California may require universities to offer abortion pills

Last updated on: September 16, 2019 at 11:41 am By Deacon Greg Kandra

At a time when abortion access is being restricted in some states, here’s the next frontier in the battle for life: At a time when conservative states are sharply limiting abortion access, California signaled a new frontier in abortion-rights on Friday with the passage of legislation that would require all public universities in the state to provide medication abortion on campus. The bill, which would use money raised from private donors to equip and train campus health centers, grew out of a student-led movement... Read more

Now THAT’S a sprinkling: watch Russian priests dump holy water on city from a plane

Last updated on: September 16, 2019 at 9:45 am By Deacon Greg Kandra

The video above shows this unusual mission in action. Details: Russian Orthodox priests have tackled the issues of drunkenness and casual sex in the city of Tver by pouring holy water over its residents from an aircraft. Father Alexander Goryachev, along with local bishop Metropolitan Savva, marked the annual All-Russian Sobriety Day on September 11 by dousing the city with more than 18 gallons of holy water in order to “protect the city afflictions befalling it, from all accidents and social adversity”, Savva told Tver News (via the BBC). Since... Read more

Amazon archbishop backs ordaining married men as priests

Last updated on: September 16, 2019 at 6:52 am By Deacon Greg Kandra

From Crux: According to a Spanish missionary archbishop who’s been in Ecuador since 1998, “We must thank God that there are still prophets like Pope Francis” who think about the future. Specifically, the bishop backed the ordination of married men as priests in the Amazon, supporting the idea of calling viri probati, or tested married men, into the priesthood to serve isolated rural communities. Archbishop Rafael Cob of the Diocese of Puyo believes that an Oct 6-27 Synod of Bishops on the... Read more

President Trump’s blasphemy: why his supporters forgive him

Last updated on: September 15, 2019 at 9:45 am By Deacon Greg Kandra

“Many Christians believe we are in a war … for the culture, a war for the soul of America.” He did it again on Thursday when he talked with supporters in Baltimore. From The Washington Post: For some of the president’s evangelical supporters, Trump’s occasional use of the word “goddamn” is a bridge too far, even for a president whose behavior they’ve grown accustomed to excusing as they fervently support his policies. “I certainly do not condone taking the Lord’s... Read more

WATCH: The engineer who became a nun

Last updated on: September 14, 2019 at 8:32 am By Deacon Greg Kandra

Not exactly the kind of item you expect to see on your nightly news, but CBS’s Chicago station ran this last week — and it’s wonderful. A great vocation story. Check it out below. Read more

Wheeling diocese sells bishop’s residence; proceeds to assist sex abuse victims

Last updated on: September 13, 2019 at 4:18 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

Details: The Wheeling diocesan home of former Catholic bishop Michael J. Bransfield has been sold for $1.2 million, and the proceeds will be placed into a special fund to assist victims of sexual abuse in West Virginia. The Most Rev. Mark E. Brennan, bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston released the information in a letter Friday to Catholics throughout the diocese. The home was sold Aug. 23 to David H. and Meredith McKinley, according to Ohio County real estate... Read more

You’ll never guess who just published an article in favor of NFP

Last updated on: September 13, 2019 at 2:05 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

Would you believe…The New York Times? Check this out, from writer Rachel Mans McKenny: I don’t discuss my family planning choices with many people. While the use of fertility awareness is the doctrinal expectation among my fellow Catholics, it isn’t the norm. Those outside the faith might think that practicing fertility awareness automatically aligns me with conservative beliefs, but I’m actually a registered Democrat whose biggest concerns are universal child care, affordable health insurance, reducing maternal mortality rates and improving living... Read more

Prince Charles will attend Newman canonization in Rome

Last updated on: September 13, 2019 at 1:18 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

This is exceptional — and, just maybe, unprecedented. Via The Tablet: The Prince of Wales will travel to Rome to attend the ceremony where John Henry Newman is to be declared a saint. Clarence House confirmed today that Prince Charles is going to be present in St Peter’s Square on 13 October 2019 when Pope Francis canonises Cardinal Newman, making him the first English non-martyr saint since the reformation. As the Queen no longer travels abroad, the Prince of Wales... Read more

Where was religion in Thursday’s debate?

Last updated on: September 13, 2019 at 12:14 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

Good question. The Deseret News takes a look: “There are Christians who would like to vote for Democrats and don’t want to feel like Democrats are sneering at them for their stupid, old-fashioned religiosity,” said Stephen Prothero, a religion professor at Boston University, to the Deseret News last week. There was no sneering Thursday night, but there were also no direct appeals to religious voters. Some candidates alluded to religious concerns, but they did not address religion as openly as they have... Read more

Pope writes to Ecumenical Patriarch, explaining gift of relics of St. Peter

Last updated on: September 13, 2019 at 9:20 am By Deacon Greg Kandra

You may remember that Francis presented a delegation from the Ecumenical Patriarchate with a remarkable gift on the Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul in June: several bone fragments that are believed to be relics of St. Peter. In August, the Holy Father wrote to the Ecumenical Patriarch about the relics, and that letter was released today. From Vatican News: Pope Francis has written to the Ecumenical Patriarch, Bartholomew, in order, as the Pope says in his letter, “to explain... Read more