nbsp Cambridge MA It is Lent once more and as I rsquo ve often done in the past I will take up a theme that I will return to every now and then between now and Easter Since I am once again teaching my course on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali ndash the classic synthesis of yoga theory and pract

nbsp Sometimes class discussions veer in a direction I don rsquo t intend For example I don rsquo t remember what aspect of the Incarnation I was trying to present in a class of freshman college students when a young man suddenly asked quot Where does Holy Water come from quot I was still t

What happens when the political collides with the spiritual the personal I rsquo ve been reflecting on this question the past day or so as news broke that Pope Benedict would effectively retire at the end of the month I rsquo ve written more than my fair share criticizing the way that some bishops

In 2009 Benedict nbsp placed his pallium over the case that holds the body of Celestine V the last pope who voluntarily resigned nbsp nbsp Benedict 39 s pallium will be placed upon the saint 39 s body on May 5th nbsp during a celebration of the 700th anniversary of his canonization nbsp Clea

nbsp Pope Benedict rsquo s resignation can be viewed as a positive development for Catholics seeking church reform Even those who disagree with many of Benedict rsquo s theological views and actions readily recognize and praise his essential goodness as a virtuous person Benedict has served Chri

nbsp Amid all the media hype and need to find out esoteric Christian historical and canonical information on short notice yesterday following Pope Benedict XVI 39 s nbsp announcement nbsp that he will resign from his office as Bishop of Rome on February 28 2013 there was an understandable amount

America 39 s editors were interviewed widely today about the pope 39 s surprise announcement Here is Father James Martin on CNN and the Colbert Report Our editor Matt Malone S J also appeared on WNBC We will post additional video as it becomes available nbsp The Colbert ReportGet More Col

After Bishop Chaput 39 s recent scorching of the latest regulatory revision from the Department of Health and Human Services Spokane 39 s Bishop Blase Cupich has jumped in where episcopal angels may have feared to tread daring to offer some not-negative comments about the recent accomodation-exe

A selection of 'America' articles on Benedict's pontificate

Pope Benedict rsquo s statement is every bit as striking as his resignation itself nbsp It deserves attention before talk turns to succession This is not simply a retirement from the hectic pace of public office nbsp It is an act of magisterial teaching in its own right that resonates with an i

nbsp This morning 39 s news that Pope Benedict XVI resigned came as a surprise but it did not shock me For Benedict has shown devotion to Celestine V the sainted pope who resigned was then murdered and defamed by Dante because his abdication mdash in the Inferno Dante called it quot the Gre

nbsp The Holy Father rsquo s resignation is a selfless and noble act done for the good of the church that he has loved and served for decades nbsp The resignation announced this morning and set to take effect on Feb 28 while surprising to almost everyone is not completely unprecedented nbsp

The announcement of the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI came as a shock around the world Saying he no longer had the strength to exercise ministry over the universal church Pope Benedict XVI announced on Feb 11 that he would be resigning at the end of the month ldquo After having repeatedly ex

Wire services are reporting this morning with apparent confirmation from the Vatican that Pope Benedict XVI intends to resign from his office later this month Here is the text of his address Dear Brothers I have convoked you to this Consistory not only for the three canonizations but also to c

Cambridge MA There was an excellent article in the February 7 2013 New York Times by Sharon Otterman on the trouble Rev Rob Morris a Missouri Synod Lutheran pastor got himself into by joining in interfaith prayer service attended by President Obama in December right after the December 14 S

The U S Conference of Catholic Bishops acknowleged some movement on latest revision to Department of Health and Human Services controversial contraception mandate but say the language still falls short of addressing their concerns nbsp Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York president of the U S Con

For St. Augustine, fasting was avaricious unless one gave away what one saved.

For more than 20 years, efforts to pass a far-reaching immigration reform have fallen apart.