A favorite story of Blessed Pope John XXIII—the man born Joseph Roncalli—tells of how he greeted a visiting delegation of Jews at the Vatican and announced, “I’m Joseph, your brother.” Now Joanne McPortland is making the persuasive case that what the church needs is not necessarily another John XXIII (who is irreplaceable) or Benedict XVI (ditto, and he’s another guy born Joe) but rather a Pope Joseph I: If I were to whisper my wish, which is all any of... Read more
Charles Redfern spills the beans over at HuffPo: It’s time I come clean. I’m an evangelical with a secret. A covert “real me” peaks from the shadows and longs to leap into the sunlight. World events compel me to throw caution to the wind and blare my confession: I’m a wanna-be Catholic. There. I feel better. Many are issuing calls for reforms as the cardinals convene. I have my own wish list rooted in the usual historic Protestant complaints, but... Read more
A few weeks ago, this kind of scene was something routine in Rome. Now, it’s a gesture of gentle farewell. See it below: two minutes of world history that, I think, are unmatched for their poignancy. Watch below, via CNS. Read more
From Rome Reports, below. Read more
From the Vatican, the full text of Pope Benedict’s final general audience: +++ Venerable Brothers in the Episcopate and in the Priesthood! Distinguished Authorities!Dear brothers and sisters! Thank you for coming in such large numbers to this last General Audience of my pontificate. Like the Apostle Paul in the biblical text that we have heard, I feel in my heart the paramount duty thank God, who guides the Church and makes her grow: who sows His Word and thus nourishes the... Read more
With all the papal craziness—who’s up, who’s down, who’s electable, who’s not—here’s a welcome palate-cleanser that helps put it all in perspective. You want to see the gospel in action? Here it is. From the CBS Evening News last Friday night, Steve Hartman has the story of a mentally challenged high school basketball manager who got the opportunity of a lifetime, in a way nobody ever expected. Read more
Details: According to a new Gallup poll, young Latinos are shedding the Catholic faith of their parents and some are turning to Protestant alternatives with fervor. Most Hispanics are still Catholic, the poll found, but they are significantly less religious than their Protestant peers. And Hispanic Protestants are not only more religious, they’re far more religious than American Protestants in general. The same does not hold true for Catholics. Predictably, younger Hispanics in both groups are less religious than older generations.... Read more
An interesting detail about the pope, via EWTN: Throughout his eight-year papacy, Pope Benedict XVI has “carried out a cleansing of the episcopate,” said the apostolic nuncio to Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tadjikistan. “This Pope has removed two or three bishops per month throughout the world because either the accounts in their dioceses were a mess or their discipline was a disaster,” said Archbishop Miguel Maury Buendia during a Feb. 20 address at the University of San Pablo in Madrid. “The... Read more
The question some folks were asking: will he be coming back? The shot above was taken at St. John the Evangelist this morning, the parish church located in the New York Catholic Center in Manhattan, where the Archdiocese has its offices (and where I work). The cardinal celebrated Mass with some of the other priests in the building and a couple hundred diocesan employees. Overheard in the elevator after: “I’m praying for a John XXIV.” To which a priest replied:... Read more
Just announced this morning: Benedict XVI will be “Pontiff emeritus” or “Pope emeritus”, as Fr. Federico Lombardi, S.J., director of the Holy See Press Office, reported in a press conference on th final days of the current pontificate. He will keep the name of “His Holiness, Benedict XVI” and will dress in a simple white cassock without the mozzetta (elbow-length cape). More than 50,000 tickets have already been requested for the Pope’s final general audience tomorrow morning, 27 February, but... Read more
The Deacon's Bench
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