David Brooks in The New York Times writes about the superlative new documentary “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?”—and keys in on Fred Rogers’ unabashed Christian message of hope and love: There’s nothing obviously moving here, and yet the audience is moved: sniffling, wiping the moisture from their cheeks. The power is in Rogers’s radical kindness at a time when public kindness is scarce. It’s as if the pressure of living in a time such as ours gets released in that... Read more
This beautiful Eucharistic hymn will be sung at my parish this weekend. Written by James Moore, it’s a familiar modern hymn with a gentle, meditative melody. The words: Taste and see, taste and see the goodness of the Lord. Oh, taste and see, taste and see the goodness of the Lord, of the Lord. 1 I will bless the Lord at all times. Praise shall always be on my lips; my soul shall glory in the Lord; for God has... Read more
The above picture has started circulating around social media, a frame grab from President Trump’s rally this week in Montana. It’s not clear if these are Catholic priests, seminarians, deacons or Protestant clergy (who sometimes wear the Roman collar.) [UPDATE: They are Catholic priests. See below.] A few points need to be made. Canon Law states: Can. 287 1. Most especially, clerics are always to foster the peace and harmony based on justice which are to be observed among people. 2. They are not to have an active part in political parties and in governing labor unions unless, in the judgment of competent ecclesiastical authority, the protection of the rights of... Read more
This reportedly goes beyond what has been discussed previously among the German bishops: allowing Protestants in interdenominational marriages to receive the Eucharist on a case-by-case basis. From The Catholic Herald: The Bishop of Würzburg has allowed all Protestants married to Catholics to receive Holy Communion at jubilee Masses for married couples in his cathedral. Bishop Franz Jung, who was installed as bishop just last month, told spouses in “inter-denominational” marriages that they were welcome to “join the Lord’s table” at... Read more
Leave it to the Church Whisperer: Rocco Palmo spotted this little-known detail about Amy Coney Barrett, on the short list to be nominated for the Supreme Court. This comes from an interview in the Clarion Herald with New Orlean’s Archbishop Gregory Aymond last year: Amy Coney Barrett is a law professor at the University of Notre Dame. She is the eldest of seven children of Deacon Mike Coney, who is a permanent deacon assigned to St. Catherine of Siena Parish... Read more
From The New York Times: Americans are having fewer babies. At first, researchers thought the declining fertility rate was because of the recession, but it kept falling even as the economy recovered. Now it has reached a record low for the second consecutive year. Because the fertility rate subtly shapes many major issues of the day — including immigration, education, housing, the labor supply, the social safety net and support for working families — there’s a lot of concern about... Read more
From Vatican News: In 2020 it will be 50 years since Pope Paul VI revived the ancient Order of Virgins. Consecrated virgins now number approximately 5,000 and live in every part of the world. The Prefect for the Dicastery for Consecrated Life, Cardinal João Braz de Aviz, says that the new Instruction Ecclesiae Sponsae imago is the first Document to address the make-up and discipline of this form of consecration. It is also a response to the interest shown in this revived vocation.... Read more
Here’s a glimpse at how some deacons serve. Deacon Mike Whitters shares some of his experience ministering in Haiti as part of his parish’s “Twinning Program.” This appeared in The Witness, the newspaper for the Archdiocese of Dubuque: As part of the sister parish program of the Catholic Church, we have been serving in Haiti at our sister parish of Our Lady of Assumption in the region of Anse Rouge. [My wife] Pam actually attended the first sister parish visit... Read more
From Megan McArdle in The Washington Post: I am myself uneasily pro-choice. Moreover, just a few days ago, I argued that the increasingly bitter judicial wars tearing apart today’s politics can only be ended with more judicial deference to legislatures and to precedent. It stands to reason that I would be dismayed by the politically electrifying prospect that Roe might be overruled entirely. But I wouldn’t be dismayed. I’d be glad to see Roe go, as quickly as possible. How can someone who calls herself pro-choice... Read more
A bit h/t to my brother and classmate Deacon Bill McNamara, who noticed this in his local paper. From The Oregonian: We are a group of 10 students from Jesuit High School. We recently went on a service trip to the United States-Mexico border. We visited the Kino Border Initiative, serving meals and offering hospitality to migrants at a place called the Comedor, or dining room, in Nogales, Mexico. We were fortunate to hear the stories of many who had... Read more
The Deacon's Bench
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