Charity, Good Manners, and Driving the Interstates

Charity, good manners, and driving the InterstatesWEIGEL: The Catechism of the Catholic Church says some interesting things about charity, the supreme theological virtue that, as St. Paul wrote in Colossians 3:14, “binds everything together in perfect harmony.” Charity is also the virtue informing good manners. And the sorry condition of good manners among us these days is perhaps a point in favor of those who argue (inaccurately, in my view) that America has become a post-Christian country.

5 Broader Contexts Helped Drive the Paris Olympic Sacrilege

Paris Olympic Sacrilege: 5 Broader Contexts| National Catholic RegisterDESOUZA: What needed to be said about the sacrilegious opening ceremonies of the Paris Olympics has been said — with righteous indignation and appropriate anger. Catholics were right to take offense at what is offensive to God and to fiercely denounce it. There is no shortage of biblical precedents to draw upon...

How you live in your home stems from how God lives in eternity and how He wants to live with you forever...

The Eternal Root of Homelife - LifeCraftCUDDEBACK: What might seem beyond imagining is really the root of family life and its incomparable importance. In a stunning reflection, Thomas Aquinas uses two verses of Proverbs, chapter 8 verses 30 and 31, to show two things that Christ rejoices in from all eternity. The context in Proverbs is how wisdom, identified with the second Person of the Trinity, was with God the Father when he created...

‘I Was Deceived’: Bishop in Nigeria Revokes Ordination Certificates of Deacons Due to Fraud

%u2018I%20was%20deceived%u2019%3A%20Bishop%20in%20Nigeria%20revokes%20ordination%20of%20deacons%20due%20to%20fraud%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20AgencyAINEAH: The bishop of Nigeria’s Diocese of Lokoja has withdrawn the ordination certificates of four men he ordained as deacons July 12 after it was revealed he had been presented with allegedly forged documents claiming the men were qualified for holy orders.

Video: How Crayola Crayons Are Made

New Advent: How Crayola Crayons Are Made: Courtesy of Factora, a site for the latest news on the manufacturing process and making of food and everyday items...

Report: Xi Jinping’s Communist lackeys ‘hid behind Chinese flags to beat up protesters in San Francisco’

Xi%20Jinping%u2019s%20lackeys%20%u2018hid%20behind%20Chinese%20flags%20to%20beat%20up%20protesters%20in%20San%20Francisco%u2019: Pro-Communist supporters allegedly used China’s national flag to hide that they were beating protesters during a summit between Xi Jinping and Joe Biden in San Francisco last year.

The Painting Behind the Olympic Scandal: 5 Spiritual Features of Leonardo da Vinci’s ‘The Last Supper’

The%20Painting%20Behind%20the%20Olympic%20Scandal%3A%205%20Spiritual%20Features%20of%20Leonardo%20da%20Vinci%u2019s%20%u2018The%20Last%20Supper%u2019%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterLIEDL: The Opening Ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics shocked Christians and others around the world by depicting a sexualized version of the Institution of the Eucharist. In particular, the disturbing drag-queen display appropriated one of the most iconic depictions of this climactic moment from salvation history: Leonardo da Vinci’s 15th-century masterpiece, The Last Supper.

Biden Unveils Plan to Term Limit Supreme Court Justices, Citing Recent ‘Extreme’ Decisions

Biden%20unveils%20plan%20to%20term%20limit%20Supreme%20Court%20justices%2C%20citing%20recent%20%u2018extreme%u2019%A0decisions%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20Agency: President Joe Biden on Monday unveiled a proposal to reform the United States Supreme Court by adding term limits and an ethics code, saying he was motivated in part by the overturning of Roe v. Wade and other recent rulings.

How Blessed Solanus Casey Healed Me From Alcoholism and Changed My Life

How Blessed Solanus Casey Healed Me From Alcoholism and Changed My Life| National Catholic Register: Since a life-changing evening four years ago, I have not once experienced alcohol-withdrawal symptoms or cravings. I came to know Blessed Solanus Casey 63 years after his death in July 1957 and three years after his beatification ceremony, held in Detroit in November 2017. Providentially, my lack of familiarity with the humble and virtuous Franciscan Capuchin friar...

Endurance Test: A Reflection on the Upcoming 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Endurance%20Test%3A%20Scott%20Hahn%20Reflects%20on%20the%20Eighteenth%20Sunday%20in%20Ordinary%20Time%20%u2013%20St.%20Paul%20CenterHAHN: The journey of discipleship is a lifelong exodus from the slavery of sin and death to the holiness of truth on Mount Zion, the promised land of eternal life. The road can get rough. And when it does, we can be tempted to complain like the Israelites in this week’s First Reading. We have to see these times of hardship as a test of what is in our hearts, a call to trust God more and to purify the motives for our faith...

Does France have a new patron saint?

(3) Does France have a new patron saint? - by tmattMATTINGLY: Let’s return to the Paris Olympics, shall we, before I start my long journey back to East Tennessee from the West Coast. Confession: When it comes to languages, I know absolutely nothing about French. However, it appears that if you take the word “Dionysius” and translate it into French you get “Denys,” or “Denis.”

Why You Should Always Ask for a Receipt at McDonald’s (as Revealed by a Former McDonald’s Employee)

Why%20to%20Always%20Ask%20for%20a%20Receipt%20at%20McDonald%u2019s%20%7C%20Insider%20Tip: If you catch a craving for a burger and fries, McDonald’s is always a short drive away. The fast-food restaurant has a range of bestselling menu items, from the Happy Meal and Big Mac to the McGriddles breakfast sandwich and chicken nuggets. But to ensure you get a fresh meal every time, you might need to take one extra step.

Very odd: The way mainstream media ‘reported’ on Last Supper parody at Olympics

Very odd: The way mainstream media 'reported' on Last Supper parody at Olympics - Catholic Herald: One of the most striking features of the whole Last Supper parody debacle that has so unfortunately tainted the opening of this year’s Olympics and what is meant to be such a thrilling testimony to human achievement is the way the mainstream media has reacted to it (or hasn’t in most cases).

Vatican Office Deletes Online Poll Showing Negative Response to Synod on Synodality

Vatican office deletes online poll showing negative response to Synod on Synodality | Catholic News Agency: The Vatican was criticized by online commentators over the weekend for swiftly deleting an online poll that reflected poorly on the Synod on Synodality. Originally posted on Friday to the social media account of the office facilitating the synod, the poll asked: “Do you believe that synodality as a path of conversion and reform can enhance the mission and participation of all the baptized?”

‘Words Cannot Describe It’: Bishop Urges ‘Renewed Zeal’ in Face of ‘Heinous’ Last Supper Mockery at Olympics

'Words cannot describe it': Bishop urges 'renewed zeal' in face of 'heinous' Last Supper mockery at Olympics | Catholic News Agency: Crookston Bishop Andrew Cozzens this weekend slammed what he described as the "heinous" mockery of the Christian faith displayed at the Summer Olympics in Paris on Friday, urging Catholics to respond to the spectacle with fasting and prayer.

What the Universal Call to Holiness Means to You

What the Universal Call to Holiness EntailsSTAUDT: Why aren’t we holy? God, in fact, wills that we become holy: “For this is the will of God, your sanctification” (1 Thes 4:3). So why aren’t we? The problem surely does not lie with him. And that leaves only one other answer: we are the problem. God has given us everything we need to be holy: his forgiveness, righteousness, grace and even his divine life...

Evangelization: hope for the hopeless

Evangelization: hope for the hopeless | Catholic CultureLAWLER: Today’s CWN headlines include three different reports about the powerful surge of spiritual energy generated by the National Eucharistic Congress. Will the fervent faith that was at work in Indianapolis prove contagious? Will it spread beyond the thousands of people who participated in that unique event? That crucial question — How do we communicate the faith that we feel? — was on my mind this morning

Don’t be fooled: Successful politics depends on the Good

Don%u2019t%20be%20fooled%3A%20Successful%20politics%20depends%20on%20the%20Good%20%7C%20Catholic%20CultureMIRUS: In the United States, we are entering the quadrennial silly season in which far too many of us waste a great deal of time, energy and money following politics and attempting to influence the outcome of Presidential elections. Sometimes, of course, there are better reasons to do this than at other times, but as a general rule the party which has won these elections has had surprisingly little impact...

What Lessons Can We Draw From the Parable of the Weeds?

What%20Lessons%20Can%20we%20Draw%20From%20the%20Parable%20of%20the%20Weeds%3F%20%u2013%20St.%20Paul%20CenterHARROLD: Matthew 13:24-43 relates the famous parable of the weeds (or tares, as they used to be known). The scene falls within what is known as the parabolic discourse in chapter 13 of Matthew’s Gospel, which involves no less than eight different parables. One of the things that makes the parable of the weeds interesting, however, is that Jesus goes out of His way not just to deliver it (vv. 24-30) but also to explain it (vv. 36-43).

UK church where Victorian mystic received ecstasies faces closure after Latin Masses halted

EXCLUSIVE: Church where mystic received ecstasies faces closure after Latin Masses halted - Catholic Herald: The Catholic church in which the Victorian mystic Teresa Higginson was said to have received rapturous visions of the Crucifixion is threatened with closure after the archdiocese withdrew its support for the provision of the Latin Mass there. The Archdiocese of Liverpool has announced that either St Mary’s, Wigan, or nearby St John’s Church will close.

This Sunday, Day One has a clear message: You get what you give — and lose what you grasp at.

This%20Sunday%2C%20Join%20Jesus%u2019s%20Own%20Eucharistic%20Congress.%20Day%201%3A%20You%20Get%20What%20You%20Give%20%u2013%20Benedictine%20College%20Media%20%26%20CultureHOOPES: The National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis July 17-21 is being called a turning point for the Church in the United States, much the way World Youth Day 1993 in Denver was for my generation. But if you weren’t able to make it to those five days in Indianapolis, don’t worry: The most amazing thing that was there is also on offer in your parish this Sunday — Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament, and his own words to guide us.

Paris Olympics Set Anti-Christian Tone as Catholics, Others Respond to Mockery of Last Supper in Opening Ceremonies

Catholics, others respond to mockery of Last Supper at Paris Olympics | Catholic News Agency: A drag queen-led parody of the Last Supper featured during Friday’s opening ceremonies of the 2024 Paris Olympics has sparked a wave of incensed reactions and denunciations. In a statement released Saturday, the French Bishops’ Conference criticized the “scenes of derision and mockery of Christianity, which we deeply deplore.”

How the Ancient Christians Can Give You Hope and Teach You to Spread the Faith

How the Ancient Christians Can Give You Hope and Teach You to Spread the Faith| National Catholic RegisterTURLEY: In times like these, it’s easy to despair about evangelization in the modern world. But a new Ignatius Press book by Mike Aquilina, Rabbles, Riots, and Ruins: Twelve Ancient Cities and How They Were Evangelized, not only offers some much-needed hope when thinking about evangelizing today’s culture but also serves as a guide on how to go about it. The Register caught up with the book’s author at his home in Pittsburgh and asked if Christian hope can persist amid the despair of modern Western cities.

‘Brethren, What Shall We Do?’

%u201CWhat%20Shall%20We%20Do%3F%u201D%20%7E%20The%20Imaginative%20ConservativeCARDINALBURKE: The seed of Christ’s life planted in your souls at baptism is meant to flower in the gift of your entire being to Him through your vocation in life, whether it be to the conjugal life of marriage, to the dedicated single life, to the consecrated life, or to the priesthood. The daily conversion to Christ which leads, in adulthood, to the knowledge and embrace of your vocation with a faithful, generous, and pure heart...

Carmelite Friends of Pope Francis in Spain to Leave Convent After 400 Years

Carmelite Friends of Pope Francis in Spain to Leave Convent After 400 Years| National Catholic Register: The community of Discalced Carmelites of San José monastery in Lucena in Spain’s Córdoba province, to whom Pope Francis sent several messages because of his friendship with a former prioress, is being forced to leave after the order’s presence of more than 400 years in the city due to lack of vocations.

Kamala Harris’ Record on Catholic Issues: What You Need to Know

Kamala%20Harris%u2019%20record%20on%20Catholic%20issues%3A%20what%20you%20need%20to%20know%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20Agency: With President Joe Biden bowing out of the 2024 presidential race following intense pressure from within his own party, Vice President Kamala Harris is the likely Democratic nominee to face former president Donald Trump in November’s general election.

The Hard Reality of Disagreement in Marriage

The Hard Reality of Disagreement in Marriage - LifeCraftCUDDEBACK: Open disagreement between spouses, or even just not seeing eye to eye, can be very painful. It is also quite common. Central to the art of marriage is to be able to accept this while also addressing it. Experience shows that it is to be expected. To some extent then, disagreement need not mean that anything has gone wrong...

Vatican failed to reveal Ireland’s Bishop Eamonn Casey suspended due to child abuse allegations

Vatican failed to reveal famed Irish bishop suspended due to child abuse allegations - Catholic Herald: A joint investigation by the Irish national broadcaster RTÉ and the Irish Mail on Sunday has revealed that the Vatican and Irish bishops did not notify the public that the reasons for the suspension from ministry of the late Bishop Eamonn Casey related to child sexual abuse allegations in both England and Ireland.

120 years ago, divers discovered a shipwreck off the Greek island of Antikythera. Hidden inside was an ancient ‘computer’ that simply shouldn't exist...

New%20Advent%3A%20120%20years%20ago%2C%20divers%20discovered%20a%20shipwreck%20off%20the%20Greek%20island%20of%20Antikythera.%20Hidden%20inside%20was%20an%20ancient%20%u2018computer%u2019%20that%20simply%20shouldn%27t%20exist...: The mysterious Antikythera Mechanism has captured the imagination of archaeologists, mathematicians, and scientists ever since its discovery, even inspiring the plot for Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. Now, using the latest 3D x-ray and modelling technology, experts are unravelling the secrets of what this machine may have been capable of...

Here Are 5 Ways Father Mike Schmitz Says Catholics Can Be Better Evangelizers

Here are 5 ways Father Mike Schmitz says Catholics can be better evangelizers - OSV NewsCROWE: There are few Catholics in the country, and even the world, who don’t know the name of Father Mike Schmitz. The college campus ministry chaplain from the Diocese of Duluth, Minnesota, and the keynote for the National Eucharistic Congress’ July 18 revival session in Indianapolis...

‘The Trinity Is the Source of Mercy’: Vatican Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith Recognizes ‘Trinity Fount of Mercy’ Messages

Dicastery%20for%20the%20Doctrine%20of%20the%20Faith%20recognizes%20%u2018Trinity%20Fount%20of%20Mercy%u2019%20messages%20-%20Vatican%20News: The entry into force of the new Norms for discerning alleged supernatural phenomena has allowed a new “green light” from the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, this time with regard to spiritual experiences at the Shrine of Maccio in Villa Guardia, near Como in northern Italy.

J.D. Vance is a Catholic ‘post-liberal.’ Here’s what that means — and why it matters

J.D.%20Vance%20Is%20a%20Catholic%20%u2018Post-Liberal%u2019%3A%20Here%u2019s%20What%20That%20Means%20%u2014%20And%20Why%20It%20Matters%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterLIEDL: J.D. Vance is an election away from becoming the first Catholic vice president from the Republican Party. But the Ohio senator, who is running alongside Donald Trump on the GOP ticket, is not your typical Catholic conservative — at least not the kind that has been the norm in American politics over the past half-century.

The rumors about this new suppression of the TLM? Stay tuned...

This%20week%u2019s%20big%20story%20that%20didn%u2019t%20break%20%7C%20Catholic%20CultureLAWLER: For the past several weeks a rumor has been circulating that the Vatican will issue new restrictions on the celebration of the traditional Latin Mass (TLM). We could not confirm those rumors. But several ordinarily reliable journalists insisted that the reports were true: that the document had been prepared, and only awaited final approval and release.

The Congress, the Olympics, and Cocaine Sharks

The Congress, the Olympics, and cocaine sharksJDFLYNN: Today is the 16th Wednesday in Ordinary Time, and you’re reading The Tuesday Pillar Post. If you’re not sure why you’re reading The Tuesday Pillar Post on Wednesday, well, I sent you a note about it yesterday. But the long and short of it is that Ed’s on vacation this week, I’ll be on vacation next week, and so we’re doing things a bit differently to adjust to being short-staffed...

Was the National Eucharistic Congress a ‘revival’?

Was%20the%20Congress%20a%20%u2018revival%u2019%3FJDFLYNN: As the National Eucharistic Congress concluded Sunday, it was easy to hear Catholics in Indianapolis comparing the five-day event favorably to 1993’s World Youth Day in Denver, Colorado, and suggesting that the Congress could have an impact on the U.S. Church at the same scale as the historic Denver gathering.

God’s Providential Plan for Us Embraces Everything We Do — Even Politics

God%u2019s%20Providential%20Plan%20for%20Us%20Embraces%20Everything%20We%20Do%20%u2014%20Even%20Politics%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterSHAW: A chorus of populist theologizing greeted the attempted assassination of Donald Trump. Much of it was along the lines of “Considering that the shot missed killing him by only a couple of inches, God must have been looking out for him.” I fully agree. God certainly was looking out for the former president. So what else might we say about what happened? Although pushing too hard to explain God’s ways can be presumptuous...

What just happened in Indianapolis is going to transform the entire Church in the United States...

What God Did at The National Eucharistic Congress Will Change the Catholic Church in the USA! - Catholic Missionary Disciples - College Station, TXLEJEUNE: The National Eucharistic Congress (NEC) is going to be the seed planted, which I believe will grow and ultimately bear untold fruit. This fruit will ultimately transform the Catholic Church from a Church of decline, maintenance, and lukewarmness into a unified Eucharistic Church on mission. When I left the National Eucharistic Congress, I flew to South Dakota...

Here’s the Early 20th-Century Catholic Modernist Crisis in a Nutshell

The Catholic Modernist Crisis in a Nutshell | Church Life Journal | University of Notre Dame: Josephine Hope-Scott Ward (1864–1932) wrote at the crossroads of the implementation of Catholic Emancipation in England—particularly the Universities Tests Acts of 1871—and the Catholic Modernist Crisis (1893–1914). The author of ten novels, a novella, and numerous articles and personal writings, Josephine Ward’s body of work provides a unique look into how the modernist controversy was experienced by English Catholics in the first decade of the twentieth century.

As Olympic Truce Is Launched, ‘Olympic’ Bishop Says He Want To Help Athletes Meet Christ

As%20Olympic%20truce%20is%20launched%2C%20%u2018Olympic%u2019%20bishop%20says%20he%20want%20to%20help%20athletes%20meet%20Christ%20-%20OSV%20News: As Paris stands in the starting blocks for the 2024 Olympic Games that kick off July 26, the Olympic truce was launched in the iconic La Madeleine church in the heart of the French capital July 19. Archbishop Laurent Ulrich of Paris and Bishop Emmanuel Gobilliard of Digne, special representative of the Holy See for the 2024 Paris Olympics, celebrated a solemn Mass in the presence of over a hundred diplomatic delegations.

Newly opened Vatican archives shed light on Maciel and Legionaries of Christ; Pius XII was planning crackdown before 1958 death

Vatican's Pius XII archives shed light on the Legion of Christ scandal | AP News: The recently opened archives of Pope Pius XII have shed new light on claims the World War II-era pope didn’t speak out about the Holocaust. But they’re also providing details about another contentious chapter in Vatican history: the scandal over the founder of the Legionaries of Christ.

‘It Has Captured Our Imagination’: Australian Bishop Hails U.S. Eucharistic Congress as Model for Global Catholic Renewal

Australian bishop hails U.S. Eucharistic Congress as model for global Catholic renewal | Catholic News Agency: As the National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis drew to a close, an Australian bishop praised the event as a model for revitalizing the Catholic faith across the world and expressed hope that it could inspire similar revivals worldwide.

Why aren’t there solar-powered cars?

Why%20aren%u2019t%20there%20solar-powered%20cars%3F: Solar cars exist. The best place to see them is the World Solar Challenge, a race that’s held every two years in Australia. Competitors have to drive about 1,870 miles (3,000 kilometers), from Darwin on the country’s north coast to Adelaide on its south coast, using only energy from the Sun.

Philosopher David Solomon Enters the Catholic Church

Philosopher David Solomon Enters the Catholic Church - Word on FireKACZOR: David played an indispensable role at Notre Dame over the course of his long career, especially as a mentor and dissertation director. He directed more than forty dissertations, many related to virtue ethics. His influence as a teacher and mentor was vast and deep on me and so many others. I was especially grateful that he took me under his wing while I was a graduate student at Notre Dame...

Bread Left Over: A Reflection on the Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Bread%20Left%20Over%3A%20Scott%20Hahn%20Reflects%20on%20the%20Seventeenth%20Sunday%20in%20Ordinary%20Time%20%u2013%20St.%20Paul%20CenterHAHN: Today’s liturgy brings together several strands of Old Testament expectation to reveal Jesus as Israel’s promised Messiah and King, the Lord who comes to feed His people. Notice the parallels between today’s Gospel and First Reading. Both Elisha and Jesus face a crowd of hungry people with only a few “barley” loaves. We hear similar words about how impossible it will be to feed the crowd with so little...

The National Eucharistic Congress Provided a Reprieve and a Chance for Catholics to See Politics Differently

Eucharistic Congress Provides Chance for Catholics to See Politics Differently| National Catholic RegisterLIEDL: For the past few weeks, the world of U.S. politics has seemed especially contentious and unstable, with an overabundance of supercharged storylines producing a new wave of anxieties and raising the political temperature. But as the political drama continues, 50,000 Catholics in Indianapolis and thousands more following the National Eucharistic Congress (NEC) from afar seem unphased...

National Eucharistic Congress Ends With Prayer for ‘New Pentecost’ for U.S. Church

National%20Eucharistic%20Congress%20ends%20with%20prayer%20for%20%u2018new%20Pentecost%u2019%20for%20U.S.%20Church%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20Agency: The National Eucharistic Congress concluded Sunday with a Mass with tens of thousands of people in an NFL football stadium, where the crowd prayed for “a new Pentecost” in the U.S. Church.

California runs roughshod over parents’ rights, allowing public school officials alone to direct the lives of their children

California%20runs%20roughshod%20over%20parental%20rights%20%u2013%20Catholic%20World%20Report: On July 15, 2024, Governor Gavin Newsom of California signed the radical progressive law Assembly Bill 2955 into effect. As I discussed in an earlier column, the deceptively named “Support Academic Futures and Educator Today’s Youth Act” advances transgender ideology. Previously, in September 2022, Newsom signed Senate Bill 107 into law, making California a “sanctuary” state offering shelter to transgender children and their parents...

Joe Biden Announces He Will Not Seek Reelection in 2024 Presidential Race; Endorses Harris

Joe Biden announces he will not seek reelection in 2024 presidential race; endorses Harris | Catholic News Agency: President Joe Biden on Sunday said he would not seek reelection, conceding to growing calls in his party to bow out of the race after a highly criticized debate against GOP nominee Donald Trump in June.

The Knights Got It Right With Marko Rupnik’s Art

The%20Knights%20Got%20It%20Right%20With%20Father%20Rupnik%u2019s%20Art%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterMULLEN: The opaque fabric will rest on the chapel walls of the Saint John Paul II National Shrine in Washington, D.C., like a dressing on a wound. It’s a fitting image, since the artwork beneath that material has, for many, become a symbol of grave harm — in what ought to be places of hope and healing. The announcement July 11 that the Knights of Columbus will, for the time being...

Massive Eucharistic Procession Winds Through Downtown Indianapolis at National Eucharistic Congress

xxPHOTOS: Thousands of people lined the streets of Indianapolis July 20 for a one-mile Eucharistic procession from the Indiana Convention Center to the Indiana War Memorial, taking the National Eucharistic Revival to the streets in the most public display of devotion and unity of the five-day conference.

Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin Visits War-Torn Ukraine

Cardinal Parolin visits war-torn Ukraine: In his first trip to the country since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, Cardinal Pietro Parolin will meet with civil and religious leaders in the capital, Kyiv, amid ongoing efforts to end the war that has claimed tens of thousands of lives.

Was St. Mary Magdalene a Former Prostitute?

Was%20Mary%20Magdalene%20a%20Former%20Prostitute%3F%20%u2013%20St.%20Paul%20CenterHARROLD: If anything can rightly be said about St. Mary Magdalene, it is that she remains a mysterious and oftentimes elusive figure. Over the centuries, her identity has been debated and disputed endlessly, with the result that today many Catholics are left feeling very confused. What exactly do we know about her on the basis of the Gospels? And was she a reformed prostitute?

God, Providence and the Trump Bullet

(3) Crossroads: God, Providence and the Trump bullet - by tmattMATTINGLY: I don’t have solid poll data backing me up on the following. But, in my experience, if you walk up to church-going, scripture-quoting evangelical Protestants and Pentecostals and say that you are trying to think of a Bible verse defined by “6:11” many, if not most, will say, “You mean Ephesians 6:11?”

What to Do When Catholic Teaching Brings Marital Tension

What to Do When Catholic Teaching Brings Marital Tension| National Catholic RegisterBRUGGER: The moral norms protecting the marriage bed are not “rules” created by the Church, but truths that we discover by attending to the natural law, which is inscribed on our hearts and has God as its author. It is important to understand that the Church does not legislate morality. Rather, the Church guards it and faithfully hands it on so that men and women in every generation will be able to make choices that lead to authentic human freedom and fulfillment.

This Sunday, Walk Tall in the Dark Valley — Jesus Is At Your Side

This%20Sunday%2C%20Walk%20Tall%20in%20the%20Dark%20Valley%3B%20Jesus%20Is%20At%20Your%20Side%20%u2013%20Benedictine%20College%20Media%20%26%20CultureHOOPES: It’s providential that as Catholics flock to Indianapolis for the first National Eucharistic Congress in the United States in 83 years, the Church offers the readings for the 16th Sunday or Ordinary Time, Year B. The readings offer enormous hope, but it’s Christian hope — that means that the hope for peace is available to anyone willing to take up Christ’s offer, with its cross, and follow.

4 Notable Christian Dimensions of the Trump Assassination Attempt

Trump Assassination Attempt: 4 Notable Christian Dimensions| National Catholic RegisterDESOUZA: The attempted assassination of former president Donald Trump Saturday has far-reaching personal and political consequences. Many commentators took it as a worrying indicator of the state of U.S. culture, or at least political culture. Yet beyond the personal, political and cultural, there were also notable Christian dimensions to that terrible evening in Butler, Pennsylvania. Four are worth noting.

National Eucharistic Congress: ‘In the History of Christianity, You Can Never Have a Revival Without Repentance’

Father Mike Schmitz preaches repentance at National Eucharistic Congress | Catholic News AgencyCALDWELL: In his keynote speech at the National Eucharistic Congress Thursday evening “revival session,” Father Mike Schmitz, host of the popular “Bible in a Year” podcast, used a word that one doesn’t hear very often these days. He called on the Catholics gathered in Indianapolis’ Lucas Oil Stadium to repent.

National Eucharistic Congress Begins in Indianapolis: ‘We Did This for You, Lord’

National%20Eucharistic%20Congress%20begins%20in%20Indianapolis%3A%20%u2018We%20did%20this%20for%20you%2C%20Lord%u2019%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20Agency: After years of planning and anticipation, the National Eucharistic Congress officially kicked off Wednesday evening with the triumphant culmination of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimages, the solemn entry of the Eucharistic Jesus in a papally-blessed golden monstrance, and speeches from Catholic luminaries that set the tone for the historic five-day event.

7 Verses Every Catholic Should Know

New Advent: 7 Verses Every Catholic Should KnowBERGSMA: Here are seven Bible verses that prove that Catholicism is indeed biblical and even more biblically grounded than what some of our Protestant brethren initially think. We’ll break it down by looking at the context of the passage and the original translations. Some of the topics these verses cover are the meaning of “the church,” tradition vs. teaching, Sola Scriptura and the interpretation of the Scripture, the sacraments, Mary, and relics.

An attempted assassination, democracy, and the risk of civil war

David Mills: An attempted assassination, democracy, and the risk of civil war | Pittsburgh Post-GazetteMILLS: “Do you think we’ll get into civil war?” he asked, a few hours after a twisted young man tried to kill Donald Trump. My late-thirty-something friends — he an admirer of RFK Jr. and she firmly on the left — were worried about their country. She said something about how divided Americans are and how easily people could be set against each other.

After 112 years of publishing Our Sunday Visitor, OSV is getting out of the newspaper business

Big BIG news from @OSV today. Our 112-year-old newspaper is becoming an amazingly beautiful lifestyle magazine starting in October. @OSVNews will continue OSV’s commitment to providing excellent news and information about the Church. https://t.co/qBhGokuqIe

— Gretchen Crowe (@GretchenOSV) July 17, 2024

“Our 112-year-old newspaper is becoming an amazingly beautiful lifestyle magazine starting in October,” says Gretchen Crowe.

Social scientists take a dive into the data on the Traditional Latin Mass — here’s what it reveals

(3) Data and the Traditional Latin Mass - What We Need Now: Recently rumors have been flying that Pope Francis is preparing to impose stringent restrictions on the Traditional Latin Mass. Of course, unfounded rumors out of the Vatican are not new, and some journalists have not been able to identify anybody who has actually seen the document in question. Still, even if it ends up being in the class of “Pope Francis is dying” rumors that we have heard for years...

Why Passport Stamps Will Soon Be a Relic of the Past

Why Passport Stamps Will Soon Be a Relic of the Past | Conde Nast Traveler: With the advent of biometric facial recognition and digital passport control, high-tech methods of border control are speeding up the way we enter and exit countries around the world. But as immigration lines shrink, another aspect of the process is also starting to disappear: passport stamps.

How to cultivate a Benedictine spirit for the summer

A%20Benedictine%20spirit%20for%20the%20summer%20%u2013%20Catholic%20World%20ReportDEAVEL: The summer is now fully upon us. It is the time when many are traveling on vacation and taking part in “leisure” activities. Yet, as many of us have discovered, it can be just as hectic as the rest of the year—perhaps more so. How many times have we returned from a vacation only to exclaim, “I need a vacation!” This isn’t to say that vacation time is bad. It’s just to say that if it is truly to be leisurely, it has to be done in a certain way.

America’s Last Eucharistic Congress Was Held in 1941. Here’s What It Was Like...

EUCHARISTIC%20EXTRAVAGANZA%3A%20What%20Was%20America%u2019s%20Last%20National%20Eucharistic%20Congress%20Like%3F%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterLAMBERT: The year 1941 was quite a year in U.S. history. Franklin Delano Roosevelt was president. The average price of a new house was $4,075. Citizen Kane was released. World War II, the greatest global conflict the world has ever seen, was on the verge of breaking out. It also happens to be the last time the U.S. held a National Eucharistic Congress...

After Long Preparation, National Eucharistic Congress Set to Begin in Indianapolis

5%20things%20you%20shouldn%u2019t%20miss%20at%20the%202024%20National%20Eucharistic%20Congress%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20Agency: The NFL’s Lucas Oil Stadium and the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis are all set to welcome more than 50,000 Catholics to the National Eucharistic Congress taking place July 17–21. The five-day congress will bring the faithful together to inspire people to encounter Jesus in the Eucharist.

What’s the Vatican saying about alleged apparitions?

What%u2019s%20the%20Vatican%20saying%20about%20alleged%20apparitions%3FCOPPEN: Since the Vatican unveiled a new streamlined process for evaluating alleged apparitions in May, a steady stream of rulings have followed. The judgments, issued by the Vatican’s doctrine office, are written in somewhat technical language and address supposed supernatural events that may be unfamiliar to English-speaking Catholics. Here’s a quick guide to the statements issued since the publication of the new norms...

Do I Really Notice Each Child?

Do I Really Notice Each Child? - LifeCraftCUDDEBACK: Every person requires truly individual attention. Especially a child; especially today. Among the greatest tragedies is a neglected child, more so even than a sick, injured, or hungry child. Of course there is neglect, and there is neglect. Let’s focus on the lesser and more pervasive form. I don’t want to be overly dramatic. Yet I honestly think that some form of this often plays out, rather unnoticed, under our very noses. Perhaps in our own home.

Vatican Approves ‘Our Lady of the Rock’ Shrine at Alleged Marian Apparition Site in Italy

Vatican%20approves%20%u2018Our%20Lady%20of%20the%20Rock%u2019%20shrine%20at%20alleged%20Marian%20apparition%20site%20in%20Italy%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20AgencyBROCKHAUS: The Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith has accepted the decree of a bishop approving the spiritual activities of a shrine at the site of alleged Marian apparition “Our Lady of the Rock” in southern Italy.

Guadalajara Archbishop to Pope Francis on Latin Mass Ban: ‘Do Not Allow This to Happen’

Guadalajara%20archbishop%20to%20Pope%20Francis%20on%20Latin%20Mass%20ban%3A%20%u2018Do%20not%20allow%20this%20to%20happen%u2019%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20AgencyPAYNE: A Mexican archbishop emeritus is imploring Pope Francis not to ban the Traditional Latin Mass amid rumors that the Vatican is moving to further restrict the ancient liturgy. In a letter to the Holy Father dated July 6, Cardinal Juan Sandoval Iñiguez, the archbishop emeritus of Guadalajara, Mexico, wrote to Francis of the “rumors that there is a definitive intention to prohibit the Latin Mass of St. Pius V.”

One Flock: A Reflection on the Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

One%20Flock%3A%20Scott%20Hahn%20Reflects%20on%20the%20Sixteenth%20Sunday%20in%20Ordinary%20Time%20%u2013%20St.%20Paul%20CenterHAHN: As the Twelve return from their first missionary journey in today’s Gospel, our readings continue to reflect on the authority and mission of the Church. Jeremiah says in the First Reading that Israel’s leaders, through godlessness and fanciful teachings, had misled and scattered God’s people. He promises God will send a shepherd, a king and son of David...

The devil hates telling the truth, but sometimes he just can’t help himself...

When%20the%20devil%20does%20tell%20the%20truth%20%u2013%20Catholic%20World%20ReportNASH: Jesus proclaims that Satan “is a liar and the father of lies” and “when he lies, he speaks according to his own nature.” Our Lord adds that the devil “has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him” (John 8:44, emphasis added). Does this mean that the devil is incapable of telling the truth? No, because Scripture teaches us that the demons accurately identify Jesus as “the Son of God”

Patti Maguire Armstrong: 9 Points of Advice to Fight the Devil

Patti Maguire Armstrong: Nine Points of Advice to Fight the Devil | Respect Life Radio: "If you're worried about everyone liking you so you don't say anything, then it's yourself you are worried about and caring about. It takes courage to speak up," says Patti (Maguire) Armstrong in this week's podcast. "Leave it to God and pray to the Holy Spirit. I don't know where to begin. I don't know who I'm supposed to sit next to but God does...”

National Eucharistic Congress: ‘We’re Ready’ for Security in Indianapolis

Eucharistic%20Congress%3A%20%u2018We%u2019re%20ready%u2019%20for%20Indianapolis%20security: Organizers of the National Eucharistic Congress emphasized their safety plans Sunday, after an assassination attempt this weekend against former president Donald Trump. “The National Eucharistic Congress has been planning for a safe and secure event for all attendees for the past two years,” Congress chairman Bishop Andrew Cozzens said in a July 14 statement.

Catholics Leaders React After Shooting at Former President Donald Trump Rally in Pennsylvania

Catholics Leaders React After Shooting at Former President Donald Trump Rally in Pennsylvania| National Catholic Register: Catholic ecclesial and political leaders across the United States offered their prayers for Donald Trump after an apparent attempted assassination of the former president Saturday evening at a campaign event in Pennsylvania.

Yes, lots of colleges are closing these days...

(3) Yes, lots of colleges are closing these days - by tmattMATTINGLY: If you are the parent or grandparent of a young person who is nearing college age, you may want to sit down and grab an adult beverage (even if you are Baptist) before reading this weekend “think piece.” Ready? It has been 20 years since I heard my first in-depth (and depressing) lecture on the demographic and lifestyle trends that were going to force the closing of many, many liberal-arts colleges, seminaries and even universities in the decades ahead.

Archbishop Fulton Sheen’s new book on the demonic

Fulton%20Sheen%u2019s%20new%20book%20on%20the%20demonic%20%7C%20Catholic%20CultureMIRUS: Five years before his death, Archbishop Fulton Sheen mentioned that he planned to write a separate book on the demonic, but at the time of his death in 1979, no such book had appeared. Fast forward to 2016, and the newly ordained Fr. Dave Tomaszycki (Archdiocese of Detroit) became very interested in this intention of Archbishop Sheen’s

Rouen Cathedral Reopens After Minor Spire Fire; Blaze Is Quickly Brought Under Control

Rouen Cathedral reopens after minor spire fire; blaze is quickly brought under control - OSV News: The capital of France’s Normandy region held its breath on July 11 as reports and social media pictures spread that the Rouen Cathedral’s spire was on fire, causing the building to be evacuated. At midday, flames shot up around the spire, accompanied by heavy smoke, sending Rouen’s inhabitants into a panic and bringing back memories of the Notre Dame Cathedral fire on April 15, 2019, in Paris.

Was Jesus Being Unfair to the Pharisees When He Allowed His Disciples to Eat Grain on the Sabbath?

Was%20Jesus%20Being%20Unfair%20to%20the%20Pharisees%20When%20He%20Allowed%20His%20Disciples%20to%20Eat%20Grain%20on%20the%20Sabbath%3F%20%u2013%20St.%20Paul%20Center: Nobody likes a Pharisee. That being said, there might still be times when we’re tempted to feel a bit sorry for them. A prime example of this comes in Luke 6:1-5. It’s hard not to feel some sympathy for the Pharisees in this episode. Shouldn’t they be forgiven for thinking the dictates of the Mosaic law ought to trump the eccentric antics of some upstart rabbi from Galilee?

St. Benedict and his medal: Defense against demonic attacks

St. Benedict and his medal: Defense against demonic attacksSTAUDT: Temptations in a fallen city, memories of a beautiful woman, a poisoned chalice, the attacks of an envious priest, curses from a pagan priest, a rock that won’t budge, another that falls on a young monk, a kitchen in flames, a dragon that lurks to devour a fleeing monk, threats from Gothic warlords, and the prospect of a destroyed monastery...

Every President Swears to Protect the Unborn

Every President Swears to Protect the Unborn - The American Spectator | USA News and PoliticsThe American Spectator | USA News and PoliticsCLARK: For all their differences, it is clear that President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump agree that the unborn are not — and should not — be federally protected. Though President Trump has objected to Florida’s and Arizona’s recent statewide protections for the unborn, he notionally argues that abortion is a state government matter rather than a federal one...

“You can’t make this stuff up”: Angered by an email, Orange County Bishop Kevin Vann sued a parishioner for libel. The cost? Millions...

O.C. bishop sued a parishioner for libel. The cost? Millions - Los Angeles Times: Suzanne Nunn prays the Rosary with friends each morning in her Mission Viejo home. From St. Timothy’s Catholic Church in Laguna Niguel, she brings Communion to the sick and homebound. She drives parishioners without transportation to Sunday Mass, decorates the altar for holidays and instructs adult converts in the tenets of the faith.

The Law of Jante, the Law of the East, and Sod’s Law

The%20Law%20of%20Jante%2C%20the%20law%20of%20the%20East%2C%20and%20Sod%u2019s%20LawCONDON: Happy Friday friends, And a happy feast of St. Kjeld of Denmark, to all who celebrate. Though I cannot imagine it’s very many of you. I’d never heard of Kjeld myself, indeed, until yesterday, if you’d put a gun to my head I don’t think I could have named a single Danish saint. That’s not to say there aren’t plenty of them — I am sure there are, but perhaps they just keep a low profile...

Pope Francis Meets Russian Orthodox Church’s ‘Foreign Minister’ at the Vatican

Pope%20Francis%20meets%20Russian%20Orthodox%20Church%u2019s%20%u2018foreign%20minister%u2019%20at%20the%20Vatican%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20Agency: Pope Francis received a top-ranking member of the Russian Orthodox Church for private discussions at the Vatican this week. The Holy See Press Office confirmed on July 12 that the pope received Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, the head of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations, on Thursday afternoon.

This Sunday, Bishops Have Nothing Without Jesus, and We Have Everything With Him

This%20Sunday%2C%20Bishops%20Have%20Nothing%20Without%20Jesus%2C%20and%20We%20Have%20Everything%20With%20Him%20%u2013%20Benedictine%20College%20Media%20%26%20CultureHOOPES: Jesus gives instructions for bishops this Sunday, the Fifteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year B, and thereby reveals the radical call to holiness at the heart of their vocation. But lest we get the wrong idea, the Church provides two readings that provide important corollaries: One about the humble origins of those he calls to special offices, and the other about the radical call he gives every one of us.

As his unit’s ranking officer, US Army pilot Tony Sutter’s order to his crew before embarking on any mission was an unusual one...

(3) The Memorare: I Fly Unto Thee - by FB Smit: Once during a ground tour stint in Iraq he and his crew drove past a blown-up vehicle, part of their same convoy, who had rolled out only one minute before them. His crew shook their heads. Their hands trembled. They never needed another reminder to pray the Memorare or Psalm 91 before a mission.

Feeling Burned Out? Find Your Sabbath. Deep Rest (and Renewal) Is Possible

%283%29%20Feeling%20Burned%20Out%3F%20Find%20Your%20Sabbath.%20Deep%20Rest%u2014and%20Renewal%u2014is%20Possible.DANIELGORDON: Do you feel burned out? It’s that feeling of lethargy. A tiredness that is deep in the bones. It is different from physical tiredness. A good night’s sleep will not cure it. It is a sort of tiredness not only or primarily of the body and mind. It is a tiredness of the soul that defies simple explanation or solution. When we suffer the effects of burnout, we yearn for rest and recuperation, but it seems impossibly out of reach.

Vatican Reveals New Details About 1974 Ruling on Alleged ‘Lady of All Nations’ Apparition

Vatican%20reveals%20details%20about%201974%20ruling%20on%20alleged%20%u2018Lady%20of%20All%20Nations%u2019%20apparition%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20AgencyBROCKHAUS: The Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith on Thursday released new information about its 1974 ruling on alleged apparitions in Amsterdam connected to the “Lady of All Nations” devotion.

Visitors Witness a ‘Little Glimpse of Heaven’ at Villa de Las Niñas

Visitors%20Witness%20a%20%u2018Little%20Glimpse%20of%20Heaven%u2019%20at%20Villa%20de%20Las%20Ni%F1as%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterWELLS: Two weeks ago, in the shadow of a pair of volcanos in a poor Mexican town, Father Dwight Longenecker was lifted into another dimension that left him wordless. The South Carolina pastor and prolific Catholic author was the latest member of the American clergy to become wonderstruck by an ongoing phenomenon at the free Catholic boarding school in Chalco...

Synod Draft Surprises by Omitting Women’s Ordination, Married Priests and LGBT

Synod draft surprises by omitting women's ordination, married priests and LGBT - Catholic Herald: A working document for the final gathering later this year of Pope Francis’s controversial Synod of Bishops on synodality makes no clear mention of female ordination, priestly celibacy or the married priesthood. It also makes no overt references to the LGBTQ+ community. Presented 9 July in a news conference, the official working document – called an Instrumentum Laboris...

At 392,000 views in 24 hours and counting, ‘The Bible in 10 Minutes’ just became the most viral Father Mike Schmitz video of all time...

New%20Advent%3A%20At%20392%2C000%20views%20in%2024%20hours%20and%20counting%2C%20%u2018The%20Bible%20in%2010%20Minutes%u2019%20just%20became%20the%20most%20viral%20Father%20Mike%20Schmitz%20video%20of%20all%20time...: The Bible is amazing ... but sometimes confusing and hard to read. How can we understand the whole story?

Poor Preaching Isn’t Only Due to the Preacher

Poor%20Preaching%20Isn%u2019t%20Only%20Due%20to%20the%20Preacher%20%u2013%20A%20Homily%20For%20the%2014th%20Sunday%20of%20the%20Year%20-%20Community%20in%20MissionPOPE: We sometimes think that if only Catholic priests were better preachers, all would be well, but that is only half the battle. The Catholic faithful must also have ears to hear and hearts that are open and eager to receive the truth. I have preached before congregations that were expectant and supportive, and saw my feeble words catch fire. I have also preached in settings where “I couldn’t hear nobody pray.” And oh, the difference!

Popular Science: Why do some people sneeze so loudly?

Why do some people sneeze so loudly? | Popular Science: When I sneeze, everyone knows about it. The resulting shockwave wobbles windows, awakens sleeping animals, and sets nearby humans on edge. My partner, who sneezes like a vole hiccuping, insists I do this on purpose. I maintain that the urge to sneeze at this decibel level is irresistible. Why do some people sneeze so loudly?

11 Vietnamese Christians Missing From Detention Amid Religious Freedom Concerns

11 Vietnamese Christians missing from detention amid religious freedom concerns | Catholic News Agency: Eleven Vietnamese Christians, including five Catholics, are reportedly missing from detention, according to a recent report from International Christian Concern (ICC), a U.S.-based advocacy group. The ICC report, released on July 5, claims the missing individuals were sentenced between 2011 and 2016 to a combined total of 90 years and eight months in prison for their religious activities. Their current whereabouts are unknown.

Here’s the 2024 Summer Reading List

The Summer Reading ListWEIGEL: A long time ago (but not in a galaxy far away), Baltimore’s St. Paul Latin High School had us reading six or seven books every summer. I confess that I never finished some of them; Thackeray’s The History of Henry Esmond comes immediately to mind. Others continue to give me (re)reading pleasure many decades later. Let me begin with two of those...

What My Students Taught Me as a Catholic Educator

What My Students Taught Me as a Catholic Educator| National Catholic RegisterLAFFIN: The faculty huddle in the narrow lobby of the Academy of the Holy Family in Baltic, Connecticut, as the morning light burnishes the faded yellow walls. The history teacher, a stoic combat veteran with a special devotion to St. Michael the Archangel for reasons too grave to mention, leans his cane against the sign-in table and his back against the wall.

Social-media acid? It’s all about the dress...

Social-media acid? It's all about the dress - by tmattMATTINGLY: I am not sure where I first heard the dead-serious declaration, “It’s all about the dress.” Apparently, that is true with prom dresses. But, obviously, that mantra applies to wedding dresses. If you didn’t know that already, you need to dig into the angry, ugly, over-the-top online wars about the wedding dress chosen by Olivia Culpo, a former Miss Universe who recently married NFL superstar Christian McCaffrey of the San Francisco 49ers.

People in the West have forgotten a basic fact about the universe: Pure evil exists, and purely evil beings are real

Diabolical assault and the absence of witnesses for God | Catholic CultureMIRUS: A few days ago, a Mexican woman who claimed to be a witch attempted to kidnap her nephew’s baby so she could offer the baby as a human sacrifice to Santa Muerte (Saint Death), the patron of drug cartels. When she entered the home with two men to take the baby, the father struck her with a baseball bat, resulting in her death, and the others fled the scene as neighbors became aware of the home invasion and called the police.

Paydirt, The News, and the National Eucharistic Congress

Paydirt!, the news, and the CongressJDFLYNN: Some of you, like me, are also preparing to head next week to the National Eucharistic Congress, the capstone event for four pilgrimages which have been traversing the country this summer with the Holy Eucharist, spurring processions in cities across America. The Congress started out as the main event of the USCCB’s three-year Eucharistic Revival project, meant to spur more devotion among Catholics in the Blessed Sacrament.

GOP Softens Pro-Marriage, Pro-Life Language in 2024 Platform

GOP softens pro-marriage language in 2024 platform | Catholic News Agency: The Republican Party’s 2024 platform has notably softened the party’s stance on marriage, pulling back from earlier language that affirmed the traditional definition of marriage and denounced the Supreme Court’s earlier rulings on the matter.

‘Mystical Rose’ Marian Apparitions in Italy Receive Vatican Approval

%u2018Mystical%20Rose%u2019%20Marian%20apparitions%20in%20Italy%20receive%20Vatican%20approval%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20Agency: The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) announced the approval of the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary to Pierina Gilli, an Italian visionary who received apparitions and messages from the Virgin Mary in 1947 and 1966. The apparitions took place in Montichiari and Fontanelle, Italy, located in the country’s northern province of Brescia.

12 Characteristics of Catholic Discipleship

12 Characteristics of Catholic Discipleship - Catholic Missionary Disciples - College Station, TXLEJEUNE: I was on a cruise ship in the middle of the Caribbean, when I saw the man on the other side of the ship. He was wearing a shirt that said "Texas A&M". He saw me too. I had a Texas A&M hat on. We smiled, waved at one another, and started to walk toward each other...

The Evangelist I Never Expected

The Evangelist I Never Expected | Knowing Is DoingTORRE: As we prepared to enter the prison facility, I could easily sense the awkwardness and bewilderment of the prison staff wondering what in the world a group of Priests, religious and laity are up to. Even more, was the staff's curiosity of what they did not realize was Jesus Christ being carefully housed in a lunula and covered with Fr. Roger Landry’s humeral veil and chasuble...

A Revolution in Biology, A Distortion in Theology

A Revolution in Biology, A Distortion in Theology - Word on FireKACZOR: Since we have religious liberty, anyone can make up a religion that holds that the fetus becomes viable when she graduates from medical school. For this reason, and others, we do not make religious views the basis of our laws. Rather, the foundation for our laws ought to be the equal protection of all human beings. I was a single, round cell. And so were you. And so are other human beings now. If we believe in equal rights...

Book Review: ‘All Things Catholic - A Guide from A to Z’ by Shaun McAfee

Book%20Review%3A%20%u201CAll%20Things%20Catholic%20-%20A%20Guide%20from%20A%20to%20Z%u201D%20by%20Shaun%20McAfeePERNA: Many years ago, when I was the Director of Adult Evangelization and Catechesis, at a parish in Gilbert, Arizona, my pastor and I spoke about the need for books that help Catholics understand their faith in simple ways. We always floated the idea of writing a book that was like an encyclopedia on Catholicism, minus the frightening appearance of an old encyclopedia...

‘We’re All Mad, Here!’: Marko Rupnik, Diabolical Disorientation, and the Catholic Church

'We're all mad, here!': 'Diabolical disorientation' and the ChurchSCALIA: Having nothing in particular against the Latin Mass, and no real opinion on the Norvus Ordo (beyond believing it could be vastly improved with the inclusion of a melodic and singable “Gloria” over the truly awful vernacular versions served up in these parts), I leave the debate on Extraordinary or Ordinary liturgical forms for others...

Abortion Drugs Have Become the Latest Tool in Domestic Violence

The Dark Side of Deregulation: Coerced Abortion Incidents on the Rise| National Catholic RegisterGALINANES: An expectant mother should be thinking of baby names and all of the happy things associated with the birth of a new child — not fighting for her life and the life of her unborn. But that’s what happened to Louisiana mother Catherine Herring as the victim of an abortion-pill attack. “I was unwillingly and unknowingly poisoned with chemical abortion pills seven separate times by my husband,” she recalled in an email to the Register about her harrowing ordeal. “Our daughter miraculously survived with the quick action of a pregnancy hotline nurse.”

Three years after its promulgation, ‘Traditionis Custodes’ has generated only division, not unity

%u2018Traditionis%20Custodes%u2019%203%20Years%20On%3A%20Pope%20Francis%u2019%20Latin%20Mass%20%u2018Motu%20Proprio%u2019%20Has%20Generated%20Division%2C%20Not%20Unity%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterCHAPP: Three years after the promulgation of the motu proprio Traditionis Custodes, imposing severe restrictions on the celebration of the Mass in Latin, controversy over the use of the old Latin Mass is as strong as ever. Therefore, if Pope Francis’ text was intended to bring some measure of peace to the liturgy wars by increasing liturgical homogenization around the Mass of Paul VI, it has been a failure...

Meet the Polish Young Woman Who Could Become the Next Millennial Saint, After Carlo Acutis

Meet the Polish Young Woman Who Could Be Another Millennial Saint| National Catholic RegisterMAZURCZAK: In April, Krakow Archbishop Marek Jędraszewski issued an edict opening the cause for beatification for Helena Kmieć, a 25-year-old Polish lay missionary killed in Bolivia in 2017. This outgoing young woman, who was passionate about music and travel, received the strength to serve others from her close relationship with Jesus. She could become another millennial, after Blessed Carlo Acutis, to be raised to the altars.

Pope Francis Names Young Bishop to Lead Archdiocese of Agaña in Guam After Difficult Years

Pope Francis names young bishop to lead Agana Archdiocese in Guam after difficult years | Catholic News Agency: Pope Francis has appointed Bishop Ryan Jimenez to lead the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Agaña on the island of Guam, transferring the 52-year-old Filipino from the neighboring Northern Mariana Islands. The July 6 move may mark the beginning of a more stable period for the Church on the U.S. island territory after the archdiocese suffered bankruptcy...

Jesus had a hard time getting people He knew to take Him seriously. Sound familiar?

This%20Sunday%2C%20Your%20Family%20Won%u2019t%20Listen%3F%20Evangelize%20Them%20Anyway%20%u2013%20Benedictine%20College%20Media%20%26%20CultureHOOPES: We get three examples of how routine can destroy faith — and what we can do about it — in the readings for Mass Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B. I like the way a parable about a lighthouse and an island explain the task of being a missionary to people who should have known better but need to be rescued anyway.

Pope at Mass in Trieste, Italy: ‘We Need a Scandal of Faith’ Rooted in the Incarnation

Pope%20at%20Mass%20in%20Trieste%3A%20We%20need%20the%20%u2018scandal%u2019%20of%20faith%20-%20Vatican%20News: What the world needs now is “the scandal of faith,” Pope Francis said during his homily for Mass on Sunday, which he presided in the Italian city of Trieste to mark the conclusion of the 50th Italian Catholic Social Week.

St. John Fisher, St. Thomas More, and the Tudor Terror

St. John Fisher, St. Thomas More, & the Tudor Terror ~ The Imaginative ConservativePEARCE: In June 1532, displaying a courage that was sadly lacking in the rest of England’s bishops, John Fisher preached publicly against the king’s plans to divorce Catherine of Aragon. In January of the following year, the king secretly went through a form of marriage with Anne Boleyn, who was now pregnant. Two months later, Thomas Cranmer became Archbishop of Canterbury...

Pope Francis Appoints New Prefect of Vatican Archives

Pope Francis appoints new prefect of Vatican archives | Catholic News AgencyMARES: Pope Francis has named an Augustinian priest as the new prefect of the Vatican Apostolic Archive, which preserves Church documents dating back to the eighth century. The Vatican announced on July 5 that Father Rocco Ronzani, a patristics professor from Rome, will serve as the head of what was formerly called the Vatican’s “secret archive.”

This election year, learn from St. Augustine of Hippo, who also lived in a time of turmoil: Be skeptical about human affairs. And trust in a loving God...

Sand in the Hourglass - The Catholic ThingMAIER: Like a lot of people, I watched last week’s presidential debate and found it disturbing. Others have analyzed the event in granular detail. That’s not my purpose here. After a few early minutes of restraint, Trump lapsed into campaign stump mode, with a special guest appearance by his aggressive, exaggerating self. Biden’s performance was captured best by a London Daily Mail headline...

What did Jesus mean when He said, ‘Judge not lest ye be judged?’ Not what many people think He meant...

On%20Judging%20Others%20%u2013%20Wrongly%2C%20and%20Rightly%20-%20The%20Catholic%20ThingROYAL: Jesus said (Matthew 7:1): “Judge not lest ye be judged.” And many people since, including many Christians catechized by modern culture, have translated this to mean that the whole law and the prophets – indeed, the whole teaching of Christianity, is that Christians should simply refrain from assessing what others are and do. Especially, it seems, if what they are and do contradicts Christianity...

The most extraordinary thing in the world is an ordinary man and an ordinary woman and their ordinary children...

Lord, Make Us Ordinary - The Catholic ThingGRESS: In the 1940s, Archbishop Fulton Sheen presciently warned us of what we ought to expect. “Divine ecstasy brings about an elevation of the being, of creative and formative power; the demonic ecstasy brings about weakening of being, disintegration and decay.” We are living in the filth of this diabolical disintegration and decay right now. The ideology behind this development, few people know, was outlined in the 1930s by Marxist thinker Wilhelm Reich...

3 Ways Feminism Laid The Groundwork For Transgenderism

3 Ways Feminism Laid The Groundwork For TransgenderismGRESS: The trans movement is in full bloom. Many are scratching their heads as to how we got here. A survey of the last two centuries reveals that it was long in the making, with deep roots found in feminist ideology, as discussed at length in my book, The End of Woman. Feminism ushered in significant shifts in thinking about women, fundamentally changing the way Western civilization considers biology, language, and law.

Does a Single Hangover Disprove the Existence of God?

Does%20a%20Single%20Hangover%20Disprove%20God%u2019s%20Existence%3F%20-%20Word%20on%20FireKACZOR: The logical problem of evil holds that any evil whatsoever disproves God’s existence. If there is just one person with a painful hangover, this suffering is enough to know that God does not exist. No need for abstract speculation, too many wine coolers at a Prince concert is all you need to disprove the existence of the Almighty. What is the argument for this view?

The Church has nothing to offer but what is most important: Jesus Christ of Nazareth

Only one nameWEIGEL: Rome is chaotic at its calmest, but three weeks working there in May suggested that the chaos has intensified to what may be unprecedented levels. Public transport is regularly stymied by strikes. Graffiti is everywhere. As always, traffic is a nightmare, but the usual insanities of Roman driving have been magnified by the rush to complete Line C of the local subway...

Vatican Finds Archbishop Viganò Guilty of Schism, Declares His Automatic Excommunication

Archbishop Vigano excommunicated: The Vatican doctrine office announced Friday that it had found Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò guilty of the canonical crime of schism and declared his automatic excommunication. A July 5 statement from the Holy See press office said that the verdict of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) was reached on Thursday and communicated to the former papal nuncio to the United States Friday.

Wait, Riley in ‘Inside Out 2’ lives a (mostly) phone-free life?

(3) Wait, Riley lives a (mostly) phone-free life? - by tmattMATTINGLY: It’s only been a week or two since I used the “lighthouse” parable to illustrate an important hole in a pop-culture phenomenon. That post had this headline: “Flashback: Where was God, after the Thanos ‘snap’?” Now, while Hollywood is enduring a season in box-office hades, we have “Inside Out 2” emerging as the year’s first billion-dollar hit (a success level that used to be rather common).

Independence Day 2024: ‘We Pray That We May Be Preserved in Union, and in That Peace Which the World Cannot Give’

Prayer for our Government by Archbishop John Carroll - Archdiocese of Baltimore: We pray, O almighty and eternal God, who through Jesus Christ has revealed thy glory to all nations, to preserve the works of your mercy, that your Church, being spread through the whole world, may continue with unchanging faith in the confession of your name.

The day the Syro-Malabar ‘liturgy war’ didn’t end

The%20day%20the%20Syro-Malabar%20%27liturgy%20war%27%20didn%u2019t%20endCOPPEN: The Syro-Malabar Church is the second-largest of the 23 Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with Rome after the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. Priests in this ancient Eastern Church, based in Kerala, southern India, originally celebrated the Eucharistic liturgy facing east...

Postcards from Italy: A classic example of John Paul II’s charge to ‘learn Rome’

Postcards%20from%20Italy%3A%20A%20classic%20example%20of%20John%20Paul%20II%u2019s%20charge%20to%20%u2018learn%20Rome%u2019%20%7C%20CruxALLEN: There’s a decidedly non-PC expression in idiomatic American English which holds, “You can’t swing a cat without hitting x.” It’s used to denote ubiquity, as in, it’s impossible to avoid this particular item or quality. Rome, legendarily, is a city in love with its stray cats, so my own application of the phrase is perhaps especially on point: “You can’t swing a cat in Rome without hitting some aspect of Catholic history.”

Son of Mary: A Reflection on the Upcoming 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Son%20of%20Mary%3A%20Scott%20Hahn%20Reflects%20on%20the%20Fourteenth%20Sunday%20in%20Ordinary%20Time%20%u2013%20St.%20Paul%20CenterHAHN: As we’ve walked with the Apostles in the Gospels in recent weeks, we’ve witnessed Jesus command the wind and sea, and order a little girl to arise from the dead. But He seems to meet His match in His hometown of Nazareth. Today’s Gospel is blunt: “He was not able to perform any mighty deed there.” Why not? Because of the people’s lack of faith. They acknowledged the wisdom of His words, the power of His works. But they refused to recognize Him as a prophet come among them, a messenger sent by God.

If you want to understand how geography affects civilization, start with Chile — a country that’s so long, it’s curved

Why Is Chile So Long? - by Tomas Pueyo: Chile is so long, it's curved. Chile is as long as the US and Canada combined. Chile is as long as all of Europe! It can stretch from Norway to Morocco. From London to Baghdad! You can stack over a dozen European countries in Chile north to south. Of course, that means Chile has every possible climate. Chile is so long because of the Andes. Here's a map of elevation in South America...

How was popcorn discovered?

How Was Popcorn Discovered? | Discover Magazine: You have to wonder how people originally figured out how to eat some foods that are beloved today. The cassava plant is toxic if not carefully processed through multiple steps. Yogurt is basically old milk that’s been around for a while and contaminated with bacteria. And who discovered that popcorn could be a toasty, tasty treat?

Lourdes Bishop Says He Wants to Tear Down Rupnik Mosaics — But ‘Strong Opposition’ Is Delaying Final Decision

Lourdes%20bishop%20wants%20to%20tear%20down%20Rupnik%20mosaics%20%u2014%20but%20not%20yet%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20AgencyMARES: The bishop of Lourdes said Tuesday that he personally believes that the Marian shrine’s mosaics by alleged abuser Father Marko Rupnik should be removed but is holding off on making a final decision on the mosaics’ fate in the face of “strong opposition.” Bishop Jean-Marc Micas of Tarbes and Lourdes issued a statement on July 2 explaining that more time is needed...

Vatican to Publish Instrumentum Laboris for October’s Synod on Synodality Meeting

Vatican%20to%20publish%20Instrumentum%20Laboris%20for%20October%u2019s%20Synod%20on%20Synodality%20meeting%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20AgencyBROCKHAUS: The Vatican will publish next week the guiding document for discussions at the final assembly of the Catholic Church’s yearslong Synod on Synodality. The Instrumentum Laboris, or “working tool” for the upcoming 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, will be presented at a July 9 press conference by Cardinals Mario Grech and Jean-Claude Hollerich...

I filmed plants for 15 years. This time-lapse compilation will fill you with wonder and awe...

New Advent: I filmed plants for 15 years. This time-lapse compilation will fill you with wonder and awe...: 5583 days (15,3 years) of growing in total. This is a compilation of some of my favorite videos I've done in the last 4 years, in no particular order. Many more to come!

On the Road With Jesus: A Pilgrim Travels Many Roads to Indianapolis

On the Road With Jesus: A Pilgrim Travels Many Roads to Indianapolis| National Catholic Register: The Seton Route of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage reached the midpoint of its 65-day trek exactly one month before the National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis. That was a fitting occasion to form some impressions of what it is like on the road, traveling with the Eucharistic Jesus from New Haven, Connecticut, to Indianapolis.

Vatican issues strict new rules for employees, from tattoos and piercings to cohabitation

Vatican issues strict new rules for employees, from tattoos and piercings to cohabitation - Catholic Herald: Employees at St. Peter’s Basilica may not have visible tattoos or piercings, and theoretically could be suspended if they do, according to new rules issued on 29 June. The new rules also require basilica employees to “commit to adhering to principles of exemplary religious and moral conduct”, including not cohabitating outside of marriage...

Some Bach, the News, and Sparklers in a Safe

Some Bach, the news, and sparklers in a safeJDFLYNN: Before 1969, July 2 had been celebrated in the Roman Calendar as the feast of Visitation, which commemorates Mary’s visit to her cousin Elizabeth, and her proclamation of the Magnificat. But the timing of the feast had always been a bit odd, because — since it was first celebrated by Franciscan in the 1200s, and then added to the universal calendar in 1389...

Arrested for Reading the Bible: Armenian Christian Sentenced to 10 Years in Iranian Prison

Arrested for Reading the Bible: Armenian Christian Sentenced to 10 Years in Iranian Prison| National Catholic RegisterAZARIAN: An Armenian citizen will serve 10 years in an Iranian prison after being prosecuted for alleged Christian evangelism. An Iranian judge sentenced Hakop Gochumyan to prison in February 2024 for committing “illegal Christian activities.” The judge invoked Article 160 of Iran’s Islamic Penal Code, which allows for decisions based on “personal intuition.”

But I Digress: A Nursing Pinning Reflection

But I Digress: A Nursing Pinning Reflection | God-Haunted LunaticBECKER: Remember when I got to address you at your White Coat ceremony? Your first clinical courses were just under way, and maybe you were wondering if you’d survive until this day. But you did! All the late-night study sessions and early clinicals, so many exams and papers, the good times and the not so good times, but now the joy – and relief – of here and now. You made it indeed! Praise God!

‘No Magic Money Tree in the Vatican Gardens’: Roman Curia Budget Black Hole Swallows Peter’s Pence

Vatican%20budget%20black%20hole%20swallows%20Peter%u2019s%20Pence: Peter’s Pence, the annual collection to support the work of the Holy Father, reported an uptick in donations for 2023, but allocated nearly 90% of revenue to Vatican operating expenses. And although voluntary donations climbed after 2022, total revenue to Peter’s Pence in 2023 nearly halved, after the fund disposed of millions of euros in real estate assets to help cover the operations of the Roman curia the previous year.

7 Natural Wonders You Can See Only in Summer

7%20Natural%20Wonders%20You%20Can%20Only%20See%20in%20Summer%20%u2014%20Daily%20Passport: For many travelers, summer is the most anticipated season of the year. It’s a time associated with warmer weather, outdoor activities, and epic vacations. And, luckily, it’s also when Mother Nature adds an extra magic touch to the natural world. From magnificent lavender blooms to a spotted lake and a rainbow river, these are seven natural wonders you can only see in summer.

Fort Wayne, Indiana, has the largest ‘sensory-friendly’ Mass in the United States

Fort Wayne Has the Largest Sensory-Friendly Mass in the USA | FrMatthewLCSCHNEIDER: St. Vincent de Paul parish in Fort Wayne, Indiana, has the most highly attended sensory-friendly Mass I know of. They have 400-700 people on an average Sunday. They have been going for just under 3 years and have grown big mainly through word of mouth. I interviewed Sarah Olson, one of the organizers, about it...

Does your life ever feel gray? Try cultivating beauty. I promise it helps...

%283%29%20Does%20Life%20Ever%20Feel%20Gray%3F%20Try%20Cultivating%20Beauty%u2014Aesthetic%20and%20Ethical.%20I%20promise%20it%20helps.DANIELGORDON: What is beauty? That is a surprisingly complex philosophical question. But there are a few things we can say about it from the perspective of ancient and medieval philosophy. Plato and many of his successors in the Neo-Platonic philosophical tradition wrote about beauty. Plotinus and Proclus also wrote about the hierarchy of beauty as did Plato in the Symposium...

An Often Overlooked Key in Forming Our Children: Admonition

An Often Overlooked Key in Forming Our Children: Admonition - LifeCraftCUDDEBACK: A central issue in parenting is discovering our role in the moral formation of our children. How do we best go about doing our part in helping them become the people we so want them to be? This is of course a complex question, and perhaps the first thing to realize is that we will need to reflect, pray, and take counsel about it, for as long as we’re parents...

Culturally punished into the light of Christ

Culturally punished into the light of Christ | Catholic CultureMIRUS: In a bizarre news story out of Belgium, a court has ruled that two Catholic bishops must pay financial damages to a woman who was denied a place in a training program for deacons. The logic of the ruling was that the Church’s teaching that only men can be ordained to the diaconate applies only to their ordination, not to admission to a training program which women might find to be otherwise useful.

Welcome budget cuts for the US bishops’ justice-and-peace office

Welcome%20budget%20cuts%20for%20the%20US%20bishops%u2019%20justice-and-peace%20office%20%7C%20Catholic%20CultureLAWLER: This week the US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) announced cuts in the staff of their Justice, Peace & Human Development office. Although the USCCB did not disclose exactly how many staffers would be laid off, insiders said that the cuts would be deep: perhaps half of the entire justice-and-peace staff. The announcement caused deep consternation among liberal Catholics, who saw the move as almost a repudiation of the leadership of Pope Francis, if not an outright rejection of Catholic social teaching...

Carlo Acutis and 14 Blesseds Approved for Canonization; Ceremony for 11 ‘Martyrs of Damascus’ Slated for Oct. 20

Carlo Acutis and 14 Blesseds approved for canonization - Vatican News: The College of Cardinals gathered with Pope Francis on Monday morning in the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace for an Ordinary Public Consistory. The Pope led the Cardinals residing in Rome in praying Mid-Morning Prayer of the Liturgy of the Hours before they proceeded to review the causes of canonization of several Blesseds.

God Knows We Exist

God Knows We Exist | Catholic CulturePOKORSKY: Top-rated comedians have a keen eye for absurdities. Their clever skepticism may explain why many are atheists. Thoughtful atheists exalt reason and exclude the content of faith, the acceptance of credible authority. The atheist (like Ricky Gervais) demands, “Show me the evidence of God’s existence.” Evidence abounds, of course. But we need faith...

Is Extraterrestrial Life Compatible With Christianity?

New Advent: Is Extraterrestrial Life Compatible With Christianity?TSAKANIKAS: In light of the recent congressional hearings on UFOs, Dan and Catherine engage in a thought-provoking conversation with theologian, Dr. Matthew Tsakanikas on extraterrestrial life. They delve into the available data on UFOs and contemplate the implications that extraterrestrial life would have on Christianity. Drawing from the wisdom of C.S. Lewis and Thomas Aquinas...

What every Catholic should know about intentions, motives, and what makes for a valid sacrament

Intentions%2C%20motives%2C%20and%20what%20makes%20for%20a%20valid%20sacrament%20%u2013%20Tony%20Lusvardi%2C%20S.J.LUSVARDI: The question of invalid baptisms has been in the news recently. In my commentary on the question in La Civiltà Cattolica, I pointed out that the Vatican’s most recent document on the question, Gestis verbisque, gives renewed attention to the minister’s intention. For a sacrament to be valid, a minister must intend to do what the Church does when celebrating that sacrament...

Pope Francis to Canonize Elena Guerra, Marie-Léonie Paradis, Giuseppe Allamano and 11 ‘Martyrs of Damascus’ on Oct. 20

Pope%20Francis%20to%20canonize%20%u2018Martyrs%20of%20Damascus%2C%u2019%20three%20others%20on%20Oct.%2020%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20Agency: Pope Francis will celebrate a Mass of canonization for 14 people, including the 11 “Martyrs of Damascus,” on Sunday, Oct. 20, the Vatican announced Monday. The pope declared the date of the canonization, which will take place during the 2024 assembly of the Synod on Synodality, after the College of Cardinals voted to approve the canonizations of 15 people in a consistory on the morning of July 1.