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A Polish priest who carried out an exorcism on a teenage girl now claims he is being contacted by Satan - via text message. Father Marian Rajchel from Jaroslaw, south-eastern Poland, said he started receiving the hate messages after failing to drive the devil out of her soul. Now he believes that the demon is using the possessed teenager to attack him through a mobile phone. 'The author of these texts is an evil spirit who has possessed her soul', he said. 'Often the owners of mobile phones are not even aware that they are being used like this. However,...

Featured Term (selected at random:VICAR CAPITLAR A cleric appointed by the cathedral chapter to administer a vacant episcopal diocese. The bishop's ordinary spiritual and temporal jurisdiction becomes the responsibility of the chapter when a vacancy occurs. But the chapter in turn must elect a vicar to assume this authority within a specified short period of time. when a diocese has no chapter, the board of consulters or its equivalent elects an administrator. All items in this dictionary are from Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary, © Eternal Life. Used with permission. 

August 15, 2014Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mass during the Day    Reading 1 Rv 11:19a; 12:1-6a, 10ab God’s temple in heaven was opened,and the ark of his covenant could be seen in the temple. A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun,with the moon under her feet,and on her head a crown of twelve stars.She was with child and wailed aloud in pain as she labored to give birth.Then another sign appeared in the sky;it was a huge red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns,and on its heads...

August 15, 2014Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Vigil Mass    Reading 1 1 CHR 15:3-4, 15-16; 16:1-2 David assembled all Israel in Jerusalem to bring the ark of the LORDto the place which he had prepared for it.David also called together the sons of Aaron and the Levites. The Levites bore the ark of God on their shoulders with poles,as Moses had ordained according to the word of the LORD. David commanded the chiefs of the Levitesto appoint their kinsmen as chanters,to play on musical instruments, harps, lyres, and cymbals,to make a loud sound of...

Traditional catholic speed dating (cartoon on linky)

A Catholic priesthood student was threatened in the Dutch city of Utrecht of radical Muslims and spat on because he was wearing a T-shirt with the logo Nasrani (Arabic letter N, symbol for Christians). Radical Muslims in the Dutch city of Utrecht bishop threatened and spat at a Catholic priesthood student from Colombia. So reports the daily newspaper "Die Presse": brother Jaider Chantré Sanchez going to church last weekend was threatened while walking through the city park by two Muslims. . According to media reports, they shouted "We will kill all Christians like you." The seminarian told newspaper "De Telegraaf"...

"Passion of the Christ" actor Jim Caviezel has spoken out against abortion in a recent speech, calling it a "great sin" in America. He also reached out with a message of forgiveness to those who have gone through with the practice. "Many people are a part of this great sin in this country. These are all God's children and he brings them home. Now He wants to bring you home. Do you think your friend has more grace than God? Does your friend have more love than the Creator? It can never be. God forgives you and now He needs...

Featured Term (selected at random:MATERIALLY EVIL Something that is objectively a moral evil, and therefore sinful, but a person does it either without knowing it is wrong, or under duress and without internal consent to the evil. All items in this dictionary are from Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary, © Eternal Life. Used with permission.

August 14, 2014Memorial of Saint Maximilian Kolbe, Priest and Martyr    Reading 1 Ez 12:1-12 The word of the LORD came to me: Son of man, you live in the midst of a rebellious house;they have eyes to see but do not see,and ears to hear but do not hear,for they are a rebellious house.Now, son of man, during the day while they are looking on,prepare your baggage as though for exile, and again while they are looking on,migrate from where you live to another place;perhaps they will see that they are a rebellious house.You shall bring out your...

ooks by megachurch Pastor Mark Driscoll have been pulled from 180 Christian stores. LifeWay stores have temporarily suspended sales of his books, including "A Call to Resurgence" and "Real Marriage." "LifeWay Stores and LifeWay.com are not selling Mark Driscoll's books while we assess the situation regarding his ministry," the company said in a statement. lRelated Lauren Bacall on writing: The most complete experience I've ever had Jacket Copy Lauren Bacall on writing: The most complete experience I've ever had See all related 8 Driscoll founded Seattle's Mars Hill Church in 1996; it has grown to a reported 13,000 attendees and...

1 Timothy 5:17, James 5:14-15, and other verses refer to the (ordained) ministerial priesthood. 1 Peter 2:9 refers to the "priesthood" of the laity. The ministers handle preaching and the Sacraments. The laity simply participate. Scripture makes a strong distinction.ierateuma/hierateuma (lay priesthood, Greek, Strong's #2406) [1 Peter 2:9, Lexicon] sacerdotium (lay priesthood, Latin) [1 Peter 2:9] presbuteroi/presbyteros (ministerial priesthood, Greek, Strong's #4245) [1 Timothy 5:17, James 5:14-15, Lexicon] presbyteri/presbyteros (ministerial priesthood, Latin) [1 Timothy 5:17, James 5:14-15] —Follow me, Answering Protestants, and Catholic Analysis on Twitter, Like Answering Protestants and Catholic Analysis on Facebook, Add Answering Protestants and Catholic Analysis...

Featured Term (selected at random:GLEBE  A land permanently assigned for maintaining a parish. A glebe house is a parsonage or manse.All items in this dictionary are from Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary, © Eternal Life. Used with permission.

Pope Francis formally asked U.N. agencies and the entire international community “to take action to end the humanitarian tragedy now underway” in northeastern Iraq. In a letter signed Aug. 9, but released by the Vatican only after it had been delivered, Pope Francis told U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon immediate action was needed “to stop and to prevent further systematic violence against ethnic and religious minorities.” The papal letter was sent after militants of the Islamic State terrorist organization had captured Mosul in late July and Qaraqosh in early August, killing hundreds of people and forcing tens of thousands of Christians,...

August 13, 2014Wednesday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time    Reading 1 Ez 9:1-7; 10:18-22 The LORD cried loud for me to hear: Come, you scourges of the city!With that I saw six men coming from the directionof the upper gate which faces the north,each with a destroying weapon in his hand.In their midst was a man dressed in linen,with a writer’s case at his waist.They entered and stood beside the bronze altar.Then he called to the man dressed in linenwith the writer’s case at his waist, saying to him:Pass through the city, through Jerusalem,and mark a “Thau”...

When Cardinal Bergoglio was elected pope in 2013, many traditional Catholics were wary. Recently, their pessimism is being justified as "The Francis Effect" makes itself felt across the world and in America, most notably in the Archdiocese of New York. So-called "traditional" Catholics prefer to attend the Mass as it was celebrated before and during the Second Vatican Council (1962-5), before the liturgy was radically reformed in 1969. The Tridentine Mass, which was the ordinary form of the Mass from 1570-1969, is said in Latin, often accompanied by Gregorian Chant and incense, and emphasizes the sacrificial aspect of the Mass.

Dear Sisters, Brothers and Friends, You might be surprised that we are writing this letter so soon since you received the last one. But events are happening so quickly here shocking everybody because of its brutality and cruelty. On the night of the Feast of Transfiguration shooting started after mid-night, and continued until noon of the next day. On the morning of the sixth of June many shells fell on Karakosh. Between 8:30 and 9:00 a shell fell on a house and it killed two boys (nine and five years old) who were playing in the garden; and it also...

Sr. Simone Campbell A Catholic social justice activist who promoted a bus tour to encourage income equality is this year's recipient of the Pacem in Terris Peace and Freedom Award, it was announced Wednesday.Sister Simone Campbell is the executive director of NETWORK, a nonprofit Catholic social justice lobby based in Washington, D.C. She will receive the award at 3 p.m. Sept. 21 at Christ the King Chapel on the campus of St. Ambrose University in Davenport.Campbell and the "Nuns on the Bus" tour for social and economic justice drew national attention. In Iowa, the tour was active during 2012...

Two California Catholic universities–Santa Clara and Loyola–want not to cover “elective” abortion in their health insurance policies. That won’t do! After first giving its OK, California may now try to force them. From the San Francisco Chronicle story. The state Department of Managed Health Care is conducting “an in-depth analysis of the issues surrounding coverage for abortion services under California law,” said Marta Green, the department’s chief deputy director. What the department is reconsidering, as first reported by California Lawyer magazine, is whether the universities are violating a 1975 state law that requires managed health plans to cover all “medically...

Bishop Mitchell T. Rozanski was installed as the ninth spiritual shepherd of the Diocese of Springfield, Mass., during a solemn Aug. 12 Mass at the Cathedral of St. Michael. In his homily, he highlighted the responsibility of a shepherd to reach out and bring back lost sheep. Citing Pope Francis, Bishop Rozanski said all are called to welcome the alienated “by our compassion, joy and witness to the love of God at work in our world.” “As your bishop,” the 56-year-old Baltimore native said, “I am keenly aware of the need to reach out to those who have stopped practicing...

Featured Term (selected at random:JUS JURANDUM A sworn oath. Any one of the oaths that the Church at times requires of the faithful, and especially of her priests. Such was the Oath Against Modernism, required of those teaching in seminaries, prescribed by Pope St. Pius X. All items in this dictionary are from Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary, © Eternal Life. Used with permission.