Raleigh church fire being investigated as arson...  

A Sunday morning fire that destroyed an historic Raleigh County church building is being investigated as an arson. According to the Beaver Volunteer Fire Department, the Saint Colman Catholic Church building along Irish Spring Road in Dillon, not far from Shady Spring, was already on the ground and smoldering when firefighters arrived on the scene Sunday morning...

what do you think? 2022-06-30 19:46:22

Still we march! Thoughts on the overturn of Roe v. Wade...  

I like many of you will always remember where I was when I heard that Roe v. Wade had been struck down. I was in Wichita, Kansas, preaching a priests retreat and preparing for Mass on the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Tears welled in my eyes as I ran to share the news with the bishop and priests. I have been marching in the March for life almost uninterruptedly since 1975...

what do you think? 2022-06-30 14:58:58

Violent Vandalism Attack on Catholic Church in Washington State Caught on Video...  

A woman was praying alone in the perpetual adoration chapel early Tuesday morning when the wave of anti-Catholic vandalism and violence sweeping the U.S. struck St. Louise Catholic Church in Bellevue, Washington. Hearing a commotion outside, the woman ventured into the hallway. There, she confronted a masked intruder standing outside the parish center...

what do you think? 2022-06-30 14:09:46

Dobbs, Roe and the vindication of American democracy...  

Prior to June 24, the U.S. Supreme Court's most important civil rights decision was handed down on May 17, 1954. Then, in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, the Court declared racially segregated public facilities unconstitutional, effectively reversing its 1896 decision in Plessy v. Ferguson, which upheld state-mandated segregation laws...

what do you think? 2022-06-30 13:40:36

Vatican inconsistencies: A Tale of Two Bishops...  

The contrasting recent handling by the Vatican of two bishops has highlighted concerns about discrepancies in the disciplining of bishops, with no explanation available why one of the two bishop was dismissed while the other has been allowed to remain in office. The two cases involve Bishop Daniel Fernandez Torres of Arecibo, Puerto Rico...

what do you think? 2022-06-30 13:20:59

Scientific American: How parents' trauma leaves biological traces in children...  

After the twin towers of the World Trade Center collapsed on September 11, 2001, in a haze of horror and smoke, clinicians at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in Manhattan offered to check anyone who'd been in the area for exposure to toxins. Among those who came in for evaluation were 187 pregnant women. Many were in shock...

what do you think? 2022-06-30 12:36:25

Initial impressions of 'Desiderio Desideravi,' Pope Francis' new document on the Mass...  

After a year of barbed commentary directed at liturgical traditionalists from many quarters, the Holy Father's apostolic letter Desiderio Desideravi, dated June 29 for the solemn Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul, takes a rather different tack, both in tone and substance. Desiderio Desideravi takes its title from the words of Jesus at the beginning of the Last Supper: "I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer" (Luke 22:15)...

what do you think? 2022-06-30 06:34:43

Where does a legendary 225-year-old working warship get its parts? At the U.S. Navy forest, of course.....  

In the early 1970s, as the United States began preparing for its Bicentennial, Boston decided that the U.S.S. Constitution would be a focal point of the city's anniversary celebrations, with a new museum to the celebrated warship opening at the Charlestown Navy Yard.

what do you think? 2022-06-30 06:05:33

Apostolic Letter 'Desiderio desideravi,' on the liturgical formation of the People of God...  

My dearest brothers and sisters, with this letter I desire to reach you all - after having written already only to the bishops after the publication of the Motu Proprio Traditionis custodes - and I write to share with you some reflections on the liturgy, a dimension fundamental for the life of the Church. The theme is vast and always deserves an attentive consideration in every one of its aspects...

what do you think? 2022-06-29 13:57:11

Pope Francis Releases 'Desiderio Desiderata,' Apostolic Letter on Liturgy After 'Traditionis Custodes'...  

Pope Francis published a letter on the liturgy Wednesday, nearly one year after he issued the motu proprio Traditiones custodes, restricting the celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass. In the 15-page apostolic letter, Desiderio Desideravi, the Pope said he wanted "to invite the whole Church to rediscover, to safeguard, and to live the truth and power of the Christian celebration...

what do you think? 2022-06-29 12:10:15

Are we obliged to avoid businesses that say they'll pay for employees' abortions? Short answer: No. Here's why.....  

How do we weigh proximate and remote participation in evil? If we were to cut out of our lives anything that had the remotest connection to support for abortion, we would have to separate ourselves from society. That might be a heroic thing to do, and it might be the right thing to do for some people. Yet the Church has always maintained that...

what do you think? 2022-06-29 11:09:23

FBI opens sweeping probe of clergy sex abuse in New Orleans; Mann Act may allow prosecution of crimes going back decades...  

The FBI has opened a widening investigation into sex abuse in the Catholic Church in New Orleans going back decades, a rare federal foray into such cases looking specifically at whether priests took children across state lines to molest them, officials and others familiar with the inquiry told The Associated Press. More than a dozen alleged abuse victims have been interviewed this year as part of the probe that's exploring among other charges whether predator priests can be prosecuted under th...

what do you think? 2022-06-29 07:08:17

Judges Temporarily Block Abortion Bans in Louisiana, Utah, Texas...  

Judges in Louisiana, Utah, and Texas have temporarily blocked the enforcement of those states' laws banning abortion, after the Supreme Court returned the regulation of abortion to the states. On June 24, the court voted 6-3 in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization to uphold a Mississippi law restricting most abortions after 15 weeks...

what do you think? 2022-06-29 03:29:21

4 thoughts on the closure of Spencer Trappist Brewery. Is this the end of the Beer Option? ...  

Many of us were excited for the first American Trappist brewery back in 2014 at St. Joseph's Abbey in Spencer, Massachusetts. I was inspired to write The Beer Option: Brewing a Catholic Culture Yesterday & Today by the long tradition of monastic brewing, which pointed to a whole Catholic history of beer. I wrote a couple of articles following the emergence of new monastery beers...

what do you think? 2022-06-29 03:06:28

Since May 1, pro-abortion groups have heavily outspent pro-life groups to dominate social media ads...  

Pro-abortion rights interests have heavily outspent their opposition on leading social media platforms in the wake of a Supreme Court ruling overturning its landmark Roe v. Wade decision, data shared with Axios show. Why it matters: The court's ruling throws the issue to the states, where heated legislative fights are imminent over the future of abortion access in America...

what do you think? 2022-06-29 02:21:52

Raising a child like the Little Prince...  

A merchant is selling special pills—one pill will quench thirst for a whole week! A person will no longer need to find something to drink. "Why are you selling those?" asks the little prince. Answer: Experts say they will save us fifty-three minutes per week. "And what do I do with those fifty-three minutes?" "Anything you like...

what do you think? 2022-06-29 02:03:47

Nancy Pelosi Meets With Pope Francis, Receives Holy Communion at Papal Mass in St. Peter's Basilica...  

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi met with Pope Francis on Wednesday and received Communion during a papal Mass in St. Peter's Basilica, witnesses said, despite her position in support of abortion rights. Pelosi attended the morning Mass with her husband Paul - who is awaiting trial for a DUI he was arrested for in May - marking the feasts of St...

what do you think? 2022-06-29 01:39:10

The Last Train Robbery in the Old West...  

The sun had just set. Darkness surrounded the glow from the gaslights at the railway station in the town of Fairbank, Arizona. Located in Cochise County, the town owed its existence to the railroad. Fairbank was the closest rail stop to the more bustling Tombstone, less than 10 miles to the east. While Fairbank did not have many houses...

what do you think? 2022-06-29 01:24:52

Did you know some widebody planes have hidden little rooms that are off limits to passengers? Here's what they look like.....  

There are some secret areas on widebody aircraft, where the pilots and cabin crew go to rest during long flights. Passengers can't access them under any circumstance and they're well hidden from view. They're called Crew Rest Compartments and their location on the plane varies. On newer aircraft, such as the Boeing 787 or the Airbus A350...

what do you think? 2022-06-28 14:41:35

'Roe v. Wade' is still overturned, and other news too!...  

It's no overstatement: Dobbs v. Jackson has begun a new chapter in American political life. What comes next, politically and culturally? I don't know. Neither do you. Dobbs does not make abortion illegal across the United States; it localizes the issue to state legislatures — and eventually, to state judiciaries. Twenty states are unlikely to prohibit or strictly regulate abortion...

what do you think? 2022-06-28 14:38:17

Did you know some widebody planes have hidden little rooms that are off limits to passengers? Here's what they look like.....  

There are some secret areas on widebody aircraft, where the pilots and cabin crew go to rest during long flights. Passengers can't access them under any circumstance and they're well hidden from view. They're called Crew Rest Compartments and their location on the plane varies. On newer aircraft, such as the Boeing 787 or the Airbus A350...

what do you think? 2022-06-28 09:39:23

The 10 commandments of reverencing the Holy Eucharist...  

To attend Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation. This serious obligation begins for children when they reach the "age of reason." We adore the Eucharist by our full, active and conscious participation in the Mass. To prepare well for every Mass we attend. The holy sacrifice of the Mass is "Calvary perpetuated" because it is the representation of Christ's sacrifice on Good Friday...

what do you think? 2022-06-28 09:22:41

Robert Reich dropped 7 old errors about human nature — only to replace them with new errors.....  

He seems weirdly naive for a former cabinet member, professor at a prestigious university, and major public intellectual. Robert Reich admits that the world of the 21st century didn't turn out the way he expected. What did Reich expect? He expected the world to get better. More peaceful. More cooperative. More democratic. Basically...

what do you think? 2022-06-28 07:49:10

The World's Ugliest Dog Contest 2022 just took place in California. When you see pictures of the winner, we think you'll agree that he won it fair and square...  

Jeneda Benally reacts to the announcement that her dog, Mr. Happy Face, won the World's Ugliest Dog Contest in Petaluma, Calif., on June 24, 2022. Banelly adopted the dog from an Arizona shelter after he was rescued from a hoarder's house. Benally said she was told by veterinarians that he would likely only have about a month to live due to tumors and other medical conditions...

what do you think? 2022-06-28 07:35:28

Four priests, one religious sister murdered in one week...  

The past seven days were among the deadliest for Catholic priests and religious in recent years, with one violent murder every 33 hours. Just last Wednesday, June 22, Pope Francis condemned that week's killing of two Jesuit priests in Mexico. By Sunday, June 26, the pontiff was once again lamenting the death of a religious, this time at the end of his weekly Angelus: Sister Luisa dell'Orto...

what do you think? 2022-06-28 06:19:23

'Pray for the Deceased, the Ailing, and Their Families': 46 People Found Dead in Trailer, 16 Hospitalized, San Antonio Officials Say...  

Forty-six people were found dead in a tractor-trailer on the Southwest Side, and 16 have been transported to area hospitals, according to San Antonio police and fire officials. "It's tragic," said San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg. "They had families ... and were likely trying to find a better life. It's nothing short of a horrific human tragedy...

what do you think? 2022-06-28 04:51:28

In Chicago, Cardinal Cupich has cracked down on traditional worship in some parishes — while tolerating grave liturgical abuses in others...  

Perhaps no U.S. diocese has implemented Traditiones Custodes, Pope Francis's motu proprio restricting what is commonly known as the traditional Latin Mass, as forcefully as the Archdiocese of Chicago. In fact, Cardinal Blase Cupich's enactment of the decree has gone beyond what the text of both the motu proprio and a subsequent clarification issued by the Vatican require...

what do you think? 2022-06-28 01:32:35

In 6-3 Decision, Supreme Court Sides With High School Football Coach Who Sought to Pray After Game...  

The Supreme Court on Monday sided with a football coach from Washington state who sought to kneel and pray on the field after games. The court ruled 6-3 for the coach with the court's conservative justices in the majority and its liberals in dissent. The justices said the coach's prayer was protected by the First Amendment...

what do you think? 2022-06-27 09:16:26

Here's why that Pride flag displayed at the U.S. Embassy to the Holy See is so wrong.....  

To those familiar with signs, symbols and sacramentals, the LGBTQ+ "Pride" flag is no more a peaceful sign of diversity and tolerance than the Confederate or "Rebel" flag is. The Pride flag inseparably signifies the specific value of accepting the "gay" lifestyle and the sexual acts which are intrinsic to defining one as homosexual...

what do you think? 2022-06-27 06:32:36

Why are they angry?  

There is a scene in book four of Screwtape Letters where Screwtape is quite insistent that Wormwood keep the patient from developing a prayer life. The last thing Screwtape wants to see is the patient rebuff Wormwood's attempts to persuade the patient from developing prayerful communication with God. Screwtape is very poignant at keeping human beings from encountering an environment of prayer and this becomes a central theme throughout C...

what do you think? 2022-06-27 06:15:58

Scientists just discovered the world's biggest bacteria in a Caribbean mangrove swamp — germs so big they can be seen with the naked eye...  

Scientists discovered the largest bacterium known to man in a shallow mangrove swamp in the Caribbean. The discovery is redefining the possibilities of one of the ancient life forms on the planet. Called Thiomargarita magnifica, the bacteria is noteworthy for both its size and internal architecture. The thin white filament, approximately the size of a human eyelash...

what do you think? 2022-06-27 05:02:10

'The Last Abortion Doctor' — This 2009 Esquire longform article offers a chilling look at Warren Hern, America's most notorious abortionist...  

The young couple flew into Wichita bearing, in the lovely swell of the wife's belly, a burden of grief. They came from a religious tradition where large families are celebrated, and they wanted this baby, and it was very late in her pregnancy. But the doctors recommended abortion. They said that with her complications, there were only two men skilled enough to pull it off...

what do you think? 2022-06-27 03:47:33

When your parents divorce, it sticks with you.....  

As with any trauma, the negative effects of divorce aren't easily or quickly "gotten over." Contrary to popular belief, divorce can and does continue to affect children far into the future, even those who outwardly seem to have "made it" relatively unscathed. Being a child of divorce affects a person's identity, triggering ontological questions about who he is and his place in the world and generating a deep sense of emotional homelessness...

what do you think? 2022-06-26 17:40:10

FBI Investigating Arson and Vandalism Attack on Pregnancy Center in Longmont, Colorado...  

The FBI has joined local police investigating a suspect arson at at pro-life pregnancy center in Longmont, Colorado. The center, Life Choices, sustained fire and heavy smoke damage, authorities said. The front of the building also was defaced with pro-abortion slogans, including the words, "If abortions aren't safe neither are you...

what do you think? 2022-06-26 14:13:11

The Pope indicts 'restorationism.' I plead guilty.....  

Those opening lines from a book I wrote five years ago, Lost Shepherd, came rushing back to mind last week, when I read the Pope's latest published interview, with its condemnation of "restorationism." When Pope Francis decried the influence of "restorationist" groups, and added that "there are many in the United States"...

what do you think? 2022-06-26 06:46:01

This Sunday, Jesus, the free one, wants us to break our bonds...  

The readings for the 13th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year C, Jesus and St. Paul offer a picture of freedom that cuts against our instincts about what makes us free. Freedom does not mean doing what you want, it means being able to embrace what is best. And to do that, one thing is necessary. The Gospel and Epistle reading paint a picture of radical freedom...

what do you think? 2022-06-26 05:34:12

A new Vatican investigation in Strasbourg marks the latest upheaval for Catholics in France...  

In his latest intervention in the Catholic Church in France, Pope Francis has ordered an apostolic visitation of the Archdiocese of Strasbourg, which is set to begin at the end of this month. According to a June 23 press release from the papal embassy in France, the decision was made after the Vatican received information "relating to the pastoral government of the Archdiocese of Strasbourg" and after "hearing the Dicastery for Bishops...

what do you think? 2022-06-25 13:45:01

9 things you might not know about Chick-fil-A...  

People have all kinds of opinions on the popular chicken chain born in the American South, but for those who choose to frequent Chick-Fil-A, the prevailing opinion is that it's stinking delicious. Not only that, but if you have kids, you can actually feel good about the healthier options (in my opinion).

what do you think? 2022-06-25 13:04:37

Dobbs is a monumental accomplishment — the culmination of a half-century of dedicated work by countless Americans committed to overturning Roe v. Wade...  

The nightmare is over. In his masterful opinion for the Supreme Court in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, Justice Samuel Alito consigned the constitutional right of abortion to the ash heap of history. Alito's criticisms of Justice Harry Blackmun's opinion in Roe v. Wade are deep and cutting — and entirely justified...

what do you think? 2022-06-25 12:56:18

Catholic Parishes Brace for Backlash as DHS Warns Violent Extremism 'Likely' in Wake of Roe v. Wade Decision...  

The Department of Homeland Security's intelligence arm said in a memo on Friday that domestic violent extremism is "likely" in response to the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. Why it matters: Violence could take place in multiple locations for weeks as states make changes to their abortion laws...

what do you think? 2022-06-25 11:07:23

Abortion Clinics Across the Country Begin Closing After Dobbs Ruling...  

Multiple clinics that provide abortions closed down Friday in the immediate aftermath of the Supreme Court's ruling that will end federal protections on abortion. Driving the news: The Supreme Court issued a ruling Friday that overturns Roe v. Wade, making it so states can legally regulate or ban abortion.

what do you think? 2022-06-25 10:36:55

Pope St. John Paul II was an intellectual and moral hero. Those who demean his teaching are recycling the same old same old.....  

In December 2021 and May 2022, I had the pleasure of teaching a mini-course in Rome, exploring the life and thought of St. John Paul II. My students came from a cross-section of world Catholicism and offered a range of insights from different local Churches in our discussions. They were, however, uniformly surprised and disturbed by something I brought to their attention...

what do you think? 2022-06-25 09:43:53

Here are the winners and losers of the 2022 NBA draft...  

Chris Ryan: One of the joys of the second half of the past NBA season was watching how Cade Cunningham never let any defense speed him up. So what did Detroit do in the 2022 draft? Grab a guy who can't be slowed down. Cade will win Detroit some playoff games, eventually. But Jaden Ivey will put some asses in seats and kick the Pistons up any League Pass ranking...

what do you think? 2022-06-25 04:49:29

The Dobbs decision came on the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart, and June 24 is usually the Solemnity of the Birth of St. John the Baptist. God is telling us something.....  

The Supreme Court on Friday, June 24 — the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus — overturned Roe v. Wade that created a so-called right to abortion. The justices ruled in a 6-3 decision in favor of the Mississippi abortion restriction law in the case Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health. Today is an answer to many pro-life prayers...

what do you think? 2022-06-25 04:38:26

Dear Catholic men: On this historic day, go to Holy Mass!...  

Find times and locations at http://masstimes.org.

what do you think? 2022-06-24 15:35:58

How to debunk 7 common myths about overturning Roe v. Wade...  

The U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling Friday overturning the 1973 decision Roe v. Wade as well as the 1992 decision Planned Parenthood v. Casey. In simplest terms, this means that abortion is no longer legal nationwide — the legality of abortion will now be determined at the state level. There are a lot of myths out there about what this ruling means and what will happen next...

what do you think? 2022-06-24 13:21:07

READ FULL DECISION HERE: Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization...  

Opinion by Justice Samuel Alito...

what do you think? 2022-06-24 10:49:08

Solemnity of Sacred Heart Becomes Historic Day of Mercy as U.S. Supreme Court Overturns Roe v. Wade...  

The Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade in a historic decision released Friday that brings a sudden and dramatic end to nearly a half-century of nationwide legalized abortion in the U.S.

what do you think? 2022-06-24 09:23:05

5 Ways to Respond to Christ's Sacrament of Love...  

On Friday, June 24, the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. It is particularly special this year, for two reasons. First, June 24 is normally every year the Solemnity of the Birth of St. John the Baptist, basically six months before Christ's birth. But since the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart takes place on the Friday after Corpus Christi...

what do you think? 2022-06-24 08:21:09

Life after Roe v. Wade: What happens next in our nation?  

The Supreme Court on Friday issued its a decision in the case Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health, overturning Roe v. Wade in a 6-3 decision and returning the power to legislate limits on abortion to the states. The decision represents a seminal victory for the pro-life movement, one for which generations of lawyers, activists, and legislators have fought...

what do you think? 2022-06-24 03:42:59

This is a wonderful day for pro-life advocates, for the United States on the world stage, for democracy, and for the Constitution that guarantees it... ...  

It seems impossible that I am writing the following words: Today, the United States Supreme Court overturned the two decisions that had invented out of whole cloth a constitutional right of legal abortion: Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey. Its opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Center means that the Constitution no longer protects abortion...

what do you think? 2022-06-24 01:36:53

What is stagflation, and how can you prepare for it?  

The next big risk to the U.S. economy may be summed up in one word. And no, it's not necessarily recession, though economists are evenly split on the risks one is coming. Instead, 80% of economists in the same survey named stagflation as the greater long-term risk to the economy, according to the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association...

what do you think? 2022-06-23 13:34:12

Who was St. John the Baptist? 11 things to know and share.....  

John the Baptist is a mysterious figure in the New Testament. He was famous in his own day, even before he became the herald of Christ. We even know about him from outside the New Testament. The Solemnity of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist is June 24 (or June 23 in most places in 2022, because of the coincidence with the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart on June 24) ...

what do you think? 2022-06-23 13:24:17

Dead Time, Living Time, Technology, and Leisure...  

To get time right, we must get leisure right. Leisure is always the first principle. Leisure in its true sense transcends time. And for this very reason, it alone is what makes time come alive, bringing it to its fruition—even when we are at work. Looking at my own life I realize that my consistent experience of being short on time means at least this: I am failing in living the primacy of leisure...

what do you think? 2022-06-23 10:44:37

What does it mean to follow “all” of the Church's teachings?  

"In the culture, if you stand for virtues and principles and morals, you are far right," went a Facebook post I stumbled upon. "In the Church, if you are devout and follow 'all' of the teachings of the Church, you are rigid. Got that?" Not untrue, though I'd want to qualify both claims. The second sentence is the one that interests me here...

what do you think? 2022-06-23 08:10:14

Locusts and wild honey: Why St. John the Baptist gets a liturgical birthday party...  

Like John the Baptist himself, there is a lot unusual about this feast. For example, in most places in the U.S. the solemnity will be celebrated on Thursday, June 23. But if your church is named for John the Baptist, or he's the patron of your diocese, you might be celebrating the feast on Friday, June 24. And the Church celebrates nativity feasts only for three people - Jesus Christ...

what do you think? 2022-06-23 07:14:43

Here are some of the most famous drivers to take on Pikes Peak...  

Qualifying has begun for this year's Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, and as always, that means some of the world's best drivers are giving it their all on the mountain. In doing so, they become part of a class of drivers that—if you browse back through the list of entrants dating back to 1916—you'll find includes some of the greatest and most famous drivers of all time...

what do you think? 2022-06-23 04:42:42

'Viewers are outraged' — DirecTV Latin America to remove EWTN from platform for 5 million customers...  

DirecTV Latin America will eliminate EWTN as of July 31 of this year. The satellite television company's decision came after EWTN refused to pay a significant sum of money to remain on its platform. DirecTV Latin America's decision will impact approximately five million homes. These countries include Argentina, Chile, Colombia...

what do you think? 2022-06-23 03:08:03

Pope's Wednesday Audience: 'Do Not Sugarcoat Your Witness of the Gospel'...  

Do not sugarcoat your witness of the Gospel, but let the truth be made manifest even through your weakness, Pope Francis said in St. Peter's Square on Wednesday. "We can ask ourselves: are we capable of preserving the tenor of this relationship of Jesus with the disciples, according to that style of his that is so open, so frank...

what do you think? 2022-06-22 07:29:01

Cardinal Zuppi Accused of 'Incorrect and Misleading' Spin After Blessing of Homosexual Couple in Bologna Church ...  

An Italian Catholic newspaper has accused Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, the president of Italy's bishops' conference, of covering up what observers say amounted to the first blessing of a homosexual couple in a church in Italy earlier this month. In an article in Tuesday's La Nuova Bussola Quotidiana, headlined "Blessing of Gay Couple...

what do you think? 2022-06-22 07:27:58

We march and fight under the banner of Jesus Christ...  

In St. Ignatius of Loyola's Spiritual Exercises, the training manual of authentic Jesuit spirituality and the most influential retreat program in the history of the Church, the founder of the Society of Jesus has us meditate on "Two Standards" — two flags or military banners — under one of which we must choose to march and fight...

what do you think? 2022-06-22 01:52:05

Vatican security concerns flare after shots fired near St. Peter's Square...  

Security around the Vatican is on high alert after a renegade vehicle sped erratically towards St. Peter's Square and broke through police barricades just before the pope's noontime Angelus address on Sunday. At around 10 a.m., just two hours before Pope Francis was scheduled to appear for the weekly Angelus, a gray BMW was seen swerving at high speed down the Via della Conciliazione...

what do you think? 2022-06-21 19:30:54

Bobby's dad was okay. So was mine. John's wasn't.....  

"I love life. Life's all good." My friend Bobby has come over to my corner of our townie bar, where I waited to order dinner. The bartender sets down my beer. "I got that," Bobby tells her. "OK," she says and nods. He buys a lot of people beers. He's got on his painters hat and a Sherwin-Williams t-shirt. He's a house painter and contractor who works for a lot of people in the wealthy communities up river...

what do you think? 2022-06-21 19:17:52

When you read the Church Fathers, you finally realize the early Church was Catholic.....  

"Whenever people ask me, 'Give me the short answer of why you reverted to the Catholic Church' I tell them I discovered two things. Number one, I discovered sola Scriptura [Scripture alone] is false. The other one I discovered: apostolic succession is true. Apostolic succession is that process of the handing down of the truths of the Church through the Church Fathers...

what do you think? 2022-06-21 19:11:21

Why the U.S. military is listening to shrimp...  

Whale skeletons stand guard around the coastline of Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands, a stark reminder of the damaging effects of military sonar. Sonar from ships and submarines is thought to be one of the contributing factors to whale strandings, confusing the whales' own sonar and casuing them to beach themselves on the shore...

what do you think? 2022-06-21 14:59:06

In 6-3 'Carson' Decision, Supreme Court Says States Can't Exclude Religious Schools from School-Choice Programs...  

The First Amendment never uses the term "separation of church and state." It instead contains two religion clauses: one that prevents Congress (or, since the 14th Amendment, the states) from passing any law establishing a state church or "respecting" such an establishment; and the other protecting the free exercise of religion from government prohibitions...

what do you think? 2022-06-21 14:25:08

10 musical masterpieces: An entry point into classical music...  

Classical music speaks to us, even if much of it is wordless. It communicates to us, nonetheless, through its powerful and complex melody, rhythm, and harmony, employing a beautiful and mathematical language that enchants, agitates at times, inspires, sooths, and stimulates. In contrast to the immediately pleasing and entertaining pop music...

what do you think? 2022-06-21 12:52:54

For the fallen away: The line between charity and cowardice...  

Sadly for Catholics today, most of us have friends or family members who have chosen to leave the Catholic Church and worship instead at a Protestant church of some sort, or no church at all. By far the most common cause of this is marriage issues. Catholics may marry outside the Church to escape a failed marriage which has not been annulled...

what do you think? 2022-06-21 12:03:36

Japan court rules same-sex marriage ban is not unconstitutional...  

A Japanese court ruled on Monday that a ban on same-sex marriage was not unconstitutional, dealing a setback to LGBTQ rights activists in the only Group of Seven nation that does not allow people of the same gender to marry.

what do you think? 2022-06-21 11:52:01

I've seen 'Marty' at least a dozen times — it's a great classic movie for Catholic families...  

St. Thomas Aquinas writes that knowledge comes through the senses. But while the senses help us comprehend reality, reality is not limited to the senses. If a man sees a woman, for instance, he might deem her outward appearance more-or-less pretty. But a wise man knows something else of infinitely greater depth: the woman is created in the image and likeness of God...

what do you think? 2022-06-21 10:20:40

Is this desolate Australian highway the world's emptiest road?  

Laverton is the kind of outback town you might expect at the end of an epic desert road trip, not at the start of one. Marooned on the edge of Australia's two largest deserts - the Victoria and the Great Sandy - Laverton felt like the last outpost of frontier civilisation, a 12-hour drive from Perth, five hours from already-remote Kalgoorlie...

what do you think? 2022-06-21 08:14:40

The Eucharistic Revival, big news, and the Avs...  

The U.S. Church's Eucharistic Revival has officially begun, and you're reading The Tuesday Pillar Post. I hope your parish had a cool Eucharistic procession on the feast of Corpus Christi this weekend, and that you got to be a part of it. But whatever that procession looked like, it was probably not as cool as this procession in the Archdiocese of Mobile...

what do you think? 2022-06-21 06:44:24

Birds of a Feather: Why do astrophotographers tend to develop a love for bird photography?  

As I shared with you last week, I find it interesting how hobby astrophotographers often develop a love for bird photography. Last week, I introduced you to one of my favorite astrophotographers by the name of Trevor Jones - AKA AstroBackyard. As I followed this passionate astrophotographer, I learned that Trevor and his wife Ashley Northcotte have a YouTube channel called "The Bird Nerds...

what do you think? 2022-06-21 05:59:20

St. Aloysius Gonzaga, pray for us!...  

Some Americans, particularly in the Washingtons, might associate St. Aloysius Gonzaga with the Spokane university or the DC high school named after him. But the Jesuit saint who died at 23 deserves to be better remembered in our day, particularly because of certain elements of his biography that are exceedingly relevant to our day...

what do you think? 2022-06-21 05:31:39

Two Pentecostal Preachers share how they followed the Holy Spirit into the Catholic Church.....  

The road from Pentecostalism to the Catholic Church is more direct than you might think! In this episode, Matt Swaim talks to Marcus Peter and Kenny Burchard, who both had radical conversions to Christ in the Pentecostal movement, and later became convicted to follow the Holy Spirit's leading into the Catholic Church. They discuss how questions of freedom...

what do you think? 2022-06-21 01:25:02

Sanity returns to transgender madness after Lia Thomas' ban by FINA...  

Finally, sanity prevailed in the world of women's sports. Swimming's world governing body, FINA, announced a ban Sunday on biological men competing in women's events, unless they had "transitioned" before the age of 12. In other words, transgender athletes who have experienced the enduring competitive advantages of a male puberty flooded with testosterone...

what do you think? 2022-06-20 17:37:47

This deacon searched for meaning in a deadly Vietnam War accident — and found it in the Holy Eucharist...  

At dawn on Oct. 4, 1966, Maj. Joseph Tedeschi was in the officers' tent of a forward operating base in Vietnam. The division chaplain, who happened to be a Catholic priest, poked his head in to ask if anyone wanted to attend Mass. Tedeschi and his friend, Maj. Bob Ray, were the only two to respond. Later that day, both men ended up in the twisted wreckage of a transport plane...

what do you think? 2022-06-20 10:50:10

Hello. My name is Tony, and I am a restorationist.....  

I wasn't always this way. I grew up in the 1960s and the 1970s, and we all took for granted everything the priests and bishops said we had to do according to the directions of the Second Vatican Council. None of us had read the documents, but we figured that our leaders had, and we obeyed. They counted on it. When our pastor removed the marble communion rail with its mosaic inlays of Eucharistic symbols...

what do you think? 2022-06-20 08:31:58

Like maximum-security prisons, but without the coziness: These 7 Catholic churches in Europe are unlike anything you've seen before...  

After World War II, religion in Europe was declining, and the Catholic Church turned to architecture for a fresh start: Out with the gilt and the traditional symbology, in with the concrete and glass. In an upcoming book, British photographer Jamie McGregor Smith tells the story of these little-known modernist churches, which were built in the 1960s and '70s...

what do you think? 2022-06-20 06:54:24

Gunmen Kill 3 Worshippers, Kidnap 30 in Attacks on Baptist and Catholic Churches in Nigeria...  

Gunmen in Nigeria attacked a Catholic church and a Baptist church on Sunday morning, killing three people and reportedly kidnapping more than 30 worshippers. Armed bandits on motorcycles stormed villages in Nigeria's northwestern Kaduna state and attacked St. Moses Catholic Church and Maranatha Baptist Church on June 19 while people were worshiping...

what do you think? 2022-06-20 06:07:23

I have come to realize that the delight of a father in his child has a weight of glory all its own.....  

C.S. Lewis once observed, "To please God ... to be a real ingredient in the divine happiness ... to be loved by God, not merely pitied, but delighted in as an artist delights in his work or a son — it seems impossible, a weight or burden of glory which our thoughts can hardly sustain. But so it is." These words of Lewis are often quoted — and for good reasons...

what do you think? 2022-06-20 04:38:31

Disney Pixar overestimates demand for kids' movies with lesbian scenes as 'Lightyear' flops at the box office...  

The animated film Lightyear, Disney Pixar's latest project released in theatres earlier this week, did not meet the anticipated earnings in the first three days of its opening week.

what do you think? 2022-06-20 04:12:10

Intentional or not, the Pope just offered a valuable conclave tip on abuse baggage...  

Even before Pope Francis stages his latest consistory on Aug. 27, inducting 20 new members into the Catholic Church's most exclusive club, the event has managed to make news - in this case, not so much for the new cardinals who'll be there, but the one erstwhile cardinal-designate who won't. This past Thursday, the bishops' conference of Belgium announced that the 80-year-old former Bishop of Ghent...

what do you think? 2022-06-20 03:28:54

Cardinal Farrell appoints Communion and Liberation president, alleges 'broad dissent' within movement...  

Cardinal Kevin Farrell has written to the interim leader of the Communion and Liberation movement, urging an end to "broad dissent" among its senior members, who have reportedly pushed back on Vatican interventions in the movement's governance. The letter comes amid disagreement among some members of the ecclesial movement over the selection of its future leader...

what do you think? 2022-06-20 02:04:04

Solemnity of Corpus Christi: 'Whoever Eats This Bread Will Live Forever'...  

Today, Catholics in the United States celebrate the Solemnity of Corpus Christi (which most of the rest of the world celebrated last Thursday). Corpus Christi is especially important after the 2019 Pew survey suggested there were real problems with the understanding of Christ's presence in the Eucharist among Catholics in the United States...

what do you think? 2022-06-19 13:34:11

Our Lord has a passionate concern to feed all His people — yes, even your wayward spouse or child.....  

On the Feast of Corpus Christi, we do well to mediate on the desire of the Lord to feed His people and the shocking indifference many have to this fact. This indifference is not just on the part of those who do not come to Mass; it is also found among those in the pews, many of whom don't seem to care that so many people no longer attend...

what do you think? 2022-06-19 12:16:56

Pope's Sunday Angelus: 'in the Eucharist Is Jesus' Life Given for All of Us'...  

Pope Francis on Sunday reminded believers that the Lord, who is present in the Eucharist, takes each and everyone of us to heart, cares for us and satisfies our need for nourishment, companionship, consolation.

what do you think? 2022-06-19 05:42:35

True Catholic leadership is rooted in the fear of God...  

At some point in any leadership situation, we have to evaluate the fruits of that leadership. It isn't enough to assume that someone means well and ignore the results. This is especially true for Catholic bishops. It is utterly insufficient to speculate as to whether a particular bishop's "heart is in the right place", or whether many people find him "warm and likeable"...

what do you think? 2022-06-18 06:31:37

Gallup Poll: Belief in God in U.S. Dips to All-Time Low of 81%...  

The vast majority of U.S. adults believe in God, but the 81% who do so is down six percentage points from 2017 and is the lowest in Gallup's trend. Between 1944 and 2011, more than 90% of Americans believed in God. Gallup's May 2-22 Values and Beliefs poll finds 17% of Americans saying they do not believe in God.

what do you think? 2022-06-18 06:22:18

Good news in Canadian, artistic ambitions in Italian, and Francis' law of power...  

Some good news this week out of Canada. We covered last month the efforts of a local parish community to buy their own parish church after it was put up for sale by the Archdiocese of St. John's Newfoundland, along with 17 other properties, as part of a bankruptcy filing to meet the cost of a settlement with abuse victims of the Christian Brothers at the former Mount Cashel orphanage...

what do you think? 2022-06-18 04:40:50

From the shadows, a fresh voice...  

I first stumbled upon an article by Denise Trull at Dappled Things some time ago. Since then, I think I've read just about everything she has published there. When her pieces post, I feel a bit like a greedy child grabbing at a new bar of chocolate, looking to savor each sentence. I have yet to be disappointed by her work, and on occasion...

what do you think? 2022-06-18 03:25:53

Holy Communion unites you with Christ if you receive in the state of grace — or with the soldiers driving in the nails if you're not.....  

Why did Jesus give the multitudes bread instead of the Eucharist? Jesus gave them bread, not his body, for a number of theological and historical reasons — but one reason was that not just anybody can receive communion. Sunday's First Reading, from First Corinthians Chapter 11, is older than the Gospel. In fact, according to the way the written texts are usually dated...

what do you think? 2022-06-18 03:09:29

Science and the Sacred Heart: Hello, Mandelbrot Set!...  

During this month of June — the Month dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, in the Church - I have been each day posting an image of the Sacred Heart with some little thought, either my own or someone else's to my Twitter and Facebook feeds. The action feeds my own devotion to and meditations on the Sacred Heart, but the thoughtful responses of others is certainly gratifying and sometimes enlightening...

what do you think? 2022-06-18 02:25:32

In a first for Italy, a Bologna Catholic parish just hosted a homosexual blessing ceremony — in the archdiocese of Cardinal Zuppi, head of the Italian bishops' conference, no less...  

The diocese of Archbishop Matteo Maria Zuppi, one of the most prominent Italian cardinals of the moment and newly appointed president of the Italian Episcopal Conference (CEI), has staged the first public blessing of a homosexual union.

what do you think? 2022-06-18 02:23:16

Transgender procedures for kids can start younger, new guidelines say, with hormones at age 14 and surgery at age 15...  

A leading transgender health association has lowered its recommended minimum age for starting gender transition treatment, including sex hormones and surgeries. The World Professional Association for Transgender Health said hormones could be started at age 14, two years earlier than the group's previous advice, and some surgeries done at age 15 or 17...

what do you think? 2022-06-18 01:32:25

Bishop David Kagan of Bismarck, North Dakota, begins the process for the canonization of FOCUS missionary Michelle Christine Duppong...  

Bishop David Kagan, Diocese of Bismarck, N.D., announced the opening of the diocesan investigation which could lead to the beatification and canonization of North Dakota native Michelle Christine Duppong. At the age of 31, Duppong passed away from cancer on December 25, 2015, while serving as the Director of Adult Faith Formation for the Diocese of Bismarck...

what do you think? 2022-06-18 01:02:38

As the Roe clock ticks, the media are avoiding news about another big story — attacks on Catholic churches...  

There have been at least 41 incidents of attacks against churches and crisis-pregnancy facilities since the May 2 leak of the Supreme Court draft decision that revealed the potential fall of Roe v. Wade. The attacks have included property theft, vandalism, arson and property destruction. How do we know this? A front page New York Times investigation this past Sunday...

what do you think? 2022-06-17 14:13:08

Catholic Bishop Revokes Catholic Status of Jesuit-Run School in Massachusetts Over LGBT and BLM Flags...  

After a months-long impasse, A Jesuit middle school in Worcester, Massachusetts, has had its Catholic status revoked by the local bishop for defying his order to stop flying flags supporting LGBT pride and the Black Lives Matter movement. "The flying of these flags in front of a Catholic school sends a mixed, confusing and scandalous message to the public about the Church's stance on these important moral and social issues...

what do you think? 2022-06-17 06:41:16

Pope Francis Accepts Belgian Bishop's Request Not to Be Made a Cardinal...  

Pope Francis has accepted a Belgian Catholic bishop's request not to be made a cardinal at a consistory in August. Bishop Luc Van Looy, the 80-year-old emeritus bishop of Ghent, was due to receive the red hat with 20 other churchmen in Rome on Aug. 27.

what do you think? 2022-06-16 13:56:06

The brilliant Catholic clues you never noticed in Shakespeare's 'Macbeth'...  

Apart from The Comedy of Errors, Macbeth, a tragedy of errors, is the shortest of Shakespeare's plays. At only 2,107 lines it is barely half the length of Hamlet, with which it is often compared. The date of its composition is not certain but several clues within the text suggest strongly that it was first performed in 1606, shortly after the notorious Gunpowder Plot in November of the previous year...

what do you think? 2022-06-16 11:34:38