The theme for this year’s Day for Life in Britain is “Care for Life—It’s Worth It.” Britain’s annual Day for Life focuses on care for unborn children and their mothers, the elderly, and those who are suicidal and their families. The Day for Life will be celebrated Sunday, July 28 in England and Wales; the day was observed earlier in Scotland, on May 28.  In England and Wales alone, there were 189,574 abortions reported in 2009–more than 26% of children... Read more
As World Youth Day pilgrims descend upon the city of Rio de Janeiro, I thought you’d enjoy a peek at the city’s great cathedrals. First the old one:  The Old Cathedral of Rio de Janeiro is dedicated to Our Lady of Mount Carmel of the Ancient See.  The Old Cathedral, located in the Praça XV square in downtown Rio, is one of the most important historical buildings in the city.  It served as the diocesan See from 1808 until 1976, and was... Read more
Well, here’s something that’s bound to help the pro-life movement: In Japan, a new technology enables expectant mothers to come face-to-face with their unborn baby. Data from a simple ultrasound scan can be used to print a solid 3D image of the child still in the womb.   Read more
On June 3, 2013, Pope Francis welcomed 2,000 pilgrims from the Province of Bergamo, birthplace of Pope John XXIII, to Rome on the 50th anniversary of his death. Among the faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Basilica that evening was the Rocca family from the small town of Osio Sopra, with their three-year-old daughter Alice Maria. The perky little girl with her short bobbed hair hoped she’d have a chance to see Pope Francis in person; and she was not disappointed. ... Read more
Father Emil Kapaun, U.S. military chaplain during the Korean War, was captured on November 2, 1950. Two days later and twenty miles away, Lieutenant Bill Funchess was captured by the Chinese Communist Forces and taken to a prison camp, where he was thrown into a 9-by-9-foot thatched roof mud shack. There, lying in the cold on a dirt floor, were eleven seriously wounded enlisted men. Emil Kapaun, a Catholic priest, died in that camp; his fellow soldier Bill Funchess, a... Read more
Pope Francis, in a phone call with his friend and former pupil, journalist Jorge Milia, had some high praise for his predecessor Pope Emeritus Benedict. Milia recounts the story in an article which appeared in Terre d’America, the blog of Italian journalist Alver Metalli. Milia reported that the Pope had teased him for sending a long (12-page) letter, and the two had laughed together. They spoke of many things, including the former pontiff. When Pope Francis expressed his deep respect... Read more
Pope Francis, speaking to the faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square on Wednesday, June 3, made reference to the United Nations World Environment Day and denounced the excesses of food wastage. “This culture of waste,” the Pope said, “…has made us insensitive even to the waste and disposal of food, which is even more despicable when all over the world, unfortunately, many individuals and families are suffering from hunger and malnutrition. “Once our grandparents were very careful not to throw away any... Read more
Hey, Pssst! Want a Great Deal on an Invisible Pony? I recently read a story about newly styled art aficionado Aimee Davison, who paid the notable sum of $10,000 for a “non-visible” piece of art. Asked why she spent so much money on something she couldn’t see, Aimee explained that she identified with the ideology of the project. In particular, she was inspired by one sentence:  “We exchange ideas and dreams as currency in the New Economy.”  The work, aptly... Read more
Times are tough in the city of Detroit. An emergency manager has been appointed, to help stave off bankruptcy. The City Council has lost several of its members, including Council President Charles Pugh, who has been AWOL on the West Coast following accusations of an inappropriate relationship with a high school student he mentored; and Gary Brown, President Pro Tem, who left the Council to take a position with the emergency manager. Councilman Kwame Kenyatta also resigned recently. Add to... Read more
Last week when the Pope visited Lampedusa, the media made much of the simple altar on which he celebrated Mass for the immigrants. The “boat altar,” they called it—and so it was. The blog Abbey Roads explained it: He celebrated a penitential Mass on an altar constructed in the form of a boat, reminiscent of the boat carrying migrants who drowned when it was shipwrecked.  The altar was a humble gesture, a reminder, a votive offering from the poor, in honor of the poorest... Read more
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