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San Antonio archbishop bans retreat center for ‘false teachings’ against Pope Francis

Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller, MSpS, of San Antonio. / Credit: Veronicamarkland, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Mar 18, 2024 / 18:00 pm (CNA).

San Antonio Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller has restricted a local priest and a ministry known as the Mission of Divine Mercy (MDM) for disobedience and for spreading “false teachings,” presented as prophecies, against Pope Francis. 

The apostolate and priest who was sanctioned, meanwhile, are defying the archbishop’s disciplinary measures and have held at least one unsanctioned Mass. 

Garcia-Siller’s disciplinary action follows MDM’s publication of several messages on its website in which the group claimed “God the Father” told one of its members that the pope is a “usurper” and an “enemy of the Church.” 

In response, García-Siller said in a March 15 statement that the group’s “status as a Catholic apostolate of the Archdiocese of San Antonio has been suppressed and revoked by official decree.”

According to the archbishop’s statement, MDM’s founder, Father John Mary Foster, refused to remove the messages from the group’s website despite repeated admonitions, thus breaking his vow of obedience and necessitating that he be barred from publicly practicing his priestly faculties.

Despite the archbishop’s ban, a representative for MDM told CNA that the apostolate plans to continue operating and that Foster celebrated Mass on Sunday.

What did the ‘prophetic messages’ say?

Based in New Braunfels, a town in the Texas Hill Country, MDM has operated as an approved Catholic retreat house and ministry devoted to promoting prayer and contemplating God’s will since 2010. According to García-Siller, the ministry has enjoyed good relations with the archdiocese until now.

Then in February, MDM began posting a series of supposed “prophetic messages” conveyed by “God the Father” to a member of the ministry, identified as “Sister Amapola.”

MDM claimed in one of its website statements that God had a message for priests in which he said: “You have not only let the smoke of Satan infiltrate into My Sanctuary; but you have allowed a whole army of demons to take your places. And you have allowed the usurper to sit on the chair of My Peter — he who is carrying out the Great Treason that will leave My Church desolate.” 

Several other similar messages were posted to the apostolate’s website claiming that the Church was filled with “demons” and “imposters.” 

Foster endorsed the messages, saying in a video that the Church is facing an “extreme crisis,” which he said justifies his disobedience to the archbishop. He pointed to the controversial Vatican document Fiducia Supplicans, which approved blessings for same-sex couples, as an example of “confusion and harm” being sown by Francis.

“From this statement and others of a similar nature that we’ve received, the terrible conclusion seems clear: Bergoglio [Pope Francis] is exercising illegitimate authority and acting as the enemy of Christ and his Church,” Foster said. “Given this extreme crisis, we are obeying God in publishing these messages, even without our archbishop’s permission.”

Archbishop bans MDM

García-Siller issued three official decrees on March 15, barring MDM as an apostolate, removing Foster as the group’s leader, and barring Foster from exercising priestly faculties.

“Whereas the activities of the Reverend FOSTER and the Mission of Divine Mercy have led to confusion and division and have caused grave scandal to the faithful … I WITHDRAW my approval of the ‘Mission of Divine Mercy’ as a Catholic apostolate,” one decree reads.

In so doing, the archbishop restricted the Christian faithful from associating with MDM and ordered that the apostolate not “use the name Catholic or call themselves a Catholic association.”

The archbishop further prohibited Foster from publicly exercising his priestly ministry on MDM grounds and ordered him to enter a “time of spiritual retreat” for six months. The decree said that if Foster violated the prohibition, he could face a total ban on publicly exercising his priestly ministry in the archdiocese.

The archdiocese declined to comment further on the matter, directing CNA to the archbishop’s decrees and statement.

According to the decrees, Foster and MDM have 10 days to appeal the archbishop’s decision.

MDM continues to defy archbishop

Emily Jebbia, a representative for MDM, told CNA that despite the archbishop’s ban, Foster celebrated Mass at the New Braunfels retreat center on Sunday. According to Jebbia, the Mass was attended by about 450 people, which she said is more than double the amount at a normal Sunday service. 

Jordan McMorrough, a representative for the archdiocese, confirmed with CNA that the Mass was in violation of the bishop’s decree. 

Jebbia said that though MDM has yet to confer with canon lawyers since the archbishop’s decree, apostolate staff plan to continue their ministry.

Jebbia said that MDM has previously had a “cordial” relationship with García-Siller and that they take the archbishop’s statement seriously. Nevertheless, she said that “given that we think this is an unprecedented situation in the Church, we have to act in an unprecedented way in obedience to what we believe God has asked us to do.”

Asked if MDM hopes to reconcile with the archbishop, Jebbia said “yes,” but she qualified her response by saying: “We hope that the [arch]bishop will be open to what is happening here at the mission.”

Stephen Colbert co-narrates Pope Francis’ new audiobook memoir

Stephen Colbert and Pope Francis. / Credit: Montclair Film, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Vatican Media

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Mar 18, 2024 / 17:00 pm (CNA).

The Catholic late-night talk show host and comedian Stephen Colbert is one of the narrators for the English audiobook version of Pope Francis’ upcoming autobiography, which comes out on Tuesday, March 19.

Francis’ book, titled “Life: My Story Through History,” documents the most significant moments of the pontiff’s life from his childhood until the present day. The publisher, HarperCollins, lists “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” host, along with Franciscan Father John Quigley, as the narrators for the English-language audiobook version of the autobiography.

The book discusses Francis’ upbringing, his time in the seminary, and his service as a priest, bishop, and ultimately pope. It does not shy away from the controversial elements of his papacy but rather addresses his detractors and defends his efforts to make the Church more pastoral.

Colbert, who has been outspoken about his Catholic faith throughout his career, has frequently expressed his affinity for Francis’ papacy, such as saying on his show in 2015 that he is “a total Francis fanboy.” When the pontiff visited the United States that year, Colbert dedicated a small portion of his show to discussing papal infallibility, the Second Vatican Council, and apostolic succession.

Despite his Catholic faith, Colbert has diverged from Church teaching on some issues, such as homosexuality and abortion.

U.S. bishops call for ‘focused effort of prayer’ ahead of Supreme Court abortion pill hearings

Katie Mahoney, Rev. Pat Mahoney, Peggy Nienaber of Faith and Liberty, and Mark Lee Dickson of Right to Life East Texas pray in front of the U.S. Supreme Court on April 21, 2023, in Washington, D.C. / Credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

CNA Newsroom, Mar 18, 2024 / 12:55 pm (CNA).

The U.S. bishops are calling for a nationwide prayer campaign ahead of the U.S. Supreme Court’s hearing next week that could affect the availability of the abortion pill mifepristone.

The court last year said it would review a Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling decided in August 2023 that imposed restrictions on the abortion pill based on safety concerns. The Supreme Court’s ultimate decision could curtail the shipping of the drug through the mail. 

The hearing is scheduled for March 26. In a letter this month, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) president Archbishop Timothy Broglio and USCCB Committee on Pro-Life Activities chairman Bishop Michael Burbidge said they were “inviting Catholics to join a focused effort of prayer” for “the end of abortion and the protection of women and preborn children” starting on March 25. 

The bishops said that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), through its allowance of mailed abortion pills, “has enabled a nationwide mail-order abortion industry and turned neighborhood pharmacies into chemical abortion providers.” 

Those pills “are now the most common form of abortion in the United States,” the bishops pointed out. 

The Supreme Court’s ultimate decision on the matter, the bishops noted, “has the potential to make a major impact in the widespread accessibility of chemical abortion.”

“While the Supreme Court case is not about ending chemical abortion, it can restore limitations that the FDA has overridden,” they wrote. 

The prayer campaign — which will begin on the anniversary of St. John Paul II’s pro-life encyclical Evangelium Vitae (The Gospel of Life) — will invoke the intercession of St. Joseph under his title “Defender of Life.”

“We ask Catholics to offer this prayer daily, from March 25 through June, when a decision is expected,” the bishops wrote. 

The FDA’s regulation of abortion pills was subject to a whipsaw series of court decisions last year. In 2022, several pro-life groups and individuals, represented by the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), sued the FDA arguing that the administration failed to use the proper channels and hurriedly approved the drug in 2000 without weighing its severe risks to women.

Texas judge Matthew Kacsmaryk issued a controversial ruling on April 7, 2023, that suspended the FDA’s approval of mifepristone on the grounds that the agency had “acquiesced on its legitimate safety concerns” and approved the drug “based on plainly unsound reasoning and studies that did not support its conclusions.”

The Biden administration immediately issued an emergency appeal to block the ruling, first to a three-judge panel in the 5th Circuit and then to the Supreme Court. 

In a 7-2 decision, the Supreme Court temporarily blocked Kacsmaryk’s ruling and returned the case to the 5th Circuit for full review, leading to the ruling in August, which will be the subject of the Supreme Court’s March hearing. 

Do you know how to make ‘St. Joseph’s bread’? Here’s the recipe

St. Joseph’s altar at St. Mary’s Assumption Church in the Lower Garden District of New Orleans. / Credit: William A. Morgan/Shutterstock

ACI Prensa Staff, Mar 18, 2024 / 11:00 am (CNA).

In the book “Dining with the Saints” there is a special recipe for making delicious “St. Joseph’s Bread.” Below you can find the ingredients and how to make it, perhaps as a special treat for the saint’s feast day, March 19.

According to the National Catholic Register, the book “Dining with the Saints” features a variety of foods and drinks in honor of famous and not-so-known saints. In addition, there’s a wide variety of dishes according to the liturgical season.

The book was written by chef and EWTN host Father Leo Patalinghug and drinks expert Michael Foley. At the end of each recipe you can even find a box titled “Food for Thought” with messages about faith or advice from a saint.

The introduction explains that “Dining with the Saints” offers you the resources you need for a healthy and uplifting family meal, a memorable couples’ night-in, or a fun dinner.

In honor of St. Joseph, a prudent and just man, the book offers the following recipe for a sweet bread for four people:

St. Joseph’s Bread

Serves 4

Cooking time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups lukewarm milk (110 degrees Fahrenheit)

2 packages active dry yeast

6 cups bread flour, divided

1/2 cup sugar

2 teaspoons salt

4 tablespoons melted butter, at room temperature

5 large eggs, divided

1 tablespoon water

1 teaspoon anise seeds

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

Directions:

1. Combine lukewarm milk and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer. Stir together and rest for 10 minutes until yeast blooms.

2. Add melted butter, sugar, and 1 cup of the flour and beat with the regular paddle attachment of the mixer for about 2 minutes.

3. Add 4 of the eggs, the anise seeds, and 1 more cup of flour and beat for 2 more minutes.

4. Switch out the regular paddle attachment on the mixer for the dough hook and add the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough starts to tighten up. (Depending on the size of the eggs, you may not need all the flour.) Continue to knead the dough for about 3-4 minutes.

5. Transfer dough to a greased bowl, cover with a cloth towel, and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

6. Punch the dough and divide it into 3 equal pieces.

7. Roll each piece of dough into the shape of a thick noodle, about 1/2- to 1-inch thick and 20-22 inches long. Braid the dough together loosely and tuck the ends of the braids under the dough. Place the braided loaf on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

8. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

9. Combine the water and the remaining egg to make an egg wash, and use it to brush the loaf.

10. Generously sprinkle the top of the dough with sesame seeds.

11. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown.

12. Transfer dough to a wire rack and let it rest for 10-15 minutes before cutting and serving.

Enjoy!

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

A Paschal Mystery

A Paschal Mystery

When the American bishops produced their multi-year plan for a National Eucharistic Revival in 2022, there was only one passing reference to the concept of the Paschal Mystery in their founding statement. I was dumbfounded. Only one! I’ve been wondering ever since why they would abandon the language and concept of Paschal Mystery, and I think I’ve finally figured it out. They must have concluded that it wouldn’t serve their purpose, which was a return to the Eucharistic piety that predated the Second Vatican Council.

The prominence of the Paschal Mystery is one of the hallmarks of Vatican II, and it has not diminished in importance since that time. Pope Benedict XVI, reflecting on the fruits of the Second Vatican Council in a 2013 address to the clergy of Rome, remarked: 

There were several of these: above all, the Paschal Mystery as the center of what it is to be Christian—and therefore of the Christian life, the Christian year, the Christian seasons, expressed in Eastertide and on Sunday which is always the day of the Resurrection. Again and again we begin our time with the Resurrection, our encounter with the Risen one, and from that encounter with the Risen one we go out into the world.

Pope Francis, in his 2021 letter on liturgical formation, Desiderio desideravilikewise places the Paschal Mystery at the center of his reflections on the Eucharist. In that letter alone, he refers to the Paschal Mystery eleven times.

Pope Francis and Pope Benedict are not outliers here. The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy invokes the Paschal Mystery seven times; it appears twice in the Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, and once in the decree on the formation of priests. The Catechism of the Catholic Church makes more than fifty references to the Paschal Mystery, and even uses it in the titles of several sections pertaining to the liturgy (“The Paschal Mystery in the Age of the Church,” “The Paschal Mystery in the Church’s Sacraments,” and “The Sacramental Celebration of the Paschal Mystery”). 

Although the term “Paschal Mystery” is not found in the scriptures, it rests upon the biblical witness. The New Testament places the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus at the absolute center of our understanding of the mystery of Christ and our salvation. The term arose in the early Church and came into prominence in the twentieth century through the writings of Odo Casel, Josef Jungmann, Louis Bouyer, and other luminaries. Pope Paul VI hailed it as an important historical and biblical synthesis anchored in our sacramental life: “To participate in the Paschal Mystery is nothing other than to put oneself in real communion with him, dying with him, rising with him.” Our whole sacramental life has brought this insight into focus through the liturgical reform. 

The Paschal Mystery not only describes the arc of Christ’s self-emptying love leading to new life and glory; it also describes how believers enter into Christ’s Passover through the sacraments. This is not a new idea. The Fathers of the Church, particularly St. Augustine, understood that the liturgy was not only about Christ’s Pasch, but also our Passover from death to life, from sin to grace. The Paschal Mystery is the paradigm or pattern of the whole Christian life, expressed with eloquent symbolism in the liturgies of Holy Week, but also celebrated every Sunday. Pope Francis was right to affirm that the work of the Holy Spirit in the liturgy conforms us so closely to Christ that “we become him.” One might reflect on this mystery endlessly without exhausting its treasures. Theologian Joseph Ratzinger in 1966 called the Paschal Mystery “perhaps the most fertile theological idea of our century.” 

The centrality of Paschal Mystery to our understanding of the liturgy has, of course, been disputed, but not by many. The only notable critique was offered by the ultra-traditionalist Society of Saint Pius X. Their book, The Problem of the Liturgical Reform, devotes considerable attention to undermining the idea of the Paschal Mystery precisely because they find it to be the key to the liturgical reform, and because it wasn’t mentioned at Trent. In its place, they wish to return to the Tridentine emphasis upon Christ’s expiatory sacrifice on the cross, something that the American bishops are also keen to do. Although I do not seriously believe that our bishops share the traditionalist desire to turn the clock back on the liturgical reform, I suspect they align with the traditionalists to some extent in wishing for a return to “the good old days” of Eucharistic devotion.

I was giving a talk on Desiderio desideravi recently and happened to mention that the launch of the Eucharistic Revival included almost no place for the Paschal Mystery in its presentation. One of the attendees, a priest, asked how I could explain this. He couldn’t make sense of it: “Every time I say the Eucharistic prayers or other prayers of the Eucharist, it’s all over the place.” I really couldn’t explain it. Christ’s passing over from death to life is what the liturgy celebrates, or else what are we doing? 

When I got home I wondered whether the bishops had developed something more to say about the Paschal Mystery since the launch of the revival. So I did a web search for “paschal mystery eucharistic revival” and a post concerning the Paschal Mystery came up from the theological blog on their official website. Aha! Finally, something about the Paschal Mystery for the Eucharistic Revival! 

Frankly, it was an embarrassment. It was billed as a mystagogical reflection on the Paschal Mystery, but really it was all about sacrifice. The victim dies and rises right there on the altar, according to this “theological” reflection. But this is nonsense. Even if one is fully on board with the idea of the Mass as a sacrifice, the liturgy is not about witnessing Christ’s death and resurrection on the altar. It is about sharing in Christ’s perfect self-offering and offering ourselves to God in communion with him. The paschal character of the liturgy is found in the transformation of the elements of bread and wine into the living Christ, but it is no less about our transformation as partakers of his body and blood. 

If the bishops think that the concept of the Paschal Mystery doesn’t fit neatly into the Eucharistic piety that predated the Council, they are right. It is something more brilliant, wonderfully so when seen against the background that preceded it. What a shame that they chose not to talk about it. But it’s not going away. As part of the legacy of the Council, it remains with us, no matter what.  

Rita Ferrone

‘Miracles’: Rhode Island Catholic school thrives after last-ditch purchase from diocese

Chesterton students celebrate Mass in the school's new chapel. / Credit: Chesterton Academy of Our Lady of Hope

CNA Staff, Mar 18, 2024 / 07:00 am (CNA).

A newly launched Catholic school in Rhode Island is on a fast track to growth after what its leader described as a series of “miracles” that led to its acquisition of a disused Catholic property. 

Dioceses across the U.S. regularly announce the sale of old parish properties that are no longer actively in use. The Diocese of Fall River in Massachusetts, for instance, is moving to sell a disused “seasonal church” in Dennis Port — the Our Lady of the Annunciation Chapel — so that the town can raze it to make way for a public park. 

The Diocese of Springfield, also in Massachusetts, is likewise seeking buyers for several properties in its territory. Several years ago the diocese sold a shuttered Catholic high school that was then converted into apartments.

‘God and Our Lady are at the helm’

In Warwick, Rhode Island, meanwhile, the newly launched Chesterton Academy of Our Lady of Hope recently acquired the property of St. Francis School and Church from the Diocese of Providence in what the school’s head described as several miraculous occurrences that played out in rapid succession.

Michael Casey, the president and executive director of the institution, said the school — part of the Minneapolis-based Chesterton Schools Network — was first launched in early 2022 with the goal of opening for students at the start of the 2023 school year. 

Casey said the school’s leaders chose Warwick for its central location in the state. 

“We first went to the diocese to look for properties we could rent, and every property was either in terrible shape or was not for rent by the local pastor,” Casey said. 

The school’s board of directors discovered the St. Francis property and sought to obtain it, but it was not for sale or lease at the time. The school settled instead on a 3,000-square-foot property, which Casey said was “tight.”

“As we tried to make this rental our temporary home, I felt it was too small and kept waiting for a shot at St. Francis,” Casey said, admitting that “every day, I drove by St. Francis Church and School, waiting for the for-sale sign to go up.”

After writing one last-ditch letter to the diocese, Casey learned that the property had just come up for sale and that closing bids on the parcel were in a matter of days. After a flurry of walkthroughs, consultations with a lawyer and real estate agent, a last-minute benefactor’s letter of collateral, and an extension from the realtor — all while the school community was praying a novena — they delivered the proposal “with two hours to spare.” 

“I aged about 10 years from Tuesday night to the following Monday morning,” Casey admitted. 

The school’s bid was ultimately accepted. 

“There are so many miracles that happened in those three days and over the three months while the decision was made,” Casey said, “but we became owners of three acres with a church that seats 400 people, a school that can accommodate 160 students and a rectory [at which] we are housing our teachers.”

“It has been a crazy ride, but we believe God and Our Lady are at the helm,” Casey said. 

Volunteers help install a sign at Chesterton Academy of Our Lady of Hope. Credit: Chesterton Academy of Our Lady of Hope
Volunteers help install a sign at Chesterton Academy of Our Lady of Hope. Credit: Chesterton Academy of Our Lady of Hope

Following the school’s acquisition of the property, volunteers and engineers both pitched in to help prepare it for opening. Workers “did quite a bit in a short time to get the buildings to code to move in,” Casey said. “We spent about $55,000 to open it and during the first year we needed about $20,000 in repairs that showed up as we started using the property again.”

He admitted that those investments were financially “draining” but that the school is engaging in fundraising as it grows into a four-year institution, after which “the financials look pretty good.” The school currently hosts about 20 students; the St. Francis property can accommodate a total of 160.

Casey said the school is well supported as it launches. Benefactors “are starting to get behind the mission and vision to help the school get to the next level,” he said, while volunteers “have been incredible, sharing their gifts in areas such as painting, construction, and much sweat equity.”

Students in the classroom at Chesterton Academy. Credit: COLE DeSANTIS/Rhode Island Catholic
Students in the classroom at Chesterton Academy. Credit: COLE DeSANTIS/Rhode Island Catholic

Casey said the experience with the school shows that lay Catholics looking to help the Church need to “step up and help instead of hoping someone else does it.”

“Catholic laypeople must become part of the solution for the Church’s future,” he said. “We need to support our diocese and priests.” The diocese, Casey added, has been “so supportive” of the school, with a different priest visiting the school “every day” to celebrate its daily Mass. 

“Priests visit us from all over Rhode Island and southern Massachusetts, and the students have an opportunity to see how each priest has a different journey in faith,” he said. “They sometimes share lunch with the students. Priests or deacons help us every month for our First Friday Holy Hours. Both bishops and a few monsignors have celebrated Mass with us.”

Casey said the school aspires to “bring spiritual life back to the Warwick and greater Rhode Island community and help families committed to raising their children to be the next generation of saints.”

“Many Chesterton schools do not start this way with buying at the start,” he said, “but we believe with Our Lady of Hope guiding us, that we will be able to fill the school and help bring more souls to Christ.”

Conjuntos: Conversing & Conversion

Conjuntos: Conversing & Conversion

“Whoever loves his life loses it,
and whoever hates his life in this world
will preserve it for eternal life.” (John 12:25)

This verse in today’s Gospel brought my reading to a hard stop. Maybe I love my life too much to think about hating it. I know too many systems that too many times have used verses like this one to justify the creation of pueblos (peoples and places) they mark for death, so that others may dehumanize and abuse in order to rule this world (see verse 31). Powerful people too easily use verses like these to manipulate pueblos into hating their lives in this world for the sake of preserving eternal life. Guilt, blame, and shame are deployed in this manipulation. In a convoluted theology, the hatred of our lives means reducing ourselves to a state of total depravity, to nothing but sinful people—people who have missed the mark with God. Then those pueblos become part of the throwaway culture that Pope Francis denounces in Laudato si’. A great con has occurred. 

This reflection is actually the second I’ve written on a scripture passage that I know has been used to build theologies of colonization, oppression, and death. I wrote recently on Luke 18:14 in a short piece that engaged the text for dealing with these heartbreaking issues. When the request came to reflect on this Sunday’s reading, I yielded to what seemed a Spirit-filled call to direct me to further pondering. 

The hard stop in my reading made me notice something about myself. Many times when reading the gospels, I focus on the words coming from Jesus. However, others mentioned in today’s Gospel caught my attention: “Some Greeks,” Philip, and Andrew. The story enters so easily into the conversational level that one would think “some Greeks” or the people who approached Philip already knew him. Or that this group of people who were probably not ethnic Jews either stood out among the worshippers at the Passover feast or were demanding attention in some way. Otherwise, why would Philip pay any attention to them among what I imagine to be crowds of people? Maybe their presence was still questionable, so Philip sidebars with Andrew before going to Jesus. 

I now replay this scenario in my head as a group approaches Philip. Philip knows one or two or the entire group. Maybe he had conversed with them on another occasion. Philip then goes to Andrew to check whether this group is worth Jesus’ time. Andrew and Philip decide to return to the group of “some Greeks” and then, as my family would say, “Ahí va toda la bola”: the small mob makes their way to Jesus. The reader does not know the question posed to Jesus. It seems the question itself is not important. The people involved in the conversation are important.

The word “conversation” can be understood in many ways: to keep company with; to come together; to turn about together. We hear in John’s gospel today how Jesus takes the moment with la bola to converse with them. “Some Greeks” have some questions, and Jesus voices many different thoughts, including his own troubles. Somehow, Jesus thinks this information will convince la bola. But just in case the crowd is not convinced and their questions go unanswered, a voice from heaven is heard: “I have glorified it and will glorify it again.” The voice from heaven delights in the unnamed “it.” Tied with the words of Jesus, “it” can be understood as all people or all things. 

I recently heard somewhere that very little failure, about 10 percent, should be assigned blame or guilt. Yet, when people were asked how often they felt blamed at work and in their families, they overwhelmingly said 70 to 90 percent of the time. As humans, we have evolved to fear failure because it helps us stay alive. The message of judgment in this passage is not about failure as blame, shame, and guilt in sin. Failure and sin should not be equated. Failure can be a tool by which humans can learn and change. “The ruler of this world will be driven out… when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all things to myself” (31-32).

Conversion, therefore, means turning together, rather than only focusing on a total depravity caused by individual sin. The message of today’s Gospel highlights the turning together of Jesus and the crowd, Philip, Andrew, the Greeks, and the voice from heaven all turn together to delight in all things, because the Son of Humanity will be glorified and all will be drawn into that glory, into that delight. May we spend the remaining days of this Lenten journey focusing on turning together (conjuntos)—away from doubt, blame, shame, and guilt, and toward delight.

Neomi De Anda

‘The religion of the Incarnation’: Catholic artists reflect on the necessity of beauty

Martin Earle, a sacred artist who specializes in works for churches and the liturgy, told CNA that one should not mistake an artistic revival for a simple re-creation of the past. / Credit: Courtesy of Martin Earle

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Mar 17, 2024 / 07:00 am (CNA).

St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City is easily the most recognizable church in the world. Visitors to the basilica are often left staring up in awe, taking in the grandeur and beauty of the world’s largest church.

Likewise with Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel paintings, Johann Christian Bach’s “Requiem Mass,” and even Jean-Francois Millet’s “Angelus” — some more of the world’s most influential and beloved works of art created throughout the millennia. 

What do all of these great works of art have in common? They were created by Catholics.

For millennia, Catholic artists have drawn millions to God through the power of truth, goodness, and beauty. But today, the Church is no longer widely known for producing beautiful art. What happened?

Daniel Mitsui, a contemporary Catholic artist based in Hobart, Indiana, who creates art in the medieval style, told CNA that Catholic art today suffers from the wounds of a double-edged sword: rejection of tradition and complacency.

Daniel Mitsui, a contemporary Catholic artist who creates art in the medieval style, works on a drawing. Credit: Courtesy of Daniel Mitsui
Daniel Mitsui, a contemporary Catholic artist who creates art in the medieval style, works on a drawing. Credit: Courtesy of Daniel Mitsui

“I believe that Catholic religious artists have two tasks,” he said. “First, they should be faithful to tradition, attempting to hand down in their turn the things that have been remembered since the time of the New Testament and that are reflected also in the sacred liturgy and the writings of the Church Fathers. And second, they should make their work as beautiful as possible, because they are attempting to depict things the way that God sees them.”

“The experience of beauty,” he said, “is like a dim memory of life in paradise, an experience that no fallen human artist will be able to recreate. But we should strive to do the best we can!” 

Mary Undoer of Knots by Daniel Mitsui. Credit: Courtesy of Daniel Mitsui
Mary Undoer of Knots by Daniel Mitsui. Credit: Courtesy of Daniel Mitsui

The ‘religion of the Incarnation’

Despite the artistic lack in recent decades, there appears now to be a growing resurgence in the Catholic artistic world.

Gwyneth Thompson Briggs is one of the most prolific artists creating in the traditional Catholic style. A New England-based artist, Briggs told CNA that she has seen “stirrings of a restoration in the art world” and a “growing desire for a return to the grand tradition of sacred art.” 

Catholic artist Gwyneth Thompson Briggs works in her studio in the former St. Francis de Sales School in St. Louis. Credit: Photo by Max Bouvatte Photography, courtesy of Gwyneth Thompson Briggs
Catholic artist Gwyneth Thompson Briggs works in her studio in the former St. Francis de Sales School in St. Louis. Credit: Photo by Max Bouvatte Photography, courtesy of Gwyneth Thompson Briggs

She started a website called the Catholic Artists Directory, which features many of the artists leading the Church’s artistic revival. This revival, Thompson believes, is vitally important. 

“It is the enemy who wishes to make the world ugly, and he has had a lot of help in that direction these last 200 years. Our task is to make the world more beautiful,” she explained, adding that because “Christianity is the religion of the Incarnation,” Christian art “should be incarnational too.” 

Rebuilding the Church

The Catholic artistic revival is not just limited to painting. Emerging from a relatively dark age of Catholic art, there are now many talented Catholic artists working in the mediums of painting, sculpting, music, architecture, and more.

Indeed, a large percentage of the Catholic churches built in the last two decades have been constructed in traditional styles in which beauty and form are emphasized. 

St. Mary’s Catholic Center in College Station, Texas, is just one example of a beautiful Catholic church built in the last decade. 

Serving a vibrant student community at Texas A&M University, St. Mary’s long struggled to fit the multitudes of students coming to Mass in its old church building. Finally, St. Mary’s decided it was time to build a new church. 

Mass of Consecration in St. Mary’s Catholic Center in College Station, Texas. Credit: Courtesy of St. Mary’s Catholic Center
Mass of Consecration in St. Mary’s Catholic Center in College Station, Texas. Credit: Courtesy of St. Mary’s Catholic Center

Father Will Straten, St. Mary’s pastor, told CNA that when they were considering the new church, they wanted something “that did not look like other buildings” that “students could identify as a church.” 

“We wanted the building to be a beacon, to be a light that guided students to God,” he said. 

The church was designed by a team of faithful Catholics from Studio io and completed in 2023. Anna Olinger, a student at A&M and an intern at St. Mary’s, told CNA that the new church has already had a big impact on students, Catholic and non-Catholic alike.

A baptism during the Rite of Christian Initiation at St. Mary’s Catholic Center in College Station, Texas. Credit: Courtesy of St. Mary’s Catholic Center
A baptism during the Rite of Christian Initiation at St. Mary’s Catholic Center in College Station, Texas. Credit: Courtesy of St. Mary’s Catholic Center

“The new church has been such a blessing because it has allowed students to enter into the liturgy and prayer in a way that uses all of our senses,” she explained. “From his birth, cross, and resurrection to his eternal reign, the church makes heaven seem a little closer. The church better helps students understand salvation history and the plan that God has for their personal salvation.” 

“Art and architecture have been important tools of evangelization for centuries, and that is still true with the younger generation,” she said.

‘Surprised by the Gospel’ 

Martin Earle, a U.K.-based sacred artist who specializes in works for churches and the liturgy, told CNA that one should not mistake an artistic revival for a simple re-creation of the past.

According to Earle, the job of a Catholic artist today is to get “under the skin” of the old masterpieces of the faith and instead of copying them, “create new works that manifest a living tradition.” 

Altar frontal for St. John the Forerunner Church in Austin, Texas, by Martin Earle. Credit: Courtesy of Martin Earle
Altar frontal for St. John the Forerunner Church in Austin, Texas, by Martin Earle. Credit: Courtesy of Martin Earle

“We artists have a role to play in preaching the Gospel to each generation: to present it in all its freshness, beauty, and liveliness in a language that is attractive to our peers. This can only happen if we firstly allow ourselves to be surprised by the Gospel. Then we need to find the tools to communicate our wonder,” he explained.

Yet, according to Mitsui, if any Catholic artistic revival is to occur, ordinary, lay faithful will need to play a crucial part in it. Without Catholics supporting artists and fostering an environment where new art can be made, nothing will change. 

The 3m crucifix for St Mary’s Catholic Cathedral in Aberdeen, Texas, painted by Martin Earle and Jim Blackstone. Credit: Courtesy of Martin Earle
The 3m crucifix for St Mary’s Catholic Cathedral in Aberdeen, Texas, painted by Martin Earle and Jim Blackstone. Credit: Courtesy of Martin Earle

“We live in a time when it is easy to obtain reproductions of many historic masterpieces. Maybe collecting those and only those seems satisfactory and less risky than supporting any living artist. But if everyone does that, the next great religious artist will never get a chance to exist, because he or she had to get a job in advertising or something like that,” he explained. 

Only with the help of the faithful, Mitsui said, can Catholic artists help the Church reach a new age of beauty and wonder in art. 

Harrison Butker addresses family life, gun violence, Taylor Swift, and more in far-reaching interview

Harrison Butker on the sideline of the AFC Championship in Baltimore on January 28, 2024. / Credit: Wikimedia Commons

CNA Staff, Mar 16, 2024 / 09:21 am (CNA).

Super Bowl-winning kicker Harrison Butker shared a simple — but countercultural — message when he delivered a graduation speech at his alma mater, Georgia Tech, last year. 

“Get married and start a family,” the Kansas City Chiefs NFL star told the new graduates. 

Outspoken about his Catholic faith for several years, Butker garnered headlines during the 2023 Super Bowl when fans noticed he was wearing a scapular — a brown woolen sacramental from the Carmelite tradition, worn around the neck as a sign of consecration to Mary. 

In addition to Butker’s devotion to the Traditional Latin Mass, the 28-year-old father of two frequently promotes his pro-life convictions as well as the importance of marriage and family life, frequently emphasizing the importance of prioritizing his vocation as a husband and father.  

In an interview Friday with Mark Irons on “EWTN News in Depth,” Butker said he wants to encourage men, especially fathers, to “be courageous, to not be afraid to be the leader.”

“It’s something that we struggle with, I think, a lot of times to go outside of our comfort zone and to say, ‘You know what? God has called me to be a leader, and to lead by example. I’m going to lead my household and I’m going to lead outside the world when I’m evangelizing.’ So that’s something that I’m very passionate about,” Butker told “EWTN News in Depth.”

“I think Our Lord needs to be king. He needs to be front and center. And as Catholics, we have to be unapologetically proud of our faith and of Jesus Christ.”

Addressing several topics in the interview, Butker spoke out against the violence that erupted last month at the Feb. 14 parade in Kansas City celebrating the Chiefs’ Super Bowl victory. A dispute between revelers escalated into a shooting that claimed the life of Lisa López-Galván, a local radio DJ, mother of two, and a parishioner at Sacred Heart-Guadalupe Parish in Kansas City. 

Butker said he later learned that López-Galván was wearing a football jersey with Butker’s number when she was shot. He said he subsequently gifted López-Galván’s family one of his own jerseys, and she was buried in it. 

Butker said although he didn’t know López-Galván, he said he hopes that “she appreciated the fact that I was a Catholic, that I was outspoken for my faith.”

“To be able to receive that encouragement, that love, even though I never met her, I heard that from her family, how much she was encouraged by me and loved all my work. That’s just very encouraging for me to continue on the path that I’m on and to be never unwavering in my beliefs,” Butker said.

Expressing deep sorrow over the violence, Butker said the shooting incident demonstrated the need for strong father figures to set positive examples.

“I think we need strong fathers in the home. I think we need men that are leading, that are setting good examples, that are teaching the young men in our society that violence is not the way to handle our disputes,” he said.

Butker was asked about another recent news item, also from February, whereby Catholics expressed outrage over a controversial and irreverent funeral service for a well-known transgender advocate that was held at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City. 

Cardinal Timothy Dolan — who oversaw a Mass of reparation at the cathedral after the funeral — later said that the cathedral “had absolutely no idea about this” and that the archdiocese does not “do FBI checks on people who want to be buried.”

Butker said he sent Dolan a letter encouraging him to take a “strong stance” against the irreverent actions that took place during the funeral. 

“We need men that are leading saying, ‘This is not right. This is wrong. As Catholics, we will not accept this.’ We need to take a hard stance. I think sometimes we value what the world says about us instead of what Jesus Christ says about us,” Butker said.

Addressing the ongoing and soon-to-be culminating Eucharistic Revival taking place in the United States, Butker said he personally was encouraged in his belief in the Eucharist when, while in the process of returning to the faith, he attended a Catholic conference and got the opportunity to spend time in Eucharistic adoration with thousands of other people. 

Butker said the truth about the Eucharist “can’t be promoted enough.”

“I think a lot of Catholics who prioritize adoration and time with Our Lord in daily Mass and daily Communion and confession … I think they see this big growth in their spiritual life, because they are allowing themselves to fully immerse themselves in the Church and her sacraments.”

“I’m very excited for the Eucharistic Congress,” he added, referring to the upcoming national event set for July 17-21. 

Asked about Taylor Swift — the ubiquitous pop star currently dating teammate Travis Kelce — Butker described her as “so humble and so gracious” when he met her for the first time at a New Year’s Eve party. 

“I was a little nervous to meet Taylor Swift. I mean, it’s Taylor Swift, so maybe I’m a ‘Swifty’ if I was nervous to meet her, but it was a great experience, and I can’t say enough great things about her,” he said. “And I hope [she and Kelce] get married and start a family.”

Satisfying the ‘hungry heart’: an interview with Bishop Barron 

In addition to the spiritual maladies of the times, Bishop Robert Barron says he also sees opportunities for both evangelization and renewal in the Church. / Credit: Screenshot/EWTN News in Depth

CNA Newsroom, Mar 16, 2024 / 06:00 am (CNA).

Bishop Robert Barron of Winona-Rochester, Minnesota, provided both diagnoses of and prescriptions for the most pervasive spiritual maladies of our times in an interview with EWTN News Rome correspondent Colm Flynn.

One of the most popular bishops in the United States and founder of the Word on Fire evangelization ministry, Barron told Flynn the spiritual crisis of our age is stoked by “the immanentism, the materialism, the secularism that has taken hold of much of our culture.” 

“Nothing in this world can satisfy the hungry heart. You can deceive yourself for a while,” he explained. “But the heart knows otherwise and will rebel against that sort of immanentism.” 

Barron told Flynn he also sees hopeful signs and opportunities for the Church. 

He has observed that even “some of the most popular podcasts in the world” that were secularized 10 years ago are now using “spiritual language.”

“I’m aware of that, kind of in the zeitgeist, there’s this moment of new spiritual interest,” he said. “Let’s take advantage of it … the Church should move into that space to say boldly, but lovingly, we have the answers. You’ve now experienced the hunger. We got the bread of life, that will satisfy you.”

Barron said that within the Church itself, another hopeful sign is the renewed focus on the Eucharist, which in the United States will culminate this year in the National Eucharistic Congress that will take place July 17–21 in Indianapolis.

Asked what he hopes will be the fruit of the country’s Eucharistic Revival, the bishop answered: “A keener sense of the importance of Jesus Christ … so that I hope it awakens people’s faith.”