Where the Rubber Hits the Road

One of the greatest initiatives of Pope John Paul II was the establishment of World Youth Days. These are annual events where Catholic youth are invited to gather in one place to celebrate their faith and learn how to become faithful Catholics throughout their adult life. This year the event is being held in Madrid, Spain. Our little Diocese of Pembroke has sent a delegation of enthusiastic youths to these events throughout the years, with fantastic reports being shared in the parishes upon their return. We look forward to hearing from these young Catholics when they return from Spain. Pope B16 greet youth at 2008 World Youth Days WYD Countdown: 48 Days to Go | Daily News | NCRegister.com

There's 'ugly', ' damned ugly' and ' butt ugly ', yet none of these captures the essence of this ' statue ' in ' tribute ' to the late Blessed Pope John Paul II. The best comment I've read about it came from 'Rationalist1' on the Holy Post who wrote: "The artist misunderstood the request to make Pope John Paul II look holy."   Judge for yourself and let me know what you think by posting a comment here. John Paul II statue sparks controversy in Rome | Holy Post | National Post

GEORGE WEIGEL: Remembering Pope John Paul II

An answer from the man who knew Pope John Paul II better than just about anyone else... his biographer, George Weigel, to those who are condemning JPII's beatification. NOTE: A beatification is NOT a declaration of 'sainthood'. It is the first step in the process that can lead to that outcome. A John Paul II Beatification Catechism - George Weigel - National Review Online

“ The Catholic Church in the United States is the safest environment for children in the country. Period.” So says George Weigel, theologian, historian, biographer of Pope John Paul II and media commentator representing what is perceived as being the 'orthodox' voice of today's Roman Catholic Church. Weigel has never been accused of dodging the difficult question facing the Roman Catholic in these challenging times and he didn't disappoint when he recently agreed to share his thoughts on some of the challenges facing contemporary Catholic values and practice. Joan & George Weigel (Note from Fr. Tim: In the interest of transparency, let me state up front that I've been privileged to share a friendship that stretches back over 20 years with George. We've spent many a summers evening together on the Quebec side of the Ottawa Valley, usually in the company of our mutual friend, Fr. Richard John Neuhaus, (R.I.P). While those conversations maintain th...

The Tablet - Miraculous legacy

Pick Your Pope!   Pope B16 OR Pope JPII Thank God for both!!! Catholic Culture : Latest Headlines : Columnist contrasts popularity of John Paul II with image of Benedict XVI

9 Reasons Pope John Paul II mattered – CNN Belief Blog - CNN.com Blogs

John Allen offers a comparison of assessments of the Church's handling of the sex abuse scandal between Pope B16 and Fr. Thomas Doyle - the Vatican priest who deals with the victims and their lawyers. I fear that Fr. Doyle has a point - one that I've written about here many times: the principal scandal is that children have been sexually abused by clerics, and then abused by the hierarchy's response to their allegations. Essentially, the Church is on fire. The faith of generations is turning to ash in front of our eyes as neglect and a perceived ongoing disrespect for victims rights (with the aim of 'preventing scandal' that would 'damage the faith' - a worthy end but morally fatally flawed means). I acknowledge that the fires have burned down in North America as Bishops are finally beginning to understand the moral carnage their predecessors have wrecked upon the Church and the faithful. Generations of savings from Catholics have been sacrificed thanks...

GEORGE WEIGEL: Papal humor

A column from George Weigel A Promise to Pope John Paul II | First Things

John Paul II Benedict XVI With Britain on the horizon, is the Vatican’s communications office up to the challenge? Sadly, the probability that the answer to this question is 'No'. The Holy Father is an intellectual and holy man; a wise choice of the Holy Spirit. Alas, he does not the possess charismatic presence of his predecessor. Come the end of his Pontificate, it is unlikely that  the crowds will shout out "Magnus" as happened at the Funeral Mass of John Paul the Great. Learned Vatican watchers bemoan the chaotic and seemingly 'reactive' posture of this pontificate when it comes to presenting a hermeneutical key that defines the message of the Holy See. Where John Paul fashioned and planned his messages with Joaquín Navarro-Valls and others so as offer the clarity of fundamental principles as they apply in different cultures. Politics teaches: you can either 'define' yourself, or allow others define you. Through missteps and poorly craf...

Op-Ed Columnist - John Paul II and Benedict XVI - The Better Pope? - NYTimes.com