I do. It was this one: Angel of God My guardian dear To Whom His love Commits me here Ever this day Be at my side To light and guard To rule and guide. Amen Today is the Feast of the Guardian Angels. My wife reminded me, as I kissed her goodbye and headed out the door: “Remember to say a prayer for your guardian angel. He must be exhausted. You give him so much work to do!” She’s right. Have... Read more
Eugenio Scalfari talks about his interview with what’s-his-name. In Italian. Read more
Sister Camille D’Arienzo. Photo by Uli Seit for The New York Times Jim Dwyer in the New York Times offers this glimpse at two women religious—including an FOB (Friend of the Bench) from Brooklyn—ministering on death row. Details: This week, trailing a group of men walking through a prison, Sister Helen Prejean overheard bits of what they were discussing. “I heard one saying, ‘He is so honest,’ but I didn’t catch who they were talking about at first,” said Sister... Read more
Some fascinating Jewish analysis of Pope Francis, via The Jewish Daily Forward: It is not as if the Pope is changing Roman Catholic doctrine on such matters. It simply means that the Church is going to attempt to re-calibrate itself, and to find a sense of balance, moving away from positions that have only succeeded in alienating huge sections of the flock. So: is the Pope Catholic? Yes, in its true meaning — genuinely catholic (universal) in his theological and... Read more
Gerard Nadal captures something I’ve been thinking for a while, but puts it better than I could. Snip: Are we only to submit to papal authority when the mood, or mode suits us? Do we place stylistic predilection over our duty to respect and obedience to legitimate episcopal and papal authority? Is our faith on the orthodox side of the aisle so fragile that we get a case of the vapors at the least departure from our preferred norm? To... Read more
It happened in France: A French priest in Nice, south-eastern France, this weekend blessed his flock’s smartphones and tablet computers in a service that he stated “embraced the realities of modern life”. Rather than complain about the occasional 21st century interruption of a bleeping mobile disturbing his congregation’s Christian meditation, Father Gil Florini told FRANCE 24 the devices “should be recognised as a powerful source of potential good”. “Everybody has a mobile phone, and it is the Church’s duty to... Read more
They’re sounding a lot like some American Catholics, actually. From the New York Times: The first major survey of American Jews in more than 10 years finds a significant rise in those who are not religious, marry outside the faith and are not raising their children Jewish — resulting in rapid assimilation that is sweeping through every branch of Judaism except the Orthodox. The intermarriage rate, a bellwether statistic, has reached a high of 58 percent for all Jews, and... Read more
While people try to find their balance after this morning’s seismic jolt in La Repubblica, at least one observer, Fr. Z., offers something firm to grab onto: I think the Francis has a pretty good BS detector. He’ll need it. Conscience… Your Holiness you wrote that in your letter to me. The conscience is autonomous, you said, and everyone must obey his conscience. I think that’s one of the most courageous steps taken by a Pope. “And I repeat it here.... Read more
And Rocco Palmo has the first take-away: In the latest proof of his desire to reach out from behind the walls – and along the way, (again) remind the Establishment he inherited who’s Boss – today’s cover of Italy’s largest-circulation daily indeed blared a second major interview in 12 days with the Pope, this time given to one of the country’s most prominent atheists. As Eugenio Scalfari tells the story, the pontiff called the La Repubblica founder out of the... Read more
Two weeks ago, Ohio sportscaster Dom Tiberi’s daughter was killed in a tragic car accident. Last week, he returned to the air for the first time. In this poignant telecast, he paid tribute to his daughter, to Ohio State (which held a moment of silence before last weekend’s game in her honor) and to the parish that has helped him cope with this tragedy. Take a look. Read more
The Deacon's Bench
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