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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NY Bishops 'Deeply Disappointed, Troubled'

The following is a statement from Archbishop Timothy Dolan and the bishops of New York State: 

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.”

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'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.

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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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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:

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.
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.

Click here to read the full editorial

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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.

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Chinese Arrest Christians Worshiping On Easter

The French News Agency (AFP) reports that Christians have been arrested in China after trying to hold Easter services yesterday.
Here's an excerpt:

Up to 30 members of a Chinese evangelical church were arrested on Sunday for trying to hold an Easter service in defiance of the officially atheist government, a member of the clergy said.
A large number of police began to gather early Sunday in the Zhongguancun area of Beijing where the Shouwang Church had said it would hold an outdoor service to mark the holiest day of the Christian calendar.
"Between 20 and 30 followers were taken away by police," senior pastor Jin Tianming told AFP by telephone from his home, where he is under house arrest. He said there were several police officers posted outside the building.
He added that the members of the congregation who were arrested had been taken to different police stations and that none had so far been released.
Jin had said before the planned gathering that the church considered Easter an important occasion and would stick to its decision to hold a service.

Click here to read more on this story.

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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!

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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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Good Friday, In Words And Images

Antonio Ciseri's depiction of Pontius Pilate presenting a scourged Christ to the people, "Ecce homo!

                                                            O sacred head, surrounded

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...

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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.

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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?

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Mardi Gras: What's It Really All About?

In French, Mardi Gras lierally means "Fat Tuesday."
The name comes from the slaughtering of and feasting on the fatted calf.
It marks the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, the last day before the beginning of Lent. The Lenten ritual of sacrifice and remembrance of Christ's anguish embraces the 40 days leading up to Holy Week (including Holy Thursday and Good Friday). Holy Week marks the culmination of Lent. Then, Easter marks the beginning of a new year in the Church calendar.
In America Mardi Gras is mostclosely associated with the festival in New Orleans, Louisiana.Most people are not aware of the fact that these he annual festivities start on January 6, the Twelfth Night Feast of the Epiphany, when the three kings are supposed to have visited the Christ child
The events build to a climax on Fat Tuesday. The parties and parades will continue until Lent begins at the stroke of midnight on Tuesday.
The tradition and celebration are so huge that Mardi Gras is a legal holiday in New Orleans. It is scheduled to occur 46 days before Easter. Since the actual date Easter occurs on changes yearly, Mardi Gras can happen on any Tuesday between February 3 and March 9.
This year, Mardi Gras and Easter occur on their latest possible date.
For more than two centuries Mardi Gras has been an annual event in New Orleans, except during the two World Wars.
By some accounts, Mardi Gras came to the New World in 1699, when a French explorer arrived at the Mississippi River, somewhat south of present day New Orleans. He named the spot Point du Mardi Gras because he knew the holiday was being celebrated in his native country that day.

Eventually the French in New Orleans celebrated Mardi Gras with masked balls and parties, until the Spanish government took over in the mid-1700s and banned the celebrations. The ban continued even after the U.S. government acquired the land but the celebrations resumed in 1827. 

The official colors of Mardi Gras, with their roots in Catholicism, were chosen 10 years later: purple, a symbol of justice; green, representing faith; and gold, to signify power.

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Christmas & Terrain At Styer's: Perfection!

We've told you before about how much we love Terrain at Styer's on Baltimore Pike in Glen Mills (PA).

There is only one word to describe this place: "Enchanting!"

And at Christmas, well that word barely begins to describe this place. Everything is just more magical.

Terrain at Styer's is a Garden Center, Greenhouse Cafe, Home Decor Shop and Landscaping Service all combined in a beguiling atmosphere that soothes your jangled nerves and gives you hope for a aesthetically sensitive world.

Styer's likes to say that they've been bringing people and plants together since 1890 when Jacob Styer opened a flower stand alongside Route 1 in Philadelphia. Over the years Styer's has emerged as one of the country's most respected names in gardening with a 10 acre treasure trove of trees, shrubs, perennials and other plants. All of that is still intact.

But now, there is so much more.

Styer's has combined with Terrain to produce a one-stop destination that is a veritable year-round feast for the senses.

Terrain has picked through barns and bazaars to collect unique garden and home artifacts. Everyone promises unusual items but this place delivers. Their selection includes designs by American, European, and Asian artisans - things you will find nowhere else.

Of course the live plants and flowers defy description.

Right now Terrain at Styer's is a testament to understated Christmas beauty, proving that over the holidays less can truly be more. Simple, whimsical decorative items present the season of joy in a totally new light - calmer, purer and easier on the eyes.

And the cafe offers a simple lunch, brunch and dinner menu in a greenhouse atmosphere that is charming and nostalgic. Plus, a special Chef's Dinner is offered on the third Thursday of every month.

Here's the bottom line on this place: It simply must be experienced!

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Why These Are The Colors Of Christmas

Where do the colors of Christmas come from? 

Red, green and gold symbolize the three teachings of  Christ.

Here's the way it breaks down:

Red symbolizes the blood of Jesus when he was crucified. Red also symbolizes love and it is a bright color, which also means joy.
Green is the color of holly plants which maintain their color even in severe winters, In Christianity it is believed that the color green signifies the eternal life of Jesus. The green of the Christmas tree represents immortality.
Gold is said to be the color of giving. The third king who came on the birth of Christ, gave gold as a gift. The use of the gold color in Christmas depicts the coming of the magi. Christ was God's gift to humanity for a better life. 

Red, green, gold: Sacrifice, love and joy, eternal life, charity.

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Our Very Favorite Christmas Classics

Here are more of our favorite Christmas classics:
1) Have A Holly Jolly Christmas - The original version by Burl Ives is still the best!
2) I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus - The Jimmy Boyd original is tops! It reached number 1 on the Billboard charts in 1952, and on the Cash Box magazine chart at the beginning of the following year. The song was commissioned by Neiman Marcus to promote their Christmas card for the year, which featured an original sketch by artist Perry Barlow, who drew for the New Yorker magazines for many decades.
3) Christmas Time's A 'Comin (and I know I'm goin home) - Don't settle for anything less than the Bill Monroe bluegrass version.
4) It's A Wonderful Life - If you miss this classic Frank Capra Christmas movie, you've missed Christmas itself!
5) A Christmas Carol - Watch ONLY the black and white 1951 movie version of this classic tale starring Alistair Sims. No others can match it.
Christmas reached a sort of zenith in America in the 1950s. It was a glorious time for home, family and Christmas. Maybe it was the aftermath of the war and the prosperity that followed that made everything so Christmasy. Or maybe it was just those crazy 50s novelty songs, all that sentimentality and brave new inventions like spray snow that made the difference. Who knows?

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The Joys Of A Small Town Christmas

 The old toys (above and below) in the Christmas window display at The Owl's Tale in historic Haddonfield.

There's no Christmas like a small town Christmas.
And in the shadow of Philadelphia, you'll find a small town rich in history with an old-fashioned main street, delightful shops, friendly merchants and neighbors with no small amount of genuine civic-pride.
On October 23, 1682, when he took up a tract of 400 acres, Francis Collins became the first settler within the boundaries of what is today Haddonfield, New Jersey. An English Quaker and a bricklayer by trade, Collins built his house, "Mountwell". Other settlers would soon follow.
Haddonfield flourished throughout the 18th century; by the Revolution it was the largest village in the area. One reason for its growth was water transportation via the Cooper's Creek; Haddonfield was at the terminus point where boats could be flatted. From this strategic point goods would have to be brought for shipment or incoming goods must be unloaded. Haddonfield also had an advanced road system, leading to what is now Camden and Gloucester City and to Salem and Burlington.
Both the Council of Safety and the New Jersey legislature, on the run from the British, met on a number of occasions in Haddonfield throughout 1777. Many of the famous names of the Revolution passed through Haddonfield, including Lafayette, Generals Morgan, Greene, Wayne and Pulaski, the Polish Count; British leaders included Sir Henry Clinton, Lord Cornwallis and a Hessian Commander, Colonel Donop.
Today, Haddonfield is a thriving, leafy community and one of the most desirable places to live in the Philadelphia region. Last night we visited Haddonfield for the town's tree lighting ceremony and the first in a series of Friday night "candellight shopping" nights. Every Friday between now and Christmas there will be luminary lights, carriage rides, music and other attractions in Haddonfield.
Last night, there was just enough of a nip in the air to remind us that Christmas is near.
Hundreds of people turned out for the tree lighting and the main street (Kings Highway) was festooned with lights, wreaths and decorated trees and busy shoppers. Bands played, carolers sung and shopkeepers provided a warm welcome to all.
The streetscape and scale of this wonderful town are as close to perfect as you will find anywhere.
Today is Shop Small Saturday -- meaning that you should support small businesses and local communities.
What better place to start than in Haddonfield or some similar town wherever it is that you live.
Check out some of the beautifully decorated windows in small town shopping districts, chat with the merchants, meet friends and neighbors and above all, BUY!
Small businesses are the backbone of our economy and small towns help to make America great.

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