Big Pulpit

SATVRDAY EXTRA

Fr. James Martin Salt and Light Interview (Credit: Crisis Magazine)

James Martin S.J. vs James Martin S.J.

. . .Donald Trump might refer to James Martin S.J. as “Slippery Jim.”  He is certainly slippery.  His latest act of slipperiness is a column he published this week at America Magazine wherein he claims to support the teaching of the Church on homosexuality. . .

by Austin Ruse,

of Crisis Magazine

Catholic Church Disaffiliates “Catholic” Coll. Hosting Planned Parenthood – M. Bilger
What Would Jesus Do. . .About Priestesses? – Ben Butera, The American Catholic
After Pope’s Incredible Apology for Chilean Abuse, What Comes Next? – Fr. de Souza
Evening Came, & Morning Followed – Fr. George W. Rutler S.T.D. Th.D., NC Register
Dawkins is Wrong! The Fastest Growing Religion is Atheism – Anthony DeStefano, NCRg
Policeman Saves Lives of 3 Women & Credits the Virgin Mary – Cynthia Dermody, Alet.
San Francisco’s Secular Utopia Brings Homelessness, Drugs, & Crime Into City – Fdrlst
Islam & Secularism in France – Michael Curtis, American Thinker
In the Eyes of the Church, You Are So Much More than Just ‘Gay’ – Ste. Herreid, CV
Don’t Delay in Having Your Child Baptized, Pope Francis Says – Junno A. Esteves, CH
On Doing Things – David Warren, Essays in Idleness
Marxism, the Classless Society, & History – Lester Dekoster, Acton Commentary
Catholics & Today’s Thought – James Kalb J.D., The Catholic World Report
Diversity & Meritocracy, Together – R.R. Reno, First Things
Subsidiarity, Federalism, & the Role of the State – Mark Pulliam, Library of Law and. . .
The Need for a Philosophy of Data – Ryan Khurana, Jacobite Magazine
Note: A new post is published daily at 12:01 am U.S. Central Time

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SATVRDAY EDITION

Emmanuel Macro, President of France (Credit: argia.eus)

Macron has Exposed the Bigotry of French Anti-Catholics

. . .French secularists got all they could have wanted years ago.  So why are they still angry? . . .

by Father Alexander Lucie-Smith, Ph.D.,

of Catholic Herald

BBC Scotland Video Says Holy Communion ‘Smells Like Hate’ – Nick Hallett, Cthlc Hrld
Jim Carrey Painted the Crucifixion for Good Friday, & It’s Actually Pretty Good – ChPp
How To Tell If Your Baby Is Trans – Rod Dreher, TAC Blogger
Francis Effect? Gallup Offers Sobering Numbers, Media Silent – Terry Mattingly, Get Rel
What are Catholics to Make of the Royal Wedding? – Joanna Bogle, The CWR
How to Transition Your Wardrobe from Winter to Spring – Meghan Ashley
The 10 Free Technologies Every Catholic Charity Must Use – Brice Sokolowski
Paul Uses Typology to Reveal Warnings From Exodus – Allison Low, Catholic Stand
The Last Papal Martyr – Steve Weidenkopf, Catholic Answers Magazine
How to Respond with Reason & Compassion to Transgender Bullies – Nathanael Blake
Hell is Real, & People Really Go There – Patti Maguire Armstrong, Natl Catholic Register
When Rome Roamed to the Prosperous Bosporus – Kevin Di Camillo, Natl Cthlc Register
The Reason Why So Many Hospitals Have ‘Saint’ in the Name – Angelo Stagnaro, NC Reg
Killer Robots Will Make War Even More Inhumane, Vatican Official Says – Car. Glatz, CH
7 Simple Tips to Stay on Your Homeschool Budget – Abby Sasscer, Seton Magazine
Note: A new post is published daily at 12:01 am U.S. Central Time

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FRIDAY LATE EVENING EDITION

Chick-Fil-A Meal (Credit: Fr. Dwight Longenecker)

New Yorkers Are Nervous About Chick-Fil-A

. . .if you want a good laugh read this ridiculously self-righteous & stuck up article from New Yorker magazine. . .

by Father Dwight Longenecker

Mark Zuckerberg Answers to Deletion of Franciscan Univ. Ad – Theresa Williams, eP
Gallup Poll Points to Future Demographic Catholic Disaster, Wherein Fr. Z Rants – Fr. Z
‘We Love Each Other So Much, We’re Getting Divorced’ – Jennifer Hartline, The Strm
Dwayne Johnson, Putting a Ring on It, for the Children’s Sake – Car. Moynihan, M-net
Cory Booker Grills Mike Pompeo Over ‘Gay Marriage’ – Matthew Archbold, CMR
Where is the Francis Effect? – Dave Griffey, Daffey Thoughts
L.A. County’s Latest Homeless Initiative: A Failure in Charity – Caryl Hoilman, CV
8 Truths That Destroy John Oliver’s Bad Rant Against Pro-Life Centers – Abby Johnson
AZ ‘c’atholic Rep. Isela Blanc Distorts Pope, Church on Abortion, Contraception – Z
Govts & Courts are Turning Parenting Into an Orwellian Nightmare – Ed Condon J.C.D.
The Hidden Years, Common Sense, & Renewal Rooted in Prayer – David Torkington, CS
2 Trans Bills Escalate California’s Preference for Feelings Over Facts – Denise Schick
Note: A new post is published daily at 12:01 am U.S. Central Time

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FRIDAY MORNING EDITION

Fr. Javier Olivera & Sister Marie de la Sagasse (Credit: Fr. Javier Olivera via Catholic News Agency)

They Were Going to Get Married; Now He’s a Priest & She’s a Sister

. . .before discovering their vocations, Fr. Javier Olivera & Sister Marie de la Sagesse were engaged & planning their wedding.  God had other plans. . .

from ACI Prensa

via Catholic News Agency

Jesuits to Host Homosexual “Pride Prom” at Marquette University – Fr. Z’s Blog
Gallup: ‘Spirit of Vatican II/Francis Effect’ Program Has Failed – David Warren, TCT
Pope Francis Says: ‘Convert, So You Don’t End Up in Hell’ – John Clark, NC Register
And the Horses the Progressives Rode in On – Donald R. McClarey J.D., TACatholic
Appointee to Iowa Board of Med. Rejected ’cause of Her Comments at CWR – C. Olson
What is a Man? What is a Woman? – Fr. Dwight Longenecker
True Love: Elderly Man Tenderly Combs Wife’s Hair After Entering Hospital – N. Flory
Is it Realistic to Think We Will Ever End Abortion? Yes. Here’s Why – Brad Mattes, LN
Police Stop Alfie Evans’ Parents from Saving Him – Steven Ertelt, Life News
The Swiss Guard Uniform was Not Designed by Michelangelo – John Burger, Aleteia
Resurrection & Liturgy in A Tale of Two Cities – Brian K. Miller J.D., Law, Literature. . .
ACLU Tries to Drag Catholic Charities Into Illegal Immigrant Abortions – Mar. Cleveland
The 10 Free Technologies Every Catholic Charity Must Use – Brice Sokolowski
How to Transition Your Wardrobe from Winter to Spring – Meghan Ashley
The Future of the Pro-Life Movement Is in Africa – Stefano Gennarini J.D., Public Dscrs
Pontifical Comm. for Latin America Proposes Synod on Women – Junno A. Esteves, CH
Note: A new post is published daily at 12:01 am U.S. Central Time

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THVRSDAY EXTRA

John Krasinski (Credit: Word on Fire)

The Most Unexpectedly Religious Film of the Year

. . .I went to see A Quiet Place, John Krasinski’s new thriller, with absolutely no anticipation of finding theological or spiritual themes.  I just wanted a fun evening at the movies.  How wonderful when a film surprises you! . . .

by Bishop Robert E. Barron, S.T.D.,

of Word on Fire

Singer Cardi B Rejects Having Abortion to Save Career: That Disgusts Me – Katie Yoder
Facebook CEO Apologizes for ‘Mistake’ of Blocking Catholic Content – CNA/The CWR
Beautiful Video about the Traditional Latin Mass; Wherein Fr. Z Rants – Fr. Z’s Blog
The Deficits of the iPhone Generation – Christopher O. Tollefsen Ph.D., Mercatornet
How (& How Not) to Read Gaudete et Exsultate – Melissa Guerrero, epicPew
An Ambiguous Exhortation – Dan Hitchens, First Things
The Progressive Indoctrination in Our Schools – Patti Smith, National Catholic Register
How Many of Us Would Truly Resist an Evil Regime? – Francis Phillips, Catholic Herald
Do Christians & Muslims Worship the Same God? – Francis Phillips, Catholic Herald
There’s Nothing New Under the Sun – Fionn Shiner, Catholic Stand
Neil Gorsuch Has Been a Breath of Fresh Air for Pro-Lifers – Tony Perkins, Life News
A Vulnerable Church Can Not Afford to Forget Its Enemies – Bob Sullivan J.D., Crisis
What’s the Use of Catholic Art? – Fr. Dwight Longenecker, National Catholic Register
President of France Calls on Catholics to Engage Politically – Courtney Grogan, CNA
Dr. King’s Radical Biblical Vision – Cornel West Ph.D. & Robert P. George Ph.D., WSJ
Ambrosian Chants for Eastertide – Gregory DiPippo, New Liturgical Movement
Note: A new post is published daily at 12:01 am U.S. Central Time

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THVRSDAY AFTERNOON EDITION

Annals Tacitus (Credit: Aleteia)

Here’s the Historical Evidence from Non-Christian Sources that Jesus Lived & Died

. . .a wealth of written evidence exists to prove Christianity is not based on a fairy tale. . .

by Zelda Caldwell,

of Aleteia

So Much For The ‘Francis Effect’ – Rod Dreher, TAC Blogger
The Sovereign Merciless Order of Malta – Another Step Toward Creepy – Fr. Z’s Blog
Paul Ryan Thinks He Won – Matthew Walther, The Week
The Big Catholic Showdown? Liberalism vs. Integralism at Harvard – N. Peters Ph.D.
What Would Have Stopped Martin Luther – Michael D. Breidenbach Ph.D., First Things
How to Transition Your Wardrobe from Winter to Spring – Meghan Ashley
The 10 Free Technologies Every Catholic Charity Must Use – Brice Sokolowski
German Bishops at War – Jon Anderson, Catholic Herald
Secular Humanism’s Awful Inhumanity – Tom Gilson, The Stream
Islam, Immigration, & the Decaying Christian West – Derya Little, Crisis Magazine
Why the Social Engineers of the 60’s Failed to Make a “Great Society” – R Ebeling, FEE
Casting Aspersions – Randall B. Smith Ph.D., The Catholic Thing
What Makes Jesus Different from Other Religious “Founders?” – Sean Mitchell, CE
Good Intentions/Dangerous Intentions – Alyssa Morrisroe, Catholic Stand
This is How the Vatican Should Deal with China – David Mulroney, Catholic Herald
Why Having a Philosopher at the Office is a Good Business Choice – S. Hendricks, BTh
Note: A new post is published daily at 12:01 am U.S. Central Time

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THVRSDAY MORNING EDITION

Amid Abuse Probe’s Hearing of “Many Crucified Lives,” Pope Summons Chile to Rome

. . .in but the latest striking turn of a home-turf debacle which has colored the broad perception of his pontificate, in a letter released on two continents, the Pope told the Chilean bishops that “I have committed grave errors of judgment & perception” in a long-simmering abuse scandal which has rocked the country’s church, specifically citing his lack “of true & balanced information” on it. . .

by Rocco Palmo,

of Whispers in the Loggia

A Catholic Univ. Will Host Former Planned Parenthood CEO Cecile Richards – M. Bilger
Gaudete et Exsultate: Pope Schools Those Who Shy from Spiritual Combat Imagery – Z
Gaudete et Exsultate: Pope Blasts “Punctilious Concern for the Church’s Liturgy” – Z
Meet Those Who Don’t Conform to Diversity – Patti Maguire Armstrong, NC Register
Youth Ministries Aren’t Working – Here’s What You Can Do About It – Laura Hensley, eP
Analysis: Who is the Pope’s New Canon Law Expert? – Andrea Gagliarducci, CNA/CWR
Adoption & the Firing of Kevin Williamson – Dale M. Coulter, First Things
Op-Ed: Providence College & Others Must Return to the Church – Stephen Herreid, CV
London Council Just Banned Pro-Lifers for Having the Wrong Views – Ed Condon J.C.D.
Best Media Literacy Books for Catholics – Sister Helena Burns F.S.P., Hell Burns
3 Surprisingly Simple Steps to Finish the School Year Strong – Kara Milinovich, Seton
Pope’s Apology to Chilean Abuse Survivors; Why Did They Have to Suffer – Chr. Altieri
Popes’ Hopes for Greater Equality in Distribution of Wealth – Sister Ber. Ma. Reis F.S.P.
In Defense of the Death Penalty – Brian Williams, Liturgy Guy
The Two Steps Jesus Took Before He Fundraised – Brice Sokolowski
Blessed Beer from the Monks in Nursia, Italy – Carrie Gress Ph.D., my favorite catho. . .
Note: A new post is published daily at 12:01 am U.S. Central Time

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VVEDNESDAY EXTRA

The Ends of Contemporary Gnostic Thinking (Credit: Homiletic & Pastoral Review)

The Ends of Contemporary Gnostic Thinking

. . .extensive tattoos & multiple skin piercings amaze most people over 60.  Yet there seems hardly a word of critique of these body deformations in journals.  Thinking about Gnosticism, I suspect that this ancient philosophical aberration has given rise to the current exotic fashion . . . it seems that reinvented Gnosticism has racked up intensely more injurious effects.  By examining a few gnostic principles, I want to show its detrimental legacy in contemporary life.  Baby boomers are justly alarmed by the showcasing of the body, & outraged by other developments. . .

by Father Carmen Mele, O.P.,

of Homiletic & Pastoral Review

Autopsy: US Seminarian Who Died after Serving Pope’s Easter Mass – Kat. N. Hattrup
Whose Side Are They On? – William Kilpatrick Ph.D., Crisis Magazine
Gender Ideology Ruined The Left – Rod Dreher, TAC Blogger
Psychopathy: A Deeper Reality Revealed Through Catholicism – Brent Withers, H&PR
Report Finds Doctors Euthanizing Cancer Patients Without Their Consent – Life News
Misplaced Sympathies for Judas & Pilate Distort Moral Reason – Msgr. Charles Pope
Why California Can’t Be a Sanctuary State – John Horvat II, Crisis Magazine
Do Aliens Exist? Here’s What the Pope & the Vatican Astronomers Have to Say – B Ryan
Cardinal Nichols: There was Goodness in Cardinal O’Brien’s Life – Catholic Herald
Hedonism in Ernest Hemingway’s “A Farewell to Arms” – Christine Norvell, TIC
Why the Capuchins are Entrusted with Caring for Austria’s Imperial Crypt – Z. Fletcher
Are Catholics Born-Again Christians? – Fr. Dwight Longenecker, Natl Catholic Register
How Do Penance & Mortification Differ? – Fr. John Bartunek L.C., Cthlc Spiritual Drctn
How Secularists Abuse Language – Shannon Holzer, The Imaginative. . .
A Clump Of Cells – Pat Cross, PatCrossCartoons.com
Hawaii Bishop: Legalizing Assisted Suicide Hurts Those with Depression – CNA/CWR
Note: A new post is published daily at 12:01 am U.S. Central Time

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VVEDNESDAY AFTERNOON EDITION

MeWe Full Logo (Credit: Fr. Dwight Longenecker)

Facebook? I’m Outta Here

. . .so I’ve switched over to a new social media platform.  MeWe is simpler to use, has no advertising, does not track you, does not share your information. Its free, but you only have a limited amount of space to post stuff, so if you want to put up lots of videos & pictures they invite you to pay a monthly fee. . .

by Father Dwight Longenecker

Can We Take Card. Schönborn’s Remarks on Female Ordination Seriously – Peters JCD
Pope Francis Slaps Another Patch on the Moldy ‘Seamless Garment’ – Jn. Zmirak Ph.D.
Seven Spiritual Mistakes of “Good Catholic Parents” – Jeffrey A. Mirus Ph.D., Cthlc Cltr
The Last Defender of Reason & the Human Body – Anthony M. Esolen Ph.D., Crisis Mgzn
Women Bishops: Boredom Part (II) – Fr. John Hunwicke, Fr Hunwicke’s Mutual. . .
Good News for the TLM in the Archd. of Philly – Gregory DiPippo, New Liturgical Mvmnt
The Two Steps Jesus Took Before He Fundraised – Brice Sokolowski
Amoris Lætitia vs. Veritatis Splendor: You Say You Want a Revolution – E. Chr. Brugger
San Francisco’s Homeless Encampments Expose Failure of Secular Utopia – J. Davidson
Patriarch Kirill & Mr. Putin – George Weigel, First Things
Reviewing the Record of 21st Century Islam – Fr. James V. Schall S.J., Mercatornet
Sympathy for Mark Zuckerberg – Matthew Walther, The Week
London Council Bans Pro-Life Vigils in Possible Test Case – Dan Hitchens, Cthlc Herald
Is the Pope Never Wrong? Papal Infallibility Explained – Billy Ryan, uCatholic
Pope Insists Baptism Marks a Deep Change, Saying There’s a Before & After – Jn. Allen
Helping Our Children Find Holiness – Fr. Ed Broom O.M.V., Catholic Exchange
Note: A new post is published daily at 12:01 am U.S. Central Time

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VVEDNESDAY MORNING EDITION

Birgit Jones on MeWe (Credit: Catholic Life in Our Times)

Social Yet Private, Is It Time To MeWe?

. . .Stories about the corruption of social media giant, Facebook, are coming in at an increasingly faster pace.  Apparently, not only is our privacy at risk, but we are being manipulated & targeted.  There are accusations surrounding the election cycle, mind games, & total betrayal – all in the name of socializing.  It may well be time to take another path – or at least a supplemental one.  Here is where social newcomer, MeWe, enters the picture. . .

by Birgit Jones,

of Catholic Life in Our Times

Popes’ Call to Holiness: Addressing Non-Existant Issues in the Church – Rb. Royal Ph.D.
Ted Cruz Savage Mark Zuckerberg On Facebook’s Anti-Catholic Bias – Bre Payton
Fr. Joseph Ratzinger’s 1969 Prediction: What the Church Will Look Like in 2000 – RCM
I Deleted My Facebook Account – Shane Schaetzel, Catholic in the Ozarks
Ross Douthat, Pope Francis, & the Future of the Catholic Church – R.J. Snell Ph.D.
Strange Solidarity: US Bishops & AFSCME – Steven Malanga, City Journal
Intersectional Insanity – Rod Dreher, TAC Blogger
Can There Be a Catholic “Mindfulness?” – Jeannie Ewing, Catholic Exchange
The Death of Stalin, Movie Review – Donald R. McClarey J.D., The American Catholic
A Year After Twin Suicide Bombings, Egyptian Churches Growing Rapidly – Nancy Flory
Self-Serving Salvation: Pelagianism & Gnosticism Revisited – Mat. B. Rose, Cthlc Exchng
U. of  Notre Dame Sandwich That’s Raised $1M For Charity – Ryan Scheel, uCatholic
Restoring Courtship in a Hook-Up Culture: The Dating Project – Ella Hadacek, NC Rgstr
Three Parables For The Sojourn Of Faith – Deacon Greg Lambert, Catholic Stand
Why Do We Need Religion in a Globalized World? – Miriam Diez Bosch, Aleteia
Alfie Evan’s Parents: Life Support Could be Yanked Today – Steven Ertelt, Life News
Note: A new post is published daily at 12:01 am U.S. Central Time

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TVESDAY AFTERNOON EDITION

Muslim Children Praying (Credit: Flickr)

There’s One Religion Losing Followers in America Faster Than Christianity

. . .what is it about American society that makes the religious faith of immigrant communities atrophy? . . .

by Michael Davis

of the Catholic Herald

Pope Francis “Takes Aim” in “Gaudete et Exsultate”—& Misses? – Carl E. Olson
Pope’s Vicar of Rome a Prelate Worth Keeping an Eye On – John L. Allen Jr., Crux
Women Bishops, Here We Go Again – Fr. John Hunwicke, Fr Hunwicke’s Mutual. . .
Gaudete et Exsultate: Coming in From the Cold – Fr. Dwight Longenecker
Gallup: Weekly Catholic Church Attendance in Decade-Long Decline – Mt. Archbold
Chris Stefanick’s New Prgrm Aims to Restore Authentic Masculinity – Nicholas W. Smith
Read the Eulogy That Made the Undertaker Declare, “Saint!” – Sister Theresa A. Noble
The Feminist War on Science – Paul Krause, Crisis Magazine
April 10, A.D. 1918: The Angel of the Trenches Earns His Nickname – D. McClarey J.D.
On Silence in the Liturgy  – J.P. Sonnen, Liturgical Arts Journal
How to Listen to Scriptural Readings – Christopher Carstens, Catholic Exchange
How Should Catholics Vote? – Shane Schaetzel, Catholic in the Ozarks
Veteran Lancaster Priest Installed as Bishop – Catholic Herald
Suffering on the Road to Hope – Sean Morrisroe, Catholic Stand
Salvation History as a Good Film: 3rd Sun. of Easter Readings Explained – Bergsma PhD
A Paschal Poem: Christ’s Guests – Jean Elizabeth Seah, Ignitum Today
Note: A new post is published daily at 12:01 am U.S. Central Time

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TVESDAY MORNING EDITION

Gaudete et Exsultate (Credit: VaticanNews.va)

Solid Analysis of Gaudete et Exsultate

. . .Francis released his Apostolic Exhortation On the Call to Holiness in Today’s World.  It has been given the Latin incipit of Gaudete et Exsultate.  As much as any of Francis’s major documents, it is a snapshot of his pontificate. . .

by P.J. Smith,

of Semiduplex

Her ‘2+2=4’ Moment – Rod Dreher, TAC Blogger
Ross Douthat on Gnosticism – Fr. Dwight Longenecker
Why Didn’t Christ Stay with Disciples Continually After Resurrection? – Msgr. Ch. Pope
Fr. Michael Gaitley Comes to Northeast Catholic College – Joseph Pronechen, NCRgstr
The Battle for Europe – Ryszard Legutko, First Things
5 Virtues All Christians Need for Their Work Place – ChurchPop
The Two Steps Jesus Took Before He Fundraised – Brice Sokolowski
Playing with Power, the Secret to Raising Strong Daughters – John Clark, Seton Mgzn
Mainstream Media Finally Admits Abortion Reversal Pill is Working – Patty Knap, NCReg
Catholics Should Rediscover the Meaning of Chivalry – Francis Phillips, Catholic Herald
Fenton Returns – Patrick Carey, First Things
St. Benedict the Moor on US Liturgical Calendar – Claudio Salvucci, Liturgical Arts Jour.
The Physician-Assisted Suicide Movement Is Gaining in Major Ways – G.T. Mundy Ph.D.
For Black Boys, Family Structure Still Matters – W. Bradford Wilcox, Inst for Fam Studies
Western Nations Tried to Impose Radical ‘Sexuality Education’ at UN – Elyssa Koren
Our Ultimate Hope Is Resurrection – J.P. Nunez, Catholic Stand
Note: A new post is published daily at 12:01 am U.S. Central Time

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