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The Deacon's Bench

A colleague at work has taken the time and trouble to create this custom-designed avatar of Your Humble Blogger. You can make one for yourself right here. Now you know what all us hard-working journalists do all day when we aren’t sitting around waiting for faxes from the DNC. (That was a joke.)

I can’t remember the last time the editorial pages of a major American newspaper weighed in on the liturgy of the Catholic Church. It’s almost unheard of. But now comes the Chicago Tribune, with a surprisingly heartfelt editorial on, of all things, the Tridentine mass: Pope Benedict has long admired the so-called Tridentine rite that…

If you’re still feeling drowsy this Sunday morning, here’s something to wake you up. Last year, the world got a lot richer. According to the World Wealth Report, compiled by Merrill Lynch, the combined wealth of the world’s richest people climbed 11 percent … to a grand total of 37.2 trillion dollars. The way it…

Or, more precisely, it’s here. Rocco, at Whispers in the Loggia, has the scoop of the month. Or maybe the year. The text of the motu proprio, expanding the use of the Tridentine mass, a document which Rocco describes as “Benedict’s decisive compromise.” See for yourself.

You never know where you’ll find a great story. Today I found one right in my own backyard, where I work at CBS News. Specifically, it’s in the media watchdog blog Public Eye. Every Thursday, the good people over there interview a CBS News staffer of note, and today’s subject is veteran correspondent Richard Roth.…

If you’re living with a greater-than-normal fear of damnation, a priest suggests maybe you should relax: Generally, people who live in terror about going to Hell are the last people who should worry about doing so. Even so, the Catholic Catechism gives us a measure: “God predestines no one to go to hell; for this,…

Every now and then someone does something so remarkable, and so inspiring, you have to sit up and take notice. That’s what happened with Derek Fisher. The guard for the Utah Jazz basketball team asked to be released from his multi-million dollar contract so he could find the best care for his 11-month old daughter,…

Priest, deacons and seminarians who attended a conference last month at Steubenville, Ohio got an earful on living a holy life — especially when it comes to celibacy: The main address Monday night was given by Sister Briege McKenna, OSC, an Irish Sister of St. Clare, who has an international ministry to priests and bishops.…

Just when you thought you’d heard it all, along comes a surprising conversion story that illustrates, once again, the wonders God can work. The subject: one-time Marxist President of Nicaragua (now President once again), Daniel Ortega: Ortega took office again as President of Nicaragua in January 2007, but before participating in any official protocol upon…

The folks over at New Advent found this wonderful prayer, from Archbishop John Carroll, courtesy Fr. Z. It bears reading, and re-reading. You can find the whole thing at Fr. Z’s website, but here’s an excerpt: We pray Thee O God of might, wisdom, and justice! Through whom authority is rightly administered, laws are enacted,…
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