John Allen at Crux has the scoop: Adding specificity to what was already known about the impending canonization of Blessed Paul VI in 2018, Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the pope’s top deputy as the Vatican’s Secretary of State, said Tuesday that the sainthood rite will take place in late October at the close of a meeting of the Synod of Bishops, an institution Paul VI himself founded. Pope Francis in mid-February confirmed that Paul VI would be elevated to the... Read more
An online petition is calling for that—and it’s reportedly garnered thousands of signatures: Thousands have signed an online petition calling for a national holiday in honor of the Rev. Billy Graham, WSOC reports. The Change.org petition, which was started six days ago by user Kyle Siler, had more than 60,736 signatures as of Monday morning and is addressed to President Donald Trump, as well as senators Thom Tillis, Richard Burr and Jerry Tillman. The petition highlighted Graham’s impact on people... Read more
An amazing story of tenacity, survival and grit: Airman 1st Class Guor Maker fled war and slavery in South Sudan almost 20 years ago, came to the United States, and has become a college graduate, an Olympian, and, now, an airman. As an 8-year-old, Maker, now 33, lost eight of his nine siblings in the Sudanese Civil War and was captured and enslaved twice, once by Sudanese soldiers and once by herdsman, according to a Joint Base San Antonio press... Read more
From Vatican News: As Cardinal Walter Kasper turns 85, the former President of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity has written a new book published by the Italian publisher Queriniana. Entitled “Amoris laetitia’s Message. A brotherly discussion.” Cardinal Kasper and Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, President of the Pontifical Academy for Life, are together presenting the book in Rome. In view of the publication and presentation of the book, Cardinal Walter Kasper granted Vatican News an interview specifically regarding... Read more
Details: The New Arab has gained evidence of Syrian regime forces, who previously held control of the area, raiding Christian graveyards and looting family tombs of valuables including gold, jewellery – and even gold teeth. Harasta, which lies just northeast of downtown Damascus in the opposition-held enclave of Eastern Ghouta, was only recently liberated by Syrian opposition forces during the Battle of Harasta, codenamed “They were wronged” by rebels. The town had been under control of the Assad regime for around five... Read more
Details: Meghan Markle is due to be christened sometime in March in preparation for her wedding to Prince Harry on 19 May. The Sunday Times reports that her baptism and confirmation will be held at Kensington Palace by Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury. As well as Prince Harry, Meghan’s mum, Doria Ragland, and dad, Thomas Markle, are also set to fly to the UK to attend the ceremony. The baptism will see Meghan – who was raised Protestant – join the Church of... Read more
It’s been years in the planning, and Saturday, it finally became a reality. Details: More than 1,000 East Tennessee Catholics filled their new Knoxville cathedral Saturday, dedicating the house of worship with reverence, gratefulness and a certain amount of awe. The Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus is a 28,000-square-foot, $30.8 million building atop a hill overlooking West Knoxville’s Northshore Drive. The building whose signature dome rises 14 stories is the mother church for more than 70,000 Catholics living... Read more
The news comes from the Archdiocese of Washington. It was announced a couple days ago in a press release, touting this plan as the first of its kind implementing Amoris Laetitia on a parish level. Cardinal Donald Wuerl explained his thinking behind it in his blog on Thursday: At Mass this weekend, we hear one of the most beautiful of the Gospel stories – Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4:5-42). To the first listeners of this story,... Read more
From the vault, from one of my favorite homilies, about one of my favorite Gospels: We are all, in a sense, the woman at the well. We thirst. We thirst for love, or mercy, or understanding. We thirst for justice or peace. Our throats are parched by indifference and selfishness and cruelty. We feel ourselves spiritually dry. We thirst for wholeness. We thirst for grace. And we find it, like the woman at the well, not in ordinary water from... Read more
This is our entrance hymn this week. It’s a Scottish hymn dating to the 19th century, written by Horatius Bonar. It has a thumping Celtic sound, and triumphal words: I heard the voice of Jesus say, “Come unto Me and rest; lay down, thou weary one, lay down thy head upon My breast!” I came to Jesus as I was, so weary worn and sad; I found in Him a resting-place, and He has made me glad. About the author: ... Read more
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