From NCR: The global meeting of bishops on the family must show that Catholic teaching can develop to address contemporary concerns of family life, an Irish archbishop participating in the event said Saturday. “This synod can’t simply repeat what was said 20 years ago,” said Dublin Archbishop Diarmuid Martin, referring to the Oct. 5-19 meeting, known as a synod of bishops. “[The synod] has to find new language to show that there can be development of doctrine, that there has been a... Read more
Yes, says veteran Vatican observer John Thavis: The Vatican just announced that Pope Francis has named six additional prelates to help write the revised relatio for the Synod of Bishops, to be released Monday. At the risk of oversimplifying, they all seem to be on the pope’s wavelength when it comes to promoting pastoral mercy. They will assist Cardinal Peter Erdo, the primary drafter of the relatio, and two other synod officials, in the task of summing up the first week of spirited synod... Read more
Just six years after the first class was ordained, the diaconate in the archdiocese is showing strength and growth. Details: Ten years ago, 25 men from across central and southern Indiana began a formation program through which they would be ordained in 2008 as the first permanent deacons in the history of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis. A decade later, a third group of men—21 this time—were received as candidates for the diaconate by Archbishop Joseph W. Tobin during a Sept. 27 Mass at SS. Peter... Read more
A sister helps Ghanaem Yadago, who is blind, find his way to his room at a refugee shelter set up for the sick and disabled in Erbil, Iraq. (photo: Don Duncan/CNEWA) A moving account of one family’s struggles in Erbil, from the CNEWA blog, One-to-One: While Ghanem Yadago, his wife Waheeda and his two sons Wissam and Fadi were fleeing their home in northern Iraq under ISIS gunfire, Ghanem found he had a steady calm and was able to support and... Read more
A priest with the Congregation of Holy Cross sent this my way, with this note: Our Vocations Office, with a film team from California, has been working hard over the past several months to produce a short video about Final Vows. I think there has been–and rightfully so–some good media produced on the topic of priesthood and ordination. But as RELIGIOUS priests, in a community with priests, brothers, and sisters, we wanted to showcase the “crowning moment” in the life... Read more
From John Allen in Crux: Within the last 24 hours, two Italian cardinals have stepped into the fray over whether divorced and remarried Catholics ought to be able to receive Communion, with both coming down on the permissive side of the argument. Whether that will be enough to overcome strong opposition to any change among some bishops, however, remains to be seen. Under current Church rules, a Catholic who is divorced and remarried without an annulment — meaning a declaration... Read more
It sounds like he’s stating the obvious, but sometimes the obvious has to be stated. Details: A leading Vatican cardinal said on Thursday the Roman Catholic Church will never bless gay marriage, wading into a controversy over the issue in Italy and other countries. On Tuesday, Italian Interior Minister Angelino Alfano ordered mayors to stop recognizing the validity of gay marriages performed outside the country, prompting protests from rights groups and local officials. “We have to be honest,” Cardinal Francesco Coccopalmerio, the Vatican’s... Read more
How’s this for trust? Details: When the going got tough at her Dallas restaurant, Dana Parris decided to turn the cash register over to God. Roger Self was at lunch last week when he discovered the unique pricing policy at East Main Street’s Just Cookin diner. When he went to settle his tab for a grilled chicken sandwich, he got a surprise instead of a bill. “Her response was, ‘What was it worth to you?’” Self said. Parris explained to... Read more
From CNS: A married couple from Brazil told Pope Francis and the Synod of Bishops that the church should stop giving “contradictory advice” on birth control and help Catholics obey church teaching against contraception.On the same morning, one of the synod’s leaders spoke forcefully against a widespread “contraceptive mentality” that has led many Catholics to think the use of artificial birth control is not a sin. Arturo and Hermelinda Zamberline, married for 41 years with three children, addressed the synod... Read more
From The St. Louis Review: Father McDonald Nah is praying that the people of Liberia are just as resilient with the Ebola outbreak as they were following the country’s civil war more than a decade ago. Father Nah is a priest of the Archdiocese of Monrovia currently studying Catholic education administration at St. Louis University. The priest, who resides at St. Nicholas Parish Downtown with another Liberian priest, Father Urey Patrick Mark, SVD, is expected to return to Liberia next... Read more
The Deacon's Bench
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