Once again, we come to Holy Week, and we are reminded that these are our “High Holy Days.” These are the days in which we recall the life-giving events of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Parishes are preparing their churches and chapels, lectors are getting ready to proclaim well the Word of God, servers are learning the rituals of the Sacred Triduum (and priests and deacons are trying to remember them again, having not had to perform them since last year!).
Editorials
The Cost of Education
It was recently announced that two more of our Catholic academies, one in Rego Park, and the other in Queens Village, will shut their doors after the current semester. The reasons are all too familiar – rising costs and decreasing enrollment!
Unholy TV Chatter
There are some, and it has even been debated in the pages of this newspaper, who doubt anti-Catholicism actually exists. The answer to this is yes, it most certainly does exist if you mean prejudice against those who practice their Catholic faith, and attempt to live a holistic life according to its standards and teachings.
Billy Graham, Our Brother
The Rev. Billy Graham, the famous U.S. Evangelical preacher, who was immensely famous in the 20th century for his “Crusades” and acted as an advisor to many U.S. presidents, passed away Feb. 21 at the age of 99. Rev. Graham was known for going beyond the thought of many Evangelical Protestants with an openness to Catholicism, seeing the shared faith and the good works that came from the Catholic Church.
Culture of Death
On Ash Wednesday a bloody rampage by a crazed young man, Nikolas Cruz, at Marjory Stoneman Douglas H.S. in Florida, killed 17 people and wounded 14 others. This is a tragedy and a massacre of innocents.
Rediscovering Paul VI
With the exception of Pope John Paul I, no pope since the Second Vatican Council is less known and less appreciated than Blessed Paul VI.
Humanae Vitae at 50
On July 25, 1968, Blessed Pope Paul VI released his long-awaited encyclical on birth control, “Of Human Life,” or as it is called in its Latin title, “Humanae Vitae.”
An Educated Clergy
This past week, a Plenary Session of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith was held at the Vatican. This was a meeting of those priests, religious, and laity who work in this particular Vatican office with the Holy Father, Pope Francis. The role of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith is not to be “the Holy Inquisition” as it was called many years ago, but one of clarifying and defending the faith and the sanctity of the Sacraments.
Life is Non-Negotiable
Once again, the March for Life in Washington, D.C., has proven to our nation and the world that Americans value life, from conception to natural death. The Pro-Life March was bolstered by the video appearance of President Donald Trump, marking the first time that a U.S. President has spoken in person to the gathered crowds.
Lesson for Pols
This week, a venerable Catholic school in the borough of Queens – St. Pancras, Glendale – announced that it is being forced to close its doors at the end of the current semester. St. Pancras, which has been open for more than 100 years, has been a bedrock to the stability of Glendale over the years. Its contribution to the public good is immeasurable.