Do you see those two boys up there? I’m so proud of those two boys, and the men they have become. They are smart; they are thoughtful, and kind. They are the sort of men who tell the women they love, “you go for it; you do what you feel called to do. You will be great; don’t let anything stop you.” And to top it off, they’re musicians! The older one — destined, in our minds, for MIT and... Read more
Good news! Putting Families First at Top of Pope’s Curia Reform Agenda Halfway through their meetings, Pope Francis and his council of cardinals have addressed many different themes, but the formation and care of families is a top priority in upcoming discussions. Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi revealed in an Oct. 2 press briefing that, so far, the council has reflected on the ecclesiology of the Second Vatican Council and the upcoming Synod of Bishops. But Father Lombardi said that... Read more
Seriously, I’m beginning to feel like all I do is read, write, and dialogue about Francis, all day long and all night; other work is slipping deadlines — book reviews; interviews; transcriptions; writers who need beatings; editors who also need beatings — all because of The Constant Francis whose impact on American Catholics is overstuffing my in-boxes, my comboxes, my social media threads. I will need to tame this Constant Francis or I’m never going to get anything else done.... Read more
One aspect of fallen human nature is that we, in a weirdly paradoxical way, tend to become precisely what it is we do not like. Saint Paul decried this tendency in himself, “I do not understand myself; all that I hate I am become” (Romans 7:15). In attempting to walk with people who still processing our new pope and trying to understand him, or trying to understand themselves and what matters within the depths, I’ve had a lot of time... Read more
Back in 2006, I wrote about the artlessness of Hillary Clinton, who could have turned a story around to her advantage, and seemed masterful and above the fray at the same time. Hillary was artless. Today we’re watching another display of political artlessness going down at the World War II Memorial, where 90-year old veterans of that war are being wheeled to that monument (and apparently the Lincoln memorial) by personal attendees — some of whom, no doubt, are trained... Read more
Pope Francis called Eugenio Scalfari, the atheist editor of La Repubblica, and said, “how about an interview” and Scalfari, no fool, took him up on it. Reading the first English translation found online this morning, I cursed my poor Italian and kept thinking, “this must be a sloppy translation — some of this isn’t even making sense.” Well, “Nunblogger” Sister Anne Flanagan, a Daughter of Saint Paul, saw issues too, and since she reads Italian well, she has become a... Read more
The annual nun-news round-up happened, last year, on the Feastday of Saint Therese of Lisieux, and it seemed to me a perfect day to celebrate news of new or proceeding religious vocations, so I’ve decided to do it every October 1. As ever, please don’t ask me why I don’t include more unhabited communities; there are some here; I give the news I can find. Let’s start with the monastics! The big news from our friends the Dominican Nuns of... Read more
Interesting, from the UK Tablet — full text of an interview between Archbishop Gerhard Ludwig Müller and the German Catholic News Agency: KNA: Can former liberation theologians who have been reprimanded (by Rome) now hope to be rehabilitated? Archbishop Müller: (laughing) I myself haven’t reprimanded any! Contrary to widespread popular opinion, the two instructions of 1984 and 1986 were not a big ‘No’ to liberation theology. They merely discussed certain aspects of it. Its most important representatives have developed their... Read more
Wait, let me get my eyeroll over with, in anticipation of all the people who, knowing nothing about me, will nevertheless descend on this blog screaming “homophobe.” Now that that’s out of the way, Huffpo Religion did one of their attention-getting tweets about big, bad old Catholicism: LOOK: The photos of gays and lesbians kissing in church that the Vatican doesn’t want you to see And then the breathless: Despite Pope Francis’ earlier remarks about opening up the Church, the... Read more
Today’s New York Post has a story on the “Crazy luxe amenities” enjoyed by some of New York’s better-heeled, and I don’t mean the dogs, although they can put on the Ritz, too, if their owners are so inclined: Since the unveiling of Chelsea’s “sky garage” condo — with an elevator that takes tenants’ cars to their floors — high-rises are rolling out other crazy comforts. [. . .] * 45-45 Center Blvd. in Long Island City, Queens: The 41-story... Read more
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