Catholic Fire

Archbishop Charles Chaput Over the past two years, we’ve spent a lot of time dealing with challenges in the life of our local Church.  We’ve made good progress, thanks to the hard work of a great many people.  But fixing problems isn’t an end in itself.  That’s just a beginning.  The point of our work is to clear away obstacles to the joy of knowing Jesus Christ and to a life rooted in the Gospel.  We had a taste of that joy last weekend, November 9, with the wonderful success of the Magnificat Day gathering – a combination of beautiful worship, common prayer and great presentations.  Events like Magnificat Day feed the soul and renew the hope at the heart of Catholic life. We need a lot more of the same energy.  And happily, more is on the way.  On Saturday, December 7, the archdiocese will host a uniquely important Catholic women’s conference, “The Feminine Genius: Every Woman’s Gift.”  This will be a milestone in the life of our Ch...

Philadelphia, Pa., Oct 3, 2013 / 02:02 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Francis’ papacy has been marked by a distinct emphasis on the poor and a unique ability to convey God’s tenderness, Archbishop Charles Chaput of Philadelphia said Oct. 1 at the seminary of his archdiocese. “Anyone hoping for - or worried about - a break by Pope Francis from Catholic teaching on matters of substance is going to be mistaken, ” the archbishop said at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Philadelphia. “At the same time, the tone of this pontificate will certainly be distinct from anything in the past century." Read the entire story.

“The modern heart can only be won back by a radical witness of Christian discipleship – a renewed kind of shared community life obedient to God’s Commandments, but also on fire with the Beatitudes lived more personally and joyfully by all of us." ~ Archbishop Charles J. Chaput  , Philadelphia

A few key principles should guide the development of any health care reform legislation, especially in light of the mixed and sobering track record of national health plans in other countries: • It should provide access to basic, quality health services for all persons, from conception to natural death, with a special concern for the poor, elderly and disabled, and the inclusion of legal immigrants; • It should protect the conscience rights of individuals and religious institutions; • It should exclude all so-called “services” that involve violence against the dignity of the human person, such abortion, physician-assisted suicide and their funding; • It should be economically realistic and sustainable, with costs spread equitably across all taxpayers. ~ Excerpted from Act now to ensure health care reform respects sanctity of life

American Papist shares the following: Via a friend of the Archbishop's, I am told he is to undergo spine surgery soon. Nothing too serious, I understand, but prayers should be offered up for the health and safety of this leading light in the Church in America. Let's lift up this faithful servant of the Lord in our daily prayers.

by Judie Brown In attempting to put a proper face on the ugly situation developing on the campus of Notre Dame University, home of the recent announcement that President Barack Obama would give the commencement address and receive an honorary degree, I fell upon an incredibly wise insight just uttered by Archbishop Charles Chaput. Speaking at the Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit, the archbishop said,We need to stop over-counting our numbers, our influence, our institutions and our resources, because they're not real. We can't talk about following St. Paul and converting our culture until we sober up and get honest about what we've allowed ourselves to become. We need to stop lying to each other, to ourselves and to God by claiming to 'personally oppose' some homicidal evil – but then allowing it to be legal at the same time.When I read those words, it occurred to me that the current president of Notre Dame should have been at that speech, taking notes! Here we...

“Genocide is always gravely wrong. Deliberately targeting civilians in combat is always gravely wrong. Abortion, infanticide and euthanasia are always gravely wrong. There are no exceptions, because all of these evil actions intentionally attack the innocent. No authority can legitimately demand our cooperation in intrinsically evil acts -- and authority loses its legitimacy when it tries to do so.” ~ Archbishop Chaput, speaking to Catholic cadets at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado Full story here.

By Judie Brown Every year, at about this time, many Americans make what are commonly known as New Year's resolutions. It is no surprise to any of us mere mortals that most of these resolutions may not last beyond the time it takes to enunciate them. But I think that there are a couple that all of us in the pro-life community could adopt with gusto and keep, regardless of the political atmosphere, cultural meltdown or increasing lack of belief in God. The first is based on the profound words spoken last month by Dominican Father Augustine DiNoia, undersecretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Father DiNoia was lecturing at Rome’s Pontifical North American College, and it is reported that he said the following in his message: No one in his or her right mind will be interested in a faith about which its exponents seem too embarrassed to communicate forthrightly… We have to be convinced that the fullness of the truth and beauty of the message about Jesus Christ is p...

More details.... Keynote Speaker - Most Rev. Charles Chaput, Archbishop of Denver Main Speaker - SherryWeddell Co-Founder and Director Catherine of Siena Institute Multiple Workshops - Scripture, Spirituality, Youth ministry, Parish renewal, and much more Contact: 313-883-8792 http://www.shms.edu/ lessonsfromstpaul@shms.edu Mark Your Calendars! ~ Via American Papist.

Archbishop of Denver Charles J. Chaput and Denver’s Auxiliary Bishop James D. Conley have issued a statement insisting that Catholic teaching holds that human life is sacred from the moment of fertilization, calling claims insisting otherwise, reportedly made by the governor of Colorado, “bad theology and bad public policy.” Governor Bill Ritter, who is Catholic, on Tuesday commented on the Colorado ballot measure Amendment 48, which would define personhood as beginning at conception. He reportedly said: “My understanding is that there are things about calling a fertilized egg a person that do not square with Church doctrine.” “This is false,” Denver’s bishops said in a Wednesday statement. “Catholic teaching holds that human life is sacred from the moment of fertilization, commonly called ‘conception,’ to the moment of natural death. “Separating a ‘fertilized egg’ from the dignity of human personhood is bad theology and bad public policy. And Catholic public officials should know bet...

Vigil held at new Planned Parenthood clinic About 2,500 people circled the new Planned Parenthood clinic Monday night as part of a vigil organized by the Archdiocese of Denver. A niece of the late Marin Luther King. Jr., Alveda King, and Denver's Roman Catholic Archbishop Charles Chaput led the marchers in calling for an end to abortion and the closing of the clinic. Some of the marchers recited the rosary while others marched silently on sidewalks that had been previously chalked with anti-abortion messages. MORE

By George Weigel Full disclosure, up front: Archbishop Charles Chaput of Denver is an old friend; the Archdiocese of Denver syndicates this column to Catholic papers throughout the country; I played a (very) minor role in introducing Archbishop Chaput to my friends at Doubleday. So I’m not exactly a disinterested party in the matter of the archbishop’s new book, Render Unto Caesar: Serving the Nation by Living Our Catholic Beliefs in Political Life. I trust that doesn’t preclude my suggesting that it’s essential reading for serious Catholics in an election year fraught with consequence for core Catholic issues in 21st century America. Archbishop Chaput is a pastor, first and foremost; his book is a pastor’s book. It’s informed by scholarship, and by the archbishop’s extensive experience in wrestling with issues at the intersection of morality and public policy. At the same time it’s a book for ordinary Catholics who want to be faithful to the Church and faithful to the first principles...