It’s no surprise that with e-books on the rise, more and more public officials will be sworn in on them. Earlier this month Suzi LeVine became the first U.S. ambassador (she’s the American representative to Switzerland) to be sworn in on an e-reader But that’s not the only time a digital device has replaced its dead-tree Read more
There are an increasing number of bylaws limiting the options people have for scattering their dear departed’s ashes. But now they can really go out with a bang. Craig Hull runs Ashes to Ashes in Sydney Australia and, for a fee he will for a fee, will send your loved one’s or pet’s ashes up in an Read more
Last week the citizens of Melbourne woke to a vision of Rio de Janeiro’s famous Christ the Redeemer statue flying over their city, with a message urging Australia’s Socceroos fans to “#KeepTheFaith”. Local media reported that religious groups were not pleased with the stunt. In a statement sportsbet.com.au said, “let’s be honest, the Socceroos need some divine Read more
Many Catholics find it hard to choose a gift for a priest. Well here is something that takes you beyond the black sock and handkerchiefs… a set of clerical pyjamas. They come with a black top which has a clerical collar. You have a variety of colours and patterns to choose from for pants. If Read more
“Am I a pastor, or an employee of this NGO called the Church?” This is the question that every Catholic priest should ask himself. “This is the question that I, the bishops, and the priests, everyone, must ask themselves”, said Pope Francis. He was commenting on the last words of Christ that close the Gospel Read more
An elderly Swiss couple in the canton of Lucerne have been stealing the money from church collection boxes apparently out of boredom, it is reported. The married couple, aged 70 and 73, have allegedly stolen hundreds of Swiss francs from collection boxes in several churches since November 2013, prosecutors in Lucerne say. According to them, Read more
Followers of an Indian guru thought to have died of a heart attack insist he is just meditating and are refusing to let his family take the body away for cremation. They say Shri Ashutosh Maharaj is not dead, he is just meditating deeply and they are keeping him in a deep freeze to preserve Read more
Matushka Alexandra, an Orthodox priest’s wife, said knew that being a priest’s wife was no guarantee against marital troubles. Her father had been a priest and she had seen her mother struggle with neglect and isolation. But when she met Serge as a seminarian and they decided to marry, she was convinced their marriage would Read more
Deacon Bill Ditewig writes “with respect, although with an obvious and unapologetic sense of intellectual frustration” about ‘tendency of some commentators, to refer to the 1962 editio typica of the Missale Romanum as the Mass of St. John XXIII. He says while in may be a simple error of fact, it does seem, that this Read more
Enguerrand Quarton (c. 1410 – c. 1466) was a French painter who painted in a style that is composed of a bizarre combination of French, Netherlandish, and Byzantine influences. Two of his surviving masterpieces are The Pietà of Villeneuve-lès-Avignon . Not only does Quarton have an captivating sense of rhythm and beauty, his colour is also stunning. Read more