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Today's sermon reflects on this morning readings... Sacraments, envy, and mostly a reminder that God wil do what God wants...without our approval..Youtube link- 14 min video... We just don't get it...

[Catholic Caucus] "Overcome Beliefs That Hold Back" - Francis Hammers on the TableDuring a Saturday address to representatives of the Roman Diocese, Francis de facto said that a two-year "synodal process" which leads to a 2023 synod is not about "gathering opinions" but about imposing them - in Francis' jargon: about “listening to what the Spirit wants for the Church” and about "being open to the God [= Francis] "of surprises.”Stuck in his mantras, Francis called again for “preparing to be surprised and prepare for surprises.” Francis' conformist "surprises" are very predictable.In order to give emphasis to his verbiage he...

Public schools (in Italy) can display crucifix when decided democratically, court rulesROME (CNS) — Italy’s highest court of appeal has ruled that public school classrooms can approve the presence of the crucifix because it does not discriminate against anyone.The court specified, however, that all religious symbols can also be “welcomed” as long as it is decided in a democratic, civil and “gentle” manner by students and faculty together.That means, it said, all decisions regarding their presence must never be imposed and must seek “reasonable accommodation” between the different positions or convictions of people in the school community that includes respecting...

Catholic Bishops’ Response to Biden’s Vaccine MandatePresident Biden has made clear his belief that everyone has a moral obligation to receive the Covid vaccine. The refusal of many citizens to act accordingly has, in his view, put the health of many Americans at risk. He therefore signed an executive order mandating that businesses with more than 100 employees ensure that all employees be either vaccinated or tested weekly for Covid. Any business that fails to comply could be penalized up to $14,000 per violation.Biden’s mandate has prompted a response from elected officials, the business community, and the media, but also...

The Irish president has signed two abortion bills into effect in Ireland, as well as laws allowing same-sex 'marriage' and easier access to divorce.VATICAN CITY (LifeSiteNews) – Pope Francis said Friday he thanks God “that Ireland has such a wise man as its Head (of State)”, despite Irish President Michael D. Higgins’ support for a range of anti-life and anti-family laws that run contrary to the Catholic faith. The Roman Pontiff was meeting with Higgins in the Vatican this morning when, during their formal photocall, he told those gathered that “today, I did not just meet a man, a president;...

A beatification mass for Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński and Mother Elżbieta Czacka has gathered crowds of people at the Temple of Divine Providence in Warsaw, including Poland's top officials. The mass was said by Marcello Semeraro, the Vatican's prefect of the congregation for the causes of saints. During the Holy Mass, Semeraro red out a letter from Pope Francis, officially declaring Wyszyński's and Czacka's beatification. Semeraro said in his homily that Wyszyński's life "was marked by numerous ordeals which he faced with trust and determination." Speaking of Czacka, Semeraro praised her service to the blind. "Afflicted at the age of 22...

Daughters of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary celebrate 75 years, give thanks to persecuted sisters who came before themYoung Daughters of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary sisters sing songs at a Sept 6 celebration to mark the 75th anniversary of the founding of their order at their motherhouse in Nam Dinh Province. (Photo: courtesy of dongmancoibuichu.net)Sisters from a once-persecuted indigenous order in northern Vietnam expressed gratitude to their oppressed predecessors earlier this month as they celebrated the 75th anniversary of the congregation’s founding. Some 100 sisters from the Daughters of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary marked the...

The Jesuit-run university in Nebraska has a mandatory COVID-19 vaccine policy, which does not allow exemptions for sincerely held religious beliefs.Four Creighton University students have sued the Jesuit-run university for its mandatory COVID-19 vaccine policy, which does not allow exemptions for sincerely held religious beliefs. One of the students, the president of Creighton Students for Life, said she was expelled for refusing to take the shots. The four students — Lauren Ramaekers, Patrice Quadrel, Sarah Sinsel and Jane Doe — filed suit Sept. 8 in District Court of Douglas County, Nebraska. Creighton’s main campus is in Omaha. The women are...

2023 Synod Faces a Credibility and Practicality GapCOMMENTARY: The planetary process leading up to the 2023 synod has to confront two major challenges before it begins. Six weeks before the Catholic Church-wide consultations for the 2023 synod on synodality are set to begin, the Vatican released a vademecum, or “handbook,” that will guide a process that is supposed to occupy every single diocese in the world from October 2021 to April 2022.The most massive set of meetings ever conducted in the history of the Catholic Church was announced only four months ago, between the third and fourth waves of...

BAQUFA / NINEVEH PLAINS, Iraq – In a festive ceremony, the gate to the Chaldean-Syriac-Assyrian town of Baqufa was opened on Saturday, September 11. The ceremony was attended by Chaldean-Syriac-Assyrian residents of Baqufa, Alqosh, Telskof, Batnaya and Telkepe. The Baqufa Gate is decorated with an illuminated cross and has a sign in Syriac and Arabic indicating entrance to Baqufa. The road to Baqufa was lit on both sides for the occasion. The Cross was consecrated by Chaldean Bishop of Alqosh Mikhail Maqdisi, and priests Hirmiz al-Raheb and Rudi Saffar. The opening of the Baqufa Gate with illuminated cross coincided with...

Priests of the Diocese of Lexington, Kentucky who have not been vaccinated against COVID-19 may not minister to the sick, elderly, and homebound, Bishop John Stowe has directed. The policy was announced during a Saturday vigil Mass Sept. 11 that Bishop Stowe celebrated at the Cathedral of Christ the King in Lexington. At the end of the liturgy, Deacon Tim Weinmann read a statement from the cathedral’s rector, Father John Moriarty, that both Fr. Moriarty and Father David Wheeler, the parochial vicar, have not been vaccinated. “The bishop has asked that Fr. David and I, Fr. John – I’m speaking...