Readers noticed the lack of coverage and alerted the Public Editor—what we used to call an ombudsman—Margaret Sullivan: [One] reader made the point that The Times’s political agenda was on display, not only in the lack of coverage of the event but also in what it did choose to give a major amount of space to in the same day’s paper: a front-page article about a Catholic school in suburban Seattle where students are protesting the firing of a school... Read more
Yesterday, Sister Mary Ann Walsh of the USCCB took a closer look at the pope’s message for World Communications Day: Toughen up, people! That seems to be one theme from Pope Francis in his annual Message for World Communications Day, which will be observed June 1, 2014. Pope Francis repeats his call that Christians must be out on the streets, even if they get dirty. He wants his leaders to be so in touch with their people that, as he’s said... Read more
Yes. “Snobbery.” Details from writer Adam Shaw: Pope Francis has declared war on those who aspire to provide a better life for themselves and their families, expressing the misguided snobbery of a man for whom money has never been an issue. In the first week of his papacy, when briefing the media, the pope exclaimed: “Oh how I long for a poor Church for the poor!” This statement is a perfect summary of Francis’ papacy, a primary theme of which... Read more
How do you raise a large family today? Any parent will want to read this account in Quartz from engineer Francis L. Thompson: My wife and I had 12 children over the course of 15 1/2 years. Today, our oldest is 37 and our youngest is 22. I have always had a very prosperous job and enough money to give my kids almost anything. But my wife and I decided not to. I will share with you the things that we... Read more
As Pope Francis gets ready to create new cardinals—and not long after that, mark his first year anniversary as pope—Huffington Post looks at some of the changes underway in the Church: Perhaps the pope’s most significant decision to date was his choice of 19 Catholic leaders slated to become the newest class of cardinals. Nine out of the 16 new cardinals who are eligible to vote for the next pope are from the global south and Asia — including some of the... Read more
Orthodox priest trying to prevent a clash between demonstrators and police in Kiev. (Source via Reddit). Photo by Sergei Supinsky / AFP/Getty Images Read more
And that includes our friends in the animal kingdom. Watch. Read more
A reflection from Deacon Keith Fournier: On January 23 on the Roman Catholic Liturgical Calendar we have an optional memorial for St. Vincent, the Deacon and Martyr. It is an ancient Feast which is celebrated in the Orthodox Church as well, though on a different day. Vincent was born in the Third Century in Huesca, Spain and born again to eternal life only four days into the fourth century. He lived in Saragossa where he served the holy Bishop Valerius... Read more
Awesome: The Contilia Retirement Group in Essen, Germany has made perhaps the cutest calendar ever – and there isn’t so much as a Siberian husky pup in sight. Seniors were dressed as leading men and ladies for the photoshoot, recreating iconic moments from films such as Rocky, Titanic and The Blues Brothers. Wilhelm Buiting, 89, made a particularly fetching James Bond, while 86-year-old Marianne Brunsbach stepped into Audrey Hepburn’s black dress to recreate the Breakfast at Tiffany’s poster. The oldest resident to take part... Read more
Details from the AP: The Internet is a “gift from God” that facilitates communication, Pope Francis said in a statement released Thursday, but he warns that the obsessive desire to stay connected can actually isolate people from their friends and family. Francis made the observations in a message about Catholic Church communications, meditating on the marvels and perils of the digital era and what that means for the faithful going out into the world and interacting with people of different... Read more
The Deacon's Bench
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