As COVID cases continue to spike and many fearing another lockdown, Dr. Grazie Christie turns to Catholic psychologist, author and radio host Dr. Kevin Vost to help us suffering with anxiety and loneliness wrought on by another year marked by the pandemic. TCA colleague Maureen Ferguson also joins as we revisit with Theology of the Body expert Damon Owens with sage advice on how we can build strong relationships with our spouses and families despite the restrictions. Marking the 20th anniversary of 9-11, Father Roger Landry also offers an inspiring homily reflecting on the miracle of the Ground Zero cross found standing amid the rubble. Catch the show every Saturday at 7am ET 5pm ET on EWTN radio!

https://thecatholicassociation.org/podcast/ep-125-father-roger-landry-on-ground-zero-cross-dr-kevin-vost-talks-lockdown-and-loneliness/
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1. DOJ Sues Texas Over Its Abortion Law, By Sadie Gurman and Brent Kendall, The Wall Street Journal, September 10, 2021, Pg. A4

The Justice Department sued Texas Thursday to block a new state law banning most abortions, saying it was enacted “in open defiance of the Constitution.”

“This kind of scheme to nullify the Constitution of the United States is one that all Americans, whatever their politics or party, should fear,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said at a news conference announcing the action.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/biden-administration-expected-to-file-suit-soon-challenging-texas-abortion-law-11631205764?
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2. Merrick Garland’s Texas Two-Step, The AG files a lawsuit as dubious as the abortion law he wants to stop., By The Wall Street Journal, September 10, 2021, Pg. A16, Editorial

The Justice Department sued in federal court Thursday to block the new Texas abortion law, and its main result will be to prove that both parties are willing to abuse the law to serve their political ends on this fraught issue. It’s another low moment for Attorney General Merrick Garland, as he seems dedicated again to satisfying the political demands of the White House.

…

Sorry, the feds can’t sue to block a state law if there is no case or controversy. Justice has no standing to sue. The Justice lawsuit asserts a federal interest because the Texas statute “conflicts with federal law by purporting to prohibit federal agencies from carrying out their responsibilities under federal law related to abortion services.”

But the federal government is not an abortion provider. The sovereign interests of the federal government aren’t implicated under the Constitution’s Supremacy Clause.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/merrick-garland-texas-two-step-department-of-justice-abortion-law-lawsuit-11631224546?
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3. The best way to fight the Texas abortion law, By The Washington Post, September 10, 2021, Pg. A22, Editorial

Many ideas involving the use of Justice Department powers or the raising of private funds are surfacing. But the overriding goal must be for the courts to strike down the Texas law, officially and for good. Unfortunately, it’s hard to see how that can happen without a Texas abortion provider allowing itself to be hauled into court.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/09/09/best-way-fight-texas-abortion-law/
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4. Pope Francis to visit impoverished Roma quarter in Slovakia, By Karel Janicek, Associated Press, September 10, 2021, 2:33 AM

Pope Francis is paying a visit next week to a neighborhood in Slovakia most Slovaks would not even think about going, which until recently even the police would avoid after dark.

Francis will make the visit to the Roma community in the Lunik IX quarter of Slovakia’s second largest city of Kosice one of the highlights of his pilgrimage to “the heart of Europe.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/pope-francis-to-visit-impoverished-roma-quarter-in-slovakia/2021/09/10/03f48748-1201-11ec-baca-86b144fc8a2d_story.html
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5. Pope Francis sends 15,000 ice creams to prisoners in Italy, By Jennifer Hassan, The Washington Post, September 10, 2021, Pg. A11

Pope Francis wanted to help Italy’s prisoners cool down as temperatures soared to record levels this summer — so he sent them 15,000 ice creams.

Inmates at the Regina Coeli jail and Rebibbia prison in Rome were blessed with the frozen goods, an act the Vatican described as one of several “small evangelical gestures” made “to help and give hope to thousands” imprisoned in the capital.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/09/09/pope-francis-prison-icecream/
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6. A Pastor Saves His Flock by Catholic Education, By Patrick J. Reilly, Crisis Magazine, September 10, 2021, Opinion

In Northern Virginia, where critical race theory, gender ideology, and emptied classrooms because of COVID-19 have sparked protests by angry parents of public-school students, a parish priest is taking up the legendary Archbishop “Dagger John” Hughes’ mission of helping Catholic children get out of public schools by every means possible.

Archbishop Hughes founded the Catholic school system in New York City in the mid-1800s and famously declared, “We shall have to build the schoolhouse first and the church afterward. In our age, the question of education is the question of the Church.”

Faithful Catholic education is no less urgently needed today. So, when the pandemic hit last year, Fr. John De Celles of St. Raymond of Peñafort Parish in Springfield, Virginia, instituted a one-time $2,000 scholarship for each child in his parish who switched from a public elementary or secondary school to a Catholic parochial or lay-run school.

…

These scholarships are not a marketing strategy for the parish school—in fact, there is no school at St. Raymond’s. Instead, parishioners attend nearby parochial schools or Angelus Academy, one of a growing number of faithful, lay-established schools. St. Raymond’s also supports an active group of Catholic homeschooling families.

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For Fr. De Celles, helping young Catholics obtain a faithful Catholic education is a pastor’s solemn duty. He is leading the way through his own actions and the generosity and conviction of his parishioners.

It is an approach that will, hopefully, be replicated in parishes and dioceses around the country.

Patrick J. Reilly is president of The Cardinal Newman Society, which promotes and defends faithful Catholic education.

https://www.crisismagazine.com/2021/a-pastor-saves-his-flock-by-catholic-education
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7. The Power of the Latin Mass, A new decree from Pope Francis discourages the use of an ancient liturgy that carries special meaning for some worshippers., By Francis X. Rocca, The Wall Street Journal, September 9, 2021, 10:56 AM

In July, Pope Francis issued a decree permitting local bishops to ban the Latin Mass in their dioceses and instructing them to do so in parish churches, where the vast majority of Catholics worship. It was the latest development in a liturgical debate that has divided Catholics since the 1960s, when the Second Vatican Council ushered in a host of modernizing changes, including a new version of the Mass meant to foster more active participation by the congregation.

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Devotees of the old Mass say that they treasure the beauty of the ritual, its links to the church’s past, and what they say is an atmosphere of greater mystery, solemnity and reverence than they find in the new Mass.

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In a letter to bishops accompanying the new decree, however, Pope Francis wrote that the Latin Mass had become a source of division and a kind of rallying point for Catholics who reject the reforms of the Second Vatican Council.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-power-of-the-latin-mass-11631199405
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