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A Conversation with God through Beauty & Art

God speaks to human beings through beauty. That is, Our Lord uses sensible realities to reach the human psyche, to touch our souls and captivate our hearts. Relying on the classical definition of beauty, made clearest in the thought of St. Thomas Aquinas, a thing is beautiful if it coheres and will not fall apart; if it is balanced and fits well together; if it shines forth a proverbial light that transcends itself. Beautiful things include sunsets, gardens, waterfalls, Gothic architecture, libraries, diligent scientific experiments, and the human person rightly understood, all of which can open a deeper conversation with the divine.

Our Lady, Shield of Orthodoxy

Christianity is not a mere set of ideas, it is a relationship with a real person: Jesus Christ. For any true relationship, we must have true knowledge of the other person. This means that faith is not just my own personal conviction or yours. If Jesus Christ is a real person, then our faith is only true by believing what is true about him (John 17:3, 2 Cor 11:3-4). The name we give this “true or right belief” is orthodoxy.

Cardinal Cupich calls Traditional Latin Mass “a spectacle”

Chicago’s Blase Cupich has asserted that the Traditional Latin Mass was “more of a spectacle rather than the active participation of all the baptised”.

In a reflection on the liturgical reforms which came from Sacrosanctum Concilium, one of the four constitutions of the Second Vatican Council, the cardinal argued that the document drew on scholarly research which revealed “adaptations that were introduced over time, which incorporated elements from imperial and royal courts.” The reform, he contends, aimed to purify the liturgy of “these adaptations … to enable the liturgy to sustain the Church’s renewed sense of herself.”

Cardinal Cupich made plain that the renewed liturgy is not simply a matter of external form but of ecclesial identity and mission. He emphasised that the measure of authenticity in Eucharistic celebration lies in concern for those in need — it is this “criterion by which the authenticity of our Eucharistic celebrations is judged.” He went further still, describing the Mass not merely as ritual but as “the locus of solidarity with the poor in a fractured world.”

The cardinal made his remarks in the context of the Council’s renewed vision of the Church. He cited the papal letter Dilexi Te, noting that “the Second Vatican Council represented a milestone in the Church’s understanding of the poor in God’s saving plan”, a theme initially marginal in the preparatory documents but brought to prominence by Pope John XXIII when he declared that “the Church presents herself as she is and as she wishes to be: the Church of all and in particular the Church of the poor.”

Cardinal Cupich recalled how Cardinal Lercaro, Archbishop of Bologna, declared in December 1962, “This is the hour of the poor, of the millions of the poor throughout the world.”

According to the cardinal, the liturgical renewal aimed to restore simplicity and sobriety to worship so that the Church might more clearly present herself as the Lord’s own rather than the servant of worldly power.

He wrote: “The liturgical reform benefited from scholarly research into liturgical resources, identifying those adaptations … which had transformed the liturgy’s aesthetics and meaning, making the liturgy more of a spectacle rather than the active participation of all the baptised.” Purifying those adaptations was, he argued, essential if the Eucharist was to regain its proper meaning.

Continued below.

FORMER ANGLICAN BISHOP PREDICTS NEW WAVE OF CONVERSIONS TO CATHOLIC CHURCH

OXFORD, England (OSV News) — A former Anglican bishop has urged church leaders to prepare for a surge of Catholic conversions, as a historic Vatican visit by King Charles III coincided with a deepening division in the worldwide Anglican Communion.

“The Church of England has clearly decided to go the way of liberal Protestant denominations, abandoning any claims to be upholding the Catholic apostolic succession,” said Msgr. Michael Nazir-Ali, who was one of several Anglican bishops received into the Catholic Church in 2021.

‘A significant wave of conversions’​

“We’re already seeing a significant new wave of conversions, and the church needs to consider how best to respond,” he said.

The Pakistan-born former bishop was ordained a Catholic priest for the Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham, a diocese with Anglican traditions established under Pope Benedict XVI to help bring Anglicans in the United Kingdom into full communion with the Catholic Church.

He spoke as a Global Anglican Future Conference, or GAFCON, claiming to represent at least half the world’s 85 million Anglicans, severed links with the Church of England over the appointment of the first female archbishop of Canterbury, accusing her of promoting “unbiblical and revisionist teachings.”

Continued below.

The Era of AI Porn Is Here

Sam Altman, the CEO of ChatGPT-owner OpenAI, recently announced that his software would soon allow users to generate erotic content. On X, Altman posted: “In December, as we roll out age-gating more fully and as part of our ‘treat adult users like adults’ principle, we will allow even more, like erotica for verified adults.” Some users on X criticized this decision, and Altman doubled down. “You won’t get it unless you ask for it,” he said to one such critic.

What is ironic about Altman’s announcement about adult content is that it was made in the same post in which he proclaimed that OpenAI wants to steward their customers’ well-being. He admitted that previous ChatGPT restrictions were meant to prevent “mental health issues,” but that the new policy would allow users with “no mental health problems” to get more out of the service.

Three things are worth noting about OpenAI’s new policy.

First, Altman’s comments about mental health ring hollow. Pornography is not safe for those without mental health issues. It is a cause of them. The November 2025 issue of Harper’s contains a report that is both impossible to recommend and impossible to forget. Daniel Kolitz profiles the “gooners,” a movement of proudly porn-addicted young men who structure their lives, their homes, and their relationships around masturbation.
One of the key themes in Kolitz’s article is how the young men he profiles believe that porn and masturbation are their saviors from the cruel world of real women. Kolitz summarizes the philosophy of the young men this way:

“[C]ompilations can’t give you chlamydia; a zip file can’t impugn your virility. But what a zip file also can’t do is lie to you.” One of the young men meekly admits, “I just feel like it’s exhausting. For both parties.”

Kolitz’s essay is one of the most effective arguments I’ve ever seen for the dissociative and depressive effects of pornography. As major AI companies follow the advertising money and allow users to generate their own sexual dysfunction, they assume a major role in the deepening mental and emotional freefall that Kolitz documents. This is not stewardship of public mental health. It is a greedy disregard for it.

Continued below.

Texas voters to decide on parental rights amendment in November

Texas voters will head to the polls next week to consider Proposition 15, the Parental Rights Amendment, a constitutional amendment aimed at enshrining parents’ rights in the state constitution.

The measure, if approved, would add language to the Texas Constitution affirming that parents have the right “to exercise care, custody, and control of the parent’s child, including the right to make decisions concerning the child’s upbringing” and the responsibility “to nurture and protect the parent’s child.”

Texas already ranks among 26 states with a Parents’ Bill of Rights enshrined in state law. That existing statute grants parents a right to “full information” concerning their child at school as well as access to their child’s student records, copies of state assessments, and teaching materials, among other provisions.

The Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops told CNA it supports the “proposed amendment to recognize the natural right of parents to direct their children’s upbringing.”

Continued below.

Pope Leo XIV commemorates Nostra Aetate anniversary with interfaith celebrations

Pope Leo XIV joined faith leaders on Tuesday to commemorate the 60th anniversary of Nostra Aetate, the Church’s declaration on building relationships with non-Christian religions.

Approximately 300 representatives of world religions and cultures joined the Holy Father for an evening ecumenical prayer service for peace organized by the Community of Sant’Egidio and held at the Colosseum in Rome.

“Peace is a constant journey of reconciliation,” the Holy Father said at the Oct. 28 event.

Thanking religious leaders for coming together in Rome, he said their interfaith meeting expressed their shared “conviction that prayer is a powerful force for reconciliation.”

“This is our witness: offering the immense treasures of ancient spiritualities to contemporary humanity,” he said.

Continued below.
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Runners carry torch from Mexico to New York praying for immigrants, honoring Our Lady

The Carrera Antorcha Guadalupana (the “Guadalupan Torch Run”) is an annual pilgrimage where runners honor the Blessed Mother and pray for immigrants as they carry a torch from the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City to St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City.

Pilgrim runners began their journey on Aug. 30 in Mexico City and so far have carried it through nine Mexican states and over 30 cities. Altogether, they will pass through 14 U.S. states as they journey over 3,000 miles before arriving in New York on Dec. 12, the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

As they pass through each town, the runners are joined by locals, who accompany them for a portion of the route.

The running pilgrims arrived in San Antonio, Texas, on Oct. 27, where they will remain for three days. Catholics at several parishes there are organizing Masses and celebrations, which will include Indigenous Mexican dancers known as “Matachines,” who have performed traditional dances in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe for hundreds of years.

Continued below.

Asbury University pres. praying campus revival was mere tremor ahead of global Christian awakening

SEOUL, South Korea — Kevin Brown, president of Asbury University, says his prayer is that in five to 10 years, Christians will look back on the Asbury revival as a tremor that preceded a global Christian awakening.

In February 2023, what seemed like a “routine chapel service” turned into a 16-day revival that drew 50,000 people from across the world to the tiny town of Wilmore, Kentucky, among them students from 287 different universities, Brown told delegates gathered on the second day of the World Evangelical Alliance’s General Assembly.

“But in the time since the outpouring, my prayer has been that in five, seven, 10 years, we would look back on what we saw in February of 2023 and say that it was nothing. That the outpouring would be seen as a mere tremor preceding an earthquake of holy Christian awakening across our globe,” Brown said, describing it as the most incredible experience of his lifetime.

Continued below.

IDOP: 2 reasons why we must pray for persecuted Christians

Every year when the International Day of Prayer for Persecuted Christians (IDOP) approaches, I’m reminded that this isn’t just another date on the church calendar. It’s a chance to join hands and hearts with our Christian brothers and sisters who are suffering for their faith.

Praying for them is not a symbolic gesture. It is a source of real strength. This month I spent time with Christians in South Asia who have been imprisoned, beaten or stood beside the bodies of murdered loved ones because they follow Christ. I’ve done this work for 27 years, and when I’ve asked how we, American believers, can help these members of our family, their first request is simple and consistent: “Pray for us.”

1. Because Scripture commands us to

Continued below.

5 principles for living with spiritual clarity

We live in a distracted and chaotic world. Every day we see unfolding crises across our nation and around the world. A quick glance at any news feed reveals alarming headlines: Antifa protests erupt in American cities. Secular humanism rises while biblical morality declines. Islam spreads across European nations, reshaping their very cultures. Disrespect for law enforcement is celebrated, while rebellion against authority has become a cultural virtue.

Our personal lives only add to the noise. Phones buzz. Responsibilities multiply. Deadlines, decisions, and digital demands compete for our attention. Even in our best, most Christ-centered intentions, it’s easy to get caught up in the urgent and lose sight of the eternal. The result is a busy life that looks active on the surface but drifts quietly from the purpose God intended.

In the midst of it all, many Christians find their hearts growing anxious and distracted. It’s easy to become overwhelmed. Angry. Fearful. Consumed by the constant clamor.

But God calls us to something better. Hebrews 12:1–2 says, “Let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.” The Christian life isn’t a sprint of scattered effort; it’s a long race of faithful focus.

So how do we keep our eyes on Christ in a world determined to scatter our attention? Here are five biblical habits that sharpen our spiritual vision.

1. Lay aside distractions

Continued below.

Is it OK to use the 'F' word?

There are certain words in the English language so drenched in connotation they’ve become almost useless for honest conversation.

We all know them — the words that act less like bridges and more like flashing red lights. They don’t invite dialogue; they warn of an oncoming explosion. Words like privilege, diversity, or woke agenda don’t just carry ideas anymore — they carry baggage. And depending on where you land politically, hearing one of them is enough to make you brace yourself, cross your arms, and stop listening.

One of those words is feminism. As a lifelong conservative, I’m not sure I can think of a word that shuts my fellow constitutionalists down faster than this one. (Patriarchy might give it a strong run for its money.)

It’s gotten so bad that a friend recently begged me to stop using it in my own writing and activism. If you looked it up in a right-wing glossary, it would probably read something like: feminism — noun; a secular religion devoted to hating men, destroying the family, and killing babies.

You can hear this tone echoed across conservative commentary. Ben Shapiro has described feminism as “a war on traditional femininity.” Jordan Peterson has accused modern feminists of being “deeply resentful” and driven by envy toward men. Tucker Carlson once claimed that feminism “has made women unhappier” and “weakened the social fabric.” Phyllis Schlafly, decades before them, called it “the most destructive lie in our nation’s history.”

It’s no wonder the word makes conservatives flinch. In our circles, feminism has become shorthand for everything wrong with the modern world — faithlessness, fatherlessness, gender confusion, moral decay. And honestly? Some of that reputation is earned.

Continued below.

Hypocritical Love is Not Love

“Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord.” (Romans 12:9-11 NASB1995)

What kind of love is this speaking of here? It’s a love which centers in moral preference, which prefers what God prefers. And God prefers all that is holy, righteous, godly, morally pure, upright, honest, and faithful. So should we who are Jesus’ followers. And it’s a love which shows benevolence (concern, compassion, kindness) for one another, and for one another’s needs. So, when we love with this agape love, we will not deliberately and habitually sin against one another, but we will do for others what is for their good.

So, what does hypocritical love look like? Well, it is not love at all – not in the eyes of God and according to the Scriptures. It is words spoken but not in truth, and not followed up with actions which speak love, but often with actions which speak the opposite of love. It is like a man or a woman who is married who tells their spouse that they love them only to turn right around and do the exact opposite of what love is. A primary example of this is if one spouse is living in adultery against the other spouse, while professing love.

Another way this can be hypocritical love is if one person professing love to another leads that other person into sin deliberately, and for the sole purpose to get that other person to fail morally and spiritually, because it brings them pleasure to see the other person fail. And yes, there are people like this, even people professing faith in Jesus Christ, who get pleasure and enjoyment out of seeing others fall into sin. And the Bible talks about the punishment of those who lead others into sin, too (Matthew 18:6-7).

But do you know that is what many pastors and preachers of the word of God are doing to you when they feed you lies which give you the impression that your sins no longer matter to God once you “believe” in Jesus, and so you are free to keep sinning without feeling guilty about your sin, since you believe all your sins are forgiven and heaven is guaranteed you upon death? For any pastor/preacher, who willfully omits God’s biblical requirements for us to put sin to death and to walk in obedience to God, is doing that.

For Jesus Christ taught that to come to him we must deny self, take up our cross daily (die daily to sin), and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to living in sin and for self, we will lose our lives for eternity. But if we deny self, die daily to sin, by the Spirit, and we walk in obedience to our Lord and to his commands, in his power, then we have eternal life with God. For not everyone who calls him “Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one DOING (obeying) the will of God (see Luke 9:23-26; Matthew 7:21-23).

So, it is not okay with God if after we make a profession of faith in Jesus Christ that we go right on sinning against him deliberately and habitually, especially without conscience and without true remorse. However, this does not mean we will never sin/fail (1 John 2:1-2), for we are still human beings, mere clay in the Potter’s (God’s) hands, being conformed to the likeness of character of Jesus Christ, which is a life-long process of sanctification, if, in fact, that is where we are spiritually, and that is actually taking place.

For we are to be children of God who have died with Christ to sin, and who are abhorring what is evil, and who are clinging to what is good, as God terms “good.” And we are not to be selfish people who think only of ourselves and what gives us pleasure, without regard for how our actions impact those we claim to love. But in love we are to give preference to one another in honor, but never in giving preference to what is evil and to what might destroy them morally and spiritually, if we teach them lies.

For, if our faith in Jesus Christ is genuine biblical faith, it will result in us dying to sin and walking in obedience to our Lord, in practice, by the grace of God and in the power of God. And our desire will be for the Lord, to do what pleases him, in service to him and to his will and purpose for our lives. And this doesn’t mean that we are going to get everything right all the time, but we should keep pressing forward in the strength and wisdom of God, in following our Lord, and in doing what he says, in living for him every day.

[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 10:19-39; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22]

Oh, to Be Like Thee, Blessed Redeemer

Lyrics by Thomas O. Chisholm, 1897
Music by W. J. Kirkpatrick, 1897


Oh, to be like Thee! blessèd Redeemer,
This is my constant longing and prayer;
Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,
Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.

Oh, to be like Thee! full of compassion,
Loving, forgiving, tender and kind,
Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting,
Seeking the wandering sinner to find.

O to be like Thee! lowly in spirit,
Holy and harmless, patient and brave;
Meekly enduring cruel reproaches,
Willing to suffer others to save.

O to be like Thee! while I am pleading,
Pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy love;
Make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling,
Fit me for life and Heaven above.

Oh, to be like Thee! Oh, to be like Thee,
Blessèd Redeemer, pure as Thou art;
Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;
Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.

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Hypocritical Love is Not Love
An Original Work / October 29, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
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Praise God for my spiritual growth

I had a very scary day yesterday which involved a trip to the ER. On the way there, I prayed for my earlthy survival ONLY if it were God's will and, if it were not, to please save my soul and thanked Him for everything He'd give me in my time here. I prayed my husband would find Him after I was gone and for my child to do the same.

I thanked Him, when I came through, not because I lived (as that must have been His will) but for allowing me to understand that life on Earth is not as important as life with Him. There was a time I would have panicked and begged to continue life here. I surrendered all and asked him to do as He would but please remember me when it was my time.

I feel so much better for having gone through that transformation.

Praise God.

Open Doors Highlights And Prayer Points Nov-Dec 2025

1. Please pray for the verdict of what happened to abducted pastor Raymond Koh, due 5 November in Indonesia. Amazingly, Susanna Koh is still thanking God and thinking of how Raymond's case can be used for God's glory.

2. Believe it or not in some areas and communities in Mexico Christians face persecution. Ten year old Alissa had her pet dog poisoned, while poisoned the dog licked Alissa's sister, sending her to hospital. Alissa's former best friend is no longer friends with her due to Alissa's faith and all of her classmates bully her.

3. We learn of another child Robin from Bangladesh- at his village and at school he is blanked and simply known as 'The Christian'. His mum came to faith first, then her husband had a false conversion, then Robin came to Christ.

Robin and his family had fellowship at a local house church but one day a mob came to destroy it, thankfully all the brothers and sisters in Christ were warned in advance and managed to avoid the mob but the building was destroyed.

Jubayer (Robin's dad) obviously had a false conversion as he went with his own parents and tried to force Robin and his mum Moly to leave Christ- they would not so Jubayer divorced Moly and Jubayer refuses to provide them with financial help.

It was very moving to read how Moly encourages her son Robin with Bible stories and how at Christmas they gather at an event where Robin can play with other Christian children who know what he is going through and Moly can talk to other brothers and sisters in Christ.

4. I did a post awhile back on Jorina from Bangladesh - despite all she has been through she has a passion to serve other persecuted sisters in Christ. Hear her quote "If we live, we should live for the Lord. If we die, let it be for the glory of the Lord."

5. I mentioned pastor Yang from Myanmar and once again his family were displaced but now he has made the bold decision to return to the place he was displaced from to serve other believers. What a shepherds heart.

6. In the lead up to Open Doors IDOP event remember the words of our sister in Christ Khada from Afghanistan- "In a world that often forgets us, just knowing that someone, somewhere, is praying with a bright heart for us means that we are seen".

7. Dayang from the Southern Phillipines is yet another child that suffers for her faith in Christ- no other student at school will sit next to her, she is mocked for her prayers and on a recent afternoon she was injured by fellow students after they threw rocks at her. It was moving how Dayang's mother strengthens her in her faith in Christ.

Bonus Video

This will hit home- see a Nigerian pastor reacting to a massacre as he is conducting a burial.

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I think I know what they mean by craving alcohol.

Hi, you may think that you can't develop a craving simply by sipping alcohol but I think that even with the little sip of wine after Communion, I'm developing a craving for that wine. When I go up to the person with the Chalice, and take a sip, I want to drink more than what I'm supposed to, and yet I don't even like the taste of wine per se. I kind of wish I never started sipping the wine, because the sting of it is imprinted in my system. I don't remember when I first started taking the wine after Communion. It is not offered at every parish.

But wait you may tell me that it is the Blood of Christ, not the wine anymore -- ok then, I don't know what to say :sigh:

ps I am NOT making this thread to debate anything about hygienic reasons. That is NOT the purpose of my thread...please.

I have taken the wine (blood of Christ) after Communion because frankly, it dissipates the aftertaste of the Eucharist IMHO and I like to do that.

‘Billy Graham of Asia’ Stephen Tong rebukes hypocritical pastors indulging in sin, refusing to repent and leave the pulpit

SEOUL, South Korea — Pastor Stephen Tong preached a fiery sermon at the World Evangelical Alliance’s General Assembly, rebuking hypocritical pastors who indulge in sin yet step up to the pulpit on Sundays to preach God’s holy word.

Tong, the founder and senior pastor of the Reformed Evangelical Church of Indonesia, known as the “Billy Graham of Asia” for his global evangelistic work, preaching to more than 37 million people over more than 66 years of ministry, admonished “hypocritical” pastors leading double lives.

“Shame on this kind of servant of God," he said.

In his sermon titled “to be a holy servant," Tong focused on the holiness of the Gospel message.

“If you want to be a servant of God, you promise to God to lead a holy life,” the 85-year-old declared, detailing the purity of mind, speech and actions required of pastors to lead exemplary lives above reproach.

Continued below.

How God Used a ‘Nobody’ to Convert 10 Million People at Guadalupe...

I’m so excited for you to watch this week’s Sunday Reflection that I filmed on a recent pilgrimage to Mexico City while literally climbing up Tepeyac Hill, the place where Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared to St. Juan Diego in 1531. It doesn’t get much humbler than Juan Diego. He was a peasant, an absolute nobody by the standards of the world. But God chose to work through him to bring about the largest mass conversion to Christianity in history...

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15:01

Bishop John Persaud: Jamaicans Trust 'God Is With Us' Through Planet's Worst Hurricane of 2025

20251028T1454-JAMAICAN-BISHOP-HURRICANE-QA-1806888.JPG

A car drives near debris on a road in Kingston, Jamaica, Oct. 27, 2025, as Hurricane Melissa approached. The slow-moving hurricane, a Category 5 storm with winds of ranging from 175-185 mph, had already killed at least seven -- three in Haiti, one in the Dominican Republic and three in Jamaica -- ahead of making landfall Oct. 28 in southwestern Jamaica at about 1 p.m. ET. (OSV News Octavio Jones, Reuters)

(OSV News) -- As Hurricane Melissa approached Jamaica Oct. 27, OSV News spoke with Bishop John Persaud, who shepherds the Diocese of Mandeville and is also apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Montego Bay, which together with the Archdiocese of Kingston serve the faithful on the Caribbean island nation.

The slow-moving hurricane, a Category 5 storm with winds of ranging from 175-185 mph, has already killed at least seven -- three in Haiti, one in the Dominican Republic, and three in Jamaica ahead of landfall on Oct. 28. The hurricane is the strongest storm the planet has seen this year.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

OSV News: What preparations have you and your parishioners made for Hurricane Melissa?

Bishop Persaud: Before Hurricane Melissa came to be, I actually had organized two weeks' vacation in Canada, and so I'm at the moment in Canada. I'm not on the island. I've been kept continuously briefed from there. ... But my heart is in Jamaica, and I am clearly worried about our people there.

OSV News: In a way, that's providential, so that you can be the point of connectivity for the church amid the storm, with a stable telecommunications connection.

Continued below.
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The State of Catholic-Jewish Relations on 60th Anniversary of ‘Nostra Aetate’

Israel’s war against Hamas has generated tensions, but Jewish leaders say both sides remain deeply committed to the path of reconciliation fostered by the Second Vatican Council document.
A young altar server censes as Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, prepares the eucharist during Sunday morning Mass at the Roman Catholic Church of the Holy Family in Gaza City on July 20, 2025.
A young altar server censes as Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, prepares the eucharist during Sunday morning Mass at the Roman Catholic Church of the Holy Family in Gaza City on July 20, 2025. (photo: Omar Al-Qattaa / Getty )

The Israel-Hamas war, which began with the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas massacre and quickly escalated to deadly armed conflict in Gaza, has strained relations between Catholic and Jewish leaders.

Following the initiation of the conflict, Pope Francis repeatedly questioned Israel’s use of force against Palestinian civilians and pondered whether Israel’s warfare amounted to a “genocide.” The late Pope was particularly invested in the welfare of Gaza’s tiny Christian community and called Holy Family Church, Gaza’s only Catholic church, where hundreds of Christians and a few Muslims have found shelter for two years, almost every day. On July 17, the church was hit by what the Israel Defense Forces called an errant IDF tank shell. Three Christians were killed and 15 persons were injured, including Father Gabriel Romanelli, the parish priest.

While Jewish leaders are grateful for his efforts to fight antisemitism and his outreach to Jewish communities, many believe Francis should have spoken out more forcefully against Hamas and other Islamic terror groups and that he was overly critical of Israel’s military actions in Gaza. The American Jewish Committee, for example, called the war Israel’s “defensive fight for survival.”

Continued below.

NFL Player Nick Mangold Dies; Catholic School Remembers Him as ‘Role Model’

The center who spent his entire NFL career with the Jets leaves behind his wife, Jennifer, and four children.
New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez (6) takes the snap from center Nick Mangold (74) against the New England Patriots at MetLife Stadium on Nov. 22, 2012.
New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez (6) takes the snap from center Nick Mangold (74) against the New England Patriots at MetLife Stadium on Nov. 22, 2012. (photo: Debby Wong / Shutterstock)

With the news of the tragic death of NFL player Nick Mangold, 41, over the weekend due to complications with kidney disease, two of his Catholic alma maters are remembering the center who spent his entire 11-season career with the New York Jets.

“We are deeply saddened by the passing of our Incarnation alum, Nick Mangold,” Incarnation Catholic School posted to its Facebook page. “His legacy, both on and off the field, continues to inspire us all. Our deepest sympathies are with his family, friends, and all who were touched by his remarkable life.”

The school, founded in 1957 by the Precious Blood Sisters of Montgomery County, is a pre-K-to-8 elementary school located in Centerville, Ohio.

Continued below.

Catholic Visual Arts Professor Creates ‘Alphabet Parade’

Self-published children’s book offers kids the opportunity to ‘explore, to experience’ God’s creation — one letter at a time.
Stephen Barany discusses his new self-published book available now.
Stephen Barany discusses his new self-published book available now. (photo: Courtesy photo / Stephen Barany )

Stephen Barany is a visual arts professor at Holy Cross College in Notre Dame, Indiana, teaching graphic design courses and seminars. His new self-published children’s book, Alphabet Parade: An Alliterative Alphabet Adventure, recently garnered a strong response on Kickstarter, blowing well past its modest $1,000 goal to earn more than $16,000.

Barany spoke with the Register about his philosophy as a Catholic artist and illustrator and why he believes his new book — though not immediately obvious as a “Catholic” work — is an expression of his faith and provides valuable “pre-evangelization” enrichment for Catholic families. The book is available for preorder now.

This transcript has been edited for length and clarity.



Tell us about your background and how you came up with this concept.

Continued below.

With Some G.O.P. Backing, Senate Votes to End Trump’s Brazil Tariffs


The Senate on Tuesday voted to terminate the 50 percent tariffs that President Trump has imposed on Brazil, with a handful of Republicans crossing party lines to help push through a measure rejecting the emergency declaration used to justify them.​
While the resolution faces long odds in the House, where Republicans have taken extraordinary steps to make it more difficult to bring up such measures, the vote signaled bipartisan frustration with the president’s tariffs on most goods from Brazil, a country with which the United States has a multibillion-dollar trade surplus.​
The resolution is one of three that Democrats have planned to bring up for a vote this week to challenge Mr. Trump’s moves to circumvent Congress and wage a trade war that many lawmakers are concerned will harm their constituents. Votes are expected in the next few days on tariffs the president imposed on Canada and a global tariff rate on more than 100 trading partners. .......​
Senator Tim Kaine, Democrat of Virginia and the lead sponsor of the measures, said the votes are as much about the president’s overreach of power as they are about the economic impact of his sweeping tariffs.​
“Are we just going to allow the trade power which is handed to Congress, or the war power which is handed to Congress, or the appropriations power which is handed to Congress, or the nominations advice and consent power which is handed to the Senate — are we just going to allow those powers to be taken over by this president or any president?” Mr. Kaine said.​
The Senate is waking up. Perhaps they are listening to their constituents, and noting Trump's poor polling numbers.

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