Tag Archives: Catholic

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"Ales Rarus is out [of my list of notable Pittsburgh bloggers]. I just find his prattling about the nuances of his fantasy belief system to be really uninteresting….[H]is site is just about as interesting as someone who writes about Hobbits everyday or the Great Pumpkin, which is to say not interesting at all." – Philip Shropshire

At least that’s what my favorite troll said a couple months ago. It seems he just couldn’t stay away, though.

"Searching for a respectful eulogy [of John Paull II]? Then I would look at choir boy faced Ales Rarus (He’ll ban your contraception but, hey, he’s a guy who talks to God so he knows best lil’ ladies…). Here’s a predictably glowing excerpt praising God’s top personal assistant:"

He goes on to mention a papal post on another Christian blog, Unspace, for which he has considerably more respect. It struck me as pretty balanced, fair, and respectful, especially given that it’s written by a non-Catholic. I’ll have to take a closer look at Unspace and see what it’s all about and why Mr. Shropshire likes it so much.

I must confess I have ulterior motive for investigating Unspace as well. Later this week, Rob and I will be participating in a blogcast hosted by Mike at Pittsburgh Webloggers. Stay tuned for details….

Christian Bereavement

Apropos in light of the pope’s passing:

“The faith of Christ teaches more than courage in the face of death. Our attitude to death is transformed. As we come to a more intimate experience of the reality of God, we may enter into the overcoming power and strength of the great words of Christ, ‘I am the Resurrection and the Life.’ Death is swallowed up in victory. For those we love it is no longer a dark place but an entrance into fuller light of God. Though we naturally grieve at the withdrawal of loved friends from our physical sight, we may still rejoice in their new freedom. The dead are not lost to us; they are still our friends in the service of the Eternal.”
– London Yearly Meeting; Report and Draft Revision of Christian Discipline, Parts I and II, Revision Committee, 1959 (quote found in Faith and Practice, Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, 1972)

Pope John Paul II: A Legacy of Dignity

the pope wavingAs the pope lay
dying in his apartment, the 24-hour news machine buzzed with life throughout the
night. Nearly all seemed to spend a great deal of time discussing the years before
his health declined due to Parkinson’s Disease and other ailments. They showed video
and photographs of his youth, admired his athleticism, and marvelled at his boundless
energy. These things are good in their own right, but I think the media missed the
point.

Continue reading

Pro-life Religious Community for Men Being Founded

Fr. Pavone of Priests for Life has some very good news to share with us for Holy Week:

Fr. Frank Pavone, National Director of Priests for Life, officially announced today that he is founding a pro-life community dedicated to the formation and training of priests, deacons, brothers and seminarians who will devote themselves fully to the proclamation of the Gospel of Life. This initiative will be based in the diocese of Amarillo, Texas, under the authority and stewardship of Bishop John W. Yanta…his society of apostolic life, while drawing on the spirit and mission of the Priests for Life organization, will be a completely separate entity, known as Missionaries of the Gospel of Life.

Fr. Pavone announced that men considering joining this community can attend a discernment retreat he will conduct on June 24-26 in Amarillo. There will also be a seminariansd pro-life conference in Newark, NJ from August 16-21, during which Fr. Pavone will also discuss the new community. Those interested in the community may contact vocations@priestsforlife.org.

The full article can be found here. While I’m not religious community material anymore (by virtue of marriage), I’m very excited to learn about this community, and look forward to seeing how they do! Women already have a pro-life religious community, the excellent Sisters of Life in NYC.

The Purpose Driven Catholic?

Does anyone know of any reviews of The
Purpose Driven Life
from a Catholic perspective? I haven’t read it,
but I know millions of people have. I tend to be skeptical of anything
that popular. That’s not to say I never jump on any bandwagons, but I
like to check things out first. Also, I’ve heard some folks dismuss it
as “fluff” and others denounce it as heterodox.

I anxiously await your responses. 🙂