TCA Podcast, – “Conversations with Consequences,” Episode 145 – Mary Mcclusky Talks Hope After Abortion & Dr. Greg Popcak On Covid Mental Health Crisis
After tens of thousands marched for LIFE this month across the country, Dr. Grazie Christie and Mary McClusky of Project Rachel discuss the deep trauma so many women and men are feeling from abortion–and how we can help those suffering–and reach those considering such a tragic option. With the staggering numbers of suicides and mental health issues afflicting our teens, we turn to Catholic psychologist and EWTN radio host Dr. Greg Popcak on how best to help our own children–many still feeling the impact of COVID restrictions. Father Roger Landry also joins with an inspiring homily to prepare us for this Sunday’s Gospel. Catch the show every Saturday at 7amET/5pmET on EWTN radio!
https://thecatholicassociation.org/podcast/ep-145-mary-mcclusky-talks-hope-after-abortion-dr-greg-popcak-on-covid-mental-health-crisis/
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1. The Russian Orthodox Church and Ukraine, Putin uses the Baptism of Rus’ as a false pretext for Russian imperialism., By George Weigel, The Wall Street Journal, January 28, 2022, Pg. A13, Opinion
The Russian Orthodox Church’s insistence on being the sole heir of the Baptism of Rus’ is an integral part of the longstanding Russian claim, now deployed by Mr. Putin, that Ukraine is not a real nation with its own culture and history. At best, Ukraine is a “little brother” to the Russian hegemon. Yet the various Ukrainian Orthodox Churches and the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church have claims to the heritage of 988 at least as strong as the Russians’. The Baptism of Rus’, after all, took place in Kyiv and its environs when Moscow was a thick forest inhabited by wolves and bears.
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It might have been hoped that a post-Soviet Russian Orthodox Church would similarly disentangle itself from state power and help rebuild a civil society morally shattered by communism, but Patriarch Kirill of Moscow has done the opposite. The patriarch, whose early career path suggests collaboration with the KGB, has linked the Moscow patriarchate ever more closely to the Kremlin. This includes endorsing Mr. Putin’s absurd claims to be a defender of Christian civilization and underwriting the Putin policy of rebuilding Russian hegemony in the former Soviet space, now styled the Russkiy mir (“Russian world”).
If, as Patriarch Kirill and other Russian churchmen insist, Russian Orthodoxy holds a monopoly on the heritage of the Baptism of Rus’, then Ukraine is and must be part of the Russkiy mir. So there will be no pushback on Russian aggression in Ukraine from Patriarch Kirill who, at Mr. Putin’s 2012 inauguration, declared God to be the divine source of the president’s power and described Russian Orthodoxy as both guarantor and pastor of Mr. Putin’s personal autocracy.
For a Christian communion with the rich spiritual and theological resources of Russian Orthodoxy to legitimize tyranny and aggression is tragic. That, sadly, is the logic of the distorted history of the baptism of the eastern Slavs perpetrated by too many Russian Orthodox leaders.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/russian-orthodox-church-and-ukraine-christianization-greek-catholic-prince-vladimir-great-empire-invasion-11643296236
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2. Peter’s Pence donations fell by around 15% in 2021, says Vatican, By Catholic News Agency, January 28, 2022, 5:33 AM
Donations to Peter’s Pence fell by around 15% in 2021, the Vatican announced on Friday.
In an interview with Vatican News published on Jan. 28, Father Juan A. Guerrero, S.J., prefect of the Secretariat for the Economy, said that, while donations were still arriving from some countries, there was a marked decrease compared to 2020.
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“The decrease in 2021 is in addition to the 23% decrease between 2015 and 2019 and the 18% decrease in 2020, the first year of the pandemic.”
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/250245/peter-s-pence-donations-fell-by-around-15-percent-in-2021
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3. Pope denounces fake news about COVID, vaccines, urges truth, By Nicole Winfield, Associated Press, January 28, 2022, 6:12 AM
Pope Francis denounced fake news about COVID-19 and vaccines Friday, blasting the “distortion of reality based on fear” but also urging that people who believe such lies are helped to understand true scientific facts.
Francis met with Catholic journalists who have formed a fact-checking network to try to combat misinformation about the pandemic. Francis has frequently called for responsible journalism that searches for the truth and respects individuals, and his meeting with the “Catholic fact-checking” media consortium furthered that message.
“We can hardly fail to see that these days, in addition to the pandemic, an ‘infodemic’ is spreading: a distortion of reality based on fear, which in our global society leads to an explosion of commentary on falsified if not invented news,” Francis said.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/pope-denounces-fake-news-about-covid-vaccines-urges-truth/2022/01/28/241d304a-802b-11ec-8cc8-b696564ba796_story.html
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4. Cardinal in key Synod on Synodality post: ‘Reforms need a stable foundation’, By Catholic News Agency, January 27, 2022, 10:20 AM
A Jesuit cardinal who will play a central role in the 2023 Synod on Synodality has said that reforms in the Catholic Church require “a stable foundation.”
In a wide-ranging interview in the February edition of the German magazine Herder Korrespondenz, Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich was asked whether he could envisage the introduction of women deacons, reported CNA Deutsch, CNA’s German-language news partner.
He said: “I would have nothing against it. But reforms need a stable foundation. If the pope were now simply to allow viri probati [the priestly ordination of mature, married men] and deaconesses, the danger of schism would be great.”
“After all, it’s not just about the German situation, where perhaps only a small part would break away. In Africa or in countries like France, many bishops would possibly not go along with it.”
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He said: “The pope has nothing against conservatives if they learn from life. In the same way, he has nothing against the reformers if they keep the whole Church in mind. And the pope does not like infighting in the Church.”
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/250234/cardinal-in-key-synod-on-synodality-post-reforms-need-a-stable-foundation
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5. Court affirms ruling against bakery, wants fine revisited, By Associated Press, January 27, 2022
The Oregon Court of Appeals for a second time has upheld a ruling by the state civil rights division that found that an Oregon bakery illegally discriminated against a same-sex couple by refusing to sell them a wedding cake in 2013.
The Oregonian/OregonLive reports, however, the court on Wednesday also found the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries did not exhibit religious neutrality in issuing an $135,000 fine to Sweet Cakes by Melissa for illegal discrimination and returned the case to the civil rights division to reassess its fine.
The case began nine years ago, when Laurel and Rachel Bowman-Cryer filed a complaint against Sweet Cakes by Melissa owners Melissa and Aaron Klein, saying the bakery refused to bake them a wedding cake.
https://cruxnow.com/church-in-the-usa/2022/01/court-affirms-ruling-against-bakery-wants-fine-revisited
___________________________________________________________TCA Media Monitoring provides a snapshot from national newspapers and major Catholic press outlets of coverage regarding significant Catholic Church news and current issues with which the Catholic Church is traditionally or prominently engaged. The opinions and views expressed in the articles do not necessarily reflect the views of The Catholic Association. |
