USCCB says ‘Bella’ ’should resonate deeply with Catholic viewers’

Another followup to an earlier post: The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Office for Film and Broadcasting review of “Bella” is now publicly available. Harry Forbes (more about him here) says of the movie: “Above all, the film has an affirmative pro-life message, along with themes of self-forgiveness, reconciliation and redemption that should resonate deeply with [...]

Climate change: Al Gore and Pope Benedict

Following up on our post the other day about Al Gore’s Nobel Peace Prize, we give you a link to an article in Our Sunday Visitor about stewardship of the earth as a moral issue. But as the OSV article by Gerald Korson notes, the church and environmentalists part company on the issue of population [...]

The importance of praying for rain

It’s raining here today, finally, after a record number of days without measurable precipitation, but things have been even worse in Georgia, where Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory of Atlanta recently wrote a column in The Georgia Bulletin about the importance of seeking God’s intervention during times of drought as part of the church’s connection to [...]

Seminarian says creating artwork helped him hear the call to priesthood

The journey toward the priesthood takes place in many ways, as shown once again by this story in The Michigan Catholic in Detroit about seminarian Craig Giera. His art gave him time to read and pray and learn about himself. The story also shows examples of some of his work.

‘When preachers fall from grace’

That’s the headline on Bishop Thomas J. Tobin’s column last week in the Rhode Island Catholic, his diocesan paper in Providence. Speaking of the trustworthiness of priests in the wake of the clergy sex abuse scandal, Bishop Tobin in his column asks, “Does misbehavior of the messengers invalidate the truth of their message? And should it?”

‘Bella’ opening draws lots of attention

With the movie “Bella” opening this Friday in select theaters, the Catholic press is filled with articles on the film, the plot and its main star, Eduardo Verastegui. Some examples:

The Leaven in Kansas City, Kan., tells how the local archbishop arranged a pre-screening in Kansas City after he saw the movie and found it positive [...]

Library visits pay off for ‘Jeopardy’ champ

I can’t resist stories like this: The Catholic Voice in Oakland, Calif., profiles a local student who was this year’s winner of “Kids’ Week” on the popular TV game show “Jeopardy.” Ten-year-old Rachel Millena “devours American history the way some kids inhale fast foods and sodas,” the paper reports. Here’s the link.

Pro-life midwife takes ministry to Russian Far East

The Western Catholic Reporter in Edmonton, Alberta, tells the story of a midwife who is taking her ministry to the Russian Far East. Heather Holtslag’s goal is not just to help women through their pregnancies but also to be a pro-life presence in an society where abortion is said to be rampant. Click here for the [...]

Little Rock Scripture program offers new feature

Many Catholics have heard of or been involved in the Little Rock Scripture Study program. Now, according to the Arkansas Catholic, the program is offering a free online series called “What the Bible Says About …” for downloading and printing. First topic: “The Rapture.” Click here for the full story.

No cheers for Gore

The Vatican has a long memory, and that helps explain its less-than-enthusiastic response to Al Gore’s Nobel Peace Prize.
The day Gore was announced as a winner, the Vatican newspaper covered the story in a single sentence,  buried on an inside page.
Then at a Catholic meeting in Pisa last Friday, Cardinal Renato Martino let slip a rather [...]