Wherein the good people at Fox prove that media bias cuts both ways. Details, from the Washington Post’s Bob Woodward: Roger Ailes, the longtime Republican media guru, founder of Fox News and its current chairman, had some advice last year for then-Gen. David H. Petraeus. So in spring 2011, Ailes asked a Fox News analyst headed to Afghanistan to pass on his thoughts to Petraeus, who was then the commander of U.S. and coalition forces there. Petraeus, Ailes advised, should... Read more
“We live in a selfish age, obsessed with how we project various versions of ourselves. But you have to tell this story from the point of view that God exists. And what God means in practice is the act of compassion, the struggle of living your life in a moral way. Les Miz is the great anthem of the dispossessed. It offers this solace that we as a collective can rise up against the system and change it for the... Read more
I found this interesting, and helpful: a brief blog post at Huffington by grief expert Gloria Horsley, on how to help those struggling with grief. We’ve all been there, and a lot of us find ourselves ministering to those in mourning. What to do: • Show up. – I used to send a card. Now, I send myself. My friend Sally showed up at our house before our first dinner alone, brought a book, and just read while we ate. It... Read more
Some weeks back, I posted an e-mail that took issue with the vocation of permanent deacon. I opened up the comments section for discussion. We got some interesting feedback, including just yesterday, this one: The permanent diaconate is not a primary vocation. The permanent deacon’s vocation is to marriage and fatherhood, and NOT to the diaconate. The theology regarding the permanent diaconate is very obscure and not well understood or developed. The permanent diaconate, in the U.S. especially, has become... Read more
Details: Christian, Jewish, Muslim and secular commentators have condemned plans by the Israeli government to build a military base on the Mount of Olives. The area, which includes the site at which Jesus is believed to have been arrested, has sacred and historical significance in Christianity, Judaism and Islam. It is also in East Jerusalem, Palestinian land that is occupied by the Israeli army. According to the Israeli Ministry of the Interior, the building will cover 42,000 square metres and... Read more
But somehow, this doesn’t surprise me. How much longer until the name becomes the National Christian Reporter? Details: In an editorial published Monday morning, a prominent Catholic newspaper endorsed the controversial movement to ordain women priests. Calling the priesthood a “gift from God … rooted in baptism,” the National Catholic Reporter says that “barring women from ordination to the priesthood is an injustice that cannot be allowed to stand.” The Kansas City, Mo.-based newspaper’s editorial pits it directly against the Vatican, where... Read more
My blog neighbor Tony Rossi has a terrific posting up today about the new movie of “Les Miserables,” and some fascinating quotes from the stars about the show’s message and meaning, particularly for today: For her role as Fantine, the young mother forced to work as a prostitute in order to earn money to support her daughter, Anne Hathaway approached the character from a place of pain. Not just the pain of a 19th century character in France, but the... Read more
In a culture too willing to snipe, backstab, gossip, bitch, whine, snark and kvetch, it’s nice to hear a good word every now and then or get a reassuring pat on the back. The charming experiment below fits the bill. They set up a booth on a street corner and invited people to give and receive compliments. It’s sweetly disarming and unexpectedly inspiring. Read more
Sunday, I posted the story of the nun who has composed a kind of anthem in support of sisters. Turns out, there is a recording of it available via YouTube, complete with a slideshow. Here it is: Read more
It’s sounding more and more like what is happening in corporate America: Vatican clergy and employees will be issued with an identity card complete with a microchip-tracking device in sweeping new security measures designed to prevent a repeat of the Vatileaks scandal. Much tighter controls have already been introduced for anyone seeking access or photocopies of the Holy See’s archives, dossiers and documents. The Papal Apartments, which include the living quarters of Pope Benedict XVI and the offices of his... Read more
The Deacon's Bench
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