A new study out of Canada paints a grim picture: Abortions of female fetuses have led to a massive surplus of young unmarried men in India and China, raising fears of an outcast group that could threaten the social fabric, a study said Monday. The trend took root in the 1980s when ultrasound technologies made it easier for families to detect fetal sex early and to abort if it was not what the parents desired, said the analysis in the Canadian Medical... Read more
Well, to paraphrase Garrison Keillor: it’s been a quiet weekend at The Deacon’s Bench. Which is to say: um, no. Not so much. The blogosphere is still trembling from The Corapi Quake. There’s been an unprecedented reaction to this story about the famous priest’s very public admission that he has been accused of impropriety and suspended, pending an investigation. The phenomenal numbers of comments and “shares” on Facebook tell the story — and appear to be a record for The... Read more
A few people in the comments have offered legal help to the accused priest. Please note: I will not post addresses or phone numbers. I have no way of verifying whether they are legitimate, and can’t vouch for the people posting them. I’m sure, in the 10 days since he first learned of the allegations, Fr. Corapi has amassed a strong and credible legal team. (Made up of both canon lawyers and civil defenders.) I have no doubt the statement... Read more
The faith of New York’s governor is in the spotlight these days, and the New York Times shines even more light on it: He goes to Mass, though not every Sunday. He considers himself a practicing Roman Catholic, yet avoids calling himself devout. He opposes the death penalty, as church leaders do. But he is divorced. And he supports same-sex marriage and abortion rights, stances sharply at odds with church teaching. In other words, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo of New... Read more
Is the Church doing something wrong? Why are more people opting for weddings that have nothing to do with a church? Details, from the Providence-Journal in Rhode Island: Michaela Connors-Mare never set out to marry outside the Catholic Church. It just turned out that way. It was 2005. Michaela, then 29, had met Nelson Mare when he came the previous August from Portugal to visit his parents, who lived next door to her in Washington Park. Now they were engaged... Read more
Dr. Gerard Nadal — a frequent visitor and commenter here — says aloud on his own blog what many have been thinking: It is possible that the allegations are true in whole, or in part. While I strongly doubt that may be the case, it is nevertheless a possibility, grounded in the reality of past cases of very public clergy, and people should have that level of awareness. That of course raises what for me is the absolute certainty of... Read more
This, from Orlando and the Basilica of the National Shrine of Mary Queen of the Universe. (Visitors to Disney World will be familiar with it — it’s practically my second parish!) This is a life-sized bronze depiction of Jesus with his foster father in their workshop. (Note: some pieces of wood arranged like a cross on the bench.) Unfortunately, the shrine website doesn’t describe the artwork on display — some of it, quite stunning — or name the artists. Anybody... Read more
An unusual image of the beloved saint, below, from the great John Collier. As the artist explains: “Joseph dressed as a carpenter with the Child Jesus standing beside him. Jesus holds a plumb line to say that He, as the Plumb Line, is a fixed point against which all else can be measured.” Litany of St. Joseph St. Joseph, Renowned offspring of David, Light of Patriarchs, Spouse of the Mother of God, Chaste guardian of the Virgin, Foster father of... Read more
The celebrated speaker and televangelist posted the following statement on his web site: On Ash Wednesday I learned that a former employee sent a three-page letter to several bishops accusing me of everything from drug addiction to multiple sexual exploits with her and several other adult women. There seems to no longer be the need for a complaint to be deemed “credible” in order for Church authorities to pull the trigger on the Church’s procedure, which was in recent years... Read more
Several weeks before the former pontiff’s scheduled beatification, remnants and reminders of his life are everywhere. Pictured below: the blood-stained sash he wore when he was shot, now on display in Czestochowa, Poland. Details: Pope John Paul II is not yet a saint, but objects donated by his longtime secretary are already being venerated as relics in his staunchly Roman Catholic homeland. Polish Formula 1 driver Robert Kubica keeps a medallion containing a fragment of the late pontiff’s robe... Read more
The Deacon's Bench
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In