A normal friend knocks at your door. An Argentinean friend opens the door and happily yells, “I’m here!” It’s a funny list, but there’s something real going on here, which describes Pope Francis to a T, whether we like that T or not: To the Pope, everything is personal. Read the rest at the Register. photo courtesy Pixabay Read more
I’m reading . . . A Case of Conscience by James Blish (1958). It turns out that the bland title has prevented anyone else in my house from picking this book up, and they had no idea it’s a Catholic science fiction adventure novel about a biochemist Jesuit who is on an alien planet collecting information about a society of super intelligent lizard-like creatures who do not sin and who have no apparent need for God, and what do we think about... Read more
The great part of this deft, brisk movie is that you can totally ignore these existential themes of being lost and being found, having direction and having a reason to live, and just watch it because it’s tense and exciting and has a really scary bear in it. Read the rest of my review of the 1997 film The Edge at the Register. Read more
is spotlighted today: The Church is full of the obedient wounded. The flock who never strayed have troubles of their own, and some of these troubles come directly from original sin, the effects of which no doctrinal development, pastoral compassion, or rigorously trained professional can completely undo. Poor family, they need to hear that their sorrows are known to God and to the Church. That the cross still hangs there above the altar because it must be faced, sooner... Read more
I’m gonna skip the Columbus Day agita this year and just pass along this extraordinary recipe for suppli. Suppli are breaded, deep-fried, egg-shaped risotto balls with a center of gooey cheese, and St. Peter will be holding one in each hand when he welcomes us to Heaven. Here’s how you make them. SUPPLI 2 eggs 2 cups risotto (see recipe below) 4 oz. mozzarella in 1/2-inch cubes 3/4 cup bread crumbs oil for frying tomato sauce, if you like Beat eggs lightly... Read more
Question of the week: What’s your “Yay, It’s Finally Fall Weather!” dish? Something that you only cook or bake or eat at this time of year. It’s okay if it’s some kind of pumpkin spice bullshit. This is a safe space. Here’s what our week in food looked like: SATURDAY Cheeseburgers; homemade fries; salad; cookies Today it’s raining, and we’ve had a few frosts already, and have turned on the heat for the year. Love that cozy smell of toasted... Read more
Are we done fretting about princess culture yet? Because I think I’ve found the final word on what it really means to be a princess. Abzeita Djigma is a real live princess from the Western African country of Burkina Faso. She is “a direct descendant of the famous warrior and legendary Princess Yennenga,” she has a message for us: “Go where people need you.” She wants to enlighten the lives of her people — literally. Read the rest at the Register. Read more
This is a guest post written by the friend of a friend. The writer goes by Monica More, which is a pseudonym. I have bolded some passages for emphasis. Priests, especially, please take heed. Dear Synod Fathers, Thank you for your prayerful consideration of how the Church can offer better pastoral care to a world in which so many families are broken, and in which so many have lost sight of the true nature of marriage. I wish... Read more
Many Catholics believe the Synod on the Family will drive home the final nail in the coffin of orthodoxy. They believe that, when the Synod is over, from that coffin will emerge some hideous new zombie Church, which progressive Pope Francis will envelop in one of his famous Marxist hugs. Together, Frankie and Zombie will personally cater all the gay weddings they can find, and couples who have three or more annulments under their belts can claim a discount on renting the Sistine Chapel... Read more
If you came in in the middle of the process, you’d think I was being totally unfair. You’d see me letting one kid stand there and have center stage, while everyone else has to just stand around and listen to half-truths, exaggerations, and self-pity. You’d think I was a fool for listening gravely and seriously to what is obviously a biased, self-serving version of what happened. Or maybe you’d see me letting one kid stand there and having center stage,... Read more
I Have to Sit Down
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