(Photo Source He is a Beato! Loved singing the Gloria, in Latin, with my fellow Catholics. Bells ringing all over Rome! 8:33 AM After doing more grousing than a mature woman and a Christian should, I stood up, watched the chopper overhead, the stunning vista, the crowds, the placement, the choir…and I was just overwhelmed. I found myself doing the hand-to-chest thing: holy moley, look where I am! This is unbelievable; it is breathtaking, heart-aching, staggering, and I want to... Read more
Here’s AP’s description of the all-night vigil before John Paul II’s beatification ceremony. I’m not ashamed to admit, I’m getting goose pimples, along with a nagging case of Scalia envy: ROME – Thousands of young people flooded an ancient Roman field Saturday for an all-night prayer vigil honoring Pope John Paul II on the eve of his beatification, remembering his teachings, travels and his own suffering. Pilgrims waving flags from Poland, Spain Germany and Brazil filled the Circus Maximus, which... Read more
Here, some of the best and brightest weigh in on Pope John Paul II’s beatification, and correct some popular misconceptions. The Curt Jester ripostes John Paul’s critics by explaining the difference between heroic virtue and administrative brilliance. Fr. Z. reminds readers that they shall know a saint by the fruits of the people mourning him. While defending John Paul’s sanctity, Pia de Solenni calls for more transparency on the handling of the Maciel and sex-abuse cases. In the National Review,... Read more
WRITTEN BY MAX LINDENMAN: Yesterday, I was impressed to see so many readers celebrating the royal wedding as a validation of marriage. At First Things, Meghan Duke takes a slightly different approach: she sees it as a rebuke to the practice of permanent cohabitation: “It’s probably best that they live together before making a commitment,” one random fellow interviewed by the AP opined. According to anonymous “Royal commentators,” cohabiting on and off with his girlfriend has put Prince William “in... Read more
On Tuesday, the New York Times reported that the Atlanta-baed law firm King & Spalding renounced its commission to defend the Defense of Marriage Act on Congress’ behalf. According to the Times, this isn’t unusual. For opponents of same-sex marriage, it’s hard to find good help these days: The firm’s abrupt reversal highlights the continuing potency of same-sex marriage as a complicated issue that has scrambled traditional political calculations in Washington. President Obama has often called the marriage act “abhorrent,”... Read more
I was very glad to be able to do all of my pilgrimage stuff yesterday, when the weather was beautiful and the city still felt like it was “mine, all mine.” This morning I made my way to 9am mass as the little chapel of St. Philip Neri, which is becoming my morning habit while here, and afterwards I walked over to St. Andrea Apostole, which has been rather brilliantly freshened up in time for it’s feature as part of... Read more
I confess, I don’t. Maybe it’s reverse-snobbery: the less I hear about my socioeconomic betters, the better — that’s why I never got into Desperate Housewives or Mad Men. Or maybe it’s sheer perversity: whatever the world loves, Lindenman must despise — that’s why I have never, to this day, seen any of the Rings movies. Or it may be something even more basic: the envy I feel toward people of whatever station who are happily married. One time last... Read more
I see Max is keeping everyone on your feet! A busy mind! Finally have Internet, yay! Have spent all of my time so far walking around, revisiting favorite spots, finding new faces and keeping my prayer promises! Brought all of your requests to dear St. Philip Neri, and St Catherine of Siena, and was privileged to spend over an hour in prayer at the chapel of the Blessed Sacrament in St. Peter’s Basilica, where I brought all intentions! The city... Read more
Here are two especially moving tributes to John Paul II, whose beatification ceremony Elizabeth is now winging her way to attend. The first comes from Dr. Michael Berenbaum of A Jewish Journal: Enter Pope John Paul II who as a young man in Poland witnessed the Shoah. Three million Jews of Poland were killed in the Holocaust. After the war, Polish cities, which were once the home of large and thriving Jewish communities, were bereft of Jews and the Pope’s... Read more
Lately, many people have been finding fault with the Dallas Charter and its provisions for dealing with credibly accused priests. If memory serves, one very important question that slipped everyone’s mind was: What makes an accusation credible? In last week’s National Catholic Reporter, Zoe Ryan reports that the term’s vagueness has created considerable confusion: Yet no precise definition or standard exists for what it means to be “credibly accused,” leaving each diocese to decide on its own what credible means.... Read more
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