Recognize the advantages you may have (and the compassion that should follow)

Recognizing the advantages we may have (and the compassion that should follow) - Our Sunday VisitorMILLS: I heard the same thing from my own father as Nick Carraway did from his, and John Quincy Adams heard from his mother. Not that I listened very well when I was young. Nick Carraway is the narrator of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel “The Great Gatsby.” At the beginning of the book, he remembers his father telling him, “Whenever you feel like criticizing any one, just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had.” This will apply to some people more than others...

When life goes well, it’s easy to think it’s normal, and that you deserve it. But it isn’t, and you don’t. Be grateful always...

David Mills: Be grateful for whatever remains after the losses | Pittsburgh Post-GazetteMILLS: He was visiting, I thought, and looked around for the grandparents’ faces that would light up when they saw their grandson had come to see them. I had brought a friend to the AGH cancer center for her treatment and we were sitting in one of the bays waiting to start. He looked about twenty, with a shaved head, his face a little doughy as if he didn't get outside enough. Then a nurse said, kindly, "You can have this chair in the corner."

Your new life in Christ means divinization, and your final goal is to love as God loves...

The School of Love | God-Haunted LunaticBECKER: “We have been placed on earth to learn to love in the school of Jesus,” writes Fr. Jacques Philippe in Interior Freedom. “Learning to love is extremely simple: it means learning to give freely and receive freely. But this simple lesson also is very hard for us to learn, because of sin.” In that short paragraph, Philippe sums up my entire Catholic testimony. I’d grown up in faith, but I lost my way in college. I wanted Jesus, the Jesus of the Gospels, but I couldn’t find him. An abstract Jesus of the written Word and interior experience wasn’t enough. I wanted to see him, touch him, know him.

Meteorites are some of the oldest known pieces of celestial bodies, and they’re littered all over Earth — someone just has to find them

Meteorite hunters: How amateur sleuths track down some of the oldest known pieces of the universe: The day was shaping up to be a total flop for Matthew Stream and Roberto Vargas. The two meteorite collectors were in the remote, unincorporated community of Cranfield, Mississippi, in late April, days after a fireball exploded over the area. Witness reports of multiple sonic booms convinced the pair to fly out on a whim to scour the ground for fallen rocks. Before this trip, they’d only ever communicated on Facebook, where they decided to team up and do the trip together.

5 Takeaways From Pope Francis’ Latest Interview

Five%20Takeaways%20From%20Pope%20Francis%u2019%20Latest%20Interview%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterDESOUZA: “Polarization is not Catholic,” the Holy Father said in response to a question about divisive politics. “A Catholic cannot think either-or (aut-aut) and reduce everything to polarization. The essence of what is Catholic is both-and (et-et). The Catholic unites the good and the not-so-good. There is only one people of God. When there is polarization, a divisive mentality arises, which privileges some and leaves others behind. The Catholic always harmonizes differences.”

This Christmas, introduce your family to Servant of God Julia Greeley (and be prepared for miracles)

This Christmas, Introduce Your Family to Servant of God Julia Greeley (and Be Prepared for Miracles)| National Catholic RegisterTORKELSON: By all odds, the life of Julia Greeley should have been lost to history. Born into slavery in the 1840s, she came into the world with no last name and few prospects, and by all accounts, was poor all her life. Yet today she qualifies as a true heroic figure — the kind of real-life hero that parents would be eager to introduce to their kids. Now, the accomplished essayist and writer of children’s books, Maura Roan McKeegan, has done just that...

Vatican Website Taken Down by Suspected Hacker Attack

Vatican Website Down In Suspected Hacker Attack: The official Vatican website was taken offline on Wednesday following an apparent hacking attack, the Holy See said. "Technical investigations are ongoing due to abnormal attempts to access the site," Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said, without giving any further information. The suspected hack came a day after Moscow criticised Pope Francis's latest condemnation of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

There isn’t anything else quite like it. Marriage stands out in all of creation...

Where Complementarity Comes Home - LifeCraftCUDDEBACK: It is the very archetype of the astounding reality called ‘complementarity’: where two are different for the sake of one shared good. A common good. Sometimes, even often, it can feel as though something is simply wrong: Why are the differences between man and woman—and the reasons and implications of the differences—so hard to discern? Why are they so hard to live out? Why do they seem to be unfair, at least sometimes? Isn’t the difference between man and woman commonly the very thing that breaks rather than makes a marriage?

Mysterious ‘large object’ detected near Titanic wreck finally identified

Mysterious 'Large Object' Detected Near Titanic Wreck Finally Identified | HuffPost Impact: An unexpected sonar “blip” first detected in 1998 near the wreck of the Titanic has finally been identified. “We didn’t know what we would discover,” veteran explorer PH Nargeolet, who first spotted the blip, said in a news release. “On the sonar, this could have been any number of things including the potential of it being another shipwreck. I’ve been seeking the chance to explore this large object that appeared on sonar so long ago.”

Why Émile Zola was so frightened of Our Lady of Lourdes...

Why Emile Zola Was So Frightened of Our Lady of Lourdes| National Catholic RegisterSTAGNARO: I’m not a fan of Émile Zola (1840–1902), the French novelist who is famous for his dissembling, unrestrained animus toward the Catholic Church. He was a contemporary of St. Bernadette of Lourdes and he had many opportunities to speak the truth and honestly report on what he witnessed at Lourdes — but instead, he took the cowardly way out. On Dec. 8, 1854, Pope Pius IX proclaimed the dogma of the Immaculate Conception in his bull...

Why is the German Synodal Way so boring? Because they are de facto atheists who believe in secular modernity more than they believe in Jesus Christ...

Germany%u2019s%20Synodal%20Way%20Takes%20a%20Boring%20Route%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterCHAPP: A lot of ink has been spilled lately on the German Synodal Way — and rightly so. After all, it isn’t every day that one sees an entire episcopal conference face-palm the Vatican and insist that it is going to move forward with its “reforms,” no matter which Roman dicastery tells them to stop. In their recent ad limina visit to the Vatican, the German bishops spoke as if the Synodal Path is irreversible...

Senate Passes ‘Same-Sex Marriage’ Bill, Sending it Back to the House

Senate%20Passes%20%u2018Same-Sex%20Marriage%u2019%20Bill%2C%20Sending%20it%20Back%20to%20the%20House%7C%20National%20Catholic%20Register: The U.S. Senate voted Tuesday evening to pass the Respect for Marriage Act (RFMA), sending the bill back to the House for a final vote before it reaches the president’s desk. The bill, which would repeal the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and provide for federal recognition of same-sex marriages, has drawn criticism from Catholic leaders for not providing strong enough legal protections for individuals who believe marriage to be between one man and one woman, as taught by the Catholic Church.

Father Otis Young identified as one of the victims of brutal double homicide in Louisiana

Pastor identified as one of the victims of the Covington double homicide: St. Tammany Parish Coroner's Office has announced the identity of one of the victims in the horrific Covington double homicide. Father Otis Young, 71, and another victim were found dead in a parking lot on Monday morning in the 500 block of East Gibson Street with their bodies severely burned beyond recognition.

Students who agree to give up their smartphones can now qualify for an ‘Unplugged Scholarship’ at Franciscan University of Steubenville

Smartphone-Free%20Students%3A%20Franciscan%20Sees%20Benefits%20of%20%u2018Unplugged%20Scholarship%u2019%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterCOTE: On Sept. 13, Franciscan University of Steubenville launched the pilot of its “Unplugged Scholarship,” a scholarship that awards financial aid to students that give up their smartphones during their college careers. “Franciscan is leading the way and inviting a generation of young adults to detach from this digital universe,” said Justin Schneir ’99, an alumnus who helped to start this initiative, “a universe that has been holding many back from engaging in the joy of being a child of God.”

The Vatican, China, and the ‘spirit of dialogue’

The%20Vatican%2C%20China%2C%20and%20the%20%u2018spirit%20of%20dialogue%u2019%20%7C%20Catholic%20CultureLAWLER: Well that didn’t take long, did it? In October the Vatican renewed an accord with Beijing governing the appointment of new Chinese Catholic bishops. Barely over one month later, China violated the accord. But wait. Was it actually a violation? Although a formal statement from the Holy See was strongly worded, it only expresses “surprise and regret” at the Chinese move...

Confession and the Art of Boiler Maintenance

Confession and the Art of Boiler Maintenance | Catholic CulturePOKORSKY: Jesus alone redeems and saves through the Cross and Resurrection, mediated by Church teaching through the Ten Commandments and the Sacraments. A Catholic church should be an oasis of orthodoxy, fidelity, and sanity. People should fill every Catholic pew, yet inactive Catholics as a group outnumber large Protestant denominations. So let’s make this appeal to our young people: teenagers and young adults. Do you realize how good you have it?

Thai Buddhist temple emptied after all the monks test positive for meth

Thai monks in rehab after testing positive for meth: “The temple is now empty of monks and nearby villagers are concerned they cannot do any merit-making,” said the official, Boonlert Thintapthai. Police forced the monks to undergo urine tests after they raided the temple as part of the province’s crackdown on drugs.

Letter from Holy Roman Emperor Charles V written in secret code finally cracked after 475 years to reveal he was worried about being assassinated

France: Emperor's Secret Code Cracked to Reveal He Feared Assassination: French scientists have decoded a letter signed in 1547 by the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, the Stanislas Libary in Nancy, France, has announced. The secretly-coded letter has revealed the significant concerns of the most powerful man in Rennaisance Europe during an era of religious and strategic conflict. It showed that Charles V feared an assassination attempt by an Italian mercenary and was prioritizing his relationship with King François I of France.

Becciu Meets With Pope Francis to ‘Clarify’ Secret Recording Amid Mounting Scandals

Becciu%20meets%20with%20Pope%20Francis%20to%20%u2018clarify%u2019%20secret%20recording%20amid%20mounting%20scandals: Cardinal Angelo Becciu met with Pope Francis Saturday evening, two days after prosecutors filed new evidence against the cardinal, which shows that Becciu secretly recorded the pope discussing state secrets, and allegedly conspired with members of his family to embezzle Church funds. Becciu told reporters that over the weekend he had been assured by Pope Francis he could continue attending public events as a cardinal, after a “cordial” conversation with the pope, in which Becciu offered the pontiff “clarifications [he] deemed necessary,” about the mounting scandals facing the cardinal.

Exclusive America Magazine interview: Pope Francis denounces polarization, talks women’s ordination, the U.S. bishops and more

Exclusive%3A%20Pope%20Francis%20denounces%20polarization%2C%20talks%20women%u2019s%20ordination%2C%20the%20U.S.%20bishops%20and%20more%20%7C%20America%20Magazine: On Nov. 22, 2022, five representatives of America Media interviewed Pope Francis at his residence at Santa Marta at the Vatican. Matt Malone, S.J., the departing editor in chief of America, was joined by Sam Sawyer, S.J., the incoming editor in chief; executive editor Kerry Weber; Gerard O’Connell, America’s Vatican correspondent; and Gloria Purvis, host of “The Gloria Purvis Podcast.” They discussed a wide range of topics with the pope, including polarization in the U.S. church, racism, the war in Ukraine, the Vatican’s relations with China and church teaching on the ordination of women. The interview was conducted in Spanish with the assistance of a translator, Elisabetta Piqué. A transcript of the Spanish text can be found here.

Balenciaga clothing company changes strategy after public uproar, says ‘poor set design’ tarnished pedophilia-themed ad campaign

Balenciaga Apologizes for Controversial Campaign | Hypebae: Balenciaga has issued an official apology after coming under fire for a campaign it recently released for the holiday season. Highlighting its Objects line featuring logo-heavy accessories, the images were modeled by children, who were seen holding toys dressed in bondage and BDSM gear. These teddy bears were featured in the brand’s Summer 2023 runway in October along with models wearing makeup depicting bruising.

Greg Baylor: How the ‘Respect for Marriage Act’ targets the religious liberty of Catholics

Greg Baylor: How a proposed marriage law targets religious liberty: The Respect for Marriage Act "poses a pretty significant risk to religious Americans, both individuals and organizations. Like the Equality Act, it hopes to cement into federal law the idea that marriage is not the institution, defined by God, consisting of the union of one man and one woman. It goes, obviously, far beyond that...The first thing it does is to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act that was passed by huge bipartisan majorities and signed by Pres. Clinton in the 1990s. It also imposes an obligation on many...

More horrifying images turn up in pitch-black ‘Baalenciaga’ ad campaign [caution: disturbing photos in this story]

Balenciaga: Child Sacrifice, Cannibalism, & Couture - The American Conservative: The scandal around the ad campaign for the high fashion house Balenciaga has turned up more disgusting images. If you go to the tweet and click on the photos, you'll see that there are images from that Michael Borremans book, documenting an exhibition of his called "Fire From The Sun." What's going on with Balenciaga in this campaign? They featured photos of little girls connected to sadomasochistic sex. And now this? What message are they sending?

The Mass is the cosmic and eschatological sacrifice of Christ the high priest — the ‘ad orientem’ tradition makes this clear

People, Look East - Crisis MagazineMILLARE: Contrary to the view of some contemporary theologians, I would contend that the venerable tradition of celebrating the liturgy toward the east (ad orientem) is symbolically and theologically more in keeping with the nature of the liturgy as a cosmic and eschatological sacrifice of Christ the high priest. In a culture that lives only for the present moment and for this world only, there is a need for greater clarity in the cosmological and eschatological nature of the liturgy via the orientation of the priest, the congregation, and the construction of future churches.

Amy Coney Barrett is not a threat to pluralism

Amy Coney Barrett Is Not a Threat to Pluralism | National ReviewLOPEZ: Passing conversations and investments in relationships can go a long way. Our polarized, social-media culture fights against these incredibly human things, but we can fight back. I was just in the Dallas area, taking an Uber to have lunch with a friend from Tyler. On the way back, somehow, I wound up talking about some of the most controversial topics with my Uber driver. Abortion came up early and often. But also, religion. Turned out my driver was raised Catholic...

Vatican: China Violated Terms of Agreement With ‘Prolonged and Heavy Pressure’ to Install Bishop in Fictitious Communist ‘Diocese of Jiangxi’

Vatican: China Violated Terms of Agreement With Bishop Installation| National Catholic Register: The Vatican said on Saturday that Chinese authorities had violated the terms stipulated in its provisional agreement on the appointment of bishops. A statement released on Nov. 26 said that “the Holy See noted with surprise and regret” that Bishop John Peng Weizhao had been installed as an “auxiliary bishop of Jiangxi,” a diocese that is not recognized by the Vatican. Bishop Peng’s installation ceremony in Nanchang, China, “did not occur in accordance with the spirit of dialogue...

What I learned when I suffered a heart attack in the middle of Holy Mass

My%20Eucharistic%20Heart%20Attack%20%u2013%20Thoughts%20from%20the%20Side%20of%20the%20House%u2026KLOSKA: The fact that I had a heart attack is nothing extraordinary. People have heart attacks all the time – over 800,000 in the U.S. every year. What makes my 2021 heart attack remarkable is the circumstances surrounding it. On Ash Wednesday that year, I went away on a 3-day silent retreat with a friend. I fast during Lent and find it helpful to get started at a place with Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration and no food temptations. While praying in front of the Blessed Sacrament, I often pray using symbolic images of my heart.

Now that I’m a father, watching ‘A Christmas Story’ made me realize there’s much more to Ralphie’s dad than meets the eye...

A Christmas Story, revisited. - by Tim ClarkTIMCLARK: It’s a common trope for movies these days to replay scenes from earlier in the movie, as they explain why characters did certain things. “This is what the *real* importance of this scene was” they tell us, somewhat unsubtly. Maybe I needed the unsubtle treatment, because until recently, I had missed a pretty fundamental character trait of The Old Man. I first saw the movie when I was child, and so I’ve always viewed him through the eyes of Ralphie.

A Recipe for Readiness — A Homily for the First Sunday of Advent

A%20Recipe%20for%20Readiness%20%u2013%20A%20Homily%20for%20the%20First%20Sunday%20of%20Advent%20-%20Community%20in%20MissionPOPE: The first weeks of Advent focus more on the Lord’s second coming in glory than on His first coming at Bethlehem. The gospel clearly states that we must always be prepared, for at an hour we do not expect, the Son of Man will come. “Ready” is the key word, but how should we be ready? The second reading from today’s Mass (Romans 13:11-14) gives us a basic recipe for readiness. We can distinguish five fundamental instructions in Paul’s recipe.

Both Advent and the Holy Eucharist are about not just your desire for God, but God’s much greater desire for you

A Particularly Eucharistic Advent| National Catholic RegisterLANDRY: The First Sunday of Advent is ecclesiastical New Year’s Day. It is a fitting occasion to make resolutions to grow in the spiritual life, as each time we have the privilege to retrace Christ’s life in the liturgical cycle ought to be, thanks to another year’s experience, a time to align ourselves more faithfully to him whom we follow through time into eternity. This Advent, the U.S. bishops have done us all a favor by placing before us a collective resolution: to grow in Eucharistic knowledge, faith, amazement, love, life, charity and apostolate. The three-year Eucharistic Revival the bishops have inaugurated is an opportunity to look at each of the liturgical seasons with fresh eyes and Eucharistic lenses.

Ready for Christ’s coming? Then and now...

Ready%20for%20Christ%u2019s%20Coming%3F%20Then%20%26%20Now%20%7C%20Parishable%20ItemsFELTES: Our season of Advent has now begun — a season of Christian preparation. Throughout Advent, we the Church are getting ready in two different respects: we are preparing to celebrate and commemorate the historical birth of Christ at Christmas and, at the same time, we are preparing for the day Jesus will return to this world in unveiled glory. In today’s Gospel, Jesus recalls the story of the days of Noah’s Ark, in which a few were prepared for the flood and saved while most were unprepared and swept away. “So too, you also must be prepared,” Jesus tells us, “for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.” Will we be prepared for the day of Jesus’ return? How well prepared and open were people for Christ’s first arrival and what can their examples teach us?

Would you have believed Noah? Will you believe Jesus now?

This Sunday, Would You Have Believed Noah? Will You Believe Jesus Now? | Ex Corde at Benedictine CollegeHOOPES: Would you believe Noah if he were building his ark right now in your neighborhood? Would you believe Jesus Christ himself if he said you need an ark of your own right now? That’s the question the Church puts to us in the First Sunday of Advent, Year A, because, before we can look forward to the arrival of the Baby Jesus, we need to wake up to the Second Coming of Jesus the Judge. We are living in the time of Noah right now, says Jesus.

Why serve a world that hates you? A meditation on a teaching of St Cyprian’s

Why Serve a World that Hates You? A meditation on a teaching of St Cyprian's - Community in MissionPOPE: As we wrap up November and the traditional meditation we make on the four last things (death, judgement, heaven and hell), A classic meditation of St. Cyprian comes to us in the Office of Readings of the Liturgy of the Hours. It is a meditation on a fundamental human struggle to be free of undue attachment to this world and to truly have God, and the things waiting for us in heaven, as our highest priority. It is amazing how much loyalty and sweat-equity we give to a world that hates us. Whatever gains we get they are short-term and then we lose everything and are consigned to a stone-cold tomb. What a joke, and the joke is on us.

Ordinary Means for an Extraordinary Holiday Season

Ordinary Means for an Extraordinary Holiday Season - LifeCraftCUDDEBACK: Serious issues can call for serious measures. But at the same time, even the most challenging issues call for an ‘ordinary’ response. This is consoling and encouraging. We might see it this way. The loss of the ordinary in human life has led to serious problems. Therefore, the restoring of the ordinary can address these same problems. And can have extraordinary fruits. David Jones (English, 1895-1974) was a painter, poet, and commentator on human life and culture. He was convinced that a central challenge of our age is that our current context tends to undermine something natural in us

The top 10 reasons to skip Black Friday shopping

Why Catholics should skip Black Friday shoppingPAKALUK: In case you did not know, Walmart started its “Black Friday” sales on Monday, Nov. 21. Target’s started the day before that, last Sunday. Amazon’s “Early Black Friday” sales started days ago. And likewise for other retailers. If you didn’t go to stores the last couple of days, when things were quiet, but you line up with a crowd on Friday morning, you’ll look like a fool.

Hong Kong Court Convicts Cardinal Zen and 5 Other Democracy Advocates

Hong Kong Court Convicts Cardinal Zen and 5 Other Democracy Advocates| National Catholic Register: Cardinal Joseph Zen and five others were found guilty on Friday of failing to register a fund that helped pay for the legal fees and medical treatments of Hong Kong pro-democracy protesters. The 90-year-old cardinal and former bishop of Hong Kong was fined about $500 (HK$4,000). Each of the other trustees of the now-defunct 612 Humanitarian Relief Fund was fined the same amount. Cardinal Zen told reporters after the verdict on Nov. 25: “Although I‘m a religious figure, I hope this [case] won’t be associated with our freedom of religion. It's not related.”

Why has a Hong Kong court fined Cardinal Zen?

Why has a Hong Kong court fined Cardinal Zen?: Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun was convicted and fined by a Hong Kong court on Friday for failing to officially register a fund helping pro-democracy protesters as a society. The 90-year-old former Bishop of Hong Kong was found guilty alongside five other people connected with the now-defunct 612 Humanitarian Fund and fined 4,000 Hong Kong dollars ($512) at the end of a trial that opened in September.

Thanksgiving Zen, an odd duck bishop, and a papal wiretap

Thanksgiving Zen, an odd duck bishop, and a papal wiretapCONDON: I confess that what I want most from this holiday every year is a very specifically defined “perfect meal” with my family. For me, that means my immediate family, with more or less the entire day spent gathered around a smoker tending to a whole turkey, pork belly burnt ends, and several pounds of beef. If that sounds like overkill for food, bear in mind that my “immediate family” runs to 30 people with spouses and children. This year, the table actually got a bit bigger still, with suitors to my youngest two siblings flying in to meet everyone, and a whole other family joining us to experience Thanksgiving in America for the first time.

Bishop Rick Stika, Diocese of Knoxville to Face Vatican-Ordered Apostolic Visitation Next Week

Stika, Knoxville diocese to face apostolic visitation: A Vatican-ordered apostolic visitation will be conducted in the Diocese of Knoxville next week, several sources close to the diocese told The Pillar. Sources told The Pillar Friday that Bishops Barry Knestout of Richmond and Michael Burbidge of Arlington have been directed to visit with priests, diocesan officials, and lay Catholics over several days, amid ongoing concern over the leadership of Bishop Rick Stika.

Cardinal Müller compares ‘pagan’ German bishops to WWII-era German Christians who sold out to the Nazis

Card. Mueller Compares 'Pagan' German Bishops To Nazis - The American Conservative: I sat next to Cardinal Gerhard Müller at a dinner this past summer. The man is a mountain. Here's part of what the big German told a Catholic publication about the crazypants theological liberalism forwarded by the German Catholic bishops in defiance of Catholic tradition and Vatican authority. To underscore the fury of Cardinal Müller's condemnation of his fellow German prelates, you should know that the Barmen Theological Declaration was a bombshell document authored by Protestants against the pro-Nazi Protestants...

The Terror of Tenderness: Kindness, American style, detached from the Man on the Cross, has turned sour and sickly...

The Terror of Tenderness - Crisis MagazineESOLEN: “Tenderness,” said Flannery O’Connor, when it is cut off from the person of Christ, “is wrapped in theory. When tenderness is detached from the source of tenderness, its logical outcome is terror. It ends in forced labor camps and in the fumes of the gas chamber.” Surely, tender Americans who shrug Jesus away, with His immeasurable mercy and His immovable assertion of the truth, will never fall into the ghastly hygiene of the Germans who murdered hundreds of Jews at a time by Zyklon gas coming through the shower heads, or into the political cruelty of the Russian gulags, where, as amenities, you got fly-ridden pots of thin slop to eat from and a small daily square of cardboard to clean yourself with at the privy.

Cardinal Becciu Loses Lawsuit Alleging His Reputation for Shadiness Thwarted His Ambitions to Become Pope

Becciu%20loses%20%u2018coulda-been-pope%u2019%20lawsuit: An Italian court has dismissed a lawsuit filed by Cardinal Angelo Becciu which alleged that unfavorable media coverage cost him his chance to be pope. After recent legal setbacks in two lawsuits, the cardinal is ordered to pay thousands in damages and court costs. Italian journalists reported Wednesday that Becciu’s lawsuit against Italian newsmagazine L’Espresso has been dismissed in a civil court of Sanssari, in Sardinia. A judge ordered the cardinal to pay the magazine’s legal costs. Becciu filed suit against L’Espresso in November 2020, weeks after he was sacked from his curial positions by Pope Francis and ordered to resign his rights as a cardinal.

Dominican Theologian to German Bishop Bätzing: Support for ‘Gay Agenda’ Is ‘Modernist Heresy’

Dominican%20Theologian%20to%20German%20Bishop%20B%E4tzing%3A%20Support%20for%20%u2018Gay%20Agenda%u2019%20Is%20%u2018Modernist%20Heresy%u2019%7C%20National%20Catholic%20Register: Father Nelson Medina, a Dominican priest who holds a doctorate in fundamental theology, has harshly criticized the president of the German Bishops’ Conference, Bishop Georg Bätzing, who persists in supporting the “gay agenda.” Father Medina, a native of Colombia, is an influencer in the Spanish-speaking world, with a presence on Twitter, YouTube and TikTok. He has 63,000 followers on Twitter and 442,000 subscribers on YouTube.

Here’s why Father James Schall’s ‘Another Sort of Learning’ is a minor classic

Another Sort of Learning - ClassicalEd Review: More a manual on how to become the lifelong learner that many educational institutions claim they want their students to become than a critical work on the great books themselves, James Schall’s minor classic Another Sort of Learning is a series of essays that prove a stirring if whimsical apologia for the intellectual life. Sage and puckish in turns, Schall is an amiable guide, leading the reader to think first about why one should set out on an intellectual journey seeking the highest things, an education that is sadly often neglected in the pursuit of one’s professional training. He then explores what that education should consist of and what value is derived from it, as witnessed by others who have gone before and left signposts to follow.

War Dispatches from the Incredible Shrinking Man and the Good Thief

War Dispatches from the Incredible Shrinking Man and the Good Thief | Catholic CulturePOKORSKY: We spend much of our lives avoiding conflict if we can, a noble aspiration. We settle family disputes, avoid war, and hope for reconciliation within and among nations. The manic-depressive election cycles drive us crazy. Pharmaceutical companies promise to eliminate pain and extend our lives. Are we hard-wired for perpetual turmoil? Or is there a cure for our restlessness? Perhaps an old sci-fi film will help us begin to place human conflict into perspective. In the 1957 film The Incredible Shrinking Man, the main character, Scott, is on vacation with his wife. A strange mist covers him, and six months later, Scott notices his clothes are too large. He is shrinking. Scott's steady decrease makes him a national curiosity. He shrinks until he is small enough to live in a dollhouse. The family cat attacks him. He survives a battle with a spider. Scott eventually accepts his fate as he shrinks to sub-atomic size, a size useful for our purposes.

Religious liberty: A bad political tactic?

Religious liberty: A bad political tactic? | Catholic CultureMIRUS: It concerns me that we seem so often tempted by the US Constitution to try to protect ourselves against patent injustice by invoking the claims of religious liberty. In his recent post on the Respect for Marriage Act, A Congressional assault on religious freedom, Phil Lawler cited and concurred with Cardinal Timothy Dolan’s statement that, as written, it appears that the Act will be interpreted to trump the religious liberty of those whose religions hold that marriage can only be a union between one man and one woman. In that sense, as Phil’s title indicates, the Act is an assault on religious freedom. Both Cardinal Dolan and Phil Lawler are correct; I certainly do not disagree. My problem is that neither am I very fond of the argument. In the United States religious liberty is a Constitutional issue which can sometimes be used effectively to secure relief for those who are actually attempting to adhere to the truth. But for all that, any commonwealth is in a sorry position if it must advert to “religious liberty” in order to tolerate those who only want to uphold the natural law. In other words, this is a makeshift argument using makeshift political tools. If it works, fine. But if so, it will be primarily for cultural reasons rather than because good government requires a recognition of reality, period, full stop.

Pope Francis Removes Caritas Internationalis Leaders, Appoints Temporary Administrator

Pope Francis Removes Caritas Internationalis Leaders, Appoints Temporary Administrator| National Catholic RegisterBROCKHAUS: Pope Francis on Tuesday removed the entire leadership of an international confederation of charities and appointed a temporary administrator to improve the organization’s management. Pope Francis issued a decree Nov. 22 appointing Pier Francesco Pinelli, an Italian management consultant, as temporary administrator of Caritas Internationalis (CI). With the same ordinance, the Pope said the positions of the Catholic confederation’s leadership are to cease immediately. This decision includes Caritas Internationalis president Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle and secretary general Aloysius John. The positions of the vice presidents, treasurer, ecclesiastical assistant, executive council, and representative council also end.

St. Cecilia’s gym, the pilgrim Church, and the news

Cecilia's gym, the pilgrim Church, and the newsJDFLYNN: There’s a lot to say about St. Cecilia, but I’d like to tell you about her basketball gym, on Detroit’s west side. In the summer of 1967, a riot spread across urban Detroit, leaving 43 people dead, more than 7,000 arrested, and hundreds of buildings - entire neighborhoods, nearly - destroyed by fire. The riots exploded after decades of housing, policing, employment, and educational discrimination in Detroit. They were set off on a hot summer night in late July, after police raided an unlicensed bar and arrested more than 80 people celebrating the return of soldiers from Vietnam. An onlooker threw a bottle at a police officer, looting began, and soon there were clashes between police and rioters, merchants and looters, with fires breaking out and firefighters facing violence.

The Qur’an is wrong about Jesus’ crucifixion and death. Here’s how to explain to Muslims that Muhammad is keeping them from true Islam (submission to God)

The%20Qur%u2019an%20Denies%20the%20Historical%20Fact%20of%20Jesus%u2019s%20Crucifixion%20and%20Death%3ATSAKANIKAS: “The truth will make you free.” Mature adults accept a religion because they believe it is true and because they seek freedom and fulfillment in the truth. Mature and intelligent adults do not keep to a religion merely because people threatened them as children with punishment if they did not accept the religion of their forefathers. Only an immature religion – one for the childish and ignorant – is based on threats that continue even into adulthood. Yes, evildoers deserve punishment, but those who are genuinely seeking the truth deserve help and praise. The devil holds in bondage those who do not love the truth...

We Are Not Our Own: Childhood in a Technological Age

We Are Not Our Own: Childhood in a Technological Age ~ The Imaginative ConservativeSCHINDLER: Liberal culture’s anti-child practices are bound up with a logic of childlessness most basically defined in terms of a forgetfulness of being and its Origin and expressed by the marginalization of philosophy, leisure, and liturgy as ways of being and acting. We can adequately address either these practices or this logic only by addressing both of them at the same time. The argument is that we will succeed in carrying out the tasks indicated here only by re-centering the culture in conception, birth, and being born: That is, in these as realized literally in the procreation of children, even as this literal procreation of children is itself understood to bear an entire vision of human being and acting before God. Absent this re-centering of the culture in conception and birth so understood, our culture is in imminent peril of an ever-increasing loss both literally of the lives of children, especially in their most innocent and defenseless beginnings, and of the integrity of the human in its natural givenness.

The Art of Killing a Conscience

The Art of Killing a Conscience | Catholic CulturePOKORSKY: A troubled conscience can ruin our day, week, or year. The lawyer for legendary Old West gunfighter Doc Holliday (who was suffering from tuberculosis) once asked him if his conscience ever troubled him. “No,” he replied, “I coughed that up with my lungs long ago.” We may also consider techniques to silence one’s conscience. Here are some tips on how to wrestle with a conscience—and win. First, never underestimate vice. Conscience is the voice of God. It is informed by His revelation through authentic Church teaching, directing us to choose the good and disturbing us when we plot or commit an evil act. The more we respond to the disturbances with good choices, we become virtuous. When we repeatedly neglect the voice of conscience, we become vicious: vice-filled. Viciousness comes in many forms and flavors. One can be filled with vice and still be considered a nice person. We need not be judgmental. We vote for—and ordain—many vicious people who have mastered the art of smiling.

The New Old Movie Review: ‘The Glenn Miller Story’ (1954)

The%20New%20Old%20Movie%20Review%3A%20%u2018The%20Glenn%20Miller%20Story%u2019%20%281954%29%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterCLARK: Many of Jimmy Stewart’s movies are widely known and loved for plenty of good reasons. For millions of people, It’s A Wonderful Life, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and Harvey are favorite viewing. But there’s another Jimmy Stewart movie you may have missed. It’s a rags-to-riches musical called The Glenn Miller Story. When the movie opens, we see Glenn buying back his trombone from a pawn shop, and we get the idea that he has hocked it several times before. Glenn is a trombonist by profession, but he aspires to become a successful musical arranger. The problem is, no one else — not even his closest friend — seems to believe in his dream.

‘Father, forgive them’ — Divine Mercy image desecrated at parish in Wisconsin

"Father, Forgive Them": Divine Mercy Image Desecrated at Parish in WisconsinBURKEPILE: Lord have mercy! St. Peter’s Catholic Church in Kenosha, Wisconsin fell victim to a vicious desecration of the Divine Mercy image in front of their church. The Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception, who promote the Divine Mercy devotion throughout the United States, manage the parish. The vandal spray-painted the words, “Ankh e em Maat.” “Ankh“ is an Egyptian hieroglyphics symbol representing “the key of life.” “Ma’at“ is an Egyptian goddess, but also “the personification of truth, cosmic balance, and justice.”

Beware of Catholics whose faith centers on ‘dialogue’ and ‘openness’ — when they get the power they seek, they can turn vicious...

Angry%20hypocrisy%20and%20convenient%20ultramontanism%20at%20Nat%u2019l%20Catholic%20Reporter%20%u2013%20Catholic%20World%20ReportCHAPP: The folks over at the National Catholic Reporter must think we have poor memories or no memory at all. For decades, the Reporter positioned itself as the loyal opposition to what it viewed as an overly authoritarian papacy thwarting the “true reform” of the Church. Operating from within a populist, liberal modality, they adopted the rhetoric of the various grassroots political movements of the Sixties in order to agitate for broad and sweeping changes in Church doctrine, morality, and practice. The new democratic ethos of modernity and the secular liberal trends of contemporary culture all pointed toward a “curve of history” that the Church needed to get in line with or perish. The “people of God” metaphor was put in the service of this populist message with strong claims being made that the cultural sea change that was going on among Catholics in the West represented a paradigm shift that was the fruit of the Holy Spirit pushing the hierarchy “from below” to change with the times.

This ‘River Runner’ website is amazing — drop a raindrop on the magical map and watch its journey to the ocean

Drop a Raindrop on This Magical Map and Watch Its Journey to the Ocean: Imagine a raindrop rolling off your slicker and falling to the ground. Can you picture what happens to it next? Now you can find out not only where a raindrop goes, but you can join it on its journey to the ocean (or other large water body) with a mesmerizing interactive map called River Runner. Created with watershed data from the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the map allows one to "drop" a raindrop anywhere in the contiguous U.S. and trace its path. And it's not just watching a blue line snake across the states. Thanks to animation created with the Mapbox map and 3D elevation data, you practically get the raindrop's view as it flows through mountains and fields on its adventures through the watersheds.

Amid the highs and lows of the USCCB assembly, an unexpected lesson

Amid the highs and lows of the USCCB assembly, an unexpected lesson - Our Sunday VisitorSCALIA: Outgoing U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops president Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles had a few good lines in his final address to that body, which contained a call to holiness, an observation that “we live in a noisy, distracted media culture” where “traditional norms and values are being tested,” and he made a plea for a Church unified through the Holy Eucharist, which “makes us one” to “raise up saints.” Those were not bad words at all, of course, but they’re also not very new words — or new thoughts. We Catholics have been hearing about “the call to holiness” since the Second Vatican Council, and yes, raising up saints is something that gets said, but in the nitty gritty work of formation, we seem to be struggling with exactly how we are to do that.

Following the science isn’t always a simple matter

Following the Science Isn't Always a Simple Matter | Church Life Journal | University of Notre DameGRANEY: Would religious thinkers in times before the Scientific Revolution ever have considered accepting the word of scientists over a plain reading of the Bible? Yes, they would have. And, in fact, they did. St. Augustine, St. Thomas Aquinas, and John Calvin all took the words of astronomers over a plain reading of Genesis 1:14–16. All three argued for interpreting these scriptural verses in light of what science had discovered and therefore held those verses to be describing celestial bodies not as they are in themselves, but as they appear to human eyes.

Confusion is toxic. And ignoring it, enabling it, or feeding it has consequences

Confusion and Its Cost | Francis X. Maier | First ThingsMAIER: History never repeats itself, but patterns of human thought and behavior repeat themselves all the time. William Faulkner captured it well when he said that “the past is never dead; it’s not even past.” And that simple fact informs the work of both Carlos Eire and Brad S. Gregory in their studies of the sixteenth century and its turmoil. As Gregory notes in The Unintended Reformation, “what transpired five centuries ago [in Europe] continues today” to influence the lives of people globally. This applies whether they’re religious or not, and whether they know it or not. Eire says much the same in his Reformations. He argues that “no Westerner can ever hope to know him- or herself, or the world he or she lives in, without first understanding this crucial turning point in history.”

Italian religious sister who covered Madonna’s ‘Like a Virgin’ and appeared on ‘The Voice’ leaves order to become a waitress

Nun who wowed The Voice of Italy becomes waitress in Spain | Italy | The Guardian: A nun who became a singing sensation after winning Italy’s version of The Voice has stunned TV viewers again after announcing that she has kicked the habit and is now a waitress in Spain. Sister Cristina Scuccia, from Sicily, shocked judges, including the late Raffaella Carrà, during her blind audition for the show in 2014, giving a rapturous performance of the Alicia Keys’ hit song No One. After realising the incredible voice belonged to a nun, Carrà, who died last year, said: “I couldn’t speak for several minutes.” Scuccia, who at the time was among the nuns at the Ursuline Sisters of the Holy Family convent in Milan, went on to win the show that summer with her performance of What a Feeling, the theme song from the film Flashdance. She later produced an album, which she gave to Pope Francis, that included a cover version of Madonna’s Like a Virgin.

Dr. Kevin Vost: Taking care of your body for health and holiness

Dr. Kevin Vost: Taking care of your body for health and holiness: Citing the body as a temple of the Holy Spirit, "It is a call to properly care for our bodies," said Dr. Kevin Vost, Psy.D., a professor and author whose many books include, "You Are That Temple! A Catholic Guide to Health and Holiness" (Sophia Institute Press). "We're not talking about just the capacity that you can run miles or lift some huge weight, but just that we're properly maintaining our bodies, trying to minimize the chances of getting any diseases that are going to slow us down. So that we're hopefully going to feel good and have energy and be able to use our bodies to serve our families and to serve other people."

The Kingdom of David prefigures the Kingdom of Christ

David%u2019s%20Kingdom%20Prefigures%20Christ%u2019s%20Kingdom%20%7C%20Parishable%20ItemsFELTES: When the ancient Romans would crucify someone they displayed upon the cross the person’s name and the reason they were punished. For the Holy Cross on Good Friday, Governor Pilate had a sign inscribed in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek with Christ’s identity and the why he was condemned. It read: “Jesus the Nazorean, the King of the Jews.” (The famous first letters of this phrase in Latin were “I.N.R.I.”) The Jewish chief priests told Pilate, “Do not write ‘The King of the Jews,’ but that he said, ‘I am the King of the Jews.’” But Pilate replied, “What I have written, I have written.” Pilate did not have faith in Jesus — he wrote what he did to troll the Jewish leaders — but what he had written was true. Jesus was condemned, suffered, and rose again as the King of the Jews and King of the Universe. This Sunday, we celebrate Christ the King, but where is Christ’s Kingdom today?

Albany Bishop Howard Hubbard, Facing Allegations of Sexually Abusing Minors, Asks Vatican for Laicization

Albany Bishop Howard Hubbard asks Vatican for laicization: Bishop Howard Hubbard has petitioned Pope Francis for laicization, the former bishop of Albany announced Friday. Hubbard, 84, is facing allegations of sexually abusing minors, and has admitted to knowingly reassigning abuser priests and failing to report instances of abuse to law enforcement. The bishop said his decision to be laicized came because of restrictions on his ministry as a priest – a claim the Albany diocese rejected as untrue on Saturday. And while Hubbard has declined to answer questions about the matter, sources have instead told The Pillar that the bishop has expressed the hope to marry if he is laicized by the Vatican.

Pope Francis in the Asti Cathedral: ‘Make Servants of Ourselves, in Order to Reign With Christ the King’

Pope%20Francis%3A%20Through%20the%20paradox%20of%20the%20cross%2C%20Jesus%20%u2018embraced%20our%20death%u2019%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20Agency: On the Solemnity of Christ the King, Pope Francis said Jesus, through his death on the cross, opened his arms to embrace all people and everything about them, including their death, pain, and weakness. “Only by entering into [Christ’s] embrace do we come to realize that God went to this extreme, even to the paradox of the cross, in order to embrace everything about us, even what was furthest from him: our death — he embraced our death — our pain, our poverty, our weakness, and our frailties. He embraced all of that,” the pope said Nov. 20 in the Asti Cathedral in northern Italy.

‘Greater love hath no man than this’ — The Catholic WWII hero of Christ the King Sunday

%u2018Greater%20Love%20Hath%20No%20Man%20Than%20This%u2019%3A%20The%20Catholic%20WWII%20Hero%20of%20Christ%20the%20King%20Sunday%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterPRONECHEN: In 1942, as Catholics in the United States marked Christ the King Sunday, a big hero from little Rhode Island died while saving others. His name is Elwood J. Euart. This year makes the 80th anniversary of his death in the early days of World War II. The Feast of Christ the King was originally celebrated in October. When Pope Pius XI released his encyclical Quas Primas (On the Feast of Christ the King) in 1925 he called for “the Feast of the Kingship of Our Lord Jesus Christ to be observed yearly throughout the whole world on the last Sunday of the month of October — the Sunday, that is, which immediately precedes the Feast of All Saints.”

This Sunday, the world sees a loser, but we see a King

This Sunday, the World Sees a Loser, But We See a King | Ex Corde at Benedictine CollegeHOOPES: Jesus shows what it means to face the world with the truth this Christ the King Sunday, the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, Year C. The Gospel presents our king holding court over the world in all his regalia — a crown of thorns, naked except for his torn skin, and the cross as his throne. This last Gospel of the Liturgical Year sums up so much of what Jesus has been saying all year. He said he had no place to lay his head. Here he is, without even a deathbed to die on. He said to take the lowest place at the table to move higher. Here he is taking the lowest — and highest — place. He said the invited guests wouldn’t come to the feast, so he would compel the worst to come. And here he is, crucified between thieves who have no choice but to be there.

Talking about Ugly History is a powerful way to advance truth and goodness, but two errors have to be avoided...

The Importance of Ugly History | Heights ForumGRANNIS: In recent years, many writers have offered advice about how to manage a Thanksgiving conversation with friends or family members who hold very different opinions about politics, religion, or the newly radioactive topics of epidemiology and immunology. Most of these articles recommend that we avoid areas of known disagreement for fear of disrupting the emotional ecosystem of a holiday get-together. But what should we do when we’re in the classroom, and the uncomfortable topic is historical rather than political? Specifically, what do we do about historical events in which some students’ ancestors mistreated other students’ ancestors?

Popular Protestant YouTube host announces decision to convert to Catholicism

Popular Protestant YouTube host announces decision to convert to Catholicism | Catholic News AgencyBUKURAS: Cameron Bertuzzi, a popular Protestant YouTube host, announced Thursday online that he is in the process of converting to Catholicism. “So, the big announcement is that on Sept. 20, 2022, I decided to become Catholic. I’m currently in an RCIA program and will be confirmed this coming Easter,” Bertuzzi said in a YouTube video. His conversion “came at the tail end of a deep study into the evidence for and against the papacy,” he said.

5 helpful tips to take the stress out of Thanksgiving

Helpful%20Tips%20to%20Take%20the%20Stress%20Out%20of%20Thanksgiving%20%u2013%20Theology%20of%20Home: Thanksgiving is nearly upon us. It is a day of gathering with the sole focus of being thankful for the graces and blessings that have been given. The center of the attention of the day, aside from parades with massive character balloons and highly anticipated football games, is the food! (In our home, we find great joy in watching dear Snoopy create a feast with jelly beans and buttered toast). Ironically, what we most look forward to in the day also brings the greatest stress if you are hosting! Spoiler alert: it does not have to be this way.

The Suicide-By-Synod of the German Catholic Church

The Suicide-By-Synod Of The German Catholic Church - The American Conservative: Not all of the German Catholic laity are sitting by idly while their bishops implode the Church. The group New Beginning is trying to alert Catholics around the world about what's happening in their country, in partial hope that the deceit and corruption doesn't spread beyond Germany's borders. Here's a link to their website. The group claims that this is a coup against Catholicism by corrupt episcopal elites, with most Catholics either kept out of the process, or choosing to stay away because they feel powerless to change anything. From the site (emphasis in the original):

You are sacred — you are made to be the dwelling place of God...

New%20Advent%3A%20You%20are%20sacred%20%u2014%20you%20are%20made%20to%20be%20the%20dwelling%20place%20of%20God...: Shot on location in Haiti, Chris shares with the local Catholic community about the critical important of seeing yourself through God's eyes. How we see and speak to ourselves has a lot to do with the choices we make and how we see the world around us.

9 key things the U.S. bishops did at their fall meeting in Baltimore

9 key things the U.S. bishops did at their fall meeting in Baltimore | Catholic News AgencyCALDWELL: The U.S. Catholic bishops are headed back to their dioceses after gathering in Baltimore this week for their annual fall meeting. Here’s a summary of key actions taken at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) fall plenary assembly. First, Archbishop Timothy Broglio of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, was elected president of the USCCB for a three-year term, succeeding Archbishop José Gomez of Los Angeles. Broglio, 70, brings to the job diplomatic experience, having served the Vatican in Ivory Coast, Paraguay, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and in Rome from 1990 to 2001.

‘It’s a Religious Holiday’ — Tim Allen includes Christ, St. Nicholas of Myra in Disney’s ‘The Santa Clauses’

Tim Allen Includes Christ, St. Nicholas Story in Disney's 'The Santa Clauses': "It's a Religious Holiday" -: Actor, comedian, and producer Tim Allen discussed his Disney+ mini-series, ‘The Santa Clauses” in a recent interview. The ‘Last Man Standing’ star explained that the series includes a faith-based tone, but did not specify how. As executive producer of the series, he pushed to eliminate “otherworldly characters,” such as “ghosts and goblins.” “It originally had a lot of otherworldly characters, and ghosts and goblins. I said ‘no, this is Christ-mas. Its Christ-mas. It literally is a religious holiday,'” he said. “We don’t have to blow trumpets, but I do want you to acknowledge it. That’s what this is about. If you want to get into Santa Claus, you’re gonna have to go back to history, and it’s all about religion.”

1,700 Years After Nicaea, Ecumenical Patriarch Says 2025 May See Historic Catholic-Orthodox Easter Date Agreement

Why Catholics and Orthodox might once again celebrate Easter on the same date | Catholic News Agency: In a move that could lead to Catholics and Orthodox celebrating the Resurrection of Jesus Christ at the same time, the spiritual leader of the world’s Eastern Orthodox Christians has confirmed his support for finding a common date to celebrate Easter. Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople told media that conversations are underway between Church representatives to come to an agreement, Zenit reported this week.

Vatican to Consider Elevating Las Vegas to Metropolitan Archdiocese, With Reno and Salt Lake City as Suffragan Sees

Viva Arch Vegas? Vatican to consider Nevada archdiocese: The Vatican will consider a plan to elevate the Diocese of Las Vegas to a metropolitan see, after U.S. bishops were consulted on the plan during their fall plenary meeting in Baltimore. The plan would see Las Vegas become an archdiocese, with the Dioceses of Reno and Salt Lake City as suffragan dioceses, sources close to the U.S. bishops’ conference told The Pillar. After consultation on the idea during an executive session of the USCCB this week, the proposal will be considered by the Congregation for Bishops in the Vatican curia, before a final decision from Pope Francis, sources added.

San Francisco launches program to give trans residents $1,200 per month for up to 18 months

SF launches guaranteed income program for trans community - Axios San Francisco: San Francisco officially launched a guaranteed income program for members of its transgender community yesterday. The effort — dubbed Guaranteed Income for Trans People (or GIFT) — will provide 55 eligible residents with $1,200 per month for up to 18 months to "help address financial insecurity," per the mayor's office. The people selected will also receive gender-affirming medical and mental health care, as well as financial coaching. First announced last year, the city has set aside $2 million for the program, Parisa Safarzadeh, a spokesperson for the mayor, told Axios.

T. rex could have been 70% bigger than fossils suggest, new study shows

T. rex could have been 70% bigger than fossils suggest, new study shows | Live Science: There's no denying that Tyrannosaurus rex was one of the biggest and baddest dinosaurs to ever walk the planet. But exactly how big could this ferocious dinosaur get? In a new investigation, researchers attempted to answer that question. Paleontologists from the Canadian Museum of Nature in Ottawa, Ontario, estimated that the largest T. rex may have tipped the scales at a whopping 33,000 pounds (15,000 kilograms), making it heavier than an average school bus, which weighs about 24,000 pounds (11,000 kg). The scientists presented their findings on Nov. 5 at the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology's (SVP) annual conference in Toronto.

U.S. Bishops Decide to Put off Rewriting Voting Guide Until After 2024 Election

U.S. bishops decide to put off rewriting voting guide until after 2024 election | Catholic News Agency: The U.S. Catholic bishops will postpone writing a full revision of the teaching document on the political responsibility of Catholic voters until after the 2024 election. The teaching document, “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship,” is meant to advise Catholic voters on how to apply Church teaching to the decisions they make in the ballot box. The guide, for example, states that the abortion should be a “preeminent” political issue for Catholics.

There is no Vatican secret that escapes the Chinese regime

Today%u2019s%20News%3A%20There%20Is%20No%20Vatican%20Secret%20That%20Escapes%20the%20Chinese%20Regime%20%u2013%20Settimo%20Cielo%20-%20Blog%20-%20L%u2019Espresso: On the morning of this November 15, at the Vatican, at the press conference to present the international study conference “Euntes in mundum universum” organized by the dicastery for evangelization, Settimo Cielo posed a few questions regarding China to Msgr. Camillus Johnpillai (in the photo), head of the dicastery. In his responses, transcribed below from the video recording of the press conference, there is some new information. Concerning in particular

What’s the point of Advent?

What's the point of Advent? - Our Sunday VisitorSCALIA: I have been asked more than once, particularly by my evangelical friends, why Catholics and mainline Protestant Christians put so much stock in “ritualistic” sorts of things not explicitly spelled out in Scripture, things like Advent, and its trappings — the purple vestments, the Advent wreaths and colored candles; the season of “light penance” as we anticipate once again the birth of Christ. “Jesus came once for all; he doesn’t keep coming,”a friend argued. “Christmas is a wonderful season. Why do you need a whole Advent season, too? What’s the point?” It’s all right. Christ’s birth has, of course, happened already. But if my professors were correct about the constructs of time, it is happening still (and so is the passion of Christ and the Resurrection, but let’s save that for April!). Intellectually, my friend understands that, but in terms of faith, my friend’s sola scriptura is resolute, and, therefore, our Catholic traditions seem confounding.

Is politics the result of original sin?

Is politics the result of original sin? - Our Sunday VisitorBRISCOE: Having just concluded the 2022 midterm elections, discussions of 2024 presidential candidates feel worse than seeing Christmas decorations for sale in stores before Halloween passes. The electoral exhaustion many Americans feel — or worse still, the rage that overwhelms many of us at the mere mention of this or that politician’s name — leads some to conclude that, surely, a loving God would not have intended this. Politics must be the result of sin. The question was raised recently at a panel discussion called “The Creation of Politics” at the annual conference hosted by the de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture at the University of Notre Dame. And for me, in my post-midterm-election musings, the conference — and whether or not politics existed in Eden — was the salve I needed.

Tuesday’s new White House bid pits Donald Trump against Catholic GOP rising star Ron DeSantis

New White House bid pits Trump against Catholic GOP rising star - Our Sunday Visitor: Former President Donald Trump announced Tuesday his third bid for the White House, potentially setting the stage for what could be a competitive Republican primary with Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-Florida), a Catholic, should he also choose to run. If Trump’s third bid for the Republican nomination proves successful, it would set up a rematch between the ex-president and Democratic President Joe Biden, a Catholic who defeated Trump in 2020.

Maggie Green: Praying for your kids to return to the faith

Maggie Green: Praying for your kids to return to the faith: "No one wants to be a member of this club. You just wake up and find out that you've got a card. But what I have found is there's a tremendous fellowship. I know of a couple of parishes where they've formed, quite literally, a St. Monica Club, and they started with reading the book and then they meet...to pray for their families and to have fellowship and to help each other bear the burden," said Maggie Green, the pen name of the author of "The Saint Monica Club: How to Hope, Wait, and Pray for Your Fallen-Away Loved Ones" (Sophia Institute Press). "The number one thing you can do for whoever it is that you long to have united with Christ — is bring that person in your prayers, to the Blessed Mother," said Green later in the interview. "She knows exactly how you feel. She has heard that cry over and over again. Think of all the rosaries that have been said to her, on behalf of someone who loves someone else who does not know her son."

Diminished Bishops, the New Ultramontanism and the Synodal Process

Diminished Bishops, the New Ultramontanism and the Synodal Process| National Catholic RegisterWEIGEL: Thanks to the Franco-Prussian War, the First Vatican Council was suspended in October 1870 and never reconvened. Before its unanticipated end, Vatican I did important work: It defined the universal scope of papal jurisdiction (and thus frustrated the claims of the new nationalists to authority over the Church) while spelling out the precise, limited circumstances in which the bishop of Rome can teach infallibly on matters of faith and morals. Nonetheless, the council’s abrupt adjournment led to an imbalance in the Church’s self-understanding: Catholicism was left with a strong theology of the papacy but a weak theology of the episcopate.

Are art and technology friends or enemies?

Are Art and Technology Friends or Enemies?| National Catholic RegisterPEARCE: Laughter has its place but it can be awkward when it’s out of place. There is, for instance, something decidedly awkward when an audience fails to laugh at the punchline of a joke. Almost as awkward is when an audience laughs when the speaker is not aware that he has said anything funny. This latter experience happened to me, many years ago, during a talk I was giving in Portugal. I can’t recall the topic of the talk itself but it was probably Tolkien-related because I was addressing the hierarchy of creative value, which is the implicit backdrop to Tolkien’s work. I informed the audience that God the Creator was at the top of this hierarchy; then came Creation, those things made directly by God ex nihilo. Below the Creator and Creation was sub-creation, those things made by men from other things that already exist. I then said that sub-creation itself could be subdivided into two distinct levels within the hierarchy. The higher form was sub-creation in the service of beauty, which is art; the lower form was sub-creation in the service of utilitarianism, which is technology.

French ‘influencer’ priest posts sacrilegious video parodies of Mass, offers fake apology to Catholics who ‘may have felt hurt’

French%20%u2018influencer%u2019%20priest%20posts%20video%20parodies%20of%20Mass%2C%20apologies%20to%20those%20who%20%u2018may%20have%20felt%20hurt%u2019%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20Agency: A French “influencer” priest who was asked by the Vatican to help out with a survey for the Synod on Synodality has sparked controversy for his videos with sacrilegious parodies of the Mass, including a scene with a “sexy nun,” and his support for the gay agenda.

German priest backs pornography as sexual ‘relief’ for celibates, says Pope Francis was wrong to associate porn with the devil

German%20priest%20contradicts%20pope%20and%20backs%20pornography%20as%20sexual%20%u2018relief%u2019%20for%20celibates%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20Agency: A priest of the Diocese of Münster, Germany, Father Hermann Backhaus, said that consuming pornography “can have a relieving effect” on celibate people. He also considers it a “very strong” statement to associate the devil with pornography, as Pope Francis did at a meeting with seminarians in Rome last month. Backhaus has been a priest since 2001. He works as a psychologist in an accompaniment center for people in the service of the Catholic Church. At the center he offers support with the aim of “growing in interior freedom” and “recognizing and living the vocation given by God.”

French ‘influencer’ priest posts video parodies of Mass, apologies to those who ‘may have felt hurt’

French%20%u2018influencer%u2019%20priest%20posts%20video%20parodies%20of%20Mass%2C%20apologies%20to%20those%20who%20%u2018may%20have%20felt%20hurt%u2019%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20Agency: A French “influencer” priest who was asked by the Vatican to help out with a survey for the Synod on Synodality has sparked controversy for his videos with sacrilegious parodies of the Mass, including a scene with a “sexy nun,” and his support for the gay agenda.

Presence even when absent: A husband’s gift to his wife

Presence when Absent: A Husband's Gift - LifeCraftCUDDEBACK: One thing my marriage has taught me is that really ‘being-present’ to someone must be learned and practiced. It would seem this should come naturally—given that it is at the very heart of human life. Perhaps it comes ‘naturally’ in the sense that true love grounds and calls for such presence. But that does not mean it comes without effort. Experience shows that even when we love, we can still be quite distracted, and even fail to ‘be there’ for loved ones in basic ways. This has the most obvious significance in marriage. Here, as in all deeper relationships, there is the dual challenge of being really present when bodily present, and being present when not bodily present.

What ‘active participation’ at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass really means

What%20%u2018active%20participation%u2019%20really%20means%20%7C%20Catholic%20CultureLAWLER: Vatican II called for active participation by the laity in the Eucharistic liturgy. No one, to my knowledge, disputes that active participation is desirable. The question is: what does “active participation” mean? Let me offer an answer, in a roundabout way. Eighteen years have passed—yet the memory is still fresh—since that happy evening when Keith Foulke grabbed a bouncing ball, tossed to first base, and the den in the Lawler household exploded in jubilation. After years of painful disappointment, we had won the World Series! Did you notice that I said we won? Unless I am much mistaken, nobody who wore a Red Sox uniform that night was aware of the Lawler family’s existence. We had thrown no pitches, fielded no flies, stolen no bases. We had contributed nothing tangible to the victory. Yet there was no doubt in our minds that we had won.

FBI releases video of attack on firebombed Buffalo pregnancy center, says FACE Act charges possible

FBI releases video of attack on firebombed Buffalo pregnancy center, says FACE Act charges possible | Catholic News Agency: The FBI has released a video and photos of the June attack on the upstate New York pro-life pregnancy center, CompassCare Pregnancy Services, that shocked pro-lifers across the nation during a string of violent assaults against pregnancy centers country-wide. The FBI also announced a reward of up to $25,000 for any information leading to the arrest of the arsonists. And in another notable development, the FBI’s press release states that those responsible for the vandalism could be charged with a violation of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, or FACE Act, which has been used predominantly, if not exclusively, against pro-life activists.

What happens during a heart attack?

New Advent: What happens during a heart attack?: Approximately seven million people around the world die from heart attacks every year. And cardiovascular disease, which causes heart attacks and other problems like strokes, is the world’s leading killer. So what causes a heart attack? Krishna Sudhir examines the leading causes and treatments of this deadly disease...

Archbishop Timothy Broglio of the Archdiocese for the Military Services Elected USCCB President

BREAKING: Archbishop Timothy Broglio Elected USCCB President| National Catholic Register: Archbishop Timothy Broglio of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, was elected Tuesday to head the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) for the next three years in a vote of 138-99. Archbishop Broglio will be taking the role after serving for three years as secretary of the conference. Archbishop Broglio was viewed as a likely candidate for the role after he was nearly elected to serve as vice president for the USCCB in 2019 but lost a runoff election to Detroit Archbishop Allen Vigneron. The USCCB vice president usually goes on to serve in the role of president, but Archbishop Vigneron is ineligible for the role of president due to the fact that he would reach the retirement age of 75 before the term expires in 2025.

Indiana Jones 5 and the Temple of Relativism

Indiana Jones 5 and the Temple of Relativism| National Catholic RegisterDAY: The film industry is abuzz over Disney’s forthcoming movie about the world’s most beloved archaeologist — Dr. Henry “Indiana” Jones, Jr. Details are still scant on plot, but Harrison Ford once again is donning the whip and fedora in what he has hinted may be his last acting gig before retiring. John Williams is again scoring the music in what he has indicated will also be his final film. Series creator George Lucas is not involved, having sold Lucasfilm properties...

‘There’s going to be a price’ — 6 takeaways from the alarming NYTimes story on puberty blockers

%u2018There%u2019s%20Going%20to%20Be%20a%20Price%u2019%3A%207%20Takeaways%20From%20Alarming%20NYTimes%20Report%20on%20Puberty%20Blockers%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterDESMOND: A Page 1 story in The New York Times yesterday acknowledged a number of shocking facts about the long-term impact of puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones on children and teens who receive the drugs as “life-saving” treatment for gender dysphoria. The story confirms that the contradictions of trans medicine protocols for children and teens who feel “trapped in the wrong body” are finally receiving an honest, science-based reassessment that is long overdue.

Idolatry (especially political idolatry) is dividing Catholics. Frivolous happy talk won’t fix it. Let us invoke the Holy Spirit and Our Lady, Undoer of Knots...

Old News: Deep Divisions in the One Church | Church Life Journal | University of Notre DameCAMOSY: Let us face it: our history tells us that deep divisions have been annoyingly persistent in the Church. From the very beginning, Peter and Paul—whose feast day we celebrate together on June 29 as pillars of the Church—went at it pretty hard over their fundamental differences. Paul even speaks of confronting Peter dramatically (“to his face”!) when the fisherman came to Antioch. And this was just the beginning. Jerome and Augustine, two of the most brilliant minds of the Church, did not get along—and there are letters between them to prove it. As archbishop of Constantinople, St. John Chrysostom was deposed and banished. St. John of the Cross was kidnapped and held prisoner by fellow members of his own Carmelite order. For centuries it was Franciscans versus Dominicans and Jesuits versus just about everyone else. The sheer number of disputes testifies to how difficult it is to foster unity, even among people who share so much in common.

What happens when Jesus is treated as no longer relevant in the Church?

What happens when Jesus is no longer relevant in the Church? | Knowing Is DoingTORRE: George Orwell once said that the “greatest enemy of clear language is insincerity.” This statement's significance is vital if a Catholic educator's responsibility is to convey the truth of Jesus Christ in a clear and cogent manner. It also presents us with a foundational question on the proper scheme of keeping Jesus relevant every time we encounter an opportunity to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The early Church’s history appears to provide insight into the formation process where the intent was to convey the authentic message of Jesus Christ. Whether this was the primary scheme or merely a component of religious formation, it is probable to assert that the early Church intended to keep Jesus relevant at all costs.

Indecision can seem like an undesirable trait. But research shows it might actually lead to smarter judgments...

Why indecision makes you smarter - BBC Worklife: In the TV series The Good Place, the character Chidi Anagonye is defined by his inability to make even the simplest of decisions – from choosing what to eat, to proclaiming love for his soulmate. The very idea of making a choice often results in a serious stomach-ache. He is stuck in continued ‘analysis paralysis’. We meet Chidi in the afterlife, and learn that his indecisiveness was the cause of his death. While standing in the street, endlessly equivocating on which bar to visit with his best friend, an air-conditioning unit from the apartment above falls on his head, killing him instantly.

Archdiocese of Washington cancels Youth Rally, Mass for Life held at March for Life events

Archdiocese of Washington cancels Youth Rally, Mass for Life held at March for Life events | Catholic News Agency: The Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., announced that its annual Youth Rally and Mass for Life, which both typically take place in conjunction with the national March for Life in Washington D.C., have been canceled. “After a consultation process that involved dialogue with other dioceses, ministry leaders, and the partners who assist the archdiocese in hosting the annual rally and Mass, The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington has decided not to move forward with hosting the larger multi-diocese rally,” a statement from the Archdiocese of Washington says.

Where to see NASA’s uncrewed Artemis I mission lift off to the Moon

Where to See the Artemis I Mission Liftoff to the Moon | NASA: When NASA’s Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft launch on the uncrewed Artemis I flight test to the Moon, it will be visible along the Space Coast and throughout parts of Florida for a brief minute or so. NASA is targeting the next launch attempt of the Artemis I mission for Wednesday, Nov. 16 during a 120-minute launch window that opens at 1:04 a.m. EST. Weather permitting, the bright light from the plumes of the Moon rocket’s twin solid rocket boosters and four RS-25 engines could be seen against the dark night sky for up to 70 seconds after liftoff from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. The rocket and spacecraft will no longer be visible to the naked eye after reaching an altitude of 42,000 feet. Launch visibility is dependent upon several factors, including launch time and dates. To learn more about the Artemis I mission, follow NASA’s Artemis blog for updates.

Fifigate and the U.S. bishops, on the waterfront in Baltimore

Fifigate and the bishops, on the waterfrontJDFLYNN: Greetings from the Inner Harbor of Baltimore, where more than 250 U.S. bishops are gathered for the annual fall meeting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The Inner Harbor was an industrial and freighting area until the 1950s, when the rise of the container ship dramatically changed America’s working waterfronts — and at the same time changed the global economy, trade, agriculture, and a great deal more about human society. Indeed, it’s my contention that the invention of the intermodal shipping container will eventually be understood as a world-shaping moment, which was in part responsible even for the sunny optimism of the Second Vatican Council’s Gaudium et spes.

Willem Cardinal Eijk of Utrecht, Netherlands, Asks Pope for Encyclical Warning Against Gender Theory

Dutch cardinal asks pope for gender encyclical on gender theory | Crux: Cardinal Wim Eijk, the Archbishop of Utrecht in The Netherlands, has asked for a papal encyclical warning against gender theory. The request was made in meetings with Vatican officials during the Dutch bishops ad limina visit in Rome. “I have asked if it would not be good for the pope to issue an encyclical on gender thinking”, the cardinal said Wednesday evening at a press conference in Rome, Dutch newspapers Nederlands Dagblad and Katholiek Nieuwsblad report.

Revitalizing Christian faith and culture in a post post-Christian era

Revitalizing%20Christian%20faith%20and%20culture%20in%20a%20post%20post-Christian%20era%20%u2013%20Catholic%20World%20Report: It was 2020, in the depth of COVID lockdowns, when one priest began writing. The unthinkable was taking place: Easter in the United States would be “canceled”. Churches would be shuttered. It was in this environment that Christendom Lost and Found: Meditations for a Post Post-Christian Era was written — a series of meditations about the state of the Church and Christendom, along with thoughts about where we ought to go from here. Catholics are in jeopardy, and too few are willing to acknowledge where they stand, even as the sand beneath them shifts and slides. In his latest book, Father Robert McTeigue, S.J. implores readers to assess honestly the state of Christian culture and societies that make the West, what once was collectively referred to as Christendom.

Do Americans prefer abortion? We need a critical post-Roe examination of conscience...

Do Americans Prefer Abortion? | National ReviewLOPEZ: Do we prefer abortion? It’s something we must ask ourselves given the election results in places such as Michigan and California, where they have made some radical changes to their state constitutions. No parental consent or notification for minors in the Wolverine State. I can’t believe that people who voted for the proposition there supported all of its features. In Montana, voters chose not to protect infants born alive in a botched abortion. Do people really believe that’s okay? Have 49 years of legal abortion numbed us to violence and inhumanity?

Minutes from a Demonic Meeting

Minutes from a Demonic Meeting | Parishable ItemsFELTES: Once upon a time, an unknown number of years ago, there was an important meeting of demons. Amidst hell’s fires and shadows, with putrid smoke hanging in the air, the demonic hierarchy plotted their next strategy for how to mislead humanity. Since the rebel angels cannot hurt God directly, they tempt and attack those he loves, hoping to corrupt and dominate us. When the Lord Jesus comes again to rule the earth with justice, the demons do not want us to experience his healing rays; they want us to burn and suffer like themselves.

Let’s look at the Trilemma Of C.S. Lewis: Was Jesus mentally ill?

The Trilemma Of C.S. Lewis, Part Four: Was Jesus Mentally Ill?CLARK: Because Jesus is a polarizing figure, let’s begin this discussion with someone other than Jesus. Let’s use my friend “Mike” as the guinea pig in the mental exercise. Let’s say I accused my friend Mike of a physical illness—say, influenza. What if I told everyone not to associate with Mike because of his sickness? Before I did that, it would be reasonable to detail his symptoms to provide evidence. Common symptoms of the flu include high fever, fatigue, sore throat, vomiting, and chills. What if, however, Mike had no symptoms—yet I told Mike’s friends he was sick anyway to make sure his friends stayed away from Mike? What sort of person would do that?

The Holy Rosary really is ‘the Bible on a string’

ADOM :: 'The Bible on a string'JIMDAVIS: The “Poor Man’s Breviary,” it’s been called. But a better nickname for the rosary might be “the Bible on a string.” A sweet-faced statue of Our Lady of Lourdes greets visitors to St. Boniface Church, Pembroke Pines. She holds a rosary, as St. Bernadette saw her. Someone has also placed another rosary in her hands. Photographer: James Dwight Davis A sweet-faced statue of Our Lady of Lourdes greets visitors to St. Boniface Church, Pembroke Pines. She holds a rosary, as St. Bernadette saw her. Someone has also placed another rosary in her hands. For millions, the rosary is the heart of personal devotion. Those 59 beads retell the lives of Jesus and Mary, illuminating their special relationship to each other – and to us. In appearance, the rosary is a necklace of beads – wood, glass, crystal or other materials – with a cross as a pendant. But its name is drawn from the Latin word rosarium, or “rose garden,” an old term for a collection of literary works.

Detroit Archbishop Allen Vigneron: Michigan Catholics should fast, give alms and do penance after Proposal 3 passage

Archbishop: Catholics must do penance after Proposal 3 approved: Catholic leaders in Michigan are calling upon the faithful to fast, pray, give alms and do penance starting later this month following the passage of Proposal 3, the statewide ballot proposal that will enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution. "We awake today to the news that Proposal 3 has passed, altering our state constitution to allow for unregulated and unsafe abortion on-demand in Michigan," Archbishop of Detroit Allen Vigneron said Wednesday in an email to local Catholics. "We are deeply saddened by this grave assault on the dignity and sanctity of unborn, innocent human life. We grieve for the many women who will continue to be harmed by abortion in our state. ... We grieve for the lives who will be lost because of this unjust and perverse law."

10 things to look for at the USCCB Fall meeting 2022

10 things to look for at the USCCB Fall meeting 2022 | Catholic News AgencyCALDWELL: The meeting will mark the end of Archbishop José Gomez of Los Angeles’ three-year term as president of the USCCB. Gomez successfully navigated a way out of the controversy (and division among the bishops) over whether Catholic politicians who support abortion should be denied Communion. In deciding to hold a three-year Eucharistic Revival to promote a renewed understanding of a key tenet of the Catholic faith, that Jesus is truly present in the Eucharist, Gomez and the bishops took the issue out of the political realm for the time being. The initiative represents a recognition that pro-abortion Catholic politicians are only a symptom of a larger problem: the tepid and ill-formed faith of many American Catholics.

Major Archbishop Shevchuk Denounces ‘Genocidal’ War in Ukraine

Major%20Archbishop%20Shevchuk%20Denounces%20%u2018Genocidal%u2019%20War%20in%20Ukraine%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterGAGLIARDUCCI: The leader of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church last week met Pope Francis as well as Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, the Vatican’s Secretary of State, and other dicastery heads. In Rome for the first time since the war in Ukraine began, Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk also celebrated the Divine Liturgy in St. Peter’s Basilica — in front of the tomb of St. Josaphat on Nov. 12, the saint’s feast day. The Mass saw the participation of many bishops from Ukraine who had come to Rome for different reasons. They were joined by Archbishop Gintaras Grušas, president of the Council of the European Bishops Conferences.

I just spent 25 days in the hospital after a serious health scare. Here are three things it taught me about Catholic medical care...

After a serious scare, three thoughts on Catholic health care | CruxALLEN: Readers may have noticed that I’ve been absent from the Crux site for more than three weeks. The reason, which I didn’t announce in advance, is that I recently had to have a fairly major surgery on my esophagus, and then I spent more than three weeks in the hospital here in Rome recovering. Although I’m home now, my recovery is not complete. I have to spend the next couple of weeks on a largely liquid diet, performing physical therapy exercises and going through a series of follow-up appointments, all calculated to make sure I get back to something resembling normal. I was lucky to be in excellent hands – my surgeon, Dr. Giuseppe Maria Ettorre, is considered among the best in the country, and recently performed an abdominal surgery on former Italian President Giorgio Napolitano.

Pope Denounces ‘Sirens of Populism’ as He Marks Day for Poor

Pope denounces 'sirens of populism' as he marks day for poor | AP NewsWINFIELD: Pope Francis denounced the “sirens of populism” on Sunday as he called for a renewed commitment to helping the poor, homeless and migrants amid Italy’s latest migration debate. Francis celebrated the Catholic Church’s World Day of the Poor by inviting hundreds of poor and homeless people and migrants into the Vatican for a special Mass and luncheon. He denounced the indifference the world shows them as well as the “prophets of doom” who fuel fear and conspiracies about them for personal gain.

We are on a journey through a passing world

Our%20Journey%20Through%20a%20Passing%20World%20%u2013%20A%20Homily%20for%20the%2033rd%20Sunday%20of%20the%20Year%20-%20Community%20in%20MissionPOPE: During the month of November, the Church has us ponder the Four Last Things: death, judgment, Heaven, and Hell. As the golden gown of autumn gives way to the lifeless look of winter, we are encouraged to see that our lives are on a trajectory that leads to autumn and then to the winter of death. But those who have faith know that this passage to death ultimately leads to glory. In today’s Gospel, the Lord Jesus gives us a kind of road map of life and calls us to be sober about the passing and perilous nature of this world.

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI to defend himself against claims he covered up priest’s sex abuse.

Emeritus%20Pope%20Benedict%20XVI%20to%20defend%20himself%20against%20claims%20he%20covered%20up%20priest%u2019s%20sex%20abuse.%20-%20Catholic%20Herald: Benedict XVI will give evidence in court against a civil claim that he was negligent in his handling of a clerical abuse case in Germany. Benedict, former Archbishop of Munich and Freising, is expected to submit a written testimony in defence of his treatment of Fr Peter Hullerman, a priest who continued to abuse boys after Church authorities received complaints about him. Lawyers representing a man who says he was abused by the priest as a 12-year-old say the Archdiocese of Munich allowed Hullerman to transfer from a diocese in the north west of Germany even though it was alerted to allegations that he had sexually assaulted an 11-year-old boy there.

Catholic ministry reaches out to families with new video series: ‘When a Loved One Dies by Suicide’

Ministry helps families of suicide victims | CruxLAVENBURG: For Deacon Ed Shoener, the overarching message of a new eight-part video series for Catholics who lost a loved one to suicide is one of accompaniment – that support in a time of grief can be found from within the Church. “[The message] is that Christ is with you and is with your loved one who died by suicide and that you should never feel alone, and you’re not alone,” Shoener told Crux. “The church and Christ’s church will be present to you as you walk through this deep valley of grief.”

20 slang terms that entered the English language during World War I

20 Slang Terms From World War I: One of the subtlest and most surprising legacies of the First World War—which the United States entered more than 100 years ago, when the country declared war on Germany on April 6, 1917—is its effect on our language. Not only were newly named weapons, equipment, and military tactics being developed almost continually during the War, but the rich mixture of soldiers’ dialects, accents, nationalities, languages, and even social backgrounds (particularly after the introduction of conscription in Great Britain in 1916) on the front line in Europe and North Africa produced an equally rich glossary of military slang.

Roman rules, cardinals in court, and holiday snaps

Roman rules, cardinals in court, and holiday snapsCONDON: On the morning of October 17, 1978, the newly-elected Pope John Paul II concelebrated Mass with the College of Cardinals and pledged that the program of his papacy would be the full implementation of the Second Vatican Council. That was his “definitive duty,” for the Council had been “an event of utmost importance” in the two millennia of Christian history. As I explain in To Sanctify the World: The Vital Legacy of Vatican II (Basic Books), the next 26-and-a-half years saw John Paul II fulfill that pledge, for his pontificate was an epic of teaching and witness that helped provide the Council the interpretive keys it had not given itself.

Three pontificates and Vatican II

Three pontificates and Vatican IIWEIGEL: On the morning of October 17, 1978, the newly-elected Pope John Paul II concelebrated Mass with the College of Cardinals and pledged that the program of his papacy would be the full implementation of the Second Vatican Council. That was his “definitive duty,” for the Council had been “an event of utmost importance” in the two millennia of Christian history. As I explain in To Sanctify the World: The Vital Legacy of Vatican II (Basic Books), the next 26-and-a-half years saw John Paul II fulfill that pledge, for his pontificate was an epic of teaching and witness that helped provide the Council the interpretive keys it had not given itself.

Visualizing the speed of the International Space Station, and the speed of light, on Earth

New Advent: Visualizing the speed of the International Space Station, and the speed of light, on Earth: What would it look like to go around the world once at the speed of light?

Pope Francis Meets with Father James Martin at Vatican on ‘Joys and Hopes, the Griefs and Anxieties, of LGBTQ Catholics’

Pope Francis Meets with Father James Martin at Vatican| National Catholic Register: Pope Francis received Jesuit Father James Martin, in a private audience in the apostolic palace inside the Vatican on Friday. In a tweet published after the encounter, Father Martin wrote he was “was deeply grateful to meet with Pope Francis in the Apostolic Palace this morning for 45 minutes.” The conversation covered “the joys and hopes, the griefs and anxieties, of LGBTQ Catholics,” Father Martin added, writing: “It was a warm, inspiring and encouraging meeting that I’ll never forget.”

The Jesuits: What Went Wrong

The Jesuits: What Went Wrong - The Catholic ThingMAIER: Tim Russert, the late, great anchor of NBC’s Meet the Press, died in 2008. Praised as an “honorary Jesuit” in America magazine after his death, Russert had a lifelong regard for the Society of Jesus. He had a special affection for Father John Sturm, legendary prefect of discipline at Buffalo’s Canisius (Jesuit) High School. Any man who was a Canisius student during the John Sturm years – myself included – remembers him with a mix of awe, fear, love, and loyalty. Sturm was that kind of guy, tough but fair; a “man’s man.” Russert was two years behind me in his studies. We never met, but I shared his experience of Canisius. It was an exceptional place. The Jesuits who taught me History and English, Latin and Greek, changed my life. Nothing I later learned came close to the exhilaration of those classes. My respect for the Society of Jesus thus carried over into my professional life. The work of men like Avery Dulles, James Schall, Joseph Koterski, Henri de Lubac, Joseph Fessio, Robert Spitzer, Paul Mankowski, and so many others – several of them now gone – testifies to the best qualities of Jesuit life.

Veterans Day 2022: You Can Help a Veteran See the Face of God

On Veterans Day, You Can Help a Veteran See the Face of God| National Catholic RegisterGRONDELSKI: Nov. 11 is Veteran’s Day. We honor the service of those, dead and alive, who bore arms for their country. Americans observe Nov. 11 because it was the day the armistice ending World War I was signed. Indeed, at its origins as an observance in 1926 and a civil holiday in 1938, it was called “Armistice Day.” The sheer horror and magnitude of World War I, which witnessed destruction on a hitherto-unknown scale, seared it into peoples’ memories: the “Great War” as it was called left its mark on Western culture.

Duck! Octopuses caught on camera throwing things at each other

Duck! Octopuses caught on camera throwing things at each other: For the first time, octopuses have been spotted throwing things — at each other1. Octopuses are known for their solitary nature, but in Jervis Bay, Australia, the gloomy octopus (Octopus tetricus) lives at very high densities. A team of cephalopod researchers decided to film the creatures with underwater cameras to see whether — and how — they interact. Once the researchers pulled the cameras out of the water, they sat down to watch more than 20 hours of footage. “I call it octopus TV,” laughs co-author David Scheel, a behavioural ecologist at Alaska Pacific University in Anchorage. One behaviour stood out: instances in which the eight-limbed creatures gathered shells, silt or algae with their arms — and then hurled them away, propelling them with water jetted from their siphon. And although some of the time it seemed that they were just throwing away debris or food leftovers, it did sometimes appear that they were throwing things at each other.

Former Vatican Auditors Sue Vatican After Allegedly Being Framed and Fired for Raising Questions About Curial Misdeeds

Former Vatican Auditors Sue Vatican for Damages| National Catholic RegisterPENTIN: The Vatican’s first-ever auditor general and his former deputy are suing the Vatican after lengthy efforts to have the Vatican clear their name fell on deaf ears, following what they claim were unlawful dismissals. Libero Milone, a former chairman and CEO of Deloitte Italy, a multinational auditing and consultancy firm, and Ferruccio Panicco, an ex-chief auditor for the Italian manufacturer Indesit, are suing the Vatican for nearly $10 million in order to “obtain proper reparations from suffered damages” after they were forced to resign in 2017.

Weed on the Ballot: Two States Legalize Recreational Marijuana While Three Reject It

Weed on the ballot: two states legalize recreational marijuana while three reject it | Catholic News AgencyMCKEOWN: At the midterm elections on Tuesday, voters in Maryland and Missouri chose to accept ballot measures to legalize marijuana for recreational use. The decisions came despite the objections of the Catholic bishops of both states, who noted the Church’s teaching on the physical and spiritual harms of drug use and decried the adverse effects of drugs on society and the family. In contrast, voters in Arkansas, North Dakota, and South Dakota rejected measures put before them to legalize recreational pot. All five states with marijuana on the ballot already had medical marijuana programs in place, and all but one were solidly Republican states. Catholic bishops in all three of those states, too, had spoken out to urge voters not to legalize marijuana within their borders.

The Iron Triangle of revelation safeguards the purity of the deposit of faith

The Iron Triangle of Revelation | Catholic CulturePOKORSKY: Jesus engages us and prompts our active participation in His divine plan through the Sacred Liturgy, as guided by the doctrinal teachings of the Church. Theological study helps deepen our understanding and enriches our freedom as disciples. The distinction between Catholic doctrine and theology provides the key to understanding every magisterial teaching, including the extensive documents of the Second Vatican Council. The relationship of the Church’s teaching with Tradition and Sacred Scripture provides the unifying principle of theological understanding.