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The Deacon's Bench

Two 20th century popes are on track to become saints: Pope Benedict XVI has declared his predecessor John Paul II ‘venerable’, moving the long-serving Polish-born pope closer to sainthood. The decree bestowing the title is the first step towards beatification and eventual sainthood for the charismatic Pole who headed the Roman Catholic Church for nearly…

Looking for a little investing advice? How about some moral guidelines for where to place your money?  Have no fear: Big Christian churches buy and sell stocks and bonds for their building and retirement plans. But they sometimes feel bad about the awful things they can end up financing – gambling, drugs, war. So they’ve…

So says the Legion of Christ: In an effort to distance itself from the wrongdoings of its founder, the Legion of Christ has recently circulated an internal memo detailing how a long venerated work of spirituality attributed to Fr. Marcial Maciel was actually a slight re-writing of a book from a little-known Spanish author. “El…

To generations of Catholics, she will always be Bernadette. Jennifer Jones died yesterday at the age of 90.

The cabaret singer Michael Feinstein points out something many may not know: some of the best-loved songs about Christmas were written, in fact, by composers who were Jewish: The evolution of Christmas is reflected to a degree in its music. As the holiday has become more secular, so have its songs, with religious and spiritual…

“I’d like to see a poll on this. Yes or no: Have we become a more vulgar country? Are we coarser than, say, 50 years ago? Do we talk more about sensitivity and treat others less sensitively? Do you think standards of public behavior are rising or falling? Is there something called the American Character,…

Behold: a lovely display of sand art, telling the Christmas story in a thrilling new way.

In New Zealand, a controversial billboard outside a church is sparking anger — and even protest: It was designed to provoke conversation with non-believers. However, a risqué poster depicting the Virgin Mary lying in bed with Joseph – suggesting they have just had sex – has sparked outrage with Catholics. The billboard shows Mary with…

Because clearly I will be a danger to society. I’m talking about this outfit, from the New York Times today: The Times looks at the return of fashion, at least when it comes to men, and credits (or blames) “Mad Men”: In the show, the older men — Don Draper and his boss, Roger Sterling…

That was sung on Gaudete Sunday at my parish, and it remains one of my favorites among the newer hymns. (It has one of those endearing, simple, waltzy melodies that you can never shake after you’ve heard it.) Looking around on YouTube, I found this lovely video interpretation, focusing on the work of Mother Teresa.…
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