Daily Archives: 31 December 2013

Skittish Donors

Is this Cardinal Dolan’s Bishop’s Wife moment? St Pat’s has a $180M restoration project. But somebody’s nervous about Pope Francis: (O)ne potential seven-figure donor is concerned about statements from the pope criticizing market economies as “exclusionary,” urging the rich to … Continue reading

Posted in Commentary | Tagged | 1 Comment

On the Road for a Holy Day Mass

We’ve been in Kansas City the past few days visiting with friends. The young miss, my wife and I had a spot of shopping to do for the party tonight, then we visited a parish nearby for Mass. A good … Continue reading

Posted in Liturgy, Other Places | Leave a comment

Mediator Dei 102-103

In Mediator Dei, Pope Pius XII encourages an age-old tradition: the imitation of Christ: 102. All the elements of the liturgy, then, would have us reproduce in our hearts the likeness of the divine Redeemer through the mystery of the … Continue reading

Posted in Mediator Dei, pre-conciliar documents | Leave a comment

Another 2013 Person, Not Pope Francis

Poor Pope Francis. Out-polled by an American president, named best-dressed for not wearing martyr’s shoes, and now bypassed for another popularity “honor” by a layperson, at least according to NCR: NCR has been reporting on the priest sex abuse crisis since … Continue reading

Posted in bishops, sex abuse | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Popularity Contest

Gallup’s popularity contest, open-ended, is up. For some Catholics, a good news/bad news affair. Pope Francis is tied with George W. Bush. For second place. Far behind the president. On one hand, that surprised me somewhat. Otherwise, given that popularity … Continue reading

Posted in Commentary | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

EG 37: Mercy at the Pinnacle

Pope Francis didn’t invent the emphasis on mercy. In Evangelii Gaudium 37, he explains the notion derives from the Angelic Doctor: 37. Saint Thomas Aquinas taught that the Church’s moral teaching has its own “hierarchy”, in the virtues and in the acts … Continue reading

Posted in Evangelii Gaudium, evangelization | Tagged | Leave a comment