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May 1, 2019

Note from the Assistant Managing Editor:

It seemed the flames of Notre Dame had barely cooled before self-righteous memes flooded my Facebook feed. 

Don't donate to Notre Dame—help the poor and suffering instead.  This argument as to why we shouldn't spend money on the beautiful art and architecture of the Catholic church always galls me because, as Fr. Raymond de Souza says, "The building of churches, open to all, is actually one thing the rich can spend money on that does benefit the poor.  When they build billion-dollar stadiums, or elegant concert halls, or order a luxury yacht, the poor have no place there.  But step into any cathedral in the downtown of any city, and the poor, the lonely, the mentally disturbed, take their place alongside everyone else."

Amazing statistics from Hungary: marriages have increased by 43%, the divorce rate has dropped by 22.5%, 33% fewer women are having abortions, and the national birth rate is at its highest in 20 years.  All of this is from aggressive (in the best way) pro-family policies, such as a lifetime personal tax exemption for mothers with four or more children.  Read more: "The West can learn a lot from Hungary's pro-family policies."

And a great piece from Anthony Esolen, who explains so easily and clearly the irrationality of "God made me this way" (currently claimed by US presidential candidate Peter Buttigieg). 

"I look at a shovel.  It has a long wooden handle and a pointed and scooped iron blade.  It is made for digging.  I look at a man and a woman.  Unless I am a babe or a man from Mars, I know that they are made for one another.  No one has a reproductive system.  Everybody has half of one.  Men have this half, and women have that half.  Mr. Buttigieg wants us to believe, then, that God who made Mr. Buttigieg's body did not consult his own blueprints when he made Mr. Buttigieg's feelings."

God bless you all this week! - Meaghen Hale



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"No one will seek the highest [things] if he believes that there is no truth, that nothing is his fault, and that government will guarantee his wants." - James V. Schall, S.J.



New Resources


 
Living as Mature Children of God - Pope Benedict XVI - the Angelus, St. Peter's Square (Libreria Editrice Vaticana).

This passage of Saint Luke (the Parable of the Prodigal Son) constitutes one of the peaks of spirituality and literature of all time.


 
Notre Dame as Cultural Moment - Father Raymond J. de Souza - Convivium

The burning of Notre Dame de Paris sparked an inferno of journalistic ignorance about Christianity.


 
No tears for Sri Lanka's Easter massacre - Michael Cook - Mercatornet

The New York Times is more worried about regulating social media than protecting Christians.


 
Saint Stephen of Hungary - John Janaro - Magnificat

The story of the conversion of Saint Stephen is inseparable from the story of the thousand-year-old Hungarian nation.


 
The West can learn a lot from Hungary's pro-family policies - Chad Pecknold - Catholic Herald

Many liberal democracies are facing a social crisis today because their governments pursued policies which undermined the family.


 
The worst part of the university scandal - Rex Murphy - National Post

A little learning is a dangerous thing (Alexander Pope) ... and it's expensive, too.


 
Mayor Buttigieg's God of Feelings - Anthony Esolen - Crisis

Mr. Peter Buttigieg, mayor of South Bend, Indiana, and a candidate for the presidency of the United States, has picked a theological quarrel with Mike Pence, the current vice-president.


 
The Living Word always has the last word - Father George W. Rutler - From the Pastor

In the radiance of the Resurrection, the Church relates to the emotions of the first witnesses: grief, fear, bewilderment, and then exultation.

Editorials of Interest:

Benedict and his critics - First Things
Awakening From Nihilism - Michael Novak - National Review
No Counterfeit Mercy - The Catholic Thing
The Disposable Modern Hymn - Crisis Magazine

Editorials of Interest


Secretariat of State looks to become even stronger in Vatican reforms - Crux

After nearly 6 years of work, it looks like the new governing constitution of the Vatican should be published by the end of the summer.


Benedict and his critics - Gerhard Ludwig Muller - First Things

Pope Francis is happy with Benedict XVI's profound analysis of the reasons behind the abuse crisis in the Church, and grateful to his predecessor for pointing out the conclusions those in positions of responsibility must draw.


Awakening From Nihilism - Michael Novak - National Review

In the 20th century, prisons and torture chambers have been better places to encounter God than universities.


Violence Against Christians and the Waning of Reason - CWR

By far the most persecuted religious group in the world today are Christians, and they are dying by the thousands especially in the Middle East and in Africa.


God chose us for this moment - NC Register

The truth about our Church is going to disappoint, depress, and demoralize us, but we cannot let these dismal truths derail us. We are living in the time God chose for us.


From a simple sidewalk stand, this group is leading many into the Catholic Church - Aleteia

Ed Graveline had a gun pointed at his head.


Islamic State claims responsibility for Sri Lanka Easter bombings - CWR

At least 321 people were killed and 500 injured in the Easter bombings of churches, hotels, and other buildings in Negombo and Colombo.


The Sri Lanka Terrorists: Martyrs or Murderers? - Crisis Magazine

Jihad martyrs (or 'terrorists' as we call them) are extremists only in the sense that Catholic saints are 'extreme.' In short, they are willing to go beyond the average in answering the call of duty. The difference lies in what that call of duty consists of.


The Memory of the Armenian Genocide Should Be Preserved - National Review

Teaching the Ottomans' ethnic-cleansing campaign in history classes the world over is the best way to prevent future atrocities.


Abortion language nixed from UN resolution after Trump admin threatens veto - CNA

The move is the latest from the Trump administration to oppose the funding and promotion of overseas abortions.


Polish leader: LGBT rights an import that threatens nation - Crux

Kaczynski's remarks come before European Parliament voting next month and a general election in Poland in the fall.


The Ugly Truth About Sex Reassignment the Transgender Lobby Doesn't Want You to Know - The Daily Signal

Many Americans are buying the idea that sex reassignment is as natural as being born. But a growing chorus of dissenters made up of physicians, researchers, and even transgender individuals is beginning to paint a far different picture of the truth.


No Counterfeit Mercy - The Catholic Thing

While it presents itself as mercy, moral relativism is, in fact, the greatest cruelty: it robs man of the ability to repent.


The Disposable Modern Hymn - Crisis Magazine

Modern church music is blandly uniform and impersonal in its aesthetic telos, for it explicitly cuts off the modern congregation from all previous generations of the Church and from the future as well. When the modern Catholic sings, he sings alone.


'The Writer and Addiction': The relationship between literature and alcoholism - CWR

For the scholar Roger Forseth—himself a recovered alcoholic who studied addiction and the literary mind—alcoholism and related addictions amount to afflictions of the soul.


Too woke for peanut butter, and the death of art - Word On Fire

'Woke guilt' kills artistic expression by demanding that artists honor a cult of victimhood by obliterating any possibility of insult to anything or anyone at all times.


A very Catholic reason you should learn a new language - Aleteia

To learn a language, you have to humble yourself.


Hungarian PM calls for Europe to defend its Christian culture - Crux

Hungarians want strong new leaders for Europe and a "fresh start" to halt the continent's decline amid Muslim immigration.


CUA president applauds students' decision to block porn - CNA

The president of The Catholic University of America has voiced his support for a student government resolution that asked the university to block the 200 most popular porn sites from its internet system.


Pilgrimage is good for employees, study concludes - Catholic Herald

A three-year study by the Universities of Lancaster and Strathclyde has concluded that going on pilgrimage to places such as Lourdes has considerable benefits for one's mental and physical health.


Blessed John Henry Cardinal Newman and
St. Justin Martyr, pray for us

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