Imagining a Heretical Cardinal

Imagining a Heretical Cardinal | Thomas J. Paprocki | First ThingsPAPROCKI: Imagine if a cardinal of the Catholic Church were to publish an article in which he condemned “a theology of eucharistic coherence that multiplies barriers to the grace and gift of the eucharist” and stated that “unworthiness cannot be the prism of accompaniment for disciples of the God of grace and mercy.” Or what if a cardinal of the Catholic Church were to state publicly that homosexual acts are not sinful and same-sex unions should be blessed by the Church?

Here’s how half of U.S. abortions could be stopped this week

Here%u2019s%20how%20half%20of%20U.S.%20abortions%20could%20be%20stopped%20this%20week%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20Agency: This week a federal Texas judge could stop over half of the abortions happening in the country in what may be the most consequential abortion ruling since the reversal of Roe v. Wade. U.S. Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk for the Northern District of Texas is set to issue a decision in the Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine’s (AHM) suit...

Burning with envy, the Red Supremacist continues his dirty work

The Methods of the Red Supremacist | Catholic CulturePOKORSKY: Art depicts the Devil as a slimy-scorched-bright-red angry-looking creature with horns. The 1995 movie “The Usual Suspects” borrows this memorable line: “The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist.” Maybe. But the Devil is a narcissist, a Red Supremacist. He wants to displace God with himself, and he also wants us to do the same...

The ERA’s manipulation of thought and culture

The%20ERA%u2019s%20manipulation%20of%20thought%20and%20culture%20%7C%20Catholic%20CultureMIRUS: I see the so-called Equal Rights Amendment is back in the Senate again, and of course the USCCB is once more warning against it. Or perhaps I should not say “of course”, because we have learned the hard way that we can take almost nothing for granted as Catholics. But in this the USCCB has been right, recognizing the tremendous harm of politically guaranteeing civil “rights” that violate the natural law either explicitly or in their likely mode of practice...

Bishop Paprocki: We’ve ‘Passed Beyond the Point of Private Conversations’ About Threat Posed by Heterodox Bishops

Paprocki%3A%20We%u2019ve%20%u2018passed%20beyond%20the%20point%20of%20private%20conversations%u2019: Bishop Thomas Paprocki told The Pillar Tuesday that clarifying doctrinal errors proffered by senior Church leaders is a “necessary” responsibility for bishops, and that failing to address errors in Catholic teaching will see them compounded, not abated, in discussions about the Church’s pastoral and sacramental ministry.

US Bishops Urge Senators to Oppose Revival of the Equal Rights Amendment

US Bishops Urge Senators to Oppose Revival of the Equal Rights Amendment| National Catholic RegisterMCKEOWN: Amid an attempt by the U.S. Senate to revive the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) — which failed in 1982 — the Catholic bishops of the United States have urged senators to vote down the proposal, citing possible threats to religious freedom as well as a likelihood that the amendment would be used to strike down pro-life laws and promote public funding for abortion.

The shot heard ‘round the conference, and being last

The shot heard 'round the conference, and being lastJDFLYNN: In any given week, a diocesan bishop in the U.S. spends time thinking about his priest pension fund, his personnel assignments, the mismatch between parish locales and population centers, vocations and retirements, the administration of his Catholic schools, how to ensure that the diocesan revolving fund is able to make and collect loans from parishes, and how to make work the Vatican’s new pastoral placement requirement for transitional deacons.

Reading for the Love of God: How to Read as a Spiritual Practice

Reading for the Love of God - ClassicalEd Review: Over the years, I have heard Jessica Hooten Wilson speak at numerous classical education conferences and have always appreciated the depth of knowledge she displays with both passion and relatability. Through our mutual attendance at those conferences, she and I have struck up a collegial friendship which has been to my benefit both professionally and personally...

Meet the 6 American black Catholics who are being considered for canonization

%u2018Example%20of%20Their%20Lives%u2019%3A%206%20American%20Black%20Catholics%20Are%20on%20the%20Road%20to%20Sainthood%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterGRAVES: In 2016, Denver Archbishop Samuel Aquila opened the cause for canonization of Servant of God Julia Greeley, a freed slave from Missouri who died in 1918. She moved to Denver, converted to the Catholic faith, and was known for pulling around a red wagon filled with items — such as food, clothing and firewood — which she would give to the poor. Father Blaine Burkey, Julia’s biographer, told the Register, “She loved others, feeding the poor, clothing the naked and providing fuel for their homes...

10 years after Pope Benedict’s resignation, the debate continues...

Pope%20Benedict%u2019s%20Resignation%3A%20Debate%20Continues%2010%20Years%20On%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterDESOUZA: The 10th anniversary of Pope Benedict XVI’s abdication announcement — Feb. 11, 2013 — passed with little comment, given the attention paid just a month earlier upon his death. But the anniversary of the abdication itself, Feb. 28, offers an opportunity to revisit the decision in light of new information.

What is Satan’s desire for man?

What is Satan's desire for man | Knowing Is DoingTORRE: As a restless Spirit who denied the Love of God because he chose to be like God, the Devil never tires of seeking to destroy a soul from within. Since he did not create man, his only recourse is to harm our physical, spiritual, and mental faculties. His insatiable desire to mock God through the ruining of our souls by any means necessary should, if we are aware, place us on guard for his empty works and promises.

Ukrainian Soldier Saved by Praying the Rosary, Priest Recounts

Ukrainian Soldier Saved by Praying the Rosary, Priest Recounts| National Catholic Register: One year from the start of the war between Russia and Ukraine, a Catholic priest recounted how a Ukrainian soldier was spared from being killed by praying the Rosary. In an interview with ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner, Father Josafat Boyko, a member of the Institute of the Incarnate Word and pastor of Sts. Cyril and Methodius Parish in Ivano-Frankivsk in western Ukraine, explained that part of his ministry is to provide spiritual direction to soldiers fighting the Russian invasion, which began Feb. 24, 2022.

Mccarrick’s Lawyers Say He Lacks Mental Competence to Stand Trial

McCarrick%u2019s%20lawyers%20say%20he%20lacks%20mental%20competence%20to%20stand%20trial: Attorneys for Theodore McCarrick told a Massachusetts court on Monday that the former cardinal has dementia and is not mentally competent to stand trial. They asked the court to dismiss the sexual assault charges against McCarrick. Prosecutors say they will hire their own expert to conduct a second evaluation of the 92-year-old former cardinal, the Associated Press reports.

103-year-old March Madness icon Sister Jean has new memoir, ‘Wake Up with Purpose’

Video%20March%20Madness%20icon%20Sister%20Jean%20has%20new%20memoir%2C%20%u2018Wake%20Up%20with%20Purpose%u2019%20-%20ABC%20News: The nun became a fan favorite as the chaplain for the Loyola Chicago Ramblers men's basketball team.

According to scientists, the germiest place in your kitchen probably isn’t where you would guess...

The Germiest Place in Your Kitchen, According to Science: You likely already know a lot about how to safely cook your food. From ensuring meats are cooked to the right temperature to washing your veggies, there’s a lot you can do to avoid food contamination. However, according to a new study, there’s one area in your kitchen you likely didn’t realize could be festering with germs.

Can you find the three clouds hidden among the sheep in this picture?

Can You find THREE CLOUDS among the sheep?: Today’s brainteaser from artist Gergely Dudás

Diocese of San Diego Denies Charges of Hiding Assets to Avoid Paying Child Sexual Abuse Claims

San Diego Diocese denies charges that it hid assets to avoid paying child sexual abuse claims | Catholic News Agency: The Diocese of San Diego has rejected a lawsuit’s allegations that it restructured diocesan properties to hide assets from sexual abuse victims. The diocese said its restructuring was part of a 10-year effort to establish parishes as separate legal entities. Irwin Zalkin, a San Diego lawyer who represents about 120 people who have filed sex abuse claims against the diocese...

Other Steubenvilles? What U.S. dioceses might face merger plans?

Other Steubenvilles? What U.S. dioceses might face merger plans?HODGE: The Diocese of Steubenville, Ohio, became the center of controversy last year, when Bishop Jeff Monforton announced to his priests in October that the diocese would be merged with the neighboring Diocese of Columbus, Priests of the diocese pushed back on the plan, arguing that they had not been consulted, and eventually a planned USCCB vote on the prospective merger was scrapped. But the possibility that Steubenville will be merged...

What Is a Pontifical University, How Many Are There, and How Old Are They?

The Current State of Ecclesiastical Universities in Rome: Numbers, History and Formative Offer - ZENIT - English: One of the usual surprises for tourists and pilgrims visiting Rome is to come across nuns, seminarians or priests dressed in the most varied clerical or monastic habits. The visitor usually comes across an unexpected surprise: it seems that in Rome there is not only a surplus of art but also an excess of vocations. At least judging from the quantity of priests and nuns that are on the streets, not only around the Vatican.

British Medical Journal: Gender ideology is not settled science

Gender & British Medical Journal: Gender Ideology Not Settled Science | National Review: The cultural hegemony of the gender ideologists is crumbling. Europe is hitting the brakes on potentially harmful interventions for gender-dysphoric children such as puberty blocking, cross-hormone administration, and surgeries. In the U.S., an increasing number of states are passing laws or medical guidelines to protect children from potentially irreversible and life-shattering outcomes that the “detransitioners” are increasingly exposing. Lawsuits are being filed for the harm allegedly done to minors put on “gender-affirming” medical care.

French prosecutors won’t charge Cardinal Ricard, who behaved ‘in a reprehensible way’ toward a 14-year-old girl 35 years ago. The Vatican probe continues...

Cardinal Ricard: Prosecutors close case, Vatican probe continuesCOPPEN: French prosecutors announced Saturday that Cardinal Jean-Pierre Ricard will not face criminal charges after he admitted to abusing a 14-year-old girl 35 years ago. Marseille prosecutor Dominique Laurens told AFP that “the case was closed due to the statute of limitations.” Ricard, the president of the French bishops’ conference from 2001 to 2007, publicly acknowledged Nov. 7 that he had behaved...

Wait! Did this New Jersey news team mean to hint that Catholics are not Christians?

Wait%21%20Did%20this%20New%20Jersey%20news%20team%20mean%20to%20hint%20that%20Catholics%20are%20not%20%27Christians%27%3F%20%u2014%20GetReligionMATTINGLY: Long ago, there was this radio and television superstar named Art Linkletter. How long ago? Well, I thought of him as an old guy when I was a kid. In particular, I remember chatter about his bestseller — 50-plus years ago — with this title: “Kids Say the Darndest Things.” The idea was to collect things that children say that sound cute or even silly but, the more you think about them, these statements turn out to offer insights into life as we know it.

Anglican vicar fired for Christian sermon loses court case

Anglican Vicar Fired For Christian Sermon Loses Court Case - The American Conservative: You might recall that in 2019, the Rev. Dr. Bernard Randall, an Anglican priest serving as the chaplain of Trent College, a Church of England school, delivered a sermon telling students that they did not have to accept ideological claims made by LGBT activists, but they did have to treat all with respect and civility. That led the school to report him to the government's anti-terrorist Prevent program, secretly...

Eric Sammons: Understanding the titles given to Jesus Christ

Respect Life Radio Podcast - Eric Sammons: Understanding the titles given to Jesus Christ | Free Listening on Podbean App: Many of the titles given to Jesus “have Old Testament connotations. He's called Elijah, Jeremiah, King of Israel, Son of Abraham, Son of David. All these things have connections to the Old Testament. That's something we learn about in the Gospel of St. Matthew. Matthew is writing primarily to Jewish converts, people who have become Christian in the first century; they were Jews. Or, people that were thinking about Christianity from the Jewish background...

Los Angeles DA George Gascon violates key policy in Bishop O’Connell murder case; “doesn’t know basic ethical rules or doesn’t care” [warning: autoplay video]

Los Angeles DA violates own policy in Catholic bishop murder case: 'Doesn't know the basic ethical rules' | Fox News: Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon apparently violated his own office’s policy while announcing murder charges Wednesday against a Torrance, California, man accused of killing a Roman Catholic bishop days earlier — in an ethical blunder that critics say could damage the integrity of the case. During his press appearance on Ash Wednesday, answering a reporter’s question in Spanish, he said investigators had ample evidence against the suspect — including a confession.

Los Angeles DA George Gascon suspends prosecutor for ‘misgendering’ and 'deadnaming' trans child molester accused of murder [warning: autoplay video]

LA DA Gascon suspends prosecutor for misgendering and 'deadnaming' trans child molester accused of murder | Fox News: Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon has suspended the attorney who prosecuted a 26-year-old trans child molester who was accused of identifying as a woman only after DNA evidence linked her to a cold case crime, according to law enforcement sources. Shea Sanna, who had been the lead prosecutor for part of the case, is accused of misgendering and "deadnaming" the convicted child molester Hannah Tubbs, who is now accused of beating a man to death in the woods with a rock in Kern County.

Pope Francis to Make Three-Day Visit to Hungary in April, Vatican Announces

Pope Francis to visit Hungary in April | Catholic News Agency: The Vatican announced Saturday that Pope Francis will visit Hungary for the second time, from April 28-30. According to the Feb. 27 announcement, the three-day papal trip to Budapest will include meetings with Hungary President Katalin Novák, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, a private visit with children at the Blessed László Batthyány-Strattmann Institute, and meetings with poor people and migrants, young people, clergy, academics, and members of the Society of Jesus.

Can a Catholic reject transubstantiation? That’s what a prominent priest did recently. He’s swimming in dangerous waters...

Can a Catholic Reject Transubstantiation? | Catholic AnswersAKIN: A recent article by Thomas Reese, S.J. for National Catholic Reporter has attracted attention. There’s a lot to respond to in Fr. Reese’s article, but I have a word limit, so I’ll keep it short. Under the deliberately provocative title “The Eucharist is about more than the real presence,” Reese discusses what he thinks is wrong in the contemporary Church concerning the Eucharist. And about halfway through, he state

Behold the Tree of Life

Behold the Tree of Life | Parishable ItemsFELTES: God grew many lovely, fruit-bearing trees in the Garden of Eden, but only two trees are mentioned by name. In the middle of the Garden the Lord God placed the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Tempted by the Devil, Eve ate from the forbidden tree and “gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.” If only Adam had been willing...

First Sunday of Lent: The Temptation in the Desert

First Sunday of Lent: The Temptation in the Desert| National Catholic RegisterGRONDELSKI: The Gospel for the First Sunday of Lent every year is always the Temptation of Jesus, taken in turn from Matthew (this year), Mark and Luke. All three Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke) showcase the beginnings of Jesus’ public ministry the same way. Jesus is baptized by John in the River Jordan, then is “lead by the Holy Spirit” into the desert to be tempted for 40 days.

Pope’s Lenten Sunday Angelus: ‘Seek Unity With God, Welcome His Word in Face of Temptation’

Pope: Seek unity with God, welcome His Word in face of temptation - Vatican News: On this first Sunday of Lent, Pope Francis speaks about the spiritual struggle of Lent and explains how in the desert Jesus defeats the temptations of the Devil, who is the "divider." He illustrates how we too must respond to temptation to sin by recalling the Word of God and putting our trust always in the Lord who is ever ready to help us in our journey of faith.

Amber VanVickle, Requiescat in Pace

Amber%20VanVickle%2C%20Requiescat%20in%20Pace%20%u2013%20Theology%20of%20HomeGRESS: Amber and I met decades ago. She was a teenager, in a new town at a new high school and I was a graduate student at Franciscan University. I knew she was terribly homesick for her old life in Grand Rapids, so we started having regular dinners out. Despite the gap in our age, we became close friends, a friendship which continued after I left Steubenville.

The Asbury Revival and the Long Game of Faith

The Asbury Revival and the Long Game of Faith - Crisis MagazineFITZPATRICK: The Asbury Revival has been buzzing about the zeitgeist, getting attention even from the likes of Tucker Carlson as a Gen-Z spiritual phenomenon. And it deserves some Catholic attention as well as we all lean into Lent. On February 8, after an “unremarkable” morning prayer service at Asbury University, a Christian Liberal Arts University in Wilmore, Kentucky, a group of students spontaneously remained in the chapel instead of going to class and kept singing and praying. They said that they were moved, even compelled, by a spiritual force.

From the Dominican House of Prayer, a Catholic Response to the Asbury Revival

New Advent: From the Dominican House of Prayer, a Catholic Response to the Asbury Revival: From Dominican Father Ignatius Schweitzer...

March 13 is the 10th anniversary of Francis’ pontificate. In your charity, say a Hail Mary for him that day...

Say a prayer: Say a prayer for the 10th anniversary of Pope Francis' pontificate...

The anniversary of the Ukraine war marks a very strange year in the history of papal diplomacy

Ukraine War Anniversary Marks a Very Strange Year in the History of Papal Diplomacy| National Catholic RegisterDESOUZA: During Monday’s surprise and inspiring visit to Kyiv, President Joe Biden was honored by a plaque on Ukraine’s “Walk of the Brave,” recognizing foreign leaders who have come to Kyiv during the war. In the year since Russia’s full-scale invasion began on Feb. 24, 2022, Pope Francis has spoken frequently about his desire to visit Kyiv. But he has not gone.

Pope Francis: Conduct by Some Church Members Has Made Vatican Trials ‘Painfully Necessary’

Pope%20Francis%3A%20Conduct%20by%20some%20Church%20members%20has%20made%20Vatican%20trials%20%u2018painfully%20necessary%u2019%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20Agency: Pope Francis said Saturday that Vatican trials for cases of grave financial mismanagement have become unavoidable in recent years. “The problem is not the trials, but the facts and conduct that determine them and make them painfully necessary,” the pope told a group of Vatican magistrates on Feb. 25.

This Sunday, don’t be like Adam and Eve. Be like Jesus...

This%20Sunday%2C%20Don%u2019t%20Be%20Like%20Adam%20and%20Eve%3B%20Be%20Like%20Jesus%20%7C%20Benedictine%20College%20Media%20and%20MoreHOOPES: Adam and Eve, before the fall, had every right to enjoy the abundance of the Garden of Eden. But today’s first reading, from Genesis, hints at one problem in their enjoyment. When Genesis describes the good fruits of the garden, we learn that they “were delightful to look at and good for food.” When Genesis describes how Eve fell for the forbidden fruit, we learn that she saw it in the same way, and with a new twist...

At the heart of every revival is the eternal plan of the Father that has predestined us in Christ for every spiritual blessing...

Beginning to Pray: Predestination and Spiritual RevivalLILLES: Some use sacred doctrine to distract themselves from the power with which God moves. One doctrine that ought especially evoke tears of compunction and gratitude is predestination. Instead, it is often proposed in a way that stirs up bewilderment and confusion. Yet, if approached correctly, predestination can draw us into contemplation and lead to spiritual renewal.

In a fallen world, we work miracles only blindly, in faith

In a fallen world, we work miracles only blindly, in faith | Catholic CultureMIRUS: I wonder all the time about the lack of good news, and so do many of our readers. A great many news stories focus on bad news. If Fr. John Smith says we should pray daily, that is a good thing but it would rarely qualify as “News”. But if Fr. Smith said, “Don’t waste time on prayer—spend your time feeding the hungry” it is a bad thing that is likely to be picked up and reported, even by those who do not know it is bad. We face this dilemma all the time. We are so used to reporting and commenting on the jarring stories...

Understanding the Vatican crusade against tradition

Understanding the Vatican crusade against tradition | Catholic CultureLAWLER: The Vatican “carried out a detailed consultation of the bishops in 2020” regarding the use of the traditional Latin Mass. Although we’ve never seen the results of that consultation, Pope Francis determined that “the wishes expressed by the episcopate” called for a crackdown on traditionalism. But the bishops who wanted that crackdown can’t be trusted to do it themselves. In a “synodal” Church, the Vatican listens carefully to all the faithful, and serves the needs of the diocesan bishops...

The late Bishop Dave O’Connell defied easy categories and touched the hearts of people from many different walks of life

Slain%20LA%20%u2018Bishop%20Dave%u2019%20Remembered%20as%20a%20Humble%20Man%20of%20Action%20Who%20Wanted%20People%20to%20Encounter%20Christ%u2019s%20Healing%20Love%7C%20National%20Catholic%20Register: The murder of Auxiliary Bishop David O’Connell was met with tears from Archbishop José Gomez of Los Angeles, as he praised the Irish-born prelate as “a good priest and a good bishop and a man of peace,” during a Feb. 20 press conference organized by the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department.

How far are the nearest stars? Vastly farther than you realize...

New Advent: How far are the nearest stars? Vastly farther than you realize...: YouTuber CodyDon Reeder makes a 1:200,000,000,000 scale model to demonstrate...

Suspect Confesses to the Murder of Bishop David O’Connell, LA Prosecutor Says

Suspect%20confesses%20to%20the%20murder%20of%20Bishop%20David%20O%u2019Connell%2C%20LA%20prosecutor%20says%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20Agency: Carlos Medina, the husband of Los Angeles Auxiliary Bishop David O’Connell’s housekeeper, has admitted to murdering the bishop, Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón said in a press conference Wednesday. “He admitted that he had done the killing and we believe we recovered the weapon that they were using, and we have other evidence from the bed, certain things that indicate that they were in the place where the killing occurred,” Gascón said in Spanish, translated here by CNA.

L’Arche after Vanier: ‘We’ve moved on from Jean’

L%u2019Arche%20after%20Vanier%3A%20%u2018We%u2019ve%20moved%20on%20from%20Jean%u2019COPPEN: When Laura Giddings first shared the news of L’Arche founder Jean Vanier’s abuse with her community in Tacoma, Washington, she felt a mixture of embarrassment, anger, and resentment at having to be the bearer of such a painful message. It was 2020, less than a year after Vanier’s death at the age of 90, and an independent inquiry commissioned by L’Arche...

Does the Catholic Church need a ‘new framework’ for sexual sins? This moral theologian says No...

Does%20the%20Catholic%20Church%20Need%20a%20New%20%u2018Framework%u2019%20for%20Sexual%20Sin%3F%20This%20Moral%20Theologian%20Says%20No%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterLIEDL: In recent weeks, Cardinal Robert McElroy has argued that the Church’s pastoral practice needs to be reformed to be less ‘exclusionary’; Father Thomas Berg, a moral theologian at St. Joseph Seminary, says the Church is already well-equipped to provide pastoral accompaniment to those struggling with sexual sin.

Cardinal Roche’s rescript comes with all the zeal of Saul the Pharisee

Letter from Rome: the Roche rescript comes with all the zeal of Saul the Pharisee - Catholic HeraldMONTAGNA: Still breathing threats against the Church’s ancient liturgy with a zeal reminiscent of Saul the Pharisee in Acts 9:1, Cardinal Arthur Roche has now begun strong-arming bishops to “ensure the correct application” of Pope Francis’s 2021 apostolic letter restricting the Traditional Latin Mass (TLM), Traditionis Custodes. The latest crackdown by the prefect of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments has come in a rescript...

Joyful penance, the spirit of Vatican I, and the old ball game

Joyful penance, the spirit of Vatican I, and the old ball gameCONDON: Enjoy your day of penance. I mean that. Penance is one of those things which, at least in the West, has become an almost uniquely Catholic concept. The idea of a day of penance, let alone marking a whole season of it, strikes our wider society as maudlin, weird, and full of “Catholic guilt.” And while it is neither maudlin nor weird, guilt...

The story of how Oreo defeated Hydrox is more fascinating than you’d think

New%20Advent%3A%20The%20history%20of%20how%20Oreo%20defeated%20Hydrox%20is%20more%20fascinating%20than%20you%u2019d%20think: This is how the cookie crumbles.

Ukrainian Catholic archbishop denounces ‘completely amoral’ Russian war on anniversary of invasion

Archbishop denounces "completely amoral" Russian war in Ukraine on anniversary of invasionBRISCOE: Archbishop Borys Gudziak, archeparch of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia, recently returned home from his sixth trip to Ukraine since the Russian invasion began on Feb. 24, 2022. The motivation behind his trip was not only to find ways to continue to support humanitarian efforts in the country, but to give hope and encouragement by expressing solidarity with Ukraine.

The day time changed forever

The day time changed forever - by Matthew SewellSEWELL: The end of the 16th Century was a rough time for the Catholic Church. The Protestant Reformation was in full swing all over the West, along with the violence and unrest that accompanied it, and Rome was still sifting through its response to the crisis by implementing its own reforms that stemmed from the great Council of Trent, which had ended in 1563.

Today marks the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine...

What is at Stake in Ukraine - arcoftheuniversePHILPOTT: An estimated 100,000 Ukrainian lives and 200,000 Russian lives have been lost, which is both incalculably tragic and criminal, as are the Russian military’s many war crimes. These losses alone, though, cannot account for the injustice of Russia’s invasion. If life alone were all that is at stake, Ukraine would have been right to sue for peace at this time last year...

Ash Wednesday breaks all the rules of modern Churchthink

Ash Wednesday Breaks All the Rules of Modern Churchthink - Community in MissionPOPE: Modern Evangelization methods and parish “mission and vision statements” seem almost exclusively focused on staying “positive.” Keywords include: welcoming, inclusion, and diversity. Yes indeed, come to our lovely parishes, we are a welcoming, embracing and joyful faith family! or so the sayings go. Still-shrinking numbers suggest most people aren’t buying it and don’t find the vision compelling...

A new look at the life of Fr. Ed Dowling, the priest behind Alcoholics Anonymous

The priest behind Alcoholics Anonymous?: ‘Father Ed’ describes what a complicated person Bill Wilson was, describing his marital infidelities and his struggles with depression. He was in therapy for years with a Jungian psychologist and, although he toyed with the idea of converting to Catholicism (going so far as to take instruction with Ven. Bishop Fulton Sheen), he also had a fascination with seances, and experimented with LSD in an effort to expand his consciousness.

Pope Francis Clears Way for Beatification of Elisabetta Martinez After Miraculous Healing of Unborn Baby is Seen on Ultrasound

Pope Francis approves miracle to pave way to beatification of Elisabetta Martinez | Catholic News Agency: Today Pope Francis approved a miracle to advance the cause of canonization of Venerable Servant of God Elisabetta Martinez, an Italian nun and founder of the Congregation of the Daughters of Santa Maria di Leuca. The miracle involved the healing of an unborn baby girl in Rimini, Italy. Ultrasound imagery in 2017 revealed to the child’s mother that her baby was suffering from several severe life-limiting and potentially life-ending conditions.

Bishop Bätzing to Push for ‘Common Line’ in Support of Homosexual Blessing Rite at German Bishops’ Meeting Next Week

German%20bishops%u2019%20leader%20wants%20%u2018common%20line%u2019%20on%20same-sex%20blessings%20ahead%20of%20synodal%20way%20voteCOPPEN: When the German bishops’ conference meets next week, the group’s chairman will aim to see the country’s bishops support the prospect of liturgical blessings for same-sex couples, according to local media. The German Catholic news agency KNA reported Thursday that Bishop Georg Bätzing will call for “a common line in favor of blessing ceremonies for same-sex couples” at the bishops’ plenary assembly in Dresden from Feb. 27 to March 2.

Cringeworthy: The trailer just dropped for ‘The Pope’s Exorcist,’ with Fr. Gabriele Amorth played by Russell Crowe.

Russell%20Crowe%27s%20%22The%20Pope%u2019s%20Exorcist%22%20Trailer%20Drops%2C%20Generating%20Backlash%20on%20Social%20Media%20-: Sony Pictures released the trailer for the upcoming film about Father Gabriele Amorth. The film entitled “The Pope’s Exorcist,” follows the life of Rome’s former chief exorcist, Father Gabriele Amorth. Academy Award-winning actor Russell Crowe will portray Father Amorth. Father Amorth was Rome’s chief exorcist from 1986 until his death in 2016 at age 91. As of 2013, he reportedly performed approximately 160,000 exorcisms during his career.

When you fast, you are fighting a battle against your Self

Fasting: Fighting a Battle against SelfSTAUDT: “He was hungry.” Luke tells us of Jesus’ struggle with the devil in the desert, during which he fasted for 40 days. At the end of it, as you might suspect, he was hungry (Luke 4:2). He proved to us that man does not live by bread alone, because we depend even more upon God, who truly sustains our lives. Even though we must eat and drink, fasting shows us that we have deeper needs. Being hungry can be good, simply for reminding us of this truth.

Minnesota and Colorado Democrats push ‘Don’t Say Baby’ bills

Democrats%20Pushing%20%u2018Don%27t%20Say%20Baby%u2019%20Bills%20in%20Multiple%20States%20%7C%20National%20Review: Crisis pregnancy centers are under constant fire (sometimes literally) from the pro-abortion Left. The Associated Press is now rebranding them “anti-abortion centers” to reflect the AP’s politics. It’s no secret that the rage and violence directed at these centers stems from the fear that their existence leads to fewer abortions...

Do your kids follow Jeffrey Marsh? This is evil. It’s happening right there in plain sight...

Jeffrey Marsh Groomer 101 TikTok Tutorial - The American ConservativeDREHER: Jeffrey Marsh is not a marginal figure online. Take a look at his TikTok stats: He has 664,000 Followers and 13.5 million Likes. Your kid, with the laptop or the smartphone you gave them, have access to this guy who engages in groomer behavior. Why? Seriously, why? Why do you allow this thing into your child's life?

Why can’t women receive Holy Orders? We fall into two traps when considering that question...

Addressing%20the%20Women%u2019s%20Ordination%20Conundrum%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterSOLENNI: Nowhere in the Bible or Catholic Church teaching will one find that priests and bishops are the greatest in heaven. Nowhere. And, yet, when it comes to talking about roles in the Church, the conversations keep coming back to the question of who can be ordained, particularly whether women can be ordained. In light of what we know about our ultimate goal, that we are called to be saints whatever our vocation, that makes little sense.

The cost of communion: Tickets for the 2024 Eucharistic Congress will be $375 for individuals, $895 for a family of five — not counting meals, lodging or airfares...

The cost of communion - Is the Eucharistic Congress too expensive?: When registration opened for the 2024 Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis, Todd Kooser was eager to sign up his family. He went online soon after and registered himself, his wife, and his three children - two sons and a daughter. They’d been looking forward to attending the five-day event for a while. “We started making plans to attend [the Congress] when it was first announced,” Kooser, a software developer from Ohio, told The Pillar.

Holy See and the Sultanate of Oman Establish Diplomatic Ties

Holy See and the Sultanate of Oman establish diplomatic ties | Catholic News Agency: The Holy See and Oman have established full diplomatic relations, leaving only six countries worldwide without any diplomatic connection to the Vatican. The announcement on Feb. 23 did not come as a surprise because in November, during Pope Francis’ trip to Bahrain, there had been contact between the Vatican and Oman’s Foreign Ministry.

China never got the memo about Humanae Vitae. Now China (and the rest of the world) is about to pay the price

China's Declining Population, Worker Shortage Will Cause Global Economic Crisis: China's population is shrinking. While the massive country is still home to 1.4 billion people — nearly one out of every five people on Earth — China's National Bureau of Statistics announced that its population shrank in 2022, falling by roughly 850,000 people.

Montessori: The world’s most influential school?

Montessori: The world's most influential school? - BBC Future: When considering the lives of the rich and famous, it is always tempting to look for the secrets of their successes. So here's a brain teaser: what do the cook Julia Child, the novelist Gabriel García Márquez, the singer Taylor Swift, and Google's founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin all have in common? The answer is that they all attended Montessori schools as young children...

Pope Francis is suffering from a “strong cold,” says Vatican

Vatican%3A%20Pope%20Francis%20has%20%u2018strong%20cold%u2019%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20Agency: The Vatican said Thursday that Pope Francis is suffering from a heavy cold. The Feb. 23 message said that due to a “strong cold,” the pope distributed copies of his speeches at two morning appointments rather than read them aloud as usual. Francis still took part in the two audiences...

Video: Mark Wahlberg quotes Pope Benedict XVI in Ash Wednesday interview on ‘Today Show’

Mark Wahlberg Quotes Pope Benedict XVI in Ash Wednesday Interview on 'Today Show' (Video Inside)BURKEPILE: Actor and producer Mark Wahlberg appeared on NBC’s ‘Today Show’ for an Ash Wednesday interview with host Savannah Guthrie. He discussed his faith, family life, the season of lent, and his involvement with the Catholic prayer app, Hallow, all while sporting his Ash Wednesday ashes. The husband and father of four grew up Catholic and often vocalizes his faith on social media...

Does Roche’s rescript dispense with Vatican II?

Does%20Roche%u2019s%20rescript%20dispense%20with%20Vatican%20II%3FCONDON: On Tuesday morning, the Holy See press office released the text of a rescript — a canonical legal instrument — authorized by Pope Francis, and treating the implementation of Traditionis custodes, the pope’s 2021 motu proprio on the extraordinary form of the Mass. The purpose of the rescript was, on its face, clear enough: the pope wished to make clear that the power to dispense from the norm of Traditionis regarding the celebration of the extraordinary form is reserved to the Holy See...

Housekeeper’s Husband Officially Charged in Murder of LA Auxiliary Bishop O’Connell

Housekeeper%u2019s%20husband%20officially%20charged%20in%20murder%20of%20LA%20Auxiliary%20Bishop%20O%u2019Connell%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20AgencyBUKURAS: Carlos Medina, the suspect in the murder of Los Angeles Auxiliary Bishop David O’Connell, was arraigned in state court Wednesday and formally charged with one count of murder and a special allegation that he personally used a firearm.

A very short course in the Catholic faith

A Very Short Course in the Catholic Faith | Catholic CulturePOKORSKY: The widespread rejection of the Catholic Faith in favor of atheistic secularism makes apostasy vulnerable to an ageless counter-attack: the precepts of the Apostles’ Creed. The Creed provokes our conscience and restores our balance as Catholics in tumultuous times. The Creed summarizes the Catholic Faith. Enhanced by “talking points,” we can use the Creed to present the entirety of Faith in less than an hour

Cardinal Cupich and the Hermeneutics of the Abyss

Cardinal%20Cupich%20and%20the%20Hermeneutics%20of%20the%20Abyss%20%u2013%20Catholic%20World%20ReportCHAPP: Cardinal Blase Cupich, not to be outdone (and outshone) by his confrere Cardinal McElroy, has recently penned a short essay criticizing “exclusion”. It asserts that the theology of the now conveniently deceased Pope Benedict XVI supports the view of Cupich that the Church should change her teaching that, prima facie, some sins bar one from Eucharistic communion...

God wants you to be charitable — even toward the annoying people who talk during Mass

We are called to charity -- even toward the annoying people who talk during MassMILLS: “Seriously,” he says, “do you understand a word he’s saying?” The man two rows behind us at Mass, sitting with his wife in the last row, has been talking the whole time. Sometimes about the Mass and sometimes about almost any subject under the sun. I know few people are as easily distracted as I am, but still, WHY IS HE TALKING THROUGH MASS? I resist the temptation to turn around and ask him, “Why are you here, if you’re not interested in what’s going on?”

Bishop David O’Connell is one of only a few American bishops to die by homicide. Here are the others...

'Marked with the sign of faith'LAROSA: Catholics across the United States have expressed shock and devastation at the killing of Los Angeles Auxiliary Bishop David O'Connell over the weekend. The bishop was found shot to death in his home on February 18. A suspect has been arrested, although the suspect’s identity has not been made public. A motive for the shooting remains unknown.

Here are 10 American phrases that baffle the rest of the world...

10 American Phrases That Baffle the Rest of the World: American slang and idioms can liven up a conversation, but if English isn’t your native language, phrases like couch potato or white elephant can be easily misunderstood. Puzzle hub im-a-puzzle.com recently analyzed Google searches for common American expressions and looked for spikes in various foreign countries. Based on this data, the following seem to be the most perplexing to those outside of the U.S.

40 Unique Ideas for Lent

40 Unique Ideas for Lent - Catholic Missionary Disciples - College Station, TXLEJEUNE: Many Catholics traditionally do something like give up a favorite food, watch less TV, etc. for Lent. These are good ideas, but below are some more unique ones that we have crowd-sourced from others. While we are not required to “give something up” for Lent, Catholics are required to increase prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Here are some ideas to get you started.

Yes, you should aim for tough penances in Lent, but remember: God has put the best ones right in front of your nose

Aiming for the Toughest Penances in Lent ~ The Imaginative ConservativeDEAVEL: What ought I to do for extra penance in Lent? It’s a question many ask themselves. Fortunately, the best kind of penances, all spiritual writers seem to agree, are the penances that are passive. They are the ones God has chosen for us. Dom Hubert Van Zeller, in his 1958 classic Approach to Penance, tells us that while taking on active penances, especially those dealing with the externals of our life...

Today is Ash Wednesday. The first day of the 40 days. It is a good beginning...

Ash%20Wednesday%20%u2013%20Theology%20of%20HomeTRULL: Lent. We see it sometimes as creeping slowly up upon our joy, like a spreading shadow as February makes its blustery way to the end of the calendar page. We feel a little sense of dread, if we are honest, as we see it approaching. A dread that seems to sigh just a bit at the thought of forty days with no this or that. Forty days of resolutions kept, and sometimes broken or even forgotten; unraveling as the weeks march on...

Major-Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk and Archbishop Borys Gudziak are the churchmen of the year

Churchmen of the YearWEIGEL: When they were working together some years ago at the Ukrainian Catholic University — the only Catholic institution of higher learning in the former Soviet space — Father Borys Gudziak and Father Sviatoslav Shevchuk did not imagine themselves occupying their present positions. Nor could they imagine that they would be at the center of epic historical events in 2022-2023, defending order and decency in world politics amidst a brutal war...

Did Vermeer's iconic ‘girl’ really have a pearl earring?

Did Vermeer's 'Girl' Really Have a Pearl Earring? | Smart News| Smithsonian Magazine: Something isn’t right about Johannes Vermeer’s Girl With a Pearl Earring. No, it hasn’t been misattributed, and no, it’s not a fake. But according to Dutch art historian Pieter Roelofs, the earring was likely an imitation glass bauble, rather than a real pearl.

Will getting chickens ruin my life? Here are 7 questions answered for the curious and concerned...

Will%20Getting%20Chickens%20Ruin%20My%20Life%3F%20Seven%20Questions%20Answered%20for%20the%20Curious%20%26%20Concerned%20%u2013%20Hearth%20%26%20Field: Sometimes, when I have the pleasure of taking a leisurely trip to the grocery store all by my lonesome, I wander wistfully down the dairy aisle and dream of the good ol’ days, when deviled eggs appeared at every potluck and home cooks whipped up frittatas and lemon meringue pies with innocent abandon. That is, when eggs were under a dollar a dozen. And then I thank my lucky stars that I have chickens.

Visions in Lent: Family Life as Seen in a Rock Tumbler

Visions in Lent: Family Life As a Seen in a Rock Tumbler. - Community in MissionPOPE: Most Lenten reflections center on fasting or abstinence along with prayer and almsgiving. However, the word “repent” in our English bibles translates the Greek word “Metanoiate” which most literally summons us “to change (meta) the way we think (noiate).” With this in mind, I would like to post some articles this Lent that help us to think of and see things differently, and in a more helpful way.

Four Prominent Women Renounce Participation in German Synodal Way, Saying It ‘Departs From the Universal Church’

Four%20women%20opt%20out%20of%20German%20Synodal%20Way%2C%20saying%20it%20%u2018departs%20from%20the%20universal%20Church%u2019%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20AgencyWIMMER: Ahead of the German Synodal Way’s final meeting next month, four prominent participants — all of them women — officially announced they were quitting the controversial process on Wednesday. The theology professors Katharina Westerhorstmann and Marianne Schlosser — together with philosopher Hanna-Barbara Gerl-Falkovitz and journalist Dorothea Schmidt — raised fundamental objections about the direction and the conduct of the German event on Feb. 22, reported CNA Deutsch, CNA’s German-language news partner.

No ‘Wall of Separation’ Between Church and Free Speech

No%20%u2018Wall%20of%20Separation%u2019%20Between%20Church%20and%20Free%20Speech%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterSHAW: One of the most attractive features of the Supreme Court in the last several years has been its generally friendly view of religion. One of the least attractive has been the open hostility of secularist sources faced with this development. I say this thinking especially of what will probably be the most important religion-related case of the court’s present term...

Evelyn Waugh, Ronald Knox and the ‘Great Brotherhood’ of Ash Wednesday

Evelyn%20Waugh%2C%20Ronald%20Knox%20and%20the%20%u2018Great%20Brotherhood%u2019%20of%20Ash%20Wednesday%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterMILLS: He spoke about it flippantly when he was a dissolute and essentially pagan high school student. “I think that I shall be forced into Lenten self-denial as my funds are rapidly decreasing and there is little prospect of more for a long time yet,” Evelyn Waugh wrote in his diary. He entered the Church 10 years later, in 1930, at the age of 27, and he may seem from appearances not to have gotten the idea of Lenten discipline even after years in the Church...

Held without charge, a Miami inmate’s unborn child is asking a court for release in an odd case

Held%20without%20charge%2C%20a%20Miami%20inmate%u2019s%20unborn%20child%20asks%20court%20for%20release%20in%20odd%20case: At least that’s what lawyers are arguing in Florida’s Third District Court of Appeal. Natalia Harrell, an inmate at the center, is carrying the person behind the case: an unborn child. And it could even set a precedent amid a legal system navigating complex arguments in a post-Roe world.

How living on Mars would warp the human body

How living on Mars would warp the human body | Salon.com: In July 1969, as the Apollo 11 astronauts prepared to trek to the moon, the Nixon Administration prepped some worst-case-scenario remarks in case this risky mission became deadly — a distinct possibility. Nixon's prepared statement, which was not widely publicized until 1999, was grim. It thanked the astronauts for their brave sacrifice, preceded by a clergyman who would've adopted the same procedure as a burial at sea: commending their souls to "the deepest of the deep," and concluding with the Lord's Prayer.

When Bishop O’Connell Stunned a Crowd and ‘Sobbed’ Before the Blessed Sacrament

When%20Bishop%20O%u2019Connell%20Stunned%20a%20Crowd%20and%20%u2018Sobbed%u2019%20Before%20the%20Blessed%20Sacrament%7C%20National%20Catholic%20Register: Los Angeles Auxiliary Bishop David O’Connell, who was murdered Saturday at his home in Hacienda Heights, California, was no stranger to the National Catholic Register. Here are excerpts from three articles in the Register’s archives covering his episcopal ordination in 2015, his battle to defend innocent life in 2016 and his heartfelt response to the sexual abuse crisis in 2018.

18-Inch Pipe Bomb Found Behind Catholic Church in Philadelphia

Pipe bomb found behind church in Philadelphia: Philadelphia police are investigating after they say a pipe bomb was discovered behind a church. Police said a passerby spotted the 18-inch pipe bomb behind Saint Dominic's Catholic Church in the northeastern part of the city on Sunday.

Jesuits Bar Father Mark Rupnik From Artistic Activity After 15 New Abuse Claims Emerge

Jesuit barred from artistic activity after new abuse claims | AP News: Pope Francis’ Jesuit religious order has decided to prohibit a prominent Jesuit artist whose mosaics decorate churches around the globe from pursuing his artistic activity after 15 more people came forward with fresh accusations against him of spiritual, sexual and psychological abuse.

Husband of Housekeeper Arrested in Death of Los Angeles Auxiliary Bishop David O’Connell

Husband%20of%20housekeeper%20arrested%20in%20death%20of%20Los%20Angeles%20Bishop%20David%20O%u2019Connell: A man arrested Monday morning in connection with the fatal shooting of Catholic Auxiliary Bishop David O’Connell is believed to be the husband of the bishop’s housekeeper, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna announced Monday. During an afternoon news conference, Luna identified the suspect as Carlos Medina, 65, of Torrance.

“This Mass is offered for the repose of the soul of ...”

%u2018This%20Mass%20Is%20Offered%20for%20the%20Repose%20of%20the%20Soul%20of-%u2019%20-%20The%20Catholic%20ThingGRONDELSKI: The ritual phrase above is so common that many Catholics probably don’t even bother to think about what it is saying. I’d even venture to suggest that no small number of people in the pews couldn’t explain what it’s saying, at least not beyond “we’re praying for X.” And while that’s true, there’s more to the story that an earlier generation of Catholics might have articulated but many today, I fear, just can’t. Why do we pray for X?

Police in Torrance Arrest Barricaded Suspect in Bishop O’Connell Murder Case; Neighbors Say Man’s ‘Wife Worked in Bishop’s Home’

LA sheriff arrests man for the murder of Catholic bishop, 69, after he was shot dead in his home | Daily Mail Online: A man has been arrested in connection with the murder of a Catholic bishop who was found shot to death inside his Los Angeles home over the weekend. Sheriff's deputies responded to Auxiliary Bishop David O'Connell's Hacienda Heights home Saturday afternoon, where they found the clergyman with a gunshot wound to his upper torso in his bed. The 69-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene. The following day, deputies officially said they were investigating O'Connell's death as a murder before announcing on Monday that they have made an arrest.

How About a Mystic for President?

How about a Mystic for President? | National ReviewLOPEZ: ‘Everything begins in mysticism and ends in politics.” That’s a semi-famous quote from Charles Péguy, a French poet, who was born 150 years ago this month. Reflecting on his thinking, Robert Royal recently explained on his website The Catholic Thing: “What he meant is that every powerful movement begins as a spiritual force, and then is ‘incarnated’ in concrete action.”

Arrest Made in Slaying of Los Angeles Bishop David O’Connell

Arrest%20made%20in%20fatal%20shooting%20of%20Los%20Angeles%20Bishop%20David%20O%u2019Connell%3A%20Report: A suspect has been arrested in the killing of Auxiliary Bishop David O’Connell, the Los Angeles Times reported Monday. O’Connell, 69, of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles was found shot to death inside his Hacienda Heights home in the 1500 block of Janlu Avenue just before 1 p.m. Saturday, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said.

Here are a few short facts about Bishop David O’Connell that the media aren’t reporting

New%20Advent%3A%20Here%20are%20a%20few%20short%20facts%20about%20Bishop%20David%20O%u2019Connell%20that%20aren%u2019t%20being%20widely%20reported...MEEKS: This morning I woke up to the news of the murder of my friend Bishop David O'Connell. When I first saw the news, I reread the headline of the article over and over so my sleepy eyes could catch up with my brain. I was instantly sad, but not surprised. This is the way I would expect him to go. He wasn't the type of man to peacefully drift into death in old age. He had too much passion for that. He tricked death into bringing about new life for too long...

LA County Sheriff’s Department on Bishop David O’Connell: ‘This Incident Is Being Handled as a Murder Investigation’

UPDATE%3A%20Murder%20investigation%20underway%20in%20shooting%20death%20of%20LA%20Auxiliary%20Bishop%20O%u2019Connell%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20Agency: The shooting death of Los Angeles Auxiliary Bishop David G. O’Connell Saturday is being investigated as a homicide, authorities have confirmed. “This incident is being handled as a murder investigation,” the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) said in a statement Sunday. No additional details were released. “We learned early this morning from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s office that they have determined that the death of Auxiliary Bishop David O’Connell yesterday was a homicide. We are deeply disturbed and saddened by this news,” Los Angeles Archbishop José Gomez said in a statement Sunday.

Long wait for Mass offerings at your parish? Here are 7 alternatives...

Long Wait for Mass Offerings at Your Parish? Here Are 7 Alternatives| National Catholic RegisterPRONECHEN: People requesting a Mass to be said for some intention at their local parish might face a long wait. There may be a long line of others already wanting to donate for a Mass intention. In some parishes people might have to book a Mass as much as a year or more in advance. But places exist where the individual Masses can be fulfilled sooner. Let’s take a look at a few of the major ones.

40 days may not seem to be much time for a genuine conversion. But it is...

Lenten conversion - Arlington Catholic HeraldMANGAN: I was asked to hear confessions Dec. 23 at the Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Emmitsburg, Maryland, close to Mount St. Mary’s Seminary where I teach. When I arrived, I noted on the door that the shrine was closed for the day, out of caution for the faithful, due to the cold and wind gusts around 50 miles per hour...

The enemies of the Congo victims were monsters. How can they love and forgive them as they do?

This Sunday, Their Enemies Were Monsters. How Can They Love Them? | Benedictine College Media and MoreHOOPES: Earlier this month in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Pope Francis met victims of violence, and was so stunned by what he heard that he said he was left “without words.” Ladislas Kambale Kombi, a 16-year-old boy from Butembo-Beniu, said he can’t sleep at night without seeing the image of his father being beheaded in front of him...

Yes, some moral acts are disordered — here’s why

Yes%2C%20Some%20Moral%20Acts%20Are%20Disordered%u2014Here%u2019s%20Why%20%u2013%20Catholic%20World%20ReportMCTEIGUE: No emotional appeals, however impassioned, no appeals to dialogue, to listening, to encounter, to accompaniment, to lived experiences—however numerous or imperious they may be—can overcome the hurdles of anatomy, philosophy, and theology that secure the use of the language of order/disorder in the moral evaluation of the acts of sodomy...

Is the Asbury revival a “news” story? Let’s seek journalism advice from Screwtape

Podcast%3A%20Is%20the%20Asbury%20revival%20a%20%27news%27%20story%3F%20Let%27s%20seek%20journalism%20advice%20from%20Screwtape%20%u2014%20GetReligionMATTINGLY: Throughout this week, I have been following the online reports about the remarkable day-after-day revival gatherings that are taking place at Asbury University in Kentucky. If you know about Methodist and Holiness movements, it isn’t surprising that this kind of spiritual earthquake would take place again at this location. Years ago, I went to Asbury for a speaking engagement...

Cappadocian cave churches, St. Basil the Great, and the Passions of St. Blaise and St. John Chrysostom

Chapter%203%3A%20In%20the%20Footsteps%20of%20St.%20Paul%20and%20the%20Church%20Fathers%20of%20Turkey%20%u2014%20Cappadocian%20Cave%20Churches%2C%20St.%20Basil%2C%20and%20the%20Passions%20of%20St.%20Blaise%20and%20St.%20John%20Chrysostom%20%u2013%20%u0396%u03AE%u03C3%u03C4%u03B5%20%u03B6%u03B5%u03C3%u03C4%u03CC%u2026%20%22STAY%20HOT%22: The most magnificent of all the cave churches is known as the “Dark Church.” It received this name because its structure allows for very little natural light to come into the church. Because of this, the church has the best preserved painted images throughout the whole complex. The church is also in a cliff that overlooks the valley below; that it is harder to reach likely also helped it stay better preserved...

Cardinal Cupich’s shocking misrepresentation of Pope Benedict XVI

Cardinal%20Cupich%u2019s%20shocking%20misrepresentation%20of%20Pope%20Benedict%20%7C%20Catholic%20CultureLAWLER: Taking his cue from Cardinal McElroy—and ignoring the strong cautions from Archbishop Aquila and Archbishop Naumann, among others—Chicago’s Cardinal Blase Cupich has written a column in his archdiocesan newspaper calling for full inclusion of active homosexuals in the life of the Church...

Memo to Gen Z Catholics: Why Vatican II Is Still Important

Memo to Gen Z Catholics: Why Vatican II Is Still ImportantWEIGEL: Mr. Adam Lucas, who is “newly married with a baby on the way” (mazel tov!) and “has a Master’s in Theology,” speaks for a depressing number of Gen Z Catholics when he writes on the Crisis website that “the world of the 1960s is gone, and with it any real relevance of Vatican II.” The Council, he concludes, should just be ignored: “After all, aggiornamento demands it.” This is so mind-numbingly wrongheaded that one hardly knows where to start in responding to it.

“A person in white fed me”: Boy stuck under rubble miraculously survives earthquake in Turkey

"A Person in White Fed Me": Boy Stuck Under Rubble Miraculously Survives Earthquake in Turkey -: On Feb. 6, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit Turkey and Syria, devastating millions and killing approximately 42,000. The death toll continues to rise as rescue efforts are underway. One incredible testimony moving across social media discusses the miraculous survival story of a five-year-old boy rescued 192 hours (8 days) after the earthquake.

LA County Sheriff’s Department: Cause of Bishop O’Connell’s death is unconfirmed

LA aux O'Connell dead; cause of death unconfirmed: Auxiliary Bishop David O’Connell of Los Angeles died Saturday at age 69, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles has reported. The archdiocese said in a statement that the bishop died unexpectedly, and that the cause of death was still being investigated. Initial reports said the bishop was the victim of gun violence, but those reports remain unconfirmed, and are seemingly based on police reports of an unidentified shooting victim near the bishops' residence.

Slain LA Auxiliary Bishop David O’Connell remembered as “a man of deep prayer who had a great love for Our Blessed Mother”

LA%20Auxiliary%20Bishop%20David%20O%u2019Connell%20dies%20unexpectedly%20at%2069: Los Angeles Auxiliary Bishop David G. O’Connell, a native of Ireland who spent most of his four decades as a priest ministering in LA’s inner city, has died. He was 69. “I am very sad this afternoon to report that our beloved Auxiliary Bishop David O’Connell has passed away unexpectedly,” said Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles in a statement Feb. 18. “It is a shock and I have no words to express my sadness.”

‘It Is a Shock’: Los Angeles Auxiliary Bishop David O’Connell Shot and Killed in Hacienda Heights, California

LA Auxiliary Bishop David O'Connell shot and killed in Hacienda Heights, authorities say - ABC7 Los Angeles: An auxiliary bishop with the Archdiocese of Los Angeles was shot to death Saturday afternoon in Hacienda Heights, authorities confirmed. Bishop David O'Connell was shot and killed just before 1 p.m. inside a home in the 1500 block of Janlu Avenue, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

We live in unsettled times, but God never abandons his people. We just need to act like we believe that...

Apocalypse Now - The Catholic ThingMAIER: I’m a derivative writer. I wish I were creative. I wish I were ingenious. But my friends and colleagues, and others I admire, are just smarter than I am. This would be sad if it weren’t also consoling. I can’t fix the world, but I don’t need to. Neither do you. In the vast stream of history, individuals rarely seem to matter. . .except in the eyes of God. But of course that’s the one place that really does matter.

Miami archbishop offers to house exiled Nicaraguan priests and seminarians

ADOM Miami archbishop offers to house exiled Nicaraguan priests, seminarians: Archbishop Thomas Wenski spoke to the Florida Catholic Feb. 11, 2023, about the expected arrival in Miami of some of the political prisoners released by the Nicaraguan government and flown to the U.S. “Most of the people expelled were politicians or candidates for public office that [Daniel] Ortega locked up before the elections,” the archbishop said, but among them were “four or five priests, a couple of seminarians, a deacon and an organist.”

If you really want to be saved, you MUST participate in the extravagant mercy of the Lord Jesus

The Human Life Review The Path to Salvation - The Human Life ReviewPOECKING: The pro-life movement is ultimately about extending the protection of the law to unborn babies; those of all faiths, or none, contribute meaningfully to that humanitarian cause. But for Christians, our pro-life witness must be subsumed into Our Lord’s healing work in bringing about the salvation of the world. Jesus teaches that we will miss salvation if in our righteousness we fail to cultivate the habit of forgiveness...

How can the Blessed Virgin Mary and other finite saints and angels hear millions of prayers?

How Can a Human Like Mary Hear Millions of Prayers? The Answer Is in the Bible| National Catholic Register: A Calvinist friend of mine, with whom I am engaged in ongoing cordial dialogues, raised this issue, and stated that this is what Catholics teach when we assert that God gives power to Mary so that she can hear many thousands of simultaneous prayers or intercessory requests. He contended that God takes such prayers to Mary and as such acts as a “mediator” to her. I had never heard this before. It’s an interesting question to ponder and reply to as an apologist.

Spain Passes Transgender Law Allowing Minors Treatment Without Parental Consent

Spain Passes Transgender Law Allowing Minors Treatment Without Parental Consent| National Catholic Register: After its passage in the Senate, Spain’s lower house passed the “Law for the Real and Effective Equality of Trans Persons and for the Guarantee of LGTBI Rights,” which will allow transgender genital surgery and hormonal treatments from the age of 16 without parental consent.

This advocate of “worldwide socialist planning” wants to put loving pet owners on a leash

David Mills: Keep your dogs and cats | Pittsburgh Post-GazetteMILLS: Pet owners don’t really like animals, reduce their pets to “mere dolls” and “commodities,” break their spirits, and selfishly make them suffer just to make themselves happier. So says environmental historian Troy Vettese, writing in the English newspaper The Guardian, in an article titled “Want to truly have empathy for animals? Stop owning pets.” You like animals? You treat them well? You need them? Doesn’t matter. “Pets suffer under the yoke of our affection,” Vettese declares...

Why was a Canadian student expelled from Catholic school for opposing transgender bathroom policy?

Why Was a Canadian Student Expelled From Catholic School for Opposing Transgender Bathroom Policy?| National Catholic RegisterKLEMOND: The religious liberty rights of Canadian high school student Josh Alexander gained international attention earlier this month when his opposition to his Catholic high school’s transgender bathroom policy on biblical grounds led to his suspension and arrest. The 16-year-old’s case, which occurred in a school in eastern Ontario, also reveals that some Canadian Catholic schools are diverging from Church teaching...

“Being faithful” and “being pastoral” go hand-in-hand — pitting them against each other is wrong and dangerous

True Love Calls for a Change of Heart| National Catholic RegisterCONLEY: In the wake of our Holy Father’s call for a more synodal Church, much has been written about Cardinal Robert McElroy’s recent piece in America magazine criticizing the Church for her “structures and cultures of exclusion.” I highly recommend the responses by Archbishop Joseph Naumann of Kansas City, Bishop Robert Barron of Winona-Rochester...

Martyrs everywhere, journalism in Venezuela, and the ‘truth’ on YouTube

Martyrs%20everywhere%2C%20journalism%20in%20Venezuela%2C%20and%20the%20%u2018truth%u2019%20on%20YouTubeCONDON: There are many feasts marked in the calendar today, if you’re keeping track. It’s the feast of the seven holy founders of the Servites — the Servants of the Blessed Virgin Mary. If your festal tastes run to the Celtic, today is also the feast of St. Fintan of Clonenagh, who was one of those sixth-century Irish monastics whose faith wasn’t so much formed as forged...

8 Nicaraguan Priests Expelled by Ortega Regime Celebrate Mass for First Time in 6 Months

8 Nicaraguan Priests Expelled by Ortega Regime Celebrate Mass for First Time in 6 Months| National Catholic RegisterDESMOND: The private chapel at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ imposing, multistoried building in the nation’s capital typically draws a stream of USCCB staff and visiting prelates who want to celebrate Mass and are pleased to take advantage of a convenient venue for that purpose.

The 3 Kinds of Atheists, and How to Respond to Them

The Three Kinds of Atheists, and How to Respond to Them| National Catholic RegisterMILLS: I think atheism is generally the expression of a moral attitude more than a real intellectual conviction based on evidence thought through. The attitude may be a general “I will not serve” or a particular “I’m not going to live like that” — usually meaning “I want to sleep around,” but sometimes, “I don’t want to care about people.” They rarely come to the question without a personal commitment to one answer. To be fair, a few, like the French writer Albert Camus...

Why I had a Mass offered for Janis Joplin

Why I Had a Mass Offered for Janis Joplin| National Catholic RegisterBECKER: Margaret was getting a new car, so she sold me her spunky old Camry for a decent price. It turned out, however, that it had more problems under the hood than anybody knew. “Struts and brakes all around, rack and pinion, timing belt, oil pump. It’s definitely not worth fixing,” said our mechanic. “It has so many leaks, it’s not even worth changing the oil. Just keep topping it off and drive it until it dies.”

This priest has been the matchmaker for 270 marriages (and counting). None of the couples have divorced. Here’s his secret...

Miracle-Matchmaker? Priest Helps 270 Couples Find Love - All of Them Married: He was several years ahead of dating apps and helped hundreds of people find true love and a partner to live the faith. This is the story of Fernando Cuevas Raposo, a priest who was the matchmaker for 270 marriages. Father Fernando is an Opus Dei priest and chaplain of several residence halls in Valencia, Spain. He is 67 years old, lives in Ibiza, Spain, and began matchmaking Catholic couples 13 years ago. Thanks to his strategy, more than 500 people found love.

How did the Catholic Church get here on sex abuse? The same way the rest of “get here” with our sins — by walking downhill

A downward slide: How the Church got here on sex abuseMILLS: Temptation works like gravity. When you’re trying to walk uphill, it pulls you downhill. Worse, at the bottom of the hill are places you think you want to go and at the top of the hill are places you don’t want to go — you want the place with the great ribs rather than the gym. It’s easier to go downhill, and you want to go downhill.

Yes, religion is dangerous — but not for the reasons the FBI claimed

Religion is dangerous, but not for the reasons the FBI claimed: A recent internal memo issued, and subsequently retracted, by the FBI labeled “radical traditionalist Catholics” as “potential terrorists.” Since the memo’s release, 20 state attorneys general have objected to the memo’s premise that Catholics are an extremist threat...

Have you become a news junkie? Then stop it. The quality and richness of your life, and your shared life with those you love, is on the line...

Better For You Than News - LifeCraftCUDDEBACK: There are numerous reasons we should be concerned about how much ‘news’ we consume. C. John Sommerville offers many in his article from 1991. I want to consider one: the very concept of ‘news’—especially as it has become the product of an industry—tends to focus on bad news. We are often served what arouses fear, shock, or even revulsion. And this becomes our daily diet of ‘what is happening’ in the world...

At Asbury University in Kentucky, a routine Protestant service last Wednesday has turned into a nonstop ‘spontaneous revival,’ with echoes going back to the Great Awakening in the 1730s

Days-long%20%u2018spontaneous%20revival%u2019%20continues%20at%20Kentucky%20university: A days-long chapel service at Asbury University in Wilmore is still ongoing. It began on Wednesday, Feb. 8, and, on Monday, Feb. 13, it was still going. Prayers, praise, worship music and testimonies - all of it, people say, a movement they themselves could not have started. The service is being described as a revival, “a movement that only God could orchestrate and keep going.”

Before he became pope, Pius XI conquered the Matterhorn — now, thanks to this drone, you can see what he saw

New%20Advent%3A%20Before%20he%20became%20pope%2C%20Pius%20XI%20conquered%20the%20Matterhorn%20%u2014%20now%2C%20thanks%20to%20this%20drone%2C%20you%20can%20see%20what%20he%20saw: The videographer hiked to the Hornli Hut and flew his drone the remaining 4,000ft vertical and 1 mile distance to the summit and down the ridgeline.

10 Dazzling Celestial Events to See in 2023

Ten Dazzling Celestial Events to See in 2023 | Science | Smithsonian Magazine: Last year was an excellent one for amateur astronomers. Stargazers in the United States saw two total lunar eclipses, a spectacular “ring of fire” solar eclipse and a rare alignment of the planets Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. This year promises another amazing set of celestial events, including dark skies for the two most anticipated meteor showers: the Perseids and the Geminids. To watch these and other phenomena, all you’ll need is a dark location...

Why is emotional isolation such a common characteristic of the possessed? Because Satan is a lonely creature, and Hell is a frozen wasteland...

Exorcist Diary: The Isolation of Hell - SpiritualDirection.comROSSETTI: Two of our exorcists were working together with a demonically afflicted person. The night before the first session, each separately had an identical, unusual experience. When they met the next morning, both described being overwhelmed during the previous night by an intense cold. They could not get warm, despite wrapping themselves in layers of clothing. They were freezing on the inside. Their experiences lasted about an hour and then dissipated.

Renewal 101: Episcopal rule is personal, not bureaucratic

Renewal 101: Episcopal rule is personal, not bureaucratic | Catholic CultureMIRUS: In Phil Lawler’s post last Friday on A new Vatican move against the Latin Mass, he raised the question of whether a bishop must obey the directives of Curial officials in Rome. In theory, the answer is “No”, though in practice it can be “Yes” under various circumstances — which circumstances also include a prudential judgment about the consequences of the “No”. Let me explain.

8 ways to share your Catholic faith on Ash Wednesday

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

Bishop Barron ‘has no intention of eliminating’ Traditional Latin Mass in Diocese of Winona-Rochester

Bishop Barron 'has no intention of eliminating' Tridentine Mass: Bishop Robert Barron “has no intention of eliminating” the Tridentine Mass in his Diocese of Winona-Rochester, Minnesota, the diocese said in a Feb. 13 statement responding to a recent outcry that described the decision of Bishop Barron to move the Tridentine Mass out of a parish church as “canceling [Traditional Latin Mass].”

Here are some fascinating parallels between Adam, Noah (a new Adam) and Jesus (THE new Adam) that you’ve probably never noticed

A New Adam and the Last Adam | Church Life Journal | University of Notre DameSEHORN: Noah was different. His world was different. According to the figures provided by Genesis 5, at the time when Noah’s father Lamech was born, his great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather was still alive, at 874 years of age, Adam. Seth, too, was alive. And so were Enosh, Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared, Enoch, and Methuselah, all of them there, we might imagine, to greet little Lamech...

$50 million shrine to honor Blessed Stanley Rother, priest slain in Guatemala in 1981 who became first US Catholic martyr

$50M shrine to honor slain priest, first US Catholic martyr | AP News: The birth of Stanley Francis Rother was by all accounts ordinary, aside from the weather. The Catholic farm boy came into the world during an Oklahoma dust storm. But in life – and in death – he was extraordinary. The 46-year-old priest, shot to death in Guatemala in 1981, became the first person born in the United States to be declared a martyr by the Catholic Church.

Beatification Date Announced for Married Couple and Seven Children Martyred by Nazis; Youngest Child Will Be First Unborn Baby Beatified in Church History

Beatification Date Announced for Married Couple with Seven Children Martyred by Nazis, Including One Unborn Child| National Catholic Register: The beatification date has been announced for Józef and Wiktoria Ulma and their seven children, who were killed by the Nazis for hiding a Jewish family in their home in Poland. The Archdiocese of Przemyska announced Tuesday that the entire Ulma family — including one unborn child — will be beatified on Sept. 10.

The Irish Heart of St. Valentine, the Lion Heart of Bishop Álvarez, and Broken Hearts in Portugal

St. Valentine's heartJDFLYNN: First, a bit of a mea culpa. I told you last week about St. Apollonia, an Egyptian martyr who died after suffering some dental distress - and I told you that last Tuesday was the customary date of her feast. I was wrong. See, I knew that St. Apollonia’s feast was February 9, and I thought last Tuesday was February 9. It wasn’t. It was February 7, and I spent the whole day thinking it was the wrong date.

Portugal Report Details Decades of Sexual Abuse by Priests and Others Within the Catholic Church

Portugal report details decades of sexual abuse by priests and others within the Catholic Church | Catholic News AgencyRAIMUNDO: The commission’s final report, authorized by Portugal’s bishops’ conference, marks the first study of its kind in the overwhelmingly Catholic country and paints a grim picture of clerical abuse dating back decades.

Fr. Thomas Dubay was right: Gospel poverty is something that all Christians must embrace

There Is a Kind of Gospel Poverty That All Christians Must Embrace| National Catholic RegisterDANTUONO: “Can you be a Christian and own a BMW?” This question came up more than once in the private Christian school where I started my teaching career. Many of the students came from wealthy families, so you can imagine the ire directed at one teacher in particular who would argue that it is not right for a Christian to own a luxury car. I think that anyone who argues in that way should be prepared to face serious backlash...

Bishop Francis Leo’s meteoric rise to the archbishopric of Toronto is surprising, but it’s not without precedent...

Archbishop%20Francis%20Leo%u2019s%20Surprising%20Road%20to%20Toronto%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterDESOUZA: The Holy Father’s appointment of Bishop Francis (Frank) Leo as archbishop of Toronto is the most unexpected episcopal appointment in Canada in living memory. Nevertheless, his appointment is an extension of a pattern favored by Cardinal Marc Ouellet, the Canadian who has been prefect of the Congregation for Bishops since 2010, and who retires in a few weeks, to be succeeded by American Bishop Robert Prevost.

Super Bowl Ads: 5 Things to Know About the ‘He Gets Us’ Jesus Campaign

Super%20Bowl%20Ads%3A%205%20Things%20to%20Know%20About%20the%20%u2018He%20Gets%20Us%u2019%20Jesus%20Campaign%7C%20National%20Catholic%20Register: Super Bowl viewers this Sunday may be surprised to see two ads that don’t seem to have anything to do with Christianity until the end, when the words “Jesus” and “He Gets Us” flash across the screen. The He Gets Us ads running during the Super Bowl, the most-watched U.S. event of the year, were created by a nondenominational group to share the message of Christ’s love to whole new audiences.

The Spiritual Anatomy of a Marriage Proposal

The Spiritual Anatomy of a Marriage Proposal | Knowing Is DoingTORRE: A visible concern resonated from the young lady’s face as she began to express her desire for marriage. Her fiancé equally expressed concern as he listened to what she had to say about their relationship and the fear of engaging in a lifelong and permanent relationship with one another. The conversation shifted toward their relationship with Jesus Christ, which to their honest admission, had not been a focus of their relationship...

Catholicism is a radically historical religion — one founded in real events, people, and places

A Faith Deeply Rooted in History - St. John Vianney Lay DivisionMANERO: The Gospels tell us that Jesus is the son of Mary and the foster son of Joseph, which are reliable facts that we can trust as historical fact, albeit always having a deeper spiritual truth. Indeed, the Church tells us of the various “senses” of Scripture: beginning with the historical or literal sense, and moving on to the deeper spiritual, moral, and anagogical senses.

How to deal with the “One God Further” objection of atheists like Richard Dawkins

Atheism%20and%20the%20%u201COne%20God%20Further%u201D%20Objection%20-%20Word%20on%20FireKACZOR: The atheist Richard Dawkins said, “We are all atheists about most of the gods that humanity has ever believed in. Some of us just go one god further.” As the philosopher Bill Vallicella put it, “Given that everyone is an atheist with respect to some gods, one may as well make a clean sweep and be an atheist with respect to all gods.”

Journey through Lent with the help of St. Thomas Aquinas

Dr. Kevin Vost: Journey through Lent with the help of St. Thomas Aquinas | Respect Life Radio: "There's a meditation for every single day of Lent, typically about two pages long...focusing primarily on Scripture and on teachings of the Church Fathers. And yet, there's enough in each of those two pages — that meditation — that if you started that early in the morning, it will give you plenty to chew on, to ruminate, to ponder again throughout the day, in ways that will draw you closer to Christ every day as Lent progresses," said Dr. Kevin Vost...

Thanks to CT scans, here’s what Ramses II, the possible pharaoh of the Israelite Exodus, probably looked like...

Ancient%20Egyptian%20Pharaoh%20Ramesses%20II%u2019s%20Face%20Comes%20Alive%20Using%20CT%20Scans%20%BB%20TwistedSifter: To recreate the pharaoh’s face, the head of radiology at Cairo University Dr. Sahar Saleem, an Egyptian mummy expert, and the Face Lab at Liverpool John Moores University started with CT scans of his mummy taken between 2005 and 2009. Specialized software used the scans and created a 3D model of the pharaoh’s head.

Jesus never rejected anyone, we’re often told. True. But plenty of people rejected Him — which is really the point...

The%20Synodal%20Way%u2019s%20Great%20Expectations%20-%20The%20Catholic%20ThingROYAL: The bishops of Europe – together with dozens of clerical and lay participants – met in Prague last week as part of the “continental phase” of the Synod on Synodality. A final report is expected shortly (for some preliminary indications of tone and substance, click here). Synodality is a concept that many continue to find fuzzy – and worrying. Some Synodal leaders have...

Our culture is sending truly “unholy” messages to children. It’s a scandal to feed this social contagion — also, to dismiss real illness.

Kim%20Petras%20%26%20Transgender%20Youth%20%u2014%20Don%u2019t%20Ignore%20%u2018Unholy%u2019%20Messages%20to%20Children%20%7C%20National%20ReviewLOPEZ: There was some outrage surrounding the “Unholy” performance of Sam Smith and Kim Petras at the Grammys. They seemed to bring Hell to Los Angeles — as if that was something new. I’m grateful that there was a hat tip to a moral barometer at all. That any behavior is labeled “unholy” suggests there might be something else to aspire to.

Cardinal McElroy seems to think the Church has been exaggerating her sexual moral teaching for 2,000 years. This is a serious and dangerous error...

Did%20Jesus%u2019%20teaching%20seek%20to%20alienate%20%u2013%20or%20liberate%3F%20-%20The%20Leaven%20Catholic%20NewspaperNAUMANN: I came of age in the 1960s. It was an era of civil unrest, race riots, anti-war protests and the sexual revolution. One of the popular bumper stickers at the time stated: Question Everything. These societal events coincided with the sessions of the Second Vatican Council and its early implementation. The council brought beautiful and much needed renewal to many aspects of Catholic life. Sadly, there was also a serious misinterpretation of the council that fostered moral confusion. The poisonous ideas of the sexual revolution crept into the church.

‘A Day in Pompeii’ isn’t about just a day in Pompeii — it’s about THAT day in Pompeii

New%20Advent%3A%20%u2018A%20Day%20in%20Pompeii%u2019%20isn%u2019t%20about%20just%20any%20day%20in%20Pompeii%20%u2014%20it%u2019s%20about%20THAT%20day%20in%20Pompeii: This simulation was created for ‘A Day in Pompeii,’ a wildly popular exhibition held at Melbourne Museum in 2009...

Engineers are amazing. Look at some of their mind-blowing machines that are at another level...

New Advent: Engineers are amazing. Look at some of their mind-blowing machines that are at another level...: Prepare to get your mind blown by next-level life hacks, gnarly gadgets, innovative machines, and super satisfying tips on how to get jobs done in a skillful way...

What time is it on the Moon?

What time is it on the Moon?: The coming decade will see a resurgence in lunar exploration — including dozens of missions and plans to establish permanent bases on the Moon. The endeavours pose myriad challenges. Among them is a subtle, but fundamental, question that metrologists worldwide are working to answer: what time is it on the Moon?

Our houses are part of a much bigger picture that make up what it truly means to be home...

Making%20a%20Home%20%u2013%20Theology%20of%20HomeGRESS: We have lived in our home for 11 years. It’s nothing glamorous, but it has served us very well. Four of us moved in and three more have joined us since. With each new arrival, rooms and furniture have been shuffled and rearranged to make space for everyone. There have been other changes here and there — an added thousand feet to accommodate our growing brood, a wood-burning fireplace insert to take the edge off winter’s chill...

Ecclesiastical Strategic Studies 101: If a German schism comes to pass, what would it look like?

Ecclesiastical Strategic Studies 101: Gaming out a German schism | CruxALLEN: At venues such as the National War College in Washington, future leaders in politics, intelligence and the military are challenged to ponder the strategic implications of various hypothetical, but still real-world, scenarios: What if Russia uses tactical nuclear weapons in Ukraine? What if China invades Taiwan? What if Israel bombs nuclear facilities in Iran? Though no one can predict the future, the idea is to look at plausible future developments...

‘Groundhog Day’ at 30 and the riddle of Bill Murray

Groundhog%20Day%20at%2030%20and%20the%20Riddle%20of%20Bill%20Murray%20%u2013%20Catholic%20World%20ReportGREYDANUS: The 30th anniversary of Groundhog Day arrives this weekend overshadowed by recent reports of, and renewed attention to, allegations of inappropriate behavior by Bill Murray. Last month Geena Davis offered new details about an incident mentioned in her 2021 memoir in which Murray pressured her into letting him use a massage device called the Thumper on her while shooting the 1990 crime comedy Quick Change...

Local Catholics ‘Shocked’ at Cardinal McElroy’s Warning of Possible Bankruptcy for Diocese of San Diego After Flood of Sex-Abuse Lawsuits

Parishioners 'shocked' at possible bankruptcy for Catholic Diocese of San Diego: Several parishioners leaving Saint Joseph's Cathedral on Sunday morning were "shocked" to find out the Catholic Diocese of San Diego is considering filing for bankruptcy. "Everyone was reacting in different ways," said one man, referring to the moment when a letter revealing financial concerns for the Diocese was read aloud.

These two new books will teach you about Christian poetry and help you fall in love with it...

Christian Poetry & Verse: Cheap, Quick, Portable ~ The Imaginative ConservativeDEAVEL: It might be odd to say, but one prominent virtue of two new anthologies of Christian poetry is their prose. The Saint Mary’s Book of Christian Verse includes both an introduction by compiler Edward Short, which details the rationale behind his own selection of poetry ranging from Caedmon and The Dream of the Rood all the way to my colleague James Matthew Wilson’s “Through the Water”...

Loving and Devout, Inside and Out

Loving & Devout, Inside & Out | Parishable ItemsFELTES: Something Christians may not realize is that the Pharisees and scribes were admired in Israel. Many Jews looked up to them for their religiosity and learning in a culture which celebrated their shared religion. But Jesus criticized the scribes and Pharisees for caring more about outward appearances than the heart of true devotion...

I don’t like where we are headed. We’re running out of goods to reject or destroy. We’re almost at the point of no return...

A Brief History of Our Annihilation - Crisis MagazineMCTEIGUE: When was the last time you received an awkward compliment? How did you respond? How would you respond to this one? “Father’s homilies are really distinctive—they have a beginning, a middle, and an end!” What do you think the speaker was getting at? Perhaps he was referring to a kind of public speaking (I wouldn’t call it “preaching”) that is illustrated by “The Three C’s—Commence, Continue, Cease.” The speaking starts and eventually stops, but it doesn’t go anywhere...

This trove of prayers can be had for less than the price of a Super Bowl ticket, with a much better return on investment...

Booking time with God: Prayer for those who care: In 1 Thessalonians 5, we encounter the famous exhortation to pray without ceasing. Some souls, however, question the value of any prayer, let alone the perpetual variety. For those who first need convincing that prayer should be engaged in at all, Great Means of Salvation by St. Alphonsus Liguori is a must-read. This classic by the founder of the Redemptorists and Doctor of the Church was brought back by Sophia Institute Press in 2021.

Spend time before the Blessed Sacrament and learn to do nothing. Silence may save your soul...

Learning to Do NothingSTAUDT: “All of man’s misfortune comes from one thing, which is not knowing how to sit quietly in a room.” Blaise Pascal, who offers this insight, also notes in his Pensées that we fear silence more than anything else and seek constant distraction. No one in the past had as many distractions as we do today, making it entirely possible to spend the whole day immersed in images, text and noise...

Comparing a normal $5,000 engine with a $10,000,000 Formula 1 engine

New Advent: Comparing a normal $5,000 engine with a $10,000,000 Formula 1 engine: One is a 1.6 litre, turbocharged engine from a Ford Fiesta ST, and it produces a maximum of 197HP. The other is a 1.6 litre, turbocharged engine from a Formula 1 car, and it produces over 1000 horsepower. But what makes them so different?

FBI Retracts Memo Labeling Traditional Catholics ‘Violent White Supremacists,’ Pushing Infiltration Of Christian Communities

FBI Retracts Report Labeling Trad Catholics Thought Terrorists: Aleaked FBI report revealed that the Bureau’s Richmond, Virginia Division is investigating the threat of “white supremacy” among Catholics who prefer Latin Mass. Since the leak made headlines, FBI headquarters rescinded the report, claiming it does not “open an investigation based solely on First Amendment protected activity.”

Pope at Sunday Angelus: Pray for Imprisoned Bishop Álvarez in Nicaragua; Pray for ‘Earthquake Victims in Syria and Turkey’

Pope at Angelus: Faith is a love story with God - Vatican News: How to be fulfilled in faith and reciprocate God's love was the message at the heart of the Pope’s reflection on Sunday as he addressed believers gathered for the recitation of the Angelus. Reflecting on the Gospel of the day, Pope Francis said Jesus “makes us understand that religious rules are necessary, they are good, but they are only the beginning: to fulfil them, it is necessary to go beyond the letter and live their meaning.”

Turkey in the Footsteps of St. Paul and the Church Fathers — Lystra, Derbe, Nazianzus, and Cappadocia

Chapter%202%3A%20In%20the%20Footsteps%20of%20St.%20Paul%20%26%20the%20Church%20Fathers%20of%20Turkey%20%u2014%20Adventures%20in%20Lystra%2C%20Derbe%2C%20the%20Red%20Church%2C%20Nazianzus%2C%20%26%20Cappadocia%20%u2013%20%u0396%u03AE%u03C3%u03C4%u03B5%20%u03B6%u03B5%u03C3%u03C4%u03CC%u2026%20%22STAY%20HOT%22BEAUDOIN: The letters to Timothy in the Bible were written by St. Paul to St. Timothy of Lystra. Timothy’s pious mother, Eunice, was a Jew who had converted to Christianity and his father was a Greek pagan. St. Timothy became one of St. Paul’s most dedicated disciples who followed him on his journeys. St. Timothy later became the bishop of Ephesus (also in what is today Turkey) and was martyred.

Nicaragua’s Socialist Ortega Regime Declares Bishop Rolando Álvarez ‘Traitor to the Homeland,’ Sentences Him to 26 Years in Prison

BREAKING%3A%20Nicaragua%u2019s%20dictatorship%20sentences%20Bishop%20Rolando%20%C1lvarez%20to%2026%20years%20in%20prison%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20Agency: The dictatorship of Daniel Ortega in Nicaragua sentenced on Friday, Feb. 10, the bishop of Matagalpa, Rolando Álvarez Lagos, to 26 years and four months in prison, charging him with being a “traitor to the homeland.” The sentence against Álvarez comes just one day after the dictatorship deported 222 political prisoners to the United States.

Former Priests for Life Officials Call for Frank Pavone to Step Down as National Director

BREAKING: Former Priests for Life officials call for Pavone to step down | Catholic News Agency: Two former officials of Priests for Life are calling for laicized priest Frank Pavone to step down as national director of the pro-life organization to allow for an independent investigation of his conduct. In a joint statement released Friday, Andrew Smith, a former employee and board member of Priests for Life, and Father Stephen Imbarrato, who served as a member of the organization’s pastoral team...

Why things matter, Feds in the pews, and the places we go to sit down

Why things matter, Feds in the pews, and the places we go to sit downCONDON: Today, if you would like to know, is the feast of St. Scholastica, and the anniversary of the shipwreck of St. Paul on the island of Malta. I had intended to write something about a Roman-era legend which held that Malta was populated by cannibals, and so St. Paul had every reason to be shocked by the warm welcome he received on the island. But it turns out that there was no such legend, and the Italian priest who told me that was yanking my chain...

Why do horses wear shoes? And what happens to wild horses that don’t?

Why do horses wear shoes? | Live Science: Horses have been central to human transportation and agriculture for centuries. These symbols of power and speed require hoof care and new shoes every four to six weeks to stay on the job. But why?

Ukraine’s Main Catholic Church Moves Christmas to Dec. 25 (Gregorian Calendar) in Pivot to West

Ukraine's Main Catholic Church Moves Christmas to Dec. 25 in Pivot to West: Ukraine's main Catholic church said on Monday it would move to a new calendar that would see Christmas celebrated on Dec. 25 rather than Jan. 7, amid an effort by Ukrainian institutions to break cultural links to Russia.

Exhausted by intractable evil? Our Lord has already won...

Exhausted by intractable evil? Our Lord has already won. | Catholic CultureMIRUS: The logical follow-up to my commentary last Friday on Tragi-comic news is a more serious consideration of the intractability of evil. For if we are honest, we understand that the sheer weight of evil in this world cannot be thrown off by human means. We will beat our heads against the proverbial wall of evil only to find that, when we have finished, we have not managed to visibly reduce the amount of evil in the world...

You can’t see atoms, so why can you see stars?

You%20Can%u2019t%20See%20Atoms%2C%20so%20Why%20Can%20You%20See%20Stars%3F%20-%20Vatican%20ObservatoryGRANEY: Are you skeptical of what you read? There is an on-line community called HASTRO-L, of historians of astronomy and people with an interest in the history of astronomy. It grew out of the University of Notre Dame’s regular history of astronomy conferences. There is a person who hangs out on HASTRO-L who I would describe as being very skeptical of what he reads and rejecting a lot of the ideas of modern astronomy...

Latest Turkey-Syria Earthquake Updates: Death Toll Passes 19,000 in What Erdogan Calls the “Disaster of the Century”

Latest Turkey-Syria Earthquake Updates: Death Toll Passes 19,000 - The New York Times: Three days after the devastating quake, the death toll in Turkey and Syria neared 20,000. Turkey’s Parliament approved the state of emergency that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had proposed for 10 provinces.

Don’t miss this excellent interview with pro-life Democrat Dan Lipinski, the former Illinois congressman now teaching at the University of Dallas

Catholic Social Teaching and the Two-Party System: Pro-Life Democrat Dan Lipinski on Pope Leo XIII, Partisanship and His New Teaching Role| National Catholic RegisterBROWN: Former Democratic U.S. Rep. Dan Lipinski of Illinois, a Catholic, is both taking on a new challenge and returning to his roots as the new Pope Leo XIII Fellow on Social Thought at the University of Dallas. Lipinski served eight terms in Congress as a pro-life Democrat before being defeated in his 2020 primary by pro-abortion challenger Marie Newman, after abortion groups backed her with substantial funding...