From his column in The Boston Globe: In Catholic parlance, certain terms carry weight far beyond their face value meaning. Calling something a “pro-life” issue, for instance, means not only that it involves the church’s teaching on the sacredness of human life, but that it merits an investment of blood, sweat, and tears tantamount to the church’s struggles against abortion and birth control. In that sense of the term, Tuesday, April 1, 2014, may go down as the day immigration... Read more
From CNN: Umma Azul, whose godmother is the country’s President, on Saturday became the first child of a lesbian couple to be baptized by the Catholic Church in Argentina. Carina Villarroel and Soledad Ortiz asked Archbishop Carlos Jose Nanez for the blessing, according to national news agency Telam. The bishop reportedly said their marital status has no bearing on the child. A priest performed the baptism at the cathedral in Cordoba, Telam said. Same-sex marriage has been legal in Argentina... Read more
It could happen, if this juicy tidbit comes true: Stephen Colbert is CBS’ top choice to replace the retiring David Letterman, and has indicated that he’s willing to take over the Late Show when the time comes, people familiar with both sides of the discussions tell Mashable. Colbert has not had any formal contract discussions with CBS, and no agreement is in place, but sources tell Mashable that he first engaged with network executives while Letterman was still mulling the timing of his retirement. Though CBS... Read more
By now, you may have heard the horrifying story of Nathan Trapuzzano, a 24-year-old man married for just a year, eagerly awaiting the birth of his first child, and gunned down a few days ago while going for a morning walk in Indianapolis. The killing sent shockwaves through the Catholic community there, where Nathan was known as a loving husband and a devoted pro-life advocate and sidewalk counselor. A fund was set up to support his wife and unborn child. At... Read more
Details from the Associated Press: Trying to appease angry parishioners, the archbishop of Atlanta said Saturday that he will sell a $2.2 million mansion just three months after he moved in. Archbishop Wilton Gregory announced the decision following a closed-door meeting with members of several church councils at his headquarters north of Atlanta. He publicly apologized Monday for building the Tudor-style residence and offered to move elsewhere. “I have decided to sell the Habersham property and invest the proceeds from that sale... Read more
How the Times of London is promoting its Sunday culture section. This is just amazing. Read more
Details: A city board on Thursday gave a Muslim group the go-ahead to remove six crosses from the roof and spires of a century-old former Catholic church so the now-vacant Gothic structure can be used as a mosque. More than 200 people had signed an online petition calling on the Syracuse Landmark Preservation Board to deny an application by North Side Learning Center, the church’s new owner, to remove the crosses and build a six-foot chain-link fence. Before the vote to allow... Read more
Several days ago, we got a glimpse of the papacy that made history—something that was both surprising and beautiful. After leading a televised penance service at St. Peter’s, Pope Francis walked down a side aisle to begin hearing confessions. He passed an open confessional, with a priest quietly waiting inside, and got an idea. He paused and changed course. Cameras caught the pontiff walking up to the priest, and then kneeling before him. Thousands in St. Peter’s, and millions around... Read more
From The Catholic Herald: The Dominican sister who gave a presentation on sexuality to students at Charlotte Catholic High School that sparked controversy among students and parents last month is taking a sabbatical from teaching and canceling her other speaking engagements. The presentation March 21 by Dominican Sister Jane Dominic Laurel of Nashville, Tenn., entitled “Masculinity and Femininity: Difference and Gift,” drew the ire of hundreds of students and parents over the past two weeks, and their emotions boiled over during a parents meeting with school... Read more
Don’t try this at home. Although it seems scientists think it would work: Noah’s Ark would have floated — even with two of every animal on board, physicists have determined based on the weight of the beasts and the buoyancy of the boat. The students from the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Leicester who came to this conclusion used the dimensions for the boat that were given in the Bible. In the book of Genesis, Noah is commanded... Read more
The Deacon's Bench
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