Pizza with Jeter, dessert with Dolan

A group of Haitian refugee children -- survivors of the 2010 catastrophic earthquake in their homeland -- were surprised with a day of VIP treatment at Yankee Stadium, a trip to the top of the Empire State Building, and a candlelight prayer service at St. Patrick's Cathedral followed by dessert with New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan. It was all part of Hope Week, an annual event sponsored by the New York Yankees.

The children are all students at Ss. Joachim & Anne School in Queens, N.Y.

From MLB.com:

During batting practice, the students were introduced to Yankees manager Joe Girardi, as well as club icons Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada. Then, ace pitcher CC Sabathia and Yankees director of media Jason Zillo revealed to the children what else they had in store for them after the game.

The students were once again surprised to find out they would be taking a Gray Line, double-decker sightseeing bus tour around Manhattan, with a trip to the top of the Empire State Building, where the children were given the honor of lighting the tallest building on the eastern seaboard. In addition, the bus made another stop at historic St. Patrick's Cathedral, where the students said a candlelit prayer and had dessert with Archbishop Timothy Dolan.

The children were accompanied on the bus tour by family members and teachers, as well as Sabathia, Posada, Freddy Garcia and coaches Mike Harkey and Tony Pena.

...As Manhattanites waved at the students and players, the team presented the school with a check for $10,000 and had one last surprise for the schoolchildren. Pizza was ordered for the bus, but the Yankees didn't get any old delivery boy. The man with the pizza boxes was none other than Jeter, who stayed with the tour the rest of the way.

And this from Archbishop Dolan's blog:

Last night I had the pleasure of hosting a group of young people, all displaced from Haiti following last year’s devastating earthquake, who are now students and parishioners from Saints Joachim and Anne parish in Queens Village.

...Monsignor Ritchie, the Cathedral Rector, provided a history of the Cathedral, and told them the story of Pierre Toussaint, a former slave from Haiti, who was brought to New York and is now a candidate for sainthood! The young people visited Toussaint’s resting place in the crypt beneath the Cathedral’s high altar, lit a candle at the shrine to Our Lady of Guadalupe, and then joined me in my residence for some ice cream cake and cookies!

It was a wonderful evening, and I was pleased that Saint Patrick’s Cathedral – such a vital part of the City of New York – was able to join together with the Yankees in doing something special for these young men and women. I was just as proud that a Catholic parish, Saints Joachim and Anne in the Diocese of Brooklyn, is having such a positive impact on the lives of these young people, victims of a terrible tragedy, who are being given the opportunity for a wonderful education.

Read the full story HERE. Be sure to check out the great photos on the archbishop's blog by clicking HERE.

Requiescat in pace, Archbishop Sambi

OSV joins Catholics across the United States in mourning the loss of Archbishop Pietro Sambi, the Holy See's apostolic nuncio to the United States since 2006, who died last night at Johns Hopkins Medical Center in Baltimore. He was 73.

Archbishop Sambi was ordained in 1964. In 1985, he was named an archbishop and papal nuncio to Burundi. He later served as nuncio to Indonesia. In 1998, Pope John Paul II named him nuncio to Israel and Cyprus and apostolic delegate in Jerusalem and Palestine. Affable and gregarious, Archbishop Sambi's job as the papal nuncio included not only serving as the pope's representative to the U.S. government, but also as liaison for the local Church.

Here is what Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York, president of the USCCB, had to say about Archbishop Sambi's many contributions to the life of the Church in America during his time of service:

Archbishop Sambi was a friend of the United States in so many ways. He played an indispensible role in the coordination of the visit of Pope Benedict XVI to our country in 2008, and so enabled our entire nation to see the wonderfully warm solicitude of the Holy Father for America.

Archbishop Sambi understood and loved our nation. He travelled throughout the country, often to attend the ordination of bishops, always eager to meet the faithful, and to share with them the affection that the Holy Father has for them and their country. He was open to the media as a conveyor of truth and welcomed journalists as representatives of the American people. He enjoyed everything from a stroll in the park near his residence in Washington to the diplomatic functions he attended as part of his service as the representative of the Holy See to the United States.

Archbishop Sambi possessed both a keen sense of diplomacy cultivated through many years of service in the Vatican diplomatic corps, especially in Israel, and a pastoral sensitivity cultivated through his many years as a faithful and devoted priest. Those who met or listened to Archbishop Sambi understood that at the heart of all he did was this love of the priesthood and of Christ the Good Shepherd.

We thank our Holy Father for sending him to us as we now commend the soul of this good and faithful servant to the Lord whom he served with such steadfast devotion. May Archbishop Pietro Sambi, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

Read more about Archbishop Sambi.

'What would Jesus cut?' asks one 'unprecedented' coalition

Posted by Mary DeTurris Poust

While all of Washington is caught up in the he said-he said back and forth that has turned the debt ceiling negotiations into a high-wire act without a net, one group continues to attempt to be the voice of sanity, and the voice of the poor.

The Circle of Protection is what some have labeled an "unprecedented coalition" within the Beltway, made up of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Episcopal Church, the Salvation Army, the National Association of Evangelicals, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and the United Church of Christ.

From the Washington Post's 'In the Loop':

It’s unprecedented because “we don’t agree on much else,” said John Carr of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development.

The coalition focuses on those Jesus called “the least of these” (Matthew 25:45), which speaks to obligations to look to the less fortunate. One goal is to get lawmakers to consider “What would Jesus cut?” (Actually, to ask the question is probably to answer it.)

...“Poor people don’t have an office on K Street,” said Galen Carey of the National Association of Evangelicals. “They don’t have lobbyists, so their voice is muted. That’s why it’s important for people of faith to step into the void.”

So how have the meetings on the Hill gone? “Most people say, ‘Yes, that’s a good point,’ ” Carey said. “We haven’t had anyone say that the goal is to take food out of hungry children’s mouths.” Well, that’s hopeful.

In a related story, Bishop Stephen E. Blaire of Stockton, California, and Bishop Howard J. Hubbard of Albany, New York, called on Congress to remember the human and moral dimensions of the ongoing budget and debt ceiling debate, in a July 26 letter to the U.S. House of Representatives.

From the bishops' letter:

A just framework for future budgets cannot rely on disproportionate cuts in essential services to poor persons. It requires shared sacrifice by all, including raising adequate revenues, eliminating unnecessary military and other spending, and addressing the long-term costs of health insurance and retirement programs fairly.

...In this letter we do not offer a detailed critique of the entire measure before the House, but we ask you to consider the human and moral dimensions of several key choices facing the Congress. We fear the human and social costs of substantial cuts to programs that serve families working to escape poverty, especially food and nutrition, child development and education, and affordable housing.

...The moral measure of this budget debate is not which party wins or which powerful interests prevail, but rather how those who are jobless, hungry, homeless or poor are treated. Their voices are too often missing in these debates, but they have the most compelling moral claim on our consciences and our common resources.

Bishop Blaire and Bishop Hubbard respectively chair the Committees on Domestic Justice and Human Development and International Justice and Peace of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). Read the full text of the letter by clicking HERE.

Meanwhile, the Circle of Protection, which has sponsored prayer vigils on Capitol Hill and fasts of up to 27 days, lists the following key principles on its website:

1. The nation needs to substantially reduce future deficits, but not at the expense of hungry and poor people.
2. Funding focused on reducing poverty should not be cut. It should be made as effective as possible, but not cut.
3. We urge our leaders to protect and improve poverty-focused development and humanitarian assistance to promote a better, safer world.
4. National leaders must review and consider tax revenues, military spending, and entitlements in the search for ways to share sacrifice and cut deficits.
5. A fundamental task is to create jobs and spur economic growth. Decent jobs at decent wages are the best path out of poverty, and restoring growth is a powerful way to reduce deficits.
6. The budget debate has a central moral dimension. Christians are asking how we protect "the least of these." "What would Jesus cut?" "How do we share sacrifice?"
7. As believers, we turn to God with prayer and fasting, to ask for guidance as our nation makes decisions about our priorities as a people.
8. God continues to shower our nation and the world with blessings. As Christians, we are rooted in the love of God in Jesus Christ. Our task is to share these blessings with love and justice and with a special priority for those who are poor.

To read the full Washington Post story, click HERE.

Shaw: Welcoming the Dolan Doctrine on prudential policy questions

By Russell Shaw

Heat, not light, is the usual fruit of political passion. How refreshing, then, that some significant light on the vexed question of Catholics in politics managed to break through amid an ugly little controversy a while back. With another election year hard upon us, it’s worth reflecting on what transpired then.

In May, some 80 professors teaching at assorted Catholic colleges and universities whipped up an argument with a letter protesting the Catholic University of America’s decision to have Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-OH) as commencement speaker. But just when it seemed least likely, somebody actually said something sensible.

Credit Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, with that. Although he wasn’t speaking about the Boehner controversy, his words — in a letter to House budget committee chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI) — clearly did apply there.

Thanking Ryan for assurances of “continued attention to the guidance of Catholic social justice” in budget negotiations, Archbishop Dolan said this:

“The principles of Catholic social teaching contain truths that need to be applied. Thus, one must always exercise prudential judgment in applying these principles while never contradicting the intrinsic values.”

And then: “We bishops are very conscious that we are pastors, never politicians. … As the Second Vatican Council reminds us, it is the lay faithful who have the specific charism of political leadership and decision.”

Archbishop Dolan was neither toeing the GOP line on the budget nor was he condemning it. He was saying that, assuming they’re committed to the principles of Catholic social doctrine, lay people with appropriate expertise — not bishops or the Church as such — are the ones who should be arguing for and against specific policy positions. (Ryan and Boehner are both Catholics.)

On that basis, Democrats and Republicans in Congress — and college professors too — are free to battle it out among themselves. But it’s implicit in the archbishop’s words that they aren’t free to say, as the college professors said of Boehner, that an opponent’s views on matters of prudential judgment are “at variance from one of the Church’s most ancient moral teachings” — in this case, concern for the poor.

If that leaves you wondering: No, saying this doesn’t open the door to the pro-choice position on abortion (or embryonic stem cell research or same-sex marriage or assisted suicide). Here, fundamental moral principles clearly rule out support. The question here, however — a very different one — is how to shape a budget that serves the common good. That’s devilish hard work and necessarily open to a variety of opinions, as the 80 professors should know.

Archbishop Dolan’s comments appear to signal a helpful new approach to political questions by the American bishops. If that’s so, then perhaps we will be spared some of the headaches of the past in the political season ahead.

Ever since the 1970s, the national bishops’ conference has saluted the approach of election years with statements outlining what it considered to be the political responsibilities of Catholic voters. Fair enough.

Unfortunately, those statements rather often erred by pronouncing on prudential questions that Archbishop Dolan concedes are beyond the pastoral competence of bishops. Confusion, not enlightenment, was the result. (This tangled history is reviewed at length in J. Brian Benestad’s illuminating new introduction to social doctrine "Church, State, and Society" published by the Catholic University of America Press.)

If the Dolan Doctrine means the bishops’ conference henceforth means to concentrate on forming consciences by enunciating doctrinal principles while leaving practical applications to the laity, that’s welcome news.

Russell Shaw is an OSV contributing editor.

Vacation tips from the pope

Not sure how to spend your summer vacation? Pope Benedict XVI has some suggestions. From a Vatican Radio story:

First of all, he invited those of us who can, to use our vacation time in a way that helps renew our relationships with others and with God. Interrupting the hectic and frantic pace of daily life, we can take time to dedicate ourselves to others and to God. The Pope even suggested we include a copy of the Sacred Scriptures in our suitcase. He also invited us to contemplate the greatness, and admire the beauty, of creation around us, recognizing in it the wonderful presence of the Creator.

We need to observe this magnificent gift, he said, with the same attention Jesus did. He knew how to interpret the language and signs of Creation, which is a gift we must respect, protect and care for, in the name of God, humanity and future generations.

Finally, Pope Benedict suggested that pilgrims and travellers apply their intelligence and curiosity to discovering the monuments of the past – witnesses of culture and faith, as he called them, examples of our spiritual roots and heritage. Cathedral and abbeys, in particular, are places where beauty helps us feel the presence of God and inspires us to pray for the rest of humanity, on its pilgrimage through the Third Millennium. The enjoyment of friendship, reading, nature and culture helps to nourish and restore our spirit. It gives us the strength to continue our journey refreshed and renewed.

Sounds like a good plan, don't you think? Typically I get a lot of that peace and natural beauty when I spend a week at the beach. This year we headed to Disney World instead. Although it was fun, it was certainly not relaxing or spiritually uplifting. And right about now I'm feeling the need to sit on a beach or in the mountains or by a lake and silently revel in God's creation. So listen to the pope. Find a place to escape the daily routine -- if only for one day -- and recharge your body, mind and spirit.

Gender discrimination vs. faith discrimination

A thought-provoking column on Muslim prayer services being allowed in a Toronto public middle school, by author Marge Fenelon over at Catholic Lane:

So…Let’s see if I’ve got this right. An entire group of Muslim children can congregate and hold a prayer service in the central area of their school building, openly practicing their faith, and taking up space that belongs to the entire school and could conceivably be used for other functions during that time, but a sole Christian student isn’t allowed to bring his own reading material (Bible) to school and share his faith with other students in casual conversation, and outside of classroom and class time?

Even more alarming is the undue concern for the rights of the menstruating girls who are separated from the other Muslim students. They aren’t being discriminated against, they are practicing their faith! To our non-Muslim ears, this sounds like cruelty. To their Muslim ears, it sounds like a centuries-old tradition. If the tradition no longer is viable, indeed, even if it is cruel, the Muslim community should figure that out for themselves — it’s not our business. The question is not, why are these girls segregated, but why are the Muslim students holding a prayer service in the school cafeteria when their Christian peers are forbidden from doing the same?

I wonder what would happen at Valley Park Middle School — or any other public middle school in the country — if the Lutheran students would wish to hold a communion service or the Catholic students would wish to celebrate holy Mass in the school cafeteria. Would the administration allow even a small group of students to gather and say the Rosary or study the Bible during lunch hour? I doubt it, but I’d certainly like to see what would happen if they tried.

Read the full column HERE, and then tell us what you think.

While you were out...

Thanks to Ironic Catholic for this one. Stay cool, everyone. Hydrate!

What's wrong with this picture? Everything.

By Mary DeTurris Poust

See that quaint little house to the left? Looks like a simple, cozy home, right? Wrong. It's an overpriced playhouse for children of the rich and not-so-famous.

Today's New York Times treats readers to an eyeful of ostentatious, sickeningly expensive playhouses in a feature on the front of its Home section. Prices for the featured items range from $50,000 to $248,000 -- for a playhouse. Please tell me I'm not the only one who felt my stomach turn at the sound of that.

It's no secret that the Times -- and many of its readers -- are out of touch with what real people do, think, buy, although they assume they know us like the back of their hand. Today's story is just one more example of the great divide that separates the Times from most of America.

Here's a snippet from the story:

Built in the same Cape Cod style as the Schillers’ expansive main house, the two-story 170-square-foot playhouse has vaulted ceilings that rise from five to eight feet tall, furnishings scaled down to two-thirds of normal size, hardwood floors and a faux fireplace with a fanciful mosaic mantel.

The little stainless-steel sink in the kitchen has running water, and the matching stainless-steel mini fridge and freezer are stocked with juice boxes and Popsicles. Upstairs is a sitting area with a child-size sofa and chairs for watching DVDs on the 32-inch flat-screen TV. The windows, which all open, have screens to keep out mosquitoes, and there are begonias in the window boxes. And, of course, the playhouse is air-conditioned. This is Texas, after all.

“I think of it as bling for the yard,” said Ms. Schiller, 40.

Some people might consider it “obnoxious” for a child to have a playhouse that costs more and has more amenities than some real houses, she conceded. But she sees it as an extension of the family home. “My daughter loves it,” she said. “And it’s certainly a conversation piece.”

Oh, well, her daughter loves it AND it's a conversation piece. Now it totally seems worth the cost. When I want "bling" for my yard I pick up a bird feeder at Lowe's. Even then, I'm loathe to part with what seems like an exorbitant price ($25) for something unnecessary.

In a world where people are losing their real homes, many of which do not have media rooms or mosaic mantels, it's telling that some can -- and would -- spend this kind of money on a child's play thing. It's like a microcosm of our society in general, isn't it? Nothing is too good for us, or our children. Especially our children. No matter that other people's children have no homes, no clothes, no food.

Maybe next week's Home section could venture out into the real world, where people do not, cannot, would not spend $248,000 on a playhouse (even if they could afford it), or $4,700 on a chair (even if it's one of only two made by a famous designer). Clearly no one at the Times has ever watched a child spend more time playing with a cardboard box than the present that came in it.

Archbishop Chaput to lead Philadelphia

Photo by James Baca

By Mary DeTurris Poust

Yesterday it was rumored and then reported by unnamed sources. Today it is official: Pope Benedict XVI has named Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap., to succeed Cardinal Justin Rigali as Archbishop of Philadelphia. A live newscast will be held at 10 a.m. Eastern time and can be viewed at the archdiocesan website at www.archphila.org.

Archbishop Chaput, 66, a member of the Orders of Friars Minor, Capuchin, has been the Archbishop of Denver since 1997, where he has been known for his strong leadership and clear teaching on the Catholic faith and the moral and social issues of our time. A member of the Prairie Band Potowatami Tribe, he is the second Native American to be ordained a Bishop in the United States and the first Native American Archbishop.

He will be installed in Philadelphia on Thursday, September 8, at 2 p.m. at the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul.

Archbishop Chaput posted the news on Facebook this morning. "I am in Philly now. Please pray for me and our Church at this very important time. More info to come," he wrote. The archbishop heads to Philadelphia at a time when the Church there has been rocked by the sexual abuse crisis.

Cardinal Rigali, who reached retirement age (75) in April 2010, will serve as apostolic administrator until Archbishop Chaput is installed. He has led the Philadelphia Archdiocese since 2003.

Bucking the confession trend

By Mary DeTurris Poust

The statistics may not overwhelm you, but the trend at Corpus Christi parish in Round Lake, N.Y., should. The number of people seeking confession has doubled in recent months. What brought about the change? The pastor is talking about the reality of sin and reminding his parishioners that reconciliation is a "welcoming sacrament." Go figure. So simple, yet so powerful.

From a story by Angela Cave in this week's Evangelist:

His homilies must be working: For the past month, Rev. James Clark has been hearing twice the number of confessions he normally hears at Corpus Christi parish in Round Lake.

The pastor’s Saturday hours for the sacrament of reconciliation were previously 3 to 3:30 p.m. — half an hour before the vigil Mass. But when the number of penitents grew from four to about eight each week, that became a problem.

“It was pushing me at the other end because I couldn’t get ready for Mass,” Father Clark explained.

Reconciliation now starts at 2:30 p.m. More people are seeking the sacrament during the week, too, the pastor said: “I have people who just pop their head in and say, ‘Hi, do you have a minute?’”

In the story, Father Clark also hits upon something I stress when I give my "Lost Generation" workshops on the problem of adult Catholics separated from the Church. The move away from regular confession and even regular Mass attendance coincided with a move away from the parish -- literally. Back in the days, people were so connected to the life of their parish they identified themselves by where they worshiped even more than where they lived. The parish church played a central role in the lives of Catholics, like a second home. Today that role has been usurped by soccer leagues, dance schools, country clubs and more, compounded by the move of families out of cities and into the suburbs where they are more isolated from one another and their local parishes.

But sometimes, as with so many things regarding parish life and faith, people are just waiting for an invitation, a reminder, a lesson they haven't heard in a while. And Father Clark recognized that.

More from the Evangelist story:

“We don’t talk about sin anymore,” Father Clark lamented. “We just forget about it. But sin is part of life. Priests need to make an effort to convey that to people.”

...The sacrament of reconciliation “is just one more visible sign that God loves us,” he remarked. “We need that voice hearing that our sins are forgiven.”

Read the full story HERE.

Shaw: Supreme Court lacks common sense on violent video games for minors

By Russell Shaw

Pardon my exasperation, but there are times when the elitist views of the mandarins who set rules for the rest of us from the federal bench and other similarly exalted vantage points are indeed upsetting. As an example, consider the Supreme Court and its decision last month on selling and renting violent video games to children.

Yes, Supreme Court justices have the difficult job of interpreting and applying the Constitution. But does the performance of that sensitive task necessarily require the abandonment of common sense? Frankly, I doubt it.

In the case in question, the court voted 7-2 to uphold a lower court decision that overturned a California law against letting childen acquire violent videos for themselves. That violates free speech, it held. Justice Antonin Scalia, writing for the majority, said video games, just like books, plays, and movies, “communicate ideas — and even social messages” protected by the First Amendment.

Now, what ideas and social messages are these? As Justice Samuel Alito pointed out, among the violent video games that Justice Scalia thinks the First Amendment protects are ones enabling players to re-enact the Columbine High School and Virginia Tech massacres. “Disgust is not a valid basis for restricting expression,” Justice Scalia sagely wrote. To which the eminently reasonable response that comes most naturally to mind is simply: Aaargh!

The media in their coverage of this decision devoted much attention — which moralists back in the old days were wont to call “morose delectation” — to the split between Justice Scalia and Justice Clarence Thomas, both Catholics and conservatives who often vote alike. Justice Thomas based his dissent on an “originalist” reading of what the framers of the Constitution supposedly had in mind. Justice Scalia, also said to be an originalist, shrugged that off.

I leave to others the subtle question of whose version of originalism is correct. That aside, however, Justice Thomas clearly had the better of the common sense substance of the argument when he wrote: “The freedom of speech … does not include a right to speak to minors without going through the minors’ parents and guardians.”

The common sense view of children is that they comprise a special, vulnerable class of persons whose vulnerability gives their parents and the community the right and high duty to exercise careful supervision to promote their interests and keep them from harm.

There are laws that prevent minor children from driving automobiles, buying alcohol or cigarettes, and doing many other things reasonably deemed likely to injure them or others. Ever since 1968, as Justice Stephen Breyer pointed out, the court has been on record approving laws intended to keep sexual material that’s accessible to adults out of the hands of minors. Supreme Court decision recognizes the parental right to determine the schooling of a child — including the right of parents to do the schooling themselves if they think best.

But if parents can do that, don’t they also have a right and duty to keep their children from exposure to violent video games? Who but an ACLU lawyer — or a Supreme Court justice — would care to argue they don’t?

Next term the court will hear a case challenging the Federal Communications Commission’s authority to ban indecent content from television during the hours — 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. — when children are most likely to be watching. The common sense take on whether the FCC should do that is: For goodness’ sake, yes. As for how the Supreme Court will choose to see it, my advice is: Don’t bet on common sense.

Russell Shaw is an OSV contributing editor.

A week in the life of a priest

It may come from the land down under, but the sentiments expressed in this video clip exploring one week in the life of a priest seem universal, just like our Church. (H/T to The Deacon's Bench for this one.) In the Australian priest's daily life, I could see glimpses of various priest friends.

Favorite quote: "My uncle once asked me, 'Is the priesthood as good as you thought it would be?' And I said, 'Well, no. It's much better.'"

I wish everyone who's ever had an issue with the Catholic priesthood, and even those who don't, would take the time to watch this and get a better understanding of what our priests do for us as individuals and for the larger Church.

Vatican newspaper sees the good in final Harry Potter film

I don't know about you, but I am awaiting the release of Deathly Hallows: Part 2, the final film in the Harry Potter series, this week with both excitement and dread. I can't wait to see it, but I don't want it to end.

I've already read one great review, and now there's word that the Vatican daily L’Osservatore Romano has given the movie a thumbs up.

From a Catholic News Agency story:

L’Osservatore Romano reporter Gaetano Vallini writes in his piece, “The finale is epic, with a battle worthy of this saga of unequaled planetary success. The decisive meeting between the forces of good and evil is truly the final one, played out in an atmosphere that is almost too dark.”

“Fans of the saga already know everything: for them, the challenge is to compare how faithful the film is to the book. So far, they haven’t complained and we believe they will not have reason to with this film either."


Nevertheless, Vallini warns, “The atmosphere of the last few episodes which had become increasingly dark and ominous, reaches its pinnacle in this last film with Hogwarts reduced to smoldering rubble. This may not sit well with all moviegoers, as occurred with the previous film, and could make the youngest among the audience uneasy.

“Death, which before was a rare occurrence, here is a protagonist. This violence may not be welcomed or suitable for everyone.”

“In the final encounter there is much bloodshed and death: wizards large and not so large, expert and not-so-expert professors. Because of this increasingly violent nature, the film may not be pleasing or adaptable for everyone.”

Vallini argues nonetheless that “evil is never presented as fascinating or attractive in the saga, but the values of friendship and of sacrifice are highlighted. In a unique and long story of formation, through painful passages of dealing with death and loss, the hero and his companions mature from the lightheartedness of infancy to the complex reality of adulthood.”

To read the full CNA story, click HERE.

In the footsteps of St. Benedict...

In honor of the Feast of St. Benedict, I thought I'd post a travel story I did on my visit to the Monastery of St. Benedict and the Monastery of St. Scholastica in Subiaco, Italy, last September. It was an awesome visit. If you get the chance, go there and revel in the quiet beauty. (This story originally appeared in the Albany Times Union. All photos by Mary DeTurris Poust.)

By Mary DeTurris Poust

With a breathtaking valley stretching out below and an ancient monastery clinging to the cliffs above, Subiaco, Italy, feels as though it is a world away from the chaotic streets of Rome, only 40 miles to its west. And, in a sense, it is.

Steeped in history that stretches back to the Roman Empire and the earliest centuries of the Roman Catholic Church, Subiaco is a place out of time, giving visitors a chance to step into the very same cloisters, caves and gardens that were once home to ancient saints and medieval monks.

During the hour ride by tour bus, past fields lined with cypress trees and tiny villages dotted with red-tiled roofs, the hustle and bustle of Roman life seemed to fade with each passing mile. Finally, in what can best be described as the white-knuckle portion of the trip, the bus wound its way up a narrow mountain road to what has become a spiritual pilgrimage spot for Christians and a treasure trove of artifacts for history buffs and art lovers.

Although today Subiaco is known as the birthplace of Western monasticism, thanks to St. Benedict of Nursia -- who spent three years living in a cave there before starting 13 monasteries -- it was first home to the Aequi people, who were defeated by the Romans in 304 B.C. The Roman Empire took advantage of the nearby Anio River and built aqueducts to bring water to Rome, but it was the Emperor Nero who left his mark on the place. He built a villa there and created three artificial lakes, giving the area its name Subiacus, "below the lakes," which became Subiaco.


Tour guides like to point out the ruins of Nero's villa and the irony that the one-time home of this brutal persecutor of Christians would become the fertile ground in which the seeds of the great monastic orders of the Christian faith would be planted. Regardless of why you visit -- for the history or the spirituality -- Subiaco is a place of mystery and silence, natural beauty and artistic significance.

Continue reading HERE.

Celebrating with the people of South Sudan

The Republic of South Sudan officially became the newest African nation July 9, a reality that was a long time coming for the long-suffering people of that region. (For background, you can check my OSV story on this subject HERE.)

A CBS News story reported on the country's independence day celebration:

"The eyes of the world are now on us," said South Sudan President Salva Kiir, who was inaugurated during a scorching midday ceremony. Kiir stressed that the people of South Sudan must advance their country together, and unite as countrymen first, casting aside allegiances to the dozens of tribes that reside here.

Saturday meant that South Sudan and its black tribesmen would for the first time be linked politically with sub-Saharan Africa. Kenya and Uganda are already laying strong economic ties with their northern neighbor, an oil-rich country that may one day ship its oil to a Kenyan port, instead of through the pipelines controlled by Khartoum.

"From today our identity is southern and African, not Arabic and Muslim," read a hand-painted sign that one man carried as he walked through the crowds.

South Sudan first celebrated its new status with a a raucous street party at midnight. At a packed midday ceremony, the speaker of parliament read a proclamation of independence as the flag of Sudan was lowered and the flag of South Sudan was raised, sparking wild cheers from a crowd tens of thousands strong.

Here's what Catholic Relief Services had to say about this historic occasion:

Still, many expected a renewal of violence. But this newest nation came to life against all odds when a peaceful and orderly referendum in January saw 98% of Southern Sudanese casting their votes for independence. The people of South Sudan now need Catholics in the United States to stand with them as they begin to build a better future.

Thankfully, a bright constellation of Catholic leaders is deeply engaged with bringing about a peaceful transition for the citizens in the South as well as the North.

"We are privileged to be among those called upon to help grow this nation," said Ken Hackett, president of Catholic Relief Services (CRS), who was among the official United States delegation invited to witness the Independence Day ceremony. CRS has provided relief to over one million people in Sudan for many years prior to and during the civil war.

Whispers in the Loggia had this commentary on the Catholic presence in this part of Sudan:

Having birthed one of the more prominent modern saints, the Sudanese-born Italian nun Mother Josephine Bakhita, who had been a slave until her mid-20s, the church's presence in the new nation runs strong and deep -- the father of the South's independence, John Garang, was buried from the Juba cathedral after his 2005 death in a helicopter crash, and the state's first President, Salva Kiir (a Catholic), isn't just a weekly attendee at St Therese, but has routinely delivered messages to the people from its pulpit.

In his inaugural address yesterday, Kiir repeated his long-standing call for forgiveness after the long, bloody conflict.

To read Rocco Palmo's full post, click HERE. H/t to him for the link to the video clip above of an earlier Mass celebration among Catholic Sudanese.

A tale of two vacations

By Mary DeTurris Poust

I'm baaaack. Did you miss me? Well, technically, I'm not quite back. I'm stuck in the Orlando airport on a three-hour delay due to weather. I won't arrive in NY until about 3 a.m. Quite an ending to our eight-day Disney World vacation.

Right about now, I'm thinking some quiet time might be in order. And that's exactly what Pope Benedict XVI has planned for his summer vacation -- prayer, rest, reading, study, writing. No mad dashes for Toy Story Mania for him. Smart man.

Here's what a story from Catholic News Agency says about the pope's summer plans:

Pope Benedict XVI will spend his summer vacation praying, reading and writing, according to his official spokesman.

“I was also struck in the past, talking to the Pope’s personal secretary, who said to me very naturally: ‘The best way for the Pope to rest is for him to study and write about theology, Sacred Scripture, because they are topics that fascinate him,’” said Fr. Federico Lombardi, S.J., in a July 7 interview with Vatican Radio.

The Pope left today for his summer residence of Castel Gandolfo, a tiny hilltop village overlooking Lake Albano, just 15 miles south east of Rome.

The town has been the traditional holiday spot for Popes since the 15th century.“He enjoys his stay at Castel Gandolfo very much and perhaps has a greater guarantee of the rest which he needs and desires by going directly to Castel Gandolfo, rather than traveling to an unfamiliar place for a short period,” the papal spokesman said, referring to Pope John Paul II’s preference for sometimes vacationing in the Italian mountains.

I wouldn't mind spending some time in a lovely Italian hilltop village with a good book. No FastPass required.

Read the full CNA story HERE.