Pope punishes leading critic

‘You’re only as sick as your secrets’: New Orleans clergy abuse bankruptcy is uniquely acrimonious
The Guardian: The church is using legal tactics to prevent testimony from survivors and spur expensive inquiries into its critics.

Pope punishes leading critic Cardinal Burke in second action against conservative American prelates
The Associated Press: Behind closed doors, Francis said he was removing Burke’s privileges of having a subsidized Vatican apartment and salary as a retired cardinal because he was using the privileges against the church.

A film sheds light on 11 daring women whose defiant act changed the Episcopal Church
Religion News Service: “The Philadelphia Eleven” depicts the buildup toward the so-called irregular ordination at which four bishops ordained 11 women as priests without the denomination’s approval.

Canadian evangelical scholar fired following university investigation*
Christianity Today: A Christian college terminated John G. Stackhouse after an independent report alleged a pattern of inappropriate remarks to students. The professor challenges the findings.

Between the Bible and me*
The Christian Century: The version of Christian history that Debie Thomas grew up with hit fast-forward after John’s Revelation and held it until the late 20th century.

German missionary priest released a year after being abducted in Mali

UPDATE: Indiana Catholic women’s college now accepting men who identify as women

Saint Mary’s College in Notre Dame, Indiana will now be accepting men who identify as women, the college confirmed this month.

German missionary priest released a year after being abducted in Mali

Father Hans-Joachim Lohre, a member of the Society of the Missionaries of Africa who was reportedly kidnapped in Bamako, Mali, has been set free.

Pope Francis sends rosary to president-elect Milei of Argentina

The Office of the President-Elect of Argentina confirmed on X that the country’s new president, Javier Milei, received a rosary from Pope Francis on Nov. 24.

‘No fear’ among Spanish bishops over upcoming meeting with Pope Francis about seminaries

The spokesman for the Spanish Bishops’ Conference said that “there is no fear” among the bishops regarding their upcoming meeting with Pope Francis.

Trump Has a Master Plan for Destroying the ‘Deep State’

Donald Trump, the former president and current candidate, puts it in apocalyptic terms: “Either the deep state destroys America or we destroy the deep state.” This is not an empty threat. He has a real and plausible plan to utterly transform American government. It will undermine the quality of that government and it will threaten our democracy.

A second Trump administration would be very different from the first. Mr. Trump’s blueprint for amassing power has been developed by a constellation of conservative organizations that surround him, led by the Heritage Foundation and its Project 2025. This plan would elevate personal fealty to Mr. Trump as the central value in government employment, processes and institutions.

 

Do the people on death row deserve joy?

Do the people on death row deserve joy?

By Dewey Williams

A pastor discovers that preaching to people scheduled to die is an experience of joy — for him and for them.

Larger churches have had an easier, more successful transition to using technology after the pandemic

By Shari Finnell

New research reveals uncertainty about technology use among smaller churches, while for larger churches it has become “second nature.”

Advent’s surprise for us

By Emily Lund

What might happen if we greeted the season with wonder and amazement?

Accurately teaching history is a moral issue

Q&A with Rhonda Thomas

Legislation limiting what can be taught in public schools fueled a Florida nonprofit’s decision to develop a Black history toolkit for faith communities.

Allowing Advent to find us honestly

By Shannon W. Dycus

We can reframe the Advent season in order to reclaim it, writes an author and academic.

‘With God, later is not late’

By Melba Newsome

A church-led community collaboration 20 years in the making has brought new affordable housing for seniors to Charlotte, North Carolina.

Burial with dignity

Families speak out after Palestinian students shot in Vermont while taking a walk
HuffPost: An uncle of one of the students shot in the possible hate crime said it's “hard to imagine” the young men were not targeted.

Jerusalem Christians rally round Armenian Church over land deal
Reuters: The heads of the Christian Churches in Jerusalem issued a rare joint appeal at the weekend, warning that a contested land deal could erase the centuries-old presence of the Armenian community within the Old City.

In ‘Unapologetic,’ young Palestinian-Israeli podcasters advocate for a third narrative
Religion News Service: In the podcast, launched amid the Israel-Hamas War, the co-hosts imagine a role in the peace process that is particular to the Arab community in Israel.

Trump called Iowa evangelicals ‘so-called Christians’ and ‘pieces of shit,’ book says
The Guardian: Mockery over the ‘Two Corinthians’ slip and endorsement battles in 2016 echo in the 2024 race as Republican contenders seek their first win.

Burial with dignity
The Christian Century: Allison Meier sees cemeteries as great repositories of cultural history — and as spaces deserving of reverence.

Americans under 30 don’t trust religion — or anything else

Americans under 30 don’t trust religion — or anything else*
The New York Times: “The estimates vary on this, but it’s empirically defensible to say that at least 40 percent of Gen Z are nones now,” Ryan Burge says.

Timekeepers no more, rank-and-file Jehovah’s Witnesses say goodbye to tracking proselytizing hours
The Associated Press: For the first time since 1920, leaders of the Jehovah’s Witnesses have removed the hours-reporting requirement for rank-and-file adherents.

Blessed are the thrifty?*
Christianity Today: Jesus’ teachings challenge how we spend when money is tight.

Abortion concerns once delayed a major religious freedom law. Now, they’re back in the spotlight
Deseret News: Do religious exercise rights protect access to abortion? Courts have been asked to decide.

This New Orleans religious community took control of its climate fate
Mother Jones: “We realized that we had to stop waiting for a fix and do it ourselves.”

Pope Francis has ‘mild flu,’ went to hospital for precautionary testing

Catholics can receive a plenary indulgence by praying before a Nativity scene

From Dec. 8 until Feb. 2, Catholics will be able to receive a plenary indulgence by praying before a Nativity scene in a Franciscan church.

UPDATE: Pope Francis has ‘mild flu,’ went to hospital for precautionary testing

The pope, who turns 87 next month, has experienced a number of medical setbacks in recent years.

Pope adds married couples, Church movement reps to Vatican’s laity and family office

The Vatican announced the pope’s picks to the Dicastery for the Laity, Family, and Life on Nov. 25.

Christ the King: Pope Pius XI’s hope for ‘lasting peace among the nations’

The feast of Christ the King is a relatively recent addition to the Church’s liturgical calendar but a powerful reminder to the modern world that Jesus reigns.

Missionary priest builds up Haiti one student, one classroom at a time

Father Louis Merosne is on a mission to rebuild the Catholic educational system where he ministers in Haiti.

AN END, A BEGINNING

AN END, A BEGINNING

The end of a liturgical journey has arrived; we will close a cycle and begin a new one. The season of Advent is already upon us. But to enter into the newness, and begin the time that comes to us, we must appropriately close the time we have traveled. During the last liturgical year, the Church has accompanied us with the celebration of the Eucharist and the sacraments. During this year God has spoken to us through his Word, and will continue to do so. During this year, this accompaniment of the Church and the Word of God has given us life, hope, consolation, strength, encouragement, holiness, and new beginnings.

Today we close this liturgical journey with our gaze always looking forward, towards what is yet to come, and we will do it again in the company of the Church and the Word of God. Today we celebrate the feast of Christ the King, with which we confess the greatness of the Son of God not only before men but before all creation. Christ is the first among us, Christ is the one who inaugurates the new, in Christ everything is recreated, in Christ everything has a new beginning, because Christ makes all things new.

In today's gospel (Mt 25, 31-46) Jesus himself presents us with the image of those who are blessed at the end of time by the Father, as well as those who will be separated from the eternal presence of the Father. That Christians can access the eternal promises of the Kingdom of God is a deep desire of God, but whether that really happens depends a lot on the attitudes that each one has towards their neighbors who need us. Jesus praises those who have acted with mercy, helping the needy with what they really need, and have committed themselves to these acts of charity. Not having attitudes of mercy toward our neighbors positions us far from the Father, since charity and mercy are the Father's own attitudes that have been shown to us in Christ. So that Christ reigns today and always in each of us, we live as Christ himself has lived, has taught us to live and asks us to live. Amen.

Fr. Carlos Flores, OSA

Connecticut archbishop calls for female deacons, moving Vatican out of Rome

Connecticut archbishop calls for female deacons, moving Vatican out of Rome

In an interview with a local news station, Coyne said that if asked by Pope Francis for advice on how to improve the Catholic Church, he would tell the Holy Father: "Get it out of Italy. Get it out of Rome.”

Church Militant’s Michael Voris steps down after ‘morality clause’ violation

In a video posted to his Twitter page on Tuesday, Voris addressed the controversy, alluding to “some very, very ugly truths from my past…that I, for essentially 62 years, have avoided facing.”

YouTube removes popular Catholic channel, accuses it of being a scam

The religious sisters' YouTube channel was home to a hugely popular documentary about an Irish nun killed in an earthquake in Ecuador.

Pope Francis: The Gospel is universal

During his weekly general audience in St. Peter’s Square on Wednesday, Pope Francis highlighted the universal nature of the Church’s mission to proclaim the Gospel.

4 key facts about Victoria Villarruel, the Catholic vice-president-elect of Argentina

The vice president-elect is known for expressing her Catholic faith in public and for criticizing policies contrary to her principles, such as abortion.

Trinity North Park 11.19.2023