No, this is not a joke: The Church of England is to debate plans to introduce a ceremony akin to a baptism to mark the new identities of Christians who undergo gender transition. The Rev Chris Newlands, the vicar of Lancaster Priory, has proposed a motion to the General Synod to debate the issue, after he was approached by a young transgender person seeking to be “re-baptised” in his new identity. The motion, which was passed by Blackburn Diocese last... Read more
Details from CNA: The Syrian Catholic Archdiocese of Homs confirmed on Friday that a priest in the diocese has been kidnapped, and has asked for prayers for the priest’s safe release. According to Fides, the Homs archdiocese “asked all the faithful to invoke the Lord in prayer so that Father Jacques is released and can return to his life of prayer, to serve his brothers and all Syrians.”Father Jacques Mourad was reportedly kidnapped at gunpoint from the Monastery of Mar Elian... Read more
NCR has this interesting nugget from Sister Maureen Fiedler: This week on “Interfaith Voices,” I had a personal interview with Kevin Eckstrom, who this week is leaving his post as editor-in-chief of Religion News Service. He has taken a position as chief communications officer at the Washington National Cathedral. As you probably know, professional journalists covering news are supposed to be publicly neutral about controversies they cover. They can have their own views (and usually do), but they are supposed to... Read more
Oscar Romero will be beatified tomorrow in San Salvador—and, fittingly, new deacons will be ordained tomorrow in Brooklyn. Romero’s life was profoundly diaconal, devoted to service and sacrifice. “Whoever out of of love for God gives oneself to the service of others,” he said, “will live, like the grain of wheat that dies, but only apparently. Only in undoing itself does it produce the harvest.” In that spirit, I offer below a rich collection of quotes from the man who will soon be known... Read more
No, this is not a joke: The Church of England is to debate plans to introduce a ceremony akin to a baptism to mark the new identities of Christians who undergo gender transition. The Rev Chris Newlands, the vicar of Lancaster Priory, has proposed a motion to the General Synod to debate the issue, after he was approached by a young transgender person seeking to be “re-baptised” in his new identity. The motion, which was passed by Blackburn Diocese last... Read more
Details from CNA: The Syrian Catholic Archdiocese of Homs confirmed on Friday that a priest in the diocese has been kidnapped, and has asked for prayers for the priest’s safe release. According to Fides, the Homs archdiocese “asked all the faithful to invoke the Lord in prayer so that Father Jacques is released and can return to his life of prayer, to serve his brothers and all Syrians.” Father Jacques Mourad was reportedly kidnapped at gunpoint from the Monastery of... Read more
Oscar Romero will be beatified tomorrow in San Salvador—and, fittingly, new deacons will be ordained tomorrow in Brooklyn. Romero’s life was profoundly diaconal, devoted to service and sacrifice. “Whoever out of of love for God gives oneself to the service of others,” he said, “will live, like the grain of wheat that dies, but only apparently. Only in undoing itself does it produce the harvest.” In that spirit, I offer below a rich collection of quotes from the man who will soon be known... Read more
That would be Denise Johnson-Bossert, who makes any selfie look better: That was the two of us at JFK Airport, picking up our baggage after the 10-day religious blogger trip to Jordan last month. (Moments after I snapped that picture, security came by and barked, “No pictures!” If Denise had not been so sweet and obliging, we’d both now be at Rikers begging Frank Weathers to send us a cake with a file inside.) Anyway…all this is a roundabout way of introducing... Read more
That would be Denise Johnson-Bossert, who makes any selfie look better: That was the two of us at JFK Airport, picking up our baggage after the 10-day religious blogger trip to Jordan last month. (Moments after I snapped that picture, security came by and barked, “No pictures!” If Denise had not been so sweet and obliging, we’d both now be at Rikers begging Frank Weathers to send us a cake with a file inside.) Anyway…all this is a roundabout way of introducing... Read more
…for taking this guy away from us. Ladies and gentlemen, Brooklyn’s own Bishop Ed Scharfenberger. Doing what bishops do. And doing it beautifully. Read more
The Deacon's Bench
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