This is old news. I meant to make this post a couple weeks ago, and then thought it would fit on Divine Mercy Sunday. But the message is timeless. I am sure that by now everyone has seen the horrific video from South Carolina of Walter Scott, a black man, being shot eight times in the back by Michael Slager, a white police officer. (Indeed, this is now old news, with the media having moved on to the brutal death... Read more
Quick suggestion that you revisit the April 23rd post under this same title. Please remember that the plenary addresses of this conference will live stream this Monday, April 27th starting at 4:30 pm Eastern time. After viewing these addresses, please share your comments in the comment boxes of the April 27th post. Thank you. Read more
I’ve been watching the mailbox like a kid at Christmas. Except we’re in Easter, so alleluia! My cause for rejoicing today is the arrival of my honest-to-goodness paperback copy of Solidarity Hall‘s inaugural publication, Radically Catholic in the Age of Francis, in which I and a few of my fellow Vox Novians (previous contributors Sam Rocha, Mark Gordon, and Tony Annett, who has blogged here as Morning’s Minion) are honored to have essays included among a delightfully unpigeonholeable mix of thinkers and doers... Read more
Vox Nova is pleased to welcome the following guest post by reader Mike McG. Sean Cardinal O’Malley calls polarization “a cancer on the church.” How is the current degree of polarization within American Catholicism working for you? Well, it is not working for me. In fact, I find it quite disheartening. Yet I have often felt alone in my desolation. The good news is that those of us who feel wounded and broken by polarization are not alone. A number... Read more
In my local paper this morning I found an interesting profile of a local seminarian which I wanted to share. This complements my earlier posts on vocations, which can be found here, here, here and here. Michael Bovino is 25 and in his first year of seminary studies at Mt. St. Mary’s Seminary. He is a candidate for the Diocese of Norwich, CT. If he is ordained, he will be the 19th vocation from his parish in its 150 year... Read more
Two years ago the community choir I sing with in Toronto put on a concert devoted entirely to music by African-American and African-Canadian choral composers. We performed a lot of great music in that concert, much of it drawing on the tradition of African-American spirituals. For me, the most powerful piece was “Crucifixion” by Adolphus Hailstork. The refrain is powerful: “They crucified my Lord / And he never said a mumbling word…They pierced him in the side / They nailed... Read more
Over the past month and a half, Christians all over the world have been on a pilgrimage. Lent is a time of prayer and contemplation, fasting and charity, a time of striving to grow in our faith and closeness to Christ. I only just now learned that as we’ve been on this journey, we’ve been accompanied by some of our Muslim brothers and sisters. It’s amazing to know that we are not alone: http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-32094307 As we accompany Christ through his Last Supper,... Read more
During his two years as pope, Francis has had a rocky relationship with Catholic traditionalists, both those in full communion with Rome and those who have broken away, such as the Society of St. Pius X. The traditionalist blog Rorate Caeli continues to bemoan his dismissive attitude towards the Latin mass, and the glimmers of rapproachment with the SSPX during the pontificate of Benedict XVI have faded. However, today Pope Francis has, with one of his now famous off-hand remarks,... Read more
This past weekend I had the opportunity to hear the Passion read three different times. My pastor was in a car accident a couple weeks ago and is laid up for Holy Week. (Please remember him, Fr. Metzler, in your prayers.) Since I served as his master of ceremonies for the last Triduum, he asked me to expand my duties and serve at each of the Palm Sunday liturgies as well. (Pretty easy, since except for the opening rite it... Read more
Open Mind, Faithful Heart By Pope Francis Translated by Joseph V. Owens, SJ Crossroad Publishing Company, 2013 There’s a hymn that is popular in Latin America. It’s called “Viva Cristo Rey” (Long Live Christ the King). The first time I heard it while living and working in Nicaragua eight years ago, I was taken aback by its martial lyrics: Un grito de guerra se escucha en la faz de la tierra y en todo lugar. Los prestos guerreros empuñan su... Read more
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