MCS Newsflash: New App Released

The Android version of our Saints4U app is now available for sale!

Click Here For More Information

[8/28/15]

MCS Newsflash: Guest Article - American Catholic Lawyers Association, Inc. Press Release on Obergefell v. Hodges

A new guest article has been added to the site ("American Catholic Lawyers Association, Inc. Press Release on Obergefell v. Hodges"). To view, please click here.

[7/30/15]

MCS Newsflash: New App Released!

The Android version of our Speedy Dial! app is now available for sale!

Click Here For More Information

[7/20/15]

MCS Newsflash: Sign Up Today For Our Seventh Annual Rosary Week!

The online signup sheet for our Seventh Annual Rosary Week is now ready. Please sign up today at www.MyCatholicSource.com/RosaryWeek. For more information concerning Rosary Week, please click here.

Thank you for your participation!

[5/27/15]

MCS Newsflash: New App Released!

The long-awaited Android version of our Catholic Bible References app is now available for sale!

Click Here For More Information

[5/26/15]

Scheduled Network Maintenance

Possible Connectivity Issues From 2/5 To 2/6

We have just been notified by our host of a "Network Component Upgrade" that may result in "brief periods of potential network connectivity instability" from 02/05/15 22:00 CST through 02/06/15 03:00 CST. Our host indicates that they will be "upgrading the network hardware that [our] server relies on" in order to "bring greater stability, redundancy and speed to [their] network." According to our host, this scheduled network maintenance may cause our site to be unavailable for "short periods of less than 3 minutes" during this 5 hour period. We regret any inconvenience this may cause our visitors.

NEWSFLASH: Feast Days Announced For Recently Canonized Popes

The Vatican has announced that the following feast days have been added to the general Roman calendar...

Pope John XXIII - October 11

Pope John Paul II - October 22

While the feast days have been added to the (Novus Ordo) calendar, they are "optional and not obligatory memorials."

Related: What's Up With The Recent Papal Canonizations? Questionable Canonizations: Politics & Agendas (Guest Article) | The Popes: From St. Peter to Present

[9/12/14]

MCS Newsflash: Guest Article - What's Up With The Recent Papal Canonizations?

A new guest article entitled "What's Up With The Recent Papal Canonizations?" has been added to the site. It covers various 'reasons for concern' regarding the recent papal canonizations and also discusses whether or not canonizations are infallible. To view, please click here.

[4/28/14]

MCS Newsflash: Sign Up Today For Our Sixth Annual Rosary Week!

The online signup sheet for our Sixth Annual Rosary Week is now ready. Please sign up today at www.MyCatholicSource.com/RosaryWeek. For more information concerning Rosary Week, please click here.

Thank you for your participation!

[4/25/14]

MCS Newsflash: Server Outage

Our host has once again experienced a major outage that has affected our server. They are once again unable to provide an estimated time for repair, but they assure us that they are working on the problem. Please note that the outage is NOT related to our site redesign efforts - the issue resides with the hosting company and it is TOTALLY UNRELATED to our site (many other servers are also down). We hope our site will be up again soon. In the meantime, we regret any inconvenience to our visitors. Thank you for your patience. We wish you God's blessings.

MCS Newsflash: Server Outage

Our host has experienced another major outage that has affected our server. According to a telephone support agent, it is due to a network outage at their datacenter. They are presently unable to give us an estimated time for repair. Unfortunately, we need to stick with our present host for the time being for various reasons (e.g. amount of time required to change, expenses involved in change, increased costs of the change in the future, possible compatibility issues while our site is undergoing redesign, etc.), despite the degraded service we've received since we were forced to switch servers after their acquisition. We sincerely regret the accessibly issues and hope they will be resolved soon. Any prayers you might be able to offer would be greatly appreciated. God bless you.

NEWSFLASH: Apostolic Nuncio Reminds USCCB General Secretary that clerics and the faithful are "not permitted to participate" in events during which the alleged 'apparitions' at Medjugorje are "taken for granted"

A recent letter to the General Secretary of the USCCB has been made public in which the Apostolic Nuncio, writing at the request of the Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, reminds that clerics AND faithful may not participate in "meetings, conferences or public celebrations during which the credibility of such 'apparitions [at Medjugorje]' would be taken for granted." The CDF is still investigating aspects of the alleged apparitions, which are controversial for a number of reasons (including frequency of alleged apparitions, promised healings & signs which never materialized, 'road show' apparitions, money-making aspects, contradictions/lies, disobedience, troubling messages, etc.). Past examinations of the alleged apparitions have found nothing of a supernatural origin.

 "I am sure that Our Lady does not appear. No miracles. The 'Messages' cannot be of our Virgin. They are the fruit of a fabrication, fraud and disobedience to the Church. It is about big money and personal interest too." (Michael Davies quoting Monsignor Zanic, bishop of Mostar-Duvno)

For a copy of the letter, try here [Note: For easier reading, we have cleaned up some of the image's background]

Related: Marian Apparitions at Medjugorje: True or False?

[11/6/13]

MCS Newsflash: Deo Gratias! Our 2,000,000th Visitor

We are happy to report that MyCatholicSource.com received its 2 millionth visitor* in the afternoon on Sunday, August 4th, 2013.

We send our thanks to all who have visited this site and we look forward, by God's grace, to welcoming many millions of visitors to this site in the years to come.

Laus tibi, Domine, Rex aeternae gloriae! (Latin for: Praise be to Thee, O Lord, King of eternal glory!)

Mater amóris, dolóris et misericórdiæ, ora pro nobis (Latin for: Mother of love, of sorrow, and of mercy, pray for us)

* Number of visits is based on raw, unfiltered access logs. Excludes traffic prior to our 'official unveiling'

[8/12/13]

MCS Newsflash: New Server Migration [UPDATED]

On July 9, 2013, we were notified that our site will be migrated to a new server within the next couple of weeks or so. Please note that this server change was initiated by our hosting company as a result of their recent acquisition. Is NOT related to our ongoing site redesign efforts. We certainly wish it was possible to avoid this disruption, but unfortunately this is not possible.

As a result of this migration, please expect the following...

* Functionality & accessibility issues with MyCatholicSource.com during the transition period

* Possible issues with e-mail during and after the transition period

* No newsletter for August 2013

Should you experience issues with our site (or with correspondence to us), please...

* Try again later

* Check our blog for updates - http://mycatholicsource.blogspot.com (Note: We may post updates on our blog if we are unable to access our server)

* Contact us using another method (e.g. telephone)

Switching servers is a huge undertaking and we'd certainly appreciate any prayers you might be able to offer for a successful transition. We are hopeful there may be fewer issues this time compared to the last time we switched servers because - unlike last time - this time we are transitioning to a similar server with the same operating system. Although we have not yet been provided with specific dates for the transition, we expect it will occur sometime within the next couple of weeks or so.

Thank you for your support & patience during the transition!
 
8/13 Update: The new server is live. Please let us know if you encounter any problems. Thank you!

[7/10/13, updated 8/12/13]

MCS Newsflash: Sign Up Today For Our Fifth Annual Rosary Week!

The online signup sheet for our Fifth Annual Rosary Week is now ready. Please sign up today at www.MyCatholicSource.com/RosaryWeek. For more information concerning Rosary Week, please click here.

Thank you for your participation!

[6/17/13]

NEWSFLASH: 'Habemus Papam!'

The Jesuit Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina, age 76, has been elected pope. He has taken the name Francis.

Related: Vatican View

[3/13/13]

OPINION: Five 'most troubling' aspects of Pope Benedict's resignation

For a number of reasons, the surprise abdication of the papacy by Pope Benedict XVI may be troubling to faithful Catholics. The following is a brief summary of 5 'most troubling' aspects...

1. Fathers don't resign. This action may been seen by some as abandonment / quitting / jumping ship (think 'Barque of Peter'). In some ways, it may even serve to cast a shadow over Pope Benedict's pontificate. His very name change signifies something lifelong -- Simon becomes Peter and stays so until death. Unlike other bishops, the Pope changes his name -- like Christ changed Simon's to Peter. This has a special significance. Now he will keep the name, but not keep the papacy -- the very reason for having a new name. It just doesn't seem right. Fathers don't resign for poor health or old age. Even with his difficult position, this action is not necessary from a purely earthly perspective (assuming for a moment such a thing could ever be 'necessary'). Clearly his mind is good and he could always have more help with his day-to-day activities. Many people looked up to Pope John Paul II for 'hanging in there', despite his having worse health than Benedict has now. Suffering is a key part of our faith, and the Holy Father's good example of patient suffering is priceless.

2. More novelty. Men occupying the Chair of Peter have gotten old all along - for 2,000 years - but they didn't resign the papacy due to old age or frail health. Throughout history they resigned only under extraordinary circumstances. With this novelty of a pope resigning for age/health related reasons, people may no longer see the papacy as a lifetime 'job'. One huge danger of this is that it may encourage external pressure on the papacy if a pope is especially disliked by the world - something that wouldn't be an issue if there was 'no chance' of a pope resigning. The idea that a pope may 'resign' due to age/health destroys the sense of certainty regarding a Pope reigning until his death - and like all novelties, it will have consequences.

3. Lack of the spiritual. Wouldn't it have been so much better for Pope Benedict to ask God for strength to do the job and the faithful for prayers for his strength rather than for him to 'examine his conscience before God' regarding a decision he apparently already wanted to make? It recalls to mind how Protestants 'pray on it' rather than use the head God gave them to think with -- as if they have a direct answer line to God. Instead, if we already know the right thing to do, we should pray for God's help with carrying that out. In this case, it seems obvious that the 'right thing to do' for a Pope is to continue on with his duties until God calls him (i.e. death). That's what's been done for 2,000 years - getting old/frail is nothing new to mankind. Although it seems certain that the Holy Father thinks his decision is for the good of the Church, he clearly could be wrong in this NOT infallible determination. In fact, effects of his decision to step down may impact the Church in negative ways for centuries, which brings us to the next point...

4. Possible effects in the future. One of the most concerning aspects of Benedict's abdication is the effects it may have on the Church in future. This is MUCH bigger than the resignation of one pope. In fact, the papacy may never be the same again. Now that a pope has 'resigned' for mere age/health related reasons, other popes may feel internal or external pressure to resign. Some may try to force a pope's resignation. It may 'set a precedent' and future popes may be criticized for not stepping down when they are older. Also, the decision may affect the choice of a pope - older men may be avoided. Later there could conceivably be multiple 'emeritus popes'. Furthermore, now that 'resigning' is a possibility, some popes may not bravely face the papacy and simply step down when things are 'too tough'. We can't pretend this decision of Pope Benedict's won't affect the Church in the future. His decision to unburden himself of the papacy for a few weeks, months or years risks causing serious harm to the Church. Why couldn't he have just hung on, with God's help, like the others before him did, for the good of the Church?

5. 'Lowering' of the papacy. The decision to resign for health/age related reasons may be seen as 'lowering the papal office' - as if it was any other type of human institution. Being Pope is somewhat like being a king and a king should remain the king until his death, regardless of age or health. The Pope is not a CEO. He is Christ's representative. Surely God can use even the most frail or weak of instruments to accomplish His designs.

Faithful Catholics may wish the next pope would condemn the decision and reinforce the idea that the papacy is for life. But, sadly, even that wouldn't carry the same weight as abdicating being something that is 'just never done'. The dam walls have been broken and may never be repairable.

O Iesu, Fili Dei vivi, miserére nobis! (O Jesus, Son of the living God, have mercy on us!) [Latin / English]

Related: Vatican View Section

[2/28/13]

Pope Benedict XVI Resigns Papacy

Pope Benedict XVI has announced his intention to resign the papacy, effective February 28, 2013. It is the first time since the 15th century that a pope has abdicated the papal throne. The VIS announcement appears below...

POPE RENOUNCES PAPAL THRONE

Vatican City, 11 February 2013 (VIS) The Holy Father, at the end of today's consistory for causes for canonization, announced his resignation from ministry as Bishop of Rome to the College of Cardinals. Following is the Holy Father's complete declaration, which he read in Latin:

"I have convoked you to this Consistory, not only for the three canonizations, but also to communicate to you a decision of great importance for the life of the Church. After having repeatedly examined my conscience before God, I have come to the certainty that my strengths, due to an advanced age, are no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry. I am well aware that this ministry, due to its essential spiritual nature, must be carried out not only with words and deeds, but no less with prayer and suffering. However, in today's world, subject to so many rapid changes and shaken by questions of deep relevance for the life of faith, in order to govern the barque of Saint Peter and proclaim the Gospel, both strength of mind and body are necessary, strength which in the last few months, has deteriorated in me to the extent that I have had to recognize my incapacity to adequately fulfil the ministry entrusted to me. For this reason, and well aware of the seriousness of this act, with full freedom I declare that I renounce the ministry of Bishop of Rome, Successor of Saint Peter, entrusted to me by the Cardinals on 19 April 2005, in such a way, that as from 28 February 2013, at 20:00 hours, the See of Rome, the See of Saint Peter, will be vacant and a Conclave to elect the new Supreme Pontiff will have to be convoked by those whose competence it is."

"Dear Brothers, I thank you most sincerely for all the love and work with which you have supported me in my ministry and I ask pardon for all my defects. And now, let us entrust the Holy Church to the care of Our Supreme Pastor, Our Lord Jesus Christ, and implore his holy Mother Mary, so that she may assist the Cardinal Fathers with her maternal solicitude, in electing a new Supreme Pontiff. With regard to myself, I wish to also devotedly serve the Holy Church of God in the future through a life dedicated to prayer."

Also from the VIS mailing...

"The Director of the Holy See's Press Office explained that the Holy Father 'will move to Castel Gandolfo on 28 February, and, once he has finished the tasks he has in progress, he will take up residence in the former cloistered monastery in the Vatican. The process for the election of a new Pope will begin on 1 March. We do not yet know the exact date of the conclave, but obviously there will be no need to wait the normal eight days of mourning (novendali) after the death of the Pope. Thus, in two weeks, during the month of March, in time for Easter, we will have a new Pope ... Benedict XVI will have no role in next March's conclave, nor in the running of the Church during the time between popes, the time of Sede Vacante. The Apostolic Constitution gives no role in this transition to a pope who resigns.'"

Related: Abdicated / Deposed / Overthrown Popes | Vatican View Section

[2/11/13]

Highlights From Pope Benedict XVI's Motu Proprio On Charity

The following are some highlights from Pope Benedict XVI's recent motu proprio on Charity ("De Caritas ministranda"). The motu proprio is dated November 11, 2012 and takes effect on December 10, 2012.

Please Note: Paragraphs below may be combined and emphasis may be added. Reference numbers may be omitted.

* "In view of this, with the present Motu Proprio I intend to provide an organic legislative framework for the better overall ordering of the various organized ecclesial forms of the service of charity, which are closely related to the diaconal nature of the Church and the episcopal ministry. It is important, however, to keep in mind that 'practical activity will always be insufficient, unless it visibly expresses a love for man, a love nourished by an encounter with Christ'. In carrying out their charitable activity, therefore, the various Catholic organizations should not limit themselves merely to collecting and distributing funds, but should show special concern for individuals in need and exercise a valuable educational function within the Christian community, helping people to appreciate the importance of sharing, respect and love in the spirit of the Gospel of Christ. The Church’s charitable activity at all levels must avoid the risk of becoming just another form of organized social assistance."

* "The Church as an institution is not extraneous to those organized initiatives which represent a free expression of the concern of the baptized for individuals and peoples in need. The Church’s Pastors should always welcome these initiatives as a sign of the sharing of all the faithful in the mission of the Church; they should respect the specific characteristics and administrative autonomy which these initiatives enjoy, in accordance with their nature, as a manifestation of the freedom of the baptized. Alongside these, the Church’s authority has, on its own initiative, promoted specific agencies which provide institutionally for allocating donations made by the faithful, following suitable legal and administrative methods which allow for a more effective response to concrete needs. Nevertheless, to the extent that such activities are promoted by the Hierarchy itself, or are explicitly supported by the authority of the Church’s Pastors, there is a need to ensure that they are managed in conformity with the demands of the Church’s teaching and the intentions of the faithful, and that they likewise respect the legitimate norms laid down by civil authorities."

* "The faithful have the right to join in associations and to establish agencies to carry out specific charitable services, especially on behalf of the poor and suffering. To the extent that these are linked to the charitable service of the Church’s Pastors and/or intend to use for this purpose contributions made by the faithful, they must submit their own Statutes for the approval of the competent ecclesiastical authority and comply with the [indicated] norms."

* "In addition to observing the canonical legislation, the collective charitable initiatives to which this Motu Proprio refers are required to follow Catholic principles in their activity and they may not accept commitments which could in any way affect the observance of those principles."

* "It is the responsibility of the diocesan Bishop to ensure that in the activities and management of these agencies the norms of the Church’s universal and particular law are respected, as well as the intentions of the faithful who made donations or bequests for these specific purposes (cf. canons 1300 CIC and 1044 CCEO)."

* "It is the responsibility of the diocesan Bishop, as indicated by canons 394 § 1 CIC and 203 § 1 CCEO, to coordinate within his territory the different works of charitable service, both those promoted by the Hierarchy itself and those arising from initiatives of the faithful, without prejudice to their proper autonomy in accordance with their respective Statutes. In particular, he is to take care that their activities keep alive the spirit of the Gospel."

* "The agencies referred to in Article 1 § 1 are required to select their personnel from among persons who share, or at least respect, the Catholic identity of these works."

* "To ensure an evangelical witness in the service of charity, the diocesan Bishop is to take care that those who work in the Church’s charitable apostolate, along with due professional competence, give an example of Christian life and witness to a formation of heart which testifies to a faith working through charity. To this end, he is also to provide for their theological and pastoral formation, through specific curricula agreed upon by the officers of various agencies and through suitable aids to the spiritual life."

* "It is the duty of the diocesan Bishop and the respective parish priests to see that in this area the faithful are not led into error or misunderstanding; hence they are to prevent publicity being given through parish or diocesan structures to initiatives which, while presenting themselves as charitable, propose choices or methods at odds with the Church’s teaching."

* "It is the responsibility of the Bishop to supervise the ecclesiastical goods of the charitable agencies subject to his authority."

* "It is the duty of the diocesan Bishop to ensure that the proceeds of collections made in accordance with canons 1265 and 1266 CIC and canons 1014 and 1015 CCEO are used for their stated purposes [cf. canons 1267 CIC, 1016 CCEO]."

* "In particular, the diocesan Bishop is to ensure that charitable agencies dependent upon him do not receive financial support from groups or institutions that pursue ends contrary to Church’s teaching. Similarly, lest scandal be given to the faithful, the diocesan Bishop is to ensure that these charitable agencies do not accept contributions for initiatives whose ends, or the means used to pursue them, are not in conformity with the Church’s teaching."

* "In a particular way, the Bishop is to see that the management of initiatives dependent on him offers a testimony of Christian simplicity of life. To this end, he will ensure that salaries and operational expenses, while respecting the demands of justice and a necessary level of professionalism, are in due proportion to analogous expenses of his diocesan Curia."

* "The diocesan Bishop is obliged, if necessary, to make known to the faithful the fact that the activity of a particular charitable agency is no longer being carried out in conformity with the Church’s teaching, and then to prohibit that agency from using the name 'Catholic' and to take the necessary measures should personal responsibilities emerge."

* "The local ecclesiastical authority retains the full right to give permission for initiatives undertaken by Catholic agencies in areas of his jurisdiction, with due respect for canonical norms and the specific identity of the individual agencies. It is also the duty of the Bishop to ensure that the activities carried out in his Diocese are conducted in conformity with ecclesiastical discipline, either prohibiting them or adopting any measures needed in cases where that discipline is not respected."

[12/6/12]

Pope Benedict XVI Establishes Pontifical Academy for Latin

Pope Benedict XVI has established a new Pontifical Academy for Latin. The VIS announcement reads as follows...

Vatican City, 10 November 2012 (VIS) - By the Motu Proprio "Latina lingua" published today, Benedict XVI has established the Pontifical Academy for Latin, which will be part of the Pontifical Council for Culture. The new academy will be directed by a president assisted by a secretary, to be appointed by the Pope, and will comprise an academic council. It will supersede the foundation "Latinitas", established by Paul VI with the Chirograph "Romani Sermonis" of 30 June 1976.

"The Latin language", says the Pope in his Motu Proprio, "has always been held in high regard by the Catholic Church and the Roman pontiffs, who have promoted the knowledge and diffusion of the language by making it their own, able to universally transmit the message of the Gospel, as was authoritatively confirmed by my predecessor Blessed John XXIII in the Apostolic Constitution 'Veterum sapientia'.

"Since the Pentecost the Church has spoken and prayed in all languages known to humanity; however, the Christian communities of the first centuries made extensive use of Greek and Latin, languages of universal communication in the world in which they lived, thanks to which the novelty of the Word of Christ encountered the heritage of Hellenistic-Roman culture. After the fall of the western Roman empire the Church of Rome not only continued to use Latin, but in a certain sense also became its custodian and promoter in the theological and liturgical fields, as well as in education and the transmission of knowledge.

"In our times too, knowledge of Latin language and culture remains as necessary as ever for the study of the sources of numerous ecclesiastical disciplines including, among others, theology, liturgy, Patristics and canon law, as confirmed by Vatican Council II. Furthermore, the 'editio typica' of the liturgical books of the Roman Rite, the most important documents of the pontifical Magisterium and the most solemn Acts of the Roman pontiffs are written in Latin, precisely to emphasise the universal nature of the Church.

"However, in contemporary culture, within the context of a generalised deterioration in humanistic studies, we see the danger of an increasingly superficial knowledge of Latin, which may also be detected in the philosophical and theological studies of future priests. On the other hand, in our world in which science and technology are so prominent, we also find renewed interest in the Latin language and culture, and not only in those continents with Greco-Roman cultural roots. This interest seems particularly significant inasmuch as it is present not only in academic and institutional environments, but also involves young people and scholars from very different nations and traditions.

"There is therefore an apparent pressing need to encourage commitment to a greater knowledge and more competent use of Latin, in the ecclesial environment as well as in the world of culture at large. To give prominence and resonance to this effort, it is important to adopt teaching methods adapted to contemporary conditions, and to promote a network of relationships between academic institutions and among scholars with the aim of promoting the rich and varied heritage of Latin civilisation".

The Holy Father concludes by saying that, "in order to contribute to the achievement of these aims, and following in the wake of my venerated predecessors, with the present Motu Proprio I today establish the Pontifical Academy for Latin".

By this Motu Proprio the Pope approves the statute of the new academy "ad experimentum" for a five-year period.

Related: The Latin Language | Latin Mass & Catholic Tradition

[11/12/12]