The Anchoress is pretty fed up with the noise coming out of Washington these days — who isn’t? — and offers a brief meditation this afternoon on hate, and praying not to hate. She concludes with this wisdom from Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: Within the best of us, there is some evil, and within the worst of us, there is some good. When we come to see this, we take a different attitude toward individuals. The person who... Read more
And I’m pleased to report that one of them is Brooklyn’s own auxiliary, Frank Caggiano — the man many of us knew as just plain old “Father Frank” a decade ago, when he was the head of our diaconate program. Details: The Pontifical Council for the Laity chose eight bishops from around the U.S. to host English-speaking catechesis sessions for the upcoming World Youth Day in Madrid. Over 28,000 U.S. pilgrims and 62 bishops have registered so far to participate... Read more
Men do it differently from women — and shifting demographics suggest there will be a lot more of them in the years to come. The New York Times looks at this phenomenon, and how hospitals and hospices are working to address it: The loss of a loved one is a profoundly heartbreaking experience, but it is not the same for everyone. Research increasingly suggests that men and women experience grief in different ways, and the realization has bolstered a nascent... Read more
It’s a question more people in Colorado are asking. The local media picked up the story last month: Anti-abortion protesters were about 60 strong outside Mercy Regional Medical Center on Thursday to protest the hospital’s affiliation with local obstetrician-gynecologist Richard Grossman. Mercy’s physician-credentialing and privileging practices are consistent with the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services, Schmidt said. Protesters waved signs that said such things as “Dr. Grossman is an abortionist” and “Abortion Kills Children,” and others... Read more
It’s because creepy stuff like this actually does happen: A South African man awoke to find himself in a morgue fridge – nearly a day after his family thought he had died, a health official said Monday. Health department spokesman Sizwe Kupelo said the man awoke Sunday afternoon, 21 hours after his family called in an undertaker who sent him to the morgue after an asthma attack. Morgue owner Ayanda Maqolo said he sent his driver to collect the body... Read more
Blogger and writer Patrick Madrid uncovered this news and describes it as “perhaps unprecedented”: the organizers of WYD have officially disavowed any connection with one of the people appearing there. From the WYD web site: WYD Cultural Program Participants Must Be Endorsed by Bishops’ Conferences It has come to our attention that Michael Voris, a US based media producer, is scheduled to offer independent catechesis sessions out of a hotel in Madrid during World Youth Day 2011. There has been... Read more
From Nashville, the pre-race prayer at the Nascar Nationwide series race last weekend. Read more
Helpful advice from a pizzeria: See some other great tips here. Read more
After a statement supporting the dissident priest Fr. R0y Bourgeois got prominent play in the New York Times this weekend, a group of Catholic clergy has released a rare public statement of “fraternal correction.” The press release: Motivated out of the loving bond of brotherhood between all men in Holy Orders, the Confraternity of Catholic Clergy (a national association of 500 priests and deacons) invokes fraternal correction on the 157 American priests who recently and imprudently signed a statement supporting... Read more
Details: The Vatican has recalled its ambassador to Ireland following accusations that the Vatican sabotaged efforts by Catholic bishops to report clerical sex abuse cases to police. Foreign Minister Eamon Gilmore summoned papal ambassador Archbishop Giuseppe Leanza two weeks ago and demanded an official response from the Vatican. The Vatican has said it will issue one at the “opportune time” but has not done so yet. Vatican Radio said Monday that Leanza has now been recalled to Rome. Repercussions from... Read more
The Deacon's Bench
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