Study: 3% of Catholics left over the sex abuse scandals

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 5:35 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

An interesting observation, from the New York Times (h/t Marcel): A survey by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life conducted in 2008 found that Americans who had left Catholicism had done so for many reasons, including unhappiness with the church’s position on abortion or homosexuality, disagreement with teachings on birth control, and the feeling that their spiritual needs were not being met. But the survey also found that about a quarter of those saying they had abandoned Catholicism cited... Read more

Play ball: Cincinnati opening day moved from Good Friday

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 5:35 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

You may remember the controversy from some weeks back. Well, now there’s an update: A looming conflict between a religious holiday and a yearly tradition has been avoided. The Cincinnati Reds announce the 2012 Opening Day game will be played Thursday, April 5 at 4:10pm vs. the Miami Marlins at Great American Ball Park. The original 2012 schedule released in September had Opening Day on Friday, April 6 — Good Friday. “We want to thank Major League Baseball, the MLB... Read more

Pamela Anderson to play Mary in Christmas special

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 5:35 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

That would be the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus (seen above in a promotional picture). Details: Former Baywatch star Pamela Anderson, famed for nude photo shoots and a homemade porn video withTommy Lee, is to play mother Mary holding baby Jesus in her arms on Canadian TV this Christmas. Anderson, a native of Canada, will headline A Russell Peters Christmas Special for CTV and The Comedy Network, where she will appear in a sketch comedy scene set in a Christmas manger with... Read more

From horror to hope: Gabby Giffords’ long journey back

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 5:35 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

Did you see the special edition of “20/20” last night? I was riveted, moved and ultimately uplifted. It told the story of Gabby Giffords’ arduous journey back after being shot in the head last January, and featured her first interview, with Diane Sawyer. The entire episode is now available online at this link. It’s a powerful glimpse of courage, persistence and — most poignantly — a deep and abiding love, fraught with challenges most of us could never even imagine.... Read more

Obama “turns his back on Catholics”

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 5:35 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

Washington Post opinion writer (and former Bush speechwriter) Michael Gerson is adding his voice to the growing chorus of critics who charge the Obama White House is betraying its Catholic supporters: In 2009, the University of Notre Dame set off months of intra-Catholic controversy by inviting a champion of abortion rights to deliver the school’s commencement address. When the day arrived, President Obama skillfully deflated the tension. He extended a “presumption of good faith” to his pro-life opponents. Then he... Read more

The Digest goes digital

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 5:35 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

Among the various hats I wear, one is as an editorial advisor to Deacon Digest magazine, the only publication for and about deacons in the United States. I was delighted to discover today that they have recently revamped their website, and put most (all?) of the current issue online. The November issue is devoted to preaching, and includes a lot of insight on the topic — including a few meandering thoughts from Your Humble Blogger. Jim Alt did a... Read more

Study: Catholic men are better paid

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 5:35 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

Okay. Show me the money. Details: Catholicism, with all its attendant ceremony, piety and guilt, may well trump a good Protestant work ethic when it comes to earnings potential, according to the authors of a new study. Catholic men between 25 and 54 years were found to benefit from a wage premium of 6.7 per cent compared with men who reported a Protestant affiliation, an analysis of the Household, Income Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey found. The Southern Cross... Read more

Pope will light world’s largest Christmas tree with an iPad

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 5:35 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

Take that, Rockefeller Center … Read more

Go ahead. Take your time.

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 5:35 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

If I’d known that an extra nine minutes and 50 seconds could make such a difference, I would have paced myself. Behold, a clever tribute to creativity — and taking your time. Read more

Faith on the frontlines: one deacon’s story

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 5:35 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

From Catholic News Service comes this story of a vocation that was formed, to a great extent, on the battlefield: When Deacon Catarino Villanueva arrived on Forward Operating Base Ghazni, Afghanistan, in 2005 for a yearlong deployment with the National Guard, he immediately looked for opportunities to practice his Catholic faith. “I wanted to see what they had there as far as my spirituality,” said Deacon Villanueva, who was ordained to the permanent diaconate in December 2010 and assigned to... Read more