That would be Chelsea, daughter of Hillary and Bill, who made her debut as a television correspondent last night on NBC, first on the “Nightly News” and later on “Rock Center.” The Anchoress has a pretty thoughtful review over at her joint, with links to other reactions from around the blogosphere. You can watch Chelsea Clinton’s report here. I have to say this: I was staggeringly unimpressed. And more than a little annoyed. Broadcasting is an intensely collaborative medium,... Read more
“Well, every Christian is born again. It’s one of those things where you just have a new life, a new approach to your life. It’s not like Scientology where it’s all about me, me, me, I’m going to get better, I’m going to get … It’s all about more dependence on Christ and one-on-one relationship. There’s nothing in the Bible that says I can’t be a rock star. When you become a Christian, it doesn’t give you like a book... Read more
Details: When the Iowa social conservative group The Family Leader unveiled a sweeping pledge on marriage and abortion over the summer, Newt Gingrich was one of the candidates who passed on signing it. Now, Gingrich has answered the pledge with a lengthy written response, vowing to support a federal marriage amendment, reinstate the Mexico City policy — and, per the stipulations of The Family Leader pledge, to be faithful to his wife: I also pledge to uphold the institution of marriage through personal... Read more
Anyone who read about the passing of this legendary prelate, and who wondered what all the fuss is about, need only watch this tribute from the folks at Salt + Light in Canada. Read more
He made his remarks while campaigning in Iowa: The nation’s Roman Catholic bishops are wrong by calling for comprehensive immigration reform that includes an earned path to legalization, former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum said today. The Pennsylvania Republican, who is seeking his party’s nomination for president, said in an interview with Des Moines Register political columnist Kathie Obradovich that the United States is a country of laws and it must enforce those laws. “If we develop the program like the... Read more
That would be the late, great Cardinal John Foley, who died over the weekend after a long battle with cancer. My colleague Michael J.L LaCivita remembers the prelate who was a member of the press: For those of us in the trenches of the Catholic media, Cardinal Foley was like a godfather, a prelate with media credentials; he had a Masters in Journalism from the Columbia University School of Journalism, and was a longtime editor of the Catholic Standard and... Read more
Louis Armstrong made that song unforgettable. This brief, spoken rendition gives it another beautiful spin, promoting Attenborough’s “Frozen Planet” series. It’s in a class all its own. Enjoy, because it is a wonderful world. Read more
Well, the Episcopalian who preached at yesterday’s service, attended by the Obamas (shown above, walking to church), drew a curious connection: President Barack Obama and his family attended a worship service Sunday morning at an Episcopal church just across the street from the White House where presidents frequently have visited. The president, first lady Michelle Obama and daughters Sasha and Malia made the short walk across Lafayette Square to St. John’s Church. The sermon by Rev. Dr. Luis Leon was... Read more
Yesterday’s gospel began with a description of John the Baptist “testifying to the light,” preparing the way for the Christ. Between Masses, I stopped by a side altar in our church and took the picture above with my cell phone: an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, whose feast is today, surrounded by roses. When I first saw the finished product, I thought the picture hadn’t turned out well — the highlights were all blown out of proportion. But now,... Read more
From a news brief buried in a CNS report over the weekend: A Mercy sister who was automatically excommunicated because of her role on the ethics committee that allowed an abortion to be performed at a Catholic hospital in Phoenix in 2009 is back in good standing in the Catholic Church. In May 2010, officials at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center publicly acknowledged that an abortion had occurred at the hospital in late 2009. Officials said the woman was... Read more
The Deacon's Bench
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