CATHOLIC NEWS: Pope expected to create new dicastery to re-evangelize Europe, US... PLUS 18 MORE

CATHOLIC NEWS: Pope expected to create new dicastery to re-evangelize Europe, US... PLUS 18 MORE

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Pope expected to create new dicastery to re-evangelize Europe, US

Posted: 26 Apr 2010 08:31 AM PDT

Rome, Italy, Apr 26, 2010 / 10:31 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Benedict XVI is about to release a letter announcing the creation of a new Vatican dicastery called the Pontifical Council for the New Evangelization. The new department will be aimed at bringing the Gospel back to Western societies that have lost their Christian identity.

What JFK wrought at Houston

Posted: 27 Apr 2010 09:43 AM PDT

Sandro Magister's "Chiesa" (Church) newsletter (available at http://chiesa.espresso.repubblica.it) is an indispensable resource for anyone seriously following the major debates within the Catholic Church, the ideas shaping the pontificate of Benedict XVI, and the goings-on of the Church's central administration. Sandro and I are friend.

A gallery of stunning Hubble images from new book

Posted: 26 Apr 2010 04:24 PM PDT

These images are featured in the stunning new book Hubble: A Journey Through Space and Time by Edward J. Weiler, published by Abrams in collaboration with NASA. All images: Courtesy NASA. Click images for enlargement. Hubble's survey of planetary nebulae reveals surprisingly intricate, glowing patterns spun into space by aging stars: pinwheels...

Report: historic papal apology coming

Posted: 26 Apr 2010 03:18 PM PDT

So says a leading newspaper in Great Britain. This, from The Independent: Pope Benedict XVI is planning to make the first general apology for the abuse of children and minors by Roman Catholic priests when he meets thousands of clergymen from around the world in June at the climax of the International Year for Priests, Vatican sources say.

Hadley Arkes: What finally brought me into the Church

Posted: 27 Apr 2010 09:18 AM PDT

It was last October, the Red Mass, said on that first Sunday in October just before the opening of the Supreme Court on the first Monday. My wife Judy and I were at the service at St. Matthew's in Washington, and we were on the way to the Hilton on Sixteenth Street for the lunch following the Mass. Suddenly, and happily, we.

The Mass at the Shrine

Posted: 26 Apr 2010 10:00 PM PDT

Embattled Pope Benedict XVI, who turned 83 ten days ago on April 16, was honored in the United States on April 24, the 5th anniversary of his election in 2005 at the age of 78, by thousands of American Catholics who attended a Mass commemorating his installation.

Why Film's Golden Age Ended

Posted: 26 Apr 2010 10:00 PM PDT

One of the best films ever made is Frank Capra's It Happened One Night, starring Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert. The 1934 comedy features an heiress on the run from her father, and the reporter who joins forces with her. The two fall in love and, alone in hotel rooms, to guard against temptation, they hang a blanket between their beds.

Go thank Bishop Slattery..

Posted: 27 Apr 2010 02:37 AM PDT

Many are of the opinion that Bishop Slattery's homily from this past Saturday will go down as one of the best in American history. If you have read it, or heard the audio, take the time to go tell him what you think. You might consider sending a copy to your favorite Catholic news outlets. As of today...

St. Louis church may reconcile with archdiocese

Posted: 27 Apr 2010 08:51 AM PDT

A long and bitter feud may finally be about to be resolved. From the St. Louis Post-Dispatch: In the strongest evidence yet that the long legal battle between the St. Louis Archdiocese and St. Stanislaus Kostka Church could soon be resolved, the church's pastor, the Rev. Marek Bozek...

A vandalized statue, a "teachable moment"

Posted: 27 Apr 2010 09:22 AM PDT

A statue of Mary was desecrated over the weekend in North Carolina. Details: At the urging of their pastor, members of St. Matthew Catholic Church stopped at a rose garden on church grounds Sunday to pray for whoever knocked off the head and praying hands of a concrete Virgin Mary statue and to teach their children that even a peaceful garden in full bloom is not protecte.

Sex, by the numbers..

Posted: 27 Apr 2010 09:10 AM PDT

the notion of sex without consequences is a myth.

ESPN: Sister Mary Elizabeth Lloyd is no ordinary nun

Posted: 27 Apr 2010 09:04 AM PDT

When is a habit more than a habit? When it's made of a special wicking material to better allow the nun wearing it to complete whatever ultrarun she's currently competing in. One company made just such a garment for Sister Mary Elizabeth Lloyd, who as a member of the order of the Religious Teachers Filippini is required to wear her full habit -- a black wool tunic...

A child's view from the pew..

Posted: 26 Apr 2010 07:58 PM PDT

... I blog what I know and observe. I am no expert on the mass in the extraordinary form. I can not provide deep theological pontifications from a scholarly perspective. I also can not give you details of who was in attendance, those Catholic celebrities... I am terrible with names. This isn't that type of blog...

Fr. Daniel Coughlin, House chaplain, marks 10 years of service

Posted: 27 Apr 2010 08:57 AM PDT

Ten years later, Coughlin is still in the job, and there is ample evidence that the rancor that accompanied his selection has disappeared: Last week, lawmakers from both parties streamed onto the House floor to honor his decade of service.

A Good Bad Week For Catholicism

Posted: 27 Apr 2010 08:30 AM PDT

Bishops are resigning -- and that's good news for the church.

Hearing the Shepherd's Voice

Posted: 26 Apr 2010 05:32 PM PDT

I read not long ago about a guy who was visiting a village in Yorkshire in England. He was sitting outside the pub with a pint of ale and two shepherds came down from the hills with their flocks of sheep. At the end of the village the street split into two and as he watched the shepherds went two different ways. The sheep from both flocks were crowded together...

BBC editorial: In the wake of the papal memo fiasco, what has happened to the British Foreign Office?

Posted: 27 Apr 2010 08:42 AM PDT

It turned out that the list of ideas for the papal visit ("Benedict" condoms, blessing of a gay marriage etc) had been drawn up by a team "brainstorming" for the visit and was attached to an invitation to a wider meeting. This was definitely not the Foreign Office I have known. "You cannot be serious" was my immediate thought. It still is.

Clarifying the Confusion on Confirmation

Posted: 26 Apr 2010 11:18 PM PDT

Some one once said that Confirmation is the Sacrament in search of a theology. While not true the statement does capture that there is a lot of incorrect and sometimes silly teaching about this sacrament to young people. It is the season for Confirmations and I want to explore the what the Catechism teaches about...

Hadley Arkes, welcome home

Posted: 26 Apr 2010 12:17 PM PDT

My wife, Frankie, and I were humbled to be among those who were present at the Mass in which our dear friend Hadley Arkes was received into the Catholic Church. It took place on the afternoon of Saturday, April 24, in the chapel of the Catholic Information Center in Washington, D.C. His sponsor was Michael Novak...