First Sunday of Advent

Fr. Z and NLM walk us through this evening's papal liturgy. Remember to light your advent wreath!

[photo credit: REUTERS/Giampiero Sposito (VATICAN)]

Photo Caption Call - 11/28/08

Today's Top Story: "Rumor: Pope Benedict to visit Holy Land in May 2009"

Winning Caption: "Quieter than a silent E." - Worm

Add your captions below in the comment box! View the winning caption from the last Photo Caption Call here.

[Source: e3000]

Advent wreath tips

My family has always been very good about observing the tradition of lighting an Advent wreath to prepare for Christmas.

The Catholic Spirit (MN) and Florida Catholic have articles this week explaining the tradition and providing prayers for the first week of Advent.

(Ph/t: CNS)

[photo credit: mrscurtis2005]

Rumor: Pope Benedict to visit Holy Land in May 2009

Exciting news if it turns out to be true:

Israeli president Shimon Peres has extended an invitation to Pope Benedict XVI to visit Israel in 2009 and he is considering the offer, according to the Vatican’s spokesman Fr. Federico Lombardi.

Speaking to the press on Thursday in Rome, Fr. Lombardi reacted to an article in the Israeli newspaper Ha’aretz that stated that Pope Benedict has indeed accepted an offer to visit the Holy Land in the second week of May, 2009.

While not denying that discussions are under way, Fr. Lombardi did not confirm the specifics. "I can confirm that contacts exist at a diplomatic level between the Holy See and Israel to study the possibility of a trip by the Pope to the Holy Land next year," he said.

The article in Ha’aretz also claimed that the Pope will visit the Palestinian territories by stopping in Bethlehem. (CNA)

If the trip accomplishes one thing, I hope it finally puts to rest this common misconception:

"[The trip] would help to ease recent tensions between Catholics and Jews over the role of wartime Pope Pius XII, who some Jews have accused of turning a blind eye to the Holocaust." (Reuters)

You can expect the Pius XII controversy to be front-and-center during the news coverage of the Holy Father's visit. Good. Maybe the Church can finally, publicly defend herself against the false charges.

But I won't be holding my breath.

Vote for a pro-life blog in the CBA!

The Pro-life blog "ProWomanProLife" has been nominated for "Best New Blog" in the Canadian Blog Awards.

Go Vote!

Advent on your iPhone: Introducing "iHabitus"

Not a gag post!

More details from Fr. Z.

And this would be just as good as any to ask, do you have any Catholic software for mobile devices tips? What about a Facebook Advent application? I've heard of such a thing existing but this one appears to be the only one updated for 2008, and it does not appear to be particularly Christian.

Anyway, I'd love to promote these sorts of things to other AmP readers. Spread the Good News (online)!

CDF to release important bioethics document on Dec. 12

We've been waiting awhile for this one:

A new Vatican instruction on bioethics, prepared by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, is scheduled to be published Dec. 12, informed sources said Wednesday.

The document, under discussion for at least two years, is expected to examine ethical issues in biological research and health care that have emerged in recent years, including the cloning and freezing of human embryos, stem cell research and new therapeutic possibilities.

Pope Benedict XVI was head of the doctrinal congregation when both those documents were published. Addressing the congregation in January, the pope said the new problems included the freezing of human embryos, the selective reduction of embryos, pre-implant diagnosis, research on embryonic stem cells and attempts at human cloning. (CNS)

This document will be a follow-up to Donum Vitae (1987) and Evangelium Vitae (1995), both landmark statements from the Church on the literally life-and-death importance of bioethical decision and practice.

Picture: New Cardinals (Awesome)

A treasure taken from the recently made-public LIFE magazine photo archives:

Cardinals prostrating in the Sistine Chapel. From The Far Sight 2.0 via NLM.

How many books does Pope Benedict own?

Answer? 20,000!

Aside from being a prolific author himself, Pope Benedict XVI loves books. After he was elected Pope in 2005, renovations were undertaken to the papal residence to accommodate his personal library of 20,000 books.

So it’s especially fitting that the Vatican opened a new bookstore this week dedicated to the Holy Father. Along with books, the new store offers both a stamp and a medal collection, including a new stamp printed for the occasion of the opening, Zenit reported. (NCRegister.com)

wow.

THANK YOU!

The combined efforts of AmP readers, and friends of AmP readers, resulted in this blog becoming the second Runner-Up in the 2008 Blogging Scholarship contest, with almost 5,000 votes:

As promised, this money will be used to pay off my student loans. I have all you to thank for that, this Thanksgiving and everytime I look at the bill for my student loans (which will be often).

Also, that crisis pregnancy center I asked AmP readers to vote for, well it ended up winning a $25,000 office makeover.

This level of grassroots organization and mutual support between Catholics online is very encouraging to me. Together we can be a powerful, united force for good, in every area of our lives. Keep it up!

Large scale terrorist attack unfolding in India

Breaking news .... the UK Times:

At least 80 people were killed tonight and 20 Westerners taken hostage as suspected Islamic terrorists mounted a series of co-ordinated attacks on India’s financial capital.

The gunman, armed with automatic weapons and grenades, targeted British and American tourists in the city’s luxury hotels and bars. They were reported to be holding Western tourists hostage at the Taj Mahal Palace, Bombay’s top hotel, where a group of British MEPs were staying.

As a swathe of violent incidents swept across the south of the city, hitting at least nine locations, security sources said “a major terror attack” was unfolding. A senior police officer said that “terrorists have used automatic weapons and we have reports that in some places hand grenades have been used”.

“We have reports of 80 people dead and at least 900 injured. Many have serious injuries and the toll will go up,” said P.D Ghadge, a police officer in the main control room in Mumbai. Hemant Karkare, chief of the police anti-terrorist squad in Bombay, was among the victims. Police said two terrorists had been killed.

Shootings were reported in the lobby of the five-star Taj Mahal Palace hotel in the Colaba area of south Bombay and at the nearby Leopolds bar, a popular destination with western backpackers. Witnesses described pools of blood and bullet-scarred walls at both locations.

“I guess they were after foreigners, because they were asking for British or American passports,” said Rakesh Patel, a British witness who lives in Hong Kong and was staying at the Taj Mahal hotel on business. “They had bombs.”

Drudge is following the story.

Let's pray for the victims and be thankful for the relative peace we are blessed with in America.

update: and lest we let our own guard down, there are now reports of a plan to bomb penn station.

update 2: Pope Benedict has responded.

Evil Stocking Stuffer: Gift Certificates for Abortions

I'm not making this up:

Gift certificates have become a popular holiday gift option, but a controversial new one, already has people talking. For the first time, Planned Parenthood in Indiana is offering gift certificates.

.... asked if the gift certificates could be used towards abortions. The answer is yes. But, Planned Parenthood said that's not the purpose of the gift certificates. (Local 8)

Video:



PP of Indiana has made it onto the AmP radar before, back in February, where it offered to prepare students for their spring break with a "free emergency contraception day." PP of Indiana certainly appears to be innovative and pro-active when it comes to promoting their wide range of harmful services.

Related: "Planned Parenthood Issues Christmas Gift Certificates: Give the Gift of Abortion" (LifeNews)

Video: Man transports 20 bricks on his head!

If this is real, it's incredible:

Vatican forgives Lennon. Who's next, I wonder?

Someone at L'OR must have had space to fill:

The Vatican's newspaper [L'OR] has finally forgiven John Lennon for declaring that the Beatles were more famous than Jesus Christ, calling the remark a "boast" by a young man grappling with sudden fame. (Reuters)

During the papacy of John Paul II, the Church went through an "apology stage." If this is the beginning of a "forgiveness stage" in the Church, I have some suggestions for who the Vatican should forgive next:

1. Vatican "experts" who claimed Pope Benedict XVI would be a vindictive, blood-thirsty traditionalist tyrant, single-handely ushering in a new dark ages
2. The so-called "new athiests" who have blamed the Catholic church for everything evil that has happened in the world since the Incarnation, except for natural disasters
3. The pop singer Madonna, for the past 25-or-so years (this one will be tough)

There, that should keep L'OR busy.

Amazing Photos of Dubai

I keep tabs on Dubai.

This page contains amazing recent photos of the fastest-growing city in the world.

Including this one, of the new Tower of Babel.

What about Twilight?

If you look at the movie Box Office returns from last weekend, there's a big surprise....

.... it's the movie Twilight. I'm rather disturbed by its huge success, because I've heard nothing good about the book it is based on.

A Catholic mother blogging about the book and movie over at Spes Unica has this to say:

"The Twilight Saga is an international sensation, but unlike other recent blockbusters (for example, the Harry Potter series), this fan base tilts very, very heavily towards females. (One fan site listed a ratio of 31 registered females for every male, and I would venture to say it may be optimistic about the number of males.) The series has been carefully marketed as a courtly romance based on old fashioned morals, but this is simply untrue. It is driven by eroticism and obsession, contains explicit sexual situations and violence, and disturbing spiritual content which concludes in a “happy ending” where the heroine of the story gives up her soul to become a vampire." (Read More)

So be advised - Twilight is dark for a reason.

update: it's evident from the comment thread that other Catholics view this series favorably, for instance the USCCB review, and pro-life chastity blogger Kate Bryan.

Since I have not read the books or seen the movie, nor do I have a particular interest in the genre, I'll refrain from commenting and allow AmP readers to pursue the debate who are closer to it.

I would say, speaking as an outsider, that this genre of film in general contains unsavory elements, and so if it is good, that means it has an uphill battle. But for all that, it would be encouraging to see that there is an entry that features acceptable moral values for a chance. Otherwise it's just another teen vampire movie. Blech.

Online Movie: Volition (pro-life & powerful)

A powerful film available in its entirety online.

The description doesn't quite to it justice:

"The act of making a choice. Sometimes the choice of inaction has consequences stronger than we could ever imagine. Throughout history, men have been faced with difficult choices in a world that makes it easy for them to conform. This film explores the hope that lies behind every decision made in the face of adversity; the hope that is buried in the heart of those that look beyond themselves and see something bigger worth fighting for."

Okay,that's a bit vague. Watch the movie and it's very clear what is being talked about. And it's very moving.

Cardinal DiNardo leads procession from PP to death row

Not a coincidence:

Saying they want to promote the sanctity of life, several hundred people traveled to Huntsville Monday morning. The group was made up mostly of Catholics, including one very prominent one - Cardinal Daniel DiNardo.

They said their protest was to call attention to the value of life, whether unborn or condemned, which is why the group ended their procession at TDCJ's death row.

The prayers were as constant as the step. The procession moved forward at a steady clip as over 300 people walked quietly through the heart of Huntsville from the Planned Parenthood offices traveling north of the Walls Unit. It was a chance, many say, to protest against abortion and state executions of convicted criminals. (ABC 13)

And on a related note, Corpus Christi is refusing to give money to Planned Parenthood (at least for now). Would that other cities would follow its lead.

Ph/t: Dawn.

Keeping track: a list of Obama's anti-life appointments

As LifeSiteNews records, they include so far his:

1. Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel
2. Commerce Secretary Bill Richardson (Catholic)
3. Secretary of Health and Human Services Tom Daschle (my posts on him)
4. Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano
5. Communications Director Ellen Moran (my post on her)

... and we can expect:

1. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
2. Secretary of the Interior: Raúl M. Grijalva

Discouraging, not unexpected.

Vatican turns to Korean for economic advice

Tucked away at the very end of Monday's Vatican bulletino:

"VATICAN CITY, 24 NOV 2008 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed .... Thomas Han Hong-soon as international auditor of the Prefecture of the Economic Affairs of the Holy See."

Good stuff from a Zenit exposition and Catholic Asian News.

Photo Caption Call - 11/25/08

Today's Top Story: "AmP T-Shirt Contest"

Winning Caption: "Hey, you in the blue, where's your habit?!" - Caterina

Add your captions below in the comment box! View the winning caption from the last Photo Caption Call here.

[Source: Divxplanet]

Playing Gods: The Board Game of Divine Domination

"The world's first satirical board game of religious warfare."

USA Today has the story.

I'm dissapointed the article doesn't contain the word "smite." Such a missed opportunity.

BotC: St. Bridget's, New Jersey

[Beauties of the Church #5]

St. Bridget's in New Jersey ][ Photo by Flickr user mudpig