Details: A Romanian lawyer is suing his local Orthodox bishop and four priests claiming they failed to properly exorcise flatulent demons that were forcing him out of his home. Madalin Ciculescu, 34, accused the five of fraud after they turned up several times to exercise the demons which were responsible for the bad smells that were ruining his business. He claimed that after the failed exorcism the demons even started haunting him at his home at Pitesti in Arges County in central... Read more
Who knew? Details: No sooner had Eric Andrews arrived on the set of “The Lost Valentine,” a 2011 Hallmark Channel movie starring Jennifer Love Hewitt and Betty White, when his neckwear attracted attention. “People are looking at me, and trying to figure out who I was,” he said. “One of the actors came up and said, ‘Now, are you an extra for the wedding scene that is being shot?’” But the Roman collar was no prop. Andrews’ credentials as an... Read more
With ordination season rapidly approaching, some helpful information from canon lawyer Dr. Ed Peters: 1. The practice of receiving a priest’s “first blessing” after his ordination Mass is a praiseworthy custom, but there is no specific indulgence attached to receiving such a blessing or, for that matter, to attending a cleric’s ordination Mass. 2. There is a specific plenary indulgence attached to attending a priest’s first “scheduled” or “public” Mass (regardless of whether it is designated a “Mass of Thanksgiving”, although it... Read more
I spotted his obit in the New York Times this morning, and wanted to post something. But now Terry Mattingly has gone a step further, and nicely woven together the threads of this exceptional life. Take it away, Terry: If you wanted to know who John McCandlish Phillips was, as a New York Times journalist, all you really needed to do was listen to the words of other journalists. Here are two of my favorite quotes along those lines, drawn from a classic profile... Read more
A reader in Italy sent this my way, from the audience this morning. The man knows how to handle crybabies. (Insert own joke here…) Read more about it here. Read more
Attention television executives: yes, there is an audience for this kind of programming. Take note. Details: Spurred by the success of an original game show that rewards knowledge of the Bible rather than, say, how much grocery items cost at the supermarket checkout, the GSN cable channel is considering a dating show with a religious twist: congregations will seek suitable mates for single parishioners. At an “upfront” breakfast in Midtown Manhattan on Tuesday morning, GSN outlined its plans for the... Read more
With ordination season rapidly approaching, some helpful information from canon lawyer Dr. Ed Peters: 1. The practice of receiving a priest’s “first blessing” after his ordination Mass is a praiseworthy custom, but there is no specific indulgence attached to receiving such a blessing or, for that matter, to attending a cleric’s ordination Mass. 2. There is a specific plenary indulgence attached to attending a priest’s first “scheduled” or “public” Mass (regardless of whether it is designated a “Mass of Thanksgiving”, although it... Read more
Gathering for daily Mass at the Casa Santa Marta with, among others, employees of the Fabric of St. Peter, which deals with the maintenance and running of the Basilica. Photo: L’Osservatore Romano. Read more
It’s a phenomenon I know a lot of clergy have reported at their parishes: a dramatic uptick in Mass attendance over the last few weeks, and not just because of Easter. Is it the “Francis Effect”? NBC News takes a look: Twenty million Americans consider themselves lapsed Catholics, but Pope Francis is convincing many to test the holy waters again with his bold gestures and common touch. After years of disenchantment with the church’s hierarchy and teachings, former members of... Read more
More and more, it seems, you never know if the next call you get might be from the pope. Details: A priest in Rome says Pope Francis personally called him to say he will visit the Astalli Center, a local facility run by the Jesuits, that helps thousands of undocumented refugees – many with tragic histories. “Yesterday I received a call on my cell phone. It was Pope Francis and he told me he would come. This is wonderful,” Father... Read more
The Deacon's Bench
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