That story about Catholic University offending Muslim students? Bull.

Last updated on: May 16, 2015 at 8:52 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

Steven Greydanus has been following the controversy—and doing a very good job of debunking it—over at the National Catholic Register: Everybody take a deep breath. Nothing is actually happening here. The source of the confusion appears to be an undated article posted on BeliefNet — a story that dates back to 2011. (Undated news stories are the worst. Actually, as I recently noted, even dated news stories are often revived years later on social media by people who don’t bother to check dates, but you don’t... Read more

Great moments in education: teacher screens “Fifty Shades of Grey” for high school students

Last updated on: May 16, 2015 at 3:17 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

Details: Part of the erotic movie “Fifty Shades of Grey” was shown in a West Virginia high school classroom this week after students convinced their teacher to let them watch it as a reward for good work. The Charleston Daily Mail reports that the teacher apparently didn’t know what the film was about. Hampshire High principal Jeff Woofter says the film was shut down after 10 minutes when an assistant principal walked by and saw what they were watching. Read more. Read more

There go the Germans. Again.

Last updated on: May 16, 2015 at 2:14 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

From the National Catholic Register: A public dispute has broken out between Germany’s top lay Catholic organization and a German bishop, after the organization issued a statement calling for a raft of new pastoral practices, which the bishop and other critics say are opposed to Church doctrine. The Zentralkomitee der deutschen Katholiken (Central Committee of the German Catholics, or ZdK) issued a statement Sunday calling for the admittance of civilly remarried divorcees to holy Communion, acceptance of all forms of cohabitation, the blessing of same-sex... Read more

Marching for life in Queens

Last updated on: May 16, 2015 at 11:53 am By Deacon Greg Kandra

This morning, my parish hosted once again the great Msgr. Philip Reilly and his remarkable apostolate Helpers of God’s Precious Infants. The turnout was small—a couple dozen people—but it was a drizzly, miserable morning. Mass began at 7:45, celebrated by my pastor, Bishop Paul Sanchez, and then we all headed out the door and down Queens Boulevard to pray outside a nearby abortion clinic. A sign of hope: the original location of the clinic has changed; evidently, the clientele just isn’t... Read more

Holy smokes: an electric incense thurible?

Last updated on: May 15, 2015 at 10:52 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

A reader mentioned this to me in an email, and I didn’t even know such things existed. But through the miracle of Google, I found it: NO MORE CARBON – only the aroma of incense all around. INSTRUCTIONS: It is extremely easy to use and fully automatic. After having added your incense, all you need to do is touch the switch and after a few seconds the incense will start to burn for the preset time of 3 minutes. Press the... Read more

The nuns spoke—and the archbishop listened

Last updated on: May 15, 2015 at 10:48 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

The archbishop in question is Seattle’s J. Peter Sartain—FOTB (Friend of the Bench)—and this account appears in today’s New York Times: When 25 leaders of the largest organization of American nuns met for the first time with Archbishop J. Peter Sartain of Seattle in 2012, after theVatican appointed him to lead an overhaul of their group, they expected conflict. The nuns were hurt and confused when the Vatican accused them a few months earlier of straying from Catholic teaching and promoting “radical feminist themes incompatible... Read more

“The deacon stands as a vital link between the clergy and laity…”

Last updated on: May 15, 2015 at 10:45 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

A reader sent this my way, and it’s a fascinating glimpse at the theology of the diaconate, in the Orthodox Church, from a talk by Father Deacon Photios Touloumes: During the liturgy, the deacon stands in the midst of the faithful as master of ceremonies, directing them in the proper posture and movements of the service. Let us bow our head unto the Lord and (Lock) the doors, the doors are examples of this. It was part of the deacon’s... Read more

Vatican official credits TV series “Modern Family” for drawing attention to family issues

Last updated on: May 15, 2015 at 10:38 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

Well now. This is different. From Crux: Politics has no monopoly on making strange bedfellows, as a senior Vatican official paid tribute to Hollywood on Thursday for raising the profile of family issues, specifically citing the American sitcom “Modern Family,” a show that features two married gay men who adopt a baby, plus an older divorced dad who remarries a woman half his age. Along with writings of Pope Francis and other Vatican initiatives, Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia told the United Nations on... Read more

Is Ave Maria University losing its Catholic identity?

Last updated on: May 15, 2015 at 10:33 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

Some students and alumnae think so. From The Naples Daily News: Alexandra Clark ended her search for a Catholic college about five years ago at Ave Maria University. She and her sister wanted a place true to their faith, a school that wasn’t “just Catholic in name only.” Clark graduated from Ave Maria in 2014, and while she loved her time there, she’s now not sure she’ll encourage her younger siblings to attend. “There’s things going on there that I wouldn’t suggest... Read more

NY Times on “The Vatican Spring of Pope Francis”

Last updated on: May 15, 2015 at 10:05 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

Some thoughts this morning from New York Times Op-Ed contributor Timothy Egan: Long after we’ve forgotten what his position is on Catholic doctrine, we will remember the serenity of Pope Francis — his self-deprecating lightness of being. His smile is just shy of goofy; it’s embracing, certainly not the tight facial clench of the seasoned diplomat. Rather than hide behind the trappings of power and empire, he projects a sense that he’s an average man who’s in on the joke.... Read more