A Path Toward Unity: Pope Francis Proposes Joint Catholic-Orthodox Celebration of Nicaea Anniversary

Pope Francis calls for Catholic-Orthodox unity, joint Nicaea anniversary in letter to Patriarch Bartholomew | Catholic News AgencyWIMMER: Pope Francis has proposed celebrating the 1,700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea together with Orthodox leaders, in a personal letter to Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople. The letter, published by the Vatican on Saturday, was delivered by Cardinal Kurt Koch — who heads the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity — during a visit to Istanbul for the patronal feast of the Orthodox Church.

What Has Jesus Got Against Fig Trees?

What%20Has%20Jesus%20Got%20Against%20Fig%20Trees%3F%20%u2013%20St.%20Paul%20CenterHARROLD: Did Jesus have a grudge against fig trees? Was He clueless about horticultural seasons? Or might there be more going on than meets the eye? The story of Jesus cursing the fig tree is famous for its strangeness. It’s one of those Gospel passages that homilists dread, and for many Christians the whole episode is nothing short of baffling. Famously, the 20th century atheist philosopher Bertrand Russell regarded the cursing of the fig tree as evidence...

One of the most dramatic political events in history unfolded in a Catholic Church...

Anti-Catholic Politician Clings for Dear Life to Altar as Bishop PreachesSTUARTWEISS: A very high-ranking politician in the Eastern Roman Empire named Eutropius lived in the 300’s at the same time as Saint John Chrysostom, who was Archbishop of Constantinople. The Church at this time enjoyed a right that you may have seen in movies: that of sanctuary, or asylum. This allowed the Church the right in the Empire to give shelter to fugitives who fled there seeking refuge. Eutropius was no friend of the Church, and he was also ambitious...

The past, present, and future of Advent

The%20past%2C%20present%2C%20and%20future%20of%20Advent%20%u2013%20Catholic%20World%20ReportDEAVEL: For some Christians, Advent is simply an aid to memory. It is certainly that. It is also much more. For Advent is a season not only of remembering what happened long ago in order to prepare ourselves for the liturgical celebration of Christ’s Nativity, of preparing ourselves to receive Him in our hearts in the sacraments and in prayer...

‘I Came To Cast Fire’ introduces readers to the unique work of René Girard

I%20Came%20To%20Cast%20Fire%20introduces%20readers%20to%20the%20unique%20work%20of%20Ren%E9%20Girard%20%u2013%20Catholic%20World%20ReportCHALK: Is Catholicism still acceptable to the technocratic elites of our secular, post-Christian age? Certainly not the Catholic claim to uniquely know and safeguard absolute truth on faith and morals. Nor in the Catholic Church’s repudiation of the sexual revolution’s claim to universal “rights” of sexual freedom, contraception, or abortion. No, the only safe way to represent one’s Catholic faith in the public square today...

What I learned about America living in a country without Thanksgiving

Christopher R. Altieri: What I learned about America living in a country without Thanksgiving | Pittsburgh Post-GazetteALTIERI: I went overseas for school when I was 20 and I met a girl, and for a quarter-century lived in Rome, where Thanksgiving is just another day. I got used pretty easily to getting up and going to work on the fourth Thursday in November. Looking back on those years, I understand two things more fully now...

This Sunday, the Unexpected Jesus: 4 Takeaways From the First Sunday of Advent

This%20Sunday%2C%20the%20Unexpected%20Jesus%3A%20Four%20Takeaways%20From%20the%20First%20Sunday%20of%20Advent%20%u2013%20Benedictine%20College%20Media%20%26%20CultureHOOPES: This Sunday is the First Sunday of Advent, Year C, and the Church’s readings ask us to prepare for Christmas in a serious, radical way — in many ways by doing the opposite of what the rest of the culture is doing right now. Here are takeaways from this week’s readings, taken from previous This Sunday posts and the Extraordinary Story podcast.

UK Poised to Legalize Assisted Suicide Despite Catholic Outcry

UK Poised to Legalize Assisted Suicide Despite Catholic Outcry| National Catholic RegisterPENTIN: Lawmakers in England and Wales are set to vote Friday on a bill to legalize assisted suicide — a potentially “colossal” change that Catholic leaders and other opponents of the legislation warn would normalize suicide and subject vulnerable people to enormous social pressure to end their lives, despite promised safeguards to curb such coercion.

Sister Wilhelmina’s order expands to English abbey founded by St. Thomas More’s family

Sister%20Wilhelmina%u2019s%20order%20expands%20to%20abbey%20founded%20by%20St.%20Thomas%20More%u2019s%20great-great%20granddaughter%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20Agency: The Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles have opened a new location at St. Mary’s Abbey in Colwich, Staffordshire, England. The Benedictines became well known after the body of their founder, Sister Wilhelmina Lancaster, who died in 2019, was discovered well preserved in 2023.

Prosecutor Confirms Existence of Vatican Dossier on Disappearance of Emanuela Orlandi

Vatican%20confirms%20existence%20of%20secret%20file%20on%20%u2018Vatican%20girl%u2019%20Emanuela%20Orlandi%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20AgencyBROCKHAUS: The Vatican’s chief prosecutor confirmed at a public event on Wednesday that despite prior denials, the Vatican does possess a confidential file on the disappearance of Emanuela Orlandi — the so-called “Vatican girl” who went missing over 40 years ago.

The Soviet Union taught me to give thanks for America

David Mills: The Soviet Union taught me to give thanks for America | Pittsburgh Post-GazetteMILLS: “Ho ho! Pink Floyd!” the fellow said, laughing. “Rolling Stones!” said his companion, also laughing. We’d met in a dark street in a major city, and they wanted to talk to my friend and me, even though talking to us was dangerous. It was 1978, in Kyiv, if I remember right, when the Soviet Union under Leonid Brezhnev, a very bad man at the top of an evil regime, seemed invincible. Some scholars and observers predicted that the totalitarian regime...

Fear All Around Me

Fear all around me | Catholic CultureLAWLER: When I started the car this morning, a message appeared on the dashboard: “Roads may be icy.” Right. We’ve had very little rain here for the last several weeks, and the roads are dry. But the temperature was below freezing early in the morning— as it will be, off and on, for the next three or four months— so the reminder was useful. Noted.

YouTuber Dillon Baker: ‘Is the Protestant Church Dying?’

New%20Advent%3A%20YouTuber%20Dillon%20Baker%3A%20%u2018Is%20the%20Protestant%20Church%20Dying%3F%u2019: A look at trends in Evangelical megachurch culture and the Catholic Church...

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

Thanksgiving Day | USCCB: Brothers and sisters: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I give thanks to my God always on your account for the grace of God bestowed on you in Christ Jesus, that in him you were enriched in every way, with all discourse and all knowledge, as the testimony to Christ was confirmed among you, so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ. He will keep you firm to the end, irreproachable on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, and by him you were called to fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

What Makes the Religious So Happy?

What Makes the Religious So Happy?| National Catholic RegisterLAFFIN: Some might be surprised to learn that religious work leads to greater personal fulfillment than any other profession. But not Msgr. Stephen Rossetti. “Priestly happiness is one of the great secrets of our time,” said Msgr. Rossetti, a research associate professor at The Catholic University of America. “And I’m glad it’s coming out.”

Security experts warn of ‘basic security failures’ after Vatican website crash

Security%20experts%20warn%20of%20%u2018basic%20security%20failures%u2019%20after%20Vatican%20website%20crashBELTRAN: A Vatican website crash last week bears the hallmarks of a cyberattack, security experts say, highlighting the Vatican’s online exposure to the prospect of interference from malicious actors. Most of the Vatican’s website crashed Nov. 19, and remained unavailable for several days in some parts of the world.

‘Intergenerational Healing’ Has No Basis in Catholic Doctrine, Spanish Bishops Affirm

%u2018Intergenerational%20healing%u2019%20has%20no%20basis%20in%20Catholic%20doctrine%2C%20Spanish%20bishops%20affirm%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20AgencyCARDENAS: The Spanish Bishops’ Conference has published a doctrinal note criticizing the practice of so-called “intergenerational healing” or “healing of the family tree” promoted by some Catholic priests. The doctrinal note was published in response to these practices “in some Spanish dioceses, especially in the area of ​​prayers and retreats organized by new religious movements of a charismatic nature.”

Recovering Leisure at Thanksgiving: Planning Spontaneity

Recovering Leisure at Thanksgiving: Planning Spontaneity - LifeCraftCUDDEBACK: It is one of the great crises of our day, the more serious for its being largely unnoticed. The lack of truly ‘free time’ in our life is masked by our referring to chunks of our time as ‘free.’ But for several generations, wise observers have pointed to a radical new way that we live-in and experience time—one that tends to preclude having free time in the richest sense.

Praying Like Saint Augustine

Praying Like Saint Augustine - Word on FireKACZOR: I began with a confession. When I sit down to turn my mind and heart to God, almost immediately I am distracted by a swarm of thoughts that have nothing to do with God. When I should be talking and listening to God, instead my mind turns to taxes, politics, or lunch plans. In this, I am not alone...

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken Visits Vatican to Discuss Middle East and Ukraine With Pope Francis

US Secretary Blinken meets Pope Francis: Vatican talks address Middle East and Ukraine | Catholic News Agency: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Pope Francis on Wednesday morning at the Vatican. While the Holy See did not comment on the nature of the audience, the State Department said discussions focused on ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine amid a broader European diplomatic tour.

The Rise of Religious Young Men

The Rise of Religious Young Men| National Catholic RegisterLONGENECKER: As pastor of a parish in South Carolina, I am witnessing a remarkable trend: Almost every week I receive a call, email or visit from at least one young man interested in learning more about the Catholic religion. They are older teenagers and both single and married men in their 20s and early 30s. So many of them have joined our OCIA class that our parish’s director of faith formation has had to run an extra course in the summer...

A Bride of Christ: A Heavenly ‘Yes’ Echoes Through the Cloister

A%20Bride%20of%20Christ%3A%20A%20Heavenly%20%u2018Yes%u2019%20Echoes%20Through%20the%20Cloister%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterBRUNO: As the autumn sun rose on the eve of the Solemnity of Christ the King, Sister Mary Ana of the Divine Mercy stepped into the sanctuary for the final time as one betrothed, only to emerge as the Bride of Christ. Years of prayerful discernment. ... Years of listening to His gentle, unceasing Call. ... Leading her to this profound moment.

‘The Chosen’ Announces Season 5 Theatrical Release, New Trailer

%27The%20Chosen%u2019%20announces%20Season%205%20theatrical%20release%2C%20new%20trailer%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20Agency: The release of Season 5 of the hit series “The Chosen” was announced Nov. 25 by 5&2 Studios. “The Chosen: Last Supper” is coming to theaters during Lent, in the weeks leading up to Easter.

Blessed Carlo Acutis and the Many Miracles of the Eucharist

Blessed Carlo Acutis and the Many Miracles of the Eucharist | Church Life Journal | University of Notre Dame: The temptation to normalize sanctity comes from a good place. Relatable saints can be imitated. We have a desire to open whatever is the Catholic equivalent of US Weekly’s “Stars—They’re Just Like Us” and see St. Francis of Assisi watering his garden (while suffering from the stigmata). St. Ignatius of Loyola is just your average bro who wanted people to find God in all things (who happened to break out in tears every time that he celebrated Mass)...

Lawyers for St. Jude Relic Tour’s Father Carlos Martins Respond to Allegation of ‘Incident’ in Illinois

Relic%20priest%20responds%20to%20%u2018incident%u2019%20allegation: Lawyers for a priest accused of an “incident” which halted a nationwide relic tour say that Fr. Carlos Martins touched a student’s hair last week to build “rapport,” and that Illinois police are investigating the matter only at the insistence of an “outraged father.”

The Woman, the Alligator, and the Swamp

The Woman, the Alligator, and the Swamp - OnePeterFiveHIMMEL: In his essay, “Why I Had a Mass Offered for Janis Joplin,” Rick Becker suggested we do the same for other deceased personalities who have entertained or inspired us. This would, he noted, be a way of thanking them, and likely win for us their celestial prayers. I was glad Becker promoted such Masses, because I too have had them said...

Pope Cites ‘Amoris Laetitia’ on Doctrine in Synodal Implementation Note

Pope%20cites%20%u2018Amoris%20laetitia%u2019%20on%20doctrine%20in%20synodal%20implementation%20note: Pope Francis cited principles in his 2016 exhortation Amoris laetitia Monday, in a note calling for the synod on synodality’s final document to be implemented in dioceses worldwide. In a roughly 900-word text released Nov. 25, the pope stressed that the global synodal process didn’t end with the synod on synodality’s Oct. 27 closing Mass.

What Do the Revisions to the Papal Funeral Rites Signify?

What Do the Revisions to the Papal Funeral Rites Signify?| National Catholic RegisterGAGLIARDUCCI: Pope Francis, who turns 88 on Dec. 17, now knows exactly what his eventual funeral will be like. The specific details are laid out in the second edition of the Ordo Exsequiarum Romani Pontificis, which was produced by the Office for the Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff and released to the public on Nov. 19...

Smearing Father Carlos Martins

Smearing Father Carlos Martins - Rod Dreher's DiaryDREHER: I begin today with awful news about Father Carlos Martins, the Catholic exorcist I’ve praised recently in this place. The broke over the weekend. You might assume, as I initially did, that “inappropriate conduct involving children” involves sexual misconduct. It’s not true. It’s not remotely true! I gathered more information on the incident — information I am not yet authorized to make public, but will as soon as police finish their investigation — but I can assure you that this is nonsense...

St. Columbanus and the end of life

St.%20Columbanus%20and%20the%20end%20of%20life%20%u2013%20Catholic%20World%20ReportDEAVEL: For Catholics, November is effectively the year’s end and a reminder of our own end. The Church year is one in which we process through a celebration of the mysteries of Christ’s Incarnation. That is why, for many centuries, Catholic countries celebrated their civil New Year on the Annunciation in March. That is why we begin the liturgical year with the period of waiting for the birth of the Christ...

Jesus Christ Is King

Jesus Christ Is King | Parishable ItemsFELTES: Today’s psalm says: “The Lord is King, in splendor robed… Your throne stands firm from of old. ... Your decrees are worthy of trust indeed. ...” The Old Testament prophets agreed. Isaiah said “the Lord is our King, it is he who will save us.” Jeremiah said our God “is the living God, the eternal King.” And Zephaniah said “the King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst.” At the center of human history, when Jesus Christ is born among us, he comes as King as well.

Pope’s Sunday Angelus: ‘Listening to the Lord Brings Light Into Our Hearts and Lives’

Pope at Angelus: Listening to the Lord brings light into our hearts and lives - Vatican News: Pope Francis on Sunday encouraged the faithful to listen to the voice of the King of the universe who made Himself the servant of all and brought hope and light into our lives. Speaking before the recitation of the Angelus prayer on the Solemnity of Christ the King, he reflected on the reading from the Gospel of John (Jn 18:33-37) that calls us to acknowledge Christ’s kingship with our whole lives.

Skull of St. Thomas Aquinas to visit multiple East Coast cities on international tour

Skull of St. Thomas Aquinas to visit Washington, DC, on international tour | Catholic News Agency: The major relics of St. Thomas Aquinas, “The Angelic Doctor,” are on tour and scheduled to make a stop in Washington, D.C., next weekend as part of the commemoration of the 700th anniversary of his canonization.

St. Jude relic tour suspended over Illinois police investigation of ‘Exorcist Files’ priest Fr. Carlos Martins

St. Jude relic tour suspended over police investigation: A St. Jude relic traversing the United States came to a stop this week, while the priest organizing the tour faces an Illinois police investigation over alleged inappropriate conduct involving children. The priest, Fr. Carlos Martins, is well-known for ”The Exorcist Files,” a 2023 podcast series featuring dramatic audio portrayals of allegedly demonic encounters Martins claims to have experienced...

Papal Trip Confirmed: Here Is What Pope Francis Will Do in Corsica on Dec. 15

Papal trip confirmed: Here is what Pope Francis will do in Corsica on Dec. 15 | Catholic News AgencyWIMMER: The Holy See on Saturday confirmed the rumors that Pope Francis will undertake a one-day apostolic journey to Corsica next month — marking the first-ever papal visit to the island most famous for being Napoleon Bonaparte’s birthplace.

How Do I Make Sense of the Book of Revelation?

How%20Do%20I%20Make%20Sense%20Of%20The%20Book%20Of%20Revelation%3F%20%u2013%20St.%20Paul%20CenterHARROLD: Notorious for its complexity, the biblical book of Revelation presents an interpretive challenge to the most diligent of readers. Even St. Jerome, the renowned Scripture translator of the early Church, admitted to finding this book mysterious and perplexing. Although some modern scholars have expressed skepticism, the traditional consensus is that the book of Revelation...

Things can get rough when reporters offend sources and readers

Crossroads -- Things can get rough when reporters offend sources and readersMATTINGLY: The scandals surrounding the life and work of the former, now disgraced, cardinal Theodore McCarrick rumbled in the background of Roman Catholic life for decades — starting in the early 1980s. Insiders whispered, but nothing was done. What precisely went on in those New Jersey shore houses that were bought and sold for the use of McCarrick, and others? There were some documents, linked to lawsuits that were handled behind closed doors...

This Sunday, 5 Takeaways From the Words of Christ the King to Pontius Pilate ... and Us

This%20Sunday%2C%20Five%20Takeaways%20From%20the%20Words%20of%20Christ%20the%20King%20to%20Pontius%20Pilate%20%u2026%20and%20Us%20%u2013%20Benedictine%20College%20Media%20%26%20CultureHOOPES: We celebrate the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe this Sunday. The name sounds impressive: The ultimate power conquering not just the world, but 200 billion trillion solar systems spinning around 200 billion trillion stars from here to the far reaches of space. But the image we get in the Gospel for the day is less impressive: An imprisoned small-town carpenter crowned with thorns. How do you look at this suffering figure and see the King of Everything?

Great Leap Backward: Shanghai Bishop Emphasizes Communist Party Line Over Catholic Teaching at Diocesan Conference

Chinese bishop focused on adapting faith to Communist Party ideals, Shanghai Catholics say | Catholic News Agency: A Chinese bishop with a history of support for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) emphasized in a recent diocesan seminar the socialist state’s influence over the Church more than the Vatican’s, according to Catholics who attended the bishop’s talks.

Lunch With a Saint, I Hate to Say It, and Lord of the Ring

Lunch with a saint, I hate to say it, and Lord of the ringCONDON: Happy Friday friends, and a very happy feast of St. Cecilia to all who celebrate. So far as I understand, the virgin and martyr lived and died in the third century, with the young Roman saint being married off to a pagan noble by her parents, despite her vow of chastity, whom she converted by assuring on their wedding night that an angel stood ready to do him a great mischief should he not honor her promise to God.

Beautiful pro-family, pro-life Volvo ad goes viral on social media following Jaguar rebrand backlash

Pro-family Volvo ad celebrated on social media following Jaguar rebrand backlash | Fox Business: Auto brand Volvo is being celebrated for its recent "pro-life" ad after fellow luxury car brand Jaguar caused a social media firestorm this week with its rebrand that critics dubbed "woke." The nearly four-minute long ad for Volvo's new fully electric SUV, the EX90, depicts a man learning he is going to be a father and imagining his family's future. The ad then powerfully shows off the car's safety features that protected his family.

Theology of Home Advent Guide

TOH%20Advent%20Guide%20%u2013%20Theology%20of%20Home: We are delighted to gift to you our beautiful new Advent booklet full of everything from personal stories for the season, a wreath-making tutorial, an Advent recipe, the O Antiphons, and so much more! We have already heard from one reader: "I have never experienced such a wonderful, virtual magazine format, and will enjoy trying some of your ideas and reflecting on the beautiful stories and quotes." There are also two Advent playlists included...

No Meat on Fridays? Some Bishops Say It’s a Good Idea

No%20Meat%20on%20Fridays%3F%20Some%20Bishops%20Say%20It%u2019s%20a%20Good%20Idea%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterMATTMCDONALD: A suggestion by an Eastern Rite bishop that Catholics in the United States once again give up eating meat on Fridays throughout the year has drawn interest from more than a dozen bishops in the country. Several bishops told the Register they hope the U.S. bishops discuss the idea at their next gathering in June 2025.

Pope Francis Names Cardinal Farrell as Vatican ‘Pension Czar’ Amid Growing Financial Troubles

Francis%20names%20Cardinal%20Farrell%20as%20Vatican%20%u2018pension%20czar%u2019: Pope Francis announced Thursday that he has appointed Cardinal Kevin Farrell as the sole director of the pension fund for the Holy See, covering former employees of both the Roman curia and the Vatican city state.

On the Matter of Young Adults

On the Matter of Young Adults - The Catholic ThingMAIER: In the late 1960s, the University of Notre Dame was still an all-male institution. The Vietnam War was in full swing. So were the campus protests. The draft still applied. Illegal drugs were just starting to make an appearance. And South Bend winters had all the charm of a Soviet gulag camp in the Arctic...

Buffalo Bill and Nicholas Black Elk — Catholic Converts of the Wild West

Catholic Converts of the Wild West - The Coming Home NetworkRAKHIMCCORMICK: Long before cowboy churches entered the Protestant landscape of the United States, one quite well known cowboy made his journey into the Catholic Church. William Frederick Cody, better known as Buffalo Bill, was one the most famous figures of the American Old West. Gaining his moniker due to his work as a buffalo hunter after the American Civil War...

This Thanksgiving, gather around the family table, be thankful, and for goodness sake, check your election anxiety at the door

Gather around the family table, be thankful, and for goodness sake check your election anxiety at the door - Elizabeth Scalia - The DialogSCALIA: Beyond my usual list of things to be grateful for — mercy, family, reasonable health, employment, the elders still among us and the children all around — I am particularly thankful that none of our family members will be segregating themselves by ideologies, or indulging their pique over recent elections, by absenting themselves from the table until all the other people recant their votes.

Earliest ‘Jesus is God’ inscription found by archaeologists — deemed ‘greatest discovery since the Dead Sea Scrolls’

Earliest%20%u2018Jesus%20is%20God%u2019%20inscription%20found%20%u2014%20deemed%20%u2018greatest%20discovery%20since%20the%20Dead%20Sea%20Scrolls%u2019: If only these floors could talk. Scientists are going gaga over the earliest inscription declaring “Jesus is God,” claiming that this 1,800-year-old engraving could change our understanding of Christianity. The mosaic is “the greatest discovery since the Dead Sea Scrolls,” declared Carlos Campo, CEO of the Museum of the Bible in Washington D.C., where the theologically significant relic has been housed since July...

5th-Century Amulet Depicting Biblical Figure King Solomon Spearing the Devil Discovered in Turkey

5th-century amulet depicting biblical figure King Solomon spearing the devil discovered in Turkey - CBS News: Archaeologists in Turkey say they have discovered an ancient amulet depicting a Biblical figure in a battle against the devil. The rare artifact was found during an ongoing excavation project in Hadrianopolis, an ancient city near Karabük, and dated to the fifth century.

Thanks be to God, we can always choose joy even when we’re not feeling joyful

Choosing Joy and the Glass Half Full - LifeCraftCUDDEBACK: Joy might seem an arbitrary thing in its coming and going. That joy is hard to figure out—both what it is and where it comes from—is no surprise, given the depths of the human heart. A question that often roils in my mind is whether I can simply choose to be joyful. I think the answer is affirmative and worth a brief consideration, while setting aside the wonderful and essential aspects of joy...

A great Christian witness, too little known in the West

A great Christian witness, too little known in the West | Denver CatholicWEIGEL: The Venerable Andrei Sheptytsky, who died eighty years ago on November 1, 1944, was one of 20th century Catholicism’s outstanding figures, whose remarkable life and heroic ministry as leader of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church spanned 43 years, two world wars, five pontificates, Stalin’s terror-famine (the “Holodomor,” in which at least 6 million Ukrainians were deliberately starved to death)...

In Surprise Announcement, Pope Says Carlo Acutis (April 27?) and Pier Giorgio Frassati (Aug. 3?) to Be Canonized During 2025 Jubilee

Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati to be canonized in 2025: Pope Francis makes surprise announcement | Catholic News Agency: Pope Francis announced Wednesday that Blessed Carlo Acutis and Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, two young Catholics beloved for their vibrant faith and witness to holiness, will be canonized during two major jubilee celebrations dedicated to young people.

May a Catholic Get Married on the Streets of New York City?

May a Catholic Get Married on the Streets of New York City?| National Catholic RegisterBRUGGER: According to canon law, only those who are ordained — bishops, priests and deacons — can officiate validly at weddings except in circumstances carefully circumscribed by canon law itself. Those circumstances provide for the possibility of laypeople — i.e., non-ordained people — validly officiating. The fact that an officiant is a consecrated person...

‘Zero-tolerance’ on sexual abuse is supposed to be a reality, not a slogan. But now there’s this...

Never againCONDON: A couple of things have happened here at The Pillar over the last month-and-a-half and, while I don’t think there is explicit causality between them, the correlation is striking, and I want to talk about it for a minute. The biggest story we’ve been covering during this time, and for us the biggest story to come out of the Vatican in some time...

Woke Ideology Is Not Dead and Buried

Woke Ideology Is Not Dead and Buried | Francis X. Maier | First ThingsMAIER: I spent the evening after November 5 on YouTube. The site was full of time-compressed videos that tracked news media icons and Hollywood celebrities as election night wore on. The clips were mesmerizing. It was like watching a Carnival Cruise ship gradually sink. Passengers went from champagne to life jackets in just six hours. Jimmy Kimmel, Rachel Maddow, the always unpleasant Joy Reid, and so many others found themselves trapped in a Greek tragedy...

NYC priest who allowed Sabrina Carpenter to shoot a music video in church stripped of duties

NYC priest who allowed Sabrina Carpenter to shoot a music video in church stripped of duties - CBS New York: There's more fallout for a Brooklyn pastor who allowed pop star Sabrina Carpenter to film a music video inside his church. Monsignor Jamie Gigantiello has been stripped of his duties at the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church in Williamsburg. Church officials said they were appalled he permitted Carpenter to film the provocative video last year for her hit song "Feather."

Avoiding the Religion of Me

Avoiding the Religion of Me | Knowing Is DoingTORRE: At any time, we have a tendency I argue to overlook something unique about our human condition. I’m referring to our ability to recognize the presence of someone (Incarnational character) and greet them with the simplest yet most profound of human gestures, a joyful smile-filled “hello.” This is what I would describe as an Incarnational gesture...

Obadiah, the Crux of the Matter, and Bible Bees

Obadiah, the crux of the matter, and Bible BeesJDFLYNN: Eastern Catholic Churches celebrate today the holy prophet Obadiah, and you’re reading The Tuesday Pillar Post. Obadiah, who lived in the 6th century B.C., authored the shortest text included as a book of the Old Testament, a warning to the Edomite kingdom that a betrayal of Jerusalem during Nebuchadnezzar’s siege would lead to its destruction.

2 Italian Priests Sanctioned for Decrying Pope Francis as an ‘Anti-Pope’

Italian%20priests%20sanctioned%20for%20decrying%20Pope%20Francis%20as%20an%20%u2018anti-pope%u2019%20-%20Catholic%20Herald: Two clerics in Italy have been sanctioned for the crime of schism after both publicly argued that Pope Francis was never validly elected and thus constitutes an “anti-pope”. One a former diocesan priest and the other a member of a religious order, both clerics had established robust ecclesiastical reputations before their falls from grace.

Putin Lowers the Threshold for Using His Nuclear Arsenal After Biden’s Arms Decision for Ukraine

Putin lowers the threshold for using his nuclear arsenal after Biden's arms decision for Ukraine | AP News: President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday formally lowered the threshold for Russia’s use of its nuclear weapons, a move that follows U.S. President Joe Biden’s decision to let Ukraine strike targets inside Russian territory with American-supplied longer-range missiles.

This Is Your Brain in a Digital Age

This Is Your Brain in a Digital Age | Church Life Journal | University of Notre DameCAROZZA: few years ago, I heard a woman who had founded a Catholic religious institute give a witness about the history of her vocation and her community. At the end, an attendee asked her: how do you see that you are living the hundredfold that Christ promises those who leave everything for his name (Matt 19:29)? “First, I am never alone. Second, I am free of slavery to this,” she replied, picking up an iPhone and showing it to the audience. That’s a little reductive, I thought, a little reactionary. Doesn’t a religious vocation offer so much more?

Before There Was 4B

Before there was 4B - Washington ExaminerGRESS: Female fertility is back in the news, with Vice President Kamala Harris’s failed presidential hopes. In protest to President-elect Donald Trump’s win, faithful Harris followers are swearing off four things: sex, dating, marriage, and children. The idea first cropped up in South Korea in the late 2010s and is now known as 4B, with the B referencing “no” in Korean.

Can AI robots offer advice that heals souls?

(3) Can AI robots offer advice that heals souls? - by tmattMATTINGLY: I have been keeping an Artificial Intelligence folder for several weeks now, with a focus — naturally — on topics that should interest religious leaders. In terms of nightmare scenarios affecting congregational life, I tended to think about the growing market for AI sermon programs, which I see as an updated version of the old problem of plagiarism in pulpits

‘Red Wednesday’ Nov. 18 to Put Christian Persecution in the Global Spotlight

Red Wednesday to put Christian persecution in the spotlight - OSV News: From Sydney to Santiago, Chile, Catholics across the globe are coming together this November to stand in solidarity with those who suffer for their faith. Persecution and discrimination against Christians around the world is getting worse — that’s the stark warning from the pontifical charity that works with thousands of vulnerable Christian communities in 140 countries.

Letter of the Holy Father for the Remembrance in the Particular Churches of Their Own Saints, Blesseds, Venerables and Servants of God

Letter of the Holy Father for the remembrance in the particular Churches of their own Saints, Blesseds, Venerables and Servants of God (9 November 2024) | FrancisCOATOFARMS: With the Apostolic Exhortation Gaudete et exsultate, I wished to repropose to the faithful disciples of Christ of the contemporary world the universal calling to holiness. It is at the centre of the teaching of Vatican Council II, which recalled that “all the faithful of Christ of whatever rank or status, are called to the fullness of the Christian life and to the perfection of charity”...

5 Ways to Right the Women’s Vote

5%20Ways%20to%20Right%20the%20Women%u2019s%20Vote%20-%20The%20American%20Spectator%20%7C%20USA%20News%20and%20PoliticsThe%20American%20Spectator%20%7C%20USA%20News%20and%20PoliticsGRESS: Kamala Harris campaigned like she was running for the presidency of Planned Parenthood, not the United States, with abortion central to her campaign. She promoted a draconian future should Donald Trump be reelected. And it worked. At least for a large demographic of white, educated, single women. Trump’s election quickly filled social media with unraveling women...

Why Does Jesus Hold up King David as a Role Model?

Why%20Does%20Jesus%20Hold%20Up%20King%20David%20As%20A%20Role%20Model%3F%20%u2013%20St.%20Paul%20CenterHARROLD: Getting to grips with the Old Testament figure of King David can be a struggle for Christians. On the one hand, his pedigree is impossible to deny: he is the most mentioned figure in the Hebrew Bible; Jesus depicts him as a role model of sorts (see Lk 6:1-5); and Scripture even describes him as “a man after [God’s] own heart.” But all of this presents a conundrum...

Do Not Fear the Ending

Do Not Fear The Ending | Parishable ItemsFELTES: The Prophet Daniel says of the end of days, “It shall be a time unsurpassed in distress...” And Jesus foretells, “In those days after that tribulation the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from the sky, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.” Many Christians today regard the end times...

Pope Francis Establishes Annual Nov. 9 Celebration of Local Saints in Dioceses Worldwide Ahead of 2025 Jubilee

Pope Francis establishes annual celebration of local saints in dioceses worldwide ahead of 2025 jubilee | Catholic News Agency: Pope Francis wants dioceses worldwide to shine a spotlight on their “saints next door” every year on Nov. 9. In a letter released by the Vatican in Italian on Saturday, the pope established an annual commemoration of saints, blessed, venerables, and servants of God in local dioceses worldwide, set to begin with the upcoming jubilee.

Notre Dame de Paris Returns to Her Cathedral With Thousands of Parisians Walking Her Home

Notre Dame de Paris returns to her cathedral with thousands of Parisians walking her home - OSV News: Miraculously missed by burning beams falling from the roof on April 15, 2019, and waiting for five years to make it back to Notre Dame Cathedral, the 14th-century statue of the Virgin of Paris made it back home Nov. 15, accompanied by thousands of Parisians praying, singing and lighting candles as they walked their Virgin to Paris’ most iconic church, restored after the fire.

What Is It Like to Be Enchanted?

(3) What Is It Like to Be Enchanted? - by Mark K. SpencerMARKSPENCER: Nowadays more and more people, Christians and non-Christians alike, are pondering the themes of enchantment and disenchantment. (I haven’t read it yet, but this is the theme of Rod Dreher’s newly released book, Living with Wonder.) Many lament the loss of an enchanted world, the pre-modern world in which people experienced themselves to be caught up in a spiritual drama, a world where people perceived the presence of spiritual realities around them...

What’s ahead for pro-lifers with Trump 2.0?

(3) Crossroads -- What's ahead for pro-lifers with Trump 2.0?MATTINGLY: Soon after becoming president, Democrat Jimmy Carter signed the Hyde Amendment into law — barring the use of federal funds for abortions, except in cases of rape or incest, or when the life of the mother is at stake. When the Joe Biden-Kamala Harris administration attempted to kill the Hyde Amendment, a small but symbolic group of Democrats appealed to the elderly Carter for help...

The Power of Images in an Iconoclast Culture

The Power of Images in an Iconoclast Culture | Denver CatholicSTAUDT: “You were without hope in the world.” This is how Paul describes the Ephesian Christians before their conversion, stuck in the darkness of sin and paganism. Idols expressed their hope for material security, embodying their pleasure and pain, hopes and terrors in tangible forms that entangled their souls. Christ brought divine light into a dark world...

Nicaraguan Regime Exiles President of Bishops’ Conference

Nicaraguan%20regime%20exiles%20president%20of%20bishops%u2019%20conferenceBELTRAN: The president of the Nicaraguan Bishops’ Conference has been exiled by the Nicaraguan regime after he criticized a pro-regime mayor during a recent Mass. Bishop Carlos Herrera, OFM, was exiled to Guatemala on Tuesday. Various local outlets confirmed the news after Herrera disappeared following a meeting with other Nicaraguan bishops in Managua, the country’s capital...

This Sunday, Jesus is revealing the end game of Christianity

This%20Sunday%2C%20Takeaways%20From%20the%20Readings%20for%20the%20End%20of%20the%20Year%20%u2026%20and%20the%20End%20of%20Time%20%u2013%20Benedictine%20College%20Media%20%26%20CultureHOOPES: There are 33 years in Jesus’ life and 33 weeks in Ordinary Time in the Church. Soon we will celebrate the Feast of Christ the King, and then the cycle starts over with Advent. But first comes the Thirty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B, the dramatic end of the liturgical year. The Gospel for the day is dire, insisting that the end really is coming, and we should be ready for it. Here are takeaways from the readings from previous This Sunday columns.

The confessions of King Charles: Does this shocking letter reveal his hidden rage at the ‘corrupted’ Church of England?

The%20confessions%20of%20King%20Charles%3A%20Does%20this%20shocking%20letter%20reveal%20his%20hidden%20rage%20at%20the%20%u2018corrupted%u2019%20Church%20of%20England%3F%20%7C%20Tatler: When King Charles acceded to the throne during his Coronation at Westminster Abbey, he swore, like 500 years of monarchs before him, to ‘maintain the Protestant Reformed religion established by law and preserve inviolably the settlement of the Church of England.’ As Defender of the Faith and head of the Church of England, his role as King is as much a religious one as it is constitutional...

Cardinal Becciu Pushes Back Against Vatican Media Editorial

Cardinal Becciu Pushes Back Against Vatican Media Editorial| National Catholic RegisterPENTIN: Cardinal Angelo Becciu, the Vatican cardinal who is appealing his embezzlement conviction last year, has pushed back against recent claims made by the Vatican’s chief editorial director, insisting, “If I had cheated the Pope, I certainly would not be here shouting my innocence to the world!” In a commentary published in L’Osservatore Romano and Vatican News Nov. 11, the former deputy Vatican secretary of state said an Oct. 30 editorial by Andrea Tornielli...

Liturgical Conflict Resurfaces in Troubled Indian Syro-Malabar Archdiocese

Liturgical Conflict Resurfaces in Troubled Indian Syro-Malabar Archdiocese| National Catholic RegisterAKKARA: This month’s delayed priestly ordination of eight deacons of the Ernakulam Archdiocese of the Syro Malabar Church (SMC) has highlighted continuing divisions in the troubled archdiocese, which remains crippled by a bitter liturgical feud that erupted three years ago. The ordination ceremony — which was delayed from Christmas 2023 because of the liturgical dispute...

Synodality Requires Conversion of Heart More Than New Structures, US Bishops Say

Synodality Requires Conversion of Heart More Than New Structures, US Bishops Say| National Catholic RegisterLIEDL: Promoting synodality in the United States depends more on a conversion of heart than on the creation of new structures, the U.S. bishops emphasized at their fall assembly in Baltimore. “It’s about cultural change, not necessarily structural change or not necessarily canonical changes, but first and foremost a change in how we can relate one to another and the Body of Christ,” said Archbishop William Lori of Baltimore at a Nov. 13 press conference at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) meeting.

7 things to know about Sister Clare Crockett, who died 8 years ago in an Ecuador earthquake

7 things to know about Sister Clare Crockett | Catholic News Agency: Sister Clare Crockett was a young religious sister who died in 2016 at the age of 34 in an earthquake in Ecuador that left hundreds dead. On Nov. 4, the Servant Sisters of the Home of the Mother, her religious community, announced the beginning of her cause for beatification.

How to Prepare Kids With Autism for First Confession

Autistic Catechesis for First Confession Near Atlanta - Fr. Matthew P. Schneider, LCSCHNEIDER: Back at the end of May this year, I interviewed Jeanne Lyons about the great things they were doing for autistic students at St. Peter Channel in Roswell, GA (north Atlanta suburb) for autstics. In June, I published an article about them running a sensory-friendly Mass for a decade. At the time, we talked a lot about how she catechizes autistic students...

Catholic Class Mounts Modest Mussorgsky Campaign in Classic Smackdown Over Classical Countdown

Oakcrest%20School%20Girls%20Stir%20Up%20Public%20Radio%u2019s%20Classical%20Countdown%20%u2013%20Theology%20of%20HomeGRESS: Each year the classical radio station in Washington, D.C. WETA (90.9) hosts the annual Classical Countdown. Listeners vote on their top three favorite classical pieces and then the top 100 pieces are played the week of Thanksgiving. For years and years, Beethoven's Ninth Symphony (which includes the Ode to Joy) has taken first place...

Get ready for Thanksgiving in 2 weeks with the Theology of Home Thanksgiving Guide

TOH%20Thanksgiving%20Guide%20%u2013%20Theology%20of%20HomeGRESS: We are thrilled to present our first ever Thanksgiving Guide! A beautiful, downloadable booklet that reflects our mission here at Theology of Home: to help you feel confident in the evangelical force that is your home. From an entire menu with step-by-step recipes... To instructions and inspiration for centerpieces... A practical timeline for planning... And plenty of inspiration along the way...

Roses, Chocolate, and Ambiguity

Roses, Chocolate, and Ambiguity | Francis X. Maier | First ThingsMAIER: I staffed a bishop-delegate in Rome at the 2015 Synod on the Family. Asked, at the time, for possible themes at the next synod, the delegate pressed for (among other ideas) a synod on “what it means to be human.” His reasoning was simple. The key issues facing society and the Church today in the developed world are all anthropological. Who and what is a human being? Is there such a thing as a human “nature”?

The Vatican’s China policy is a continuing scandal

The%20continuing%20scandal%20of%20the%20Vatican%u2019s%20China%20policy%20%7C%20Denver%20CatholicWEIGEL: In the annals of historical boorishness, it would be hard to find something more egregious than the Holy See’s timing as it renewed its 2018 agreement with the People’s Republic of China, which allows the Chinese Communist Party a significant role in the appointment of Catholic bishops. That renewal took place on October 22: the liturgical memorial of Pope St. John Paul II...

Pope’s Wednesday Audience: True Devotion to Mary Always ‘Points to Jesus’

Pope%20Francis%3A%20True%20devotion%20to%20Mary%20always%20%u2018points%20to%20Jesus%u2019%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20Agency: Pope Francis told pilgrims present at his general audience in St. Peter’s Square on Wednesday that the Blessed Virgin Mary does not focus on herself but on her son, Jesus. “Mary is always the mother that brings us to Jesus,” the Holy Father said. “Mary does not only point to herself. She points to Jesus.” Continuing his catechesis on the relationship between the Holy Spirit and the Church...

Dismantling a Disorienting Catholic Quirk in ABC’s New Crime Show ‘High Potential’

(3) Orientation Error - by Micah Murphy - Thy Geekdom ComeMICAHMURPHY: Liturgical East, in the Catholic tradition, means that the priest and the congregation face the East. The altar is at the East end of the Church, with the entrance on the West. But in the Temple, the entrance was on the East and the Holy of Holies was in the Western portion of the building. Totally flipped. In fact, the Eastern orientation of worship among Christians is due to the symbolic association...

Synodality and the Perversion of Conscience

Synodality and the perversion of conscience | Catholic CultureLAWLER: Last night, as I prepared a tutorial class, my wife Leila began tapping out a Substack post on how “synodality” might be used to a very damaging end: “The silencing of objective truth in the soul.” Reading her post early this morning, I put off my own plans to write about the dangers of synodality (that will be my next project), and decided to reflect on Leila’s somber warning about the prevalent misunderstanding of a crucial term: conscience.

Education must be controlled by a child’s parents

Education%20must%20be%20controlled%20by%20a%20child%u2019s%20parents%20%7C%20Catholic%20CultureMIRUS: One of the great things about the growth of home schooling and various cooperative arrangements is that it puts control of education back into the hands of parents. I don’t mean that it is essential for those who are parents to control the education of children generally. I mean that parents must retain control of the education of their own children.

The Butcher and His Fiend-Like Queen

The Butcher and His Fiend-Like Queen - by Susanna SpencerSPENCER: Two blood covered hands were raised up in the dim light as Macbeth walked unsteadily from the chambers of Duncan. “This is a sorry sight,” he says to his wife. A few minutes later, after discussion and debate, Lady Macbeth goes into the chamber and then also emerges, having placed the bloody daggers in the hands of King Duncan’s guards...

What Lay Professionals In Catholic Ministry Want Their Pastors to Know

What Lay Professionals In Catholic Ministry Want Their Pastors to Know! - Catholic Missionary Disciples - College Station, TXLEJEUNE: I have worked several decades in Catholic institutions and apostolates and as a result, I have had hundreds of conversations with others who have done the same. There are many blessings and many struggles that go along with working as a lay professional in the Catholic Church. Before I get into the details, let me preface this post with a few thoughts. I have a gift (and a curse) for in-depth critical examination of institutional problems...

What Does a Catholic Reading of the Bible Tell Us About the Antichrist?

What%20Does%20A%20Catholic%20Reading%20Of%20The%20Bible%20Tell%20Us%20About%20The%20Antichrist%3F%20%u2013%20St.%20Paul%20CenterHARROLD: We know remarkably little about who the Antichrist will be and what his arrival on the earth will look like. The very word antichrist only appears in four verses of Scripture, all of them in the Johannine epistles: 1 John 2:18, 1 John 2:22, 1 John 4:3, and 2 John 7. The author of these epistles clearly expects his readers to already have some background knowledge of what kind of creature the Antichrist is supposed to be...

What happens to God if Marvel chooses to ‘repent’?

What happens to God if Marvel chooses to "repent"?MATTINGLY: If you are into superhero epics — I will confess some interest in Iron Man and Captain America — then you know that the creators (small “c”) of the Marvel Cinematic Universe have been struggling for several years now. Many are convinced that they caught a bad case of what that Elon Musk guy calls the “woke mind virus.” Some critics point to a more specific problem — an obsession with a “strong female character”...

St. Michael Prayer: A Better Translation?

St. Michael Prayer: A Better Translation? | Catholic Answers MagazineCHRISTOPHERCHECK: St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray . . . and do thou, o Prince of the heavenly host, by the divine power, bind Satan and all the evil spirits who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls, and thrust them into hell!

Baltimore, Dr. Barber, and ‘Character Is Conduct’

Baltimore%2C%20Dr.%20Barber%2C%20and%20%u2018character%20is%20conduct%u2019JDFLYNN: Let me tell you about Dr. Gertrude Barber — a holy woman about whom the bishops will receive a presentation today, as part of her canonization process, which began in 2019. Barber was an Erie girl, from the little northwest corner of Pennsylvania that sits northwest of Cleveland, Ohio on the shores of Lake Erie. She was first a teacher, and spent her entire career — and indeed her entire life — as an educator of the most extraordinary kind.

Can Science Prove that Prayer Can Heal?

Can Science Prove that Prayer Can Heal? - Word on FireKACZOR: In his book Miracles Today: The Supernatural Work of God in the Modern World (2021), Craig S. Keener discusses the power of prayer. He presents numerous documented cases of people with serious medical conditions such as multiple sclerosis, cancer, and blindness (verified by physicians) who were healed of their diseases. If these cases are any indication, God has not stopped supernatural interventions in response to prayer...

Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby Resigns Over Handling of John Smyth Sex Abuse Scandal

Archbishop of Canterbury resigns over handling of sex abuse scandal | AP News: Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, head of the Church of England and spiritual leader of the global Anglican Communion, resigned Tuesday after an investigation found that he failed to tell police about serial physical and sexual abuse by a volunteer at Christian summer camps as soon as he became aware of it.

Pope Francis Marks First Millennium Since Birth of St. Bernard, Patron of Mountaineers

Pope Francis marks first millennium since birth of St. Bernard, patron of mountaineers | Catholic News Agency: At the Vatican on Monday, Pope Francis recalled the hospitality and peacemaking of St. Bernard of Aosta, the patron saint of mountaineers and Alpine travelers who lived one millennium ago and gave his name to the St. Bernard dog breed. Bernard, also known as St. Bernard of Menthon, lived from about 1020–1081 in what are now the countries of France, Switzerland, and Italy.

Pope’s Sunday Angelus: ‘Offer Tenderness and Steer Clear of Hypocrisy’

Pope at Angelus: Offer tenderness and steer clear of hypocrisy - Vatican News: Beware of hypocrites and let us be faithful, loving and credible... Pope Francis stressed this during his Sunday Angelus address in the Vatican as he recalled the day's Gospel reading according to St. Mark which recounts when Jesus denounces hypocrisy in the Temple of Jerusalem.

Pope Adds St. Isaac of Nineveh to Roman Martyrology in Honor of Persecuted Middle East Christians

Pope adds St. Isaac of Nineveh to Roman Martyrology, honors persecuted Middle East Christians | Catholic News Agency: Pope Francis announced on Saturday that St. Isaac of Nineveh, a seventh-century Assyrian bishop venerated across Christian traditions, will be added to the Roman Martyrology. The pope made the announcement on the occasion of a Vatican meeting with Mar Awa III, Catholicos-Patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East.

Bells of Notre Dame Cathedral Ring for the First Time Since Devastating Fire 5 Years Ago

Notre Dame bells ring for the first time since devastating fire 5 years ago | Catholic News Agency: The bells of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris have rung for the first time since April 2019, when a devastating fire broke out in the spire and roof of the historic French church.

Pope Francis Keeps Accidentally Tweeting About the New Orleans Saints — and the Team Is Loving It

Pope Francis Keeps Accidentally Tweeting About the New Orleans Saints: The New Orleans Saints have an accidental fan in Pope Francis. The 87-year-old pontiff is an active user on X (formerly known as Twitter), but it appears that he — or whoever is managing his account — is unfamiliar with the app's feature that adds emojis alongside certain hashtags.

St. Thérèse's Little Way was a quiet rejection of an insidious heresy

St. Therese's Little Way was quiet rejection of a heresyESPARZA: In her short life, Thérèse of Lisieux quietly but radically challenged Jansenist attitudes that persisted in Catholicism of her day. Jansenism, a movement that gained ground in the 17th century, emphasized the unworthiness of man and the alleged difficulty of “earning” God’s grace. Its followers, marked by blatant scrupulousness, often saw life as a constant struggle for acceptance by a distant God...

Getting out, Getting Away With It, and Belle the Beast

Getting out, getting away with it, and Belle the beastCONDON: It’s the day after the day after the day after the night before and, from at least where I am sitting, a lot of people are still “processing” the result of the presidential election. For what it’s worth, my abiding takeaway from it all is this: While I have been telling anyone who asked me all year that I thought Donald Trump looked certain to win...

Jefferson City’s Bishop McKnight Reverses Ban on Tacky Tunes; ‘Synodal Process’ to Guide Church Music Selection

Diocese%20reverses%20hymn%20ban%20in%20favor%20of%20%u2018synodal%u2019%20selection%20of%20sacred%A0music%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20AgencyMCKEOWN: Just days after implementing a formal ban on a dozen “doctrinally problematic” hymns, a Missouri bishop has rescinded his original decree, instead opening a yearlong consultation process to determine how sacred music can best be used to encourage active participation in the liturgy.

How Trump’s Win Could Impact the US Bishops’ Agenda

How%20Trump%u2019s%20Win%20Could%20Impact%20the%20US%20Bishops%u2019%20Agenda%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterLIEDL: When the U.S. bishops gather in Baltimore Nov. 11-14, there will be something of an elephant in the room. That’s because the annual U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ fall assembly will be taking place one week after Republican contender Donald Trump secured a return to the White House by soundly defeating Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris...

Constitutional Court in Spain Forces 480-Year-Old Catholic Brotherhood to Admit Woman

Constitutional Court in Spain forces Catholic brotherhood to admit woman | Catholic News Agency: Spain’s Constitutional Court (TC, by its Spanish acronym) has ruled that by refusing to admit a woman, a male Catholic brotherhood violated the legal precept of nondiscrimination on the basis of her sex and her right to association. In 2008, María Teresita Laborda Sanz requested to join the Pontifical, Royal, and Venerable Slavery of the Most Holy Christ of La Laguna, a public association of the faithful founded in 1545.

Catholics need to live differently, and prepare to pay the cost of our resistance

Some Notes on Resistance - The Catholic ThingMAIER: The go-to Catholic posture in this country, especially over the last 60 years, has been assimilation and cooperation with the surrounding culture. In assimilating, we’ve been digested by the culture we were meant to evangelize. Too often, our distinct Catholic convictions, along with our sense of mission, have been bleached away. The cost of that strategy was most painfully obvious...

Why Was the Synod So Silent on the Traditional Latin Mass?

Why Was the Synod So Silent on the Traditional Latin Mass?| National Catholic RegisterPENTIN: One of the persistent criticisms of the final assembly of the Synod on Synodality has been that, despite its frequent emphasis on listening and dialogue, several relevant and important voices went unheard. In his final assessment of the synod, George Weigel identified some of these voices as happily married couples, Catholic educators resisting today’s “woke” culture, and healthcare professionals living a culture of life.

If He Only Had a Heart: Tesla’s Tin Man and the Love of Christ

If%20He%20Only%20Had%20a%20Heart%3A%20Tesla%u2019s%20Tin%20Man%20and%20the%20Love%20of%20Christ%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterTHOMASGRIFFIN: Tesla has released the prototype of Optimus (also known as the Tesla Bot). According to its website, this robot is “a general purpose, bi-pedal, autonomous humanoid robot capable of performing unsafe, repetitive or boring tasks.” Taking in the mail, doing the dishes, folding laundry and countless other tasks will now be able to be completed for you. Other promotional videos and material have referred to Optimus as a “friend” as well as a robotic task-completer.

What Hath Commonweal Wrought? Catholic Lay Opinion Journalism 100 Years Later

What Hath Commonweal Wrought? Catholic Lay Opinion Journalism 100 Years Later | Catholic CultureWOLFGANG: I went through a brief phase in the mid 1990s where I would have called myself a “Commonweal Catholic.” It was already long past the midcentury golden age described by the Times. But the Times description of Commonweal “as a kind of Catholic version of The New Republic” resonates with me, for reasons different than those meant by the Times. At the height of The New Republic’s Marty Peretz era, in the 1980s and ‘90s...

How you can get a plenary indulgence by praying for the faithful departed this week

November: Praying for the Faithful Departed | Catholic Culture: One of my favorite traditions during the Liturgical Year is remembering and praying for the faithful departed during November, particularly through November 1-8. While we can pray every day for those who have died, the Church gives us a special gift that can really unite us with our departed brothers and sisters and feel like we are tangibly helping them...

Some Thoughts Upon Returning from the Second Session of the Synod

Some Thoughts Upon Returning from the Second Session of the Synod - Word on FireBARRON: I returned just a few days ago from the second session of the Synod on Synodality in Rome, and I will confess to feeling a tad exhausted. As I’ve mentioned before, the synod is a full four weeks long, and the workdays are intense. So, though it was, to be sure, a rich experience, I’m glad that it’s over, and I’m glad to be home. I would like to share with you some general impressions and assessments of the experience and also look at a few particular issues that were discussed in the synod’s final document.

John Paul II: Communism fell because people under its yoke took ‘the risk of freedom’

Taking the Risk of Freedom | Denver Catholic: Thirty-five years ago, the son of a great historian helped make history when he asked the question that triggered the demolition of the most grotesquely expressive artifact of the Cold War. My friend Daniel Johnson, son of the author of Modern Times and then a reporter for London’s Daily Telegraph, flew to Berlin on November 9, 1989. East Germans were engaging in mass protests against their oppression...

3 Ways to Rediscover a Father

3 Ways to Rediscover a Father - LifeCraftCUDDEBACK: Much of what we need in life we must ask for. As this is simply a given, it points to the importance of learning how, what, and whom to ask. Thomas Aquinas holds that we can naturally know that there is a God who can help us, and who is worthy of honor and worship. But to know God as a Father, and to approach him as such, is yet another thing.

Bret Stephens: A Party of Prigs and Pontificators Suffers a Humiliating Defeat [NYTimes Paywall]

Opinion | A Party of Prigs and Pontificators Suffers a Humiliating Defeat - The New York Times: The politics of today’s left is heavy on social engineering according to group identity. It also, increasingly, stands for the forcible imposition of bizarre cultural norms on hundreds of millions of Americans who want to live and let live but don’t like being told how to speak or what to think. Too many liberals forgot this, which explains how a figure like Trump, with his boisterous and transgressive disdain for liberal pieties, could be re-elected to the presidency.

Kamala Harris hoped to ride abortion to another post-Dobbs Democratic victory. It didn’t work...

Harris%20hoped%20to%20ride%20abortion%20to%20another%20post-Dobbs%20Democratic%20victory.%20It%20didn%u2019t%20work.%20-%20POLITICO: Abortion has haunted Republicans since the fall of Roe v. Wade. But the issue failed to stop former President Donald Trump, who on Tuesday overcame a large gender gap — and Democrats’ relentless focus on women’s reproductive health — to win back the White House.

‘Profoundly Relieved’: Major Abortion Amendment in Florida Fails to Pass

%u2018Profoundly%20Relieved%u2019%3A%20Major%20Abortion%20Amendment%20in%20Florida%20Fails%20to%20Pass%7C%20National%20Catholic%20Register: A proposed pro-abortion amendment in Florida failed to pass on Tuesday, bringing an end to an effort to enshrine broad abortion access in the state constitution and serving abortion advocates with a major defeat in the 2024 election. The failure of Amendment 4 offers a sharp rebuke to the pro-abortion lobby, which poured more than $100 million into Florida...

3 States Reject Pro-Abortion Ballot Measures While 7 Other States Expand Abortion

3 states reject pro-abortion ballot measures while 7 measures pass | Catholic News Agency: Voters in Florida, Nebraska, and South Dakota on Tuesday night voted down major pro-abortion proposals in their states, while seven other states saw voters approve measures to expand abortion, in several cases codifying abortion access into the state constitution.

Trump Wins

Donald%20Trump%20wins%20reelection%2C%20vowing%20%u2018strong%2C%20safe%2C%20and%20prosperous%20America%u2019%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20Agency: Donald Trump on Wednesday won his reelection bid for president, defeating Democratic opponent Vice President Kamala Harris and becoming the first president in nearly 130 years to secure a nonconsecutive White House victory.

Being Prophets, the News, and Giant Asteroids

Being prophets, the news, and giant asteroidsJDFLYNN: You already know it’s election day, and you’ve probably already voted. You might also know that today is the customary feast of Sts. Elizabeth and Zechariah, the parents of John the Baptist. Elizabeth and Zechariah were prophets. They saw the presence of God in the world, and they said so. And they raised their son to be a prophet too, with Zechariah telling John from infancy...

Pride, After a Fall

The Catholic ThingESOLEN: Iam relieved to find that Pope Francis has refrained from saying that someday we may be conferring, or pretending to confer, Holy Orders upon women. It keeps alive the possibility that the churches East and West may reunite. It averts an inevitable and devastating schism. It allows the faithful to retain their trust that, as Sigrid Undset’s convert Paul Selmer says in The Burning Bush, it is the Church’s boast not to have changed her doctrine, so that what we believe is but an organic development of truths revealed already to the apostles.

What You Should Know About the Tower of Babel

The Tower of Babel - Community in MissionPOPE: In the story of the great flood, we saw how evil and sin had grown so fast and become so serious that God saw it necessary to cleanse the whole world and dramatically prune the human family. While the flood was a severe measure, that tells us how bad the problem had become! The flood was like a giant “bath” that cleansed the world, making an end of sin and new beginning for goodness to grow.

I’ll Give You $10,000 If You Can Beat My Rock, Paper, Scissors Robot

robot: Legend has it the slinky is still going...

Pope Francis at Gregorian University Warns of ‘Coca-Cola Spirituality’

Pope%20Francis%20at%20Gregorian%20University%20in%20Rome%20warns%20of%20%u2018Coca-Cola%20spirituality%u2019%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20Agency: Pope Francis warned against “Coca-Cola spirituality” at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome on Tuesday, where minutes earlier the rector had highlighted the witness of imprisoned-then-exiled Nicaraguan Bishop Rolando Álvarez as an example of authentic Christian courage.

Silent Thought, Loud Control: The Lurid Rise of ‘Thought Crime’ in Modern Britain

Silent thought, loud control: the lurid rise of 'thought crime' in modern Britain - Catholic Herald: The first conceptual seeds of George Orwell’s novel 1984 can be traced back to his essay “London Letter”, written in 1944, in which he expressed fears about the potential rise of totalitarian regimes and the increasing surveillance capabilities of modern governments. Today, 80 years after this essay and 40 years after the setting of the novel, a part of Orwell’s dystopian vision...

10 Things You Should Know About the Prophet Isaiah

What%20are%2010%20Things%20I%20Should%20Know%20About%20Isaiah%3F%20%u2013%20St.%20Paul%20CenterHARROLD: The Book of Isaiah is known as the fifth Gospel. While this title is often applied to the Holy Land, the Church Fathers also used it to describe the book of Isaiah. More than any other prophet, Isaiah points forward time and again to Christ. Appropriately, therefore, the book of Isaiah is second only to the Psalms in being the biblical book most quoted in the New Testament.

Do not underestimate what a resentful attitude can do to your relationship with Jesus Christ

Do not Underestimate what a Resentful attitude can do to your relationship with Jesus Christ | Knowing Is DoingTORRE: At one time or another many of us have expressed a desire for something or someone. Whether the desire entails a specific food, location, time to pray, or attention from another person, the need to have these desires met is part of our human condition. We are created to experience both spiritual and physical desires that when properly ordered express genuine gratitude toward God our Father...

Chicago Auxiliary Bishop Jeffrey Grob Named Next Archbishop of Milwaukee

Chicago Auxiliary Bishop Jeffrey Grob named next archbishop of Milwaukee: Chicago Auxiliary Bishop Jeffrey S. Grob, a Cross Plains native, will be installed as the 12th archbishop of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, the Vatican announced Monday. Grob, 63, will succeed Jerome E. Listecki, who gave his notice of retirement on March 12, as bishops are required to do when they turn 75. Listecki has been Milwaukee's archbishop since 2010.

6 Takeaways from the Gospel on the Two Great Commandments of Love

This%20Sunday%2C%20Six%20Takeaways%20from%20the%20Gospel%20on%20the%20Two%20Great%20Commandments%20of%20Love%20%u2013%20Benedictine%20College%20Media%20%26%20CultureHOOPES: The question from the scribe about the commandments comes after a number of challenges to Jesus on the week he died. First, Herodians and Pharisees and Sadducees tried to trap him with tough questions, and Jesus did verbal jiu jitsu to win each time while teaching something important. But that isn’t what happens here, in the Gospel of Mark...

Live Your Life With an Eye on Death, Judgment, Heaven and Hell

Live Your Life With an Eye on Death, Judgment, Heaven and Hell| National Catholic RegisterKIRBY: While the Christian faith is grounded in the here and now, it is only fully understood and valued when it is placed and lived in the light of eternity. While many blessings can be received by God’s grace in this life, none of them compares to the heavenly glory won for us in Jesus Christ.

Pope’s Sunday Angelus: ‘The Source of Everything Is Love’

Pope at the Angelus: The source of everything is love - Vatican News: During his Sunday Angelus, Pope Francis reflected on St. Mark’s Gospel passage of what the greatest commandment is. He explained that the question is not one just for biblical times but it “is essential for us too, for our life and for the journey of our faith.”

Last Night, Court Reports, and Fly Away Home

Last night, court reports, and fly away homeCONDON: Halloween yesterday was something of an odd event for us in our house. My wife, being a Londoner, takes an outsider’s view of the whole affair, generally treating it with skepticism but open to anything involving our kid dressing up. I, on the other hand, spent the first 10 years of my life living in a John Hughes movie...

Chaldean Archbishop of Erbil: ‘The Whole Middle East Is Burning’

Warda%3A%20%u2018The%20whole%20Middle%20East%20is%20burning%u201D: Bashar Batti Warda is the Chaldean archbishop of Erbil, in Iraqi Kurdistan. Ten years ago he was on the frontline over helping over 13,000 families who fled the terrorists of ISIS and found refuge in Erbil — since then he has overseen the reconstruction of towns and villages, but has also watched tens of thousands of his faithful leave the country in search of stability and peace abroad.

Vatican: Holy Days of Obligation Not Dispensed if Transferred to a Monday

Vatican: Holy days of obligation not dispensed if transferred to a Monday | Catholic News Agency: The Vatican has clarified that Catholics in the United States must still attend Mass on holy days of obligation even when they are transferred to Mondays or Saturdays, correcting a long-standing practice in the U.S. Church.