‘Stand Firm in the Faith! Do Not Be Confused!’ — Vatican Releases ‘Spiritual Testament’ of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI

The Spiritual Testament of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI - Vatican News: When, at this late hour of my life, I look back on the decades I have wandered through, I see first of all how much reason I have to give thanks. Above all, I thank God Himself, the giver of all good gifts, who has given me life and guided me through all kinds of confusion; who has always picked me up when I began to slip, who has always given me anew the light of his countenance. In retrospect, I see and understand that even the dark and arduous stretches of this path were for my salvation and that He guided me well in those very stretches.

Benedict’s funeral will be a singular event in the life of the Catholic Church

Benedict%u2019s%20Funeral%20Will%20Be%20a%20Singular%20Event%20in%20the%20Life%20of%20the%20Catholic%20Church%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterDESOUZA: The death of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI brings that rarest of all things — a true novelty for a bi-millennial Church. How to conduct obsequies for a former pope who died in full harmony with his successor? The Holy See has indicated that Benedict will lie in state in St. Peter’s Basilica for three days, Monday to Wednesday, with the funeral being conducted by Pope Francis on Thursday morning. Benedict will be buried in the crypt of St. Peter’s...

The death of Benedict XVI marks the passing of a ‘Pope of Ironies’

Death%20of%20Benedict%20XVI%20marks%20passing%20of%20a%20%u2018Pope%20of%20Ironies%u2019%20%7C%20CruxALLEN: Pope Benedict XVI, a gifted intellectual who aspired to be a teaching pope but who saw his papacy sometimes capsized by managerial crises, and who became the first pope to resign in almost 600 years, died Dec. 31 at the age of 95, after his successor, Pope Francis, had announced his final illness to the world the previous Wednesday. Benedict XVI spent his final years in retirement on Vatican grounds, where he remained largely true to a vow delivered when he announced his resignation in 2013...

Church in Mourning Over Benedict XVI: Live Updates From the Vatican

Church in Mourning Over Benedict XVI: Live Updates From the Vatican| National Catholic RegisterPENTIN: “With sorrow I inform you that the Pope Emeritus, Benedict XVI, passed away today at 9:34 in the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery in the Vatican,” Vatican press office director Matteo Bruni said. “Further information will be provided as soon as possible.”

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI Dies at 9:34 a.m. Rome Time; Body to Lie in State in Vatican Basilica; Funeral to Take Place Thursday in St. Peter’s Square

Funeral Mass of Benedict XVI To Be Held Jan. 5| National Catholic Register: The Vatican announced Saturday that the funeral Mass of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI will take place on Thursday, Jan. 5, 2023, in St. Peter’s Square. Pope Francis will preside over the funeral, which, in keeping with Benedict’s wishes, “will be carried out under the sign of simplicity,” Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said. Benedict’s death, at the age of 95, was announced in Rome on Dec. 31. His body will lie in state in St. Peter’s Basilica from the morning of Monday, Jan. 2, 2023.

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI: A Life in Pictures

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI: A Life in Pictures| National Catholic Register: Joseph Ratzinger was a Christian for 95 years, a priest for 71 years and pope for almost eight years.

Sunday is the Octave Day of Christmas — and the Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God

Mary, Mother of God: Celebrating an Ancient Title for Our Lady on the Octave of Christmas| National Catholic RegisterPOPE: This feast day, of Jan. 1, is a very complex tapestry, both culturally and liturgically. It is the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, but we also recognize the Octave of Christmas, the Circumcision of the Lord and the Holy Name of Jesus. Perhaps we can use the second reading by St. Paul to the Galatians as a way to weave through some of the many details. We can look at it in three parts.

Benedict XVI—Priest, Prefect, Pope, Rest In Peace

Benedict%20XVI%u2014Priest%2C%20Prefect%2C%20Pope%2C%20Rest%20In%20Peace%7C%20National%20Catholic%20Register: Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI has died at the age of 95. The Vatican made the announcement of his death at 9:34 am in Rome on Dec. 31, saying in a statement...

Five (Cautious) Vatican Predictions for 2023

Five (Cautious) Vatican Predictions for 2023 | CruxALLEN: By consensus, the defining global event of 2022 was something many analysts feared but few forecast accurately: Russia’s all-out Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine, triggering the most serious armed conflict in Europe since the Second World War. That prognostication failure probably ought to induce a bit of caution about predictions for 2023, since the most dramatic turning points are often the ones we don’t see coming...

Video: Boeing 747 at 35,000 feet overtakes a Boeing 737 at 37,000 feet

New Advent: Video: Boeing 747 at 35,000 feet overtakes a Boeing 737 at 37,000 feet: This video was shot in 2011 by Captain Sreekumar from the cockpit of a Boeing 777 flying at 33,000 feet over Baghdad, Iraq.

The year that was, and here we go again...

The year that was, and here we go againCONDON: When Pope Francis announced at the Angelus this week that pope emeritus Benedict XVI is seriously ill, I was halfway through packing a bag to fly to Rome before my wife reminded me that (i) Benedict might appreciate my prayers more than my preemptive travel plans for his funeral and (ii) we were due that afternoon at some friends’ house for lunch. Following those reminders, I am praying, as we all are...

Chickens, octopuses, roaches, snakes, and turtles: 5 animals that don’t die right away

5%20Animals%20That%20Don%u2019t%20Die%20Right%20Away%20%7C%20Discover%20Magazine: What do chickens, octopuses and tortoises all have in common? An uncanny ability to delay death...

Orthodoxy’s divisions offer glimmers of hope for healing with Catholicism

Orthodoxy%u2019s%20Divisions%20Offer%20Glimmers%20of%20Hope%20for%20Healing%20With%20Catholicism%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterDESOUZA: Just as the disruption of war can create new circumstances favorable to peace — consider how the first Iraq war led to the Oslo peace process — so, too, can ecclesial conflicts create new circumstances for unity. At the end of 2022, divisions in global Orthodoxy have rarely been so deep. That paradoxically offers new possibilities for ecumenical progress.

Benedict XVI Has Rested Well and ‘His Condition is Stable,’ Says Vatican

Vatican%3A%20Benedict%20XVI%20Has%20Rested%20Well%2C%20%u2018His%20Condition%20is%20Stable%u2019%7C%20National%20Catholic%20Register: The Vatican said on Friday that Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI had rested well and that his condition was “stable.” In a statement published Dec. 30, the Holy See Press Office said: “Last night the Pope Emeritus was able to rest well. He also participated in the celebration of Holy Mass in his room yesterday afternoon. At present his condition is stationary.” On Thursday, Pope Francis renewed his invitation to pray for Benedict...

Woman Arrested While Praying Silently Outside Abortion Clinic Charged With ‘Intimidation’

Woman%20arrested%20while%20praying%20silently%20outside%20abortion%20clinic%20charged%20with%20%u2018intimidation%u2019%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20Agency: A woman arrested by British police faces charges of “protesting and engaging in an act that is intimidating to service users” for standing still and praying silently outside an abortion facility. Isabel Vaughan-Spruce was arrested in Birmingham, UK, on Dec. 6. Video footage of her arrest was published on social media. The video shows an officer asking Vaughan-Spruce if she was praying, to which she answers: “I might be praying in my head.”

These classic tips from Field & Stream will help you survive and thrive in the wild...

Timeless Survival Skills: Triangulation has kept outdoorsfolks found and alive as long as magnetized needles have been pointing north, and it’s still the most effective method of getting unlost that doesn’t involve an orbiting satellite. No matter how discombobulated you are, if you can see two or more fixed landmarks in the distance—a mountain peak, fire lookout, cell tower, or ridgeline gap—you can find your exact position with a map and compass. Of course, there’s the rub: You’d better have a map and compass.

The Magi and the Christmas Star

The Magi And The Christmas Star The Wanderer NewspaperFOLEY: As Advent draws to a close, we approach the feast of Christmas having passed through four weeks of preparation, a traditional symbol of the four thousand years between the fall of man and the coming of the Redeemer. Christmas is a time of joy, but it is also a time of mystery, and probably the most intriguing aspect of Christmas is the story of the Wise Men or Magi...

Apostolic Letter ‘Totum Amoris Est’ — On the Fourth Centenary of the Death of St. Francis de Sales

Apostolic Letter Totum amoris est of the Holy Father Francis on the fourth centenary of the death of Saint Francis de SalesCOATOFARMS: “Everything pertains to love.” These words summarize the spiritual legacy left to us by Saint Francis de Sales, who died four centuries ago, on 28 December 1622, in Lyon. Slightly more than fifty years of age, he had been the “exiled” Bishop and Prince of Geneva for some two decades, and had come to Lyon on what was to be his last diplomatic mission...

Does God want you to move to a pro-life state?

Does God Want You to Move to a Pro-Life State?| National Catholic RegisterBRUGGER: This is a question of personal vocation. Does Jesus want me to relocate? That might sound like a spiritually highfalutin question, but it is actually the most basic question a Christian can ask: What is God’s will for my life? I’m not talking about priestly or religious vocation. I’m talking about personal vocation — that unrepeatable plan that God has for all my life, including where I live.

Vatican Provides Update on Benedict: ‘Pope Francis Renews His Invitation to Pray for Him and Accompany Him in These Difficult Hours’

Benedict%20XVI%u2019s%20Health%3A%20Vatican%20Provides%20Update%7C%20National%20Catholic%20Register: Sources close to the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery where Benedict lives told the Register on Thursday the Pope Emeritus’ condition was very grave yesterday evening and the consensus was that he might not survive more than a few days, but his health stabilized overnight as the Vatican statement confirms.

You are not alone, Supreme Knight tells Ukrainians

You are not alone, Supreme Knight tells UkrainiansBRISCOE: “The reason I went to Ukraine, the reason I wanted to go during Advent, was because Christmas is approaching, and I knew that for many Ukrainians it was going to be a very difficult Christmas,” said Supreme Knight Patrick E. Kelly of the Knights of Columbus. Kelly recently returned from a visit to Ukraine and Poland. During the course of the trip, he met with Polish government leaders, including Polish President Andrzej Duda...

Protect your soul from Herod

Protecting our souls from Herod - by Tim ClarkTIMCLARK: Too often we become the Herod of our own soul. As we rage from our dark tower, we behold the Christ-Child, the life of Grace within our souls—and will not abide Him. If the wounds of Christ are born for us, and because of us, so too is His exile with the Holy Family. Too often, we, like petty Herods, echo the words of another poem, “I am the master of my fate/I am the captain of my soul”...

The truly devout life of St. Francis de Sales, who died 400 years ago today

The Truly Devout Life of St. Francis de Sales| National Catholic RegisterBUNSON: Exactly 400 years ago today, St. Francis de Sales ended his days in the same way he had lived most of them, having labored to his very last breath for the salvation of souls and the call for everyone to be saints. The future doctor of the Church and long-time bishop of Geneva had been on the road to Lyons in his capacity as an adviser to Duke Charles Emmanuel I of Savoy and his family during the duke's Christmas tour of the massive Duchy of Savoy...

Holy Innocents, Young Martyrs, Pray For Us!

Holy Innocents, Young Martyrs, Pray For Us!| National Catholic RegisterMARCUM: The Feast of the Holy Innocents feels jarring in the midst of the joys of the Christmas Octave, beginning with the Birth of Christ and ending with the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. Yes, during those eight days we also remember gruesome martyrdoms (St. Stephen’s feast day is Dec. 26 and St. Thomas Becket’s is Dec. 29), but those deaths, bloody and painful as they were, were borne by consenting adults, joyfully willing to offer their lives for their faith.

Home is like heaven. What more is there to say?

Christmas, and Longing for Home - LifeCraftCUDDEBACK: Dickens’s immortal short story of Christmas goes to the deepest longings of the human heart. This stands to reason, as the great drama of human life is always a drama of home, and home-coming. And this tends to come to light at Christmas. Stave Two of A Christmas Carol holds the key. Among a few unforgettable images from Christmas past, that of Scrooge’s dear little sister Fan stands out...

Pope Francis Says Benedict XVI Is ‘Very Ill’ After Sudden Decline, Asks Catholics Worldwide to Pray For Him; Sources Say ‘Kidney Failure Has Worsened in Last Few Hours’

Benedict%20XVI%u2019s%20Health%20Deteriorates%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterPENTIN: Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI is suffering from aggravated kidney failure and had a pacemaker recently fitted, an informed Vatican source has told the Register. The source said Benedict XVI has been experiencing “kidney failure which has worsened in the last few hours.” The source added that the 95-year-old Pope Emeritus had a “pacemaker fitted about a month and a half ago to regularize his heartbeats” but stressed that it was unrelated to his kidney failure.

9 Eye-Opening Tips We Learned About Coffee in 2022

9 Eye-Opening Tips We Learned About Coffee in 2022 | Well Good: hroughout the dizzying highs and lows of 2022, one thing stayed constant: our collective love of coffee. Whether you’re an espresso elitist or a Starbucks loyalist, if you drank coffee this year, you helped contribute to a record-breaking year of coffee sales. In the United States alone, roughly 400 million cups of coffee were consumed every day this year (whew!).

Europe Approaches 2023 With More ‘War and Rumors of War’ as Serbia Puts Army on High Alert Near Kosovo

Serbia puts army on high alert near Kosovo - Vatican News: Scuffles have broken out between Kosovo’s security forces and the troubled nation’s Serbian minority. Kosovo police say they suffered three successive firearm attacks on one of the roads leading to the border.

St. John, Apostle and Evangelist, Pray For Us!

St. John, Apostle and Evangelist, Pray For Us!| National Catholic RegisterGRONDELSKI: Traditionally regarded as the author of the Fourth Gospel, of three epistles (1 John is the First Reading for most days in Christmastide) and the Book of Revelation, he is generally deemed the younger son of Zebedee and Salome and the younger brother of the Apostle James the Greater. Tradition, indeed, treats him as the youngest of the Apostles. He is also the “Beloved Apostle,” Jesus’ favorite, the only one not to desert him during his Passion and Death, the one to whom he entrusts his Mother.

Watch Linus’ Christmas speech again — and this time, notice what words he says when he drops his security blanket

New%20Advent%3A%20Watch%20Linus%u2019%20Christmas%20speech%20again%20%u2014%20and%20this%20time%2C%20notice%20what%20words%20he%20says%20when%20he%20drops%20his%20security%20blanket: Watch for it at the 0:39 second mark...

Jimmy Lai is penned up in a Hong Kong prison because the Communists hate and fear him. Here’s how you can send him a message of love and hope...

Portraits From a Hong Kong Prison Cell: Postcards for Jimmy Lai This Christmas| National Catholic RegisterMURPHY: A suffering Christ hangs from a cross, appearing thin and emaciated, sketched in black pencil, the only media available in a small jail cell inside Hong Kong’s Stanley Prison. Another image, with a bit of color, depicts Our Lord looking forlorn, wearing a crown of green thorns with red blood pouring from his hands, feet and his gouged side. The Blessed Mother, drawn in color, with golden-blonde hair and a silhouette of light radiating from her head, is portrayed with head bowed.

The delicious history of the diner — a vinyl-and-formica icon of post-World War II Americana

The Delicious History of the Diner: The history of diners is, in many ways, the history of the United States in the second half of the 20th century. But some would argue that diners actually trace their lineage back through the kafenio, a Greek coffee shop with origins in the Ottoman Empire.

Cardinal De Donatis just released a peculiar statement about Jesuit Fr. Marko Rupnik that raises several questions while answering very few...

Statement%20about%20Fr.%20Rupnik%20from%20the%20Diocese%20of%20Rome%20raises%20more%20questions%20%u2013%20Catholic%20World%20ReportALTIERI: The Diocese of Rome has issued its own statement regarding Fr. Marko Ivan Rupnik, SJ, the world-famous Jesuit artist-priest accused of serial sexual, psychological, and spiritual abuse of at least nine women over a period of several years. CWR has its translation of the statement in English, below, but it is unlikely to satisfy anyone and in fact raises several questions while answering very few.

Jesus Christ, the True Light, Has Come Into This World

Jesus Christ, the True Light, Has Come Into This World| National Catholic RegisterGRONDELSKI: What happened on Christmas night more than 2,000 years ago fundamentally and irrevocably changed the path of humanity. “When peaceful stillness lay all over and the night was half spent, your Almighty Word, O Lord, descended from heaven’s royal throne” (Wisdom 18:14-15). This night, God and man become one, God and man are reconciled, and God and man begin a new path in history...

Your Nativity Set is a miniature replica of the Catholic Church

The Nativity Set is Snapshot of the Church - Community in MissionBODY: It is a nearly universal practice among Catholics to have a nativity set in our homes and surely in our parishes. Not only does the nativity set remind us of the birth of Christ, it is also a miniature replica of the Church. In the scene we see God (Jesus) and man, saints (Jesus Mary and Joseph) and sinners (all the rest), the rich (the Magi) and the poor, (Mary Joseph, Jesus and the shepherds). We see the learned (the Magi) and the simple (the shepherds)...

Pope at Christmas Urbi et Orbi: ‘The Lord’s Birth Is the Birth of Peace’

Pope%20at%20Christmas%20Urbi%20et%20Orbi%3A%20%27The%20Lord%u2019s%20birth%20is%20the%20birth%20of%20peace%27%20-%20Vatican%20News: In his traditional Christmas Day message, Pope Francis underscores how Jesus' birth shows us the way to peace in our lives and our world, and encourages us to contemplate the face of the Child Jesus and be deeply moved by God’s love, so that peace may be born in our hearts and shared with all.

Pope Francis at Christmas Mass: The Manger Is a Sign That God Is With Us and Loves Us

Pope Francis at Christmas Mass: The Manger Is a Sign That God Is With Us and Loves Us| National Catholic Register: A manger, the Christ Child’s first resting place, can teach us a lot about the meaning of Christmas, Pope Francis said in his Christmas homily. “In order to rediscover the meaning of Christmas, we need to look to the manger,” he said on Dec. 24. “Yet why is the manger so important? Because it is the sign, and not by chance, of Christ’s coming into this world,” he said. “It is how he announces his coming. It is the way God is born in history, so that history itself can be reborn.”

Pope St. Leo the Great: Angels and Men Rejoice on Christmas

Pope St. Leo the Great: Angels and Men Rejoice on Christmas| National Catholic RegisterARNOLD: The Christmas season has been a time of joy for Christians for nearly two millennia. As many of the faithful will be unwrapping gifts and sipping eggnog on Sunday, it’s still important to find time to reflect on the happiness that the nativity and the incarnation of Christ ought to bring all of us. During this holiday, we should reflect on the ancient wisdom bestowed upon us by one of the Church’s greatest teachers, Pope St. Leo I, who taught us...

Christmas Eve: ‘The People Who Walked in Darkness Have Seen a Great Light’

The Nativity of the Lord (Christmas) | USCCB: The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shone. You have brought them abundant joy and great rejoicing, as they rejoice before you as at the harvest, as people make merry when dividing spoils. For the yoke that burdened them, the pole on their shoulder, and the rod of their taskmaster you have smashed, as on the day of Midian.

‘Dragnet’ — In Search of the Baby Jesus

%u2018Dragnet%u2019%20%u2014%20In%20Search%20of%20the%20Baby%20Jesus%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterKLEMOND: A Catholic parish’s report of a missing Baby Jesus statue from its Nativity scene might not be a top police priority right now as we reach the weary end of a year marked by vandalism against churches and pregnancy resource centers, surging crime and police staffing reductions. But in 1953 a primetime radio program told the true story of how two California police officers did take such a report from a Catholic priest seriously and spent a lot of time trying to get a worn statue of little monetary value back into the manger for Christmas Mass.

Who is to blame for the Rupnik scandals?

Who is to blame for the Rupnik scandals?JDFLYNN: As disturbing abuse allegations against Fr. Marko Rupnik, SJ, became more well-known, Catholics around the world are asking - again - ‘What happened?’ How is it that a priest accused of serially abusing religious sisters was allowed to continue in a prominent ministry of celebrity, in which Rupnik has enjoyed appointments as a consultor to Vatican departments, designed high-profile Vatican logos, and been feted globally as a spiritual and artistic master...

St. John Cantius (Jan Kanty), Pray For Us!

St. John Cantius (Jan Kanty), Pray For Us!| National Catholic RegisterGRONDELSKI: Priest, scholar and patron of the poor — they all describe St. John Cantius (Jan z Kanty), who lived from 1390-1473. Jan came into the world in the town of Kęty, about 45 miles from the then-Polish capital of Kraków and 10 miles due south of Oświęcim, a town rendered infamous by the Germans, who called it Auschwitz. Although most of Jan’s life was spent in Kraków and its environs, he also made a walking pilgrimage to Rome.

Vatican May Discipline Priests Over Liturgy Protests, Warns Indian Archbishop

Indian archbishop: Vatican may discipline priests over liturgy protest: An Indian Catholic archbishop warned priests protesting against liturgical changes supported by Pope Francis Friday that they could face “disciplinary actions, even from the part of the Holy See.” In a Dec. 23 letter to clergy in the Archeparchy of Ernakulam-Angamaly, Archbishop Andrews Thazhath urged priests to begin celebrating a new form of the Syro-Malabar Church’s Eucharistic liturgy “at least by Christmas 2022.”

How to order your free pack of four COVID-19 tests...

COVID Home Tests | USPS: Residential households in the U.S. can order one set of #4 free at-home tests from USPS.com. Here's what you need to know about your order

Frank Pavone has lost his priestly ministry, worse offenders remain in good standing, and the credibility of bishops takes another blow. It should have been avoided...

Pavone%u2019s%20Dismissal%20Could%20Have%20Been%20Avoided%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterDESOUZA: The year ended with a double helping of distressing news. Just as Catholics were reeling from the news of the “gruesome” abuse by Jesuit Father Marko Rupnik, compounded by appalling oversight by the highest levels of the Society of Jesus, the earthquake of Father Frank Pavone’s laicization hit. Pavone, head of Priests for Life, was dismissed from the clerical state apparently at the request of Bishop Patrick Zurek of Amarillo...

Mary, the Church, Christmas, and Jimmy Lai

Mary, the Church, Christmas, and Jimmy LaiWEIGEL: Now, on Christmas Day, the nine months have been fulfilled. What began on the day of Annunciation is made visible to the world in the person of the newborn babe of Bethlehem, who is both Son of God and Son of Mary. History is forever changed. The “little flock” of whom Jesus will speak in Luke 12:32 is already here: in Mary and Joseph, humble servants of God; in the shepherds who leave the manger rejoicing...

Be Free, Live Differently: A New Year’s Resolution for Men

Be%20Free%2C%20Live%20Differently%3A%20A%20New%20Year%u2019s%20Resolution%20for%20Men%A0STAUDT: We count our years from the birth of Christ, and Christmas begins the year of the Lord 2023. The secular practice of making a resolution for the new year can find deeper meaning when connected to the birth of the savior. The focus on presents and cheer can overshadow the Christmas feast’s great transformative power. A resolution for the new year should begin at the manger...

Pope Francis to Roman Curia: Be Vigilant Against ‘Elegant Demons’ and ‘The Evil That Quietly Lurks Among Us’

Pope%20Francis%20to%20Roman%20Curia%3A%20Be%20Vigilant%20Against%20%u2018The%20Evil%20That%20Quietly%20Lurks%20Among%20Us%u2019%7C%20National%20Catholic%20Register: Pope Francis warned the Roman Curia on Thursday that they need to be vigilant in the face of temptation by “elegant demons” and “the evil that quietly lurks among us.” In his annual Christmas address to the cardinals who work in Vatican offices on Dec. 22, the Pope said that there is a temptation for those who serve“at the heart of the Church” to think that they are “better than others, no longer in need of conversion.”

Woman Arrested by UK Police for Praying Silently Near Abortion Facility

Woman arrested by English police for silent prayer near abortion facility | Catholic News Agency: A pro-life volunteer has been arrested and charged after silently praying outside an abortion facility in Birmingham, U.K. Isabel Vaughan-Spruce, the director of March for Life UK, was arrested on Dec. 6 and charged on Dec. 15 with four counts of breaking a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO).

5 reasons we need a Savior — An Advent meditation on a text from Isaiah

Five Reasons We Need a Savior - An Advent Meditation on a Text from Isaiah - Community in MissionPOPE: As Christmas draws so near, we should ponder why we need a savior. In short, we’ve got it bad and that ain’t good. But praise the Lord, there is a doctor on the way. His name is Emmanuel; His name is Jesus, which means “God saves.” Let’s look at a keynote reading of Advent describing five reasons we Jesus a savior! First, at the heart of most of our troubles is that we have distanced ourselves from God...

There is no ‘Mary Problem’ in ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’

There%20Is%20No%20Mary%20Problem%20in%20%u2018It%u2019s%20a%20Wonderful%20Life%u2019%20-%20The%20Bulwark: Despite its sinking into insignificance upon initial release, the eventual ascendency of It’s a Wonderful Life was always almost inevitable. For one thing, it stars Jimmy Stewart. For another, like all the greatest Christmas literature, it has an undercurrent of darkness to it. Like A Christmas Carol or A Charlie Brown Christmas, it deals with the death of human hopes as much as their renewal. And, most importantly, its emotional punch grows, not diminishes, with rewatching over the years.

Winter Cherries and the Gift of Christmas

Winter Cherries and the Gift of Christmas - LifeCraftCUDDEBACK: May this problem, one that brings into focus an amazing aspect of the gift of Christmas, be one we might have to face. Every year we listen to the story of Sir Cleges and his wife Dame Claris as wonderfully retold by Odds Bodkin in ‘Winter Cherries.’ I always cry. As Christmas approaches the old knight and his wife realize their generosity has outstripped their means.

Catholics need a restorative justice approach to the Church’s sexual abuse crisis

Catholics%20need%20a%20restorative%20justice%20approach%20to%20the%20church%u2019s%20sexual%20abuse%20crisis%20%7C%20America%20MagazinePHILPOTT: Wounds remain. This was a chief conclusion of an independent working group on the clerical sex abuse crisis in the U.S. Catholic Church that proposed the following measures last month. First, develop a national center with experts and practitioners to equip the broader church with practices of restorative justice that would accompany those who have been directly and peripherally harmed by abuse...

I consider these books to be the 7 pillars of wisdom on which Western civilization is built...

The Seven Pillars of Western Civilization ~ The Imaginative ConservativePEARCE: This past week I gave a lecture on “Why Shakespeare Matters” at Colorado Christian University. In the dinner prior to the talk, the president of the university asked me to name what I considered to be the six foundational texts of Western civilization. Scurrying and scrambling to pull from the top of my head six titles that could plausibly fit the bill, I thought that such an exercise might provide inspiration for a thought-provoking essay...

Who’s the real hero of ‘It’s A Wonderful Life?’

Who%u2019s%20The%20Real%20Hero%20of%20%u2018It%u2019s%20A%20Wonderful%20Life%3F%u2019%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterCLARK: Even after repeated viewings, It’s A Wonderful Life refuses to grow stale in our hearts. The film is so rich that we can discover something in the tenth viewing we failed to notice in the ninth. Perhaps that is because — though each frame of the film remains identical — we have grown. Each viewing prompts new ideas and questions. Lately, I have begun to ponder the question: Who is the hero of the movie?

Is ‘It's a Wonderful Life’ really about St. Joseph?

Is "It's a Wonderful Life" about St. Joseph?CAMERON: No Advent is complete without a viewing of Frank Capra’s masterful film It’s a Wonderful Life. Capra described himself as “a Catholic in spirit; one who firmly believes that the anti-moral, the intellectual bigots, and the Mafias of ill-will may destroy religion, but they will never conquer the cross.” That Catholic spirit comes across in It’s a Wonderful Life. Watch the film closely and you will discover an uncanny similarity between the hero of the film George Bailey and St. Joseph...

Wall Street Journal: U.S. Catholic Priests Are Increasingly Conservative as Faithful Grow More Liberal [paywall]

U.S. Catholic Priests Are Increasingly Conservative as Faithful Grow More Liberal - WSJ: American Catholic priests are becoming more conservative, even as their flocks are becoming more liberal. U.S. Catholic bishops elected conservative leaders last month, continuing to resist a push from Pope Francis to put social issues such as climate change and poverty on par with the bishops’ declared priority of opposing abortion.

How to make perfect bacon in your oven

How To Make Perfect Bacon in the Oven: I think we can agree that crispy, smoky bacon is one of life’s greatest pleasures. However, standing over a hot stove dodging sputtering bacon grease is not. Here is how we can have the best of both worlds: an easy, simple, hassle-free method for cooking perfect bacon, all in the oven. It’s the perfect way to cook a lot of bacon all at once, enough bacon for a crowd!

‘Descent Into Hell’: As Jesuits and Vatican Do Damage Control, Former Loyola Community Sister Speaks Out on Rupnik Allegations

%u2018Descent%20into%20Hell%u2019%3A%20An%20alleged%20Rupnik%20victim%20speaks%20out: An alleged victim of Slovenian Jesuit artist Fr. Marko Ivan Rupnik detailed on Sunday the sexual, psychological, and spiritual abuse she said she suffered as a religious sister, in a new interview with Italian media. Allegations against the Jesuit priest have become a point of scandal in the Church, after Rupnik was accused of serially abusing Slovenian consecrated women in the 1980s and 1990s.

Priest for life? A Frank Pavone explainer from The Pillar...

Priest for life? A Frank Pavone explainer: News broke on Saturday that Frank Pavone, the head of a pro-life campaigning organization and controversial political activist, had been dismissed from the clerical state. A prominent media figure for years, Pavone’s laicization has captured media attention in the U.S., and left many wondering if the Vatican decided to dismiss him from the clerical state because of his stridently pro-life activism and his well-known political beliefs...

Father Rupnik has been stopped, thanks to the Italian media — and no thanks to the Jesuits, the CDF or the Pope

Father Rupnik Case Riddled With Glaring Lapses in Judgment| National Catholic RegisterDESOUZA: The sexual misconduct case of Jesuit Father Marko Rupnik is complex and distressing, and invites further questions on a number of aspects. The celebrated Jesuit artist, given many of the most important mosaic commissions over the last 30 years — including the Redemptoris Mater chapel in the Apostolic Palace — has been accused of serial abuse of adults under his pastoral direction...

Frank Pavone’s laicization raises many questions for pro-life Catholics, but his history shows it’s not as simple as ‘Vatican bad, canceled priest good’

The Sad Case of Frank Pavone - Crisis MagazineSAMMONS: Frank Pavone, founder of Priests for Life and a long-time pro-life leader, was laicized last month by the Vatican. Pavone has a long history of tussles with the Church hierarchy, but this extreme action stunned most Catholic observers. So what led to his dismissal from the clerical state? After all, forced laicization is reserved for only a small number of outrageous situations. Telling a priest that he can no longer publicly present himself...

The Vatican’s action against Frank Pavone should not be a surprise. So why are so many people upset by his laicization? Here are 3 reasons...

The%20Vatican%u2019s%20action%20against%20Frank%20Pavone%3A%20overdue%20yet%20unexplained%20%7C%20Catholic%20CultureLAWLER: Yes, there are other priests—many others, really—whose conduct has been far more egregious, whose public statements have been far more injurious to the faith. Yes, it is painful to see a leading figure in the American pro-life movement disciplined, while others who undermine Church moral teaching are showered with Vatican honors. Yes, many thousands of loyal Catholics have lost confidence in their bishops, and the see a blatant double standard...

Our efforts to touch the souls of our fellow human beings must be internal first, and then confirmed with the external

We are called to be addicted to God | Knowing Is DoingTORRE: As the young man gazed around the classroom, you could sense his fear and confusion, questioning why he was in this class. Any teacher who has taught in the classroom knows this scenario quite well when we receive a new student for the first time. This young human being has just been thrust into a new and unknown world that, at first glance, is difficult for him to conceptualize. Possessing no formal religious education formation, let alone any idea that he just might be loved by God, serves as a reminder that every human being bears the image and likeness of God and is not a wasted product-we are not created in vain.

The Frank Pavone story is not about abortion

The Frank Pavone story is not about abortionLOPEZ: Please be careful, and prayerful, about how you react to the news about Father Frank Pavone now becoming Mr. Frank Pavone by order of the Vatican. Try not to see it through a political lens. Step away of any opinions you may have of the Roman pontiff. Know that abortion is the human-rights issue of our time. The priest who ran Priests for Life is still capable of creating an untenable circumstance for himself to continue as a priest.

The openness, obedience and one word of St. Joseph

The Openness, Obedience, & One Word of St. Joseph | Parishable ItemsFELTES: Our Gospel this final Sunday of Advent centers on St. Joseph. It recounts how St. Joseph received the stunning revelation of Mary’s pregnancy. We can learn from the great saint’s response — from his openness, his obedience, and his one word. Mary was already Joseph’s wife when she conceived her child. In their Jewish culture, a newlywed couple would live apart for the first year of marriage.

Lionel Messi thanks God for success In epic World Cup win

Lionel Messi Thanks God For Success In Epic World Cup WinLISI: Soccer superstar Lionel Messi went out of his way to avoid a gaggle of French defenders throughout the World Cup final on Sunday, slicing past them in an effort to score goals. But he didn’t avoid praising God for his personal career successes after leading Argentina to a win against the defending champions via a penalty-kick shootout in the World Cup final that will be remembered as the best in the tournament’s 92-year history.

Canon lawyer Fr. Gerald Murray on Frank Pavone’s dismissal from Catholic priesthood: Only the Pope can issue a decision without appeal

Canon lawyer Fr. Gerald Murray on Frank Pavone's dismissal from Catholic priesthood: Only the Pope can issue a decision without appeal | Catholic News Agency: On Nov. 9, Cardinal Lazzaro You Heung Sik, prefect for the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Clergy, dismissed Father Frank Pavone from the priesthood for “blasphemous communications on social media” and “persistent disobedience of lawful instructions of his diocesan bishop.” The decree, shared with U.S. bishops in a letter dated Dec. 13 written by the apostolic nuncio to the United States, Archbishop Christophe Pierre, precludes any possibility of appeal.

Must-watch ‘60 Minutes’ segment from Sunday evening: ‘A visit to Lourdes, the site of mystery and medical miracles’

A visit to Lourdes, the site of mystery and medical miracles - CBS News: Over the last 160 years, bishops from the Catholic church have recognized 70 medical miracles connected to The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes in southern France. Each year, more than 3 million pilgrims visit the small town. Many make the journey to Lourdes because they've heard the stories of the miraculous medical recoveries that have taken place there.

As Seen on ‘60 Minutes’: French Sister’s Miracle Astounds Medical Experts, Becomes 70th Official Healing at Lourdes

As%20Seen%20on%20%u201860%20Minutes%u2019%3A%20French%20Sister%u2019s%20Miracle%20Astounds%20Medical%20Experts%2C%20Becomes%2070th%20Official%20Healing%20at%20Lourdes%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterDESMOND: When Franciscan Oblate Sister of the Sacred Heart Bernadette Moriau made the roundtrip journey for her 2008 Lourdes pilgrimage, she was transported from her French convent in an “ambulance” train car designated for the sick visiting the Marian shrine where the Blessed Virgin appeared in 1858. Nights on the train were spent in agony, getting little rest as she lay on a narrow upper bunk...

Frank Pavone Cancels Mass But Vows Legal Action After Vatican Dismisses Him From Priesthood

Frank Pavone cancels Mass but vows legal action after Vatican dismisses him from priesthood | Catholic News Agency: The national director of Priests for Life, Frank Pavone, canceled a scheduled livestreamed Mass today, one day after CNA published a report that he was continuing to celebrate Mass after the Vatican had removed him from the priesthood. In a defiant statement addressed to Church leaders and posted on his organization’s website Saturday, Pavone vowed to continue his ministry despite his dismissal from the clerical state.

4th Sunday of Advent — Joseph’s Dreams

4th%20Sunday%20of%20Advent%20%u2014%20Joseph%u2019s%20Dreams%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterGRONDELSKI: The last Sunday before Christmas — the Fourth Sunday of Advent — is always connected with some Gospel episode that immediately precedes Jesus’ birth. But only Matthew and Luke have “Infancy Narratives,” i.e., accounts of Jesus’ conception and birth. Mark begins his Gospel with Jesus’ launch of his public ministry. John starts his Gospel with Jesus’ preexistence as the Eternal Word made flesh.

Vatican Dismisses Father Frank Pavone From Priesthood for ‘Persistent Disobedience’ and ‘Blasphemous Communications on Social Media’

Vatican dismisses Father Frank Pavone from priesthood | Catholic News Agency: Father Frank Pavone, a well-known pro-life activist and national director of the organization Priests for Life, has been dismissed from the clerical state for “blasphemous communications on social media” and “persistent disobedience of the lawful instructions of his diocesan bishop,” CNA has learned.

Pope Recognizes Martyrdom of Józef and Wiktoria Ulma, Executed With Their Seven Children for Hiding Jewish Family From Nazis

A married couple with seven children to be beatified by the Catholic Church for martyrdom by Nazis | Catholic News Agency: Pope Francis has recognized the martyrdom of a married couple with seven children who were killed by the Nazis for hiding a Jewish family in their home in Poland. The pope signed on Dec. 17 a decree on the martyrdom of Józef and Wiktoria Ulma, who were executed along with all their children in 1944.

Moral clarity is a requirement of love

Moral clarity is a requirement of love | Catholic CultureMIRUS: Our Catholic World News service has already reported—and Phil Lawler has already commented—on President Biden’s unfortunate and morally confused when he signed the new and morally “inventive” Respect for Marriage Act. In doing so, he claims to have struck “a blow against hate in all its forms” because “racism, antisemitism, homophobia, transphobia, they’re all connected”...

If you haven’t already seen the NOVA presentation, “Rebuilding Notre Dame,” let me strongly recommend it

%u2018Rebuilding%20Notre%20Dame%u2019%u2014highly%20recommended%20%7C%20Catholic%20CultureLAWLER: The devastating fire that ripped through Notre Dame in April 2019 did enormous damage to the Paris landmark. But it also caused two dangerous problems for the team of engineers, architects, and craftsmen who set out to repair the damage. First, the fire weakened the remaining structure of the basilica, raising questions about whether the ancient walls might collapse...

University of Mary wins six-year fight for religious freedom...

University of Mary Wins Six-Year Fight for Religious Freedom| National Catholic RegisterREILLY: Friday’s federal court ruling that protects Catholic organizations from the Obamacare “transgender rule” should be a huge relief to Catholic families, healthcare workers and medical educators. But the latter group is not getting much attention in media reports, perhaps because journalists don’t quite see the relevance of the rule to Catholic education...

The great antidote to nihilism is gratitude...

That Haunting Nihilism by R. R. Reno | Articles | First ThingsRENO: I’m becoming an N. S. Lyons fan. “A Prophecy of Evil: Tolkien, Lewis, and Technocratic Nihilism” is the latest installment in The Upheaval, the mysterious author’s Substack. (He writes under a pseudonym.) This extended essay provides an arresting account of the deepening crisis in the West. By Lyons’s reckoning, Lewis and Tolkien were right. We are in the grip of a grim, despairing rebellion against reality that imagines itself to be the engine of moral progress.

The blood of St. Januarius just miraculously liquified for the third time in 2022 — watch the video here...

Blood of St. Januarius Miraculously Liquifies for Third Time in 2022 - Watch the Video! -: Dec. 16 is the the anniversary of Naples’ preservation from the 1631 Mount Vesuvius volcanic eruption. The blood last liquified on Sept. 19 of this year. According to Vatican journalist Francesco Antonio Grana, the blood “almost never” liquifies on Dec. 16. While the Church does not officially recognize the miracle, locals consider it a “good sign” for the city of Naples. The liquefaction miracle of St. Januarius’ blood potentially occurs three times per year at the Cathedral of Naples in Italy...

If you knew what I discovered years ago about Archbishop Paglia, news about his crookedness wouldn’t surprise you a bit...

Archbishop Paglia: Financial Reform? - The Catholic ThingMAIER: I served as senior aide and special assistant to Archbishop Charles Chaput for twenty-three years, first in Denver, then in Philadelphia. I mention this as context for what follows. Early in 2012, Pope Benedict XVI approached the archbishop, asking if the Church in Philadelphia might be willing to host the Eighth World Meeting of Families, scheduled for 2015. Chaput had arrived as archbishop in Philadelphia just a few months earlier...

Take a close look at Tintoretto’s last ‘Last Supper’ — now THAT’s a halo...

Halo%20of%20the%20Son%3A%20Tintoretto%u2019s%20Last%20%u2018Last%20Supper%u2019%20-%20The%20Catholic%20ThingMINER: In a recent column about Mary Magdalene, I wrote that my favorite portrait of the great saint was by Domenico Robusti, known to the world as Domenico Tintoretto. But I also noted that it’s his father, Jacopo, who is the painter most often being referred to by the name Tintoretto. I didn’t explain an interesting thing about that name. Unlike Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, who is known by that last name, which is actually the place of his birth, there’s no place called Tintoretto.

What do we do with Father Rupnik’s art?

What do we do with Father Rupnik's art?BRISCOE: The day that I saw reports that Jesuit Father Marko Ivan Rupnik had serially abused members of a women’s religious community — while serving as their chaplain in the 1990s — I was scheduled to concelebrate Mass at an altar he had designed. During the Mass, I was seeing red. I was so angry that I could barely look at the adornments that he along with members of the Roman atelier Centro Aletti had made...

How to dress for cold weather, explained by an Arctic researcher

How to Dress for Cold Weather, Explained by an Arctic Researcher: Every bad winter that comes around, American need to relearn how to deal with, and dress for, cold weather. It’s more important now than ever, when staying safe out of reach from coronavirus means spending more time outside in the cold. When it comes to dressing for a hard winter, there are people who are experts in this particular area, for whom brutally cold environments are just part of the job...

At ‘Church City,’ a taste of Catholic life in Qatar

At 'Church City,' a taste of Catholic life in Qatar | AP News: Hymns echo through the spacious, blue-walled church. The congregants listen to the Gospel and the homily. They kneel, eyes closed and hands clasped in prayer or palms turned skyward. They line up to receive Communion as a choir belts out: “Lord, for my sake, teach me to take one day at a time.”

Vatican Confirms Pope’s Apology to Moscow Over Ukraine War Remarks

Vatican confirms apology to Moscow over pope comments | News24: The Vatican confirmed on Thursday that it had apologised to Russia after Pope Francis made comments singling out the allegedly cruel role of Russian ethnic minorities in the Ukraine conflict. Vatican spokesperson Matteo Bruni was asked about Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova saying on Thursday that the Vatican had apologised following the pope's comments.

This Sunday, sacrifice everything for Christmas, like St. Joseph did

This Sunday, Sacrifice Everything for Christmas, Like Joseph Did | Ex Corde at Benedictine CollegeHOOPES: This Sunday, we have one more week to “make straight the paths” and eliminate the hills so that Jesus can easily enter our lives this Christmas. But once we accept him, he has no intention of making our road to the Father easy at all. In fact, it’s uphill on rough terrain from here on out. To prove it, the Gospel for the Fourth Sunday of Advent, Year A shows how easy Joseph and Mary made it for Jesus to enter their lives — and how difficult God made their lives thereafter.

Moving money, getting a good lawyer, and prayer time

Moving money, getting a good lawyer, and prayer timeCONDON: It must really be a trend if both Walmart and Baby Gap have cashed in on it and it’s made its way to the front page of the Wall Street Journal. Some parents, the Journal reports, are “eschewing bright and stereotypically gendered colors for kid wares, and instead choosing earthy, neutral tones aligned with minimalism,” clothes, furniture and toys in varieties of brown that “fit right in with their stylishly muted décor in the rest of the house.”

The parental delusion of sad beige parenting

David Mills: The parental delusion of sad beige parenting | Pittsburgh Post-GazetteMILLS: It must really be a trend if both Walmart and Baby Gap have cashed in on it and it’s made its way to the front page of the Wall Street Journal. Some parents, the Journal reports, are “eschewing bright and stereotypically gendered colors for kid wares, and instead choosing earthy, neutral tones aligned with minimalism,” clothes, furniture and toys in varieties of brown that “fit right in with their stylishly muted décor in the rest of the house.”

Phil Lawler: ‘When we shy away from saying what everybody knows the Church believes, we look ashamed or hypocritical’

Phil Lawler: No need to apologize for hard truths: Everybody knows "the Catholic position on abortion...on contraception and divorce and homosexual acts...so when Catholic priests or bishops or any kind of spokesman for the Church seems to shy away from saying what everybody knows the Church believes, it makes it look as if we're ashamed of our beliefs or we're hypocritical about our beliefs. It makes the witness of the Church...

Are you Catholic, yes, but in a different way?

Are you Catholic, yes, but in a different way? | Knowing Is DoingTORRE: In one of his most important works, A Grammar of Assent, St. John Henry Newman describes the development of thought in one true God and the importance of articulating the notion that there is only one Divine Author. The premise of St. Newman’s argument for believing in the one true God is that genuine assent requires genuine faith...

Can (and should) women be ordained Catholic deacons?

Can (and should) women be ordained Catholic deacons?BRISCOE: In August 2016, a commission was formed in order to look at questions that were raised with regard to women and the diaconate by the International Union of Superiors General, who asked Pope Francis about it in a May 2016 audience they had with the Holy Father. This first commission was held and examined primarily the historical question. The result of that commission was that they were at odds with one another. There was no consensus. In fact, the quote from Pope Francis is that they were “toads from different wells.”

German Catholicism, as seen through the documents of the Synodal Path, is in apostasy

The German Crisis, the World Church, and Pope FrancisWEIGEL: The Year of Our Lord 2023 will likely witness Catholic dramas we cannot predict now; that is the way of Providence. What we can know with certainty about next year is that the German crisis in the world Church will come to a head, because what’s happening in Germany will collide with the first session of the Synod on Synodality for a Synodal Church in October 2023. And the resolution of the German crisis will be, if not wholly determinative, then hugely consequential, in defining the legacy of Pope Francis.

‘Coffee is overrated!’ — How this priest answered a sick call with only 20 seconds to spare

"Coffee is Overrated!": How This Priest Answered a Sick Call With 20 Seconds to SpareBURKEPILE: Fr. Goyo Hidalgo of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles published an awesome story about how he answered an emergency sick call at a hospital with only 20 seconds to spare. The priest said he answered the early morning call by “driving like Formula 1,” “running through the hospital,” and “jumping over a chair like an obstacle race.” As of this writing, the viral tweet received almost 1,800 likes, nearly 70 retweets, and generated over 110 comments.

Friendship and the Intellectual Life

Friendship and the Intellectual Life - Word on FireKACZOR: After high school, I left Seattle in search of adventure. Why not try moving all the way across the country? As a freshman in college, I entered the Honors Program of Boston College and discovered the adventure of the intellectual life. We read Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey, Aristophanes’ Frogs and Clouds, Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics, and Augustine’s Confessions. I loved the roundtable discussion with about twelve other students in a gorgeous room lined with books and stained glass windows...

Religion News Service, and AP, offer the latest news from the left side of Christian higher ed

Religion%20News%20Service%2C%20and%20AP%2C%20offer%20the%20latest%20news%20from%20the%20left%20side%20of%20Christian%20higher%20ed%20%u2014%20GetReligionMATTINGLY: It’s another day, with yet another Religion News Service story about Christian higher education that fails to add one or two sentences of crucial material about ongoing clashes between centuries of Christian doctrine and the Sexual Revolution. The setting for this news story, once again, is Seattle Pacific University — a Free Methodist institution in the progressive Pacific Northwest. Click here for flashbacks to GetReligion posts about news coverage of what is clearly bitterly divided campus.

Where does your go-to frozen pizza rank? We tried 15, and the worst one might surprise you

Where Does Your Go-To Frozen Pizza Rank? We Tried 15, and the Worst One Might Surprise You.: What makes a frozen pizza good isn’t the same as what makes a restaurant pizza good. That’s not only because one might be inclined to grade a frozen pizza on a curve. Frozen pizzas are an altogether different class, where things like nostalgia, convenience and the meltiness and mélange of cheeses take on outsize significance, compared to the more holistic outlook we bring to pizza prepared by someone else and eaten outside of our homes.

How to keep your packages from being stolen by porch pirates

How to Keep Packages From Being Stolen by Porch Pirates - Consumer Reports: You know the holidays are here when Amazon, FedEx, and UPS delivery trucks flood the streets, dropping off packages of all shapes and sizes on doorsteps and in apartment lobbies. But this telltale sign of the holiday shopping season also means that porch pirates will be on the prowl, snatching up those packages faster than the Grinch on Christmas Eve.

Jesuit Superior: Father Marko Rupnik Was Automatically Excommunicated for ‘Absolution of an Accomplice’ in 2019

Jesuit Superior: Father Marko Rupnik Was Automatically Excommunicated in 2019| National Catholic Register: The Jesuit superior general, Father Arturo Sosa, has confirmed that Jesuit artist Father Marko Rupnik incurred an automatic excommunication in 2019 for absolving a woman he had sex with, a fact his religious order was aware of but did not disclose until now. According to a report by The Associated Press, Father Sosa disclosed this new information Wednesday in a briefing with journalists in Rome.

Archbishop Paglia Diverts ‘Hundreds of Thousands of Euros’ From Funds for Poor Families and Orphans, Uses Money to Renovate His Personal Apartment

Archbishop Paglia used charity funds to renovate apartment: Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia diverted hundreds of thousands of euros allocated to support missionary and charitable works while he served as president of the Pontifical Council for the Family. Paglia used much of the money to finance building projects in Rome, including the renovation of his personal apartment, The Pillar has learned.

Pope’s Wednesday Audience: Remain Vigilant Against Pride and ‘Well-Mannered Demons’

Pope%20Francis%3A%20Remain%20vigilant%20against%20pride%20and%20%u2018well-mannered%20demons%u2019%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20Agency: Pope Francis encouraged Christians Wednesday to be vigilant against spiritual pride and the temptations of “well-mannered demons.” “Many times we are given many graces and in the end we are not capable of persevering in this grace and we lose everything for a lack of vigilance. We don’t guard the doors [of our hearts],” he said Dec. 14 during his weekly public audience.

Who knows the difference it might make to bring face-to-face singing into our homes once again

To Bring Singing into Our Homes Again - LifeCraftCUDDEBACK: In her book Reclaiming Conversation: The Power of Talk in a Digital Age, Sherry Turkle makes a commonsense suggestion so simple we might miss its power and urgency. Make face to face conversations normal again. Here I offer a corollary suggestion. Make face to face singing normal again. The changes of practice in these two areas have much in common. For starters, while dramatic—and indeed of civilizational import—changes in conversation and singing have become so normal as to be barely noticed. We still ‘hear’ and feel like we participate in much talk and still ‘hear’ much singing. In fact, in a sense we’re fairly drowning in talk and music, so we might not feel the absence of either. But the reality is otherwise.

The Truth About Life: A Response to Professors Kay and Ostermann

The%20Truth%20About%20Life%3A%20A%20Response%20to%20Professors%20Kay%20and%20Ostermann%20%u2013%20arcoftheuniversePHILPOTT: On December 5, 2022, two of my colleagues at the University of Notre Dame, Tamara Kay and Susan Ostermann, both on the faculty of the Keough School of Global Affairs, published on op-ed in the Chicago Tribune purporting to refute “lies,” “intentional misinformation,” and “utter falsities,” that have served to “erode access to abortion” in the United States. The day after, Fr. John I. Jenkins published a letter to the editor to the Tribune stating...

Isabel Cristina Mrad Campos, Known as ‘The Maria Goretti of Brazil,’ Beatified 40 Years After Her Death

Young%20Martyr%20Known%20as%20%u2018The%20Maria%20Goretti%20of%20Brazil%u2019%20Beatified%7C%20National%20Catholic%20Register: Cardinal Raymundo Damasceno Assis presided Dec. 10 at the solemn ceremony of beatification for Isabel Cristina Mrad Campos, a young martyr known as “the Maria Goretti of Brazil.” The Archdiocese of Mariana in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais reported the Mass was held at the Shrine of Our Lady of Mercy in Barbacena before thousands of faithful present.

Bishop quits after finding role 'too great a burden' - Catholic Herald

Bishop quits after finding role 'too great a burden' - Catholic Herald: Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of the Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle who has quit almost a decade before he was due to retire, saying the demands of his office were “too great a burden”. Bishop Robert Byrne announced his resignation “with great sorrow and reluctance” in letters issued at the same time to the people of his diocese and to his brother bishops. The bishop said he intended to leave Hexham and Newcastle for the Oratorian community in Oxford that he founded in 1990.

Why the French bishops have launched the world’s first canonical criminal court

Why%20the%20French%20Bishops%20Have%20Launched%20the%20World%u2019s%20First%20Canonical%20Criminal%20Court%7C%20National%20Catholic%20Register: This month, the French Bishops’ Conference (CEF) established a new legal structure to deal with crimes and offenses committed by clerics and laity within the Church, including sexual abuse of adults. It is considered a world first: To date, no other bishops’ conference has implemented any national structure of this magnitude.

Deathbed conversions reveal the power of the Rosary and give hope for fallen-away Catholics

Deathbed%20Conversions%20Reveal%20Rosary%u2019s%20Power%20and%20Give%20Hope%20for%20Fallen-Away%20Catholics%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterARMSTRONG: Some of Father Sebastian Walshe’s greatest experiences as a priest is going to people’s deathbeds and giving them the sacraments. A younger me might have rolled my eyes. Fun guy, right? Now as a parent with some children who have left the Church, I find his story very exciting and hopeful. Father Walshe shared the story of his childhood friend, Cynthia. She had converted to the faith thanks to a friendship with a large Catholic family...

Catholic academic blasts Vatican’s Academy for Life as ’embarassing’

Catholic%20academic%20blasts%20Vatican%u2019s%20Academy%20for%20Life%20as%20%u2019embarassing%u2019%20%7C%20Crux: A Catholic academic participating in a Rome conference this week, which intentionally rivals one held by the Pontifical Academy for Life earlier this year, has voiced concern over the body’s recent activities, saying he believes they are “embarrassing” the church by failing to uphold core moral teachings. He also condemned what he said are efforts by some theologians to legitimize practices such as contraception, homosexual relations, and in vitro fertilization...

Our Lady of Guadalupe: 6 Things to Know and Share

Our Lady of Guadalupe: 6 Things to Know and Share| National Catholic RegisterAKIN: Dec. 12 is the commemoration of Our Lady of Guadalupe. In the United States, the day is a feast. Linked to this day is Dec. 9, which is the optional memorial of Juan Diego, to whom she appeared. Here are 6 things to know and share. First, who was Juan Diego? More formally known as St. Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin, he lived from 1474 to 1548. According to his biography on the Vatican web site...

Devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe Draws Millions to Mexico City Shrine

Devotion to Virgin Mary draws millions to Mexico City shrine | AP News: It is one of the world’s most visited and beloved religious venues – the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, with a circular, tent-shaped roof visible from miles away and a sacred history that each year draws millions of pilgrims from near and far to its hilltop site in Mexico City. Early December is the busiest time, as pilgrims converge ahead of Dec. 12, the feast day honoring Our Lady of Guadalupe. To Catholic believers, the date is the anniversary of one of several apparitions of the Virgin Mary witnessed by an Indigenous Mexican man named Juan Diego in 1531.

Pope’s Gaudete Sunday Angelus: ‘Advent Is a Time to Let Ourselves Be Surprised by God’s Mercy’

Pope: Advent offers us a time to know the Lord in new ways - Vatican News: Pope Francis focuses his Advent reflections on how we, like John the Baptist, can renew our understanding of who the Lord is and be surprised by God's mercy and tenderness. He also blesses the nativity figurines of the baby Jesus brought by children and their families.

Why Buffalo wings are always served with a side of celery

Why Buffalo Wings Are Always Served With A Side Of Celery: Buffalo wings are one of those foods that are pretty much universally adored. People might vary on their heat preferences, and there is surely a debate to be had on whether they should be served with ranch or bleu cheese for dipping, but if you order a dozen wings, there is almost always going to be a few sticks of celery on your plate, too.

Bicyclist rides San Francisco’s streets, finds 3 streets steeper than the official Guinness ‘World’s Steepest Street’

New%20Advent%3A%20Bicyclist%20rides%20San%20Francisco%u2019s%20streets%2C%20finds%203%20streets%20steeper%20than%20the%20official%20Guinness%20%u2018World%u2019s%20Steepest%20Street%u2019: This is the big one, Cycling California's Steepest Streets “Season Finale...”

‘The Dawn of Mercy’ — How Christianity revolutionized philanthropy

New%20Advent%3A%20%u2018The%20Dawn%20of%20Mercy%u2019%20%u2014%A0How%20Christianity%20revolutionized%20philanthropy: As the Christians put into practice the teaching of Christ on Love and Mercy during plagues and pandemics, they transformed the pagan Roman Empire's way of looking at the poor and sick...

Computer hacks, Divine Providence and really helping others

Computer hacks, Providence and really helping others | Catholic CultureMIRUS: This morning, starting at 7:15 am EST, CatholicCulture.org was the target of a robotic registration attack. This means a computer or a group of computers had been programmed to attempt rapid-fire registration on CatholicCulture.org. Sometimes the purpose of such attacks is to test stolen credit card numbers. At other times, the purpose is purely disruptive. However, since we had coded over the years an extensive number of registration/donation tests based on past experience with such attacks...

Another pro-life victory around the corner? A looming ‘apocalyptic’ court decision could ban abortion pills nationwide

Looming%20%u2018Apocalyptic%u2019%20Court%20Decision%20Could%20Ban%20Abortion%20Pills%20Nationwide%20%7C%20HuffPost%20Latest%20News: Abortion pills are a vital option for millions of people nationwide following the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health this summer. But a lawsuit filed by a conservative Christian legal group threatens to dismantle the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s approval of abortion pills. If successful, it would effectively ban medication abortion nationwide — decimating what little access to abortion care is left.

Remembering Jean-Marie Lustiger, the son of Polish Jewish immigrants who became the Cardinal Archbishop of Paris

A%20Cardinal%20Conversion%3A%20Remembering%20Jean-Marie%20Lustiger%20%u2013%20The%20Five%20Beasts: The son of Ashkenazi Jews from Poland who immigrated to France during WWI, Aron Lustiger was baptized at 16 and would come to prefer to be addressed by his Christian name Jean-Marie. Ordained a priest, he rose in the Church to become Archbishop of Paris in 1981 and named cardinal by Pope John Paul II. His recollection of his conversion to Catholicism during a lengthy interview paints a picture of the beauty and spiritual attraction of the Church in France.†

As Bitter Civil War Rages, Cameroon Archbishop Consecrates Contested Territory to the Blessed Virgin Mary, ‘Queen of Peace’

Catholic%20academic%20blasts%20Vatican%u2019s%20Academy%20for%20Life%20as%20%u2019embarassing%u2019%20%7C%20Crux: Amid ongoing violence pitting the country’s French-speaking majority against an embittered Anglophone minority, Cameroon’s leading Catholic cleric, Archbishop Andrew Nkea Fuanya, has consecrated the contested Bamenda Episcopal Province to the care of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The province corresponds to the territorial circumscription of the North West and South West regions of Cameroon where a separatist war has been raging for six years. The two English-speaking regions constitute 20 percent of the country’s 27 million people.

It’s been 52 years since Oregon blew up a whale carcass. Here’s a video of the moment ‘the blast blasted blubber beyond all believable bounds’

It%u2019s%20Been%2052%20Years%20Since%20Oregon%20Blew%20Up%20A%20Whale%20Carcass%20%28Video%29: You might have heard of this story in the past. A 45 foot, 8 ton whale washed up on the beach of Florence, Oregon in 1970, and officials weren’t sure what to do about it. According to the legendary news clip (which is embedded below), nobody wanted to cut up the whale, and officials deemed that burying it would just lead to the carcass eventually becoming uncovered.

The media are scapegoating Catholics for the Club Q shooting in Colorado Springs [WSJ paywall]

Archbishop in Wall Street Journal Exclusive: The Media ScapegoatAQUILA: My state witnessed an unmitigated tragedy on Nov. 19 when a gunman opened fire in a gay club in Colorado Springs, killing five and wounding 25. Unfortunately, the reaction has thus far fostered more vitriol and division than peace and unity as the press has blamed religious communities, including the Catholic Church, to which the shooter has no apparent connection.

Rejoice despite your dungeon! It seems absurd to be patient while wicked flourishes, until you remember one thing...

This Sunday, Rejoice Despite Your Dungeon | Ex Corde at Benedictine CollegeHOOPES: Imagine that, this Christmas, instead of sparkling lights, gifts, and your favorite food you get locked in a cellar. What should you do? Rejoice! And patiently wait for something better. That’s what the readings say this Third Sunday of Advent, Year A, Gaudete (Rejoice) Sunday. Last week we heard John the Baptist confidently predicting the Messiah’s victory, coming soon. This week he has never been more defeated.

Celebrating Christmas on Dec. 25 is an ancient Christian practice — and pagan holidays had nothing to do with it

Is Christmas based on a pagan myth?AKIN: Every year, various myths about Christmas circulate. Some are innocent misunderstandings of things from the Gospels, while others are downright hostile. One of the most common ideas is that Christmas is based on a pagan holiday, so it’s really “pagan” in origin. This claim is made by some secularists and even by certain Protestants. Before I was Catholic, I knew members of my Protestant congregation who didn’t celebrate Christmas because of its “unbiblical” pagan origins.

In Unanimous Decision, 8th Circuit Court Hands Victory to Religious Sisters of Mercy, Blocks Biden Attempt to Force Catholic Hospitals to Perform Sex-Change Procedures

Catholic Clinics Religious Rights Win on Transgender Care Upheld: Enforcement of a federal requirement that health-care and insurance groups perform or pay for gender-transition care would violate the religious rights of several Catholic organizations, the Eighth Circuit affirmed Friday. The Religious Sisters of Mercy and the other groups are entitled to a permanent injunction, the US Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit said in a unanimous decision.

‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’ leads the pack in putting the ‘holy’ in holiday specials

%u2018Peanuts%u2019%20Leads%20the%20Pack%20in%20Putting%20the%20%u2018Holy%u2019%20in%20Holiday%20Specials%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterBRENNAN: It’s that time of year again. The Rankin/Bass lineup of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, The Year Without a Santa Claus and Frosty the Snowman, just to name a few, remain, all these decades later, staples of Christmastime television. Most of their catalog represents the pacification of Christmas into a mash-up of vague bromides of happiness and joy, without ever scratching the surface as to why this season, as opposed to all others, is so joyful and happy...

On Solemnity of Immaculate Conception, House Passes ‘Respect for Marriage Act’ as Pelosi Declares ‘Spark of Divinity’ in Same-Sex Relationships

House%20passes%20same-sex%20marriage%20bill%20in%20final%20vote%2C%20sending%20it%20to%20Biden%u2019s%20desk%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20Agency: The U.S. House of Representatives voted 258-169 to pass the Respect for Marriage Act (RFMA) on Thursday, sending it to President Joe Biden’s desk for his signature. A total of 219 Democrats, along with 39 Republicans, voted “yea” to the bill. One hundred sixty-nine Republicans voted against it. One Republican voted “present” — neither yes or no — and four Republicans were recorded as not voting.

The Advent of Jennifer Lawrence, Jesuitical silences, and the spirit of Notre Dame

The Advent of Jennifer Lawrence, Jesuitical silences, and the spirit of Notre DameCONDON: It’s always a little bit of a fight for me to stay focused during the first few weeks of the season, not to preemptively look ahead to Christmas, and to actually make space to focus on “the coming of Christ in the fullness of time,” as the Church says — or the end of the world, as I like to call it. I do take a kind of delight in spending a few weeks trying positively to anticipate the Second Coming, and with it the breaking and remaking of the world. It is tantalizing counter-cultural.

More people are demanding to be ‘debaptized’ — here’s what’s wrong with that

More%20People%20Are%20Demanding%20to%20Be%20%u2018Debaptized%u2019%20%u2014%20Here%u2019s%20What%u2019s%20Wrong%20With%20That%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterAKIN: In some places, the demand for debaptisms has been going up, which could be rather surprising. “What’s a debaptism?” you might ask. “Is that even a thing? How can you un-pour water on someone?” The short answer is that No, debaptism isn’t a thing, but that hasn’t stopped people from asking for it. And yes, “debaptism” is the language they use.

Meet Cora Evans, California’s Catholic mystic (and possible future saint) who was a convert from Mormonism

Meet%20Cora%20Evans%20%u2014%20Convert%20From%20Mormonism%2C%20Catholic%20Mystic%2C%20Possible%20Future%20Saint%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterDESMOND: When Catholics gather for Mass on Christmas Day this year, the readings for the liturgy will include one of the most famous and powerful passages from the Gospel of John: “And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father’s only Son, full of grace and truth.” The passage affirms the coming of the Christ Child as the fulfillment of God’s plan for the salvation of the world...

Why the gonzo ‘Rome Isn’t Real and Catholics Made It All Up’ conspiracy theory keeps going viral

Why%20the%20Gonzo%20Conspiracy%20That%20Rome%20Isn%u2019t%20Real%20Keeps%20Going%20Viral: When Alex Fitzpatrick decided to pursue a career in archaeology, her friends from school asked her, not entirely jokingly, “Oh, like the Ancient Aliens people?” referring to the popular A&E Networks show based on the pseudoscientific premise that extraterrestrials visited Earth thousands of years ago.

Yet more new twists in the Vatican’s most spectacular unresolved mystery

Yet%20more%20new%20twists%20in%20the%20Vatican%u2019s%20most%20spectacular%20unresolved%20mystery%20%7C%20CruxALLEN: Vatican mysteries are a bit like volcanoes, in that they may remain dormant for a long time, but when they erupt, like Mauna Loa in Hawaii right not, it’s usually something spectacular. That’s what seems to be happening right now with the case of Emanuela Orlandi, perhaps the most prodigious such mystery story of the last half-century...

8 Things You Need to Know About the Immaculate Conception

8 Things You Need to Know About the Immaculate Conception| National Catholic RegisterAKIN: Dec. 8 marks the feast of the Immaculate Conception. It celebrates an important point of Catholic teaching, and it is a holy day of obligation. Here are 8 things you need to know about the teaching and the way we celebrate it. First, to whom does the Immaculate Conception refer? There's a popular idea that it refers to Jesus' conception by the Virgin Mary. It doesn't. Instead, it refers to the special way in which the Virgin Mary herself was conceived.

‘I Bring Thanks and Supplications From All Your Children’: Pope Makes Traditional Visit to Piazza di Spagna’s Column of the Immaculate Conception

Pope Francis brings the prayers of the world to Our Lady - Vatican News: Pope Francis prayed before the Column of the Immaculate Conception on Thursday, during which time he prayed for all the people on earth, old and young, and for peace, especially in Ukraine.

Time traveling to Bethlehem — some thoughts that ought to fill us with humility and joy

Time Traveling with St. Andrew - by Tim ClarkTIMCLARK: Like many of you, I have been saying the St. Andrew novena this Advent. I’ve probably said this prayer hundreds of times. And yet, there is something I missed before: I was time traveling to Bethlehem. Because God is outside of time, He knows, of course, every prayer that will ever be uttered, even unto the end of time. We tend to have the point of view that our prayers, works, and sufferings “work” now, and forward into the future.

This is the essence and importance of the Immaculate Conception

The Essence and Importance of the Immaculate Conception - World Apostolate of Fatima, USAFOLEY: Every year during Advent, on Dec. 8, we celebrate the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, one of the most prominent Marian feasts in the Church’s liturgical year. This celebration centers on the principle that Our Lady, from the very first moment of her existence, was free from original sin. Whereas the rest of humanity are conceived in a state of sin, she was born without this handicap...

God doesn’t care about our politics the way you think he does

God%20doesn%u2019t%20care%20about%20our%20politics%20the%20way%20you%20think%20he%20does%20-%20Our%20Sunday%20VisitorMILLS: What a difference six years and a midterm make. Many Christians I know, who’d been jubilant at the prospect of a Republican red wave on election night, didn’t feel that way the next day. The history of midterm elections, the president’s low popularity rating, the low state of the economy, the hard progressive views of many Democrats, had led most of the country to believe the Republicans would sweep to victory.

For the glory of God and the salvation of souls, we have to muster the courage to preach purity in the face of sexual license

The refusal to preach purity in the face of sexual license | Catholic CultureMIRUS: Someone reminded me recently that many, especially young adults, seek in sexual license a happiness which is so far eluding them. This, of course, is true of every form of evil. The motivation for us in the moment is to satisfy some desire which, with little or no reflection, we assume will make us to be happier, or to feel better...

How to use MyHeritage’s AI Time Machine, a tool that shows what you would look like throughout history

How to Use MyHeritage's AI Time Machine: Between Open AI and DALL-E mini, fun AI tools are all the rage these days. And now, even companies that don't have anything to do with AI are jumping into the game. MyHeritage is known for their DNA testing kits and online ancestry trackers. But they've just released a new feature called AI Time Machine, which uses AI to create pictures of you living in all sorts of different time periods.

An ancient bishop rebukes his emperor for crimes against life — a story of St. Ambrose and the Emperor Theodosius

An Ancient Bishop Rebukes His Emperor for Crimes Against Life: A Story of St. Ambrose and the Emperor Theodosius - Community in MissionPOPE: On this feast of St Ambrose we do well to reflect on a story from his life. It is a story that should inspire bishops and priests. It is the story of a remarkable event that took place between the Emperor Theodosius and St. Ambrose, Bishop of Milan. What makes it remarkable is that it shows an ancient bishop (Ambrose) and a politician (Theodosius) interacting over the dignity of human life...

Does the Pope need an editor?

Does the pope need an editor?: The pope’s interview last month with America, the Jesuit journal, was a textbook example of why the Vatican does not want the pope doing interviews. The pope poked the Russian bear in the nose, gave a convoluted response to why women cannot be priests and even had a muddled response to a question on racism in the United States.

Tell your daughter she’s beautiful...

Tell Your Daughter She's Beautiful - LifeCraftCUDDEBACK: How can women come to have a proper perception of their own beauty? I have a suggestion toward a partial answer. A great beginning is that fathers learn to see their daughters’ beauty; and then tell them. I think we fathers too easily forget that insistent voices are telling our daughters how to see themselves. Indeed, these voices are fairly screaming. How insistent and confident is our voice, and what exactly are we saying? Here is a matter for careful reflection. It might be more urgent than we realize.

This German bishops-backed website has been pushing some strange, heterodox content lately...

German%20Bishops-Backed%20Website%20Unwittingly%20Sends%20Up%20the%20Country%u2019s%20Church%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterPENTIN: A quick glance at this week’s content on Katholisch.de — the German bishops’ conference-backed news website — and you will come across content that effectively parodies today’s dissenting German Church as it pushes a radical heterodox agenda through its multi-year Synodal Path that many have warned could lead to schism. Based in Bonn, where the bishops’ conference is headquartered, Katholisch.de bills itself as the news and information portal of the Catholic Church in Germany...

OSV Editorial: Now is not the time to obfuscate on marriage

Editorial: Now is not the time to obfuscate on marriage - Our Sunday Visitor: On Aug. 29, 2017, the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention drafted a text to reaffirm, in the wake of the Supreme Court case Obergefell v. Hodges, which legalized same-sex “marriage” nationwide, a biblical understanding of Christian marriage. The preamble to the document the commission produced, known as the Nashville Statement, reads: “By and large the spirit of our age no longer discerns or delights in the beauty of God’s design for human life. Many deny that God created human beings for his glory, and that his good purposes for us include our personal and physical design as male and female.”

50 years later, we remember Apollo 17, the last time men walked on the Moon

%u2018Of%20Boundless%20Space%20and%20New%20Destinies%u2019%3A%20Apollo%2017%20and%20Exploring%20God%u2019s%20Creation%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterGRONDELSKI: December’s full moon falls Dec. 7. (For those who look forward to a bright moon on Christmas Eve, sorry — at best, it’ll be the sliver of a waxing crescent.) Dec. 7 is also the 50th anniversary of the launch of Apollo 17, the last manned space mission to the moon. Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt were the last human beings to walk on the moon. Of the 12 men who strolled the moon, only four are still alive, including Schmitt.

Antonín Dvořák — The Catholic Composer Who Gave Us More Than Music

The Catholic Composer Who Gave Us More Than Music| National Catholic RegisterDEMARCO: Antonín Leopold Dvořák was born on Sept. 8, 1841, in the village of Nelahozeves, near Prague. He was the first of 14 children and was baptized in the village church of St. Andrew. His Catholic faith remained strong throughout his life and was a continual inspiration for his music. Few composers have a been so richly endowed with musical ability as Dvořák. He claimed that he studied “with the birds, flowers, trees, God and myself.” His music was recognized for its “heavenly naturalness.” The distinguished conductor, Hans Richter, referred to him as “a composer by the grace of God.”

German Bishops Assess Global Support for Agenda of ‘Synodal Way’

German%20bishops%20assess%20global%20support%20for%20synodal%20way%u2019s%20aimsCOPPEN: The German bishops’ conference unveiled the initial results Wednesday of a study measuring global support for the goals of the country’s controversial “synodal way.” The study, co-funded by the bishops’ conference, is gauging the attitude of Catholics around the world toward the four main themes of the German initiative: power, the priesthood, women in the Church, and sexuality.

Coach Joe Mazzulla of the Boston Celtics tells reporters he knows only one royal family — ‘Jesus, Mary and Joseph’

NBA Coach Tells Reporter There's Only One Royal Family - "Jesus, Mary, & JosephBURKEPILE: NBA coach Joe Mazzulla of the Boston Celtics answered questions during a press conference following a victory against the Miami Heat on Nov. 30. One reporter asked about the presence of Prince William and Princess Kate Middleton of Wales at the game. Did you get a chance to meet with the royal family, and if not, what was it like having them there in the building?” the reporter asked. Mazzulla answers, “Jesus, Mary and Joseph?”

Excavations in Turkey highlight the intriguing history of the real St. Nicholas

The True Story of St. Nicholas| National Catholic RegisterMCDONALD: Archaeologists believe they have uncovered the location where the sarcophagus of St. Nicholas of Myra (A.D. 270-343) was originally located. Various media were quick to report that the “Tomb of Santa Claus” was discovered, but, in fact, the many and varied resting places of the great bishop and saint have been known for some time, and his remains were translated to Italy more than a thousand years ago.

Pope Francis Issues New Motu Proprio Decreeing Tighter Control of Vatican Funds and Foundations

Pope Francis Decrees Better Control of Vatican Funds and Foundations| National Catholic Register: Pope Francis issued a decree on Tuesday aimed at improving the financial accountability of funds, foundations, and other legal entities inside the Vatican. In the future, these entities — also known as juridical persons — will be controlled by the bodies such as the Secretariat for the Economy and not just supervised by their respective institutions. The motu proprio is complemented by a law covering entities in the Vatican City State. Both were published Dec. 6 and come into force on Dec. 8.

Jolly St. Nick, December lists, and Canada’s culture of death

Jolly St. Nick, December lists, and Canada's culture of deathJDFLYNN: Today is the Feast of St. Nicholas, which, to my mind, is always when Advent really kicks into high gear, and when I remember that I’d better start obtaining gifts for the people I love. A lot of people tend to remember St. Nicholas for the legend that he punched Arius the heretic during the Council of Nicea. It’s probably not true that Jolly Ol’ St. Nicholas really walloped Arius, but there’s more to the Saint-Who-Became-Santa than the punch that probably wasn’t.

Are we ready to welcome Him?

Are we ready to welcome Him? | Knowing Is DoingTORRE: When the first proposition to reject God’s love -original sin was introduced to our first parents, the appeal of this proposition was its focus on the human nature of Adam and Eve at the expense of supplanting the Divine. Choosing to be overwhelmed by a curiosity and desire to be like God, Adam and Eve proclaimed a willingness to welcome the first act of disobedience-sin, into the world. The progression of the original sin laid the groundwork for the development of a daily battle between good versus evil, sin versus grace, permitted under the authority of God.

Pro-life protests gather in Malta as parliament debates legalizing abortion

Protests in Malta as parliament debates abortion amendment | Reuters: A large picture of an unborn baby was placed outside the office of Malta's prime minister on Sunday as demonstrators called on the government to halt plans to amend the country's strict anti-abortion laws. The protest, the biggest in years, attracted several thousand people including Malta's top Catholic bishop and the leader of the conservative opposition, but was led by a former centre-left president, Marie Louise Coleiro Preca.

Today in papal history: A pope who was first an antipope, and Eisenhower meets John XXIII

The death of a pope who survived the Black PlagueSEWELL: Today in Papal History marks the date that a future pope – Leo VIII – started his anti-papacy. Yes, you read that right. Leo VIII is indeed the 131st pope of the Catholic Church, but his is an interesting case: before becoming the rightful pontiff, Leo was first an illegitimate one – a pretender to the papal throne. As the story goes, many in those days sought to get Pope John XII out of office – the man…or should we say boy…who as its youngest claimant in history was basically gifted the papacy by dear old dad, the patrician of Rome at the time, when he was a mere 18(ish) years old.

Supreme Court Leans in Favor of a Christian Website Designer’s Right to Turn Away Same-Sex Weddings

Supreme Court leans in favor of a Christian website designer's right to turn away gay weddings: The Supreme Court's conservative majority on Monday sounded ready to rule that a Christian website designer has a free-speech right to refuse to work with same-sex couples planning to marry. The justices heard arguments in a Colorado case that posed a conflict between the 1st Amendment rights of a business owner and a state antidiscrimination law that gives customers a right to equal service without regard to their race, religion, gender or sexual orientation.

Malta is set to legalize abortion soon. President George Vella, who is also a pro-life physician, says he’ll quit if it happens...

The Fall of Malta? But Not of Vella Catholic Insight: We need more leaders like George Vella, current president of Malta. The small jewel of an island nation, in the middle of the Mediterranean, with one of the most pleasant climates and locales on earth. Besides its geographic beauty, Malta is also spiritually rich, steeped in Catholic tradition and history, and still, until recently, one of the few places left on earth where the Faith was still lived in a communal, integral way, in that harmony between the Church and the State, for which Pope Leo XIII and many other Popes have called...

The allegory of the Jordan River

The Allegory of the Jordan River | Parishable ItemsFELTES: Preceding Jesus’ public ministry, St. John the Baptist appeared preaching in the Judean wilderness. People from Jerusalem, all Judea, and the Jordan River region were going out to see him. John said, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” The crowds regarded him as a prophet and were being baptized by him as they acknowledged their sins. Like a bath which cleanses one’s outer self of dirt and odor, John’s baptism was an appeal to God for an inner self cleansed from sin...

Fr. Peter Stravinskas: How to really pursue a Eucharistic Revival

Fr. Peter Stravinskas: How to really pursue a Eucharistic Revival: Jesus Christ is present "body, blood, soul and divinity" in the Eucharist, "so why the lack of belief in that truth? And I suggest that it's because of the way we regard and handle — and manhandle — the Eucharist, so that the signs and symbols of the liturgy are not reinforcing the doctrine," said Fr. Peter M.J. Stravinskas, Ph.D., who wrote an article for The Catholic Thing, titled "What's Really Needed for a 'Eucharistic Revival.'"

Prominent Jesuit artist Father Marko Rupnik’s ministry restricted following reports of abuse allegations

Jesuit%20artist%20Father%20Rupnik%u2019s%20ministry%20restricted%20following%20reports%20of%20abuse%20allegations%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20AgencyBROCKHAUS: A prominent Jesuit priest and artist had his ministry restricted, reportedly after an investigation by his religious order into allegations of abuse against religious sisters in Slovenia. The Jesuits said in a statement dated Dec. 2 that the order has barred 68-year-old Father Marko Ivan Rupnik, SJ, from hearing confessions or conducting spiritual direction since the Vatican received a complaint against him in 2021.

The 1998 Swiss Guard slayings are back in the spotlight with a new book, ‘Blood in the Vatican’

Vatican Swiss Guard slayings back in spotlight with new book | AP News: The mother of a Swiss Guard member accused of committing one of the most sensational crimes in recent Vatican history – fatally shooting his commander and the senior officer’s wife before killing himself -- is turning to the United Nations and Pope Francis in hopes of getting some closure nearly a quarter-century after the slayings.

The mighty Mississippi was once named ‘River of the Immaculate Conception’ — here’s why

The%20mighty%20Mississippi%20was%20once%20named%20%u2018River%20of%20the%20Immaculate%20Conception.%u2019%20Here%u2019s%20why%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20AgencyMCKEOWN: “Immaculate” is not a word most people would use to describe the Mississippi River’s famously muddy waters. But Father Jacques Marquette was not most people. The Jesuit explorer, who came from France as a missionary to Canada in 1666, was one of the first Europeans to name the Mississippi, which he explored and mapped with his companion Louis Joliet beginning in 1673. And the name he gave to this vital artery of North America was “The River of the Immaculate Conception.”

The Pillar’s Starting Seven for December 5, 2022

Starting Seven: December 5, 2022COPPEN: Malta’s bishops have expressed “profound concern” over a bill that would permit abortion. Jesuit artist Fr. Marko Ivan Rupnik reportedly continues to face “precautionary” restrictions on his ministry after the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith closed a case against him in October. The beatification cause of Neocatechumenal Way co-founder Carmen Hernández has officially opened. St. John Paul II’s brother Edmund Wojtyła could be a candidate for beatification under the “offering of life” category introduced by Pope Francis, a conference in Warsaw has heard (Polish report)..

Catholic Student Center in Nebraska Receives Shooting Threat, Signed ‘Jane’s Revenge’

Catholic%20Student%20Center%20in%20Nebraska%20Receives%20Shooting%20Threat%2C%20Signed%20%u2018Jane%u2019s%20Revenge%u2019%7C%20National%20Catholic%20Register: A Catholic campus ministry center at the University of Nebraska received a death threat Saturday morning in a note signed, “Jane’s Revenge,” a calling card used by pro-abortion activists. “If our right to abortion in Bellevue is taken away due to the attempt to pass an abortion ban and it gets passed[,] we will shoot up your Newman center with our new AR14 rifles. Sincerely, Jane’s Revenge,” the note, which was posted online, says. The note was addressed to Father Dan Andrews, pastor of the St. John Paul II Newman Center.

Biden administration waives Supreme Court review in key transgender fight

Biden Admin Waives Supreme Court Review in Key Transgender Fight | RealClearPolicy: For the last six years, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has pushed a controversial “transgender mandate,” which threatens religious doctors and hospitals with multimillion dollar penalties unless they perform gender transitions in violation of their conscience and medical judgment. When those doctors fought back—winning a major victory in federal appeals court in August—the fight appeared poised to head to the Supreme Court. But on Friday, the Biden administration gave up on seeking Supreme Court review—meaning the hard-fought victory for religious liberty now stands as a powerful precedent nationwide.

New scientific study says these three things are the secret to waking up alert and refreshed

Scientists discover secret to waking up alert and refreshed | Berkeley News: Do you feel groggy until you’ve had your morning joe? Do you battle sleepiness throughout the workday? You’re not alone. Many people struggle with morning alertness, but a new study demonstrates that awaking refreshed each day is not just something a lucky few are born with. Scientists at the University of California, Berkeley, have discovered that you can wake up each morning without feeling sluggish by paying attention to three key factors: sleep, exercise and breakfast.

Fiber optic cables are taking the planet’s pulse and can detect volcanoes, traffic rumbles and whale calls...

Fiber optics take the pulse of the planet: Andreas Fichtner strips a cable of its protective sheath, exposing a glass core thinner than a hair — a fragile, 4-kilometer-long fiber that’s about to be fused to another. It’s a fiddly task better suited to a lab, but Fichtner and his colleague Sara Klaasen are doing it atop a windy, frigid ice sheet.

The Church is a prophet who is preparing the world for the Second Coming of Christ

A Prophet Who Prepares. A Homily for the Second Sunday of Advent - Community in MissionPOPE: The Second Sunday of Advent usually features the Ministry of St. John the Baptist. He was the Prophet who fulfilled the Office of Elijah of whom it was said: See, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with total destruction.

Pope’s Sunday Angelus: ‘Advent Is a Moment of Grace to Confess Our Sins and to Welcome God’s Pardon’

Pope at Angelus: With Jesus, we can always begin anew - Vatican News: Speaking to pilgrims gathered for the Sunday Angelus, Pope Francis spoke about the role of John the Baptist as recounted in the Gospel in inviting everyone to conversion, saying “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” John the Baptist was an austere and radical believer, the Pope said, calling people to conversion with a "cry of love to return to God."