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Finally, Allen does a nice job explaining Benedict’s views on the importance of New Movements, and how it fits in with his previous statements on Christianity as a "creative minority" In making this reference, the pope had in mind not so much specific groups such as Communion and Liberation or the Focolare, which meet the…

Allen summarizes the controversy this week over the Pope’s words at Auschwitz-Birkenau: From a communications point of view, the pope’s Achille’s heel is that by refusing to satisfy prevailing expectations, Benedict can sometimes send the wrong signal to people who, quite naturally, interpret his words and deeds through the prism of those expectations. Thus by…

From John Allen’s interview, linked below: You’ve seen the recent letter from Cardinal Francis Arinze to Bishop William Skylstad in the United States. What do you make of it? It’s just stating what the situation is. It’s sometimes useful to be reminded of the basic verities. Those would be fidelity to the principles of Liturgiam…

John Allen’s Word From Rome: The Pope on Islam: Popes only rarely lead by decree. Far more often, their example is decisive, pointing a new direction by what they do and say. Such has been the case under Benedict XVI on Islam. There’s been no Vatican edict, but everyone recognizes something has changed. It’s not…

At Mercatornet, an article by Daniel Mansueto on the war against girls in Asia: India has a similar problem. One study that includes a survey of the literature notes that Indian demographers have found a “stark shift towards excessively masculine sex ratios at birth between 1981 and 1991 from near normal” to as high as…

Churches are offering refuge: Around 30,000 people have sought refuge in two Catholic compounds as violence has swept through the East Timorese capital of Dili. The country, on the brink of civil war, has seen 70,000 people being displaced and this week a Catholic aid agency leader urged people to focus on the “exceedingly vulnerable”…

…baseball and faith. Two stories: Onward Christian Shortstops: Collin Hansin of Christianity Today comments on the widely-discussed USA Today piece on the Colorado Rockies’ new emphasis: O’Dowd can expect some backlash. Some will charge that no matter what he claims, the team discriminates against non-Christians. They will resent clubhouse pressure to conform with Christian values…

Cardinal Zen speaks in yesterday’s AsiaNews: The government of China has asked the Patriotic Association to stop Episcopal ordinations without the consent of the Holy See, said Cardinal Joseph Zen. The Cardinal was speaking after celebrating Mass to take possession of his titular church in Rome. The Cardinal said the Patriotic Association (PA) “was fomenting…

Podcast of yesterday’s appearance on the Popcak’s show is here – the show also features the weekly Thursday film review from Steven Greydanus.

I have a short story in the new issue of The New Pantagruel – some of you have read it before, but here it is (and it’s slightly new and improved from the version I posted here a year or so ago.)
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