New York City cannot force pregnancy centers to post signs telling women to go elsewhere for care. In a ruling on Friday, January 17, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit vacated mandatory disclosure provisions of New York’s Local Law 17, which was passed by the New York City Council and signed into law by Mayor Michael Bloomberg in March 2011. Although the law would have gone into effect in summer 2011, implementation had been delayed, pending an... Read more
Wow! Pope John Paul II has another book coming out?! You’ve read Crossing the Threshold of Hope. You have read much of the great body of work by Pope John Paul II which has become known as the Theology Of The Body. Now another book is about to be released. Vatican Insider broke this story: On February 5, the Polish publishing house Znak will release “I Am in God’s Hands: Personal notes 1962-2003”. You may recall that the Holy Father... Read more
The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation has awarded a grant of $2.5 million to assist aging religious sisters through the National Religious Retirement Office. The grant, payable over three years, will help the NRRO’s efforts to help religious communities in the United States address serious retirement-funding shortfalls. And goodness knows, there is a great need! I remember hearing, when I was a small child, that our parish was able to keep the cost of tuition low because the Sisters who taught... Read more
In the period from 2007 – 2012, news reports of religious hostilities have increased significantly. A report just released by the Pew Research Center shows a dramatic increase in religious persecution worldwide in the past six years. According to Pew: Religious hostilities increased in every major region of the world except the Americas. The sharpest increase was in the Middle East and North Africa, which still is feeling the effects of the 2010-11 political uprisings known as the Arab Spring. There... Read more
I told this story over at the Kresta in the Afternoon blog, but I want to be sure you don’t miss it. Bishop Patrick Zurek, bishop of the Diocese of Amarillo, has sent a letter to all the bishops of the United States, announcing that his concerns about the financial management of Priests For Live have been resolved, and PFL national director Fr. Frank Pavone is free to resume his ministry. More than two years ago, in September 2011, Bishop... Read more
Did you ever stop to think how much of the Pope’s life is lived in the public eye? I mean, his every move is going to be filmed and photographed! How he must relish the down time when he can retreat to his quarters and read…. This from Catholic News Service: Popes have ordinary moments, too. He had just finished delivering his blessing at the end of his catechesis at the Wednesday general audience. The 77-year-old pope first rubbed his... Read more
When you’re in love, your heart takes flight…. It’s almost as though you were touched by…. well, by pixie dust! This has to be one of the most romantic marriage proposals ever. During a live presentation of the stage play Peter Pan at Glasgow’s SSE Hydro arena, Peter Pan is supposed to ask Wendy for a kiss. Instead, as 12,000 playgoers watch, he asks for her hand in marriage. Just watch Wendy’s shocked and tearful reaction! Best wishes, Peter and... Read more
Early this morning, Rio’s towering statue of Christ the Redeemer was struck by lightning. The London Mirror has the photo, which was captured during a heavy storm along the coast of Brazil in the early hours of the morning. This is not the first time the famed statue has been damaged during a thunderstorm. In 2008, a lightning strike caused damage to the head and fingers, requiring restoration work. The 100-foot statue has been called the tallest statue of Jesus... Read more
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio has not been a friend to Roman Catholics. His policies in support of abortion, homosexual rights, and increased taxes for Church-owned lots have been met with stern opposition from many people of faith. But the Mayor has been inspired by Pope Francis’ message, and he hopes to attract the pontiff to visit New York City. With that in mind, Mayor de Blasio visited Cardinal Timothy Dolan’s residence in Midtown on January 13. The two... Read more
I’m a huge Dean Koontz fan. I love his brand of “stealth evangelization”, the way he proposes a moral concept in the context of a sci-fi novel. I especially love his character Odd Thomas, the squeaky-clean 19-year-old fry cook who sees dead people and bodachs. Evidence of my addiction: In my hallway is a bookcase (a narrow bookcase, granted, but still…) with three full shelves of Koontz novels. So when Koontz’ newest thriller Innocence hit bookstores last month, I was... Read more
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