http://www.ncregister.com/ The latest articles from the National Catholic Register en mhartog@circlemedia.com Copyright 2009 2009-11-20T20:21:57+00:00 http://www.ncregister.com/site/article/tv_picks_11.29.2009/ http://www.ncregister.com/site/article/tv_picks_11.29.2009/#When:19:21:57Z By Daniel J. Engler | VARIOUS Pledge Week Specials PBS Shows aired this week by most PBS stations (check local listings) include Christmas With the Annie Moses Band, a concert of traditional carols by the six Wolaver children, ages 11-26; Andre Rieu Live in Dresden: Wedding at the Opera, in which violinist Rieu, the Johann Strauss Orchestra and Choir, and others … November 29-December 5, 2009 2009-11-20T19:21:57+00:00 http://www.ncregister.com/site/article/dvd_picks_passes_11.29.2009/ http://www.ncregister.com/site/article/dvd_picks_passes_11.29.2009/#When:19:17:52Z By Steven D. Greydanus | The 13th Day (2009) Night at the Museum: Battle for the Smithsonian (2009) Blu-ray: Galaxy Quest (1999) Blu-ray: The Mask of Zorro (1998) New this week from Ignatius Press, The 13th Day is the best movie ever made about Fatima and a DVD for virtually every Catholic home. Told in flashback by Sister Lucia writing her … November 29-December 5, 2009 2009-11-20T19:17:52+00:00 http://www.ncregister.com/site/article/firm_foundation/ http://www.ncregister.com/site/article/firm_foundation/#When:19:09:51Z By JOSEPH PRONECHEN | A church architect is committed to ‘built theology.’ | Church architect Steven Schloeder has advanced degrees in both architecture and theology, and he is concerned with both the practice and theory of sacred architecture. After working for international architecture firms both in the United States and England, he founded Liturgical Environs in Phoenix to serve Catholic parishes … November 29-December 5, 2009 2009-11-20T19:09:51+00:00 http://www.ncregister.com/site/article/mountains_hills_and_homage/ http://www.ncregister.com/site/article/mountains_hills_and_homage/#When:19:06:52Z By Tom and April Hoopes | Reflections on forthcoming Mass readings by Tom and April Hoopes. | Sunday, Dec. 6 is the Second Sunday in Advent (Liturgical Year C, Cycle II). Tuesday, Dec. 8, the feast of the Immaculate Conception, is a holy day of obligation. Papal Pope Benedict XVI will celebrate the feast of the Immaculate Conception as the pope … November 29-December 5, 2009 2009-11-20T19:06:52+00:00 http://www.ncregister.com/site/article/st._andrew_in_the_valley/ http://www.ncregister.com/site/article/st._andrew_in_the_valley/#When:19:03:23Z By Winifred CROMBIE | For the feast of St. Andrew, the Register visits Sant’Andrea della Valle Church in Rome. | It’s no wonder that amid all the glitzy baroque settings of altars and sub-altars, Puccini chose Sant’Andrea della Valle Church as the setting for the first act of his opera “Tosca.” The entire church just calls out for fanfare and a … November 29-December 5, 2009 2009-11-20T19:03:23+00:00 http://www.ncregister.com/site/article/religious_liberty/ http://www.ncregister.com/site/article/religious_liberty/#When:19:00:47Z By John M. Grondelski | John Grondelski recommends In Defense of Religious Liberty by David Novak. | IN DEFENSE OF RELIGIOUS LIBERTY by David Novak ISI Books, 2009 211 pages, $14.40 To order: isibooks.org (800) 621-2736 What, if any, role can religious convictions play in formulating public policy in a secular democracy? The late Father Richard Neuhaus tried to answer that … November 29-December 5, 2009 2009-11-20T19:00:47+00:00 http://www.ncregister.com/site/article/letters_11.29.2009/ http://www.ncregister.com/site/article/letters_11.29.2009/#When:18:57:06Z By The Editors | Delivery Choices Regarding “Real Reproductive Choice” (Nov. 22): Thank you for bringing light to such an important issue. As a Catholic wife and mother who is open to life, I found it important to give birth vaginally after my first cesarean to reduce the risks of complications with future pregnancies. In her article, Agnes Penny cites the … November 29-December 5, 2009 2009-11-20T18:57:06+00:00 http://www.ncregister.com/site/article/time_to_get_creative_true_hope/ http://www.ncregister.com/site/article/time_to_get_creative_true_hope/#When:18:55:58Z By The Editors | The bishops speak. Will people hear them? Regular readers of Catholic newspapers, such as those published by dioceses and archdioceses across the country, have at least a vague inkling that every now and then, the pope, the Vatican and bishops have published “statements,” “pastoral letters,” “directives” etc. A casual observer may be able to name a few, … November 29-December 5, 2009 2009-11-20T18:55:58+00:00 http://www.ncregister.com/site/article/our_readers_are_our_partners/ http://www.ncregister.com/site/article/our_readers_are_our_partners/#When:18:53:53Z By Father Owen Kearns, LC | If our Annual Fund Drive mailer isn’t in your hands yet, it soon will be. I hope and pray you’ll pause from your busy day to spend a few minutes reading it through. The theme of this year’s appeal is “Great Catholic communications can help the Church save the world. You can help the Church … November 29-December 5, 2009 2009-11-20T18:53:53+00:00 http://www.ncregister.com/site/article/the_gift_of_knowledge_confirmation_continued/ http://www.ncregister.com/site/article/the_gift_of_knowledge_confirmation_continued/#When:18:51:08Z By Mark Shea | God did the Jews a huge favor early on in their history: He made them losers. Losers in the sense that, when it came to coming out on top in the whole “top dog in the geopolitical department” thing, Israel was never particularly notable. The nation had a brief Golden Age under David and Solomon, where it … November 29-December 5, 2009 2009-11-20T18:51:08+00:00 http://www.ncregister.com/site/article/theres_mass_music_and_theres_music_for_mass/ http://www.ncregister.com/site/article/theres_mass_music_and_theres_music_for_mass/#When:18:50:33Z By Michael W. Drwiega | My thoughts tend to wander in church. The lector might open with a biblical passage describing the Israelites assailing Jericho. I’ll picture myself inside the city, as a trader bartering in the ancient streets. This, in turn, will cause me to wonder how people got along in those days without air conditioning. So it was that, … November 29-December 5, 2009 2009-11-20T18:50:33+00:00 http://www.ncregister.com/site/article/the_crucifix_and_the_nation/ http://www.ncregister.com/site/article/the_crucifix_and_the_nation/#When:18:48:47Z By Tim Drake | Earlier this month the European Court of Human Rights fined the Italian government for displaying crucifixes in its public schools. It was yet another example of oversized, secular bureaucracies pitting themselves against the most natural forms of human agreement — in this case, the nation. The European Court of Human Rights ordered the government to pay 5,000 … November 29-December 5, 2009 2009-11-20T18:48:47+00:00 http://www.ncregister.com/site/article/monastic_magnificence/ http://www.ncregister.com/site/article/monastic_magnificence/#When:18:35:03Z By The Editors | Pope Benedict XVI’s weekly catechesis. | During his general audience on Nov. 11, Pope Benedict XVI spoke about the monastic reform associated with the famous monastery of Cluny. Founded 1,100 years ago, the monks of Cluny made the Church’s liturgy the center of their life and enriched the worship of God with splendid art, architecture and music. … November 29-December 5, 2009 2009-11-20T18:35:03+00:00 http://www.ncregister.com/site/article/anglicanorum_coetibus_doesnt_deter_ecumenism/ http://www.ncregister.com/site/article/anglicanorum_coetibus_doesnt_deter_ecumenism/#When:18:33:27Z By EDWARD PENTIN | Cardinal Walter Kasper, the president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, has spoken for the first time about Anglicanorum Coetibus, the apostolic constitution for Anglicans, clarifying misconceptions and misinterpretations. | Cardinal Walter Kasper, the president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, has spoken for the first time about Anglicanorum Coetibus, the apostolic constitution … November 29-December 5, 2009 2009-11-20T18:33:27+00:00 http://www.ncregister.com/site/article/catholic_campaign_scrutinized/ http://www.ncregister.com/site/article/catholic_campaign_scrutinized/#When:18:15:26Z By STEVE WEATHERBE | Bishops defended the Catholic Campaign for Human Development after a new round of criticism that it funds shady community organizations. | BALTIMORE — Members of the U.S. bishops’ subcommittee overseeing the Catholic Campaign for Human Development reassured their fellow bishops and donors that “no group that opposes Catholic social or moral teaching is eligible for funding” from … November 29-December 5, 2009 2009-11-20T18:15:26+00:00