This is pretty great. The New York Times got the former mayor to sit down for a video obit. Anyone who wonders why this guy was so special will get a wonderful answer here. And to your question, Mr. Mayor: yes. My wife caught me blinking back tears this morning when I heard WCBS radio interviewing various New Yorkers about his life and legacy. “Damn allergies,” I said. “Gotta take a Zyrtec…” At about the 16 minute mark he talks... Read more
From AP: The Obama administration is announcing a broader opt-out for religious nonprofits that object to providing health insurance that covers birth control. The administration is allowing religious nonprofits to offer coverage that does not include contraception. In such a case, a third-party issuer will handle all business related to providing birth-control coverage for women, according to a source familiar with the changes who spoke only on condition of anonymity. Our own Frank Weathers has been keeping an eye on... Read more
Huffington Post has a longer look at this project this week, but the San Francisco press has been covering it for a while. The undertaking is, in a word, remarkable: The ornately painted ceiling, stained-glass windows, huge marble columns and organ pipes high above the wooden pews could make St. Boniface Church a stop on any San Francisco tourist’s must-see list. But the loud snores and incense burned to help cover pungent smells quickly indicate this isn’t your standard sanctuary. For the homeless people... Read more
That’s the stinging title of this piece from Real Clear Religion by George Neumayr (h/t New Advent) that bears reading this morning, as the aftershocks of yesterday’s temblor continue to shake Los Angeles. A snip: Referring to [Boston’s Cardinal] Law, Cardinal Mahony piously told the press that “he would find it difficult to walk down an aisle in church if he had been guilty of gross negligence.” Meanwhile, Cardinal Mahony was unleashing his attack dogs on anyone who probed his... Read more
He was a New York original—almost as iconic as the Empire State Building—and he has the unusual distinction of being the only mayor to co-write a bestselling book with a cardinal. Former mayor Edward Koch died early Friday morning at the age of 88, from congestive heart failure. Among other things, he had a deep affection for the Catholic Church, and developed a close friendship and collaboration with another New York fixture, Cardinal John O’Connor. Ed Koch wrote about it... Read more
Breaking news from Los Angeles, and Patheos’ West Coast maven, Joanne McPortland, who notes that Archbishop Jose Gomez has taken decisive action against two key figures in archdiocesan sex abuse scandal: Los Angeles Archbishop Jose Gomez announced Thursday that Cardinal Roger Mahony would have a reduced role in the church and that Santa Barbara Bishop Thomas J. Curry has stepped down from that job amid recent revelations over their handling of the priest abuse scandal in the 1980s. “Effective immediately,... Read more
Dominican Father Wojciech Giertych, Theologian to the Papal Household, offers his thoughts, in this video from CNS. Read more
Bishop Kevin Farrell, of the Diocese of Dallas, looks forward to some upcoming ordinations: It will give me great pleasure to ordain 27 candidates to the Order of Deacon at the Cathedral Shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe on the first two Saturdays of February. Fourteen of the men will receive the Sacrament of Orders on Saturday, February 2 and thirteen will be ordained on Saturday, February 9. The ordination class of 27 men reflects the diversity of the diocese.... Read more
This was put together last year for “Back to Church Sunday,” a Protestant outreach event that happens every September. A friend just posted it on FB. It’s a scream. 🙂 Read more
Details: The Roman Catholic Diocese of Worcester rescinded an invitation Wednesday to Robert Spencer, a Catholic whose work depicts Islam as an inherently violent religion, to speak at its annual Catholic Men’s Conference in March. The invitation was withdrawn after Muslims in Massachusetts expressed concerns to the diocese about the appearance of Spencer, scheduled to be a featured speaker at the DCU Center on March 16. Spencer is director of the blog Jihad Watch and a leader of the American... Read more
The Deacon's Bench
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