Benedictions: The Pope in America

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jgordon1 — Fri, 06 Jul 2012 13:41:52 +0000

Thank you for visiting Benedictions. This blog is no longer being updated. Please enjoy the archives. Here is another blog you may also enjoy: Prayer Plain and Simple Happy Reading!!!...

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Archbishop Chaput weighs in against “Obama Catholics”–and for…?

David Gibson — Tue, 20 May 2008 11:18:53 +0000

Denver's Archbishop Charles Chaput combines an intellectual's depth with the doughty persona of a politicker, which is what he used to be--he worked for the RFK campaign and later, even as a priest, was a campaign volunteer for Jimmy Carter. Some say he's still a political operative, though for the other side. Over at First Things, Chaput gives his critics more fodder for that view with a brief essay in which he takes Obama's Catholic supporters--including Read the full post here »

The Hagee-Donohue ticket: “Liberals’ worst nightmare”

David Gibson — Mon, 19 May 2008 10:54:05 +0000

The elaborate courtship of Texas televangelist John Hagee--who is covering McCain's evangelical flank--and the Catholic League's Bill Donohue, who accused Hagee of anti-Catholicism for his "Great Whore" sermonizing and other standard anti-papist barbs, always seemed to hold about as much suspense as a prearranged marriage. The diligent ministrations the designated Catholic shadchen for the GOP, Deal Hudson, were put into play early and often to avoid any real danger to McCain, as our...

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An olive branch to divorced-and-remarried Catholics?

David Gibson — Sat, 17 May 2008 06:00:00 +0000

An item in the current edition of The Tablet of London hints at a possible opening for divorced and remarried Catholics to receive communion--even though many do, obviously, their ban from the altar under church law remains one of the sorest pastoral points in the US church. It is also a sore point in Austria, a once uber-Catholic country, whose flock has grown increasingly disillusioned with its leadership. Now one of those leaders, Cardinal Christophe Schonborn of Vienna, a close ally...

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The key to Benedict…

David Gibson — Fri, 16 May 2008 17:12:35 +0000

It is summed up in a response recounted by Father Jim Martin, a Jesuit and author who posts (and edits) at America magazine's blog. Father Martin has a post on "Three Unreported Papal Stories" from last month's visit. The third is the payoff: Third: Another priest friend serving...

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Guerilla tactics and the “Communion Wars”…Doug Kmiec is denied communion for backing Obama

David Gibson — Fri, 16 May 2008 12:37:21 +0000

It seems that the former Reagan adviser and Catholic conservative legal scholar from Pepperdine, Doug Kmiec--heretofore a man with impeccable judicial and pro-life credentials--has been barred from communion for his support for Barack Obama. In a posting yesterday, Kmiec did not give details, but wrote that "recently at a Mass before a...

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Celibate, but never apart…

David Gibson — Thu, 15 May 2008 13:49:10 +0000

A story in today's New York Times about a Buddhist couple--he's a monk--who have vowed never to have sex, but also never to be more than 15 feet from each other: “It forces you to deal with your own emotions so you can’t say, ‘I’ll take a break,’ ” said Mr. Roach, 55, who trained in the same Tibetan Buddhist tradition as the Dalai Lama. After becoming a monk in 1983, he trained on-and-off in a Buddhist monastery...

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Bush disses the Pope? No “Catholic” president, it seems…

David Gibson — Thu, 15 May 2008 11:59:16 +0000

Exactly a month after wrapping himself in Pope Benedict XVI's copious mantle by welcoming the pontiff with a star-spangled White House gala, George W. Bush seems to have forgotten his catechism. In Israel today, Bush used the ocassion of the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Jewish state to...bash his domestic political opponent, of course. Bush took aim at Barack Obama, the likely Democratic presidential nominee, by Read the full post here »

Is E.T. going to Heaven?

David Gibson — Wed, 14 May 2008 11:02:53 +0000

Well, I may not make it to paradise (at least judging by some comments) but there's a chance you'll see E.T. there. Or those weird little guys from Area 51 who can finally solve the mystery for you. Yes, according to RNS, the Vatican's official astronomer, Father Jose Gabriel Funes, director of the Vatican Observatory, was quoted in today's Osservatore Romano as saying that intelligent life may exist...

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End of the Catholic “commencement wars”?

David Gibson — Tue, 13 May 2008 10:53:53 +0000

Michael Paulson had an in-depth article in yesterday's Globe about the apparent victory of Catholic bishops and alums and advocacy groups who have been pushing Catholic universities to bar Catholic commencement speakers with questionable public views, usually on the flashpoint issues of abortion or stem cell research or gay marriage. This cause is the raison d'etre of the...

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