We will have a new pope. Pope Benedict’s resignation becomes effective February 28, at 8 pm. The See of Peter will not be vacant long. In a short time, the College of Cardinals will convene for the Papal Conclave to elect a new pope. Catholics and other Christians the world over are praying for the Holy Spirit to guide this conclave as they select the man who will lead the Church through the times ahead. This Lent is like no... Read more
Cardinal Keith O’Brien the leader of the Archdiocese of Saint Andrews and Edinburgh in Scotland, has resigned. Cardinal O’Brien’s resignation comes days after he was accused of sexual misconduct. Cardinal O’Brien has denied the accusations, which do not appear to involve minors. The Pope has accepted his resignation, effective February 25. Cardinal O’Brien has indicated that he will not participate in the upcoming Conclave to elect a new pope. A CNA/EWTN article describing Cardinal O’Brien’s resignation says in part:... Read more
As usual, Deacon Greg Kandra has the story. The Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, in one of his last acts as Supreme Pontiff, has modified the rules to allow for an earlier conclave. Since most of the cardinals will be in Rome this week for his last day as Pope, many people hope that the conclave will begin then. This change does not require an earlier conclave. It simply opens the way if the cardinals decide they want to have... Read more
The Holy Father gave his last Angelus meditation as pope to huge crowds today. It was a beautiful good-bye, in which he said: Dear brothers and sisters, I feel that this Word of God is particularly directed at me, at this point in my life. The Lord is calling me to “climb the mountain”, to devote myself even more to prayer and meditation. But this does not mean abandoning the Church, indeed, if God is asking me to do this... Read more
Mollie, who blogs at Get Religion, wrote a post a couple of days ago that fits right in with a discussion we’ve been having here at Public Catholic. I published two posts yesterday which revolved around the question of how much genuine concern for women the pro choice movement truly has. They have spun the whole issue of abortion as being one of women’s health care. But what do they do when abortionists ignore what is best for the health... Read more
President Obama weighed in with the Supreme Court today. He filed an amicus brief asking the court to overturn the federal Defense of Marriage Act. The Federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) of 1996 denies federal recognition of gay marriages and gives each state the right to refuse recognition of same-sex marriage licenses issued by other states. The act does not prohibit states from allowing gay marriages, neither does it obligate states to recognize the gay marriages from other states.... Read more
Immediately after Pope Benedict XVI announced his resignation, reports circulated that he would be bumped back to a cardinal, which I passed along to you. This made sense at the time, because there can be only one pope. It turns out that the Holy Father will have a new title designed to express his unique position in the Church as a living, but not sitting, Pope. His title will be: “His Holiness, Benedict XVI, Bishop Emeritus of Rome.” That sounds... Read more
Live Action and Fox News report that a Colorado woman has filed suit against Planned Parenthood for subjecting her to an abortion she had refused and then abandoning her when she experienced complications. Ayanna Byer asserts that she told the Planned Parenthood abortionist that she had decided against having an abortion, but that the doctor went ahead with the procedure despite this. Then, “due to Ms Byer crying from pain” she alleges that the same doctor stopped before the abortion... Read more
The Catholic Church doesn’t bend on essential matters of faith. In 2,000 years, through bad popes and good ones, through corruption, wars, plagues and persecution, the Church has held true to the core teachings which define Christianity. This makes the Catholic Church itself one of the most compelling witnesses to the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit available to us. Pope Benedict has faced direct challenges to the faith that many of his predecessors never experienced. This has not been... Read more
My virtual friends, who blog at Biltrix, penned a wonderful post yesterday that I want to share with you. Our Lady appeared to three Portuguese shepherd children in 1917. She prophesied the rise of communism in Russia and said that the way to end communism in Russia was to consecrate the nation to her Sacred Heart. I didn’t know about this when the Soviet Union, after almost a century of threats and saber rattling, just dissolved. I did know that... Read more
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