Robert Edwards – Page 245

SPY VVEDNESDAY EDITION

17 April AD 2019

Live Perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament via Adorecast

☩ Team Catholify

Church in Syria suffers ‘bleeding wound’ of emigration

The number of Christians in Aleppo, Syria, fell dramatically during the civil war, from 180,000 before the war to 32,000 today. Maronite Archbishop Joseph Tobji of Aleppo is the shepherd of a small community of about 400 families. He recently spoke with Aid to the Church in Need. ☩ Catholic News Agency via The Catholic World Report

Adopting Inclusion for Families of Faith

Religious Freedom isn’t a “fringe” issue — but try convincing NBC. The outlet’s latest puff piece on LGBT parents is a typical one-sided angle on adoption — but maybe that’s the scary part. Because for all the attention they seem to give it, there’s always one theme that seems to be missing: the children. ☩ Tony Perkins at The Stream

Knights CEO says Iran-backed militias threaten Iraq’s religious minorities

In an April 12 op-ed in The Wall Street Journal, the CEO of the Knights of Columbus said that “Christian towns in Iraq increasingly look neither Christian nor Iraqi — but Iranian.” ☩ Catholic News Service

Doug Bock Clark writes beautifully on a sorrowful topic in North Korean life

Doug Bock Clark has written an amazing report for those who care about North Korea refugees & how Christianity has driven one man to help them. ☩ Douglas LeBlanc at Get Religion

Postmodern Museum vs. Notre Dame Cathedral — The Broad vs. the Lofty

Beauty Vandalized ☩ Tom Gilson at The Stream

The Contradictions of Mayor Pete Buttigieg

Moving from political obscurity as the gay mayor of South Bend, Indiana, to the media’s flavor-of-the-month Democratic presidential candidate, Mayor Pete Buttigieg announced last week that his campaign has raised over $7 million since launching his exploratory committee in January. . . ☩ Anne Hendershott at Crisis Magazine

8 Saints Whose Feasts Fall During Holy Week

☩ Brian O'Neal at National Catholic Register

Easter in Jail: The Travesty of the Pell Case

☩ George Weigel at The Catholic World Report

Summer : The Most Difficult Season to Style

☩ Meghan Ashley Styling

Notre-Dame Survives!

☩ Big Pulpit

Why One-Third Of Biologists Now Question Darwinism

Dedicated Neo-Darwinists often say ‘no serious scientists disagree’ with Darwinism, or ‘only creationists have problems.’ These contentions are increasingly disproven. ☩ Benjamin R. Dierker at The Federalist

How Rod Dreher’s ‘Benedict Option’ misunderstands Christian liberalism

Rod Dreher is once again exasperated. He is frustrated by a rumor that George Weigel hasn’t bought the tireless promotion of his ‘Benedict Option’ ☩ Dan Hugger at Acton Institute Powerblog

Australian Rugby Star Gets Sacked, Multi-Million Dollar Contract Canceled, After Posting a Christian Message on Instagram

Australian star rugby player Israel “Izzy” Folau has done it again. . . ☩ Nancy Flory at The Stream

How the Pill Could Affect Your Choice of Mate, & the Health of Your Future Children, Too

It may be affecting more than you think. ☩ Grace Emily Stark at Verily

Martin Luther’s Exceptionally “Catholic” Devotion to Mary

Luther’s Mariology is (ironically) closer to that of the Catholic Church today than to the modern-day Lutheranism. ☩ Dave Armstrong at National Catholic Register

Religious liberty setback at court may not be final

Religious liberty's latest setback at the U.S. Supreme Court in its ongoing face-off with sexual liberty is disappointing but may not prove conclusive, Southern Baptist religious freedom advo ☩ Tom Strode at Baptist Press

Our Culture Celebrates What Angels Weep Over, But This Takes the Cake

“Legitimate intentions on the part of the spouses do not justify recourse to morally unacceptable means (for example, direct sterilization or contraception).” (CCC 239 ☩ Brianna Heldt at National Catholic Register

A Smokeless Cathedral Burn

☩ Rod Dreher at The American Conservative

Honor, Endurance, & Lent

☩ Christian Deru at Catholic Stand

Bernie Sanders & Beto O’Rourke Give Almost Nothing To Charity

☩ Liz Wolfe at The Federalist

Fr. Raymond Thomas de Saint-Laurent, Confidence, & How to Fundraise

☩ Brice Sokolowski at CatholicFundraiser.net

Coffee Evangelization

☩ Tasman & Jean Westbury at Ignitum Today

SPY VVEDNESDAY EDITION Read More »

Notre-Dame Survives!

16 April AD 2019 1 Comment

Live Perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament via Adorecast

☩ Team Catholify

The tragic hope of the flames of Notre Dame

. . .And yet there are not only red but silver linings in this cloud of smoke. ☩ Jeffrey A. Mirus, Ph.D., at Catholic Culture

Notre-Dame de Paris: A Supernatural Intervention of the Mother of God for France?

This night was not made for sleeping. ☩ Fr. Guillaume de Menthière at Rorate Cæli

Notre Dame’s Destruction Is The Monumental Loss Of An Acoustic Treasure

Anonymous IV worked at the Cathedral of Notre Dame in the 1270s, & wrote descriptively about the vibrant music he experienced there. ☩ Jeff Held at The Federalist

Notre-Dame, France's Parish

No doubt, Notre-Dame will be repaired, just as countless other European wonders have been restored following fire, storms, sieges, and wars. . . ☩ Samuel Gregg, D.Phil., at First Things

Notre-Dame de Paris: Jewel of France

Far more than just a house of worship, Notre Dame is one of the most significant buildings in the world. It has stood at the very center of French and indeed all European history for close to a millennia. ☩ John Paul Sonnen at Liturgical Arts Journal

Notre Dame: Was It Arson?

I didn’t blog or tweet about the terrible fire at Notre Dame yesterday because I was traveling, but I’ve also learned not to make instant remarks about breaking news events when all the facts aren’t in. Looking back on some of the comments about Notre Dame being “utterly destroyed” makes one cringe. ☩ Fr. Dwight Longenecker

A Historical Timeline of Notre Dame Cathedral

In light of the recent tragic fire, here’s a look at the incredible history surrounding the beautiful Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France ☩ Alex R. Hey at epicPew

Meet the Priest Who Saved the Blessed Sacrament & the Crown Of Thorns

☩ John Clark at National Catholic Register

Enormous Crowds Sing For Hours Outside Notre Dame’s Cathedral During Fire (Videos Inside)

☩ ChurchPOP

Notre Dame was more than a cathedral; let's pray for its resurrection

☩ Grazie Pozo Christie, M.D., at The Hill

About #NotreDame & the fire & the altar, Just sayin’. . .

☩ Fr. Z's Blog

Notre-Dame Survives! Read More »

HOLY TVESDAY EDITION

16 April AD 2019

Live Perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament via Adorecast

☩ Team Catholify

Ten Ways to Meditate on Christ’s Passion

The following are ten helpful suggestions so that we can at least start to plumb the depths of the love of Jesus who died on Good Friday for love of you and for me and for the salvation of my immortal soul! ☩ Fr. Ed Broom, O.M.V., at Catholic Exchange

Pope Francis Honors Film Composer Ennio Morricone

Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi to present the Oscar-winning composer with a Pontifical Gold Medal for his “extraordinary artistic work in the sphere of music.” ☩ Edward Pentin at National Catholic Register

China & the Catholic Church — Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow

The thousand-year history and present state of affairs offer a mixture of hope and concern. ☩ Joseph O'Brien at National Catholic Register

Why the Notre Dame Fire Pierces Our Hearts

Notre Dame was built over an almost 200-year period. Generations of people came and went, investing their days in this life for the sake of a project, the fulfillment of which they knew they would not live to see. ☩ Noelle Mering at Off The Cuff

Inflated Ego Syndrome and the Hazards of Celebrity

Commentary: When a self-confident public persona follows a person into ordinary life, trouble usually erupts. Instead, give credit where it is due. Be grateful. ☩ Jennifer Roback Morse at National Catholic Register

The Hidden Wound of Christ

☩ Rick Yoder at The Amish Catholic

Summer : The Most Difficult Season to Style

☩ Meghan Ashley Styling

From the Ashes of Notre-Dame

☩ Ross Douthat at The New York Times

Notre-Dame Cathedral Conflagration Aftermath

☩ Big Pulpit

Benedict’s Essay: The Voice of a True Father

Why the uproar from some Catholic pundits regarding the recently released essay on the abuse crisis from Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI? ☩ Jim Russell at Crisis Magazine

Cardinal Sarah & the Sunset of the West

Cardinal Robert Sarah’s new book offers a bracing assessment of the state of Western culture, seeking to awaken Western societies to the truth about themselves. ☩ Samuel Gregg, D.Phil., at The Catholic World Report

The global population inversion

The age pyramid is starting to flip. ☩ Marcus Roberts at Mercatornet

Twitter Refuses to Submit to Independent Audit After Censoring Pro-Life Accounts

A Twitter executive appeared to punt after Republican Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley asked him Wednesday during a congressional testimony whether the company would be willing to submit to an independent political audit. ☩ Chris White at Life News

A Remedy for the Catechetical Poverty of Our Time

Amidst the divisions & frustrations that mark the Church of our time, there are, quietly dispersed throughout the Mystical Body, clergy & laymen striving for the recovery & promotion of the Apostolic Faith. ☩ Christian Browne at Crisis Magazine

Students Lead Anti-Pornography Initiatives at Catholic Colleges

The Catholic University of America’s student government association has asked the college administration to block sexually explicit sites on the university’s wireless network. ☩ Stephen Beale at National Catholic Register

“The Tinder Generation.” Shocking Figures Show Pregnant 20-Somethings Killing 1 in 3 Babies in Abortions

Statistics released by the British government this week show a tragic rise in abortions among young women. ☩ Micaiah Bilger at Life News

Facebook’s New Policy is Not About ‘Standing Up to Hate’

Facebook’s campaign of anti-ProLife censorship just took another step forward. ☩ Ken Blackwell at The Stream

Subject of pro-life movie ‘Unplanned” defends her conversion story against investigative journalist

Former Planned Parenthood clinic director says reporter got his information from the abortion lobby, not the health department. ☩ John Burger at Aleteia

Life Lessons – Off the Shelf 120 with Gary Jansen

☩ Pete Socks at Catholic Stand

Fr. Raymond Thomas de Saint-Laurent, Confidence, & How to Fundraise

☩ Brice Sokolowski at CatholicFundraiser.net

Unplanned: A Review of a Review

☩ The American Catholic

Death of the Son

☩ Noel Ethan Tan at Ignitum Today

Transgenderism: The Fastest-Growing Insanity the World Has Ever Seen

☩ Tom Gilson at The Stream

HOLY TVESDAY EDITION Read More »

Notre-Dame Cathedral Conflagration Aftermath

15 April AD 2019 1 Comment

Live Perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament via Adorecast

☩ Team Catholify

Structure of Notre-Dame saved after major fire

Shortly after midnight Tuesday, firefighters said the main structure of Notre-Dame de Paris, the city’s cathedral, had been preserved from collapse. ☩ Catholic News Agency via The Catholic World Report

Fire – roof of Notre Dame of Paris – Will this shock awaken the Faith?

What a dreadful story. ☩ Fr. Z's Blog

Vatican expresses “shock & sorrow” over Notre Dame fire

People gather to pray and sing hymns as firefighters continue to battle flames at one of Europe’s most historic churches. ☩ Catherine Harmon at The Catholic World Report

Are We Too Primitive to Rebuild Notre Dame?

I stood there in the crowd on the street, watching the flames eat away the wooden supports of the Gothic tower. . . ☩ John Zmirak, Ph.D., at The Stream

The Passion of Notre Dame—Why it Matters

The passion of Notre Dame matters not just for Paris, nor just for France, nor for those who merely love beauty. It matters for our Judaeo-Christian civilization. ☩ Fr. Hugh Somerville-Knapman, O.S.B., at Dominus Mihi Adjutor

See inside the fire-ravaged Notre Dame Cathedral

Photos taken at Notre Dame Cathedral offer a glimpse inside the cathedral's sanctuary and roof structure, offering some hope — but a newly-released aerial image of the roof show widespread damage. ☩ Associated Press via San Francisco Gate

An early Alleluia for the vaulting of #NotreDame - It Held!

The wooden roof over the stone vaulting of the nave of Notre-Dame of Paris burned & the great spire came down. But the vaulting held! Only a small part came down. ☩ Fr. Z's Blog

What Notre Dame means to Catholics

It was early in the afternoon of Monday in Holy Week, as John Carol Case was singing the "Was wollt ihr mir geben?" of Judas on my turntable, that I first saw the images of Notre-Dame de Paris burning. . . ☩ Matthew Walther at The Week

Litany of the French Saints

In the wake of recent tragic events, here is a litany to the saints of France. May they pray for us, for France, & for the faithful of that great nation. . . ☩ Rick Yoder at The Amish Catholic

Why Couldn’t They Put Out the Fire at Notre Dame Cathedral?

Firefighters stood helpless to stem the blaze Monday at Notre Dame Cathedral, likely because of Gothic engineering techniques that waterproofed the roof, consigning it to destruction. ☩ Joshua Gill at The Daily Signal

5 things to know about the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris

Catholics around the world watched with horror as the roof of Cathedrale Notre-Dame was engulfed with flames on Monday afternoon. The blaze began shortly after the church closed for visitors, and everyone was evacuated safely, though the entirety of the roof collapsed into the church. ☩ Catholic News Agency via The Catholic World Report

How the French Author Victor Hugo Saved Notre Dame

Notre-Dame de Paris is one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture in the world. But if it wasn’t for one French literary legend, Victor Hugo, and his best-selling book then its breath-taking legacy may well have vanished forever. ☩ Jade Cuttle at culture trip

Photos: The Devastation of Notre Dame Cathedral

☩ Alan Taylor at The Atlantic

Photos: The Great Holy Week Fire at Notre Dame Cathedral

☩ The Editors at National Catholic Register

As Notre Dame Burns, Glimpses of Hope, History & Heroes

☩ Alyssa Murphy at National Catholic Register

If churches keep getting vandalized in France, should American news outlets cover the story?

☩ Clemente Listi at Get Religion

I Worshipped the Goddess of Reason — Until I Met the God of Mercy in Notre Dame

☩ Charles Lewis at National Catholic Register

The History of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris

☩ Catholic News Agency via National Catholic Register

A Diagram of the Interior of Notre-Dame

☩ via Blogger

Notre-Dame Cathedral Conflagration Aftermath Read More »

HOLY MONDAY EDITION

15 April AD 2019

Live Perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament via Adorecast

☩ Team Catholify

The Restoration & Dedication of St Catherine Parish in Trumbull, CT

St Catherine of Siena Parish in Trumbull, Connecticut, recently completed a restoration, in which the sanctuary was redesigned, a new altar of sacrifice was created, and the tabernacle was relocated to the center of the church. ☩ Gregory DiPippo at New Liturgical Movement

A Stable New Dystopia

Reader Pacopond shared this e-mail from a friend of his, a brilliant (he says) older lawyer talking about the changes he has seen in young people coming to work at his firm ☩ Rod Dreher at The American Conservative

3 Mental health benefits of fasting, according to Thomas Aquinas

Research has shown there are great physical benefits to going without food, but the practice also does a lot more for us. ☩ Fr. Michael Rennier at Aleteia

Is Wearing a Veil Still Required of Catholic Women?

The veil is not, however, seen often in Holy Mass celebrated in the Ordinary Form or Novus Ordo Mass. Yet, some women like myself feel drawn to the devotion. Although some parishes have a mix of those who do and those who do not, veiling can sometimes lead to a bit of contentious misunderstanding. ☩ Birgit Jones at Catholic Stand

Bel and the Dragon in the Liturgy of Lent

On the Tuesday of Passion week, the Epistle of the Mass is traditionally the episode of the book of Daniel known as “Bel & the Dragon”. . .a portion of the Prayer is read as the Epistle on Thursday of this week; the Song is one of the most commonly used canticles in all historical Christian liturgies, known from its opening word in Latin as the Benedicite. ☩ Gregory DiPippo at New Liturgical Movement

Why Priests Should Teach in Schools

☩ Fr. Dominic Bouck at National Catholic Register

George Weigel, John Paul II, & What We Need Now

☩ Peter Wolfgang at The Stream

Summer : The Most Difficult Season to Style

☩ Meghan Ashley Styling

Fr. Raymond Thomas de Saint-Laurent, Confidence, & How to Fundraise

☩ Brice Sokolowski at CatholicFundraiser.net

The Arguments You Never Hear for Capital Punishment

It would be understandable if Catholics and the public at large believed that the death penalty’s existence depended solely on its effectiveness in protecting society as a kind of self-defense measure. . . ☩ Paul Kniaz at Catholic Stand

Nice Liberal Christians Like Peter Buttigieg Appear as Angels of Light

The biggest threat to religious liberty for Christians in America isn’t terrorists from ISIS. Nor Islamists in Congress like Rep. Ilhan Omar. Or international secularists like George Soros. Nor even the hit men and women of Planned Parenthood. No, the real enemy we must look out for is something much subtler. ☩ John Zmirak, Ph.D., at The Stream

Contemplating God’s Love in the Passion of Christ

One of the things I often ask of God in this season is for the grace to contemplate God’s Love in the Passion of Christ, so that I may live a passionate life for Christ. ☩ Pamela Mandela at Catholic Stand

The problem with Benedict’s essay

Right or wrong, Benedict told us very little—practically nothing—we did not already know. ☩ Christopher R. Altieri at The Catholic World Report

The Ratzinger Letter: A Failure

In the ongoing sexual abuse crisis that has wracked the Roman Catholic Church, it is helpful to remember that the evil transpires on both spiritual and historical planes. ☩ Rick Yoder at The Amish Catholic

Western Civilization

The Jews and the Greeks brought a constellation of ideas into being that were amplified by the Romans, producing unique cultures in Western Europe that gave birth to a civilization known as the West, a daring, ever questing civilization that is perpetually seeking to surpass itself, and which has proven simultaneously attractive and repellent to the other civilizations that inhabit the globe. ☩ Donald R. McClarey, J.D., at The American Catholic

This Lent Crucify Your Despair to the Cross of Hope!

Scripture teaches us the difference between despair and hope in the persons and reactions of Judas and Peter. Peter denied even knowing Our Lord three times, felt great sorrow over his actions, and sought Christ’s mercy in loving, selfless, surrender to the Hope synonymous with Divine Mercy ( Mark 14:66-72). ☩ Gabriel Garnica at Catholic Stand

Professors Don’t Teach If Students Don’t Learn the Truth

One can learn much without being taught, but no one can teach without another learning from them. ☩ Edvard Lorkovic at Crisis Magazine

More Evidence Twitter Skews The Media’s Understanding Of What Americans Think

It’s a given that Twitter is a bubble. The size of that bubble is what’s worth reemphasizing, especially for the benefit of the media. According to a new Pew survey, only 22 percent of American adults say they ever use Twitter. That’s compared with 69 percent who say they use Facebook, and 37 percent who say they use Instagram. ☩ Emily Jashinsky at The Federalist

Is Abortion Okay? No Hands Went Up

☩ Sister Christina M. Neumann at Catholic Stand

Feminists Couldn’t Get Trans Ideology Out Of UK Public Schools, But Muslims Did

☩ Libby Emmons at The Federalist

‘Nor do I Condemn You’

☩ Brother John Joseph at Ignitum Today

Mike Pence And Chick-Fil-A’s Supposed Hatred Towards Gay People Is A Complete Myth

☩ Chad Felix Greene at The Federalist

Instagram Removed Christian Writer’s Comic Strip Comparing Abortion to Slavery as “Hate Speech”

☩ Anders Hagstrom at Life News

HOLY MONDAY EDITION Read More »

PALM SVNDAY EDITION

14 April AD 2019

Live Perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament via Adorecast

☩ Team Catholify

Our Daily Battle With the World, the Flesh, & the Devil

We are at war. ☩ Allison Low at Catholic Stand

The first-century Roman senator who wrote about Jesus’ crucifixion

Tacitus describes Nero's persecution of Christians, & affirms the crucifixion of Christ. ☩ John Burger at Aleteia

Why a 9/11 firefighter became a priest

The story of Tom Colucci. ☩ Aleteia

The Seven Deadly Sins: Sloth

One of the more misunderstood of the cardinal sins is sloth. Most see it merely as laziness, but there is more to it than that. Let’s take a moment & consider some aspects of this cardinal sin. ☩ Msgr. Charles Pope at Community in Mission

Worried about a friend or family member? Try the Green Scapular

The Green Scapular is often used to ask God for a physical healing or spiritual conversion. ☩ Philip Kosloski at Aleteia

The Wisdom of Suffering

☩ Daniel Cerdeiras at Those Catholic Men

The Untapped Power of Faith in Action

☩ Edward Monti at Catholic Stand

Another saint of impossible causes: He brought about hundreds of miracles even in his lifetime

☩ Fr. Patrick Briscoe, O.P., at Aleteia

Book Review: Beauty Will Save the World: Recovering the Human in an Ideological Age

One look at any art museum & the numberless portraits of the Madonna & Child that invariably hang there will demonstrate exactly how successful the relationship between the Church & the artist has been in the history of Western civilization. ☩ Joseph O'Brien at Dappled Things

Doing the Right Thing Moment by Moment

This Lent I have set myself the goal of daily Mass attendance. So far I have missed it twice, but not because of my unwillingness. . . ☩ Sofia Abasolo at Catholic Stand

New Vestments! Stunning new Pontifical Set has arrived!

It has been a long time coming, but the day has arrived. Today we received the new Pontifical Mass vestments from Rome. ☩ Fr. Z's Blog

Transformation, Whatever It May Be

The parish we were members of when we lived in Wisconsin offered a weekly Bible study. Every Monday night we would meet to discuss the Scripture for the following Sunday. One night I walked into what I presumed would be the typical thought-provoking evening and walked out challenged and changed. ☩ Janet Meyer at Catholic Stand

New website offers closeup views of Shroud of Turin

ShroudPhotos.com brings together Vernon Miller's scientific images of the disputed relic. ☩ John Burger at Aleteia

On Being & Becoming Human

Human experimentation is being widely conducted today both in the narrow, scientific sense, such as in the CRISPR gene editing program, and in the broader, cultural sense, such as in raising children “gender-neutral.” ☩ Marty Dybicz at Catholic Stand

The Ambo: A Brief Consideration

Today, when one refers to an "ambo" in a church, most would tend to think of a small podium. However, the ambo was at one time a much more grandiose structure. . . ☩ Shawn R. Tribe at Liturgical Arts Journal

Toxic Femininity & its Antidote- Dr. Carrie Gress

Carrie Gress is onto something extremely important. We all talk about the anti-Christ and toxic masculinity, but what about the anti-Mary and toxic femininity?. ☩ Patrick Coffin at Catholic Stand

Art for Prayer: Albrecht Durer's Green Passion

The Green Passion is one of several cycles drawn by Durer between the end of the 15th century and the beginning of 16th century. ☩ Kinga Lipinska at Liturgical Arts Journal

You Are Precious To Me

Because you are precious in my eyes and honored, and I love you,. . . (Isiah 43:4) ☩ Guy McClung, Ph.D., J.D., at Catholic Stand

Quæritur: Father doses off during Mass

I’ve noticed one of our priests frequently doses off & falls asleep. . .sometimes even during Mass or other liturgical functions. Thankfully, the sleeping is short lived and he wakes back up, but I fear he might fall off into a deeper sleep causing liturgical functions & Mass to be delayed. What would be the appropriate thing to do if such were to happen? ☩ Fr. T. Ferguson at Fr. Z's Blog

Hope & Joy From an Unborn Child

☩ Barbara Padolina at Catholic Stand

Rooted in Love

☩ Erin Cain at Ignitum Today

Love & Commitment

☩ Carol Monaco at Catholic Stand

Don Bosco’s most ferocious enemy

☩ Rorate Cæli

A Brief Summary of Traditionalism

☩ David Breitenbeck at The Imaginative Conservative

The Second Conversion

☩ Richard Van Kirk at Catholic Stand

Can Beer Brewing Help Restore Christian Culture?

☩ Jesse B. Russell, Ph.D., at Crisis Magazine

PALM SVNDAY EDITION Read More »

SATVRDAY EDITION

13 April AD 2019

Live Perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament via Adorecast

☩ Team Catholify

New Jersey Gov Signs Bill Making It 7th State to Legalize Assisted Suicide, Will Force Taxpayers to Fund Suicides

6 states (California, Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, & Vermont) & Washington D.C. permit the dangerous practice of allowing physicians to write lethal prescriptions to certain groups of persons to kill themselves. ☩ Steven Ertelt at Life News

More thoughts on Benedict XVI’s 6,000 word essay on The Present Crisis

Ratzinger/Benedict writes from a unique perspective of age & the experience of key positions in the Church from post-WWII directly through to the present. . . ☩ Fr. Z's Blog

Making the Most of the Last Days of Lent (Podcast)

Here we are, about to enter Holy Week after several weeks of Lent. How did this Lent go for you? If you find yourself wishing you had done more for Lent or tried just a little harder, don’t quit yet! ☩ Derek Rotty at Catholic Exchange

Mass. Bans Therapists From Efforts to Change Minors' Orientation or Gender Identity

House Bill 140 forbids health care providers from engaging in “sexual orientation & gender identity change efforts” during sessions with minors. ☩ Christine Rousselle at Catholic News Agency via National Catholic Register

Pope Benedict XVI Speaks: I am no longer directly responsible (YouTube)

Pope Benedict XVI breaks his silence and a few questions arise: Did Pope Benedict XVI actually write it? And if so, has he changed his opinion on the Church in the 1960s? Were you surprised about what he says about Catholic seminaries going back to the 1960-1970s? ☩ Taylor Marshall, Ph.D., & Timothy Gordon, J.D., at TNT

Saturday Mornings & the Discipline of Daily Mass

☩ Richard Becker at Catholic Exchange

The Beer Option & feasting, fasting, & friendship

☩ The Catholic World Report

Fr. Raymond Thomas de Saint-Laurent, Confidence, & How to Fundraise

☩ Brice Sokolowski at CatholicFundraiser.net

In a Changed Country, Poor Americans Miss the Benefits of Marriage Most

☩ Kevin Jones at National Catholic Register

Google Labels “Unplanned” Movie as “Propaganda,” Corrects it After Backlash

Google generated severe backlash from Unplanned movie supporters after the search engine labeled the movie’s genre as “Propaganda.” ☩ ChurchPOP

Catholic apple farmer sues over market ban

A farmer is suing the city of East Lansing, Michigan, after he was prohibited from selling organic apples at the city’s farmer’s market in what he claims is discrimination against his religious beliefs. ☩ Catholic News Agency via The Catholic World Report

Pope’s House Liturgist: “Limit Access to the Traditional Rite”

Andrea Grillo, the liturgist who is heard by Pope Francis, prefers to dispose of Summorum Pontificum today rather than tomorrow and is looking for crown witnesses. ☩ The Eponymous Flower

The Day Stephen Hawking Unsettled His Atheist Peers

. . .Stephen Hawking’s announcement was a warning that the multiverse and, with it, philosophical naturalism is in trouble. . . ☩ Regis Nicoll at Crisis Magazine

When Twitter Blocked Mother Teresa

Imagine your reaction if I told you 20 years ago that a major internet platform would block a Mother Teresa comment about abortion because it was “hateful.” ☩ Michael Brown, Ph.D., at The Stream

Bishop Malone apologizes in Buffalo diocese, says he was part of no cover-ups

The Bishop of Buffalo said in a statement Thursday that despite media reports to the contrary, he has not been part of any cover-up of clerical sexual abuse. . . ☩ Catholic News Agency via The Catholic World Report

The ‘Islamophobia’ Smear Against Scruton

. . .Scruton does not deny that anti-Muslim prejudice exists; Scruton only objects to the term “Islamophobia” as being nothing more than an attempt to control conversation by making any and all criticism of Islam or Muslims a social pathology. ☩ Rod Dreher at The American Conservative

Quarterback & devoted dad Philip Rivers welcomes ninth child

The footballer and devout Catholic shares his secret to a successful career and family life. ☩ Cerith Gardiner at Aleteia

How Cardinal Wuerl Misled the Papal Foundation

In 2017, Cardinal Donald Wuerl provided false and misleading information to the board of the Papal Foundation to secure a $25 million grant for the Istituto Dermopatico dell’Immacolata (IDI), a scandal-plagued hospital in Rome.. ☩ Matthew B. O'Brien at First Things

The Difference Between Sin & Error

☩ Joy Joseph at Catholic Stand

Google Marks Pro-Life Film ‘Propaganda,’ But Labels Literal Nazi Propaganda Film ‘History’

☩ Madeline Osburn at The Federalist

CheckList Spotlight: The White Button-Down

☩ Meghan Ashley Styling

What is a deanery in the Catholic Church?

☩ Philip Kosloski at Aleteia

Immoderate Desires: The Deadly Sin of Avarice

☩ Anthony S. Layne at Catholic Stand

SATVRDAY EDITION Read More »

FRIDAY EDITION

12 April AD 2019

Live Perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament via Adorecast

☩ Team Catholify

University of Notre Dame President Fr. John Jenkins Rejects Porn Ban, While Students Approve Filter at Catholic University of America

Countless students at the University of Notre Dame & the Catholic University of America asked their administrations to block pornography from the campus internet system. . . ☩ ChurchPOP

Catholic schools should affirm the person, not gender ideology, scholars advise

Amid questions at some Catholic schools about how to approach problems related to LGBT identity, philosophy professors told CNA that Catholic schools must remain true to their mission of helping parents to raise their children in the faith. ☩ Catholic News Agency via The Catholic World Report

Rome's 'Holy Stairs' Uncovered for the First Time in 300 years

According to tradition, the stairs were brought to Rome by St. Helena in the 4th century. ☩ Hannah Brockhaus at Catholic News Agency via National Catholic Register

Killing Catholicism: The Drama Of Self-Murder at a University Run By Jesuits

Here’s news from the world of Catholic higher education. . . ☩ Rod Dreher at The American Conservative

The ball is now in the bishops’ court

It has become increasingly clear that the crisis, although involving the abuse scandal and the bishops’ response, is a far larger matter that raises profound issues of authority, accountability, and participatory decision-making. ☩ Russell Shaw at The Catholic World Report

Voluntarism, a Critical Error of Our Times

Part of the reason for the mess we’re in today is a philosophy called voluntarism. Some mistake this word for volunteerism. . . ☩ Msgr. Charles Pope at Community in Mission

Benedict’s Analysis: What impressed me most

☩ Jeffrey A. Mirus, Ph.D., at Catholic Culture

Fr. Raymond Thomas de Saint-Laurent, Confidence, & How to Fundraise

☩ Brice Sokolowski at CatholicFundraiser.net

The Solid, Slightly Out-of-Season Christian Case for Religious Liberty

☩ Steven D. Smith at Public Discourse

What Christians should know about the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)

☩ Joe Carter at Acton Institute Powerblog

Fear and Indecision Will Kill the Local Church — Boldness Will Save It

True ministry is about tending the flock, not punching a clock. Churches need brave leaders now more than ever. ☩ Matthew Sewell at National Catholic Register

The Medical Scandal that the Mainstream Media Ignores

Over the past few years, media stories about “transgender” kids have become increasingly common, but critical questions are seldom asked. . . ☩ Katherine Cave at Public Discourse

G.K. Chesterton and the Renewal of Catholic Education

“The whole point of education is that it should give a man abstract and eternal standards by which he can judge material and fugitive standards.” ☩ Joseph Pearce at National Catholic Register

Watch: Twitter Official Can’t Answer Why It Deemed Pro-Life Quote From Mother Teresa “Hate Speech”

At the Senate Judiciary hearing on April 10, Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) grilled Facebook and Twitter on their censorship policies, especially of conservative and pro-life content during the Senate Judiciary hearing on April 10. ☩ Corinne Weaver at Life News

Why religion is not going away & science will not destroy it

Secularism has failed to continue its steady global march ☩ Peter Harrison, Ph.D., at Mercatornet

George Weigel on the Church’s Answer to Cultural Woes

The writer enthralled listeners in New Haven as he gave insights into these times and the Church’s answer to them. ☩ Joseph Pronechen at National Catholic Register

The Abandonment of Professional Ethics, Individual Nurses, & the Patient

The American Nurses Association Draft Position Statement on nursing and assisted suicide completely upends the proper role of nurses, leaving those who object without support. ☩ Stephen J. Heaney, Ph.D., Dianne Johnson, Sarah Spangenberg, & Patrick G. Spencer at Public Discourse

It’s Not Enough to Listen to the Young

In his new exhortation on youth, Christus Vivit (Christ is Alive), Pope Francis returns again and again to the theme that the Church must listen to the young. . . ☩ William Kilpatrick, Ph.D., at Crisis Magazine

The Guy Behind the Cute Alien Comics is Pro-Life & Now Abortion Activists are Trashing Him

Abortion advocates (at least on twitter) are now so extreme that a cartoonist tweeting two years ago that he was glad his girlfriend wasn’t aborted is the most heinous crime they can imagine. ☩ SPUC via Life News

Science & the Existence of God

Many atheists and agnostics are fond of asking for scientific proof of God’s existence. . . ☩ J.P. Nunez at Catholic Stand

Editorial: Benedict XVI’s essay is both insightful & incomplete

☩ Carl E. Olson at The Catholic World Report

CheckList Spotlight: The White Button-Down

☩ Meghan Ashley Styling

Pope Francis Issues New Norms for Personal Ordinariates

☩ Peter Jesserer Smith at National Catholic Register

A public “Amoris Laetitia” celebration of getting around adultery

☩ Fr. Z's Blog

The Reformation’s Legacy in the Birthplace of Calvinism

☩ Casey Chalk at Crisis Magazine

If I Become Catholic, What Happens To My Marriage

☩ Cathy Caridi, J.C.L., at Canon Law Made Easy

FRIDAY EDITION Read More »

THVRSDAY EDITION

11 April AD 2019

Live Perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament via Adorecast

☩ Team Catholify

Benedict & The Scandal

I often find myself envying unbelievers: Does not contemporary history provide abundant evidence that Catholics are a mentally inferior species? Their rush to conform to the opinion about Catholicism held by rationalist secularists is stunning. ☩ Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap., at First Things

My Initial reaction to Benedict XVI’s latest essay: a cri de coeur

Benedict doesn’t give specific, curiosity pleasing solutions and he left a lot of things unsaid. . . ☩ Fr. Z's Blog

In Academia as in Government, Personnel Is Policy

News is that Providence College, where I taught for 27 years, will be getting a new president in 2020. ☩ Anthony M. Esolen, Ph.D., at Crisis Magazine

Jesus Cheered, Then Killed: Palm/Passion Sunday C

This Sunday’s readings might seem bipolar or schizophrenic. We begin Mass with exultant cheering as we relive Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. . . ☩ John Bergsma, Ph.D., at The Sacred Page

Benedict’s powerful message & the bid to suppress it

. . .Benedict has spoken out dramatically, with a 6,000-word essay on sexual abuse that has been described as a sort of post-papal encyclical. ☩ Philip Lawler at Catholic Culture

Benedict XVI Breaks His Silence on the Catholic Church’s Sex-Abuse Crisis

In a German-language essay published Thursday, the pope emeritus provides a way forward. ☩ Edward Pentin at National Catholic Register

Benedict Speaks

Sex, scandal, the Church, and a general atmosphere of disintegration: That’s the main focus of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI’s unexpected intervention into today’s unhappy Church politics. ☩ R.R. Reno at First Things

Indian Bishop Formally Charged With Rape

Bishop Franco Mulakkal of Jalandhar, India, maintains his innocence. ☩ Catholic News Agency via National Catholic Register

Why is Facebook censoring a conference on Christianity and religious freedom?

. . .is intolerance of Christians slowly creeping into our western societies? ☩ Augusto Zimmerman at Spectator Australia

Fr. Raymond Thomas de Saint-Laurent, Confidence, & How to Fundraise

☩ Brice Sokolowski at CatholicFundraiser.net

Animi caussa: Some spittle-flecked nutty lib reactions to Benedict XVI’s latest

☩ Fr. Z's Blog

Nicaraguan bishop to leave for Rome as threats against him increase

☩ David Agren at Catholic News Service

Chinese Authorities Raze Catholic Church Building, According to Video

☩ Simon Roughneen at National Catholic Register

Full text of Benedict's Sex Scandal Essay

☩ Catholic News Agency via The Catholic World Report

CheckList Spotlight: The White Button-Down -

☩ Meghan Ashley Styling

THVRSDAY EDITION Read More »

TVESDAY EDITION

9 April AD 2019

Live Perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament via Adorecast

☩ Team Catholify

Bitter Easter in China, In the Game With Rome, a Blowout for Beijing

The Chinese regime is also applying its agreement with the Holy See this way. With the bulldozer that under police escort razes to the ground on April 4 the building of a parish in Qianyang, which had on its top floor a room for the Mass & on the ground floor a free clinic for the poor, run by nuns. ☩ Sandro Magister at Settimo Cielo via L'Espresso

Christus Vivit: The Good, the Banal, & the Exasperating

The recently released Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation contains many good things, but is also filled with passages that are overwrought, exaggerated, & lacking. ☩ Fr. Peter M.J. Stravinskas at The Catholic World Report

The Veils of Passiontide

In the traditional Roman liturgical calendar, the final two weeks before Easter Sunday are known as Passiontide and a beautiful tradition unfolds at this time whereby statues and other sacred images are veiled. ☩ Shawn R. Tribe at Liturgical Arts Journal

Do Congregations Dwindle Because “People Don’t Understand What’s Going On”?

At the often amusing & generally tendentious blog called PrayTell, Msgr. M. Francis Mannion offered readers a theory about why liturgy must be in the vernacular. In short, unless people can understand the words of the rite, attendance is sure to dwindle at an alarming rate! ☩ Peter A. Kwasniewski, Ph.D., at New Liturgical Movement

How Socialists Will Usher In a New Hell on Earth

Americans are a generous people ready to lend a hand to those in need. When God blesses us with prosperity, we naturally want to practice acts of charity to help the less fortunate. However, this charitable spirit is now threatened. ☩ John Horvat, II, at Crisis Magazine

Building Catholic Culture (Podcast)

☩ Joseph Pearce & Jared Staudt at Faith & Culture

Tithing: What, Why, Where

☩ Susanna Parent at Blessed is She

St. Francis de Sales shares his secret to fundraising

☩ Brice Sokolowski at CatholicFundraiser.net

Evidence of Christianity Is Not Evidence of Bias against Americans with Same-Sex Attraction

☩ David French at National Review

Franciscan University President Resigns

Father Sean Sheridan will remain in the post until a successor is found. ☩ Ed Condon, J.C.L., at Catholic News Agency via National Catholic Register

Abortion extremism triggers major backlash across America

Politicians are helping Planned Parenthood advance a more radical abortion agenda ☩ Sheila Liaugminas at Mercatornet

Who is this “We” You Speak Of (John Allen?)

One of the more irritating aspects of contemporary pop public discourse is the obsession with the first person plural as a propaganda and marketing tool that manipulates the reader into a bemused, concerned & totally false community. . . ☩ Amy Welborn at Charlotte Was Both

‘You’re a hater’: the fashionable slander

It shuts down all dialogue and turns good people into pariahs ☩ Michael Cook at Mercatornet

“Unplanned” Movie Stays in Top 10 With Surprisingly Strong 2nd Week at Box Office

The film earned an estimated $3.2 million after expanding to 1,515 screens. The controversial film about Abby Johnson, a former Planned Parenthood clinic director-turned-pro-life advocate, beat industry predictions again with a per screen average of $2,111. ☩ Steven Ertelt at Life News

Pete Buttigieg & The Religious Left

So, it looks like the Religious Left might have found its candidate ☩ Rod Dreher at The American Conservative

Beto O'Rourke & the eating-holy-dirt story is actually about a Catholic shrine in New Mexico

The story began to filter out a few weeks ago: How failed U.S. Senate (for Texas) and now U.S. presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke went off to find himself earlier this year and, in the process, imbibed “magical dirt” in New Mexico. ☩ Julia Duin at Get Religion

The downside of paid family leave: Denmark

As Republicans unveil plans for compulsory paid family leave, they would be well instructed to see how such policies have hurt women’s employment prospects. ☩ Rev. Ben Johnson at Transatlantic Blog via Acton Institute

When a Homosexual Episcopalian Calls Trump’s Christianity ‘Hypocritical’

☩ Michael Brown, Ph.D., at The Stream

CheckList Spotlight: The White Button-Down -

☩ Meghan Ashley Styling

A Timeless History – Off the Shelf 119 with Steve Weidenkopf

☩ Pete Socks at Catholic Stand

An Accounting

☩ Noel Ethan Tan at Ignitum Today

The Safe World: Protection & Dignity for All

☩ Paul Kniaz at Catholic Stand

TVESDAY EDITION Read More »

MONDAY EDITION

8 April AD 2019

Live Perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament via Adorecast

☩ Team Catholify

‘No backdoors, no end-runs’: U.S. Secretary of State Pompeo vows total end to foreign aid for abortion

Mike Pompeo has said the Trump administration is doing its “level best” to prevent foreign aid dollars reaching organizations that perform abortions, and was looking to close “loopholes” in the current system. ☩ Catholic News Agency via The Catholic World Report

Author Accuses Honduran Cardinal of ‘Betrayal’ and ‘Cover-Up’ in New Book

Oscar Cardinal Rodriguez Maradiaga was once close friends with Martha Alegria Reichmann, author of the Spanish-language Traiciones Sagradas (Sacred Betrayal). ☩ Edward Pentin at National Catholic Register

Why Unplanned Is a Hit, While Other Great Pro-Life Films Weren’t

Roger Ebert famously called films “empathy generating machines.” Unplanned is a powerful, tragic, beautiful, hope-filled instance of that. It is impossible to leave the theater without a profound understanding of how painful abortion is for women. ☩ John Zmirak, Ph.D., at The Stream

Epic Fight for Life: Pro-Life Victories Amid the Struggle

Editorial: The cause of life is gaining new followers and new momentum. ☩ The Editors at National Catholic Register

Is Vatican II Irrelevant Now?

Is Vatican II irrelevant now in the seventh year of Francis’s pontificate? In one respect, yes; in another, no. Neither explanation is what one might expect at first glance. ☩ David G. Bonagura, Jr., at Crisis Magazine

Are we too casual at Mass?

“If a non-Catholic witnessed my behavior before, during, and after Mass, would they know what I believed?” ☩ Joannie Watson at Integrated Catholic Life™

How Christianity Led to Science

☩ Brian Holdsworth at uCatholic

St. Francis de Sales shares his secret to fundraising

☩ Brice Sokolowski at CatholicFundraiser.net

Have We Forgotten a Priest’s Role? The Real Reason for Crisis in the Priesthood, According to a Catholic Priest

☩ ChurchPOP

CheckList Spotlight: The White Button-Down -

☩ Meghan Ashley Styling

L’Arche: Failures are ‘systemic’ in NHS treatment of the disabled

The international federation L’Arche says that a British hospital’s mistreatment of a man with Down syndrome in the weeks leading up to his death point to systemic faults in the medical care of the disabled, especially within the UK’s National Health Service. ☩ Catholic News Agency via The Catholic World Report

Science Without God: Researchers’ Bold Usurpation of Divine Authority

The scientific and therapeutic use of human embryonic stem cells is always wrong. ☩ Kathy Schiffer at National Catholic Register

Emails show Planned Parenthood behind California rule to make churches pay for abortions

A 2014 California rule forcing religious groups, including churches, to cover elective abortions for employees was the result of direct pressure from Planned Parenthood, internal emails have shown. ☩ Catholic News Agency via The Catholic World Report

Introducing Pluriarte

Pluriarte specializes in vestments in the French, Italian and Spanish traditions, showing influences, in both form and design, that span the 17th through 19th centuries. ☩ Shawn R. Tribe at Liturgical Arts Journal

Analysis: Gregory, Apuron, ‘zero tolerance,’ & pontifical secrets

Catholics who want to see how the U.S. Church will handle clerical sexual abuse, writes JD Flynn, will be watching Archbishop Gregory. But those interested in what Pope Francis will do should also carefully watch the case of Archbishop Apuron. ☩ J.D. Flynn, J.C.L., at Catholic News Agency via The Catholic World Report

Serial vandal targets the Virgin Mary in California

St. Margaret Mary's Catholic Church is the second victim of vandalism in one month. ☩ J.P. Mauro at Aleteia

Mind, Heart & Soul Notes: Catholic Converts & the Witness of Faith-Filled Friendships

Book Pick: Mind, Heart, and Soul: Intellectuals and the Path to Rome ☩ Nicholas Senz at National Catholic Register

Pro-Life Welfare is a Bad Idea

Rather than focusing on wealth transfers to the poor, we should seek to cultivate conditions that enable people to flourish through their own actions and relationships. ☩ David Talcott, Ph.D., at Public Discourse

Can you doubt that 2 + 3 = 5?

In his first Meditation, Descartes famously tries to push doubt as far as he can, in the hope of finding something that cannot be doubted and will thus provide a suitable foundation for the reconstruction of human knowledge. ☩ Edward Feser, Ph.D.

The Future of Catholic Education (Podcast)

. . .the fate of Catholic schools in America and the work of the Catholic Education Foundation ☩ Mark Bauerlein & Fr. Peter Stravinskas at First Things

Mount St. Mary’s University Urged to Rescind Commencement Honors Invitation

☩ Newman Society

Is President Trump Offensive or Just Masculine?

☩ Julie Machado at Catholic Stand

Transitions

☩ Nicholas Lye at Ignitum Today

Pius XII Was Not “Hitler’s Pope;” The Nazi Persecution Of The Church

☩ Daniel Demers at Catholic Stand

The Realism of Moral Manuals

☩ Fr. B. Jerabek, J.C.L., at Dilexi decorem domus Domini

Fatima, Prayer & the Liberal Left

☩ David Torkington at Catholic Stand

MONDAY EDITION Read More »

SVNDAY EDITION

7 April AD 2019

Live Perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament via Adorecast

☩ Team Catholify

The Seven Deadly Sins: Envy

There is a picture of envy in the First Book of Samuel: Upon David’s return from slaying Goliath, the women sing a song praising him. Saul should rejoice with all Israel but instead he is resentful and envies David ☩ Msgr. Charles Pope at Community in Mission

“Watchmen of the Night” : A Documentary about Le Barroux

Here is a really wonderful documentary, narrated in French with English subtitles, about the abbey of Le Barroux, called “Watchmen of the Night” ☩ Gregory DiPippo at New Liturgical Movement

Fasting Can Be Good for Your Morale

Penitential fasting can curb our selfishness and teach us to rely on God alone. ☩ Elizabeth Anderson at National Catholic Register

Lent With St. Francis

Saint Francis left behind him 28 admonitions for his brothers. . . ☩ Donald R. McClarey, J.D., at The American Catholic

The Seven Deadly Sins: Lust

The word lust is most often used to refer to excessive or disordered sexual desire. However, because it is rooted in the Latin word luxuria (which refers to extravagant, excessive, or even riotous behavior), ☩ Msgr. Charles Pope at Community in Mission

How To Read & Interpret the Bible Figuratively

This article expresses the way I’ve learned to read & study the Bible. People often ask me how I discovered typology & the ability to see the New Testament in the Old; & the Old in the New. . . ☩ Steve Ray ta Defenders of the Catholic Faith

Benefits of Confession

☩ Cream City Catholic

The Seven Deadly Sins: Anger

☩ Msgr. Charles Pope at Community in Mission

Tutorials for the Special Tones of the Easter Vigil Prophecies

☩ Gregory DiPippo at New Liturgical Movement

The Seven Deadly Sins: Greed

☩ Msgr. Charles Pope at Community in Mission

The Meaning Of Contemplation

The word contemplation itself means to gaze, to stare, to concentrate on something or someone. ☩ David Torkington at Catholic Spiritual Direction

The Qualifications Needed To Receive God’s Mercy

The woman caught in adultery is an extremely familiar passage to most of us, but let’s evaluate this scene from another angle. ☩ Linda Padgett at uCatholic

St. Margaret of Scotland: Sharing Her Very Self

St. Margaret of Scotland, who became known as “The Pearl of Scotland,” was an English princess born in Hungary in 1045 to Princess Agatha of Hungary & Prince Edward of England. . . ☩ Sabrina Vu at Catholic Stand

On the Making of Images: A Conversation with Matthew Conner

Matthew Conner has a striking style that, while firmly traditional in framework & content, shows a subtly inventive mind at work, transcending mere imitation. His luminous paintings, full of starry church-ceiling skies & strikingly realistic faces ringed with flat gilt haloes, are an arresting & reverent blend of the stylized & the realistic, & a deft grasp of the symbolic shorthand of the Christian iconographic tradition. ☩ Dappled Things