Vatican to Weigh in on Mary’s Role in Salvation With Document on Nov. 4

Vatican%20to%20weigh%20in%20on%20Mary%u2019s%20role%20in%20salvation%20with%20doctrine%20document%20on%20Nov.%204%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20Agency: The Vatican’s doctrine office announced Thursday it will release a document on Nov. 4 about titles of Mary that refer to her “cooperation in the work of salvation.” Mary’s contribution to human salvation, specifically the title of “Co-Redemptrix” (“Co-Redeemer”) has been a point of theological debate for decades — with proponents calling for Mary’s role in redemption to be declared a dogma...

Antisemitism Is a Malignancy in Society

A timely anniversaryWEIGEL: Sixty years ago, on October 28, 1965, the Second Vatican Council adopted, and Pope Paul VI promulgated, the Declaration on the Relationship of the Church to Non-Christian Religions, known by the first words in the official Latin text as Nostra Aetate (In Our Age). I chart Nostra Aetate’s sometimes rocky passage through Vatican II in To Sanctify the World: The Vital Legacy of Vatican II. Suffice it to note here that the obstinate refusal of some Arab states to concede the reality and permanence of Israel as a Jewish state...

With Thousands in Sudan Trapped in Besieged City, Catholic Leaders Amplify Calls to End War

Thousands in Sudan trapped in besieged city by paramilitary: As a paramilitary group announced the capture of el-Fasher, the besieged capital of Sudan’s North Darfur state, Catholic Church leaders amplified calls for the protection of “forgotten” civilians — including thousands of children — trapped in the western Sudanese city.

Mar Awa III Gives Leo XIV a Chicago Cubs Jersey, Rivals of the Pope’s White Sox

Mar%20Awa%20III%20gives%20Pope%20Leo%20XIV%20a%20Chicago%20Cubs%20jersey%2C%20rivals%20of%20the%20pope%u2019s%20White%20Sox%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20Agency: His Holiness Mar Awa III, Catholicos-patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East, traveled to Rome this week to participate in a ceremony commemorating the 60th anniversary of Nostra Aetate, the Church’s declaration on building relations with non-Christian religions. During his stay in the Eternal City, Mar Awa III, born David Royel to Assyrian immigrant parents, met Oct. 27 with Pope Leo XIV in a private audience. The two share the same hometown of Chicago.

Bishop John Persaud: Jamaicans Trust 'God Is With Us' Through Planet's Worst Hurricane of 2025

Bishop: Jamaicans trust 'God is with us' through planet's worst storm of 2025- Detroit Catholic: As Hurricane Melissa approached Jamaica Oct. 27, OSV News spoke with Bishop John Persaud, who shepherds the Diocese of Mandeville and is also apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Montego Bay, which together with the Archdiocese of Kingston serve the faithful on the Caribbean island nation.

St. Jude, and the US bishops' conference

St. Jude, and the US bishops' conference - by JD FlynnJDFLYNN: Today is the feast of the apostles Simon and Jude, and you’re reading The Tuesday Pillar Post. Simon and Jude are two apostles about whom we know relatively little. In fact, we know them each most by who they were not. Simon is the apostle with that name who did not become Simon Peter, the rock upon which our Church is built. Jude is in two Gospels called Thaddeus, and he is sometimes called Judas, as he was in St. John’s account of the Last Supper...

As Hurricane Melissa Rages, Remember What Our Lord Told St. Faustina During a Storm: ‘Say the Chaplet I Have Taught You’

Pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet to calm the storm! | The Divine Mercy: Today I was awakened by a great storm. The wind was raging, and it was raining in torrents, thunderbolts striking again and again. I began to pray that the storm would do no harm, when I heard the words: Say the chaplet I have taught you, and the storm will cease.

Jamaica Braces for Catastrophic Flooding and 160-Knot Winds as Hurricane Melissa Approaches

Hurricane Melissa approaches Jamaica with 185 mph winds | AP News: Hurricane Melissa intensified Tuesday as it crawled toward Jamaica, where officials and residents braced for catastrophic winds, flash flooding and landslides from the Category 5 storm, one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes in history.

All Souls: A Reflection on the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed

All Souls: Scott Hahn Reflects on The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed - St. Paul CenterHAHN: When St. Paul talked about the resurrection of the dead with the philosophers at Athens, many laughed and mocked him . The Gospel, he would later write, is “foolishness” to the wise of this world. Yet this week’s First Reading tells us that it is foolish to think that the souls of the just are dead. Instead, theirs is a “hope full of immortality. ”By His Resurrection, Jesus frees the human race from the fear of death, from the terrible fear of the unknown...

The Grammar of Catholic Education

The Grammar of Catholic Education | Knowing Is DoingTORRE: In the letter to the Hebrews, the author makes a statement of faith that presumes two things about the exercise and practice of a faith in God. One, an active faith proposes a belief in God the Father, and that our hope rests on God, and two, an active faith exercises docility to the will of God, even when we may wonder if He is present during a time of great need...

Mother Catherine of Siena Defied the Red Dragon of Soviet Communism

A Dissident Damsel Who Defied the Red Dragon ~ The Imaginative ConservativePEARCE: It has been said, purportedly by G.K. Chesterton, that when people stop believing in God, they don’t believe in nothing but in anything. Even worse is that the things which people believe are not merely godless but deadly and demonic. Take, for instance, the modern anti-Christian creeds that led to the French and Russian Revolutions and to the rise of the Nazis...

9 Baseball Heavy Hitters for a Catholic World Series Dream Team

9 Baseball Heavy Hitters for a Catholic World Series Dream Team| National Catholic RegisterSIMONSON: There are those, living and dead, who have made a significant contribution to baseball. There are likewise those who have, in their manner, served as shining examples of faith. And then there are some who’ve done both. October begins on the feast of St. Thérèse de Lisieux and ends on All Hallows’ Eve, with several significant feasts in those days between. All of us know that it’s likewise the month when the baseball season reaches its climactic conclusion...

5 Ways Protestant ‘Dunks’ on Catholics Backfire

New%20Advent%3A%205%20Ways%20Protestant%20%u2018Dunks%u2019%20on%20Catholics%20Backfire: In this episode Trent Horn examines how Protestant arguments against Catholicism can backfire...

How God Used a ‘Nobody’ to Convert 10 Million People at Guadalupe

New%20Advent%3A%20How%20God%20Used%20a%20%u2018Nobody%u2019%20to%20Convert%2010%20Million%20People%20at%20GuadalupeSTEFANICK: I’m so excited for you to watch this week’s Sunday Reflection that I filmed on a recent pilgrimage to Mexico City while literally climbing up Tepeyac Hill, the place where Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared to St. Juan Diego in 1531. It doesn’t get much humbler than Juan Diego. He was a peasant, an absolute nobody by the standards of the world. But God chose to work through him to bring about the largest mass conversion to Christianity in history...

The Sinister Crisis Ravaging America’s Young Men

The%20Sinister%20Crisis%20Ravaging%20America%u2019s%20Young%20Men%20%7C%20AMACDEAVEL: It’s not a wholesome topic, much less so on a Sunday. But Christians and all others who care about the moral health of society should be thinking about the crisis of pornography and whether there are ways in which we can, at the very least, battle against it. A recent article in Harper’s Magazine titled “The Goon Squad” sheds a disturbing new light on this problem...

Pope Leo XIV to Visit Nicaea in Turkey and St. Charbel’s Tomb in Lebanon During First Apostolic Journey

Pope Leo XIV to pray at tomb of St. Charbel during first apostolic journey to Turkey, Lebanon | Catholic News Agency: The Vatican on Monday released the full program for Pope Leo XIV’s first apostolic journey, which will take him to Turkey and Lebanon from Nov. 27 to Dec. 2. The trip will center on two key moments: a pilgrimage to İznik (ancient Nicaea) to mark the 1,700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea and a visit to the tomb of St. Charbel Makhlouf in Lebanon.

Pope’s Sunday Angelus: ‘Do Not Be Afraid to Admit Your Mistakes ... Entrusting Them to God’s Mercy’

Pope at Angelus: Do not be afraid to admit your mistakes - Vatican News: Speaking from the window of the Apostolic Palace, Pope Leo XIV recalled the two contrasting figures from the day’s Gospel reading: the Pharisee, confident in his own righteousness, and the tax collector, conscious of his sin. The Pope was speaking just after the Jubilee Mass dedicated to synodal teams and participatory bodies on Sunday, and before his weekly recitation of the Marian prayer of the Angelus.

Who’s the Front-Runner to Lead at the USCCB?

Who's next to lead at the USCCB? - by JD Flynn - The PillarJDFLYNN: When the U.S. bishops meet for their plenary assembly in Baltimore next month, they’ll discuss the prospect of the 2029 National Eucharistic Congress, a new text of ethical directives for Catholic hospitals, and spend a great deal of time talking about the situation of immigrants to the United States. The bishops will no doubt approve a message to send to Pope Leo — their American brother — and receive a message in response, through apostolic nuncio Cardinal Christophe Pierre.

Cardinal Burke Celebrates Latin Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica

PHOTOS%3A%20Cardinal%20Burke%20celebrates%20Latin%20Mass%20in%20St.%20Peter%u2019s%20Basilica%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20Agency: Cardinal Raymond Burke celebrated a special Traditional Latin Mass for hundreds of pilgrims in St. Peter’s Basilica on Oct. 25 — a return to a prior custom, suspended since 2022, of an annual pilgrimage of Catholics devoted to the ancient liturgy

Octopus Arms Are the Animal Kingdom’s Most Flexible

Octopus arms are the animal kingdom's most flexible | Popular Science: With three hearts, blue blood, and eight arms that seem to have a mind of their own, octopuses are among the ocean’s most fascinating creatures. Their signature limbs and complex nervous system help them explore, communicate, capture prey, and mate in many marine habitats. Now, scientists are unlocking some of the secrets embedded in these arms, namely whether they have some degree of “handedness.”

This Sunday, How Satan ‘Ambushes’ Religious People (and How to Get Away)

This%20Sunday%2C%20How%20Satan%20%u2018Ambushes%u2019%20Religious%20People%20%28and%20How%20to%20Get%20Away%29%20%u2013%20Benedictine%20College%20Media%20%26%20CultureHOOPES: Jesus tells a parable about a Pharisee praying in the Temple area. He believes God is impressed by all of his spiritual accomplishments. Meanwhile, a tax collector beats his breast and bows his head, praying only, “O God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” We know the rest of the story: This Pharisee is like the Pharisees who rejected Jesus, and this publican is like the tax collectors and sinners who became his disciples.

Bishops Need to Earn Their Priests’ Confidence

Bishops%20need%20to%20earn%20their%20priests%u2019%20confidence%20%7C%20Catholic%20CultureLAWLER: Every now and then, when I have trouble choosing a topic for commentary, I consult the CatholicCulture archives, to see what I was writing five or ten or fifteen years ago around this time of year. So it was that today I found a piece that I had written in October 2017: The crisis of pastoral leadership. That article, in turn, was prompted by a message from a friend, a priest in a relatively strong American diocese, who complained about the sort of directives he received from the chancery.

Shaking Hands, Vigano II, and Spy Time

Shaking hands, Vigano II, and spy time - by Ed. CondonCONDON: It’s been a strange experience for me watching the royal Vatican visit this week, being an American-born Catholic whose first legal act as an adult was to swear an oath of fidelity to the British sovereign. The whole meeting was a mass of obvious contradictions. The pope conferred on the King the status of “royal confrater” of the basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls, not to be confused with the Anglican church in Rome dedicated to the same saint, referred to by English seminarians as “St. Paul Outside the Church”.

What’s Happening to the Anglican Communion?

What%u2019s%20happening%20to%20the%20Anglican%20Communion%3FCOPPEN: Earlier this month, a body known as GAFCON — the Global Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans — declared it was “now the Global Anglican Communion.” In the Oct. 16 declaration, entitled “The future has arrived,” the alliance of conservative Anglican church leaders said it had resolved to “reorder” the Anglican Communion, the world’s third-largest Christian communion after the Catholic Church and Eastern Orthodoxy.

What Does the Bible Say About Israel?

What Does the Bible Say About Israel? - St. Paul CenterHARROLD: In the biblical narrative, Israel is a person before it’s a people. The great patriarch Jacob, the son of Isaac and the grandson of Abraham, is renamed Israel (“he who wrestles with God”) following his nocturnal contest with the Lord. Jacob (Israel) went on to have no less than twelve sons: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, and Benjamin. These twelve sons were the basis for what eventually became the twelve tribes of the nation of Israel.

‘Nothing Short of a Miracle’: Annunciation Church Shooting Survivor Sophia Forchas Returns Home After 57 Days

Prayers Answered: Annunciation Shooting Survivor Sophia Forchas Finally Comes Home| National Catholic RegisterMURPHY: Twelve-year-old Sophia Forchas is finally home — after spending 57 days in the hospital with severe injuries sustained from the deadly shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis during the first school Mass of the year that claimed the lives of two students. Sophia received a fond farewell outside the hospital on Oct. 23. In a statement posted to the family’s GoFundMe page, Sophia’s parents, Tom and Amy Forchas, wrote

St. John Henry Newman’s ‘Second Spring’ Reaches Its Full Bloom

St.%20John%20Henry%20Newman%u2019s%20%u2018Second%20Spring%u2019%20Reaches%20Its%20Full%20Bloom%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterDESOUZA: Pope Leo XIV will declare St. John Henry Newman a doctor of the Church on Nov. 1, All Saints’ Day, capping off a remarkable few weeks for Catholics in his native England — weeks that illustrated how far their present position has changed since the mid-19th century. Newman is being made a doctor for his theological work, but the timing emphasizes the historical shifts of which he was both a participant and a witness...

Hamas’ War on Women: Survivors Detail Horrors of Captivity

Hamas%u2019%20War%20on%20Women%3A%20Survivors%20Detail%20Horrors%20of%20Captivity%7C%20National%20Catholic%20Register: She was twenty-seven years old, kidnapped from the Nova music festival on Oct. 7, 2023. She didn’t survive. Her body was returned to Israel two years after she was taken. The last known female hostage held by Hamas. “There wasn’t a moment when we weren’t abused,” said Aviva Siegel, one of the first women to be released. She was held for 51 days.

Pope Leo XIV and King Charles III Make History With First Joint Prayer Since Reformation

Pope Leo XIV and King Charles III make history with first joint prayer since Reformation | Catholic News Agency: History was made in the Sistine Chapel on Thursday as Pope Leo XIV and King Charles III prayed side by side, marking the first time since the Protestant Reformation that a reigning British monarch and a pope have prayed together during a royal state visit to the Vatican.

John Paul II: The Man, the Pope, the Saint

The Man, the Pope, the Saint: Today the Church celebrates the feast day of my hero: Carol Joseph Wojtyla, or, as we usually call him, Saint Pope John Paul II. When I arrived at the Vatican as a young Swiss Guard, I had a largely secular understanding of Catholicism. At that point, my faith was my parents’ and not truly my own, an “outsider” view that was both helpful and deceiving. Because of that perspective, I was able to meet and then interact with John Paul...

The 5 Great October Homilies of St. John Paul II

The 5 Great October Homilies of St. John Paul II| National Catholic RegisterDESOUZA: In recent decades, canonizations have often been scheduled for October, and so frequently fall on World Mission Sunday, the second-to-last Sunday in October. It was established in 1926 by Pope Pius XI, who had the previous year established the solemnity of Christ the King, then fixed for the last Sunday in October. The mission of the Church is to proclaim that the kingdom of God is at hand.

Dying From Compassion

Dying from compassionWEIGEL: The “Mother of Parliaments” — that’s the one in London — has been embroiled for months in a debate over “assisted dying,” which is euphemized elsewhere under other Orwellian monikers: “Medical Assistance in Dying,” “Physician Assisted Suicide,” “Physician Assisted Dying,” and so forth. The bill legalizing this odious practice narrowly passed the House of Commons on June 20 and has been subsequently debated in the House of Lords. Further parliamentary procedures may delay a final decision until next April or May; the parliamentary clock may even run out on the bill, which would be all to the good.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican Journalists Condemn Threat to Free Press After Assaults on Journalists

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican journalists condemn threat to free press after assaults on journalists | Catholic News Agency: Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin and an organization of Vatican-accredited journalists have spoken out in support of a free press after the recent attacks on two journalists in Italy. In a statement released Tuesday, the International Association of Journalists Accredited to the Vatican (AIGAV) condemned last week’s assault on Venezuelan Vatican journalist Edgar Beltrán by businessman Ricardo Cisneros...

No Favorites: A Reflection on the Upcoming 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time

No Favorites: Scott Hahn Reflects on the Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time - St. Paul CenterHAHN: Jesus draws a blunt picture in today’s Gospel. The Pharisee’s prayer is almost a parody of the thanksgiving psalms. Instead of praising God for His mighty works, the Pharisee congratulates himself for his own deeds, which he presents to God in some detail. The tax collector stands at a distance, too ashamed even to raise his eyes to God. He prays with a humble and contrite heart. He knows that before God no one is righteous, no one has cause to boast...

Scared of Spiders? Some Former Arachnophobes Now Are Keeping Jumping Spiders as Pets

Jumping spiders make the leap from pest to pet : NPR: For Emily Hess, it was a Phidippus regius named Gretel. Hayden Shea's first was caught by her boyfriend's dad. Sunday Costell ordered her first one off eBay. Those spiders were the gateway bugs into the booming community of jumping spider pet owners. And thanks to social media videos of their head-tilting, leg waggling antics, these web-slingers are in high demand.

Why Use Many Streetlights When One Will Do?

New Advent: Why use many streetlights when one will do?: The moonlight towers of Austin, Texas, are the last urban municipal lighting towers in the world: because before every street was wired to the grid, how else would you light up a city?

Straight to Heaven, Straight to Hell

Straight to Heaven, Straight to Hell | Catholic Answers MagazineBROUSSARD: One of the most common objections Protestants raise against the Catholic doctrine of purgatory is that it seems to contradict what Jesus taught about the immediacy of heaven after death. In fact, well-known Protestant writers Norman Geisler and Ralph MacKenzie make this exact case in their book. Their argument is simple: Jesus teaches that people either go straight to heaven or straight to hell after death, leaving no room for an in-between purification like purgatory...

When Catholics Forget Our Mission, the Church Declines

When Catholics Forget Their Mission The Church Declines - Catholic Missionary Disciples - College Station, TXLEJEUNE: I while back, I helped a friend move into his new home. He is a Catholic priest and got assigned as Pastor to a new parish. This parish has multiple locations, a school, a big staff, and dozens of large buildings. When he realized just how many things he is responsible for, it was a bit disorienting. It was also clear that he is stepping into a situation where some of these responsibilities are possible distractions to that which is much more important...

27 Aphorisms for Knowing God in the Present World

27 Aphorisms for Knowing God in the Present World | Church Life Journal | University of Notre Dame: How strange that almost everyone will obey worldly authority with such unqualified zeal, particularly when it is evil men in charge who give the orders. Yet speak of the necessity of submission to God, and these same people who usually are willing to do slavishly as they are told act suddenly as if they have never heard of duty. When in the Acts it is said that the early Christians were described as...

Bishops Denounce Rising Mafia-Style Violence in Sicily Following Murder of 21-Year-Old

Bishops denounce rising Mafia-style violence in Sicily following murder of 21-year-old | Catholic News Agency: The murder of a 21-year-old Italian man after trying to break up a fight has prompted two southern Italian archbishops to sound the alarm against the rise of Mafia-style killings among young people. At a prayer service Oct. 18 for Paolo Taormina, who was killed one week ago outside the family-owned bar where he worked, Archbishop Gualtiero Isacchi of Monreale, Italy, told the faithful present...

A German Bishop in Peru Resigned in July and Now Thinks He’s Married. It’s Invalid, But What Happens Next?

A%20Bishop%20says%20he%u2019s%20married%2C%20what%20happens%20next%3F: A German news outlet reported last week that a bishop who took early retirement last year has contracted marriage civilly, despite claims that he resigned over health reasons. The Holy See press office announced last July it had accepted the resignation of 63 year-old Bishop Reinhold Nann, the German-born prelate who led the Peruvian territorial prelature of Caravel.

There is not, never has been, and never will be a single human being for whom Christ did not suffer...

For Whom Did Jesus Die? | DominicanaTRECOST: Consider Jesus hanging on the cross. Observe the cuts on his body from being scourged and violently stripped of his clothes. See the gashes made from falling under the weight of his heavy cross. Notice the torn flesh of his pierced hands and feet. Look him in the eyes as blood drips down his face. Why did the God-man endure this? For what—for whom—was all this blood shed?

Bread for Beasts

Bread for Beasts - by Deacon Tom - Weird CatholicMCDONALD: “Of all religions,” writes medievalist Robert Bartlett, “Christianity is the one most concerned with dead bodies.”1 True, but why, and how soon after the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus did this practice take hold? We begin with the obvious: there are no relics of Jesus, because His body dwells in glory. We next must turn figures of the New Testament...

Are We Teaching Too Much Religion?

Are We Teaching Too Much Religion? | Knowing Is DoingTORRE: Some time ago, I walked into an argument among several Catholic religious educators, both lay and religious, where the question was whether too much time was being dedicated to religious instruction. Before you do a double-take and ask yourself: Did I read that correctly? And, once you realize you did, you might wonder: Why would anyone think this? How can anyone argue against too much religious instruction...

5 Ways to Become a Grounded Woman

5 Ways to Become a Grounded Woman - by Carrie GressGRESS: A few weeks ago, a new ad popped up on my Instagram feed. Grounding sheets. I didn’t know what they were, but now, after a feed flooded with posts about them, I have a pretty good idea. They are meant to connect a sleeper with the earth’s natural energy frequency, hence “grounding.” Who wouldn’t want to connect with the ground, the earth, dirt, something solid, ordered, natural, and life-promoting?

The Least-Visited National Park Unit in All 50 States

The Least-Visited National Park Unit in All 50 States: What do Yosemite, Grand Canyon, and Great Smoky Mountains national parks have in common? Breathtaking landscapes is one answer, but it’s not the only one. During peak season, you’ll also find packed parking lots, crowded trailheads, and never-ending lines for restrooms, restaurants, and viewpoints at each one. You go there to unwind, to be awed and inspired. Instead, you find yourself surrounded by tour groups, selfie sticks, and crying toddlers.

I Test Drove a Flying Car. Get Ready, They’re Here.

I%20Test%20Drove%20a%20Flying%20Car.%20Get%20Ready%2C%20They%u2019re%20Here.%20-%20WSJ: Welcome, and congratulations. You’ve lived long enough to see the age of flying cars—privately owned, solo-piloted aircraft, free to operate in unrestricted airspace, much as automobiles can take to the open road. And they’re all electric. I knew you’d be thrilled.

Bishop Scharfenberger of Albany Retires; Boston Auxiliary Bishop O’Connell Named Successor

Boston Auxiliary Bishop O'Connell named to Albany, N.Y.: Pope Leo XIV has accepted the resignation of Bishop Edward B. Scharfenberger, 77, from the pastoral governance of the Diocese of Albany, New York, and has appointed Auxiliary Bishop Mark W. O’Connell of Boston as his successor. The resignation and appointment were announced by Cardinal Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the U.S., in Washington Oct. 20.

Goon Assaults ‘The Pillar’ Journalist in Rome for Asking ‘Delicate’ Question About Venezuelan Dictatorship

Pillar journalist assaulted - by JD Flynn - The PillarJDFLYNN: Today the Church canonized seven new saints, including the first two Venezuelans ever to be canonized: St. José Gregorio Hernández and St. María del Carmen Rendiles. In Venezuela, everyone is excited about those canonizations — and the embattled regime of President Nicolas Maduro has even gotten in on things, sponsoring celebrations across the country to mark the canonization.

Is It a Sin to Watch Pirated Content Online?

Is It a Sin to Watch Pirated Content Online?| National Catholic RegisterBRUGGER: Presuming the content of the material you view is innocent — not pornographic, and so forth — there is nothing in what you have said that suggests viewing them is in itself mortally sinful. To commit a mortal sin, three conditions must be met. First, the act that you commit must constitute “grave matter.” When we speak about an act’s matter, we are referring to the degree of the wrongness of the act...

These 7 New Saints Are Arriving at Just the Right Time

These 7 New Saints Are Arriving at Just the Right Time| National Catholic RegisterDESOUZA: The causes of saints usually take decades to reach canonization. It also happens that saints long in the making — or better, in the recognizing — arrive at the altar at exactly the right time. On Nov. 12, 1989, just days after the tearing open of the Berlin Wall, Pope St. John Paul II canonized St. Agnes of Prague, 700 years after her death, and John Paul’s 19th-century fellow Cracovian, Brother Albert Chmielowski...

The ‘gay-washed’ Bible’s imprimatur should be withdrawn. Here’s why...

%u201CGay-Washed%u201D%20Bible%u2019s%20imprimatur%20should%20be%20withdrawn.%20Here%u2019s%20why.%20%7C%20Catholic%20CultureWOLFGANG: I am grateful to OSV News for reporting on my concerns about the USCCB’s granting of an imprimatur to the New Revised Standard Version updated edition (NRSVue) Bible. I appreciate USCCB Scripture scholar Father Pablo Gadenz responding directly to my concerns. But I found his responses unpersuasive, and I still think the imprimatur should be withdrawn, for the reasons below.

What may seem like a delay from God is often simply the unfolding of his perfect plan for you...

New Advent: What may seem like a delay from God is often simply the unfolding of his perfect plan for you...STEFANICK: Are you waiting to find "the one?" The perfect job? Maybe just a general feeling of contentment in your life? God's timing is often (usually!) not our timing. So what can you do? Meet Blessed Sebastian of Aparicio—a man who built roads, made a fortune, and waited decades for his deepest prayer to be answered, but it didn't go quite like he envisioned it. His story is a powerful reminder...

Why Are There Different Numbering Systems for the Psalms?

Why Are There Different Numbering Systems for the Psalms? - St. Paul CenterHARROLD: Most Catholics have had the experience of looking up a psalm, only to discover that the psalm number they’ve been given is different from the one printed in their Bible. This experience can be a source of confusion and frustration, and it raises some obvious questions: Why are there different numbering systems for the psalms? And which system is correct?

This Sunday: Prayer Changes You, Not God...

This%20Sunday%2C%20Prayer%20Changes%20You%2C%20Not%20God%3A%20The%20Power%20of%20Persistence%20%u2013%20Benedictine%20College%20Media%20%26%20CultureHOOPES: Sunday’s Gospel begins, “Jesus told his disciples a parable about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary.” It’s good to know this is about we who pray, not the God we pray to, because it is hard to see God in the story. The situation the parable describes is dire: a widow, who would have been utterly without status or resources in the ancient world, wants

Pope Leo XIV Canonizes 7 New Saints, Including First From Venezuela and Papua New Guinea

Pope Leo XIV canonizes 7 new saints, including first from Venezuela and Papua New Guinea | Catholic News AgencyMARES: Pope Leo XIV proclaimed seven new saints on Sunday before an estimated 70,000 people in St. Peter’s Square, including the first saints from Venezuela and Papua New Guinea and a former Satanist who underwent a dramatic conversion to become an “apostle of the rosary.”

Pope Leo XIV Appoints Cardinal Cupich to Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State

Pope Leo appoints Cardinal Cupich to Vatican City State commission | Catholic News Agency: Pope Leo XIV has appointed Chicago Archbishop Cardinal Blase Cupich to the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State, the Holy See said on Wednesday. The Vatican made the announcement via a press release on Oct. 15. The commission functions as the legislative body of Vatican City. In addition to managing the many functions and activities of the Vatican City government...

Your Home Is the Home of Responsibility

The Home of Responsibility - LifeCraftCUDDEBACK: The crisis of responsibility, which is obvious to anyone today, first took root in our homes. We should then address it in our home life. For, of course, home is the ‘home’ of responsibility. There is no context that so clearly demands taking responsibility for others than marriage and family. And a person learns to be responsible if others take responsibility for him, beginning in these basic relationships of human life...

Why Christ Won’t Let His Church Ordain Women

Why%20Christ%20Won%u2019t%20Let%20His%20Church%20Ordain%20Women%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterCHAPP: Surrounded by a pagan culture that often had priestesses, the decision — by Judaism first, and then by Christ — to limit the priesthood to men is either the result of a mere patriarchal and cultural bias, or the product of a definitive theological decision with deeper meaning. When did Jesus ever make decisions in the Gospel that we can say are clear examples...

Reminder to Vatican ecumenists and diplomats: Patriarch Kirill is an old KGB hand who has abandoned Christian orthodoxy

Russian reset required in RomeWEIGEL: When Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’ was head of the Russian Orthodox Church’s external relations department, he would occasionally come to Washington, where the Librarian of Congress, James Billington, a distinguished historian of Russian culture, would host a small dinner for him. I was a guest on one such occasion, and the impression Kirill left that night remains in my mind...

Evidence of Mercy Amid the Madness

Evidence of mercy amid the madness - Catholic ReviewSCALIA: Thanks to the availability of instantaneous, global communication and our addiction to it, 21st century humans are permitted — perhaps condemned is a better word — to witness daily episodes of brutality and violence and, particularly over the past few months, horrendous killings. We were spared viewing the June slayings of Democrat lawmaker Melissa Hortman and her husband and the nightmarish shooting...

‘Help Me Help Missionaries’: Pope Leo’s Historic Video Appeal

%u2018Help%20Me%20Help%20Missionaries%u2019%3A%20Pope%20Leo%u2019s%20Historic%20Video%20Appeal%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterLANDRY: Earlier this week, Pope Leo did something no pope has ever done. He recorded a video message for World Mission Sunday, making a direct appeal to Catholics across the world to “help me help missionaries across the world.” The video is a little over a minute long, making it easy to share on social media, in parish and diocesan email blasts, on websites and other means...

Cardinal Presides Over Act of Reparation in St. Peter’s Following Desecration of Altar

Cardinal%20Mauro%20Gambetti%20presides%20over%20act%20of%20reparation%20in%20St.%20Peter%u2019s%20Basilica%20following%20desecration%20of%20altar%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20Agency: Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, archpriest of St. Peter’s Basilica and vicar general of the pope for Vatican City, presided Oct. 13 over a penitential rite of reparation at the main altar of the church following a serious act of desecration that had taken place on Oct. 10.

Jim Caviezel’s Out, Jaakko Ohtonen’s In — Mel Gibson's ‘Resurrection of the Christ’ Casts New Jesus, Mary Magdalene

Mel Gibson's Resurrection of the Christ Casts New Jesus, Mary Magdalene: Mel Gibson’s “The Resurrection of the Christ,” his long-delayed follow up to 2004’s “The Passion of the Christ,” has cast Finnish actor Jaakko Ohtonen (“The Last Kingdom”) in the role of Jesus, replacing original star Jim Caviezel.

2,000 Join Rosary Crusade Through Streets of London

2,000 Join Rosary Crusade Through Streets of London| National Catholic RegisterPENTIN: At least 2,000 faithful participated in an annual London Rosary Crusade of Reparation on Saturday — a notably large gathering that organizers hope reflects a fledgling revival of faith in England. Participants of all ages and backgrounds prayed the Rosary and sang hymns along the two-mile procession from Westminster Cathedral to the London Brompton Oratory...

How the Oct. 13, 1917, ‘Miracle of the Sun’ in Fátima Helped to End an Atheist Regime

How%20the%20%u2018Miracle%20of%20the%20Sun%u2019%20in%20F%E1tima%20helped%20to%20end%20an%20atheist%20regime%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20Agency: Oct. 13, 1917, marked the last Marian apparition in Fátima and the day on which thousands of people bore witness to the miracle of the dancing sun — a miracle that shattered the prevalent belief at the time that God was no longer relevant. Marco Daniel Duarte, a theologian and director of the Fátima Shrine museums, shared with CNA the impact that the miracle of the sun made during those days in Portugal.

In US Religious Freedom Case, Supermax Prison to Install Bidet for Armless Terrorist Inmate’s Muslim Prayer Preparation

At%20U.S.%20%u2018supermax%u2019%20prison%2C%20foreign-born%20Muslim%20with%20no%20arms%20files%20religious%20liberty%20suit%20%7C%20Catholic%20News%20Agency: A foreign-born Muslim inmate currently incarcerated in the U.S.’s most severely restrictive prison complex is asking the government to require the prison to accommodate his religious practices under a key federal statute, highlighting the far-reaching and comprehensive nature of religious freedom rules in the United States.

Contemplation and the Cross

Contemplation and the Cross - The Catholic ThingCASSELLA: In Herodotus’ Histories from the 430s BC, we read of a wise Greek philosopher and political thinker, Solon. While traveling, Solon met the King of Lydia, Croesus, who was known for his immense wealth. Croesus asked the philosopher what he thought about his great riches and whether such wealth meant that he, Croesus, was the happiest man alive. To that, Solon replied that you can...

Yes, Christopher Columbus

Yes, Christopher Columbus - The Catholic ThingROYAL: Today is Columbus Day, or (among the alternatively oriented) Native Peoples’ Day, both displaced in any case, as even major Catholic feasts now are, to a different date, so that people will have long weekends, or not be inconvenienced, or something. In any event, it’s a day now redefined in terms that make it unclear what, if anything, we are celebrating, or deploring, in this booming, buzzing confusion that we still (kind of) think of as the twenty-first Christian century.

It’s Not Too Late: Why Adults Should Learn Latin and Ancient Greek

It%u2019s%20Not%20Too%20Late%3A%20Why%20Adults%20Should%20Learn%20Latin%20%26%20Ancient%20Greek%20%7E%20The%20Imaginative%20Conservative: When it comes to ancient languages, many people seem to believe that there is an incredibly small window of opportunity for learning. I encounter this belief frequently, since I teach college-level Latin and ancient Greek through the Ancient Language Institute (ALI) – an online school that offers courses for adults and children in the classical languages, as well as adult courses in Biblical Hebrew and Old English...

Vatican Announces Formal Nomination of Judges in Father Rupnik Trial

Vatican announces judges' formal nomination for Rupnik trialWOODEN: Three months after Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernandez said the Vatican had identified the judges who would form the tribunal in the canonical trial against Slovenian Father Marko Rupnik on charges of spiritual and sexual abuse, the judges were formally nominated.

Pope Leo’s Augustinian community is drawing renewed interest. Here’s what makes it unique

Pope Leo's Augustinian order is seeing a 'Leo bump' : NPR: When James Schloegel took his vows as an Augustinian friar this summer, he knelt before the altar in a Chicago church, surrounded by friends, family, and fellow friars. At 32, he had spent years discerning his calling to religious life — a journey rooted in prayer, spiritual study, and community.

How Should Catholics Understand the Rogue Exorcist in Mark 9?

How Should Catholics Understand the Rogue Exorcist in Mark 9? - St. Paul CenterHARROLD: In Mark 9, we hear about a man unaffiliated with the disciples who casts out demons in Jesus’s name. This same episode is also recorded in Luke 9:49-50, while St. Matthew’s Gospel includes a variation on the warning Jesus delivers to His disciples: “He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters.” For Catholic readers of the Gospels, the exorcist passage raises some interesting questions...

Is There a Purpose to Religious Education?

Is There a Purpose to Religious Education? | Knowing Is Doing: It can be understood with a sincerity of mind and heart that the purpose of education is to prepare the student to engage life. The entire educational establishment, based on a Judeo-Christian ethos, would focus on the spiritual and educational transformation of the student to help him respond to truth, beauty, and goodness. This premise presupposes that the educator views the student as a child of God...

Men Without Heads: The Real Crisis in Classical Education

Beyond%20%u201CMen%20Without%20Chests%u201D%3A%20Why%20Classical%20Education%20Is%20Failing%20the%20MindELLISON: Classical K-12 education has a mind-heart problem. We know and love C. S. Lewis’s “Men without Chests,” and we find his analysis of the culture of British intelligentsia circa 1948 to be compelling. We laugh at the fatuous “sophistication” of the intellectual pygmies responsible for the Green Book; we chuckle at the mental picture of their tiny, anemic bodies attached to their oversized...

Dare Students Go Amish on the Topic of AI?

Dare Students Go Amish on the Topic of AI? - Word on FireENGELLAND: One of my family’s prized possessions is an Amish-made table fashioned from solid cherry wood, a souvenir from the decade we lived in the Amish country of northeast Ohio. It’s a thing of real beauty: The hand that made it was sure of its own skill. We loved that table so much we ordered a bedroom set from the same maker. When it was delivered...

Holy Days? Says Who?

Holy Days? Says Who? | Catholic Answers MagazineSTAPLES: The Church, by her apostolic authority, established “the Lord’s Day” to be Sunday, according to Acts 20:7, 1 Corinthians 16:1-2, and Revelation 1:10 (see also CCC 2175-2179). This is the spiritual fulfillment of the Sabbath and is binding on Christians. But does this contradict Romans 14:5? Absolutely not! Again, that is not what Paul was talking about.

Pope Hails Glimmers of Hope for Peace in Holy Land and Prays for Ukraine

Pope hails glimmers of hope for peace in Holy Land and prays for Ukraine - Vatican News: Following the Mass for the Jubilee of Marian Spirituality, Pope Leo XIV turns his thoughts and prayers to the suffering people of the Holy Land, of Ukraine, and of Peru, where political turmoil has brought instability to the nation.

Once-secret Emperor Commodus’ passage to Rome Colosseum opens to public for the first time

Rome's Colosseum opens Commodus Passage to public after 2,000 years | AP News: For the first time in nearly 2,000 years, visitors to Rome’s world-renowned Colosseum will have the opportunity to walk through a hidden imperial passage that once allowed Roman emperors to reach the ancient amphitheater unseen.

Wisdom in ‘The Wind in the Willows’

Wisdom in the Willows ~ The Imaginative ConservativePEARCE: Last week, my daughter and I went to watch a local production of the recent musical adaptation of The Wind in the Willows, which has proved very successful on the other side of the Pond since its premiere in the English county of Devon in 2016. As a family, we like to support local cultural initiatives and this was emphatically local. We knew several members of the cast and many members of the audience...

Reflections on Dilexi Te, the first magisterial document of Leo XIV’s pontificate

Reflections%20on%20Dilexi%20Te%2C%20the%20first%20magisterial%20document%20of%20Leo%20XIV%u2019s%20papacy%20%u2013%20Catholic%20World%20ReportCHAPP: Pope Leo XIV’s first magisterial document of his papacy, Dilexi Te (“I have loved you”), has understandably generated a lot of interest. An apostolic exhortation is a fairly low-level document in terms of the classical criteria for adjudicating the authority of magisterial texts. Pope Leo has played his cards close to the vest during these first months of his papacy, doing and saying little that would generate much controversy...

Washington State Drops Effort to Make Priests Violate Seal of Confession in Reporting Law

Washington state drops effort to make priests violate seal of confession in reporting law | Catholic News Agency: Officials in Washington state have agreed to back off a controversial effort to force priests there to violate the seal of confession as part of a mandatory abuse reporting law.

Loyola University Basketball’s Sister Jean Dolores Dies at 106

Sister Jean Dolores, beloved Catholic nun and Loyola University basketball chaplain, dies at 106 | Catholic News Agency: Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt, the beloved Catholic nun who became known across the country at the age of 98 as the chaplain of the Loyola University Chicago men’s basketball team, died Oct. 9 at the age of 106.

‘Dilexi Te’: Pope Leo XIV, in His First Major Document, Says the Poor Evangelize Us

%u2018Dilexi%20Te%u2019%3A%20Pope%20Leo%20XIV%2C%20in%20His%20First%20Major%20Document%2C%20Says%20the%20Poor%20Evangelize%20Us%7C%20National%20Catholic%20Register: In the first major document of his pontificate, Pope Leo XIV writes that the poor are not only objects of charity, but evangelists who can prompt us to conversion through their example of weakness and reliance on God...

I’m an AP Photographer. Watch What Happened When I (Accidentally) Told a Scientist She’d Been Awarded a Nobel Prize

Behind the lens: Breaking the news to a Nobel Prize winner | The Associated Press: They say a picture is worth 1,000 words, but these photos may be worth a Nobel Prize. In the early hours of Monday morning, Seattle-based AP photographer Lindsey Wasson got the call that a pair of Nobel Prize winners lived nearby and raced to the home of Mary E. Brunkow, the recipient of the Nobel Prize in medicine, to cover her reaction.

Apostolic Exhortation ‘Dilexi Te’ on Love for the Poor

Apostolic Exhortation Dilexi te of the Holy Father Leo XIV on Love for the Poor (4 October 2025)COATOFARMS: “I have loved you.” The Lord speaks these words to a Christian community that, unlike some others, had no influence or resources, and was treated instead with violence and contempt: “You have but little power. ... I will make them come and bow down before your feet.” This text reminds us of the words of the canticle of Mary: “He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty”...

‘Dilexi Te’: The Franciscan Framework of Pope Leo’s First Document

%u2018Dilexi%20Te%u2019%3A%20The%20Franciscan%20Framework%20of%20Pope%20Leo%u2019s%20First%20Document%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterDESOUZA: The first major document of a pontificate is highly anticipated as an indication of the new Pope’s agenda. Pope Leo XIV has chosen to place his first document, the apostolic exhortation Dilexi Te (I Have Loved You) into a Franciscan framework. The Vatican press office, unusually, carried a news item that Dilexi Te had been signed on Saturday, the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, Oct. 4...

Remains of St. Francis of Assisi to Be Publicly Displayed for the First Time in 800 Years

Remains of St. Francis of Assisi to be publicly displayed for first time | Catholic News Agency: For the first time, the body of St. Francis of Assisi will be visible to all, from Feb. 22 to March 22, 2026. This religious and historical event was announced on the memorial of the saint of Assisi (Oct. 4) and will coincide with the eighth centenary of the death of St. Francis in 1226.

The problem(s) with ‘LGBTQ Catholic’

The problem(s) with 'LGBTQ Catholic'WEIGEL: The late Father Richard John Neuhaus had a love/hate relationship with the New York Times. Richard was a passionate partisan of New York City, which he sometimes described as a preview of the New Jerusalem, but the Grey Lady’s parochialism nonetheless led him to occasionally dismiss New York’s most prestigious daily as a “parish newsletter.” He regularly castigated the Times’ editorials for their air of smug infallibility...

Hollywood Has Made Many Movies About Exorcism. But None Has Had Christ at Its Heart...

'Conjuring' No More - The Catholic ThingMINER: These special-effects-driven exorcism movies threaten to turn this holy rite into nothing more than a ludicrously unbelievable subgenre of Hollywood horror, and not a very important one. When that happens (if it hasn’t already), the rite of exorcism and the office of exorcist may become a joke. The line between horror and humor is thin. Jesus cast out demons. But he also gave his Apostles the power, which they used...

The Devil and the Duckspeakers

The Devil and the Duckspeakers - The Catholic ThingMAIER: Every few years, I reread a couple of my favorite authors. George Orwell, despite his disdain for things Catholic, has always been on my list. This time I paid special attention to his essay, “The Principles of Newspeak.” He appended it to his dystopian novel 1984. As Orwell noted in his text, Newspeak – the language of Oceania’s Airstrip One...

Our Lord warned about ‘vain repetition’ in prayer. So what about the Rosary?

Would Jesus Condemn the Rosary? | Catholic Answers MagazineSENZ: Are Catholics guilty of “vain repetition” in prayer? Protestants often make this accusation. They say that repeated standard prayers, rather than spontaneous, improvised prayers, is pointless and even damaging. Typically, this comes up with regard to the holy rosary, but it is often applied more broadly. The claim is that Our Lord specifically condemned repetitive prayer during his earthly ministry, and Catholics are in violation of this prohibition.

Go Behind the Scenes of the ‘Hallow’ App With Co-Founder Alex Jones

New Advent: Go Behind the Scenes of the Hallow App With Co-Founder Alex JonesSTEFANICK: It’s a simple idea with profound results: use a smartphone app to guide people into a habit of daily prayer. Through monthly prayer challenges, reflections, videos, and music from some of the most recognizable and influential Catholics in the world (and I’m on there, too!), Hallow has recently crossed the incredible milestone of logging 1 billion prayers. Praise God! In this episode of The Chris Stefanick Show...

How Singapore Became Obsessed by Shade

How Singapore became obsessed by shade: The sweltering island nation has long prioritised adding greenery and shade at every corner. Could other cities do the same? Heat is humanity's most lethal climate threat, taking more lives every year than floods, hurricanes and wildfires combined. And the risk is greatest in cities, which are warming twice as fast as the rest of the planet because of the urban heat island effect.

Returning Thanks: A Reflection on the upcoming 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Returning Thanks: Scott Hahn Reflects on the Twenty-Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time - St. Paul CenterHAHN: A foreign leper is cleansed and in thanksgiving returns to offer homage to the God of Israel. We hear this same story in both the First Reading and Gospel today. There were many lepers in Israel in Elisha’s time, but only Naaman the Syrian trusted in God’s Word and was cleansed (see Luke 5:12–14). Today’s Gospel likewise implies that most of the ten lepers healed by Jesus were Israelites—but only a foreigner, the Samaritan, returned.

How you will never hear the seamless garment theory used

How you will never hear the seamless garment theory used | Catholic CultureMIRUS: In commenting on the Durbin-award controversy, when Pope Leo XIV made comparative remarks about related contemporary moral positions, he put it this way: Someone who says I’m against abortion but is in favor of the death penalty is not really pro-life. Someone who says I’m against abortion but I’m in agreement with the inhuman treatment of immigrants in the United States, I don’t know if that’s pro-life...

Jason Kelce’s wife Kylie has a popular podcast — where she just upstaged Taylor Swift with her remarks about unborn children

In%20Respect%20Life%20Month%2C%20Kylie%20Kelce%u2019s%20Powerful%20Podcast%20on%20Miscarriage%20Upstages%20Taylor%20Swift%20%u2013%20Benedictine%20College%20Media%20%26%20CultureHOOPES: In Respect Life Month, Kylie Kelce did the impossible: She upstaged Taylor Swift, who is engaged to become her sister-in-law. And she did it by talking about how deeply we mourn unborn children. Taylor Swift’s new album should have been the talk of the week, but for many families, its risqué photography and explicit lyrics made it a nonstarter.

12 Failed Constitutional Amendments That Could Have Reshaped American History

Twelve Failed Constitutional Amendments That Could Have Reshaped American History: The United States Constitution had been in effect for little more than a year when Congress first moved to amend it. On September 25, 1789, the legislature sent a dozen proposed amendments to the then-13 states (soon to be 14) for ratification, as the law required. By December 15, 1791, the necessary three-fourths of states had ratified 10 of the 12 amendments, which collectively became known as the Bill of Rights.

Do you live near New York City, Boston, Philadelphia or Miami? A rare coin treasure hunt is about to kick off in these 4 American cities

A rare coin treasure hunt kicks off in 4 American cities | Popular Science: For Americans wishing they could participate in The Great Canadian Treasure Hunt, there is a new opportunity stateside. This month, the rare coin dealer and auction house Stack’s Bowers Galleries is inviting the public to join in on a treasure hunt to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the firm’s first auction.

The Rosary, the Battle of Lepanto and More in Voyage Comics’ New Comic Book

The Rosary, the Battle of Lepanto and more in a new comic book! - Voyage ComicsKOSLOSKI: Earlier this year we released Messages from Our Lady #1, a new comic book series that follows two middle school students, Adele and Francisco, as they struggle to find their place in the world. Included in each issue of this series is a visual illustration of Marian apparitions or remarkable miracles associated with Our Lady. This second issue will include the origin of the Rosary, the Battle of Lepanto and more...

Mary Shows Up, and Mrs. Bucket

(1) Mary shows up, and Mrs. Bucket - by JD Flynn - The PillarJDFLYNN: It’s the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary — and you’re reading The Tuesday Pillar Post. You probably know the story of Our Lady of Victory, and the Oct. 7, 1571, Battle of Lepanto. A European armada of warships aimed to defend Venetian outposts on the island of Cyprus. The Ottoman Empire wanted Cyprus, so that it could use the island as a launching point to invade Italy and take the city of Rome...

What Awaits Pope Leo XIV in Lebanon

What Awaits Pope Leo XIV in Lebanon| National Catholic RegisterALBERTOFERNANDEZ: That Pope Leo would add Lebanon to his first international trip is a signal of both the country’s importance and crisis situation. Lebanon may not be very important on the world stage. But what gives it weight in the Vatican is that it is indeed a real bastion of Eastern Christianity, especially Catholic Christianity. With a Christian percentage of “only” 37% of the population, it has an influential critical mass of Christians within the population as a whole...

Pope Leo XIV to Make First international Trip, Flying to Turkey on Thanksgiving Day and to Lebanon Through Dec. 2

UPDATE: Pope Leo XIV to make first international trip, to Turkey and Lebanon | Catholic News Agency: Pope Leo XIV will visit Turkey and Lebanon in the first apostolic journey of his pontificate, to take place from Nov. 27 to Dec. 2, the Vatican announced Tuesday. Holy See Press Office Director Matteo Bruni said the pope accepted the invitations of the “Head of State and Ecclesiastical Authorities” of both countries in an Oct. 7 statement released by the Vatican.

How should Catholics think about Islam?

How%20should%20Catholics%20think%20about%20Islam%3F%20%u2013%20Catholic%20World%20ReportDEAVEL: What does the Catholic Church believe about Islam and about Muslims? This question flares up periodically on the internet and sometimes in real life. Clearly, Muslims reject Jesus and are not a part of the Church. On the other hand, what (some will ask) about certain statements made in the Second Vatican Council’s dogmatic constitution on the Church, Lumen Gentium? There, they read (or are told), Muslims worship the one God with Catholics and are even included in the “plan of salvation.”

What Do We Know of Catherine of Aragon, Henry VIII’s Unhailed Holy Queen?

An Unhailed Holy Queen ~ The Imaginative ConservativePEARCE: All Catholics know the Salve Regina, the “Hail, Holy Queen,” the Marian antiphon sung in praise of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Queen of Heaven, who is without doubt and without question the most sung of all the heroes of Christendom. It is, therefore, in the light of her heroism that we should view other holy queens who are heroines of Christendom. We think of those holy queens who have been canonized by the Church, such as St. Elizabeth of Portugal or St. Margaret of Scotland...

Is My Body Mine? - LifeCraft

Is My Body Mine? - LifeCraftCUDDEBACK: “My body is not my own, but my wife’s.” So John Chrysostom admonishes a husband to tell any woman who would try to seduce him. In an age when many, surely including us, are tempted to see our body as ‘our own,’ this raises an issue of the first importance: what really is mine or not? This surprising question brings us face to face with who we are and the very meaning of life...

How to Answer 4 Common Jewish Objections to Jesus

Some Jewish Objections to Jesus | Catholic Answers MagazineLANCASTER: Why do Jews still follow rabbis in their synagogues instead of the Messiah? To get to the bottom of this, I did some research. Here are four objections. The first is from my late Jewish friend Barrie Schwortz, who was the photographer of the Shroud of Turin. He said that the Messiah was supposed to bring things like worldwide peace...

True Christian Charity Is Sacrificial and Personal

True Charity Is Sacrificial and Personal| National Catholic RegisterCHAPP: When I was a young seminarian, I spent a summer working at a homeless shelter and soup kitchen run by Catholic Charities in Alexandria, Virginia. One of the regular visitors there was an elderly man, very poor, named Sylvester Triplett, who was in declining health and lived in a small row home near the shelter. I remember he would sit on a chair just outside the shelter and greet everyone who came in. He looked and sounded like Louis Armstrong...

Vatican Library and Other Catholic Libraries in Rome Turn High Tech to Digitize Historic Collections

Vatican Library and other Catholic libraries in Rome turn high tech to digitize historic collections | Catholic News AgencyMARES: Long before cloud servers and computers, medieval Catholic monks preserved the intellectual inheritance of the ancient world by handwriting Greek and Latin manuscripts. Centuries later, the Vatican Library and other Catholic institutions in Rome are turning to new technologies, including digitization, robotics, and artificial intelligence (AI), to ensure that patrimony endures.

Pope Leo XIV Signs First Apostolic Exhortation, ‘Dilexi Te’ — Text to Be Released Thursday

Pope%20Leo%20XIV%20Signs%20First%20Apostolic%20Exhortation%2C%20%u2018Dilexi%20Te%u2019%7C%20National%20Catholic%20Register: Pope Leo XIV on Oct. 4 signed the first apostolic exhortation of his pontificate, the text of which is expected to be released next week. The Vatican said in a press release that Leo signed the exhortation Dilexi Te in the library of the Apostolic Palace. The Holy See did not reveal the text of the document, which it said will be presented on Oct. 9 by the Holy See Press Office.

The Risk of Teaching Against Christ

The Risk of Teaching Against Christ | Knowing Is DoingTORRE: At the beginning of his letter to the Colossians, St. Paul exhorts the newly baptized to strive for perfection and live under Christ and not against him. The attention should now focus on heavenly things and on embracing a life of grace, mercy, virtue, and fidelity to Christ and his Church. The narrative of this first chapter calls upon the faithful to forsake the world and place our entire disposition toward Christ in heaven...

Life by Faith: A Reflection on the Twenty-Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

Life by Faith: Scott Hahn Reflects on the Twenty-Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time - St. Paul CenterHAHN: Because of his faith, the just man shall live. We hear in today’s First Reading the original prophetic line made so central by St. Paul. We are to live by faith in Christ who loved us and gave Himself on the Cross for us. The world, though, can seem to us as seventh-century Judah seemed to Habakkuk—in the control of God’s enemies. The strife and discord we face in our own lives can sometimes cause us to wonder, as the prophet does, why God doesn’t seem to hear or intervene when we cry for help.

6 Strange Time Zone Disputes Around the World

6 Strange Time Zone Disputes: Today, it’s standard to have multiple time zones around the world. But the history of how we got to this point has been fraught with a number of strong disagreements over the years—and some disputes remain unresolved to this day. Here is a chronological look at a number of different time zone disputes from the past (and occasionally the present).

This Sunday, You Will Reject Everything Jesus Says in This Gospel — At First

This%20Sunday%2C%20You%20Will%20Reject%20Everything%20Jesus%20Says%20in%20This%20Gospel%20%u2014%20At%20First%20%u2013%20Benedictine%20College%20Media%20%26%20CultureHOOPES: The life of faith is the greatest, most exhilarating life in the world. Sometimes. Other times it is the most tedious, thankless life in the world. It’s supposed to be that way. Here are six reasons why: First, a warning: You may not believe anything Jesus has to say, at first. Second: But think again and what Jesus says makes a lot of sense. Take the mustard seed first. Third: As to the treatment of servants, Jesus truly describes our lives again...

All About Me, Cause and Effect, and Secret Policemen

(1) All about me, cause and effect, and secret policemenCONDON: My daughter had a birthday recently, rounding the solar circuit for the fourth time. I don’t know at what age a child is able to conceptualize time, or process the significance of “being” 4, or any other number. There was initial satisfaction for her in answering the question “how old are you” correctly with a new number, but it soon wore thin. Now she keeps saying increasingly outlandish numbers just to wind us up...

Pontifical Swiss Guard Restore Historic Dress Uniform Dropped 50 Years Ago

Swiss Guards, protectors of the pope, don new uniforms | Catholic News Agency: The Swiss Guards, who have protected popes for the last five centuries, now have a new uniform. The mostly wool uniform is the recreation of a historic military dress for use at galas and other important dinners and will not replace the iconic red, orange, and blue “grand gala” uniforms for which the guards are famous. The Swiss-made garments were paid for by a benefactor and cost 2,000 euros...

6 Reasons You Should Look to Christ and Stop Paying Attention to Celebrity Exorcists

(1) The Undercover Paganism of Online Exorcists: Many online celebrity exorcists are not strengthening faith. They are distorting it. Twisting the image of God until, frankly, He no longer even looks Catholic. He looks pagan. And this is why I write. Because what’s being passed off as Catholicism in these circles isn’t always doctrine. It’s opinion, speculation, and at times little more than spooky stories disguised as homilies. And it is hurting people...

Shackleton’s Fourth Man: The Mysterious Phenomenon That Guided 27 Men Home

Shackleton%u2019s%20Fourth%20Man%3A%20The%20Mysterious%20Phenomenon%20That%20Guided%2027%20Men%20Home%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterTIMCLARK: For those unfamiliar with Ernest Shackleton, he has been called “the greatest leader of men.” After his ship — fittingly named Endurance — became trapped and destroyed by pack ice, he and his men spent nearly two years living on ice floes and small boats at the most desolate place on Earth. Shackleton fully realized that losing his nerve for one moment would inevitably result in the death of all 27 of his men...

A Papal Intervention and a Canceled Award: What (If Anything) Did Pope Leo XIV’s Comments Have to Do with Sen. Durbin’s Decision?

A%20Papal%20Intervention%20and%20a%20Canceled%20Award%3A%20What%20%28If%20Anything%29%20Did%20Pope%20Leo%20XIV%u2019s%20Comments%20Have%20to%20Do%20with%20Sen.%20Durbin%u2019s%20Decision%3F%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterLIEDL: It all went down with breakneck speed: a papal intervention into a weekslong controversy in the Pontiff’s home city, followed just hours later by the abrupt end of the controversy in question. The next day, Catholics are still trying to understand what just happened. A tumultuous five hours on Tuesday began at about 2 p.m. ET, when an EWTN Vatican journalist asked Pope Leo XIV to address the ongoing controversy over Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich’s plan...

‘Last opportunity’ to leave: Catholics and Orthodox in Gaza City face agonizing decision

%u2018Last%20opportunity%u2019%20to%20leave%3A%20Christians%20in%20Gaza%20face%20agonizing%20decision%20-%20CatholicVote%20org: Israel has warned residents in Gaza to flee or become military targets. Israeli Minister of Defense Israel Katz said in a post on X at 8:07 a.m. ET, Oct. 1, that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) had surrounded Gaza City. Anyone leaving southward will be “required to pass through the IDF’s inspection checkpoints,” Katz warned, adding: “This is the last opportunity for Gaza residents who wish to do so to move south and leave Hamas terrorists isolated in Gaza City itself, facing the IDF’s ongoing operations at full force. Those who remain in Gaza will be considered terrorists and terror supporters.”

Good luck Limiting AI Slop in YouTube Land

(1) Good luck limiting AI slop in YouTube land - by tmattMATTINGLY: I was surprised recently when the algorithm gods pointed me — after I spent several days watching news and commentary about the Charlie Kirk assassination — to a new tribute song in honor of the Turning Point USA leader. Okay, I wasn’t expecting Lady Gaga to release something like “Goodbye My Friend (A Tribute To Charlie Kirk).” But this wasn’t a tribute to Kirk, it was actually Lady Gaga’s heartfelt farewell to the great singer Tony Bennett...

Leah Libresco Sargeant on the Dignity of Dependence: A Feminist Manifesto

New Advent: Leah Libresco Sargeant on the Dignity of Dependence: A Feminist ManifestoSTEFANICK: The world tells you that dependence is weakness, but it's actually what makes us human. The truth is, you can’t live without being dependent. From the moment we’re born to the moment we die, we’re relying on other people. And that’s okay! In fact, it’s the way God intended. In this episode of The Chris Stefanick Show, I sit down with Catholic writer Leah Libresco Sargeant, to discuss her new book "The Dignity of Dependence: A Feminist Manifesto." Leah challenges the lie...

Peter Kreeft Comes Home

Peter Kreeft Comes Home - The Catholic ThingLUGO: Chesterton once said that there are two ways of getting home. One of them is to stay there. The other is to walk round the whole world till we come back to the same place. Since the Church is our true home, we could say that the first is a good description of a cradle Catholic, the second of a revert like me. But there is a third way of getting home: to discover it for the first time...

If you don’t care for the poor, you will go to Hell

Blinding Wealth - The Catholic Thing: The haunting story of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31) is perhaps best understood in reverse, through the lens of where we find them at the end of the story. The status of each in the afterlife – the rich man’s suffering and Lazarus’s peace – reveals the reality of who they are. Without the trappings and clothing and disguising of this world, we see the rich man’s poverty and Lazarus’s wealth. We see most keenly the peril of riches...

Stop lying to yourself. And stop texting while driving...

Stop lying to yourself. Neal Obstat Theological OpiningNEAL: Recently, my wife and I watched a documentary with our children on texting and driving, From One Second To The Next. I include it below. It detailed the heart-wrenching stories of people whose lives were turned upside down by one person’s decision to text while driving. It withered any temptations I have to text while I drive. But let me say this: It is frighteningly easy to rationalize texting and driving...

British Catholic Bishop Condemns Manchester Synagogue Attack That Killed Two on Yom Kippur

British Catholic bishop condemns Manchester synagogue attack that killed 2 | Catholic News AgencyWIMMER: Bishop John Arnold of Salford has condemned a deadly attack on a Manchester synagogue during Yom Kippur, calling for solidarity and prayer with the Jewish community. The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales released Arnold’s statement on Thursday following the morning assault at Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue, where a knife-wielding assailant reportedly struck worshippers gathered for prayer.

‘I Must Believe in God’: How Dr. Jane Goodall’s Visit to Notre Dame Cathedral Changed Her Life

Dr. Goodall's Thoughts on the Fire of Notre Dame Cathedral: I am horrified and deeply distressed to hear about the fire that is raging in the historic Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. It is a truly terrible tragedy. As I wrote in my book Reason for Hope, the cathedral played an important part during a very difficult time in my personal life, and the experience I had there, when I visited in 1977, marked an epiphany in my thinking about my place on Planet Earth and the meaning of my life.

Durbin Declines Cupich Award Ahead of Looming USCCB Response

Durbin declines award as USCCB pressure mounted: Illinois Senator Dick Durbin declined on Tuesday a lifetime achievement award he was scheduled to receive from the Archdiocese of Chicago’s office of human dignity and solidarity. Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich issued an announcement on the subject at the same time senior leaders at the U.S. bishops’ conference were confidentially preparing to release a statement on the Durbin award, and had already informed the Vatican’s U.S. representative of their plans, according to several sources close to the process.