Faith, Hope, Love, and FLAMENCO

Check out Spain's dancing priest Father Pepe.

Government Shutdown, Sunday Edition

Seriously?  Ugh.  

800 New Saints in Otranto, Italy

I missed this story when it first appeared, but it's remarkable.  Do read.

Religious Freedom Around the World: the 2013 Report

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom’s annual report is out (in PDF).   I'm just going to quote part of its assessment of China:

The Chinese government continues to perpetrate particularly severe violations of the freedom of thought, conscience, and religion or belief. Religious groups and individuals considered to threaten national security or social harmony, or whose practices are deemed beyond the vague legal definition of “normal religious activities,” are illegal and face severe restrictions, harassment, detention, imprisonment, and other abuses. Religious freedom conditions for Tibetan Buddhists and Uighur Muslims remain particularly acute, as the government broadened its efforts to discredit and imprison religious leaders, control the selection of clergy, ban certain religious gatherings, and control the distribution of religious literature by members of these groups. The government also detained over a thousand unregistered Protestants in the past year, closed “illegal” meeting points, and prohibited public worship activities. Unregistered Catholic clergy remain in detention or disappeared.

Cultural Illiteracy at "the Newspaper of Record"

This is why I don't take "serious" newspapers seriously.  Besides, here is a quotable observation: "It’s difficult to take the Times' copious critiques of Catholicism and religion in general seriously when it is as illiterate as this on the most fundamental of Christian doctrines."  Well, DUH.  

Starting Off on the Right Foot

Apparently some traditionalists were scandalized by Pope Francis's inclusive take on an old ritual.  Well, good for the Pope if he did it to lead by example!  I seem to recall that some establishmentarian religious traditionalists were scandalized by the behavior of one Jesus of Nazareth, back in the day.  (Who did he think he was, hanging out with tax collectors and prostitutes?)

Your Snarky Headline for St. Patrick's Day

"Patrick Wasn’t Irish: He Was British. Deal with It."

Perhaps you might find this write-up of St. Patrick to be useful.

HABEMUS PAPAM!

All best wishes to the new Pope Francis.  Wow, that conclave didn't waste any time choosing Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina, did it?  It's a historic moment of firsts:  He is the first Latin American and the first Jesuit to become pontiff, and he chose a papal name that had never been used before, to boot.

The new pope's first official tweet:

HABEMUS PAPAM FRANCISCUM
— Pontifex (@Pontifex) March 13, 2013

LOL: March Madness Vatican Edition

Since yesterday we posted about the process of becoming pope, today here's some related hilarity.  (Please don't be offended!)

Video: How to Become Pope

Since today is the last day of Pope Benedict XVI's pontificate, it seems a good a time as any to revisit the process of how popes are chosen, as now all speculation turns to who will be his successor.

 

 

OK, I can't resist this little joke:
 



Pope Benedict XVI to Resign

That's the first papal resignation since the 15th century.  Here is the announcement.

Meet St. Kateri Tekakwitha, aka "Lily of the Mohawks"

The 17th-century convert from upstate New York is the first Native American canonized by the Roman Catholic Church.  The Pope also called her the "protectress of Canada."

Thoughts on the HHS Mandate

I meant to post this when the mandate went into effect last week, but I was a bit distracted.  The issues are as relevant as ever, though.  This isn't about contraception.  This is about the state coercion of religious institutions, and this is not okay.  Hey, Sebelius et al - religious freedom?  You're doing it wrong.  (And as I think I've said before, we're all Catholics now.)

A Law Prof Ponders the HHS Mandate Catholic Lawsuit

You recall the recent slate of lawsuits filed by 43 Catholic institutions.  I had previously linked to an opinion by a Hahvahd law professor.  

Now here are some thoughts by a professor of constitutional law at the Catholic University of America as he eviscerates the New York Times' editorial on the subject: "The Times is wrong in every conceivable way about the mandate, religious-liberty law, and the lawsuits."  Oh, my!

The HHS Mandate, the Catholic Lawsuit, and "We're All Catholics Now"

Here are a few more thoughts about the massive slate of 12 lawsuits filed yesterday by 43 Catholic institutions including the University of Notre Dame. Blurbs:

Nerd News: University of Notre Dame Joins Catholic Lawsuit Against HHS Mandate

Here is some context.  Here is Notre Dame's legal complaint.  Here is a statement from the university president, Fr. John Jenkins:

Let me say very clearly what this lawsuit is not about:  it is not about preventing women from having access to contraception, nor even about preventing the Government from providing such services.  Many of our faculty, staff and students — both Catholic and non-Catholic — have made conscientious decisions to use contraceptives.  As we assert the right to follow our conscience, we respect their right to follow theirs.  And we believe that, if the Government wishes to provide such services, means are available that do not compel religious organizations to serve as its agents.  We do not seek to impose our religious beliefs on others; we simply ask that the Government not impose its values on the University when those values conflict with our religious teachings. We have engaged in conversations to find a resolution that respects the consciences of all and we will continue to do so. 

This filing is about the freedom of a religious organization to live its mission, and its significance goes well beyond any debate about contraceptives.  For if we concede that the Government can decide which religious organizations are sufficiently religious to be awarded the freedom to follow the principles that define their mission, then we have begun to walk down a path that ultimately leads to the undermining of those institutions.  For if one Presidential Administration can override our religious purpose and use religious organizations to advance policies that undercut our values, then surely another Administration will do the same for another very different set of policies, each time invoking some concept of popular will or the public good, with the result these religious organizations become mere tools for the exercise of government power, morally subservient to the state, and not free from its infringements.  If that happens, it will be the end of genuinely religious organizations in all but name.

The Pope Benedict XVI Teddy Bear

Look at this delightful limited-edition teddy bear made for the pope's impending visit to Germany.

Kitchen Notes: The Feast of St. Lawrence Today

To grill or not to grill?  I say, grill!  Grill especially as a nod to the saint's own joke.  He had a defiant sense of humor; don't lose it. 

Satire Alert: Pope Vows to Clean Up Vatican Slum

The Onionistas strike again.  Here's a bit of it:

... the pope condemned the disturbing crime trend in the notoriously run-down section of Vatican City and unveiled a $235 million initiative that would provide the resources necessary to crack down on violators found counterfeiting relics, burglarizing tabernacles, performing back-alley confirmations, or assaulting rival clergy. 

According to the Holy Father, the new anti-crime program would focus on apprehending, prosecuting, and convicting unlicensed street bishops, racketeering priests, and deacon thugs involved in illicit Church activities. In addition, the proposal  would increase the number of Swiss Guards patrolling the streets of the slum and create a program to dissuade youths living in the neighborhood from ganging up to form their own rogue religious orders.

Heh. Is this the Onion or is this Renaissance Rome with the Borgias?

Nerd News: "Reading Aquinas in Latin on horseback"

Fascinating.