Rumors and whispers from inside the Vatican has it that Pope Francis is going to resign in May of 2016

Vol 9 Issue 14 ~ Editor: Rev. Fr. Courtney Edward Krier
April 2, 2016 ~ Easter Saturday

1. Baptism: Means of Salvation (62)
2. Low Sunday
3. St. Agape, Chionia and Irene
4. Christ in the Home (37)
5. Articles and notices

Dear Reader:

This Sunday Catholics look at the divine mercy offered to the sinner. Continue reading →

ROME (RNS) Italy may be the spiritual home of 1.2 billion members of the Catholic Church around the world, but a new poll shows only 50 percent of Italians consider themselves Catholic.

The poll, published in the liberal daily L’Unita on Tuesday (March 29), challenges long-held perceptions that Italy is a ”Catholic” country, despite the popularity of Pope Francis and the historic role of the Vatican City State in the heart of Rome.

In addition to the 50 percent who consider themselves Catholic, the poll, conducted in Italy by research firm SWG, found that 13 percent defined themselves as “Christian.” MORE

Responding to international boycott pressures and other constraints, a growing number of Israeli companies operating in the West Bank are moving their facilities to locations within the country’s internationally recognized borders, according to a report prepared by Gush Shalom, an anti-occupation organization that monitors such activities.
The report, obtained by Haaretz, shows that aside from the recent high-profile cases of Ahava, the Dead Sea skin care product company, and SodaStream, the seltzer-machine manufacturer, other prominent Israeli companies have also been part of this trend, even if they have managed to evade publicity. MORE

The modern homeschooling movement is one of revolt. From its humble beginnings in the ’70s, led by graduates of the hippie generation who saw public schools as too constrained and religious, to its pop-cultural peak in the ’80s and ’90s under conservative Christians who wanted more God and less evolution in the classroom, homeschoolers and their parents have pushed aggressively against mainstream education. MORE

It’s not just ‘a Catholic thing’. Pentecostal churches have long been enthusiastically adding their high-profile branding to the ceremony. And virtually every flavour of religion — be it ancient Assyrian or Hindu — mentions some form of rite to expel oppositional spirits in its holy texts.

But the Catholic International Association of Exorcist’s upped the ante in 2014: Their annual meeting declared occult activity was on the rise. (For the uninitiated, this includes believing in the power of crystals, t’ai chi and yoga — as well as the more traditional Ouija boards, palm-reading and tarot cards.) MORE

Malachi Martin is considered a saintly Catholic by some but an apostate by others. Quotes from interviews, books, and newspapers about this enigmatic figure

Two words: VATICAN II

Ten years ago, a major Hollywood film entitled “Idiocracy” was released, and it was an excellent metaphor for what would happen to America over the course of the next decade.

In the movie, an “average American” wakes up 500 years in the future only to discover that he is the most intelligent person by far in the “dumbed down” society that he suddenly finds himself in.  Sadly, I truly believe that if people of average intellect from the 1950s and 1960s were transported to 2016, they would likely be considered mental giants compared to the rest of us.  Continue reading →

Perhaps the prayers of the faithful to Our Lady of Fatima for the conversion of Russia are taking effect.

Moscow, March 30, Interfax – The Russian Orthodox Church and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) will hold a World Summit of Christian Leaders in Moscow, on October 28-30, in support of persecuted Christians.

The forum is expected to gather about a thousand delegates from 150 countries, a spokesperson for the Russian Orthodox Church said. Continue reading →

Wow, I have one can a week.

Campbell Soup, the world’s largest soup maker, said it would completely switch to cans that do not use the chemical bisphenol A (BPA) for their linings in North America by the middle of 2017.

Bisphenol A is used to stiffen plastics and some studies suggest it poses health risks. It is a component in metal can coating and protects food from directly contacting metal surfaces. MORE

PART II of III — Even having a child was a political calculation for Hillary Clinton, one of Bill Clinton’s former lovers says — and it’s those types of actions that she believes should give every woman pause before making Hillary the first female president. MORE

Big business has stomped into another state, trying to impose the values of the cultural left. This time, a governor who dared to stand up for responsible policy is being targeted by big business’ bullying over bathrooms.

At issue is H.B. 2, a bill North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory signed into law last week after it passed the House 83-25 and the Senate 32-0.

The bill accomplishes two main objectives. First, it says that private schools, restaurants, stores, and businesses are free to establish whatever bathroom policies they’d like, but that access to government bathrooms will be determined primarily by biological sex. MORE

A Canadian Catholic priest is under investigation after he told his bishop he allegedly gambled away hundreds of thousands of dollars meant to support refugees.

The Toronto Star reported Monday that Father Amer Saka, a priest at St. Joseph Chaldean Catholic Church in London, Ontario, phoned Bishop Emanuel Shaleta last month to tell him he had lost the money.

“I said, ‘How?’” Shaleta told the Star. “ He said, ‘Gambling’”. MORE

APPLE VALLEY (CBSLA.com) — The FBI on Tuesday continued to investigate an incident in which 17 men were detained for reportedly firing off hundreds of rounds in a remote part of Apple Valley.MORE

SALEM; The scene at the official blessing of the new Our Lady of Mount Carmel Traditional Catholic Church could have been straight out of another era.

A bishop celebrated the Mass in Latin, facing away from parishioners. Women and girls wore head coverings. Congregants received communion on the tongue, not in the hand. MORE