Hillary Clinton speaks at Methodist church about her faith

Last updated on: September 13, 2015 at 9:00 am By Deacon Greg Kandra

From The Washington Post: Speaking from a Methodist pulpit on Sunday morning, Hillary Clinton explained her political vision with a reference to the classic Sunday school song “This Little Light of Mine.” “Too many people,” she said, “want to let their light shine, but they can’t get out from under that bushel basket. It is way too heavy to lift alone. And that’s where the community comes in.” It is the 200th anniversary of Foundry United Methodist Church in Washington, where the Clintons worshiped regularly when... Read more

“Priest on the Street” asks: “What would you like Pope Francis to say to Congress?”

Last updated on: September 12, 2015 at 8:17 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

A nifty new video from those talented folks in the Archdiocese of Washington media office. Fr. Michael Paris, chaplain at the University of Maryland (my alma mater: Go Terps!) asks some people in D.C. what they’d like to hear from the pope. Check it out: Read more

What is adultery, anyway?

Last updated on: September 12, 2015 at 6:37 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

Some provocative thoughts on the subject, from Commonweal’s Cathleen Kaveny, and how this might relate to Communion for the divorced and remarried: Some insist that because a sacramental marriage endures until one’s spouse dies, the church must treat the second marriage as adulterous. But is “adultery” the best way to describe the sin of a divorced and civilly remarried person against his or her sacramental first marriage? It is worth noting that the concept of “adultery” has changed significantly over... Read more

Another married Anglican priest ordained for the Catholic Church

Last updated on: September 12, 2015 at 1:34 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

This time, in Canada: The number of Catholic priests in Canada has fallen sharply in recent decades, so any ordination is a rare event. But Friday’s example of the sacrament in Saint John was particularly unusual — because the new priest was surrounded by his wife, children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. “It’s something that I’ve wanted to happen for a number of years and it’s finally happened,” said Father Richard Harris. “It’s a great privilege and a great responsibility too.” Harris... Read more

Poll: More atheists, agnostics entering Harvard than Christians

Last updated on: September 12, 2015 at 10:08 am By Deacon Greg Kandra

A remarkable turn for a school named for a minister, via The Washington Post: A Harvard Crimson poll of the university’s class of 2019 provides a glimpse into the beliefs and practices of incoming freshman, including sex, politics and drug use. Some of the interesting findings included the religious breakdown, especially when compared to other millennials in the U.S. Harvard’s combined number of atheists and agnostics among its incoming class exceeds the number of Catholics and Protestants, as Pew Research Center’s Conrad Hackett noted. The... Read more

Another married Anglican priest ordained for the Catholic Church

Last updated on: September 12, 2015 at 9:59 am By Deacon Greg Kandra

What is adultery, anyway?

Last updated on: September 12, 2015 at 9:48 am By Deacon Greg Kandra

“Priest on the Street” asks: “What would you like Pope Francis to say to Congress?”

Last updated on: September 12, 2015 at 9:40 am By Deacon Greg Kandra

Poll: More atheists, agnostics entering Harvard than Christians

Last updated on: September 12, 2015 at 7:32 am By Deacon Greg Kandra

Advice for new deacons: “Serve, serve serve, but always get a blessing”

Last updated on: September 11, 2015 at 2:05 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

From the Ukrainian Orthodox blog Good Guys Wear Black, some wisdom that could easily be applied to us in the Roman Catholic tradition: I have talked with many deacons and priests about the diaconate and have attempted to distill their words of wisdom into this advice for new deacons. Five things that allow the deacon to be a blessing: Kenosis;Surrender your life to God (through Christ) and Holy Orthodoxy. The Word did not consider Himself so good that He wouldn’t empty Himself... Read more