The Nails of the Crucifixion

(2) The Nails of the Crucifixion - by Deacon TomTOMMCDONALD: It seems like an easy question to answer, but the Gospels are silent on this moment of the crucifixion. If you look at the four Gospel accounts of the crucifixion itself, nowhere do they specify that Jesus was nailed to his cross. We have such specific images in our minds of this scene that this may come as a shock to some, but let’s look at the passages.

Estranged Families Walk the Way of the Cross

Family Estrangement Parents Children: A Growing DivideDEAVEL: Many people whose children or parents have decided to “go no contact” with them see themselves in these famous words of the Prophet Isaiah. Their own way of the cross may not include the physical torture of the Lord, but they bear His loneliness, rejection, and desolation. For most Christians, today marks the celebration of Palm Sunday and the beginning of what is called Holy Week...

Something Beautiful Has Changed

Something Beautiful Has Changed | Knowing Is DoingTORRE: The moment someone recommends a change in your life, the reaction can either be met with resignation, realizing that change is necessary, or resistance because you simply do not want to. The human perspective on change in relation to God involves a tension between a personal human desire and the desire for God in our lives. When Israel was liberated from Egyptian bondage, as recorded in the book of Exodus, change was about to occur...

How You Walk Might Reveal Your Risk of Death

How We Walk Might Reveal Our Risk of Death: Current risk predictors of premature death, like the kinds used by life insurance companies, typically include demographic factors, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels, and so on. However, research into human aging suggests that other measures of frailty may improve estimates.

Fake Cops, Fake Judges: The Hollywood-Style Scam Poised to Go Global

Fake Cops, Fake Judges: The Hollywood-Style Scam Poised to Go Global - WSJ: Last Christmas Eve, a 77-year-old woman in New Delhi got an unexpected call from what she thought was the police. Contacting her by WhatsApp video, the team of uniformed cops inside a police station said she was under arrest on suspicion of money laundering. A few days later, she attended a virtual hearing before a Supreme Court judge, seated in his book-lined chamber...

Seeing and Believing: A Reflection on Easter Sunday

Seeing and Believing: Scott Hahn Reflects on Easter Sunday - St. Paul CenterHAHN: Jesus is nowhere visible. Yet today’s Gospel tells us that Peter and John “saw and believed.” What did they see? Burial shrouds lying on the floor of an empty tomb. Maybe that convinced them that He hadn’t been carted off by grave robbers, who usually stole the expensive burial linens and left the corpses behind. But notice the repetition of the word...

Vatican Affirms Future of Anglican Ordinariates: ‘A Precious Gift and a Treasure to Be Shared’

Vatican%20affirms%20future%20of%20Anglican%20ordinariates%3A%20%u2018A%20precious%20gift%20and%20a%20treasure%20to%20be%20shared%u2019ABUZEID: The Vatican has reaffirmed its support for the Anglican ordinariates, confirming that these communities have a permanent and valued place within the Catholic Church. On March 24, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith issued a document — the fruit of a meeting held March 1–3 in Rome, during which Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, prefect of the dicastery, invited the ordinariate bishops

An Invitation to Know Jesus

An Invitation to Know JesusGOLKA: When I began my time in the Diocese of Colorado Springs, I said I was fascinated by Jesus Christ, and I have been for much of my life. What was true then, and what was true in the Scriptures, is only truer today. I am fascinated by the way that Jesus makes himself present in our world today. I am fascinated by Jesus’ words...

Jerusalem Churches Reach Temporary Deal with Israeli Authorities over Holy Week Access

Jerusalem churches reach temporary deal with Israeli authorities over Holy Week access: In a notable development, a joint statement was issued Monday by the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the Custody of the Holy Land announcing an agreement had been reached with the Israeli authorities regarding arrangements for Holy Week and Easter celebrations at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre...

Israeli Police Block Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem at Holy Sepulchre; ‘Grave Precedent’ Not Seen in Centuries

Cardinal Pizzaballa blocked from Church of Holy Sepulchre on Palm Sunday | The Jerusalem Post: Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, was prevented from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre by the Israel Police, the Patriarchate announced on Sunday. Pizzaballa, accompanied by the official Guardian of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Father Francesco Ielpo, had been proceeding to the church to celebrate Palm Sunday Mass when police stopped the pair and forced them to turn back.

Pope Leo at Palm Sunday Mass: ‘Jesus Does Not Listen to Prayers of Those Who Wage War’

Pope%20at%20Palm%20Sunday%20Mass%3A%20%u2018Jesus%20does%20not%20listen%20to%20prayers%20of%20those%20who%20wage%20war%u2019%20-%20Vatican%20News: On Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion, Pope Leo XIV celebrated Mass for the faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square. In his homily, the Pope reflected on Jesus’ revelation of Himself as the King of Peace, even as violence loomed around Him. As Jesus walked the Way of the Cross, we walk with Him and contemplate His passion which He bore for the sake of humanity as a gift of love.

This Sunday, the Passion Means the Innocent Die for the Guilty, Even Now

This%20Sunday%2C%20the%20Passion%20Means%20the%20Innocent%20Die%20for%20the%20Guilty%2C%20Even%20Now%20%u2013%20Benedictine%20College%20Media%20%26%20CultureHOOPES: Christianity is set up such that the innocent die for the guilty. That is the shocking but ultimately comforting lesson of the readings for Palm Sunday of the Passion, Year A. Here are six takeaways drawn from Sunday Readings columns at this site and the Extraordinary Story podcast. First: Palm Sunday Mass is a mini-Holy Week. None of the other Holy Week Masses is obligatory for Catholics...

The 1966 Romantic Comedy That Accidentally Became a Pro-Life Classic

The 1966 Romantic Comedy That Accidentally Became a Pro-Life Classic| National Catholic RegisterTURLEY: Inadvertently, is Alfie (1966) the most pro-life film ever made? Abortion is a key plot device — but it is also far more than that in what unfolds on screen. On release, Alfie — famously marketed with the line, “What’s it all about, Alfie?” — was billed as a romantic comedy. Watched 60 years on, however, there is only tragedy.

All Is Fulfilled: A Reflection on Passion Sunday

All Is Fulfilled: Scott Hahn Reflects on Passion Sunday - St. Paul CenterHAHN: “All this has come to pass that the writings of the prophets may be fulfilled,” Jesus says in today’s Gospel (see Matthew 26:56). Indeed, we have reached the climax of the liturgical year, the highest peak of salvation history, when all that has been anticipated and promised is to be fulfilled. By the close of today’s long Gospel, the work of our redemption will have been accomplished...

The Saving Sadness of Christ

The Saving Sadness of Christ - St. Paul CenterHARROLD: This week we celebrated the Solemnity of the Annunciation on March 25. But March 25 is also significant for another reason: it’s the traditional date of Our Lord’s crucifixion. Someone who knew this tradition very well was the novelist J.R.R. Tolkien. Tolkien was a devout Catholic. It’s therefore no coincidence that in his literary world of The Lord of the Rings...

In Holy Week, Life’s Indignities Reveal Our Eternal Dignity

In%20Holy%20Week%2C%20Life%u2019s%20Indignities%20Reveal%20Our%20Eternal%20Dignity%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterCHAPP: I am just back home from an unexpected trip to my hometown of Lincoln, Nebraska, where I was needed by my siblings to aid in getting my 90-year-old mother, who has advanced Alzheimer’s, into a nursing home. She had fallen at home in the bathroom and cracked five ribs and punctured a lung, which, beyond her major injuries, indicated that my father...

Pope Leo XIV Makes First Papal Visit to Monaco in 500 Years

LIVE UPDATES: Pope Leo XIV visits Monaco: The pope during his homily at Monacoʼs Louis II stadium references the small nation-stateʼs famed history as a center of luxury gambling in continental Europe. The Monte Carlo Casino is among the more iconic gambling destinations in the world, featuring prominently in pop culture for years...

Cuba looks to Vatican for help to ease US oil embargo, Washington Post reports

Cuba looks to Vatican for help to ease US oil embargo, Washington Post reports: Cuban officials have petitioned the Vatican to ‌help persuade the administration ‌of U.S. President Donald Trump to ​ease its oil embargo in senior-level meetings with Vatican officials including Pope Leo, the Washington ‌Post reported ⁠on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter.

‘Something’s Happening’: Catholic Converts Surge in Many U.S. Dioceses

%u2018Something%u2019s%20Happening%u2019%3A%20Catholic%20Converts%20Surge%20in%20Many%20U.S.%20Dioceses%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterMATTMCDONALD: Many U.S. dioceses are expecting heavy increases in people joining the Catholic Church at Easter 2026, including some with record highs, a survey by the Register found. “Something’s happening,” said John Helsey, director of communications for the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City, which is expecting a 57% increase in unbaptized people becoming Catholics at Easter — from 635 in 2025 to nearly 1,000 in 2026.

Living Lent, the Single Life, and the Price of Authenticity

(2) Living Lent, the single life, and the price of authenticityCONDON: As we head into Holy Week, this is the traditional point at which many of us start expressing shock and dismay that Lent is almost over and we — me — have failed to make the most of it. I had lofty ambitions just under 40 fasting days ago, to be sure, and a penitent’s sincere desire to live the season fully. But, not for the first time, I’ve found myself living Lent as a period of rather dry exercises, rather than clearing space and time...

Spanish Bishops, Experts Say Euthanasia for Young Noelia Castillo a ‘Social Defeat’ and ‘Collective Failure’

Euthanasia of woman a 'social defeat,' 'collective failure': The proper response to human suffering should not be to cause death to provide adequate care and closeness to the most vulnerable, the Spanish bishops’ conference said in response to the case of a 25-year-old woman who chose to end her life by euthanasia March 26, despite her father fighting to stop the procedure.

Military Services Archbishop Timothy Broglio approves of Hegseth changing chaplain insignia to reflect faith role

Military archdiocese approves of Hegseth changing chaplain insignia to reflect faith role: The Catholic Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, expressed its approval of a plan for military chaplains to display insignia on their uniforms that reflects their religious faith as opposed to their military rank. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on March 24 that he will sign a memo...

The Donatist Comeback

The Donatist ComebackWEIGEL: My Lenten reading has included an interesting, if somewhat odd, book about the greatest of the Latin Fathers of the Church: Augustine the African by Catherine Conybeare, a philologist currently teaching at Bryn Mawr. The interesting part of the book reframes Augustine as a North African provincial who sees the world differently...

Our Quest to Live Forever

Our Quest to Live Forever | Catholic CulturePOKORSKY: “Behold, I will open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you home into the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves.” God created us to live forever. Our longing for eternal life unfolds as a continuum of human love finding its fulfillment in divine union...

Mary’s Way of the Cross: An unusual tradition recounting the Blessed Mother’s daily pilgrimage along the Via Dolorosa

(2) Mary's Way of the Cross - by Deacon Tom - Weird CatholicTOMMCDONALD: In the numerous pilgrim accounts up through the early 13th century, there is no indication of a fixed Way of the Cross as we know it today. By the late 13th and 14th century there are some hints of a route taken by Christ to Calvary, with certain moments noted. These include the earliest mentions of the place where Simon helps carry the cross, where Jesus met the weeping women, and where Mary swooned, but they are merely noted as holy places, not as a unified Way to follow...

Mission Received, Mission Given: Archbishop James Golka Installed as Archbishop of Denver

Mission Received, Mission Given: Archbishop Golka Installed as Archbishop of Denver, Sends the Church On Mission: March 25: a day of intense joy for the global Church. The day when Mary’s “yes” echoed through eternity, bringing forth humanity’s savior. In a homily on this very day, St. Bernard of Clairvaux emphatically describes how the world waited with bated breath for Mary’s response. Her “yes” evoked an explosive, near-incomparable joy in Heaven.

Venerable Fulton Sheen Beatification Set for Sept. 24 in St. Louis

Venerable Fulton Sheen beatification set for Sept. 24 in St. Louis: The Vatican announced that Venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen will be beatified on Sept. 24 in St. Louis. Sheen “is an inspiration not only to all of us who continue his work of prayer and support for the Church’s missionary work across the globe, but for all those whose faith has been strengthened by his preaching, broadcasting, writing, and holy Catholic life,” Monsignor Roger Landry, national director of the Pontifical Mission Societies U.S., told EWTN News.

Pope Leo Urges ‘Concrete Solutions’ Toward Liturgical Unity, Inclusion of Traditional Latin Mass Faithful

Pope urges liturgical unity, inclusion of Traditional Latin Mass faithful: Pope Leo XIV has called for renewed unity in the Church’s liturgical life, urging French bishops to seek “concrete solutions” to include Catholics attached to the Traditional Latin Mass while preserving communion. In a message sent through Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, to the French bishops’ spring plenary assembly in Lourdes...

1.5 Million Bats Emerge at Sunset From Beneath a Bridge in Austin, Texas — Watch the Annual Phenomenon

1.5 Million Bats Emerge From Under a Bridge in Austin Each Night: Every March, hordes of creatives flock to Austin, Texas, for the famed South by Southwest music and film festival. But another annual event is unfolding there this month as well. The city is home to the world’s largest urban bat colony, and just after sunset each evening, hundreds of thousands of the winged creatures emerge from beneath a bridge to soar into the night across Lady Bird Lake.

Pew Research: What Do Americans Consider Immoral?

What Do Americans Consider Immoral? | Pew Research Center: Across a wide range of issues, Americans express morally permissive views. Nearly all U.S. adults (96%) say that eating meat is either morally acceptable or not a moral issue, and 91% take similar positions on using contraceptives to prevent pregnancy.

Shia Culture of Martyrdom Is Key to Understanding Iran

Shia Culture of Martyrdom Key to Understanding Iran, Says Msgr. Nazir-Ali| National Catholic RegisterPENTIN: Western governments misread Iran if they assume its theocratic regime will quickly capitulate under military pressure, because the country’s leaders are sustained by a Shia religious worldview that exalts suffering and martyrdom as supreme virtues. This is the view of Msgr. Michael Nazir-Ali, a member of the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham, a former Anglican bishop and an expert in Islamic history.

I Stole a Lemon on St. Joseph’s Day — Will It Bear Fruit?

I%20Stole%20a%20Lemon%20on%20St.%20Joseph%u2019s%20Day%20%u2014%20Will%20It%20Bear%20Fruit%3F%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterDUNCAN: St. Joseph’s Day has come and gone. The novenas are finished, the festive outfits retired and perhaps most tragically, the brief Lenten excuse to eat pastries without guilt has expired. But Catholics aren’t meant to forget St. Joseph after one day. The Church dedicates the entire month of March to him, after all.

Boys Town Founder Father Flanagan Moves One Step Closer to Canonization

Boys Town founder Father Flanagan moves one step closer to sainthoodBROCKHAUS: Pope Leo XIV on Monday approved the advancement of the beatification cause for Boys Town founder Father Edward J. Flanagan, declaring him “venerable.” The Irish-born priest, revered for his revolutionary approach to caring for homeless and impoverished children in the 20th century, famously said there was “no such thing as a bad boy, only bad environment, bad modeling, and bad teaching.” His life and legacy were immortalized...

Why Does the Annunciation Loom so Large in Catholicism?

Why does the Annunciation loom so large in Catholicism? - Catholic ReviewELIZABETHSCALIA: Non-Catholic friends are often puzzled by our calendar of memorials and solemnities, particularly the solemnity of the Annunciation — a moment that usually only hits their awareness in the days leading up to Christmas. I have been asked more than once why we remember it in March or, in fact, at all...

Pope Leo’s Sunday Angelus: ‘Like Lazarus, May We Hear the Lord’s Call to New Life’

Pope: Like Lazarus, may we hear the Lord's call to new life - Vatican News: Greeting the visitors and pilgrims in Saint Peter's Square for the midday Angelus on the Fifth Sunday of Lent, Pope Leo spoke about Lord's raising of Lazarus, "a sign that speaks of Christ’s victory over death and of the gift of eternal life, which we receive through Baptism." In his reflections, the Pope said Jesus tells us today...

‘A Cathedral in Print’: The Rise of the Catholic Premium Bible

%u2018A%20Cathedral%20in%20Print%u2019%3A%20The%20Rise%20of%20the%20Catholic%20Premium%20Bible%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterTURLEY: Premium Bibles are all the rage on YouTube, with many channels reviewing them: from the quality of the paper used to the “bleed through,” from the page layout to the craftsmanship of the final product. However, most of the Bibles reviewed are Protestant as are most of the reviewers, but increasingly on these channels there are reviews of Catholic Bibles.

5 Lines You May Have Missed Reveal the Meaning of Lazarus

This%20Sunday%2C%20Five%20Lines%20You%20May%20Have%20Missed%20Reveal%20the%20Meaning%20of%20Lazarus%20%u2013%20Benedictine%20College%20Media%20%26%20CultureHOOPES: The text of Scripture is inspired, and that means that its words can reveal more to you even if you have read them before. When you notice and receive an insight into a line from a Gospel passage that you never noticed before, you can thank the Holy Spirit’s gift of “understanding.” Here are four lines and insights that can go unnoticed in the Gospel reading about the raising of Lazarus, on the Fifth Sunday of Lent Year A...

100 Questions Jesus Asked and You Should Answer

100 Questions Jesus Asked and You Should Answer - SpiritualDirection.comPOPE: One of the bigger mistakes one can make is to read Scripture as a spectator, treating it as merely a collection of stories and events that took place thousands of years ago. While these are historical accounts, they are much more than that. Truth be told, these ancient stories are our stories. We are in the narrative. We are Abraham, Sarah, Moses, Deborah, Jeremiah, Ruth, Peter, Paul, Magdalene, Mother Mary...

The American Catholic Philosophical Association at 100

The American Catholic Philosophical Association at 100 - Word on FireKACZOR: In 1926, Marilyn Monroe and Queen Elizabeth II were born. President Calvin Coolidge was in the White House, Pope Pius XI was in the Vatican, and Babe Ruth was in the World Series, hitting three home runs in a single game. Also in 1926, Fr. Edward A. Pace founded the American Catholic Philosophical Association...

Pope Leo Calls Bishops to Rome to Discuss Families, ‘Amoris Laetitia’ in October

Pope%20Leo%20XIV%20calls%20bishops%20to%20Rome%20to%20discuss%20families%2C%20%u2018Amoris%20Laetitia%u2019%20in%20OctoberBROCKHAUS: Ten years after Pope Francis issued a controversial document on families, Pope Leo XIV will meet with bishops from around the world to discuss the text’s application for today. Amoris Laetitia, Francis’ apostolic exhortation on marriage and the family, followed two contentious synods at the Vatican dominated by debate over divorce. Pope Leo on Thursday announced that he is calling the presidents of the world’s bishops’ conferences to Rome in October...

National Eucharistic Pilgrimage registration opens; schedule released

2026 National Eucharistic Pilgrimage registration opens: The National Eucharistic Pilgrimage has opened registration for the 2026 pilgrimage and announced the schedule for its public events. In celebration of the 2026 theme, “One Nation Under God,” and the nation’s 250th anniversary, many of the events will not only bring the faithful together in prayer but also will reflect U.S. history...

Sin is the monster in the room. Suffering is our personal encounter with it...

The Monster in the Room | Catholic CulturePOKORSKY: In 1510, Dominican friars arrived in Santo Domingo and refused absolution to colonists who would not repent of their exploitation of the Indians. The refusal was not cruelty; it was spiritual medicine. Among those shaken was Bartolomé de las Casas, a landowner whose estates relied on forced Indian labor...

Rome’s Colosseum gets a fresh look that recreates the footprints of long-gone columns

Colosseum in Rome shines with new travertine marble restoration | AP News: The Colosseum has a bright new look following a restoration using the same travertine marble of ancient Rome to recreate parts of columns from 2,000 years ago. Thousands of Romans once flocked to this arena to watch gladiators battle each other and wild animals. The structure still captures the public’s imagination; it is Italy’s most popular tourist destination, with 9 million visitors in 2025 alone.

Watch: Robot plays tennis with humans, returns shots with 96% accuracy

Humanoid robot plays tennis with humans, returns fast shots in real time: Galbot Robotics has released a video on its official X handle on March 16 showing a humanoid robot rallying tennis shots with a human player in real time.

We should take pleasure in working and resting kindly, in the ordinary things, in the this extraordinary home God has crafted for us...

Pleasure in Working and Resting Kindly - LifeCraftCUDDEBACK: Several principles that shape how I live I learned from Wendell Berry. He has an astounding share of common sense and an ability to cut through to what matters. He finds extraordinary beauty in the ordinary—often an ordinary that as a people we have set aside or lost. These days, ever darkening shadows in the world along with our own sufferings and those of the people closest to us can start to crush and overwhelm us...

What the Vatican court ruling means for papal sovereignty, and Cardinal Becciu

What the Vatican court ruling means for papal sovereignty, and Cardinal BecciuCONDON: Finding that prosecutors had no right to redact the findings of their original investigation into the London property scandal, the judges ordered effectively an unusual trial-within-an-appeal, opening up the original investigation and charges to new litigation. But even more seismic...

Lay Leader Who Criticized Cardinal Cupich Phased Out of Catholic Conference Board

Lay Leader Who Criticized Cardinal Cupich Phased Out of Catholic Conference Board| National Catholic RegisterLIEDL: Nearly six months after publicly criticizing Cardinal Blase Cupich’s plan to give a “lifetime achievement” award to a pro-abortion-rights senator, a long-serving lay member of the Catholic Conference of Illinois (CCI) board of directors is being involuntarily phased out of his role.

Pray for Gina, and the Florida Feast

Pray for Gina, and the Florida feast - by JD FlynnJDFLYNN: The big news out of the Vatican this morning is a report claiming that the sprawling financial trial that convicted Cardinal Angelo Becciu has been “overturned,” and that judges have ordered a “new trial.” But we’re not so sure that’s the right way to put things, or that it reflects the reality of a complicated legal decision. At The Pillar this morning...

100 Pop Songs Every Catholic Should Hear: ‘Ablaze’ by Alanis Morissette

100 Pop Songs Every Catholic Should Hear #5 "Ablaze" by Alanis MorissetteTIMCLARK: This past month, my children had many occasions to hear me say things like, “Watch this!” and “Look at that!” In Virginia, the world was adorned in a frozen gown. And when something or someone is covered in white, it’s a sign to us that something awe-inspiring is happening. A baby is clothed with white in baptism. Little girls wear white gowns to receive their Lord for the first time in Holy Communion...

At the Tomb of Lazarus: A Reflection on the Fifth Sunday of Lent

At%20Lazarus%u2019%20Tomb%3A%20Scott%20Hahn%20Reflects%20on%20the%20Fifth%20Sunday%20of%20Lent%20-%20St.%20Paul%20CenterHAHN: As we draw near to the end of Lent, today’s Gospel clearly has Jesus’ passion and death in view. That’s why John gives us the detail about Lazarus’ sister, Mary — that she is the one who anointed the Lord for burial. His disciples warn against returning to Judea; Thomas even predicts they will “die with Him” if they go back...

Vatican Appeals Court Declares Mistrial in ‘Trial of the Century’ Against Cardinal Becciu

Vatican appeals court declares mistrial in 'trial of the century' against Cardinal Angelo Becciu | AP News: The Vatican appeals tribunal declared a mistrial Tuesday in the Holy See’s big “trial of the century,” a stunning blow to both Pope Francis’ legacy and Vatican prosecutors who had put a cardinal and several other people on trial over alleged financial crimes.

Reports Emerge on Pope Leo XIV’s First Encyclical; La Repubblica Says Post-Easter Release Expected

Reports%20emerge%20on%20Pope%20Leo%20XIV%u2019s%20first%20encyclical: Reports from Rome suggest that the first encyclical of Pope Leo XIV is approaching publication and could appear shortly after Easter, just weeks before the first anniversary of his election to the papacy. The document, widely reported to carry the working title Magnifica Humanitas...

St. Patrick’s Breastplate and the Terrors of Mid-Lent

St.%20Patrick%u2019s%20Breastplate%20and%20the%20terrors%20of%20mid-Lent%20-%20OSV%20NewsELIZABETHSCALIA: The effort is not confined to the season; in fits and starts I work at it during the year, but the task is always re-embraced in these dreary days when the weather goes fickle, and spring’s arrival seems like a trickster’s promise. Easter looks so far off, right now, because our Lenten practices, begun with such a sense of adventure and optimism...

Pope Leo Meets Gareth Gore, Author Urging Investigation of Opus Dei

Pope meets author urging investigation of Catholic group Opus Dei: Pope Leo met on Monday with an investigative journalist who alleges that a prominent ‌Catholic organisation with ties to right-wing politicians in the U.S. ‌and other countries covered up sexual and financial crimes, which the group firmly denies.

Pope Leo XIV to Accept Liberty Medal from Philadelphia’s National Constitution Center via Telecast on July 3

Pope Leo XIV to accept Liberty Medal from National Constitution Center via telecast on July 3: Pope Leo XIV will offer live remarks via telecast to a crowd in Philadelphia when he accepts the Liberty Medal award from the National Constitution Center (NCC) on July 3 during a celebration of the 250th anniversary of American independence. The Holy Father, a Chicago native who earned a bachelor’s degree at Villanova University in the Philadelphia suburbs...

Human or Divine? A Battle of the Wills

Human or Divine? A Battle of the Wills | Knowing Is DoingTORRE: One of the most fruitful challenges during the season of Lent, I argue, is the spiritual tension that develops between the desires of the human will versus assenting to the will of God. A reality of the journey toward spiritual discernment is the daily battle that ensues between following the will of God or ignoring it altogether for one’s own desires of the will...

Pope Leo XIV Appeals for Ceasefire and Dialogue in Middle East War

Pope appeals for ceasefire and dialogue in Middle East war - Vatican News: Addressing those responsible for the ongoing conflict between the U.S. and Israel and Iran, Pope Leo XIV on Sunday launched an appeal “in the name of the Christians of the Middle East and of all women and men of goodwill: Cease the fire! Let paths of dialogue be reopened!”

From Doo-Wop to Doctrine: Rock Legend Dion’s Musical Friendship With Mike Aquilina

From%20Doo-Wop%20to%20Doctrine%3A%20Rock%20Legend%20Dion%u2019s%20Musical%20Friendship%20With%20Mike%20Aquilina%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterCICHOWICZ: The year was 2005. Mike Aquilina, already a renowned Catholic writer and authority on Church history, was on a St. Paul Center summer pilgrimage to Rome. This was not Aquilina’s first pilgrimage, either as a participant or lecturer. But it would prove to be perhaps his most memorable. Joining Aquilina as a presenter was Dion DiMucci, better known in America and around the world simply as Dion.

Vatican Awaits Pope Leo’s Next Moves

Vatican%20Awaits%20Pope%20Leo%u2019s%20Next%20Moves%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterROCCA: Lent at the Vatican this year feels like Advent in some ways, with the prevalent mood one of anticipation. People inside and around the institution are waiting, with varying degrees of curiosity and enthusiasm, for long-expected moves by Pope Leo XIV...

Pope Questions Christians’ Role in Wars, Implies Need for Confession

Pope%20Leo%20XIV%20questions%20Christians%u2019%20role%20in%20wars%2C%20implies%20need%20for%20confessionCARDIEL: On Friday, March 13, Pope Leo XIV issued a direct appeal to Christians who bear responsibility in armed conflicts, urging them to undertake a serious examination of conscience. “Do those Christians who bear grave responsibility in armed conflicts have the humility and courage to make a serious examination of conscience and to go to confession?” the pontiff asked...

This Sunday, Jesus Escaped Death Long Enough To Help Us See

This%20Sunday%2C%20Jesus%20Escaped%20Death%20Long%20Enough%20To%20Help%20Us%20See%20%u2013%20Benedictine%20College%20Media%20%26%20CultureHOOPES: Meeting God, really meeting him, makes life more beautiful, more noble, more exciting, and more fulfilling — but first it makes it harder. The two go together. Here are six takeaways for the Fourth Sunday of Lent, Year A, drawn from Sunday Readings columns at this site. First: The cure of the man born blind comes at a rough time in Jesus’s life...

Missed Masses, Marquesses, and Mullets

(1) Missed Masses, marquesses, and mullets - by Ed. CondonCONDON: Six years ago this week, Seattle became the first U.S. Catholic diocese to suspend public celebration of the Eucharist in the face of the coronavirus. Announcing the move at the time, Archbishop Paul Etienne called it “an extreme measure of caution,” and said that “out of an extreme caution, we want to do our part to prevent the spread of this virus.” The diocesan dominoes fell fast thereafter...

Why Does John’s Gospel Not Mention the Institution of the Eucharist?

Why%20Does%20John%u2019s%20Gospel%20Not%20Mention%20the%20Institution%20of%20the%20Eucharist%3F%20-%20St.%20Paul%20CenterHARROLD: At the end of Lent every year, at the evening Mass on Holy Thursday, we celebrate the institution of the Holy Eucharist. But for many of us, the Church’s choice of Gospel reading for this Mass can seem a little strange. Rather than giving us Matthew’s, or Mark’s, or Luke’s account of Jesus consecrating the bread and wine at the Last Supper, the Church instead has us read from the one Gospel that doesn’t even mention the institution of the Eucharist—the Gospel of John...

St. Gregory of Nazianzus Warns: Don’t Think Too Highly of Yourself

St.%20Gregory%20of%20Nazianzus%20Warns%3A%20Don%u2019t%20Think%20Too%20Highly%20of%20Yourself%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterMILLS: Don’t care about who gives you the sacraments of the Church, said the bishop. Don’t demand a cleric of high status in the Church and in society, because you think an everyday cleric from an average family isn’t good enough for someone of your high status. Don’t reject a priest unless you think he’s holy enough, because you think you’ll be sullied by receiving the sacraments from an average sinner...

The Triumph of Sentimentality in the Church of England

The triumph of sentimentality in the Church of EnglandLONGENECKER: Just over thirty years ago I was serving as a priest in the Church of England. At that time the debate over the ordination of women to the priesthood had reached its climax. I was vicar of two rural parishes on the Isle of Wight and the bitter conflict raged at every level in the Church...

Pope Leo XIV Names Benedictine from St. Meinrad’s as Bishop of Belleville in Illinois

Pope Leo XIV names Benedictine monk as bishop of Belleville Diocese in Illinois - OSV News: The Vatican announced the appointment of Bishop-designate Mullen March 13. The see of the Diocese of Belleville has been vacant since its former bishop, now-Archbishop Michael G. McGovern, was installed as archbishop of Omaha, Nebraska, in May 2025. Bishop-designate Mullen, 60, is a monk of St. Meinrad Archabbey in Indiana and current administrator of the Diocese of Belleville...

What St. Frances of Rome Saw in Heaven

What St. Frances of Rome Saw in Heaven: On another occasion, after receiving the Most Holy Sacrament of the Body of Christ in the same Chapel of the Holy Angels, St. Frances, the servant of Christ, devoted herself to prayer and meditation, as was her custom. During this time, she experienced her spirit’s being taken up into an immense light, while her body remained within the chapel.

Death Is Not The End: Remembering Francis Bergsma

Death Is Not The End| National Catholic RegisterREGISMARTIN: Francis Bergsma, a 17-year-old boy whose father, John Bergsma, is a widely known professor of biblical theology at Franciscan University in Steubenville, died Feb. 28 following a nearly two-year battle with brain cancer, leaving both his family and friends stricken with grief and incomprehension. Why must someone so young and so dear to so many be made to suffer for so long? Where is the justice in that?

Pope Leo Calls Father Pierre al-Rahi, Maronite Priest Killed in Lebanon, ‘a True Shepherd’

Pope%20Leo%20XIV%20calls%20Maronite%20priest%20killed%20in%20bombing%20in%20Lebanon%20%u2018a%20true%20shepherd%u2019CARDIEL: Pope Leo XIV on Wednesday remembered Father Pierre El Raii, a Maronite priest who died after being wounded in an Israeli bombing in southern Lebanon, and described him as “a true shepherd” who remained with his people despite the war. El Raii was killed on March 9 while going to the aid of a parishioner wounded in a earlier attack...

Faith and Science Are Not Enemies — and Young People Need to Hear It

Faith%20and%20Science%20Are%20Not%20Enemies%20%u2014%20and%20Young%20People%20Need%20to%20Hear%20It%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterFERNANDES: When confronted with the challenge of young people leaving the Catholic faith, we might be tempted to think the problem is solely a “religious” one — one addressed by improving their experience of the liturgy or by providing better spiritual retreats. In reality, a significant factor is the way the Church is perceived in its engagement with the wider culture...

NBC Poll: Pope Leo XIV Held in Highest Esteem Among Public Personalities

NBC poll: Pope Leo XIV held in highest esteem among public personalities: A March NBC poll found that U.S. voters hold Pope Leo XIV in highest esteem among other public personalities. The NBC News Survey by Hart Research Associates/Public Opinion Strategies surveyed 1,000 registered voters about public figures and various topics, including the first U.S. pope. When asked how they felt about Leo, 42% of respondents were...

Cardinal Mathieu, Archbishop of Tehran, Evacuated From Iran to Rome

(1) Cardinal of Tehran evacuates to Rome - by Edgar BeltranBELTRAN: Cardinal Dominique Mathieu, OFM Conv. of Tehran-Isfahan announced on March 9 that he had fled to Rome, along with the staff of the Italian embassy to Iran, “not without regret and sorrow.” Belgian outlet Cathobel reported that Mathieu had arrived in Rome on March 8 after being evacuated with the Italian embassy staff. The archdiocese's Cathedral of the Consolata and the archbishop’s residence are located within the territory of the Italian embassy.

Ontario Offers Death as a Same-Day Service

Death as a same-day service | Catholic CultureLAWLER: Here’s a ghoulish statistic from Ontario’s “Medical Assistance in Dying” program: In 2023, more than 200 people who applied to the program were dead within 36 hours. For 65 people, the state program provided same-day service. Think about it: If you’re sick and suffering, or if you’re just suffering from a severe bout of depression...

Why Does Jesus Weep at the Tomb of Lazarus?

Meeting Christ at the Well This Lent - St. Paul CenterHARROLD: When Jesus receives word that his beloved friend Lazarus is sick, we’re told that He waits two more days before traveling to Bethany. The result is that when He finally arrives on the scene, Lazarus has already been dead for four days. Jesus then encounters Lazarus’s two sisters, Martha and Mary, in quick succession...

Why Was St. John Henry Newman Called ‘the Most Dangerous Man in England?’

England%u2019s%20most%20dangerous%20Catholic%20%7C%20Catholic%20CultureMIRUS: St. John Henry Newman was once called “the most dangerous man in England” by the papal chamberlain, Fr. George Talbot, primarily because of the way Newman engaged the laity in supporting and even managing Catholic schools. Indeed, Newman had to struggle in many of his educational projects...

Why Are Swiss Bishops Doubling Down on Mandatory Psych Screening?

(1) Why are Swiss bishops doubling down on mandatory psych screening?COPPEN: Swiss bishops agreed at a plenary meeting this week that mandatory psychological assessments of future pastoral workers, introduced last year, should continue, following a positive assessment of their effectiveness. In a statement issued at the end of their March 2-4 assembly in Saint-Maurice, the bishops said they had unanimously approved provisions regulating responsibilities for the assessments and how the results are handled.

Pope Leo XIV Warns of Wider Middle East Conflict, Prays to Our Lady ‘That the Thunderous Sound of Bombs May Cease’

Pope Leo XIV warns of wider Middle East conflict: Pope Leo XIV on Sunday appealed for peace as violence and fear continue to spread in Iran and across the Middle East, praying in particular for Lebanon and warning that the conflict could widen. Speaking after the Angelus on March 8, the pope said “deeply disturbing news continues to arrive from Iran and the entire Middle East.”

A 5-year-old boy was left alone in a hospital on the day of his heart surgery. His anesthesiologist adopted him...

A 5-year-old boy was left alone in a hospital on the day of his heart surgery. His anesthesiologist adopted him. - CBS News: Surrounded by friends and family at his birthday party this week, 10-year-old True Beethe of Omaha, Nebraska, was on cloud nine, but his bliss had not come easy. Back in 2022, at the age of 5, True needed a heart procedure for a serious congenital heart defect known as hypoplastic right heart syndrome...

Pope Leo XIV Appoints Archbishop Gabriele Giordano Caccia as Apostolic Nuncio to the US

(1) Archbishop Caccia named nuncio to the US - by Luke Coppen: Pope Leo XIV named the Italian Archbishop Gabriele Giordano Caccia as the new apostolic nuncio to the U.S. Saturday. The Pillar reported earlier this year that Caccia, a veteran Vatican diplomat, was the front-runner to succeed the French Cardinal Christophe Pierre, who turned 80 in January. The Vatican announced March 7 that the pope had accepted...

A Purgatorial Procession

(1) A Purgatorial Procession - by Deacon Tom - Weird CatholicTOMMCDONALD: A mass of ferocious men ride across the sky on giant black goats and black horses, making a fearsome din as they charge to the hunt, baying black hounds at their sides. Those who hear the approaching noise must not look or they risk being dragged into the Wild Hunt of the dead. With plenty of local and national variations, this image of phantom hordes of huntsmen or soldiers...

This Sunday, Jesus Meets Us at the Well To Give Us What We Are Missing

This%20Sunday%2C%20Jesus%20Meets%20Us%20at%20the%20Well%20To%20Give%20Us%20What%20We%20Are%20Missing%20%u2013%20Benedictine%20College%20Media%20%26%20CultureHOOPES: In this Sunday’s Gospel reading, Jesus masterfully takes a woman who is captive to sin from a simple conversation about water and thirst to a self-examination of her life and a recognition that he is the Messiah. He does it without ever voicing his clear objections to her sinful life...

A Confession of the Legendary Lou Holtz

A Confession of the Legendary Lou Holtz - Word on FireKACZOR: Before a Notre Dame-Miami football game, a chaplain of the Miami Hurricanes said, “God doesn’t care who wins football games.” When he heard this, Lou Holtz replied, “God may not care, but his mother sure does.” If you were to go on a random Tuesday to Mass at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart at the University of Notre Dame in 2026, you’ll see long lines of people...

St. Longinus: The Centurion Who Pierced Christ’s Side

St.%20Longinus%3A%20The%20Centurion%20Who%20Pierced%20Christ%u2019s%20Side%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterPRONECHEN: At the Crucifixion, two men encountered Christ in a way that changed their lives forever. Both later came to be honored as saints. One was the Good Thief, St. Dismas. Jesus told him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43). The other was the Roman centurion who pierced the side of Christ with a lance and later came to be known by the name of Longinus.

Chaldean Bishop Shaleta Arrested at San Diego Airport on Charges of Embezzlement, Money Laundering

Bishop Shaleta arrested on charges of embezzlement, money laundering: Chaldean Catholic Bishop Emanuel Shaleta was arrested Thursday on several counts of embezzlement and money laundering. The San Diego County Sheriff’s Office said in a press release Thursday that the bishop was picked up at the San Diego airport as he attempted to leave the United States. The Pillar reported earlier this week that Shaleta was expected to travel to Rome. He had submitted his resignation to the Vatican earlier this year.

A Time to Build, Nice Things, and No Comment

(1) Nice things, no comment, and a time to buildCONDON: There’s news again this week, and much of it serious. But before we get to that I want to start with something decidedly not serious — though not at all unserious — to lighten the mood. Apparently a group of American Catholics calling themselves Amici Vaticani have set up a site to crowd source money to create a papal tiara for Pope Leo. It was a longstanding custom back in the day for the home diocese of a newly elected pope...

4 Ways Pope Leo XIV Is the Augustinian Pope

The%20Augustinian%20Pope%3A%20Four%20key%20themes%20of%20Leo%20XIV%20%u2013%20Catholic%20World%20ReportBECKLO: So I argued after the election of Pope Leo XIV, the first American pope, last year. Standing on the loggia of Saint Peter’s, his expression showing the emotion of so great a calling, Robert Prevost did not introduce himself as a Chicagoan, a Chiclayoan, a canon lawyer, or even a bishop—important though all of these clearly are to him...

What’s the Word for Forgetting Words?

Literary%20Hub%20%BB%20What%u2019s%20the%20Word%20for%u2026%20Forgetting%20Words%3F: Lately I have been losing words. Not poetically, not as a metaphor for grief or heartbreak, shock or awe. I mean I am literally losing them. A name I should know (my own child’s), nouns that once arrived without coaxing (lichen, ottoman), verbs I trusted (pivot, hydroplane)...

Pope Leo XIV Announces March Prayer Intention: ‘For Disarmament and Peace’

Pope's March prayer intention: 'for disarmament and peace' - Vatican News: Pope Leo XIV releases his prayer intention for the month of March, inviting Catholics to pray with him for 'disarmament and peace,' and praying that 'the nuclear threat may never again dictate the future of humanity.'

Is Conclave Secrecy Dead — and Does It Matter?

%282%29%20Is%20conclave%20secrecy%20dead%20%u2013%20and%20does%20it%20matter%3FCONDON: A new book published on Sunday purports to pull back the curtain on the papal conclave which elected Pope Leo XIV last year. “The Election of Pope Leo XIV,” published March 1, offers details of the four voting rounds which returned Cardinal Robert Prevost as successor to Pope Francis, as well as specific instances within the closely guarded process...

St. John Vianney Said a Good Priest Could Lead 1,000 Souls to Heaven. I Think He Underestimated...

In gratitude for Msgr. Stanley Krempa - Arlington Catholic HeraldCLARK: My spiritual advisor and dear friend, Msgr. Stanley J. Krempa passed away Feb. 28. Please pray for the repose of his soul. When I heard the news that he died, two thoughts immediately leapt to mind. One was a famous quote. I’d like to say it was a quote from St. Teresa of Avila or St. Francis of Assisi. Instead, the quote is by Thomas Hobbes: “Life is brutish and short.” That’s an odd thought to have, I know...

Anthropic’s Break With the Pentagon Ignites AI Ethics Debate, Echoes Vatican Warnings

Anthropic%u2019s%20Break%20With%20the%20Pentagon%20Ignites%20AI%20Ethics%20Debate%7C%20National%20Catholic%20RegisterMCKEOWN: Amid the explosion in recent years of artificial intelligence (AI), Catholics have consistently called for the inclusion of socially responsible safeguards, limits and ethical principles within the technology. Now, a leading AI developer that is trying to do that has found itself in a major dispute with the U.S. government — stoking a heated debate over the ethical and moral dimensions of AI development.

The Cardinal of Penzance, and Camp Commandments

(1) The cardinal of Penzance, and camp commandmentsJDFLYNN: Today’s the feast of St. Katherine Drexel, the second Tuesday of Lent, and a good day — like so many right now — to pray for just, true, and lasting peace in our world. When he was elected, Pope Leo greeted the world with “the peace of the risen Christ.” That is, he said, “a peace that is unarmed and disarming, humble and persevering. A peace that comes from God, the God who loves us all, unconditionally.”

One Priest Can't Care For Thousands. So What Should A Parish Do?

1 Priest Can't Care For Thousands! What Should A Parish Do? - Catholic Missionary Disciples - College Station, TXLEJEUNE: How many people can the pastor of the average Catholic parish in the USA deeply invest in and guide? I have asked hundreds of priests this question. The average is single digit numbers, probably around 7 parishioners. Think about what it takes to be a modern pastor of a Catholic parish. There isn’t enough time to invest deeply in many people...

Treetops Emit Ultraviolet Sparkles During Thunderstorms. Researchers Just Filmed It in Nature for the First Time

Treetops Emit Ultraviolet Sparkles During Thunderstorms. Researchers Just Filmed It in Nature for the First Time: Thunderstorms often illuminate the night sky with flashes of lightning. They also seem to make treetops glow and sparkle, although the phenomenon is pretty much invisible to the naked eye. In a study published February 12 in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, scientists provide the first direct observations of the weak electrical discharges around trees in nature.

Dutch Museum Makes ‘Needle in a Haystack’ Confirmation of Rembrandt Painting

Dutch museum makes 'needle in a haystack' confirmation of Rembrandt painting - ABC News: A painting that was once rejected as a work by Rembrandt van Rijn has now been acknowledged as a work by the Dutch master, thanks to two years of scrutiny in the city where the then-27-year-old artist painted it in 1633, a museum announced Monday. The Netherlands’ national art and history museum, the Rijksmuseum, unveiled the work...

Vatican Synod Study Group Warns of Online Polarization

Vatican synod study group warns of online polarization: A final report from the Synod on Synodality study group on “mission in the digital environment” proposes the possible creation of a dedicated Vatican body to accompany and oversee the theological, pastoral, and canonical challenges that arise online. The digital mission group is one of 10 study groups established by Pope Francis in 2024 at the conclusion...

Striking the Rock: A Reflection on the Third Sunday of Lent

Striking the Rock: Scott Hahn Reflects on the Third Sunday of Lent - St. Paul CenterHAHN: The Israelites’ hearts were hardened by their hardships in the desert. Though they saw His mighty deeds, in their thirst they grumbled and put God to the test in today’s First Reading, a crisis point recalled also in today’s Psalm. Jesus is thirsty, too, in today’s Gospel. He thirsts for souls. He longs to give the Samaritan woman the living waters that well up to eternal life...

Toy Story and AI Toys — Disney to the Rescue?

Toy Story & AI toys: Disney to the rescue? - by tmattMATTINGLY: To all who sent me the trailer for “Toy Story 5,” thank you. Yes, I immediately sent it to Jonathan “Anxious Generation” Haidt, while knowing that he had almost certainly been hit with a tidal wave of emails the second the trainer reached the Internet. I guess we can hope that he was contacted by the principalities and powers at Disney long ago and, who knows, he may have been asked to serve as a consultant.

USCCB President Archbishop Coakley Issues Urgent Call for Peace in the Middle East

Archbishop Coakley issues urgent call for peace in the Middle East: The escalating conflict in the Middle East has drawn a strong call for peace from Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), who issued an urgent statement calling on the United States, Iran, and the international community to “return to dialogue and pursue every avenue for a just and lasting peace.” Coakley issued the statement...

Sin Is Not an Abstraction

Sin is not an Abstraction | Knowing Is DoingTORRE: There is an argument proposed by Christ in the story of the Parable of the Lost Sheep about a man who tended to one hundred sheep, but lost one, would he be compelled to leave the ninety-nine to rescue the lost sheep?[1] It is a compelling argument because it proposes the acts of mercy towards sinners...

Where Do Bishops Come From? The Divinely Appointed Overseer

Where Do Bishops Come From? The Divinely Appointed OverseerSTAUDT: This last year, the world watched as the cardinals gathered in Rome for the election of a new pope, the 267th bishop of Rome. New York recently received a new archbishop, and Denver is preparing for one as well. We are witnessing apostolic succession in action, extending an unbroken chain of bishops back to the apostles, who were appointed directly by Our Lord...

New Israeli Land Reforms Raise Fears Among West Bank Christians

New Israeli Land Reforms Raise Fears Among West Bank Christians| National Catholic RegisterCHABIN: Over the past month, Israel’s Security Cabinet has approved sweeping changes that will affect the purchase and use of land in the West Bank. Palestinians, including the approximately 1% of Christians who live in the West Bank, fear that the new provisions will boost the construction and expansion of Israeli settlements and ultimately prevent the creation of a Palestinian state.

German Bishops to Ask Rome to Permit Lay Homilies

(1) German bishops to ask Rome to permit lay homiliesCOPPEN: The German bishops will formally ask the Vatican to permit lay preaching at Masses, new conference chairman Bishop Heiner Wilmer announced Thursday. According to Church law, homilies at Mass are “reserved to a priest or deacon,” but lay people can receive permission to preach in a church or oratory, “if necessity requires it in certain circumstances or it seems advantageous in particular cases.” In a report issued at the end...

Every Round Goes Higher: A Homily for the Second Sunday of Lent

Every Round Goes Higher - A Homily for the Second Sunday of Lent - Community in MissionPOPE: The second Sunday of Lent always features the Transfiguration. This is because we are following the Lord on His final odyssey to Jerusalem, and this journey up Mt. Tabor was one of His stops (with Peter, James, and John). It is commonly held that Jesus did this to prepare His apostles for the difficult days ahead...

This Sunday, Lent Transfigures Us

This%20Sunday%2C%20Lent%20Transfigures%20Us%20%u2013%20Benedictine%20College%20Media%20%26%20CultureHOOPES: Just as Lent is getting off the ground, today’s Gospel gives us the story of the Transfiguration. While we commemorate the 40 days of Jesus fasting in the desert with nothing but wild beasts as his companions, we are presented with an image of Jesus transformed in a glorious way on the mountaintop with the great prophets Elijah and Moses as his companions...

How to Write Well — and Why

How%20to%20Write%20Well%20%u2013%20and%20Why%20-%20The%20Catholic%20ThingMAIER: Remember the fabulous 1970s? The decade of Watergate, recession, gas lines, defeat in Vietnam, unemployment, inflation, and a failed Iranian hostage rescue? Add to that the advent of “whole language” theory in education. Whoever came up with that idea needs a one-way ticket to Svalbard. Check the map. It’s not Las Vegas. Mention “whole language” to my wife, a 40-year veteran of teaching in Catholic schools, and she’ll laugh you out of the room.

Brazilian Archbishop Declares Schism and Excommunications, Says TLM Attendees ‘Don’t Deserve Name of Christians or Catholics’

(1) Brazilian archbishop declares schism, excommunicates Catholics attending TLMBELTRAN: The Archbishop of Maceió in Brazil has declared that any Catholic in the diocese who attends a unauthorized Traditional Latin Mass will incur an excommunication, for the canonical crime of schism. In a Feb.11 statement posted on the archdiocesan Facebook page, Archbishop Carlos Alberto Breis Pereira, OFM, declared that in his diocese, participation in...

Pope Leo XIV’s Sunday Angelus: ‘Only Peace, a Gift of God, Can Heal the Wounds Between Peoples’

Pope speaks out about strikes on Iran: Pope Leo XIV voiced concern on Sunday about developments in the Middle East and Iran, urging the parties involved to stop what he called a “spiral of violence” before it becomes an “unbridgeable chasm.” “Stability and peace are not achieved through mutual threats, nor through the use of weapons, which sow destruction, suffering, and death, but only through reasonable, sincere, and responsible dialogue,” the pope said...