Pope Francis at Easter Vigil: Christ ‘Is the One Who Brings Us From Darkness Into Light’

Pope%20Francis%20at%20Easter%20Vigil%3A%20Christ%20%u2018is%20the%20one%20who%20brings%20us%20from%20darkness%20into%20light%u2019%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20Agency: Pope Francis on Saturday evening presided over the Easter Vigil Mass at Saint Peter’s Basilica, reflecting on the gravity of Easter as a symbol of God's reborn hope and the ultimate testament of life over death. There were some concerns on Friday night about the pope’s wellbeing after the Holy Father canceled his attendance at Rome’s Via Crucis...

You might binge-listen this podcast ... I know I did!

You might binge-listen this podcast...I know I did!PERNA: Last August, as I began working on my contract position from home, I started researching podcasts I could listen to as I did my work. I stumbled upon an engaging and catechetical podcast titled - The Exorcist Files. The podcast covers the real-life case files of Catholic exorcist Fr. Carlos Martins. After listening to the first episode, I binge-listened this podcast in only 4 days. It was so good. I could not get enough.

One year later, what’s the status of the investigation into the Covenant School shooting?

(4) Crossroads -- Covenant School anniversary: What's the story?MATTINGLY: In the year since the Covenant School shootings, authorities — think FBI — have said they cannot release the manifesto and diaries of shooter Audrey (Aiden) Hale because they are relevant to ongoing investigations. If that is the case, then it’s safe to assume that these investigations are real. If they are not real, then that’s a stunning fact in and of itself.

This Easter, Say, ‘Not Today, Satan. Not Ever. We Know Our Father Now’

This%20Sunday%2C%20On%20Easter%2C%20Say%2C%20%u2018Not%20Today%2C%20Satan.%20Not%20Ever.%20We%20Know%20Our%20Father%20Now%u2019%20%u2013%20Benedictine%20College%20Media%20%26%20CultureHOOPES: Not today, Satan. This Sunday is Easter Sunday, the Resurrection of The Lord and it’s a day to celebrate, because Satan has been unmasked for good, as a pathetic figure who only gains false power from lies. Let’s review what just happened. Satan thought St. Peter was his crowning achievement, but God knew better. Peter was the head of the Apostles, so Satan wanted to single him out...

Pope Francis Skips Via Crucis in Rome ‘to Conserve His Health’ for Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday

Pope Francis skips Via Crucis in Rome while tens of thousands pray his meditations | Catholic News AgencySANTUCCI: In an apparent last-minute decision, Pope Francis skipped the Way of the Cross ceremony held at Rome's Colosseum on Friday to safeguard his health ahead of the upcoming liturgies on Saturday and Easter Sunday.

12 Things You Need to Know About Holy Saturday

12 Things You Need to Know About Holy Saturday| National Catholic RegisterAKIN: Every time we say the creed, we note that Jesus “descended into hell.” Holy Saturday is the day that commemorates this event. What happened on this day, and how do we celebrate it? Here are 12 things you need to know. First, what happened on the first Holy Saturday? Here on earth, Jesus' disciples mourned his death and, since it was a sabbath day, they rested.

France is experiencing a boom in Muslim conversions to Christianity

Boom in Muslim Conversions to Christianity in France: How Is the Church Responding?| National Catholic Register: At a time when concern is growing about the rise of Islam, which is threatening to become the primary religion in historically Catholic countries such as France, a phenomenon of fundamental importance cannot be ignored: the exponential growth in conversions of Muslims to Christianity. Marie-Anne and Nicolas are two such converts from Islam who will be baptized this year on Easter...

Good Friday: His Yoke Is Easy and His Burden Is Glorious

Good Friday: His Yoke Is Easy and His Burden Is Glorious| National Catholic RegisterMILLS: Friedrich von Hügel’s friend was dying, and he told his friend about his young daughter in her last illness. She had been “wonderfully plucky and courageous, ‘grinning and bearing,’ a dear stoic. But then gradually she became, in this too, more and more sensitively Christian. The Cross became, not simply a fact, to bear somehow as patiently as we can...

Why did they do it? Judas, the Jewish leaders, Pilate — why did they send Jesus to his death?

Why Did They Do It? | Parishable ItemsFELTES: Governor Pilate was actually not eager to kill Jesus. He did not want to get involved in that religious squabble. Pilate declared three times that he found no guilt in Jesus, but then people were saying, “If you release him, you are not a Friend of Caesar!” When Pilate’s interests were threatened he acted selfishly rather than doing justice, and condemned to death an innocent man whom he had a duty to protect. We have a responsibility to care for the vulnerable too.

The Violent World of Jesus of Nazareth

The Violent World of Jesus of Nazareth - Randy Ingermanson's BlogINGERMANSON: Jesus of Nazareth was born into a violent world. Much like ours, only different. At the time Jesus was born, Judea and Samaria and Galilee had been under the control of the Roman empire for about sixty years. King Herod the Great ruled over these regions as a “client king” of Rome—meaning that he answered to Caesar and ruled in Caesar’s name. Rome dominated its empire, usually by threats of violence...

Mass Mentality: Priest’s Viral Video Spotlights Misunderstanding of the Eucharistic Sacrifice

Mass%20Mentality%3A%20Priest%u2019s%20Viral%20Video%20Spotlights%20Misunderstanding%20of%20the%20Eucharistic%20Sacrifice%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterROBERTS: When an Indiana priest’s message on the Mass went viral on YouTube recently, the response revealed a hunger among Catholics to know more about the Church’s principal sacramental celebration. Father Jonathan Meyer of All Saints parish in Guilford, Indiana, was astounded when a 33-minute talk he had given at a Jan. 27 men’s conference in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, was picked up by the Servants of God YouTube channel in Australia, drawing more than a half million views and 1,432 comments.

Good Friday of the Lord’s Passion: ‘With God, Suffering Never Has the Final Word’

Pope Francis releases meditations ahead of Via Crucis at Colosseum - Vatican News: Pope Francis’ meditations on the Via Crucis for this Good Friday are a dialogue with Jesus, a face-to-face conversation with Christ, made up of reflections, questions, introspections, confessions, and invocations. The sufferings of Jesus on the path to Golgotha, the loving gaze of Mary, the women who offer their help, Simon the Cyrene and Joseph of Arimathea: all of these figures provoke an examination of conscience that then becomes prayer, with a final invocation that repeats the name of Jesus fourteen times.

5 Things to Know About the Liturgy for Good Friday

Good%20Friday%20of%20the%20Lord%u2019s%20Passion%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterGRONDELSKI: The Liturgy of the Lord’s Passion in some respects looks like a traditional Mass with a rite (the veneration of the cross) added. It is not. First of all, it is not a Mass because no consecration of the Holy Eucharist takes place within it. In keeping with ancient tradition, Good Friday is the one day of the year the Church does not celebrate Mass...

Papal Doctor: Pope Has ‘No Particular Illnesses’ and ‘Is Doing Well Consistent With His Age’

Papal%20Doctor%3A%20Pope%20Has%20%u2018No%20Particular%20Illnesses%u2019%20and%20%u2018Is%20Doing%20Well%20Consistent%20With%20His%20Age%u2019%7C%20National%20Catholic%20Register: Pope Francis currently has “no particular illnesses,” is “doing well consistent with his age,” and has the “head of a 60-year-old,” a doctor who has operated on him in recent years has said. In a March 25 interview in Corriere della Sera, Dr. Sergio Alfieri, who operated on Pope Francis twice in the last three years, in July 2021 and June 2023, said the Pope...

Why a Louisiana excommunication is a canonical ‘hard case’

Why%20a%20Louisiana%20excommunication%20is%20a%20canonical%20%u2018hard%20case%u2019JDFLYNN: A Louisiana deacon declared excommunicated this month had formally joined an Anglican parish community, before his bishop declared that he had incurred a formal canonical penalty. Deacon Scott Peyton’s excommunication has garnered national attention, because the deacon’s defection from the Church came after his son was abused by a priest.

A Dead Star Will Soon Spark a Once-in-a-Lifetime Display in Earth’s Skies

This%20Nova%20Will%20Soon%20Erupt%20as%20a%20Once-in-a-Lifetime%20%u2018New%20Star%u2019%20in%20the%20Night%20Sky%20%7C%20Scientific%20American: In October 1217 the abbot of the Ursberg Abbey in present-day southern Germany looked to the firmament and, in the arc-shaped constellation Corona Borealis, saw something wondrous. “It was originally a faint star that for a time shone with great light and then returned to its original faintness,” he wrote in Latin at the time...

Baltimore Archbishop William E. Lori Asks Prayers for Key Bridge Victims, Construction Workers, First Responders; Apostleship of the Sea Had Ministered to Dali Crew Before Collision

Baltimore archdiocese ministers to crew aboard ship involved with Key Bridge collapse - Catholic Review: The Archdiocese of Baltimore’s Apostleship of the Sea is normally a “friendly face” for international seafarers visiting the port. That role is about to expand, according to its director, Andy Middleton, after a containership was involved in the catastrophic collapse of one of Baltimore’s major thoroughfares. The Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed...

Cardinal Pizzaballa became the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem in 2020. Since then, his rise as ‘papabile’ has been meteoric...

Cardinal%20Pizzaballa%u2019s%20Meteoric%20Rise%20to%20%u2018Papabile%u2019%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterPENTIN: “It will be a difficult Easter,” Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa told Italian television last week as he offered a grim assessment of the worsening humanitarian crisis in war-torn Gaza. Calling on the international community to quickly halt the Israel-Hamas war, he said he was thinking of the “loneliness of Jesus in Gethsemane, which is now shared by all of us.”

Holy Week, the Annunciation and St. Dismas

Holy Week, the Annunciation and St. Dismas| National Catholic RegisterDESOUZA: Happy feast of the Good Thief! (More or less.) There are no feast days observed during Holy Week. When March 25 falls during Holy Week, as it does this year, the great feast of the Annunciation is delayed to the Monday after Divine Mercy Sunday. Holy Week and the Easter Octave take precedence over all...

Holy Week Prayers for Princess Catherine, King Charles and All Who Are Sick

Holy Week Prayers for Princess Catherine, King Charles and All Who Are Sick| National Catholic RegisterBOGLE: The monarchy is a fixture of life in Britain. We record our history through the reigns of monarchs; we prefix, where appropriate, our public institutions with a royal title; and we follow the lives of prominent members of the royal family with genuine affection, a sense of pride, and sometimes almost-fanatical interest.

Jesus was not the first king to enter Jerusalem. But the other kings’ entrances were totally unlike his...

This%20Sunday%2C%20Jesus%20Reigns%2C%20From%20the%20Donkey%20to%20the%20Cross%20to%20Today%20%u2013%20Benedictine%20College%20Media%20%26%20CultureHOOPES: The great conqueror Alexander the Great entered Jerusalem in 329 B.C. as a giant man wearing a plumed helmet atop an enormous white warhorse. Seeing him, the city leaders quaked with fear. He demanded taxes, and got them, but he spared the city — perhaps because his teacher, Aristotle, taught him to admire monotheism.

God’s generosity is beyond measure

Catching Up: God's Generosity is Beyond Measure - Seton MagazineCLARK: When I started writing a monthly article for Seton Magazine sixteen years ago (it was a “newsletter” back then), I wrote quite a bit about my children. Over the past years, however, I haven’t mentioned my children as often in columns, so I thought I’d provide you long-time faithful readers with an update. Lisa and I have been blessed with nine children here on Earth...

Psychiatrist explains 2 great truths about human nature that have been rejected by our culture

Controlling%20the%20Passions%3A%20A%20Psychiatrist%u2019s%20Perspective%20%7C%20New%20Oxford%20Review: The Judeo-Christian assessment of human nature is not a positive one. The Hebrew Bible reads, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately corrupt; who can understand it?” (Jer. 17:9), and the New Testament says, “From within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, fornication, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, foolishness”...

Psalm 22 contains passage after passage prophetically predicting details of Good Friday...

Psalm 22 Fulfilled | Parishable ItemsFELTES: A thousand years before Christ’s Passion, King David was inspired by the Holy Spirit to pen the Twenty-Second Psalm. Jesus quotes this psalm’s opening words from the Cross: “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” Psalm 22 contains passage after passage prophetically predicting details of Good Friday. It foretells how Christ’s enemies would deride him...

Pope Francis to Travel to Venice to Offer Mass in St. Mark’s Square, Vatican Announces

Pope%20Francis%20to%20offer%20Mass%20in%20St.%20Mark%u2019s%20Square%20in%20Venice%2C%20Italy%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20AgencyMARES: Pope Francis will travel by motorboat along Venice’s canals and offer Mass in St. Mark’s Square during his visit to the “floating city,” the Vatican announced Monday. The Holy See Press Office has released the schedule for the pope’s upcoming day trip to Venice — the pope’s only scheduled trip so far in 2024.

No One Envies Those Who Suffer

No One Envies Those Who Suffer - The Catholic ThingGRESS: In Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, the Bennett family faces the gravest of circumstances when their youngest daughter, Lydia, runs off with the wicked George Wickham. Although the situation is eventually made far less grave than first thought, with Lydia and Wickham marrying, few of the Bennetts’ neighbors were willing to condole with the family during their dark trial...

The Plenary Indulgences of Holy Week, Easter Octave and Divine Mercy Sunday for Everyone

The Plenary Indulgences of Holy Week, Easter Octave and Divine Mercy Sunday for Everyone| National Catholic RegisterPRONECHEN: Holy Week and Divine Mercy Sunday, present everyone with particular plenary indulgences that everyone has the opportunity to receive. Here’s how to gain them for yourselves, your loved ones in purgatory, and possibly even for some forgotten soul there. The plenary indulgences that we can receive on every day of Holy Week actually are of two kinds. Certain ones are specific to Holy Week itself...

Pope Francis on Palm Sunday: ‘Jesus Entered Jerusalem as a Humble and Peaceful King’

Pope Francis on Palm Sunday 2024: Jesus entered Jerusalem as a humble king | Catholic News AgencyMARES: On Palm Sunday, hundreds of priests, bishops, cardinals, and laypeople solemnly carried large palm branches in procession through St. Peter’s Square to begin the first liturgy of Holy Week. “Dear brothers and sisters, since the beginning of Lent until now we have prepared our hearts by penance and charitable works,” Pope Francis said in a soft voice at the beginning of Palm Sunday Mass on March 24.

Here’s what the defrocking of Vangheluwe suggests about the Rupnik scandal

Here%u2019s%20what%20the%20defrocking%20of%20Vangheluwe%20suggests%20about%20the%20Rupnik%20scandal%20%u2013%20Catholic%20World%20ReportALTIERI: Thursday’s news about the defrocking of Roger Vangheluwe has given us an answer to a question raised with some palpable urgency by another high-profile scandal touching the very echelons of power in the Vatican. The other case is that of Fr. Marko Rupnik, the inveterate creep and serial abuser of mostly religious women, accused but never tried for his alleged crimes...

What’s the Deal with Holy Week? 9 Things to Know and Share

What%u2019s%20the%20Deal%20with%20Holy%20Week%3F%209%20Things%20to%20Know%20and%20Share%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterAKIN: Holy Week is the week preceding Easter Sunday. According to the General Norms for the Liturgical Year and the Calendar, “The Sixth Sunday [of Lent], on which Holy Week begins, is called, ‘Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord’” (No. 30). Holy Week thus begins on the Sixth Sunday of Lent, and the period is characterized by a variety of liturgical celebrations. These have changed over time, but the Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church states:

How Feminism Shattered Our Understanding of Motherhood

The Gospel of Discontent: How Feminism Shattered Our Understanding of Motherhood - The American Spectator | USA News and PoliticsGRESS: The Christian story started very simply: a mother delivered her baby, truly God and truly man, amid the squalor of straw and livestock. Such humble beginnings begat a new vision of motherhood that became the archetype for the Church — Holy Mother Church. Embraced by all Christians for centuries, ecclesial motherhood was cast in art...

‘Dune: Part Two’ — False Messiahs and the Shifting Sands of Power

%u2018Dune%3A%20Part%20Two%u2019%20%u2014%20False%20Messiahs%20and%20the%20Shifting%20Sands%20of%20Power%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterLAMBERT: Stillsuits. Sandworms. Telepathic preborn babies. The weird world of Dune is a wonder to behold. With Dune: Part Two, director Denis Villeneuve has done what was previously thought to be impossible: He successfully adapted Dune to the big screen in a way that does justice to the complexity and emotional weight of the original story...

Belgian Bishop Roger Vangheluwe Laicized 14 Years After Admitting Abuse

Belgian bishop laicized 14 years after admitting abuseCOPPEN: Pope Francis has laicized Bishop Roger Vangheluwe, almost 14 years after the Belgian prelate resigned after admitting that he had abused a nephew. The apostolic nunciature to Belgium said in a March 21 statement that “serious new elements” had emerged in recent months...

For Holy Week: A Rosary of the Penitential Psalms

For Holy Week: A Rosary of the Penitential Psalms - SpiritualDirection.comPOPE: For Holy Week a possible practice is to pray a rosary combined with the Seven Penitential Psalms. One could do this on a chosen day, such as Good Friday, or on another day, even several days. I have set this forth in the Rosary that follows. I also offer a PDF of this rosary that you can print here...

A Lenten Refresher on the Parts of the Mass

A Lenten Refresher on the Parts of the Mass| National Catholic RegisterGRONDELSKI: The liturgy, most especially the Mass, is the central act of the Church. Vatican II reminds us that the liturgy, through which the work of our redemption is accomplished, most of all in the divine sacrifice of the Eucharist, is the outstanding means whereby the faithful may express in their lives and manifest to others the mystery of Christ...

A perfect week, ironic invites, and the social network

A perfect week, ironic invites, and the social networkCONDON: I took a day off this week, which I rarely ever do. My wife was out of town for a family event over the weekend, so, for a whole glorious couple of days, my daughter and I got to spend some true quality time together. Her current favorite movie is the 1995 classic “Babe,” which is a perfect film by any clear-eyed assessment...

Theron Ware's Damnation and Catholicism, Then and Now

Theron Ware's Damnation and Catholicism, Then and Now | Church Life Journal | University of Notre DameWELBORN: The novel The Damnation of Theron Ware, published in 1896, unspools the tale of a young Methodist minister who, thanks to Catholics, science, bohemianism, and good old American pragmatism, loses his faith. Yes, Reverend Theron Ware was vulnerable, no doubt. His pride, limited intellectual, spiritual and social background...

‘This college belongs to the Catholic Church’: Alumni, students fight for authenticity at Saint Mary’s College

%u2018This%20college%20belongs%20to%20the%20Catholic%20Church%u2019%3A%20Alumni%2C%20students%20fight%20for%20authenticity%20%7C%20The%20College%20Fix: A group of Saint Mary’s College affiliates want to take back their school from the administration who they say have betrayed the Catholic faith. A letter, sent on March 19 to the administration, comes after the Catholic college in South Bend, Indiana announced and then retracted its new policy to admit males who falsely claim to be female. The group identified five areas for improvement after discussions with students, alumni, and parents.

In the Garden of Gethsemane, why did Peter strike at Malchus?

The Meaning of Malchus | Parishable ItemsFELTES: Judas Iscariot came to the Garden of Gethsemane with soldiers and guards who carried swords and clubs, lanterns and torches. Jesus’ disciples realized what was about to happen and asked, “Lord, shall we strike with a sword?” When one struck the high priest’s slave, cutting off his right ear, Jesus shouted...

Preparing for the Beatific Vision

Preparing for the Beatific Vision | Knowing Is DoingTORRE: The attributes bestowed by God upon man are quite beautiful if you take the time to admire God’s work in every human being. There is nothing that does not involve an act of Divine intimacy in how God made both man and woman. From the moment we receive the ability to breathe and encounter the world outside of our mother's womb...

On a trip to Rome, an unexpected illness brings surprising grace

On a trip to Rome, an unexpected illness brings surprising graceLOPEZ: I went to Rome for a short trip largely to offer a little moral support for friends who were doing something beautiful for the life of the Church. While visiting with one of them who lives there a day or so before the event, I got sick. Non-contagious sick, but a catalyst for much humility. So, I was largely locked in my room — in Rome — for a day and change. I was annoyed with myself for not thinking this through better — as if I could have known this would happen...

On Religion: ‘Demos II’ Takes On Pope Francis And The Future Of Catholicism

On%20Religion%3A%20%u2018Demos%20II%u2019%20Takes%20On%20Pope%20Francis%20And%20The%20Future%20Of%20CatholicismMATTINGLY: Catholic cyberspace had a meltdown during Lent in 2022 as cardinals circulated a letter from “Demos” — Greek for “people” — an anonymous scribe claiming that “this pontificate is a disaster in many or most respects; a catastrophe.” The author turned out to be the now-late Cardinal George Pell of Australia, who served Pope Francis as leader of the Vatican's Secretariat of the Economy.

March Madness: How Schools With Religious Affiliations Could Fare In 2024

March Madness: How Schools With Religious Affiliations Could Fare In 2024LISI: Get those brackets ready, another March Madness is again upon us. The NCAA’s men’s Division I basketball tournament will enthrall millions with its bracket-busting upsets. It is, for many sports fans, the best time of the year. While the much-anticipated tournament has become a cultural phenomenon that’s largely secular in nature, it also has plenty of religious connections.

Fascinating new book explores deep roots of sex abuse crisis in 1600s and 1700s

New book explores deep roots of Jesuit role in current crisis | CruxALTIERI: The pattern of behavior shown by Jesuit leadership in the management of at least one current high-profile scandal has centuries of institutional practice behind it. That’s according to one prominent historian, Ulrich Lehner of the University of Notre Dame, who has just published a German-language study of the Jesuits’ historical handling of abuse in their ranks.

The Story Behind One Of Africa’s Smallest Catholic Churches

The%20Story%20Behind%20One%20Of%20Africa%u2019s%20Smallest%20Catholic%20ChurchesOSANJO: Sitting snugly at the start of the escarpment taking visitors up from the floor of the Great Rift Valley, some 33 miles (53 kilometers) from Nairobi, is Mai Mahiu Catholic Church, otherwise known as the “Travelers’ Chapel.” Older generations call the place as “Msikiti,” which means mosque...

Students with Down Syndrome belong in our Catholic schools

Students with Down Syndrome belong in our Catholic schools | America MagazineJDFLYNN: If you ask the fifth-graders at St. Mary’s School, they’ll tell you that the luckiest kid in their class is the boy who sits next to my daughter Pia. When I first heard that, I was surprised. At home, Pia rarely sits still for long. She interrupts people to tell complicated stories or jokes— many of which are quite funny, but which don’t always come at the right time...

German Bishops to Discuss Synodal Way With Vatican Amid Controversy

German bishops to discuss Synodal Way with Vatican amid controversy | Catholic News AgencyWIMMER: A delegation of German bishops is expected in Rome this Friday for talks with the Vatican about the German Synodal Way. While the precise agenda is not a matter of public record, the encounter will likely focus on plans to install a permanent Synodal Council to oversee the Church in Germany. Raising several concerns, the Vatican reminded the Germans ahead of the meeting — in a letter dated Feb. 16 — that the Holy See has not mandated them to set up such a council.

Can We Be Frank About the Catholic School Crisis?

Can We Be Frank About the Catholic School Crisis?| National Catholic RegisterREILLY: In the midst of a crisis, it’s natural to look for signs of hope — moments when the news isn’t so bad as it was before. But it’s perilous to ignore larger trends. The National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA) has released its annual report on Catholic school enrollment...

Why We Need a New Kind of Homesteading

Why We Need a New Kind of Homesteading - LifeCraftCUDDEBACK: ‘Homesteading,’ whatever exactly it is, runs deep in the American psyche and history. Vast stretches of our nation were settled through it. A great number of our forebears—and here I do not mean only settlers or pioneers but people living for generations in one place—lived, worked, and passed on a holding that is rightly called a homestead.

Lent is a good time to reflect on the indisputable fact that Jesus of Nazareth was a son of the Jewish people...

Following the Jewish JesusWEIGEL: Twenty-four years ago this week, I was in Jerusalem to cover Pope John Paul II’s epic pilgrimage to the Holy Land for NBC. After going to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to pray at the 11th and 12th stations, I went to dinner with a graduate school classmate, Father Michael McGarry, then the director of the Tantur Ecumenical Institute...

African Cardinal: Fiducia Supplicans Seen as ‘Cultural Colonization, Western Imperialism’

Cardinal%20Ambongo%3A%20Fiducia%20Supplicans%20perceived%20as%20%u2018cultural%20colonization%2C%20Western%20imperialism%u2019%20in%20Africa%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20Agency: Fiducia Supplicans, the declaration by the Vatican Dicastery for the Doctrine of Faith (DDF) permitting the blessing of same-sex couples and couples in other “irregular situations,” was perceived as “cultural colonization” in Africa, the president of the Symposium of Episcopal Conference of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) said.

‘Turtles’ — 3-Minute Reset from Pat Lencioni and Chris Stefanick

New%20Advent%3A%20%u2018Turtles%u2019%20%u2014%203-Minute%20Reset%20from%20Pat%20Lencioni%20and%20Chris%20Stefanick: The 3-Minute Reset is a simple, daily discipline focused on spending a moment in thought and prayer, and rediscovering the peace that is always available to us. Hosted by Pat Lencioni and Chris Stefanick.

Pope Francis Appoints Detroit Auxiliary Bishop Gerard Battersby to Lead Diocese of La Crosse, Wisconsin

Pope Francis appoints Auxiliary Bishop Gerard Battersby to lead Diocese of La Crosse, Wisconsin | Catholic News AgencyPINEDO: Pope Francis on Tuesday appointed Detroit Auxiliary Bishop Gerard Battersby to lead the Diocese of La Crosse in western Wisconsin after accepting the resignation of Bishop William Callahan. The pope’s appointment was communicated to the U.S. bishops by the apostolic nuncio to the U.S., Cardinal Christophe Pierre.

Cardinal McElroy, homosexuality, and the repudiation of doctrine

Cardinal%20McElroy%2C%20homosexuality%2C%20and%20the%20repudiation%20of%20doctrine%20%u2013%20Catholic%20World%20Report%20-%20kcknight@gmail.com%20-%20GmailCHAPP: The entire LGBTQ movement is a counter religion, which accounts for why it is held with a deep religious fervor and why it is always accompanied by a deep loathing for the traditional Christian construal of the sacramental anthropology of the sex act. The rainbow flag is, therefore, much more than a mere symbol of sexual diversity but is also the central icon of a new religion.

‘Two-parent married family’ promotes white supremacy, says George Mason University professor

Marriage%20promotes%20%u2018white%20supremacy%u2019%3A%20George%20Mason%20professor%20%7C%20The%20College%20Fix: “Marriage fundamentalism” advances “white supremacy,” according to a George Mason University professor. “I theorize that marriage fundamentalism, like structural racism, is a key structuring element of White heteropatriarchal supremacy,” Professor Bethany Letiecq wrote in the Journal of Marriage and Family.

Vatican Opens Probe on ‘Trial of the Century’ Amid Widening Italian Privacy Scandal

Vatican%20opens%20probe%20on%20%u2018trial%20of%20the%20century%u2019%20amid%20widening%20Italian%20privacy%20scandal%20%7C%20Crux: In the latest twist to a mounting privacy scandal in Italy, a Vatican prosecutor has announced opening an investigation to determine whether confidential information was used illicitly to influence the recent “trial of the century” on financial crime, which ended with the first-ever conviction of a cardinal by a Vatican civil court.

Skiing priests illustrate the ‘rest of the story’ about the Catholic Church

Skiing%20priests%20illustrate%20the%20%u2018rest%20of%20the%20story%u2019%20about%20the%20Catholic%20Church%20%7C%20CruxALLEN: To invoke a medical analogy, journalism rarely delivers a whole-body scan when it covers a subject. A news report is more akin to a targeted x-ray, focused on whatever part of the body is creating the biggest problem at the moment – great for identifying a specific ailment, not so much for capturing a patient’s overall state of health.

Where Is the Laughter?

Where Is the Laughter? - The Catholic ThingGRESS: A few years ago, I read a series of World War II novels with rather unsatisfying endings. After epic stories of war, bloodshed, human cruelty, and the strong hand of fate, these novels concluded with men who returned home from the war, abandoning their childhood faith. In its place, they embraced a kind of cynical maturity, thinking they were all the wiser than the superstitions of old...

How a surprising detail in bank records helped a historian bust a longstanding myth about Irish immigrants

A myth about Irish immigrants who came to the US during the potato famine gets debunked in a new book | CNN: Tyler Anbinder didn’t know what he’d find when he started digging into a vast trove of records that had been locked inside a bank — and inaccessible to the public — for nearly 150 years. One detail immediately caught the historian’s attention: The accounts described in the bank’s ledgers had much more money in them than he expected.

“Where I Am, There Also Will My Servant Be”

%u201CWhere%20I%20Am%2C%20There%20Also%20Will%20My%20Servant%20Be%u201D%20%7C%20Parishable%20ItemsFELTES: “Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there also will my servant be. The Father will honor whoever serves me.” Jesus says, “Where I am, there also will my servant be.” His statement is descriptive, prescriptive, and predictive. He describes what is the case, he prescribes how we should act, and he predicts what will be...

Michael Toscano: The False Idol of Technology

Michael Toscano: The False Idol of Technology | Respect Life Radio: "It's a beautiful life that we could be living in each moment, but what many of us decide to do is to drown ourselves in false electronic contentment," said Michael Toscano, executive director of the Institute for Family Studies. In his new First Things article "Recovering our Memory" Michael writes...

Make Friends With Friends of God Like St. Patrick

Make Friends With Friends of God Like St. Patrick| National Catholic RegisterCLARK: Back in 1991, The Jerry Springer Show debuted on American television. The show was presumably intended to shock viewers, as the host paraded out bizarre guests engaged in even more bizarre situations — most of them falling within the realm of weird and multiple violations of the sixth and ninth commandments.

Pope’s Sunday Angelus: ‘Gift and Forgiveness Are the Essence of God’s Glory’

Gift%2C%20forgiveness%20are%20the%20essence%20of%20God%u2019s%20glory%2C%20Pope%20says%20at%20Angelus%20-%20Vatican%20News: On the Cross, we see the glory of Jesus and of the Father, Pope Francis reminded the faithful at the Sunday Angelus. Reflecting on the Gospel for the Fifth Sunday of Lent, the Holy Father explained that Jesus “wants to tell us that glory, for God, does not correspond to human success, fame, or popularity… For God, glory is about loving to the point of giving one’s life.”

Yes, church camps matter more than ever in this scary day and age

(4) Yes, camps matter in this scary day and age - by tmattMATTINGLY: If you want to get upset about the state of our world today, then open an Internet browser and run a search for “anxiety,” “depression” and then “smartphones.” Now add one more trendy term to that search — “hockey stick.” At this point, let’s head straight into some summary material from one story that pops up in the search results, a Financial Times piece with this headline: “Smartphones and social media are destroying children’s mental health.”

This Sunday, Jesus Reveals the Mystery of Suffering at the Heart of the Cosmos

This%20Sunday%2C%20Jesus%20Reveals%20the%20Mystery%20of%20Suffering%20at%20the%20Heart%20of%20the%20Cosmos%20%u2013%20Benedictine%20College%20Media%20%26%20CultureHOOPES: Before looking at how the Gospel this Sunday begins, please notice how it ends. The Gospel reading ends with an amazing glimpse at the inner dialogue of the Trinity, which shows the “humility” of God — the Son glorifying the Father and the Father honoring the Son. This is from the 12th chapter of John, just after his triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Holy Week has begun, the week that Jesus begins by hearing...

Some people today think we’re just ‘meat suits’ — St. Thomas Aquinas is needed to drive away this error with a hot poker

Hybrid humans: The relevance of Thomas Aquinas todayENGELLAND: Seven hundred and fifty years ago Thursday (March 7), St. Thomas Aquinas died, having written some 8 million words in two decades of intensive work, including his masterpiece, the Summa Theologiae. He was only 49. His admirers over the ages include many in North America. The Southern novelist Flannery O’Connor, memorable for her gritty realism, famously read a passage of Aquinas’s Summa every night...

Church Leaders Decry Kidnapping of 287 Schoolchildren in Nigeria

Church%20leaders%20decry%20biggest%20kidnapping%20of%20pupils%20in%20Nigeria%20since%20Chibok%20girls%u2019%20abduction%20-%20OSV%20News: Recent kidnappings of hundreds of people in Nigeria, including almost 300 schoolchildren March 7 in Kuriga in the central part of the country, have left church leaders and parents, including Catholics, speechless in the face of another wave of senseless violence.

A Man Named ‘Anne,’ Synod Everlasting, and She’s a Lady

A%20man%20named%20%u2018Anne%u2019%2C%20synod%20everlasting%2C%20and%20she%u2019s%20a%20ladyCONDON: What we know about “Anne” is that he was martyred in York on March 16, 1589, for the capital crime of being a Catholic priest. But apart from the circumstances of his arrest and execution, we know little for certain about him — even the name is believed to be an alias under which he was traveling at the time of his arrest...

Will You Live in Christ’s Light or Die in the Darkness?

Will%20You%20Live%20in%20Christ%u2019s%20Light%20or%20Die%20in%20the%20Darkness%3F%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterBLAIR: As a bishop, I have conferred the sacrament of Confirmation many times. As part of their preparation the candidates for this sacrament are expected to attend classes, go on retreats and do service projects. This is all well and good, but I feel the need to tell them at the Confirmation liturgy that ultimately, Confirmation is not about what they have done or are doing...

Belize awaits new bishop after puzzling resignation

Belize awaits new bishop after puzzling resignationCOPPEN: The Catholic diocese that covers the Central American nation of Belize saw the resignation of its only auxiliary bishop this week, two months after the death of the bishop who had guided it since 2017. Pope Francis accepted the resignation March 13 of the Illinois-born Bishop Christopher Glancy, who had served as an auxiliary in the Diocese of Belize City-Belmopan since 2012.

From Teddy Roosevelt to the Resolute, here’s a look at the 6 desks of the Oval Office

The Six Desks of The Oval Office: Let’s go back to 1909. Cars raced at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the first time. Alice Huyler Ramsey became the first woman to drive across the United States (It took 59 days.). The Manhattan Bridge opened on the very last day of the year. In October of 1909, President William Howard Taft began working in a newly built spot in The White House called the “President’s Office.”

In a new Gallup poll 30% of Gen Z women say they’re LGBTQ. Is that true? And what’s driving this surge?

Unpacking the Gen Z LGBTQ NumbersTRINKO: A survey released in January by the Public Religion Research Institute found that 28% of Gen Zers consider themselves LGBTQ. Meanwhile, among high schoolers in 2021, only 74% said they considered themselves straight, according to a study released last year by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Not Keeping The Faith: Survey Reveals Majority Of Americans Say Religion Losing Influence In Public Life

Not Keeping The Faith: Survey Reveals Majority Of Americans Say Religion Losing Influence In Public LifeLISI: The vast majority of U.S. adults say religion’s role in public life has declined — and a very large number of them are not happy about it. A Pew Research Center report, released on Friday, revealed the stark finding that 80% of U.S. adults agree with the statement that the role of faith in everyday American life is shrinking.

The Power of Jesus Christ Is Proclaimed in Our Patience and Suffering

The Power of Jesus Christ Is Proclaimed in Patience and Suffering| National Catholic RegisterLEWIS: I have constant pain. I’m sure there are others who have more pain than I do, but I’m sure I have more pain than many. A quick summary: My spinal pain, even after two surgeries, has persisted for about 12 years. I need morphine to get through the day. Then liver cancer was diagnosed six years ago...

Flannery O’Connor? Not a bad model for the National Eucharistic Revival, if you ask me...

Blog: Updates and Inspiration from the RevivalFERENCE: There is a famous story about Flannery O’Connor defending the Eucharist that every Catholic should know, and many already do. As Flannery tells it, as a young writer she was taken by some friends to a dinner party in the home of some famous New York intellectuals. For most of the evening, O’Connor sat in silence. She explains...

For 50 years, Fran Maier has offered many gifts to the Catholic Church. One of them is his clear-eyed vision of things as they really are...

Fran%20Maier%u2019s%20Gift%20to%20the%20Church%3A%20A%20Clear-Eyed%20Vision%20of%20Things%20as%20They%20Really%20Are%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterDESMOND: In the past 25 years, few duos in the U.S. Catholic Church have been more dynamic and adept at identifying its problems and tackling its big challenges than Archbishop Charles Chaput and Francis X. Maier, his longtime senior adviser. The pair’s collaborations included launching dynamic lay apostolates, primarily during their time together in the Archdiocese of Denver...

35 Years Ago, Venerable Jérôme Lejeune Warned Us About IVF

35 Years Ago, Venerable Jerome Lejeune Warned Us About IVF| National Catholic RegisterTURLEY: In vitro fertilization (IVF) is back in the headlines. In February 2024, the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that frozen human embryos constitute children under state statute. The nine-judge court said in an 8-1 ruling that the state’s Wrongful Death of a Minor Act is “sweeping and unqualified,” and extends its provisions to children “regardless of location.” This decision, along with the debate it has prompted...

Controversial Sister Lucía Caram and Religión Digital team meet with Pope Francis

Controversial Sister Lucia Caram and Religion Digital team meet with Pope Francis | Catholic News Agency: Yesterday Pope Francis received the controversial nun Sister Lucía Caram and team members of the Spanish-language news portal Religión Digital, which regularly publishes content contrary to Catholic doctrine. The pope’s March 13 audience with Caram and the Religión Digital journalists went unmentioned in the Vatican Press Office’s daily news brief.

Word on Fire to launch master’s program in evangelization with St. Thomas-Houston

Word%20on%20Fire%20to%20launch%20master%u2019s%20degree%20program%20in%20evangelization%20with%20St.%20Thomas-Houston%A0%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20AgencyQUINONES: Word on Fire and the University of St. Thomas, Houston, announced on Wednesday that they are launching a master’s program in evangelization and culture this summer. Set to begin in June, the program will be an “accredited and academically rigorous” master of arts degree in evangelization and culture, said Matthew Petrusek, senior director of the Word on Fire Institute.

Rose Hawthorne’s Remarkable Life Story in the Spotlight as Cause for Canonization Advances

Rose%20Hawthorne%u2019s%20remarkable%20life%20story%20in%20the%20spotlight%20as%20sainthood%20cause%20advances%20-%20OSV%20NewsGINACHRISTIAN: Losing a young child. Struggling in a troubled marriage with an alcoholic husband. Separating, starting a nursing career in midlife, downsizing to a rental apartment and becoming a widow. And now, moving one step closer to sainthood. On March 14, Pope Francis authorized the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints to decree as “venerable” Mother Mary Alphonsa Hawthorne...

Pope Francis: “I’m Not Considering Resigning But Would Want to Be Called ‘Bishop Emeritus of Rome’ If I Did”

Pope%3A%20%u2018I%u2019m%20not%20considering%20resigning%20but%20would%20be%20%u2018bishop%20emeritus%20of%20Rome%u2019%20-%20Vatican%20News: In an autobiography hitting bookshelves on March 19, Pope Francis shares his childhood memories during Argentina’s dictatorship, thoughts on his ministry as Archbishop of Buenos Aires, and his belief that serving the most vulnerable is “what every man or woman of God should do.”

Cardinal Fernández Misleads

Cardinal Fernandez Misleads by Charles J. Chaput | Articles | First ThingsCHAPUT: Joseph Ratzinger, better known as Pope Benedict XVI, stepped down from the papal ministry in 2013. But before he did, he began drafting an encyclical on the nature of Christian faith. His goal was to finish his ongoing thoughts on the three theological virtues—faith, hope, and charity—and their implications for true human development....

The Importance of Preaching on Sin

The Importance of Preaching on Sin | Knowing Is DoingTORRE: In the infamous Prodigal Son discourse, St. Luke describes the moment the youngest son, already in a dire predicament after having squandered his inheritance, was left desiring to eat from the food pods given to the swine. The progress of the son’s journey away from his father and the entire household left him with a sense of despair and desperation with no one to care for him let alone care for himself...

A Very Short Introduction to the History of Catholic Debates About the Multiverse and Extraterrestrial Intelligence

A Very Short Introduction to the History of Catholic Debates About the Multiverse and Extraterrestrial Intelligence | Church Life Journal | University of Notre DameTHIGPEN: Are we, on Earth, the lone intelligent inhabitants of this vast universe? The Catholic tradition teaches us that there are other rational creatures, namely angels, who are purely intellectual, non-physical beings. But do we humans share the cosmos with any other embodied intelligent forms of life? Today, speculation about the existence of extraterrestrial intelligence...

Rediscover the Ordinary This Spring

Rediscover the Ordinary This Spring - LifeCraftCUDDEBACK: I am convinced that our most significant response to the challenges of our age will be in the most ordinary practices. I do not say the obvious but the ordinary. Ordinary is a great word; it means what pertains to the regular order. We live in a time when what used to be the regular order of human life...

Rupnik still listed as Vatican consultant as DDF trial continues

Rupnik still listed as Vatican consultant as DDF trial continues: Fr. Marko Rupnik, the disgraced religious artist and alleged serial sexual abuser, remains listed as an official consultant at a major Vatican department, despite his ongoing canonical process and past expulsion from the Society of Jesus.

The survival tactics of Nicodemus provide lessons for today...

Nicodemus Survival Tactics | Catholic CulturePOKORSKY: We’ve seen the bumper sticker: “COEXIST.” Like “diversity, equity, and inclusion,” it’s hard to argue with the aspiration. But the slogans are purposely ambiguous and blur the distinction between good and evil. The proponents expect believers to surrender to their Godless secular religion. The survival tactics of Nicodemus help us navigate a politically correct hostile environment.

A Study of Fear in the Story of Chicken Little

A Study of Fear in the Story of Chicken Little - SpiritualDirection.comPOPE: Fear is a complex passion. On the one hand, there are things that we ought to fear such as grave physical and spiritual dangers. The fear of being near the edge of a cliff might well save our life. The fear of serious sin and the punishment we might experience or the offense to God (who loves us) is both appropriate and holy. Sadly, more people lack this holy fear rooted in the possible loss of what is most precious to us: our eternal life with God.

‘The Chosen’ actress Elizabeth Tabish (who plays St. Mary Magdalene) talks Season Four and her own personal faith journey

%u2018The%20Chosen%u2019%20actress%20Elizabeth%20Tabish%20talks%20Season%20Four%20and%20her%20own%20personal%20faith%20journey%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20AgencyFENTON: Season Four of the hit series “The Chosen” has officially made its debut in theaters. The season focuses on the time leading up to Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem and includes important biblical moments such as the raising of Lazarus and the healing of the Roman Centurion’s servant.

England’s National Health Service Ends Puberty Blockers for Kids

BREAKING%3A%20England%u2019s%20National%20Health%20Service%20ends%20puberty%20blockers%20for%20kids%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20AgencyARNOLD: Doctors in England can no longer prescribe puberty blockers to children to facilitate a gender transition, according to an announcement from the country’s public health care system, the National Health Service (NHS).

The good news is that the bad news isn’t all the news there is

The%20good%20news%20is%20that%20the%20bad%20news%20isn%u2019t%20all%20the%20news%20there%20isWEIGEL: In the course of an insightful essay on Vladimir Putin’s challenge to civilization, Italian historian Roberto de Mattei, observed that, amidst the general decline of the West, “the Church ... appears as a wasteland.” That certainly seems to be the case with institutional Catholicism in Germany and Belgium...

Lent is a time of weeding and a time for love

Lent: A time of weeding, a time for loveBONACCI: I’m seeing a meme on social media which quotes Pope Francis as discouraging fasting, recommending people to “eat whatever you want” and instead seek “a better relationship with others” during Lent. The quote, as far as I can tell, is false. I can find no evidence that the Holy Father said any such thing.

A Closer Look at the Ever-Changing College of Cardinals

Analysis%3A%20Here%u2019s%20what%20Pope%20Francis%u2019%20College%20of%20Cardinals%20could%20look%20like%20for%20the%20next%20conclave%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20AgencyGAGLIARDUCCI: The most recent change in the College of Cardinals took place on Feb. 24, when Cardinal José Luis Lacunza Maestrojuán turned 80 and was thus removed from the ranks of cardinal-electors. A few weeks earlier, on Feb. 12, Cardinal Pedro Ricardo Barreto Jimeno also turned 80 and, therefore, is no longer eligible to cast a vote in a conclave.

St. Fina, ‘Cabrini’, and Bishop Birthdays

St.%20Fina%2C%20%u2018Cabrini%u2019%2C%20and%20bishop%20birthdaysJDFLYNN: As it happens, today the Church traditionally commemorates St. Fina, who died at 15 in the year 1253. When she was 10, Fina contracted a serious illness, which left her paralyzed. Lying on her back, she developed sores across her body. Then Fina’s parents died. You might expect that such a person would withdraw into resentment or bitterness at the cross they’d been given. Fina was almost certainly tempted that way.

Haiti Reaches ‘a Sub-Level of Rock Bottom,’ Sparking Fears of Famine

Haiti%20Reaches%20%u2018a%20Sub-Level%20of%20Rock%20Bottom%2C%u2019%20Sparking%20Fears%20of%20Famine%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterMATTMCDONALD: As conditions in Haiti rapidly deteriorate, the Biden administration has warned that its teetering government could fall any day, while a leading archbishop said he fears that the country is on the verge of civil war. People in Haiti and charity leaders in the United States who have been active in the Caribbean nation told the Register that despite the country’s long history of hardships...

Things are bad between the Pope and his flock in Ukraine. That doesn’t mean they can’t get worse. Much worse...

Pope%20Francis%20Has%20Ukrainians%20%u2014%20Especially%20Ukrainian%20Catholics%20%u2014%20Worried%20and%20Angry%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterDESOUZA: On Saturday, excerpts from a forthcoming TV interview were released in which the Holy Father called for Ukraine to have “the courage of the white flag” and “negotiate before things get worse.” News of the “white-flag” advice made headlines the world over. Within hours, that unleashed a barrage of angry reaction from the Ukrainian government and Ukrainian Catholics, that Pope Francis would call upon them to raise the white flag of surrender.

This tiny newly discovered fish is less than an inch long, but it’s louder than an airplane taking off

This tiny fish is louder than an airplane taking off | Popular Science: Some of Earth’s fish are known for their Herculean strength and funky vision. For the less than one inch long Danionella cerebrum, it’s their loud vocals. This tiny fish in the minnow and carp family can produce sounds louder than an airplane taking off as perceived by human ears at a distance of 328 feet, according to a study published February 26 in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

In Resounding Rebuke to Progressives, Irish Voters Reject Constitutional Overhaul of Motherhood and Family

In Resounding Rebuke to Progressives, Irish Voters Reject Constitutional Overhaul of Motherhood and Family| National Catholic Register: “The best possible present ahead of Mother’s Day.” That’s how pro-family campaigner David Quinn described the March 8 defeat of two referendums in Ireland that would have broadened the definition of the family and deleted the mention of mothers from Ireland’s 1937 Constitution. Like neighboring Britain, Ireland celebrates Mother’s Day on the Fourth Sunday of Lent...

Coptic Orthodox Church Confirms Ecumenical Dialogue Suspended Due to Rome’s ‘Change of Position’ on Homosexuality

Coptic%20Orthodox%20Church%20Confirms%20Ecumenical%20Dialogue%20Suspended%20Due%20to%20Rome%u2019s%20%u2018Change%20of%20Position%u2019%20on%20Homosexuality%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterPENTIN: The Coptic Orthodox Church has confirmed that its decision last week to suspend dialogue with the Catholic Church was due to Rome’s “change of position” on homosexuality. In a video released on Friday, Coptic Orthodox spokesman Father Moussa Ibrahim said “the most notable” of nine decrees emanating from the church’s annual Holy Synod...

9 Days as a Pilgrim in the City of Rome

(4) St. Paul, the Popes, and a last look at St. Peter's: Days 8 & 9SEWELL: Considering my posts have gotten later and later each day of this trip and I’m flying home bright and early in the morning, here’s another double feature from Thursday and Friday in Rome. Started the day with another station church Mass, this time at the Basilica of Ss. Cosmas & Damian, which has a famous apse mosaic depicting the two saints and the risen Christ, along with the pope who commissioned it on the far left: Pope St. Felix IV...

Why did Jesus, true God and true man, need to pray? And why must we? Here are two reasons...

The Necessity of Solitary Prayer - SpiritualDirection.comSHRYOCK: In the first chapter of the Gospel of Mark, the evangelist provides us with a window into what a day in the life of Jesus looks like. As one can imagine, it’s quite busy. St. Mark records that after leaving the synagogue where he has cast out an evil spirit (Mk 1:25), Jesus enters the home of Simon, whose mother-in-law is lying in bed sick with a fever...

Our expectations and practices have shifted away from bodily presence. We need to fix that...

Addressing Disembodiment in our Relationships - LifeCraftCUDDEBACK: We are consistently told that bodily presence is optional and expendable. This message is reinforced by technologies that make being ‘remote’ easy and attractive. And the fact is we have changed our lives accordingly — to the detriment, especially, of the relationships that matter most. Human life demands embodiment. This is not an accident, nor is it optional. Sure, a kind of human life can be carried on in various degrees of disembodiment...

As Haiti’s Suffering Deepens, Four Kidnapped Religious Men and a Teacher Released in Port-Au-Prince; Two Brothers of the Sacred Heart Still Held Captive

Four kidnapped religious men and a teacher released in Haiti - Vatican News: As Haiti reels under a state of emergency amid gang violence threating to bring down the government, the Haitian province of the Congregation of the Brothers of the Sacred Heart announced on Monday that five of the seven people kidnapped just over two weeks ago in Port-au-Prince have been released by their kidnappers.

Secularism often overshadows the significance of Easter. ‘The Story of the First Easter Bunny’ seeks to counter that...

Anthony DeStefano: The First Easter Bunny | Respect Life Radio: "You have to tune your antenna for what God wants you to do," said Anthony DeStefano, author of the new book "The Story of the First Easter Bunny," on how he decides what topics to write. Anthony is an American author, television host and activist. He has written five bestselling Christian books for adults, including: A Travel Guide to Heaven and Ten Prayers God Always Says Yes To...

Pope Says Ukraine Should Have ‘Courage of the White Flag’ of Negotiations With Russia

Pope says Ukraine should have 'courage of the white flag' of negotiations: Pope Francis has said in an interview that Ukraine should have what he called the courage of the "white flag" and negotiate an end to the war with Russia that followed Moscow's full-scale invasion two years ago and that has killed tens of thousands.

We have created anthropological chaos, and now we’re fighting over what to do with the mess...

Nihilism%u2014in%20Nazi%20Germany%20and%20Today%20%7C%20Carl%20R.%20Trueman%20%7C%20First%20ThingsTRUEMAN: Twice in the last ten days my dear friend and colleague Fran Maier has drawn attention to the importance of Dietrich Bonhoeffer for the church in America today. At the Catholic Thing he noted that this year marks the ninetieth anniversary of the Barmen Declaration, in which a number of prominent theologians in Nazi Germany publicly opposed...

Enraged crowds, psychosis and possession — are the dark gods back?

Are the dark gods back: Enraged crowds, psychosis and possession? - Catholic HeraldASHENDEN: After watching the videos of mobs of supposedly progressive students at Manchester University, shouting, swearing, threatening, intimidating and attempting to terrify a handful of their contemporaries – who had the temerity to set up a pro-life student society on campus – it’s hard not to ask the question: What on earth possessed them?

Bishop Says Purported Marian Apparition in Trevignano, Italy, Is ‘Non-Supernatural’

Bishop rules on supposed apparitions of Virgin Mary in Italy | Catholic News Agency: After an investigation by a group of experts, “fervent” prayer, and “attentive discernment,” an Italian bishop has decreed that the alleged apparitions of the Virgin Mary in Trevignano Romano, a town about 30 miles northwest of Rome, are not supernatural.

Pope Francis Appoints Nobel Laureate Andrea Ghez, Expert in Supermassive Black Holes, to Pontifical Academy of Sciences

Pope Francis appoints UCLA astrophysicist to Pontifical Academy of Sciences | Catholic News AgencyPAYNE: Pope Francis has appointed a California-based astrophysicist to the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, the Vatican announced Friday. The Holy Father nominated Andrea Mia Ghez as an ordinary member of the Vatican City-based academy. Ghez’s website says she is best known for her groundbreaking work on the center of our galaxy...

What Are We Teaching Our Students?

What Are We Teaching Our Students? - Irish RoverPHILPOTT: Days after Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel—killing over 1200 men, women and children, beheading babies, murdering the elderly, killing more Jews in any day since the Holocaust—hundreds of students at our nation’s most prestigious universities protested … Israel. A thousand students at Harvard condemned their university for complicity in genocide...

To get the full effect of Jesus’ words in John’s Gospel this Sunday, imagine him saying them in a pitch-black night...

This%20Sunday%2C%20Jesus%20Drowned%20in%20Sewage%20to%20Save%20Us%20%u2013%20Benedictine%20College%20Media%20%26%20CultureHOOPES: I partially understand the predicament Nicodemus felt he was in when he snuck over to Jesus in the middle of the night in the Gospel we hear on the Fourth Sunday of Lent, Year B. But I know the predicament I feel like I’m in. And I think the best way to describe it is this: I am drowning in sewage, unable to pull myself up and out of the filth...

Laetare, spy games, and the moose penalty

Laetare, spy games, and the moose penaltyCONDON: This weekend is Laetare Sunday, as most of you will realize. It’s one of the two days a year when parish priests become acutely alive to the subtle, imaginary distinction between “rose” and “pink” in the color of their vestments — though I’ve long been of the opinion that real men can and should wear pink when the mood takes them.

Greasiness Is Next To Godliness: Fast Food’s Quest To Feed Body And Soul During Lent And Beyond

Lent 2024: Is Greasiness Is Next To Godliness?:: Fast food aficionados and practicing Catholics alike are often familiar with the Filet-O-Fish story. When a 1960s McDonald’s manager in Cincinnati was struggling to sell enough hamburgers on Fridays during Lent, he blamed the dip in sales on Catholics who restrained from eating meat during the 40-day period leading up to Easter.

Religious Restrictions Increase In Many Parts Of The World, New Study Reveals

Religious Restrictions Increase In Many parts Of The World, New Study RevealsLISI: Restrictions on religion by government officials across the world reached a new peak in 2021, a new Pew Research Center report released on Tuesday revealed. Pew’s latest analysis of such restrictions — taking into account new laws and policies enacted by individual governments — involving religious freedom in 198 countries and territories across the world.

Cardinal Fernández: Vatican’s New Document on Human Dignity to Be Published in Early April

Cardinal Fernandez: Human Dignity Document to Be Published in Early April| National Catholic RegisterPENTIN: A Vatican document on the theme of “human dignity” is almost complete and will be published early next month, the prefect of the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith has confirmed. Cardinal Victor Fernández, who is overseeing the writing of the document, told the Register March 7 that the document has had “several versions” but that the “text is almost finished and will be published in early April.”

What we can learn from the Salem witch trials about today’s trans mania

What we can learn from the Salem witch trials about today's trans maniaKILPATRICK: For the last couple of years, J.K. Rowling has been the victim of a witch hunt. The author of the Harry Potter series has been harassed, hounded, shouted down, and targeted with numerous death threats. Rowling is not being hunted down by church folks with pitchforks. Instead, the woman who did more to popularize witches and wizards than anyone in history is being persecuted by young people, many of whom are former fans...

St. Thomas Aquinas’ Relics Carried in Procession for 750th Anniversary of His Death

St.%20Thomas%20Aquinas%u2019%20relics%20carried%20in%20procession%20for%20750th%20anniversary%20of%20his%20death%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20AgencyMARES: On the eve of the 750th anniversary of St. Thomas Aquinas’ death, a skull revered as a relic of St. Thomas Aquinas was carried in a solemn procession through the cobblestone streets of the southern Italian town of Priverno.

Biden and France are now promoting abortion as a positive good

Biden and France Now Promote Abortion as a Positive Good| National Catholic RegisterDESOUZA: Two developments this week, on both sides of the Atlantic, mark a growing movement to celebrate abortion as a positive good. The Clinton-era slogan of abortion as “safe, legal and rare” has been discarded. Abortion has become something to be celebrated this week in both Washington and Paris. Tonight, at his State of the Union address to Congress, President Joe Biden has invited Kate Cox to sit with First Lady Jill Biden in the balcony...

The Academy Awards are absurd but still relevant

The Academy Awards: Absurd but Still Relevant| National Catholic RegisterNICOLOSI: On Sunday, March 10, the 96th Oscars ceremony will unfold in an annual ritual which is every year more remarkable for being less important to the global theatergoing audience. Starting in Hollywood’s Golden Age and for several decades thereafter, the Academy Awards were generally reckoned spectacular. But for most people today they are just an absurd and even annoying spectacle...

How I Fell in Love with St. Thomas Aquinas

How I Fell in Love with St. Thomas Aquinas - Word on FireKACZOR: It was not love at first sight. Seven hundred and fifty years ago, on March 7, 1274, the Dominican St. Thomas Aquinas died, but I first saw a page of Aquinas in 1979. I was in fourth grade. My mom didn’t want me rummaging through her old boxes in the attic, so when she was out of range, I did just that. In her books from Seattle University, I found An Introduction to Thomas Aquinas by Anton Pegis...

What would it mean to live and worship as ‘Rational Sheep?’ Let’s get started...

Terry Mattingly's Rational Sheep - by tmattMATTINGLY: The name of this Substack project is “Rational Sheep.” I am told that, in the original Greek, that’s “probaton logikon” — but that’s above this mass-media professor’s paygrade. In some Orthodox Christian rites this is translated as “reason-endowed sheep,” but that doesn’t work very well in a headline.

Lent’s Back Nine, The Laity, and Crazy

Lent's back nine, the laity, and CrazyJDFLYNN: Every year, more than 12 million people in the United States are affected by domestic or intimate partner violence. Among them are Catholics, who are not exempt from the prospect of facing violence or abuse in their relationships. But according to Catholic psychologist Chelsi Creech, serious Christians can sometimes face a particular obstacle...

For Hundreds of Years, People Thought California Was an Island

Map Mistake of California Is an Island Lasted Hundreds of Years - Atlas Obscura: In 1971, Glen McLaughlin came across a strange map in a London map shop. Americæ Nova Descriptio, produced by Anne Seile (1) in 1663, showed California as a big, carrot-shaped island, floating off the coast of North America.

Hitting a baseball is the hardest skill to pull off in sports. Here’s why...

Hitting%20a%20baseball%20is%20the%20hardest%20skill%20to%20pull%20off%20in%20sports.%20Here%u2019s%20why.: There are few aspects of life where you can fail seven out of 10 times and still be considered great at what you do. With a 30 percent score on the MCAT, you wouldn’t get into medical school. You’d likely lose money if you only won 30 percent of your Super Bowl bets. But in baseball, if you get a hit 30 percent of the time you step up to the plate, you might be headed to the Hall of Fame—and that’s because it’s perhaps the most difficult thing to do in any major sport.

Before you surrender your life to Jesus Christ you must turn away from yourself

Before you surrender your life to Jesus Christ you must turn away from yourself | Knowing Is DoingTORRE: When God chose to make man in his image and likeness, man’s response was to give honor, glory, and praise to God for this wonderful and unique gift of life. The entire creation narration embedded within the first two chapters of Genesis explains the order of man’s relationship with God, first to represent Him in image, and likeness, and second, to care for the land bestowed upon him. In both instances, man enjoyed an unimpeded relationship with God...

Pope makes ‘minor’ changes to canonical supreme court

Pope%20makes%20%u2018minor%u2019%20changes%20to%20canonical%20supreme%20courtCONDON: Pope Francis issued a new motu proprio, Munus tribunalis, promulgated on Feb. 28 but published on March 2, amending the language of eight articles of the proper law of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura. The changes were characterized as “minor” by the Vatican’s official media portal, with most of the changes related to terminology and language, bringing the court’s proper law into harmony with the pope’s 2021 constitution on the Roman curia Praedicate Evangelium.

Pope Francis appoints American priest to role in Apostolic Signatura, Vatican’s highest court

Pope%20Francis%20appoints%20American%20priest%20to%20role%20in%20Vatican%u2019s%20highest%20court%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20AgencyMARES: Pope Francis has appointed a Catholic priest from the Diocese of Scranton, Pennsylvania, as an officer of the Vatican’s highest court. The Holy See Press Office announced on March 5 that Monsignor Shane L. Kirby has been named the substitute promoter of justice of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura.

The Spiritual Heart of the City: A Tour of Manhattan's 10 Most Stunning Churches

The Spiritual Heart of the City: A Tour of Manhattan's 10 Most Stunning ChurchesBRUNO: From the humble cabins where Catholics worshipped in the earliest days arose some of the most iconic architectural marvels in the Western Hemisphere. It’s doubtful that when St. Isaac Jogues celebrated the first known Mass in New York City — for a congregation made up of a whopping two other Catholics in Manhattan back in the 1640s — that he could have envisioned what the future would bring...

Is Catholic Feminism Working?

Is Catholic Feminism Working? - The Catholic ThingGRESS: The idea that Catholics must embrace feminism to engage non-Catholic women has been repeated so frequently that it’s simply accepted as a truism. But is it actually working? Before answering that question, let’s take a close look at the work of St. John Paul II. He is generally invoked as the reason why we must have a Catholic feminism. As pope, John Paul was clearly interested in upholding the dignity of every woman...

We are God’s handiwork, saved to live as His people in the light of His truth

Living%20in%20the%20Light%3A%20Scott%20Hahn%20Reflects%20on%20the%20Fourth%20Sunday%20of%20Lent%20%u2013%20St.%20Paul%20CenterHAHN: The Sunday readings in Lent have been showing us the high points of salvation history, God’s covenant with creation in the time of Noah; His promises to Abraham; the law He gave to Israel at Sinai. In today’s First Reading, we hear of the destruction of the kingdom established by God’s final Old Testament covenant, the covenant with David. His chosen people abandoned the law He gave them. For their sins, the temple was destroyed, and they were exiled in Babylon. We hear their sorrow and repentance in the exile lament we sing as today’s Psalm.

12 Reasons People Who Work for the Church or Apostolates Burn Out, and How to Prevent It

12 Reasons for Ministry Burnout & How to Prevent It - Catholic Missionary Disciples - College Station, TXLEJEUNE: This verse is used as a half-hearted joke by many laity who work for the Church. Most will never be appreciated or paid enough for the amount of service given to the Church, at least in this life. But, there is a seriousness behind it as well. I started working full-time Catholic ministry in 2002. If that sounds like a long time, it is...

‘Terrified’ Pro-Life Student Group Needs Police Protection From Baying Mob at Manchester University

%u2018Terrified%u2019%20pro-life%20student%20group%20needs%20police%20protection%20from%20baying%20mob%20at%20Manchester%20University%20-%20Catholic%20Herald: A student pro-life group who met at the University of Manchester required police intervention due to a hostile crowd of up to 250 people that surrounded the building where the meeting took place. The student pro-life group, Manchester Pro-Life Society, met for a talk on the evening of 1 March. The harassment began as soon as students tried to access the building hosting the event...

Is it Impossible to Know Anything About God?

Is it Impossible to Know Anything About God? - Word on FireKACZOR: Immanual Kant is one of the most important philosophers who ever lived. Kant did believe in God, yet he was skeptical of the ability of human reason to know anything about the Transcendent, including whether God exists. Why did Kant hold this view? In his notoriously difficult book Critique of Pure Reason...

Bishop Barron leads prayer vigil at Planned Parenthood, calls for end to ‘culture of death’

Bishop%20Barron%20leads%20prayer%20vigil%20at%20Planned%20Parenthood%2C%20calls%20for%20end%20to%20%u2018culture%20of%20death%u2019%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20Agency: Winona-Rochester, Minnesota, Bishop Robert Barron last week hosted a prayer vigil outside a local Planned Parenthood, an effort the prelate said was meant to “pray for the conversion of hearts and minds to protect the most vulnerable in our society.”

Opting for Benedict in an Ordinary Parish

Opting for Benedict in an Ordinary Parish The Imaginative ConservativeLONGENECKER: I first encountered the Rule of St Benedict while I was a student at Oxford. I had enrolled to train as a priest in the Church of England, but a Catholic woman in the United States who had befriended me wrote and suggested I visit a Benedictine monastery. She didn’t quite understand that for a boy from Bob Jones University, monasteries and convents were one of the big dark secrets of the Catholic Church...

What to do before and after your phone gets lost or stolen? No need to panic: Just follow this guide...

Here%u2019s%20what%20to%20do%20if%20your%20phone%20gets%20lost%20or%20stolen%20%7C%20Popular%20Science: Most of us rely on our smartphones many times throughout the day—for everything from banking to photo taking to chatting with friends—and that means losing a phone or having it stolen can be hugely stressful and annoying. It’s also worrying, considering so much of our lives is managed through these handsets.

Could the Average Person Be Talked Through Disarming A Nuclear Bomb?

Could the Average Person Be Talked Through Disarming A Nuclear Bomb?: Most of us would like to think that if we found ourselves at the center of a potentially world-ending crisis, we would turn into a real-life action hero: Keep a cool head, do what was necessary, save a bunch of lives, and be home in time for dinner.

The Mother and the Governor

The Mother & The Governor | Parishable ItemsFELTES: We say their names at every Sunday Mass. We recall them at the start of every Rosary. They are the only two, non-divine persons referred to by name in the Nicene and Apostles’ Creeds. They are the Virgin Mary and Pontius Pilate. Consider how many other figures from salvation history could have been justifiably cited in these creeds...

Denver-Based Augustine Institute Eyes Move to Boeing Leadership Center Near St. Louis, Missouri

Augustine Institute eyes Missouri move: A Denver-based graduate school and Catholic publishing non-profit is close to a deal that would see it buy a sprawling Boeing-owned property outside of St. Louis. The move would see the Augustine Institute expand its graduate programs, begin new retreat and conference programming, and work closely with the St. Louis archdiocese, which first proposed the move.

‘He Leadeth Me’: 9 Things to Know About Father Walter Ciszek, a 20th-Century Catholic Hero

%u2018He%20Leadeth%20Me%u2019%3A%209%20Things%20to%20Know%20About%20Father%20Walter%20Ciszek%2C%20a%2020th-Century%20Catholic%20Hero%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterGRAVES: Jesuit Father Walter Ciszek (1904-84) was an American priest who traveled to the Soviet Union as a missionary, was arrested and imprisoned for 15 years in solitary confinement and labor camps, and spent another eight years there with restricted freedom. He experienced the harsh conditions of Siberia and the brutality of prison life, including the constant threat of starvation.

French Canonist Questions the Legality of Mandating Priests to Concelebrate the Mass

French Canonist Questions the Legality of Mandating Priests to Concelebrate the Mass| National Catholic RegisterPENTIN: Reports have circulated for several years now of Catholic priests being told to cease saying private Masses by themselves and celebrate with other priests instead, a practice called concelebration. In 2021, for example, the Vatican banned priests from saying private Masses at the above-ground altars in St. Peter’s Basilica...

Sex Is Binary, Say Majority of Scientists Polled

Sex is binary, majority of scientists polled agree: Sex is binary, according to the majority of British scientists in a poll. The difference between sex and gender has become an increasingly incendiary topic as activists, scientists and politicians all debate the terms and the implications they have for policy.

Pope Francis meets FSSP head, confirms right to celebrate the Traditional Latin Mass

Pope Francis meets FSSP head, confirms right to celebrate the Traditional Latin Mass | Catholic News AgencySANTUCCI: Pope Francis met with the superior general of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP) on Thursday, confirming that restrictions on the celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass don’t apply to the order. The private meeting between the pope and Father Andrzej Komorowski, who was accompanied by two priests from his order, came at the invitation of Pope Francis and followed a request from the FSSP.

Church Militant to shut down following $500,000 defamation lawsuit brought by priest

Church Militant to shut down following $500,000 defamation lawsuit brought by priest | Catholic News AgencyPAYNE: Church Militant, the controversial Catholic media outlet that has for years maintained a reputation for combative and antagonistic coverage of Catholic figures and issues, will cease operations next month following a $500,000 defamation judgment against it. Boston-based law firm Todd & Weld said in a press release this week...

Pope Francis’ US Bishop Selections Under Scrutiny Amid Abundance of Potential Openings

Pope%20Francis%u2019%20US%20Bishop%20Selections%20Under%20Scrutiny%20Amid%20Abundance%20of%20Potential%20Openings%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterLIEDL: Is Pope Francis set to dramatically remake the U.S. episcopacy? Speculation has swirled throughout his 10-year pontificate that the Pontiff might appoint a slew of new bishops with more progressive theological views than the American status quo. Some have been elated by the prospect; others fearful. But by and large, Church watchers tell the Register that Francis has done no such thing.

Daffy people, big city problems, and media watch

Daffy people, big city problems, and media watchCONDON: It’s not often that I read a proposal for reforming the canon law of future conclaves that makes me sit up and go “that’s so crazy it might just work.” But I read one this week. The proposal came from Italian Church historial Alberto Melloni, who suggested that Pope Francis reduce the cardinal’s conclave voting schedule from four ballots a day to just one. I took a look at the arguments for the change in an analysis this week and, I have to say, I’m pretty much sold.

Jesus Cleansed Jerusalem’s Temple First. You’re Next...

This%20Sunday%2C%20Jesus%20Cleansed%20Jerusalem%u2019s%20Temple%20First.%20You%u2019re%20Next.%20%u2013%20Benedictine%20College%20Media%20%26%20CultureHOOPES: Your body is a Temple and Jesus wants you to drive the greed and self-love out of it this Lent. There is a lot going on beneath the surface in the cleansing of the Temple story we hear on the Third Sunday of Lent (Year B). Ultimately, though, it is meant to drive home the point that Lent demands a violent cleansing of your soul in order to aggressively restore it to its true purpose.

Surveying the Landscape of History

Surveying the Landscape of History ~ The Imaginative ConservativePEARCE: The past is present whether we like it or not or know it or not. The past is where we are. We can’t be anywhere else in the present because of where we have been in the past. This is why the knowledge of history is so important. If we don’t know where we’ve been, we don’t know where we are; and if we don’t know where we are, we can’t know where we’re going.

What Are We Teaching Our Students?

What Are We Teaching Our Students? - Irish RoverPHILPOTT: Days after Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel—killing over 1200 men, women and children, beheading babies, murdering the elderly, killing more Jews in any day since the Holocaust—hundreds of students at our nation’s most prestigious universities protested ... Israel. A thousand students at Harvard condemned their university for complicity in genocide...

Interesting theory, but rights do come from God

Interesting theory, but rights do come from GodBRISCOE: The term “Christian nationalism” has sparked considerable debate online recently, especially in relation to its influence within political spheres and its distinction from mainstream Christian beliefs. During a recent appearance on MSNBC, Politico national investigative correspondent Heidi Przybyla attempted to differentiate Christian (or other theistic philosophical) views...

10 strange news items that make you think strange things...

Strange news that makes you think strange things... | Catholic CultureMIRUS: Sometimes the news can appear to be just plain strange. Sometimes the point becomes clear on further reflection. Sometimes it doesn’t. And sometimes it is clear that the figures in the story are missing the point altogether. Just for fun, I’ve decided to compile ten examples of the strangeness of some very recent Catholic news

If You Gild It, They Will Come — Spotlight on St. Peter's in Volo, Illinois

If%20You%20Gild%20It%2C%20They%20Will%20Come%20%u2014%20Spotlight%20on%20St.%20Peter%27s%20in%20Volo: The Canons Regular of St. John Cantius are typically only associated with St. John Cantius Parish in Chicago. After all, it is where the community, now numbering almost 30 members, was founded and calls home. Both the canons and the parish have gained international notoriety for a number of reasons...

Tithing is a way to demonstrate our radical dependence on God as Father

Clinging to Onions: Tithing PitchBECKER: When Nancy and I and our newborn son became parishioners here at St. Matt's nearly 30 years ago, we automatically signed up for collection envelopes. Automatically. As in: No question. For us, to be parishioners – actually, to be Catholic – necessarily included financially supporting the church, our spiritual home. That’s not some quirk of the Beckers...

Family first? Or the Way of the Cross?

Family%20first%3F%20Or%20the%20Way%20of%20the%20Cross%3F%20%u2013%20Catholic%20World%20ReportDEAVEL: The second volume in the Catholic Women Writers series from Catholic University Press (full disclosure: I am on the series’ advisory board), Sheila Kaye-Smith’s 1923 novel The Fall of the House of Alard, may seem an odd choice to some. Written when Kaye-Smith was still an Anglo-Catholic, it deals with an old English aristocratic family coming to...

Repentance and the Way of Perfection — that’s a path the Devil prefers you avoid...

Repentance and the Way of Perfection a path the Devil prefers you avoid. | Knowing Is DoingTORRE: There is a particular sequence in the third pillar of the Catechism under the tenth commandment that describes the process of how you and I can see God. It begins by revealing that true happiness frees man from his immoderate attachment to the goods of this world so that he can find his fulfillment in the vision and beatitude of God...

On Religion: Are Attacks Against Churches ‘Hate Crimes’ Or Old News?

On%20Religion%3A%20Are%20Attacks%20Against%20Churches%20%u2018Hate%20Crimes%u2019%20Or%20Old%20News%3FMATTINGLY: Security cameras at St. Columba Catholic Church in Brooklyn showed five people, in the dead of night, trying to force their way inside. When they failed, the suspects settled for breaking a stained-glass window and attacking a nearby cross. Police noted that this Jan. 27 crime was the latest of many New York City attacks on churches, synagogues, sacred symbols and religious schools...

Putin Critic Alexei Navalny Found Christianity Before His Death

Putin Critic Alexei Navalny Found Christianity Before His Death: The slew of tributes after Alexei Navalny’s death earlier this month justly lauded his personal courage, political convictions and the loyalty of his family. Yet curiously for someone who was almost certainly martyred, his deep religious faith was absent from most of the obituaries written about him.

Pope Francis to the World’s Children: ‘If We Really Want to Be Happy, We Need to Pray’

Pope%20Francis%20to%20the%20world%u2019s%20children%3A%20%u2018If%20we%20really%20want%20to%20be%20happy%2C%20we%20need%20to%20pray%u2019%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20Agency: Pope Francis has issued a message to the world’s children in anticipation of the Church’s first-ever World Children's Day, which will take place in Rome from May 25-26, reminding them that the key to happiness lies in cultivating a prayer life and personal relationship with Christ, which in turn forms the basis of broader social action.

Pope Francis: ‘Today the Ugliest Danger Is Gender Ideology’

Pope%20Francis%3A%20%u2018Today%20the%20ugliest%20danger%20is%20gender%20ideology%u2019%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20Agency: Pope Francis on Friday morning gave an address on the importance of building a culture that protects human and Christians vocations, things he suggested were at risk due to contemporary cultural challenges including gender ideology.