Notre-Dame still at risk of destruction, says rector. Published 12/31/2019. World.

Notre-Dame still at risk of destruction, says rector. Published 12/31/2019. World.: Paris, France, Dec 27, 2019 CNA.- This year Christmas Mass was not celebrated at Notre-Dame de Paris for the first time since the French First Republic, and the cathedral’s rector says that ther

Opinion | Bill Barr Thinks America Is Going to Hell - The New York Times

Opinion | Bill Barr Thinks America Is Going to Hell - The New York Times: And he’s on a mission to use the “authority” of the executive branch to stop it.

Lt. Col. Davis: It's time to pull US troops in Iraq, there's a target on their backs | Fox News Video

Lt. Col. Davis: It's time to pull US troops in Iraq, there's a target on their backs | Fox News Video: Defense Priorities senior fellow Lt. Col. Daniel Davis reacts to Iraqi protesters storming U.S. Embassy in Baghdad.

Trump Says He Will Sign Phase-One Trade Deal With China on Jan. 15 - WSJ

Trump Says He Will Sign Phase-One Trade Deal With China on Jan. 15 - WSJ: President Trump said he would sign the phase-one trade deal with China on Jan. 15 and will later travel to Beijing for talks on a broader pact.

Turkey seeks parliament approval to dispatch troops to Libya - ABC News

Turkey seeks parliament approval to dispatch troops to Libya - ABC News: Turkey's government has submitted a motion to parliament seeking approval to deploy troops to Libya

Iraq on brink of abyss: What happens next?

Iraq on brink of abyss: What happens next?: The steadily increasing crisis in Iraq is getting deeper over time, opening the space for a total political collapse.

Intel: How Trump has laid the legal groundwork to strike Iran after Iraqi militia attacks

Intel: How Trump has laid the legal groundwork to strike Iran after Iraqi militia attacks: Mounting tensions between US forces and Tehran-backed proxies in Iraq could lead to broader American military action against Iran. If that happens, President Donald Trump already has at his disposal a legal opinion the State Department submitted to Congress last June. “We do not make a distinction between the Iranian regime and any of its proxies that they organize, train and equip,”...

The China Shock Doctrine | National Affairs

The China Shock Doctrine | National Affairs: Open trade promotes peace and prosperity. But that clear principle, in its abstract form, turns out to elide crucial practical complexities. As trade tensions with China intensify, America is learning this the hard way. But just what are those comple...

The War Game That Could Have Ended the World

The War Game That Could Have Ended the World: A military exercise staged in the early ’80s almost triggered World War Three. Secret documents reveal what happened.

China’s Ambitious Plans to Dominate Cislunar Space – Parabolic Arc

China’s Ambitious Plans to Dominate Cislunar Space – Parabolic Arc

The Biggest Catholic Stories of the 2010’s | America Magazine

The Biggest Catholic Stories of the 2010’s | America Magazine: Well, at least 10 of them.

A New Year’s prayer for nearly everyone | America Magazine

A New Year’s prayer for nearly everyone | America Magazine: If you have time today, why not do an annual “examen”?

Nigerian diocesan spokesman: Bridal party beheaded en route to wedding. Published 12/30/2019. World.

Nigerian diocesan spokesman: Bridal party beheaded en route to wedding. Published 12/30/2019. World.: LAGOS, Nigeria (CNS) -- Father Francis Arinse, communications director of the Catholic Diocese of Maiduguri, confirmed that a bride-to-be, Martha Bulus, and her bridal party were beheaded Dec. 26 at G

California Will Ban Hair Discrimination Starting In 2020

California Will Ban Hair Discrimination Starting In 2020

The 20 most popular Catholic World Report stories and articles of 2019

Favorites include interviews with and an address by Cardinal Robert Sarah, and articles about tumult in Rome, Theodore McCarrick, Toy Story 4, belief in the Real Presence, Pope Francis, and more.

December 30, 2019 Carl E. Olson The Dispatch 1 Print

(Image: Luis Núñez | Pexels.com)

Since going online exclusively at the start of 2012, Catholic World Report has grown steadily in both content and traffic. This past year saw an increase of nearly 15% in traffic over 2018, with a remarkable number of readers—almost exactly 60%—being between the ages of 18 and 34. And while the majority of CWR readers are from the United States, we’ve seen a notable growth in readership from Europe, Australia, India, and parts of Africa.
As usual, our most read articles cover a range of topics, but most (not all, thankfully) of the Top 20 are united by the themes of unrest, turmoil, and controversy.
Without further ado, here are Catholic World Report‘s 20 most viewed articles of 2019:
1) “We must rebuild the cathedral … We do not need to invent a new Church” by Cardinal Robert Sarah (June 21, 2019). “As a bishop,” said Cardinal Robert Sarah at a May 25th conference in Paris, “it is my duty to warn the West: behold the flames of barbarism threaten you!”
2) Called out of the priesthood? by Fr. Charles Fox (June 17, 2019). Some general thoughts regarding petitions for laicization, and a specific critique of Father Jonathan Morris’ recent public statements.
3) The Vandals sack Rome….again by George Weigel (July 29, 2019). Is there a red hat in Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia’s future? If so, it will be as a reward for knee-capping scholars of impeccable scholarly credentials and personal probity, deeply beloved by their students.
4) Fr. James Martin is not thinking with the Church by Fr. Steve Mattson (August 29, 2018). What Fr. Martin writes and says seems guided more by GLAAD than by God, and is more aligned to the thinking of the World than the Word.
5) Cardinal Sarah: “I believe that we are at a turning point in the history of the Church” by Carl E. Olson (September 23, 2019). The outspoken cardinal from Guinea speaks at length about faith, atheism, secularism, hope, liturgy, prayer, and much more in a new National Catholic Register interview.
6) “Uncle Ted” and Me… by George Weigel (May 29, 2019). “In order to set the historical record straight, however, and to draw some salient lessons for this Catholic moment from my personal experience of McCarrick’s mendacity, I offer the following.”
7) Full text of Benedict XVI: ‘The Church and the scandal of sexual abuse’ by Catholic News Agency (April 10, 2019). In a previously unpublished essay, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI addresses the sex abuse scandal, its context, and the Church’s response to it.
8) Toy Story 4 marred by artistic inconsistency and amoral messages by Nick Olszyk (June 30, 2019). What a sad end to a beautiful franchise. So long, partner.
9) A priest who offered his life in reparation for the sins of priests by Dr. Patrick Kenny (February 17, 2019). “I believe,” wrote Fr. Willie Doyle, S.J., who died as a martyr of charity in the First World War, “that Our Lord is asking for victims who are willing to suffer much in reparation for sins, especially those of priests.”
10) The Church is plunged into the darkness of Good Friday (Part 1) by CWR Staff (March 29, 2019). “Today,” states Robert Cardinal Sarah, “I can say without fear that some priests, some bishops and even some cardinals are afraid to proclaim what God teaches and to hand on the doctrine of the Church.”
11) Sex in the Garden by Dr. Jared Ortiz (August 5, 2019). Contrary to popular opinion, Saint Augustine does not denigrate sex.
12) The Two Popes is full of serious errors—and several surprises by Filip Mazurczak (December 18, 2019). Despite numerous inaccuracies, a couple of which are downright harmful, I found The Two Popes to be a very moving work of, yes, Catholic cinema.
13) Shocked, shocked! On Catholics and belief in the Real Presence by Amy Welborn (August 8, 2019). Most Catholics don’t go to Mass, have received very little religious education in their life, and attend liturgies that de-emphasize the unique presence of Christ in the Eucharist. And we’re surprised that most Catholics don’t believe in transubstantiation?
14) The problem with Pope Francis’ letter to the U.S. bishops by Amy Welborn (January 3, 2019). The framework and assumption that what’s most at stake here is institutional credibility is exactly what led to cover-ups and protection of clerical perpetrators. Exactly.
15) In Pennsylvania, Carmelites plan a “micro village” according to St. Teresa’s vision by Jim Graves (April 8, 2019). Eleven sisters are the founding members of a new hilltop monastery in the Diocese of Harrisburg.
16) Wokeness kills comedy, and Aziz Ansari can’t save it by Titus Techera (July 21, 2019). In Ansari’s new comedy special, he apologizes for the bad things he’s said and done; he asks forgiveness; and he reflects on the suffering of this world. It’s a camp revival meeting for progressives.
17) St. Peter Damian’s battle against clerical homosexuality offers useful lessons for today by Matthew Cullinan Hoffman (February 21, 2019). Much of St. Peter Damian’s reform struggle seems strikingly relevant to the modern situation of the Church, offering an incisive and useful critique of sexual immorality and laxism among the clergy.
18) “Team Viganò” versus “Team Francis” one year on by Christopher R. Altieri (August 27, 2019). We are seeing the worst ecclesiastical leadership crisis in at least five hundred years play out as a popularity contest.
19) “She had a heart for souls”: The life and cause of Servant of God Maria Esperanza de Bianchini by Jim Graves (July 21, 2019). “Maria Esperanza exemplified the beatitudes,” says Fr. Timothy Byerley, “and therefore was continually reconciling people with God and with one another.”
20) A story of restoration: An Anglican community finds home in the Catholic Church by Joanna Bogle (May 18, 2019). A London pastor and members of his flock see challenges—and signs of hope—after entering full communion with the Catholic Church.

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The Two Popes is full of serious errors—and several surprises – Catholic World Report

The Two Popes is full of serious errors—and several surprises – Catholic World Report

The Reason Renewables Can't Power Modern Civilization Is Because They Were Never Meant To

The Reason Renewables Can't Power Modern Civilization Is Because They Were Never Meant To: Germans believed that the billions they spent on renewables would redeem them. Many of them will insist that the renewables effort was merely “botched,” but it wasn't. The Energiewende was doomed to fail.

Trump Administration officials worried Ukraine aid halt violated spending law – Center for Public Integrity

Trump Administration officials worried Ukraine aid halt violated spending law – Center for Public Integrity: But key details of what they said to one another are again blacked out in documents released to the Center for Public Integrity under court order

Is a New Nuclear Age Upon Us?

Is a New Nuclear Age Upon Us?: The year 2019 marked the dawn of a dangerous new nuclear age.

Putin’s Hypersonic Nuclear Missile Stirs Fears of Arms Race - Bloomberg

Putin’s Hypersonic Nuclear Missile Stirs Fears of Arms Race - Bloomberg: A new hypersonic nuclear missile that Russia says it has deployed is fueling concerns of a new arms race with the U.S. as the clock ticks down on the expiry of the last treaty limiting the strategic arsenals of the two former Cold War foes.

China develops appetite for cheese, with surge in imports from EU. Elite’s evolving tastes, and pizza, behind the trend | South China Morning Post

China develops appetite for cheese, with surge in imports from EU. Elite’s evolving tastes, and pizza, behind the trend | South China Morning Post: Cheese and other dairy products have not been historically popular in China, but imports are increasing, and cheese ambassadors from Europe are working to break into a market that is potentially the world’s biggest.

US attacks Shia militia: Iraq, Syria, Iran, Russia, Israel react | News | Al Jazeera

US attacks Shia militia: Iraq, Syria, Iran, Russia, Israel react | News | Al Jazeera: World leaders, regional groups react after US attacks Shia militia bases in Iraq and Syria, killing 25 fighters.

Bishop Barron's Gospel Reflection December 31, 2019

Your daily Gospel reflection...

Tuesday, December 31, 2019

The Seventh Day in the Octave of Christmas

John 1:1-18

Friends, today’s Gospel comes to its climax with the magnificent phrase: "And the Word became flesh and lived among us." The gnostic temptation has tugged at the Church, on and off, for nearly the past two thousand years. This is the suggestion, common to all forms of puritanism, that the spiritual is attained through a negation of the material. But authentic Christianity, inspired by this stunning claim of St. John, has consistently held off gnosticism, for it knows that the Word of God took to himself a human nature and thereby elevated all of matter and made it a sacrament of the divine presence. The Greek phrase behind "lived among us" is literally translated as "tabernacled among us" or "pitched his tent among us." No Jew of John’s time would have missed the wonderful connection implied between Jesus and the temple. According to the book of Exodus, the Ark of the Covenant—the embodiment of Yahweh’s presence—was originally housed in a tent or tabernacle. The evangelist is telling us that now, in the flesh of Jesus, Yahweh has established his definitive tabernacle among us. The Seventh Day in the Octave of Christmas Lectionary: 204 Reading 1 1 Jn 2:18-21 Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that the antichrist was coming, so now many antichrists have appeared. Thus we know this is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not really of our number; if they had been, they would have remained with us. Their desertion shows that none of them was of our number. But you have the anointing that comes from the Holy One, and you all have knowledge. I write to you not because you do not know the truth but because you do, and because every lie is alien to the truth. Gospel Jn 1:1-18 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came to be through him, and without him nothing came to be. What came to be through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race; the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. A man named John was sent from God. He came for testimony, to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world came to be through him, but the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, but his own people did not accept him. But to those who did accept him he gave power to become children of God, to those who believe in his name, who were born not by natural generation nor by human choice nor by a man's decision but of God. And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father's only-begotten Son, full of grace and truth. John testified to him and cried out, saying, "This was he of whom I said, 'The one who is coming after me ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.'" From his fullness we have all received, grace in place of grace, because while the law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. The only-begotten Son, God, who is at the Father's side, has revealed him.

A King to Behold: Scott Hahn Reflects on the Feast of the Epiphany

A King to Behold: Scott Hahn Reflects on the Feast of the Epiphany

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A King to Behold: Scott Hahn Reflects on the Feast of the Epiphany Listen Here Readings: Isaiah 60:1–6 Psalm 72:1–2, 7–8, 10–13 Ephesians 3:2–3, 5–6 Matthew 2:1–12 An “epiphany” is an appearance. In today’s readings, with their rising stars, splendorous lights, and mysteries revealed, the face of the child born on Christmas day appears. Herod, in today’s Gospel, asks the chief priests and scribes where the Messiah is to be born. The answer Matthew puts on their lips says much more, combining two strands of Old Testament promise—one revealing the Messiah to be from the line of David (see 2 Samuel 2:5), the other predicting “a ruler of Israel” who will “shepherd his flock” and whose “greatness shall reach to the ends of the earth” (see Micah 5:1–3). Those promises of Israel’s king ruling the nations resound also in today’s Psalm. The psalm celebrates David’s son, Solomon. His kingdom, we sing, will stretch “to the ends of the earth,” and the world’s kings will pay Him homage. That’s the scene too in today’s First Reading, as nations stream from the East, bearing “gold and frankincense” for Israel’s king. The Magi’s pilgrimage in today’s Gospel marks the fulfillment of God’s promises. The Magi, probably Persian astrologers, are following the star that Balaam predicted would rise along with the ruler’s staff over the house of Jacob (see Numbers 24:17). Laden with gold and spices, their journey evokes those made to Solomon by the Queen of Sheba and the “kings of the earth” (see 1 Kings 10:2, 25; 2 Chronicles 9:24). Interestingly, the only other places where frankincense and myrrh are mentioned together are in songs about Solomon (see Song of Songs 3:6, 4:6, 14). One greater than Solomon is here (see Luke 11:31). He has come to reveal that all peoples are “co-heirs” of the royal family of Israel, as today’s Epistle teaches. His manifestation forces us to choose: Will we follow the signs that lead to Him as the wise Magi did? Or will we be like those priests and the scribes who let God’s words of promise become dead letters on an ancient page? Yours in Christ, Scott Hahn, PhD P.S. Do you want your friends, family, and coworkers to know the treasures of the Catholic faith through the treasure of God’s Word? Then join me in praying for the work of the St. Paul Center and please make your most generous financial contribution today. You can donate now by credit card at our secure, convenient website at StPaulCenter.com.

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