Supporter: Rick Perry believes he is “touched by God”

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

From The Daily Mail: Rick Perry delivered a scathing indictment of Barack Obama on Thursday night in Washington, teeing up a presidential run with a speech that took little notice of presumptive Democratic favorite Hillary Clinton and instead castigated the president as feckless, clueless and gutless. Just 16 days removed from the 10,000-square-foot Texas governor’s mansion, Perry is on the road and shaping the messages that will accompany a White House campaign. He stopped in Washingtonto deliver rhetorical red-meat to... Read more

If you want to know whether young Catholics are pro-life, look at this

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

It’s the Pro-life Youth Rally and Mass in Washington, DC. From the archdiocesan website: The Rally strives to encourage the youth participating in the national March for Life in their witness as disciples of Christ and promoters of the Gospel of Life. It is the largest annual archdiocesan event, which in many ways has grown to become a national (even international) event with pilgrims traveling from as far away as the US Virgin Islands and Australia. The Archdiocese of Washington held... Read more

More young Christians reportedly turning away from artificial birth control

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

From Al Jazeera: Jessica Wilson got married five months before she graduated from an evangelical college in 2010. Because she believed that sex is reserved for marriage, it wasn’t much earlier that she had started thinking about what kind of birth control to use. No one in her family or her church had ever questioned the idea of contraception, but they hadn’t taught her much about it, either. Eventually she came upon the writings of Randy Alcorn, an author and activist... Read more

Confirmed: Pope will address joint session of U.S. Congress

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

This is unprecedented. From the Archdiocese of Washington: It is a great honor and tremendous joy to welcome our Holy Father, Pope Francis, to the Archdiocese of Washington during his proposed pastoral visit to the United States in September. We rejoice with the announcement by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Honorable John Boehner, today that Pope Francis will address a Joint Session of Congress, September 24, 2015. This historic event will be a time of grace for all... Read more

“This is the mission of the Church: to heal the wounded hearts, to open doors, to say that God is good…”

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

Highlights of the pope’s homily today, from Vatican Radio: The Church must proclaim the Gospel “in poverty” and the people proclaiming it must have the sole aim of alleviating the miseries of the poor, never forgetting that this service is the work of the Holy Spirit and not of human hands. At Mass on Thursday morning in Casa Santa Marta, Pope Francis returned to one of his favorite images for the Church – that of a field hospital- inspired by... Read more

Working wonders together

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

Of all the remarkable things that take place in this gospel passage, the most significant may be that none of the apostles do it on their own. “Jesus summoned the Twelve,” Mark wrote, “and began to send them out two by two.” After that, all bets are off. The apostles expel demons and cure the sick. The world awakens to something new. The authority to do this, we’re reminded, comes from Christ. But I wonder if there is another power... Read more

With Benedict’s blessing, a “Blessed Oscar Romero”

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

View image | gettyimages.com Simcha has the scoop: According to the AP (bold type is my addition): The monsignor who spearheaded the saint-making process for El Salvador’s slain Archbishop Oscar Romero said Wednesday it was Pope Benedict XVI— and not Pope Francis — who removed the final hurdle in the tortured, 35-year process. Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia told reporters Benedict “gave the green light.” Speaking a day after Francis declared that Romero died as a martyr for the faith, Paglia said Romero’s beatification would... Read more

How not to preach

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

That’s the provocative—and very accurate—title of an essay in the current issue of America magazine by John J. Conley, S.J. Good advice, through and through, concluding with: Permit me to offer two positive counsels to preachers. First, fall in love with God’s word in Scripture. Let the great hymn of creation, fall and redemption become your personal theme song. Walk around in the Bible. Pitch your tent in it. If possible, learn biblical Hebrew and Greek. You are giving your... Read more

Archdiocese of San Francisco issues “clarifying” statements for high school faculty on sex

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

Details: The conservative Roman Catholic archbishop of San Francisco has developed a new document for Catholic high school faculty and staff clarifying that sex outside of marriage, homosexual relations, the viewing of pornography and masturbation are “gravely evil.” Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone’s document applies to faculty and staff at four Catholic high schools: Riordan and Sacred Heart in San Francisco, Marin Catholic in Kentfield and Serra High School in San Mateo. It states that administrators, faculty and staff “affirm and believe”... Read more

Alice Cooper: “I teach Bible study”

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

From Christianity Today: Veteran rock musician Alice Cooper shared recently that he volunteers as a substitute Sunday school teacher at his local church. The 66-year-old “Poison” singer made his mark in music during the rock ‘n’ roll era as “The Godfather of Shock Rock” mainly due to his gory stage shows which featured ghastly props including guillotines, electric chairs, fake blood and boa constrictors. Five decades later Cooper, born Vincent Damon Furnier, still performs under his world-famous stage name but... Read more