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Seminary allegations, St. John Paul II, and a failure to communicate…
Happy Friday friends, And especially a happy feast of St. John Paul II. Like a lot of Catholics of my age, JPII remains a central reference point for my life in the Church. He was the pope who exhorted us to be saints at World Youth Day, he was the author of encyclicals which shaped our first intellectual encounters with the faith, and his was the name said at Mass for the first two decades of our lives. For me, he was someone who simply inspired confidence. Listening to him speak, reading his writing, it was hard not to feel, well, loved by the pope — like he was personally invested in my salvation, and that if he said I could be a saint, I should aspire to nothing less. Statue of St. John Paul II, Washington, D.C. Credit: Lawrence OP When you’re the pope for more than 2...
You can tell a lot about a person by the way they use their fingers to count…
How would you count to 10 on your fingers? Do you start with the thumb or the index finger? Left hand or right? Dactylonomy (counting on your hands) seems like such a simple and natural thing to do that you might assume it’s nearly the same everywhere. After all, it’s no coincidence that we have 10 digits on our hands and the most common number systems have 10 digits. This way of counting (called a base 10 system) probably arose because we have 10 fingers. If we had evolved with 8 or 12 fingers, our number system might be quite different. And the word “digit” in the sense of numerals comes from the Latin digitus, meaning finger or toe – because of the way we use them to count. But it turns out that people around the world have vastly different techniques for ke...
Vatican census shows Catholicism growing everywhere but Europe…
VATICAN CITY (RNS) — A Vatican census released ahead of World Mission Day reveals growing numbers of Catholics in what Pope Francis often refers to as “the global peripheries,” even as the number of believers continues to diminish in Europe. The number of Catholics in the world grew by more than 15 million from 2018 to 2019, according to a census by the Vatican news agency Fides published on Thursday (Oct. 21). “The increase applies to all continents, except Europe,” which saw the number of Catholic faithful decrease by almost 300,000, the survey found. The data was released ahead of the 95th World Mission Day, which will be celebrated on Sunday in dioceses around the globe following the one-year hiatus caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the census, conducted annually among Cath...
Hard spiritual truths that will set us free…
In today’s post I would like to ponder some hard spiritual truths, but ones that will set us free. In calling them “hard truths”, I mean that they are not the usual cozy bromides that many seek. They speak bluntly about the more irksome and difficult realities we face. If we come to accept them, though, they have a strange way of bringing serenity by getting us to focus us on the right things rather than spending our time chasing after false dreams. A person can spend his whole life being resentful that life isn’t perfect, forgetting all the while that we are all in exile. We are making a difficult journey to a life in which, one day, every sorrow and difficultly will be removed and death and sorrow will be no more—but not now. There is a kind of unexpected serenity in living in the world ...
94% of galaxies in the universe are permanently unreachable…
Our universe, everywhere and in all directions, is filled with stars and galaxies. The Milky Way, as seen at La Silla observatory, is a stunning, awe-inspiring sight to anyone, and offers a spectacular view of a great many stars in our galaxy. Beyond our galaxy, however, are trillions of others, nearly all of which are expanding away from us. (Credit: ESO / Håkon Dahle) From our vantage point, we observe up to 46.1 billion light-years away. As long as the light from any galaxy that was emitted at the start of the hot Big Bang 13.8 billion years ago would have reached us by today, that object is within our presently observable universe. However, not every observable object is reachable. (Credit: F. Summers, A. Pagan, L. Hustak, G. Bacon, Z. Levay, and L. Frattere (STScI)) Our visible univer...
As St. Bernard of Clairvaux said, every pontificate has its courtiers. The current one is no exception. Quite the opposite…..
Bernard of Clairvaux, the great 12th-century saint and Doctor of the Church who renewed the Western monastic tradition, once warned that “The most grievous danger for any pope lies in the fact that, encompassed as he is by flatterers, he never hears the truth about his own person and ends by not wishing to hear it.” Every pontificate has its courtiers. The current one is no exception; quite the opposite. Thus, St. Bernard’s words came easily to mind as I read a recent Austen Ivereigh article for America magazine. In it, Ivereigh claimed that “over the last eight years, a powerful U.S.-based media conglomerate has used its formidable wealth and power to turn a large portion of the people of God against Rome and its current occupant. And for good measure, against key reforms of the Second Va...
Peru’s ‘Lord of Miracles’ carried in massive five-hour procession from St. Patrick’s Cathedral through the streets of New York City…
In the middle of the most populated city in the United States, a procession shook the hearts of believers: the ‘Lord of Miracles’ toured “The Big Apple” on Oct. 17. The Peruvian community along, with many other foreigners, processed through 5th Avenue with a replica of the indestructible Lord of Miracles (Señor de los Milagros) image after Cardinal Timothy Dolan and Peruvian Msgr. Guillermo Cornejo concelebrated with a special Mass for the occasion. [See also: The Lord of Miracles: The Amazing Story of Peru’s Indestructible Sacred Image] Here’s the Peruvian image left St. Patrick’s Cathedral: [embedded content]Click here if you cannot see the video above. The photographs portrayed an incredible moment of faith, homage, devotion and reverence that perhaps only conveys the particular Latin A...
Have you ever received fake messages from your “priest?” Internet scammers see churches as easy prey, simple precautions can provide enormous protection…..
Father David Mullen got the message every pastor dreads to hear thanks to 21st-century technology: “I think someone hacked your account.” An internet scammer had breached the Boston Archdiocese’s priests’ account back in August, looked at the content of his emails, and then proceeded to email people in his address book saying he needed to talk with the recipient “about something personal.” Thankfully, the recipients noted something seemed off: For one thing, the pastor wouldn’t approach them via email that way, and he seemed to use “terminology that I wouldn’t typically use on an email.” The pastor quickly got the word out to his parishioners through the parish’s communications platforms that his email had been hacked and to be wary of any emails appearing to come from him that look ...
Catholic ink? Tattoos, piercings, and the pursuit of holiness…..
Though Millennials and Gen Z’ers are generally less religious than previous generations, young adults who embrace Catholicism actually tend to be more orthodox in their beliefs and more traditional in their devotions than the majority of their Boomer and Gen X elders. But visit a Theology on Tap or another Catholic young adult event these days, and amongst the Marian consecration chains and scapulars you’ll also likely spot a different sort of visible expression marking the faithful: a smattering of tattoos, nose rings, and other alternative piercings. From college campuses to the urban young adult scene to which their graduates matriculate, reports are widespread that body ink and piercings have increased in prevalence among young adult Catholics in the past decade, including among those ...
Liechtenstein archbishop opts out of synodal process, saying it runs “the risk of becoming ideological”…
Haas, who was born in Vaduz, previously served as bishop of the Swiss diocese of Chur. Amid internal tensions, he was appointed in 1997 as the first archbishop of Vaduz, which was previously part of the Chur diocese. The archdiocese, which emcompasses the whole Principality of Liechtenstein and whose website lists just 12 parishes, does not belong to a national bishops’ conference and has no suffragan sees. Explaining why he felt that the archdiocese did not need to take part in the global process, Haas said: “On the one hand, the close relationships in our parishes allow for quick and uncomplicated mutual contact between pastors and laity, so that an intellectual and spiritual exchange has always been, and still is, possible.” “All those who wish to do so can enter into dialogue with one ...
50 states, 50 farmers’ markets: Here’s the top spot in each state for seasonal produce…..
Farmers markets are spectacular places to shop year-round. (Hooray for fresh produce that packs tons of extra flavor and for supporting local farmers and artisans by shopping local!) But in the fall, farmers markets truly shine. This is the time of year that the autumnal bounty arrives, from plump pumpkins ripe for carving to winter squash varieties that make hearty soups and side dishes. Did we mention the fresh-pressed cider that pairs perfectly with chewy cider donuts? Here are the best farmers markets in every state that not only sell fantastic fall goodies but also excel when it comes to serving as community gathering spaces. Plus, find out which seasonal food festival is best in your state. Cory B./ Yelp In addition to the fresh fruits and veggies, the Alabama Farmers Market sells He...
8-month-old baby among 17 Protestant missionaries kidnapped and held for $17 million ransom in Haiti, charity says…
By Leonardo Blair, Christian Post Reporter | Wednesday, October 20, 2021 A man films himself in front of tires on fire during a general strike launched by several professional associations and companies to denounce insecurity in Port-au-Prince on October 18, 2021. A nationwide general strike emptied the streets of Haiti’s capital Port-au-Prince on Monday with organizers denouncing the rapidly disintegrating security situation highlighted by the kidnapping of American and Canadian missionaries at the weekend. The kidnapping of 17 adults and children by one of Haiti’s brazen criminal gangs underlined the country’s troubles following the assassination of president Jovenel Mose in July and amid mounting lawlessness in the Western hemisphere’s poorest nation. | RICHARD P...
