The Holy Father offered more catechesis on liturgy today and turned his attention to the Liturgy of the Word: If one chats during Mass, the Pope continued, one doesn’t hear God’s Word and he urged believers to open their hearts in silence to be able to receive His message and then put its indications into practice. “We need to listen! Since we do not live ‘by bread alone’, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God, we... Read more

A great read about a great American icon, from The Washington Post: Americans seem to love sharing myths about Fred Rogers, the friendly neighbor known the world over as Mister Rogers. Consider the one about how he wore cardigans to cover up his tattoos (false). Or the one about how he was an ordained Presbyterian minister. That one is true — he graduated from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary in 1963 — and it’s far more foundational to Rogers’s legacy than you... Read more

This looks sensational. This feature, starring Jim Caviezel as Luke, opens at Easter time. Deacons: Look closely and you’ll see what appears to be the stoning of Stephen. Read more

This video was produced by the Archdiocese of Washington for NCEA (National Catholic Education Association) to promote “A Day of Giving” to Catholic schools. That day would be today: Tuesday, January 30. As NCEA puts it: Twenty years ago, Saint Pope John Paul II said to an audience of Catholic educators in New Orleans: “Yours is a great gift to the Church, a great gift to your nation.” Countless people in our country have been blessed by the many gifts... Read more

From USA TODAY, more details about Mel Gibson’s long-anticipated follow-up: Jim Caviezel is very much on board with director Mel Gibson’s plan to shoot a sequel to The Passion of the Christ. Caviezel, 49, confirmed he will reprise his role as Jesus in the planned film about the resurrection of Christ. “There are things that I cannot say that will shock the audience,” he says. “It’s great. Stay tuned.” Gibson and his star have been tight-lipped on details of how the new film will move forward. But the actor... Read more

The details:  The Catholic Church in Australia says new laws aimed at curbing interference by foreign states could force bishops, priests and nuns to publicly declare that they are agents of the Vatican. The laws, which followed concerns about China’s efforts to meddle in Australian politics and universities, require anyone acting for a foreign power to reveal their status or face criminal charges. But Catholic leaders say the measures will “silence” members of the Church involved in advocacy and could... Read more

From The Chicago Tribune:  The Rev. Gary Graf hasn’t touched solid food in 10 days. The Pilsen-based priest has committed to a hunger strike in support of local “Dreamers” whose lives hang in the balance as Congress wrangles over immigration reform. “Ni hambre tengo,” he said in Spanish on Tuesday afternoon. “I’m not even hungry.” Graf plans to fast until lawmakers reach a deal to replace Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, an Obama-era program that shields young immigrants who came... Read more

As you may have heard, that’s the situation this year: Thinking about making Valentine’s Day reservations soon? If you are Catholic and under the age of 60 you might want to look for seafood or vegetarian fare. This year, Valentine’s Day shares the calendar with Ash Wednesday. This hasn’t happened since 1945 (…but it will happen again in 2024 and 2029). That means it is an obligatory day of fasting (one full meal plus two smaller meals that together are... Read more

This is remarkable, via The Washington Post:  Former gymnast Rachael Denhollander used her statement Wednesday against sex abuser Larry Nassar as a testimony and message of grace and forgiveness. She was the final victim to make a statement in the sentencing hearing in Ingham County Circuit Court in Michigan. Judge Rosemarie Aquilina sentenced Nassar, the former USA Gymnastics team doctor, to up to 175 years in a Michigan prison for his abuse of young female gymnasts. Denhollander used part of her... Read more

On March 21, 2006, a social media pioneer Jack Dorsey did something no one had ever done before—and it had a profound impact on all of us. He sent out the first Tweet. “Just setting up my Twttr,” he wrote. The rest is history. As of this month, Twitter reports there are 500 million Tweets per day sent from around the world. There are 100 million daily active Twitter users. One of them, of course, is President Trump, who has... Read more