Pope Francis writes personal letter to atheist

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 4:02 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

From John Allen at NCR: Although the big Vatican story in the English-speaking media today is based on comments by Archbishop Pietro Parolin, the new Secretary of State, on celibacy and democracy, attention in Italy is focused instead on the latest sensation from Pope Francis himself: a personal letter to a renowned journalist and nonbeliever, splashed across the front page of La Repubblica, the country’s most widely read daily. In the letter, Francis makes three points that have all been said before, including by popes,... Read more

“To be a Christian is to forgive the inexcusable, because God has forgiven it in us…”

Last updated on: September 11, 2013 at 11:43 am By Deacon Greg Kandra

From two years ago: It is difficult to capture what this anniversary means to us as Americans, as New Yorkers, as Catholic Christians. The things we feel are almost beyond words. We are still, in many ways, groping in the dark, struggling to find a way to deal with what happened, and how much our lives and our world have changed. Yet, this day, as we come before the altar of God with our prayers and petitions, our grief and... Read more

Let there be light: the story behind Benedict’s candle at Ground Zero

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 4:02 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

At CNS’s blog, Carol Glatz has this intriguing story about meeting Martin Marklin, the man who designed the candle for Pope Benedict’s visit to Ground Zero in 2008, and the light that nearly wasn’t: When the candle safely arrived, Martin was then concerned about how it would be lit. It was Pope Benedict’s desire to light the candle himself and Martin wanted to make sure it could be done right. Lighting a candle may not seem like a big deal, but... Read more

Vatican’s new secretary of state: celibacy is open to discussion—UPDATED WITH VIDEO

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 4:02 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

From NBC News: The Vatican’s new secretary of state has said that priestly celibacy is not church dogma and therefore open to discussion, marking a significant change in approach towards one of the thorniest issues facing the Roman Catholic Church. “Celibacy is not an institution but look, it is also true that you can discuss (it) because as you say this is not a dogma, a dogma of the church,” Archbishop Pietro Parolin said in response to a question during... Read more

“To be a Christian is to forgive the inexcusable, because God has forgiven it in us…”

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 4:39 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

For 9/11: Mychal’s Prayer

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 4:02 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

Lord, take me where You want me to go; Let me meet who You want me to meet; Tell me what You want me to say; And keep me out of Your way. — Fr. Mychal F. Judge, O.F.M. FDNY Chaplain 5/11/33 — 9/11/01 Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him… ◊◊◊ “We will bury Mychal Judge’s body, but not his spirit. We will bury his mind, but not his dreams. We will... Read more

Pope Francis: “Empty convents are of no use to the Church. Let the refugees in.”

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 4:02 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

From Vatican Insider: “Empty convents are not for the Church to transform into hotels and make money from them. Empty convents are not ours, they are for the flesh of Christ: refugees,” the Pope said lifting his eyes from his script during his visit to Centro Astalli, a refugee centre in the heart of Rome, which offers shelter, food and assistance to undocumented migrants. The centre has been assisting refugees who come to Italy fleeing wars, violence and torture for... Read more

Must-see video: making the homeless smile in NYC

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 4:02 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

This is pretty great: A group of young Muslim YouTubers took a break from making prank videos to spread a message about giving to those in need, and it’s quickly becoming one of their most viral videos to date. The True Story ASA team — named for it’s three members: Adam Saleh, Sheikh Akbar and Abdullah Ghuman — posted a video called “Make The Homeless Smile” to their YouTube channel last Thursday. It features the trio handing out food, water, money and... Read more

Womenpriests say excommunication doesn’t bother them because “most of us just ignore it”

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 4:02 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

They ignore all the other demands of the Church, so why not that one, too? Details: The Roman Catholic Womenpriests gained their 121st American member on Saturday, when candidate Ann Poelking Klonowski was ordained as a priest in Brecksville, Ohio — not that the Catholic Church recognizes the ceremony. Canon law 1024 states explicitly that “a baptized male alone receives sacred ordination validly.” In May 2008, Pope Benedict XVI, then a bishop, declared involvement with the Womenpriests a reason for automatic excommunication. The Womenpriests, who have... Read more

Worst. Ad. Ever. — UPDATED

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 4:02 pm By Deacon Greg Kandra

Details: Images of the ad started appearing on Facebook pages and Twitter. And many people visited the Facebook page of the golf course, leaving angry and threatening messages. At first, the company tried to apologize and even offered to donate money to the 9/11 Memorial. However, the outrage did not stop. There were reports of physical threats to the staff and talk of damaging the golf course. These threats prompted the management at Tumbledown to post another apology and a notice... Read more