‘A Bible Made of Stone and Glass’: Chartres Cathedral Celebrates 1,000 Years of Its Foundation

%u2018A%20Bible%20Made%20of%20Stone%20and%20Glass%u2019%3A%20Chartres%20Cathedral%20Celebrates%201%2C000%20Years%20of%20Its%20Foundation%7C%20National%20Catholic%20Register: Notre Dame of Chartres Cathedral in France, a Christian landmark since the Middle Ages, is currently celebrating the first millennium of its foundation. This Marian shrine, whose fame almost equals that of Notre-Dame de Paris, will host a series of religious and artistic celebrations until Aug. 15, 2025.

Surrounded by Halloween witchery, Catholics in Salem wage a battle for souls

Surrounded by Halloween Witchery, Catholics in Salem Wage a Battle for Souls| National Catholic RegisterMATTMCDONALD: On an unseasonably warm October afternoon in the Witch City, America’s unofficial Halloween capital, thousands of people are passing by a lay Catholic street preacher. Some are wearing skin-tight black skeleton costumes, others vampire hoods and makeup, and some look like demons. Most are revelers, celebrating Halloween a little early. But others have intense looks on their faces, as if this is game day.

Humanistic individualism, like Communism, is false — and John Paul II’s Christian vision of man is true...

St%20John%20Paul%20II%u2019s%20Anthropological%20Prescription%20-%20Diocese%20of%20WestminsterMACKENZIE: St John Paul II is widely accepted as having made a major contribution to the 1989 downfall of the Soviet regime. For him this was the victory of the Christian vision of the human person over the Marxist one. The truth about Man 'will out' as long as we are 'not afraid' to live and teach it...

From DC’s Hall of the Americas, Helen Alvaré and others speak on Religious Freedom

New%20Advent%3A%20From%20DC%u2019s%20Hall%20of%20the%20Americas%2C%20Helen%20Alvar%E9%20and%20others%20speak%20on%20Religious%20Freedom: “Celebrating the International Day of Religious Freedom: Guarantee of Human Rights and the Common Good” was organized by the Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to the Organization of American States.

A person should eat well. This requires 2 arts and 2 virtues...

To Eat Well: 2 Arts and 2 Virtues - LifeCraftCUDDEBACK: So much of what it is to be human is at stake in how we eat. No wonder we need several arts and virtues really to do it well. Thomas Aquinas has much to say about eating. A starting point is how the art of medicine, rightly understood and practiced, should have a key role in what we eat...

Pope’s Wednesday Audience: Confirmation Is the ‘Sacrament of Witness,’ Not the ‘Sacrament of Goodbye’

Pope%20Francis%3A%20Confirmation%20is%20the%20%u2018sacrament%20of%20witness%2C%u2019%20not%20the%20%u2018sacrament%20of%20goodbye%u2019%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20Agency: Pope Francis addressed thousands of international pilgrims in St. Peter’s Square on Wednesday, urging them not to turn the sacrament of confirmation into their “last rites” as Catholics but to use it as “the beginning of an active participation in the Church.”

What the NY Times missed in the latest encyclical: The whole point

What the NY Times missed in the latest encyclical: the whole point | Catholic CultureLAWLER: In his book The Naked Public Square, the late Richard John Neuhaus observed that American newspapers in the past could and would regularly summarize the sermons preached at major urban churches. It was taken for granted that a competent reporter would be capable of discerning the important theological themes.

St. Mark Ji Tianxiang received no sacraments for 30 years because of his opium addiction. Now he’s canonized...

St. Mark Ji Tianxiang, the Opium Addict Who Became a Saint| National Catholic RegisterSIMONSON: The young boy yawned as he rose from the bare floor of the crowded prison cell. He saw the old man, 66 years of age, standing by the window. The old man’s contemplative gaze fixed upon the dark blue of a morning sky through the window. The boy toed around those lying around on the floor, fellow prisoners, and tapped the old man. “Grandpa, where are we going?” the boy asked.

Woman Who Lost Husband on Honeymoon Marks First Wedding Anniversary With Striking Video

Woman Who Lost Husband on Honeymoon Marks 1-Year Wedding Anniversary| National Catholic RegisterMURPHY: The beautiful fairy-tale love story of Mari and Nathaniel Kuhlman ended way too soon, due to the tragic death of the groom on their honeymoon, but a moving video posted to Instagram yesterday marking the one-year anniversary of their wedding day is an amazing tribute to the testament of true love and the sacrament of marriage. Set to the emotive tones of the theme music from Pixar’s Up, the video shows the first moments between them, together as a couple after their wedding...

Hard times a’ comin’, whoever wins

Hard%20times%20a%u2019%20comin%u2019%2C%20whoever%20wins%20%7C%20Denver%20CatholicWEIGEL: Shortly after taking office, British foreign secretary David Lammy described the “nature crisis” as a greater threat than terrorism because the nature crisis is “more fundamental,” “systemic,” “pervasive,” and “accelerating toward us at pace.” The Rt. Hon. Member for Tottenham was right. He just had the wrong “nature” in mind.

I was raised Wiccan — here’s how I found my way to Jesus Christ and His Catholic Church

Peace Be With My Soul, Too - The Coming Home Network: I grew up in the beautiful mountains of Colorado with loving parents. We were not religious at all; in fact, our family had an anti-Christian attitude. I believed in an impersonal God and had a deep devotion to angels, though I am not sure where those beliefs originated. My parents worked hard to provide for my brother and me, and they instilled in us a strong sense of right and wrong. We were a tight-knit family.

The Forgotten Christian ‘Braveheart’ Who Delivered the West from Islamic Terror

The%20Forgotten%20Christian%20%u2018Braveheart%u2019%20Who%20Delivered%20the%20West%20from%20Islamic%20Terror%20-%20The%20Stream: Today in history, a man who would come to be known as the “Albanian Braveheart” delivered his homeland — and by extension, all of Europe — from a brutal Muslim siege following a series of mindboggling events.

I Like Luce

I like LuceJDFLYNN: I like Luce. I think she’s a fun piece of pop art with accessible symbolism, and I hope they retail a funko pop version of her so I can buy one for my kids. And if you’ve spent the last 24 hours posting online that Luce is a symbol of everything wrong with contemporary Catholicism, I think you should take a breath and chill out a little bit.

Women Deacons, ‘Sexuality’ and More: Here’s How the Synod Final Document Changed From the Draft

Women%20Deacons%2C%20%u2018Sexuality%u2019%20and%20More%3A%20Here%u2019s%20How%20the%20Synod%20Final%20Document%20Changed%20From%20the%20Draft%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterLIEDL: When the final document of the Synod on Synodality’s was confirmed on Oct. 26, it emphasized that the possibility of women deacons remains unsettled. “The question of women’s access to diaconal ministry remains open,” reads the document, which was expressly approved by Pope Francis after each of its 155 paragraphs were affirmed by 355 voting members. “This discernment needs to continue.” But that language wasn’t included in the initial draft that members of the monthlong assembly were presented with earlier in the week...

Heroic Priest Reflects on Dodging Death in 42 Years of Missionary Work

Heroic Priest Reflects on Dodging Death in 42 Years of Missionary Work| National Catholic RegisterBARILLAS: Inspired to become a priest when he was 15 years old, Father Christopher Hartley, the scion of a wealthy Englishman and a Spanish noblewoman, credits the example of St. Teresa of Calcutta for leading him to an arduous life as a missionary, currently in southern Mexico. In an extensive interview with the Register, Father Hartley said...

Atheism is fading, but an uglier beast is taking its place. Here’s what it is, and how to fight it...

Atheism Is Fading, But This Uglier Beast Is Taking Its Place| National Catholic RegisterARCHBOLD: As the world confuses us about what a woman is or what human life is, it is the Church’s otherness and steadfast truth-telling that will attract those looking for a firm foundation in the ever-shifting sands. We are the Catholic Church. We believe in prayer. We ask for intercession from saints long dead. We expect miracles. We call on angels and seek protection from demons. We examine prophecies...

Pope Francis’ Fraught Negotiations With the Cultural Left

Pope Francis' fraught negotiations with the cultural leftPOPE: A recent visit by Pope Francis to Belgium illustrates the problems and perils in negotiating with the cultural left. Perhaps no one else has striven so well to reach out to those disaffected with the Church and her teachings. Pope Francis has done this “to a fault” according to many on the cultural right. But, setting aside those grievances, it remains true that...

Cardinal Renato Martino, Longtime Vatican Diplomat, Dies at 91

Cardinal Renato Martino, longtime Vatican diplomat, dies at 91 | Catholic News Agency: Cardinal Renato Raffaele Martino, who served for 16 years as the top Vatican diplomat to the United Nations and headed up two key pontifical councils in Rome for several years, died on Monday at age 91.

Vatican Cuts Monthly Pay for Catholic Cardinals in Rome by About 10%

Vatican cuts monthly pay for Catholic cardinals in Rome | Reuters: The Vatican is cutting the already shrinking pay packages of cardinals who head the Catholic Church's top offices in Rome by about 10% or 500 euros ($540) a month as the pope pursues a "zero deficit" agenda of greater thrift. The cardinals will no longer receive two monthly allowances that are often used to defray the cost of hiring personal secretaries, said a note written by Maximino Caballero Ledo, a Spanish layman who heads the Vatican's finance ministry.

How the New York Times Revealed a Puberty-Blocker Bombshell

A Puberty-Blocker Bombshell | National ReviewCHRISTOPHERMILLS: The New York Times yesterday revealed the simultaneously astonishing and unsurprising news that one of America’s most prominent gender-transition providers, Johanna Olson-Kennedy, has intentionally not published the results of her “multimillion-dollar federal project” on puberty blockers in minors — because she found that “[p]uberty blockers did not lead to mental health improvements.” According to the Times...

Does the Bible Say Whether There Are People in Hell?

Does%20the%20Bible%20Say%20Whether%20There%20are%20People%20in%20Hell%3F%20%u2013%20St.%20Paul%20CenterHARROLD: Sacred Scripture does not tell us the names of any particular individuals who are in hell, but it repeatedly affirms that hell is real and people go there. Acts 24:15, for example, reminds us that “there will be a resurrection of both the just and the unjust.” In 2 Thessalonians 1:9, St. Paul warns about those...

What we know about the Príncipi case, and why it’s a scandal

What%20we%20know%20about%20the%20Pr%EDncipi%20case%2C%20and%20why%20it%u2019s%20a%20scandalCONDON: One month after an extraordinary attempt from the pope’s chief of staff to reinstate a laicized sexual abuser, questions remain about who in the Vatican did what in the case of Alberto Ariel Príncipi. Despite those questions, the Holy See has offered no clear answers on why an order was issued by sostituto Archbishop Edgar Peña Parra which aimed to to restore the twice-convicted child abuser to the clerical state...

‘Radium Girls’: Radiation Poisoning Destroyed Her Body, But God Sustained Her Heart

Radium Poison Destroyed Her Body, But God Sustained Her Heart| National Catholic RegisterGRACEMCKEEGAN: This is the story of a woman who, in the midst of unimaginable suffering, persevered in her Catholic faith. Catherine Wolfe Donohue’s suffering began in her childhood. She was born in Ottawa, Illinois, in 1903. When Catherine was about 6 years old, her mother died. A few years later, her father also died, and Catherine went to live with her aunt and uncle. When Catherine was 14, her older brother passed away.

Father Radcliffe’s Synod Comments on Africa Echo Cardinal Kasper

Father%20Radcliffe%u2019s%20Synod%20Comments%20on%20Africa%20Echo%20Cardinal%20Kasper%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterDESOUZA: Just in time for the New York Yankees’ return to the World Series, the spirit of Yogi Berra is evident in Rome: It’s déjà vu all over again. A northern European cardinal is disparaging African bishops and then distancing himself from his own remarks. In 2014 it was Cardinal Walter Kasper. Ten years later, it is Cardinal-elect Timothy Radcliffe.

This Sunday, 7 Takeaways From the Healing of the Blind Beggar Bartimaeus

This%20Sunday%2C%207%20Takeaways%20From%20the%20Healing%20of%20the%20Blind%20Beggar%20Bartimaeus%20%u2013%20Benedictine%20College%20Media%20%26%20CultureHOOPES: Jesus encounters the blind beggar on the Jericho Road. He is nearing the end of his journey to Jerusalem, a journey that he stays resolutely on, though it leads to his death. The incident described here comes from a famous stretch of road; in fact, it is the road that Jesus’s Good Samaritan parable takes place on. It’s a notorious stretch of road where one would expect to find bandits and rough characters.

In Surprise Move, Pope Ratifies Final Synod Report, Says He Will Not Issue Separate Apostolic Exhortation

Pope%20Francis%20ratifies%20Synod%20on%20Synodality%u2019s%20final%20document%2C%20marking%20new%20approach%20to%20Church%20reform%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20Agency: In a surprising move at the conclusion of the Synod on Synodality on Saturday evening, Pope Francis ratified the final report, approved its immediate publication, and said he will not publish a separate postsynodal document.

‘Dilexit nos’: A brief guide for busy readers

%u2018Dilexit%20nos%u2019%3A%20A%20brief%20guide%20for%20busy%20readersCOPPEN: Pope Francis published the fourth encyclical of his so far 11-year pontificate Thursday. The 141-page, 28,000-word Dilexit nos (“He loved us”) follows 2013’s Lumen fidei (co-written with Benedict XVI), 2015’s Laudato si’, and 2020’s Fratelli tutti. The new encyclical’s incipit, or opening phrase, is drawn from Romans 8:37, in which St. Paul says Christians can overcome every adversity...

Can the Vatican-China deal move forward without looking back?

Can the Vatican-China deal move forward without looking back?CONDON: The Holy See announced Tuesday that it has renewed for four years its “Provisional Agreement regarding the Appointment of Bishops” with the Chinese government — an increase from the prior two-year renewals signed after the deal was originally struck in 2018. The renewal of the agreement comes “in light of the consensus reached for an effective application” of the deal into the future, according to the Vatican’s press statement.

Why actor Sir Anthony Hopkins called California’s Thomas Aquinas College one of the ‘most beautiful places’ he had ever seen

A few moments with Sir Anthony Hopkins ... - by tmattMATTINGLY: Greetings from Wichita, Kansas, where I am in town — as I frequently am — to visit family and to be tempted into buying stacks of books (and icons) at the amazing Eighth Day Books. This time around, I am one of the speakers at the 10th annual Inklings Festival at the Eighth Day Institute. The title of my talk: “The Scariest Five Chapters in the Work of C. S. Lewis.” Anyone want to guess...

When I read this definition of ‘glory’ from St. Thomas Aquinas, it stopped me in my tracks...

What is Glory, and Why It Matters - LifeCraftCUDDEBACK: Can the glory of the sun or the trees, or any bodily or non-personal good really be true glory? It is difficult to express what we might characterize as a moment of crisis, where what we see (and approve!) seems both to demand and show forth something behind it. A something that must be a someone...

Phyllis Zagano Damages Her Own Argument for Female Deacons

Zagano Damages Her Own Argument for Female Deacons | FrMatthewLCSCHNEIDER: Phyllis Zagano is well-known as one of the biggest advocates for female deacons in the Catholic Church. However, she has shown a lack of understanding the concept of Imago Dei (Image of God) in a way that really harms her argument. If she makes a mistake here, it undermines here argument for female deacons. This piece will note Church teaching on the Image of God, point out Zagano’s error, and note another issue she had with fundamental theology principles.

We have to talk about the trend in the Church toward clustering parishes

Cardinal Ambongo: Radcliffe disavows article critical of African bishopsLENCIONI: Something is going on in the Church in America, and other parts of the world, I’m sure, that seems at first glance to be primarily structural or administrative. What I’m referring to is the trend toward combining parishes into clusters or families in order to stretch our clergy after years of declining vocations. A business-person might suggest that the Church simply close enough parishes to make the numbers work...

As Synod’s End Nears, Progressives Brace for Disappointment — And Blame Organizers

As%20Synod%u2019s%20End%20Nears%2C%20Progressives%20Brace%20for%20Disappointment%20%u2014%20And%20Blame%20Organizers%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterLIEDL: For progressive Catholics hoping for dramatic changes in the Church, the Synod on Synodality was supposed to usher in a new springtime. Instead, with the final document set to be approved this Saturday, those who have advocated for things like women deacons and the acceptance of same-sex relations are bracing for a “final cold shower.” That’s the image used by Vatican journalist...

‘He Loved Us’: Pope Francis Releases New Encyclical on the Sacred Heart of Jesus

%u2018He%20Loved%20Us%u2019%3A%20Pope%20Francis%27%20new%20encyclical%20on%20the%20Sacred%20Heart%20of%20Jesus%20-%20Vatican%20News: “Dilexit nos,” Pope Francis’ fourth Encyclical, retraces the tradition and relevance of thought on “the human and divine love of the heart of Jesus Christ,” calling for a renewal of authentic devotion to avoid forgetting the tenderness of faith, the joy of serving, and the fervour of mission.

Encyclical Letter ‘Dilexit Nos’ on the Human and Divine Love of the Heart of Jesus Christ

Lettera%20Enciclica%20Dilexit%20nos%20del%20Santo%20Padre%20Francesco%20sull%u2019amore%20umano%20e%20divino%20del%20Cuore%20di%20Ges%F9%20CristoCOATOFARMS: “He loved us”, Saint Paul says of Christ, in order to make us realize that nothing can ever “separate us” from that love. Paul could say this with certainty because Jesus himself had told his disciples, “I have loved you”. Even now, the Lord says to us, “I have called you friends”. His open heart has gone before us and waits for us, unconditionally, asking only to offer us his love and friendship. For “he loved us first”. 1 Jn 4:10). Because of Jesus, “we have come to know and believe in the love that God has for us”.

Persecution of 10 Catholic Bishops in China Intensified After Vatican-China Deal, Report Says

Persecution of 10 Catholic bishops in China intensified after Vatican-China deal, report says | Catholic News AgencyMARES: A new report sheds light on the repression faced by 10 Catholic bishops in China who have resisted the Chinese Communist Party’s attempt to exert control over religious matters since the 2018 China-Vatican agreement on the appointment of bishops.

Meditation on a Roman Pizza

Meditation on a Roman Pizza| National Catholic RegisterWEIGEL: Pizza in the Eternal City tends to exemplify a proposition I have long defended: What crossed the Atlantic going west was usually improved in the process. I like Roman pizza, as I like Rome, but I like New York pizza, Chicago pizza, Detroit pizza, and just about every other variant of American pizza — Hawaiian excepted — more. Still, when in Rome, do as the Romans. So in recent years...

Gustavo Gutiérrez, Peruvian Dominican Priest and ‘Father of Liberation Theology,’ Dies at 96

Gustavo Gutierrez, Peruvian Dominican priest and liberation theology pioneer, dies at 96 | Catholic News Agency: Gustavo Gutiérrez Merino, the Peruvian Dominican priest considered the ”father” of liberation theology, died Oct. 22 at the age of 96. The Dominican Province of St. John the Baptist of Peru announced the death of Gutiérrez, noting he was the author of the influential 1971 book “A Theology of Liberation: History, Politics, and Salvation.”

Catholic hospitals must witness to the Truth

Catholic hospitals must witness to the Truth | Catholic CultureMIRUS: Given the progress toward sound doctrine and clerical discipline in many dioceses across the United States over the last generation, it has been especially saddening to learn that not enough has been done to improve the fidelity of Catholic health care. In fact, “Catholic” health care in America has become in some cases, and therefore in too many cases, indistinguishable from secular health care...

Anti-Catholic Bias Aside, ‘Conclave’ Is Just Plain Bad

%u2018Conclave%u2019%20review%3A%20Cardboard%20characters%20and%20silly%20plot%20twists: Real conclaves can be long and boring. Films about them don’t have to be. That’s one important takeaway from “Conclave,” a badly written, poorly researched, half-baked mystery that takes itself too seriously but turns at times into unwitting comedy. It is so simplistic, ignorant, and shallow that it feels like it was written for an audience of 12-year-olds.

JPII, the Synod and Stuff, and Little Eustace

JPII, the synod and stuff, and Little EustaceJDFLYNN: It seems appropriate to note today, here at the synod of synods, that Pope St. John Paul II signed in his pontificate 13 post-synodal exhortations, after 13 synods of bishops in Rome. Some of them you’ve likely read before, like Christifideles Laici or Familiaris consortio. Some might be less familiar...

Vatican-China Bishop Deal Renewed for Four More Years

Vatican renews China bishop appointment deal for four more years | Catholic News Agency: The Vatican announced Tuesday that it has renewed its agreement with China on the appointment of Catholic bishops for an additional four years.

The Hillbilly Thomists and the Key to Culture

The%20Hillbilly%20Thomists%20and%20the%20Key%20to%20Culture%20%u2013%20Theology%20of%20HomeGRESS: An article caught my eye this week at Food & Wine explaining how long-shuttered scotch distilleries are reopening. The "ghost distilleries" that dot the untamed Scottish countryside are firing up their stills again and producing the liquid gold that never quite went out of style. Despite shuttering in the 70s, labels like Port Ellen and Brora, saw their reputations increase instead of erased...

Let’s talk about Arminianism from a Catholic perspective

Arminianism%3A%20Calvinism%u2019s%20BIGGEST%20Competitor%21%20%u2013%20Jimmy%20AkinAKIN: One of the biggest schools of thought in the Protestant world is known as Arminianism, and today we’re going to find out if an Arminian would need to change his views in order to become a Catholic. Over thirty years ago, I wrote a piece called A Tiptoe Through Tulip, in which I explored how close a Catholic could be to Calvinism without violating Catholic teaching...

‘Dilexit Nos’: Pope to Publish Encyclical This Thursday on Sacred Heart of Jesus

'Dilexit nos': Pope to publish encyclical on Sacred Heart of Jesus - Vatican News: "Dilexit nos" (He Loved Us) will be Pope Francis' fourth encyclical, and it comes at a time of profound global challenges. The world today is scarred by war, social and economic imbalances, rampant consumerism, and technologies that threaten to undermine human nature. With this document, Pope Francis will call for a change of perspective, urging humanity to rediscover what is most essential: the heart.

Pope Francis Canonizes 14 New Saints, Including 11 ‘Martyrs of Damascus’

Pope Francis canonizes 14 new saints, including priests martyred in Syria | Catholic News Agency: Pope Francis canonized 14 new saints on Sunday, including a father of eight and Franciscan friars killed in Syria for refusing to renounce their faith and convert to Islam.

Father (soon to be Cardinal) Radcliffe says he can’t understand why so many African bishops resist accepting homosexuality

Father%20Radcliffe%20blames%20the%20Russians%u2014not%20the%20Bible%20%7C%20Catholic%20CultureLAWLER: Father Radcliffe would have us believe that the external pressure on Africans culture reflects the financial clout of American Evangelicals and Russian Orthodox. But the missionary efforts of those small groups is miniscule in comparison with the enormous sums that have been poured into Africa by the European Union and the Obama and Biden administrations, whose foreign-aid programs are designed to promote the gay agenda...

The Reformation is over. Come home.

The Reformation is over | Catholic CultureWOLFGANG: To me, October 31st is Halloween. No, not the gruesome Halloween. Not the celebration of the occult that our culture has increasingly leaned into since at least the 1990s. October 31st is, rather, the more innocent Halloween of my 1970s childhood. An opportunity for treats, not tricks. A fun time for our youngest, still in grade school, to dress up in a costume that gets no closer to the occult than, say, Casper the Friendly Ghost.

The pitchforks are out for the German bishops after their ‘farmer-bashing’ study

Pitchforks%20out%20for%20German%20bishops%20after%20%u2018farmer%20bashing%u2019%20studyCOPPEN: Bishops were engaged in damage control this week after a study commissioned by the German bishops’ conference provoked uproar among the nation’s farmers — with many saying they would leave the Church over the controversy. Bishop Rudolf Voderholzer told farming representatives Oct. 15 that the study was published by an expert group without the bishops’ knowledge and did not express his views.

The Rise of Archbishop Fabre?

The rise of Archbishop Fabre?JDFLYNN: When the U.S. bishops’ conference announced on a Tuesday a slate of candidates for committee chairmanships and an executive leadership position, one name may have stood out to some ecclesiastical observers — that of Archbishop Shelton Fabre of Louisville. Fabre’s nomination to chair the USCCB’s domestic and human development committee is the latest nod to a prelate...

Vatican letter settles (and raises) questions about U.S. Mass obligation

Vatican letter settles and raises questions about U.S. Mass obligation: A new legal clarification from the Vatican’s canonical department has raised questions about the U.S. bishops’ conference policy on days of precept — holy days of obligation when Catholics are required to go to Mass — in some circumstances. A copy of a letter issued by the Dicastery for Legislative Texts, responsible for issuing formal interpretations of canon law, addressed to Bishop Thomas Paprocki of Springfield, surfaced online this week...

If ‘The Wild Robot’ is not a perfect movie, it’s the best kind of mostly perfect movie

The Wild Robot (2024) - Decent FilmsGREYDANUS: Watching Chris Sanders’s The Wild Robot, I felt things I haven’t felt in a very long time watching a Hollywood animated movie outside the Spider-Verse: wonder, discovery, joy. If it’s not a perfect movie, it’s the best kind of mostly perfect movie: the kind where the missteps, if they are missteps, don’t diminish the delight of the perfect parts. The perfect parts are the first two-thirds, which play a bit like a lost masterpiece from the era of Pixar greatness

Salazar Shows the Need for the Same Norms for Abusive Bishops

Salazar Shows the Need for the Same Norms for Abusive Bishops | FrMatthewLCSCHNEIDER: The Dallas Charter and norms in every diocese are very clear that a priest who is accused of abuse of a minor is put on administrative leave based solely on the accusation and it is announced at the parishes he served at in case other victims want to come forward. If the accusations are shown to be founded, more likely true than false, or other similar terminology, the priest is laicized...

What Are 10 Things I Should Know About Daniel?

What%20are%2010%20Things%20I%20Should%20Know%20About%20Daniel%3F%20%u2013%20St.%20Paul%20CenterHARROLD: Daniel was one of the many hostages taken from the Jewish aristocracy during the first wave of the Babylonian Exile. Together with three of his close companions—Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah (or, as they are later renamed by the Babylonians, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego)—he was forced to leave his homeland of Judah...

What it means to be “welcome” in the Catholic Church

What%20it%20means%20to%20be%20%u201Cwelcome%u201D%20in%20the%20Catholic%20Church%20%7C%20Catholic%20CultureMIRUS: In the last few days we have seen two instances of high-ranking Church leaders either refusing to speak clearly or deliberately speaking unclearly about the fundamental principles of Catholic faith and morals. Phil Lawler has already commented on the recent failure by Pope Francis to speak truth to transgender power. And our news team has reported the willful distortions of the Church’s position on homosexuality...

40 Years Later, Poland’s Catholics Remember Their Heroic ‘Solidarity Martyr’ — Blessed Jerzy Popieluszko

Poland%u2019s%20church%20remembers%20its%20heroic%20%u2018Solidarity%20Martyr%u2019%20%u2014%20Blessed%20Jerzy%20Popieluszko%20-%20OSV%20News: As 40 years have passed since the murder of Blessed Jerzy Popieluszko, one of their church’s most famous priests, Polish Catholics are urging people everywhere to revisit and learn from his heroic testimony. “He was treated as a criminal and killed by state agents for daring to proclaim the Gospel,” explained Father Jan Sochon, a childhood friend.

The Moms and Dads of the Synod on Synodality

The Moms and Dads of the Synod on Synodality| National Catholic RegisterLIEDL: Earlier this month, Maria Sabov received an unexpected FaceTime call from her 9-year-old son Pavlo while she was in an important meeting. He needed some help with his homework. The 37-year-old mother of three quickly answered her son’s questions about their native Ukrainian language — and then got back to work as a voting member at the ongoing Synod on Synodality in Rome.

3 Years Later, Canadian ‘Mass Graves’ Claims Remain Unproven

3%20Years%20Later%2C%20Canadian%20%u2018Mass%20Graves%u2019%20Claims%20Remain%20Unproven%7C%20National%20Catholic%20Register: Three years after controversy erupted across Canada and internationally over “mass graves” allegedly located near the residential schools for Indigenous children that once operated in Canada, evidence continues to accumulate that these claims lack any factual foundation. This comprehensive absence of substantiation was highlighted in an Oct. 14 article...

Vatican Statistics: Catholic Population Shrinks in Europe, Rises Everywhere Else

Vatican statistics: Catholic population shrinks in Europe, rises everywhere else | Catholic News Agency: The Catholic population in Europe fell by nearly half a million people in 2022 but continued to increase in every other part of the world, according to data released by the Vatican this week.

Touching Death: Mourning Physically through Burial

Touching Death: Mourning Physically through Burial - LifeCraftCUDDEBACK: How we bury our dead is a crucial part of life. We have gotten away from the wise practices of our ancestors. If how they did burial was largely out of necessity, we might still discover just how important those practices are, how much we really need them today. And we can choose them, at least some of them, again. The day we buried my father some years ago was one of the most important days of my life...

Why Does the Bible Never Condemn Slavery as an Institution?

Why%20Does%20the%20Bible%20Never%20Condemn%20Slavery%20as%20an%20Institution%3F%20%u2013%20St.%20Paul%20CenterHARROLD: Many skeptics and even some Christians struggle with the idea that the Bible not only fails to condemn slavery, but actually seems to justify its existence in places. What are we to make of the Mosaic Law’s detailed prescriptions for how slaves are to be treated, for example? And how about St. Paul’s injunction to slaves to “obey in everything those who are your earthly masters” (Col 3:22)? If the Bible is the inspired Word of God, how can it be so complicit in something as evil as slavery?

Archdiocese of Los Angeles Payouts for Clergy Abuse Top $1.5 Billion With New Record Settlement

L.A. Catholic Church payouts for clergy abuse top $1.5 billion with new record settlement - Los Angeles Times: In what could be the closing chapter in a landmark legal battle, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles has agreed to pay $880 million to victims of clergy sexual abuse dating back decades in the largest settlement involving the Catholic Church.

The World’s Loneliness Is an Opportunity for the Catholic Church

The World's Loneliness Is An Opportunity For The Catholic Church - Catholic Missionary Disciples - College Station, TXLEJEUNE: She no longer went to church, yet she told me, “I don’t believe, but I miss having a church community.” She may not have believed any longer, but she still missed the support of a church community and the friendships that came with it. I believe this is not only a problem, but an opportunity. The loneliness of the world is a major opportunity for the modern Catholic Church.

Are Catholic Universities a Good Investment?

Are Catholic Universities a Good Investment?| National Catholic RegisterENGELLAND: Over milkshakes and burgers, one of my student’s fathers said to me that he could not thank me enough for the kind of formation his daughter was getting in the classics and in the faith at my university. He said we were providing her something that he himself could not have provided, and he even suggested that we run a summer program for parents at our satellite campus in Rome.

Live From Rome, It’s Synodality!

Live%20from%20Rome%2C%20it%u2019s%20synodality%21JDFLYNN: Greetings from the Vatican press office, where I arrived this morning to cover the next 10 days of the Vatican’s second session of the final stage synod on synodality. The Pillar’s Edgar Beltran has been here for the first fortnight of this month’s synod on synodality, and when I depart next week, Ed. Condon will be here to cover the final few days...

Sifting the Synod for the Divinity

Sifting the Synod for the Divinity | Catholic CultureMIRUS: Having lived through quite a few synods over the past two generations, most of us are aware that, like all human meetings, they are opportunities for people to try to win approval for their own particular ideas of the best way forward in the situation faced by the institution in question, in this case the Church. And just as with most meetings, the individual participants have a variety of attitudes toward the past...

In 40 years of covering Catholic news, I have never encountered a Vatican story as wild as this one...

When top Vatican officials clash on sex-abuse discipline... | Catholic CultureLAWLER: Have we heard the end of this story? Not likely. Will we ever hear the whole truth about it? Still less likely. Which is why I say that the case is only potentially revealing. Here’s what we do know: The first statement from the Vatican was issued by the Secretariat of State, the most powerful office of the Roman Curia. The Secretariat of State (hereinafter “State”) describes itself as...

Christ Connects the World’s Spring and Autumn

Easter%20in%20autumn%20%u2013%20Catholic%20World%20ReportDEAVEL: Spring or fall? I’ve never been able to make up my mind as to my favorite season. Spring is my official favorite. The season of new life after the cold, the sleep, the death of winter—springtime is the return of green grass and leaves, newborn lambs, and an end to the bulky clothes of winter. Most importantly, spring is Easter. It is the Resurrection of Jesus, the Lamb of God, and an end to the bulky burden of sin. How could I choose otherwise?

From Crystal Cathedral to Christ Cathedral: Major Renovation in Diocese of Orange Completed After 12 Years

From Crystal Cathedral to Christ Cathedral: Major renovation completed after 12 years | Catholic News Agency: The Diocese of Orange in California has officially finished its renovation of Christ Cathedral, a onetime-Protestant megachurch, after more than a decade of work that brings to completion what the diocese calls a “major center of Catholic worship.” The cathedral has been fully operational for five years and currently hosts nearly a dozen Masses in multiple languages every weekend, serving upward of 12,000 Catholics.

New Study of St. Teresa of Avila’s Relics Reveals ‘Incredible’ Initial Findings

1st results from exams of Teresa of Avila's relicsHATTRUP: As Aleteia reported earlier this year, the largest part of the remains of St. Teresa of Avila have been exhumed for analysis and study. The saint’s body remains in the state that it was in the last time it was exhumed, in the early 1900s. Initial findings from these analyses have been reported in an interview with two radiographers, José Antonio Ruiz de Alegría and Fernando de Pablo Arranz, in El Debate.

The Third Crisis of the Church: What It Means and 5 Things You Can Do

(4) Ecclesiology Today - What We Need NowROWLAND: The Cambridge historian Richard Rex has noted that the first great crisis in Christianity was over the nature of the Trinity, especially over the nature of Christ, hence the early Christological heresies. The second great crisis, associated with the Reformation, was over the nature of the Church. This entailed the Protestant attack on sacramentality and the sacred hierarchy...

God or Nothing? Modern Science Points Only One Way, Says French Author

God or nothing? Modern science points only one way, says French author: Michel-Yves Bolloré is the co-author of “God: The science, the evidence,” a new book that aims to lay out the scientific evidence for the existence of God. In a text spanning nearly 600 pages, he and his co-author Olivier Bonassies, argue that factors such as the thermal death and expansion of the universe, as well as its fine-tuning, make the existence of a creator the most rational explanation for its existence.

The Vatican Pushes for Peace as the War in Ukraine Approaches Its Third Winter

The Vatican Pushes for Peace as the War in Ukraine Approaches Its Third Winter| National Catholic RegisterLAFFIN: As the brutal fighting in Ukraine approaches its third winter with no end in sight, the Vatican has once again dispatched Italian Cardinal Matteo Maria Zuppi to push for peace. Cardinal Zuppi, who is Pope Francis’ special envoy to Ukraine, embarked on his second visit to Moscow on Monday, where he will “assess further efforts to facilitate the reunification of Ukrainian children with their families...

Catholic’s Ministry Is Collecting Used Religious Objects to Give to Churches in Need of Them

Catholic%u2019s%20ministry%20is%20collecting%20used%20religious%20objects%20to%20give%20to%20churches%20in%20need%20of%20them%20-%20OSV%20NewsLATONA: While cleaning out your house or a loved one’s, you come across a batch of rosaries, crucifixes and other religious artifacts. You hesitate to throw them out, recoiling at the thought of treating such spiritually significant items as mere garbage. Yet you may not wish to keep them for yourself. What to do?

Neutrality and Nobility: How the Order of Malta Runs Its Diplomatic Service

Neutrality and Nobility: How the Order of Malta runs its diplomatic service: The Sovereign Military Order of Malta has, for 900 years, existed in a unique legal space. Founded as a hospitaller order of noble knights during the middle ages, it eventually found itself as the sovereign rulers of various territories, including the islands of Rhoades and of Malta, finally losing control of its namesake territory during the Napoleonic Wars.

How ‘Special Interest Advocacy’ Works at the Synod on Synodality

How%20%u2018Special%20Interest%20Advocacy%u2019%20Works%20at%20the%20Synod%20on%20Synodality%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterLIEDL: In the next day or two, don’t be surprised to see a fresh round of news stories about support for ordaining women at the Synod on Synodality. It’s a reasonable prediction, given that, earlier today, an advocacy group blasted out an email, obtained by the Register, inviting synod delegates to join them tomorrow at an event promoting the cause...

How to Make a Family Necrology — and Why You Should Do It

A Catholic Life: Why & How to Make a Family Necrology: A necrology refers to a list or record of individuals who have died, especially within a specific community, organization, or during a particular time period. In the context of the Church, religious orders will keep necrologies to record the anniversary of the death of the members of the Order. This gives the community the opportunity to remember to pray for the repose of the soul of its members – even members who died long before the current members were alive. In so doing, we are performing a spiritual work of mercy for souls.

Archaeologists Uncover One of the World's Oldest Churches: ‘Sensational Testimony to Early Christianity’

Archaeologists uncover one of the world's oldest churches: "Sensational testimony to early Christianity" - CBS News: Archaeologists have unearthed the remains of an Armenian church dating back almost 2,000 years, making it the oldest structure of its kind in the country and one of the oldest in the world. Germany's University of Münster, which partnered with a team at the Armenian academy of Sciences on the archaeological dig, announced the discovery Friday and called it "a sensational testimony to early Christianity in Armenia."

The 4 Forgotten Martyrs of the American Southwest

The 4 Forgotten Martyrs of the American Southwest| National Catholic RegisterBEER: July 17, 1781, in Yuma, Arizona, was, like virtually all July days along the lower Colorado River, filled with bright sunshine and extreme heat. Soon it also would be filled with the screams of warriors, the musket shots of soldiers, and the moans of the dying. The Quechan Indians had risen up against the Spaniards among them...

Catholic Priest Celebrates Mass Atop All 54 of Colorado’s Soaring 14ers

Catholic%20priest%20has%20celebrated%20Mass%20atop%20all%20of%20Colorado%u2019s%2014ers%20%u2014%20its%20highest%20peaks%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20AgencyFENTON: The state of Colorado is home to 54 “14ers” — mountain peaks that are at least 14,000 feet above sea level. The difficulty of these summits ranges from easy to what many would consider dangerous. Many Coloradoans have completed at least one 14er, but Father John Nepil, the vice rector and a professor of theology at St. John Vianney Theological Seminary in the Archdiocese of Denver, is one of the few who can say he has summited all 54 peaks — not once but twice.

Carry No Purse, No Bag, No Sandals...

Ditching your purse, bag and sandals Neal Obstat Theological OpiningNEAL: Today’s Gospel at Mass had me thinking about a homily I heard a few years ago in Omaha on Luke 10:4, which contains Jesus’ instructions for the disciples as he sends them out on mission: “Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals.” How does ditching your purse, bag and sandals even work for me? Not a rejection of legitimate self-defense, possessions. It’s a mindset. Priorities. Different for each, detachment is the key. Not being possessed by possessions...

What Does Heaven Cost? A Homily for the 28th Sunday of the Year

What Does Heaven Cost? A Homily for the 28th Sunday of the Year - Community in MissionPOPE: A rich man asks Jesus, Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life? Jesus decides to follow up on the man’s premise, saying to him, You know the commandments: You shall not kill; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness; you shall not defraud; honor your father and your mother.

Pope’s Sunday Angelus: ‘True Wealth Is to Be Looked Upon With Love by God’

Pope at Angelus: True wealth lies in being loved by God - Vatican News: In his Angelus reflection on the Sunday Gospel, Pope Francis focused on two actions of the rich young man who asked Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life. First, the Pope said, the young man runs to Jesus, but afterwards, he goes away. The Holy Father noted the unnamed man initially went “running” to Jesus, urged on, the Pope said, by dissatisfaction or restlessness...

Pope Francis Writes Letter to New Cardinals: ‘You Express the Church’s Unity’

Pope%20Francis%20writes%20letter%20to%2021%20new%20cardinals%20in%20College%20of%20Cardinals%3A%20You%20express%20the%20Church%u2019s%20unity%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20Agency: Pope Francis expressed in a letter Saturday a desire that each of the 21 new cardinals to be added in December will be more of a “servant” than an “eminence.”

Mater Et Magistra, La Suprema, and Disordered Desire

Mater et magistra, la suprema, and disordered desire: Happy Friday friends, and a very happy feast of St. John XIII to all who celebrate — and all of you should. Papa Roncalli is best remembered as the pope who convoked Vatican Council II, and in that sense at least I tend to think of him as at least co-patron saint of this era in the life of the Church...

Doctrine Dicastery Overturns Vatican Ruling in Priest Laicization Case

Doctrine dicastery overturns Vatican ruling in priest laicization case - OSV News: The Vatican’s doctrine office has mandated the laicization of an Argentine priest accused of sexually abusing minors, overturning a surprise ruling from the Vatican Secretariat of State that imposed limitations on the priest’s activities.

How ‘Wir sind Papst!’ Became a Headline for the Ages

How%20%u2018Wir%20sind%20Papst%21%u2019%20became%20a%20headline%20for%20the%20agesCOPPEN: Hours after Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was elected pope in 2005, the German journalist Georg Streiter came up with a headline that’s still remembered almost 20 years later. Streiter, the political editor of the Bild newspaper, condensed Germany’s excitement at the election of its first native son in 482 years into three words: “Wir sind Papst!” (“We are pope”).

Growing Seeds of Faith in America: Catholicism in ‘A Tree Grows in Brooklyn’

(4) Growing Seeds of Faith in America - by Susanna SpencerSPENCER: Sadie stood on the boat, heavy with child, a toddler clinging to her hand, the shores of France shrinking into the distance. It had been weeks already since she had left her home in Lebanon—where she had lived with her fellow Christians in fear and poverty due to Ottoman persecution. At the age of eighteen, she was going with...

3 Simple Rules for the Rosary, from Actor David Henrie (‘Wizards of Waverly Place,’ ‘How I Met Your Mother’)

David Henrie's 3 simple rules for the RosaryBRISCOE: As Catholics around the world celebrate October, the month of the holy Rosary, actor and director David Henrie recently shared with Our Sunday Visitor how this powerful prayer has impacted his life. Known for his roles in Disney’s “Wizards of Waverly Place” and the CBS sitcom “How I Met Your Mother,” Henrie has been open about the central role that the Rosary plays in his personal and family life...

This Sunday, Give Up the Lie: Meet Jesus and Offer Him Your True Self

This%20Sunday%2C%20Give%20Up%20the%20Lie%3A%20Meet%20Jesus%20and%20Offer%20Him%20Your%20True%20Self%20%u2013%20Benedictine%20College%20Media%20%26%20CultureHOOPES: Too often, when we look in the mirror, we see a dream version of ourselves instead of what is in front of our eyes. We so badly want to be the “best version of ourselves” that this is all we see. But then, when we get a glimpse of our true selves, it can be jarring — like seeing a picture of ourselves and saying, “Yikes. I thought I looked better than that!”

Why the Príncipi Case Matters

Why the Principi case mattersCONDON: The Vatican Secretariat of State’s “extraordinary procedure” to reinstate a laicized priest, blocked this week by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, may prove to be the most significant Vatican story of the year. Little is known, as yet, about why sostituto Archbishop Edgar Peña Parra issued an order trying to reinstate a man convicted of child sexual abuse by two interdiocesan tribunals in Argentina. But his decision to do so, and the DDF’s move to publicly void the attempt, raises real questions about the role of Pope Francis, the rule of law, and the exercise of power in the Vatican...

Report: Nearly 150 Catholic Hospitals Provided Transgender Surgeries or Drugs to Children

Report: Nearly 150 Catholic Hospitals Provided Transgender Surgeries or Drugs to Children| National Catholic Register: Nearly 150 Catholic hospitals across the United States provided children with hormone therapy or performed gender-transition surgeries on them between 2019 and 2023, contradicting Church teaching and the U.S. bishops’ prohibition on Catholic health-care providers offering such interventions, according to data published this week by a medical watchdog group.

Jesus Does Not Follow the Science

Jesus Does Not Follow the Science | Catholic CulturePOKORSKY: Patients use Internet medical portals to make appointments, ask questions of medical personnel, and check laboratory results. But do the medical portal masters follow the science? The portal masters now ask: What was your sex assigned at birth? (Me: “I don’t remember.”) What are your preferred pronouns?

My truth? The real Personal truth is neither mine nor yours

My truth? The real Personal truth is neither mine nor yours | Catholic CultureMIRUS: Back in August, on the Feast of the Assumption, I did a round-up of Six inspiring books to jump-start your inner evangelist. Today I want to return to one page of one of those books, the collection of brief extracts from the addresses and writings of Pope Benedict XVI, God Is Ever New: Meditations on Life, Love, and Freedom. I have just finished using this book as part of my nightly spiritual reading.

States Continue to Report High Levels of Home Schooling After Pandemic Boost, Study Finds

States continue to report high levels of home schooling after pandemic boost, study finds | Catholic News Agency: Home schooling continues to grow even as the pandemic is no longer a contributing factor, according to a September study that found multiple states reaching all-time-high numbers of home-schooled students. The Johns Hopkins School of Education’s Homeschool Research Lab in its 2023-2024 report on home school growth found that 90% of states that shared numbers with the institute reported that home schooling had increased since the previous school year.

Indifference Is Irresponsible

Indifference is irresponsibleWEIGEL: I can understand why many Americans seem dispirited about world affairs. Things are indeed a mess. What I cannot understand, however, is the electorate’s seeming indifference to the global mess: an indifference that manifests itself in our national failure to demand that our wannabe leaders address the new world disorder seriously rather than through sound bites and snarky slogans...

What We Can Learn from Falling Leaves

What We Can Learn from Falling Leaves - LifeCraftCUDDEBACK: Though I love autumn and the fall of leaves, at the same time something in me rebels. Even as I think, “I don’t want to miss their turning,” part of me just wants it to be over. Somehow, like life itself, autumn in its beauty and drama can be just too much. But maybe I need to learn something from the leaves. Hilaire Belloc often puts to words sentiments I had not realized I was feeling...

A Renaissance of Aquinas at 800

A Renaissance of Aquinas at 800 - Word on FireKACZOR: If you were born in 1224, the odds are not in your favor that you’ll have a blow-out 800th birthday celebration. But Thomas Aquinas is the exception to that rule. A recent conference at the University of Notre Dame, “Aquinas at 800: Ad Multos Annos,” brought 580 registered participants from twenty countries to hear more than 150 papers on the work of the great Dominican St. Thomas Aquinas. This was a conference that was a fitting recognition...

‘Go and Fear Nothing’: How Our Lady of Champion’s Message Still Inspires Today

Our Lady of Champion Solemnity - by FB Smit: What would be the perfect destination to commemorate a new life stage? The obvious answer for me was Champion, Wisconsin, to lay my eyes and plant my feet on the site of the first Marian apparition in the U.S. to garner both universal and local church approval. However, the day after dropping off my youngest in college (transition into empty-nesting), instead of jetting off to Champion, I ended up at home in bed sick...

St. Daniel, and Some Trolley Problems

St. Daniel, and some trolley problemsJDFLYNN: On October 10, Thursday, the Church celebrates St. Daniele Comboni, one of the greatest missionaries in modern history. Comboni was an Italian, the fourth of eight children born to very poor landscaper parents. He was the only one of their children to live into adulthood. When he was a teenager, he was struck by novelized accounts he read of the Jesuit missionaries martyred in Japan in the 1700s...

The owner of the White Sox wasn’t really sorry for his losing team

David Mills: The White Sox' owner wasn't really sorry for his losing team | Pittsburgh Post-GazetteMILLS: When I was a kid, a book called “Love Story” became a huge bestseller, and the movie made from the book, with its two heart throb leads, was a huge hit. Together they made popular the line “Love means never having to say you’re sorry.” People invoked it all the time, the way some people quote Bible verses, as an infallible, unquestionable truth. And it’s absolute rubbish...

The Essential Nature of the Church: Communio and Mystery

A%20Primer%20on%20the%20Church%20for%20Healing%20Divisions%20%28Part%20I%29%20%u2013%20The%20Essential%20Nature%20of%20the%20Church%3A%20Communio%20and%20Mystery%20-%20AdoremusTSAKANIKAS: Writing about ecclesiology—a study of the mystery of Christ’s divine life extended into the human family and forming his mystical body the Church—has become more and more complex. Since the Incarnation, the mystery of the Church on earth has had the existential experience of 2,000 years of saints and sinners. That long history has necessitated a lot of distinctions in order to discuss how the Church is holy...

Snubs and Surprises: Making Sense of Pope Francis’ Latest Cardinal Picks

Snubs%20and%20Surprises%3A%20Making%20Sense%20of%20Pope%20Francis%u2019%20Latest%20Cardinal%20Picks%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterLIEDL: Whenever Pope Francis announces a new batch of cardinals, journalists rush to offer an interpretive lens for understanding the selections. The truth is, however, that there is often more than one explanatory thread running through the list of new cardinals — and often through each individual pick themselves. That certainly seems to be the case regarding the 21 new cardinals announced by Pope Francis...

Bases Loaded with History: The Catholic Ties Between the Dodgers and Padres

Bases Loaded with History: The Catholic Ties Between the Dodgers and Padres| National Catholic RegisterCLIFFORD: Dodger Stadium, home of the Los Angeles Dodgers, and Petco Park, home of the San Diego Padres, are just over 120 miles apart, but they’re closer than it seems when considering the Catholic history of the cities they represent. As the National League West-champion Dodgers and Wild Card Padres battle it out in the National League Divisional Series of Major League Baseball, let us look at their shared Catholic history...

Another 4,000 20th-Century Martyrs in Spain Will Be Beatified in Coming Years, Expert Says

Another 4,000 20th-century martyrs in Spain will be beatified in coming years, expert says | Catholic News Agency: Spain has 3,500 beatified martyrs from the religious persecution of the 20th century and another 4,000 could also be beatified in the coming years, according to Father José Carlos Martín de la Hoz, a priest who is an expert in these processes. “A few months ago, at the request of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints...

What is the Catholic Church like in Iran?

What is the Catholic Church like in Iran?: On October 5, Pope Francis announced the creation of 21 new cardinals. Among those selected for a red hat is Archbishop Dominique Mathieu, O.F.M. Conv. of Tehran. By any account, the bishop of Iran’s capital city is a pick from the peripheries of the Church. Iran is far from a hub of Catholicism. In fact, it is one of the least Catholic countries in the world, with Catholics accounting for less than 1% of the population.

What Is the Golden Chain of Salvation?

What%20Is%20the%20Golden%20Chain%20of%20Salvation%3F%20%u2013%20Jimmy%20AkinAKIN: In the Evangelical world, there are two major schools of thought about predestination. One is known as Calvinism, and the other is known as Arminianism. A distinctive claim of Calvinism is that if you ever enter a state of grace, you will never leave it. They refer to this doctrine as perseverance of the saints...

Treasure in Heaven: Why My Father Came to Visit Me One Night — Just After He Died...

Treasure in Heaven — The Catholic ThingMINER: I grew up in a secular household. What’s worse, my parents demanded I attend church – a Methodist church — for Sunday school and then confirmation, which I did. This all happened a long time ago, and my memories are fading. But I cannot recall my parents ever coming to church. Not on Sundays when I sang in the children’s choir or even on the day I was confirmed...

Wisdom and Riches: A Reflection on the 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Wisdom%20and%20Riches%3A%20Scott%20Hahn%20Reflects%20on%20the%20Twenty-eighth%20Sunday%20in%20Ordinary%20Time%20%u2013%20St.%20Paul%20CenterHAHN: The rich young man in today’s Gospel wants to know what we all want to know—how to live in this life so that we might live forever in the world to come. He seeks what today’s Psalm calls “wisdom of heart.” He learns that the wisdom he seeks is not a program of works to be performed or behaviors to be avoided. As Jesus tells him, observing the commandments is essential to walking the path of salvation—but it can only get us so far.

Motherhood and the Power of Vulnerability

LETTERS%20FROM%20THE%20SYNOD%20%u2013%202024%3A%20%234%20%7C%20Xavier%20Rynne%20II%20%7C%20First%20ThingsGRESS: It happened a few weeks after my third child was born, my first son. It had been a difficult pregnancy, with fear of a placental abruption. I recall the doctor’s stern warning over the phone as I watched my daughters’ swimming lessons. “You have twenty minutes to get to a hospital if you start bleeding heavily, otherwise you could both die.” I gulped, unnerved to know...

What Consolation Does God’s Answer to Job Offer to Those Who Are Suffering?

What%20Consolation%20Does%20God%u2019s%20Answer%20To%20Job%20Offer%20To%20Those%20Who%20Are%20Suffering%3F%20%u2013%20St.%20Paul%20CenterHARROLD: Prior to the coming of Christ, the Old Testament book of Job represented humanity’s greatest possible answer to the problem of suffering. Even today, the book continues to offer many profound lessons for how we ought to approach the trials and ordeals which crop up in our lives, not least because the figure of Job himself points forward to the person of Christ.

Do You Hear the Gospel at Mass?

Do You Hear the Gospel at Mass? | Catholic Answers PodcastsAKIN: Not long ago, I was invited to appear on Cross Examined—the podcast of Protestant apologist Dr. Frank Turek—to talk about issues that many Protestants misunderstand about Catholicism. It was very kind of Frank to invite me on his show, and we had a really cordial discussion! Here’s a taste of what a gracious host he was...

‘March to Martyrdom’: Regis Martin on St. Ignatius of Antioch’s 7 Letters on Sanctity

RLR Interview with Dr. Regis Martin: March to Martyrdom: Seven Letters on Sanctity from St. Ignatius of Antioch | Respect Life Radio: "The teaching that best describes St. Ignatius of Antioch....is that the only way to find yourself is if you're prepared to lose yourself and to give everything over to God," explains Dr. Regis Martin. Drawing from his latest book, March to Martyrdom: Seven Letters on Sanctity from St. Ignatius of Antioch, Dr. Martin highlights three key themes from St. Ignatius’ writings: the embrace of impending martyrdom...

A Lutheran Minister Discovers the Rosary

A Lutheran Minister Discovers the Rosary - The Coming Home NetworkKANGAS: This year marks the 11th anniversary of my conversion to Catholicism, the most significant decision of my life. One of the most profound influences on my conversion was the impact of various individual Catholics living the faith. Their witness helped me become open to one of the most challengong aspects of my journey: the Rosary...

The Rosary: Pray it Often, Pray it Fervently, Pray it Well

The Rosary: Pray it Often, Pray it Fervently, Pray it Well - Catholic International University: On the liturgical calendar October 7th is the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. This feast celebrates the naval victory of the Holy League fleet at Lepanto. Their victory in 1571 saved Christian Civilization from defeat at the hands of the Ottoman Empire. Pope Pius V knew well the tremendous importance of resisting the aggressive expansion of the Ottomans and the certain consequences of defeat at their hands...

At Sunday Angelus, Pope Francis Praises Big Families, Urges Married Couples to ‘Be Open to Life’

Pope%20Francis%20praises%20father%20of%208%2C%20says%20couples%20must%20be%20%u2018open%20to%20life%u2019%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20AgencyMARES: “Be open to the gift of life,” Pope Francis urged married couples in his Sunday Angelus address in which the pope described a recent encounter with a father of eight children as “a great consolation.” Speaking from the window of the Apostolic Palace on Oct. 6, Pope Francis asked couples to reflect on whether their married life is fully open to the gift of children.

Pope Francis Prays Rosary for Peace on Eve of First Anniversary of Hamas’ Oct. 7 Attack

Pope%20Francis%20prays%20rosary%20for%20peace%20on%20eve%20of%20first%20anniversary%20of%20Hamas%u2019%20Oct.%207%20attack%20on%20Israel%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20AgencyMARES: Pope Francis presided over a solemn rosary prayer in Rome’s Basilica of St. Mary Major on Sunday evening, invoking the intercession of the Virgin Mary for peace in the world amid an escalating conflict in the Middle East.

Pope Names 21 New Cardinals; List Includes Toronto’s Archbishop Leo and UK’s Father Timothy Radcliffe

Pope Francis names 21 new cardinals | Catholic News AgencyMARES: Pope Francis announced on Sunday that he will create 21 new cardinals, including the archbishops of Tehran, Tokyo, and Toronto, at a consistory on Dec. 8 The 87-year-old pope made the announcement from a window overlooking St. Peter’s Square after reciting the Angelus prayer on Oct. 6.

7-Year-Old’s Final Cry in Hurricane Helene Floodwaters: ‘Jesus, I Hear You’

7-Year-Old%u2019s%20Final%20Cry%20in%20Hurricane%20Helene%20Floodwaters%3A%20%u2018Jesus%2C%20I%20Hear%20You%u2019%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterMATTMCDONALD: A 7-year-old boy called out to Jesus to save him before Hurricane Helene flood waters carried him away earlier this week. Micah Drye’s lifeless body was later found about a quarter-mile away from his home in Asheville, North Carolina. But his mother thinks he was saved nonetheless. “You know, I’m so proud of my son, because in his last moments...

Do You Hear the Gospel at Mass?

Do%20You%20Hear%20the%20Gospel%20at%20Mass%3F%20%u2013%20Jimmy%20AkinAKIN: Not long ago, I was invited to appear on Cross Examined, the podcast of Protestant apologist Dr. Frank Turek, to talk about issues that many Protestants misunderstand about Catholicism. I thought that today I’d follow up on one point that he raised, which is one that we sometimes hear from people who used to be Catholic and have become Evangelical. Here’s how Frank put it.

Mothers and Swiss Army Knives: Seeing the Difference

Mothers and Swiss Army Knives: Seeing the Difference - LifeCraftCUDDEBACK: Few of us reach for our Swiss army knife when we simply want to cut something. Aristotle asserts that nature is not like the Delphic smiths, makers of the original Swiss army knife, “a single knife for all kinds of use,” a knife with which, clearly, he was not impressed. Rather, nature crafts things such that the primary ordination of the thing is not obscured or hindered by other tasks or purposes.

Why St. Francis of Assisi is one of my favorite people who ever lived

New Advent: Why St. Francis of Assisi is one of my favorite people who ever livedSTEFANICK: St. Francis of Assisi truly changed the world with his radical poverty, love of God, and JOY. I am SO excited for this episode on one of my favorite saints! Even better, this episode was filmed over the summer in Assisi while I was leading a pilgrimage through Italy.

Yes and No, Picking a Wife, and Still Dead to Me

Yes and no, picking a wife, and still dead to meCONDON: I cannot be the first father to view their kid as the most beautiful puzzle box ever fashioned by the Divine craftsman, surely. But it doesn’t stop me feeling like the experience of trying to figure this gorgeous little girl out is unique to me. She had a recent birthday, which was lovely and exhausting for all of us in equal measure...

Belgian PM Furious at Pope Francis for Calling Abortion Laws ‘Murderous’ and Abortionists ‘Hired Assassins,’ Summons Papal Nuncio in Protest

Belgium%u2019s%20prime%20minister%20summons%20papal%20nuncio%20over%20Pope%u2019s%20remarks%20on%20abortion: Prime minister Alexander De Croo (Open VLD) has summoned the papal nuncio to Belgium in response to the Pope’s recent remarks regarding abortion. Following his visit, the Pope referred to abortion doctors as “hired assassins” and described the country’s abortion law as “murderous.”

‘New Paradigm’: Personal Experience, Not Moral Absolutes, to Steer Synod Study on Sexuality Questions

Personal%20Experience%2C%20Not%20Moral%20Absolutes%2C%20to%20Steer%20Synod%20Study%20Group%u2019s%20Discernment%20on%20Sexuality%20Questions%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterLIEDL: A study group established by Pope Francis to develop a synodal way of discerning Catholic Church teaching on so-called controversial issues, including sexual morality and life issues, has proposed what it calls a “new paradigm” that is heavy on situational ethics but minimizes moral absolutes and established Church teaching.

Brutal murder of 19-year-old woman has exposed clash between ‘New France’ and Catholic conservative ‘Old France’

Brutal%20murder%20of%2019-year-old%20woman%20has%20exposed%20clash%20between%20%u2018New%20France%u2019%20and%20Catholic%20conservative%20%27Old%20France%27%20-%20Catholic%20Herald: France has in many ways become accustomed to the savagery that has swept the country in the last decade. But the murder of a 19-year-old female student last month may prove a turning point. The young woman, named only as Philippine, was a student in Paris, described by her peers and her lecturers as clever, conscientious and compassionate. A member of the Scouts, Philippine was one of six children all brought up in the Catholic faith.

Hell exists. The threat of condemnation for unrepented mortal sins is real. And this includes priests, popes and cardinals...

Priests in Hell | Catholic CulturePOKORSKY: Most pastors are familiar with the unpleasantries of patrolling parish grounds after dark. After disrupting a young couple seeking privacy in the darkness of the parking lot, a young man rolls down the car window. As he zooms away he yells, “I’ll see you in hell!” Many may not believe in God, but they believe in hell. It’s a good start. The Gospel directs our attention to the reality of hell with the words of Jesus.

What God Has Joined: A Reflection on the 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time

What%20God%20Has%20Joined%3A%20Scott%20Hahn%20Reflects%20on%20the%20Twenty-seventh%20Sunday%20in%20Ordinary%20Time%20%u2013%20St.%20Paul%20CenterHAHN: In today’s Gospel, the Pharisees try to trap Jesus with a trick question. The “lawfulness” of divorce in Israel was never an issue. Moses had long ago allowed it (see Deuteronomy 24:1–4). But Jesus points His enemies back before Moses, to “the beginning,” interpreting the text we hear in today’s First Reading. Divorce violates the order of creation, He says. Moses permitted it only as a concession...

The Pope’s politically-incorrect message to East Timor: Keep having babies

The%20Pope%u2019s%20politically-incorrect%20message%20to%20East%20Timor%3A%20keep%20having%20babies%20%7C%20Catholic%20CultureLAWLER: If you count the flight home, Pope Francis made two shocking statements during his recent trip to Asia and Oceania: first telling an audience in Singapore that all religions are paths to God, then suggesting that Donald Trump and Kamala Harris are morally equivalent. Those two statements were of course highly questionable, and have been widely questioned.

Is Satan the Ruler of This World?

Is%20Satan%20The%20Ruler%20of%20This%20World%3F%20%u2013%20St.%20Paul%20CenterHARROLD: Until Christ’s second coming, this world remains at least partially under Satan’s authority because it remains enmeshed in sin. As 1 John 3:8 reminds us, “He who commits sin is of the devil.” For this reason the New Testament describes Satan variously as “the ruler of this world,” “the god of this world,” and “the prince of the power of the air.” Nevertheless, believers have nothing to fear, since Jesus assures us...

German “Synodality” and the World Church

German%20%u201Csynodality%u201D%20and%20the%20world%20ChurchWEIGEL: In a recent interview with The Pillar, Dr. Frank Ronge, a veteran German Catholic bureaucrat who coordinates the German Synodal Path, described the Synodaler Weg’s rationale and work. Many of those deeply engaged in the Synodal Path imagine it as a model for the world Church – or at least those parts of the world Church that aren’t a bit behind the cultural curve as construed by enlightened Germans. It’s thus worth asking some questions about the German experience...

Pope Calls for Global Day of Prayer and Fasting ‘in This Dramatic Hour of Our History’ on Monday, Oct. 7

Pope Francis calls for global day of prayer and fasting amid escalating conflict in Holy Land | Catholic News Agency: Pope Francis has called for a global day of prayer and fasting on Oct. 7 to mark the one-year anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel amid escalating violence in the region. The pope’s surprise announcement, made at the end of his homily at Mass in St. Peter’s Square on Wednesday, comes the morning after Iran launched hundreds of missiles toward Israel following the launch of the Israeli military’s ground offensive in Lebanon.

Archbishop Charles Chaput is one of the great prophets and teachers of our time

Bishop%20Conley%20Pays%20Tribute%20to%20Archbishop%20Chaput%20%u2014%20%u2018A%20Prophet%20of%20Our%20Time%u2019%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterCONLEY: Today’s Scriptures speak about the generosity of the Holy Spirit, bestowing gifts on those who are near the teacher, Moses and Jesus respectively, so it is fitting that all of us are gathered here in honor of one of the great teachers of our time. Each of us in our own way are beneficiaries of a grace that flowed from his ministry. Each of us is like Eldad and Medad in the Old Testament reading...

4 Saints Who Saw Their Guardian Angels

4 Saints Who Saw Their Guardian Angels| National Catholic RegisterPRONECHEN: We might not see our guardian angels as a handful of saints did, but the Oct. 2 Memorial of the Guardian Angels spurs us on to be close to them and call upon their help. Our Lord Jesus said: “See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father” (Matthew 18:10). And the Catechism reminds us...

Slit throats in Africa. Missing people after Hurricane Helene. What makes a story news?

(4) No news? Massacres in Africa (and floods in my Southern Highlands)MATTINGLY: Please allow me a moment of grief and frustration. I am, you see, worrying about friends who are missing and, to be blunt, no one knows if some of them will be fatalities in the the great Hurricane Helene catastrophe in the mountains of Western North Carolina. But this is a Rational Sheep post. This is a story about mass media, screens culture and our lives.

Who Should Be the Patron Saint of Baseball?

Who Should Be the Patron Saint of Baseball?| National Catholic RegisterFOWLER: Baseball is a game known for its superstitions — and as the MLB playoffs begin Oct. 1, players will certainly be searching for an extra edge to beat their opponents en route to World Series glory. Yet superstition is a “deviation” from true worship of God. However, invoking heavenly intercession is not. But who should Catholic ballplayers turn to for help during the stressful playoff push?

President of Jesuit-Run Gonzaga University Sits on Board of Arlington SSPX Nuns’ Non-Profit

Gonzaga%20president%20on%20board%20of%20Arlington%20nuns%u2019%20non-profit: In the latest development of a story rife with surprises, the president of the Jesuit-run Gonzaga University sits on the board of directors for a recently formed Texas non-profit, which was created to hold property for a controversial convent of Carmelite nuns of Arlington, Texas.

Did the renegade Arlington Carmelites sell their own monastery?

Did the Arlington Carmelites sell their own monastery?: The Carmelite nuns of Arlington, Texas, made headlines again this week, as CBS News reported that the Monastery of the Most Holy Trinity had been given to a non-profit foundation made up of the community’s benefactors and supporters — reportedly to prevent Bishop Michael Olson from attempting to seize the monastery’s property for diocesan use.

Report: China Is Removing Crosses From Churches, Replacing Images of Christ With Dictator Xi Jinping

China is removing crosses from churches, replacing images of Christ with Xi Jinping, per USCIRF report | Catholic News Agency: A new report details the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) efforts to “exert total control” over the Catholic Church and other religious faiths within its borders and to “forcibly eradicate religious elements” that the party deems contrary to its political and policy agenda.