A recent, and long needed, restoration of the most sacred chapel in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is a small sign of the progress that has been made in the relationship among the Churches which control the shrine.
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The Edicule in Jerusalem marks what used to be a grave, but has long ceased to be: “Here He does not lie…” As the angel said that first Easter morning: “He is not here.”
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It seems reasonable to ask those of us anxious about what Amoris Laetitia means to explain what we think is at stake, and why we continue to encourage clarification of contested points.
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It was not their choice to be killed because they were Christians. It is their choice to receive that martyrdom precisely as Christians, strengthened, not diminished, in their faith.
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Elsewhere, I have reviewed the various twists and turns over Amoris Laetitia, but it seems that, stepping back, a critical dimension of the Amoris Laetitia debate is a confusion over the nature of grace. Specifically, the differences between sanctifying grace, actual grace and sacramental grace.
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It feels like the end. Tiger may return to play again, but even before his injuries he had long ceased being a threat. Golf, which for more than a decade beginning in the late 1990s seemed to be all-Tiger all-the-time, has moved on.
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The possibility that a Quebec characteristic or consensus could be questionable, or even lacking some good, or be in need of correction, is out of bounds for any discussion of its distinctiveness.
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It’s not clear who is hearing the confessions, but the emphasis here is not the God who forgives but rather the penitent, who emerges with a aura of self-congratulation for his own enlightenment. Perhaps the assigned penance is to recite the biblical verse, “Lord, thank you for not making me like other men.”
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The anniversary is the columnist’s reliable friend. Nothing in the news today worthy of comment? How about the news of 10, 50 or 100 years ago?
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Lent gives us two solemn feasts, St. Joseph and the Annunciation of the Lord. Both fell in the last weeks of March, and it is likely that a majority of Canadian parishes did not celebrate both of them; a great many likely celebrated neither.
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Cardinal William H. Keeler was laid to rest on Tuesday in Baltimore, a mere 40 miles from Washington, D.C. The last cardinal from Baltimore – the first diocese of the United States – Keeler’s passing may also be a sign of the growing influence of the federal government in the life of the Church.
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On Lenten Sundays, Catholics might wonder why the Gospel readings are so long. They are long because they are intended to be a biblical course on baptism, preparing for which is the purpose of Lent.
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The question that occurs is why the accidents occurred in the first place. Whether the response was brilliant or botched, it would surely be preferable not to have these incidents at all.
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The anniversary week of Pope Francis has prompted many commentators to list the highlights of the pontificate. The pope's foreign policy - especially in Syria - should not be added to these lists. Vatican diplomacy has resulted in Assad being more secure in Damascus, with his staunch ally Putin playing a greater role in the Middle East.
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Shopify, for those who don’t know – and I would have been among them until recently – is a site that lets merchants sell their wares online. Not everybody is happy about the website Breitbart being one of those vendors.
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Pope Francis remains a fascinating story. He is non-judgmental when addressing the world on sexual matters, and extremely harsh in his judgments on other matters, from economics to immigration to climate change.
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The fiftieth anniversary of the death of General Georges Philias Vanier, Canada’s 19th Governor General, fell earlier this week. Having lived the great Canadian life, he died in Canada’s centennial year. He has lessons to teach us in this year of Canada 150.
Read MoreIt’s possible to consider that after the great Christian witness (martyria) of our time, St. John Paul II, and the profound teacher of the right worship of God (leitourgia), Benedict XVI, we now have a pope whose heart is manifestly open to the suffering through the practical ministry of charity (diakonia).
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