The Anchoress
This is very well done, indeed, from Catholic News Services: Here’s a look at what’s expected to take place in the Sistine Chapel March 12, 2013 as 115 cardinals choose the next pope. A serious look at a very serious undertaking. Read more
This is very well done, indeed, from Catholic News Services: Here’s a look at what’s expected to take place in the Sistine Chapel March 12, 2013 as 115 cardinals choose the next pope. A serious look at a very serious undertaking. Read more
Yesterday I mentioned on Facebook that the more I read about the younger set of Cardinals the more I like these “Ratzingerians”, (so named because they’ve mostly been appointed by Pope Benedict XVI). I was very taken with this John Allen interview with Cardinal John Onaiyekan (referred to by some as the “Timothy Dolan of Africa”); he seems very sensible, faithful, smart and even charming. Dolan, of course, is a Ratzingerian, as is Boston’s Cardinal Sean O’Malley. Just over half... Read more
Planned Parenthood is unhappy with these New York City-sponsored ads. Planned Parenthood officials called it a scare campaign that shames teen parents and promotes gender stereotypes. “The latest NYC ad campaign creates stigma, hostility and negative public opinions about teen pregnancy and parenthood rather than offering alternative aspirations for young people,” said Haydee Morales, vice president of education and training at Planned Parenthood of New York City. What would those “alternative aspirations” be, exactly? “Keep having teen sex, just make... Read more
On his new blog, John Thavis explains how and why information from the General Congregations in Rome just got harder to come by: Sister Mary Ann Walsh…said in an email: “Concern was expressed in the General Congregation about leaks of confidential proceedings reportedin Italian newspapers. As a precaution, the cardinals have agreed not to do interviews.” In other words, because some anonymous cardinals fed Italian reporters a few details about their discussions, a gag order now applies to all the... Read more
You know the saying, right? Only Nixon could go to China and be credible because no one would ever accuse him of being a secret communist? And perhaps only a married priest who has also been a celibate priest can give effective voice to the value of the disclipine in an age where, as Fr. Dwight Longenecker writes here, “everyone is expected to be copulating most of the time…” because no one would ever accuse him of being “sexually immature”... Read more
Received several emails last night and this morning passing along this headline: DOJ: Children Do Not Need—and Have No Right to–Mothers. As some headlines go, I’d say thatsa some-a spicy meataball! Here’s what CNS News says: The Justice Department’s argument on the superfluity of motherhood is presented in a brief the Obama administration filed in the case of Hollingsworth v. Perry, which challenges the constitutionality of Proposition 8, the California ballot initiative that amended California’s Constitution to say that marriage... Read more
Cardinals “Chito” Tagle and (further down) Timothy Dolan. Photosource: Catholic News Service I don’t understand Italian! Che cosa ho detto? Last week I did a quick interview with Mattia Ferraresi for Il Foglio, and today you can you can find it, in Italian, here. My Italian is very poor — I need to brush off my Rosetta Stone discs and give them a whirl before I leave for Rome later this week — so I tried a machine translate of... Read more
The only way this parody of Netflix’s series House of Cards could be better is if Kevin Spacey had actually participated in it. Well done. Read more
Many mystics and even some ordinary types have seen it, and Thomas Merton wrote perhaps the most famous description of it: “There is no way of telling people that they are all walking around shining like the sun.” Well, there might actually be a way, now, and the story and video behind it is a must-read, must-watch one-two punch. (H/T New Advent) Take three minutes to watch the video. Your day just got better, right? Right. Related: Over at Black,... Read more
After receiving an advance copy of John Thavis’ timely new book The Vatican Diaries, and enjoying it immensely, as I relate here, I emailed a few questions to Thavis — the “retired” former Rome bureau chief for Catholic News Services who is currently back in Rome covering the impending conclave, and even blogging at his own site. Since I am so highly recommending his book — and I really urge you to pick it up as soon as you can,... Read more
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