Bishop Finn Resigns: Bishop Accountability Begins

April 21, 2015 By Elizabeth Scalia

With the resignation of Bishop Robert Finn, “bishop-accountability” begins. Pope Francis will choose his successor. This comes right on the heels of headlines announcing that confirmed abuse allegations against Catholic priests were in the single digits for 2014. One allegation is too many, but clearly the zero-tolerance measures put into place over the last ten-or-so years, and the laicization of hundreds of bad priests under Pope Benedict XVI is having the desired effect. As to the ouster of Finn, it... Read more

Steak & Godly Intimacy: Poverty Plus Personal Perspectives

April 18, 2015 By Elizabeth Scalia

In different ways, a few Patheos Catholic bloggers have been talking about poverty, and from a personal point of view, and all unplanned. It started off with Rebecca Lane Frech thinking back on the paradoxical freedoms and intimacies that came with being short of money, when she and her family had to lean on others, who in turn leaned on them: When we were poor, we shared and there was a joy in sharing. I can remember the phone calls... Read more

Chicago’s Cardinal Francis George has Passed: Many Updates

April 17, 2015 By Elizabeth Scalia

“I expect to die in bed, my successor will die in prison and his successor will die a martyr in the public square. His successor will pick up the shards of a ruined society and slowly help rebuild civilization, as the church has done so often in human history” ― Cardinal Francis George, OMI After a long bout with cancer, he is gone. It occurs to me, remembering that quote of his (and more on it, here), that we now... Read more

Foolish Friday Flashback: The Guy with the Gun at Adoration

April 17, 2015 By Elizabeth Scalia

A bit of a stumble last night, re the post below. Since I feel foolish, seems like a good time to remember another time I was very foolish! This is from 2013. Enjoy! So, I haven’t been feeling great these past few weeks — it’s one of the reasons for the scant writing; between the aches and pains and the fuzzy brain, reasoning has been a challenge for me (that is, more of a challenge) and it’s difficult to write... Read more

Christian Immigrants Being Thrown Overboard?

April 17, 2015 By Elizabeth Scalia

Man, I really, really hope this story is not true: Police: Muslims threw Christians overboard during Med voyage: Italy’s migration crisis took on a deadly new twist Thursday as police in Sicily reported that Muslim migrants had thrown 12 Christians overboard during a recent crossing from Libya, and an aid group said another 41 were feared drowned in a separate incident. Palermo police said they had detained 15 people suspected in the high seas assault, which they learned of while... Read more

Unnecessary Roughness: How Dumb was Britt McHenry?

April 16, 2015 By Elizabeth Scalia

Saw people talking about this story on Twitter, and didn’t think much about it; some woman had a non-work-related rant and got suspended for a week from her job? I tossed off a joke about “wimmen being kept in line” or something and forgot about it, until I visited Hot Air and actually saw the video. Holy Smokes! Hey, I understand people who are in stressful situations not putting their best self forward — it happens to all of us.... Read more

On his 88th Birthday, Some Quotes from Benedict XVI

April 16, 2015 By Elizabeth Scalia

It is only when life has been accepted and is perceived as accepted that it becomes also acceptable. Man is that strange creature that needs not just physical birth but also appreciation if he is to subsist . . . If an individual is to accept himself, someone must say to him: “It is good that you exist” – must say it, not with words, but with that act of the entire being that we call love. – Principles of... Read more

Hillary on Top: Teetering, and not Due to Sexism

April 15, 2015 By Elizabeth Scalia

Once you’ve reached a pinnacle, you can’t keep whining that you’re only teetering because you’re a woman. You’re teetering because the pinnacle is slim, sharp and lonely, and you can only remain there if you belong there, or if you have one hell of a safety belt supporting you. Those that belong there make the pinnacle look easy, the rest impale themselves or fall. Or they loll about in the safety belt, and stagnate. I wrote that a long time... Read more

Orthodox Christians Singing in Beirut! What Voices!

April 14, 2015 By Elizabeth Scalia

Oh, I do love this! Something for all of my Orthodox friends out there — a flash mob of Orthodox Christians in Lebanon, sharing the Easter news: “Jesus is Risen” Beautiful! And so wonderful to see in the second week of Easter, when, as Tom Zampino notes, most of the world has finished their chocolate bunnies and moved on. We need to keep our focus, and keep wondering, because we are still in Easter! I do love Orthodox singing! Here... Read more

Will Bible-Carrying Hillary Address Churches & Public Square?

April 13, 2015 By Elizabeth Scalia

As soon as Hillary Clinton enters into a serious campaign mode — and this has been true for her husband’s campaigns as well as her own — the citizenry becomes informed that Mrs. Clinton is a “staunch Methodist” and bible-believing Christian. It is always one of the very first cards she plays in her attempts to “connect” with the rubes and yahoos yearning masses whose causes she wants to champion, and whose votes usually factor in religion. I recall reading,... Read more