Good Friday-The Penitenti

From Reuters:
Penitent Fernando Mamangan weeps in pain as he is nailed to a wooden cross in a voluntary crucifixion on Good Friday in Santa Lucia village March 21, 2008. Filipinos including a 15-year-old were nailed to crosses and scores more whipped their backs into a bloody pulp on Friday in a gory ritual to mark [...]

Holy Thursday

The Lamb of God…and I presume a highlight of Jesus of Nazareth II…
From Pope Benedict’s homily of 2007:

It was on the eve of his Passion that Jesus together with his disciples celebrated this meal with its multiple meanings. This is the context in which we must understand the new Passover which he has [...]

Way of the Cross (Vatican)

So far the meditations are only available in Italian, but beautiful art work reflecting the meditations done by the Chinese Archbishop here.

Bin Laden Threatens Pope Benedict

Blames him for Danish cartoons of three years ago, from Reuters:
Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden threatened the European Union with grave punishment on Wednesday over cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad.
In an audio recording posted on the Internet, Bin Laden said the cartoons were part of a “crusade” in which he said the Catholic Pope [...]

Pope to Reduce Good Friday Activity

From Reuters:
Pope Benedict will reduce his activity at this week’s Good Friday procession by watching most of the service from a vantage point instead of walking around Rome’s ancient Colosseum, a spokesman said on Tuesday.
Rev. Federico Lombardi confirmed the change, reported earlier on Tuesday by the French religious news agency I-Media.
Lombardi said there were [...]

The Problem at Notre Dame

Well put…from Exile Street:
This is not a discussion of censoring works of art like VM. They are easily available to any who wish to view them. It is the failure of Notre Dame to become a place where such sin is not celebrated. Can’t there be one “last homely home,” one last Rivendell, where an [...]

Where Owning a Rosary Might Put You in Prison

Saudi Arabia extends a hand of friendship to the Pope, from the Times Online:
The Vatican is believed to be holding talks with Saudi authorities over opening the first Roman Catholic church in the Islamic kingdom, where Christian worship is banned and even to possess a Bible, rosary or crucifix is an offence.
The [...]

Pope Uses Papal Ferula of Pius IX, XII

The Holy Father used the crosier (papal cross) of Pius IX and XII in today’s Palm Sunday liturgy. Chances are this is only a temporary change–even Pope John Paul II used several different “ferula”
during his pontificate.
From the Roman Catholic:

The Passion of the Lord

From Matthew’s Gospel…
Beginning with Hosanna, literally “save us!” to invoking the Blood of the New Covenant upon us and our children:

what might seem to be a shift in the crowd is ironically in a twist a consistent plea to be saved, albeit in a way that the human actors are unaware–much as we who [...]

A New Cuban Saint

 GIUSEPPE OLALLO VALDÉS
From the Vatican:
 un miracolo, attribuito all’intercessione del Venerabile Servo di Dio GIUSEPPE OLALLO VALDÉS, Religioso professo dell’Ordine Ospedaliero di San Giovanni di Dio; nato a L’Avana (Cuba) il 12 febbraio 1820 e morto a Camagüey (Cuba) il 7 marzo 1889;

Solemnity of Saint Joseph

Early this year, because the usual feast falls during Holy Week. A Saint I invoke endlessly and with age have only more reason to double my petitions. The words of Pharaoh, recorded in Genesis, became the Word of God when they were imortalized the Sacred Scriptures and so what meant one thing when spoken, now [...]

Founder of the Focolare Movement Dies

Chiara Lubich died this morning. From Asia News Italy:
A press release issued by the Movement states that “in a serene and intensely moving atmosphere of prayer, at the age of 88 Chiara Lubich concluded her earthly journey”.
 “All day yesterday” – continues the release,  – “hundreds of people – relatives, close collaborates and her spiritual children [...]

Bishop Talks Theology

At a bar, from the Tuscaloosa News:
The message the guest speaker at the program, Bishop Robert Baker, head of the Diocese of Birmingham, which includes Tuscaloosa, gave to Catholics at the event was multifaceted message.
He spoke about some of the problems in the Catholic faith, such as how many people are turning their backs on [...]

$1.7-million Templeton Prize Won by Polish Priest

From The Vancouver Sun:
The world’s richest annual prize has been won by a Polish physicist and Catholic priest whose research on the origins of the universe and the tension between religion and science was conducted for decades under intense Soviet-era repression.
Michal Heller will be awarded the $1.7-million Templeton Prize by Prince Philip at a ceremony [...]