This morning in Rome, Pope Francis issued a Letter to Families. In the letter, he urged Catholics to pray for the upcoming Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, which will open in October 2014. The Synod is being convened to discuss the theme of “pastoral challenges to the family in the context of evangelization.” Here is the English translation of the Holy Father’s letter. Dear families, With this letter, I wish, as it were, to come into your... Read more
Last week Venerable Pope Paul VI moved one step closer to canonization, when the consulting theologians from the Congregation for the Causes of Saints approved a miracle attributed to his intercession. In December, I reported that the Medical Commission of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, headed by the Pope’s personal physician, had declared that the former pope’s healing of an unborn child is “unexplainable” and had forwarded the case to theologians for review before the case goes to the... Read more
Cardinal Timothy Dolan, in his blog Gospel in the Digital Age, warned New Yorkers this week that they may soon be seeing his name cast in an unfavorable light in the media. The Archdiocese of St. Louis, where he served as auxiliary bishop for a year in 2001-2002, has just been ordered by a court to release documents regarding clergy abuse cases. Before you get too excited about that, though, let me assure you that the Cardinal assures us he’s... Read more
Well, I didn’t see that coming! Cardinal George Pell, Metropolitan Archbishop of Sydney, Australia, has just been appointed to head a new Secretariat established by Pope Francis to coordinate economic and administrative affairs of the Holy See and the Vatican City-State. The new Secretariat for the Economy was endorsed by both the Council of 8 Cardinals established to advise the Holy Father on governance and the Committee of 15 Cardinals which oversees the financial affairs of the Holy See. The... Read more
How can you offer sacrifices during Lent? You can drop a 10-spot into the collection plate on Sunday morning, and walk away feeling smug. Or you can “feed the hungry” by sharing your tuna sandwich with a homeless man, “clothe the naked” by purging your closet of seldom worn clothing, and “give drink to the thirsty” by volunteering to offer cool bottled water to runners in New York City’s Half-Marathon. * * * *... Read more
If you’re in southeastern Michigan, and if you’re interested in the New Evangelization or in better understanding the challenges and opportunities in Ecumenism, I’ve got news for you! First, a wonderful opportunity to learn more about the New Evangelization: My friend and former boss, Al Kresta, will speak on Thursday, March 6 on the topic of The New Evangelization: Build the Church and Bless the Nation. Al has taught that only by building the Church will we effect real change... Read more
The paratroop brigade thought the world of him. His friends described him as “gay, outgoing, generous and energetic.” On February 22, 1972, Fr. Gerard Weston, chaplain with the Paratroop Regiment in Belfast, died along with six civilians when the Irish Republican Army detonated a car bomb at Aldershot, a town southwest of London. It was the first major act of war against the British Army on English soil. The young priest had been ordained by Archbishop Heenan in 1960, and... Read more
If it’s Girl Scout cookie time, you can bet it’s also cookie boycott time! I’ve been seeing the pro’s and con’s on social media—It’s a topic about which people feel strongly. I wrote a few years ago about why I no longer supported the Girl Scouts’ cookie campaign. When the many controversies first emerged regarding the Scouts and Planned Parenthood, the Scouts and marriage equality, the Scouts and contraception…I was torn. I love Girl Scout cookies, and I’m sympathetic toward... Read more
It’s tough everywhere! Today, the Holy See announced a hiring freeze in an effort to offset budget shortfalls. In addition to stopping new hires, the Vatican also suspended salary increases and overtime. Pope Francis hopes that volunteers can be used to provide the labor needed to make up for the eventual attritition. Carol Glatz, writing for Catholic News Service, reported that Cardinal-designate Pietro Parolin, Vatican Secretary of State, sent a letter on February 13 to all the heads of... Read more
“An important and profound step for relations between the Catholic and Anglican Churches.” That’s how the Archbishop Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury and head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, described the contribution of the Catholic-founded ecumenical community Chemin Neuf. Last month, the Anglican Archbishop invited members of the group to move into Lambeth Palace, his official London residence on the south side of the Thames. In a ceremony on February 20, he formally welcomed four members of the community: a... Read more
Seasons of Grace
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In