On Jan. 23, it was announced that Pope Francis had appointed the Bishop Nelson Perez of Cleveland as the new archbishop of Philadelphia. By all accounts, that is a very wise move and will be both a blessing to the church in Philadelphia and to the church in the United States.
Editorials
The Two Popes
We are in a unique period of history. For the first time in the church’s history, at least in a time period when we are not in schism, we have two popes, one active and one retired.
A New Year Resolution: Read the Bible Every Day
Do you want a New Year’s resolution that will really benefit your life?
You can read the bestselling book of all time, one that changes the life of everyone who reads it: the Holy Bible.
The Church Denounces Anti-Semitism
Pope St. John Paul II made history in 1986 when he visited Rome’s synagogue. Elio Toaff, the chief rabbi of Rome during the time, called the Holy Father’s visit a “gesture destined to go down in history” and a “true turning point in the policy of the church.”
Mother Cabrini, the Person of the Year
This year will remembered as one of division. The nation was divided as a seemingly futile impeachment exercise paralyzed the country.
Look to Mary During Advent
With each passing year, Advent seems to be getting shorter. And yet that is not the case — we have all four Sundays of the Advent season. Perhaps it is the busyness of our lives that seems to make these sacred days of joyful preparation go by faster.
The Many Blessings of Matthew’s Gospel
This Advent, we are presented with the Gospel according to Matthew.
The Three Comings of Christ During Advent
Advent is a time of waiting and expectation, and the violet color that priests wear at Mass during this liturgical season is a symbol of deep longing for the coming of Christ into our lives.
The Many Blessings We Should Remember This Holiday
Thanksgiving Day is the closest we come to having a “religious” secular holiday. Although it is a government-proclaimed holiday, it is a time for prayer and for reflection on all the good things that we enjoy as Americans. It is a time when we can legitimately thank God for all the good that He has bestowed upon this nation.
Sexual Abuse and Its Widespread Damage
During the last two decades, we have learned more about sexual abuse than we ever expected or wished to know. The suffering that victims and their families endured has been twofold — the abuse itself and the trauma of being silenced or ignored. Much has changed in the church since the adoption of the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People (the Dallas Charter) in June 2002, but the pain continues.