Benedict today: “His mind is formidable”

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 4:11 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

From AFP: Former pope Benedict XVI can still play Mozart from memory on the piano and retains a formidable mind, an aide to the 87-year-old ex-pontiff has revealed.Two years after he shocked the world by announcing he lacked the strength of mind and body to carry on as pope, Benedict is enjoying a largely solitary retirement within the confines of a Vatican monastery, his private secretary told Italy’s Corriere della Sera daily.Archbishop Georg Ganswein dismissed suggestions that the health of... Read more

Remembering Bob Simon

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 4:11 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

One afternoon, Bob Simon appeared in the door of my office at “60 Minutes II,” a sheaf of papers in his hand. He was working on a script. “Greg, just the person I’m looking for,” he said. And glancing at the script, he read me a phrase that didn’t sound right to him. Looking up, he asked me an obscure question about grammar. I offered my educated guess about what sounded correct and explained why. “That’s what I thought!,” he... Read more

Ordination update: 31 new deacons for Galveston-Houston

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 4:11 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

From The Texas Catholic Herald: From all walks of life, 31 men share a common bond in faith and willingness to serve the Archdiocese. On Jan. 31, they were ordained as permanent deacons at a ceremony presided by Daniel Cardinal DiNardo, along with Auxiliary Bishop George A. Sheltz and Archbishop Emeritus Joseph A. Fiorenza. For each, it marked the end of six years of rigorous study and pastoral formation — and the beginning of consecrated life in the Permanent Diaconate at... Read more

Why Catholic preaching has gotten better

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 4:11 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

One priest lays out his argument, beginning with the new lectionary: The new lectionary has brought back the Old Testament to a more fitting position. The readings in the Missal of Saint John XXIII were pared down to a rare degree, and this had the unfortunate effect of impoverishing the preaching. Indeed the preaching sometimes had nothing to do with the Mass or the readings; and most people thought of “the gospel” as opposed to the Four Gospels. But nowadays... Read more

What next for Brian Williams? —UPDATED

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 4:11 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

Verne Gay at Newsday offers his prediction—and it strikes me as entirely plausible: There are versions circulating of how a comeback might unfold, and here’s mine: Williams returns to “Nightly” but also hits the road, covering stories overseas of vital importance, going to war zones, going to blighted parts of Africa, and then — story by story, rebuilding a resume and a name. He especially does this: Covers the U.S. military, and all of the enormous burdens that veterans are now facing.... Read more

Bishops condemn “Fifty Shades of Grey”

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 4:11 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

From Christianity Today: It may have made its way through film censors across the globe despite its strong sexual content but religious leaders are not staying quiet about their opposition to the screening of “Fifty Shades of Grey'”s film adaptation. Bishop Richard Malone of Buffalo, New York, has written a letter to his fellow members of the clergy and sounded off about the film’s portrayal of a young woman subjecting herself to abuse and degradation in a sexual relationship. “This is an... Read more

California senator wants to replace U.S. Capitol’s statue of Junipero Serra with Sally Ride

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 4:11 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

From The Los Angeles Times: A California state senator is proposing to place a statue of pioneering astronaut Sally Ride in the U.S. Capitol’s Statuary Hall, which would make Ride the first woman to represent California and the first known gay person to be included in the collection. The statue, if approved and commissioned, would replace a likeness of Father Junipero Serra, the 18th century Franciscan monk who founded nine Catholic missions in California. Pope Francis announced last month he plans to... Read more

Vatican: homilies should not be improvised entertainment

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 4:11 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

From The Catholic Herald: Archbishop Arthur Roche has said that homilies preached in Mass must not be improvised and used as a form of entertainment. The Archbishop’s comments came as he presented new directives for the Church on the preaching of the homily in Mass today at the Vatican. Archbishop Roche, the former Bishop of Leeds and now secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, said that the homily “is not an intermission in... Read more

Pope Francis: “There is a responsibility to nurture the Earth, to nurture Creation”

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 4:11 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

From Vatican Radio: Christians are called to care for God’s creation. That was the Pope’s message at Mass this Monday morning at the Casa Santa Marta. The Holy Father also spoke about the “second creation”, the one performed by Jesus that he “re-created” from what had been ruined by sin. God creates the universe but creation does not end, “he continues to sustain what he has created.” That was the focus of Pope Francis’ homily as he dwelt on a passage... Read more

Man pays $450 for MacBook on eBay, receives just a picture of one

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 4:11 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

From CNET: Paul Barrington thought he’d achieved a rare deal when his bid of 300 British pounds (around $460) for a MacBook was the winner. He wanted to start a business. No, it wasn’t an e-business. He wanted to be a wedding DJ and needed the laptop in order to download the appropriate software. He sold his precious surfboard to pay for this venture into uncharted waters. However, as the UK’s North Devon Journal reports, 38-year-old Barrington received a package that... Read more