From CNS: Pope Francis told a reporter that it is “an honor when Americans attack me.” The pope made his comments to Nicolas Seneze, a reporter from La Croix, the French Catholic daily newspaper, during the flight Sept. 4 from Rome to Maputo, Mozambique. Seneze is author of “Comment l’Amerique veut changer de pape,” which can be translated as “how America wanted to change popes.” Seneze gave Pope Francis a copy of the book during the flight. Pope Francis said... Read more
“Pornography is a big struggle, but no one talks about it.” That’s the head-turning message by a young Catholic priest who has launched a movement on social media. Via Aleteia: Fr. Cassidy Stinson (a.k.a. @TheHappyPriest) is a newly ordained priest of the Diocese of Richmond with a penchant for social media. Convicted there’s value to digital community building, he puts a fair amount of time and energy into his well-curated profiles. On July 27, he sent this tweet: Such a... Read more
The story in Buffalo continues to implode — bursting onto social media early this morning, with the latest bombshell coming from tape recordings of the bishop obtained by reporter Charlie Specht: It’s the morning of Friday, Aug. 2, and Bishop Richard J. Malone hasn’t slept for two nights. “We are in a true crisis situation,” Malone said. “True crisis. And everyone in the office is convinced this could be the end for me as bishop. It could force me to... Read more
Kudos to reporter Ruth Graham who got arguably the Catholic scoop of the year: a conversation with disgraced former cardinal Theodore McCarrick, his first interview since his very public and scandalous fall from grace. She visited the town of Victoria, Kansas, and spoke with him at the friary where he’s now living. This long profile of McCarrick’s new life appears in Slate: Father John, who met with me twice in Victoria, told me kindly but firmly that McCarrick was not available... Read more
“Have pity on us and obtain for us protection from hurricanes and all other disasters…” This devotion is popular around New Orleans. And the website for the National Shrine of Our Lady of Prompt Succor offers some background: French Ursulines arrived in New Orleans in 1727 and established the oldest school for girls currently operating in what is now the United States. During a per iod of crisis after a large group of nuns left New Orleans for Cuba in... Read more
That appears to be exactly what happened in the video below, posted on Twitter last week. It’s unclear where or when this was taken. But it’s gotten a lot of attention and generated a fair amount of comment. You can see it for yourself here. It’s pretty outrageous, any way you slice it. But I have questions. Why was someone recording this particular man going up to receive communion (at what was, clearly, a funeral)? The man seems to look at... Read more
A grateful h/t to FOB Josh Mansfield, who passed along this picture of the new deacons and their wives. The ordination was celebrated on Saturday at St. Columba Cathedral by Bishop Martin J. Amos, Bishop Emeritus of the Diocese of Davenport, Iowa. Youngstown’s Bishop George Murry is being treated for cancer and was unable to attend. Josh reports: At the beginning of the Mass, Msgr. Robert Siffrin, Vicar General, greeted the congregation, welcomed Bishop Amos, and gave the ordinandi the greetings... Read more
The movie premiered at the Telluride Film Festival this weekend. One review calls it, in its headline, “A charming buddy movie about the future of the Catholic Church.” Make of that what you will. Without offering a complete review, the Bible of Hollywood, Variety, did report on the premiere and noted the movie was greeted warmly with both laughter and tears: Little did the audience at the world premiere of “The Two Popes” know that the papal two-hander is actually... Read more
From The Tennessean: The students at St. Edward Catholic School in Nashville can no longer checkout the popular Harry Potter book series from their school’s library. The seven-book series depicting the magical adventures of a young wizard and his friends was removed from the library because of their content, the Rev. Dan Reehil, a pastor at the Roman Catholic parish school, wrote in an email. “These books present magic as both good and evil, which is not true, but in fact a clever... Read more
From Vatican News: After reciting the Angelus in St Peter’s Square on Sunday, Pope Francis announced a consistory to be held on 5 October for the nomination of 10 new Cardinals. He said that the places where these new Cardinals come from express the missionary vocation of the Church as she continues to announce the merciful love of God to every person on earth. The names of the new Cardinals are: 1. Bishop Miguel Angel Ayuso Guixot, mccj – President of... Read more
The Deacon's Bench
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