President Donald Trump tweeted The FAKE NEWS media (failing @nytimes, @NBCNews, @ABC, @CBS, @CNN) is not my enemy, it is the enemy of the American People!”
Editorials
Not Numerous Center
The past two Fridays have seen media attacks launched on Pope Francis in Rome. First, a series of posters were placed (illegally, without any permission) on billboards with a rather unflattering picture of the Holy Father with the following message in Italian (in the local Roman dialect): “Eh, Francis, you’ve commissioned Congregations, removed priests, decapitated the Order of Malta and the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate, you’ve ignored cardinals … but where’s your mercy?”
Call for Civility
There seems to be a general lack of tolerance on both sides of the political spectrum. Tempers flare and emotions take hold, and words come out, harsh words that have repercussions in our lives and the lives of others.
Another New Translation
Through Catholic news sources like the Jesuit-run America Magazine, there are reports that Pope Francis has decided to create a mixed commission to study Liturgicam Authenticam, the decree that called for all translations of liturgical texts to use the principle of formal equivalence. Formal equivalence differs from dynamic equivalence, which seeks to communicate more of the meaning of the text, rather than a direct translation or transliteration. Dynamic equivalence was the principle of translation used for liturgical texts for many years immediately following the Second Vatican Council.
All May Be One
We, as a Church, with our Orthodox Christian brothers and sisters and with our separated brethren in other Christian ecclesial communions and denominations, have just celebrated, once again, the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. We prayed in a special way that the Lord’s command from the Gospel of John might truly be realized: “Ut Unum Sint,” “that they may be one.”
Twitter Wars
Twitter is perhaps the most important means of social communications that we have today. And at the same time, it can be very dangerous.
Children in the Womb
Within this past week, the first of the 2017 State Legislative Session, already the Democrats and the Republicans are debating abortion expansion.
A Pro-Life Year
2016 will forever be known as the year that the media got it wrong. The arrogance of those “opinion makers” was proven again and again through the year. It can be argued that most Americans believe that abortion is murder, plain and simple. It is apparent that abortion is something that the vast majority of Americans oppose.
Gift to the Church
Last Saturday, Dec. 17, Pope Francis celebrated the occasion of his 80th birthday. We, of course, all should pray for a happy, healthy, and holy long life and ministry for our Holy Father. At a time in his life when most of his peers are well into their “golden years,” Pope Francis is keeping an intense schedule that could make strong, healthy men and women in their 20s gasp for air!
Preparing Priests
The Vatican’s Congregation for the Clergy has released new norms on the formation of seminarians for the priesthood. They are binding and affect the entire Church in the Latin Rite, with dioceses around the world adapting them to their own situations. They are meant to reflect an updated vision of priestly formation, in light of societal shifts and in light of our Holy Father Pope Francis’ vision of priesthood.