2017-12-06T10:48:39-05:00

The heads of the Christian churches in Jerusalem have sent the following letter to President Trump on the status of the Holy City. (You can see the original here, at the website for the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem.) + President Donald J. Trump President of the United States of America Dear Mr. President, Jerusalem on December 6, 2017 We are fully aware and appreciative of how you are dedicating special attention to the status of Jerusalem in these days. We... Read more

2017-12-06T08:41:44-05:00

The Holy Father spoke about plans for the United States to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital—a step that has sparked controversy and concern—at the end of his General Audience Wednesday: Pope Francis has appealed for respect for Jerusalem’s status quo according to the pertinent United Nations Resolutions regarding the city. Speaking after his catechesis to the crowds in the Paul VI Hall during the weekly General Audience, the Pope said “my thoughts go to Jerusalem and I cannot keep silent... Read more

2017-12-06T04:34:07-05:00

This is exceptionally well done: a look at the deacons of one archdiocese—St. Paul-Minneapolis—as the Church marks the 50th anniversary of the restoration of the diaconate as a permanent order. Snip: When Deacon Thomas Langlois was ordained one of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis’ first permanent deacons in 1976, he couldn’t ask advice from a veteran deacon — there had been almost no permanent deacons in the Church for a thousand years. “Each step was a new experience... Read more

2017-12-05T15:30:18-05:00

Some interesting observations here about  recent findings from the good people at Pew, via Sandro Magister: With respect to Catholicism and Protestantism, which over the past century have expanded from Europe to the other continents and above all in Latin America and Africa where they now count the bulk of their faithful, Orthodox Christianity has remained concentrated with more than three fourths of its members in Europe, with the only big exception being none other than Ethiopia. An exception that... Read more

2017-12-05T11:36:48-05:00

A grateful h/t to Anthony Ruff over at PrayTell, who sent this my way. It’s a translation from an Italian blog, written by Fr. Markus Tymister, a faculty member at the Pontifical Institute of Liturgy at Sant’ Anselmo in Rome. He makes note of some observations by St. Isidore: St. Isidore died in 639 in Seville, where he was bishop. In his works he succeeding in pulling together knowledge from antiquity and making it accessible. He is generally considered the last... Read more

2017-12-05T10:32:45-05:00

Details: A Coptic cathedral has been restored and reopened eight months after a suicide bombing there on Palm Sunday killed 28 and injured 74 others. St. George’s Cathedral in Tanta, the capital of the Gharbia governorate north of Cairo, has been renamed the Cathedral of St. George and the Martyrs, and its blood-splattered pillars have been left untouched as a reminder of what happened. The cathedral was one of two hit on the same day by suicide bombers targeting Copts... Read more

2017-12-05T08:53:57-05:00

This is big.  It may well be the first time the son of a deacon has ever been named the ordinary of a diocese—at least, in modern times: Pope Francis has appointed Bishop Barry Knestout to lead the diocese of Richmond, Virginia. Knestout, currently an auxiliary bishop in the archdiocese of Washington, will succeed Bishop Francis DiLorenzo who was bishop from 2004 until his death in August. Knestout was ordained a priest in the Archdiocese of Washington by Cardinal James... Read more

2017-12-04T13:06:17-05:00

This is just lovely, an ad the BBC is running this holiday season: “Christmas is a time when people come together to enjoy shared experiences, and special moments. We wanted to reflect that in our Christmas campaign this year and we hope this film will touch hearts and make you smile over the festive period,” said Charlotte Moore, BBC director of content. Check it out above. For all the sweetness of the ad, I can’t help but notice the absence... Read more

2017-12-03T19:34:29-05:00

A little something to remember: During the weeks before Christmas, Catholic churches stand out for what they are missing. Unlike stores, malls, public buildings and homes that start gearing up for Christmas at least by Thanksgiving, churches appear almost stark save for Advent wreaths and maybe some greenery or white lights. “The chance for us to be a little out of sync or a little countercultural is not a bad thing,” said Paulist Father Larry Rice, director of the University... Read more

2017-12-02T16:09:47-05:00

“What I say to you, I say to all: ‘Watch!’” What a powerful way to begin Advent! We customarily think of this as a time to get ready for Christmas—with shopping and decorating, mailing and planning. But that misses something fundamental. Jesus reminds us: the most important thing we can do to begin this season is open our eyes—and open our hearts. Twice in this Gospel, Jesus gives his followers this simple command: to watch, to be alert, to pay... Read more

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