Bishop Athanasius Schneider recalled his childhood in the underground Church of the Soviet Union during a talk in Cobh, Ireland, on August 3, AdVaticanum.com reports. “There were times when we had gatherings like this, but we had to close the windows and the doors because we were checked by the secret police, and we had to hide priests.” He recounted the story of Bishop Alexander Chira (1897-1983), a clandestine Greek Catholic bishop whom Soviet authorities urged “not to deny Christ, but only to become Orthodox,” thereby breaking communion with Rome. “He refused,” Bishop Schneider said, and, as a consequence, he was imprisoned in “several concentration camps called gulags.” Afterward, Bishop Chira lived under house arrest in Karaganda, concealing his identity as a bishop to avoid being sent back. “He could not reveal his identity as a bishop,” Bishop Schneider said. “Otherwise, he would be sent back. So he could only say to the people, ‘I am Father Alexander.’” Catholic priests celebrated …Doliwat
Pope Leo has appointed Bishop Eusebio Ramos Morales of Caguas as the Archbishop of San Juan, Puerto Rico. In 2024, this bishop allowed the Bishop of Mayagüez—67-year-old Ángel Luis Ríos Matos—to mock Cardinal Raymond Burke during a conference on "synodality" held on September 8 in the Diocese of Caguas. Referring to Francis, Msgr. Ríos spoke against the "liturgical vestments" and "lace" that Francis himself uses. He projected images of Cardinal Burke wearing a cardinal's hat and a *cappa magna*. Msgr. Ríos said: "Look how beautiful this is. I should have covered his face—for those who know him." The bishop encouraged the audience to "laugh," and he joined in the laughter himself. Ríos then addressed Bishop Eusebio Ramos, who was present at the talk and joined in the mockery. Jokingly, Bishop Ríos said: "Don't you have one of those capes, Eusebio?" The audience and Bishop Ríos laughed again. Bishop Ríos continued his act, suggesting: "As a Synod gift, they should have a cape made for …Doliwat
Christians in Saydnaya Cancel Public Feast Celebrations: In an unprecedented move, the Christians of Saydnaya, Syria, have canceled all public celebrations of their major feasts in August and September .The parish councils of the Greek Orthodox, Syriac Orthodox, and Melkite Greek Catholic churches announced the suspension of the Feast of the Transfiguration, Our Lady of Saydnaya, and the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. The decision follows months of arbitrary detentions, kidnappings, and growing intimidation of the town's Christian community.
Verklärung des Herrn und Kreuzerhöhung abgesagt - syrische Christen gehen beispiellosen Schritt wegen Verfolgung
Pope Saint Sixtus II - Feast day: 6/7 August Pope Sixtus II (died 6 August 258) was the Pope or Bishop of Rome from 31 August 257 until his death on 6 August 258. He was martyred along with seven deacons, including Lawrence of Rome during the persecution of the Catholic Church by Emperor Valerian. According to the Liber Pontificalis, he was born in Greece and was a philosopher; however, this is uncertain, and is disputed by modern western historians arguing that the authors of Liber Pontificalis confused him with that of the contemporary author Xystus, who was a Greek student of Pythagoreanism. He restored the relations with the African and Eastern churches which had been broken off by his predecessor on the question of heretical baptism raised by the heresy Novatianism. In the persecutions under Valerian in 258, numerous bishops, priests, and deacons were put to death. Pope Sixtus II was one of the first victims of this persecution, being beheaded on 6 August. He was martyred along with …Doliwat
Pope Saint Sixtus II - August 7 Pope Sixtus II (died 6 August 258) was the Pope or Bishop of Rome from 31 August 257 until his death on 6 August 258. He was martyred along with seven deacons, including Lawrence of Rome during the persecution of the Catholic Church by Emperor Valerian. According to the Liber Pontificalis, he was born in Greece and was a philosopher; however, this is uncertain, and is disputed by modern western historians arguing that the authors of Liber Pontificalis confused him with that of the contemporary author Xystus, who was a Greek student of Pythagoreanism. He restored the relations with the African and Eastern churches which had been broken off by his predecessor on the question of heretical baptism raised by the heresy Novatianism. In the persecutions under Valerian in 258, numerous bishops, priests, and deacons were put to death. Pope Sixtus II was one of the first victims of this persecution, being beheaded on 6 August. He was martyred along with six deacons …Doliwat
Normalization of Pseudo Deaconesses at the Altar: On 26 July, the Parish of Timelkam in the Diocese of Linz, Austria, celebrated the patronal feast of St. Anne in Oberthalheim, reported the parish's Facebook page. As is now common in German-speaking dioceses, a female pastoral assistant, vested in an alb and liturgical scarf, was carrying out liturgical ministry from both the ambo and at the altar during the Eucharist.
In der Pfarrei St. Anna Kirche Oberthalheim in der Diözese Linz in Oberösterreich übernehmen Frauen bei der Messe maßgeblich die Leitung bestimmter Aufgaben, darunter: - das Verlesen des Evangeliums - das Halten der Predigt - das Sprechen des Segens - das Stehen neben dem Priester und sogar die Unterstützung beim Aussprechen bestimmter heiliger Worte
Novus Ordo Goes to the Dogs: On 26 June, a video of a Eucharistic celebration at the Santo Domingo Savio parish in Villavicencio, Colombia, went viral after two dogs started howling along with Rev. Carlos Mario Peña Lopera as he sang a hymn. The dogs, Simón and Luna, are strays that the priest took in and who now regularly accompany him at Eucharists, often sitting near the altar. According to Rev. Peña Lopera, Luna had not previously joined in the howling alongside Simón. The priest continued the hymn without interruption.
Dos perros que acompañaban al sacerdote durante la eucaristía protagonizaron un inesperado momento al unirse, a su manera, a los cantos de la misa.
I love dogs and have have/had several as pets - but they DO NOT belong at Holy Mass (guide dogs - who care for those with various ailments & are trained to behave - excepted).
A research study conducted by Vatican expert Francesco Capozza reveals that more than 65% of the current College of Cardinals knows nothing of Latin, has never studied it, and does not understand it. Will Latin continue to be the universal language of the Church?
Leo XIV will wear liturgical vestments by his homosexual tailor Filippo Sorcinelli, 51, during the celebrations today in Assisi and on 22 August in Rimini. Sorcinelli said this in an interview with Corriere.it on 2 August. The Assisi vestments draw inspiration from 13th- and 14th-century paintings of the Porziuncola, while the Rimini vestments, created for a Eucharist by the sea, feature porthole motifs symbolizing water as the source of life. Sorcinelli says every papal vestment is designed specifically for the place and liturgy in which it will be used. He first met the future pope when he was still a cardinal, fitting him with a mitre presented by Augustinian confreres from Vienna. Sorcinelli says he later saw the same mitre reappear after Prevost's election as pope. Leo XIV's election helped Sorcinelli overcome a deep existential crisis. After more than a decade designing vestments for Pope Francis, Sorcinelli had considered leaving liturgical design to focus on organ music and his …Doliwat
Ceuta Immigrants Are "Saints": Spanish priest Fr Ángel García, founder of the charity Mensajeros de la Paz, described invaders in Ceuta as "saints" because they had remained calm in difficult circumstances. Speaking to laSexta television in Ceuta on August 3, the priest said that many people would have reacted violently in the same circumstances, but the invaders were peacefully waiting for an opportunity to enter the reception centre. His remarks contrast with reports of unrest, including incidents of looting, violence and the carrying of machetes.
In the Moroccan invasion of Ceuta, people with katanas, jihadists, and all kinds of criminals have entered, but for "Father Ángel," they are true "saints."
Police State Documentary “Police State” is a movie that I never wanted to make, because I never wanted America to get to a point where a movie like this needed to be made. I feel like the animal that alerts the herd to approaching danger, so we can take precautionary steps …
Statue of Our Lady Decapitated in Hammer Attack at New York Parish: In the early hours of 1 August, a statue of the Virgin Mary at St Rita's Church in Long Island City, New York City, was smashed with a hammer, leaving it decapitated and knocked from its pedestal. The police are investigating. According to the Diocese of Brooklyn, this is the fourth act of vandalism to target the parish since 2024.
Our Lady statue destroyed in latest attack on New York Catholic church
Montagna’s piece seems more of an attack of the messenger La Razón and the usual scapegoat, Roche. It is possible that La Razón’s unnamed source is Roche himself. But the point really in all of this is, are they factually inaccurate and wrong as claimed by Montagna? Hardly. To be frank, Montagna in her piece comes across as desperate, belligerent, and hostile in her attacks of La Razón and Cardinal Roche
The Russian Orthodox Church has revoked its June decision assigning its former foreign affairs chief to two Russian Orthodox parishes in southern Brazil. Instead, Patriarch Kirill has assigned Hilarion, 60, to the Exaltation of the Cross Monastery near Moscow. The latest reassignment comes after a series of controversies involving the once-powerful church diplomat. In May, Czech police detained Hilarion in Karlovy Vary after searching his car and finding four containers containing a white powder. Czech authorities later identified the substance as cocaine. Hilarion was released without charges after two days, while the investigation remains ongoing. He denies any involvement and says he was the victim of a provocation. Hilarion had already been removed as Metropolitan of Budapest and Hungary in 2024 after a former male assistant accused him of homosexual misconduct and financial impropriety. The allegations were accompanied by claims that Hilarion lived a lavish lifestyle and accumulated …Doliwat