The following statement was issued by the bishops of New York state after the New York state Legislature passed a bill June 24 legalizing same-sex “marriage.”

The passage by the Legislature of a bill to alter radically and forever humanity’s historic understanding of marriage leaves us deeply disappointed and troubled.
We strongly uphold the Catholic Church’s clear teaching that we always treat our homosexual brothers and sisters with respect, dignity and love. But we just as strongly affirm that marriage is the joining of one man and one woman in a lifelong, loving union that is open to children, ordered for the good of those children and the spouses themselves. This definition cannot...READ MORE

In New York, A (Temporary) Setback for Marriage - Thomas Peters, Catholic Vote/American Papist

. . .Matthew Archbold: “gay marriage” passes in New York State. . .

The Pallium, the Story of a Cloak - Andrea Tornielli, La Stampa/Vatican Insider

The 17th-Century Martyr Whose Corpse was Found in the 1920s - Catholic Herald

The Preferential Option for the Poor - R. R. Reno, First Things

Superb Bible Study on YouTube, Learning from a Great Teacher - Monsignor Charles Pope, Archdiocese of Washington

We’ve Lost that “Thinking” Feeling - Dennis Buonafede, The Integrated Catholic Life™

Is it Okay to Date Multiple People? - Anthony Buono, 6 Stone Jars

If Ad Writers Were Only Allowed To Marry!...READ MORE

Once upon a time, Catholics (in contrast to Protestants) were not well-acquainted with the Bible. Although Protestants generally remain more familiar with the Bible, Catholics today — thanks to the revised Lectionary, parish study groups and individual reading — know Scripture better than in the past.

Both Catholics and Protestants, however, share a common ignorance of Patristics, the study of the Church Fathers who lived from about A.D. 100-700.  The Orthodox and Eastern Catholics know the Fathers well, but Western Christians are largely unaware of the rich heritage of Patrology.

Jimmy Akin, a Protestant convert, Register blogger and devoted apologist with Catholic Answers, set out to...READ MORE

VATICAN CITY (EWTN News/CNA) — Pope Benedict XVI met with members of an Eastern Catholic aid organization on June 24, urging them to concentrate on the survival of threatened Christian populations in the Middle East.

“I ask you to do everything possible,” Pope Benedict told members of the Reunion of Organizations for Aid to the Oriental Churches (ROACO), “to ensure that the pastors and faithful of Christ can remain in the East, where they were born, not as strangers but as citizens who bear witness to Jesus Christ as the saints of the Eastern Churches did before them.”

ROACO, which coordinates the work of several agencies providing funds to the Eastern Catholic Churches, began four days...READ MORE

VATICAN CITY (EWTN News/CNA) —The Vatican’s new initiative aimed at sparking dialogue with atheists and agnostics may soon be coming to North America.

Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, president of the Pontifical Council for Culture, told EWTN News in a recent interview that the “The Courtyard of the Gentiles” may come to three cities.

“Quebec in Canada, which is one of the so-called ‘most secular’ places there is, where it seems like these days the question of faith is almost bothersome,” he said. “And, also, we’re thinking about two U.S. cities: Chicago on the one hand and Washington on the other.”

The project was launched as an answer to the Pope’s call for a “New Evangelization.” It...READ MORE

The Nativity of Saint John the Baptist & the limbo of the Children - Reginaldus, The New Theological Movement

. . .Scripture Scholar: unless we repent, severe judgment comes on the West. . .

. . .Fr. Zuhlsdorf: snails, solfege & pyromania. . .

. . .MSNBC: ‘children of mud’ celebrate the Nativity of John the Baptist. . .

. . .Platonic Monkey: birthday of Saint John the Baptist. . .

. . .Origen: the voice which proclaims The Word. . .

. . .Frank Sheed: “It is clear, then, that John the Baptist’s mission was essential”. . .

More Catholic Books for Your e-Reader - Brandon Vogt, The Thin Veil

Flash Mob: Eucharist - Barbara, Mommy Life

. . .Reginaldus: does the Real Presence remain after...READ MORE

New York state has been teetering on the edge of redefining marriage. With just days, and possibly hours, left before the overextended state Legislature calls it quits for the summer, the Republican leadership in the state Senate is still deciding whether to bring a same-sex “marriage” bill to the floor for a vote.

The state’s most prominent Catholic, New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan, has been lobbying lawmakers on the issue and speaking out against a radical redefinition of marriage. He spoke about his experience last night, during a reception at his residence behind St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan; the reception was for the Catholic aid agency Fidesco. At the same time, President...READ MORE

ROME (CNA/EWTN News) — The Vatican has introduced a new way of keeping silence in their churches while also informing tourists: the iPod.

June 24 is the first full day of a trial which sees pilgrims to the Basilica of St. John Lateran given an audio guide with a special app explaining the 1,700-year history of the church, which serves as the Pope’s cathedral.

“I can easily say that in Italy there are no examples of experiences like this in religious contexts, probably not even those in museums,” Jelena Jovanovic said to CNA. Her company, Antenna International, created the handheld device.

The multilingual guide offers audio, video, photos and texts to give an interactive experience to...READ MORE