Washington Nationals pitcher Trevor Williams defends faith, slams Dodgers

Nationals pitcher Trevor Williams defends faith, slams Dodgers: Washington Nationals starting pitcher Trevor Williams, known for his devout Catholic faith and prominent tattoos, expressed his disappointment with the Los Angeles Dodgers’ decision to re-invite and honor a controversial group called “The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence.” The Dodgers’ announcement came after the franchise initially rescinded the invitation due to backlash from political and religious leaders across the nation.

Fort Worth bishop bans daily Mass and Confession until Carmelite nuns drop lawsuit

Fort Worth bishop bans daily Mass until nuns drop lawsuit: Bishop Michael Olson of Fort Worth told a monastery of cloistered Carmelite nuns Friday that he will continue to ban the celebration of daily Mass at the convent in response to a lawsuit filed against him by the religious sisters. The bishop will also restrict the nuns’ access to the sacrament of confession, he told the nuns.

25 Years Later, St. John Paul II’s Effort to Keep Sundays Holy Is Even More Timely

25%20Years%20Later%2C%20St.%20John%20Paul%20II%u2019s%20Effort%20to%20Keep%20Sundays%20Holy%20Is%20Even%20More%20Timely%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterDESOUZA: Twenty-five years ago, St. John Paul II issued one of his most “timely” documents. It has gone largely ignored, which is a great shame, as the fight for the Lord’s Day is being lost all over, in the broader culture and in the Church, too. Dated May 31,1998 — Pentecost that year — the apostolic letter Dies Domini was addressed to the whole Church on “keeping the Lord’s Day holy.”

Importance of Place: Make a House a Home

Importance of Place: Make a House a Home - LifeCraftCUDDEBACK: Bluebirds and tree swallows raise their young in a house. But though they make a nest, they don’t make a home. Humans make homes. A home is a house where humans make a life together. A home is a physical place distinct from all otherers precisely because it is the place of daily human life. And so perhaps other than a place of worship (which might be called God’s house), it is the most special place in material creation.

The Illuminating Science Behind Fireflies

The Illuminating Science Behind Fireflies | Science | Smithsonian Magazine: In the dark of a June evening, standing in the black mud of a New Jersey bog, an hour’s drive from home, Christopher Heckscher was alert to any flicker of light. He is an explorer, though this wilderness lies in one of the most densely populated regions of the United States: the Northeast megalopolis. And now, as pale stars appeared from behind the clouds, he needed one more firefly.

A deep dive: ‘The Little Mermaid’ then and now

A%20deep%20dive%3A%20The%20Little%20Mermaid%20then%20and%20now%20%u2013%20Catholic%20World%20ReportGREYDANUS: There’s something profoundly melancholy about Disney returning, in its present state of creative exhaustion and corporate decadence, to The Little Mermaid, the nucleus from which the entire Disney renaissance exploded, in a way along with everything that has followed. The last time Disney was artistically lost to the degree that it is now was in the doldrums of the 1980s...

Gower, Rosary mysteries, and the politics of ‘family compact’

This is a newsletter! Gower, Rosary mysteries, and the politics of 'family compact'JDFLYNN: Today is the feast of the second joyful mystery — the feast of the Visitation — and you’re reading The Tuesday Pillar Post, on Wednesday! There is, of course, much to be said about the Visitation of Mary to her cousin Elizabeth — and I’ve learned a great deal about it from the Advent episodes of Sunday School, our Bible Study podcast. Today is a good day to give those episodes a listen.

‘I want to see for myself’ — Thousands look for miracle at Gower Abbey in Missouri, where the body of Sister Wilhelmina Lancaster rests

'I want to see for myself' - Thousands look for miracle at Gower Abbey: To get to Gower Abbey, fly into Kansas City, Missouri, rent a car, and go north for a little while on the interstate out of town. From there, you’ll get on a state highway, and then a county road. You’ll drive across the rolling countryside of northwest Missouri and through small towns, past Dollars General, and Billy T’s Americana Café, and Good Shepherd Catholic Church.

Scientists discover 7,000-year-old road submerged under the sea off the coast of Croatia

7,000-Year-Old Stone Road Found Buried Under Sea in Croatia: When researchers started investigating a sunken settlement off the coast of Korčula Island near mainland Croatia, little did they know that they would soon unearth a surprise ancient stone road buried under a layer of sea mud. Researchers from the University of Zadar in Croatia discovered the road, roughly 13 feet wide and made of stone plates...

‘This City Belongs to Jesus Christ!’ — Thousands Gather in Times Square for Eucharistic Procession in New York City

PHOTOS: Thousands gather in Times Square for eucharistic procession in New York City | Catholic News Agency: In what many are calling the largest eucharistic procession ever held in New York City, thousands of people took to the streets reciting prayers and singing songs of praise on the vigil of Pentecost, May 27. The NYPD estimated more than 4,000 people took to the streets and processed through Times Square. Led by Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Espaillat of the Archdiocese of New York, the procession brought together priests, nuns, and laity to pray for the forgiveness of sins in the iconic city and the world.

Read Mark Twain’s ‘Joan of Arc’ — It Will Surprise You and Make You Want to Become a Saint

Read%20Mark%20Twain%u2019s%20%u2018Joan%20of%20Arc%u2019%20%u2014%20It%20Will%20Surprise%20You%20and%20Make%20You%20Want%20to%20Become%20a%20Saint%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterSIMONSON: Mark Twain’s Joan of Arc is perhaps the finest novel ever to have been written by an American. It’s a book with the power to change the lives of its readers. Yet I’m typically greeted with a surprised look, whenever I mention it to friends, over having strung together the names “Joan of Arc” and “Mark Twain” so closely in the same sentence. The greatest work penned by the man who is widely considered to be America’s greatest-ever author remains obscure today.

Vatican Makes It Official: Las Vegas Elevated to Become Newest Metropolitan Archdiocese in US, With Reno and Salt Lake City as Suffragans

Viva Arch Vegas! LV diocese elevated: The Diocese of Las Vegas, Nevada was elevated Tuesday to become a metropolitan see, with the Dioceses of Reno and Salt Lake City as suffragan dioceses. The move, which was first reported by The Pillar in November 2022, sees Las Vegas’ Bishop George Thomas become an archbishop. It was discussed by U.S. bishops at their November 2022 plenary meeting, and then sent to the Dicastery for Bishops in the Vatican curia, before a final decision from Pope Francis.

Toddler in North Korea ‘Sentenced to Life in Prison After Parents Caught With Bible,’ Says New State Department Report

Toddler%20in%20North%20Korea%20%u2018sentenced%20to%20life%20in%20prison%20after%20parents%20caught%20with%20Bible%u2019: A toddler was sentenced to life imprisonment in North Korea after the child’s family was found in possession of a Bible, according to a new report by the US State Department.

Dear Catholic Parishes: Stop Doing These Four Things!

Dear Catholic Parishes - STOP Doing These Four Things! - Catholic Missionary Disciples - College Station, TXLEJEUNE: The leading voices in Catholic leadership circles tell us the things we need to do in order to start parish renewal (I do this as well, as this blog so clearly demonstrates). But, what parishes STOP doing is sometimes MORE important, because it can mean breaking bad habits, calling out the harmful parts of our parish culture, gaining time to do more important things, and providing opportunities to take on all that great renewal advice you have never implemented in the first place...

I Have Come to Cast A Fire on the Earth

I Have Come to Cast A Fire on the Earth - A Homily for Pentecost Sunday - Community in MissionPOPE: What a wondrous and challenging feast we celebrate at Pentecost! A feast like this challenges us because it puts to the lie a lazy, sleepy, hidden, and tepid Christian life. The Lord Jesus said to the apostles, I have come to cast a fire on the earth (Luke 12:49). This is a feast about fire, a transformative, refining, purifying fire that the Lord wants to kindle in us...

A Lady’s Life in the Rocky Mountains

A%20Lady%u2019s%20Life%20in%20the%20Rocky%20Mountains%20%7C%20Charlotte%20was%20BothWELBORN: I spent much of yesterday reading this book, which means I spent much of yesterday wondering ... how did she? ... and feeling thoroughly inadequate. Isabella Bird (1831-1904) was an Englishwoman who was the child of an Anglican curate, was educated at home, had health challenges as a child and young woman…and then spent most of her adult life traveling the world.

Sex, money, and cloistered nuns? The strange case of Bishop Olson and the Fort Worth Carmelites

Sex, money, and cloistered nuns? The strange case of Bishop Olson and the Fort Worth Carmelites: A monastery of Carmelite nuns says a Texas bishop has threatened them all with dismissal from their order, as he conducts an investigation into an alleged offense by the convent’s superior.

Surely, the Holy Spirit desires to do more among us, but we must be open to Him...

The Holy Spirit Outpoured | Parishable ItemsFELTES: All plants and animals depend upon water to live. Water comes down to us freely from the sky. Though its appearance may vary (as rain, or hail, or snow, or dew) once it rests upon the earth it produces many different effects throughout creation. Water, while ever remaining itself, adapts to the need of every creature that receives it, growing apples on an apple tree, creating sweet sap in a maple tree, or generating many-kernelled cobs on a cornstalk...

Memorial Day 2023: Post Office in Kansas Renamed for Medal of Honor Recipient Father Emil J. Kapaun

Post office in Kansas receives new name in honor of Father Emil J. Kapaun | Catholic News Agency: After several years in the making, the United States Post Office in Herington, Kansas, will be changing its name to the Captain Emil J. Kapaun Post Office Building on May 30. This endeavor was first introduced in 2021 through a bill written by U.S. Rep. Tracey Mann, who wished to honor the life of the great Kansan and American hero.

The mysterious case of the Missouri nun whose body was just found surprisingly well-preserved, four years after burial

Four%20Years%20After%20Burial%2C%20Missouri%20Nun%u2019s%20Body%20Found%20Surprisingly%20Well-Preserved%20%28May%2027%29%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterDEMELO: Hundreds of pilgrims have flocked to a Missouri monastery this week to see the remains of Sister Wilhelmina Lancaster, a Benedictine sister who died four years ago and whose recently exhumed body shows very little signs of decay. EWTN News’ Kelsey Wicks went to Gower, Missouri, last weekend to cover this remarkable story.

On Pentecost, Pope Francis Says Holy Spirit Can Bring Harmony to ‘a Polarized Church’

On%20Pentecost%2C%20Pope%20Francis%20says%20Holy%20Spirit%20can%20bring%20harmony%20to%20%u2018a%20polarized%20Church%u2019%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20AgencyMARES: On the Solemnity of Pentecost, Pope Francis urged Catholics to invoke the Holy Spirit daily to bring harmony to a divided world, a polarized Church, and to broken hearts. Speaking in St. Peter’s Basilica, the pope explained that the role of the Holy Spirit, both at the beginning of the creation of the world and at all times, is to make

8 Things to Know and Share About Pentecost

8 Things to Know and Share About Pentecost| National Catholic RegisterAKIN: The original day of Pentecost saw dramatic events that are important to the life of the Church. But where did the feast of Pentecost come from? How can we understand what happened on it? And what does it mean for us today? Here are eight things to know and share about it. First of all, the word comes from the Greek word for “50th” (pentecoste). The reason is that Pentecost is the 50th day...

Memorial Day and the freedom ‘for’ which we fought, one nation under God...

(4) Memorial Day: The Freedom 'For' Which We Fought, One Nation Under GodTSAKANIKAS: The real experience of the desire for the infinite and the transcendent is because God has placed his own image within every human in order to give us hope. That image is only finally realized by being brought into greater participation and likeness to God. Likeness to God begins by elevating and integrating all human desires into intelligence, truthfulness and love...

Friendship is the remnant of paradise...

The Canons of Friendship ~ The Imaginative ConservativeHILDEBRAND: Aristotle sees it as a virtue, and one’s behavior toward one’s friendstells us a great deal about a person’s character. That great friendships are rare is a sad fact that has been powerfully expressed in the words of Ovid: Donec eris felix, multos nu­merabis amicos. Ternpora si fuerunt nubila, solus eris...

Embracing Pope Francis’ encyclical ‘Laudato Si’ means rejecting gender theory

Embracing%20Pope%20Francis%u2019%20%u2018Laudato%20Si%u2019%20Means%20Rejecting%20Gender%20Theory%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterLIEDL: This week marks eight years since Pope Francis promulgated his first encyclical, Laudato Si. It’s been a time to reflect upon the prophetic insights of this teaching document, and to consider what more needs to be done to implement its call to greater care for our common home. Screenings of “The Letter,” a documentary that connects the Pope’s teaching to environmental activists carrying aspects of it out in different parts of the world...

The Woman Caught in Adultery

The%20Woman%20Caught%20in%20Adultery%20%u2013%20Jimmy%20AkinAKIN: The two longest passages in the New Testament that have questionable origins are the longer ending of Mark (16:9-20) and the section on the adulteress in John’s Gospel (7:53-8:11). Interestingly, both passages are twelve verses long. We’ve already discussed the longer ending of Mark, and here we take up the story of the adulteress.

Pope Francis Resumes Normal Schedule One Day After Fever, Will Offer Pentecost Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica

Pope Francis resumes normal schedule one day after fever | Catholic News AgencyBROCKHAUS: Pope Francis resumed his normal schedule of appointments on Saturday morning after suffering from a fever the day prior, a Vatican communications official said. Andrea Tornielli, the editorial director of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Communication, wrote on Twitter on the morning of May 27 that Pope Francis had “resumed his regular audiences.”

This Sunday, Into Our Church He Commits His Spirit

This Sunday, Into Our Church He Commits His Spirit | Benedictine College Media and MoreHOOPES: In the Gospel for Pentecost Sunday Year A, Jesus breathes on the Apostles in the upper room and says “receive the Holy Spirit.” Think of what that means in that room at that time. The last reference the Gospels made to his breath and his spirit was on the cross where, “crying with a loud voice, he said, ‘Father, into thy hands I commit my spirit!’ and having said this he breathed his last.”

Catholic circles are abuzz with the exciting news of a possible case of saintly incorruption in the state of Missouri...

Incorrupt%20in%20Missouri%3F%20%u2013%20Jimmy%20AkinAKIN: Sister Wilhelmina Lancaster passed on at the age of 95 in 2019. She was not embalmed. Recently, it was decided to move her remains into the monastery’s chapel, and it was discovered that the coffin had cracked, allowing moisture and dirt into it. Despite this, when the coffin was opened, the sisters did not discover the skeleton they expected. Instead, it was discovered that Sr. Wilhelmina’s body was remarkably well preserved, prompting word to spread of her as a possible case of incorruptibility.

Beer drinkers and soccer moms – changes in boycott ‘woke’ corporations wars

Podcast%3A%20Beer%20drinkers%20and%20soccer%20moms%20--%20changes%20in%20boycott%20%27woke%27%20corporations%20wars%20%u2014%20GetReligionMATTINGLY: In the summer of 1997, the Southern Baptist Convention called for a boycott of the Walt Disney Company, acting in response to some early power mouse gay-rights decisions. Eight years later, the leaders of America’s largest non-Catholic flock quietly called off the boycott, which was a bit of a dud. The news coverage was, well, joyfully muted. Why did this boycott fail?

Quiet fire, the problem with good ideas, and never sometimes

Quiet fire, the problem with good ideas, and never sometimesCONDON: Happy Friday, friends, and a blessed Pentecost for the days to come. It is a feast I hold dear every year. And as I think about those men on fire, I’m always struck by the inherent dynamic tension of the event. The disciples begin the day huddled in a locked room, paralyzed by fear. They end it rushing out into the street, animated by the Holy Spirit. What changes in between is their reception of the gift Christ promised at his ascension.

Why do dogs tilt their heads to one side? No one really knows, but a recent study offers some intriguing hints...

Why Do Dogs Tilt Their Heads to One Side? | Discover Magazine: You already know the look: Your dog is staring up at you, its eyes shining with curiosity and ears perked up. And, of course, the pup’s head is cocked slightly to one side in response to the sound of your voice. It’s just one of the many charming quirks that dogs possess. And a quick Google search will offer up plenty of theories for their adorable head-tilting behavior...

Pope Francis Cancels Friday Schedule Because of ‘Feverish Condition,’ Vatican Spokesman Confirms

Pope Francis has a fever, Vatican spokesman confirms | Catholic News AgencyBROCKHAUS: Pope Francis canceled meetings on Friday morning due to a fever, a Vatican spokesman confirmed. Matteo Bruni, director of the Holy See Press Office, told CNA that “due to a feverish condition, Pope Francis did not receive [anyone] in audience this morning.” As of Friday afternoon, the pope does not have any public appointments scheduled for May 27, according to the Vatican calendar...

Are you close enough with God to sit in silence with Him?

Are you close enough with God to sit in silence with him?MILLS: It was a great moment for me when, as a young and very ill-trained Christian — in many ways, a model of ignorance — I saw that God was my friend. I understood him as creator, and as judge, and as the savior who gave his own life for me, who’d be with me through everything, good and bad. I knew he wanted the best for me. That I understood. That had all been part of Christianity’s sales pitch...

Death Dynasty: Who were the Herods, and what do we know about them?

Death%20Dynasty%3A%20Who%20were%20the%20Herods%2C%20and%20what%20do%20we%20know%20about%20them%3F%20%u2013%20Jimmy%20AkinAKIN: Jesus Christ was the king of the Jews, but he wasn’t the only person of his day to have that title. In fact, according to the Romans, the legitimate king of the Jews was Herod the Great. This Herod was on the throne when Jesus was born, and he tried to kill Jesus as an infant, but he is not the only Herod in the Bible. We continue to read about Herod’s descendants in the Gospels and in Acts.

Trial for Father James Jackson’s Child Pornography Case Set to Begin on June 20

Trial%20date%20set%20in%20June%20for%20Father%20James%20Jackson%u2019s%20child%20pornography%20case%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20Agency: The federal child pornography case against Providence, Rhode Island, priest Father James Jackson is scheduled to begin on June 20. The trial date marks almost two years since Jackson, a member of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP), was arrested by the Rhode Island state police at his parish, shocking many of his current and former parishioners, including some of the traditionalist community online.

Fort Worth Nun Forced to Use Bishop-Appointed Canon Lawyer Amid Dispute With Diocese

Fort Worth nun forced to use bishop-appointed canon lawyer amid dispute with diocese | Catholic News Agency: A Carmelite nun who accused the Diocese of Fort Worth and Bishop Michael Olson of violating both civil law and canon law is now appealing to the Vatican after the bishop refused to let her choose her own canon lawyer for representation in a diocesan investigation, according to a civil lawyer representing the nun.

Everyone is a believer. We cannot avoid believing something. It all depends on who believes what...

Everyone is a Believer | Catholic CulturePOKORSKY: Jesus draws all of us to Himself through the Cross and Resurrection. He returns to the Father in His glorious Ascension and brings our humanity with Him. He completes His sacred mission of the Word as prophesized by Isaiah (cf. Is. 55:11). Heaven is the destiny of those who follow Him. We believe in heaven (but without daring to judge any soul) we also believe in hell for those who live evil lives and reject the commandments of Jesus.

How to encourage your pastor toward Eucharistic revival

Encouraging your pastor toward Eucharistic revival | Catholic CultureLAWLER: While many readers enjoyed my suggestions in A simpler program for Eucharistic revival, one friendly reader pointed out that something was missing from my list: an exhortation to parishioners “to keep encouraging their pastors.” Good point. If your pastor shares your desire to increase reverence for the Eucharist...

Vatican Official Arrives in Bolivia as Abuse Allegations Against Jesuits Escalate

Pope sends Vatican official to Bolivia as abuse allegations escalate | AP News: Pope Francis has sent one of his top sex crimes investigators to Bolivia at a time when the Andean nation is being shaken by an escalating pedophilia scandal involving priests. Monsignor Jordi Bertomeu, a leading member of the church’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, arrived in Bolivia on the same day as a former Jesuit seminarian landed in the country vowing to reveal more information about alleged cases of abuse.

The Holy Eucharist feeds the heart what it most needs...

The Bread of Life and the Need of the Human Heart - SpiritualDirection.comLILLES: Even earthly bread, if received with thanksgiving, is food for the heart. It joins us in fellowship and sustains not just our bodies, but something of our spirits too because of the love that it expresses. Yes – bread reveals the love of the one who provided it. This love is more important than the nutrients it contains. If this is true of earthly gifts, how much more heavenly bread?

Martyrs, bishops, and keeping our souls

Martyrs, bishops, and keeping our soulsJDFLYNN: Twenty-seven years ago this week — on May 21, 1996 — seven Trappist monks were martyred in Algeria, after spending two months in the captivity of the terrorist Armed Islamic Group. The kidnappers had come to the Abbey of Our Lady of Atlas on March 27 of that year, kidnapping the monks in the middle of the night. The captors demanded the release of Abdelhak Layada, one of their group's leaders, who was in prison and awaiting the execution of a death sentence.

Have the first shots been fired in a coming war over Humanae Vitae?

Humanae Vitae: have the first shots been fired in a coming war? - Catholic HeraldMONTAGNA: Italy’s current birthrate is 392,598 newborns per year, a staggering 30 percent drop since 2008, unsustainably low for any country. To avert catastrophe Italy must reach 500,000 newborns annually by 2033. Ever since his “Catholics shouldn’t breed like rabbits” comment in 2015, Pope Francis has not been popularly perceived as a person sympathetic to pro-natalist policies and attitudes...

LA Dodgers strike out in honoring anti-Catholic activists

Dodgers strike out in honoring anti-Catholic activistsBRISCOE: The L.A. Dodgers will be honoring the so-called “Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence” after all. After a back-and-forth that caught national attention, the baseball franchise has ultimately decided to present the Community Hero Award to the LGBTQ activist group at the stadium’s Pride Night, to be held June 16. For those who are not aware, the “Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence” are a group of gay men who dress in drag as Catholic religious sisters...

Self-Pity is a wonderful companion — comforting and understanding. So why does self-pity leave us unsatisfied?

Woe is Me! | DominicanaJEREMIAHTOBIN: Self-Pity is a wonderful companion. She understands you. She comforts you. She fixes you a stiff drink and reassures you that you’ve been wronged. After all, you have been wronged, haven’t you? She knows the real story. To her, you are perfect. When we pity ourselves, we think we are responding rightly to an injustice...

Pondering a Forgotten Virtue: Vengeance

Pondering a Forgotten Virtue: Vengeance - Community in MissionPOPE: Most of us think that vengeance is merely a vice. And, given improper intentions, or excess or misguided application, it can indeed be a sin and a vice. However, as we read in Scripture, “Vengeance is mine, says the Lord, I will repay” (Rom 12:19). Or again, as St. Thomas Aquinas notes, the scriptures assure: “Will not God avenge His elect who cry to Him day and night?” (Lk 18:7). But if vengeance is only a vice and an evil, then how can God attribute vengeance to himself...

German bishops’ leader: Lay homilies still on the agenda

German%20bishops%u2019%20leader%3A%20Lay%20homilies%20still%20on%20the%20agendaCOPPEN: The chairman of Germany’s bishops’ conference insisted Monday that the Vatican’s objection to a “synodal way” resolution calling for lay preaching at Masses is not the final word on the matter. Bishop Georg Bätzing suggested in a May 22 interview that a letter he received in March from Cardinal Arthur Roche, the prefect of the Dicastery for Divine Worship, did not represent a definitive Vatican rejection of homilies by laymen and women in German dioceses.

NYC Hunter College professor curses out students handing out pro-life literature at school

NYC Hunter College professor cursed out anti-abortion students tabling at school: A Manhattan college professor flipped out on a group of students who set up an information table opposing abortion inside the school building — cursing and tossing their pamphlets, video of the interaction shows.

LA Dodgers Reverse Course, Will Honor Anti-Catholic Drag Group at Pride Night Game

LA Dodgers reverse course, will honor anti-Catholic drag group at Pride Night game | Catholic News Agency: Catholic leaders reacted with disgust Monday night after the Los Angeles Dodgers re-invited the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence to be an honoree at the team’s LGBTQ+ Pride Night game on June 16 despite the drag group’s mockery of the Catholic faith. “When did mocking Catholic nuns become America’s pastime?“ the Catholic advocacy group CatholicVote tweeted.

Ascension: a Bittersweet Christian Mystery

Ascension: a Bittersweet Christian Mystery | Parishable ItemsFELTES: The bodily Ascension of Jesus into heaven feels like a bittersweet Christian mystery. Before ascending, Jesus said, “I am going to the one who sent me. ... But because I told you this, grief has filled your hearts. But I tell you the truth, it is better for you that I go. For if I do not go, the Advocate will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.”

Can Catholicism be passed on without Catholic culture?

Can%20Catholicism%20be%20passed%20on%20without%20Catholic%20culture%3F%20%u2013%20Catholic%20World%20ReportBONAGURA: A generation ago we bemoaned the many uncatechized Catholics sitting in the pews. Many of the children of that generation are now Millennials who have wandered beyond uncatechized to unchurched. They rarely attend Mass, if ever, and neither do their young children. The statistics identify these parents among the least religious groups in American history. The Catholic Faith is as vague a notion to them as quantum physics or calculus.

Vatican experts uncovering gilded glory of Hercules statue struck by lightning

Vatican experts uncovering gilded glory of Hercules statue struck by lightning | AP News: Scaffolding in a niche of the Vatican Museums’ Round Hall conceal from view the work of restorers who are removing centuries of grime from the largest known bronze statue of the ancient world: the gilded Hercules Mastai Righetti. For more than 150 years, the four-meter-tall (13-foot-tall) figure of the half-human Roman god of strength has stood in that niche, barely garnering notice among other antiquities because of the dark coating it had acquired.

Mary’s visitation to St. Elizabeth was just the first of many she has made

Mary%u2019s%20life%20of%20visitations%20-%20Arlington%20Catholic%20HeraldMANGAN: “Meditations on Mary” (New York: Alba House, 1993), which has an Introduction from Franciscan Father Benedict J. Groeschel, (1933-2014), has a series of conferences that the then-Msgr. Cooke, who was secretary to the famous Cardinal Francis Spellman, gave at Lourdes, France, in 1958 on the 100th anniversary of those cherished apparitions of Our Blessed Lady to Bernadette Soubirous.

A Miracle in Missouri? Pilgrims Flock to Town Near Kansas City After Exhumed Body of Benedictine Sisters’ Foundress Appears to Be Incorrupt

A%20miracle%20in%20Missouri%3F%20Body%20of%20Benedictine%20Sisters%u2019%20foundress%20thought%20to%20be%20incorrupt%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20Agency: Hundreds of pilgrims have descended on a Benedictine monastery for religious sisters in rural Missouri in recent days after news began to spread on social media last week that the recently exhumed remains of the contemplative order’s African American foundress appear to be incorrupt, four years after her death and burial in a simple wooden coffin.

Pope’s Sunday Regina Coeli: ‘Jesus leads the way to heaven with His Ascension’

Pope: Jesus leads the way to heaven with His Ascension - Vatican News: Addressing the crowds gathered in Saint Peter's Square for the Regina Coeli prayer on this Sunday marking the Ascension of the Lord in Italy and many other countries around the world, Pope Francis reflected on two key aspects of this feast: why we celebrate Jesus' departure from the earth, and what He does now in heaven.

Carmelite Nuns Sue Fort Worth Bishop Michael Olson Over ‘Grave Misconduct’ in Investigation of Mother Superior

Carmelite%20nuns%20sue%20Fort%20Worth%20bishop%20over%20%u2018grave%20misconduct%u2019%20in%20investigation%20of%20mother%20superior%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20Agency: Nuns from an Arlington, Texas, Carmelite monastery are suing the Diocese of Fort Worth and the bishop for $1 million for alleged violations of privacy and harming the physical and emotional well-being of the sisters.

The consequence of Our Lord’s words about His Ascension are enormous...

This%20Sunday%2C%20Do%20We%20Do%20What%20Jesus%20Asked%3F%20We%20Used%20To%20%u2026%20%7C%20Benedictine%20College%20Media%20and%20MoreHOOPES: “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us,” is how it started. “Why are you standing there looking at the sky? This Jesus who has been taken up from you!” is how it ended. He lived with us, walked with us, taught us, lived as an example for us, gave his life for us. And then he left. Now we live his life for him...

Out of season, out of sight, and out of time (and why moving Ascension Thursday to Sunday is just plain ugly)

Out of season, out of sight, and out of timeCONDON: The Feast of the Ascension of the Lord, of course, properly falls on a Thursday every year, taking place 40 days after Easter, when Christ departed into heaven in view of his disciples. But since the mid-1990s, observance of the feast has been transferred to the following Sunday in many places, including throughout much of the United States, though of course, not everywhere.

When I was a student at Catholic University, I got kicked out of my dorm. Years later, they gave me a commencement gift I never expected...

The commencement gift I never expectedLOPEZ: I didn’t go to my college commencement ceremony. I graduated in three years and had my diploma delivered by messenger to the office National Review then had on Capitol Hill. So, imagine my shock when a few days after my birthday this year in late March, I received a note from a staffer at the president’s office at the same school. It said that I was being granted an honorary doctorate from The Catholic University of America.

Four scenes from a marriage, including a near death experience

David Mills: Four scenes from a marriage, including a near death experience | Pittsburgh Post-GazetteMILLS: My wife had made me a sandwich and then remembered we had some red onions. She brought in a plate with half an onion and two slices on it, set it on my desk, pointed to the slices and said, “Those are the slices.” After years of raising children, and though our youngest is 25, I think she sometimes slips into mommy gear without realizing it. The alternative is that she thinks I’m an idiot.

I would rather love Jesus than love my neighbor

I would rather love Jesus than my neighbor | Knowing Is DoingTORRE: One of God’s most profound gifts is the ability to communicate. There is a sense of truth and beauty when two people can share and come to a mutual understanding or respectful and loving disagreement on a specific topic where both examples end in a genuine expression of charity. My wife and I cherish our opportunities to discuss anything whenever time permits. No topic is off-limits, and we can be a bit lively because of our Italian and Mexican heritage.

To See the Beauty of Motherhood

(4) To See the Beauty of Motherhood - by Tim ClarkTIMCLARK: In the twilight of her life, Sister Justine, one of the Sisters of Charity, related the following story about a small, but profound interaction she had with St. Bernadette, the seer of Lourdes. As I read this passage yesterday—on Mother’s day—the thought occurred to me, “We almost always look for, see, and praise the copper knobs around us.”

Pope Sends Cardinal Zuppi on Peace Mission Seeking End to War in Ukraine

Pope asks Italian cardinal to carry out Ukraine peace mission | Reuters: Pope Francis has asked Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, head of the Italian bishops' conference, to carry out a peace mission to try to help end the war in Ukraine, the Vatican said on Saturday. Francis first spoke cryptically of his intention to launch a mission when he was returning from a trip to Hungary last month but gave no details.

New report says Germany’s Catholic dioceses are facing major declines in membership, revenue

New report says Germany's Catholic Church faces major decline in membership, revenue: Germany's Catholic Church will be forced to give up a third of its properties in the face of dwindling membership and revenue, according to a new report, with many buildings facing demolition unless converted to other uses. "It's a fact that church attendance has strongly (been) reduced, with a significant and steady decline in priestly vocations and church membership, and an increasing loss of financial income," said Matthias Kopp, spokesman for the German bishops' conference.

Pope Benedict XVI predicted that gender ideology would be the final rebellion against God

Pope Benedict predicted gender ideology would be final rebellion against God - Catholic HeraldCALDWELL: Pope Benedict XVI predicted that gender ideology would be the next great challenge to the Church and the final rebellion against God, a U.S. moral theologian has revealed. Dr. John Haas, a former member of the Pontifical Academy for Life, said the late pope made the “unsolicited” observation during a private conversation at the Vatican in 2014, the year after Benedict relinquished his petrine office.

This intriguing theory about ‘The Lord of the Rings’ holds that J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-Earth isn't a place — it’s a time in (English) history

Middle-Earth isn't a place. It's a time in (English) history: There are tons of theories surrounding J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings and, more broadly, the fictional world of Middle-Earth in which the books take place. One of these theories is that Middle-Earth is actually not a fictional world at all, but our own Earth in prehistoric times, before...

Vatican Withdraws World Youth Day 2023 Stamp After Criticism in Portugal

Vatican withdraws World Youth Day 2023 stamp after criticism in Portugal | Catholic News Agency: A Vatican-produced postage stamp to commemorate the upcoming World Youth Day 2023 in Portugal has been withdrawn after criticism over its use of a mid-20th-century monument that is controversial in some Portuguese circles. The stamp, created by the Vatican Philatelic Service and issued on May 16, shows Pope Francis leading a group of children up the Monument to Discoveries...

Right, left, and center, why is no cardinal good enough to be papabile anymore?

Right, left, and center, why is no cardinal good enough to be papabile anymore?: Past a certain point in a pontificate, handicapping the frontrunners to succeed the pope becomes an inevitable part of the daily chatter among curial staffers and Vatican journalists. But the current field of contenders is surprisingly thin, and, given the increasingly critical coverage any potential papabile seems to attract, there may be a real risk for any cardinal seen to be flying too high.

Crazed Driver Smashes Through St. Anne’s Gate at Vatican; Guards Fire at Vehicle Before Arresting Suspect

Car rushes through Vatican gate, police fire at tires before arresting driver - CBS News: A car driven by someone with apparent psychiatric problems rushed through a Vatican gate Thursday evening and sped past Swiss Guards into a palace courtyard before the driver was apprehended by police, the Holy See said.

Can You Be Forced to Work on Sundays? Supreme Court to Announce Decision Soon

Can You Be Forced to Work on Sundays? Supreme Court to Announce Decision Soon| National Catholic RegisterSHAW: Both the extent and the limitations of the Supreme Court’s power are visible in a pending case raising the question of how far employers must go to accommodate employees’ religion. Underlying this dispute — yet obviously unreachable by the Supreme Court — is the larger reality of the sabbath’s de facto secularization in today’s America.

Prepare for the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost with ‘A Rushing Wind’ novena (May 19-27)

Holy Spirit Novena - reCatholic: Join Catholics from around the globe in prayer from May 19th to May 27th, 2023, in preparation for the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. A Rushing Wind is a novena steeped in Scripture, the saints, and the teaching of the Church, and is designed to rekindle our love for the Holy Spirit and let Him renew our lives.

Video: Drone Captures 4K Footage of Avalanche Cascading Down Mountain

VIDEO: Drone Captures 4K Footage of Avalanche Cascading Down MountainCheers to this drone pilot whose quick reaction time and expert flying allowed him to take advantage of this once in a lifetime opportunity to film a natural avalanche in action. This cinematic level avalanche footage was captured with a long range drone with on Vancouver Island in British Columbia. Some would say this was a lucky shot but I’d say this is an example of where preparation meets opportunity...

You’re never too old to become Catholic. Just ask Mrs. Betty Baker of Kentucky, who just entered the Church at age 87...

Meet Betty Baker of Kentucky, Who Just Became Catholic at Age 87| National Catholic RegisterARMSTRONG: “I can’t kneel, and I can’t remember the prayers, but being Catholic is the right thing for me,” she told the Register. I had caught sight of Betty’s white hair and sweet smiling face alongside her daughter Lisa who had posted on Twitter @CatholicLisa that her mother became Catholic during the Easter Vigil. Mother and daughter agreed to a phone interview to talk about this momentous event.

We Lose So Much When We Lose Church Bells

We Lose So Much When We Lose Church Bells| National Catholic RegisterGRONDELSKI: Growing up in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, I was blessed by bells. Its nine Latin and three Greek Catholic parishes that existed before diocesan “renewal” into non-existence were bell-happy. Every day at 6am, noon and 6pm, most rang Angelus bells. On Sundays, you got 15-minute warning bells before Mass started. Sometimes on Sundays and certainly on Holy Saturday evening, you knew when the consecration was taking place as bells pealed...

What a Eucharistic Civilization Looks Like

What a Eucharistic Civilization Looks Like| National Catholic RegisterSTAUDT: The Eucharist is not a doctrine to be believed, but a reality to be lived — one that should shape our life and everything that we do. In my new book, How the Eucharist Can Save Civilization, I look at how, if we allow the Eucharist to change us, the transformation will ripple into the world, becoming a seed for the renewal of our civilization. What follows is an excerpt from the final chapter:

Is your doctor overcharging you? Never pay a medical bill without asking these questions first...

Is the doctor overcharging me? How to avoid huge medical bills and lower existing ones. - Vox: The cost of medical care in the United States is notoriously steep. From prescription drugs to knee replacements, the US outspends all other wealthy countries for nearly every procedure or medical service. These exorbitant costs are shouldered by patients, with about half of American adults reporting difficulties affording health care costs, according to Kaiser Family Foundation polling...

Are you mispronouncing the names of these U.S. cities?

Are%20You%20Mispronouncing%20the%20Names%20of%20These%20U.S.%20Cities%3F%20%u2014%20Daily%20Passport: We get it: “Worcester” really does look like it ought to be pronounced “war-chester,” and many agree that the city in Washington state should sound like “spo-CANE.” But, alas, spoken language is a mutable and non-empirical thing. And when talking about the proper, correct pronunciation of place names — especially tricky ones — the locals always know best. But fear not: Avoid embarrassment and eye-rolls by learning how to pronounce these nine commonly mispronounced U.S. cities.

I made a significant error in reviewing a new book earlier this week. Allow me to correct that mistake...

Looking at the world with courage to look first at Christ | Catholic CultureMIRUS: A fascinating new book from Ignatius Press invites both comment and praise: Confession of a Catholic Worker. Larry S. Chapp, a former professor of Catholic theology who came to the fulness of faith in the Catholic Worker movement, offers a unique perspective on the spiritual landscape today, with plenty of good ideas about what it means to be a truly cruciform Catholic...

Here are 17 things to encourage (like Eucharistic processions) and 13 things to discourage (like liturgical abuses) to bring about Eucharistic revival

A simpler program for the Eucharistic revival | Catholic CultureLAWLER: Last year, on the feast of Corpus Christi, the US bishops’ conference launched a four-year program aimed at a National Eucharistic Revival, designed to “restore understanding and devotion to this great mystery here in the United States.” The goal of the program is commendable; every faithful Catholic recognizes the urgent need for a recovery of reverence for the Eucharist. But I suggest that our bishops are missing the most obvious means toward that end—the quickest, most direct route to the desired goal...

The Resurrection and the ‘Longer Ending’ in the Gospel of Mark

The%20Resurrection%20in%20Mark%20%u2013%20Jimmy%20AkinAKIN: You sometimes hear skeptics casting doubt on the Christian message by saying that Mark, the earliest of the Gospels, doesn’t even have the resurrection of Jesus in it. What are they talking about? Mark 16:9 reads, “Now when he rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons.” That’s certainly a mention of the Resurrection, isn’t it?

New comic book superhero inspired by St. Maximilian Kolbe

New comic book superhero inspired by St. Maximilian KolbeMAURO: There’s a new superhero on the block, and his story was inspired by a Catholic saint. Medal Knight is the latest graphic novel from Voyage Comics, a publisher committed to creating high quality entertainment informed by Catholic values. Voyage’s offerings include features on the lives of saints, like Digital Disciple: Carlo Acutis and the Eucharist, and adventures inspired by the works of great Catholic thinkers...

LA Dodgers Disinvite Anti-Catholic ‘Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence’ Drag Performers From ‘Pride Night’ After Backlash

Dodgers Disinvite Anti-Catholic Drag Performers From Pride Night After Backlash| National Catholic RegisterBUKURAS: The Los Angeles Dodgers have announced that the franchise will no longer be honoring a group of drag performers that mock the Catholic faith on June 16 during the team’s LGBTQ+ Pride Night after receiving criticism from Catholic leaders. In the Dodger’s May 17 statement about its Pride Night, the organization said on Twitter...

The Pope’s latest watershed for the laity probably ought to come with a warning

Pope%u2019s%20latest%20watershed%20for%20laity%20probably%20ought%20to%20come%20with%20a%20warning%20%7C%20CruxALLEN: In what’s been taken as the latest turning point in Pope Francis’s campaign to empower laity in the Catholic Church, on Saturday the pontiff issued a new fundamental law for the Vatican City State which, for the first time, allows both lay men and women to sit on its governing commission.

Two Ascensions? Do I celebrate ‘Ascension Thursday’ or ‘Ascension Sunday’?

Two Ascensions? Do I celebrate 'Ascension Thursday' or 'Ascension Sunday'?: Catholics in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, and New York will celebrate on Thursday the solemnity of the Ascension — a “holy day of obligation” — while Catholics in the rest of the U.S. will celebrate the feast on Sunday, and are not required to attend Mass on Thursday.

NASA’s 4 web-based ‘Eyes’ apps (Solar System, Asteroids, Earth, and Exoplanets) are great educational tools

NASA's Web-Based 'Eyes' Apps are Great Educational Tools - Vatican ObservatoryTREMBLEY: NASA’s Eyes apps are a great way to explore our solar system, view the Earth’s climate and explore the thousands of exoplanets that have been discovered. The apps have gone through quite the technological evolution in recent years – originally released as an installable app for Windows and MAC, the Eyes apps now run in a web browser. This means the apps run cross-platform on smartphones, tablets, desktop PCs...

‘Pure Indoctrination’: Nonbinary Characters in ‘Transformers’ Children’s Show Raise Concern, Backlash

Nonbinary%20characters%20in%20kids%u2019%20Transformers%20show%20raise%20concern%2C%20backlash%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20Agency: A new Transformers show, which is rated for children ages 7 or older, has faced some backlash and concerns for pushing gender ideology on children through the introduction of nonbinary characters who identify as neither male nor female.

Pope pauses Wednesday general audience to take phone call (“We’ve been trying to reach you about your Popemobile’s extended warranty ...”)

Pope Francis receives phone call during general audience | Catholic News Agency: To the surprise of the crowd gathered in St. Peter’s Square, Pope Francis briefly interrupted his Wednesday general audience to take a phone call. After the pope greeted English-speaking pilgrims at his public audience on May 17, one of his assistants walked over to where Pope Francis was seated and handed him a cellphone.

Another Catholic order fades away: AP offers a familiar story, from only one point of view

Another%20Catholic%20order%20fades%20away%3A%20AP%20offers%20a%20familiar%20story%2C%20from%20only%20one%20point%20of%20view%20%u2014%20GetReligionMATTINGLY: The sad Catholic story format has become rather standardized by now. First, you need a declining college, seminary, parish, local school or a religious order. Then you add the details of the crisis and some brave quotes from the people who have decided to make hard decisions about the future — including their beliefs about the reasons for the decline.

Pro-Life Leader Lila Rose Goes Viral in Exchange with ‘Whatever’ Host

Pro-Life%20Leader%20Lila%20Rose%20Goes%20Viral%20in%20Exchange%20with%20%u2018Whatever%u2019%20Host%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterMURPHY: In a viral clip being shared across the internet, pro-life leader Lila Rose of Live Action takes the host of ‘Whatever’ to task on what men are capable of, broaching the idea of monogamy and self-control, on a dating show that is watched my millions on platforms like YouTube and TikTok.

Target’s ‘Pride’ line of clothing tells kids to hate and brutalize their bodies

Target's 'Pride' Line Tells Kids To Hate And Brutalize Their BodiesMEW: Prepare yourself: There’s ample rainbow-washing ahead. We got our first peek into the consumerist goodies available for June’s LGBT Pride Month with the newly released capsule collection from Target. This lineup includes kitschy graphic tees with slogans such as...

Sign for blasphemous ‘God Is Trans: A Queer Spiritual Journey’ exhibit removed, but the exhibit will remain next to the altar at St. Paul the Apostle in Manhattan

UPDATE%3A%20%u2018God%20is%20trans%u2019%20exhibit%20remains%20in%20church%2C%20but%20with%20controversial%20title%20removed%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20AgencyBUKURAS: A controversial art display at a Manhattan Catholic church titled “God is Trans: A Queer Spiritual Journey” is undergoing a name and description change, but has not been removed as was previously reported. News of the exhibit at the Church of St. Paul the Apostle in Manhattan was originally reported by the New York Post on May 7, causing a firestorm online with many calling the artwork “blasphemous.”

Why woodpeckers can hammer without getting headaches

Why woodpeckers can hammer without getting headaches - BirdWatching: The feeding strategy of woodpeckers requires two specialized adaptations: one understood by the whole world, the other known to but a few students of birds. The first is the ability to hammer into wood and throw aside the chips, whether excavating a nest cavity or digging for tasty beetle grubs. The woodpecker’s head strikes with at least 1,000 times the force of gravity...

Taking ‘stock’ in the brown scapular, a Marshall matter, and that Tyler tweet

Taking 'stock,' a Marshall matter, and that Tyler tweetJDFLYNN: Today is the feast of St. Simon Stock, the 13th-century Carmelite who, by tradition, received from the Blessed Virgin the brown scapular which forms part of the Carmelite habit, and which — in smaller form — is worn daily by non-Carmelite Catholics around the world (including me!). The scapular represents the filial piety of Catholics who have entrusted themselves to the protection of Our Lady...

What Vatican City's new law could mean for laypeople

What Vatican City's new law could mean for laypeopleCONDON: Pope Francis on Saturday issued a revised Fundamental Law for the Vatican City State, a kind of constitutional law for the tiny territory surrounding St. Peter’s Basilica. The new constitution made a number of interesting reforms. But a key change in the text’s language raises deep questions about the legal thinking around Pope Francis...

Should I Stay or Should I Go? Catholics Discern Moving Over Social Values

Should I Stay or Should I Go? Catholics Discern Moving Over Social Values| National Catholic RegisterLIEDL: The day was beautiful. The students in Ann Arbor, having hardly seen the sun for several months, were out and about. I was among those out-and-about students on that spring day in 2003. Some friends and I were seated at a round table in a pizza restaurant. I’d met these friends through the Muslim Students Association. An hour of joking around, eating a late lunch, and not having a care in the world, had elapsed, feeling as though no time had passed at all...

The Cross of Christ Can Open the Door to Peace in the Holy Land

The Cross of Christ Can Open the Door to Peace in the Holy Land| National Catholic RegisterSIMONSON: The day was beautiful. The students in Ann Arbor, having hardly seen the sun for several months, were out and about. I was among those out-and-about students on that spring day in 2003. Some friends and I were seated at a round table in a pizza restaurant. I’d met these friends through the Muslim Students Association...

French Priests to Carry ID Cards to Show Whether They Are Sex Offenders

French priests to carry ID cards to show if they are sex offenders - Catholic Herald: Priests in France will be required to carry QR codes that the public can scan in order to check if they have been struck off as part of a sexual abuse clampdown. The new wallet-sized ID cards will, after being scanned by a mobile phone, bring up a green, orange or red light depending on the priest’s status and career history. The new system announced at the French Bishops’ Conference is designed to make the church more transparent but has been criticised as frivolous by some sex abuse survivor groups.

NASA Animation Shows Oceans Draining and What's Beneath the Sea We Never See

NASA Animation Shows Oceans Draining and What's Beneath the Sea We Never See: The majority of our planet, approximately three-fifths, lies beneath our vast oceans, including Earth’s longest mountain range and the land bridges early humans used to travel from one continent to another. Recently, planetary scientist James O’Donoghue remade a 2008 NASA video to show what could be revealed if all ocean water drained.

Jim Carrey’s surprising encounter with the Blessed Virgin Mary

Jim Carrey's Surprising Encounter with the Blessed Virgin MaryJAROMEZUK: Jim Carrey, the famous Hollywood actor from movies like "The Mask", "Dumb and Dumber" and "The Truman Show," told an amazing story a few years ago involving the Virgin Mary. The video went recently went viral. In Dec. 2014, Jim Carrey appeared on BBC One's "The Graham Norton Show," with actors Jeff Daniels and Jude Law, among others.

“It would change our politics”: Emilio Estevez tells readers of popular liberal website Salon why we should all take a pilgrimage

"It would change our politics": Emilio Estevez on why we should all take a pilgrimage | Salon.com: Why is Emilio Estevez re-releasing a film he directed his dad Martin Sheen in over 12 years ago? The actor-director stopped by Salon's studio to share the story behind the second release of his 2011 film, "The Way," which takes place in Spain along the 500-mile Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route where hundreds of thousands make the journey each year – a tradition since the 9th century.

“Bio-Hacking” and Living as a Human

%u201CBio-hacking%u201D%20and%20Living%20as%20a%20Human%20%u2014%20Tim%20Glemkowski%2C%20Catholic%20EvangelistGLEMKOWSKI: After a conversation with a friend at a Baptism party a month ago, I started taking cold showers every morning. This wasn't an Exodus 90 thing, but more about this concept of "bio hacking" - the basic idea, as I understand it, is that the world as we have constructed it today is so antithetical to what our bodies need that there are techniques used to trigger more natural responses to things, leading to better overall health.

‘Detrimental to Priestly Fraternity’: Pope to Ask Embattled Bishop Rick Stika to Resign as Bishop of Knoxville, Tennessee, Sources Say

Vatican to ask Stika for resignation: According to sources close to the Vatican’s Dicastery for Bishops, Pope Francis decided last month to request Stika’s resignation, after reviewing the results of a Vatican-ordered investigation into the bishop’s management. Stika is accused of protecting Wojciech Sobczuk, a seminarian accused multiple times of sexual assault...

The Holy Spirit comforts you when you take risky steps out into the strife

This Sunday, the Holy Spirit Comforts the Risk-Takers | Benedictine College Media and MoreHOOPES: Life is hard, and there is no “safe space” — as much as we would like there to be. That’s what Jesus tells the apostles on the Sixth Sunday of Easter Year A. The only way to find comfort in life is to live it generously. God isn’t found in the bunker; he is found in the open battlefield. Jesus tells his Apostles (and us) that he will send the Holy Spirit, but the Holy Spirit is always on the move...

Pope Francis and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy meet at Vatican

Pope%20Francis%20and%20Ukraine%u2019s%20President%20Zelenskyy%20meet%20at%20Vatican%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20AgencyBROCKHAUS: Pope Francis and the president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, met at the Vatican on Saturday. The May 13 encounter — their first since Russia initiated a full-scale war in Ukraine over 14 months ago — was around 40 minutes long. The two met in a small office off of the Paul VI Hall, which is close to Pope Francis’ Vatican residence.

Pope Francis Entrusts All Mothers to Blessed Virgin Mary on Mother’s Day

Pope%20Francis%20entrusts%20all%20mothers%20to%20Blessed%20Virgin%20Mary%20on%20Mother%u2019s%20Day%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20AgencyMARES: On Mother’s Day, Pope Francis entrusted all mothers, including those in heaven, to the Virgin Mary, the Mother of Jesus. Speaking from the window of the Apostolic Palace on May 14, Pope Francis asked the crowd gathered in St. Peter’s Square for a round of applause to celebrate all mothers.

Was Gordon Lightfoot’s great song about the Edmund Fitzgerald accurate?

Was%20Gordon%20Lightfoot%u2019s%20song%20about%20the%20Edmund%20Fitzgerald%20accurate%3F: In the wake of the death of musician Gordon Lightfoot and his famous folk song, “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald,” FreightWaves Classics is taking a look back at the wreck itself and the historical accuracy of the song.

Watch this spectacular Saturn V launch video with enhanced sound, courtesy of a NASA videographer and a Hollywood audio engineer...

New Advent: Watch this spectacular Saturn V launch video with enhanced sound, courtesy of a NASA videographer and a Hollywood audio engineer...: The videographer writes: “I edited this a few years ago when I worked as a NASA Videographer. We, at the Marshall Space Flight Center, spent years converting the original 16mm, 35mm and 70mm films to digital. As a side project, I decided to make the ultimate Saturn V launch and I spent weeks picking the best shots.”

St. Alphonsus Liguori Warns: God Sees Scandalous Priests as a Bear Sees Threats to Her Cubs

St. Alphonsus Liguori Warns: God Sees Scandalous Priests as a Bear Sees Threats to Her Cubs| National Catholic RegisterPENTIN: How important is it for priests to avoid the sin of scandal, whether it be through sinful actions, hypocrisy or spreading false doctrine? In a chapter entitled “The Sin of Scandal” in his book The Dignity and Duties of the Priest, St. Alphonsus Liguori pulls no punches in alerting priests to this grave danger, both in terms of their own eternal salvation and that of others.

What the Pope Just Did With the 21 Coptic Martyrs Is Historic and Rare — But Not Unprecedented

What%20the%20Pope%20Just%20Did%20With%20the%2021%20Coptic%20Martyrs%20Is%20Historic%20and%20Rare%20%u2014%20But%20Not%20Unprecedented%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterAKIN: In an unusual act, Pope Francis has included 21 non-Catholic Christians in the Roman Martyrology — an official list of martyrs, saints and blesseds. What’s more, he did so with the consent of a non-Catholic religious leader. The non-Catholic Christians were 21 men who had previously been canonized in the Coptic Church (20 of them had been Egyptian and one Ghanian), and the religious leader was the Coptic pope — His Holiness Tawadros II.

Morton’s table salt lids have a game-changing, not-so-secret feature that everyone is just finding out about

This Not-So-Secret Feature on Morton Table Salt Lids Is Game-Changing | Kitchn: Beyond just a place for me to find the latest dance trends and hilarious voice-overs, social media sites like Instagram and TikTok have become my go-to place for finding blatantly obvious-yet-ingenious tips and life hacks. From cutting onions to cleaning out a garbage disposal, the life-changing hacks found online are often so simple that I’m surprised I didn’t think of them first.

How Did the Chess Pieces Get Their Names?

How Did the Chess Pieces Get Their Names? - Atlas Obscura: A game of chess is like a Chinese newspaper: a set of symbols that can be understood by people who speak different languages. In the Chinese example, Mandarin and Cantonese speakers can read and understand the same text, even though they use different words for the same concepts.

The Death of a Son and a Mother’s Faith

The%20Death%20of%20a%20Son%20and%20a%20Mother%u2019s%20Faith%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterTURLEY: In August 2014, news broke that Islamic State jihadists had executed freelance journalist James Foley and posted a video of his beheading. Foley, 40, had been missing for two years while covering the conflict in Syria. James Wright Foley was born on Oct. 18, 1973, in Evanston, Illinois...

Unmasking the Cold War Communist Conspiracy to Undermine the Vatican

Unmasking the Cold War Communist Conspiracy to Undermine the Vatican | uCatholic: What if the story of Pope Pius XII as a Nazi sympathizer was actually the result of a Cold War-era communist plot to discredit the Vatican? In a clandestine operation worthy of a spy thriller, communist forces during the Cold War sought to tarnish the Vatican’s moral authority with a disinformation campaign called Operation Seat 12...

I’m a lucky child whose mother understood the primacy of love...

Primacy%20of%20Love%20%u2013%20Theology%20of%20HomeHUERCANOS: A good friend of mine got married at 25—the day before I started my PhD program. She quickly had a child, and then four more. Meanwhile, I went to graduate school, studied, and traveled. She confided in me recently that she admired the “cool things” I do, and that she sometimes worried she was depriving her children of something by not having had as many “experiences.” My initial reaction was that that was ridiculous...

Look at life’s waterfalls from below — where you can see the beauty and not feel the fear

Waterfall%20%u2013%20Theology%20of%20HomeMERING: When I was expecting my fourth child, after having suffered a number of traumatic losses already, another expectant mother commiserated with me that pregnancy felt a bit like approaching a waterfall. The machinations of my body were stretching and articulating as they prepared for the impending, dramatic rush of childbirth in all its glorious beauty and terrifying surrender.

Unpacking how history changed yesterday with recognition of Coptic martyrs

Unpacking how history changed yesterday with recognition of Coptic martyrs | CruxALLEN: For those with ears to hear, every so often it’s actually possible to detect the sound of history’s tectonic plates as they shift. Such was the case Thursday, with a remarkable gesture by Pope Francis of inscribing a group of Coptic Christian martyrs into the Roman Martyrology, Catholicism’s official compendium of saints.

21 Coptic Martyrs: ‘A Sign of the Spiritual Communion Uniting Our Two Churches’

The%2021%20Coptic%20Martyrs%3A%20More%20Orthodox%20Saints%20in%20the%20Catholic%20Church%20%u2013%20Building%20Catholic%20CultureSTAUDT: I have already remarked on the fact that Pope Francis made a non-Catholic a Doctor of the Catholic Church. St. Gregory Narek was a monk in the Armenian Apostolic Church, who died in the early 11th century. I also wrote a post on how Eastern Catholic Churches have brought Orthodox saints with them into the Catholic Church. This includes figures like the Patriarch Photius, who strongly criticized the Papacy and Catholic Trinitarian theology (although who did die in communion with Rome). Occasionally, it has included embracing Orthodox saints from after the time of reunion, such as Churches in the Slavonic tradition celebrating St. Seraphim of Sarov (1754-1833), a Russian monk who was included in the revision of the martyrology by John Paul II.

We Need to Recover a Sense of the Sacred in God’s House — and Here’s How We Can Begin

We%20Need%20to%20Recover%20a%20Sense%20of%20the%20Sacred%20in%20God%u2019s%20House%20%u2014%20and%20Here%u2019s%20How%20We%20Can%20Begin%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterGRONDELSKI: Just last Sunday, I visited a nearby parish where, frankly, I found praying before Mass subordinate to socializing. I know there are even “liturgists” who imagine such chattering “facilitates community” and do not discourage it. I hint at my age when I mention that the examination of conscience given once upon a time to first penitents asked, “Did I talk in church?”

Shame on Dennis Prager for defending porn

Shame on Dennis Prager for Defending Porn| National Catholic RegisterCLARK: In a recent discussion with Jordan Peterson, “conservative” radio host Dennis Prager recently defended both lust and pornography. Prager objected to Jesus’ admonition that a man who lusts after a woman has already committed adultery in his heart. Prager smugly stated: “There is only one way to commit adultery in Judaism, and it’s with a different organ.”

Why we should celebrate Mother’s Day

Why Celebrate Mother's Day - LifeCraftCUDDEBACK: The extraordinary richness of what-it-is-to-be-human can be veiled by its normality. Wisdom is often in noticing things so ordinary that they escape notice. Such as motherhood. We should observe Mother’s Day if for no other reason than it prompts us to look again at something right in front of us...

Archdiocese of New York ‘Investigating’ Parish for Displaying Blasphemous ‘God Is Trans; There Is No Devil’ Exhibit Next to Side Altar

New%20York%20Archdiocese%3A%20We%u2019re%20investigating%20%u2018God%20is%20trans%u2019%20exhibit%20at%20Catholic%20parish%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20AgencyBUKURAS: The Archdiocese of New York is investigating a Catholic parish in Manhattan for hosting an art exhibit called “God is Trans: A Queer Spiritual Journey.” The exhibit, which “maps the queer spiritual journey” and claims that “there is no devil” has upset some parishioners at the Church of St. Paul the Apostle, while others are supportive, the New York Post reported...

Why Your Catholic Men’s Group Will Eventually Fold

Why%20Your%20Catholic%20Men%u2019s%20Group%20Will%20Eventually%20Fold%20-%20Crisis%20MagazineMARCO: When my wife and I first got married, we didn’t have many friends who were practicing Catholics. I had to fish for a college friend to be the godfather of our firstborn, and I attended a Protestant Bible study for six years because I couldn’t find a Catholic one. We felt alone as we slowly turned the boat toward the shores of Catholic orthodoxy.

Father James Martin’s new “Outreach” ministry threatens to burn the bridge to authentic salvation

Father%20Martin%u2019s%20%u2018Outreach%u2019%20Ministry%20to%20%u2018LGBT%u2019%20Catholics%20Wants%20to%20Burn%20the%20Bridge%20to%20Authentic%20Salvation%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterCHAPP: Jesuit Father James Martin has started a new online resource for “LGBTQ” Catholics called “Outreach” that is an enterprise associated with America Media, whose magazine America is the flagship publication of American Jesuits. Outreach has recently put forward a new series of articles by various theologians, Scripture scholars, and those involved in “LGBTQ” ministry...

Did early Christians believe in dragons?

Did%20Early%20Christians%20Believe%20in%20Dragons%3F%20%u2013%20Jimmy%20AkinAKIN: Today people are fascinated by cryptids—hidden creatures—like Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster. In the ancient world, the most famous cryptid was the dragon, so did early Christians believe in them? The term dragon (Greek, drakôn) appears in the Greek Bible, but normally it is in a symbolic context...

An epic problem and humanitarian balloons

An epic problem and humanitarian balloonsJDFLYNN: The World Health Organization declared on Friday that Covid-19 is no longer a “global health emergency” — a move which has legal and policy effects in jurisdictions around the world. For most people, Covid, has been “over” for a while now. But while even the WHO can say officially that the Covid emergency is over...

We’re depressed because we don’t know how to live

Pope Francis Discusses Social & Spiritual Wisdom | National ReviewLOPEZ: Get off your cellphone and see the world. There is an adventure and happiness for you. That was Pope Francis’s message to young people while he was just in Hungary. He made headlines for talking about peace efforts between Ukraine and Russia. But some of his messages were about the war on human hearts in the West.

Is objective morality real?

Is%20Objective%20Morality%20Real%3F%20%u2013%20Jimmy%20AkinAKIN: I have been really hurting due to a question that I can’t seem to find an answer to wherever I look. Wherever I go, I can’t find a Christian that will answer my questions. I am Catholic, but this particular question causes me pain, because morality is the bedrock that my framework is built upon.

How to teach through the heart, with words of wisdom from the late Cardinal Pell

I Do Not Understand | Knowing Is DoingTORRE: The young man was perplexed upon hearing that God loves him but also allowed him to sin of his own free will. The statement by the guest lecturer was difficult for him to comprehend as a person who believed in God but had chosen not to act on his belief in God. How can a God who supposedly loves everyone allow the very same person to reject him?

Celebrities, monarchs, politicos, clergy and sacramental ghosts in coronation of Charles III

Celebrities%2C%20monarchs%2C%20politicos%2C%20clergy%20and%20sacramental%20ghosts%20in%20coronation%20of%20Charles%20III%20%u2014%20GetReligionMATTINGLY: If you read the main Associated Press report about the coronation of King Charles III then you know, in summery material near the top, that the rites were attended by “celebrities including Judi Dench, Emma Thompson and Lionel Richie.” You would not, however, know that — for the first time in history — the monarch processed into Westminster Abbey behind a new Cross of Wales which, because of a recent gift from Pope Francis...

I don’t envy King Charles the life he has led and will lead, presumably till he dies...

David Mills: Poor King Charles | Pittsburgh Post-GazetteMILLS: If you want to screw up a kid, raise him to be king. Especially when as king he'll spend his days having to act like a king without a king's power and authority — wearing the funny outfits, enduring the rituals, giving speeches written by others even when he disagrees with them, talking to politicians only pretending to care what he thinks, and always, always, always remembering the public is watching.

KC Chiefs Kicker Harrison Butker Offers Grads ‘Hard Truths’ About Family, Faith, and Cancel Culture

Harrison%20Butker%20offers%20grads%20some%20%u2018hard%20truths%u2019%20about%20family%2C%20faith%2C%20and%20cancel%20culture%A0%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20Agency: Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker offered graduating college students a wake-up call on Saturday. “I’m about to pop off some hard truths,” the two-time Super Bowl champion said as the commencement speaker at his alma mater, Georgia Institute of Technology.

King Charles’ coronation reminds us how desperately we need to rediscover so many of the things we cast aside

Coronation Considerations - Community in MissionPOPE: If you saw some or all of the coronation rituals for King Charles in England, you were certainly treated to an exceedingly beautiful event but also a “blast from the past.” It is highly significant that this is the first coronation in England in seventy years. Seventy years reaches back, prior to the wreckovation, iconoclasm and rude casting aside of all tradition and formality...

How the coronation of King Charles consecrated him symbolically as a priest-king like Solomon

King%20Charles%u2019%20Royal%20Priesthood%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterDESOUZA: God save the King! Long live the King! So the cries went up in Westminster Abbey at the coronation of King Charles III. Catholics watching may have been reminded of a frequent acclamation in the presence of the Holy Father: Viva il Papa! Long live the Pope! There was a time, during the time when the pope ruled over the Papal States as a temporal sovereign, that the cries were sometimes different...

Pope Francis, Jordan Peterson, and Social Justice

Pope Francis, Jordan Peterson, and Social Justice - Word on FireKACZOR: As a number of his tweets indicate, Jordan Peterson disagrees with Pope Francis about social justice. But is this an authentic disagreement in substance? Or is it merely an equivocation in which the term “social justice” is understood in one way by Peterson and in a different way by the Pope? Peterson’s understanding of “social justice” is presumably shaped by his years as a professor both at Harvard and the University of Toronto...

Heaven is living together as friends

Heaven Is Living Together as Friends ~ The Imaginative ConservativeDEAVEL: Fr. Servais Pinckaers, O.P. (1925-2008) was a Swiss theologian who worked to return Catholic moral theology to the orientation of the Patristic and Medieval greats. He argued that after the fourteenth-century thinker William of Ockham’s changes to the traditional understanding of the human will, almost all moral thinkers—Catholic, Protestant, rigorist, laxist, or whatever—boiled the moral life down simply to a question of obligations...

The Canon of Scripture: Who decided what made it into the Bible?

The Canon of the Bible: Who Decided What Made It In? ~ The Imaginative Conservative: St. John Henry Newman, the great 19th century English churchman, scholar and convert to Catholicism, famously once said, “To be deep in history is to cease to be Protestant.” That seems like a fitting way to begin because the genesis of this essay was my hearing a Catholic convert quote the New Testament passages he references when explaining to his Protestant family and friends why he became Catholic...

Demons have absolutely no compassion or remorse. The best defense, far more than any exorcism, is a humble and heartfelt confession

Exorcist Diary: Demons Are Without Remorse - SpiritualDirection.comROSSETTI: One of our spiritual sensitives was present in an exorcism session. The demons were tormenting and choking a possessed person. She was stunned by the demons’ complete lack of remorse or even an ounce of pity. In fact, they actually delighted in making the person suffer. This is an important insight for an exorcism team. We naturally expect people to show some compassion and to treat others with at least a modicum of respect. Demons do not...

Inspired by Franciscan University of Steubenville’s “household” model, this parish in South Bend is battling America’s epidemic of loneliness

%u2018Household%u2019%20gatherings%20offer%20intentional%20community%20at%20South%20Bend%20parishLOKER: Parishioners at St. Thérèse Little Flower in South Bend, Indiana, might just have a parish-based approach to address the epidemic of loneliness. The parish has launched a program of “households” – intentional communities of a few dozen people who gather one evening a month for food, fellowship and prayer. The households each have their own spirituality and devotions...

‘The Way’ Returns to Theaters — Because Pilgrimage Is Always a Good Idea

%u2018The%20Way%u2019%20Returns%20to%20Theaters%20%u2014%20Because%20Pilgrimage%20Is%20Always%20a%20Good%20Idea%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterNICOLOSI: On May 16, Fathom Events is featuring a special one-day re-release of the acclaimed feature film The Way. Written and directed by Emilio Estevez, the story takes place on the more than 1,000-year-old pilgrimage route across northern Spain culminating at the Cathedral of Santiago De Compostela. In 2018, 370,000 people traveled the Camino.

German Lay Organization Moves to Curtail Bishops’ Synodal Power: A Sign of Strength or Desperation?

German%20Lay%20Organization%20Moves%20to%20Curtail%20Bishops%u2019%20Synodal%20Power%3A%20A%20Sign%20of%20Strength%20or%20Desperation%3F%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterLIEDL: The Central Committee of German Catholics (ZdK) has announced that it will not accept the ability of the German bishops to veto resolutions in the upcoming “Synodal Committee” with more than one-third opposition. The position was conveyed by ZdK president Irme Stetter-Karp, who made her remarks during the lay group’s ongoing plenary assembly in Munich, reported by Katolisch.de, the official website of the Catholic Church in Germany.

Pope’s Sunday Regina Coeli in St. Peter’s Square: ‘Heaven Is Our Homeland ... Jesus Is the Way’

Pope at Regina Coeli: Heaven is our homeland - Vatican News: Addressing the faithful gathered in St Peter's Square for his Sunday Regina Coeli, Pope Francis noted that the day's Gospel Reading, which is taken from Jesus' last discourse before his death, shows us how even back then Jesus showed the disciples the way, thus reminding us that He does so today, too: "He tells us where to go and how to go there", said the Pope.

Most Americans Opposed to Transgenderism, Says New Washington Post Poll; 70% Oppose Puberty Blockers for Children

Most Americans support anti-trans policies favored by GOP, poll shows: Clear majorities of Americans support restrictions affecting transgender children, a Washington Post-KFF poll finds, offering political jet fuel for Republicans in statehouses and Congress who are pushing measures restricting curriculum, sports participation and medical care.

Elite editors often ignore Catholic stories, so why is Pope St. John Paul II a target?

Elite%20editors%20often%20ignore%20Catholic%20stories%2C%20so%20why%20is%20St.%20Pope%20John%20Paul%20II%20a%20target%3F%20%u2014%20GetReligionLISI: What is news? Who gets to define that term? These are questions that I ask students when I teach journalism during their freshman year in college. It sounds like a simple question — but increasingly an important one as we examine trends in recent religion coverage in the news media. The bottom line: There is a trend where many religion stories — especially those regarding Catholicism — receive zero coverage whatsoever in the secular mainstream press...

Believe, so that you may understand: Fides et Ratio at 25

(2) Believe, so that you may understand: Fides et Ratio at 25CHAPUT: In 1970, Michael Polanyi wrote an essay called “Why Did We Destroy Europe?” In it, he reflected on the cancerous spread of ideologies and war in the 20th century. He argued that scientific rationalism had initially “been a major influence towards intellectual, moral, and social progress.” But its chronic posture of skepticism and doubt undermined human reason itself and eventually bred a widespread nihilism...

How Our Lady will help Christians at the end of time, revealed by the great St. Louis de Montfort

How Our Lady Will Help Christians at the End of Time, Revealed by a 17th C. SaintJAROMEZUK: St. Louis Grignion de Montfort is the author of the famous True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin, one of the Marian works par excellence in the history of the Church. Beyond the devotional aspects, this saint prophetically narrates how the opposition between the devil and the Virgin Mary will be exacerbated at the end of time and how Our Lady will help Christians by distributing special graces in the midst of persecution of the Church.

How safe are your passwords? You might find this table surprising...

Are Your Passwords in the Green?: First, let’s get some key terms out of the way. We’re going to talk about “hashing.” In the context of passwords, a “hash” is a scrambled version of text that is reproducible if you know what hash software was used. In other words, if your friend hashes the word “password” using MD5 hashing software, the output hash will be...

With humanity looking to set foot on the Moon again for the first time in 50 years, space agencies around the world need lunar soil — and lots of it...

Why scientists are making fake Moon dust - BBC Future: Even with the walls of a volcanic crater looming behind the white-washed single-storey buildings, it would be easy to miss the sleepy town of Tao. It only takes a few moments to pass through it as you drive along the LZ-20 highway that cuts across the middle of Lanzarote, in the Canary Islands. And despite its vicinity to the Tamia volcanic crater at the heart of the island, Tao is not one of Lanzarote's key tourist attractions.

Pope Francis has been speaking more about divisions in the Church. And he’s including himself in those who must ask if they are responsible for fomenting them...

A Public Papal Examination of Conscience?| National Catholic RegisterDESOUZA: Pope Francis chose to let his 10th anniversary pass with no great ceremony and little public comment. Yet subsequently he seemed to be reflecting on his decade in the See of Peter and lamenting that his pontificate has become marked by growing divisions in the life of the Church. That was most evident in his recent apostolic visit to Hungary. It also formed what might be considered an examination of the papal conscience during Holy Week.

While Jesus makes it clear that we are the victims and he is the hero in a rescue story, Sunday’s readings reveal something more...

This%20Sunday%2C%20Jesus%u2019s%20Rescue%20Mission%20and%20Ours%20%7C%20Benedictine%20College%20Media%20and%20MoreHOOPES: In Lent, Jesus taught us how to recommit ourselves to the Suffering Servant and join his sacrifice. In the Easter Season, he teaches us how to commit ourselves to his Risen Life and join him in his joy. On the Fifth Sunday of Easter, Year A, he makes a key turn in that journey, drawing our attention to the place of safety and peace on the other side of the cross.

Blessed Carlo Acutis, the first millennial saint, led people to friendship with Jesus in the Holy Eucharist

Blessed Carlo Acutis and Friendship with Jesus in the Eucharist - SpiritualDirection.com: Christian friendship is so important and is so often taken for granted. Mutual friends can become part of each other’s lives so much so that they shape each other irrevocably as iron sharpens iron or as a statue is carved out from marble slowly over time. The love of holy friendships can mold us and motivate us in such a way that they can forever change how we relate to God, to ourselves, and the world...

Feds back off demand that Catholic hospital extinguish chapel candle

UPDATE: Feds back off demand that Catholic hospital extinguish chapel candle | Catholic News Agency: Federal government regulators backed off their demands that a Catholic hospital extinguish its chapel candle after the Oklahoma hospital’s lawyers argued that their client’s religious freedom was being violated. The hospital was informed that it will receive a waiver, provided it posts signs warning about keeping oxygen equipment away from the tabernacle candle, which is already enclosed and on a wall six feet off the ground.

Swearing in church, the first rule of Fight Club, and royal eccentrics

Swearing in church, the first rule of Fight Club, and royal eccentricsCONDON: Tomorrow is coronation day, and as you might expect it is a big deal for all of us in the Condon house, since we all have UK passports, and since our daughter has an affinity for a certain irritating Disney film. I’m looking forward to what promises to be an immense spectacle and celebration — even if the actuarial tables suggest it probably won’t be a once in a lifetime event for our family.

Archdiocese of Hartford Asks Vatican to Investigate Possible Eucharistic Miracle at Connecticut Parish

Hartford Archdiocese asks Vatican to investigate possible eucharistic miracle | Catholic News AgencyBUKURAS: The Archdiocese of Hartford is appealing to the Vatican for guidance on how to proceed with its investigation of a possible eucharistic miracle at St. Thomas Catholic Church in Thomaston, Connecticut. The referral is the first public update by the archdiocese since it was first reported in late March that Jesus, truly present in the holy Eucharist, appeared to multiply himself in the ciborium, typically a gold chalice that holds the eucharistic body of Christ.

Have Your Loved Ones Turned Their Backs on God? Do What Élisabeth Leseur Did

Have Your Loved Ones Turned Their Backs on God? Do What Elisabeth Leseur Did| National Catholic Register: Having a loved one who doesn’t believe in God is soul-crushing. Not to be able to share the joy of the Mass with that person or to share anything about the Faith, for that matter, can be incredibly lonely and can bring a person to the brink of despair. Take heart, though, and never give up praying for your loved one. The incredible story of Félix and Élisabeth Leseur is a great testament to the power of sacrificial love and Divine Providence.

Shutdown of Jimmy Lai Filmmaker’s TikTok Account Reversed After Censorship Outcry

Shutdown%20of%20Jimmy%20Lai%20filmmaker%u2019s%20TikTok%20account%20reversed%20after%20censorship%20outcry%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20Agency: Following public outcry over its apparent censorship of a new documentary about imprisoned Catholic Hong Kong pro-democracy advocate Jimmy Lai, TikTok has reversed its suspension of the account belonging to the film’s producer, the Michigan-based Acton Institute.

The Family is the path toward a Christian Encounter

The Path Toward a Christian Encounter | Knowing Is DoingTORRE: Civility is fundamental in developing human relationships, especially within a communal family structure. From the onset, exercising a visible and genuine respect for the dignity of the person exhibits a desire to embrace the person as a child of God. This means that we are called to embrace both the good and understand the bad of the person with the intent of helping the member of the family mature in holiness and sanctity...

Meet Dr. Michael Brescia, the ‘St. Joseph of New York’ who helped give care to the dying

Meet the 'St. Joseph of New York,' who helped give care to the dyingLOPEZ: I’m still waiting for the world to stop to mark the death of Dr. Michael J. Brescia. He was a founder of Calvary Hospital in New York and a trailblazer in palliative care. As best I can tell, Dr. Michael Brescia was St. Joseph living in New York. That’s something you’d think people should know about. A loving husband and father, he lived to help people, ultimately, have a happy death.

Prioritize the Ordinary: Go for a Walk Together

Prioritize the Ordinary: Go for a Walk Together - LifeCraftCUDDEBACK: The path to restoring home-life will be in restoring the ordinary. It might not be easy, but it should be rather obvious what to do. If someone takes a ball away from a child, the child will in any case know what to look for—that is, unless it’s gone so long he begins to forget, or, those around him keep handing him other things to distract him...

Dark energy fills the cosmos. We know how it behaves. But what is it?

What is dark energy? | Popular Science: The universe has a dark side—it’s filled with dark matter and dark energy. Dark matter is the unseen mass floating around galaxies, which physicists have searched for using giant vats of ice, particle colliders, and other sophisticated techniques. But what about dark matter’s stranger sibling, dark energy?

Here’s why I think Henri de Lubac should be beatified

Blessed Henri de Lubac?WEIGEL: On March 31, the bishops of France announced that they would petition the Holy See for permission to open a beatification cause for Father Henri de Lubac, SJ. Whatever the outcome of the cause, paying such a tribute to one of the great figures of 20th-century Catholic theology was a fitting way to continue celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Council’s opening...

The mental and spiritual health of young people in America is rapidly worsening. This isn’t just a medical problem. Something far bigger is going on...

Suicide%2C%20Depression%2C%20and%20a%20%u2018Crisis%20of%20Hope%u2019%3A%20Offering%20Real%20Help%20to%20Our%20Youth%20in%20Despair%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterLANDRY: On Feb. 13, the Centers for Disease Control published its biennial Youth Risk Behavior Survey Data Summary and Trends Report for 2011-2021 and it showed the truly alarming, and rapidly worsening, situation of the mental and spiritual health of high school students in the United States.

Sts. Philip and James, Apostles and Martyrs

Sts. Philip and James, Apostles and Martyrs| National Catholic RegisterGRONDELSKI: As previously noted, we can divide the Twelve Apostles into three categories: those about whom we know a lot (think Peter, James the Greater, John, to some degree Andrew); those about whom we only know their names (think Simon, Jude); and those who are occasionally mentioned, without robust detail (think Bartholomew). Philip and James the Lesser fit into that third box, rather on the less-known end of the scale.

The Feast of Sts. Philip and James (the Lesser)

May%203%20%u2013%20Philip%20and%20James%20%7C%20Charlotte%20was%20BothWELBORN: We’ll start with the more confusing one – James. As is the case with (in English) “Mary” – there are a lot of “James” in the New Testament narratives, so sorting them out is a challenge. And perhaps not even really possible. Today’s feast celebrates James “the Lesser” – as opposed to James the Greater, brother of John, one of the first four apostles called by Jesus, present at the Transfiguration, feast June 25, etc.

Feds tell Catholic hospital in Oklahoma: Blow out your sanctuary candle or face the penalties

BREAKING: Feds tell Catholic hospital to blow out sanctuary candle or face penalties - Becket: The federal government recently told a Catholic hospital in Oklahoma to either blow out a small candle or stop serving elderly, disabled, and low-income patients. Saint Francis Health System, the twelfth largest hospital in the nation, keeps, with many prudent safeguards, a sacred candle always lit inside its hospital chapels, in accordance with its Catholic faith...

Pope Francis Greets Russian Orthodox Metropolitan Anthony After Wednesday General Audience

Pope Francis greets Russian Orthodox metropolitan after audience | Catholic News AgencyBROCKHAUS: Pope Francis greeted the chairman for external church relations of the Russian Orthodox Church after his weekly public audience on Wednesday. The brief encounter in St. Peter’s Square with Metropolitan Anthony comes amid heightened scrutiny of diplomatic signals involving the Holy See’s desire to broker a peaceful settlement to the ongoing fighting in Ukraine.

Rock stars Paul Stanley (Kiss) and Dee Snider (Twisted Sister) warn about “sad and dangerous fad” of pushing transgenderism on children

Kiss, Twisted Sister Rock Stars Slam 'Rash' Push to Trans Children: Two prominent rock stars are voicing their opposition to the activist push to normalize and transition children who say they identify as transgender. Paul Stanley’s remarks quickly sparked criticism on Twitter as proponents of transitioning children accused him of making an “extremely bad take.” But rock star Dee Snider was quick to support him.

Might Budapest’s Cardinal Erdő of Budapest be the next pope? He certainly ticks many of the right boxes on papal handicapping forms...

Pope%u2019s%20Hungarian%20host%20could%20make%20boring%20seem%20sexy%20in%20papal%20sweepstakes%20%7C%20CruxALLEN: President Joe Biden’s announcement this week that he’ll seek a second term is, among other things, a reminder of the towering importance of circumstance in determining political fortunes. Prior to 2020, the book on Biden was that he may be an effective behind-the-scenes figure, but he’s a dreadful candidate...

5 places where you can still search for gold in the United States

Five Places to Search for Gold in the US - Neatorama: Where do you find gold in the United States? I know! Fort Knox! But you can't just go there and take that gold. And if you think that you can strike it rich by prospecting, remember the lesson of the California Gold Rush, the people who made the most money off of it were the ones who bought city property, shipped people and supplies to California, made jeans for, and sold tools to those prospectors. But there are people today who see prospecting for gold as a hobby...

In this month of May, spreading devotion to Our Lady is more needed than ever

In This Month Of May . . . Spreading Devotion To Mary More Needed Than Ever The Wanderer NewspaperFOLEY: May is the month traditionally dedicated to Our Lady, and of course, it is also distinguished by the fact that the first apparition at Fatima took place on May 13, 1917. The following month, she spoke of how Jesus wanted to use the young seers, and Lucia in particular, to make her known and loved, such that devotion to her Immaculate Heart would be spread throughout the world...

Are you a basket case of ingratitude?

Gratitude the Path to Better Politics and Life | National ReviewLOPEZ: ommencement season is upon us. And if I were giving one of the addresses this year, I’d begin with a quote from William F. Buckley Jr.: “We are basket cases of ingratitude, so many of us.” I repeat this from Buckley because we need to hear it. It’s not nostalgia for the pages of a conservative-movement gratitude journal. More recently, in an essay in First Things, Carl R. Trueman wrote about ingratitude...

Pope Francis Says He Did Not Lose Consciousness Before Hospitalization in March

Pope Francis says he did not lose consciousness before hospitalization in March | Catholic News Agency: Pope Francis said on board the papal plane on Sunday that he did not lose consciousness before his hospitalization at the end of March, which was for “strong and acute pneumonia” in his lower lungs. “What I had was a severe illness at the end of the Wednesday audience,” he said on April 30, during his return flight from a three-day trip to Budapest, Hungary.