Monthly Archives: January 2015

Pope Francis has rebooted the debate on family and sexual mores

Posted on January 31, 2015 by Thomas J. Neal, Ph.D.

Originally at: http://www.cruxnow.com/church/2015/01/20/pope-francis-has-rebooted-the-debate-on-the-family-and-sexual-mores/ by John Allen ROME — When Pope Francis arrived in the Philippines Jan. 15, both his mind and his heart were focused on the people he was coming to see. His primary motive was to comfort the survivors … Continue reading →

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It’s Not About Rabbits, But Maybe It’s Not About You Either

Posted on January 30, 2015 by Thomas J. Neal, Ph.D.

Originally here: http://www.andthesethygifts.com/2015/01/21/its-not-about-rabbits-but-maybe-its-not-about-you-either/ It’s been a little over 24 hours since I woke up to Facebook hopping (pun unintended) because of a remark the Pope made on the plane to Rome from Manila, where he spent four days with the Filipino … Continue reading →

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Does Religion Really Have a “Smart-People Problem”?

Posted on January 29, 2015 by Thomas J. Neal, Ph.D.

Originally at: http://www.strangenotions.com/does-religion-really-have-a-smart-people-problem/ by Fr. Robert Barron Daniel Dennett, one of the “four horsemen” of contemporary atheism, proposed in 2003 that those who espouse a naturalist, atheist worldview should call themselves “the brights,” thereby distinguishing themselves rather clearly from the dim … Continue reading →

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Pope’s Message for Lent 2015: “Make your hearts firm”

Posted on January 28, 2015 by Thomas J. Neal, Ph.D.

Originally at: http://visnews-en.blogspot.com/2015/01/popes-message-for-lent-2015-make-your.html Vatican City, 27 January 2015 (VIS) – The following is the full text of the Holy Father Francis’ message for Lent 2015, entitled “Make your hearts firm”. The document was signed in the Vatican on 4 October 2014, … Continue reading →

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A moving testimony

Posted on January 27, 2015 by Thomas J. Neal, Ph.D.

Originally at: http://wedonotloseheart.com/be-still-sit-with-this/ Be still. Sit with this. 01/10/2015 BY ED HAGUE Dear friends, My attempts to order my life (and most recently my attempts to stay alive) are now officially in shambles. Arriving at my intended outcomes on time and on … Continue reading →

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In Haiti and elsewhere, a ‘Francis effect’ could overcome donor fatigue

Posted on January 26, 2015 by Thomas J. Neal, Ph.D.

Originally at: http://www.cruxnow.com/church/2015/01/11/in-haiti-and-elsewhere-a-francis-effect-could-overcome-donor-fatigue/ by John L. Allen Jr. ROME — On the five-year anniversary of a mammoth earthquake that left 100,000 to 300,000 people dead in Haiti, laying waste to what was already one of the poorest nations in the world, Pope Francis … Continue reading →

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When Christianity is just another consumer choice

Posted on January 25, 2015 by Thomas J. Neal, Ph.D.

Originally at: http://blogs.ancientfaith.com/twocities/christianity-consumer-choice/ by Joel J. Miller Personal taste and individual preference are fine for beer and hand cream, but what about faith? In 1838 American novelist James Fenimore Cooper lamented “the taint of sectarianism” that “lies broad upon the land.” When … Continue reading →

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Pope Francis on Family Communication

Posted on January 24, 2015 by Thomas J. Neal, Ph.D.

Originally at: http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2015/01/23/world_day_of_communications_messagecommunicating_the_family/1119530 Below please find the complete text of Pope Francis’ Message for the 49th World Day of Social Communications: Communicating the Family:  A Privileged Place of Encounter with the Gift of Love The family is a subject of profound … Continue reading →

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U.S. Supreme Court will not hear Baton Rouge Catholic confession case

Posted on January 23, 2015 by Thomas J. Neal, Ph.D.

Originally at: http://www.nola.com/crime/baton-rouge/index.ssf/2015/01/catholic_confession_case_baton.html by Emily Lane The Supreme Court of the United States will not hear a petition by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Baton Rouge regarding a civil lawsuit the diocese says threatens the confidentiality of religious confession, according to theSCOTUS blog. The petition seeks to block a … Continue reading →

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Vatican’s smartest kid in the class keeps making waves

Posted on January 23, 2015 by Thomas J. Neal, Ph.D.

Originally at: http://www.cruxnow.com/church/2015/01/08/catholic-cardinal-vaticans-smartest-kid-in-the-class-keeps-making-waves/ by John Allen ROME — Shortly before Christmas, Pope Francis told Vatican officials they suffer from 15 spiritual diseases such as the “terrorism of gossip.” Presumably, the immediate reaction of most was fairly prosaic — perhaps to worry … Continue reading →

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