That seems to be the prevailing sentiment on social media today, reacting to images of Pope Francis at the opening Mass of the synod in Rome. Elizabeth Lev snarked on Twitter: Seriously? This is neither crosier nor cross. They couldn’t find anything else in the Vatican besides a coat rack? I think there might be a couple old ferula in the Museums if they ran out at Santa Marta. Please bring back beauty. Here’s a shot below. Before we get... Read more
An Australian bishop has some thoughts on the pros and cons of ordaining married men to the priesthood, via CNA: The possibility of ordaining married men to the priesthood merits consideration both of its positives and negatives, Bishop Michael McKenna of Bathurst has said. “I’m very open to looking at it seriously, and looking at it seriously does mean looking deeply into it,” Bishop McKenna told the Australian newspaper the Western Advocate. “It may be one of those areas where... Read more
Wonderful news: Coptic Christians have been nominated for the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize for their refusal to retaliate against deadly and ongoing persecution from governments and terrorist groups in Egypt and elsewhere. The Copts, the indigenous people of Egypt, are one of 331 nominees for the prestigious prize, won previously by organizations such as the Red Cross and Médecins sans Frontières, and individuals such as Malala Yousafzai, the youngest person ever to win it. Last year’s winner was the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear... Read more
From The Los Angeles Times: Earlier this year, Ventura County resident Tom Emens called a law firm that represents victims of clergy abuse and asked for help. Emens had recently met someone who was molested by the same priest at St. Anthony Mary Claret in Anaheim in the ’70s and ’80s. The 42-year-old had grappled with his own trauma for decades, but the weight of another person’s story sparked in Emens a new sense of purpose: to seek justice for... Read more
From Pew: As allegations and investigations of sex abuse in the Catholic Church become more widespread, a new Pew Research Center survey finds that confidence in the way Pope Francis is handling the crisis has plummeted among U.S. Catholics. Just three-in-ten Catholic adults say Francis is doing an “excellent” or a “good” job addressing the issue, which is down 24 points since 2015 and 14 points from when Pew Research Center last asked the question in January of this year. While seven-in-ten American Catholics... Read more
Move over, EWTN. The Christian Broadcasting Network, founded by Pat Robertson, is launching a 24-hour Christian television news channel, purportedly the first of its kind. The press release: Exactly 57 years (October 1, 1961) after The Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) debuted on the airwaves of a tiny UHF station in Portsmouth Virginia (WYAH-TV), CBN returns to network broadcast programming today with the launch of the CBN News Channel, the first 24-hour Christian television news channel. Pat Robertson, founder of CBN, and Gordon Robertson, CEO of... Read more
From Crux: As U.S. bishops work to formulate an official response to clerical sexual abuse and cover-up, a new watchdog group backed by wealthy Catholics is seeking to take matters into their own hands. A new organization, which held an RSVP-only event on Sunday evening, plans to spend more than $1 million in the next year investigating every member of the College of Cardinals “to name those credibly accused in scandal, abuse, or cover-ups.” “The Better Church Governance Group” held... Read more
Pope Francis has asked us to pray the rosary during October, the month of the rosary — and now my friend Mike Lewis has created a handy (ha!) helper for you. From his blog, Where Peter Is: For those who would like to join in this prayer with the Holy Father but might be a little out of practice with praying the rosary, I’ve laid out a few printable resources that can assist you if you’ve forgotten. Additionally, the Sub Tuum prayer,... Read more
From Catholic News Agency: Cardinal Christoph Schönborn has said that in his view, whether the Church could ordain women as deacons remains an “open question.” The Archbishop of Vienna was speaking Sept. 29 to 1700 delegates from parish councils and other bodies in St. Stephen’s Cathedral. Reflecting that he recently had ordained 14 men to the permanent diaconate, he added, according to local news agency Kathpress, “perhaps one day also female deacons.” Schönborn said that there had been female deacons... Read more
USA TODAY’s Erik Brady wrote an opinion piece Friday that raised a lot of eyebrows, suggesting that Brett Kavanaugh should “stay off basketball courts for now when kids are around.” That turned a quiet weekend into a shouting match on social media. The Blaze summarizes what happened: A USA Today sports writer incited outrage Saturday after he suggested that Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh should never be allowed to coach children’s sports again due to the “credible” accusations of sexual... Read more
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