To the editor:
I have been researching online for information on Pope Francis. There any many good things to learn about him.
May we please convene a monthly discussion group in the Diocese of Madison in which we can learn about Pope Francis together?
St. Francis of Assisi is known for his love of the poor and all of God’s creatures. We often see pictures of St. Francis with the wolf he purportedly tamed and with other animals and birds gathered around him.
I have visited the town of Assisi in Italy twice. On my first trip, I was amazed to see a flock of birds sitting on the statue of St. Francis in the garden outside the basilica there. Our guide said that the birds constantly flock to that statue, almost as if they know it depicts St. Francis.
To the editor:
Local Catholics need to know that the former Saint Benedict Center, now renamed Holy Wisdom Monastery (HWM), makes no proper distinction between Holy Mass with the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, and a protestant service. It’s not at all in keeping with a Catholic understanding of authentic ecumenism.
The Sisters, who left their vows in 2006, now lead something like a pseudo-parish, not in communion with the Catholic Church, and host various activist dissent groups and so-called “womenpriests.”
To the editor:
In his recent 1,093-page budget, Governor Scott Walker has a provision that says certain taxpayers who have NOT paid their taxes for years — if the state knew of their underpayment but took no action — do NOT have to pay back these taxes.
In other words, the 61 new Department of Revenue employees who might discover these cheaters can take no action.
Besides praying for the cardinals who are electing a new pope, the Catholic bishops of the United States have also called for a nationwide effort to advance a movement for life, marriage, and religious liberty.
In this Year of Faith, the bishops are encouraging Catholics across our nation to pray for rebuilding a culture that is more favorable to life and marriage as well as for increased protections for religious liberty.
There are many challenges facing the Catholic Church today, challenges which the new pope will have to address.
What are the most important challenges? If we only go by secular media reports, the key issues would seem to be the sexual abuse scandal, ordination of women, and same-sex marriage. These are some of the so-called “hot button” issues, but are they the major challenges facing the Church?
To the editor:
We are shocked to read in the Alliance Defending Freedom HHS Mandates Fact Sheet, page 2, (http://www.alliancedefendingfreedom.org/content/docs/facts/ObamaCare-and-its-Mandates.pdf) that children ages 0-26 will receive contraception, sterilization, and abortion with no parental notification.
Please be aware that this provision will cause untold harm and death to all families under Obamacare.
This weekend, March 2 and 3, Catholics throughout the Diocese of Madison will be asked to contribute to the Annual Catholic Appeal (ACA).
Members of parishes have already received a letter from Bishop Robert C. Morlino with information on the ACA. It was an opportunity to pledge support for the ACA even before the public process started. We have already sent in our family’s pledge to the ACA. People can pay in one lump sum or give a pledge to be paid over a five-month period.
I believe it is vital to support the ministries and services in our diocese funded by the ACA. (Please note that I am giving an objective opinion, since the Catholic Herald does not receive support from the appeal; our paper is supported only by subscriptions and advertising.)
Lent is a special time set aside by the Church to prepare for Christ’s passion, death, and resurrection through 40 days of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.
There are many ways we can observe the Lenten season. In his message for Lent this year, Pope Benedict XVI asked us, especially in the context of this Year of Faith, to “meditate on the relationship between faith and charity: between believing in God — the God of Jesus Christ — and love, which is the fruit of the Holy Spirit and which guides us on the path of devotion to God and others.”
Pope Benedict emphasizes that faith and charity are linked together. “Everything begins from the humble acceptance of faith (‘knowing that one is loved by God’), but has to arrive at the truth of charity (‘knowing how to love God and neighbour’), which remains for ever, as the fulfilment of all the virtues (cf. 1 Cor 13:13).”
To the editor:
This is in regard to the recent article (January 24) by Deacon Greg Kandra on bringing back Communion rails in church. You’ve got to be kidding! Do you really think that will fix the problem mentioned and make all people more holy? I don’t think so.
Holiness begins with learning of one’s religion and what is in our hearts. It should begin with teaching children about the Church, the sacraments, and how to be respectful to others.
