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World News
John Carroll, the news, and the pope's encyclical
This Pillar Post is available entirely for free to all readers through a sponsorship from the Saint Sebastian Institute.You can listen to this Pillar Post here: The Pillar TL;DRHey everybody,Today’s the seventh Tuesday of Easter, and you’re reading The Tuesday Pillar Post.In less than two months, we...
World News
The German Church’s AfD nightmare scenario
Germany’s bishops are months away from a potential showdown with a surging political party they have urged Catholics not to vote for because of its “racial-nationalist” attitudes.Bishop Gerhard Feige of Magdeburg, Germany. Credit: Evangelische Kirche in Österreich/wikimedia CC BY-SA 2.0The looming c...
World News
U.S. bishops get 2027 ‘ad limina’ schedule
American bishops have been scheduled to meet next year with Pope Leo XIV, in the first of the ad limina visits to Rome for U.S. bishops during Leo’s pontificate.A video screen in St. Peter’s Square captures Pope Leo as he processes through a crowd during a papal audience. Credit: Pillar Media.In a M...
World News
Tulsa deacon pleads guilty to stealing $1.4 million from parish
A 70-year-old deacon in Tulsa pleaded guilty last week to bank fraud and unlawful monetary transactions, after stealing nearly $1.5 million while working at a local Catholic parish.Christ the King Church in Tulsa. Credit: Christ the King Parish / Facebook.Subscribe nowDeacon John Sommer, the former...
World News
‘Listening centers’ planned for Pope Leo Spain visit
Confessionals will not be set up during a youth prayer vigil and other events of Pope Leo’s trip to Spain next month, while “listening centers” will be available for young people who wish to speak with lay pastoral workers dispatched as “listening agents.”But a spokesperson for the Archdiocese of Ma...
World News
Synodality, but not a synod: Inside the new timetable for the 2028 'ecclesial assembly'
The Vatican’s synod department issued a new document Wednesday defining the steps to be taken ahead of the 2028 ecclesial assembly in Rome.Cardinal Mario Grech, secretary general of the Synod of Bishops. Credit: Screenshot from @synod-va YouTube channel.The 6,000-word text, published May 20, details...
Spirituality
Worshipping the Rising Son: The Temple, the Lamb, and Facing East
What happens after we die? Someone once gave examples to help formulate an answer. His help was in the form of questions: Have you tried to describe a rainbow to a man born blind? Or a Tchaikovsky symphony like Sleeping Beauty or Swan Lake, to a person born deaf? Explain the exquisite fragrance of a...
Spirituality
Why Water Baptism Is Necessary for Salvation
Jesus, Scripture, and the Catholic Church teach that water baptism is necessary for our salvation. It washes away our sins, infuses our souls with grace, and puts us in communion with God and His Church. Still, many wonder why we need water for baptism. Why can’t faith in Jesus be enough? Accordingl...
Spirituality
Courage and Strength Come from Being Loved
About twenty years ago, I was at a Mass celebrated by Fr. Richard McAlear, OMI (frmac.org), a well-known priest with the gift and charism of healing. Fr. McAlear prayed over each person who came forward and spoke a few words with them. When it was my turn, Father held my face, looked into my eyes an...
Spirituality
An Inheritance of Righteousness, Part 1
Allow a moment for two brief definitions for the terms in the title of this reflection. They will be essential for understanding the progression of thought through this two-part series. The first term, “inheritance,” is the acquisition of a valuable possession or condition from a previous generation...
Spirituality
Navigating Luciferian False Light in a Confusing Age
I had a very difficult situation arise in the wake of my father’s death. A person in a position of authority, who by all accounts was filled with light and joy, led us astray. I knew it was false. I battled against it alone. The difficulty for me was the seemingly radiant light and joy emanating fro...