This first Sunday of Lent affords us the opportunity to reflect upon exactly what it is we are trying to combat in this holy season of Lent, namely sin. In all three readings, we learn not only about the nature of sin itself but also the remedy for sin.
Author: settinger
Religious Films
by Father Robert Lauder Probably the first religious film that moved me deeply was “The Song of Bernadette” back in 1943. Since seeing that film, I have looked forward to seeing films that deal seriously with Christian faith. The appearance of the new film “Son of God,” which I have not seen, will probably raise […]
A Remarkable Ash Wednesday in Rome
Half an hour before sunrise on Ash Wednesday, hundreds of English-speakers from all over Rome begin walking to the ancient basilica of St. Sabina on the Aventine Hill. For St. Sabina is the first “station” in the Roman station church pilgrimage of Lent, a tradition dating back to the middle centuries of the first Christian millennium.
Pope’s Advice to Engaged Couples
by Paul Morisi and Alison Laird On New Year’s Eve 2013 at 8:30 p.m. under the Ben Franklin Bridge in Philadelphia, we got engaged. As if we weren’t excited enough, Ana Puente, the coordinator for Marriage Ministry for the Diocese of Brooklyn, arranged for us to partake in a St. Valentine’s Day event at the […]
Ukrainians Pray for Independence
VATICAN CITY (CNS) – The three months of protests in Ukraine, that ended with government snipers killing dozens of people, strengthened the commitment to democracy of many Ukrainians, but also left the country vulnerable to further violence and division, said the head of the Ukrainian Catholic Church. “The danger that our neighbor (Russia) will provoke […]
Seton Trust Advances Catholic Education
Various programs in Catholic schools in Brooklyn and Queens are being made possible by grants from the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Trust. Three of these initiatives are: the CTB Online Reporting System, the Performing Arts Residency Program and Option C. CTB Online Reporting is an enhanced system which allows principals and teachers to analyze their […]
Venezuela – Can Church Mediate the Peace?
by Barbara J. Fraser LIMA, Peru (CNS) – As protests in Venezuela continued, with flare-ups of violence, the country’s Catholic leaders urged dialogue and respect for the demonstrators’ human rights. “We have called for the social and political leaders to engage in deep, sincere dialogue” to address the country’s serious problems, including high rates of […]
Synod Responses Show Many Are Suffering in the Church
VATICAN CITY (CNS) – The responses to the Vatican questionnaire about Catholics’ family life reflect a great amount of suffering around the world, said the general secretary of the synod. As of Feb. 19, about 80 percent of the world’s bishops’ conferences and 60 percent of the Vatican congregations and councils had turned in formal […]
Divorced, Remarried on The Minds of Cardinals
by Cindy Wooden VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Opening a two-day meeting of the world’s cardinals, Pope Francis said the Church’s pastoral approach to helping couples must be “intelligent, courageous and full of love” because the family today is “looked down upon and mistreated.” “Our reflection must keep before us the beauty of the family and […]
Pope Tells New Cardinals To Be Servants, Not Royalty
by Francis X. Rocca VATICAN CITY (CNS) – On a feast day commemorating the authority Jesus gave to St. Peter and His successors – the popes – Pope Francis created 19 new cardinals in the presence of retired Pope Benedict XVI. To the great surprise of most people present, the retired pope entered St. Peter’s […]