The Deacon's Bench

Details: On Friday Pope Benedict XVI urged Catholic journalists to “courageously serve the truth, presenting the reasons for faith beyond ideological visions”. He was speaking to a group of editors and reporters from the Italian Federation Catholic Weeklies. In his comments he said “The unique function of Catholic newspapers” is to “proclaim the Good News”…

Those who thought the “cherpumple” was horrifying should get a load of this: Details, along with the recipe, can be found at Chow.com: Whether this Thanksgiving centerpiece incites horror, amazement, or confusion when it’s served, it’s certain to evoke some kind of outburst. Warning: This dish is not recommended for people who require an inch…

The Catholic and the atheist are about to square off in Canada in a debate that will address that very question: In advance of the debate, the two men sat down with The Globe and Mail to discuss their views. The surprises? Mr. Hitchens, who lives in Washington, D.C. has had a Christmas tree as…

“To be grateful is ultimately a gift to be be received from God. We ought to humbly ask for it. …Ultimately gratitude comes from a humble, contrite and transformed heart. Saying thank you is not a moralism. True gratitude is a grace, a gift that comes from a heart deeply moved, astonished and aware of…

Ladies and gentlemen, behold, the “cherpumple”: three layers of pie baked together (cherry, pumpkin, apple).  Wash it all down with a tall, frothy glass of Pepto.  Details. 

Sometimes thankfulness can be hard to express. Most of us know someone who is having a difficult time this Thanksgiving. The woman who is spending her first holiday as a widow. The father who lost his job and is worried about where he will find Christmas gifts for his children. Those friends and neighbors who…

Details: The husband behind the BirthOrNot web site that caused an international controversy over a vote on an abortion has now admitted the web site was a hoax. Pete and Alisha Arnold put up the web site under the claim that they were conflicted over a decision about whether to have an abortion and take…

The Archbishop and his deacons. Read more about Dolan here. And there’s this stellar quote, from Deacon Bill Ditewig: I often tell the true story of a bishop who, while literally standing in the middle of his deacons, said, “When I ordained you as deacons, I ordained you to share with me the burdens on…

An interesting observation from author Bruce Feiler, to ponder as you’re preparing for tomorrow’s big feast: The real story of Thanksgiving has deep biblical roots. A few years ago, I set out on a 10,000-mile journey through the hidden symbols of American life that became the basis for my book, “America’s Prophet: How the Story…

“In the book’s German and English editions, the text cited the example of a male prostitute, implying homosexual sex, in which a condom would not be a form of contraception. The church opposes contraception on the grounds that every sexual act should be open to procreation. But questions emerged when the book’s Italian edition, excerpted…

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