Under the stark headline “Comfort Catholicism has to go; it is time to prepare for persecution”, Mgr Charles Pope at National Catholic Register wrote: “It seems there is no awareness that we are at war and that Catholics need to be summoned to sobriety, increasing separation from the wider culture, courageous witness and increasing martyrdom.
“More than ever we need to shift towards being distinctive from the culture we have refused to critique and call to reform. More than ever our faith needs to shine brightly and clearly … And if a world now accustomed to great darkness calls our light harsh, so be it. If our light does not shine, there is no light at all. Our Catholic faith is the sole and last hope for this world. It has always been so.”
Secularism led to Brexit
The precursor to the European Union was created by Catholics, wrote George Weigel at Catholic World Report. Underlying the project was the belief “that there was enough of Christian or biblical culture left in Europe to sustain democratic pluralism in a ‘union’ of sovereign states that would respect national and regional distinctiveness. And that Christian or biblical ‘remainder’ involved the Catholic social-ethical principle of ‘subsidiarity’: the idea that decision-making should be left at the lowest possible local level.”
But since biblical religion collapsed, he wrote, “the vacuum was then filled by a monochromatic, anti-pluralist notion of ‘democracy’ ”.
True Olympic spirit?
Abbey D’Agostino was one of two runners who helped each other up when they collided during a 5,000-metre qualifying heat in the Olympics; the other was Nikki Hamblin.
“The awe-inspiring event is being described as the definition of ‘true Olympic spirit’ and a wonderful example of ‘sportsmanship’, but really it is better described as an expression of D’Agostino’s deep and abiding Christian faith,” wrote Philip Kosloski at aleteia.org.
She told the media that “God prepared my heart to respond that way … This whole time here He’s made clear to me that my experience in Rio was going to be about more than my race performance – and as soon as Nikki got up I knew that was it.”
Phrases to ditch
“Within Catholic social media, there exists a plethora of phrases that get bandied about with an atrocious regularity,” wrote Tommy Tighe at aleteia.org. Examining each in context, he explains just what is wrong with “Modest is hottest”, “Contraceptive mentality”, “In the Spirit of Vatican II”, “Catholic guilt” and “Emotional chastity”.
He concludes: “Life is hard. Let’s take a step towards helping everyone out on the journey, and cut these phrases out immediately.”
✣Meanwhile…
The botched restoration of a painting of Ecce Homo in a Spanish church is to be celebrated in an opera. Five years ago a well-meaning elderly parishioner attempted to repaint the faded artwork in the Church of Our Lady of Mercy in Borja. The result, which looked more like a fuzzy monkey, became an international joke. Two Americans, Andrew Flack and Paul Fowler, have written a comic opera about the restoration, which will premiere in the church next year.
✣ Pope Francis has reportedly been treating homeless people in Rome to pizza and a trip to the beach.
Last week, Archbishop Konrad Krajewski, papal almoner, said he had spent the summer driving 10 or so homeless people to a beach near Rome and stopping at the local pizzeria on the way back.“We certainly are not saving the world with some of these initiatives, we are not solving the problems of the homeless in Rome, but at least we are restoring to them a little dignity,” Archbishop Krajewski told Vatican Insider.
✣ Rodrigo Santoro, the actor playing Jesus in a remake of the classic film Ben-Hur, received a blessing from Pope Francis, it was revealed last week. The film, made in a Rome studio, was produced by Catholic couple Roma Downey and Mark Burnett.
✣The week in quotations
Life is not a video game or a soap opera; our life is serious and the goal is eternal salvation Pope Francis Angelus
She was very human – she loved chocolate, she loved ice cream Fr Brian Kolodiejchuk on Mother Teresa CNS
It gives me peace knowing I’m in good hands Champion swimmer Katie Ledecky on prayer National Catholic Register
We need to make our worship better Bishop Zubik on his top priority Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
✣Statistic of the week
58 Number of new priests in Germany, down from 122 in 2005 Bishops’ conference
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