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Are they really "saints"?
2007-03-06 05:24:00
Pope John Paul II...Mother Teresa...Dorothy Day...Pope John XXIII...Francisco and Jacinta Marto...Sister Lucia...They knew each other. They honored each. They strengthened one another. They are four of the 20th century's greatest men and women of the Catholic faith. Four have been beatified, three have been declared "Servant of God" with their canonization cases progressing forward. Their local bishops and successors have deemed them worthy of sainthood. Can we call them saints--holy men and women set aside as models and witnesses of faith by their own bishops--before they are canonized? Are they not as holy or worthy of being called "saints" before they are officially recognized as such by the Bishop of Rome? Should we keep silent about their holy lives and count them no more worthy of the title of "saint" as any other person who has died in the state of grace? Can we call them "saints"?Look at them. Look at their lives. Look at their hearts.Is there really a question?
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Registration opens today for World Youth Day 2008
2007-03-02 21:49:00
H/T: Amy WelbornGroup registration opens today for World Youth Day 2008 in Sidney! 500 days before the event. I received a brochure from my diocese a few months ago, where they were offering trips to the Sidney WYD for ~$2000. Many parishes have been raising money since the last World Youth Day in Cologne, so they can take their young people. I went with Magnificat Travel to the one in Cologne and I strongly recommend it, because they are experienced in organizing pilgrimages, so our trip was not simply a nice tourist destination, but one with a lot of sacrifice and prayer. Michael has also been to a WYD in Rome in 2000 and his experience was definitely quite different than mine, because his did not maintain a prayerful atmosphere during the trip. So it is important to know who are you choosing to attend WYD with. Most of the pilgrimage agencies will let you pay in installments as Magnificat Travel does. If you ask me, as a former youth minister, I would not recommend taking high sc...
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Opus Dei: The Movie
2007-03-02 18:13:00
Great news!H/T: Orthfully CatholicWith perhaps Antonio Banderas and Robert De Niro in the leading roles, Opus Dei is serving as a theological consultant for a film that features the life of St. Josemaría Escrivá, founder of Opus Dei. Opus Dei is not funding the film but instead serving as a consultant for a film that has been on the works for years, but it was not until the "Da Vinci Code Affair" that the members of Opus Dei agreed to it in order to convey the true spirit of the movement.Giuseppe Corigliano, head of Opus Dei's information office in Italy, said: "They had been asking us for at least six or seven years to act as consultants for a film on St Josemaria. "At the beginning, we had doubts because we didn't think it was possible to convey his extraordinary personality, his sense of humour and deep faith. We agreed after The Da Vinci Code affair." Opus Dei, which says it has 85,000 members in 60 countries, is a theologically conservative movement that seeks to integrate ...
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Quote of the Week
2007-02-28 15:38:00
"If those societies (bound by Nazism and communism) sensed a new freedom after the collapse of the totalitarian systems, a fundamental new problem arose almost immediately--the proper use of that freedom. The problem affects both individuals and societies: it therefore requires some kind of systematic solution. If I am free, I can make good or bad use of my freedom." "The danger of the situation in which we live today consists in the fact that we claim to prescind from the ethical dimension in our use of freedom--that is, from consideration of moral good and evil. A certain concept of freedom, which has widespread support in public opinion at present, diverts attention from ethical responsibilities. Appeal is made today to freedom alone. It is often said: what matters is to be free, released from all constraint or limitation, so as to operate according to private judgment, which in reality is often pure caprice. This much is clear: such liberalism can only be described as primitive....
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'Find the Illegal Immigrant' Game
2007-02-22 16:37:00
(Click on image for larger picture) So what is the name of the childish game of the College Republicans NYU game aimed to "raise" awareness about illegal immigration: "“Find the Illegal Immigrant - They’re everywhere so it shouldn’t be too hard…� See the pictures above and below that can be found on their facebook website (in case you do not have a facebook login).Source: El Diario and WNBC.comEl Diario - Today, the sons and daughters, grandsons and granddaughters of immigrants, will play a silly game that shows a sad disconnect with current social and economic realities on the issue of immigration. The College Republicans, a student club at New York University, will host “Catch an Illegal Immigrant,� a game where participants have a chance to win a prize if they find an individual with an “illegal immigrant� name tag. A cartoon accompanying the announcement shows people crawling under a border fence and lining up for free education, jobs and healthcare.WNBC - In w...
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Theology and Academia
2007-02-22 04:46:00
The two most significant and influential Catholic theologians of the past century differed greatly in their fundamental approach and method in theological inquiry. Yet, what Hans Urs von Balthasar and Karl Rahner both agreed upon is the principle that all theology must ultimately be grounded in deep spirituality. Balthasar described theology as "kneeling" (think of the old Patristic aphorism: The theologian is one who prays well) and Rahner described the goal of theology as a quest into the darkness and mystery of God (think St. John of the Cross). Would that more of their contemporary disciples followed their example!Henry Karlson has a very thoughtful and honest post over at The Well at the World's End entitled On Academic Theology in which he describes the tension between theology and modern academia. If you are considering the pursuit of a civil or ecclesiastical degree in theology, or if you have earned a degree in theology, I heartily recommend you give Henry's post a carefu...
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Woman Sues Police After Losing Baby
2007-02-01 15:37:00
News from Kansas City about a woman who was three-month pregnant and was bleeding when she was stopped by two police officers because of outstanding traffic violations and carrying a fake temporary tag. Despite of repeated pleading from the woman to be taken to the hospital, she sat in the curb beside her car while the police officers searched her car. She was polite to the officers during the entire time. She was taken to jail and could not go to the hospital until the next day. She lost her baby.After the incident, officers found out that , apparently, this woman had "outstanding city warrants for mistreatment of children, trespassing and several traffic violations, with bonds totaling $4,600." Even if such charges are true, no human being should be denied the right to be taken to a hospital if they need care. I understand that police officers deal with any kind of criminals every day in their occupation and that they are perhaps used to people lying to them so they can run away o...
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EC Immigration Round-up
2007-01-13 17:32:00
As National Migration Week in the U.S. Catholic Church comes to a close, we've gathered together our various posts on immigration below.We were surprised at how few American Catholic blogs even mentioned National Migration Week, especially as it coincided with Pope Benedict XVI's comments on migration in his January 8th address to the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Holy See. Those bloggers who did mention and discuss this important week in the U.S. Catholic Church are to be commended for their compassion and attentiveness to our social realities and the corresponding Catholic response to those realities.Papal Perspectives and Conciliar TeachingsJohn Paul II on the care for migrantsJohn Paul II on illegal immigrationQuote of the Week (Benedict XVI on migration)Gaudium et spes on respect for dignityU.S. Bishops Archbishop Chaput's columnArchbishop Wilton Gregory on the role of the Catholic Church in the immigration debateU.S Bishops against building a wall on the U.S./Mexico bo...
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Is coffee healthy or not?
2006-12-07 22:25:02
MSNBC: A cup of confusion: Is coffee healthy or not?What does this have to do with Catholicism? Everything! At least for all of us who enjoy very much reading a Catholic book over a cup of coffee or having a Bible Study at a coffee shop :) I know some of our readers are coffee lovers, so this is for you:It?s exciting that something as simple as drinking coffee might help lower our risk of cancer, diabetes and heart disease. However, while brewed coffee (not instant) is a concentrated source of antioxidants, it can?t be a substitute for berries, legumes, nuts, and other fruits and vegetables that provide antioxidants along with a wide range of vitamins, protective compounds and dietary fiber.
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Scientists report new findings in study of Neanderthals
2006-12-07 22:25:02
To those who become squimish during discussions of evolution and religion, I do not intend to endorse or promote here any particular theory of evolution. What follow are my thoughts on recent reports from scientists who have been studying Neanderthal remains.In the grand drama that is evolutionary theory and its remainders, scientists have continually puzzled over the possible relation between Neanderthals, named after the Neander River in Germany where their remains were first discovered, and modern humans. Archaeologists have pointed to related human activities between the two: skilled hunting, building, irrigation and burying the dead. However, the marked distinctions between the skeletal structures between Neanderthals and modern humans has suggested that, while perhaps related, the two are distinct lines diverging from a hypothetical common ancestor that dates back anywhere from 700,000 to 300,000 years ago.Gene sequencing on Neanderthal remains has been underway for some t...
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Four Catholic blogs to check out
2006-12-07 16:24:01
Do take a moment and give these blogs a look. They're quite good.The GodFearinForum - A young convert to Cat holicism maintains this one. A former Presbyterian and a presently excited Catholic, he provides theological and apologetic insights from his unique vantage point.West Coast Catholic - Catholicism from a Southern California perspective (check it out especially to balance out my occasional NorCal slips).The Well at the World's End - Catholics countering the culture of death...and the culture of pompous criticism!The Body Theologic - An insightful blog devoted to Catholic theology...nice to see more southern Catholics.
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Mary in the Bible (Part 10)
2006-12-07 04:23:01
God Has Left the BuildingPart 1: IntroductionPart 2: PreliminariesPart 3: Mary in the Gospel of MarkPart 4: Mary in the Galatians and the Gospel of MatthewPart 5: The "Firstborn" of MaryPart 6: The Archangel Gabriel Sent to MaryPart7: Zechariah's Pomp and Doubt Illuminating Mary's Simplicity and FaithPart 8: What's in a Name?Part 9: SalutationsWe left off discussing the extraordinary greeting of the angel Gabriel and the manner in which this greeting highlights the peculiar importance of Mary among all of Israel. For Luke, Mary bears a singular and corporate identity both as the virgin from Nazareth and as the embodiment of Israel?s collective hope as the Daughter of Zion. Now we turn to the climax of Luke?s theological symbolism in regard to Mary?s role in salvation.Much ink has been spilled by Catholic apologists on the typological relationship between the Ark of the Covenant and Mary. We have touched on it, as well, in earlier posts. However, what seems to be lacking in many C...
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Google Search: "How much money does the Vatican make?"
2006-12-06 22:22:01
We are always amused by the Google searches that refer to our website sometimes. This one is "how much does the Vatican make" Do you want to help our friend with his/her question?? :)Update:FYI - One of our readers in the comments section linked the CIA World factbook that states the following about the Vatican's economy:Economy Overview:This unique, noncommercial economy is supported financially by an annual contribution from Roman Catholic dioceses throughout the world (known as Peter's Pence); by the sale of postage stamps, coins, medals, and tourist mementos; by fees for admission to museums; and by the sale of publications. Investments and real estate income also account for a sizable portion of revenue. The incomes and living standards of lay workers are comparable to those of counterparts who work in the city of Rome. Budget:revenues: $245.2 millionexpenditures: $260.4 million; including capital expenditures of $NA(2002) Industries:printing; production of coins, medals, pos...
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Quote of the Week
2006-12-06 22:22:01
"May your behavior and your conversation be such that everyone who sees or hears you can say: This man reads the life of Jesus Christ."St. Josemaría Escrivá, The Way
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Why are American food portions over-sized?
2006-12-06 22:22:01
I usually go out to lunch by myself during the work week and today I happened to have an epiphany. I went to Jason's Deli as I do sometimes and ordered a turkey sandwich, because I was really hungry. Well, the sandwich came and it was so large that I was unable to fit it in my mouth. So I proceeded to count the slices of turkey in the sandwich and came out with over eight slices, in addition to the cheese, vegetables, and the dressing. I took over half of the turkey in the sandwich out so I could eat it, and yes, let's face it, this is coming from a 100-lb woman, but are these portions reasonable for an average person?No. This past week we had some clients from México in our offices and they were amazed at how big food portions are in the US and, in fact, they ended up doing the same thing I did: taking out some slices of turkey from their sandwiches. I work with many engineers from the UK, Europe, and Asia and they make the same comments about America n food portions. In our pilg...
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Are liberal arts degrees useless? A typical question.
2006-12-06 10:21:02
I came across this excellent article today by Jim Pollock at MSN Encarta. As someone who has an undergraduate and graduate degree in subjects dubbed "liberal arts", I often get asked the question in a genuine perplexed manner: "What are you going to do with that???" I truly appreciated what Pollock had to say:Are Liberal Arts Degrees Worth Anything? by Jim Pollock For everyone who says that a liberal arts degree doesn't prepare you for anything, you'll find someone else who claims that it prepares you for everything. Who's right? Well, both, to some extent. The one thing that's pretty much certain is that right out of the gate, a liberal arts grad will tend to pull a smaller starting salary than his or her friends who majored in business or a technical field. Here are the numbers for expected starting salaries for various majors, as reported in the National Association of Colleges and Employers Fall 2005 Salary Survey: Liberal arts/general studies: $32,457English: $32,...
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Sundays are sacred says Benedict XVI
2006-12-06 10:21:02
From Zenit:Bene dict X VI says that it is urgent to emphasize "the sacredness of the Lord's Day and the need to participate in Sunday Mass."The Pope expressed this in a message sent to Cardinal Francis Arinze, prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments, on the occasion of a study day organized by the Vatican dicastery.The study day marked the anniversary of the promulgation of the Second Vatican Council constitution "Sacrosanctum Concilium" of Dec. 4, 1963.The meeting on the topic "Sunday Mass for the Sanctification of the Christian People" was held Friday in the Vatican.The Holy Father stressed that, for the early Christians, participation in Sunday Mass "was the natural way to express one's belonging to Christ, his communion with his Mystical Body, in the joyful hope of his glorious return."This "was manifested in a heroic way in the case of the martyrs of Abitene, who faced death exclaiming: 'Sine dominico non possumus,' that is, we cannot live without ga...
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Sundays with Augustine
2006-12-04 22:19:01
What is required for a fruitful study of scripture"What those who fear God and have a docile piety are looking for in all these books is the will of God. The first step in this laborious search, as I have said, is to know these books, and even if not yet so as to understand them, all the same by reading them to commit them to memory, or at least not to be totally unfamiliar with them. Next, those things that are put clearly in them, whether precepts about how to live or rules about what to believe, are to be studied with the utmost care and diligence; the greater your intellectual capacity, the more of these you will find. The fact is, after all, that in the passages that are put plainly in scripture is to be found everything that touches upon faith, and good morals, that is to say hope and charity...Only then, however, after acquiring some familiarity with the actual style of the divine scriptures, should one proceed to try to open up and unravel their obscurities, in such a way th...
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Chávez: ?The kingdom of socialism is the kingdom of Venezuel
2006-12-04 22:19:01
The Venezuelan people have spoken. Hugo Chávez was reelected today as the president of Venezuela for the term 2007-2013 with 61% of the votes over the candidate representing Chavez?s opposition, Manuel Rosales. Who is Chávez and what has he done?Hugo Chávez has been in power since 1999. He changed the name of the country, its Constitution?changing the length of presidential terms, among other controversial changes?restructured the nation?s Congress, the flag, and even the coat of arms. He has been called a populist, but he prefers to be called a socialist or a communist who follows faithfully the steps of Fidel Castro. His many presidential terms?since he has been reelected several times by calling many referendums?have been characterized by promoting division of classes, violation of private property, increased government involvement by establishing many social programs that aid the poor. His main campaign slogans were: ?vote against the devil (referring to President Bush)?against ...
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Christ's Centurian
2006-12-04 22:19:01
Nate provides an interesting and moving Catholic reflection on issues of peace and war from the prespective of a former U.S. soldier on his blog, The Lamb and the Dragon. You can also read the article at the Catholic Peace Fellowship site. Whatever may be your reaction to his piece, it is well worth the read.
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Clarifying Fr. Andrew Greeley
2006-12-04 22:19:01
More times than not, I think Fr. Andre w Greeley is off. Like Fr. Richard McBrien, Greeley often perceives his greatest contribution to ministry as providing sound-bites that he thinks will shock or disturb the prototypical Baltimore Catechism Catholic. It is sad, I must say, when one's intellectual creativity becomes so decrepit that one can no longer think with the Catholic tradition and the magisterium. In compensation, that one will simply speak against the tradition and magisterium--in the name of creativity, of course--composing nothing more than vacuous statements around which their tribes will dance and before which their constituents will bow. However, there are those rare times when Andrew Greeley is spot on.Over at The Cafeteria is Closed blog, a bash-fest is going on over a statement Greeley made recently at a meeting held in conjunction with the American Academy of Religion at Harvard University. Gerald Augustinus, the host of the blog, posted a short excerpt from a CWN...
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The Many Faces of Benedict XVI
2006-12-03 04:16:02
"Believe me, guys. I can take all four of you American seminarians with only my writing hand.
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"God vs. Science" - A Match Made in...
2006-12-02 16:15:03
This week's issue of Time magazine includes a remarkable cover story entitled, ?God vs. science.? While the title itself no doubt arouses a myriad of sentiments from all sides of all the issues (the periodical seems to be boasting of being a pay-per-view promoter extraordinaire), the article's text proves to be innocuous enough. Nothing new is reported, nothing novel is documented. Just your typical roster of religion vs. science chaps with your occasional religion and science anomaly thrown in (in this case it's reknowned geneticist and ardent Chrstian Francis Collins).In CNN's overtly simplistic and overly general write-up of the Time article, two camps of specialists are noted, battling over the precious territory that is the average non-specialist's religious and scientific consciousness and conviction. On the one hand are those theists who don't ?really care very much about science? and who stand ?immovable on Scripture?. On the other are those who stand utterly ?immobile...
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Time: "The Pope tones down his act in Turkey"
2006-12-02 16:15:03
Read the complete Time 's article here.In my personal opinion, I think this article portrays the Pop e as someone completely different from who he really is. Just because he is the Vicar of Christ, doesn't mean that he has to agree with everything and everyone, or else he would be giving into the relativism that he so much opposes. The problem that many have with a religious leader such as Pope Benedict XVI is that he speaks the truth no matter who the audience may be. The author of this article is the same one who wrote the previous article about the Pope "confronting Islam." One of our readers pointed out to us that he is barred from entering the US because of documented connections to extremist Islamic groups. I guess that would explain the tone of his articles, but we don't have evidence of these accusations.Let us know what you think of the article.
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Quote of the Week
2006-12-02 16:15:03
Early Christianity: Characteristics of the Christian Community "The difference between Christians and the rest of mankind is not a matter of nationality, or language, or customs. Christians do not live apart in separate cities of their own, speak any special dialect, nor practice any eccentric way of life... Though destiny has placed them here in the flesh, they do not live after the flesh; their days are passed on the earth, but their citizenship is above in the heavens. They obey the prescribed laws, but in their own private lives they transcend the laws. They show love to all men--and all men persecute them. They are misunderstood, and condemned; yet by suffering death they are quickened into life. They are poor, yet making many rich; lacking all things, yet having all things in abundance. They are dishonoured, yet made glorious in their very dishonour; slandered, yet vindicated." "To put it briefly, the relation of Christians to the world is that of a soul to the body. As the so...
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Mary in the Bible - when's it going to be completed?
2006-12-02 16:15:03
It resumes soon. In case you need to get caught up, here are the first nine parts:Part 1: IntroductionPart 2: PreliminariesPart 3: Mary in the Gospel of MarkPart 4: Mary in the Galatians and the Gospel of MatthewPart 5: The "Firstborn" of MaryPart 6: The Archangel Gabriel Sent to MaryPart7: Zechariah's Pomp and Doubt Illuminating Mary's Simplicity and FaithPart 8: What's in a Name?Part 9: Salutations
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Going back to school...
2006-12-02 16:15:03
We're back to school this spring! Katerina is beginning the MA in Pastoral Studies at the University of St. Thomas School of Theology. Michael is beginning graduate work in philosophy at Texas A&M University. As you can probably conclude, there will be plenty of theological and philosophical posts going up come January. Since we're both working full-time, we'll be taking on a light load for the spring. We'll do the heavy lifting next fall.Katerina's Spring 2007 classes: Theology and Themes in the Old TestamentChurch History Michael's Spring 2007 class:Modern Philosophy
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Science and Fundamental Theology
2006-12-02 16:15:03
In what is tritely labeled as a scientific, post-scientific and technological age, our present time calls for a critical and, hopefully, fruitful relationship with science in its various modes. Throughout the history of the Church, some of the greatest theologians--from the Church Fathers to the Ressourcement thinkers and all in between--engaged the prevailing ideas and methods of their day. Whether it was Augustine working with Neo-platonic cosmology and Roman politics, Boethius with Aristotelian logic, Thomas Aquinas with Aristotelian physics and metaphysics, Pope John Paul II with modern political systems and ethical theory, or Pope Benedict XVI with technology and ideological atheism (to name only a few seminal thinkers), our brightest Christian minds have dialogued with the most important and/or present trends in their societies. Today, the natural sciences have overwhelmingly convinced most circles in academia and in greater society of the legitimacy of their ascendancy. I...
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Oldest evidence for religious ritual?
2006-12-02 16:15:03
Archeologists have discovered a carving, which they believe to have been used in religious ritual, in Botswana and they believe the carving to be nearly 70,000 years old. The carving appears to be a large python head. Arguing against a strictly natural explanation for the appearance of the creature, archeologists point to notable patterns of indentations that could have only been carved by humans.Reporting on the significance of the find, Fox News reports:Scientists had thought human intelligence had not evolved the capacity to perform group rituals until perhaps 40,000 years ago. But inside a cave in remote hills in the Kalahari Desert of Botswana, archeologists found the stone snake that was carved long ago. It is as tall as a man and 20 feet long. You could see the mouth and eyes of the snake. It looked like a real python," said Sheila Coulson of the University of Oslo. "The play of sunlight over the indentations gave them the appearance of snake skin. A...
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Evangelizing in Unique Ways
2006-12-02 16:15:03
I don't know how long it has been doing so, but I noticed today that Zenit is now offering its news stories in Arabic. For the time being, Arabic translations are available only by email, but this is an interesting and remarkable venture nevertheless. The simple act of translating Catholic news into Arabic can surely be an avenue of evangelization as it communicates ideas and trends that are in many respects alien to those cultures and societies where the Arabic language dominates. Eliminating a communication barrier is an essential step in all discourse. Communications of concepts across otherwise insulated cultures is a very difficult task, indeed, but not impossible. The Jesuits of the 17th and 18th centuries taught us that.Update: I guess we broke the story before Zenit did. Here's their write-up.
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