It happened yesterday, during his catechesis during his audience. From Vatican Radio: Reflecting on the role of mothers in society and in the Church, he pointed out that the Church too is a mother, “our mother” and that no believer is an orphan. The Pope said that for all our symbolic glorification of mothers, their important contribution to the life of society, their daily sacrifices and their aspirations are not always properly appreciated. Even in Christian communities – he said... Read more
From that venerable news source, Us Weekly: Hollywood meets the Holy See! Tinseltown royalty Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are taking a very special trip to Rome this month, not to eat pasta and tour the Colosseum, but to meet the Pope, an insider reveals exclusively in the new issue of Us Weekly. The A-listers will fly to Italy in early January “for a VIP meet-and-greet at the Vatican with Pope Francis,” the source says of the stars, who consider themselves nonreligious. Pitt, 51,... Read more
From George Weigel via The Pilot: According to an old Vatican aphorism, “We think in centuries here.” Viewed through that long-distance lens, the most important Catholic event of 2014 was the dramatic moment when Africa’s bishops emerged as effective, powerful proponents of dynamic orthodoxy in the world Church.The scene was the Extraordinary Synod of 2014, called by Pope Francis to prepare the Synod of 2015 on the theme, “Pastoral Challenges to the Family in the Context of Evangelization.” The dramatic... Read more
A certain deacon, preaching “in the presence of priest,” on Gaudete Sunday. The noted priest offers some thoughts on preaching in Aleteia: Preaching will be inadequate if it is an afterthought or incidental to the liturgy. It never occurred to the Fathers of the Church that preaching was anything other than the chief duty, Primum Officium, of the Sacred Priesthood, as affirmed by the Council of Constance and the Council of Trent. The old Code of Canon Law called the homily... Read more
Kathy Schiffer has the scoop: Archbishop Thomas Wenski, archbishop of Miami, has warned archdiocesan employees that any action in support of Florida’s now-legal same-sex marriage could cost them their jobs. “Because of the Church’s particular function in society,” the archbishop wrote, “certain conduct, inconsistent with the teachings of the Catholic Church, could lead to disciplinary action, including termination, even if it occurs outside the normal working day and outside the strict confines of work performed by the employee for the Archdiocese.” The policy... Read more
Andrew Cuomo by Pat Arnow via Wikipedia From The New York Daily News: Former Gov. Mario Cuomo was laid to rest Tuesday at a packed funeral highlighted by a stirring public farewell from his son, Gov. Andrew Cuomo. In an emotional and personal 39-minute eulogy, Cuomo, his voice sometimes quaking, branded his father “the keynote speaker for our better angels” and evoked his memory in calling for healing in New York City between the police and community. Gov. Cuomo painted... Read more
From The Providence Journal: Roman Catholic Bishop Thomas J. Tobin said Monday he rejected an invitation this past weekend to attend Governor-elect Gina Raimondo’s inauguration, because of her stance on “the grave moral evil” of abortion. “Over the weekend I did receive a formal written invitation to the Inauguration, the courtesy of which I appreciated,” Tobin wrote in an email Monday night in response to a Providence Journal inquiry. “However, as previously announced I will be offering Holy Mass at... Read more
Here’s something altogether different, from Rome Reports: a glimpse inside the plane that carries the pope on his various trips. Take a look. And remember to keep your tray table closed and your seat in the upright position. Read more
From an interview with a website called New Emangelization: I think there has been a great confusion with regard to the specific vocation of men in marriage and of men in general in the Church during the past 50 years or so. It’s due to a number of factors, but the radical feminism which has assaulted the Church and society since the 1960s has left men very marginalized. Unfortunately, the radical feminist movement strongly influenced the Church, leading the... Read more
Andrew Lloyd Webber in 2007 (photo by Tracey Nolan from Toronto, Canada via Wikipedia) From The Daily Mail: The Oscar-winning composer behind “Jesus Christ Superstar” is planning an even more ambitious scheme to connect the nation with its Christian heritage – wi-fi in every church. Andrew Lloyd Webber, whose father was music director at a London church, said the initiative would put the increasingly deserted buildings back at the centre of their local communities. The theatre impresario behind musicals including Cats and... Read more
The Deacon's Bench
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