “My God is so high you can’t get over Him. He’s so low you can’t get under Him. He’s so wide you can’t get around Him. You must come in, by and through the Lamb.” It’s not a bad way of saying that God is “other.” He is beyond what human words can describe, beyond what human thoughts can conjure. On the Feast of the Most Holy Trinity we do well to remember that we are pondering a mystery that cannot fit in our minds. A mystery, though, is not something wholly unknown. In the Christian tradition, the word “mystery” refers to (among other things) something that is partially revealed, something much more of which remains hidden. As we ponder the Trinity, consider that although there are some things we can know by revelation, much more is beyond our understanding.

What we know, and what we don’t, about the Pope’s health

What%20we%20know%2C%20and%20what%20we%20don%u2019t%2C%20about%20the%20pope%u2019s%20health%20%7C%20CruxALLEN: Friday’s announcement that Pope Francis has pulled the plug on his July 2-7 trip to the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan is the latest health-related setback for the 85-year-old pontiff, who recently has been constrained to use a wheelchair in both public and private settings. While the Vatican has said repeatedly that the pontiff’s issues are due to osteoarthritis in the right knee, and that he’s otherwise fine, those assurances have done little to prevent the ever-active Roman rumor mill from going into overdrive.

Pope’s Trinity Sunday Angelus: ‘Does Your Life Reflect the God You Believe In?’

Pope Francis: The Trinity inspires us 'to live with others and for others' | Catholic News Agency: Speaking on Trinity Sunday, Pope Francis said that celebrating the Trinity is “not so much a theological exercise, but a revolution in our way of life.” “God, in whom each person lives for the other in a continual relationship, in continual rapport, not for himself, provokes us to live with others and for others," he said.

Explorers find wreck of 17th-century warship off English coast; once carried the Catholic heir to the British throne

Wreck of 17th-century warship found off UK coast; once carried Catholic heir to British throne | Crux: Explorers and historians are telling the world about the discovery of the wreck of a royal warship that sank in 1682 while carrying a future king of England, Ireland and Scotland. The HMS Gloucester, traveling from southern England to Scotland, ran aground while navigating sandbanks off the town of Great Yarmouth on the eastern English coast. It sank within an hour, killing an estimated 130 to 250 crew and passengers.

[Must-Read] If there is anything I learned during my time as an interrogator at Guantanamo Bay, it is the importance of a well-formed conscience

Secret%20Tentative%20Intimation%20%u2013%20The%20Lamp%20MagazineBRYSON: No one is ever fully prepared for a curveball coming over the plate. I imagine even the saints struggled through some of their innings just as we do. But we can see that they trained and took some batting practice with their consciences ahead of the big game. And their hearts were open to allow God’s grace to assist. So they knew how to handle a bat and smack the curveball out of the park for a home run just when it mattered. We would do well to do the same.

So many questions after that symbolic Tampa Bay Rays conflict over ‘Pride’ logos

Podcast%3A%20So%20many%20questions%20after%20that%20symbolic%20Tampa%20Bay%20Rays%20conflict%20over%20%27Pride%27%20logos%20%u2014%20GetReligionMATTINGLY: Symbolism often plays a major role in tense clashes between people with competing religious beliefs (or secular beliefs, for that matter). You could see evidence of this fact during and after the recent kerfuffle about a small group of Tampa Bay Rays players who declined to wear special rainbow-logo uniforms during the team’s recent celebration of Pride Month. The media coverage of this clash was the subject of this week’s “Crossroads” podcast, in part because the stories raised more questions than they answered.

The oldest man in the world is 113 and prays the Rosary twice a day

The oldest man in the world is 113 and prays the rosary twice a day | Catholic News Agency: His name is Juan Vicente Pérez Mora, he’s Venezuelan, passionate about his faith, prays the rosary twice a day, and is in the Guinness World Records as the oldest man in the world. Mora was born on May 27, 1909 and this year he turned 113 years old.

A Christian response to Pride Month

A%20Christian%20Response%20to%20Pride%20Month%20%u2013%20Theology%20of%20HomeMERING: Does the radical Christian call to love all God's children regardless of their LGBTQ+ identification demand our silence or even our affirmation of the ever-growing Pride movement that occupies our streets, shops, and inboxes for the month of June? This question is on my mind as we recently shared on TOH a piece by our friend and colleague, Carl Trueman calling on Christians to resist Pride Month. It was met with some measure of controversy which was expected, but not sought. We have no desire to provoke for the sake of provoking, but nor do we desire to perpetuate a profoundly destabilizing ideology that increasingly demands public displays of loyalty.

What is “manifesting?” Does it work? And what are the dangers that Catholics should watch out for?

What Is Manifesting? Does It Work? | Catholic AnswersAKIN: There’s a pop culture buzzword you may have encountered: manifesting. It’s discussed on social media sites and by self-help, lifestyle, and New Age gurus. This isn’t surprising. People are always looking for ways to better their condition, and there are cultural fads in which people latch on to specific words and phrases that become “the hot new thing” for a time.

Pope Francis urges Sicily’s Catholic priests to be moral guides — but to drop the lace

Pope%20Francis%20urges%20Sicily%u2019s%20Catholic%20priests%20to%20be%20moral%20guides%20%u2014%20but%20to%20drop%20the%20lace%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20Agency: Pope Francis told priests and bishops from the Italian island of Sicily on Thursday to be strong moral guides, and to update their art and vestments in conformity with Church reforms.

A new bishop for Phoenix, consistency with Kavanaugh, and the papal rumors

A new bishop for Phoenix, consistency with Kavanaugh, and the papal rumorsCONDON: Today Pope Francis named Bishop John Dolan as the new Bishop of Phoenix; the pope accepted the resignation of Bishop Thomas Olmsted, who turned 75 in January. Dolan has been auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of San Diego since 2017. It’s obviously the second big San Diego related announcement to come out of Rome in the last few weeks, after the pope nominated Bishop Robert McElroy last month to become a cardinal in August. I was talking about it this morning with Brendan, who has been doing a lot of work on the size and shape of U.S. dioceses of late. He pointed out to me that Phoenix is growing faster than any of the American cardinalatial sees, including San Diego.

Doing Jesus’ work (even at Mass) is a kindness, not a distraction

Doing%20Jesus%u2019%20Work%20%28Even%20at%20Mass%29%20Is%20a%20Kindness%2C%20Not%20a%20Distraction%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterMILLS: The old man a couple rows ahead of us at Mass kept waving at the two little boys, one maybe 3 and the other maybe 4, sitting in the fourth row, about eight rows ahead of him. Their mother had an infant to care for and he diverted them for a while. Sometimes he waved his hand rapidly from side to side and sometimes flapped it up and down, but he kept their attention for a few seconds each time, and they kept looking back hoping for more.

Pope Francis postpones trip to Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan

Pope Francis postpones trip to Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan | Catholic News AgencyBROCKHAUS: Pope Francis’ July trip to the African countries of the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan has been postponed for health reasons, the Vatican said on Friday. The trip, planned for July 2-7, will be moved “to a later date to be determined,” the statement said. Pope Francis was planning to spend July 2-5 in the Congolese cities of Kinshasa and Goma, and July 5-7 in the South Sudanese capital Juba.

Step away from that sponge. It can harbor more bacteria than there are people on Earth. The solution? Use a brush to clean your dishes...

Step away from that sponge. This is the best way to clean your dishes - CNN: Kitchen sponges harbor more bacteria than kitchen brushes, which may be a more hygienic way to clean your dishes, according to researchers in Norway.

Scientists say crows may be as smart, in some ways, as 7-year-old humans

New Advent: Scientists say crows may be as smart, in some ways, as 7-year-old humans: Courtesy of the YouTube channel Real Science...

Pope Francis Appoints San Diego Auxiliary Bishop John Dolan to Succeed Bishop Olmsted in Diocese of Phoenix

Pope Francis appoints San Diego Catholic auxiliary to lead Phoenix diocese | Catholic News AgencyBROCKHAUS: Pope Francis on Friday named San Diego Auxiliary Bishop John P. Dolan to lead the Catholic Diocese of Phoenix, Arizona. Dolan, 60, succeeds Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted, whose resignation was accepted on June 10, after turning 75, the usual age of retirement for bishops. Phoenix is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. and the diocese serves 1.2 million Catholics. Bishop Dolan will begin his assignment in early August.

Scammers can use QR codes to steal your information. Here’s how to spot them...

Scammers can use QR codes to steal your information | 9news.com: Have you ever received an unsolicited message with a Quick Response (QR) code? One of our VERIFY readers did and asked the team if a scammer was targeting her. Legitimate companies and businesses use QR codes to point people to their websites, encourage app downloads or display menus, among other uses. If you scan the code with your cellphone camera, it will open a link.

How to decide between a gas and charcoal grill

How to Decide Between a Gas and Charcoal Grill: Grilling can be intimidating. It tends to be fairly male-dominated, though I will say that BBQ dudes are much more chill, welcoming, and helpful than sous-vide dudes, who tend to be pedantic and slightly unhinged. But community aside, it can be hard to know where to get started. The first question you need to ask yourself: gas or charcoal?