On the ‘Cobra Effect’ and Congo’s Ambongo as an emerging papal candidate

On%20the%20%u2018Cobra%20Effect%u2019%20and%20Congo%u2019s%20Ambongo%20as%20an%20emerging%20papal%20candidate%20%7C%20CruxALLEN: Though it’s likely apocryphal, the story goes that during British rule of India, colonial officials became concerned about poisonous cobras in the city of Delhi and decided to offer a bounty for every dead snake. Enterprising locals, naturally, began to breed cobras in order to collect the reward. When the British discovered the ruse and withdrew the offer...

Germany’s most populous diocese forecasts 2024 deficit

Germany%u2019s%20most%20populous%20diocese%20forecasts%202024%20deficitCOPPEN: Germany’s Cologne archdiocese announced Monday that it expects a budget deficit of almost 21 million euros in 2024. The Jan. 29 announcement underlines the growing economic headwinds facing the Church in Germany, long regarded as one of the wealthiest parts of the Catholic world. Cologne archdiocese — which has been described as the world’s richest diocese...

Holy See Appoints Third Chinese Bishop in Less Than a Week, Signaling Shift Toward Beijing

Holy See appoints third Chinese bishop in less than a week, signaling shift toward Beijing | Catholic News Agency: The Vatican announced on Wednesday the appointment of Father Peter Wu Yishun as the bishop of the Apostolic Prefecture of Shaowu (Minbei), the third appointment of a bishop in China in just a week. According to the announcement, Wu was nominated as bishop of Shaowu, which is situated in the southeastern coastal province of Fujian...

African Cardinal Ambongo Says Timing ‘Fiducia’ Release Between Synod Sessions Is ‘Damaging for the Synodal Process’

African%20cardinal%20says%20%u2018Fiducia%u2019%20has%20discredited%20synod%20on%20synodality%20%7C%20Crux: An African cardinal who recently led the continent’s bishops in rejecting blessings for same-sex couples has now lashed out at the timing of the Vatican document that opened the door to such a move, calling it “damaging” to the synodal process convened by Pope Francis.

Nothing on Earth, Not Even Infidelity and Mortal Sin, Can Dissolve an Indissoluble Marriage

Nothing on Earth, Not Even Mortal Sin, Can Dissolve an Indissoluble Marriage| National Catholic RegisterCLARK: At Catholic tribunals across the dioceses of America, the subject of marital infidelity is a frequent discussion. Since the intention of sexual fidelity at the time of the marriage is required for marriage validity, a future act of infidelity is sometimes viewed as grounds for annulment...

There’s a vast gulf between Wojtyła’s ‘Love and Responsibility’ and Fernandez’s strange, lewd writings

Mystical Passion vs. Love and Responsibility - Crisis MagazineSPINELLO: After the untimely revelation of Cardinal Fernández’s salacious book, Mystical Passion: Spirituality and Sensuality, some prominent progressive Catholics rushed to defend the beleaguered prelate. The cardinal, who was appointed head of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith last September, has been a source of embarrassment and controversy for the Church, especially because of his ill-conceived and ambiguous Declaration...

In new La Stampa interview, Pope says people who resist Fiducia Supplicans ‘belong to small ideological groups’ but Africans are a ‘special case’

Pope says Africans are 'special case' when it comes to LGBT blessings | Reuters: Pope Francis said in an interview published on Monday that Africans were a "special case" in the opposition of bishops and many other people in the continent to homosexuality. But he said he was confident that, except for Africans, critics of his decision to allow blessings for same-sex couples would eventually understand it. Blessings were allowed last month in a document called Fiducia Supplicans...

Helen Alvaré: Catholic Speaker and Scholar Who Upends Pro-Life Stereotypes

Helen Alvare: Catholic Speaker and Scholar Who Upends Pro-Life Stereotypes| National Catholic RegisterDESMOND: When the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast honors Helen Alvaré with its annual Christifideles Laici Award on Feb. 8, the pro-life legal scholar and speaker will deliver some hard truths to her Beltway audience. Given the headwinds facing the Catholic Church and the pro-life movement...

Islamic State Claims Responsibility for Attack on Catholic Church in Istanbul

Islamic State claims responsibility for attack on Catholic church in Istanbul | Catholic News AgencyMARES: The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the deadly attack on a Catholic church in Istanbul during Sunday Mass that left one man dead. Two suspects described as members of the Islamic State group have been arrested following the shooting on Jan. 28 at Santa Maria Church in Istanbul’s Sariyer district.

Indian family flees America after Oregon teacher secretly pushes their daughter toward ‘transgender’ identity

%u201CWe%20Thought%20She%20Was%20a%20Great%20Teacher%u201D%20%7C%20City%20Journal: In June 2022, two Centennial Elementary School students in Olympia, Washington, disappeared. Their parents, Indian immigrants, had quietly driven them out of state, to Oregon, before they eventually decided to fly back to their former home country. No one in Olympia has seen the children since.

Obey Christ For Abundant Life

Obey Christ For Abundant Life | Parishable ItemsFELTES: The people of Capernaum observed the authority and power of Jesus, “He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him.” The demons are mere creatures, but Jesus Christ is Lord. Will we heed and obey him? According to Catholic exorcists, a good confession is more powerfully effective than an exorcism. This makes sense. It is difficult to root out demonic influence in a person’s life when the person is siding with the demons in rebellions against God through grave sin...

Here are 5 of the strangest days in history, including a bizarre coincidence involving 2 Dennis the Menaces

5%20of%20the%20Strangest%20Days%20in%20History%20%u2014%20History%20Facts: There have been 91,310 days in the last 250 years, but only a few of them stand out as singularly odd. Unexplained phenomena, surprising coincidences, and, in some cases, a strange quiet, don’t happen every day — especially on a massive scale.

Video footage of Istanbul attack obtained by EWTN News shows two armed men dressed in black...

BREAKING: 1 person killed in shooting at Catholic church in Istanbul | Catholic News Agency: Two masked assailants opened fire in a Catholic church in Istanbul during Mass on Sunday morning, reportedly killing one person during the consecration. Bishop Massimiliano Palinuro, the apostolic vicar of Istanbul, told EWTN News on Jan. 28 that a man was killed “during the consecration” in the attack in Santa Maria Church in Istanbul’s Sariyer district.

Gunmen Attack Catholic Church in Istanbul, Kill One Person During Sunday Morning Mass

Istanbul church attack: Gunmen kill one person during Sunday morning mass: One person has been killed in an attack by masked gunmen on a Catholic church in Istanbul. Local media also reported several injuries. The shooting happened at the church of Santa Maria during Sunday morning mass at around 11:40 local time. Turkey's interior minister has condemned the "vile attack" and said an investigation has been launched. Police are still searching for the suspects. The motive for the attack was not immediately clear.

What did Archbishop Fulton Sheen mean by the ‘Ape of the Church?’ Is it happening now? (Hint: No, it’s not)

New%20Advent%3A%20What%20did%20Archbishop%20Fulton%20Sheen%20mean%20by%20the%20%u2018Ape%20of%20the%20Church%3F%u2019%20Is%20it%20happening%20now%3FHOLDSWORTH: There’s an expression (“Ape of the Church”) that seems to be getting more and more attention these days. It was coined by Archbishop Fulton Sheen to describe what the Church teaches about a final deception that the faithful will have to endure before the second coming of Jesus. He called it the “Ape of the Church,” which would be an apocalyptic counterfeit Church inaugurated by the Antichrist.

Hell is real. It’s definitive self-exclusion from God. And people really go there forever...

Hell Is Real (Jan. 27)| National Catholic Register: Pope Francis recently called on the international community to ban surrogate pregnancy. His words are a welcome source of support for pro-life advocates in Michigan, which is about to become ‘one of the most surrogacy-friendly jurisdictions in the world.’ That’s what Genevieve Marnon, legislative director of Right to Life of Michigan, told the Register...

What Does the Catholic Church Teach About the Occupancy of Hell?

What Does the Catholic Church Teach About the Occupancy of Hell?| National Catholic RegisterRALPHMARTIN: Pope Francis stirred up controversy with an informal remark concerning hell that he made Jan. 14 in an hourlong live interview with a popular Italian television program. While acknowledging that this is only his personal view, not “a dogma of faith,” the Holy Father speculated that hell may be empty and expressed the hope that it is the case: “What I am going to say is not a dogma of faith, but my own personal view: I like to think of hell as empty; I hope it is.”

Jesus doesn’t want fame. He wants followers...

This%20Sunday%2C%20Jesus%20Doesn%u2019t%20Want%20To%20Be%20a%20Celebrity%20%u2013%20Benedictine%20College%20Media%20%26%20CultureHOOPES: Jesus explodes out of the starting gate into the ancient world as his public ministry begins in the Gospel of Mark on the Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B. He teaches in the Capernaum synagogue and amazes the crowds by what he says (and how he says it). Then, he is suddenly confronted by a possessed man. No problem. Jesus frees him easily. Jesus is so impressive that from these Capernaum events alone...

Why St. Thomas Aquinas matters now, according to the Theologian of the Papal Household

Why Aquinas matters now, according to the papal theologianBRISCOE: “In the contemporary confusion, people are no longer clear about basic moral values,” says Father Wojciech Giertych, O.P., Theologian of the Papal Household. For Father Giertych, the theology of St. Thomas Aquinas can help the Church address that confusion. Appointed by Pope Benedict XVI in 2005, Father Giertych serves the Church as an advisor on theological matters, a role that marries deep spiritual insight with intellectual rigor.

Archbishop of Canterbury Celebrates Anglican Liturgy in Catholic Basilica of St. Bartholomew in Rome

Archbishop of Canterbury celebrates Anglican liturgy in a Catholic basilica in Rome | Catholic News Agency: Anglican Archbishop Justin Welby celebrated an Anglican liturgy this morning in the Catholic Basilica of St. Bartholomew, located on Tiber Island in Rome’s Tiber River. At the beginning of the ceremony, the current archbishop of Canterbury thanked Pope Francis for allowing him to hold the service in this Catholic church.

The Habit of Seeing: Film and the Way of Conversion

The%20Habit%20of%20Seeing%3A%20A%20Conversation%20with%20Manny%20Marquez%20%u2014%20Joie%20de%20VivrePIRAS: My name is Manny Marquez. I grew up in Tulsa, Oklahoma. As a child, I fell in love with storytelling and loved to read. Of course, being Catholic, there were so many great stories we’d hear of the saints and the life of Christ in the Gospel. Those made a huge impact on me. Also, I am part Native American, a member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma...

A Vatican court ruling keeps the lid on financial scandals

A Vatican court ruling keeps the lid on financial scandals | Catholic CultureLAWLER: In a decision released yesterday, a Vatican court focused on the question of whether the forced resignation in 2017 of Libero Milone, the Vatican auditor general, “can be considered as attributable to the Secretariat of State.” The court ruled that it could not, and dismissed Milone’s wrongful-dismissal suit.

Capitol Hillsong, German Bishops, FBI vs. Traditionalists, and a Gathering Storm

Capitol HillsongCONDON: I’m feeling pretty much like the world could end at any time. That might seem a little bit dramatic, I’ll concede that up front. And where I’m going with this is going to strike some of you as silly and overwrought. But I’m mostly serious. Just hear me out. I started the week ranting to the Mrs. about this shiny new breed of AI software that allowed a speech at Davos, delivered in Spanish by the Argentine president...

What is God’s greatest attribute? Here’s how the Church herself answers this question...

God's Greatest Attribute - Dr. Benjamin Lewis - The Coming Home Network: When he was attending a Christian liberal arts college, Dr. Benjamin Lewis recalls a debate that came up in the cafeteria about what might be God’s greatest attribute. Was it His Soveriegnty, as a Calvinist friend argued? Or perhaps Holiness, as some of his Wesleyan friends suggested? After the conversation, he decided to look up what the Catholic Church taught about God’s greatest attribute, and he was surprised at what he found.

How do I know if I’m ready for spiritual direction?

How do I Know if I am Ready for Spiritual Direction?BARTUNEK: Relax. The first thing you need to know is that God is already hard at work in your soul. The mere fact that you are having this struggle is proof of it. Really. Imagine how pleased our Lord is as he sees you wanting to come closer to him and wondering about whether spiritual direction is a good next step...

How Covering Pope John Paul II’s 1999 Visit To St. Louis Changed My Journalism Career

How%20Covering%20Pope%20John%20Paul%20II%u2019s%201999%20Visit%20To%20St.%20Louis%20Changed%20My%20Journalism%20CareerROSS: From a young age, I’ve loved Jesus and journalism. I never intended, though, to become a religion reporter. My career trajectory changed 25 years ago when — to my surprise — editors of The Oklahoman assigned me to cover Pope John Paul II’s Jan. 26-27, 1999, visit to St. Louis. At the time, I was a 31-year-old education writer for Oklahoma’s largest newspaper...

Do Good Teachers ‘Impose’ Things on Their Students?

Do%20Good%20Educators%20%u2018Impose%u2019%20on%20Their%20Students%3F%20-%20LifeCraftCUDDEBACK: I will cut to the chase and assert that properly understood, parents and teachers do, or should, ‘impose’ something on their children or students. Here I follow one of the Oxford definitions of impose: ‘to place authoritatively.’ An ever-controversial issue is whether education of the young is more a drawing out or a putting-in of something...

The world’s oldest rose clings to the wall of Hildesheim Cathedral in Germany. You won’t believe how old it is...

You%20Won%u2019t%20Believe%20How%20Old%20These%20Plants%20Are%20%u2014%20Daily%20Passport: While the ancestors of the plants that grow on our planet today can date back millions of years, some individual plants that still exist are also impressively old. If you’re a fan of horticulture and are keen to see living history, here’s where to travel to see six of the oldest plants in the world.

Who’s in My Altar and Why Does It Matter?

Who%u2019s%20in%20My%20Altar%20and%20Why%20Does%20It%20Matter%3F%20-%20AdoremusPILCHER: Apostolic custom has it that Mass be celebrated over the relics of the martyrs. A second-century letter on the martyrdom of St. Polycarp records that “we took up his bones, more valuable to us than precious stones and finer than refined gold. We laid them in a suitable place, where the Lord will permit us to gather ourselves together, as we are able, in gladness and joy.” This practice is universally kept by every ancient church...

The Wrath of God and the Death Penalty: On Blessings and Prudence...

The Wrath of God and the Death Penalty: On Blessings and Prudence - Crisis MagazineTSAKANIKAS: St. Paul’s discussion in Romans 1 on “the wrath of God” is best understood through the lens of Acts 15. Such an exegesis sheds light on the natural moral law and reveals the need to avoid blessing sin. “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and wickedness of men who by their wickedness suppress the truth”...

The African bishops push back against the cultural colonization of ‘Fiducia Supplicans’

The%20African%20bishops%2C%20Fiducia%20Supplicans%2C%20and%20cultural%20colonization%20%u2013%20Catholic%20World%20ReportHENDERSHOTT: Pronouncing the Vatican declaration Fiducia Supplicans “in direct contradiction to the cultural ethos of African communities,” the African bishops formally issued a strong statement of protest on January 11th titled “No Blessing for Homosexual Couples in the African Churches.” Signed by Congolese Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo Besungu, president of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar...

Sam Harris and Jordan Peterson talk about the Bible in a viral video

Sam Harris and Jordan Peterson on the Bible - Word on FireKACZOR: In a recent viral video released on Christmas Day 2023, Jordan Peterson and Sam Harris discussed a wide variety of topics. In contrast to some earlier combative conversations, this discussion explored their differences in a more collaborative way. Among the most important of the differences between Peterson and Harris is a fundamental disagreement about the Bible. As stated in his forthcoming book We Who Wrestle with God...

A Weary Pope Rejoices: Remembering the Humility of Pope Benedict XVI

A Weary Pope Rejoices: Remembering the Humility of Pope Benedict XVI - Crisis MagazineMILLARE: Over a year ago, the world bid a fond adieu to Pope Benedict XVI, who passed away on December 31st, 2022, the eve of the Solemnity of Mary the Mother of God. In his insightful and invaluable reflection on the life of service to Pope Benedict XVI, Who Believes is Not Alone: My Life Beside Benedict XVI, Archbishop Georg Gänswein responds to the queries relating to Benedict’s eventual beatification and canonization, suggesting that we...

St. Augustine, Florida, is the Catholic Plymouth Rock — and it was founded 55 years before the Puritans came to America

St. Augustine, Florida: The Catholic Plymouth RockSTAUDT: Florida, that land fancied by Ponce de Leon as a bouquet of Paschal flowers, stands at the beginning of the Catholic story of the United States. My last column spoke about the pilgrim nature of human life, and now I find myself on pilgrimage again, back in this florid land where I hunkered down for my doctoral studies. Fortunately, I’m not moving again, but I have finally arrived as a pilgrim to the oldest city in the United States...

‘I will turn darkness into light before them and make crooked ways straight. These are my promises...’

Crooked Paths Made Straight - Rosary Army: Five years ago today my wife and I got on a plane. It had been a difficult series of years for us leading up to this point. When our radio show ended on SiriusXM in 2012, we weren’t financially stable enough to focus all our energies on Rosary Army like we wanted to. So instead, I accepted a job for the Archdiocese of Denver that would necessitate leaving our home in Georgia...

German Diocese Led by Prominent Progressive Bishop Georg Bätzing Sees No Ordinations for First Time in 203 Years

German diocese under prominent bishop sees no annual ordinations for first time in 200 years - Catholic Herald: The diocese under the tenure of the president of the German bishops’ conference and its Synodaler Weg – German Synodal Way – has ordained no priests in an annual period for the first time since its creation in 1821. The Diocese of Limburg in western Germany, which is led by Bishop Georg Bätzing, in 2023 had its least successful year in recruiting young men to the priesthood amidst a growing vocations crisis in the country.

Land O’Lakes Finally Settles the Debate: How Long Can You Leave Butter Out on the Counter?

Land%20O%u2019Lakes%20Finally%20Settles%20the%20Debate%3A%20How%20Long%20Can%20You%20Leave%20Butter%20Out%20on%20the%20Counter%3F: When it comes to storing food, many of us simply follow what our parents and grandparents did. Who cares about reading the package instructions when grandma left her butter in the butter bell all day, every day, right?

EWTN mourns sudden death of Father Elias Leyds, 65, the ‘heart’ of the network’s mission to Belgium and the Netherlands

EWTN%20mourns%20death%20of%20Father%20Elias%20Leyds%2C%20%u2018heart%u2019%20of%20Low%20Countries%20apostolate%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20Agency: The Eternal Word Television Network this week mourned the unexpected death of Father Elias Leyds, CSJ, the founder of EWTN Low Countries who was described as “a brilliant man, faithful priest, and encouraging witness of faith.”

‘We Give Thanks to God!’ — Six Haitian Nuns Who Were Kidnapped Jan. 19 Released in Port-Au-Prince

Haiti: Six abducted nuns released in Port-au-Prince - Vatican News: The six sisters of the Congregation of Saint Anne who were kidnapped on 19 January in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, have been released. The two laypeople - reportedly their bus driver and a niece of one of the nun - were also released. Unidentified armed men had stopped the bus on which they were travelling, demanding a ransom of 3.5 million dollars, according to local media reports.

8 Things You Need to Know About St. Paul and His Conversion

8 Things You Need to Know About St. Paul and His Conversion| National Catholic RegisterAKIN: Tarsus was the capital city of the Roman province of Cilicia. This is on the southeast coast of modern Turkey, so St. Paul was not from the Holy Land. He was actually a Jew born in what is now Turkey. It was a port city and a noted commercial center. For these reasons, and because it was the capital...

The West’s current policy toward Ukraine is ominously reminiscent of errors made in the 1930s

Standing with UkraineWEIGEL: My friend and colleague Carl Trueman recently observed that “the West is no longer a consortium of serious cultures.” To which I am sorely tempted to add, “…or serious polities.” The two are connected, the cultural decay of the West being a not-insignificant factor in our descent into political infantilism. The exploration of that connection can be left for a later date...

Maine Bill Would Protect Kidnappers Who Take ‘Transgender Kids’ From ‘Non-Affirming’ Parents for ‘Gender-Affirming Care’

Maine Bill Would Protect Kidnappers for Transgender 'Treatments': The Maine House of Representatives is considering a bill that would protect anyone who takes a child who identifies as transgender away from “non-affirming” parents in order to subject that minor to experimental transgender medical interventions. The legislation also would counteract laws protecting minors from such “treatment” in other states.

This talk with Kim Zember, who left an LGBTQ identity to follow Christ, is one of the most profound I’ve had in my entire life

New%20Advent%3A%20This%20talk%20with%20Kim%20Zember%2C%20who%20left%20an%20LGBTQ%20identity%20to%20follow%20Christ%2C%20is%20one%20of%20the%20most%20profound%20I%u2019ve%20had%20in%20my%20entire%20lifeSTEFANICK: Kim and I talk about her journey, how she realized she was attracted to women, when she realized that the LGBTQ community was hurting her more than helping her, and the people who loved her along the way. She also gives practical tips for how to walk with someone on this journey and amazing resources and ministries if you experience same-sex attraction and want to live according to Jesus’ plan for your life...

Two events, the March for Life and the Women's March, just took place in DC. This group went to both events and asked 5 questions...

Two Americas: Pro-Life vs. Pro-Abortion - TFP Student Action: The annual March for Life is the largest pro-life event in the world. This event is prayerful, patriotic, and joyful. In complete contrast, the Women's March promotes abortion, feminism, gender ideology, transgenderism, and homosexuality. This event is woke, angry, and vulgar.

The King’s Authority: A Reflection on the Upcoming 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time

The%20King%u2019s%20Authority%3A%20Scott%20Hahn%20Reflects%20on%20the%20Fourth%20Sunday%20in%20Ordinary%20Time%20%u2013%20St.%20Paul%20CenterHAHN: Last week, Jesus announced the kingdom of God is at hand. This week, in mighty words and deeds, He exercises His dominion—asserting royal authority over the ruler of this world, Satan (see John 12:31). Notice that today’s events take place on the sabbath. The sabbath was to be an everlasting sign—both of God’s covenant love for His creation...

The rise of the Nones: What do nonreligious Americans believe?

Nonreligious Americans: What Do They Believe?LISI: Americans dubbed “nones’’ — those who are atheists, agnostics or not religiously affiliated with any faith — remain a large segment of the U.S. population and what they believe could very well impact the country’s future, a new study released Wednesday reveals. The decades-long rise of the “nones”...

Pope Francis, victim of AI, warns against its ‘perverse’ dangers

Pope Francis, victim of AI, warns against its 'perverse' dangers | Reuters: Pope Francis, acknowledging that he was the victim of a deepfake photo, on Wednesday warned against the "perverse" dangers of artificial intelligence, renewing a call for its worldwide regulation to harness it for the common good.

U.S. military to cover IVF for unmarried couples, single troops and more

Military to cover IVF for unmarried couples, single troops and more: Service members seeking fertility treatments are about to have a lot more options, thanks to a lawsuit filed last year. The Defense Department has decided to lift previous regulations that only covered in-vitro fertilization for legally married couples using their own sperm and eggs, according to a Dec. 26 court filing in the New York state lawsuit.

Ryan Realbuto, 23-year-old Catholic volunteer killed in robbery on way home from Adoration in DC, remembered as ‘an old soul’

Catholic%20Volunteer%20Killed%20on%20Way%20Home%20From%20Adoration%20Was%20%u2018Old%20Soul%u2019%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterMATTMCDONALD: Volunteering to help people was a big part of who Ryan Realbuto was. He scrubbed dishes in a soup kitchen, did yard work at a foster home, repainted the chapel at a home for women, and helped high-school kids figure out their future jobs. He was so generous, his mother believes, on the night of Jan. 18, while walking home from a Holy Hour and social event at a Catholic church in Washington...

Cardinal Zen Contends ‘Fiducia Supplicans’ ‘Creates Confusion’ and Suggests Cardinal Fernández Should Resign

Cardinal%20Zen%20Contends%20%u2018Fiducia%20Supplicans%u2019%20%u2018Creates%20Confusion%u2019%20and%20Suggests%20Cardinal%20Fern%E1ndez%20Should%20Resign%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterPENTIN: Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun said Pope Francis’ recent declaration allowing the blessing of same-sex couples under certain conditions “creates confusion” and has suggested that its author, Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, should resign or be dismissed. In a statement published Jan. 23 on his blog, Cardinal Zen said the declaration Fiducia Supplicans contains numerous passages...

St. Francis de Sales reminds us that our path to holiness is nothing without a love for God

St. Francis De Sales reminds us that our path to holiness is nothing without a love for God | Knowing Is DoingTORRE: “I just want to get to heaven” was a statement of last resort for a friend who appeared to have had enough with people in general. He had worked in the financial sector as an investor and broker for over a decade and had experienced an abundance of graces in his career assisting people with money management and echoing responsible stewardship to his clients specifically to give thanks...

“Absolutely nauseating”: Clerical abuse survivors offer insight on the 1998 Cardinal Fernández book

Abuse survivors offer perspective on troubling book by now-Vatican official: Two sexual abuse survivors told OSV News they are deeply troubled by a recently resurfaced book on mysticism written several years ago by the Vatican’s doctrinal head that includes graphic descriptions of sexuality. The book, written in 1998 by then-Father and now Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, head of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, bills itself as “an invitation to the world of passionate love that hides in the depths of our being.”

Too many seminaries? A concern for subsidiarity...

Too many seminaries? A concern for subsidiarity: In late August, Cardinal Dolan wrote an op-ed in “America” calling for a significant reform of Catholic seminaries. Informed by his significant pastoral experience, the cardinal proposed greater excellence in seminary formation by way of consolidation: fewer, better-financed and better-staffed seminaries in four or five distinct regions of the country...

Why ‘Napoleon’ and ‘Maestro’ Were Mediocre, and One Movie You Should Watch Instead

Why%20%u2018Napoleon%u2019%20and%20%u2018Maestro%u2019%20Were%20Mediocre%2C%20and%20One%20Movie%20You%20Should%20Watch%20Instead%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterNICOLOSI: In storytelling, the theme is the unifying principle of the whole narrative. This goes back to Aristotle’s Poetics, where the greatest of the philosophers asserted that it is a big idea about life that gives a story a universal truth that is relatable to everyone. ore than any other component of a story, the theme has nearly disappeared from many contemporary movies...

Cardinal Zen Calls for Resignation of DDF Prefect Cardinal Fernández

Cardinal Zen calls for resignation of doctrinal prefect: After authorizing blessings for homosexual couples, the head of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, is facing backlash from multiple national churches and certain clerics across the globe. The newest reaction came from the former bishop of Hong Kong, Cardinal Joseph Zen, who said that Cardinal Fernández has attributed an “intrinsic goodness” to what is “a grave sin” and thus is committing “heresy,” the cardinal wrote...

New York is threatening to force Chick-fil-A to stay open on Sunday. The fight could have broad implications nationwide...

How a State Law to Keep Rest Stops Operable 7 Days a Week Could Put Chick-fil-A's Religious-Observance Hours to the Test | Inc.com: Fast food group Chick-fil-A has never chickened out when it comes to fighting to operate according to the religious beliefs its founder built the chain on. In New York State, the Atlanta-based poultry chain faces perhaps its biggest legal tussle over faith as the New York State legislature considers a bill that would force some of its outlets to open shop on Sundays--up to now a mandatory day of rest for the entire company.

Why Did St. Joseph Go to Bethlehem?

Why%20Did%20Joseph%20Go%20to%20Bethlehem%3F%20%u2013%20Jimmy%20AkinAKIN: Luke has been called “a historian of the first rank.” Despite this, numerous modern skeptics—many of whom are just repeating what other skeptics have said—treat Luke as if he’s hopelessly historically confused, particularly with regard to his birth narrative of Jesus. One of the skeptics’ criticisms of this passage is the statement that Joseph went from Nazareth to Bethlehem because he was of the lineage of David. Here is where mockery commonly begins.

Church in Belgium Fights Government Order to Erase Entry in Baptismal Register

Belgian Church fights order to erase baptismal entryCOPPEN: The Catholic Church in Belgium has said it will fight an order to erase an entry in a baptismal register, amid a reported rise in “debaptism” requests. A spokesman said that the Church had appealed a Dec. 19 decision by Belgium’s Data Protection Authority requiring the Diocese of Ghent to comply with an unnamed person’s request to have the record of their baptism deleted.

‘The plane’s going down’ — so am I absolved, generally speaking?

%u2018The%20plane%u2019s%20going%20down%u2019%20%u2014%20am%20I%20absolved%2C%20generally%20speaking%3F: A Boeing 747 made an emergency Miami landing Thursday evening, after one of the plane’s engines caught fire shortly after takeoff. While Florida residents captured video of the plane streaking across the sky, with flames shooting from its left side, no one was hurt before the plane landed.

New Hampshire, ‘Abashed’ Silence, and a Guy Who Chainsmoked Cigarettes While Running a Marathon

New Hampshire, 'abashed' silence, and smoking fastJDFLYNN: I want to tell you about a New Hampshire Catholic family, and the parish church they built. St. Mary Church in Claremont, NH, was built in 1823, under the supervision of Fr. Virgil Horace Barber, S.J., its founding pastor. In fact, the church was built on Fr. Barber’s family property, where the first Catholic boys’ school in New England was also constructed. But Fr. Virgil Barber, that pastor, didn’t come from a typical Catholic family.

Pope Francis is aiming to build an ‘Assisi on the Tiber’ to promote his spiritual vision

Pope%20aims%20to%20build%20%u2018Assisi%20on%20the%20Tiber%u2019%20to%20promote%20his%20spiritual%20vision%20%7C%20CruxALLEN: It was an otherwise quiet day on March 15, 2008, when an unemployed 77-year-old Russian man walked uannounced and unaccompanied through the main entrance to the Basilica of St. Francis in the hillside Italian city of Assisi, quietly hoping to mill around and soak in the atmosphere. Perhaps unfortunately for him, that septuagenarian Russian was quickly recognized as former Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev...

Consolations of middle age: “One has to wonder how long these glorious days are going to last”

Consolations of Middle Age by Elizabeth C. Corey | Articles | First Things: This past June I attended my daughter’s high school graduation. Observing the wrinkles, gray hair, and softening jawlines of the other parents, I concluded that most people weren’t aging well. A few mothers, hoping to escape these indignities, had been victims of aggressive plastic surgeons, but on the whole, everyone just looked middle-aged. At home that evening I asked my husband, expecting a flattering or reassuring answer, whether we could possibly look as old as those parents...

How Much Should You Be Paying for Your Next Appliance Repair? A Complete Guide...

How Much Does Appliance Repair Cost? A Complete Guide: Though home appliances like refrigerators, dishwashers, and washers and dryers are better-functioning and more durable than ever, problems do happen and they should be addressed. The average appliance repair cost is $235, with an average low cost of $120 and an average high cost of $345.

How to Raise Great Teens in a Troubled Culture

Dr. Ray Guarendi: Great Teens in a Troubled Culture | Respect Life Radio: "The culture assaults good parents and essentially says you're out of touch. Your kid needs to think this way," said Dr. Ray Guarendi, author of the new book "Standing Strong - Good Discipline Makes Great Teens. "The kids look around them and see what their peers are allowed to do and they see all the opportunities they want that mom and dad won't let them have"...

Want to Actually Get Somewhere on Abortion?

Pro-Life Movement Lessons from Ed Koch | National ReviewLOPEZ: “My mother told me that she tried to induce a miscarriage by jumping off chairs and trunks,” the late former mayor of New York wrote in 1989. He explained that she had told him she had had several abortions in her life. In this experience, she was pregnant with her third child after his father had lost his business, Koch explained. “We were very poor. The prospect of another mouth to feed posed serious problems,” he wrote...

Practice these 3 disciplines and you’ll be free to serve Christ and His Kingdom joyfully

Working%20for%20the%20Kingdom%20%u2013%20A%20Homily%20for%20the%20Third%20Sunday%20of%20Ordinary%20Time%20-%20Community%20in%20MissionPOPE: The readings of “Ordinary Time” focus on the call to discipleship and the living of the Christian Faith. The readings for today’s Mass are no exception, as they present us with a number of disciplines for disciples. These disciplines free us to serve Christ and His Kingdom joyfully, energetically, and wholeheartedly. We can group these disciplines into three broad areas; discipleship is undefiant, unfettered, and untiring...

Pope Francis Calls for Release of 6 Religious Sisters Taken Hostage in Haiti

Pope Francis calls for release of 6 religious sisters taken hostage in Haiti | Catholic News Agency: Pope Francis called for the release of six religious sisters who have been kidnapped in Haiti in his Angelus address on Sunday. Armed gunmen took the religious sisters hostage in Port-au-Prince on Friday during a bus hijacking, according to Vatican News. The sisters, members of the Sisters of St. Anne congregation, were abducted along with all of the other bus passengers.

At Sunday Angelus, Pope Francis Announces Year of Prayer to Prepare for 2025 Jubilee

Pope Francis announces Year of Prayer to prepare for 2025 Jubilee | Catholic News AgencyMARES: Pope Francis announced the start of a Year of Prayer on Sunday in preparation for the Catholic Church’s 2025 Jubilee Year. In his Angelus address, the pope said that a Year of Prayer starting on Jan. 21 will be “a year dedicated to rediscovering the great value and absolute need for prayer in one’s personal life, in the life of the Church, and in the world.”

Cardinal Eijk of the Netherlands has New Hampshire moment with response to ‘Fiducia Supplicans’

Dutch%20cardinal%20has%20New%20Hampshire%20moment%20with%20response%20to%20%u2018Fiducia%20Supplicans%u2019%20%7C%20CruxALLEN: This week voters in New Hampshire will head to the polls, taking part in what has long been the premier proving ground in American politics. A disappointing performance in the New Hampshire primary can spell the premature end of a presidential campaign, while a better-than-expected showing can propel a previously second-tier contender to the front of the pack...

‘Millennial Socialism’: 100 Years After Lenin’s Death, Communism Wages War on Souls

%u2018Millennial%20Socialism%u2019%3A%20100%20Years%20After%20Lenin%u2019s%20Death%2C%20Communism%20Wages%20War%20on%20Souls%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterTURLEY: On May 13, 1907, Vladimir Lenin, Leon Trotsky and Joseph Stalin stood in a London church as the Fifth Congress of the Russian Social Democratic Labor Party planned a revolution. Just 10 years later, as the Bolshevik-led October Revolution of 1917 took place, a new world order was born. For those who grew up in the subsequent Cold War...

The Kingdom of God Is at Hand — Repent and Believe in the Gospel

The%20Kingdom%20of%20God%20Is%20at%20Hand%20%u2014%20Repent%20and%20Believe%20in%20the%20Gospel%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterGRONDELSKI: The Third Luminous Mystery is quite expansive: “the call to conversion and the proclamation of the Kingdom.” All of Jesus’ preaching for three years was a “proclamation of the Kingdom” (which is why I include some of the “parables of the Kingdom” — Matthew 13 — in the meditation readings). But we can also address the essence of Jesus’ teaching.

Jesus knows Christian friendship helps us become saints together — so pursue Christian friendship

We%u2019re%20Called%20To%20Follow%20Jesus%20Together%20%7C%20Parishable%20ItemsFELTES: Imagine four teenagers growing up in the same small town. They’re seniors in high school together and play on the same varsity football team. What are the odds of all of them going on to play pro football and eventually being inducted into the Hall of Fame? The odds are tiny. Not many players are drafted by the NFL and fewer still get their names enshrined at Canton, Ohio...

Bishop Mario Dorsonville of Houma-Thibodaux in Louisiana Dies Unexpectedly at 63

Bishop of Houma-Thibodaux in Louisiana dies unexpectedly at 63 Catholic News AgencySANTUCCI: Bishop Mario Dorsonville of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux in southeastern Louisiana, whose ecclesial career spanned nearly four decades, died unexpectedly on Friday evening after serving as bishop of the diocese for less than a year. He was 63. In a statement on Facebook, the vicar general of the diocese, Father Simon Peter Engurait, wrote that the bishop died on Friday evening...

Why The Average Human Could Never Drive An F1 Car

New Advent: Why The Average Human Couldn't Drive An F1 Car: It’s all about using the entire width of the road and finding the ideal line.

A 50-mile hike through the ‘Graveyard of the Pacific’ in British Columbia

A 75km hike through 'the Graveyard of the Pacific': Canada's West Coast Trail is an epic backpacking adventure. But long before hikers began testing themselves on this treacherous coastline, people depended on the trail for survival. Tracing the jagged edge of Vancouver Island, the epic West Coast Trail is a six- to eight-day backpacking adventure within Canada's remote Pacific Rim National Park Reserve...

Claudine Gay, Jimmy Lai, and the Truth of Things

Claudine Gay, Jimmy Lai, and the truth of thingsWEIGEL: To my mind, the most cringe-inducing moment in the drama of Claudine Gay and her resignation as president of Harvard University was not when she whiffed at unambiguously condemning genocidal threats against Jews as violations of Harvard’s norms for student behavior. That was horrible, to be sure. Even more telling, though, was Gay’s subsequent apology, in which she expressed regret for having “failed to convey what is my truth.”

On the relevance and reality of the development of doctrine today

On%20the%20relevance%20and%20reality%20of%20the%20development%20of%20doctrine%20today%20%u2013%20Catholic%20World%20ReportWEINANDY: Presently, within the Catholic Church, there is much discussion concerning the development of doctrine. Traditionally, doctrinal development was understood to be an authentic growth in the Church’s understanding and articulation of what had always been believed and taught. John Henry Cardinal Newman was one of the first to offer this understanding of authentic doctrinal development...

Multiple Texts Showing Cardinal Fernández’s ‘Idée Fixe’

Multiple%20Texts%20Showing%20Cardinal%20Fern%E1ndez%u2019s%20%27id%E9e%20fixe%27%20-%20The%20Catholic%20ThingPAKALUK: Wikipedia says of a “whiskey priest” that he is “a stock character who shows clear signs of moral weakness while preaching a higher standard.” Perhaps you are familiar with the original whiskey priest in Graham Greene’s novel, The Power and the Glory. Many Catholics are troubled by the book. If it is meant to portray the truth, that the objective work of the sacraments can be accomplished by a priest...

Skin in the Game

Skin in the Game - The Catholic ThingMAIER: I’ve written about an old and very close friend, Joe Mahoney, in this space before. Joe died in an automobile accident on Christmas Eve. He was 80. He left behind a treasured wife of 58 years, eight children, and 24 grandchildren. Most people have many friendships over a lifetime. But real friends, the intimate kind, tend to be few. This makes sense...

‘The Chosen’ of World War II Britain: When Dorothy Sayers Spread the Gospel on the BBC

%u2018The%20Chosen%u2019%20of%20World%20War%20II%20Britain%3A%20When%20Dorothy%20Sayers%20Spread%20the%20Gospel%20on%20the%20BBC%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterTURLEY: Katryn Wehr, Ph.D., has come to London from her home in Minnesota to speak about the work and life of the British writer Dorothy L. Sayers (1893-1957). “She is just so interesting,” begins Wehr. “Sayers is an inspiring author because she was full of life and interested in so many things. She wrote mystery novels, poetry, plays, essays, speeches and translated Dante”

Betrayed Without a Kiss: A Closer Look at the Divorce Mandate

Betrayed Without a Kiss: A Closer Look at the Divorce Mandate| National Catholic RegisterCLARK: “So take heed to yourselves, and let none be faithless to the wife of his youth. ‘For I hate divorce,’ says the LORD the God of Israel” (Malachi 2:15-16). Despite this precept, every diocese in America requires a civil divorce before a hearing at a marriage tribunal. In recent media interviews about my new book Betrayed Without A Kiss, I have illustrated this contradiction between what we Catholics profess and what dioceses practice...

After the readings this Sunday, remember: You must decrease and Jesus must increase.

This%20Sunday%2C%20Increase%20to%20Infinity%20%u2013%20By%20Decreasing%20%u2013%20Benedictine%20College%20Media%20%26%20CultureHOOPES: “He must increase; I must decrease.” That’s what John the Baptist had prayed, right before he was arrested. God grants his prayer on the Third Sunday of Ordinary Time Year B. After John was arrested, he decreased, fast — even being decapitated. And Jesus’s mission escalated quickly. This same dynamic has to be true in each of our lives — and in more ways than one.

A March on Washington, a Death in Venezuela, and a Watch on the German Border

A march on Washington, a death in Venezuela, and a watch on the German borderCONDON: It is snowing here in DC, at least in the part of it visible from my office window. The temperature is meant to hold at around or just below freezing, though the wind off the Chesapeake means it will feel considerably colder than that for anyone out and around. I am, of course, giving you the weather forecast because today, Jan. 19, is the March for Life here in Washington, and a great many of us will either be out there ourselves over the course of the day or have friends and family who will be.

2024 March for Life Prayer Vigil: ‘We Must Bring Light to the Darkest Corners’

2024%20March%20for%20Life%20prayer%20vigil%3A%20%u2018We%20must%20bring%20light%20to%20the%20darkest%20corners%u2019%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20AgencyBUKURAS: At this year’s March for Life vigil Mass in Washington, D.C., Arlington Bishop Michael Burbidge called on those gathered in the packed Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception to “bring light to the darkest corners.”

Why I’m dubious about “dialogue” — a much-used term that has lost its biblical meaning...

Dubious%20about%20Dialogue%20%u2013%20A%20Reflection%20on%20a%20much%20used%20term%20that%20has%20lost%20its%20Biblical%20meaning.%20-%20Community%20in%20MissionPOPE: Dubious about Dialogue – A Reflection on a much used term that has lost its Biblical meaning. There is much emphasis today on the concept of “dialogue.” Most English speakers simply equate the word with “discussion” and English-speaking Catholics hear a lot about how the Church should be in “dialogue” with the world. Of itself “dialogue,” understood merely as having a discussion or conversation...

Second Argentine Bishop in Row Resigns Before Installation

Second Argentine bishop in row resigns before installationCOPPEN: Pope Francis accepted the resignation Jan. 17 of 62-year-old Bishop Gustavo Larrazábal, 35 days after he appointed him as Bishop of Mar del Plata, in eastern Argentina, and just three days before Larrazábal’s installation. The pope had nominated Larrazábal on the day that he accepted the resignation of 65-year-old Bishop José María Baliña, 22 days after he had named him as the head of the diocese serving around 774,000 Catholics.

Every Person on Earth (Including You) Is Either in a State of Grace, or a State of Mortal Sin

Everyone on Earth (Including You) Is Either in a State of Grace, or a State of Mortal Sin| National Catholic Register: In recent moral teaching, it has become clear that the gravity of a person living in sin — of being in a state of sin — has been eclipsed by poor theology, wishful thinking and naïve pastoral practice. Whether we’re discussing Holy Communion for the divorced and remarried, or the blessing of same-sex couples, or the tacit approval of cohabitating couples, we need to retrieve and emphasize the terminal nature of states of sin...

My Gay Father-in-Law [Must-Read]

My Gay Father-in-Law - Word on FireKACZOR: With the subject of the Catholic Church and gays much in the news, I am thinking a lot about my father-in-law Dennis, who came out as gay and left the Catholic Church in 1971. As my wife Jennifer grew up, her relationship with her dad was rocky. They saw each other rarely because she lived on the West Coast...

Learning as we go, and starting anew, again and again — this IS part of God’s plan for marriage

Facing the Challenge of Marriage - LifeCraftCUDDEBACK: Marriage is perhaps the most striking paradox in the material cosmos. How can doing marriage right be at once so necessary and so difficult? Yet in this, it is the perfect mirror of human life itself. While life is not simply about marriage, or in any case not with another human person, the marriage of man and woman stands as perhaps the central archetype of truly human living...

Archbishop Giacomo Morandi, ‘Theological Conservative’ Ousted From Vatican by Pope, Elected to Lead Regional Bishops’ Conference in Italy

Conservative ousted by pope elected to lead regional bishops conference in Italy | Crux: A former high-level Vatican official, seen as a theological conservative sometimes at odds with Pope Francis over issues such as the Latin Mass, was elected Monday as the new leader of the Bishops’ Conference of Emilia-Romagna, a key northern region of Italy that centers on the city of Bologna.

Pope’s Wednesday Audience: ‘Beware of the Vice of Lust, Embrace Pure Love’

Pope at Audience: Beware of the vice of lust, embrace pure love - Vatican News: Embrace the purity of love, and resist lust, which leads to emptiness and enslaves, urges Pope Francis at his weekly General Audience, as he continues his catechesis series of virtues and vices.

A Concern for a Vague Translation in the Lectionary and a Missed Moment for Teaching

A Concern for a Vague Translation in the Lectionary and a Missed Moment for Teaching - Community in MissionPOPE: This past Sunday featured a reading from 1 Corinthians 6 that was unfortunately vague in its English translation. The text said, “Avoid immorality,” (1 Corinthians 6:18) hides the more specific meaning of the text. “Avoid immorality?” It may as well have said “Do good and avoid evil.” Nothing could be more vague...

Here are the best books Catholic Culture staff read in 2023

The best books Catholic Culture staff read in 2023 | Catholic CultureMIRUS: Looking back over the books I liked but did not find time to review already this year, I find that my favorites are those that turn our expectations upside down by making what at first glance seems to be a predictable topic into a richly rewarding spiritual, intellectual and even at times emotional experience—and are packed with sound guidance as well. Here are four of them, plus my usual tip for a good mystery series...

Iowa, the News, and the March

Iowa, the news, and the MarchJDFLYNN: The nation had its eyes on Iowa last night. The state is said to be predictive of our nation’s future, so when Hawkeyes gather in gymnasiums or VFW halls to express their preferences, people listen. Synodality in action, perhaps? I don’t know about that, but here we are. On the ecclesiastical front, Iowa might also be a harbinger...

A Helicopter Flight to Mount Everest

New Advent: A Helicopter Flight to Mount Everest: “Mount Everest is the one with the sharp peak with snow blowing at the top. We can go almost at 20,000 ft but Mt Everest stood really tall from where our helicopter flies.”

Exonerated Finnish Politician and Bishop to Return to Court Over Biblical ‘Hate Speech’

Exonerated%20Finnish%20politician%20and%20bishop%20to%20return%20to%20court%20over%20biblical%20%u2018hate%20speech%u2019%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20Agency: Finnish prosecutors are asking the country’s Supreme Court to hear a “hate speech” case against a member of Parliament and Lutheran bishop for comments made about Christian teachings related to marriage and homosexuality. The charges brought against member of Finnish Parliament Päivi Räsänen and Bishop Juhana Pohjola for their speech were already dismissed twice — once by a lower district court and again by an appellate court...

On the Character of a Nation

On the Character of a Nation | Francis X. Maier | First ThingsMAIER: Eulogies are curious things. Too many, too often, are long, rambling, weepy, and meaningful only to the relatively few who liked the deceased enough to show up for the wake or funeral. Death is a drag. It’s also universal and inescapable, which is why we fear it, and avoid even thinking too deeply about it for as long as we can. Yet, on occasion, a eulogy can capture the inner quality of a man, and in doing so...

Religious Americans’ Lives Possibly at Risk in 2024, New Report by U.S. Bishops Says

Religious%20Americans%u2019%20lives%20possibly%20at%20risk%20in%202024%2C%20new%20report%20by%20U.S.%20bishops%20says%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20AgencyPINEDO: After a year of renewed attacks on churches and religious centers, the U.S. bishops said in a new report released today that attacks on houses of worship constitute the “largest threat to religious liberty in 2024” and could threaten “the very lives of people of faith.”

How to Watch Movies Like a Catholic

How to Watch Movies Like a Catholic| National Catholic RegisterBRUGGER: Be thoughtful. Nosce te ipsum. Think of your life. What are your strengths and weaknesses? What are your besetting (recurring) sins? Are these areas strengthened or worsened by watching Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, Peacock, etc.? With the hellish moral state of media today, is it even conceivable that any of us could say, “I’m not affected by movie watching?”

Make Sacramentals Fruitful Again

Make Sacramentals Fruitful Again - AdoremusMILLARE: After any given Sunday Mass, it is not unusual to see a person or a group of people holding up various religious medals, rosaries, etc. to be blessed by a priest. In a matter of minutes, typically one sees a priest make the sign of the cross while audibly offering some type of extemporaneous prayer regarding the object itself and the person who will use the religious article...

Diagnosing 5 Illnesses That Ail Catholic Parishes

Diagnosing What Ails Catholic Parishes! - Catholic Missionary Disciples - College Station, TXLEJEUNE: My toe was so painful, I could barely walk, much less continue training for a marathon. It was swollen to almost twice the normal size, and I knew something was wrong. So, I went to a podiatrist, who diagnosed overtraining as the issue. He gave me shots and a prescription (which helped in the short term). But, he misdiagnosed my underlying illness. It wasn’t overtraining, it was psoriatic arthritis (an autoimmune disease)...

Welcome your guardian angel — he’s stuck with you

Welcome%20your%20guardian%20angel%21%20%28He%u2019s%20stuck%20with%20you.%29%20%7C%20Catholic%20CultureMIRUS: Somewhere along the way I developed a relationship with my own personal guardian angel which goes beyond rattling off the “Angel of God” prayer. I think I first noticed this in my mid-30s, which is about the time I finally realized that I could not simply bull my way through life on my own strength. Some of us are a little slow. Anyway, at a certain point I became convinced...

‘Fiducia Supplicans’ Signals Further Divisions Within Catholic Church

%u2018Fiducia%20Supplicans%u2019%20Signals%20Further%20Divisions%20Within%20Catholic%20Church%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterLIEDL: If the Vatican is serious about not allowing its recent controversial guidance on blessings for same-sex couples to lead to further confusion and division in the Catholic Church, experts worry that a vital element is still missing from its approach: enforcement. Since Fiducia Supplicans was released on Dec. 18, several priests have apparently defied the guidance...

John Finnis, ​Peter Ryan and Robert George: ‘The DDF’s pair of documents creates a large new obstacle’ for pastors and evangelizers

The%20Church%20Sows%20More%20Confusion%20About%20Same-Sex%20Blessings%20%7C%20John%20Finnis%2C%20%u200BPeter%20Ryan%2C%20Robert%20P.%20George%20%7C%20First%20Things: n December 18, the Holy See’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of Faith (DDF) released Fiducia Supplicans. That Declaration stated that priests may spontaneously bless couples in “irregular” situations—e.g., “remarried” or same-sex couples—within certain limits. Those limits were supposed to protect the Church’s witness to her teachings on sexual ethics and marriage, truths knowable by reason and divine revelation. Yet many bishops and episcopal conferences have expressed concern...

Jared Staudt on Respect Life Radio: ‘Marriage is meant to be fruitful...’

Dr. R. Jared Staudt: Embracing the Vocation of Marriage | Respect Life Radio: "Marriage is really a decision to love the other, in the sense of putting the other first," said R. Jared Staudt, Catholic father, teacher, writer, speaker and Benedictine oblate dedicated to helping others to experience and embrace the vibrant tradition of Catholic life. "And when you do that, it's fruitful. Marriage is meant to be fruitful and bring us to a deeper sense of who we are in relationship to the gift of the Holy Spirit."

God promised to save us through His Son and restore our Life with Him

God promised to save us through His Son and restore our Life with Him | Knowing Is DoingTORRE: A central claim God made after Adam and Eve’s fall is that he would return. The anticipation of this claim I propose left Adam and Eve somewhat stunned that an infinite God would display such merciful love after Adam and Eve's decision to reject God as Father, Creator, and Lord. From the onset of the Old Testament after the fall, we encounter a progressive resuscitation of man’s relationship with God...

Witnessing to Christ

Witnessing to Christ | Parishable ItemsFELTES: What lessons have we received from St. John the Baptist and Jesus’ first disciples? To humbly acknowledge that Jesus is Lord and the great things he has done in you and for you. To be unashamed to acknowledge Christ before others. That if you love a person, to tactfully alert them to grave dangers to their soul...

Bishop Rolando Álvarez and 18 Others Released From Prison, Exiled to Vatican by Nicaragua’s Ortega Regime

Bishop Alvarez freed in Nicaragua, exiled to Vatican: The regime of Nicaraguan dictator Daniel Ortega freed the imprisoned Bishop Rolando José Álvarez of Matagalpa on Sunday, and expelled the prelate from the country.

“Contextual” theology and Fiducia Supplicans

%u201CContextual%u201D%20theology%20and%20Fiducia%20SupplicansWEIGEL: In the apostolic letter Ad Theologiam Promovendam (To Promote Theology), issued by Pope Francis on Nov. 1, 2023, the Church was urged to do theology contextually: as the motu proprio put it, theology must be “fundamentally contextual…capable of reading and interpreting the Gospel in the conditions in which men and women live daily, in different geographical, social and cultural environments”...

What Do Atheists Believe?

(4) What Do Atheists Believe? - by Stacy TrasancosTRASANCOS: Words are the way we communicate from one mind to another. A word is external expression of an internal idea, but it is not a mechanical or quantifiable act in binary code with precise meaning. The same word can mean different things to different people. To “believe” is such a word.

Spiritual mapping, in the Church, and through the minefield

Spiritual mapping, in the Church, and through the minefield | Catholic CultureMIRUS: Let us consider for a moment those of us Catholics who accept all the teachings of the Church. Anyone in that category will be deeply concerned about the need for reform and renewal so that the Church, especially in her primary ministers and ministries but also in the particular charisms and apostolates of her members, will more effectively communicate the truth, grace and very identity of Jesus Christ...

‘For Glory and for Beauty’ — 150-Year-Old Vestment Maker Watts & Co. Is Driven by a Passion for Perfection

%u2018For%20Glory%20and%20for%20Beauty%u2019%3A%20150-Year-Old%20Vestment%20Maker%20Watts%20%26%20Co.%20Is%20Driven%20by%20a%20Passion%20for%20Perfection%7C%20National%20Catholic%20Register: Cecilia Rexworthy’s unexpected journey to the upper echelons of ecclesiastical couture began with a few basic keywords typed into a Google search: nice white silk fabric church. This was five years ago, when the Catholic mom of four, a former book editor living on the outskirts of London, was making a switch to a new career as a needleworker and needed special material for some embroidery work she was doing for her parish.

The Emanuela Orlandi case, the Vatican’s version of the Kennedy assassination, will be back in the spotlight in 2024

Vatican%u2019s%20version%20of%20the%20Kennedy%20assassination%20to%20be%20back%20in%20the%20spotlight%20in%202024%20%7C%20CruxALLEN: If she’s somehow still alive, today would mark Emanuela Orlandi’s 56th birthday. In the popular mind, however, especially here in Italy, she remains forever fifteen, the age at which she vanished after a music lesson in June 1983, thereby creating the basis for the most celebrated unsolved Vatican mystery of the modern era. Orlandi, in the phrase made popular by a four-part Netflix series in 2022, was a “Vatican girl”...

Vatican’s Doctrinal Office Preparing ‘Very Important Document on Human Dignity,’ Cardinal Fernández Says

Vatican%u2019s%20Doctrinal%20Office%20Preparing%20%u2018Very%20Important%20Document%20on%20Human%20Dignity%2C%u2019%20Cardinal%20Fern%E1ndez%20Says%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterPENTIN: The Vatican’s doctrinal chief has revealed that his dicastery is writing “a very important document on human dignity” that contains “a strong criticism” of immoral trends in contemporary society. Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, the Vatican’s prefect at the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF), told the Spanish news agency EFE on Friday that the new document will include...

Traditional Art Lovers Shattered by Plan to Replace Notre Dame Stained-Glass Windows With Modern Design

Traditional Art Lovers Shattered by Plan to Replace Notre Dame Stained-Glass Windows With Modern Design| National Catholic Register: A new episode in the series of controversies surrounding the restoration of Notre Dame has been stirring up art and heritage circles since December. And it appears supporters of the introduction of contemporary elements as part of the reconstruction of the famous cathedral, which was largely destroyed in a fire in April 2019, may soon have their day this time around.

Here’s ‘2023 - The Year in Pictures’ through the lens of Jeffrey Bruno, an extraordinary photographer

(4) 2023 - The Year in Pictures: It’s been a year. And what a year it’s been. If there were one word to describe it, I would have to say it’s this: Revival. Definitely because of the incredible resurgence of Eucharistic Processions and Eucharistic Congresses throughout the nation, but in other ways too. Until this year, I had no idea that consecrated virgins really existed until photographing the beautiful Rite for Laurie Power, who now enters a literal marriage as a bride of Christ but without an affiliation to a religious order.

This is St. John Paul II’s remedy for the crisis of the human person...

A%20crisis%20of%20the%20human%20person%3A%20St%20John%20Paul%20II%u2019s%20remedy%20%u2013%20Catholic%20World%20Report: Yesterday, in the name of equality, many progressive voices demanded that women be permitted to act as men, regardless of how corruptly men might act. Today, in the name of equality, these voices say men must be permitted to attempt to become women. The predominant anthropological views of those currently driving the messaging of most forms of popular media would likely shock...

This Sunday, What To Do When the Priest Says ‘Behold the Lamb of God’

This%20Sunday%2C%20What%20To%20Do%20When%20the%20Priest%20Says%20%u2018Behold%20the%20Lamb%20of%20God%u2019%20%u2013%20Benedictine%20College%20Media%20%26%20CultureHOOPES: If you want what Jesus, offers, you have to live where he lives — in a place of littleness and poverty, but also mystery and power. That’s the message the Church gives us on the Second Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year B, as we leave the Christmas Season, centered on Christ’s emergence into the world, and enter Ordinary Time, centered on Christ’s emergence into our lives. This Sunday, this Ordinary season starts when John points out Jesus to the Apostles by saying...

Remember Rievaulx, these Churches, and the ‘Catholic vote’ con

Remember%20Rievaulx%2C%20these%20Churches%2C%20and%20the%20%u2018Catholic%20vote%u2019%20conCONDON: Last year, Communion and Liberation acknowledged allegations of “sexual abuse, sexual misconduct, and psychological abuse” made against its former U.S. leader. But, while an October letter offered an apology to anyone “harmed by these evil acts,” alleged victims say the movement has not addressed elements of its culture which, they say, allowed abuse to occur unchecked in the first place.

African Bishops: After ‘Shockwave’ of ‘Fiducia Supplicans,’ Blessing for Homosexual Couples Won’t Become Norm

African%20bishops%3A%20%u2018No%20blessing%20for%20homosexual%20couples%20in%20the%20African%20Churches%u2019%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20Agency: In response to new Vatican guidelines permitting nonliturgical pastoral blessings of homosexual couples, the bishops of Africa issued a united statement in which they said there will be “no blessing for homosexual couples in the African churches.”

What Happens to Babies Born on Planes

What Happens to Babies Born on Planes | Conde Nast Traveler: Debbie Owen assumed that the British Airways flight from the Ivory Coast to London Gatwick would be straightforward: seven hours non-stop, swapping the heat of Africa for the cozy pre-holiday glow of Britain. At seven months pregnant, Owen was traveling solo back to the U.K. with her four-year old daughter, Claire, in tow; husband Duncan was still at home in Africa, and would follow closer to the birth...

Plagiarism claims against Father Jim Sichko prove disastrous for priest's new book

Plagiarism claims prove disastrous for priest's new book: A Catholic book publisher has scrapped a new book one day after its release, following allegations the priest who wrote it had plagiarized material. Loyola Press announced Jan. 10 it would pull from publication “60 Seconds for Jesus” by Father Jim Sichko, a priest of the Diocese of Lexington, Kentucky, and a papal Missionary of Mercy known for his motivational talks, generous donations and active social and mainstream media presence.

McCarrick Case Suspended After Disgraced Former Cardinal Found Incompetent to Stand Trial in Wisconsin

McCarrick found incompetent to stand trial in Wisconsin, case suspended | Catholic News Agency: The criminal sexual assault case against former cardinal Theodore McCarrick in Wisconsin has been suspended after a psychologist hired by the court found that the former prelate is not competent to stand trial. The misdemeanor sexual assault charges relate to an incident that allegedly occurred in April 1977 near a house by Geneva Lake. The complaint alleges that McCarrick...

Far from cementing Francis’ legacy, the Pope’s increasingly scandal-prone DDF prefect may end up creating a backlash to it

Pope Francis' Fernandez miscalculation?CONDON: Taking over the role in September, the pope’s pick for the doctrinal department started by being effectively sidelined from half of the dicastery’s remit, after the pope excused him — some would say excluded him — from playing any part in its handling of clerical sexual abuse cases...

Redemptive Marriage: The story of an atheist who married a Catholic and became a Dominican priest

Redemptive Marriage: The Story of an Atheist and a Catholic - Word on FireKACZOR: They had a beautiful wedding in Paris, but the trouble in the marriage began almost at once. Despite his premarital promise to respect her Catholic beliefs, Dr. Felix Leseur began to undertake to destroy the faith of his wife Elisabeth. He tried to argue her out of her faith and left atheist pamphlets around the house. However, his efforts had a surprising effect. His attacks raised questions, and she sought answers...

What Does the Church Teach About Dangerous Pets and Pet Euthanasia?

What%20Does%20the%20Church%20Teach%20About%20Pet%20Euthanasia%3F%20%28Dangerous%20Pets%29%20%u2013%20Jimmy%20AkinAKIN: This is a case where the animal is dangerous, it has already injured you and your wife, and you have a vulnerable child that it may injure. You have not been able to re-home it, and you do not have money to reasonably spend on alternative solutions (e.g., an animal behaviorist). At present, the dog is spending most of its time in a kennel for safety reasons, meaning it is not having a good quality of life, either.

Fear not. Do not be afraid. Have no fear. And jump off the media’s fear-and-panic bandwagon...

Jump%20off%20the%20media%u2019s%20fear-and-panic%20bandwagon%20%7C%20Catholic%20CultureLAWLER: Fear generates clicks, sells newspapers, generates ad revenues, drives vaccine sales, and escalates political rhetoric. It’s like an addictive drug. The more you worry, the more you plug into the fear-mongering media, and the hysteria builds. Yet fear is not an appropriate attitude for any believing Christian...

Unfinished business: The Top 10 Stories of 2023

Unfinished business: the top stories of 2023 | Catholic CultureLAWLER: As another year draws to a close, and I survey the most important headline stories that we covered in 2023, I am struck by how many of those stories are still developing. In fact, once I drew up my list of the ten most important news stories of this past year, I realized that in every case we are still waiting for more. We really cannot close the accounts on 2023 until we see what the new year will bring.

‘Grave Mortal Sin’: Priests, Prelate Respond to Peruvian ‘Visionary’ Who Encouraged Using Consecrated Hosts in Rituals

Priests%2C%20prelate%20respond%20to%20%u2018visionary%u2019%20who%20encouraged%20using%20Eucharist%20in%20rituals%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20Agency: Two Peruvian priests and the president of the Peruvian Bishops’ Conference responded to “visionary” Erica Serrano, who encouraged people to use a consecrated host to perform purification rituals and to ward off toxic people during the broadcast of the video podcast “Mujeres de la PM” (“Women of the PM”), hosted by actresses Rebeca Escribens, Katia Condos, Gianella Neyra, and Almendra Gomelsky.

‘That book,’ the Black Nazarene, and my grown-up marriage

'That book', the Black Nazarene, and my grown-up marriageJDFLYNN: For a lot of us, today probably feels like a return to the ordinary, with the conclusion of the Christmas liturgical season on Monday, the feast of the Baptism of the Lord. Well, in the U.S. and other Western countries, today might feel like a normal day — but if you’re a Catholic in the Philippines, things are a little bit different. See, every year on Jan. 9, millions of Filipino Catholics travel to Manila...

The Vatican has to face up to its ‘two Chinas’ problem

The%20Vatican%u2019s%20%u2018two%20Chinas%u2019%20problemCONDON: Bishop Peter Shao Zhumin of Wenzhou was arrested last week, just days after being released from detention over the Christmas holiday. Bishop Shao’s arrest was noteworthy, but also part of a long pattern for the bishop, who as a dissenter from the state-controlled Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association has been routinely harassed, detained, and arrested for several years now.

Exploring Bethlehem’s bright streets, the sky shattered by Glorias, holding our Eucharistic Lord in the Cave of the Nativity, and Our Lady’s rest stop

Chapter%206%3A%A0%20EXPLORING%20LITTLE-%20AND%20SOME%20WELL-KNOWN%20SITES%20IN%20THE%20HOLY%20LAND%u2013BETHLEHEM%u2019S%20BRIGHT%20STREETS%2C%20THE%20SKY%20SHATTERED%20BY%20GLORIAS%2C%20HOLDING%20OUR%20EUCHARISTIC%20LORD%20IN%20THE%20CAVE%20OF%20THE%20NATIVITY%2C%20AND%20OUR%20LADY%u2019S%20REST%20STOP%20%u2013%20%u0396%u03AE%u03C3%u03C4%u03B5%20%u03B6%u03B5%u03C3%u03C4%u03CC%u2026%20%22STAY%20HOT%22BEAUDOIN: This past January (of 2023), I had the amazing opportunity to go back to the Holy Land on another self-guided pilgrimage. I still had more sites that I hadn’t yet had the opportunity to visit and/or that I hadn’t known existed until recently. When I originally planned to do the trip, I was planning to limit my trip to seeing more sites in and around Jerusalem...

Cardinal Fernández Responds to Uproar Over Sexually Explicit Book: ‘I Certainly Would Not Write That Now’

Cardinal%20Fern%E1ndez%20responds%20to%20uproar%20over%20sexually%20explicit%20book%3A%20%u2018I%20certainly%20would%20not%20write%20%5Bthat%5D%20now%u2019%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20Agency: Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, one of the most powerful men in the Vatican, responded to criticism about a book he wrote in the 1990s on spirituality and sensuality. “I certainly would not write [that] now,” Fernández, who serves as the prefect for the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, told Crux, noting that he had written the book when he was younger.

Living to Die: Emily DeArdo Showed How to Do It with Joy

Living to Die: Emily DeArdo Showed How to Do It with Joy | National ReviewLOPEZ: You will die. I will die. You may have had the dearest of loved ones die all too early already. During Christmas, a woman died, at age 41, though she never thought she would make it even that far. And her message to the world was about remembering that you will die. And she meant it in an encouraging way. Use your time well and give thanks.

Cardinal Fernández says he wrote obscene book as a 37-year-old, then tried to bury it so it wouldn't be ‘misinterpreted’

25 year-old book by Vatican doctrinal czar surfaces on God and orgasms | Crux: In a 25-year-old book written by Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández that has resurfaced amid disputes over his recent approval of non-liturgical blessing of same-sex couples, the Argentine prelate offers readers an in-depth spiritual reflection on human sexuality and the meaning of orgasms...

Alabama’s Father Alex Crow became fascinated by demons and exorcism. Then he ran away to ‘marry’ an 18-year-old. Now his laicization is complete...

Runaway, demonology-fascinated Alex Crow is no longer a priest: An Alabama Catholic priest has now been fully returned to the lay state months after he fled the country with a recent Catholic high school graduate whose parents expressed concern she had been groomed by the cleric while she was still a minor. The Archdiocese of Mobile announced in a Jan. 5 statement that it had “received notice that the laicization of Alex Crow is complete, effective immediately.

People are seeking gift, not grift — but the endlessly ‘kind’ Church that pits mercy against truth is a grift of the highest order...

Avoid%20moral%20theologies%20%u201Cfrom%20below%u201D%20and%20puncture%20the%20immanent%20frame%20%u2013%20Catholic%20World%20ReportCHAPP: Last week, I went to confession at a shrine near me, which I will not name. It was one of those infuriating confessions in which you try to convince the priest that what you are confessing, though not in the “mortal sin” category, is still sinful. He was polite, gentle, and meant well, I think. But his overall message was completely therapeutic, without the slightest indication that he even believed in the concept of sin...

Archbishop Charles Scicluna, archbishop of Malta and Vatican official, makes case for a married priesthood

Senior Vatican official makes case for a married priesthood | Reuters: The Catholic Church should "seriously think" about allowing priests to marry, a senior Vatican official and advisor to Pope Francis said in an interview published on Sunday. "This is probably the first time I'm saying it publicly and it will sound heretical to some people," Archbishop Charles Scicluna of Malta, who is also adjunct secretary in the Vatican's doctrinal office, told the Times of Malta.

Victoria, Australia (Melbourne’s State) Government Bans Prayers Talking About an LGBTQ Person’s ‘Need to Repent’

Australia Bans Prayer in Name of Fighting Conversion Therapy: Imagine the government told you what you can and cannot pray for, inside your own head. Such an idea seems better suited to “thoughtcrime” dystopias—such as George Orwell’s “1984” or Aldous Huxley’s “Brave New World,” where the government attempts to control your every thought—rather than to the modern, free English-speaking world.

My 5-Point Catholic Wish List for 2024: Bishops and Cardinals Living Simply, Abusers Tried Quickly, Adults Taught the Catholic Faith, and More...

My Catholic wish list for 2024SCALIA: You have no idea how many of my columns have begun as a germ of a thought — usually an annoyed question — scribbled on a scrap of paper. This one reflects my late, rather curmudgeonly, “wish list” of what I’d like to see happen within Catholicism in 2024. Indulge me, please. Let me just get it off my chest.

Cardinal Fernández thinks JPII’s ‘Veritatis Splendor’ focuses on exceptionless moral norms too much. All the more reason to read it again...

The Enduring Importance of Veritatis SplendorSHAW: Before 2023 becomes a memory, I want to salute a significant 30th anniversary. Thirty years ago Pope Saint John Paul II published an encyclical on morality called Veritatis Splendor (The Splendor of Truth). This was the first time a pope had set out the formal principles of the Church’s moral reasoning, and it remains a landmark. What follow in light of this fundamental fact are a few thoughts partly inspired by comments by Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernandez...

The Church might have to straighten some bones and work out a few knots, but her heart, the Holy Eucharist, is pumping strong and God is on the move

True%20and%20False%20Reform%20%u2014%20Tim%20Glemkowski%2C%20Catholic%20EvangelistGLEMKOWSKI: This Christmas break, with a brief reprieve from the busyness of travel and work, I found myself finally able to dig into a book that had been given to me by a priest friend years ago, “True and False Reform in the Church” - a text first published in 1950 by Yves Congar, O.P, who would go on to become one of the most influential figures in the Second Vatican Council.

Archbishop Nienstedt cleared of abuse allegations but cannot live in former diocese, Vatican says

Archbishop Nienstedt cleared of abuse allegations but cannot live in former diocese, Vatican says | America Magazine: A multiyear investigation overseen by the Catholic Church into Archbishop John C. Nienstedt, who resigned from the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis in 2015, has ended with the Vatican finding that he acted “imprudently” in several instances but not criminally under canon law, Archbishop Bernard A. Hebda said in a statement Jan. 5.

Shocking Book by ‘Fiducia Supplicans’ Author Cardinal Fernández Surfaces, Featuring Graphic Erotic Passages on ‘Spirituality and Sensuality’

Rediscovered%20book%20by%20Cardinal%20Fern%E1ndez%20features%20graphic%20erotic%20passages%20on%20%u2018spirituality%20and%20sensuality%u2019%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20AgencyLIEDL: A 1998 book by Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández featuring provocative, sexually-charged themes has resurfaced, likely adding further scrutiny to the already embattled prefect of the Vatican’s doctrine office. Titled “Mystical Passion: Spirituality and Sensuality,” the 26-year-old work includes graphic descriptions of human sexual relations and discussion of what the Argentinian theologian describes as “mystical orgasm.”

Did You Know ‘Magi’ Still Exist in the 21st Century?

Did%20You%20Know%20%u2018Magi%u2019%20Exist%20in%20the%2021st%20Century%3F%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterTURLEY: It is a cold, dark, wet Sunday night in suburban London. Having walked through the rain, I am now sitting in a former art deco 1930s movie theater. Before me, there are three masked figures. Dressed all in white robes, they sit on chairs upon a stage. Before them burns a wooden fire in a large brazier. Above the white-robed figures there is a sign with a threefold imperative...

Do We Lack What the Wise Men Had?

This%20Sunday%2C%20Do%20We%20Lack%20What%20the%20Wise%20Men%20Had%3F%20%u2013%20Benedictine%20College%20Media%20%26%20CultureHOOPES: We are all on a journey to find Christ in the darkness, and there is no better model to follow than the magi on The Epiphany of the Lord this Sunday. Because the fact is, the magi needed several things to find God: years of study, an arduous journey, and the willingness to utterly demean their own self-importance. And they needed to know that they were seeking something so crucial that it was worth all that...

Pope Francis: If You Don’t Know the Date of Your Baptism, Look It Up and Celebrate It ‘Like a Birthday’

Pope%20Francis%3A%20If%20you%20don%u2019t%20know%20the%20date%20of%20your%20baptism%2C%20look%20it%20up%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20AgencyMARES: Pope Francis said Sunday that if you do not know the date of your baptism, you need to look it up so that you can celebrate the anniversary of becoming a child of God and heir to the kingdom of heaven. Speaking from the window of the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace, the pope said on Jan. 7 that the anniversary of one’s baptism should be celebrated each year “like a birthday.”

Pope at Epiphany Mass: ‘The Glory of the Lord Has Been Revealed to All the Nations’

Pope at Epiphany Mass: Imitate the Magi to approach the Christ Child - Vatican News: Like the Magi, let us seek out the Lord with our eyes to the Heavens ... Pope Francis gave this encouragement during Holy Mass on Saturday morning, on the Solemnity of the Epiphany. Addressing the faithful gathered in St Peter's Basilica, the Holy Father began by recalling that the Magi set out to seek the newborn King.

Mr. Universe Goes Back to Confession

Mr. Universe Goes Back to Confession - Mick Souza - The Coming Home Network: Mick Souza started off with a foundation of faith, but led a wild life, breaking, as he tells it, all Ten Commandments. When he started to revisit the idea of faith, he went to a few different Christian congregations, but felt the Holy Spirit calling him back to the sacrament of Confession in the Catholic Church he’d been raised in.

Chinese Bishop Reportedly Arrested After Protesting Communist Changes in Diocese; Current Whereabouts Unknown

Chinese bishop reportedly arrested after protesting Communist changes in diocese: A Chinese bishop has reportedly been arrested after objecting to decisions made by a communist-sponsored leader in his diocese without his approval. Bishop Peter Shao Zhumin of Wenzhou was arrested Jan. 2, according to Asia News. The 61-year-old bishop is not recognized by the Chinese government, because he has refused to register with the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association (CPCA), the state-sponsored Communist church.

And Now for Something Completely Different: A Vatican Prefect Distancing Himself From His Own Document

%u2018Fiducia%20Supplicans%u2019%202.0%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterDESOUZA: When Pope Francis appointed Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández to be the prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) in July, he took the unusual step of writing a letter to accompany the appointment. “What I expect from you is certainly something very different,” he wrote. The Holy Father got all that, and then some. No prefect has ever conducted himself quite like Cardinal Fernández now does...

Scientists in Israel use Earth’s magnetic field to verify event in Bible’s Book of Kings

Israeli research use Earth's magnetic field to verify event in Bible - The Jerusalem Post: Using a “breakthrough” technology based on measuring the magnetic field recorded in burnt bricks, researchers at four Israeli universities have corroborated the occurrence of an event described in the Bible’s Second Book of Kings – the conquest of the Philistine city of Gath by Hazael, King of Aram.

Homosexuals are reportedly inundating the Vatican for same-sex blessing parchments. This puts the Pope between a rock and a hard place...

Fiducia%20supplicans%3A%20Between%20a%20rock%20and%20a%20hard%20place%20%u2013%20Catholic%20World%20ReportALTIERI: Two developments—both entirely foreseeable, one so easily avoidable as to be in essence an unforced error—are making the already improbable management of the Fiducia supplicans fiasco almost entirely impossible. The first is the reported influx of requests for papal blessings on parchment sheets for same-sex couples. Italy’s Il Messaggero newspaper had the story over the weekend.

Time to correct the MAD Magazine caricature and get 3 things straight about Catholics in the United States

The MAD Magazine Caricature of U.S. Catholicism | George Weigel | First ThingsWEIGEL: One hesitates to begin the civil new year on a critical note, when hopes of a brighter future run high. But when reality is being falsified, duty calls. So, let’s begin the Year of Our Lord 2024 with a critique of the MAD magazine-like caricature of U.S. Catholicism currently being propagated. During his years with the London-based Tablet, Christopher Lamb never evinced a serious understanding of the Church in the U.S. or its relationship to American public life...

Fiducia Supplicans was followed closely by the photo ops — it’s a 5-star case of the medium being the message

Fiducia%20Supplicans%20news%20flashback%3A%205-star%20case%20of%20the%20medium%20being%20the%20message%20%u2014%20GetReligionMATTINGLY: Here is a fact from life on the religion beat. Several times a year, a religion-beat reporter is going to be approached by an editor who wants him or her to make a photo-assignment for a religious holiday or a story with some kind of religion hook. They don’t want Southern Baptists in gray suits (or even megachurch tropical shirts). They don’t want Pentecostal believers in church clothes with their hands in the air.

Vatican Responds to Widespread Backlash on Same-Sex Blessing Directive, Says Fiducia Supplicans Is Not ‘Heretical, Contrary to Tradition, or Blasphemous’

Vatican responds to widespread backlash on same-sex blessing directive | Catholic News AgencyMARES: The Vatican’s doctrine office issued a response on Thursday to “clarify the reception of Fiducia Supplicans” amid widespread international backlash to the Vatican’s recent declaration on same-sex blessings. Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández, prefect of the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF), published a five-page press release

Cardinal Fernández: Vatican’s Same-Sex Blessings Guidance Is ‘Clear Answer’ to German Bishops

Cardinal%20Fern%E1ndez%3A%20Vatican%u2019s%20Same-Sex%20Blessings%20Guidance%20Is%A0%u2018Clear%20Answer%u2019%20to%20German%20Bishops%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterLIEDL: Amid significant confusion about the Vatican’s recent guidance on same-sex blessings, the document’s architect has lashed out at those advancing the most liberal interpretation: Catholic leadership in Germany. Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández, prefect of the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) and longtime theological adviser to Pope Francis...

What is actually at the North Pole and South Pole? And why is one so much colder than the other?

What%20Is%20Actually%20at%20the%20North%20Pole%20and%20South%20Pole%3F%20%u2014%20Daily%20Passport: Sitting at opposite ends of Earth, the North Pole and South Pole are two of the coldest and most isolated locations on the planet. The North Pole is an icy expanse incapable of supporting human life (no, not even Santa Claus), while the South Pole is home to a handful of temporary residents and scientific research buildings. Have you ever wondered what is actually at the North Pole and the South Pole? Find out everything you ever wanted to know below...

20 Questions for Cardinal Fernández About ‘Fiducia Supplicans’

Two%20Commentaries%20on%20the%20Blessing%20of%20%u2018Irregular%20Couples%u2019%20-%20The%20Catholic%20ThingDESOUZA: Earlier this year, Cardinal Daniel Sturla, Archbishop of Montevideo, and Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, then the Archbishop of La Plata, had Sees across the river from each other. Now they find themselves in opposing currents, as the former is distressed that the latter would plunge the Church into such conflict and confusion just before Christmas...

How can we manage the frustrations that naturally come with Church conflict? Here are 3 ways...

The%20New%20Year%3A%20A%20User%u2019s%20Guide%20-%20The%20Catholic%20ThingMAIER: I first experienced Rome in 1971 on our honeymoon, visiting my wife’s uncle, a priest who served for a decade in the Congregation (now the Dicastery) for the Doctrine of the Faith. What I remember most vividly about those few days is a Fellini-esque evening performance of Aida with elephants in the Baths of Caracalla, followed by a hair-raising drive home through Roman traffic...

Actor Shia LaBeouf fully initiated into Catholic Church on New Year’s Eve; receives Confirmation in Solvang, California, from Bishop Robert Barron

Actor Shia LaBeouf fully enters the Catholic Church New Year's Eve: An actor who recently portrayed a beloved saint on screen has now fully come into the Catholic Church in real life. Shia LaBeouf, a Hollywood veteran and star of director Abel Ferrara’s film “Padre Pio,” received the Sacrament of Confirmation, completing his initiation into the Catholic faith, during the New Year holiday weekend, according to announcements posted Jan. 2 to Facebook and Instagram by the Capuchin Franciscans’ Western American Province.

6 Clever Hacks for Storing Christmas Decorations

6 Clever Hacks for Storing Holiday Decorations - Better Report: When the last Christmas cookie has been eaten, and the calendar has turned over to a new year, it’s time to pack up the seasonal decorations. However, getting everything packed back up in boxes is a pain. Things get broken, items are misplaced, and, of course, string lights get wildly tangled. Organizing your holiday decorations as you store them is an essential part of making things easier for the next holiday season...

Time, Change, and Youth of the New Year

Time, Change, and Youth of the New Year - LifeCraftCUDDEBACK: Around the New Year we can feel out of sorts. The relentless march of time strikes home, just as we are wrapping up our more intense celebration of holy days. As on a birthday, we reflect on the duration of our life. Aging and its burdens can loom large. And the past with its baggage, the present with its challenges, and the future with its uncertainty can make even the young feel old.

C.S. Lewis, Atheism, and the Genetic Fallacy

C.S. Lewis, Atheism, and the Genetic Fallacy - Word on FireKACZOR: Sigmund Freud and Karl Marx adopted similar strategies to discredit belief in God. Freud held that belief in God arose from an unconscious childish wish for protection from a heavenly father figure: “At bottom God is nothing more than an exalted father.” Marx held that belief in God arose from economic alienation: “Religion is the opium of the people.” According to Freud and Marx, the belief in God arose from wish fulfillment or exploitation, and so, it might be concluded, God does not exist.

Italian Priest Excommunicated for Calling Pope Francis a ‘Usurper’

Italian%20priest%20excommunicated%20for%20calling%20Pope%20Francis%20a%20%u2018usurper%u2019%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20AgencyMARES: An Italian priest has been excommunicated by his local bishop for saying in a homily that Pope Francis “is not the pope” and calling him “a usurper.” The Diocese of Livorno in Tuscany issued a decree on Jan. 1 notifying Catholics that Father Ramon Guidetti “publicly committed a schismatic act” during Mass and has ipso facto incurred “latae sententiae excommunication,” or an automatic excommunication.

Jimmy Lai Pleads Not Guilty in Hong Kong National Security Trial

Jimmy Lai pleads not guilty in Hong Kong national security trial | Catholic News Agency: Jimmy Lai, the embattled Hong Kong Catholic democracy activist, pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to all charges leveled against him in his national security trial there. Lai, the Chinese-born founder of the anti-government newspaper Apple Daily, entered a not-guilty plea to the charges of conspiring to collude with a foreign power. The 76-year-old Lai was originally arrested in August 2020 under that year’s controversial national security law, which was passed by China’s communist-controlled government...

Pope Sounds Alarm on AI: ‘In Obsessive Desire to Control Everything, We Risk Losing Control Over Ourselves’

In World Peace Day message, Pope warns of risks of AI for peace - Vatican News: New technologies must always be directed to “the pursuit of peace and the common good, in the service of the integral development of individuals and communities.” In his annual Message for the World Day of Peace, Pope Francis urges world leaders to ensure that progress in developing forms of artificial intelligence “will ultimately serve the cause of human fraternity and peace”

After a feel-good Mongolia outing four months ago, the Pope now faces a tough choice

After feel-good Mongolia outing, Pope now faces a tough choice | CruxALLEN: When Pope Francis visited Mongolia in late August and early September, it was styled as the ultimate feel-good papal outing. Here was the “Pope of the Peripheries” travelling to the most sparsely populated country on earth, with just 3.3 million people scattered across a total landmass larger than that of England, France and Germany combined. The entire Catholic population stood at just 1,450...

Did the King's speech bode well for his faithful subjects in 2024, a year that could be momentous?

Did the King's speech bode well for his faithful subjects in 2024, a year that could be momentous? - Catholic HeraldASHENDEN: In the spirit of apocalyptic optimism, political pundits are prophesying not so much doom rather a great deal of civic excitement for this new year we are now embarking on. They have a point. The American election looks likely to shake America, and so also the West, to its core. The more imaginative commentators are talking in terms of a possible civil war...

Write +JMJ+ at the Top of 2024 and Give Your Family to the Holy Family

Write JMJ at the Top of 2024 and Give Your Family to the Holy Family| National Catholic RegisterPECKNOLD: Sometimes my students submit their essays or exams with the letters J.M.J. atop every page. Their parents or some teacher taught them to do so. The initials, of course, are themselves a devotion to the Holy Family: Jesus, Mary and Joseph. The letters almost stare at me, not as distractions but as a steady reminder of what abides, what unites, and what orders us to our proper end.