Marking the first anniversary of pope’s lockdown Masses (Vatican News) On 9 March 2020, Pope Francis started to broadcast and live stream his daily 7 a.m. Mass celebrated at his Casa Santa Marta residence. In this way the celebration became a public moment, available to all. The broadcast became a regular appointment for the faithful around the world, even in China where people watched the celebrations. Celebrating the Eucharist live, Pope Francis explained what he meant by doing this on that day: “In these days, I will offer Mass for the sick of this coronavirus epidemic, for the doctors, nurses, volunteers who help so much, family members, for the elderly who are in nursing homes, for the prisoners who are locked up. Let us pray together this week, this strong prayer to the Lord, ‘Save me, O Lord, and give me mercy. My foot is on the right path. In the assembly I will bless the Lord…”
Filipino priest urges Americans to rethink rhetoric on vaccines (Crux) As American Catholics continue to wrangle over the morality of COVID-19 vaccines using stem cell lines remotely derived from aborted fetuses, one Filipino Dominican priest, who’s both a moral theologian and an MIT-trained molecular biologist, is pleading with them to consider the potentially dangerous global consequences of their rhetoric. “You’ve got American Catholics telling Catholics all over the world that receiving the vaccine is a ‘lesser evil,’ so you’re putting millions of my fellow Filipinos in an ethical dilemma,” said Dominican Father Nicanor Austriaco, who teaches at Providence College in Rhode Island, and who’s currently on sabbatical helping to develop a low-cost and easy-to-use vaccine for his native country…
Bishop discusses extended leave for mental health (CNA) Following a nearly year-long sabbatical to attend to his mental health, Bishop James Conley of Lincoln explained his experience with depression, seeking help, and his return to his duties as a bishop. According to Prime Matters, the bishop discussed engagement with mental health in a Zoom interview with Dr. James Link, a Catholic psychologist based in North Dakota. Link said it is a difficult moment for a person to realize when they require external help with mental health and began the conversation asking the bishop when he decided the time was right to tackle depression…
Meet the priests who have gone on ‘spiritual offensive’ during the pandemic (National Catholic Register) As the Church begins to assess its response to the crisis, experts who have helped dioceses and parishes navigate this unprecedented time say there are important lessons to be learned and even a silver lining to be explored and celebrated…
How big money is dividing American Catholicism (The New Republic) Although American Catholics are culturally and theologically diverse, they are increasingly split along political lines. They are the “jump ball” of American politics, in the words of right-wing political operative Ralph Reed. They are divided over some teachings of Pope Francis, over America’s culture wars, and over the right way to bear witness to their faith in public life…
