The Pastoral and Moral Crises That Lie Ahead

Web version of this CERC Weekly Update here Previous CERC Weekly Update here Subscribe/unsubscribe here Visit the CERC website at www.catholiceducation.org New Resources     Praying the Holy Name of Jesus - Peter Kreeft - from Prayer for Beginners Perhaps the most shattering consequence of Jesus real presence, which is brought about by invoking his name, is that we become unable to lie to ourselves any more.     Are You Christian or Catholic? - Father Dwight Longenecker - fromNational Catholic Register When people use the term "Christian, not Catholic," they perpetuate an old anti-Catholic prejudice in America.     Have you packed your own suitcase? - Theodore Dalrymple - The Salisbury Review No time or society, I imagine, is entirely without its ironies or contradictions.     The Future of the Past - Robert Royal - The Catholic Thing From 2011 to 2016 there were 3500 cases of vandalism/desecration of Christian churches reported in Germany's North Rhineland/ Westphalia region. That's about two per day in only one region of Germany.     The strategies of Satan, Part 3: The "Cain" tactic - Father Robert McTeigue, SJ. - Aleteia Third in a series on spiritual warfare: The satanic attack that poisons our heart and worship.     The Middle East Problem - Dennis Prager - Prager University The Middle East conflict is framed as one of the most complex problems in the world. But, in reality, it's very simple.     "Medieval Science," Oxymoron? Think Again - Part 3 of 3 - Tamer Nashef - Catholic Education Resource Center A surge of scientific creativity and innovation burst forth as a result of the inflow of Greco-Arabic learning into Western Europe.     Avery Cardinal Dulles - Father George W. Rutler - from Cloud of Witnesses: Dead People I Knew When They Were Alive Mies van der Rohe's dictum that "God is in the details" fit the moral architecture of Avery Dulles. Editorials of Interest: Pope Francis' 2016 Christmas Message Urbi et Orbi - Aleteia Pope Francis' Christmas Address to the Roman Curia - Vatican Fr. Raymond de Souza: Pope Francis at 80 - NC Register Coming to Newark Archdiocese: A Different Kind of Cardinal - NY Times Vatican gallery reopens after seven-year restoration - Religion News Service Before & After: 13 Beautiful Sanctuary Renovations Worth Celebrating - The Christian Review 90,000 Christians — One Every Six Seconds — Died for the Faith in 2016 - Seasons of Grace Four ways you can help in Aleppo - For Her China on course to become 'world's most Christian nation' within 15 years - Telegraph The Pastoral and Moral Crises That Lie Ahead - Catholic World Report The Religious-Liberty Showdowns Coming in 2017 - The Atlantic Secular Hollywood Quietly Courts the Faithful - NY Times The Faith of a Fighter: An Interview with MMA Legend Bas Rutten - The Catholic Gentleman How to Recover After Screwing Up - NC Register The Intrinsic Disorder of Me - First Things Cardinal Burke: "No, I am not saying that Pope Francis is in heresy." - Catholic World Report We Remain Works in Progress - Catholic Stand Try the yearly Examen: A spiritual exercise for a better 2017 - Aleteia Editorials of Interest Pope Francis' 2016 Christmas Message Urbi et Orbi - Aleteia The power of this Child, Son of God and Son of Mary, is not the power of this world, based on might and wealth; it is the power of love.   Pope Francis' Christmas Address to the Roman Curia - Vatican Christmas is thus the feast of the loving humility of God, of the God Who upsets our logical expectations, the established order, the order of the dialectician and the mathematician. In this upset lies all the richness of God's own thinking, which overturns our limited human ways of thinking.   Fr. Raymond de Souza: Pope Francis at 80 - NC Register Pope Francis is not the first pope to do much of what he does, but there is a distinctive, powerful and attractive way that he does it. In honor of Pope Francis' eight decades, here are eight reasons to thank God for his ministry as the Church's universal pastor.   Coming to Newark Archdiocese: A Different Kind of Cardinal - NY Times Meet the cardinal who lifts weights — and is a recovering alcoholic.   Vatican gallery reopens after seven-year restoration - Religion News Service The Braccio Nuovo Gallery, located inside the vast museums complex, is filled with stunning marble busts and statues dating back to the height of the Roman Empire.   Before & After: 13 Beautiful Sanctuary Renovations Worth Celebrating - The Christian Review Thanks to the enthusiasm of wonder, humanity, every time it loses its way, will be able to lift itself up and set out again on the right path. In this sense it has been said with profound insight that "beauty will save the world."   90,000 Christians — One Every Six Seconds — Died for the Faith in 2016 -Seasons of Grace "This is a new age of martyrs. It's a time when those who believe in the transcendent generosity of Christ are driven from their homes to suffer exile. It's an age of blood spilled at a ravaged cross."   Four ways you can help in Aleppo - For Her The Syrian city's residents are facing unimaginable violence. We must do something, today.   China on course to become 'world's most Christian nation' within 15 years -Telegraph The number of Christians in Communist China is growing so steadily that it by 2030 it could have more churchgoers than America.   The Pastoral and Moral Crises That Lie Ahead - Catholic World Report What we are witnessing today, following the publication of Amoris Laetitia, is a radical adoption of the absolutizing principle of subjective judgments of conscience and private interpretation of all moral norms.   The Religious-Liberty Showdowns Coming in 2017 - The Atlantic From mosque surveillance to new religious-exemption laws, a look at some of the issues likely to come up under Trump.   Secular Hollywood Quietly Courts the Faithful - NY Times Film companies can no longer afford to take any audience for granted.   The Faith of a Fighter: An Interview with MMA Legend Bas Rutten - The Catholic Gentleman "The more I pray, the more I see everything in my life as getting better."   How to Recover After Screwing Up - NC Register Failing is just the landing place that can lead to higher ground: holiness.   The Intrinsic Disorder of Me - First Things With every temptation I am obliged to acknowledge that I am disordered, and within that acknowledgement to then choose whether I will serve the disorder, at the cost of Heaven, or serve God.   Cardinal Burke: "No, I am not saying that Pope Francis is in heresy." - Catholic World Report In an interview with CWR, Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke discusses the current controversy over Amoris Laetitia and the questions he submitted with three other bishops to Pope Francis.   We Remain Works in Progress - Catholic Stand "I am not where I need to be, but thank God I am not where I used to be."   Try the yearly Examen: A spiritual exercise for a better 2017 - Aleteia It is only in looking back that one can move forward.   Blessed John Henry Cardinal Newman and St. Justin Martyr, pray for us