Part of his definition: “May bishops be shepherds, close to the people; ‘fathers and brothers, may they be gentle, patient and merciful; may they love poverty, interior poverty, as freedom for the Lord, and exterior poverty, as well as simplicity and a modest lifestyle; may they not have the mindset of “princes”’. Be careful that they are not ambitious, that they are not in quest of the episcopate’, that they are espoused to the Church, without constantly seeking another; this... Read more
And yes, for those who are wondering: the Holy Thursday evening Mass and foot washing will again take place away from St. Peter’s, and will be private. From CNS: Pope Francis’ calendar of liturgical services for March and April — including Holy Week and Easter — includes the addition of a Lenten “penitential service,” but does not say where he will celebrate the Holy Thursday Mass of the Lord’s Supper. Last year, Pope Francis moved the Holy Thursday evening Mass... Read more
“If you find yourself in front of – imagine! – in front of an atheist and he tells you he doesn’t believe in God, you can read him a whole library, where it says that God exists and even proving that God exists, and he will not have faith. But if in the presence of this atheist you bear coherent witness of Christian life, something will begin to work in his heart. It will be your witness that that he... Read more
Details from the BBC: The video for Katy Perry’s track Dark Horse has been edited following claims from some Muslims it was blasphemous. More than 65,000 people signed a petition which stated the clip – featuring a pendant with the Arabic word for God on it being reduced to sand – was offensive. The music video has not been cut, but the pendant has now been digitally “scrubbed” out of the scene. Petition instigator Shazad Iqbal, said he was “thrilled” with the... Read more
Every year around this time, choir lofts and living rooms around the world echo with the unmistakable sound of deacons practicing the Easter Proclamation—a.k.a., “The Exsultet.” (You can always tell when it’s Lent around my house and I’ve started practicing; my wife makes herself scarce.) What also happens around this time of year is that I start to get emails from deacons asking, “Do you know where I can find a recording of it?” The good people at The National... Read more
Looking at some of the retired pope’s recent comments and actions, The Boston Globe’s John Allen connects the dots: It’s hard to imagine there isn’t some connection between the former pope’s willingness to step back into the public eye, and the tendency in some traditionalist circles towards nostalgia for Benedict as an expression of misgivings with Francis. Conservative Italian writer Roberto de Mattei, for example, authored a Feb. 12 piece asserting that developments since the election of Francis amount to... Read more
From CBS in Los Angeles: Los Angeles police are looking for a man who vandalized a Catholic church in North Hollywood. Authorities said the suspect, who was caught on security camera, pushed over several holy statues and vases, as well as damaged paintings, at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, which is located at 6153 Cahuenga Boulevard, shortly after 9 p.m. Tuesday. “This is something that is so important to the community and brings so much value to our spiritual lives,” Archdiocese... Read more
Not a lot of surprises here, but it gives a compelling snapshot of the times in which we live. From the Public Religion Research Institute: In the decade since Massachusetts became the first state to legalize same-sex marriage, Americans’ support for allowing gay and lesbian people to legally wed has jumped 21 percentage points, from 32 percent in 2003 to 53 percent in 2013, transforming the American religious landscape. A major new national survey of more than 4,500 respondents... Read more
What a picture. The caption, via Zenit: Pope Francis greets Lorenzo, a young boy with type 2 Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA2) during today’s General Audience. Read more
There’s been some discussion around the blogosphere about last night’s “Frontline” on “Secrets of the Vatican.” Most comments have been harshly critical. Yesterday, for example, the USCCB mailed out an “advisory” review, which noted: The historic resignation of Pope Benedict XVI and the headline-grabbing start of his successor’s ministry are certainly events worthy of close and careful analysis. Unfortunately, “Secrets of the Vatican,” a PBS documentary purporting to provide just such an examination, turns out to be, in large part,... Read more
The Deacon's Bench
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