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I urge all Catholic families to watch this movie…..
New Old Movie Review: ‘The Adventures of Robin Hood’ (1938) The legend of Robin Hood has been portrayed many times on big and little screens, but no version has even approached the brilliance of 1938’s The Adventures of Robin Hood. The movie stars some Hollywood legends of its own such as Olivia de Havilland as Maid Marian and Errol Flynn in the title role. Dazzling lines of dialogue are delivered in every scene, and the movie is backed by Erich Korngold’s majestic and innovative musical score. Even though it was shot in Technicolor 85 years ago, I’m not sure there has been a prettier movie ever filmed. Beyond all this, the movie has many virtues to teach and illustrate. The movie is set in the late 12th century, during which King Richard the Lionheart has gone to fight in the Third Crusad...
Cardinal Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Asks Catholics Worldwide to Pray and Fast on Oct. 17 for Peace in the Holy Land…
Pizzaballa, who serves as the head of Latin Catholics living in Israel, the Palestinian territories, Jordan, and Cyprus, acknowledged that the war may inhibit many Catholics in the Holy Land from organizing large gatherings and encouraged “simple and sober common moments of prayer in parishes, religious communities, and families.” In response, Catholics from around the world have also pledged on social media to join in the fast for peace in the Holy Land in solidarity, which falls on the feast of St. Ignatius of Antioch, the first-century bishop and martyr from Syria. After Hamas’ unprecedented multi-front attack on Israel killed 1,200 people, the Israeli government vowed retaliation and launched airstrikes on the blockaded Gaza Strip, killing 900 people according to Gaza officials. Some 1...
Some Basic Facts and Clarifications About the Angels…
Jesus affirms the truth that we have guardian angels: See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father (Mat 18:10). On the Feast of the Guardian Angels, we consider the beautiful truth that God assigns each of us an angel to have special care for us; it is a sign of His very specific love for each of us as an individual. The Catechism of the Catholic Church has much to say on angels. Here are just a few verses: The whole life of the Church benefits from the mysterious and powerful help of angels … In her liturgy, the Church joins with the angels to adore the thrice-holy God … From infancy to death human life is surrounded by their watchful care and intercession. “Beside eac...
The Eucharist in Times Square: Procession With Father Mike Schmitz Draws Thousands on NYC Streets…
Priests, nuns, and laity participated in a massive Eucharistic Procession on the streets of New York City on Oct. 10, 2023. Approximately 5,000 Catholics attended the procession hosted by the Napa Institute for this year’s Principled Entrepreneurship Conference. Father Mike Schmitz, the Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministries for the Diocese of Duluth, opened the conference with a standing-room-only Mass at Saint Patrick’s Cathedral at 4:30 p.m. ET, followed by the Eucharistic procession and Benediction. In his homily, Father Mike said he initially did not want to lead a Eucharistic procession. His students at the University of Minnesota Duluth often ask if they can process with the Eucharist on campus, but he also says no. He fears the general public will not understand t...
Real liturgy is far more powerful than its digital counterfeit…
“Hey you, stop underestimating the power of your bodily routines.” Thus says Felicia Wu Song in reflecting on the significance of our digital practices. She even suggests we consider these practices as a kind of ‘liturgy,’ an embodied common practice that both expresses and forms who we are. Relating the power of Anglican liturgies in her own formation, she shares, “I am also increasingly aware of how I have been equally formed by a digital liturgy of sociability and daily life.” (Restless Devices: Recovering Personhood, Presence, and Place in the Digital Age) The connection of our digital practices and the notion of ‘liturgy’ is a bit arresting. And I think it is very much to the point. Liturgy in the proper sense is a public religious practice that has set bodily forms. God directed the ...
‘Pro-life Spiderman’ arrested for climbing Chicago skyscraper that houses Israeli consulate…
An anti-abortion activist who refers to himself as the “Pro-life Spiderman” has been arrested after climbing a skyscraper in Chicago, which houses the Israeli consulate. Maison DesChamps, 23, said he had attempted the stunt on Tuesday in order to raise money for a woman hoping to avoid an abortion. A live video posted on his Instagram page showed DesChamps leap from a van and begin to climb the 40-storey building – which is almost 600ft tall and houses the Israeli consulate – without safety ropes. Later, another video showed him being detained and handcuffed by officers. In a statement, Chicago Police Department said: “Officers were able to place the offender into custody without incident. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement “No injuries were reported and charges are pending, No other information ...
Synod on Synodality’s New Methodology Could Skew Reports on Controversial Issues…
This week and next, the Synod on Synodality is focusing on issues like LGBTQ inclusion and the possibility of opening the diaconate to women — some of the most contentious matters on the gathering’s monthlong agenda. But contrary to what some may have assumed, not all of the synod’s 364 delegates will have a chance to weigh in on these topics equally. In fact, synod organizers have assigned only some of the members to the small groups discussing these hot-button issues, after members indicated ahead of time what topics they’d prefer to focus on. It’s a dynamic that could skew the table reports issued on a given topic and, in turn, affect the text summarizing the views of the assembly that will be finalized at the end of the process. The possibility is a product of the unique way organizers...
In the Holy Land, Franciscans Keep Doors to Holy Sites Open — for Now…
Following the outbreak of the conflict, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, patriarch of Jerusalem, signed a statement in which, in addition to calling for a de-escalation of the conflict, emphasized the importance of preserving the Status Quo regarding the holy sites. This is a set of rules that regulates access to and use of the main holy sites since the time of the Ottoman Empire. The same concern was reiterated in a joint statement by the patriarchs and heads of Christian churches in Jerusalem. Christian religious leaders have raised their voices together “to advocate for the cessation of all violent and military activities” and “condemn any acts that target civilians.” Daily procession of the Franciscan friars of the Custody of the Holy Land (Anointing Stone) at the Church of the ...
8 commonly heard questions about Catholic teaching and evolution…
Some Catholics are not sure what to think of biological evolution. They hear from their evangelical Protestant friends and neighbors that it is contrary to Christian belief, but they do not hear much on the subject one way or the other from authorities in the Catholic Church. For example, the topic is never explicitly mentioned in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. My purpose in this article is to sketch in broad outline what the Church’s position has been and to answer some common objections to evolution made by Christians who are skeptical of it. When people speak about “evolution,” they can mean different things. So, one must distinguish several layers to the theory of evolution. First, there is the basic idea of evolution, which is that the present species of living things arose fro...
Papal Power and the Obedience of the Faithful…
For Niccolò Machiavelli, Pope Julius II was the model Renaissance prince. He was highly intelligent. He was skilled at diplomacy, politics, and war. He was a visionary patron of the arts. Julius was also, according to those who served him, intensely vindictive. He was moody, humorless, and coarse, with a violent temper. He had a gift for making enemies and alienating the less worldly and more committed Christian faithful. And the result was predictable. A year after his death in 1513, the tract Julius Exclusus (“Julius Excluded From Heaven”) made its debut in Europe. It was an instant hit, both fiercely satirical and massively popular. In it, the deceased Julius shows up at the gates of heaven and tries to bully his way in by listing all of his achievements, his papal authority, and his ea...
We’ve been told that the Synod won’t change the Church’s moral theology — so why have so many prelates said it would do exactly that?
The recently convened Synod on Synodality at the Vatican has raised expectations among some Catholics that the Church is going to overhaul its traditional moral theology with an eye toward changing certain teachings that pertain to human sexuality. There are other issues in play as well, such as the ordination of women to the diaconate and/or the priesthood, but my focus here will be on the question of sexual morality in particular. Pope Francis has warned that the Synod is not to be treated as a kind of parliament where participants will be voting on changing this or that doctrine of the Church. Indeed, he has emphasized that changing doctrine is not the goal of the Synod at all but is instead a grand exercise in dialogue and mutual discernment of where the Holy Spirit is leading th...
7 Things You Didn’t Know About J.R.R. Tolkien’s Catholic Faith…
Professor Holly Ordway’s new book, Tolkien’s Faith, published last month, is not just an intriguing peek at the Catholic faith of the beloved author of The Lord of the Rings — it is truly a deep dive. Here are just a few of the delightful treasures Ordway discovered and brought to the surface, in descending order: 7. John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was not a cradle Catholic. He was born in Bloemfontein, South Africa (then a member country of the British Commonwealth) and baptized as an infant in the Anglican Church, at the Cathedral of St. Andrew and St. Michael. When he was 4 years old, his father died in South Africa. Mabel, Tolkien’s mother, permanently relocated the family to England. When Tolkien was 8, Mabel converted to Catholicism, and she raised both her sons (J.R.R. and his younger bro...
