It may not be long before “Ladies and Gentlemen” ceases to start a speech, as the result of blurring the distinction between man and gentleman, and woman and lady. We may not hear at banquets, “Gentlemen, charge your glasses,” or understand the Victorian-era ballad: “My mother was a lady like yours, you will allow.” Putting…
CNA—2020/08/06—At least one massive explosion rocked the Lebanese capital of Beirut Tuesday afternoon, which ignited fires and destroyed buildings in the city’s port area, caused damage across the city, and has reportedly flooded hospitals with casualties. Some local news sources are reporting that at least 10 people are dead, and videos have emerged online showing…
CNA—Retired politician and Nobel laureate John Hume, a major leader in the effort to secure peace in Northern Ireland, died Monday at the age of 83. Many leaders in the region praised his success in responding to one of Europe’s longstanding conflicts. “I was leader of a great team of people, all of whom have…
CNA—Amid steady forecasts of demographic decline, one economics professor says that a COVID-related “baby bust” could be worse than people predicted. A Brookings Institution report published in June said that the economic shock caused by the coronavirus, combined with the social effects of the pandemic itself, could trigger a sharp decline in births. Those predictions…
CNA—New details have emerged about the links between the two Italian businessmen at the center of the Vatican financial scandal. In the months before Gianluigi Torzi was asked by the Holy See to act as middle man for the final purchase of the London property at 60 Sloane Ave. from Raffaele Mincione, a company owned…
CNA—A Hawaiian Catholic catechist said that St. Damien of Molokai is a “hero” to the Hawaiian people, after an outspoken congresswoman, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), claimed the statue honoring him in the U.S. Capitol is part of colonialism and “patriarchy and white supremacist culture.” St. Damien “gave his life” serving the isolated leper colony at Kalaupapa…
CNA—The largest Catholic archdiocese in the United States—the Archdiocese of Los Angeles—has requested that its parishes and schools stop playing music composed by David Haas following the recent allegations of sexual misconduct. “Parishes, schools, and ministries of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles are asked to refrain from using music composed by musician David Haas out…
The coronavirus pandemic has forced us all to rethink our daily lives. From the personal to the professional to the spiritual, the habits and rituals that we have come to rely on have been upended. It’s been difficult, to say the least. But it’s also a good time for us to ask: How can we…
CNA—Game show and talk show host Regis Francis Xavier Philbin died July 24 at 88. Philbin was a Catholic, and a longtime proponent and supporter of Catholic schools. He had a reputation as one of the hardest working persons in show business. “I think it made a great difference. Solidified me….taught me an awful lot.…
CNA—The Diocese of Rouen, France will mark the fourth anniversary of the murder of Fr. Jacques Hamel with a Mass and procession at the local church on Sunday. Archbishop Dominique Lebrun of Rouen and Archbishop Eric de Moulins-Beaufort of Reims, president of the French bishops’ conference, will be present, according to local media. French Minister…
Catholic News Agency—As Hagia Sophia opened for Muslim prayers Friday, July 24, 2020, for the first time in 86 years, a leading Asian cardinal said that the decision to turn the building back into a mosque will reopen wounds and intensify divisions. In a statement sent via email July 24, Cardinal Charles Maung Bo said…
National Review—Nicholas Sandmann, the Covington Catholic High School student who sued major news outlets in the aftermath of their coverage of a controversial interaction he and several of his classmates had with a Native American activist, said Friday that he has settled his libel lawsuit against the Washington Post. “On 2/19/19, I filed $250M defamation…
When viewing the events of recent weeks I think most Americans share the common heartbreak, anger and confusion of a mugging victim. We have been violently assaulted by some thugs and something precious has been wrenched from us. Our mugging was not a one-time crime on the streets of Chicago or New York during which…
Promise Keepers, the men’s ministry founded in 1990 by Coach Bill McCartney and known for their massive stadium events, is bringing the power of that stadium experience to homes, churches, universities, military installations, and prisons across the country and around the world through its first-ever online Global Digital Experience July 31 and Aug. 1, 2020.…
Registration is now open for the 2020 Napa Institute Virtual Conference, “Finding Hope in the New America,” to be held August 14-15. Take advantage of the early registration discount before the price increases on August 1st. We have expanded our speaker line-up to allow for more content on the urgent issues facing our faith and…
It is hard for an old man like me to talk about suffering. Most people I know, including me, are in charge of our lives. No matter the losses and illnesses, we still have access to care, to security, and a decent life. Suffering is not a real part of my world. Just how far…
Catholic League—Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments on two Supreme Court decisions handed down today: In the last week of its 2019-2020 term, the U.S. Supreme Court delivered two back-to-back victories for religious liberty; they were both 7-2 decisions. Catholic schools and agencies were the big winners. The Supreme Court ruled in 2012 that religious…
IN CALIFORNIA, a 429-year-old Franciscan missionary edifice — almost five centuries old — is torched in the dark of night. That was Mission San Gabriel Arcángel, founded in 1771 by Franciscan missionary Junipero Serra — the fourth mission in present-day California established by the saint, whose legacy has been unfairly tainted by overzealous (historically naieve —CBJ…
Newsweek—(reporting includes a video that will make your heart cry—CBJ ed.) A California city council voted unanimously to remove a statue of a Spanish priest who Pope Francis had canonized. The Ventura City Council cast a 6–0 vote during its meeting Wednesday night to remove a statue of Father Junipero Serra from outside its city…
Richard M. Bartlett M.D., a prominent Texas doctor says a treatment protocol he began using weeks after the deadly Covid-19 virus triggered government shutdowns has proved to be “a winning game plan” for shutting down Covid-19 in his patients, including for a multi-cancer patient undergoing chemotherapy. In June, Europe launched a major clinical trial of…
