TCA Podcast, – “Conversations with Consequences,” Episode 234 – Praying the Rosary for Israel & Manny Diaz Talks Florida Education
As the country of Israel is still under attack with the loss of life climbing, Dr. Grazie Christie, Maureen Ferguson and Ashley McGuire invite listeners to pray the Rosary as we remember the Blessed Mother, herself a Jewish mother, raising her son, the Christ child, in a situation similar to what our brothers and sisters in the Holy Land are experiencing right now. We also talk with Florida Board of Education commissioner Manny Diaz Jr. about what the state is doing to protect its youth from harmful ideologies. Father Roger Landry also offers 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-234-praying-the-rosary-for-israel-manny-diaz-talks-florida-education/
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1. Vatican Says It’s Ready to Mediate Between Israel and Hamas, By Francis X. Rocca, The Wall Street Journal, October 13, 2023
The Vatican said it was ready to mediate between Hamas and Israel to prevent further violence and facilitate the return of hostages held by Hamas. Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican secretary of state, told Vatican media on Friday that the attacks on Israel by Hamas were “inhuman” and he echoed Pope Francis’ call for the freeing of Israeli hostages held by the militant group. But he also called for negotiations and for Israel to limit itself to a proportional response in Gaza.
“It is the right of those who are attacked to defend themselves, but even legitimate defense must respect the parameter of proportionality,” Parolin said. “I do not know how much room for dialogue there can be between Israel and the Hamas militia, but if there is—and we hope there is—it should be pursued immediately and without delay.”
https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/israel-hamas-war-gaza-strip/card/vatican-says-it-s-ready-to-mediate-between-israel-and-hamas-ckHkDZSIW2pBHF3idM7f
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2. US envoy says Pope called Hamas attacks on Israel ‘criminal’, By Crux, October 13, 2023
Pope Francis met a U.S. special envoy for anti-Semitism Thursday amid the developing war between Israel and Hamas, with the diplomat later saying the pontiff had referred to the surprise attacks that triggered the conflict as “criminal.”
Deborah Lipstadt, who’s served as the United States Special Envoy for Monitoring and Combating Antisemitism since May 22, was in Rome participating in a conference at the Jesuit-sponsored Gregorian University on new documents recently made available by the Vatican from the reign of Pope Pius XII, who led the Catholic Church during the era of the Holocaust and the Second World War.
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“We also discussed the bone-chilling violence in Israel and expressed our great concern for the brutal terrorist attacks taking place, which Pope Francis described as criminal,” she said.
The meeting came in the wake of comments by Francis on the conflict on Wednesday which were welcomed by the Israeli ambassador to the Holy See as “filling a vacuum.”
During a general audience address Wednesday, Pope Francis appealed for all hostages be released. He also insisted “it is the right of those who were attacked to defend themselves,” while also voicing concern over “the total siege Palestinians in Gaza face, where many have also been innocent victims.”
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https://cruxnow.com/vatican/2023/10/us-envoy-says-pope-called-hamas-attacks-on-israel-criminal
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3. A True Shepherd, Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone responded to the death of political adversary Dianne Feinstein with charity and graciousness, as befits all Catholics., By Shannon Mullen, National Catholic Register, October 13, 2023, Editorial
When longtime California Sen. Dianne Feinstein died on Sept. 29, one of the more remarkable tributes paid to her came from a surprising source: Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco.
Feinstein, of course, was the ardently pro-abortion senator who in 2017 famously remarked to Amy Coney Barrett, then a nominee for the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, that the “the dogma lives loudly within you.” She was referring, and none too kindly, to Barrett’s devotion to her Catholic faith and to her adherence to what that faith teaches about the sanctity of human life.
And Archbishop Cordileone, as we know, is the Catholic prelate who cared enough about the immortal soul of one of his flock — U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi — to accept the scorn he knew would come, even from within the Church, by publicly instructing her last year not to present herself for Communion in the San Francisco Archdiocese until she repudiated her advocacy of abortion and confessed and received absolution “of this grave sin” in the sacrament of penance.
Considering this, one would have thought the archbishop simply would have offered his prayers for Feinstein and her family and made a few perfunctory remarks in recognition of Feinstein’s long career in public service.
In fact, his statement, which is posted in full here, begins just this way.
“As our state and nation mourn the passing of Senator Dianne Feinstein,” he writes, “I would like to express the sympathy of the Catholic community of San Francisco and assure her family of our prayers for her and for them.”
He might have ended there. Instead, he continued for another 391 words.
“The senator was an alumna of the Convent of the Sacred Heart,” the archbishop goes on, “and from those formative years she forged deep and abiding friendships with many Catholics. Tragic circumstances placed her at the helm of San Francisco in a time of great turmoil and anger. During her tenure as mayor, she had to face many challenges, and I am told by those who lived here in those days that she met them with courage, compassion, and poise.”
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The anecdote speaks well of Feinstein, of course. But it also serves as a reminder of the importance of civility and mutual respect in public discourse despite critical differences, something that has all but vanished from our ever-coarsening culture today.
The story also illustrates the kind of church-state collaboration that in the past was so fruitful and beneficial to the common good of our country — and still can be today. Outreach to immigrants, education, prison ministry and Catholic health care offer some examples.
Most of all, though, the story tells us something about the heart of its author, a true shepherd.
As children, we probably all heard the maxim that if you can’t say something nice about someone, don’t say anything at all. Few of us realized at the time how scriptural that advice is (Colossians 4:6). How hard it is to live those words, though, especially when someone has angered or offended us!
Leading by example, Archbishop Cordileone shows us a different way; a very Catholic way: responding with charity and graciousness.
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I encourage you to reflect on Archbishop Cordileone’s words and say a prayer for the soul of Dianne Feinstein.
And the next time the opportunity presents itself to respond to an opponent’s misfortune with scorn or sarcasm, remember that they’re a child of God — and that you’re a Catholic — and take the higher road.
https://www.ncregister.com/commentaries/a-true-shepherd-0mv0adny
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4. Atheism and religion in America, By Andrea Picciotti-Bayer, The Washington Post, October 12, 2023, 5:01 PM, Letter to the Editor
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For many American families, faith guides our lives. What’s more, society benefits because of religious conviction. Take, for example, the higher charitable giving and volunteer service in the communities of people motivated to do so because of their religious convictions, or the families with strong religious convictions who open their homes to foster children or who adopt. And let’s not forget faith-inspired institutions such as hospitals, universities, those serving immigrants and refugees, and others providing international relief. And then there are religious orders attending to the elderly poor or aiding pregnant women.
Kate Cohen decided to abandon the faith of her family and “vowed not to teach [her] children anything [she] did not personally believe.” That’s her right. To justify her decision, however, she isn’t entitled to belittle those who hold steadfast to religious convictions and the desire to pass faith on to their children. And she’s just wrong in asserting that society would be better off if everyone joined her in disbelief.
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https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/10/12/atheism-religion-america/
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5. Diocese appeals city’s decision to block a Mass for Life in front of abortion clinic, By John Lavenburg, Crux, October 12, 2023
Days after a judge blocked a city permit that would have allowed the Diocese of Wichita, Kansas, to close a street for its annual Mass for Life, blocking the entrance to an abortion clinic, a diocesan spokesperson said they hope to make their case to the city council and reschedule the event.
“That’s our hope,” Matthew Vainer, director of communications for the diocese said of holding the Mass in front of the abortion clinic, adding that it’s important to do so because “it’s important for us as Catholics to always believe that the unborn need a voice, so we can hold up their lives.”
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https://cruxnow.com/church-in-the-usa/2023/10/diocese-appeals-citys-decision-to-block-a-mass-for-life-in-front-of-abortion-clinic
__________________________________________________________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. |
