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The Deacon's Bench

…but one of them won’t be this little place on the left. The soon-to-be bishop of Pittsburgh is continuing an episcopal trend begun in Boston and, as announced in this press report, is forgoing the lavish lodgings of his predecessors: Bishop-designate David Zubik has decided not to live in the Pittsburgh Catholic Diocese’s $1.5 million…

Well, who’d have thought? One of America’s leading communications companies has turned its back on a powerful abortion rights group over what it describes as “controversial or unsavory” content. From the New York Times: Saying it had the right to block “controversial or unsavory” text messages, Verizon Wireless has rejected a request from Naral Pro-Choice…

Former Bush speechwriter, and now Washington Post columnist, Michael Gerson has some thoughts this week on the person who has been called “the most religious Democrat since Jimmy Carter.” That would be Hillary Clinton. Consider this: During a question-and-answer session at Tufts University immediately after the 2004 election, Sen. Hillary Clinton identified the alienation of…

Words for the day: We hear people all the time saying they’re upset with “the Church.” Or that “the Church” has let them down. Or that “the Church” has distorted Christ’s message and needs to be reformed. I agree with these people. I’m not satisfied with the Church either. I want the Church to be…

…the good people at Commonweal have linked to the Parade profile of My Close Personal Friend Stephen Colbert. Take and read.

Some might be surprised to learn that one of the highest ranking men in the curia…is a woman. They might be even more surprised to learn that Pope Benedict has affirmed that, and seems intent on doing more of the same. This, from Whispers in the Loggia: Some might remember the name of Sr Enrica…

Here’s something that’s so unusual and rare, well, it’s just, just…incredibly cool: a deacon who’s a novelist, and who just had his book made into a major motion picture starring Brad Pitt. Ron Hansen has been published a lot in the Catholic press — his name pops up periodically in anthologies of spiritual writing –but…

After months of increased tension, and weeks of internal debate, the Episcopal Church has cleared its throat and made a statement regarding gay ordinations and marriages: Episcopal leaders, who are struggling to hold together their increasingly divided church and maintain its place in the global Anglican Communion, pledged anew Tuesday to “exercise restraint” in consecrating…

Hot on the heels of Newsweek’s controversial interview with Jessica Rowley, the San Jose Mercury News has another curious article, about a woman celebrating her wedding anniversary by celebrating a special mass: Like many devout Catholics, Juanita and Don Cordero kicked off their Sept. 15 wedding anniversary by attending Mass. Four of the couple’s five…

What’s wrong with homilies today? Elizabeth Tenety, who contributes to the Washington Post’s provocative and always-interesting On Faith section, sums it up for her generation with this entry, which blames it all on “Christianity Lite.” Take a look: Advocates of the Latin Mass often cite the banal music in our churches as reason enough to…
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