Behold, the “Pope Benedict XVI Teddy bear” in a show room of the Hermann-Spielwaren GmbH, a manufacturer of fine German Teddy bears, in Coburg, yesterday. The special edition on the occasion of the second visit of Pope Benedict XVI to Gemany comes with growler and is limited to only 111 pieces worldwide. Read more. (AP Photo/Jens Meyer) Read more
Patheos is publishing a number of essays to mark the 10-year anniversary of 9/11. Mine begins on the morning after: On the morning of September 12, 2001, I awoke to the sound of sirens. My first thought, in bleary half-sleep:“Where am I?” And then I knew. I looked around at the pale walls of a high rise hotel on Manhattan’s west side, and remembered that almost 24 hours earlier, on a blindingly beautiful late summer morning, in the start of... Read more
From the documentary “9/11.” I’d forgotten that this was online. The documentary shows the last minutes in the life of Fr. Judge — moments, clearly, spent in prayer. H/T to The Anchoress for reminding us about this. Read more
The simmering dispute over clergy being omitted from Sunday’s ceremonies at Ground Zero has finally landed on the pages of the New York Times, which provides some interesting comment and context: The second Sunday after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, New York clergy members of many faiths joined elected officials at Yankee Stadium in a city-sponsored memorial ceremony that melded the sacred and the secular, replete with flags, prayers and tears. Ten years later, any consensus that existed about the... Read more
A longtime FOB (Friend of the Bench) and FOD (Friend of Deacons) has just published a very good book on one of the most challenging aspects of the Christian life: forgiveness. Fr. R. Scott Hurd, from the Archdiocese of Washington, serves as the executive director of the archdiocese’s Office of the Permanent Diaconate. (The Father is also a father: he’s a former Episcopal priest who converted in 1996.) The Catholic Standard has a more: In his new book “Forgiveness: A... Read more
The Anchoress has accused me of “blubbering” over stuff like this. Wrong. I never blubber. I sniffle. But now she’s gone and posted the video below, which may be one of the most potent and unexpected pro-life (and pro-living) testaments you’ll see on television. And I have to admit: I’m blubbering. Just watch. Read more
The USCCB President Timothy Dolan released the following statement late Thursday, in advance of this weekend’s commemoration: “As we commemorate the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York, Shanksville, Pennsylvania, and at the Pentagon, it is a time for remembrance, resolve and renewal. We reverently recall those who were most directly affected by this tragedy—those who died, were injured or lost loved ones.In a special way we recall the selfless first responders—firefighters, police, chaplains, emergency workers, and... Read more
I find this hard to believe. But two high- profile Catholics with troubled pasts — Mel Gibson and Joe Eszterhas — are reportedly teaming up on a biblical epic. Details: Warner Bros has set up an untitled drama that teams Gibson and screenwriter Joe Eszterhas on the telling of the heroic story of Jewish warrior Judah Maccabee. Eszterhas will write the script, and I understand that Gibson will collaborate with him. Maccabee teamed with his father and four brothers to lead the... Read more
“In the unfolding of Scripture, Mary’s birthday is ultimately about the birth of her son. The Gospel for today is the story of how Jesus was conceived. And we honor Mary precisely because she gave birth to Jesus, our messiah and Lord. The Gospel focuses on Joseph’s goodness and fidelity, and on Mary’s perfect surrender to God in love, trusting in the providence of God. We need to follow the example of Mary and Joseph, trusting God in the difficult... Read more
Spotted on the E train tonight: an ad for a storage company. Read more
The Deacon's Bench
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In