BLOG: Matthew Harrison
The Vatican is among those watching the crisis unfold in Egypt. Nearly 100 people have been killed in a week of political demonstrations. But Catholic News Service’s John Thavis explains the Holy See isn’t likely to offer any immediate comment on the situation: To download Flash Player please click here ...read more
Pope Benedict XVI proposed a Christian way for engaging the online world with his message for the 45th World Day of Communications. The message, which was released this week, takes the theme Truth, proclamation and authenticity of life in the digital age. Catholic News Service’s Cindy Wooden and John Thavis have the details. To download ...read more
While in Canada our national March for Life isn’t until May, in the United States thousands of Americans gathered yesterday in Washington for their annual March. Catholic News Service files this report from Washington. To download Flash Player please click here For more insight into Washington’s March for Life, see some of the news briefs ...read more
Today marks the feast of St. Francis de Sales, who also happens to be the patron saint of journalists. It is on this day that the Pope traditionally publishes his message for the World Day of Communications. This year, the message takes the theme “Truth, proclamation and authenticity of life in the digital age.” In ...read more
We are all in need of conversion. My colleague Pedro mentioned previously in his blog and the weekly edition of Perspectives on Christian Unity (and they talked about this on the show). Hearing the phrase “we are all in need of conversion,” I recall the story of how Brother André begged those around him to ...read more
Have you ever considered Jesus a refugee? Speaking in his Sunday Angelus address, Pope Benedict XVI reminded the faithful of the Holy Family’s escape to Egypt: On the Feast of the Holy Family, immediately after Christmas, we recalled how even Jesus’ parents had to flee their land and take refuge in Egypt to save the ...read more
In February 2009 my wife and I drove my colleague, Kris Dmytrenko, to the Buffalo, New York airport. He was flying to Rome for work, and giving him a ride to the airport gave us the opportunity to visit a few shrines in the upstate New York area. One of the shrines we visited was ...read more
The tortoise and the hare. You know the story: a hare and a tortoise race.  The cocky hare feels the tortoise is an easy challenge, so he runs some of the race, then decides to play in a field, gets bored with that, and so he takes a nap.  Of course, while the hare is ...read more
Pope Benedict XVI’s Wednesday general audience this week highlights the life of St. Catherine of Genoa. Two things stood out for me about this talk: the 15th century saint’s words on purgatory and also what the Holy Father said about mystics.  He recounted the “profound union” Catherine had with God, but that she also cared ...read more
Yesterday marked the one year anniversary of the devastating earthquake in Haiti. Pope Benedict sent his prayers and spiritual closeness to the Haitian people on the anniversary, a message that was delivered by his envoy, Cardinal Robert Sarah. The president of the Pontifical Council Cor Unum traveled to the country on Sunday and among his ...read more