Of all the titles he has held — bishop, archbishop, cardinal, and pope — Pope Francis says he prefers to be called “Father”.
“What I love is being a priest,” he has said.
On December 13, he will celebrate 50 years as a priest. He sees his ministry as being a shepherd who walks with his flock and yearns to find those who are lost.
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On April 2, there is a state-wide election in Wisconsin. Offices on the ballot are justice of the state Supreme Court, Court of Appeals judge (Districts 2, 3, and 4), and Circuit Court judge in several counties. There are also candidates for local offices.
Perhaps one of the most important elections is one new justice for the state Supreme Court. This court is the highest appellate court in Wisconsin.
The court has seven justices, who are selected in nonpartisan elections for 10-year terms. The court has jurisdiction over all other Wisconsin courts and can also hear original actions.
With Supreme Court justices serving such a long term, voters should be vigilant to study where the candidates stand on the issues they value.
As Catholics we have both a right and a responsibility to vote.
Even Pope Francis has encouraged people to be involved. “We need to participate for the common good. Sometimes we hear: a good Catholic is not interested in politics. This is not true: good Catholics immerse themselves in politics by offering the best of themselves so that the leader can govern,” the Holy Father said.
To the editor:
Let the following be understood as a plea rather than a criticism. It is necessary and proper that our Catholic bishops address affairs of state or, if one likes, public policy issues.
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When Jesus was dying on the cross, one of the thieves being executed with him named Dismas — often called the good thief — turned to Jesus for mercy and asked, “Jesus, remember me when you enter your kingdom” (Luke 23:42).
Jesus turned to him and said, “This day you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43).
We have a national Catholic outreach among prisoners and those affected by crime named Dismas Ministry, which is headquartered in Milwaukee. Their logo represents the cross of Christ and the cross of the repentant criminal side of side.Dismas MinistryJesus turned to him and said, “This day you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). When Jesus was dying on the cross, one of the thieves being executed with him named Dismas — often called the good thief — turned to Jesus for mercy and asked, “Jesus, remember me when you enter your kingdom” (Luke 23:42).
It was quite exciting for me to hear that the Catholic bishops of the United States gave their assent to the canonization effort launched for Sr. Thea Bowman, FSPA, during their recent meeting in Baltimore.
Catholic News Service posted a photo of a Pittsburgh Steelers fan displaying a sign October 28 to honor the victims of the shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue before the game between Pittsburgh and the Cleveland Browns at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh.
The sign said, “Hatred can’t weaken a city of steel.” It pointed to the killing of at least 11 people and the wounding of six others, including four police officers, during the October 27 shooting at the synagogue.
In 2004, the John Jay College of Criminal Justice at the City University of New York published an exhaustive study called The Nature and Scope of Sexual Abuse of Minors by Catholic Priests and Deacons in the United States 1950-2002. …
For those concerned about recent news about sexual abuse by members of the clergy and hierarchy, this report is worth reading.
Norma, who came to the United States with her family in 2011, talked with KSAT 12 News, an ABC affiliate in San Antonio, Texas, on June 24 about why she immigrated to the United States.
She hoped that by telling her story, more people will understand why some risk everything for life in the United States.
It doesn’t seem possible that it’s been 50 years since the assassination of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
It was on April 4, 1968, that James Earl Ray killed the civil rights leader as he stood on the balcony of his hotel room in Memphis, Tenn. Reverend King, a Baptist minister, was only 39 years old.
It seems as if we have made progress in many areas of our society since his death, but we still have a long way to go in ensuring an end to racism in our country.
When I think about the DACA program, Alan comes to my mind. His story was highlighted in an article published early this year in the Catholic Herald.
The article discussed immigrants who have received help at the Catholic Multicultural Center (CMC) in Madison.
