When I was in second grade, the pastor at our family’s parish invited me to be one of the 12 folks to participate in Holy Thursday’s foot washing. (I think I was invited because spring vacation coincided with Holy Week that year, and my mom had taken me to daily Mass a few mornings during… Read More Holy Thursday: Radical Call to Be Served and to Serve
The liturgical pharisees are about to go nuts. According to Vatican Radio, Pope Francis will break norms and be the first pope ever to wash the feet of women at a Holy Thursday Mass. At a youth prison in Rome, Francis plans to wash the feet of ten men and two women (further reports are… Read More Breaking News: Pope Washing the Feet of Women at Holy Thursday Mass
We are all aware of the challenges that being a Catholic can bring. The Church is often presented in a negative light by the media due to huge scandals like the sex abuse crisis and controversy over statements like Benedict’s comments regarding homosexuality last Christmas. But in the past week, the tone of that attention… Read More Faith, Reason, and the Secular Perspective
Earlier this month, Maryland voted to abolish the death penalty. Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley took to the pages of Politico to explain and defend this decision. His article provides a succinct and compelling case for abolishing a practice that should no longer exist in this nation. His main points include: The death penalty is not… Read More Why the Death Penalty is Worthless and Unjust
Pope Francis led his first Wednesday General Audience in St. Peter’s Square this morning. Speaking only in Italian, Francis began his address with his now trademark greeting: fratelli e sorelle, buongiorno! (English: “brothers and sisters, good morning!) In his remarks, Francis encouraged the faithful to follow Christ this Holy Week by going to the streets and… Read More Francis to faithful: Go to the streets this Holy Week, be with those who suffer
The media has been full of stories about Pope Francis’ alleged complicity with the junta that ruled Argentina between 1976-1983. Some have claimed that, as the young Jesuit Provincial of Argentina, he was complicit in the kidnapping, torture, and imprisonment of two Jesuit priests at the junta’s most infamous torture center. (Fr. Tom Reese and… Read More Pope Francis and the Dirty War: Why His Role Then Matters Today and Reasons for Hope
A recent front-page New York Times article called Pope Francis a “pragmatist” on LGBT issues, detailing his support of civil unions while cardinal in Argentina. Along with many Catholics, I hope our new pope brings that pragmatic streak to Rome as the worldwide leader of the Catholic Church. Michael O’Loughlin of the Religion News Service… Read More With a ‘pragmatist’ pope, LGBT hope?
