Pope to Young Couples: Have Babies, Not Pets

June 2, 2014 By Kathy Schiffer

Pope Francis says that married couples should avoid the “bitterness of loneliness” in old age by having babies. During daily Mass with fifteen married couples at the Domus Sancta Marthae on Monday, June 2, the Holy Father cautioned against substituting pets for children. He told the couples, who had been married from 25 to 50 years, that a successful Christian marriage requires “faithfulness, perseverance and maturity.” Religion News Service reported: But he went a step further and strongly criticized those... Read more

Pope Francis’ Simplicity vs. Cardinal Bertone’s Elegance: Let’s Clear This Up Once and For All

June 2, 2014 By Kathy Schiffer

IS POPE FRANCIS UPSET because Cardinal Bertone is moving into a larger residence in Vatican City? According to The Independent, sources claim that Pope Francis is “furious” that Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, retiring from his position as the Vatican’s Secretary of State, is creating a lavish home for his retirement. The insinuation is that Pope Francis–who has repeatedly called for a “poorer church” and who has chosen to live in the Domus Sancta Marthae, a “simple guest house”, rather than the... Read more

R.I.P. Alice! The Brady Bunch Won’t Be the Same Without You

June 1, 2014 By Kathy Schiffer

Ann B. Davis, best known for her role as Alice Nelson, the quirky housekeeper on The Brady Bunch, died this morning in the religious commune in San Antonio where she lived. The 88-year-old star was said to be in good health when she struck her head in an unexpected bathroom fall. According to her close friend, Episcopal Bishop William Frey, the bump caused a subdural hematoma. She never regained consciousness. * * * *... Read more

Middle School Teacher Suspended for Teaching America’s Racist History

June 1, 2014 By Kathy Schiffer

A middle school teacher in Monroe, Michigan has been suspended after showing a historical video in his history class showing a white man wearing blackface to imitate an African-American. The video was part of a history lesson on Jim Crow racial segregation laws. Teacher Alan Barron, 59, played the video to show his students how some white Americans considered racist acts acceptable “entertainment” in the 1800s. According to the Monroe News, Monroe Middle School teacher Alan Barron remains suspended only... Read more

Pope, Patriarch Plan “Nicaea III”; Do You Remember What Happened at Nicaea I and II?

June 1, 2014 By Kathy Schiffer

It was Patriarch Bartholomew who broke the news: On his return from Jerusalem, where the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople had prayed with Pope Francis at the Holy Sepulchre, the Patriarch revealed plans for a Catholic-Orthodox get-together in Nicaea in 2025. The meeting in Jerusalem of the Roman Catholic pontiff and the leader of the Eastern church was news in itself: It had been 50 years since the 1964 embrace between Pope Paul VI and Patriarch Athenagoras. Before that, nine... Read more

Father Robert Barron’s Latest Project! Here’s a Clip From “Pivotal Players”

May 31, 2014 By Kathy Schiffer

Wow. Just wow. Father Robert Barron’s award-winning ten-part documentary series CATHOLICISM has been seen by millions and is now being used as an essential resource for the Church’s teaching and evangelization effort. Now there’s a new project in the works at Fr. Barron’s Word on Fire Catholic Ministries. From the website: In Spring 2014, Father Barron is beginning a new journey to unlock the truth behind the Catholic Church’s most influential people. CATHOLICISM: The Pivotal Players is a multi-part film series that... Read more

Scott Hahn’s “Angels and Saints”: You Need This On Your Bookshelf

May 31, 2014 By Kathy Schiffer

“The glory of God is man fully alive.” It was St. Irenaeus of Lyons, early Church Father and apologist, who said those words, back in the second century. This year, Irenaeus’ words have inspired the Pontifical Council for the Family, as they plan for the World Meeting of Families, which will take place in Philadelphia on September 22-27, 2015. The triennial meeting has as its theme “Love Is Our Mission: The Family Fully Alive.” And Archbishop Charles Chaput, archbishop... Read more

Americans to Join Pope Francis for Charismatic Conference in Rome

May 30, 2014 By Kathy Schiffer

Two Americans, Dr. Ralph Martin, founder of Renewal Ministries, and Patti Mansfield, popular Catholic author and speaker, will join the Holy Father and 52,000 Charismatic Catholics from more than 50 countries on Sunday afternoon, June 1, at the Olympic Stadium of Rome. On that day, Pope Francis—the first pontiff to ever visit a sports stadium in Rome–will participate in the 37th National Assembly of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal Movement. The June 1-2 conference has the theme of “Convert! Believe! Receive the Holy... Read more

The Father Brown Mysteries: A Little Beach Reading from Chesterton

May 30, 2014 By Kathy Schiffer

“Father Brown is one of the few characters in all fiction who–through his humanity, sagacity, personal charm and credible genius–is likely to survive the fickle years.” That high praise for G.K. Chesterton’s clerical sleuth comes from none other than Ellery Queen, the pseudonymous mystery writing team of Frederic Dannay and Manfred Bennington Lee. Father Brown was, in Chesterton’s imagination, a short, stumpy Roman Catholic priest, “formerly of Cobhole in Essex, and now working in London”, with shapeless clothes and a large... Read more

In Russia, Mobile Church Comes to the People

May 29, 2014 By Kathy Schiffer

It’s a train. It’s a mobile hospital. It’s a church. The Doctor Voino-Yasenetsky Saint Luka train brings medical care and care of souls to remote parts of Russia, in the Krasnoyarsk and Khakassia regions of Siberia. Aboard the unique train, trained medical staff are able to provide free consultations to some 200 people per day. And an Orthodox priest offers sacraments and spiritual guidance. A photo story on NBCNews.com explains that the unique train with its on-board church and clinic is... Read more