Saving history from ISIS and the weather
An American Benedictine monk is working to preserve ancient Christian and Muslim manuscripts, threatened by wars, theft, weather, and now by ISIS. Matteo Fagotto tells the story of Fr Columba Stewart at theatlantic.com.
“As ISIS militants have destroyed countless artefacts, Stewart has attempted to counter them by working with Christian and Muslim communities in hotspots such as Iraq and Syria. He has trained local teams to photograph centuries-old books with the help of the non-profit organisation he directs … So far, it has managed to photograph more than 140,000 complete manuscripts, for a total of more than 50,000,000 handwritten pages,” Fagotto claims.
How I discovered the world is Catholic
John Clark, at setonmagazine.com, described a secret while preparing a geography study guide: the whole world is Catholic.
“From the deepest underground catacombs in Rome to the tallest basilica in Africa’s Ivory Coast, from the Dura-Europos Church in Syria built circa 235 to the churches under construction circa today, from the ISIS-ransacked altar in Qaraqosh, Iraq, to the magnificent Gothic altar in St Mary’s Basilica in Kraków, Poland, the world bears an unmistakable Catholic imprint,” Clark wrote.
“A tour of the world reveals the fact that God has been loved and adored by Catholics all around the Earth – even in tiny countries that you might have never heard of.” Nero, Attila the Hun, Napoleon, Mao, Hitler and Stalin had all tried to destroy the Catholic Church. “Tyrants come and go. Christendom remains,” Clark wrote.
Why we should go to Confession
Raised a Lutheran, Tod Warner argued with his Catholic wife over many aspects of the faith, including “Why should I have to go to Confession?” GK Chesterton and a close friend gave him the answer, as he wrote on ncregister.com.
Chesterton wrote of the saints accepting that they were sinners, of the need to confess our sins, and of the mercy of forgiveness. “But I didn’t truly get it until one evening after I walked out of Confession, I ran into a dear Catholic friend who simply and sincerely levelled his smiling gaze at me and said, ‘Well, just look at you with your spotless soul.’
“That’s when it truly dawned on me.
“That’s it.
“A spotless soul.
“That is why I should go to Confession.”
Don’t write off The Young Pope
Tyler Blanski at Crisis magazine suggests the TV drama The Young Pope, despite its at times offensive content, is an “unexpected invitation to talk about Jesus and his holy Catholic Church” that eludes the Hollywood stereotype of a “dark and foreboding” Vatican. “Here we encounter a young conservative pope who is not so easily demonised – or canonised.
“This is, perhaps, a good thing.”
✣Meanwhile…
✣ Pope Francis sent birthday wishes to an Italian Sister on her 110th birthday last week.
The note to Sister Bellotti, of the Congregation of San Camillus de Lellis in the Diocese of Lucca, said: “The Holy Father Francis spiritually participates in the joy we all share for this happy occasion and sends warm congratulations and heartfelt wishes.”
Sister Bellotti said that her vocation was “sown” in a Christian family. “Love, love and love still more, with joy,” is the advice she gives everyone, especially young people. “Have confidence in the future, and strive to the utmost to accomplish your desires.”
✣ Jugglers, tumblers, women dressed as cats in skin-tight body suits and a man breathing fire: these were the spectacles at last week’s papal audience in St Peter’s Square, for the feast of the Chair of St Peter. Pope Francis thanked the Rony Roller Circus artists, saying they were “creators of beauty”, which “leads to God”. Last year Francis invited the circus to perform to the poor and needy in Rome.
✣The week in quotations
At that time no one had a tape recorder Fr Arturo Sosa, Jesuit superior general, on the need to ‘contextualise’ Jesus’s words Interview with vaticanista Giuseppe Rusconi
In spiritual and moral terms, among the poor and the least Pope Francis on cohabiting couples Address to priests
Fasting allows us to stand back and contemplate things as they are in themselves Archbishop George Stack of Cardiff Lenten reflection
Ireland is not Ireland without the Church The late Cardinal Desmond Connell Times newspaper
✣Statistic of the week
7 Christians murdered in Sinai in recent days Source: Associated Press
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