Franciscan Father Francesco Patton wrote the meditations for tonight's Stations of the Cross at the Colosseum in Rome with Pope Leo XIV. Fr Patton served as Custos of the Holy Land from 2016 to 2025. On April 1, he told VaticanNews.va that the inspiration comes from "current reality" and that the meditations are meant to inspire political "change". The Vatican press office published the text today. Traditionally a penitential and contemplative devotion, the Via Crucis is repurposed here as a vehicle for contemporary socio-political reflection. The text shifts from the Passion of Christ to war, refugees, human trafficking, surveillance, deportation, the media, the economy, prisons, hostages, and crackdowns on protests. Notably absent, however, are abortion, euthanasia, and gender ideology. One acclamation reads: "For migrants, the displaced, and refugees: Comfort us, O Mother." In the first station, the meditation talks about political and economic power "to start or end a war… the power …ተወሳኺ
14K views · 689 reactions | Have you found a more useless castle? Firstly, I know that Upnor is technically as fort and not a castle - the difference being that forts aren’t places of residence. An interesting feature of Upnor is that it is technically made out of a castle, with much of the stone used in its construction having been pilfered from the ruins of Rochester Castle. The bastion that protrudes into the river is a water bastion, shaped like the point of a star. This meant that only one side of the bastion faced upriver. Resulting in there not being enough gun emplacements to fire effectively on a fleet approaching down the Medway. If you ever find yourself in Rochester, then make sure to either drive or take the bus out to Upnor. It is a beautiful village and obviously has this incredible Fort. The fort in the care of English Heritage and is managed by Medway Council. It is a paid entry site, however, English Heritage members can enter for free. | Great British Architecture …ተወሳኺ
Matthew 12:40 40 For as Jonas was in the whale's belly three days and three nights: so shall the Son of man be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights Wednesday Crucifixion View: Advocates argue for a Wednesday death to allow 72 hours (three full days and nights) before a Saturday night or early Sunday morning resurrection. This interpretation relies on counting three separate nights (Wednesday, Thursday, Friday) before Sunday dawn. Thursday Crucifixion View: This interpretation allows for the full three nights (Thursday, Friday, Saturday) to pass before a Sunday morning resurrection, aligning with the "three days and three nights" phrasing literally. Supporting Context (Two Sabbaths): Some proponents suggest there were two Sabbaths that week—the high day Sabbath (Passover) on Thursday, and the weekly Sabbath on Saturday—allowing for a Thursday burial, Friday spice prep, and Saturday rest Note: The traditional Friday crucifixion relies on Jewish, idioms where partial days …ተወሳኺ
Byzantine Catholic Liturgical Holy Week traditions Good Friday: A strict fast day centered on the Vespers of Good Friday and the procession with the Holy Shroud (Plashchanytsia). Holy Saturday: Focuses on Christ’s descent into Hades, often featuring a morning service that anticipates the Resurrection, including the reading of the Bible's "song of Moses" and resurrectional hymns. Pascha (Easter): The celebration begins with the Resurrection Matins/Vespers and Divine Liturgy, often early Sunday morning or late Saturday night, followed by the blessing of Easter foods.
The final criminal case against the Catholic pro-life investigator David Daleiden has been dismissed. This ends a nearly decade-long legal battle stemming from his undercover investigation into the abortion industry. Daleiden released in 2015 a series of undercover videos showing that officials connected to Planned Parenthood Federation of America sold body parts and fetal tissue of aborted babies. In 2016, the office of then–California Attorney General Kamala Harris (2011-2017) prosecuted Daleiden and his colleague Sandra Merritt related to illegal recording (invasion of privacy). She did not prosecute Planned Parenthood. Over time, more than half of the charges were dismissed by a judge. Instead of going to trial on the remaining charges, David Daleiden agreed in 2025 to the deal “no contest” (nolo contendere) . It allows a defendant to resolve a criminal case without admitting guilt while accepting the court’s judgment. The agreement included no jail time, fines, or probation, …ተወሳኺ
By Phil Lawler ( bio - articles - email ) | Mar 26, 2026 When is the last time you were at Mass—in an ordinary parish, not a monastery or retreat center—for a regularly scheduled parish Mass, not connected with any special event—and noticed that the congregation was predominantly male? I don’t think it had ever happened to me before last night. Whenever I see another seminar devoted to “Women in the Church,” I cannot resist making the prosaic observation that the discussion is unlikely to break any new ground. Open the door to a typical American Catholic church, and what do you see? Women in the church. Attend a meeting of the altar guild, the religious-education teachers, the parish secretaries, the extraordinary ministers. Time and again the women outnumber the men. But not at this church, where we attended Mass for the feast of the Annunciation because we are traveling. There were more men and boys than women and girls; if you counted the altar boys it wasn’t close. Moreover …
"We have damaged the liturgy," said Cardinal Robert Sarah in a video interview with Le Figaro Idées (April 2). "It is too noisy. Too noisy. As if we were celebrating ourselves." He warned against reducing worship to mere "conviviality", insisting that a more sober liturgy celebrates the greatness of God. Cardinal Sarah also said: "Today, we practically never speak about salvation," and cautioned that "if the Church does not speak about the soul and what will happen to it after death, then it fails in its mission."
«L’Église a abimé la liturgie de la messe. Elle est trop bruyante ! C’est comme si on se célébrait nous-même. C’est devenu un moment convivial, alors que nous sommes là pour adorer Dieu, il faut une liturgie qui adore Dieu. On ne parle plus du salut et de l’âme !», se désole le cardinal Robert Sarah dans Le Club Le Figaro
Book of Isaiah 52,13-15.53,1-12. See, my servant shall prosper, he shall be raised high and greatly exalted. Even as many were amazed at him-- so marred was his look beyond that of man, and his appearance beyond that of mortals-- So shall he startle many nations, because of him kings shall stand speechless; For those who have not been told shall see, those who have not heard shall ponder it. Who would believe what we have heard? To whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? He grew up like a sapling before him, like a shoot from the parched earth; There was in him no stately bearing to make us look at him, nor appearance that would attract us to him. He was spurned and avoided by men, a man of suffering, accustomed to infirmity, One of those from whom men hide their faces, spurned, and we held him in no esteem. Yet it was our infirmities that he bore, our sufferings that he endured, While we thought of him as stricken, as one smitten by God and afflicted. But he was pierced for our …ተወሳኺ
Buch Jesaja 52,13-15.53,1-12. Siehe, mein Knecht wird Erfolg haben, er wird sich erheben und erhaben und sehr hoch sein. Wie sich viele über dich entsetzt haben – so entstellt sah er aus, nicht mehr wie ein Mensch, seine Gestalt war nicht mehr die eines Menschen –, so wird er viele Nationen entsühnen, Könige schließen vor ihm ihren Mund. Denn was man ihnen noch nie erzählt hat, das sehen sie nun; was sie niemals hörten, das erfahren sie jetzt. Wer hat geglaubt, was wir gehört haben? Der Arm des HERRN – wem wurde er offenbar? Vor seinen Augen wuchs er auf wie ein junger Spross, wie ein Wurzeltrieb aus trockenem Boden. Er hatte keine schöne und edle Gestalt, sodass wir ihn anschauen mochten. Er sah nicht so aus, dass wir Gefallen fanden an ihm. Er wurde verachtet und von den Menschen gemieden, ein Mann voller Schmerzen, mit Krankheit vertraut. Wie einer, vor dem man das Gesicht verhüllt, war er verachtet; wir schätzten ihn nicht. Aber er hat unsere Krankheit getragen und unsere Schmerzen …ተወሳኺ
GERUSALEMME, CHIESA DELL'ECCE HOMO: LA QUARESIMA SUI LUOGHI SANTI.
GERUSALEMME, CHIESA DELL'ECCE HOMO: LA QUARESIMA SUI LUOGHI SANTI. Telepace 8 marzo 2017. Aspettare la Pasqua in Terra Santa significa vivere le celebrazioni quaresimali nei luoghi che davvero sono stati teatro della storia di Gesù. La chiesa dell'Ecce Homo, sulla via Dolorosa, sorge sui resti del palazzo di Ponzio Pilato, dove Gesù fu giudicato, condannato a morte e coronato di spine.
Letter to the Hebrews 4,14-16.5,7-9. Brothers and sisters: Since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has similarly been tested in every way, yet without sin. So let us confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and to find grace for timely help. In the days when he was in the flesh, he offered prayers and supplications with loud cries and tears to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered; and when he was made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him.
Brief des Apostel Paulus an die Hebräer 4,14-16.5,7-9. Schwestern und Brüder! Da wir nun einen erhabenen Hohepriester haben, der die Himmel durchschritten hat, Jesus, den Sohn Gottes, lasst uns an dem Bekenntnis festhalten. Wir haben ja nicht einen Hohepriester, der nicht mitfühlen könnte mit unseren Schwächen, sondern einen, der in allem wie wir versucht worden ist, aber nicht gesündigt hat. Lasst uns also voll Zuversicht hinzutreten zum Thron der Gnade, damit wir Erbarmen und Gnade finden und so Hilfe erlangen zur rechten Zeit! Er hat in den Tagen seines irdischen Lebens mit lautem Schreien und unter Tränen Gebete und Bitten vor den gebracht, der ihn aus dem Tod retten konnte, und er ist erhört worden aufgrund seiner Gottesfurcht. Obwohl er der Sohn war, hat er durch das, was er gelitten hat, den Gehorsam gelernt; zur Vollendung gelangt, ist er für alle, die ihm gehorchen, der Urheber des ewigen Heils geworden angelyelina
Low IQ fanboys. This is what your church wants. Basically man-children. When tradition has been completely erased, there is no need for memory. Everything is transient and juvenile. There is nothing eternal, and thus there is no peace, only disturbance, like a churning adolescence.
British schoolgirl arrested in East Germany #OnThisDay 1960: A British schoolgirl cheerily told Judith Chalmers about her holiday, which involved accidentally getting arrested in East Germany.
I had Grok break down Trump’s EO, and there were some interesting points: 1) This EO includes the involvement of DHS creating state citizenship lists for every state. DHS’s role in election security is expanding. 2) Mail-in ballots are being reformed, with “unique intelligent mail barcodes”, and these ballots can only be mailed to citizens on the state citizenship lists created by DHS and SSA. 3) The order also directs the AG to prioritize investigations and prosecutions of election-related crimes, particularly related to distributing/collecting illegal ballots to/from non-citizens. In conclusion, Trump is using DHS to secure elections via managing the voter rolls and preventing mail-in ballot fraud, while the DOJ has been instructed to prosecute any attempts to cheat. This is what the Dems have been worried about the entire time. This is why they have been refusing to fund DHS and throwing a fit about ICE. It was always about election security. BioClandestine
I found this one of the clearest summaries of what took place concerning election integrity. It’s not an option, not a choice but rather a decision to save the republic and by extension other peoples. It is my opinion that the Church is directly impacted as well.
Sulaiman Ahmed @ShaykhSulaiman BREAKING: Iran's FM Araghchi on the Strait of Hormuz: It is not in international waters. It is the internal waters of Iran and Oman. The strait is currently open and is closed only to those who are at war with Iran. For many of them, especially those from friendly countries, we have put arrangements in place so they can pass through the strait safely. Some countries have passed through the strait after reaching an agreement with Iran. The Strait of Hormuz can be a waterway of peace, enabling the calm passage of ships from all countries. x.com/ShaykhSulaiman/status/2039345578287550503