"The safest road to hell is the gradual one — the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts." - C.S. Lewis

Make a Donation  October 5, 2016

Web version of this CERC Weekly Update here Previous CERC Weekly Update here Visit the CERC website at www.catholiceducation.org New Resources     Interpreting the Present Time - Cardinal Robert Sarah - from God or Nothing, A Conversation on Faith  A Godless society, which considers my spiritual questions a dead letter, masks the emptiness of its materialism by killing time so as better to forget eternity.     Jubilee Year of Mercy: Mercy and Memories - Father Peter John Cameron, O.P. -Magnificat  Despite the faithful life a man may be living now, the memories of his past sinful life can still hold him back, still hold him hostage.     How the Church Has Changed the World: Mother of Universities - Anthony Esolen -Magnificat  Yes, the university was a Medieval guild, born from the bosom of the Church.     How kids can benefit from boredom - Teresa Belton - MercatorNet  Parents often feel guilty if children complain of boredom. But it's actually more constructive to see boredom as an opportunity rather than a deficit.     Can You Trust the Press? - Judith Miller - Prager University  Judith Miller, Pulitzer Prize-winning former reporter for the New York Times, explains why Americans' trust in the news media has fallen, and why that matters.     Universities' war against truth - Roger Scruton - The Spectator  Having beliefs and expressing them is no longer tolerated and the contagion is spreading.     Benedict XVI's "Final Conversations" - Robert Royal - The Catholic Thing  Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI's latest — and seemingly last — book, Final Conversations, appeared in Rome on Friday.     We would not be here - Father George W. Rutler - From the Pastor  Our faith is based, not on abstract speculation, but on historical events.

Editorials of Interest Pope Francis: Diplomacy and the Role of Religions - Monday Vatican With Pope Francis, the Vatican secretary of state, Pietro Parolin, is on an offensive to prove that religion and religious organizations have key roles to play in affecting international justice, which is important since too many think "religion" equals "ISIS." Pope Francis: Feeling hopeless? Don't drink. Pray! - CNA Feelings of spiritual desolation, or a lack of will to live, should be combated with prayer, not with sleeping pills or alcohol — things that only distract us from the problem. Pope to journalists: truth and respect for human dignity - Vatican Radio Pope Francis on Thursday met with the Italian National Council of the Order of Journalists, telling them that truth, professionalism and respect for human dignity were essential elements in their work. Amoris Laetitia: A Tremendous Gift for Church and Families in the US - USCCB A request from the Office of the Synod of Bishops for a report on the reception and implementation ofAmoris Laetitia in the United States has provided an opportunity to reflect on the good work that is already underway, as well as envisioned future plans to continue absorbing and unpacking this foundational document. Bishop Olmsted: Pope Has Not Changed Catholic Practice on Communion for Divorced and Remarried - NC Register "Pope Francis specifically calls those in this situation 'to seek the grace of conversion,'" the Phoenix bishop said, citing the 78th paragraph of the exhortation. Creeping Infallibility - First Things Amoris Laetitia and magisterial authority. Has Pope Francis Failed? - NY Times New survey findings from Georgetown's Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate suggest that there has been no Francis effect: in 2008, 23% of American Catholics attended Mass each week. Eight years later, weekly Mass attendance has held steady or marginally declined, at 22%. Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger: The Contemplation of Beauty - Pontifex The beautiful wounds, but this is exactly how it summons man to his final destiny. 10 Nuns reveal the meaning of life - Aleteia When I asked these religious sisters the big question, what I learned was pretty amazing. On God and heaven, Americans are all over the map - Religion News "Contradictory and incompatible beliefs are OK for most people," said LifeWay Research Executive Director Scott McConnell. For example, nearly two-thirds of Americans said Jesus is God. But then, more than half also said Jesus was a creature created by God. That Faith Counts study: Religion is bigger than Facebook, Google and Apple combined - Get Religion The annual revenues of faith-based enterprises — not just churches but hospitals, schools, charities and even gospel musicians and halal food makers — is more than $378 billion a year. Another Catholic priest has been kidnapped in Mexico - CNA Fr. Jose Alfredo Lopez Guillen was abducted the same day that authorities found the lifeless bodies of previously-kidnapped Fathers Alejo Nabor Jimenez Juarez and Jose Alfredo Juarez de la Cruz. Brock Turner, Moral Outrage, and Natural Law - The Public Discourse In spite of its weak philosophical foundation, our culture has deep-seated moral instincts and political commitments. These make it possible to begin the recovery of sound moral and political thought. Dutch cardinal warns Canadian bishops about 'slippery slope' of euthanasia - Catholic Herald "When you leave the door ajar, it will always open more." Elizabeth Vargas' alcohol confession brings painful feelings to the forefront - For Her The news anchor's recent admission prompts one writer's personal reflection on why embracing the pain is a good and healing gift we owe to ourselves and our mental health. St. Padre Pio's 5 Point Rule of Life - The Catholic Gentleman Pio of Pietrelcina was both a mystic and a performer of many miracles — and he died in 1968, only 46 years ago. The Wild of the Mass - First Things "If it's a symbol, the hell with it," said Flannery O'Connor about the Eucharist, and who would argue with Flannery O'Connor? Not me. What do you say to a homeless person? Advice from Catholic urban missionaries - CNA "One of our friends on the street told us he went four months without hearing his own name. Ask the person's name and remember it." Ancient Wisdom in Barren Times - The Public Discourse Far too many of us, even the most tender and gentle, have absorbed the hypothesis that a refusal of life is the condition of love. Delight in the Good - First Things On the challenge of entertainment.