Let us be clear: In the Catholic Church, cardinals are supposed to have a job. Typically, the Pope either assigns them a diocese or appoints them to a post in the Roman Curia. Under Pope Francis, however, having a red hat is no guarantee of being given a position, at least not right away. Cardinal Ángel Fernández Artime, for example, received his red hat more than a year ago. Since concluding his mandate as rector major of the Salesians in April, he has been without an assignment. He’s not the only one. Since 2017, when his mandate as prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith ended, Cardinal Gerhard Müller has no longer had an office in the Curia or a diocese. And since 2020, Cardinal Philippe Barbarin, who left the office of archbishop of Lyon, France, and was nevertheless ac...

Bishop Edward Malesic of the 600,000-soul-strong Cleveland Diocese is drawing on prayer and reflection as key elements in the spiritual renewal of his Catholic flock.  In a new pastoral letter, “A Flourishing Apostolic Church,” released Dec. 15, Bishop Malesic said his intent is “that we might recommit ourselves to a daily entry into the Paschal Mystery of Jesus Christ so that the Church of Cleveland may truly flourish.” Bishop Malesic is asking all Catholics of the Cleveland Diocese, whether practicing or lapsed, to set aside 15 minutes each day for simple reflection. While daily prayer is quite basic to all baptized Catholics, it can be easily overlooked in a society prioritizing “getting on with things” over quiet moments of introspection. “For many of us involved in parish life, i...

Share via: In this season of Advent, as we prepare to celebrate the Incarnation, we are called to quiet down and prepare our hearts to receive Christ anew, to be moved in awe at His presence. We are not asked to do this on blind faith alone. Throughout creation, God has left us signs and wonders of Himself, if only we would take notice. In his 1998 encyclical, Fides et Ratio, Pope St. John Paul II begins, “Faith and reason are like two wings on which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of truth; and God has placed in the human heart a desire to know the truth…” In our contemplation of the Word along with the created world, we discover the fullness of the truth of Christ. Blessed Nicolas Steno provides a poignant witness of this through his life. A world-renowned 17th century scient...

Notes from the Author: 1)  First and foremost–I offer this post to Our Lord through the intercession of His Mother and St. Joseph:  in reparation for my sins and the sins of the world, for our repentance, and for an enduring peace throughout the Middle East and the world as quickly as possible. 2)  It has been a while since I have posted.  My previous post can be read here: https://zistezesto.wordpress.com/2024/04/21/chapter-7-exploring-little-known-sites-in-the-holy-land-stairway-to-the-sanhedrin-the-mosque-of-the-ascension-the-humble-empty-tomb-of-our-lady-and-st-stephens-battleground/ 3) As a reminder, copy/paste GPS Coordinates listed below into Google Maps to see or travel to each location. Satellite imagery used below is from Google Earth. 4) I apologize for any a...

This Christmas, while massive crowds of pilgrims will flock to Rome for the opening of the Jubilee year, I’ll be spending the holy season in Bethlehem. For many, Rome’s grand celebrations and newly polished piazzas are the obvious choice for the holiday. But for me, the small, struggling city where Jesus Christ was born holds a deeper urgency — and a quiet, heartbreaking beauty. Today, Bethlehem is caught in the crossfire of war. The ongoing Israel-Hamas war has cast a long shadow over the entire region. According to my sources in Bethlehem, more than 60 Christian families have left the town in the last six months alone. Pilgrims are few, as fears of conflict and restricted access deter most visitors. Where Rome anticipates millions for the Jubilee, Bethlehem’s holy sites expect only a few...