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The Deacon's Bench

As the world watches what’s unfolding in Myanmar, and the pope offers his prayers for the people there, the Catholic clergy are being told not to get involved. This, from the Associated Press: While thousands of Buddhist monks have marched on the streets to protest against Burma’s military regime, the Catholic Church has ordered its…

Rod Dreher has a terrific column in yesterday’s Dallas Morning News, describing a fraud and con artist, in the guise of a monk peddling a fake icon, who managed, nonetheless, to touch Rod’s life with grace. It was through that charlatan that Rod met his wife. You need to read the whole thing to get…

The timing could be coincidence — or it could be miraculous. But an Indian priest is crediting Blessed Mother Teresa with a cure that, if verified, could tip her over the top to official sainthood: The sainthood cause of Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta could cross its last hurdle if the Vatican approves an allegedly…

A kind and attentive reader has sent along this link, which has the video of Bishop Zubik’s homily at his installation Friday. (Hat tip to Whispers at the Loggia, btw, which is always ahead of the curve!)

It’s the First Monday in October, which means that yesterday was the occasion for celebrating the traditional Red Mass in various cathedrals around the country — including St. Matthew’s, in Washington. The Supremes were there — or some of them, at least: The archbishop of Milwaukee yesterday reminded six Supreme Court justices on the eve…

This is one of my favorite stories from the writings of Thomas Merton. In The Waters of Siloe, he tells the true story of a businessman checking into a hotel in Paris in the days following World War II and, inexplicably, passing a young nun in the lobby: The nun is smiling…she is a young…

It’s rare to find serious discussion of religion and public life in the mainstream media — particularly when the religion involved is Catholic. So it was all the more surprising to stumble across this lengthy profile of a Catholic congresswoman from Connecticut, Rosa DeLauro, in the Hartford Courant: Rosa DeLauro thought she was such a…

The Catholic Church doesn’t lack for saints — both those named and unnamed. We wear medals, collect holy cards, light candles, pray chaplets and adorn our mantles with statues and icons, pictures and prayers. But it seems there’s one Latino “saint” who is quickly becoming more common north of the border, and it’s raising eyebrows…

One afternoon a few years ago, my wife went to confession down at St. Francis of Assisi, on 32nd St., in Manhattan. It’s one of the few places in the city that has confession all day, every day – in part, because they have enough friars to handle it. They also can be very creative,…

Cardinal Sean O’Malley is continuing his little travel-blog of his pilgrimage to Rome, Turkey and Russia. He’s seeing everything, and the pictures — as you can tell below — really capture the wonder of his journey. Visit the good cardinal’s blog for much, much more, including some of his remarks delivered when visiting one of…
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