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Ave Maria, Gloria in excelsis, Agnus Dei, Dominus Vobiscum, Sanctus, Tantum Ergo. These are just some of the Latin phrases that Catholics may recognize. Although it’s common to speak of Latin as a “dead” language, it remains alive within the Church, her sacred language of prayer, study, and unity. Pope Benedict XVI asked Catholics to learn the basic prayers of the Mass and the rosary to be able to pray together throughout the world. This common language roots the Latin rite of the Church in a common identity and heritage. A sacred language also points to the transcendent mystery and reverence of the Mass, moving beyond the ordinary language of one’s daily routine. Not only has Latin served as the language of the Church since the third century, it also has provided the key language of educa...

Thousands and thousands marched on Washington today to protect the right to life of the most vulnerable, the unborn. In recent years, I have gone and taken photos of the best signs but this year that was not possible. However, people were willing to share their great March for Life signs. There were many great Baby Yoda signs but they are all near the end. All images are used with permission and all I have done is sometimes cropped them. The links below each picture lead back to the source. An Unborn Baby is More than a Clump of Cells Image: Jennifer S. Bryson (@brysonjs) – used with permission. Emoji (because the girl is so young): Emoji One on Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) Abortion Discriminates Against the Disabled (Ableism) Carole Novielli (@CaroleNovielli) – used with permission He...

ROME — Bishop Joseph E. Strickland of Tyler, Texas, said he asked Pope Francis about the Vatican investigation into Theodore E. McCarrick and the release of a promised report on how the former cardinal managed to rise through church ranks. The bishop, who was making his ad limina visit to Rome, drew widespread attention in August 2018 for a public statement saying he found “credible” the allegations made by retired Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, the former nuncio to the United States, regarding McCarrick. Vigano alleged that top Vatican officials, including Francis, knew for years that McCarrick had been accused of sexual misconduct. Strickland at the time called for a “thorough investigation, similar to those conducted any time allegations are deemed to be credible.” “Pope Francis was gre...

“Jesus began to preach” (Mt 4:17). With these words, the evangelist Matthew introduces the ministry of Jesus. The One who is the Word of God has come to speak with us, in his own words and by his own life. On this first Sunday of the Word of God, let us go to the roots of his preaching, to the very source of the word of life. Today’s Gospel (Mt 4:12-23) helps us to know how, where and to whom Jesus began to preach. 1. How did he begin? With a very simple phrase: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (v. 17). This is the main message of all Jesus’ sermons: to tell us that the kingdom of heaven is at hand. What does this mean? The kingdom of heaven means the reign of God, that is, the way in which God reigns through his relationship with ...

Fran and Suann Maier, pictured above with their son Dan, were named ‘Knight Commander’ and ‘Dame Commander’ in the Order of St. Gregory the Great by Pope Francis. The papal honors were conferred Dec. 9 by Archbishop Charles Chaput of Philadelphia. (Top inset photo below courtesy of Francis X. Maier. All other photos by Sarah Webb.) Francis X. Maier, Good Servant of a Good Shepherd “Christianity is fundamentally about friendship,” says the former Register editor in chief and longtime aide to Archbishop Charles Chaput, “and helping each other get to heaven.” In the late 1970s native New Yorker Francis X. Maier made the decision to leave Hollywood screenwriting to focus on writing a novel, The World on the Last Day, about the fall of Saigon. To support his wife and young family and supplement...

Hell is the final guarantee that what we do here and now really matters: That’s the message Paul Thigpen gives in the book Saints Who Saw Hell: And Other Catholic Witnesses to the Fate of the Damned. “If Hell doesn’t exist, then all roads lead to the same destination, whether it’s Heaven, or annihilation, or something else. And if all roads lead to the same place, it ultimately makes no difference which road we take. On the other hand, if our choices will lead us ultimately to one of two utterly different destinies, then our choices have crucially different consequences,” he continues. Reflecting on Hell, Thigpen emphasizes, deepens our appreciation of Heaven. “The more horrible we understand Hell to be, the more deeply we fathom what God wants to save us from, the more grateful we are tha...