Details: A small Catholic college that invited Victoria Reggie Kennedy to speak at its spring commencement has rescinded the offer under pressure from the Worcester bishop, who described her apparent political views as out of line with Catholic teachings. Anna Maria College in Paxton, west of Worcester, released a statement today placing the decision at the feet of Bishop Robert J. McManus and saying it still believes Kennedy is an appropriate choice. However, the statement continued, “after hours of discerning... Read more
Despite being rocked by the sex abuse scandal, a huge percentage in the country still self-identify as Catholic. Details, from the Irish Times: Ireland remains the overwhelmingly Catholic country of the English-speaking world, according to results of the April 2011 census, published yesterday. Over 84 per cent of people in the Republic, or 3.86 million, described themselves as Roman Catholic in that census. It may represent a drop from the 86.8 per cent of the population who did so in the... Read more
This is truly something special. Here’s Johanna Quaas, 86-years-young, performing in Germany this week. (Me, I just finished a bag of potato chips while watching “The Office.” You’ll never see that on YouTube. Thank God.) Read more
Sad but true. Details: One of the largest student religious groups at Vanderbilt [University] will be leaving campus at the end of the year in a dispute over the university’s nondiscrimination policy. That policy bars student groups from requiring their leaders to hold specific religious beliefs. Leaders of Vanderbilt Catholic said that rule makes no sense. They won’t comply and instead will become an independent, off-campus ministry. “The discriminatory non-discrimination policy at Vanderbilt University has forced our hand,” the Rev. John... Read more
As we near the Easter Vigil, and deacons around the globe are clearing their throats and practicing the new Exsultet, here’s an interesting tidbit from New Liturgical Movement: Recently one of our priests sent in some photos with a brief note about a Paschal candle that he, himself, undertook to design for his parish. He commented to me that “in honor of the return of the bees to the Exsultet” he incorporated them into the design. What he is referring to,... Read more
An extraordinary undertaking: For the last two years, Lafayette Catholic Service Centers have been working towards burying the unclaimed at the Lafayette Parish Coroner’s office. This unexpected journey began when Kimberly Boudreaux, Executive Director at Lafayette Catholic Service Centers, contacted the coroner’s office to claim a formerly homeless man, whom I had befriended at St. Joseph Shelter. Within that phone call she learned that Brian was one of many who had been left at the coroner’s office for an extended period... Read more
From Blackstone Films comes this must-see message: the official Stand Up for Religious Freedom promotional video. Watch it and pass it on. Read more
The following comment appeared today in a post on married priests. I’d like to hear what deacon readers think: I am currently in formation for the permanent diaconate. I have often thought in the back of my mind that, at some point in the not-so-distant future, the door will open wider for a married priesthood in the Latin Rite, with permanent deacons an obvious source of potential candidates. This post made me realize that I’m probably wrong. While I thought... Read more
Fr. Frank Pavone looks at the Church’s role in politics in this morning’s Washington Post: The church is called to be an equal opportunity critic. She must have the freedom to challenge all, across political lines, with the Gospel call to repentance. The institutional church in the United States has at times been called “the Democrats at prayer,” because of so many alliances and loyalties forged through the provision of social programs. At the same time, I have heard – and... Read more
The Deacon's Bench
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