Catholic Fire

Pope John Paul II's historic nine-day pilgrimage to Poland in June of 1979 created a revolution of conscience that transformed Poland and fundamentally reshaped the spiritual and political landscape of the 20th Century. Newt and Callista Gingrich, along with a Polish, American, and Italian cast, explore what transpired during these nine days that moved the Polish people to renew their hearts, reclaim their courage, and free themselves from the shackles of Communism. Produced in partnership with Citizens United Productions. Earlier this evening, Raymond Arroyo interviewed Newt and Calista Gingrich on The World Over about their new film, "Nine Days that Changed the World", which I am eager to see. Here is the trailer: Visit http://www.ninedaysthatchangedtheworld.com or http://www.gingrichproductions.com to learn more about this movie.

Joined by Dr. Alveda King-- the niece of the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.-- Father Frank Pavone has announced that Priests for Life will be conducting Pro-Life Freedom Rides this summer, evoking the Freedom Rides of 1961 that helped bring about the desegregation of the American South. “We join our lives and hearts together with those who have gone before us,” said Dr. King. “We take to the bus, to the streets of America, riding for justice and freedom for all, from conception until natural death.” For more information see: Pro-Life Freedom Rides Announced for this Summer (Priests for Life) Pro-life 'freedom rides' set to begin this summer in Birmingham (CNS) Pro-Life Freedom Ride Source

The Vatican has released the Pope's prayer intentions for May. Pope Benedict's general prayer intention is : "That the shameful and monstrous commerce in human beings, which sadly involves millions of women and children, may be ended". His mission intention is: "That ordained ministers, religious women and men, and lay people involved in apostolic work may understand how to infuse missionary enthusiasm into the communities entrusted to their care". 

Michael Ghislieri was born near Alessandria in Italy in 1504. He was a poor shepherd boy, who entered the Dominican Order at the age of 14 and was ordained a priest at the age of 24. He taught theology and philosophy for sixteen years and developed a reputation as a gifted teacher and preacher. Michael led an austere and holy life in the monastery: he fasted, performed penance, spent long hours of the night in meditation and prayer, and traveled in silence on foot without a cloak. After being ordained a bishop and named a Cardinal, he became pope at the age of 62, taking the name of Pope Pius V. His holiness and austerity continued in the papacy. He refused to wear the ornate and flowing garments of previous popes, but insisted upon wearing his white Dominican habit even as head of the Church. To this day, the pope wears white, a custom begun by this Dominican pontiff. His reign, though short, was one of the most fruitful of the sixteenth century. During his six yea

"Inordinate love for the flesh is cruelty, because under the appearance of pleasing the body, we kill the soul." ~ St. Bernard of Clairvaux

  After betraying the U.S. Bishops and Catholic principle, several groups of nuns provided the cover some Catholic politicians needed to vote Obamacare into law. So, what did we get?

For 8 years, the author of The Catholic Priest, Image of Christ Through Fifteen Centuries of Art , Steen Heidemann, traveled around the globe, seeing private collections, visiting museums, and snapping photos of rare never before seen works of art.

- Susan Boyle, the star singer discovered on the popular TV show Britain's Got Talent, may realize her dream of meeting Pope Benedict in September. The director of the Scottish Catholic Media Office (SCMO) told CNA that the local church is open to discussion on the possibility of her singing when the Pope visits later this year. The Holy Father will be visiting the United Kingdom from Sept. 16-19. The itinerary for the first day of his visit includes events in Scotland, particularly a meeting in Edinburgh with Queen Elizabeth at her residence there. Also on the agenda for the day is an outdoor Mass in Glasgow at which the Pope will preside and at which Susan Boyle could possibly sing. Read the entire story.

Today is the feast of my Confirmation saint, St. Catherine of Siena, Caterina di Giacomo di Benicasa (1347 - 1380). As a mystic, activist, reformer, contemplative, and Doctor of the Church, she is one of the most prominent figures in Christian history. Catherine, the youngest of twenty-five children, was born in Siena on March 25, 1347. During her youth she had to contend with great difficulties on the part of her parents. They were planning marriage for their favorite daughter; but Catherine, who at the age of seven had already taken a vow of virginity, refused. To break her resistance, her beautiful golden brown tresses were shorn to the very skin and she was forced to do the most menial tasks. Undone by her patience, her mother and father finally relented and their child entered the Third Order of St. Dominic -- a lay order. Catherine managed a large household of followers, all of whom called her "Mama". She served as spiritual director to royalty and r

  Ana Benderas of Live Action addresses those who are personally against abortion but believe that others should be able to take the life on unborn children.

Pope Benedict has quietly set in motion a Great Reform of The Church:

Like any other college acceptance process, student priests applying to the North American College in Rome, must fill out application forms, submit letters of recommendation and put their best foot forward in an interview.

Totus Tuus Totus tuus ego sum, et omnia meatua sunt, O Virgo, super omnia benedicta. Translates as: I am all yours, and all that is mine is yours, O Virgin, blessed above all. Louis de Montfort's life is inseparable from his efforts to promote genuine devotion to Mary, the mother of Jesus and mother of the church. Totus tuus was Louis's personal motto; Karol Wojtyla (Pope John Paul II) chose it as his episcopal motto. Born to a poor family in 1673 in the Breton village of Montfort, as an adult, Louis identified himself by the place of his baptism instead of his family name, Grignion. After being educated by the Jesuits and the Sulpicians, he was ordained as a diocesan priest in 1700. He preached parish missions throughout western France, walking from city to city. His years of ministering to the poor prompted him to travel and live very simply, sometimes getting him into trouble with church authorities. In his preaching, which attracted thousands of people

Eating Chicken Makes Men Gay! President of Bolivia Evo Morales, who is considered a champion of gay rights in Latin America, angered gay-friendly organizations last week after stating that eating genetically modified chicken leads to both homosexuality and baldness in men. Morales made his comments during a recent climate summit in Cochabamba, Bolivia.   Photo Source

Now, this is good news... The Vatican Publishing House released today a report on the Catholic Church's global presence, showing an increase in the Catholic population in 2008. Although the number of Catholics has risen globally, the study recorded a constant decline in priests, seminarians and non-ordained religious within Europe. The recently released edition of the Statistical Yearbook of the Church compiled findings from 2000-2008, and documented that the number of Catholics in the world increased from 1.045 billion in 2000 to 1.166 billion in 2009, a growth of 11.54 percent. Specifically in Africa, the Church grew by 33 percent, in Asia by 15.61 percent, in Oceania by 11.39 percent and in America by 10.93. The number of Catholics in Europe remained generally stable throughout the nine year period, increasing only by 1.17 percent.

Today's saint is St. Zita (Virgin 1278), the patron of domestic workers. She was born in Tuscany, Italy in the village of Monsagrati. Zita came from a poor, but deeply devotional family. To help support the family, she became a maid of a wealthy family, Fatinelli, in the nearby Tuscan city of Lucca, serving them loyally for 48 years. Zita considered her work as an employment assigned to her by God and obeyed her master and mistress in all things as being placed over her by God. She always rose several hours before the rest of the family and spent time in prayer while they slept. She started each day with Holy Mass before she began performing her duties. Zita visited the sick and those in prison, giving them hope and spreading the gospel message. She was well known for all her works of charity and her sweet, joyful disposition. Zita had a great love for the poor and donated her own food or that of her master to the poor. At first, her employers were upset by her generous gi

The National Pro-Life T-Shirt Week (NPLTW) begins this Tuesday, along with a photo scavenger hunt contest in which contestants can enter to win a free iPod Touch. NPTW and the "Yo! Where's the Shirt?" Photo Scavenger Hunt are sponsored by the American Life League (ALL). "Thousands of young people across the country will take to the streets and the schools a civil rights message for the 21st century: All human beings deserve human rights," announced ALL in a press release Monday. ALL has stated that more contestants have registered for this year's contest than in last year's, in which 3,000 photos were submitted. The scavenger hunt will offer participants the opportunity to win a free iPod Touch by photographing themselves in pro-life t-shirts performing over 150 various "tasks" including: - Sidewalk chalking a pro-life message - Holding a marble with two chopsticks - Standing in front of the US Supreme Court - Rocking a

Judge Scopelitis, the judge in the trial of the ND 88, has lifted the stay of discovery in the case. The ND 88 are the pro-life activists arrested for walking on the property of the University of Notre Dame in protest of the school's honoring of President Barack Obama in May of 2009. This leaves lead attorney Tom Dixon free to pursue depositions and find out more about the events that lead to the arrest of the ND88. Read the Notice of Deposition [PDF] to see what Tom is seeking to find out, including: •    Who gave authority to the Notre Dame Police Department to arrest the ND88 •    Who decided that the ND 88 were not allowed on campus during the month of May, 2009, and when those decisions were made •    Notre Dame's policies and practices regarding demonstrations on campus •    All communications between Notre Dame and any outside policing entities regarding the treatment and arrest of the ND 88 and which communications occurred prior to the arrests And

FOX News covers the growing momentum of U.S. states like Colorado to advance Personhood for all persons born and pre-born..

Pope Benedict XVI encouraged Christian bloggers to "give a soul to the internet's incessant flow of communications," during an April 24 address to a conference on the latest developments in information technology. "Without fear we must set sail on the digital sea," the Holy Father told participants in the conference on "Digital Witness," which had been organized by the Italian bishops' conference. He observed that the Church has always boldly used the latest available technological means to broaden the reach of the Gospel message. The Pope mentioned several problems associated with the internet, such as the "digital divide" that "separates those included from those excluded." The internet itself is by nature egalitarian, he observed, but it achieves that result only if everyone has access. The Pope also mentioned "the dangers of conformity and control, of intellectual and moral relativism, which are alread

Several Catholic media sources are reporting that the Holy Father is expected to publish an apostolic letter in the coming weeks announcing the creation of a Pontifical Council for the New Evangelization. EWTN/CNA reports that  the new department will be aimed at bringing the Gospel back to Western societies that have lost their Christian identity. Andrea Tornielli, the Vatican correspondent for the daily Il Giornale who is usually well-informed on new appointments at the Vatican, wrote today that “Benedict does not cease to surprise: in the upcoming week the creation of a new dicastery of the Roman Curia dedicated to the evangelization of the West will be announced, and be presided over by Archbishop Rino Fisichella.” The new dicastery is aimed at evangelizing “countries where the Gospel has been announced centuries ago, but where its presence in their peoples' daily life seems to be lost. Europe, the United States and Latin America would be the areas of influenc

Read my review of Bleeder by John Desjarlais at St. Anthony Messenger.

Today is the optional memorial of Our Lady of Good Counsel. On the Feast of Saint Mark, the Evangelist, April 25 1467, the people of Genazzano, Italy witnessed a marvelous sight. A cloud descended upon an ancient church dedicated to Our Lady of Good Counsel. When the cloud disappeared, an image of Our Lady and the Child Jesus was revealed which had not been there before. The image, on a paper-thin sheet, was suspended miraculously. Soon after the image's appearance many miracles were attributed to the intercession of Our Lady of Good Counsel. Because of this, Pope Paul II ordered an investigation and the results have been preserved. It was later discovered that the very same image had been seen in a church dedicated to the Annunciation in Scutari, Albania. The image in this church was said to have arrived there in a miraculous manner. Now, the image had been transported from Albania miraculously to avoid sacrilege from Moslem invasion. A commission of inquiry determined th

I am pleased to announce that Our blogging friend, Micki, who brought us Holy Cards for Your Inspiration ,  is now assisting a friend, in starting a new blog, A Blessing to Read . Micki tells us: "It is my joy to pass along excerpts from a daily email titled "Joy2Day2U" sent by Janette.  She is a devotee of Eucharistic Adoration and anything to do with the Eucharist.  I'm blessed to post parts or all of these Eucharistic messages. She has a daily email mission and I am posting these messages as a blog." This blog contains beautiful holy cards and other colorful Catholic illustrations, as well as inspiring, uplifting messages and prayers. For a daily dose of spiritual nourishment, stop by A Blessing to Read.

Retreat on Dietrich von Hildebrand’s thought on love: Do Ideas Really Have Consequences? A Three Day Retreat for Philanthropists and Business Executives Seeking the Roots of Cultural Renewal Hosted by John Henry Crosby Founding Director, Hildebrand Project With Alice von Hildebrand, Roberta Green Ahmanson, Joseph Bottum, Hanna-Barbara Gerl-Falkovitz, Stephen Klimczuk, Robert Moynihan, and Many Other Special Guests May 27-29, 2010 Rome, Italy For a complete description of the retreat, including information on how to register, please visit: www.hildebrandlegacy.org/renewtheworld

 Fr. Barron discusses the meaning of creation.

Known as Mark Rey and the "Poor Man's Lawyer," Fidelis was born in 1577 at Sigmaringen, Prussia. His studies took him to the University of Freiburg and eventually to the position of tutor for Wilhelm von Stotzingen. Fidelis traveled with Wilhelm extensively throughout France and Italy before returning to Freiburg and earning a doctorate in canon and civil law. He became a prominent lawyer. However, he felt that this career endangered the salvation of his soul and he abandoned law. He joined the Capuchin Friars Minor, changed his name to Fidelis, and gave away his worldly wealth to the poor. As a Franciscan priest, he served his friary as guardian, and worked in epidemics, especially healing soldiers. He had a strong devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Trusting in her intercession, he often begged God for the grace of sacrificing his life in vindication of the Catholic faith. Fidelis was tireless in his efforts to convert heretics and wrote several pamphlets a

Lianna Rebolledo, a Mexican woman who became pregnant when she was 13 after being raped, talks about the past 20 years, the gift her daughter has been to her, and how she never considered having an abortion.

  The Holy Father is suffering at the hands of those inside the Church more than those outside the Church.

Today's saint of the day is St. George. St George is honored in the Catholic Church as one of the most illustrious martyrs of Christ. The Greeks have long distinguished him by the title of The Great Martyr, and keep his festival a holiday of obligation. However, very little is known about the life and martyrdom of any of the Early Christian martyrs and Saint George is no exception. It is certain that he lived during the reign of the Roman emperor Diocletian. He is reputed to have come from Cappadocia, and reached the rank of Tribune in the Roman army. Several stories have been attached to Saint George, the best known of which is the Golden Legend . In it, a dragon lived in a lake near Silena, Libya. Whole armies had gone up against this fierce creature, and had gone down in painful defeat. The monster ate two sheep each day; when mutton was scarce, lots were drawn in local villages, and maidens were substituted for sheep. Into this country came Saint George. Heari

The U.S. Bishops’ Secretariat of Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations is initiating a new website on April 25 to be a resource for both laity and clergy in the promotion of vocations. The launch date is the World Day of Prayer for Vocations and Good Shepherd Sunday.             The site has two goals:             To help individuals hear and respond to the call by God to the priesthood or consecrated life, and             To educate all Catholics on the importance of encouraging others through prayer and activities to promote vocations.  The Vocations Website can be found at  www.ForYourVocation.org . A Spanish-language site will be available this fall at www.PorTuVocacion.org . ~ Via USCCB.

 Mandy Smith, whose teenage affair and later marriage to Rolling Stone Bill Wyman, made headlines decades ago. Now her life has taken a decidedly different route as she returns to her Catholic roots. She now has some definite opinions on protecting young women from falling into the same trap that she did. LifeSiteNews reports that Mandy Smith, the former child-lover and later wife of Rolling Stone bassist Bill Wyman, believes that the age of consent should be raised to 18 in order to protect young girls, who are emotionally vulnerable when it comes to sexual relationships at that age. In an interview with the UK’s Daily Mail , Smith said that she had slept with the much older Wyman when she was 14 years old, beginning a relationship that stole away a childhood she “could never get back.” Smith, 39, revealed to the Mail that she has come a long way from being the Wild Child on London’s celebrity scene in the 1980s to a woman who is now single, celibate, and living out a re

This undercover footage was taken by Live Action President Lila Rose and Live Action Actor Jackie Stollar who both posed undercover as minors with Rose telling the staff that she was 14-years-old and impregnated by her 31-year-old "boyfriend". In the video, the EMW counselor named "Wendy" determines that Rose is “14 to 15-weeks pregnant” and Rose expresses that she wants to keep the situation secret from her parents. Despite not giving any indication that Rose will face abusive parents, the clinic guides Rose to call Louisville attorney Mickey Adams so that Adams can help Rose obtain a judicial bypass around Kentucky's parental consent law and avoid parental knowledge of the abortion or sexually abusive relationship. In the state of Kentucky, sex between a 14-year-old and a 31-year-old is rape in the third degree and would reasonably be considered sexual abuse of a child which must be reported to law enforcement immediately. The clinic failed t

Today at the weekly general audience in Rome, Pope Benedict spoke publicly for the first time on fighting clerical sex abuse within the Church.  The Holy Father told the crowd in St. Peter's Square about how he gave “assurances of the Church's action” at a meeting with  abuse victims in Malta. The Pontiff made his remarks following his recent papal visit to Malta last weekend, where he met with eight men who said they were abused by priests in a Church-operated orphanage on the island. Pope Benedict recalled on Wednesday that during his tearful encounter with the men, he “shared their suffering and, greatly moved, prayed with them, giving them assurances of the Church's action” on fighting clerical sex abuse. Entire Story

Washington, DC (20 April 2010) – American Life League has joined Sound Choice Pharmaceutical Institute in calling for a Fair Labeling and Informed Consent Act after a 2010 study by the Environmental Protection Agency confirmed 1988 as a “change point” in the rise of Autism Disorder rates. The date confirms an increasing body of evidence implicating the use of aborted fetal cell material in the nationwide vaccinations impacting nearly every child born in the United States. “For years the evidence has pointed toward the link between vaccines using DNA from aborted babies and the rise of Autism Disorder rates,” said Jim Sedlak, vice president of American Life League. “Parents need and deserve to know the risks associated with vaccinations made from lines derived from the bodies of aborted children.” While the pharmaceutical industry ignores the evidence and continues to put our children at risk, Sound Choice is conducting studies on the impact of residual human fet

 This is a beautiful witness!

Today is the optional memorial of St. Anselm, bishop and doctor of the Church.  St. Anselm (1033-1109) was born in Aosta, Italy, and died in Canterbuy, England. St. Anselm's services to the Church are principally the following: First, as Archbishop of Canterbury he defended the rights and liberties of the Church against the encroachments of the English kings, who plundered the Church's lands, impeded the Archbishop's communications with the Holy See, and claimed the right to invest prelates with ring and crosier, symbols of the Church's spiritual jurisdiction. Second, as a philosopher and theologian he developed a method of reasoning which prepared the way for the great thinkers of the Middle Ages. Third, he had a great devotion to Our Lady and was t he first to establish the feast of the Immaculate Conception in the West. As prior and abbot, Anselm made the Benedictine monastery of Bec the center of a true reformation in Normandy and England. From

"Our Savior says, if you have not received the graces that you desire, do not complain to me, but blame yourself, because you have neglected to seek them from me." ~ St. Alphonsus Liguori

 Be assured that this case will be closely watched because it involves religion, education and homosexuality. A Christian student organization is seeking to overturn a court ruling that sided with a California university which denied recognition to the group because of its statement of faith. The Christian Legal Society (CLS) was denied recognition by the University of California's Hastings College of Law because of the group's statement of faith, which prevents anyone who is “unrepentantly” engaging “in sexual conduct outside of marriage between a man and a woman” from being a group leader or member. UC Hastings charged that this provision violates the school's ban on “sexual orientation” discrimination despite the fact that CLS's statement of faith is based on the conduct of members of any sexual orientation and not on one's “immutable status.” Read the full article here. Related Post: Red Cardigan: The Idea is Crazy

Related Posts on Catholic Fire:   Pfleger calls for women priests, married priests   Fr. Pfleger creates terrible scandal A.L.L. Calls Cardinal George Award to Fr. Pfleger a Disgrace Why is Fr. Pfleger receiving a lifetime achievement award? Barack Obama and The Priest Who Sold His Soul to the Devil Catholic Church in America Has Bred Her Own Destroyers: Obama Exploiting it Related Information from Thomas Peters at CatholicActionVote.org: Update: Fr. Pfleger’s immature response Important: Fr. Pfleger attempts to turn congregation against Cardinal George

Today is the feast of St. Agnes of Montepulciano, a nun of the Order of Preachers. This holy virgin was born in 1268 in a little village near Montepulciano, Italy, of the wealthy family of De Segni. Her birth was announced by great lights surrounding the house where she was born, and from her babyhood she was one specially marked out for dedication to God. As a child, she often spent hours reciting the Our Father and Hail Mary on her knees in some private corner of a chamber. She was such a pious child that when she was nine years old her parents placed her in a Franciscan convent known as Sackins, so called because their habits or scapulars were made of sackcloth. Agnes was a model of all virtues to this austere community. She was also well-known for her gifts of miracles and prophecy. At the age of fifteen, she entered the Dominican Order at Proceno, in the county of Orvieto, and was appointed abbess by Pope Nicholas IV. She slept on the ground, with a stone under her

We love you and we're praying for you, Mother! Here's one of my favorite quotes from Mother Angelica: "If you're not a thorn in somebody's side, you aren't doing Christianity right."

 Some interesting data from Catholic World News: A survey of US seminarians who will be ordained this year has found that 31% were born outside the United States, with most coming from Mexico, Colombia, the Philippines, Poland and Vietnam. Among the other findings of the survey: # the average (mean) age of ordinands is 37; the median age of diocesan ordinands is 33 # 10% are converts # 37% have a relative who is a priest or religious # 55% have more than two siblings # 49% attended a Catholic elementary school, and 39% attended a Catholic college # 60% completed college before entering the seminary; 92% held full-time jobs # 16% had a parent with career military service # 78% were encouraged by a priest to enter the seminary; few were influenced by vocational advertising # 50% were discouraged by parents or other family members from considering the seminary; 15% were discouraged by priests, while 4% were discouraged by religious # 19% attended a World Youth Day, and 8% attended a

I wish more adults understood this. Perhaps she can explain it to them. Despite protests and pressure from feminists and pro-abortion groups, an 11-year-old girl in the Mexican city of Chetumal has refused to undergo an abortion.  The young girl explained her decision saying that she understands, “a life is growing in her womb.” The girl is receiving medical attention at a local clinic, where doctors say the results of psychological tests have been positive.  The recent tests, said Lizbeth Gamboa Song, director of the National System for the Comprehensive Development of the Family, show the girl has a proper understanding of the new life within her and of what to expect during the pregnancy. Read the entire story.

At least two U.S. bishops have taken action against the dissident women’s religious communities and the Catholic Health Association who supported health care reform legislation in defiance of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. I can't tell you how supportive I am of these bishops for clamping down on these Catholic in Name only nuns, who  need to be disciplined for supporting abortion and the other evils of ObamaCare, which is both anti-life and anti-Catholic. I hope that other bishops will follow in the footsteps of these bold, brave bishops. . CNS reports that Bishop Lawrence E. Brandt of Greensburg, Pa., has directed diocesan offices, parishes and the diocesan newspaper not to promote the “vocation awareness program of any religious community” that was a signatory to a letter urging members of the House of Representatives to pass the health reform bill. In Providence, R.I., Bishop Thomas J. Tobin asked the Catholic Health Association to remove the dio

Today Pope Benedict XVI celebrates the fifth anniversary of his election as Pope . On April 19, 2005 Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, succeeding Pope John Paul II, became the 264th successor of St. Peter. How is he celebrating his special day? The College of Cardinals organized a lunch with the Pope as the guest of honor to mark the occasion, while the Italian Church called for a day of prayer for him. Monday's lunch in the Pope's honor took place in the Ducal Hall of the Apostolic Palace and was attended by 46 cardinals. Vatican Radio reported that Cardinal Dean Angelo Sodano commemorated the five-year milestone with a short address in which he thanked the Holy Father for his service to the Church and the world, carried out with "great generosity." He voiced the support of the College of Cardinals for the Bishop of Rome and underscored that "the light of Christian hope, with the certainty that the grace of the Lord continues to work among us,"