Association Of Catholic Bloggers

Someone's written a book about Pope Leo XIV: "León XIV: ciudadano del mundo, misionero del siglo XXI"; or "Leo XIV: Citizen of the World, Missionary of the 21st Century". The book, in Spanish, was released today, September 18, 2025. I gather it'll be available in English next year. A whiff of this biography, and a recent interview, popped up in my news feed, along with the usual sound and fury. Since I prefer reading specifically "Catholic" news through outlets that aren't marinated in my native culture, I did a little digging and came up with this.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (A quick look at a recent interview related to a new book: Leo XIV: Citizen of the World, Missionary of the 21st Century. Plus how I see news and dramatics.)

Now and then there’s something nice in my news feed. Like this: More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (A very short note and excerpt from a Vatican News article about astronomy, the Vatican Observatory's Summer School Program.)

About a week ago, in a discussion of what's been happening in Vatican City, someone referred to the late Pope Francis as a "commie in a cassock". I hadn't run into that particular phrase, but I'm all too familiar with the attitude. The "commie in a cassock" remark reminded me of the "communist crucifix" incident and material I'd put together, back in 2015, focusing mostly on a "corn altar" in Paraguay. Then another non-crisis popped up, which I'll talk about first. Social Media Highbrow Hijinks?? Nonsense and Perspective The Curious Case of the Communist Crucifix Bolivia, a Superficially Cursory Overview The "Communist Crucifix", "Commie in a Cassock": Really?? Recognizing Realities How I See Diplomatic Gifts Altar de Maiz: Corny? Yes! — Appealing? To Me, Yes!! Photos: Views of the "Altar of Corn" It's Art, It's Sculpture, and Now It's Recycled Pope Leo XIV: ...

More than 130 Cardinals will start voting on who gets Simon Peter's job — the job he had before becoming St. Peter — after Pope Francis, starting next Monday.... Viewpoints and Background Expectations Cardinals: Not Just European The Catholic Church: Unchanging Basics, Changing Details A Millennium of Cardinals: Very Briefly The Last Supper: da Vinci, Dali, and Me Newfangled Architecture, Old-Fashioned Attitudes — — and a Reasonable Request More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (The College of Cardinals, 1050 to now. Paintings by da Vinci and Dali, newfangled architecture. Something I like about being Catholic. A prayer request.)

" Funeral for Pope Francis: Vatican News Links "  I linked to the Vatican News article, added a few words, and that's all I'm doing today. Doing here, that is. The point in posting this is that the Vatican News article includes lists to several options for viewing/watching/participating in their broadcast of the funeral for Pope Francis. It's been quite a week.

[posted Thursday, April 24, 2025. It's been an eventful week] Most headlines in my news feed don't involve the death of Pope Francis, or what's happening in Vatican City, now that we're in the process of mourning one pope and selecting another. That's fine by me, since a number of headlines I did notice a number that were (over-) dramatic. Others, apparently linking to op-eds, struck me as reflecting a — limited — view of the Catholic Church. I'll leave it at that. A few, from yesterday evening and this morning (Thursday, April 24, 2025), involved how cardinals — specifically, the College of Cardinals — are selecting our new pope. As I said the other day, we've been doing this for two millennia now.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (The College of Cardinals is choosing our next pope. I've got my views. More important, I posted a link to and excerpt from an overview of the process.)

[posted Wednesday, April 23, 2025. It's been an eventful week] Noted: " Cardinal Farrell officially ascertains death of Pope Francis " Vatican News (April 22, 2025) [includes embedded YouTube video] " Pope Francis' body to lie in state until funeral on Saturday morning " Vatican News (April 22, 2025) We've been handing the death of popes for something like two millennia now, so we have procedures for this sort of thing. More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (Another part of our process for handling the death of a pope: a ceremony. Includes a short embedded video from the chapel of the Casa Santa Marta.)

This isn't unexpected: " Pope Francis has died on Easter Monday aged 88 " Devin Watkins, Vatican News (April 21, 2025) "At 9:45 AM, Cardinal Kevin Farrell, Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church, announced the death of Pope Francis from the Casa Santa Marta with these words:... More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (Pope Francis died Monday morning, April 21, 2025. I take a very quick look at what Vatican News said, and a quicker look at how I feel.)

One way or another, I've been part of a family all my life: as a child, as a husband and father, as a grandfather. The experience has never been perfect. But I think Pope Francis is right. We do, occasionally, have "tremendous joys". I also think the pope's March prayer intention is a good idea.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (Families in crisis: prayer intention for March, from Pope Francis. A link to the Vatican News article, and an embedded video. Sounds like a good idea.)

We prayed for Pope Francis at Mass yesterday. I've added a prayer to my daily routine. It sounds like there'll be more prayers in St. Peter's Square this evening. Our pope's health is emphatically not good. But as the old Minnesota saying goes: "it could be worse".... In this case, part of the good news is that Pope Francis hasn't had a repeat of Saturday morning's "respiratory crisis", his kidney issues are still not his major health problem, and "...the thrombocytopenia remains stable...". (Vatican News (February 24, 2024))... More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (Pope Francis, health, and prayer. News from the Vatican: and Minnesota. Why I pray and take my prescriptions: and why that makes sense.) ( "thrombocytopenia"?!! Don't worry: reined myself in and didn't ramble on about it.)

"Vatican to consider classifying 'spiritual abuse' as a new Catholic crime" was in my Google News feed this morning.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (Pope Francis wants folks in the Dicastery for Legislative Texts to review rules dealing with folks who misuse alleged supernatural experiences.)

My interests are eclectic. So is what my Google News feed puts in my "Picks for you" section. This morning (Thursday, October 24, 2024), I noticed an AP headline about Pope Francis denouncing something: "Pope Francis denounces a world 'losing its heart' in 4th encyclical of his papacy". I could have checked out what AP says the pope said, but long experience tells me that I'll learn more about what a pope — or anyone else — said by reading or hearing what they actually said. So I went to the Vatican website, and took a look at this new encyclical: More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (A link to Dilexit nos, English translation, with two brief excerpts. My first reaction to what the pope wrote, and what I expect from an in-depth look.)

Another election is looming, so I'm reviewing how being a Catholic affects how I vote. I'll mention what the USCCB (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops) calls the "Seven Themes of Catholic Social Teaching", share some links, and talk about something Pope Francis said. Along with, as usual, whatever else comes to mind. Citizenship and the Common Good Love and Good Ideas Being a Catholic Citizen Political Venom: It's Not New Malevolent Memes of Yesteryear Principles, Priorities — and Prohibition, a Personal View Remembering Prohibition: High Ideals and Speakeasies Pope Francis and Our Choices Doing His Job — and Doing Mine There ARE Bright Sides The End of Civilization as We Know It — As Usual More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (Being Catholic and voting. Catholic social teaching: 7 themes. Love and neighbors. The common good. Political cartoons, Prohibition. What Pope Francis said.)

Pope Francis visited the Vatican's exhibits at an international art show last Sunday. So this week I'll talk about the Venice Biennale, why "With My Eyes" doesn't horrify me, share a couple quotes, and show pictures from "Con i miei occhi". Venice Biennale Arte 2024: Propriety, Changes, and Context Plentiful Protest Possibilities That's Odd: Labels, People, and Art Groucho Marx, Samuel Clemens, and "The Whole Law and the Prophets" "Strangers" and "Foreigners", an Etymological Aside Pop Art, Patriotism, and Perceptions Loving America Anyway Living in Isaiah's World A Glimpse Behind Cattelan's Feet at the Venice Art Biennale "Con i miei occhi" / "With my Eyes" "A City of Refuge", "The World Needs Artists", and Pope Francis Moses, George Washington, and Me Personal Perspective, Catholic Concerns More at A Catholic Citizen in America (Pope Francis...

Whether they're called the Swiss Guard, Papal Swiss Guard, or Pontificia Cohors Helvetica, those 135 men wear what may be today's most colorful full dress uniforms. Although they look like something straight out of the Renaissance, the uniform's not much over a century old. Up until 1914, when Pope St. Pius X died, each pope had tweaked the design a bit. Maybe because our next Pope, Benedict XV, came on duty about the same time that World War I started, the Swiss Guard's then-commander, Jules Repond, did the uniform redesign. Or authorized it, at any rate. I gather that the blue, red, and yellow stripes are Medici family colors. The Basque hat reflects Swiss Guard uniforms painted by Raphael. 1 And none of that's what I was going to be talking about today. Background: Vatican by the Tiber — Popes, 16th Century Politics — And Unpaid Troops May 6, 1527: Death and Honor — Remembering the Rearguard: 147 Against 20,000 — Reputations — And Raphael ...

"Urbi et orbi" is Latin for "to the city and to the world". Or, rather "To the city and to the world" is English for "urbi et orbi". Either way an "urbi et orbi" message is both for folks living in Rome and for everyone else. There's a plenary indulgence involved, too, and that's another topic.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (What Pope Francis said on Christmas Day: embedded video and a link to the text. And, VERY briefly, how I see what he said.)

Headlines are supposed to get attention. That's what these did: "Vatican approves blessings for same-sex couples in landmark ruling" (Reuters) "Pope Francis Allows Priests to Bless Same-Sex Couples" (The New York Times) "Vatican Issues Guidelines for Same-Sex Blessings" (The Wall Street Journal) I'm not sure about "The 'spirit' of 'Fiducia supllicans'" in The Pillar. Maybe it's attention-grabbing for the publication's demographic. Anyway, what Pope Francis said — what he actually said, not what editors say he said — is not what I'm going to write about this week.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (Monday headlines about same-sex marriages and the pope. Excerpt from Vatican News. A link to Fiducia Supplicans. Why I am not writing about it this week.)

(From CTV, used w/o permission.) (Holy Mass for the Opening of the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica. (December 8, 2015)) There are reasons for my writing about science or technology most Fridays, and not declaring that you must worship exactly as the Apostles did: in 1962 . Briefly: I'm interested in science and technology, I know a little of what's happened over the last two millennia, and I'm a Catholic. I'm not a traditional, vegetarian, gummy bear, or whatever, Catholic; just a Catholic. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

About two months ago at Holy Mass at St. Bartholomew, during the offertory, God allowed me to see part of the  Third Secret of Fatima .  Lucia told it right.  I saw part of what she wrote about.  It was like being present as it was happening.  Going to Holy Mass I was not thinking of the Third Secret in any way so this vision came suddenly, unexpected, quite shockingly actually.... TO READ MORE CLICK HERE.

“Open wide the doors to Christ,” urged John Paul II during the homily at the Mass when he was installed as pope in 1978.