In response to a request from some of the faithful of the Archdiocese of San Francisco, I consecrated the Archdiocese to the Immaculate Heart of Mary on October 7, 2017. The day was the Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary; and the year was the centennial of the apparitions of Our Lady at Fatima, Portugal, where, among…
A Christian congregation in Chula Vista, California, and its pastor are suing Governor Gavin Newsom and other officials for unconstitutional stay-at-home orders and actions during the coronavirus pandemic. After weeks of mandatory isolation to stop the spread of COVID-19, Governor Newsom has begun a four-stage plan to “reopen” California’s economy. Retail and supporting manufacturing are…
Vatican City—March 23, 2020—CNA—Cardinal Raymond Burke issued a letter encouraging priests and bishops to work constructively with civil authorities to meet the spiritual needs of Catholics during the coronavirus pandemic. Acknowledging the “sadness” and “fear” which the pandemic has brought with it, the cardinal reflected Saturday that “Oftentimes, when we find ourselves in great suffering…
Fr. Wilson D. Miscamble’s American Priest was intended to be a critical biography of Theodore Hesburgh, the priest who was president of the University of Notre Dame for 50 years. Notre Dame loyalists who hold Hesburgh in reverence and are intolerant of criticism need not worry: Nothing in the book will lead to removal of…
In what is becoming an interesting showdown of Business vs. Government, Tesla founder Elon Musk has thrown down the gauntlet of reopening his manufacturing plant in the face of California Governor Newsom’s extended lockdown orders, with one of Northern California’s counties caught in the middle. To fine, jail, halt or to look the other way,…
CNA—Well into the pandemic’s grip on American public life, parishes and dioceses are preparing a return to some new kind of normal. Masses are resuming, albeit for small numbers in limited circumstances. Catholic schools and universities are making plans to reopen in the fall. Regrettably, even the ordinary fault lines and debates among Catholics, somewhat…
So it’s been almost two months without the Sacraments. In my parish, as ordered by our Bishop, there has been no Holy Mass, no anointing of the sick, no confession , no Eucharistic Adoration and little or no communication from the parish or the diocese except an email link to our parish bulletin and an…
As a life-long Catholic, I must confess. I did something Sunday morning I’ve never done before. Even a month ago it would have seemed not quite right based on my Catholic foundation. Yet now it feels spiritually uplifting and beneficial! Confined at home in the coronavirus shutdown, I followed the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass…
CNA—Modern society is formulating an “anti-Christian creed” and punishing those who resist it with “social excommunication,” Benedict XVI has said in a new biography, published in Germany May 4. In a wide-ranging interview at the end of the 1,184-page book, written by German author Peter Seewald, the pope emeritus said the greatest threat facing the…
CNA—The liquefaction of the blood of the early Church martyr St. Januarius occurred Saturday amid the coronavirus lockdown, leading the Archbishop of Naples to bless the city with the miraculous relic. “Dear friends, I have a big announcement to make: even in this time of coronavirus, the Lord through the intercession of St. Januarius has…
Mind&Spirit—What is suffering? One way to define suffering is the rupture between your future as you pictured it and the reality of what your future will actually be. This is easy to see in the case of the loss of a loved one, especially a sudden loss. The future we thought we had with that…
For a summary of survey results, to here. Q. Was your business or company affected by the coronavirus shutdown? Nearly 80% said YES! Q. In what ways has the coronavirus crisis shifted your business priorities? We have and continue to explore new opportunities We’re in wait and see survival mode We’ve become much more short-term…
CNA—Elderly and disabled coronavirus patients have the same right to life-prolonging treatment as others, the bishops of England and Wales have said, including Bishop Paul Mason (featured image). In a statement April 20, the bishops noted that the pandemic had placed immense strain on Britain’s National Health Service (NHS). “With the escalation of the coronavirus,…
ACI Prensa/CNA—While most of the students at the San Fulgencia Seminary in Cartagena, Spain, returned home when the country declared a state of emergency over the coronavirus pandemic, one seminarian felt a different calling. With a background in medicine, first-year seminarian Abraham Martínez Moratón asked permission of the rector at his seminary to go back…
CNA—The Grand Master of the Order of Malta Fra’ Giacomo Dalla Torre died early Wednesday at the age of 75. Dalla Torre had been in treatment for throat cancer in Rome in recent months. He is remembered by the Order of Malta for his kindness, appreciation of the arts, and charity towards the poor and…
CNA—Italy’s bishops have criticized Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte for failing to lift the ban on public Masses. The Italian bishops’ conference Sunday released a statement denouncing Conte’s decree on “phase 2” of the coronavirus lockdown restrictions, which it says “arbitrarily excludes the possibility of celebrating Mass with the people.” During a press conference April 26…
CNA—The Bishop of Las Cruces, New Mexico, has lifted a diocesan ban on the public celebration of Mass, issued guidelines for distribution of Holy Communion, and told priests they may resume sacramental ministry if they follow state-ordered health precautions. “We [as priests] have been called by Christ and ordained to serve the people of the…
“Washington’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic is upending one of the most durable patterns of American politics. Throughout history, national emergencies have led to a more powerful and centralized federal government and to the transfer of federal power from Congress to the executive branch. This time, the federal response rests largely on state and local…
UK-based Learn Bonds—Millions of Britain’s small businesses are desperate for cash to cover wages a month into the coronavirus lockdown – but the alternative finance industry feels the government has left them with their noses pressed against the window while high street banks dither over approvals. That is certainly the view of Funding Options chief executive Simon Cureton…
While attending the Napa Institute, I asked Ignatius Press’ Tony Ryan for his recommendation on a good book to read. Tony immediately told me, “From Fire by Water: My Journey to the Catholic Faith,” which was one of Ignatius’ bestsellers. I got a copy and found that Tony was right on the money. This is…
