Against Soviet Communism in the Cold War, Henry Kissinger’s Realism Bowed to John Paul II’s Vision

In%20Cold%20War%2C%20Kissinger%u2019s%20Realism%20Bowed%20to%20John%20Paul%20II%u2019s%20Vision%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterKENGOR: Henry Kissinger was a legend in foreign policy. Whether you see that impact as positive or negative, for better or worse, depends on where you stand on the political spectrum. However, the dividing lines from that era were not as predictable as the polarized lines of left versus right we are witnessing today. To be sure, Kissinger was despised, even vilified, by much of the political left, but he was also a source of friction within the right, with many conservatives disliking him and his policies.

Catholics ought to pray for the Holy Father’s recovery from illness — and in thanksgiving that he is not going to Dubai...

The Dangers Pope Francis Avoided by Not Going to Dubai| National Catholic RegisterDESOUZA: The cancellation of the papal trip to Dubai is a blessing in disguise. The cancellation is a blessing, even as the cause is regrettable. The trip to Dubai for the COP28 climate conference would have reduced the Church to an NGO and the Vicar of Christ to her chief activist. Catholics ought to pray for the Holy Father’s recovery from illness — and in thanksgiving that he is not going to Dubai. The intense inward focus of the Synod on Synodality for a synodal Church marked the death of the evangelical urgency of Evangelii Gaudium...

Pope Francis Says He Has ‘Very Acute Infectious Bronchitis’ and Canceled Dubai Trip to Avoid Temperature Extremes

Pope Francis' health: "It is a very acute, infectious bronchitis" | Catholic News AgencyMARES: Pope Francis told health care professionals on Thursday that he has “very acute infectious bronchitis” and was advised not to travel to Dubai to avoid the extreme change in temperature. The pope, who will turn 87 on Dec. 17, quipped, “As you can see, I am alive,” as he met participants in a health care ethics seminar in a morning audience at the Vatican.

We Tried 8 Methods of Cooking Bacon and the Winner Was Hands Down the Best

The Best Method for Making Bacon | Cubby: People often joke that bacon makes everything better. I tend to agree. I use it a lot as a flavoring agent in recipes — a slice or two to infuse a pot of dried beans with porky richness, for example. But I’ll also cook up a mess of bacon as a more substantial component to a dish, or as a standalone food. This is the bacon to pile onto burgers or BLTs, or to enjoy alongside pancakes or waffles, dragging the strips through syrup or runny egg yolks.

Socialism, capitalism, idealism, and a reason American politics is what it is

David Mills: Socialism, capitalism, idealism, and a reason American politics is what it is | Pittsburgh Post-GazetteMILLS: The expensive designer suits struck me, as did the very high end stereo. I’d heard him speak on world hunger in college a few times, where he’d speak in faded jeans, sandals, and a peasant work shirt. His politics were correspondingly leftwing. His appeals to help feed the world’s hungry included calls for his affluent American audience to live simpler lives. He implied that the world’s poor lacked food because we all had too much. He cried sometimes.

If your only tool is a hammer: A problem of focus

If your only tool is a hammer: A problem of focus | Catholic CultureMIRUS: I am struck by how frequently our own particular preoccupations drive our analysis of everything around us. That is a good thing if our own particular preoccupation is conversion to Christ, love of the Father, and openness to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. But most of our preoccupations are colored not only by our own faulty commitments but by the unrecognized temptations which too often affect our goals...

St. John Henry Newman and ‘The Infidelity of the Future’

St.%20John%20Henry%20Newman%20and%20%u2018The%20Infidelity%20of%20the%20Future%u2019%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterDESOUZA: St. John Henry Newman’s name was oft taken in vain during the recent Synod on Synodality for a synodal Church. Thankfully, the American bishops showed it due reverence at their recent meeting in Baltimore, voting in favor of Newman being declared a doctor of the Church. Perhaps Archbishop Costelloe wasn’t listening but Cardinal Newman was invoked frequently. Throughout the long synodal process, whenever a divergence from Catholic teaching was proposed...

Here’s How to Get the Special Nativity Scene Plenary Indulgence in December and January

Nativity Scene Indulgence Recognizes 800 Year Anniversary of Rule of St. Francis - CatholicVote org: This Christmas season, Catholics can receive a plenary indulgence by praying in front of a nativity scene located in a Franciscan church. The indulgence will be available from December 8th, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, through February 2, 2024, the Feast of the Presentation in the Temple of our Lord Jesus Christ. Those wishing to receive the indulgence must pray in front of a nativity scene at a Franciscan church.

Pope Francis Tries to Settle Accounts

Opinion | Pope Francis Tries to Settle Accounts - The New York TimesDOUTHAT: For years now, Pope Francis’s governance of the Roman Catholic Church has been seemingly designed to drive the church’s conservative and liberal wings ever further apart. Thus the persistent question hanging over his pontificate: How will he hold this thing together? By opening debate on a wide array of hot-button subjects without delivering explicit changes, he has encouraged the church’s progressives to push the envelope as far as possible...

Pope Francis to Remove Cardinal Burke’s Salary and Vatican Apartment Over Perceived Church ‘Disunity’

Report%3A%20Pope%20Francis%20Plans%20to%20Remove%20Cardinal%20Burke%u2019s%20Salary%20and%20Vatican%20Apartment%20Over%20Perceived%20Church%20%u2018Disunity%u2019%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterPENTIN: Multiple sources are reporting that Pope Francis is planning on withdrawing Cardinal Raymond Burke’s Rome residence and salary because he sees him as working against the unity of the Church, although the Vatican has yet to officially announce such a step. Several sources told the Register that they had been informed that during a meeting with the heads of Dicasteries of the Roman Curia on Nov. 20...

Pope Cancels Weekend Dubai Trip Amid Mixed Reports Over “Mild Flu” — Vatican Says He’s “Improving,” But Papal Doctors “Have Asked the Pope Not to Make the Trip”

Pope cancels Dubai trip over health concerns | Crux: Just hours after a Vatican news conference confirming Pope Francis’s trip to Dubai this weekend for a United Nations climate summit, the Vatican announced Tuesday that it has been cancelled upon medical advice due to an ongoing infection causing lung inflammation.

At Nov. 20 Vatican meeting, attendees reportedly heard Pope Francis say: “Cardinal Burke is my enemy, so I am taking away his flat and salary”

Pope called Cardinal Burke his 'enemy' and threatened to strip him of privileges, reports claim - Catholic Herald: Pope Francis has referred to an outspoken American cardinal as his “enemy” and threatened to strip him of his privileges, according to reports from Italy. The New Daily Compass, which claims the rumour has been confirmed by multiple sources in the Vatican, reported that the Pope was overheard saying: “Cardinal Burke is my enemy, so I am taking away his flat and salary.” There has been no independent confirmation of the reports.

AP Confirms Nov. 20 Vatican Meeting Reports, Says Pope Francis Is Planning to Punish Cardinal Burke for ‘Disunity’

Pope Francis punishes leading critic Cardinal Raymond Burke | AP NewsWINFIELD: Pope Francis has decided to punish one of his highest-ranking critics, Cardinal Raymond Burke, by revoking his right to a subsidized Vatican apartment and salary in the second such radical action against a conservative American prelate this month, according to two people briefed on the measures.

Becciu’s Nixon moment: In media blitz, cardinal insists he is not a crook

Becciu%u2019s%20Nixon%20moment%3A%20In%20media%20blitz%2C%20cardinal%20insists%20he%20is%20not%20a%20crookCONDON: With the Vatican City court due to deliver its verdict in the landmark financial crimes trial in just three weeks, defendant Cardinal Angleo Becciu has once again insisted on his innocence and said he “has faith” he will be acquitted of all charges. Over the past week, the cardinal and his legal team mounted a full court press in Italian media, with Becciu giving a rare TV interview and his lawyers seeding friendly coverage in local and national newspapers.

Cardinal Burke and the Pope, a Miraculous Medal, and the News

Burke and the pope, a miraculous medal, and the newsJDFLYNN: Today is the feast of St. Catherine Labouré, a French religious sister who was also a Marian visionary — and who is responsible for the Miraculous Medal, probably the most commonly worn image of Mary in the world. Here’s what happened, according to Labouré’s accounts. On July 19, 1830, Sr. Catherine woke up from a sleep, reportedly after hearing a child’s voice calling her to the chapel. There in prayer, she said, the Blessed Virgin Mary told her that God would charge her with a mission — and that she should trust in both the Lord and her spiritual director.

Advent, an expectancy of love, and a separation from sin

Advent, an Expectancy of love, and a Separation from sin | Knowing Is DoingTORRE: In his second discourse to the Corinthians, St. Paul describes the transformative effect of Jesus’ death: anyone who is in Christ is a new creation where the old has passed away and the new has come. He reminds his fellow disciples that Jesus’ sacrifice comes from the Father who reconciled us to himself through His son. The result of the transformation from the old way of living to the new way in Christ is a reconciliation with God the Father. We are reminded that God made his son to be sin who knew no sin so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Here are the readings for the upcoming First Sunday of Advent

Watch%20for%20Him%3A%20Scott%20Hahn%20Reflects%20on%20the%20First%20Sunday%20of%20Advent%20%u2013%20St.%20Paul%20CenterHAHN: The new Church year begins with a plea for God’s visitation. “Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down,” the prophet Isaiah cries in today’s First Reading. In today’s Psalm, too, we hear the anguished voice of Israel, imploring God to look down from His heavenly throne—to save and shepherd His people. Today’s readings are relatively brief. Their language and “message” are deceptively simple. But we should take note of the serious mood and penitential aspect of the Liturgy today as the people of Israel recognize their sinfulness, their failures to keep God’s covenant, their inability to save themselves.

Here's Everything You Need to Prepare Your Car for Winter

Here's Everything You Need to Prepare Your Car for Winter: Are you ready to drive safely this winter? Long nights, cold temperatures, slippery surfaces, and airborne precipitation all combine to make the coming season uniquely challenging. Taking care of some basic maintenance tasks before those conditions set in can boost safety, and help keep you comfortable. Just a few simple tweaks can prepare your car for winter. Most of this stuff is easier than you’d think.

Marriage, the Catholic Way: If you want the substance and history of the Church’s marital doctrine, you can do no better than John Clark’s book...

Marriage, the Catholic Way - The American Spectator | USA News and Politics: Marriage is falling apart in the West, even among so-called professing conservative Christians across the denominational spectrum. So, how are Catholics doing? And how well is their Church — its hierarchy, tribunals, pre-marital preparation programs, and so on — supporting its historic matrimonial teaching and practice? According to John Clark, a “columnist, political speechwriter, and ghostwriter” with “two books on fatherhood” and “approximately five hundred articles and blogs about Catholic family life and apologetics” under his belt, the answers are “not well at all” and “abysmally.”

Exploring Little-Known Sites in the Holy Land — the Pinnacle of the Temple, the Praetorium and Via Dolorosa, Constantine’s Doorstep, and My Very Own Family of Bethany

x: Many people also do not know that the Pinnacle of the Temple is also the place of St. James the Less’s (Jesus’s cousin and First Bishop of Jerusalem) martyrdom. In Book III, Chapter 23 of The Church History, written by the bishop of Caesarea Maritima, Eusebius, in around A.D. 325, he recounts the death of St. James by quoting an even earlier Church historian by the name of Hegesippus...

German Bishops’ Head Launches Verbal Blitz at Polish Archbishop for “Daring to Judge the Catholicity” of German Synodal Way

B%E4tzing%20v.%20G%u0105decki%3A%20What%u2019s%20behind%20the%20clash%3FCOPPEN: A simmering dispute between the chairman of the German bishops’ conference and his Polish counterpart heated up dramatically Sunday. Poland’s Rzeczpospolita newspaper published Nov. 26 what it said was the full text of a letter from Bishop Georg Bätzing and Archbishop Stanisław Gądecki. In the Nov. 21 letter, Bätzing sharply criticized Gądecki for writing a letter to the pope about Germany’s contentious “synodal way” without consulting him, describing it as “very unsynodal and unfraternal behavior.”

St. Mary’s College just told young women that being a woman is, in fact, nothing more than a performance...

To%20St.%20Mary%u2019s%20College%20%7C%20Charlotte%20was%20BothWELBORN: This is deeply disrespectful to the realities, complexities and mystery – and the painful beauty – of women’s lives. It’s an act, quite frankly, of capitulation to an understanding of womanhood based on externalities, which means, in essence, stereotypes. It expresses an expectation that women will – once again – repress their own instincts and self-understanding for the sake of male – dare I say, male privilege. There is no “progress” here. It is regressive. It is misogynistic. It is deeply disrespectful...

“I Am Proud to Be a Catholic”: Former Chargers QB Philip Rivers and Wife Tiffany Welcome Their 10th Child

New%20Advent%3A%20%u201CI%20Am%20Proud%20to%20Be%20a%20Catholic%u201D%3A%20Former%20Chargers%20QB%20Philip%20Rivers%20and%20Wife%20Tiffany%20Welcome%20Their%2010th%20Child: Former NFL star quarterback Philip Rivers, and his wife Tiffany, both devout Catholics, have welcomed their 10th child. “I am proud to be a Catholic. I encourage all people that are Catholic to be proud of it,” he once said.

Pentecostalism is waging “guerilla warfare” against the Catholic Church in the Congo Republic, says Archbishop of Brazzaville

Pentecostalism%20Waging%20%u201Cguerrilla%20warfare%22%20on%20Catholic%20Church%20in%20C.%20Brazzaville%3A%20Archbishop: Increasing Pentecostalism in the Republic of the Congo, also known as Congo-Brazzaville, is causing a kind of “guerrilla warfare" on the Catholic Church by disrupting the faith of many Catholic adherents in the Central African nation, Archbishop Bienvenu Manamika Bafouakouahou of Brazzaville has said. In a Monday, November 20 report by the information service of Propaganda Fide, Archbishop Manamika says the Pentecostal churches seem to offer quick and easy solutions to problems thus attracting many Catholics, especially the poor.

‘Finding a Moral Center in This Era of War’: An excellent NYTimes interview with USMC veteran and Catholic writer Phil Klay

Phil Klay's Search for a Moral Center in This Era of War - The New York Times: Phil Klay, as both a participant and a writer, has been thinking deeply about war for a long time. In his two acclaimed works of fiction, the book of short stories “Redeployment,” which won a 2014 National Book Award, and the novel “Missionaries” (2020), and in the nonfiction collection “Uncertain Ground: Citizenship in an Age of Endless, Invisible War” (2022), Klay has interrogated, to profound effect and with a deeply humane and moral sensibility, what war does to our hearts and minds, individually and collectively, here and abroad...

Pope Francis’ Health ‘Good and Stable’ Despite ‘Lung Inflammation Causing Some Breathing Difficulties,’ Vatican Says

Pope%20Francis%u2019%20health%20%u2018stable%u2019%20despite%20breathing%20difficulties%2C%20Vatican%20says%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20AgencyMARES: Pope Francis’ lung inflammation has caused him some breathing difficulties, but his condition is stable and “clearly improving,” the Vatican said on Monday. The 86-year-old pope is being treated with antibiotics intravenously and is in “good and stable” condition without a fever, Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni told journalists on Nov. 27.

It’s impossible to ignore Pope Francis’ growing Jewish problem

It%u2019s%20impossible%20to%20ignore%20Pope%20Francis%u2019s%20growing%20Jewish%20problem%20%7C%20CruxALLEN: When Pope Francis was elected in 2013, the forecast among those invested in Jewish-Catholic dialogue generally was rosy. The new pope brought considerable background to the relationship, given that Argentina has the largest Jewish population in Latin America and the sixth largest outside Israel – indeed, the first kosher McDonalds outside Israel was located in a Buenos Aires shopping center. As Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the future pontiff cultivated close relations with Jews...

Stephen White: “It’s one thing to be lost ... but many people today don’t even know they’re lost”

Stephen White: Behold the sin | Respect Life Radio: "It's one thing to be lost and know you're lost," said Stephen P. White the Executive Director of The Catholic Project in his newest article about faith and public life called Behold the Sin. "But many people today don't even recognize they are lost and need to heal." Since 2019, Stephen has led The Catholic University of America's response to the clergy abuse crisis, focusing on the collaboration of clergy and the laity...

Give Others The Royal Treatment

Give Others The Royal Treatment | Parishable ItemsFELTES: After having supported the murder of St. Stephen the Martyr, Saul of Tarsus was trying to destroy the early Church. He entered house after house, dragging out Christian men and women and handing them over for imprisonment. Still breathing murderous threats against the disciples of the Lord, Saul went to the high priest and obtained official authorization to arrest any Christians he might find in Damascus and bring them back to Jerusalem in chains...

Papal Aide Relays Pope Francis’ Remarks at Sunday Angelus While Pope Recovers From Flu

Papal%20aide%20relays%20Pope%20Francis%u2019%20remarks%20at%20Sunday%20Angelus%20while%20pope%20recovers%20from%20flu%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20Agency: During this week’s Sunday Angelus, marking the end of the liturgical year and the observance of the solemnity of Christ the King, Pope Francis spoke not from the window of the Apostolic Palace but via livestream from the chapel of his residence Casa Santa Marta.

At the Last Judgment, Christ the King Will Sit Upon His Glorious Throne

At the Last Judgment, Christ the King Will Sit Upon His Glorious Throne| National Catholic RegisterGRONDELSKI: The last weeks of Ordinary Time focus on eschatology, the Last Things (death, judgment, heaven, hell). Before the post-Vatican II reform of the Lectionary (the Book of Biblical Readings for Mass), the Gospels for the last (usually 24th) Sunday “after Pentecost” and the First Sunday of Advent (then a week apart) always dealt with the end of the world and the Last Judgment. In the 1969 Reform of the Roman Calendar, the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe...

My Experience of the Synod: We must welcome everyone, and we welcome them by summoning them to conversion, to live according to the truth...

My Experience of the Synod - Word on FireBARRON: Now that I’ve had a bit of time to readjust to my normal rhythm and to think through the rather extraordinary experience of the last month in Rome, I would like to share some impressions of the Synod on Synodality, even as I will endeavor not to violate the pope’s request that we refrain from talking about particular participants and votes. So, I will limit myself to commenting on the published document that the synod members approved and on my own interventions during the deliberations.

If You Can Read This, God Exists

If You Can Read This, God Exists| National Catholic RegisterDANTUONO: Congratulations! What you are doing right now is something that nothing else in the whole universe can do, as far as we know. What, you may ask, are you doing? Reading. You are looking at markings on a screen or ink on a page, and you are deriving meaning from those marks. That is a miracle. As a simple example, take the word “cat.” The word on the page is not a cat. In fact, there is nothing about the word itself that has anything to do with a cat...

What if all the conventional euphemisms for death aren’t actually euphemisms?

On the Language of Death ~ The Imaginative ConservativeDEAVEL: November is traditionally a month for remembrance of the dead. In the northern hemisphere, it is the time of the falling of leaves (even in southeast Texas where I am) and the steady narrowing of the sunlight such that six o’clock seems like ten. On western Christian calendars the first day of the month is All Saints, a day set aside to remember those saints whose race has been finished, to use Pauline language. The next day is All Souls, a day to remember all the faithful departed...

Pope Adds Married Couples, Church Movement Reps to Vatican’s Laity and Family Office

Pope%20adds%20married%20couples%2C%20Church%20movement%20reps%20to%20Vatican%u2019s%20laity%20and%20family%20office%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20Agency: Pope Francis has added 11 new members to the Vatican office that focuses on the lay apostolate and family life, with two married couples and four figures affiliated with ecclesial movements highlighting the selections. The Vatican announced the pope’s picks to the Dicastery for the Laity, Family, and Life on Nov. 25. New members include the Taiwanese couple Joseph Teyu Chou, a professor of finance, and Clare Jiayann Yeh, the founder and director of the local bishops’ Marriage and Family Pastoral Center.

Mawkish sentimentality, more to come, and the hardest part

Mawkish sentimentality, more to come, and the hardest partCONDON: A rare moratorium on priestly ordinations seems set to be lifted after Pope Francis named a coadjutor bishop to the French Diocese of Fréjus-Toulon. The diocese’s bishop, Dominique Rey, has turned the diocese into something of a radical experimental laboratory over the years — offering a home and a lot of leeway to communities of all kinds from all branches of the Church. The result has been an explosion in priestly vocations...

This Sunday, Decide What the King Will See When God is ‘All in All’

This%20Sunday%2C%20Decide%20What%20the%20King%20Will%20See%20When%20God%20is%20%u2018All%20in%20All%u2019%20%u2013%20Benedictine%20College%20Media%20%26%20CultureHOOPES: Jesus closes out the Church year by reminding us how he will close out our lives on The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, Year A. Once again this Sunday, the Church gives us two views of our Last Judgment: St. Paul’s and Our Lord’s. They are not two different realities, but two visions of the same reality. Jesus says: “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit upon his glorious throne and all the nations will be assembled before him...

Confessions of a Different Kind of Democrat

Confessions of a Different Kind of Democrat - The Catholic Thing: I used to be a good Democrat. I was a Democratic elected official, serving twelve years in the Rhode Island Senate, two of those as majority leader. I was even a Democratic candidate for the US House of Representatives, being trounced (alas!) in November of 1992. But that was a long time ago. I was a different kind of Democrat than the kind typical in the party today. When I was born Franklin Roosevelt was president. I still think of him as the ideal Democrat. I also think very well of Harry S. Truman and John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson.

Vatican Draws Line on Women’s Ordination and Homosexuality in New Letter to German Bishops, Warns of Disciplinary Consequences

Vatican draws line on women's ordination and homosexuality in new letter to German bishops | Catholic News AgencyWIMMER: The Vatican has informed German bishops in writing that the ordination of women and changes in the Church’s teaching on homosexuality cannot be subjects of discussion in the upcoming meetings with delegates of the German Synodal Way in Rome. The letter, dated Oct. 23, also reminded the bishops of potential disciplinary consequences for anyone defying the teaching of the Church, reported CNA Deutsch, CNA’s German-language news partner.

The battle Is real: A guide for spiritual warfare

The%20battle%20Is%20real%3A%20A%20guide%20for%20spiritual%20warfare%A0%20%u2013%20Catholic%20World%20ReportSTAUDT: For decades, we tried canceling the devil, refraining from talking much about him, or bothering much with him at all. Catholics thought they could get by without exorcisms, relegating them to the superstitious past. Demonic attacks seemed to belong in Hollywood films, not in the average parish. However, that decision backfired, with the need for exorcisms now spiking worldwide...

Maronite bishop dives deep into the ‘masculine soul’

Maronite%20bishop%20dives%20deep%20into%20the%20%u2018masculine%20soul%u2019%20%u2013%20Catholic%20World%20Report: In his sixth pastoral letter on male spirituality, Maronite Bishop Gregory Mansour says that “fatherhood is expected of all men, whether biological, natural, or spiritual.” In the Oct. 12 letter titled “The man of God is a man for others: Some themes in men’s spirituality,” Mansour, said that there are “some worrisome trends” in the culture that “undermine masculinity under the guise of remedying past chauvinism or over-reliance on patriarchal structures.”

'Red Week': Buildings and Monuments Across the World Lit Red in Honor of Persecuted Christians

'Red Week': Buildings and monuments across the world lit red in honor of persecuted Christians | Catholic News AgencyPINEDO: Buildings, monuments, and hundreds of churches across the world are being lit up in red throughout November in honor of persecuted Christians suffering for their faith. Organized by the Christian aid group Aid to the Church in Need International (ACN), the week of demonstrations Nov. 19–26 is known as “Red Week” and has been taking place in honor of persecuted Christians every November since 2015.

This Alabama priest absconded to Europe with an 18-year-old girl. Now he says they’re married. But are they really?

Is Father Crow a married man?: The Alabama priest who absconded to Europe with an 18-year-old has married her, according to local media reports and Alabama public records. Fr. Alex Crow, 31, made headlines around the world this summer, when the Archdiocese of Mobile announced July 28 that he had “abandoned his assignment in the archdiocese,” adding that his “behavior is totally unbecoming of a priest,” and that...

10 saintly quotes to reflect on this Thanksgiving

10 saintly quotes to reflect on this Thanksgiving | Catholic News Agency: A thanksgiving should be made to God each and every day, according to the saints in heaven. In special celebration of the Thanksgiving holiday, here are 10 saintly quotes on the importance of gratitude.

In All Circumstances, Give Thanks, For This Is the Will of God for You in Christ Jesus

Thanksgiving Day | USCCB: I will praise your name for ever, Lord. Every day will I bless you, and I will praise your name forever and ever. Great is the LORD and highly to be praised; his greatness is unsearchable.

Why Didn’t Jesus Defend Himself Before Pontius Pilate?

Why%20Didn%u2019t%20Jesus%20Defend%20Himself%20Before%20Pontius%20Pilate%3F%20%u2013%20Jimmy%20AkinAKIN: Readers of the four Gospels are struck by the fact that — when Jesus appears before the Roman governor Pontius Pilate — he says nothing in his own defense. This isn’t just surprising to us; it also was striking to Pilate himself. What should we make of Jesus’ silence? There have been many proposals. But what’s the real explanation? It helps to note that his appearance before Pilate is not the first time Jesus has been silent. A few hours earlier, when he appeared before the Jewish ruling council, he was similarly quiet...

Ireland's only aerial tramway, the Dursey Cable Car in County Cork, offers an eye-in-the-sky adventure

The Dursey Cable Car in County Cork: As of 2022, only three people live on Dursey Island but the tiny island is a popular tourist destination due to its beauty and the views from its cable car. The Dursey Island cable car is a lifeline for the few who live on Dursey Island, in County Cork, and it is quite an adventure for tourists. It crosses the Dursey Sound which is known for its turbulent tidal changes, flag rock and basking sharks and it offers spectacular views of the area that are stunning from any angle...

Dominion: How the Christian Revolution Remade the World

(4) Dominion: How the Christian Revolution Remade the World: When Jesus spoke very challenging words about the Eucharist, many of his followers left him. Far from clarifying or qualifying his “eat my body” comments, Jesus doubles down towards his closest followers: Will you also leave? To the unapologetic question, St. Peter responds with the quote above. What was the tone of Peter’s words? That first phrase...

When seminaries become pink palaces, with seminarians and priests learning to shrug at sexual sins, this is what results...

The Pink Synod - Crisis MagazineESOLEN: One day, when I was a senior in high school, I went into the lavatory and was followed by a junior whose name I knew, though I didn’t know anything else about him. He was a quiet sort. As I was washing my hands, he approached me and asked me if I would like—something the reader may guess. I told him no, I wouldn’t. But it shook me up a bit. I’d never heard of anybody being asked such a thing. So, I talked to my father about it that night.

The Challenge of Thanksgiving Day

The Challenge of Thanksgiving Day - LifeCraftCUDDEBACK: Trying to make the most of holidays today can be discouraging. But we can still make our Thanksgiving a rich and memorable day; indeed, it can be a day that stands out as truly special. This will require our being intentional and making some hard choices. The reality is that strong forces today make it difficult to have what should be an ‘ordinary’ rich observance of Thanksgiving...

Warmer climate, spicier food. But which country has the spiciest cuisine in the world?

Warmer climate, spicier food. But which country is the spiciest? - Big Think: Trendlines don’t lie. As this chart shows, in warmer countries, people eat spicier food. Conversely, the colder the climate, the fewer spicy ingredients in your cuisine. There are of course outliers and other exceptions (and we’ll get to those). But the three-pepper question is: Why do dishes in hotter climates use more spices? That’s the topic of an article published in Nature in February 2021. By examining 33,750 recipes from 70 national and regional cuisines...

Video: In separate statements, Michael Voris and Christine Niles discuss their departures from Church Militant, and what’s next for them

New%20Advent%3A%20Watch%3A%20In%20separate%20videos%2C%20Michael%20Voris%20and%20Christine%20Niles%20discuss%20their%20departures%20from%20Church%20Militant%2C%20and%20what%u2019s%20next%20for%20them: Niles left Church Militant on Nov. 10 and Voris on Nov. 21.

Church Militant’s Michael Voris Steps Down After ‘Morality Clause’ Violation

Church%20Militant%u2019s%20Michael%20Voris%20steps%20down%20after%20%u2018morality%20clause%u2019%20violation%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20Agency: Michael Voris, the founder of St. Michael’s Media which operates the controversial Catholic media outlet Church Militant, resigned this week over an undisclosed “morality” violation, the company said on Tuesday. Church Militant posted on its website on Tuesday that Voris had “been asked to resign for breaching the Church Militant morality clause.”

When one puts ‘Ad Theologiam Promovendam’ in its theological context, there are reasons to be concerned...

Viewing%20Pope%20Francis%u2019%20Latest%20Document%20Through%20the%20Lens%20of%20the%20History%20of%20Modern%20Catholic%20Theology%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterCHAPP: The latest motu proprio from Pope Francis, Ad Theologiam Promovendam, articulates the vision of the Pope for the reform of modern Catholic theology. Directed specifically at the Pontifical Academy of Theology, the Nov. 1 document nevertheless has significance for the broader development of theology within the Church at large. Therefore, it deserves to be analyzed for what it seems to be advocating.

St. Cecilia Offered Her Life as a Sacrifice to God

St. Cecilia Offered Her Life as a Sacrifice to God| National Catholic RegisterMARCUM: “Why can’t women become priests?” It’s a question I am asked constantly by the young women with whom I work in my nonprofit. Most of the time it is not phrased combatively. They simply want to know, and most likely no one has ever explained it to them outside of simply “that’s the way Jesus did it.” Not an incorrect explanation, but also not satisfying for these girls, told by the world since birth that women belong in every role a man can have.

Neanderthal poetics, episcopal rhetoric, and the Blessed Mother

Neanderthal poetics, episcopal rhetoric, and the Blessed MotherJDFLYNN: Last week at the fall meeting of the USCCB in Baltimore, the U.S. bishops made a very interesting decision — they decided to write to the pope, in support of a request that St. John Henry Newman be named a “doctor of the Church.” There are, at present, some 37 saints formally declared “doctors of the Church” — recognized, essentially, as having made a vital contribution to the theological and mystical tradition of the Church, and as being, therefore, “universal teachers.” So should Newman be one? Last week, we asked Bishop Dan Flores, who is outgoing chairman of the U.S. bishops’ committee on doctrine.

8 Ways to Prepare for Advent: A Guide for Catholic Moms

Preparing for Advent: A Guide for Catholic MomsBEREIT: Advent is upon us, a sacred time in the Church where we open our hearts to the coming of Christ. The word “Advent” itself, hailing from the Latin “advenio,” means “to come,” and it beautifully encapsulates the essence of this season — Adventus Domini, the coming of the Lord. During this blessed time, we await Christ’s arrival in a threefold manner: remembering His humble birth in a Bethlehem stable, welcoming Him in our lives today through grace and the Holy Eucharist, and looking forward to His return as our King and Judge at the end of time.

How does Christ the King help us regain our spiritual relevance?

How does Christ the King help us regain our Spiritual Relevance? | Knowing Is DoingTORRE: When we proclaim Jesus as Christ the King, we immediately identify Him as the Lord of the universe and a servant to all of us. He is the Messiah, Lord, and King which means that Jesus is our path to salvation through his death on the Cross. A true King demonstrates how to address temptation, overcome sin, and sacrifice himself to save the souls of his entire kingdom. Devotion to Christ the King helps us regain our spiritual relevance because He reminds us of what a good and holy King does, offer himself for the salvation of all.

Light really does still shine in the darkness...

Light in the Darkness - The Catholic ThingMAIER: Exactly 30 years ago this fall, Christopher Lasch delivered the manuscript for his book, The Revolt of the Elites and the Betrayal of Democracy, to W.W. Norton his publisher. He’d written it with the help of his daughter Elisabeth Lasch-Quinn, herself a distinguished scholar, while dealing with terminal cancer. He refused chemotherapy to keep his mind clear in completing his final text. And he died just a few months later, in February 1994...

Conversion to end child sacrifice: In ancient Israel and now

Conversion to end child sacrifice: In ancient Israel and now | Catholic CultureMIRUS: A friend recently sent me an article on the new “climate-change religion”, in which the author wondered whether human sacrifices would be the next step in warding off environmental disaster. Of course, there would be a certain logic at work if the rich and powerful begin killing off the poor and weak in order to restore environmental balance—on the assumption that the rich are more resource-sensitive than the poor...

Church Militant Board of Directors: ‘Michael Voris Has Been Asked to Resign for Breaching the Church Militant Morality Clause’

Official Statement Regarding Michael Voris: Church Militant/St. Michael's Media was founded as a bastion of Catholic truth and a light to the faithful in hard times. This is why we are being fully transparent with you all. Michael Voris has been asked to resign for breaching the Church Militant morality clause. The board has accepted his resignation. We understand this is a shock to you all, but our founder and former CEO is stepping aside and focusing on his personal health.

How Do We Know About the Presentation of Mary in the Temple?

How Do We Know About the Presentation of Mary?| National Catholic RegisterFENELON: It’s easy to conceptualize the Presentation of the Lord because we find it in Scripture. Luke’s Gospel tells of the Holy Family’s journey to the Temple when Jesus was 8 days old. According to Jewish custom, Jesus was to be circumcised and Mary purified. There Mary and Joseph meet the prophets Anna and Simeon, who recognized the Child as the Messiah who would bring about the fall and rise of many, become a sign of contradiction and the cause of a sword that would one day pierce Mary’s heart...

Full Text: Letter on the German Synodal Way

Full%20Text%3A%20Pope%20Francis%u2019%20Letter%20Expressing%20Concern%20About%20German%20Synodal%20Way%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterCOATOFARMS: In my “Letter to the Pilgrim People of God in Germany,” I sought not to find “salvation” in constantly evolving committees, nor to persist in self-absorbed dialogues rehashing the same themes. Rather, I aimed to re-emphasize the importance of prayer, penance, and adoration. I urged an openness and a call to action to engage with our brothers and sisters, especially those found at the thresholds of our church doors...

Pope Francis Writes Letter Expressing ‘Concerns’ About German Synodal Way, Says It Threatens Church Unity

Pope%20Francis%20expresses%20%u2018concerns%u2019%20about%20German%20Synodal%20Way%2C%20says%20it%20threatens%20Church%20unity%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20AgencyLIEDL: Pope Francis has expressed deep reservations about the direction of the Catholic Church in Germany, warning that concrete steps currently being taken “threaten” to undermine unity with the universal Church. The pope made his criticisms in a letter to four German Catholic laywomen that was published in the German newspaper Welt on Nov. 21. The letter, dated Nov. 10, was written in German and included the pope’s handwritten signature.

Are you listening? At all?

Are you listening? At all? | Charlotte was BothWELBORN: What I am going to say here is really nothing new for regular readers, but my recent trip to Spain brought it to mind again. The question of Church attendance and engagement is of great interest these days – it always has, of course, but in this post-shutdown, post-modern, secularized world, it takes on a new urgency as Catholics (we’ll focus on them/us) ponder the continual decline of everything – Mass attendance, baptisms, weddings, and simply belief...

The election of Javier Milei highlights the growing divide between Pope Francis and Argentina

Javier%20Milei%20Elected%20Argentina%u2019s%20New%20PresidentLISI: In a stunning outcome that few would have predicted even just a few months ago, libertarian economist and former soccer player Javier Milei was elected Argentina's president, a result that in many ways can be seen as a referendum on the political and social agenda of Pope Francis in his home nation. Milei, 53, won a resounding victory on Sunday with nearly 56% of the vote in a runoff against Sergio Massa. Milei, a Catholic, won the highest percentage of a vote in a presidential election since the South American nation returned to democracy in 1983.

Ayaan Hirsi Ali has become a Christian. God bless her...

Ayaan Hirsi Ali Converted to Christianty: God Bless Ayaan Hirsi Ali | National ReviewLOPEZ: She was a refugee from Somalia, where she was subjected to female genital mutilation. A Dutch filmmaker she worked with on a documentary was murdered, and she was warned she would be next. Ayaan Hirsi Ali has seen a bit of the world and the evil that men are capable of. Recently, amid headlines about Israel and U.S. political madness and all the rest, she announced she has become a Christian. She was born a Muslim and became an atheist — as anyone might do after living under a perversion of religion...

A Tale of Two Exorcisms

A Tale of Two Exorcisms | Catholic Answers MagazineNASH: Chris MacNeil oughta know better, having seen how her daughter suffered previously under the devil’s diabolical dominion. “I may not have witnessed the exorcism,” she recalls, “but I sure as all hell witnessed the possession.” Pun intended. And though she didn’t see the emancipation of young Regan back in the original day of The Exorcist, Chris knew darn well it was Jesus Christ working through two Catholic priests that freed her daughter from the demonic...

When the Sickle Swings: Stories of Catholics Who Survived Communist Oppression

Kristen Van Uden: Catholic fight against communism | Respect Life Radio: "For over half of the twentieth century, across nearly half the globe, the Catholic Faith was repressed, restricted, or outright illegal," reports Kristen Van Uden in her upcoming book When the Sickle Swings. "From secret Masses in the prisons of Cuba, to clandestine clergy in the catacombs of Bratislava, to showdowns with Soviet tanks on the streets of Brno, Catholics resisted communist persecution in every way they could. Like their ancestors before them, they risked it all for their Faith. Kristen is the editor...

Our daughter was abandoned on a sidewalk in the depth of winter. We brought her home and gave her our hearts and taught her why all the trees change in the fall...

Let%20an%20%u2018Unwanted%u2019%20Child%20Have%20the%20Best%20Day%20With%20You%20Today%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterPOZO: When you are pro-life and also a mother by adoption, there is one pro-choice argument that especially hurts. I’m sure you’ve heard it: “An unwanted baby is destined for a bad life. Abortion is probably better for that child.” That’s very hard to swallow when you love a child who was unwanted. My own daughter was abandoned at birth, on a sidewalk in the depth of winter. She was wrapped in a yellow blanket and her umbilical cord was still attached. She was an “unwanted” child — an inconvenient person whose presence in this world comes with a whole set of challenges and dangers to her birth parents. Today she is a cheerful, pretty, teenage girl who delights us every day.

James Joyce, John Senior, and the Illumination of the Modern World

James Joyce, John Senior, & the Illumination of the Modern World ~ The Imaginative ConservativeSTAUDT: John Senior is known as a cultural warrior for his books on Christian culture and as a pioneering educator for his role in the Integrated Humanities Program at the University of Kansas. As an English professor, his spiritual odyssey took him through the literature of East and West. His doctoral dissertation focused on the role of the occult in Symbolist literature. He was pulled out of his forays into symbolism and even Hinduism by encountering the realism of St. Thomas Aquinas and the Catholic tradition...

Carthusian superior general looks at spiritual abuse in the heart of the Church

Spiritual Abuse in the Heart of the Church - Crisis Magazine: I’m increasingly happy to even read a good book, as my life turns to parenthood. So, it’s not often that I write a book review—and almost never that I write an unprompted one. But every once in a while, there comes a book that deserves to be better known, and Dom Dysmas de Lassus’ Abuses in the Religious Life and the Path to Healing fits the bill. The superior general of the Carthusians faces up to abuses in the religious life—the very heart of the Church—and gives insights that have wide application to the entire abuse crisis still haunting our Catholic life...

Javier Milei Elected President in Pope Francis’ Native Argentina

%u2018Anti-Pope%u2019%20elected%20president%20in%20Francis%u2019s%20native%20Argentina%20%7C%20Crux: With 56 percent of the vote, ultra-libertarian economist Javier Milei was elected Argentina’s next president on Sunday, in a result that in some ways amounts to a referendum on the social and political agenda of Pope Francis in his home country. Milei’s radical economic plans –for instance, adopting the U.S. dollar as the Argentinian currency – and his fierce rhetoric against social policies advanced by left-wing governments have been raising concerns among many in the South American country’s society, including the Catholic Church.

Priest Delivers Twin Babies Outside St. Paul’s Cathedral Cathedral in Yakima, Washington

Priest delivers twin babies outside cathedral in Washington state | Catholic News Agency: A young priest recently helped a distressed homeless woman bring two young lives into the world. He shared the remarkable story with Catholic Extension and now is wondering what God was trying to tell him through the extraordinary experience. Father Jesús Mariscal is the parochial vicar at St. Paul Cathedral in Yakima, Washington. He stepped out of the rectory in September for what he thought would be a quick trip to buy doughnuts for a marriage preparation meeting with an engaged couple.

Love Your Social-Media Target as Yourself

Love Your Social-Media Target as Yourself| National Catholic RegisterMILLS: The meme pops up a lot in my social media and has for several years. Serious Christians post it. The top picture shows a small basement room with two huge, leather overstuffed chairs, with built-in cupholders, facing a big TV, with shelves holding a large beer-can collection on one side and sports posters on the other. The bottom picture shows an expensive room with wood-paneled walls and floor-to-ceiling windows, two cloth overstuffed chairs with big ottomans, and an antique wood desk with turned legs and an iMac on top...

Yet another mystery emerges about what the Pope actually said

Yet another mystery emerges about what the Pope actually said | CruxALLEN: By any measure one chooses to employ, the papacy is among the most visible offices on the face of the planet. On the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, for instance, Pope Francis’s combined following of 53 million, spread over his nine different language accounts, currently puts him in third place among current world leaders, behind only Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India and President Joe Biden of the United States.

Invest Yourself in Heaven’s Reward

Invest%20Yourself%20in%20Heaven%u2019s%20Reward%20%7C%20Parishable%20ItemsFELTES: As Jesus traveled from place to place he preached parables to different people. He told stories, for instance, featuring fields, fish, and flocks to teach farmers, fishermen, and shepherds about the Kingdom of God. It makes sense that Jesus would tell the same stories more than once, for different crowds to hear them for the first time and for his apostles to hear them repeatedly. But the gospels suggest Jesus sometimes changed his parables’ details to highlight different truths. What Jesus says in his Sermon on the Plain is similar but not identical to his Sermon on the Mount...

The opaqueness of the Pope’s firing of Bishop Strickland is a setback to both synodality and ecumenism

Synodality and the Strickland case | Catholic CultureLAWLER: After a month of Vatican insistence on listening to all perspectives, it is ironic, to say the least, that the next big news story was the removal of an American bishop, apparently for talking too much. But never mind the mixed messages. The ouster of Bishop Joseph Strickland could harm the cause of synodal government in another important way. In its terse announcement of the bishop’s removal the Vatican did not explain why Bishop Strickland had to go.

Parable of the Talents on the 33rd Sunday: ‘Come, Share Your Master’s Joy’

Parable%20of%20the%20Talents%3A%20%u2018Come%2C%20Share%20Your%20Master%u2019s%20Joy%u2019%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterGRONDELSKI: Counting today, two Sundays are left in Ordinary Time. Two weeks from now, Advent begins. As is characteristic of the last weeks of Ordinary Time, the Church’s readings focus on eschatology: the Last Things (death, judgment or accounting for one’s life, heaven, hell). Matthew, the Gospel full of parables, teaches us about accounting for one’s life by means of today’s parable about talents. “Talents” is a fortuitous wordplay in English, because it makes us think of the abilities God gives us and how we account for their stewardship.

‘There Is No Problem’: Archbishop Justifies LGBT Rainbow Flags on Coffins in Mexican Cathedral

Archbishop justifies LGBT flags on coffins in Mexican cathedral | Catholic News Agency: The vice president of the Mexican Bishops’ Conference, Archbishop Gustavo Rodríguez Vega, justified the draping of LGBT flags on the coffins of a gay activist and his partner during their funeral held in the Aguascalientes cathedral, despite the scandal that this has caused among the faithful.

A Pastor’s Response to the Recent Vatican Document on ‘Trans’ Baptisms

"Trans" Baptisms - A Pastor's Response to the Recent Vatican Document - Community in MissionPOPE: I have been asked by numerous people what I think about the recent Vatican response on so-called “transgender” baptisms and other related questions. The original dubia (a list of questions) was submitted by His Eminence Mons. José Negri Vescovo of Santo Amaro in Brazil. My first reply was that I be allowed to read the document. Most discussion of this topic has been based on headlines and summaries by secular sources and some Catholic sources as well...

Bishop Strickland talks about his dismissal on EWTN’s ‘World Over’

New%20Advent%3A%20Bishop%20Strickland%20talks%20about%20his%20dismissal%20on%20EWTN%u2019s%20%u2018World%20Over%u2019: Most Rev. Joseph E. Strickland, the former Bishop of Tyler, Texas discusses the circumstances surrounding his dismissal from office by Pope Francis on November 11th...

Pope Francis to Meet With Families of Israeli Hostages and Palestinians With Relatives in Gaza

Pope Francis to meet with families of Israeli hostages and Palestinians with relatives in Gaza | Catholic News AgencyMARES: Pope Francis will meet with the families of Israelis being held hostage by Hamas at his next Wednesday general audience, and he will also meet separately with a group of Palestinians with relatives suffering in Gaza. Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni has confirmed that the pope will meet with the Israeli and Palestinian delegations separately on Nov. 22 on the sidelines of his public audience in St. Peter’s Square.

Pope Francis Tells American Priests: ‘Do Not Leave the Lord of the Tabernacle Alone’

Pope%20Francis%20tells%20American%20priests%3A%20%u2018Do%20not%20leave%20the%20Lord%20of%20the%20tabernacle%20alone%u2019%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20Agency: The presence of Jesus in every tabernacle points us to how we can serve our suffering brothers and sisters who share in Christ’s passion today, Pope Francis told American priests this week. In an audience with the National Association of Hispanic Priests on Nov. 16, Pope Francis shared his advice for living a Eucharistic prayer life ahead of the upcoming National Eucharistic Congress to be held in Indianapolis in July 2024.

What’s Next for Bishop Strickland?

What%u2019s%20Next%20for%20Bishop%20Strickland%3F%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterDESOUZA: The removal of Bishop Joseph Strickland as bishop of Tyler, Texas, is a story for our time; it could not have been imagined even 10 years ago. It is a tale of partisanship threatening communion, social-media extremism and new rules for the removal of bishops. The removal of a bishop from his diocese is a sad outcome, even if thought best for the common good of the local Church...

After giving an interview full of digs against American Catholics, papal nuncio Cardinal Pierre gets a frosty reception at the U.S. Bishops’ gathering

In the red corner: Has Cardinal Pierre isolated himself from the US bishops?: When Archbishop Timothy Broglio began on Tuesday morning his USCCB presidential address on the state of the Church in the U.S., he quoted from scripture, urging that “whoever has ears ought to hear what the Spirit says to the Churches.” To most of those with ears to hear, it seems clear that Broglio was talking to U.S. apostolic nuncio Cardinal Christophe Pierre — offering a pointed rebuke of Pierre’s recent comments on American Catholics and their leaders, given in an interview with America magazine.

Lesser evils, the Bishop of Strickland, and don’t drink alone

Lesser%20evils%2C%20the%20Bishop%20of%20Strickland%2C%20and%20don%u2019t%20drink%20aloneCONDON: In Baltimore this week, the public sessions of the USCCB assembly opened with state-of-affairs speeches from the apostolic nuncio, Cardinal Christophe Pierre, and the conference president, Archbishop Timothy Broglio. The nuncio offered a business-as-usual exhortation to the bishops on synodality, evangelization, and encounter with Christ, especially as those things relate to the U.S. bishops’ ongoing project of the Eucharistic Revival...

Hic Non Est: The Relationship of the Empty Tomb to the Cult of the Saints

Hic Non Est: The Relationship of the Empty Tomb to the Cult of the Saints | Church Life Journal | University of Notre Dame: In the days leading up to her martyrdom in the Carthage arena in AD 203, Saint Perpetua kept a meticulous written record of her dreams, known to us today as the Passio Perpetuae. The diary describes two visions of her brother Dinocrates, who had died years earlier from a skin cancer at the age of seven. In the first he comes forth from a triste multitude of souls and approaches a basin of water that is too high for him to drink from...

The Holy Eucharist may seem like a lot to swallow for some people. But try as they might, transubstantiation can’t be denied on scientific grounds...

Modern Science Doesn't Disprove the Doctrine of Transubstantiation | Church Life Journal | University of Notre Dame: In 2014 a group of biologists ran a PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) DNA amplification on several biological samples to compare their genetic material to known control samples. There was nothing unusual about the procedure itself; it is used every day in laboratories throughout the world and is a staple of TV crime investigation dramas. What was unusual, indeed unprecedented, is that some of the samples tested were consecrated Eucharistic hosts that had been stolen from several Catholic churches in the US and Canada.

Do not look forward to the changes and chances of this life with fear. Trust in God...

Inviting a Response to Trust in God | Knowing Is DoingTORRE: Steve simply stared at me for thirty minutes as he thought about my question. Fifteen minutes before this fateful encounter, Steve had entered my office unbeknownst to my secretary with a prepared list of questions on the Catholic faith. In conversation with a mutual friend, Steve was told that I was the “guy” he needed to see to have his questions about God, Jesus, salvation, and hell answered...

Ayaan Hirsi Ali, who recently announced her conversion to Christianity, dares to live as if God exists

Ayaan Hirsi Ali Dares To Live As if God ExistsDEAVEL: This weekend, the brilliant formerly-Muslim atheist, writer, and Nobel Peace Prize nominee Ayaan Hirsi Ali announced to the world that she is now a Christian. Almost immediately, suspicions about the sincerity and the reality of her newly claimed faith were voiced by both secular thinkers she left behind and some Christians. Are her reasons for conversion good? Does she know what she is doing?

15 U.S. Cities and Towns That Look Like They Could Belong in Europe

15%20U.S.%20Cities%20and%20Towns%20That%20Look%20Like%20They%20Could%20Belong%20in%20Europe%20%u2014%20Daily%20Passport: Dreaming of a European vacation but can’t make it across the pond? You’re in luck: All across America, there are quaint towns and even big cities where you might close your eyes and easily imagine you’re in Europe. From German settlements in central Texas to Nordic communities in the Midwest, here are 15 cities and towns in the U.S. look and feel quintessentially European — but with no passport required.

This Sunday, None of Us — Not Even the Best of Us — Has All the Talents We Need

This%20Sunday%2C%20None%20of%20Us%20%u2014%20Not%20Even%20the%20Best%20of%20Us%20%u2014%20Has%20All%20the%20Talents%20We%20Need%20%u2013%20Benedictine%20College%20Media%20%26%20CultureHOOPES: Jesus tells us that if we invest his talents well here and now it will mean a fuller life now and for eternity, in the Parable of the Talents on the 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A. Good to know. One question, though: How does one “invest” God’s talents? Jesus explains what he means in the parable itself, but the Church helpfully provides excellent clues in the other readings this Sunday. This parable is the reason we use the word “talent” the way we do.

The Holy See Press Office did something last week that made the Pope look bad

When Vatican PR makes the Pope look bad | Catholic CultureLAWLER: To avoid any misunderstanding let me begin by saying that what follows is not a criticism of Pope Francis. It is a criticism of the Vatican press office. Last Monday at an audience with the Conference of European Rabbis, Pope Francis did not deliver his prepared speech, explaining that he was not feeling well. That’s perfectly understandable, isn’t it? As he approaches his 87th birthday, we can expect the Pope to make some concessions to his declining health—as he should.

Providential prospects for Christian unity

Providential prospects for Christian unity | Catholic CultureMIRUS: Reflecting back on the the (potential) Providential trajectory I outlined in Friday’s commentary, I began wondering about how the turmoil we are witnessing in the Church might relate to God’s plans for Christian unity. After all, the multiplicity of different churches and denominations claiming the name “Christian” seriously undermines the Christian claim to be “of God”, and therefore rather obviously dampens the persuasiveness and impact of even an authentic Catholic renewal.

The Catholic Cartoon Collection is here...

The Catholic Cartoon Collection is HERE! - Voyage ComicsKOSLOSKI: Do you remember the “Sunday Funnies?” Were you a big fan of Calvin & Hobbes? Garfield? Peanuts? Well, now we have a Catholic version. Joshua Masterson is a very talented artist, whose work as the “Catholic Cartoonist” on Instagram is gaining him much attention. He is a product of homeschooling and you can learn more about him in this interview with America Magazine. “The Catholic Cartoon” is a slice-of-life humor comic that follows Father Otto, a blond-haired, big-nosed priest encountering the various stresses and joys of service.

Your brain’s ‘master switchboard’ is an underappreciated marvel

Your brain's hypothalamus keeps things running smoothly | Popular Science: Before your most recent meal, you might have felt some hunger pangs, signaling it was time to eat. Maybe you developed a sudden craving for Italian or another cuisine. These cues did not come out of thin air—they are the work of an almond-sized region in the brain called the hypothalamus. This area of the brain, despite its tiny size, has an enormous job in keeping us alive.

The Common Sense of the Hillbilly Thomist

The%20Common%20Sense%20of%20the%20Hillbilly%20Thomist%20%u2013FERENCE: Several months ago, I found myself in small-town Georgia, listening to a career retrospective lecture by Sarah Gordon, one of the most important professors in Flannery O’Connor studies for her work establishing O’Connor’s archives. After interlacing the story of her discovery of O’Connor’s fiction with some of the southern Catholic author’s funniest one-liners, she made a surprising argument, not only to that academic, generally left-leaning audience (I say at the risk of redundancy), but to anyone who was aware of her career as a feminist literary critic. While she had generally attempted to focus simply on what interested her in O’Connor’s short stories and novels, she now argued that...

The feminist fight isn’t just destroying babies — it’s destroying all of us...

The%20Women%u2019s%20Vote%20and%20Feminism%u2019s%20Triumph%20-%20The%20American%20Spectator%20%7C%20USA%20News%20and%20PoliticsGRESS: To hear them talk about it, feminists are fighting an uphill battle with the patriarchy, the pay gap, and gender inequality. But after Tuesday’s abortion victories in Ohio, Virginia, and Kentucky, it might just be time for feminists to spike the football and claim their victory: Feminism as an ideology has triumphed in America. Until Tuesday night, hope remained that some pro-life victories were to come post Dobbs. In 2021, Glenn Youngkin shocked pollsters in the off-cycle election by becoming Virginia’s governor...

Paul McCartney speaks about “times of trouble,” Mother Mary and the Beatles’ song, “Let It Be”

Paul%20McCartney%2C%20Times%20of%20Trouble%2C%20and%20%u201CLet%20It%20Be%u201D%20-%20Word%20on%20FireKACZOR: In a new podcast McCartney: A Life in Lyrics, Sir Paul McCartney talks about his most famous songs with the poet Paul Muldoon. The podcast is aimed at “dissecting the people, experiences, and art that inspired McCartney’s songwriting.” A recent episode explored the meaning of the lyrics of the title song of the Beatles’ last album, “Let it Be.” The song arose in times of trouble. War raged in Vietnam, riots rocked the Chicago Democratic convention, and students protested all over the world...

U.S. Bishops Approve Voting Guide That Calls Abortion ‘Preeminent Priority’

USCCB%20approves%20voting%20guide%20that%20calls%20abortion%20%u2018preeminent%20priority%u2019%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20AgencyPINEDO: The U.S. bishops will continue to highlight the threat of abortion as a “preeminent priority” in the introduction to a guide they’ll disseminate to Catholic voters ahead of the 2024 election. That designation, the source of debate among some bishops in recent years, was retained when the bishops voted overwhelmingly (225-11, with seven abstentions) to approve a revised introduction to the guide, “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship,” at their annual fall assembly Wednesday in Baltimore.

6 Mesmerizing Secret Passageways at the Vatican and Around the World

6%20Mesmerizing%20Secret%20Passageways%20Around%20the%20World%20%u2014%20Daily%20Passport: Across the world, historic buildings of all kinds conceal hidden corridors leading to separate annexes, wings, and even different properties altogether. The reasons these secret passageways were first installed are equally as interesting as the corridors themselves. Some were nothing more than the follies and quirks of wealthy property owners, while others were necessary to maintain the safety of those who lived or worked there. Take a look at the stories behind six fascinating secret passageways that exist around the world, from the Vatican to the pyramids of Egypt.

What is the most poisonous spider in the world?

What Is the Most Poisonous Spider in the World | Field & Stream: Of all the creeping, crawling critters that potentially pose problems for humans, spiders occupy a special niche. Unlike the biting, stinging pests such as hornets, wasps, snakes, and ticks that hunters encounter mostly while outdoors, spiders are just as likely to be found indoors, in our homes and hunting camps. And, while the popular myth that humans swallow eight spiders a year while they slumber is almost certainly false...

Ousted Bishop Strickland Leads Rosary Outside US Bishops’ Conference Meeting

Ousted%20Bishop%20Strickland%20Leads%20Rosary%20Outside%20US%20Bishops%u2019%20Conference%20Meeting%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterBUKURAS: Bishop Joseph Strickland didn’t join his fellow U.S. bishops at their annual fall assembly on Tuesday, but he wasn’t far away, leading the recitation of the Rosary for a few dozen people outside the waterfront hotel where the bishops’ meeting was taking place without him. Bishop Strickland’s appearance came just three days after Pope Francis removed the 65-year-old prelate as the head of the Diocese of Tyler, Texas.

Vatican Doctrine Office Reaffirms That Catholics Cannot Be Freemasons

Vatican doctrine office reaffirms that Catholics cannot be Freemasons | Catholic News Agency: The Vatican Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) released a document on Wednesday reaffirming that Catholics are forbidden from becoming Freemasons. The new document signed by Pope Francis and DDF Prefect Cardinal Victor Fernández was written in response to a bishop from the Philippines who had expressed concern at the growing number of Catholics in his diocese who are taking part in Freemasonry and asked for suggestions for how to respond pastorally.

There Will Surely Be a Divine Reckoning for Baby Indi’s Death

There%20Will%20Surely%20Be%20a%20Divine%20Reckoning%20for%20Baby%20Indi%u2019s%20Death%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterBRUGGER: There’s not much to add to the tragic story of the British health service’s fatal abandonment of Baby Indi Gregory, except that it’s not the end of the story — not for Indi, not for her dad and sister, and not for the reprehensible English judicial system. As has been widely reported, the little 8-month-old had a rare condition called mitochondrial disease. Her parents wished for everything possible to be done to treat the condition...

St. Albert the Great (Albertus Magnus) taught us that the Church and science are in harmony

St. Albert the Great Taught Us That the Church and Science Are in Harmony| National Catholic RegisterDANBURKE: St. Albert the Great was considered the “wonder and the miracle of his age” by his contemporaries. He was an assiduous Dominican whose accomplishments and gifts to the Church would be difficult to exaggerate. Born around 1206 and joining the Order of Preachers in 1223, Albert quickly became a master of almost every academic subject. Notwithstanding the standards of his own time, he became a pioneer of the natural sciences, both empirical and philosophical. His teachings on nature and theology were revolutionary, and he captured the attention of a young and taciturn Dominican, St. Thomas Aquinas.

Synod at halftime: Bishop Rhoades on synodality and evangelization

Synod at halftime: Bishop Rhoades on synodality and evangelization - OSV NewsPETERSMITH: Returning from the first session of the Synod on Synodality’s global, monthlong gathering in Rome, Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades of Fort Wayne-South Bend, Indiana, has already seen much the Catholic Church can profit from, especially at the local level for the sake of the church’s evangelization mission. The U.S. synod delegate returns to Rome for the October 2024 session, but spoke with OSV News Oct. 31 to share his takeaways from the first session ahead of the U.S. bishops’ meeting in Baltimore Nov. 13-17, where the synod’s synthesis report and inviting the consultation of the faithful on its work so far, will be part of the discussion.

At USCCB, 2026 is the new 2024

At USCCB, 2026 is the new 2024JDFLYNN: Greetings from the USCCB’s annual fall meeting in Baltimore, where the bishops will begin the public portion of their meeting today. As many of you know, the U.S. bishops’ conference began in 2012 a process for revising the Liturgy of the Hours — the prayerbook prayed several times a day by priests, religious, and many laity, whose revision began all the way back in 2012. A fair number of you have been keeping your breviaries together with duct tape and good will, not wanting to buy new ones if a new translation is imminent.

“He is good, this bishop” — Pope Francis raises eyebrows (and hackles) with words of support for Sicily’s Bishop Rosario Gisana, accused of covering up sex abuse

What%20did%20the%20pope%20say%20about%20Sicily%u2019s%20Bishop%20Rosario%20Gisana%3FLAROSA: Remarks by Pope Francis drew attention over the weekend for appearing to voice papal support for a Sicilian bishop accused of covering up sexual abuse. The pope held a routine audience Saturday with a group from the Little House of Mercy Association, a charitable organization in Sicily. He began his brief remarks with a greeting. Francis did not elaborate on what he meant by Gisana being persecuted and slandered. But the pope’s comments quickly sparked controversy, as Gisana is a contentious figure facing allegations of covering up sexual abuse.

Bishop Strickland Saga: Ousted Bishop Speculates on the Reasons the Vatican Removed Him

Bishop Strickland Saga: Ousted Bishop Speculates on the Reasons the Vatican Removed Him| National Catholic RegisterLIEDL: Just hours after Pope Francis removed Bishop Joseph Strickland as the head of the Diocese of Tyler, the Texas prelate went public to share his side of the story — filling in some blanks in the gripping saga that has put the now-former ordinary of the small northeastern Texas diocese into the global spotlight, but also leaving other critical questions unanswered.

It took the Babylonian cataclysm 2,600 years ago to pave the way for a renaissance of faithfulness. Will it be the same for America and the West?

The Prophets and Today - St. John Vianney Lay DivisionMANERO: Reading the Prophets of the Old Testament can be a rather eye-opening affair. We often think of the Old Testament as the time of God’s wrath and judgment, whereas the New Testament is the time of God’s mercy and peace. What really changes, however, is not God, but people – with the Cross, Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, we are restored to the proper view of God that Adam and Eve once enjoyed in Eden. With the grace that comes through the Passion and Resurrection of Jesus Christ...

What my Protestant relatives ask me about being a nun

A Convert's Perspective on Vocations - Sr. Julia Mary Darrenkamp - The Coming Home Network: Sr. Julia grew up Protestant, and when she became Catholic, and then entered religious life with the Daughters of St. Paul, it raised all kinds of questions with her friends and family. She shares what she gets asked about being a Catholic sister by her Protestant loved ones, and some of the ways she’s responded over the years.

Around the world, gravestones with family recipes tell stories of love, grief, and remembrance.

The Family Recipes That Live On in Cemeteries - Gastro Obscura: On a clear day at Nome City Cemetery, you can watch planes take off over the Bering Sea. Within the field of white graves, you might also see a small black obelisk that shines brilliantly when it catches the sun. Getting closer, you’ll note an unmistakable symbol engraved near its base. It’s not a cross, nor a Star of David, but a sacred container of sorts in many American households: a tub of Cool Whip.

7 of the World’s Most Interesting and Extreme Bridges

7%20of%20the%20World%u2019s%20Most%20Unique%20Bridges%20%u2014%20Daily%20Passport: Humans have been building bridges since at least 4000 BCE, and since then, spans have become ever more ambitious. As some of the most challenging construction projects on the planet, they require careful consideration of gravity, tension, compression, and the landscape in which they are built. But when complete, bridges can become not only feats of engineering but also stunning architectural landmarks that stand the test of time. Here are seven of the world’s most unique bridges you can drive across.

Listen to this beautiful “Swan Sequence,” a 1,200-year-old poem set to music by Logan Norman

New%20Advent%3A%20Listen%20to%20this%20beautiful%20%u201CSwan%20Sequence%2C%u201D%20a%201%2C200-year-old%20poem%20set%20to%20music%20by%20Logan%20Norman: Clangam, filii ("I shall sing to you, my children"), also known as the "Swan Sequence", is a medieval Aquitanian poem sequence written in Latin by an anonymous author, dated approximately to the year 850. The poem's narrative speaks of a swan who has taken flight over the ocean, becoming imperilled by a frightful storm. In mortal danger, the swan makes a desperate plea for deliverance in a manner reminiscent of the Psalms, and is then guided back to safety while giving praise to God the mighty King.

Pope’s Sunday Angelus: “Do You Nourish the ‘Oil’ of Your Soul?”

Pope at Angelus: Do I nourish the 'oil' of my soul? - Vatican News: Pope Francis has called on faithful to nourish the 'oil of the soul' daily, in order to be prepared for the Lord and for others. He did so during his Sunday Angelus address in St. Peter's Square at noon, as he reflected on today's Gospel reading according to St. Matthew, which centers on the parable of the ten virgins called to go out to meet the bridegroom.

Convoluted trial may boil down to simple question: Is the Pope above the law?

Convoluted trial may boil down to simple question: Is the Pope above the law? | CruxALLEN: At one level, the question facing the three judges overseeing the Vatican’s long-running “trial of the century,” who are expected to deliver a verdict next month, is extremely straight-forward: Are the defendants innocent or guilty of the various forms of financial crime with which they’ve been charged? Yet lurking beneath and beyond the surface is another question, one with much larger implications than the fate of these ten individuals, most of whom, presumably, will return to relative obscurity once the process is complete.

Stay Awake and Be Ready! You Do Not Know When Your Lord Will Come

Stay Awake and Be Ready! You Do Not Know When Your Lord Will Come| National Catholic RegisterGRONDELSKI: Counting today, three Sundays remain in the current liturgical year. As the Church enters the final weeks of Ordinary Time, the focus of its readings shifts to the eschatological — death, judgment, heaven, hell — and our readiness for them. That transition also coincides with the Church’s focus during the month of November on prayer for the faithful departed, particularly the souls in Purgatory...

Why Five and Five? What Is Our Oil?

Why Five & Five? What Is Our Oil? | Parishable ItemsFELTES: Jesus tells us, “The Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.” In those days, the Jewish custom was for a man and woman to get betrothed. This marked the start of their marriage covenant, yet the husband and wife would live separately for the first year. In the meantime, the bridegroom would return to his father’s house and prepare a dwelling place for their life together...

German Catholic bishops press for same-sex union blessings

German Catholic bishops press for same-sex union blessings | The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette - Arkansas' Best News SourceMATTINGLY: In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus proclaimed, "Judge not, lest you be judged." Early in his papacy, Pope Francis told journalists: "If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?" Citing those words, while expressing hope for future Synod on Synodality developments, a German bishop has officially asked his clergy to start performing rites blessing Catholics in same-sex relationships...

How the Religious Composition of the Democrats and Republicans Has Changed Over the Last 50 Years

Election Day 2023: Religious Composition Of Political Parties Over The Last 50 YearsBURGE: American religion is shifting rapidly now. The nones are climbing every single year. Mainline Protestants are losing ground day by day. And evangelicals are still having a huge impact on American culture, religion and politics. The purpose of this post is to give a broad overview of just how much the parties have shifted from the 1970s through today.

Pause. Ask your guardian angel to guard you. Done? Now we can talk about Bishop Strickland. And never forget: If they hate us, let’s not return the favor...

Pause. Ask your guardian angel to guard you. Done? Bp. Strickland. Wherein Fr. Z rants. | Fr. Z's BlogZUHLSDORF: Were any of us surprised to read this news? Not a bit. It was merely a matter of timing. As one priest friend wrote to me: When a man plays blackjack and asks for a hit, he gets hit. To use another image, if they are not shooting at you, you are not over the target. No reasons were listed in the announcement. This was a personal decision of Francis. There seems not to have been a formal canonical procedure, which is the regular way of things in the Church to maintain good order...

Cardinal DiNardo reveals: Bishop Strickland was sacked after first refusing the Vatican’s request to resign

Bishop Strickland refused to resign, cardinal says | Catholic News AgencyDENNELLY: Pope Francis removed Bishop Joseph Strickland of Tyler, Texas, from his post Saturday after he refused to resign, according to Galveston-Houston archbishop Cardinal Daniel DiNardo. Strickland’s ouster on Nov. 11 comes after the Vatican Dicastery for Bishops completed a formal investigation in the diocese earlier this year called an apostolic visitation, which, according to a source, looked into the bishop’s social media use and questions related to diocesan management. The visitation was carried out by Bishop Dennis Sullivan of Camden, New Jersey, and Bishop Emeritus Gerald Kicanas of Tucson, Arizona.

Pope Francis relieves Strickland of his duties as bishop of Tyler

Pope Francis relieves Strickland of his duties as bishop of Tyler | Catholic News AgencyMARES: The Vatican announced Saturday that Pope Francis has relieved Bishop Joseph Strickland from his duties in the Diocese of Tyler, Texas, and appointed an apostolic administrator to replace him. Strickland’s removal on Nov. 11 comes after the Texas bishop refused a Vatican request for him to submit his resignation two days prior, according to Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of Houston.

In Canonically Rare Move, Pope Francis Fires Bishop Joseph Strickland of Tyler, Texas

Pope%20Francis%20removes%20Tyler%u2019s%20Bishop%20Strickland: In a canonically rare step, Pope Francis has removed Bishop Joseph Strickland as the Bishop of Tyler, Texas, the Vatican announced Saturday. The Holy See press office gave no reason for the decision but said in a Nov. 11 statement that Austin’s Bishop Joe Vásquez would serve as apostolic administrator of the diocese serving around 120,000 Catholics in eastern Texas.

The First UFC, Royce Gracie, and the Embodied Practices of Tradition

The First UFC, Royce Gracie, and the Embodied Practices of Tradition - Word on FireKACZOR: Thirty years ago, on November 12, 1993, eight fighters entered a single elimination tournament to determine who would be the first Ultimate Fighting Champion (UFC). In the early UFC matches, there were no weight classes, no time limits, and no points to determine who had won the fight. The winner was determined by a knock-out, by a fighter admitting defeat via a submission, or by the fighter in his corner throwing in the towel to end the fight.

Ultimate clericalism: It’s not what you think

Ultimate clericalism: Not what you think | Catholic CultureMIRUS: Perhaps twenty or thirty years ago I went to confession to a priest in a neighboring parish where the lines were a bit shorter. I have conveniently forgotten the sin I had to confess, but as I was confessing it, I also mentioned something about the circumstances. The priest immediately cut me short and told me sternly not to say anything more than the minimum necessary. I asked, “But what if I have some question about the relevance of the circumstances to the gravity of the sin?” He answered in a tone that was little short of yelling...

The cause for the canonization of the Martyrs of La Florida has completed its diocesan phase and has been sent to Rome...

%u2018Great%20heroes%20for%20everyone%u2019%20%7C%20Florida%20%7C%20thefloridacatholic.org: Lay Catholics and clergy researched, chronicled and verified a piece of Florida’s Catholic history from more than three centuries ago in hopes it will become a piece of Catholic history for the universal church. And eight years after this process officially began, a Mass marked the affirming, signing and sealing of documentation of Antonio Inija and the 57 companions to be delivered to the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints in Rome for consideration of canonization.

Book Review: John Clark’s "Betrayed without a Kiss: Defending Marriage after Years of Failed Leadership in the Church"

Book Review: "Betrayed without a Kiss: Defending Marriage after Years of Failed Leadership in the Church"TIMCLARK: Recently, the leadership of the Catholic Church has spilled much ink over the question of how to best re-integrate the divorced and remarried into the life of the Church. A noble goal, to be sure, but the question of why so many marriages have ended in divorce has received scant attention. Indeed, as John Clark notes in his book, Betrayed without a Kiss: Defending Marriage after Years of Failed Leadership in the Church, it is rare for the laity to hear about marriage and its primary purpose spoken of at all from the pulpit.

What battles are we losing when the holy water fonts are dry?

What battles are we losing when the holy water fonts are dry?SCALIA: In chapter 31 of her autobiography, the 16th- century Carmelite St. Teresa of Avila, one of four female doctors of the church, including her spiritual daughter, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, urges us toward frequent use of one particular, very common and (usually) widely available sacramental. During a recent holiday in Italy that included numerous visits to churches throughout the mainland and Sicily, I couldn’t help but think of the great reformer’s testimony...

We strengthen the faith of our children with the language of the Cross

The Language of the Cross as the First Importance of the Faith | Knowing Is DoingTORRE: The moment I saw their eyes open, a beautiful encounter occurred when my eyes became fixated on theirs. There was an immediate sense of awe and wonder as they came into this world and proclaimed through their first breath that the first stage of their journey had begun. As the birth of each of my living children took hold of me and forever changed my supposed Catholic worldview at the time, reality set in that now my entire life is predicated on the nurturing and nourishment of both my beloved bride and our children.

“That They Might Have Life”: A Catholic Response to Drugs, the Damage They Inflict, and the False Rhetoric Behind Them

That They Might Have Life - Archdiocese of DenverAQUILA: Recently, I was in Spain and was praying in a church. A homeless man came into the church and approached me, begging for money. He needed the money not for food, water, or shelter, but for drugs. He went to great lengths to express his desperation and showed me the damage the needles had done to his arm. My heart broke for this man who was not only severely addicted to drugs but was suffering with mental illness.

Don’t Forget What the Israel-Hamas War Is About

Don%u2019t%20Forget%20What%20the%20Israel-Hamas%20War%20Is%20About%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterWARSAW: It has been four weeks since Hamas launched a surprise attack against Israel. Now, Israel is engaged in a long and bloody ground invasion of the Gaza Strip, the territory controlled by Hamas. The horror and ugliness of war has been brought regularly to our eyes in recent days, and such images likely will continue for many more weeks, even months, and, with them, growing calls for an immediate cease-fire to halt the Israeli advance.

Why You Should Stop in the Middle of Your Run

Why You Should Stop in the Middle of Your Run: Afew years ago, I was out on a run with a friend in New York. It was the first perfect day of the year—60 degrees, partly cloudy. The city seemed new again. As we jogged through the West Village, she suddenly came to a stop in front of a store window. “Let’s go in!” she said. I was baffled. But we’re in the middle of the run, I thought. How could we possibly interrupt this?

An unprecedented Fat Bear Week story just got even better

Unprecedented Fat Bear Week story just got even better | Mashable: In 2022, the park rangers monitoring Alaska's fat bears were astonished. Brown bears are extremely cautious animals, constantly vigilant of threatening outsiders. That's why mothers and cubs keep to themselves. Yet last year, bear viewers both online and at the park witnessed two family groups in Katmai National Park and Preserve act like a big family. They traveled the salmon-filled river together. Fished together. And even napped together.

Two Years After ‘Traditionis Custodes’ Crackdown, FSSP Reports Record Number of Seminarians and Members

FSSP sees seminarian, membership growthCOPPEN: The traditionalist Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP) has more seminarians and members than ever before, according to newly published statistics. Annual figures released Nov. 1 showed that the society of apostolic life — a community of priests who do not take religious vows — has more than 200 seminarians for the first time since it was founded in 1988. Among the 201 seminarians in 2023, there are 22 deacons and 179 non-deacons, including postulants...

This Sunday, Light Your Lamp! the Groom Is Coming. But Where’s the Bride?

This%20Sunday%2C%20Light%20Your%20Lamp%21%20the%20Groom%20Is%20Coming.%20But%20Where%u2019s%20the%20Bride%3F%20%u2013%20Benedictine%20College%20Media%20%26%20CultureHOOPES: If you don’t make an effort to stop it, darkness will surround you. That is the first, literal, lesson Jesus delivers on the 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time. But darkness is not the only thing at stake — your meeting with the Bridegroom is also at stake. That’s where the parable takes on an unexpected depth. The parable about 10 women with lanterns waiting for a wedding is based on customs that are well-known in the Middle East...

There is no excuse — none — for the wave of Jew-hatred that has washed across the Western world like an acid bath

The grave sin of Jew-hatredWEIGEL: Shortly after the 2014 Russian annexation of Crimea, I noted in this column and elsewhere that the entire episode — including the fouling of the public space by the aggressor’s genocidal threats and endless disinformation – suggested something of what the 1930s must have been like. A brazen dictator with a talent for rabble-rousing bewitches his own people and paralyzes the political will of those who might be able to deter him. Well-meaning (and not-so-well-meaning) souls make excuses for the aggressor...

Explaining Pope Francis’ perceived ‘ambiguity’ on Israel and Judaism

Explaining%20Pope%20Francis%u2019s%20perceived%20%u2018ambiguity%u2019%20on%20Israel%20and%20Judaism%20%7C%20CruxALLEN: Leaders often speak at least as loudly by what they don’t say as by what they do, and such would appear to be the case in recent days regarding Pope Francis’s approach to Israel and the broader Jewish world. A series of perceived papal slights began in late October, when a group of family members of victims of the Oct. 7 surprise attack by Hamas against Israel, as well as family members of Israelis taken hostage by Hamas, visited Italy.

St. Leo the Great, Pope and Doctor, Pray For the Church

St. Leo the Great, Pope and Doctor, Pray For the Church| National Catholic RegisterMARCUM: There are a lot of problems with the postmodern age. Notably, I think we occupants of postmodernity can never truly decide how angry we should be. We are told that tolerance is the primary virtue, but of course, this only applies to those who kowtow to the whims of the cultural elite and their morality police. Should anyone deviate, they are promptly told to sit down and shut up...

“We Just Tell Them, ‘Name and School’”: Here’s How NBC Makes Those Viral Sunday Night Football Player Intros

%u201CWe%20Just%20Tell%20Them%2C%20%u2018Name%20and%20School%u2019%u201D%3A%20Here%u2019s%20How%20NBC%20Makes%20Those%20Viral%20Sunday%20Night%20Football%20Player%20Intros%20%7C%20GQ: The Vatican’s doctrine office has said an adult who identifies as transgender can receive the sacrament of baptism under the same conditions as any adult, as long as there is no risk of causing scandal or confusion to other Catholics. The Vatican also said that children or adolescents experiencing transgender identity issues may also receive baptism “if well prepared and willing.”

Vatican Doctrine Office: Transgender-Identifying People Can Be Baptized, or Act as Godfathers and Godmothers ‘Under Certain Conditions’

Vatican doctrine office: Transgender-identifying people can be baptized, witness marriages | Catholic News AgencyBROCKHAUS: The Vatican’s doctrine office has said an adult who identifies as transgender can receive the sacrament of baptism under the same conditions as any adult, as long as there is no risk of causing scandal or confusion to other Catholics. The Vatican also said that children or adolescents experiencing transgender identity issues may also receive baptism “if well prepared and willing.”

Eastern Orthodox Archbishop Accused of Lengthy Affair Sues Over His Stingy Severance After $1.4 Million Retirement Package Was Revoked

Archbishop%20Accused%20of%20Lengthy%20Affair%20Sues%20Over%20His%20Stingy%20Severance%20%u2013%20DNyuz: A top Orthodox archbishop who abruptly stepped down from his position last year after allegations of a longtime affair emerged now says the seven-figure severance package he was promised—including a checking account pre-loaded with some $1.4 million—was later snatched away by church officials who have “cruelly turned their back on him.”

From Fort McHenry to the Citadel of Jaca, a Photo Appreciation of 24 Star Forts Around the World

A Photo Appreciation of Star Forts - The Atlantic: Star forts, or bastion forts, are a type of fortification that first emerged over 500 years ago, in response to the growing power of cannons on the battlefield, with sloped walls and angled bastions that allowed defenders better coverage above any attackers. These polygonal or star-shaped defensive structures were built in locations around the world by kingdoms, revolutionaries, colonial forces, commercial entities, and more. Although most have outlived their military usefulness, dozens of these forts still survive, now renovated as museums, tourist attractions, hotels, or city parks.

Ohio voters overwhelmingly approve amendment enshrining abortion in state constitution

Ohio voters overwhelmingly approve amendment enshrining abortion in state constitution | Catholic News Agency: Ohio voters overwhelmingly approved a ballot referendum that adds a new right to “reproductive freedom,” including abortion and contraception, to the state constitution on Tuesday, Nov. 7. With 59% of the vote tallied, nearly 56% of voters selected “yes” for the adoption of Issue 1, in contrast to only 44% who chose “no.”

Major Survey Finds ‘Conservative’ and ‘Orthodox’ Priests on the Rise, With ‘Progressive’ Seminarians Practically ‘Extinct’ in U.S.

Major%20survey%20finds%20%u2018conservative%u2019%20and%20%u2018orthodox%u2019%20priests%20on%20the%20rise%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20AgencyMCKEOWN: The new analysis of a study that claims to be the largest national survey of Catholic priests conducted in more than 50 years has found, among other things, that priests describing themselves as “progressive” are practically going “extinct” among U.S. seminary graduates, with the vast majority of young ordinands describing themselves as conservative and orthodox.

CUA Study: Young Catholic Priests Who Say They’re Theologically ‘Progressive’ Have ‘All But Vanished’ in the U.S.

Study%3A%20Liberal%20US%20priests%20facing%20%u2018progressive%u2019%20extinctionCOPPEN: The share of new U.S. Catholic priests identifying as theologically “progressive” has fallen so low that the phenomenon has “all but vanished,” according to a report published Tuesday. The 18-page report, issued Nov. 7 by The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., said that when priests were asked to describe their theological outlook on a spectrum from “very conservative/orthodox” to “very progressive,” none of those ordained after 2020...

Watch this amazing 26-second drone video of the most beautiful place you’ve probably never heard of

New%20Advent%3A%20Watch%20a%2026-second%20drone%20video%20of%20the%20most%20beautiful%20place%20you%u2019ve%20probably%20never%20heard%20of: The village of Foroglio is famous for an 80-meter waterfall that roars out of the mountains, dropping behind its 15th-century church. Foroglio is off the grid: its residents chose to live without electricity

My Arabian day trip, St. Hyacinth, and the news

My Arabian day trip, St. Hyacinth, and the newsJDFLYNN: Today is the feast of All Dominican Saints, and you’re reading The Tuesday Pillar Post. Among those Dominican saints is Fr. Hyacinth Castañeda, who — 250 years ago today, on Nov. 7, 1773 — was beheaded in a prison in Hanoi, Vietnam, where he had gone to preach the Gospel. He was 30 years old. Hyacinth was born to a comfortable and devout Catholic family in Spain; he entered the Dominican order when he was 14 years old, and professed his first vows days before his 16th birthday.

Cardinal Pierre points to 2007 Aparecida document as model for U.S. evangelization. But first, it seems worth asking: Has it actually worked?

By the numbers: Did Aparecida work?HODGE: In an interview last week, Cardinal Christophe Pierre emphasized a focus in the Church on “synodality” — and focused on a 2007 meeting of South and Latin America’s bishops in the city of Aparecida, Brazil. Pierre told America Magazine that when he arrived in the United States, he had been “shocked” to see that many U.S. bishops were unfamiliar with important developments in the synodal style of leadership — which he said was manifested at the 2007 Aparecida conference.

Jimmy Kimmel and Rolling Stone mock Speaker Mike Johnson for using ‘Covenant Eyes’ accountability software

Jimmy%20Kimmel%20and%20Rolling%20Stone%20Mock%20Speaker%20Mike%20Johnson%20for%20Using%20%u2018Covenant%20Eyes%u2019%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterVERRET: Our dark culture doesn’t appreciate the radiant beauty in relationships like Mike Johnson’s with his son. We need more families to rise up in virtue to lead our communities, nation and culture. That’s only going to come from, one by one, recognizing that the vocation of marriage is the primary means of nurturing and protecting all that is good, true and beautiful. There is no more urgent time in the history of the world to focus on the roots of the marital vocations of the next generation.

The Fascinating Histories of 6 Fairy-Tale European Castles

The%20Fascinating%20Histories%20of%206%20Fairy-Tale%20European%20Castles%20%u2014%20Daily%20Passport: Europe is a treasure trove of castles that appear straight out of a fairy tale — ones that have even inspired Walt Disney himself. From rise-from-the-ashes comeback tales to surprising histories and elaborate designs, European castles tick all the boxes for travelers interested in history, architecture, and culture. Discover six of Europe’s most famous castles and the compelling stories behind their façades.

G.K. Chesterton Puts Spiritualism and Belief in Ghosts in Its Place

100% Proof Spirits? G.K. Chesterton and Belief in Ghosts - Crisis Magazine: Halloween has now been and gone, leaving behind it the usual trail of controversies over how religiously-minded persons should treat the festival: as a harmless piece of spooky fun, or as an unholy feast of Satan merely disguised as an unholy piece of spooky fun. Very much in the latter camp is Fr. Jaromir Smejkal, parish priest for the village of Kurdejov in the Czech Republic, who made headlines after stamping on and destroying a number of carved pumpkins placed out on display in a local park by schoolchildren.