Details: Vaughn Treco, a married man, grandfather of two and former Anglican priest, has received the approval of Pope Francis to be ordained to the Catholic diaconate and priesthood in early May. His ordination as a Catholic priest who is married is allowed as an exception to the normal requirement for celibacy. Upon ordination, Treco will serve within the geographic boundaries of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis as a member of the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of... Read more
From Chiesa in Italy, come details of one theological proposal that would not permit communion for the divorced and remarried, but would extend sacramental grace: The author is the Dominican theologian Thomas Michelet, of the theological faculty of Fribourg, Switzerland. Fr. Michelet’s proposal is to institute an “ordo paenitentium” for those who find themselves in a persistent condition of divergence from the law of God, so that they undertake a journey of conversion that could last for many years or even... Read more
Remarkable: A brain-dead and pregnant Nebraska mother was kept on life support for nearly two months so her baby could survive and be delivered in a historic birth. Karla Perez, 22, became the first person on record in the United States, since 1999, to give birth after being kept on somatic support, health officials said. “Our team took a giant leap of faith,” said Sue Korth, vice president and COO of Methodist Women’s Hospital, which delivered the baby. “We were... Read more
The star of “ER” and “The Cooler” has just published a series of personal essays on the “labels we give ourselves,” in which she discusses, among other things, being bipolar and bisexual. She was born and raised Catholic, and talked about that in an interview with The Daily Beast: What might surprise a lot of people is that one of the people you describe as a partner, as one of your closest relationships, was with a priest. I have been blessed to... Read more
View image | gettyimages.com From The Wall Street Journal: Cardinal Edward Egan was well known as a persuasive fundraiser for Roman Catholic causes. Now, those causes will benefit from the generosity of the former archbishop of New York, who died in early March at the age of 82. In his will, filed last week in Manhattan Surrogate Court, Cardinal Egan directed $100,000 each to St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan and to the New York Archdiocese’s residence for retired priests in... Read more
The scriptures this week introduce us to someone we don’t hear about very much—but he is critically important to Christianity and, I think, to the times in which we live. I’m speaking of St. Barnabas. The reading from Acts describes how he, in effect, took Paul under his wing—in part to protect him from frightened Christians, but also to act as his mentor and guide. A little background: Barnabas was born into a wealthy Jewish family. At some point, perhaps... Read more
From CNS: The ancient Catholic tradition of Ember days has been resurrected in the Diocese of Des Moines by a deacon who serves in rural ministry. Deacon Eric Bertrand, assigned to Sacred Heart Parish in Chariton and Holy Trinity Parish in Lacona, said he was inspired to reintroduce the prayer and fasting traditions of Ember days while reading Pope Francis’ 2013 apostolic exhortation, “Evangelii Gaudium” (“The Joy of the Gospel”). The pope “talked about reawakening popular devotion,” Deacon Bertrand said.... Read more
From CNS: The ancient Catholic tradition of Ember days has been resurrected in the Diocese of Des Moines by a deacon who serves in rural ministry. Deacon Eric Bertrand, assigned to Sacred Heart Parish in Chariton and Holy Trinity Parish in Lacona, said he was inspired to reintroduce the prayer and fasting traditions of Ember days while reading Pope Francis’ 2013 apostolic exhortation, “Evangelii Gaudium” (“The Joy of the Gospel”). The pope “talked about reawakening popular devotion,” Deacon Bertrand said.... Read more
The scriptures this week introduce us to someone we don’t hear about very much—but he is critically important to Christianity and, I think, to the times in which we live. I’m speaking of St. Barnabas. The reading from Acts describes how he, in effect, took Paul under his wing—in part to protect him from frightened Christians, but also to act as his mentor and guide. A little background: Barnabas was born into a wealthy Jewish family. At some point, perhaps... Read more
From The Wall Street Journal: Cardinal Edward Egan was well known as a persuasive fundraiser for Roman Catholic causes. Now, those causes will benefit from the generosity of the former archbishop of New York, who died in early March at the age of 82. In his will, filed last week in Manhattan Surrogate Court, Cardinal Egan directed $100,000 each to St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan and to the New York Archdiocese’s residence for retired priests in the Bronx’s Riverdale neighborhood.... Read more
The Deacon's Bench
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