1. Joseph Sobran, R.I.P.
For many Catholics of a certain age, Joseph Sobran will forever be remembered as one of the greatest literary defenders of the Catholic Church's teaching on life over the past 40 years. From contraception to abortion, from euthanasia to just-war doctrine, Joe was an eloquent voice in the popular press for the teachings of the Catholic Church, and, in fighting for the truth, he wore himself out a few decades too early, dying at 3 P.M. on Thursday, September 30, 2010, at the age of 64.
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2. Pope Benedict: "Share the Priceless Gift That God Wished to Give Us"
"The Church has the duty to announce the Gospel of Jesus Christ always and everywhere." Thus did Pope Benedict XVI announce the establishment of the Pontifical Council for Promoting New Evangelization, in his motu proprio Ubicumque et semper ("Everywhere and always"). At a time when the Catholic Church is under fire, as atheists and secularists decry efforts at evangelization, Pope Benedict is reminding Catholics that we must not only live Christian lives but bring the Gospel of Christ to those who have not received it (or have not received it in its fullness, which only the Church can offer).
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3. Pope Benedict on the Church's Marian Doctrine
On Monday, October 11, 2010, at the opening session of the Seventh General Congregation of the Special Assembly for the Middle East of the Synod of Bishops, Pope Benedict XVI delivered a rare unscripted homily that may well be seen by future generations as one of the defining moments of his pontificate.
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4. Pope Benedict on the Centrality of the Incarnation
My post on Pope Benedict's discussion of the Church's Marian doctrine barely scratched the surface of this remarkably deep homily. Among other things, Pope Benedict's words also remind us of the centrality of the Incarnation, not only to Catholic belief but to the history of the world.
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5. Is Homer Simpson a Catholic?
"Homer and Bart are Catholics" declared the headline in the October 17 issue of L'Osservatore Romano, the daily publication often mistakenly called "the Pope's own newspaper." (L'Osservatore Romano is the official publication of Vatican City, an important distinction when it comes to opinion pieces that may seem to depart from Church teaching.) The newspaper is referring, of course, to the long-running animated TV series The Simpsons.
6. Pope Benedict on the False Gods of the Past and Present
In my discussion of Pope Benedict on the centrality of the Incarnation, I noted the pivotal role that the Cross plays in the construction of the Church, the Body of Christ. In the second half of his unscripted homily at the opening session of the Seventh General Congregation of the Special Assembly for the Middle East of the Synod of Bishops, Pope Benedict drew out implications of the centrality of the Cross in the ongoing life of the Church.
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7. The "Spirituality" of Sinead O'Connor
Sinead O'Connor was back in the news, and just as annoying as ever. The Irish singer who made waves in 1992 when she shredded a picture of Pope John Paul II on Saturday Night Live gave an interview to the Australian publication The Age that had little to do with O'Connor's music and much to do with her obsession: destroying the Catholic Church.
8. Pope Benedict on the Faith of the Simple
In my final post on Pope Benedict's rare unscripted homily, I discussed the final part of the homily, in which Pope Benedict, after discussing the false gods of the past and the present, explains how the Church will triumph.
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9. Should Mel Gibson Have Our Sympathy?
That's the question asked, and answered, by my friend Stuart Reid on his blog at the website of the Catholic Herald, Britain's best Catholic newsweekly. Responding to the news that Mel Gibson has been unceremoniously booted from the cast of Hangover 2, in which he had a cameo role, Stuart wonders whether a double standard might be at play.
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10. Reader Question: What Are the Rules for Fasting Before Communion?
The rules for fasting before Communion are fairly straightforward, but there's a surprising amount of confusion regarding them. This Reader Question deals with some of the most common misunderstandings.
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