From Variety: The Vatican has given the thumbs up to the first Pope Francis biopic set to hit Italian movie screens. Italian director Daniele Luchetti’s “Call Me Francesco,” depicting Jorge Maria Bergoglio’s path from Jesuit priest to groundbreaking pontiff, will world preem in Vatican City on December 1 prior to its wide release on 700 Italian screens on December 3. Though it is not known whether the Pope himself will attend, it’s clear that the pic has his pontifical seal... Read more
“In Matthew’s gospel, before Jesus ascends, he tells them, very simply, ‘Go therefore and make disciples of all nations.’ He urges them to baptize, to teach, to carry on the work that he has begun. But his first direction is so clear: ‘Go.’ The world is waiting. Act on what I have taught you. And the reading from Acts even challenges them. As they have watched him disappear into the clouds, two men ask them: ‘Men of Galilee, why are... Read more
This week is Vocations Awareness Week — and today, right in the middle of it, marks the feast of the patron of seminarians, St. Charles Borromeo. The web site Vianney Vocations has a very good post on the subject of vocational discernment. Share this with a young man you know, and check out the site for some excellent resources. Meantime, take a look at this sage advice: If you’re a young Catholic man, perhaps priesthood has crossed your mind, but... Read more
A young woman in Ukraine, Olena Malchyn, tells us in CNEWA’s magazine, ONE: At first it was quite challenging. After ordination, my husband was able to spend much less time with our family than before. Once he became a priest he devoted much time in the evenings ministering to youth groups. Also, besides his pastoral work during the day he lectured at the Ukrainian Catholic University in Kiev, and accumulated administrative responsibilities as a vice chancellor of the Archeparchy of Kiev.... Read more
Some good news, via The Daily Caller: Leah Remini said she’s found “amazing” comfort in the Catholic Church after leaving Scientology two years ago. During an interview with Howard Stern Tuesday morning, the 45-year-old actress said she was raised Catholic by her family, who was “very insistent” on religion. “My grandmother lived in Little Italy, and she went to church every day,” Remini told Stern. “She’d go light candles, she’d pray, and as a child that was comforting to me.”... Read more
That jaw-dropping figure from NCR: The U.S. Catholic church has incurred nearly $4 billion in costs related to the priest sex abuse crisis during the past 65 years, according to an extensive NCR investigation of media reports, databases and church documents. In addition, separate research recently published calculates that other scandal-related consequences such as lost membership and diverted giving has cost the church more than $2.3 billion annually for the past 30 years. Between 1950 and August of this year,... Read more
Blessed—and discounted— are the peacemakers: A hummus cafe in Israel is giving a 50 percent discount to tables mixing Jewish and Arab diners, in a campaign the owner hopes will bring people together, as dozens of people have been killed in Israeli-Palestinian violence. Kobi Tzafrir, the owner of Humus Bar in the town of Kfar Vitkin, posted the offer on Facebook. “With us we don’t have Arabs! But we also don’t have Jews… With us we’ve got human beings! Real... Read more
Okay. I’m biased. They’re the kids at my parish in Queens. But they’re awesome. And we just got more of them: Sunday, our pastor installed 20 new altar servers, bringing the grand total at the parish to (roughly) 130. [img attachment=”73757″ align=”aligncenter” size=”large” alt=”IMG_3721″ /] I’ve raved about this incredible group before. The moderator, David James, has even offered his own advice on “How to Build an Awesome Altar Server Program.” Well, whatever he’s doing, it works. And success breeds success. In addition to... Read more
Here’s something you don’t hear often, from Jordan Denari, a researcher at Georgetown University: If I had never encountered a five-paragraph document, with a Latin title, written 50 years ago, it is very unlikely that I would still be Catholic today. That brief declaration, Nostra Aetate, was put forth by the Catholic Church during the Second Vatican Council, which concluded fifty years ago this fall. Meaning “in our time,” Nostra Aetate is not revolutionary for how it speaks about Catholicism, but... Read more
From America: In yet another highly significant expression of his love for the poor and the excluded of this world, Pope Francis yesterday baptized the son of Sergio Sanchez, the leader of the “waste-pickers” cooperative in Buenos Aires who was present at his inauguration as Bishop of Rome. He did so in a private ceremony at Santa Marta, the Vatican guest house where he resides. The simple and profoundly moving ceremony took place at five o’clock Saturday evening, Oct. 31,... Read more
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