Click here and also here for more information on the new book and video series entitled Catholicism: A Journey To The Heart Of The Faith.
Showing posts with label Catholic church. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Catholic church. Show all posts
Catholicism: It Isn't What You Think It Is
Click here and also here for more information on the new book and video series entitled Catholicism: A Journey To The Heart Of The Faith.
Denver Prelate Chaput In For Rigali In Philly
Archbishop Charles J. Chaput of Denver is expected to replace Cardinal Justin Rigali as the leader of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, according to various sources.
Pope Benedict XVI is expected to accept Cardinal Rigali's resignation as soon as tomorrow (Tuesday.) An announcement about Chaput's appointment is said to be imminent.
Chaput is a strong proponent of traditional Catholic teachings.
He speaks out regularly on controversial issues, and occasionally differs publicly from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Archbishop Chaput has even taken a stance on the issue of whether Catholic politicians who support abortion rights, contrary to Church teaching, should be denied Communion.Chaput has written that while denying anyone the Eucharist is a "very grave matter" that should be used only in "extraordinary cases of public scandal," those who are "living in serious sin or who deny the teachings of the church" should voluntarily refrain from taking Communion
The New York Times in 2004 reported that Chaput took the position that it was sinful for Catholics to vote for John Kerry. His remarks noted Kerry's pro-choice views, amongst others. According to the Times, he said that those who intended to vote for him were "cooperating in evil" and needed "to go to confession."
Chaput criticized the New York Times' construal of his remarks and the Archdiocese of Denver criticized the Times' article as being "heavily truncated and framed."
He stopped responding to New York Times inquiries for six years in part because of his belief the paper had misrepresented him.
As reported by EWTN, Chaput has criticized what he views as a "spirit of adulation bordering on servility" that exists towards Barack Obama remarking, "in democracies, we elect public servants, not messiahs."
The archbishop said that Obama tries to mask his record on abortion and other issues with "rosy marketing about unity, hope, and change." Chaput also dismissed the notion that Obama was given a broad mandate reasoning he was elected to "fix an economic crisis" and not to "retool American culture on the issues of marriage and the family, sexuality, bioethics, religion in public life, and abortion.
In his book Render Unto Caesar: Serving the Nation by Living Our Catholic Beliefs in Political Life, Chaput exhorts Catholics to take a "more active, vocal, and morally consistent role" in the political process, arguing that private convictions cannot be separated from public actions without diminishing both. Rather than asking citizens to put aside their religious and moral beliefs for the sake of public policy, Chaput believes American democracy depends upon a fully engaged citizenry, including religious believers, to function properly.
According to his official biography, Chaput is as member of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Tribe , and the first Native American archbishop.
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Pope Benedict XVI is expected to accept Cardinal Rigali's resignation as soon as tomorrow (Tuesday.) An announcement about Chaput's appointment is said to be imminent.
Chaput is a strong proponent of traditional Catholic teachings.
He speaks out regularly on controversial issues, and occasionally differs publicly from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Archbishop Chaput has even taken a stance on the issue of whether Catholic politicians who support abortion rights, contrary to Church teaching, should be denied Communion.Chaput has written that while denying anyone the Eucharist is a "very grave matter" that should be used only in "extraordinary cases of public scandal," those who are "living in serious sin or who deny the teachings of the church" should voluntarily refrain from taking Communion
The New York Times in 2004 reported that Chaput took the position that it was sinful for Catholics to vote for John Kerry. His remarks noted Kerry's pro-choice views, amongst others. According to the Times, he said that those who intended to vote for him were "cooperating in evil" and needed "to go to confession."
Chaput criticized the New York Times' construal of his remarks and the Archdiocese of Denver criticized the Times' article as being "heavily truncated and framed."
He stopped responding to New York Times inquiries for six years in part because of his belief the paper had misrepresented him.
As reported by EWTN, Chaput has criticized what he views as a "spirit of adulation bordering on servility" that exists towards Barack Obama remarking, "in democracies, we elect public servants, not messiahs."
The archbishop said that Obama tries to mask his record on abortion and other issues with "rosy marketing about unity, hope, and change." Chaput also dismissed the notion that Obama was given a broad mandate reasoning he was elected to "fix an economic crisis" and not to "retool American culture on the issues of marriage and the family, sexuality, bioethics, religion in public life, and abortion.
In his book Render Unto Caesar: Serving the Nation by Living Our Catholic Beliefs in Political Life, Chaput exhorts Catholics to take a "more active, vocal, and morally consistent role" in the political process, arguing that private convictions cannot be separated from public actions without diminishing both. Rather than asking citizens to put aside their religious and moral beliefs for the sake of public policy, Chaput believes American democracy depends upon a fully engaged citizenry, including religious believers, to function properly.
According to his official biography, Chaput is as member of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Tribe , and the first Native American archbishop.
Dolan: Will Next Step Be Multiple-Partner Marriage?
Excerpt from a column by New York Archbishop Dolan:
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The Church has always stood-up for marriage — one man and one woman, united in lifelong and faithful love, leading to new life in children – whenever and wherever it was in danger. Veterans my age and over can remember sixty years ago when we fought widespread, no-fault divorce, convinced it would lead to a cheapening of the marriage bond and harm our kids (as, of course, scholarly studies now report has, indeed, happened). Recall how the Church resisted the “contraceptive mentality,” fearing it would rupture the sacred bond between love and the procreation of children. Then, remember how the Church sounded the alarm over rising rates of promiscuity, adultery, pre-marital sex, and cohabitation prior to or instead of marriage.
And now we ring the steeple bell again at this latest dilution of the authentic understanding of marriage, worried that the next step will be another redefinition to justify multiple partners and infidelity. If you think I’m exaggerating, within days of the passage of this bill, one major newspaper ran a flattering profile of a proponent of what was called “nonmonogamy.” Apparently, “nonmonogamy” is the idea that society is unrealistic to think that one man and one woman should remain faithful in marriage, and that openness to some infidelity should be the norm!Click here to read the entire column.
Jesuits Undermine Catholic Teaching On Life/Death
The Society of Jesus (The Jesuits) have long been viewed as one of the most far-left (and disruptive) orders of Catholic clergy.
And since The Jesuits run many universities and secondary schools, they get to influence young minds -- not always favorably.
Now comes word from the Cardinal Newman Society that advocates of assisted suicide are teaching at Jesuit universities despite the U.S. Catholic bishops’ opposition to the practice. It seems to be just another part of "Catholic light" -- the erosion of Catholic teaching and abandonment of a sense of moral responsibility at American "Catholic" universities where binge drinking, hooking up and even co-ed dorms sometimes seem to be all the rage.
Here's more from The Cardinal Newman Society:
Advocates of assisted suicide are teaching at Jesuit universities despite the U.S. Catholic bishops’ opposition to the immoral practice, according to a new report from The Cardinal Newman Society.
Recently, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops issued “To Live Each Day with Dignity: A Statement on Physician-Assisted Suicide” and cautioned about an “aggressive nationwide campaign” of “assisted suicide proponents.”
But in a special report published today in Crisis Magazine, Cardinal Newman Society President Patrick J. Reilly uncovers scandalous associations between the assisted suicide movement and current and recent professors at four major Jesuit universities: Georgetown University, Marquette University, Santa Clara University and Boston College.
Reilly notes that it was a “particular irony” that the assisted suicide statement should be released simultaneously with the U.S. bishops’ ongoing 2011 review of Catholic colleges’ implementation of Vatican guidelines for Catholic higher education in the 1990 constitution Ex corde Ecclesiae.
Writes Reilly: “[These professors] have done more than betray the Catholic Church when they advocated assisted suicide from their platforms at Jesuit universities. Their primary credentials are (or were) as Jesuit university professors. Their participation in academic societies and symposia and journals has depended on their teaching and research positions at major universities. When dealing with ethical issues, no doubt their affiliation with Catholic universities has opened many doors.
“In no small way, then, Catholic universities are partly responsible for such professors’ influence by virtue of their employment. Academic freedom protects professors’ rights to seek truth according to the methods of their discipline. But when professors deny the truths of faith and disregard the common good—especially of those whose lives are snuffed out prematurely—they violate the mission of a Catholic university.”
The special report “Bishops Betrayed on Assisted Suicide” is published at Crisis Magazine.
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And since The Jesuits run many universities and secondary schools, they get to influence young minds -- not always favorably.
Now comes word from the Cardinal Newman Society that advocates of assisted suicide are teaching at Jesuit universities despite the U.S. Catholic bishops’ opposition to the practice. It seems to be just another part of "Catholic light" -- the erosion of Catholic teaching and abandonment of a sense of moral responsibility at American "Catholic" universities where binge drinking, hooking up and even co-ed dorms sometimes seem to be all the rage.
Here's more from The Cardinal Newman Society:
Advocates of assisted suicide are teaching at Jesuit universities despite the U.S. Catholic bishops’ opposition to the immoral practice, according to a new report from The Cardinal Newman Society.
Recently, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops issued “To Live Each Day with Dignity: A Statement on Physician-Assisted Suicide” and cautioned about an “aggressive nationwide campaign” of “assisted suicide proponents.”
But in a special report published today in Crisis Magazine, Cardinal Newman Society President Patrick J. Reilly uncovers scandalous associations between the assisted suicide movement and current and recent professors at four major Jesuit universities: Georgetown University, Marquette University, Santa Clara University and Boston College.
Reilly notes that it was a “particular irony” that the assisted suicide statement should be released simultaneously with the U.S. bishops’ ongoing 2011 review of Catholic colleges’ implementation of Vatican guidelines for Catholic higher education in the 1990 constitution Ex corde Ecclesiae.
Writes Reilly: “[These professors] have done more than betray the Catholic Church when they advocated assisted suicide from their platforms at Jesuit universities. Their primary credentials are (or were) as Jesuit university professors. Their participation in academic societies and symposia and journals has depended on their teaching and research positions at major universities. When dealing with ethical issues, no doubt their affiliation with Catholic universities has opened many doors.
“In no small way, then, Catholic universities are partly responsible for such professors’ influence by virtue of their employment. Academic freedom protects professors’ rights to seek truth according to the methods of their discipline. But when professors deny the truths of faith and disregard the common good—especially of those whose lives are snuffed out prematurely—they violate the mission of a Catholic university.”
The special report “Bishops Betrayed on Assisted Suicide” is published at Crisis Magazine.
NY Bishops 'Deeply Disappointed, Troubled'
The following is a statement from Archbishop Timothy Dolan and the bishops of New York State:
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The passage by the Legislature of a bill to alter radically and forever humanity’s historic understanding of marriage leaves us deeply disappointed and troubled.
We strongly uphold the Catholic Church’s clear teaching that we always treat our homosexual brothers and sisters with respect, dignity and love. But we just as strongly affirm that marriage is the joining of one man and one woman in a lifelong, loving union that is open to children, ordered for the good of those children and the spouses themselves. This definition cannot change, though we realize that our beliefs about the nature of marriage will continue to be ridiculed, and that some will even now attempt to enact government sanctions against churches and religious organizations that preach these timeless truths.
We worry that both marriage and the family will be undermined by this tragic presumption of government in passing this legislation that attempts to redefine these cornerstones of civilization.
Our society must regain what it appears to have lost – a true understanding of the meaning and the place of marriage, as revealed by God, grounded in nature, and respected by America’s foundational principles.”
Cardinal Newman Society Succeeds On Several Fronts
Here's an important, special message from the Cardinal Newman Society which is working hard to renew Catholic higher education:
What a grand month of June!
On Monday, the new president of The Catholic University of America announced that he would put an end to 30 years of co-ed dorms to reduce drinking and sexual activity.
That comes less than a week after Notre Dame trustee Roxanne Martino resigned, following The Cardinal Newman Society's revelations that she donated thousands to the pro-abortion Emily's List.
And now we have a report that Bishop Rhoades, the new bishop of Fort Wayne-South Bend, met privately with Notre Dame president Fr. John Jenkins prior to Martino's resignation!
The CUA and Notre Dame developments are flip sides of the same coin—the renewal of Catholic higher education is underway. The Holy Spirit is moving, and we just have to keep struggling (and praying!) to prevent the secular culture from overwhelming it.
Certainly we face serious challenges. Our new report on the "hook-up" culture on Catholic campuses finds that noncommittal, physical activity "has become the dominant script for forming sexual and romantic relationships on Catholic and secular campuses."
Please, won't you keep The Cardinal Newman Society in your prayers? Urge St. Michael's intercession for this work of rooting out scandal, and the prayers of our patron Blessed John Henry Newman for the task of rebuilding Catholic education.
Thank you so much for all of your prayers and support! (And please, do continue to help us when you can!)
Patrick J. Reilly
President, The Cardinal Newman Society
P.S. You may be interested in the substantial media coverage of both developments. I recommend the following:
National Catholic Register – What Notre Dame's Trustee Resignation Means for the University
Wall Street Journal – Why We're Going Back to Single-Sex Dorms
Crisis Magazine – Catholic University Trusts Its Students
Follow The Society Online!
Read More...
What a grand month of June!
On Monday, the new president of The Catholic University of America announced that he would put an end to 30 years of co-ed dorms to reduce drinking and sexual activity.
That comes less than a week after Notre Dame trustee Roxanne Martino resigned, following The Cardinal Newman Society's revelations that she donated thousands to the pro-abortion Emily's List.
And now we have a report that Bishop Rhoades, the new bishop of Fort Wayne-South Bend, met privately with Notre Dame president Fr. John Jenkins prior to Martino's resignation!
The CUA and Notre Dame developments are flip sides of the same coin—the renewal of Catholic higher education is underway. The Holy Spirit is moving, and we just have to keep struggling (and praying!) to prevent the secular culture from overwhelming it.
Certainly we face serious challenges. Our new report on the "hook-up" culture on Catholic campuses finds that noncommittal, physical activity "has become the dominant script for forming sexual and romantic relationships on Catholic and secular campuses."
Please, won't you keep The Cardinal Newman Society in your prayers? Urge St. Michael's intercession for this work of rooting out scandal, and the prayers of our patron Blessed John Henry Newman for the task of rebuilding Catholic education.
Thank you so much for all of your prayers and support! (And please, do continue to help us when you can!)
Patrick J. Reilly
President, The Cardinal Newman Society
P.S. You may be interested in the substantial media coverage of both developments. I recommend the following:
National Catholic Register – What Notre Dame's Trustee Resignation Means for the University
Wall Street Journal – Why We're Going Back to Single-Sex Dorms
Crisis Magazine – Catholic University Trusts Its Students
Follow The Society Online!
'The Pope Is Infallible.' What Does That Mean?
Soon you can discover the rich heritage of the Catholic Church in an epic media experience.
Word on Fire Catholic Ministries offers a vision of the Catholic Faith, which has never before been seen.
Above is an excerpt of episode six of the groundbreaking series.
This vision seeks to explore, through a global journey, the living culture of the Catholic Church. From the lands of the Bible, to the great shrines of Europe, to the shores and heartland of America, to the mysteries of Asia, to the rich landscapes of Latin America, to the beating heart of Africa - and beyond, witness the passion and glory of the faith that claims over a billion of the earth’s people as its own. Now in production. Ten part series for TV and DVD: Production to be released Fall of 2011.
This magnificent television event is hosted by Father Robert Barron.
For the first time, in breathtaking, high-definition cinematography, the beauty, goodness and truth of the Catholic Faith are illustrated in a rich, multimedia experience. Journey to more than 50 locations throughout 15 countries. Be illuminated by the spiritual and artistic treasures of this global culture that claims more than one billion of the earth’s people.
From the sacred lands of Israel to the beating heart of Uganda...from the glorious shrines of Italy, France, and Spain, to the streets of Mexico, Kolkata, and New York City, the fullness of CATHOLICISM is revealed. Journey deep into the Faith as you watch each episode.
Mike Leonard, a veteran NBC Today Show correspondent and acclaimed filmmaker, is the Executive Producer of this groundbreaking series.
Click here to learn how to be part of this major event.
Why Do Catholic Universities Dishonor Church Teachings?
Part of a special message from the Cardinal Newman Society:
A few Catholic colleges this year are pointedly celebrating Catholics who defied their bishops and supported President Obama's health care overhaul, even without sufficient provisions to protect conscience rights and preclude government-funded abortions. This Sunday, May 22, St. Catherine University will honor its commencement speaker Sr. Carol Keehan, DC, President of the Catholic Health Association (CHA) of the United States and the lobbyist who perhaps did the most to undermine the U.S. bishops and pro-life organizations on health care reform. But St. Kate's students will have to settle for "seconds," since the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota, secured Keehan to speak the prior day at its graduate student commencement ceremony.
Could it be pure coincidence? A year to the day before the St. Thomas graduation—on May 21, 2010—leading representatives of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a statement which blamed the CHA for causing "confusion and a wound to Catholic unity." Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, Bishop William Murphy and Bishop John Wester publicly disagreed with the notion put forward by Sr. Keehan that "the divergence between the Catholic Conference and Catholic organizations, including the Catholic Health Association, represents merely a difference of analysis or strategy.
And then Sr. Keehan publicly defended a Phoenix hospital after Bishop Thomas Olmsted revoked the hospital's Catholic standing. Without consulting the bishop, the hospital had decided it was ethical to perform a direct abortion in violation of the U.S. bishops' ethical and religious directives for Catholic health care services. Sr. Keehan has said she respects Bishop Olmsted's authority on matters of morality—but has publicly disagreed with him anyhow.
Now that's a role model for America's Catholic college graduates!
Others who undermined the bishops on health care reform include U.S. Senators Robert P. Casey, Jr. of Pennsylvania and Mary Landrieu of Louisiana—members of the Catholics-who-don't-like-abortion-BUT crowd—who addressed graduates at Villanova University on May 15 and Georgetown University's Public Policy Institute today (May 20), respectively. Sen. Landrieu is pro-choice on abortion and urged President George W. Bush to expand federal support for embryonic stem cell research. Sen. Casey has voted against the "Mexico City Policy," thereby allowing the U.S. government to pay for abortions overseas, and against the de-fund Planned Parenthood amendment to the 2011 budget. . . .
No doubt the intentions for recognizing . . . all of the above-cited commencement speakers and honorees—are easily justified by the good that these people do. If a Catholic college chooses to honor someone for their good works, the argument goes, why should we be concerned about other activities that oppose clear moral teachings of the Church?
The answer: Because Catholic colleges have a choice of speakers and honorees. And when they make a choice—especially when selecting someone to serve as a role model for graduation—the choice should be for speakers and honorees who best exemplify the standards of a Catholic college education.
Good people who compromise morality to do bad things—harmful things—deserve our compassion and counsel, but not our honor. We certainly do not want Catholic college graduates following the same path, expecting the future admiration of their mentors.
A Catholic education should mean more than that—if, at these institutions, it still means anything at all.
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A few Catholic colleges this year are pointedly celebrating Catholics who defied their bishops and supported President Obama's health care overhaul, even without sufficient provisions to protect conscience rights and preclude government-funded abortions. This Sunday, May 22, St. Catherine University will honor its commencement speaker Sr. Carol Keehan, DC, President of the Catholic Health Association (CHA) of the United States and the lobbyist who perhaps did the most to undermine the U.S. bishops and pro-life organizations on health care reform. But St. Kate's students will have to settle for "seconds," since the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota, secured Keehan to speak the prior day at its graduate student commencement ceremony.
Could it be pure coincidence? A year to the day before the St. Thomas graduation—on May 21, 2010—leading representatives of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a statement which blamed the CHA for causing "confusion and a wound to Catholic unity." Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, Bishop William Murphy and Bishop John Wester publicly disagreed with the notion put forward by Sr. Keehan that "the divergence between the Catholic Conference and Catholic organizations, including the Catholic Health Association, represents merely a difference of analysis or strategy.
And then Sr. Keehan publicly defended a Phoenix hospital after Bishop Thomas Olmsted revoked the hospital's Catholic standing. Without consulting the bishop, the hospital had decided it was ethical to perform a direct abortion in violation of the U.S. bishops' ethical and religious directives for Catholic health care services. Sr. Keehan has said she respects Bishop Olmsted's authority on matters of morality—but has publicly disagreed with him anyhow.
Now that's a role model for America's Catholic college graduates!
Others who undermined the bishops on health care reform include U.S. Senators Robert P. Casey, Jr. of Pennsylvania and Mary Landrieu of Louisiana—members of the Catholics-who-don't-like-abortion-BUT crowd—who addressed graduates at Villanova University on May 15 and Georgetown University's Public Policy Institute today (May 20), respectively. Sen. Landrieu is pro-choice on abortion and urged President George W. Bush to expand federal support for embryonic stem cell research. Sen. Casey has voted against the "Mexico City Policy," thereby allowing the U.S. government to pay for abortions overseas, and against the de-fund Planned Parenthood amendment to the 2011 budget. . . .
No doubt the intentions for recognizing . . . all of the above-cited commencement speakers and honorees—are easily justified by the good that these people do. If a Catholic college chooses to honor someone for their good works, the argument goes, why should we be concerned about other activities that oppose clear moral teachings of the Church?
The answer: Because Catholic colleges have a choice of speakers and honorees. And when they make a choice—especially when selecting someone to serve as a role model for graduation—the choice should be for speakers and honorees who best exemplify the standards of a Catholic college education.
Good people who compromise morality to do bad things—harmful things—deserve our compassion and counsel, but not our honor. We certainly do not want Catholic college graduates following the same path, expecting the future admiration of their mentors.
A Catholic education should mean more than that—if, at these institutions, it still means anything at all.
Church Sex Abuse Scandal: Vatican Fails Again
Here is an excerpt from a New York Times editorial on the Catholic Church sex abuse scandal and the failure of the Vatican to adequately address the problem:
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The Vatican’s long overdue guidelines for fighting sexual abuse of children are, unfortunately, just that — flimsy guidelines for a global problem that requires an unequivocal mandate for church officials to work with secular authorities in prosecuting rogue priests.Click here to read the full editorial
Instead, the Vatican has issued nonbinding guidance that punts the scandal back to the authority of local bishops, who still will not face firm oversight or punishment for cover-ups that recycled hundreds of abusive priests.
The directive came two days before a new study of the abuse problem that cites the sexual and social turmoil of the 1960s as a possible factor in priests’ crimes. This is a rather bizarre stab at sociological rationalization and, in any case, beside the point that church officials went into denial and protected abusers.
Thirty Eight Years Ago Today . . . . .
A special message from Brian Birch at CatholicVote.org:
Today marks the 30th anniversary of the attempted assassination of Pope John Paul II.
Mehmet Ali Agca, a trained sniper from Turkey, shot four bullets into the Holy Father's body from point-blank range. One bullet missed the Pope's main abdominal artery by a fraction of an inch.
The Holy Father credited Our Lady of Fatima for re-directing the bullets and saving his life. He would later say: “One hand fired, another guided the bullet.”
Many people were surprised the Pope so easily forgave the man that wanted him dead. Just days after the shooting, he said:
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Today marks the 30th anniversary of the attempted assassination of Pope John Paul II.
Mehmet Ali Agca, a trained sniper from Turkey, shot four bullets into the Holy Father's body from point-blank range. One bullet missed the Pope's main abdominal artery by a fraction of an inch.
The Holy Father credited Our Lady of Fatima for re-directing the bullets and saving his life. He would later say: “One hand fired, another guided the bullet.”
Many people were surprised the Pope so easily forgave the man that wanted him dead. Just days after the shooting, he said:
“I pray for that brother of ours who shot me, and whom I have sincerely pardoned. United with Christ, Priest and Victim, I offer my sufferings for the Church and for the world. To you, Mary, I repeat: 'Totus tuus ergo sum.'" (I am all yours).
For John Paul II, it was no coincidence that his life was saved on the feast of Our Lady of Fatima.
Our Lady had appeared to three children in Fatima, Portugal on May 13, 1917. She warned the children about a world at war and asked them to: “Pray the Rosary every day to obtain peace for the world!”
Today our world is scarred by abortion, war, terrorism, political unrest and much more.
Our Lady of Fatima's call to pray the Rosary for peace is as urgent today as it was 94 years ago.
She thwarted the plans of John Paul II's assassin. Surely she will come to our aid in redirecting the many bullets aimed at destroying peace in our world.
We hope you will join us in praying the Rosary, today if possible, for peace in our world, peace in our nation, and for peace in the womb.
Our Lady had appeared to three children in Fatima, Portugal on May 13, 1917. She warned the children about a world at war and asked them to: “Pray the Rosary every day to obtain peace for the world!”
Today our world is scarred by abortion, war, terrorism, political unrest and much more.
Our Lady of Fatima's call to pray the Rosary for peace is as urgent today as it was 94 years ago.
She thwarted the plans of John Paul II's assassin. Surely she will come to our aid in redirecting the many bullets aimed at destroying peace in our world.
We hope you will join us in praying the Rosary, today if possible, for peace in our world, peace in our nation, and for peace in the womb.
Video Preview: Beatification Of Pope John Paul II
Renowned theologian, Father Robert Barron, will offer commentary on all NBC Network News programming during Pope John Paul II’s beatification on May 1. Barron was selected for his in-depth knowledge of Pope John Paul II and will be in Rome covering the event.
On May 1, Pope Benedict XVI will celebrate the Solemn Mass and Beatification before hundreds of thousands of people in St. Peter’s Square and for millions of television viewers around the world. This is the first time a pope has beatified his immediate predecessor.
Over three million people journeyed to Rome for Pope John Paul II’s funeral in 2005, at which the crowds chanted “Santo Subito” meaning “sainthood now” in Italian. Predictions are at least that many people, and possibly more, will make the pilgrimage for the Mass and Beatification. More than 400,000 pilgrims are expected from John Paul’s native Poland alone.
The choice of May 1, the first Sunday after Easter, is also significant. John Paul II declared the first Sunday after Easter to be “Divine Mercy Sunday” in the year 2000. This date is also associated with totalitarian communist regimes as “May Day.” Pope John Paul II worked tirelessly to advance the cause of human rights for those who suffered under the oppression of Communist dictatorships, both in his native Poland and around the world.
Father Robert Barron is the founder of Word on Fire Catholic Ministries, a global, non-profit media group. He is an acclaimed author, theologian, and the Francis Cardinal George Professor of Faith and Culture at Mundelein Seminary near Chicago.
Ordained in 1986, Fr. Barron has published numerous books, essays and DVD programs. He is a frequent commentator on faith and culture for The Chicago Tribune, NBC Nightly News, FOX News, Our Sunday Visitor, The Catholic Herald in London, the Washington Post, CNN and the Catholic New World. He lectures extensively in the United States and abroad, including the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas In Rome. Fr. Barron received his Master’s Degree in Philosophy from the Catholic University of America and a doctorate in Sacred Theology from the Institut Catholique de Paris. Cardinal Francis George calls Father Barron “one of the Church’s best messengers.”
Word on Fire (http://www.WordonFire.org) reaches millions of people through its weekly programs on Relevant Radio, EWTN, the popular Word on Fire YouTube Channel, and the Word on Fire website, which offers daily blogs, articles, commentaries and over ten years of weekly sermon podcasts.
MSNBC will start live coverage of the Beatification Mass at 4:00 AM Eastern on Sunday, May 1.
Pasqua Felice All'Intero Mondo!
Buona Pasqua, the beautiful Italian Easter greeting proclaims "Happy Easter" to all.May your day be filled with peace, joy, la famiglia and the blessings of this season of renewal and rejoicing.
This is a day to proclaim salvation and to give thanks for our faith; regaling in the hope of eternal life, the promise of the Trinity.
In Italy, Easter remains a day that celebrates life. And no group of people celebrates life as well as the Italians.
Although Italians do not decorate hard–boiled eggs nor have chocolate bunnies or pastel marshmallow chicks, the biggest Easter displays in bars, pastry shops, supermarkets, and especially at chocolatiers are brightly wrapped uova di Pasqua—chocolate Easter eggs—in sizes that range from 10 grams (1/3 ounce) to 8 kilos (nearly 18 pounds). Most of them are made of milk chocolate in a mid–range, 10–ounce size by industrial chocolate makers.
Some producers distinguish between their chocolate eggs for children (sales numbers are a closely guarded secret, but the market for these standard quality eggs is said to be shrinking with Italy's birthrate) and expensive "adult" versions. All except the tiniest eggs contain a surprise. Grown–ups often find their eggs contain little silver picture frames or gold–dipped costume jewelry.
The very best eggs are handmade by artisans of chocolate, who offer the service of inserting a surprise supplied by the purchaser. Car keys, engagement rings, and watches are some of the high–end gifts that have been tucked into Italian chocolate eggs in Italy.
My favorite Easter treats: chocolate coconut cream eggs (sinfully sweet), chocolate covered marshmallows, jelly beans of every color and flavor, sweet Italian Easter bread, hot cross buns and Peeps.
Buona Pasqua!
A Late Easter This Year?
Lent and Easter are exceptionally late this year.
Now, you may ask: compared to what?
Well, the answer is compared to the range of dates that can accommodate Easter under the Easter dating method devised by Pope Gregory XIII and his astronomers and mathematicians.
According to the Gregorian calendar Easter is always one of the 35 dates between March 22 and April 25. The canonical rule is that Easter Day is the first Sunday after the 14th day of the lunar month (the nominal full moon) that falls on or after March 21 (nominally the day of the vernal equinox). So, this year Easter is almost as late as it can be. In 2009, Easter was exceptionally early and pretty much coincided with the first day of spring. Last year, it fell on April 12 -- just about where you might expect it.
One would also expect that this would be a warmer Easter this year -- certainly warmer than 2009.
But I actually remember balmy Easters in March and chilly Easters in April. And there have even been years when it has snowed on Easter Sunday, regardless of the date.
Why is the date of Christmas fixed while the date of Easter changes each year?
That's a question for another time.
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Now, you may ask: compared to what?
Well, the answer is compared to the range of dates that can accommodate Easter under the Easter dating method devised by Pope Gregory XIII and his astronomers and mathematicians.
According to the Gregorian calendar Easter is always one of the 35 dates between March 22 and April 25. The canonical rule is that Easter Day is the first Sunday after the 14th day of the lunar month (the nominal full moon) that falls on or after March 21 (nominally the day of the vernal equinox). So, this year Easter is almost as late as it can be. In 2009, Easter was exceptionally early and pretty much coincided with the first day of spring. Last year, it fell on April 12 -- just about where you might expect it.
One would also expect that this would be a warmer Easter this year -- certainly warmer than 2009.
But I actually remember balmy Easters in March and chilly Easters in April. And there have even been years when it has snowed on Easter Sunday, regardless of the date.
Why is the date of Christmas fixed while the date of Easter changes each year?
That's a question for another time.
Good Friday, In Words And Images
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| Antonio Ciseri's depiction of Pontius Pilate presenting a scourged Christ to the people, "Ecce homo! |
by crown of piercing thorn!
O bleeding head, so wounded,
reviled and put to scorn!
Our sins have marred the glory
...of thy most holy face,
yet angel hosts adore thee
and tremble as they gaze...
O bleeding head, so wounded,
reviled and put to scorn!
Our sins have marred the glory
...of thy most holy face,
yet angel hosts adore thee
and tremble as they gaze...
Good Friday And Caravaggio's Deposition
Of all of the great paintings and representations of the events of Good Friday, none is more inspiring, more compelling or more overwhelming than Caravaggio's Deposition From The Cross.This magnificent painting is part of the Vatican collection.
This masterpiece measures nearly 10 feet by 7 feet and it totally envelopes you with its majesty, poignancy, spirituality and deep sense of humanity.
Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio did not really portray the Burial or the Deposition in the traditional way, inasmuch as Christ is not shown at the moment when he is laid in the tomb, but rather when, in the presence of the holy women, he is laid by Nicodemus and John on the Anointing Stone, that is the stone with which the sepulchre will be closed. Around the body of Christ are the Virgin, Mary Magdalene, John, Nicodemus and Mary of Cleophas, who raises her arms and eyes to heaven in a gesture of high dramatic tension.
Caravaggio, who arrived in Rome in 1592, was the protagonist of a real artistic revolution regarding the way of treating subjects and the use of color and light, and was certainly the most important personage of the "realist" trend of seventeenth century painting.
If you have never seen this treasured work of art, you owe it to yourself to be in its presence.
I was, and I was transformed by it.
Why You Should Do It Anyway
"People are often unreasonable and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.
If you are honest, people may cheat you. Be honest anyway.
If you find happiness, people may be jealous. Be happy anyway.
The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough. Give your best anyway.
For you see, in the end, it is between you and God.
It was never between you and them anyway."
--Blessed Teresa of Calcutta
Read More...
If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.
If you are honest, people may cheat you. Be honest anyway.
If you find happiness, people may be jealous. Be happy anyway.
The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough. Give your best anyway.
For you see, in the end, it is between you and God.
It was never between you and them anyway."
--Blessed Teresa of Calcutta
Call Now To Stop Planned Parenthood Funding
A special Message from CatholicVote.org:
Can you spare five minutes today? Here's why...
Congress is on recess this week. That means your Representative is home in his or her district taking the pulse of the voters they need to get re-elected.
Next week they will return to Washington D.C. and decide whether to hold firm on cutting taxpayer funding of Planned Parenthood -- or whether to give in and compromise.
A 5-minute call to their local office will definitely make a difference. Can you call?
Click here to get your Representative’s local phone number
CatholicVote is a proud member of the Expose Planned Parenthood Coalition. This coalition is working together to stop taxpayer funding of abortion giant Planned Parenthood.
Hundreds of thousands of activists have been mobilized by our coalition and today it's our turn.
Today we pledged to ask our members to call the local offices of their member of Congress. It’s time for these Representatives to hear from the Catholic vote!
Get your Representative’s local phone number here:
http://exposeplannedparenthood.net/contact-congress/
Here are some talking points to consider during your call:
1) I am calling today to urge my Representative to cut all taxpayer funding of Planned Parenthood. This is not negotiable and defunding must be included in ANY budget legislation.
2) During a time of fiscal crisis, everything should be on the table for spending cuts, especially an embattled, scandal-ridden corporation like Planned Parenthood. There must be no sacred cows.
3) With tens of millions of dollars in profit each year, Planned Parenthood does not need or deserve our taxpayers dollars.
4) Recent undercover videos show that Planned Parenthood staff from the top-down were willing to aid and abet the sex trafficking of children. I cannot be complicit in this activity through my tax dollars.
5) Please stand up for women, girls, unborn children, and taxpayers by defunding Planned Parenthood. This must be a top priority and is non-negotiable.
Of course, not every Member of Congress is pro-life. But you don’t have to be 100% pro-life to support this amendment. Our government is out of money. The last place our dollars should be going is to Big Abortion.
Planned Parenthood gets $360 million of our tax money every year. This has got to stop. Let's do our part. Please pick up the phone.
Read More...
Can you spare five minutes today? Here's why...
Congress is on recess this week. That means your Representative is home in his or her district taking the pulse of the voters they need to get re-elected.
Next week they will return to Washington D.C. and decide whether to hold firm on cutting taxpayer funding of Planned Parenthood -- or whether to give in and compromise.
A 5-minute call to their local office will definitely make a difference. Can you call?
Click here to get your Representative’s local phone number
CatholicVote is a proud member of the Expose Planned Parenthood Coalition. This coalition is working together to stop taxpayer funding of abortion giant Planned Parenthood.
Hundreds of thousands of activists have been mobilized by our coalition and today it's our turn.
Today we pledged to ask our members to call the local offices of their member of Congress. It’s time for these Representatives to hear from the Catholic vote!
Get your Representative’s local phone number here:
http://exposeplannedparenthood.net/contact-congress/
Here are some talking points to consider during your call:
1) I am calling today to urge my Representative to cut all taxpayer funding of Planned Parenthood. This is not negotiable and defunding must be included in ANY budget legislation.
2) During a time of fiscal crisis, everything should be on the table for spending cuts, especially an embattled, scandal-ridden corporation like Planned Parenthood. There must be no sacred cows.
3) With tens of millions of dollars in profit each year, Planned Parenthood does not need or deserve our taxpayers dollars.
4) Recent undercover videos show that Planned Parenthood staff from the top-down were willing to aid and abet the sex trafficking of children. I cannot be complicit in this activity through my tax dollars.
5) Please stand up for women, girls, unborn children, and taxpayers by defunding Planned Parenthood. This must be a top priority and is non-negotiable.
Of course, not every Member of Congress is pro-life. But you don’t have to be 100% pro-life to support this amendment. Our government is out of money. The last place our dollars should be going is to Big Abortion.
Planned Parenthood gets $360 million of our tax money every year. This has got to stop. Let's do our part. Please pick up the phone.
CatholicVote.org Needs You. Join Now!
A special message from Brian Burch, President of Catholic Vote:
I want you to know that the fight to stop taxpayer funding for Planned Parenthood remains within reach. We don't want to bombard you with messages, but please know we are working each day to accomplish our goal. Next week we are planning a huge push, so get ready!
But today I also want to ask: Are you on Facebook?
Did you know that almost half of all adults in America use Facebook every month?
Millions of our fellow citizens share our views on the importance of life, family, and freedom but have not yet heard of CatholicVote. Through Facebook, you can help grow our movement by becoming a fan of CatholicVote.
Please take 5 seconds now and visit www.facebook.com/CatholicVote and click the “Like” button.
A recent poll found that 75% of Americans received news from email or a social networking site. We update our Facebook page every day with commentary, news and action alerts – making it easy to share this news with your friends and family.
Please take a moment and join us today. The more people that you and I reach, the more effective we will be!
Read More...
I want you to know that the fight to stop taxpayer funding for Planned Parenthood remains within reach. We don't want to bombard you with messages, but please know we are working each day to accomplish our goal. Next week we are planning a huge push, so get ready!
But today I also want to ask: Are you on Facebook?
Did you know that almost half of all adults in America use Facebook every month?
Millions of our fellow citizens share our views on the importance of life, family, and freedom but have not yet heard of CatholicVote. Through Facebook, you can help grow our movement by becoming a fan of CatholicVote.
Please take 5 seconds now and visit www.facebook.com/CatholicVote and click the “Like” button.
A recent poll found that 75% of Americans received news from email or a social networking site. We update our Facebook page every day with commentary, news and action alerts – making it easy to share this news with your friends and family.
Please take a moment and join us today. The more people that you and I reach, the more effective we will be!
Remembering St. Joseph On His Day
Teacher Clara O' Sullivan arranges items of the St. Joseph's altar at St. Angela Merici School in Metairie (LA). The school's fourth grade classes constructed the altar in preparation for St. Joseph's Day. St. Joseph altars date back to Sicily where they were first erected to thank St. Joseph for mitigating a famine.New Orleans Times-Picayune
Today, March 19 is St. Joseph's Day.
St. Joseph's Day is to Italians what St. Patrick's Day is to the Irish. In fact, St. Joseph's Day is the Italian St. Patrick's Day.
St. Joseph's Day is a Roman Catholic feast day commemorating the life of St. Joseph, the foster father of Jesus and husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
People with very strong religious association, often those of southern Italian descent, typically celebrate St. Joseph's Day. March 19 is said to be St. Joseph's birthday.
During a famine in Sicily, when food was scarce and many people were starving, the poor people had only their faith to rely on. St. Joseph was known as the protector of the Holy Family and Italians had strong family relationships, so they prayed for St. Joseph to intercede for them so they could have successful crops.
Their prayers were answered, and the famine came to an end. In gratitude, people promised to make annual offerings of their most precious possession – food – in St. Joseph's honor.
Today, the faithful erect "St. Joseph Tables," which are set to honor St. Joseph. They are filled with beautiful and often elaborate foods, including meatless dishes such as stuffed artichokes, pasta and fish, as well as breads, cookies, pastries, cakes and other delicacies.
Each table is blessed by a priest and presided over by a statue of St. Joseph.
A stalk of lily blossoms, votive candles and a lace tablecloth are other typical items used to decorate the feast table.
When you visit a St. Joseph's table, you often receive gifts of fava beans and breads.
Fava beans play an integral part of the celebration because this was the food that saved the Sicilians from starvation. The bean is said to bring good luck, and it is believed that if the St. Joseph's bread is kept in the home, the family will never starve.
Today, March 19 is St. Joseph's Day.
St. Joseph's Day is to Italians what St. Patrick's Day is to the Irish. In fact, St. Joseph's Day is the Italian St. Patrick's Day.
St. Joseph's Day is a Roman Catholic feast day commemorating the life of St. Joseph, the foster father of Jesus and husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
People with very strong religious association, often those of southern Italian descent, typically celebrate St. Joseph's Day. March 19 is said to be St. Joseph's birthday.
During a famine in Sicily, when food was scarce and many people were starving, the poor people had only their faith to rely on. St. Joseph was known as the protector of the Holy Family and Italians had strong family relationships, so they prayed for St. Joseph to intercede for them so they could have successful crops.
Their prayers were answered, and the famine came to an end. In gratitude, people promised to make annual offerings of their most precious possession – food – in St. Joseph's honor.
Today, the faithful erect "St. Joseph Tables," which are set to honor St. Joseph. They are filled with beautiful and often elaborate foods, including meatless dishes such as stuffed artichokes, pasta and fish, as well as breads, cookies, pastries, cakes and other delicacies.
Each table is blessed by a priest and presided over by a statue of St. Joseph.
A stalk of lily blossoms, votive candles and a lace tablecloth are other typical items used to decorate the feast table.
When you visit a St. Joseph's table, you often receive gifts of fava beans and breads.
Fava beans play an integral part of the celebration because this was the food that saved the Sicilians from starvation. The bean is said to bring good luck, and it is believed that if the St. Joseph's bread is kept in the home, the family will never starve.
Let's Halt Federal Funding Of Abortion Now!
A special message from Brian Burch of CatholicVote.org:
Moments ago, the pro-abortion Senate voted 44-56 to reject a budget that would have ended funding for Planned Parenthood. Another possible government shutdown looms March 18.
Today's vote is not the end, as Republicans in the House must now respond.
Our battle continues, and while today's vote may be discouraging, I hope you will not despair. This setback can be frustrating, but a number of options remain -- beginning with our demand that Republicans stand firm and refuse to give in to the Senate. We simply CANNOT compromise on this issue.
Click here to sign on to our open letter to Republican leadership.
Remember this is taxpayer funding that will go directly into the pockets of Planned Parenthood - the same Planned Parenthood that just reported performing a record number of abortions in 2009, and the same Planned Parenthood that has been caught repeatedly flouting the law.
With our federal government drowning in debt, how could the Senate continue to fund this scandal-plagued organization with $366 million of OUR tax dollars?
Read More...
Moments ago, the pro-abortion Senate voted 44-56 to reject a budget that would have ended funding for Planned Parenthood. Another possible government shutdown looms March 18.
Today's vote is not the end, as Republicans in the House must now respond.
Our battle continues, and while today's vote may be discouraging, I hope you will not despair. This setback can be frustrating, but a number of options remain -- beginning with our demand that Republicans stand firm and refuse to give in to the Senate. We simply CANNOT compromise on this issue.
Click here to sign on to our open letter to Republican leadership.
Remember this is taxpayer funding that will go directly into the pockets of Planned Parenthood - the same Planned Parenthood that just reported performing a record number of abortions in 2009, and the same Planned Parenthood that has been caught repeatedly flouting the law.
With our federal government drowning in debt, how could the Senate continue to fund this scandal-plagued organization with $366 million of OUR tax dollars?