New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio looks to be on a mission to issue mandates as his tenure in office comes to a close. While setting aside the efficacy of the vaccines, de Blasio and the city’s Health Department chief, Dr. Dave Chokshi, seem to be finding problems where few actually exist.
Editorials
Bishop’s Experiences Mix Calm Waters, Changing Tides
A diocese that has been “called back to the shore” to come and follow Jesus more closely, as Bishop Robert Brennan put it in his installation Mass homily, can expect an invigorating mix of comforting familiarity and surprising change. The Diocese of Brooklyn is blessed with a new shepherd who has experienced and embraced this combination of stability and readiness to “go forth” as a community.
If We Can Install a Bishop, We Can Enthrall a Flock
On Nov. 30, the Co-Cathedral of Saint Joseph will host a liturgy that is unique, full of meaning, and worthy of attention. The installation of the eighth bishop of the Diocese of Brooklyn, Robert J. Brennan, is the kind of transition that echoes Jesus Christ’s promises to his Church — to “make all things new” and to “never leave us orphans.”
The Importance of a Child’s Spiritual Guide
Recently, the Archdiocese of Catania in Italy announced that there will be a three-year ban on godparents at baptisms because 99% of those selected by area families have been found unsuitable for the role. What is that role?
Saints in the Making
The Catholic Church thinks a lot about the past, the present, and the future. It’s not always clear which of the three is the focus of thought in a secularized society that rejects God.
The Pope and the President: A Meeting of Minds and Hearts?
President Joe Biden visited with Pope Francis at the Vatican on Friday, Oct. 29. The meeting was eagerly anticipated, partly because Catholics and others wondered what the two leaders might say, or not say, about Biden’s pro-abortion policies: Does his support of policies promoting access to procedures that kill unborn babies preclude him from reception of holy Communion? Should he even get to meet the Holy Father?
All Saints’ Day: The Most Important Feast on Calendar
The author of the Letter to the Hebrews wrote, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us and persevere in running the race that lies before us while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfecter of faith” (12:1-2).
When Faith is Vandalized, It Deserves Many Defenders
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, tracking incidents of destruction to Church-related sites around the U.S., reported on Oct. 14 that there had been 100 acts of vandalism since May 2020, including several in the Diocese of Brooklyn. This is more than a crime statistic.
Local Dioceses Are Partners, Rooted in a Connected Church
The very first Catholic diocese in the United States of America was the Diocese of Baltimore, established in 1789. This diocese would encompass the entire new nation. In 1808, Baltimore was raised to the level of an archdiocese and four other dioceses were created: Boston, Bardstown, Philadelphia, and New York.
A Time For Change and Reflection in the Diocese
Eighteen years ago, the Most Rev. Nicholas DiMarzio was appointed by His Holiness, Pope Saint John Paul II, as the bishop of Brooklyn. In those 18 years, the world, the city, and the Church have changed much, but the Diocese of Brooklyn has had a steady hand guiding it.