Ukrainian bishops call for prayer vigil as invasion looms (CatholicPhilly.com) As fears of a Russian invasion of Ukraine continue to mount, the Ukrainian Catholic bishops of the U.S. have called for a three-day prayer vigil “for peace and the conversion of the hearts of those who preach violence and escalate war…”
Pope Francis issues motu proprio restructuring CDF (CNA) Pope Francis on Monday reorganized the internal structure of the Vatican’s doctrine office into two sections — the latest step in his ongoing reform of the Roman Curia. In a letter issued motu proprio (of his own accord) on Feb. 14, Pope Francis centralized the tasks of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith into a doctrinal section and a disciplinary section…
Archdiocese of Denver to review “Catholic identity” of high schools (The Denver Post) The Archdiocese of Denver plans to review the theology curriculum, hiring practices and “Catholic identity” of the high schools under its purview following the retraction of a student publication and the firing of two teachers at Regis Jesuit High School late last year, according to emails and documents obtained by The Denver Post. Regis Jesuit teachers and magazine advisers Maria Lynch and Nicole Arduini were fired Dec. 22 after administrators removed the winter edition of the school’s student publication from the internet because it featured a student opinion column arguing abortion should remain legal…
Catholic League’s William Donohue discusses retirement, massive pay raise (NBC News) William Donohue, the outspoken president of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, said Friday he would be “retiring in the next few years.” Donohue made the announcement after NBC News asked him about the $480,000-plus raise over two years that boosted his salary to more than a million dollars a year — and which appeared on the most recent 990 form from 2019 that nonprofits are required to file with the IRS…
Top canonist warns against social media for priests (Crux) Ahead of a high-profile conference on the priesthood, prominent Jesuit canonist Father Gianfranco Ghirlanda has cautioned against the risks of social media and excessive attachment to outward devotions, stressing the importance of service. Speaking to Crux, Ghirlanda said a priest’s spiritual life is essential to their ministry, and the greatest danger he sees to a healthy spiritual life is what Pope Francis has called “spiritual worldliness…”
Behind the mystery of St. Valentine’s bones (National Geographic) The Catholic martyr St. Valentine was beheaded on that date in the third century, supposedly for breaking a Roman ban on performing marriages. Now in Dublin a church claims to exhibit St. Valentine’s heart; in a Rome basilica his supposed skull is displayed; in a Glasgow friary his skeleton sits in a golden box; in a Prague basilica his shoulder bone is an attraction; and in a Madrid church his remains are encased in glass…
