From the archdiocesan newspaper Chicago Catholic: One evening I was having dinner with a friend who is a prominent leader in the world of entertainment. He is not Catholic, but professed to have a very strong liking of our Holy Father, Pope Francis. He appreciated his clear voice in defense of the marginalized, his powerful symbolic witness in actions such as washing the feet of prisoners and his radiant and joyful interactions with people from every background. “What makes him... Read more
From National Catholic Register: The culture assumes celibacy is unhealthy, repressive, and gamophobic, but is it? Canadian priest Father Harrison Ayre says no, which is why he started the trending Twitter hashtag #celibacymatters. “The common misconceptions people have about celibacy: sexual repression, the confusion between celibacy and chastity, and that [priests] didn’t want or couldn’t handle marriage,” Father Ayre told CNA. “No, this is a healthy lifestyle. It’s the way Jesus lived. If Jesus can live it then with his grace... Read more
This is a novel idea—and a great one. From CNS: In light of this year’s Synod of Bishops on young people, Pope Francis has asked that the Way of the Cross meditations be written by a group of students. An Italian high school religion teacher was coordinating the texts that will be written by 15 of his students in Rome, the Vatican announced March 8. Each year, the pope asks a different person or group of people to write the... Read more
CNA recently interviewed Monsignor Ricardo Urioste, Archbishop Oscar Romero’s vicar general, who offers some insight into the soon-to-be saint: Msgr. Urioste, who currently heads up the Archbishop Romero Foundation, said that during the time the martyr lived, whenever “he preached, spoke, was a pastor, they accused him of being communist, Marxist, a politician, and a thousand things.” However, he noted how after 12 years of extensive study on the life and writings of the archbishop, the Vatican never found anything that... Read more
Details: Meghan Markle has been baptised into the Church of England in a secret ceremony with Prince Harry at her side. The intimate 45-minute service was conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury at the Chapel Royal on Tuesday evening. They were joined by Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall, but neither Prince William nor the Queen were present. Miss Markle’s baptism, which formally introduces her into the Anglican faith ahead of her wedding to Harry in two months, marks... Read more
From The Tablet in the U.K.: Pope Francis has donated 100,000 euros (£90,000) towards the first Orthodox monastery that is being built at St Andrä in Austria’s easternmost province of Burgenland. At a festive ceremony in the Greek-Orthodox Holy Trinity Cathedral (“Dreifaltigkeitskathedrale”) in Vienna on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Austria’s Orthodox Act of 1967, – (the Roman Catholic Church enjoys special rights in Austria regulated in the Concordat but statutory enactments also regulate the state’s relationship to other... Read more
Big news: Pope Francis has given the green light for martyred Archbishop Oscar Romero to be declared a saint. Francis has authorized a miracle attributed to Romero, and the canonization ceremony could take place during World Youth Day in Panama, January 2019. Romero’s miracle was reportedly signed off by the Pope on Tuesday 6 March at the same time he authorised a miraculous intercession attributed to Paul VI, who will be canonized at the end of October. The precise date of... Read more
Details: Retired Bishop David Foley, former head of the Catholic Diocese of Birmingham from 1994-2005, has been battling cancer, the diocese announced today. Foley, 88, was hospitalized on Feb. 25. He had preached that Sunday morning in the Mass at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Adamsville. “It has just been discovered and he has been diagnosed with a rare and aggressive malignancy,” Bishop Robert J. Baker said in a statement released today. “This is a very rare form of cancer... Read more
It’s never too early, brother deacons. Here’s part of a commentary on this great chant, from the Rev. Michael J. Flynn, from the USCCB website: As is fitting for a text of this importance and solemnity, the Exsultet should always be sung – unless singing it worthily would be truly impossible. The chant notation in the Missal is not difficult to sing, but the Easter Proclamation is lengthy, so preparation and practice well in advance is essential. It is also... Read more
From Pew: Five years into Francis’ papacy, the vast majority of U.S. Catholics continue to have a favorable opinion of the Argentinian pontiff, and most say he represents a major – and positive – change for the Roman Catholic Church. At the same time, a new Pew Research Center survey finds signs of growing discontent with Francis among Catholics on the political right, with increasing shares of Catholic Republicans saying they view Francis unfavorably, and that they think he is... Read more
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