Podcasts about Basilica

One of the most fascinating places in Rome by far, the one that packs the most layers (literally!) of history into a single site, is without a doubt the Basilica of San Celemente and the archeological excavations that lie underneath it. Today Tiffany takes you on a virtual tour of this amazing site, a sneak peek of what's to come this fall. You see, San Clemente is just one of many places Katy and Tiffany plan to take the lucky guests on the upcoming Bittersweet Life Rome Adventure, taking place in October of 2023. To find out more about the intimate trip to Rome wer're planning for just 10 of our listeners, listen to Episode 478: A Roman Announcement. Or, simply email us here for all the details. Secure your spot soon as they are filling up! ------------------------------------- ADVERTISE WITH US: Reach expats, future expats, and travelers all over the world. Send us an email to get the conversation started. BECOME A PATRON: Pledge your monthly support of The Bittersweet Life and receive awesome prizes in return for your generosity! Visit our Patreon site to find out more. TIP YOUR PODCASTER: Say thanks with a one-time donation to the podcast hosts you know and love. Click here to send financial support via PayPal. (You can also find a Donate button on the desktop version of our website.) The show needs your support to continue. START PODCASTING: If you are planning to start your own podcast, consider Libsyn for your hosting service! Use this affliliate link to get two months free, or use our promo code SWEET when you sign up. SUBSCRIBE: Subscribe to the podcast to make sure you never miss an episode. Click here to find us on a variety of podcast apps. WRITE A REVIEW: Leave us a rating and a written review on iTunes so more listeners can find us. JOIN THE CONVERSATION: If you have a question or a topic you want us to address, send us an email here. You can also connect to us through Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Tag #thebittersweetlife with your expat story for a chance to be featured! NEW TO THE SHOW? Don't be afraid to start with Episode 1: OUTSET BOOK: Want to read Tiffany's book, Midnight in the Piazza? Learn more here or order on Amazon. TOUR ROME: If you're traveling to Rome, don't miss the chance to tour the city with Tiffany as your guide!  

May 16, 1920. Tens of thousands of people surround St. Peter's Basilica to honor Joan of Arc, a French peasant girl who died nearly five hundred years before. Joan's feats in battle—and her visions of God—have become legendary since her heyday during The Hundred Years War. And today, the Catholic Church is making her a saint. But Joan was a real person – and while many supported her during her lifetime, many others wanted her dead. Who was this curious figure? And how did her faith turn the tides of a seemingly endless age of violence?Special thanks to our guests: Nancy Goldstone, author of The Maid and the Queen: The Secret History of Joan of Arc, and Charity Urbanski, associate history professor at the University of Washington. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on A Podcast About Catholic Things, Eric (The Ambassador of Common Sense) and Dan (The Ambassador Of Nonsense) discuss the banking and money lending institutions--is usury as big a problem as the Church has described? Why does the principal of usury not extend to property rental? In current events, many people killing many people. Ancient DNA from elk tooth. Proud Boys convicted. WHO says Covid not emergency. Fire in gold mine. Hot in Vietnam. MiG-21 kills 3 women. Trump found guilty of rape. Kamala Harris announce AI Czar. Josh Alexander fighting for parents. Oklahoma says no to BlackRock. Manhattan church pro-gay art. Tucker Carlson to tweet. Pope Francis hosts Coptic Mass. Complains about TLM. Planned Parenthood now in the gender reassignment business. Pope Francis claims secret mission. Biden tells sanctuary to blow out candle. Texas Capitol occupied by gays. RFK Jr. says he'll cut big parma spending. In the land of Nonsense, space rock invades house. Vampire fish. Star Wars weddings. Trivia question: What 2 things does Jesus compare us to? Show Notes: Dan's Notes: Holy space rocks, Batman!https://apnews.com/article/meteorite-hits-home-hopewell-new-jersey-fd8391f8c5daea1e596ed85ed3ae5a68Another fish story (and this time it's not a repeat)https://apnews.com/article/washed-up-weird-fish-fangs-oregon-beach-2f68e2ab46caa9a645d137e7f22735b7A match made in .... space?https://apnews.com/article/star-wars-weddings-may-fourth-ohio-dd6ad971a7af909cc7b48f99c2a6a439 Eric's Notes: Josh Alexander says his parents have been suspended from their Ontario school board jobs https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/josh-alexander-says-his-parents-have-been-suspended-from-their-ontario-school-board-jobs/ San Antonio voters overwhelmingly reject radical pro-abortion, pro-marijuana referendum https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/san-antonio-voters-overwhelmingly-reject-radical-pro-abortion-pro-marijuana-referendum/ SAN ANTONIO, Texas (LifeSiteNews) — The second-largest city in Texas rejected a pro-abortion, leftist referendum during Saturday's local elections. Oklahoma bans state business with BlackRock, other financial companies over woke ESG policies https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/oklahoma-blacklists-blackrock-other-financial-companies-from-state-business-over-woke-esg-policies/ New York Catholics outraged by blasphemous transgender art exhibit at Manhattan church https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/new-york-catholic-outraged-by-blasphemous-transgender-art-exhibit-at-manhattan-church/ The paintings displayed at the Church of Saint Paul the Apostle in Manhattan, run by the now notoriously liberal Paulist Fathers, espouse the idolatrous and heretical ideas that we can make a “god” according to our own liking and that “there is no devil.” Tucker Carlson to relaunch his show, post it directly to Twitter after being ousted by Fox https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/tucker-carlson-to-relaunch-his-show-post-it-directly-to-twitter-after-being-ousted-by-fox/ ‘Starting soon, we'll be bringing a new version of the show we've been doing for the last six and a half years to Twitter,' the immensely popular conservative commentator said, also promising to bring ‘some other things too which we'll tell you about.' Pope Francis hosts Coptic Patriarch at Vatican, approves schismatic liturgy in papal basilica https://www.lifesitenews.com/analysis/pope-francis-hosts-coptic-patriarch-at-vatican-approves-schismatic-liturgy-in-papal-basilica/ The Coptic Patriarch's visit to Rome chiefly marks the 50th anniversary of the historic meeting between Pope Paul VI and Coptic Patriarch Pope Shenouda III in 1973. During that meeting, Paul VI and Shenouda III signed the “Joint Christological Declaration,” heralded as a breakthrough in relations between the two churches after years of “estrangement,” and which reads in part: The 1973 statement also condemned any attempts at “proselytism” from either the Catholics or from the Coptics: “In the name of this charity, we reject all forms of proselytism, in the sense of acts by which persons seek to disturb each other's communities by recruiting new members from each other through methods, or because of attitudes of mind, which are opposed to the exigencies of Christian love or to what should characterize the relationships between Churches.” despite the fact that the Coptic Orthodox liturgies are valid but schismatic, Pope Francis has given permission for Tawadros to offer a liturgy in St. John Lateran's Basilica this Sunday, for the Coptic faithful in Italy. The Patriarch will be given a “specially constructed altar” for the ceremony, said Father Martin Browne, an official at the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity. Planned Parenthood is now giving transgender drugs to tens of thousands of people https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/planned-parenthood-is-now-giving-transgender-drugs-to-tens-of-thousands-of-people/ Planned Parenthood offers transgender hormone drugs in at least 31 states as of 2020 and supplied the dangerous drugs to more than 35,000 people in 2021. Trudeau Liberals approve proposal to censor news using anonymous sources https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/trudeau-liberals-approve-proposal-to-censor-news-using-anonymous-sources/ The first reads, “BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Liberal Party of Canada: Request the Government explore options to hold on-line information services accountable for the veracity of material published on their platforms and to limit publication only to material whose sources can be traced.” The second resolution reads that the government “provide additional public funds to support advertisement-free news and information reporting by Canadian media through an arm's-length non-partisan mechanism.” Pope Francis belittles devotion to the Latin Mass as a ‘nostalgic disease' during Jesuit meeting https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/pope-francis-belittles-devotion-to-the-latin-mass-as-a-nostalgic-disease-during-jesuit-meeting/ Pope Francis has once more issued strong criticisms of Catholics devoted to the traditional liturgy and practice of the Church, stating that the “incredible support for restorationism” is a “nostalgic disease.” Pope claims a secret peace mission for Russia and Ukraine is underway. Is this true? https://www.lifesitenews.com/analysis/pope-claims-a-secret-peace-mission-for-russia-and-ukraine-is-underway-is-this-true/ Biden admin orders Catholic hospital to snuff out sanctuary candle or lose all federal funding https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/biden-admin-orders-catholic-hospital-to-extinguish-small-candle-or-lose-all-federal-funds/ Biden admin backs down on trying to force Catholic hospital to extinguish sanctuary candle https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/biden-admin-backs-down-on-trying-to-force-catholic-hospital-to-extinguish-sanctuary-candle/ ‘The government has seen the light and has abandoned its attempt to force an Oklahoma hospital to blow out a small candle or stop serving elderly, disabled, and low-income patients.' LGBT activists occupy Texas Capitol, disrupt vote on bill banning trans mutilation of children https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/lgbt-activists-occupy-texas-capitol-disrupt-vote-on-bill-banning-trans-mutilation-of-children/ RFK Jr says he will cut gov't funding of Big Pharma, restore America's middle class if elected president https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/rfk-jr-says-he-will-cut-govt-funding-of-big-pharma-restore-americas-middle-class-if-elected-president/ The anti-establishment Democratic presidential candidate's polling success is varying widely, raising questions as to his real level of popularity among Democrat voters. VIEW ON APPLE PODCASTS VIEW ON GOOGLE PODCASTS VIEW ON AMAZON VIEW ON AUDIBLE VIEW ON CASTBOX VIEW ON PODCASTADDICT VIEW ON STITCHER VIEW ON BITCHUTE VIEW ON RUMBLE VIEW ON TUNE-IN VISIT US ON FACEBOOK

Father Edward Hathaway, the Rector of the Basilica of Saint Mary, shares a homily during the Fifth Sunday of Easter. It was given in the Basilica on May 7, 2023.

Father Edward Hathaway, the Rector of the Basilica of Saint Mary, offers a reflection on the First Joyful Mystery of the Rosary, the Annunciation, during our Communal First Saturday for May. This meditation was recorded on May 6, 2023.

The  homily of Fr. Michael Weldon, OFM, at St. Mary's Basilica in downtown Phoenix. Videos of the full Mass are collected at the Basilica's YouTube page https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3N-NkNQk-zQ2xAS86FCxoQ

Father Ed Broom, OMV, serves as Associate Pastor at St. Peter Chanel Church in Hawaiian Gardens, California. He is a member of the Religious Order, Oblates of the Virgin Mary, and was ordained by Saint John Paul II in St Peter's Basilica on May 25, 1986. Fr. Ed is a Retreat Master and teaches Catholic […] The post MARCELINO, PAN Y VINO appeared first on Fr. Ed Broom, OMV.

Father Ed Broom, OMV, serves as Associate Pastor at St. Peter Chanel Church in Hawaiian Gardens, California. He is a member of the Religious Order, Oblates of the Virgin Mary, and was ordained by Saint John Paul II in St Peter's Basilica on May 25, 1986. Fr. Ed is a Retreat Master and teaches Catholic […] The post WORK appeared first on Fr. Ed Broom, OMV.

Father Ed Broom, OMV, serves as Associate Pastor at St. Peter Chanel Church in Hawaiian Gardens, California. He is a member of the Religious Order, Oblates of the Virgin Mary, and was ordained by Saint John Paul II in St Peter's Basilica on May 25, 1986. Fr. Ed is a Retreat Master and teaches Catholic […] The post ST. JOSEPH THE WORKER appeared first on Fr. Ed Broom, OMV.

Father Ed Broom, OMV, serves as Associate Pastor at St. Peter Chanel Church in Hawaiian Gardens, California. He is a member of the Religious Order, Oblates of the Virgin Mary, and was ordained by Saint John Paul II in St Peter's Basilica on May 25, 1986. Fr. Ed is a Retreat Master and teaches Catholic […] The post THE COMMANDENTS appeared first on Fr. Ed Broom, OMV.

Deacon Daniel Dionesotes shares a homily during the fourth Sunday of Easter. It was given in the Basilica on April 30, 2023.

Father Ed Broom, OMV, serves as Associate Pastor at St. Peter Chanel Church in Hawaiian Gardens, California. He is a member of the Religious Order, Oblates of the Virgin Mary, and was ordained by Saint John Paul II in St Peter's Basilica on May 25, 1986. Fr. Ed is a Retreat Master and teaches Catholic […] The post GOOD SHEPHERD appeared first on Fr. Ed Broom, OMV.

Father Ed Broom, OMV, serves as Associate Pastor at St. Peter Chanel Church in Hawaiian Gardens, California. He is a member of the Religious Order, Oblates of the Virgin Mary, and was ordained by Saint John Paul II in St Peter's Basilica on May 25, 1986. Fr. Ed is a Retreat Master and teaches Catholic […] The post ST. CATHERINE OF SIENA appeared first on Fr. Ed Broom, OMV.

Father Ed Broom, OMV, serves as Associate Pastor at St. Peter Chanel Church in Hawaiian Gardens, California. He is a member of the Religious Order, Oblates of the Virgin Mary, and was ordained by Saint John Paul II in St Peter's Basilica on May 25, 1986. Fr. Ed is a Retreat Master and teaches Catholic […] The post LIVE OUT YOUR CONFIRMATION appeared first on Fr. Ed Broom, OMV.

Father Ed Broom, OMV, serves as Associate Pastor at St. Peter Chanel Church in Hawaiian Gardens, California. He is a member of the Religious Order, Oblates of the Virgin Mary, and was ordained by Saint John Paul II in St Peter's Basilica on May 25, 1986. Fr. Ed is a Retreat Master and teaches Catholic […] The post WHO IS THE GOOD SHEPHERD IN YOUR LIFE appeared first on Fr. Ed Broom, OMV.

Father Ed Broom, OMV, serves as Associate Pastor at St. Peter Chanel Church in Hawaiian Gardens, California. He is a member of the Religious Order, Oblates of the Virgin Mary, and was ordained by Saint John Paul II in St Peter's Basilica on May 25, 1986. Fr. Ed is a Retreat Master and teaches Catholic […] The post BRIEF BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF SAINT LUKE appeared first on Fr. Ed Broom, OMV.

The  homily of Fr. Michael Weldon, OFM, at St. Mary's Basilica in downtown Phoenix. Videos of the full Mass are collected at the Basilica's YouTube page https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3N-NkNQk-zQ2xAS86FCxoQ

April 30: Saint Pius V, Pope 1504–1572 Optional Memorial; Liturgical Color: White Patron Saint of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith One Shepherd, one flock, one Lord, one Church Saint Pius V is buried in the Sistine Chapel, but not “that” Sistine Chapel. His body lies in a glass coffin in the stunning, baroque Sistine Chapel of the Basilica of Saint Mary Major in Rome. He is not far from other luminaries: the master artist Gianlorenzo Bernini is buried unassumingly in the floor nearby, and Saint Jerome's remains can be found in a porphyry tomb under the main altar. Saint Pius V was not born a pope, of course. He was from a poor but noble family in Northern Italy and baptized Antonio Ghislieri. He entered the Dominican Order as a teenager and quickly rose to positions of authority and responsibility due to his intelligence, discipline, unassailable purity of life, and defense of the Church. He was elected Pope in 1566. The Council of Trent had just concluded. The Counter-Reformation was so new it did not even have a name. The Muslim Turks were invading Europe from the East. Protestants occupied chunks of Northern Europe and were cracking the unity of the Church in France. In a truncated papacy of six years and four months, Saint Pius V rose to all of these challenges and more, leaving an enduring legacy disproportionate to his brief reign. Our saint marshalled the coalition of Catholic princes and monarchs who defeated the Turks at the Battle of Lepanto in 1571. A loss would have opened the front door of Europe for Muslims to walk right in and make it their home. In 1570, Pope Pius V excommunicated Queen Elizabeth I of England for heresy and schism, called her a pretender to the throne, and forbade Catholics to obey her. This led the Queen to seek the blood of English Catholics for treason. As momentous as these events were, and they each cast long and dark historical shadows, it was specifically as a churchman that Saint Pius V did his best work. He personally lived the reforms he expected of the Church as a whole, and he implemented those reforms first in the city of Rome itself, among his own ecclesial court and among his own people. A fire place sitting in front of a fireplaceThe Council of Trent met intermittently between 1545–1563. It was arguably the most successful Council in the history of the Church. Trent introduced numerous reforms that have long since been accepted as normative Church practice: a bishop must live in his diocese, priestly formation must occur in a seminary, the Mass must be said using a uniform language and ritual, a catechism must be published and its teachings learned by all, and religious and priests cannot easily skip from one diocese to another. The Council also clarified technical, and not so technical, questions of Catholic theology in the face of Protestant challenges. The Council's documents were not put on a shelf to gather dust. Trent's immense treasure house of doctrinal, liturgical, and disciplinary reforms were implemented, fully and forcefully, over many succeeding decades. This was due to the perseverance and vision of many Counter-Reformation bishops, priests, nuns, and scholars, beginning with Pope Saint Pius V himself. Pope Saint Pius V is viewed historically as a true icon of orthodoxy (correct doctrine) and also of orthopraxy (correct practice). It is an unfortunate truism of modernity that religious faith, submission to religious truth, or trust in a prior intellectual inheritance (as opposed to personal discovery of “truth”) are limiting forces which stunt personal growth, shield the believer from reality, or block more daring inquiry. A more honest perspective disproves these snide conclusions. Doubt, refusal, or negation are not necessarily open-minded pathways to discovery. It is acceptance, affirmation, and faith that open the mind to the widest horizons. It is “Yes,” not “No,” that leads to more complex and demanding relationships, including with God Himself. The orthodox believer makes no a priori decision to shut his eyes to the fullness of reality, in contrast to the atheist. The believer is open, truly open, to diverse arguments and to diverse experiences. Defenders of orthodoxy, like Saint Pius V, have far more complex understandings of human anthropology and religion than commonly acknowledged. Conservatives are more intuitive anthropologists than liberals. They know how fragile truth can be when under pressure, and they take their job to protect it with utmost seriousness. Saint Pius V was the Pope, or Father, of a universal family. He protected the family's unity with all his considerable skills and virtues, and left a highly united, disciplined Church as his legacy. Saint Pius V, your dedication to the truth showed itself in your pristine holiness, unity of life, and defense of doctrine. From your home in heaven, assist all theologians and leaders of the Church to be as concerned as you were for the unity of God's family on earth.

Father Ed Broom, OMV, serves as Associate Pastor at St. Peter Chanel Church in Hawaiian Gardens, California. He is a member of the Religious Order, Oblates of the Virgin Mary, and was ordained by Saint John Paul II in St Peter's Basilica on May 25, 1986. Fr. Ed is a Retreat Master and teaches Catholic […] The post ST. CATHERINE OF SIENA appeared first on Fr. Ed Broom, OMV.

Daily Mass Readings and reflection for 4/29/23 from Deacon Mike Seaman from St Peter Chuch and the Basilica of St John the Baptist in Canton, Ohio

Daily Mass Readings and reflection for 4/28/23 from Deacon Mike Seaman from St Peter Chuch and the Basilica of St John the Baptist in Canton, Ohio

April 29: Saint Catherine of Siena, Virgin and Doctor 1347–1380 Memorial; Liturgical Color: White Patron Saint of Italy, Europe, and fire prevention Her frightening intensity prayed the popes back to Rome Saint Peter was not martyred in Frankfurt, Germany; Alexandria, Egypt; or Jerusalem. He could have been. God, in His Providence, wanted Saint Peter's blood to spill on Roman soil, so that His One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church would drive its roots into the ground of the then capital of the world. This does not mean that Catholicism is bound to St. Peter's Basilica and Rome in the same way that Judaism was bound to the temple and Jerusalem. Rome does not have the same theological significance for Catholics as Jerusalem does for Jews, nor is Rome the successor of Jerusalem. Rome is not a holy city like Mecca is for the Muslims. The primacy of the Pope over the universal Church is based on his being the successor of Saint Peter. This is an indisputable historical fact. However, the Petrine ministry is one thing, and where it is exercised is another. The location of the Petrine ministry has never had the same theological weight as the ministry itself. Peter, yes. Always. Rome, yes. So far. Mostly. Today's saint was a Third Order Dominican, a mystic, a contemplative, and an ascetic who used secretaries to compose her letters, because she could not read or write until the last few years of her life. Yet for all of her interior distance from the world and its concerns, Saint Catherine of Siena threw herself at the feet of the Pope, then reigning in Avignon, and begged him to return to Rome. The “Babylonian Captivity” of the papacy in Avignon had gone on for almost seven decades and caused grave scandal. The move to Avignon was not due to an irreversible cultural shift such as a Muslim conquest or a decimating plague. The popes did not abandon Rome because it was a carcass. The transfer of the papal court to Avignon, a city within the Papal States, was the result of politics. It is not often that a single person can effect the course of history as much as a battle, a treaty, or a Council does. Incredibly, though, Saint Catherine of Siena's efforts to return the papacy to Rome were successful. She wrote so powerfully, spoke so passionately, and exuded such intense holiness that the Pope was overwhelmed. She also seemed to have prophetic powers, even knowing what the Pope was thinking or had previously thought. She was frighteningly intense and could not be ignored. Thus, sixty-seven years of seven French Popes ruling far from Rome ended. In 1376, Pope Gregory XI finally abandoned Avignon and followed in the footsteps of so many medievals—he went on pilgrimage to the tomb of St. Peter. And he stayed. The eternal city was a widow no longer. Saint Catherine was born the twenty-fourth of twenty-five children in a pious family imbued with the love of God. She eagerly drank in all that her parents poured out. She went for true “gold” early in life. She practiced extreme penances, eating only bread and raw vegetables and drinking only water for her entire adult life. She conversed with God, experienced ecstasies and visions, and dictated hundreds of letters, books and reflections filled with the most profound spiritual and theological insights. In 1970 she was the first layperson, and first woman, to be made a Doctor of the Church, in recognition of her profound mystical theology. Catherine died at the age of thirty-three, worn out by penances, travel, and the burden of her involvement in so many pressing ecclesial affairs. She was canonized in 1461. Her body lies under the main altar of the Dominican Church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva in Rome. Her mummified head is found in her native Siena. Saint Catherine of Siena, your love of God was expressed in so many vibrant ways and in a fervent love of His Church. We seek your powerful intercession from your exalted place in heaven to make all Catholics more ardent in their love of the Trinity, of the Passion, and of the Papacy.

This week, Jesuitical is joined by Sam Sawyer, S.J., the new editor in chief of America Media to talk about:  How Sam went from working as a software developer to joining the Jesuits The Catholic Church's approach to technology, and what A.I. and ChatGPT have in store for it His latest essay in America: “Catholicism, authentic communion and the way out of our polarization trap” And during Signs of the Times, Ashley and Zac discuss the following news stories:  Pope Francis has given women the right to vote at the synod for the first time in history Pope Francis losing his blue verification checkmark on Twitter Two events in Catholic-Anglican relations: A gift from Pope Francis to King Charles III and a “breakdown in communication” between a visiting Anglican group in Rome and the Basilica of St. John Lateran  Links from the show Support America's Anniversary! “Catholicism, authentic communion and the way out of our polarization trap” Does ChatGPT have a soul? A conversation on Catholic ethics and A.I. Pope Francis gives relics of the True Cross to King Charles III for his coronation Over 50 Anglicans celebrate liturgy at Pope Francis' cathedral after “breakdown in communication” What's on tap?  Negronis and Aeropress Coffee Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Daily Mass Readings and reflection for 4/27/23 from Deacon Mike Seaman from St Peter Chuch and the Basilica of St John the Baptist in Canton, Ohio

Most people love Siena for many reasons, but I fell in love, at first sight, with Piazza del Campo. I can still visualize every single detail that lured me in on my first visit many years ago. For any artist, or art history buff, just standing in the main piazza, being physically surrounded by the color siena, while in the city of Siena, is like a dream realized!There is clearly more to Siena than it's main piazza, but I promise you, that colorful circle of stone and brick will not disappoint. The Basilica di Santa Maria Assunta, Siena's Duomo, is one of a kind. Tommaso is a fan, and he hasn't even seen it in person yet. The flooring which is comprised of mosaic panels has been called the most beautiful floor ever made. Most of it is covered to prevent further wear from the millions of feet that have traipsed over these teeny pieces of marble, yet they are uncovered twice a year, so a travel tip is to plan your visit around that!

April 28: Saint Peter Chanel, Priest and Martyr 1803–1841 Optional Memorial; Liturgical Color: Red Patron Saint of Oceania Musumusu axed him to death for no reason at all In Paris, just a few blocks down the Rue du Bac from the shrine of the Miraculous Medal, is a fine, imposing stone building. There are a lot of fine, imposing stone buildings in Paris, so from the outside this one is not exceptional. But once the visitor passes inside the complex of chapel, museum, dormitories, and garden, he understands what a venerable institution he is visiting—The Paris Foreign Mission Society. Approximately 4,500 missionaries went forth from this unique Society, mostly to Southeast Asia, to build the Church and preach the Gospel. From its beginnings in the seventeenth century until today, but most conspicuously in the nineteenth century, hundreds of priests and bishops from the Society were martyred, died violent deaths, or fell victim to tropical diseases. Of these, twenty-three Paris Foreign Missionaries are canonized saints.  Other non-martyr French saints of the same era—Saint John Vianney, Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, Saint Catherine Laboure—together with the missionary martyrs, sparkle as the jewels in the crown of the vibrant Church of nineteenth-century France. Today's saint, Peter Chanel, was just one such Frenchman who left the comfort and familiarity of home to become a daring and rugged missionary priest. Peter Chanel grew up in rural France working as a shepherd. While in school, he loved to read about French foreign missionaries and wanted to emulate them. So he decided, “I will become a missionary priest!” After seminary studies, Peter was ordained a diocesan priest and served in parishes. But a few years later, he became one of the founding members of the Society of Mary, the Marists. And as a Marist father, he voyaged on the high seas to at last fulfill his missionary dreams. He sailed to one of the most tiny, remote, and unknown islands in the South Pacific. In 1837 Father Peter Chanel stepped ashore the speck of volcanic rock called Futuna to preach there, for the very first time, the name of Jesus Christ. On unknown Futuna, Father Chanel gave his all, at first drip by drip and then all at once. A lay brother who was with him later said of Father Chanel, “Because of his labors, he was often burned by the heat of the sun and famished with hunger, and he would return home wet with perspiration and completely exhausted. Yet he always remained in good spirits, courageous and energetic…” His apostolic labors generated few converts, but there was some progress nonetheless. Like so many missionaries, Peter had to overcome the counter-witness given by fellow European Christians trading in the area who cared little about their religion. In 1841 when the local Chieftain's son asked to be baptized, the Chieftain sent his son-in-law, Musumusu, to stop the conversion. A fight within the family ensued. Musumusu then went to Father Chanel's home and clubbed the priest with an axe until his blood puddled in the dirt. Father Peter was not yet forty years old when his missionary dream was fulfilled in martyrdom, giving Oceania its patron saint. The island of Futuna, in which our saint had such mixed success, converted completely and totally a few years after Saint Peter's martyrdom. Musumusu himself repented of his crime and was baptized. The island is, even in modern times, almost one hundred percent Catholic. An impressive church is the heart and center of every small town. Saint Peter Chanel's body now rests in a large Basilica in the city of Poi. The beauty and smell of tropical flowers always adorn the church. And on the night of April 27, the vigil of his Feast Day, hundreds of Futunians sleep outside the Basilica waiting for the festivities of their saint's feast day to begin the next morning. The brief life and sudden death of Saint Peter Chanel is powerful proof of how the blood of the martyrs waters the seeds of the Church. One sows, another reaps, and still another enjoys the harvest. Saint Peter Chanel, by your suffering and death, you converted a people. You were fearless in adventuring far from home to preach the Gospel. May your blood, spilled so long ago, continue to infuse all missionaries with courage and perseverance in their labors.

Daily Mass Readings and reflection for 4/26/23 from Deacon Mike Seaman from St Peter Chuch and the Basilica of St John the Baptist in Canton, Ohio

Daily Mass Readings and reflection for 4/25/23 from Deacon Mike Seaman from St Peter Chuch and the Basilica of St John the Baptist in Canton, Ohio

Father Ed Broom, OMV, serves as Associate Pastor at St. Peter Chanel Church in Hawaiian Gardens, California. He is a member of the Religious Order, Oblates of the Virgin Mary, and was ordained by Saint John Paul II in St Peter's Basilica on May 25, 1986. Fr. Ed is a Retreat Master and teaches Catholic […] The post FROM DESOLATION TO CONSOLATION appeared first on Fr. Ed Broom, OMV.

Daily Mass Readings and reflection for 4/24/23 from Deacon Mike Seaman from St Peter Chuch and the Basilica of St John the Baptist in Canton, Ohio

The  homily of Fr. Michael Weldon, OFM, at St. Mary's Basilica in downtown Phoenix. Videos of the full Mass are collected at the Basilica's YouTube page https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3N-NkNQk-zQ2xAS86FCxoQ

Daily Mass Readings and reflection for 4/23/23 from Deacon Mike Seaman from St Peter Chuch and the Basilica of St John the Baptist in Canton, Ohio

AcknowledgementThank you to my colleague, Mr. Sean Maddigan, M.Ed., for his assistance in the research and formulation of many of the finer points of the atonement of Christ in this episode. Thanks, Sean!Perception of Serious Problems - Selling Indulgences?If you say the word “indulgences” to most people today, they would bring up Martin Luther. However, indulgences have been explicitly preached in Catholic theology since the 11th Century, and there have been reductions of penalties since at least the 9th Century. So, where and when does Martin Luther enter the scene?On October 31, 1517, Fr. Martin Luther an Augustinian monk and lecturer at the University in Wittenberg, Germany, issued his propositions for debate concerning the question of indulgences. The proposed debate was intended to be with Fr. Johann Tetzel, a German Dominican friar and preacher. Fr. Tetzel was an appointed papel commissioner for indulgences and was sent to his native Germany to make money to help build St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.From 1503 to 1510, Tetzel preached on indulgences and was effective in doing so. There are countless modern sources which say that Pope Julius II authorized the sale of indulgences, and that, likewise, Pope Leo X sold indulgences too and used the money to build the magnificent St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. However, the claim that indulgences, as such, were sold seems to be a myth. At one time, one of the spiritual acts that you could receive an indulgence for is contributing to a charitable cause, such as the building of a church. Charitable organizations offer incentives today to increase donations. In the 16th Century, the building fund of St. Peter's Basilica did increase as the result of Tetzel preaching indulgences. There were absolutely abuses in the practice of indulgences, to be sure! But it is important to understand what they actually are. One of the main contributing factors to knowledge of the controversy was Martin Luther's “95 Theses.” In Luther's time, and especially now, there is no end to the horribly wrong interpretations of the Catholic teaching on indulgences. I have also had a few friends ask if I'd be willing to do an episode on indulgences. So, here you go, gents!Catholic Understanding of AtonementAfter the Fall of Adam and Eve, it was fitting that the atonement or reconciliation of mankind be made by a man. However, what mere man could stand in place of all of humanity? When Jesus Christ died on the Cross, He did so as fully God and fully man. Thus, His death and resurrection were offered in our place, in His humanity, and offered perfectly, in His divinity. In the sixth Session of the Council of Trent, chapter ii, we hear:“Whence it came to pass, that the Heavenly Father, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort (2 Corinthians 1, 3), when that blessed fullness of the time was come (Galatians 4:4) sent unto men Jesus Christ, His own Son who had been, both before the Law and during the time of the Law, to many of the holy fathers announced and promised, that He might both redeem the Jews, who were under the Law and that the Gentiles who followed not after justice might attain to justice and that all men might receive the adoption of sons. Him God had proposed as a propitiator, through faith in His blood (Romans 3:25), for our sins, and not for our sins only, but also for those of the whole world (I John ii, 2).”There are a lot of things to unpack here. God the Father sent His Son, who was foretold, to redeem the Jews and the Gentiles. This redemption brought with it adoption of each of us by God the Father, in Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit. The reconciliation or atonement (literally meaning to become “at one” with), comes through the propitiation of sins merited by Jesus' death on the Cross. The just wrath of God earned by our sin was turned away by the self-offering (the sacrifice and oblation) of our Lord Jesus on the Cross. By His wounds, we are healed, quoting the Prophet Isaiah. The Nicene Creed we profess each Sunday at Mass reminds us of this reality:“who for us men and for our salvation, came down, took flesh, was made man; and suffered…”Jesus did not come for Himself, He came to give His life as a ransom for many. We say “many” because not everyone will accept this gift, sad to say. However, this does not diminish that the gift of Christ's atonement was won for all mankind, without exception. But what is this ransom? Who was holding the souls of the fallen men? It is the Enemy, Satan.In his commentary on Psalm 95, St. Augustine puts it this way:“Men were held captive under the devil and served the demons, but they were redeemed from captivity. For they could sell themselves. The Redeemer came, and gave the price; He poured forth his blood and bought the whole world. Do you ask what He bought? See what He gave, and find what He bought. The blood of Christ is the price. How much is it worth? What but the whole world? What but all nations? (Enarration on Psalm 95, no. 5).”He goes on to explain, in a figure of speech that the Cross was like a trap for the Enemy:"The Redeemer came and the deceiver was overcome. What did our Redeemer do to our Captor? In payment for us He set the trap, His Cross, with His blood for bait. He [Satan] could indeed shed that blood; but he deserved not to drink it. By shedding the blood of One who was not his debtor, he was forced to release his debtors (Serm. cxxx, part 2).”The debt owed to Divine Justice was paid in full by Jesus Christ. Divine Justice was satisfied. But not everyone agreed with St. Augustine's reasoning. St. Anselm and Peter Abelard, for example, rejected the notion that Satan had some sort of right over man. St. Anselm held that an equal satisfaction for sin was necessary to pay the debt to Divine Justice. Abelard, though, did not hold to this strict notion of satisfaction and he argued that God could have pardoned us without requiring satisfaction. So, the Incarnation and the death of Chirst was the pure love of God. And Abelard was condemned by St. Bernard for this view because he argued the effect of the atonement was only moral influence and not any objective payment of a debt.St. Thomas Aquinas, later, agreed with Abelard in rejecting the notion that full satisfaction was necessary. He agrees with Abelard in so far as the atonement was the greatest demonstration of love, but still holds that under God's economy of salvation, the sacrifice of Christ objectively paid the debt of justice (which Abelard denied). Restoring mankind to grace was a work of God's mercy and goodness. It was fitting that Christ should die on the Cross to show the depths of God's love for us, but not absolutely necessary. Along the ages, Blessed Duns Scotus and St. Bernard of Clairvaux had differing opinions than Abelard and Aquinas.Though there is disagreement among theologians throughout the ages, what is shared among them is this. The Atonement is essentially a sacrifice and an act of love. The outward Sacrifice is the sacrament of the invisible sacrifice which comes from the heart of God. As the Catholic Encyclopedia puts it so well:“It was by this inward sacrifice of obedience unto death, by this perfect love with which He laid down his life for His friends, that Christ paid the debt to justice, and taught us by His example, and drew all things to Himself; it was by this that He wrought our Atonement and Reconciliation with God, ‘making peace through the blood of His Cross.'”Imperfect in the Old, Perfect in the NewIn the Old Covenants, the Jewish people would offer “sin-offerings” in which a cereal offering or animal was immolated, offered to God in worship, and then consumed by the priest. Likewise, we get the word scapegoat from the ancient practice of placing, so to speak, all of the sins of the town onto a goat and then releasing the goat to wander into the wilderness, presumably to die. This ancient notion of atonement was no clearer than on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. The Day of Atonement is centered upon repentance, fasting, asceticism, and the confession of sins. However, the annual nature of this event shows that it is an incomplete and imperfect atonement. Atonement is made perfect in Jesus Christ, who died once for the sins of man and then rose from the dead, to die no more. In the Holy Mass, Christ does not die again. Instead, the Cross of Christ, a propitiatory Sacrifice is renewed daily in a bloodless manner on the altar. What Is An Indulgence?What does any of this have to do with indulgences? Well, everything, really. An indulgence is classically the remission of a debt. In Roman law, it meant to be release from imprisonment or punishment. The Catholic Encyclopedia defines an indulgence as “a remission of the temporal punishment due to sin, the guilt of which has been forgiven.”So, an indulgence is not permission to sin, it is not stockpiling forgiveness for a future action, nor does it forgive sin or the guilt of sin. An indulgence presumes that God has already forgiven the person receiving it! What is being remitted is the temporal punishment due to sin.Our sins affect us, our relationship with God, and our relationship with others. Particularly egregious sins, like rape and murder, have lasting effects which cannot be put right this side of Heaven. And putting things right is in the nature of justice. God will always set things right, one way or another, though we might not see it until the end of things. Nonetheless, once someone experiences contrition, there is a deep desire, rooted in justice, to make restitution. Imagine that you are a kid playing baseball in the street. Of course, this is a bad idea. Mistakes will happen. You know this, and, yet, you wrongly believe that you are special. So, nothing bad will happen. You will hit the ball perfectly and everything will be just fine. Then… you hit the ball and it goes sailing through Mrs. Johnson's bay window. Immediately, you feel terrible about it. You did not mean for anything to be broken. You experience contrition for the wrong you have done. You knew, of course, that you should not be playing baseball in the street. What did you expect to happen?! Now, you have a choice: run away and hide or go and fess up to what you have done. You decide to go and ask for forgiveness. You ring the doorbell and Mrs. Johnson answers. You immediately apologize for breaking the window and tell her that you are truly sorry. And she forgives you! … That's it, right? That's the end of the story?... No way! You still have to make restitution. You have to pay for the window. In this example, we can see analogously, how we can be forgiven for something, but justice still demands restitution, satisfaction, and even punishment. This distinction between forgiveness and the temporal punishment due to sin seems to have gone by the wayside in Protestant theology over the last five hundred years. Really, if we look at it with fresh eyes, hopefully we can see that it is basic common sense that a wrong done demands restitution. So, why can Protestants not go there? The answer really has to do with Martin Luther. In Luther's view, we can do nothing to merit our salvation and Catholics agree we cannot merit the gift of initial justification; it is completely a gratuitous gift from God whereby we are covered by Jesus Christ. Nothing in the Lutheran view demands cooperation with grace or even the internal change brought about by Baptism, which Catholicism has always held. How, Theologically, Does an Indulgence Work?But with Baptism there is a true change, right down to the core of our being. And grace is given, but our free cooperation is necessary. God's love does not force itself upon us. This means that our good actions, united with Christ, are meritorious. Our sinful actions require restitution. The Atonement won by Jesus Christ on the Cross is superabundantly meritorious, to use the language of the Church. When we unite our actions with the Cross, they do not add to the merits of Jesus Christ, but they come into communion with them. Likewise, the forgiveness of sins is a communion with the Cross of Jesus Christ! But, in justice, our bad actions still require temporal punishment and restitution. As the 14th Session of the Council of Trent puts it:“Add to these things, that, whilst we thus, by making satisfaction, suffer for our sins, we are made conformable to Jesus Christ, who satisfied for our sins, from whom all our sufficiency is; having also thereby a most sure pledge, that if we suffer with him, we shall also be glorified with him. But neither is this satisfaction, which we discharge for our sins, so our own, as not to be through Jesus Christ. For we who can do nothing of ourselves, as of ourselves, can do all things, He cooperating, who strengthens us. Thus, man has not wherein to glory, but all our glorying is in Christ: in whom we live; in whom we merit; in whom we satisfy; bringing forth fruits worthy of penance, which from him have their efficacy; by him are offered to the Father; and through him are accepted by the Father (The Council of Trent: On the necessity and on the fruit of Satisfaction).”Some Protestants hold to the erroneous view of “penal substitution” which is a theory of the atonement that holds that God punished Jesus on the Cross. But there is one glaringly huge problem: an innocent person cannot be justly punished. Jesus took upon Himself the sufferings and death that were due to our sins, but He did not take on the just punishment for our sins.Understanding How Christ Took on Our Punishment (And What That Means)Jesus Christ took our punishment upon Himself. As St. Thomas teaches:“Now by Christ's Passion we have been delivered not only from the common sin of the whole human race, both as to its guilt and as to the debt of punishment, for which He paid the penalty on our behalf (ST III, q. 49, a. 5, co.).”When discussing the fittingness of the death of Christ, St. Thomas also mentions:“... in this way Christ by His death brought us back to life, when by His death He destroyed our death; just as he who bears another's punishment takes such punishment away (ST III, q. 50, a. 1, ad. 3).”Satisfaction means taking up a penalty voluntarily in order to restore justice. St. Thomas Aquinas speaks of taking up this voluntary penalty as someone experiencing something against the will out of charity. In the case of sin and justice, in charity this action makes up for sin because sin is voluntarily doing one's own will at the expense of charity. In other words, satisfaction derives its power from the strength of the charity of the one offering it. There is no need for Jesus to suffer the pains of Hell to save us because even one drop of His Precious Blood could have satisfied the wrath of God. The payment of Jesus, who is sinless and perfect in charity, merits not only release from punishment. By the Cross, He merits for us eternal life!When a debt is to be paid, the punishment is measured. In merit, the root of charity is measured. When one merits for another, he merits more for himself. Yet, when one satisfies for another, he does not also satisfy for himself, because the measure of punishment still covers both him and the one on whose behalf he is satisfying. In the case of Jesus, who is without sin, He has no debt to pay. He is satisfying for sinful men out of perfect charity. The punishment He bore made satisfaction for the sins of all mankind and merited more than any man is capable of: eternal life!Back to IndulgencesTemporal punishment acknowledges that the eternal punishment for sin has been taken away on the Cross, but the temporal consequences of sin still remain. These temporal effects of sin require restitution, to the ability that we are able. We ought to make amends for wrongs done. Expiation, satisfaction, amends, and reparation all mean the same thing when referring to the temporal consequences and punishment due to sin.Going back to this notion of the superabundant merits of Christ on the Cross, we can also add all of the meritorious actions of the Baptized faithful through the ages, most notably the saints. The Treasury of Merit, as it is called, is the collection of the perfect, infinite, and superabundant merits of our Lord Jesus Christ, the expansive merits of our Blessed Mother and St. Joseph, and the merits of all the just. Our Lord gave to St. Peter, and to the Apostles and their successors, the authority to apply the fruits of these merits at their discretion when He said: “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven (Mt. 16:18-19).”Likewise, in St. John's Gospel, Jesus says to the Apostles, and their successors by extension:“And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld (Jn. 20:22-24).”When a confessor gives absolution to a penitent in the Sacrament of Penance, he is applying this forgiveness of sins which comes from God alone, through the instrument of the priest and the Church. Our guilt for sin and eternal punishment for sin are absolved, but the temporal punishment for sin remains. An indulgence is outside of the sacraments and it does not forgive sins. Instead, it applies the satisfaction of the Treasury of Merit to an individual thereby remitting their temporal punishment due to sin. In other words, by the merits of Christ and the saints, the debt of temporal restitution has been paid in full. The superabundant merits belong to God's mercy and justice, not to the Church absolutely. So, these concessions or diminishments of punishment are administered by the Church but they come from God as a free gift. There is value in what Christ has done for us. But there is also value in what Christ does through us. Either way, the primary action is God. But with our cooperation, we unite ourselves with the Sacred Action of Jesus. As St. Paul said:"Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church (Col. 1:24).”What could possibly be lacking in the sufferings of Christ, except for our cooperation with His grace and our own meritorious actions? Not only do our good actions possess the value or merit, they also certainly possess the value of satisfaction.Luther Had a Couple Good Points, But a Lot of ErrorsIt must be said that Martin Luther had some great points in his 95 Theses. In fact, only 41 propositions of Luther's from the 95 Theses and his other writings up to that point, were rejected as heretical, scandalous, erroneous, seductive of simple minds, in opposition to Catholic truth, or offensive to pious ears by Pope Leo X in 1520. Let us look at the first three of the 95 Theses:* “When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said, ‘Repent'' (Mt 4:17), he willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.* This word cannot be understood as referring to the sacrament of penance, that is, confession and satisfaction, as administered by the clergy.* Yet it does not mean solely inner repentance; such inner repentance is worthless unless it produces various outward mortification of the flesh.”All three of these are true. Interior repentance is a reorienting of one's entire life, not just a momentary “I'll try a bit harder.” This call of our Lord to repentance does not refer to the Sacrament of Penance because it is a call which is first addressed to those who do not yet know Christ and the Gospel. And finally, interior conversion should find expression in visible signs, gestures, and penitential actions. It does seem, though, that Luther is presupposing that indulgences were being sold, with official authorization. This myth is prevalent today and it appears it was in Luther's day as well. Indulgences are drawn from the Treasury of Merit and applied freely when those seeking them fulfill the requirements with proper disposition. Luther's 95 Theses presents many theological errors in this regard. These errors are still being repeated today. For example, this 2009 article from “The New York Times” which gets it wrong from the title (the content of the article only goes from wrong to worse, by the way): “For Catholics, a Door to Absolution is Reopened.”By the way, to show just how seriously the Church took these abuses, Pope St. Pius V, in 1567, issued a decree which canceled all grants of indulgences involving any fees or other financial transactions.Seeking an IndulgenceMany Catholics think that indulgences, per se, were an abuse. They are not. And though it was a focal point in the Protestant Reformation, indulgences did not go anywhere. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church stated in the 1990s:"An indulgence is obtained through the Church who, by virtue of the power of binding and loosing granted her by Christ Jesus, intervenes in favor of individual Christians and opens for them the treasury of the merits of Christ and the saints to obtain from the Father of mercies the remission of the temporal punishment due for their sins… to spur them to works of devotion, penance, and charity" (CCC 1478).Everything that I have presented about indulgences belongs to the infallible teachings of the Church. We are not at liberty to dismiss them, diminish them, or disbelieve in them. The Council of Trent's anathema makes this clear:The Council of Trent "condemns with anathema those who say that indulgences are useless or that the Church does not have the power to grant them."The Church does not remit temporal punishment due to sin with magic or the wave of a pen. The person who suffers those temporal punishments must be disposed to repentance and faith. As Pope St. Paul VI said:"Indulgences cannot be gained without a sincere conversion of outlook and unity with God (Indulgentarium Doctrina, 11).”Before the Second Vatican Council, indulgences were said to remove a certain number of “days” from punishment. Instead, this was to show that indulgences have two types: plenary and partial. Plenary, meaning full, means that all temporal punishment due to sin that a person owed is being remitted. Whereas, a partial indulgence remits part of the temporal punishment due to sin. In order to make this clearer, Pope St. Paul VI revised the handbook of indulgences (called the Enchiridion).As we have covered, satisfaction and temporal punishment for sin are ordered towards justice on the one hand and purification on the other hand. So, the actions for which one might receive an indulgence should likewise be ordered to justice, charity, and purification. Because the justice of God has been satisfied through the merits of Christ and the saints, applied to our lives, then the “time,” so to speak, needed for purification in charity after death has been lessened. Just as a checkpoint or reminder: indulgences remit the temporal punishment due to sin, not eternal punishment. Eternal punishment is remitted fully by the Cross of Jesus Christ, the merits of which we receive in the Sacrament of Baptism. Knowing rightly what an indulgence is, how can we receive this great gift? Please forgive the following lengthy quotation, but Jimmy Akin put it concisely and excellently in his Primer on Indulgences for EWTN:“To gain any indulgence you must be a Catholic in a state of grace. You must be a Catholic in order to be under the Church's jurisdiction, and you must be in a state of grace because apart from God's grace none of your actions are fundamentally pleasing to God (meritorious). You also must have at least the habitual intention of gaining an indulgence by the act performed.To gain a partial indulgence, you must perform with a contrite heart the act to which the indulgence is attached.To gain a plenary indulgence you must perform the act with a contrite heart plus you must go to confession (one confession may suffice for several plenary indulgences), receive Holy Communion, and pray for the pope's intentions. (An Our Father and a Hail Mary said for the pope's intentions are sufficient, although you are free to substitute other prayers of your own choosing.) The final condition is that you must be free from all attachment to sin, including venial sin.Because of the extreme difficulty in meeting the final condition, plenary indulgences are rarely obtained. If you attempt to receive a plenary indulgence, but are unable to meet the last condition, a partial indulgence is received instead.”The Church offers us special indulgences, both plenary and partial, for all sorts of things. But there are a couple of partial indulgences worth mentioning here. Partial indulgences are given by the Church for: * Devoutly spending time in mental prayer, * Reading Sacred Scripture with veneration as a form of spiritual reading (this one is plenary if done for at least 30 minutes), * Devoutly signing oneself with the Sign of the Cross and saying the customary formula: “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”ConclusionIndulgences are not magic. They are a part of the infallible teaching of the Church. And they are for our spiritual well-being. We should not be wary of officially promulgated indulgences. We should be grateful to God for His superabundant mercy and His justice. Recognizing that we are sinners in need of His grace, we approach the Sacrament of Penance. Then, we do penance to seek temporal satisfaction and restitution for the consequences of our sins. All the while, we ought to seek out indulgences, because they are nothing more than being union and communion with Almighty God and striving to be more in love with Him who loved us first.Will Wright Catholic Podcast is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Will Wright Catholic Podcast at www.willwrightcatholic.com/subscribe

Father Ed Broom, OMV, serves as Associate Pastor at St. Peter Chanel Church in Hawaiian Gardens, California. He is a member of the Religious Order, Oblates of the Virgin Mary, and was ordained by Saint John Paul II in St Peter's Basilica on May 25, 1986. Fr. Ed is a Retreat Master and teaches Catholic […] The post EMMAUS, WALKING WITH JESUS appeared first on Fr. Ed Broom, OMV.

Hello and welcome to the Word, bringing you the Good News of Jesus Christ every day from the Redemptorists of the Baltimore Province. I am Fr. Karl Esker from the Basilica of our Lady of Perpetual Help in Brooklyn, NY. Today is Thursday of the Second Week of Easter.Our reading from the holy gospel according to John.The one who comes from above is above all. The one who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of earthly things. But the one who comes from heaven is above all. He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony. Whoever does accept his testimony certifies that God is trustworthy. For the one whom God sent speaks the words of God. He does not ration his gift of the Spirit. The Father loves the Son and has given everything over to him. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever disobeys the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains upon him.The gospel of the Lord.Some passages of the gospel according to John, like today's passage, seem like riddles. The center of today's passage is Jesus' affirmation that “the one whom God sent speaks the words of God. He does not ration his gift of the Spirit.” In essence, Jesus is telling us that there is something special about a person who believes in Jesus as the Son of God who took on our mortal human flesh, that is lacking in a person who does not believe.A believer has a different way of looking at the world and of relating to other people that is formed by grace, by the gift of the Holy Spirit. It is the way of looking and relating as Jesus does. It is seeing with the eyes of God.This does not mean that a non-believer cannot see the beauty of creation or relate well with other people, because God does not ration his gift of the Spirit, but there will be something missing. Also, a non-believer would have less to draw him or herself out of a self-centered viewpoint, and could become more subject to hatred, partiality and prejudice. At the same time, not all who call themselves believers see and relate with and through Jesus. Unless the believer makes the effort to establish a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and opens his or her heart to the gift of the Holy Spirit, their lives will be governed more by the ways of this world than the way of Jesus Christ. Faith is not just a question of accepting Jesus Christ as one's savior, it is uniting one's mind and heart with the mind and heart of Jesus. Saint Paul calls it putting on the Lord Jesus Christ, so that it is no longer I who live, but he who lives in me.We see this played out in the first reading from the Acts of the Apostles. The apostles, having received the gift of the Holy Spirit had been teaching the people, curing the sick and driving out demons. For this they had been thrown in prison, but God's angel had freed them and told them to return to teaching the people in the temple. Now they have been brought before the council of the Sanhedrin. These are the same ones who had condemned Jesus to death and had ordered the apostles not to preach in his name. They were so concerned about their own position and power that they could not see the good that the apostles were doing in Jesus' name, and wanted to condemn them to death. The apostles, however, simply responded: "We must obey God rather than men,” and recounted how God had raised Jesus from the dead and made him savior to grant Israel repentance and forgiveness of sins. They were witnesses to this as was the Holy Spirit who acted in power through them and through all those who obey God.The Sanhedrin wondered at the courage and determination of the apostles and after giving them a beating, let them go. The apostles simply praised God for being found worthy to suffer for the name of Jesus. It was a reaction incomprehensible to the members of the Sanhedrin, but was considered normal for a believer by Luke, who tells us the story.We, too, will find a different kind of power in our lives if we put on the Lord Jesus, and open our hearts to the prompting of the Spirit. There is something different about those who believe. May God bless you.Rev. Karl E. Esker CSsROLPH Basilica – Brooklyn, NY

Father Ed Broom, OMV, serves as Associate Pastor at St. Peter Chanel Church in Hawaiian Gardens, California. He is a member of the Religious Order, Oblates of the Virgin Mary, and was ordained by Saint John Paul II in St Peter's Basilica on May 25, 1986. Fr. Ed is a Retreat Master and teaches Catholic […] The post TRUST IN GOD appeared first on Fr. Ed Broom, OMV.

Father Ed Broom, OMV, serves as Associate Pastor at St. Peter Chanel Church in Hawaiian Gardens, California. He is a member of the Religious Order, Oblates of the Virgin Mary, and was ordained by Saint John Paul II in St Peter's Basilica on May 25, 1986. Fr. Ed is a Retreat Master and teaches Catholic […] The post PETER AND HIS CONVERSION appeared first on Fr. Ed Broom, OMV.

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Tuesday, April 18th, 2023. It’s been awhile since I’ve done this… but how about some “On this day in History!” On this day in history, April 18th… 1506 The cornerstone of the current St. Peter's Basilica is laid in the Vatican by Pope Julius II 1775 Paul Revere and William Dawes ride from Charlestown to Lexington warning the "regulars are coming!” 1783 American Revolution: George Washington issues General Order announcing the end of hostilities with Britain, giving thanks to the Almighty, and offering congratulations and authorizing an extra ration of alcohol to the troops to celebrate 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire kills nearly 4,000 while destroying 75% of the city 2018 “Black Panther” is the first film shown at a commercial cinema in 35 years in Saudi Arabia as cinemas are reopened Famous Birthdays… James Woods - 75, Conan O’Brien - 59 https://nypost.com/2023/04/17/kevin-mccarthy-vows-house-will-vote-on-one-year-debt-hike/ As Biden hides, House will vote on one-year debt limit hike House Speaker Kevin McCarthy vowed Monday that while President Biden “continues to hide, House Republicans will take action” on a plan meant to limit federal borrowing to one year and reduce government spending. “Let me be clear: A no-strings-attached debt limit increase will not pass,” McCarthy (R-Calif.), 58, said in a speech at the New York Stock Exchange meant to evoke former President Ronald Reagan’s visit to the trading floor nearly 40 years ago. Monday’s remarks sought to highlight what McCarthy called Biden’s “irresponsible” economic policy after the speaker last month accused the commander-in-chief of being “missing in action” from debt ceiling talks. The speaker in March suggested cutting non-defense spending back to pre-inflationary levels and introducing more work requirements for some welfare programs. Biden rolled out a $6.9 trillion budget proposal the same month, which would have increased the national debt to $51 trillion over the next decade. In January, the federal government exceeded its roughly $31 trillion debt limit, halting its ability to borrow funds for programs like Social Security and Medicare. Congress last approved a debt ceiling increase in December 2021. Also in January, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said the federal borrowing limit will need to be increased by June of this year to prevent a default on America’s national debt. McCarthy said Biden’s unwillingness to negotiate as commander-in-chief differs greatly from his past openness to fiscal reform as a US senator and even as Barack Obama’s vice president. Both the White House and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) compared McCarthy’s push for spending cuts to “hostage-taking.” https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/2-arrested-for-allegedly-operating-illegal-chinese-police-station-in-nyc-sources-say/4247736/ 2 Arrested for Allegedly Operating Illegal Chinese ‘Police Station' in NYC Two people have been arrested by the FBI on allegations they helped operate an illegal police station for the government of China in lower Manhattan. The two are charged with conspiring to act as agents for the Chinese government. The FBI said “Harry” Lu Jianwang, 61, of the Bronx, and Chen Jinping, 59, of Manhattan, were arrested Monday morning at their homes in New York City. "The defendants worked together to establish the first overseas police station in the United States on behalf of the Fuzhou branch of the (Ministry of Public Security)," the FBI said in a statement. In addition to the New York complaint, two other complaints were filed - one against 34 members of Beijing's Municipal Public Security Bureau, and another against a group of 10 people that includes eight Chinese government officials. The common thread in the three complaints - that the suspects allegedly worked to intimidate, harass and threaten "wanted" Chinese nationals inside the United States. Last November, the FBI said it was aware that China was operating a de facto police station in Manhattan, outside of proper procedure or authority, as part of global network of such outposts. It followed a Sept. 2022 investigation by a nongovernmental organization, Safeguard Defenders, which reported there were dozens of such centers worldwide conducting police operations. Chinese officials decried that characterization, saying the "service centers" were volunteer-run and had nothing to do with policing. But the New York Times reported in January that Chinese state media had explicitly described the centers as policing facilities, acting in other countries without collaborating with local authorities. The Times also reported that the FBI had searched the East Broadway facility in the fall of 2022. https://www.businessinsider.com/nancy-pelosi-campaign-pays-man-fundraising-text-lawsuit-2023-4 Pelosi campaign pays Illinois man $7,500 after he sued over 'invasive and harassing' fundraising texts An Illinois man is now $7,500 richer after accusing Nancy Pelosi of violating federal robocalling laws. In October 2022, a Bolingbrook, Illinois resident named Jorge Rojas filed a 13-page lawsuit in the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois that accused the former speaker of the House and her campaign of violating the Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991. That law, which has been found to apply to text messages in addition to calls, applies restrictions to robocalling and requires telemarketers not to contact individuals who've placed themselves on the Do Not Call Registry. "As the Supreme Court has explained, Americans passionately disagree about many things," reads the introduction of Rojas's complaint. "But they are largely united in their disdain for robocalls." According to the suit, Rojas received 21 texts from Pelosi's campaign from November 2021 to July 2022 despite previously placing himself on the registry in 2008 to "obtain solitude from invasive and harassing telemarketing calls." He went on to argue that he "experienced frustration, annoyance, irritation, and a sense that his privacy has been invaded" by the texts. Arguing that the texts constituted "malicious, intentional, willful, reckless, wanton and negligent disregard" for his rights, Rojas sought at least $31,500 in damages from Pelosi's campaign, including $1,500 for each text received. But months later, on February 22, Rojas moved to dismiss the suit against Pelosi. And according to federal campaign finance disclosures made public on Friday, the dismissal came after Rojas received a $7,500 payment marked "Settlement" from Pelosi's congressional campaign. Rojas and Pelosi's campaign did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. https://www.foxnews.com/us/teen-takeover-terrorizes-chicago-hundreds-children-destroy-property-attack-tourists ‘Teen Takeover’ terrorizes Chicago as hundreds of teenagers destroy property, attack tourists Hundreds of teenagers stormed the streets of downtown Chicago, smashing car windows, attacking bystanders and sending panicked tourists running from the sound of gunfire. Fox 32 cameras captured video of teenagers crowding the streets and police seeking to restore order to the area. Large groups of teens were seen blasting music from Bluetooth speakers and roaming in front of traffic, with some attempting to gain access to the city's Millennium Park, which is off-limits to those under 21 after certain hours, and the downtown Art Institute. Some teens in the group began jumping up and down on cars, smashing windows and attacking people inside. One woman told Fox 32 her husband was attacked from the driver side of his vehicle and beaten after a group of teens jumped up and down on the couple's windshield. The man was taken to a local hospital for treatment. Hundreds of police officers assisted by SWAT teams descended on downtown in an attempt to restore order as gunfire was reported multiple times amid the unfolding scene. Police were seen escorting frightened tourists back to their cars or hotels to escape the chaos, and traffic on Chicago's Michigan Avenue ground to a halt as police attempted to restore order. Police say a 6-year-old boy was shot in the arm near the Chicago Loop and a 17-year-old boy was shot in the leg. Both were taken to Northwestern Hospital and listed in fair condition, according to a report from WLS. Fox 32 reported that the chaos appeared to be another "Teen Takeover" of the city that was planned on social media, noting that a similar scene played out in Chicago last year. Some local reporters were on the scene to interview some by-standers, including a woman who’s husband was beaten in their car. 'Where are their parents?' Teens swarm downtown Chicago during violent, chaotic weekend-Play 0:53-1:23

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Tuesday, April 18th, 2023. It’s been awhile since I’ve done this… but how about some “On this day in History!” On this day in history, April 18th… 1506 The cornerstone of the current St. Peter's Basilica is laid in the Vatican by Pope Julius II 1775 Paul Revere and William Dawes ride from Charlestown to Lexington warning the "regulars are coming!” 1783 American Revolution: George Washington issues General Order announcing the end of hostilities with Britain, giving thanks to the Almighty, and offering congratulations and authorizing an extra ration of alcohol to the troops to celebrate 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire kills nearly 4,000 while destroying 75% of the city 2018 “Black Panther” is the first film shown at a commercial cinema in 35 years in Saudi Arabia as cinemas are reopened Famous Birthdays… James Woods - 75, Conan O’Brien - 59 https://nypost.com/2023/04/17/kevin-mccarthy-vows-house-will-vote-on-one-year-debt-hike/ As Biden hides, House will vote on one-year debt limit hike House Speaker Kevin McCarthy vowed Monday that while President Biden “continues to hide, House Republicans will take action” on a plan meant to limit federal borrowing to one year and reduce government spending. “Let me be clear: A no-strings-attached debt limit increase will not pass,” McCarthy (R-Calif.), 58, said in a speech at the New York Stock Exchange meant to evoke former President Ronald Reagan’s visit to the trading floor nearly 40 years ago. Monday’s remarks sought to highlight what McCarthy called Biden’s “irresponsible” economic policy after the speaker last month accused the commander-in-chief of being “missing in action” from debt ceiling talks. The speaker in March suggested cutting non-defense spending back to pre-inflationary levels and introducing more work requirements for some welfare programs. Biden rolled out a $6.9 trillion budget proposal the same month, which would have increased the national debt to $51 trillion over the next decade. In January, the federal government exceeded its roughly $31 trillion debt limit, halting its ability to borrow funds for programs like Social Security and Medicare. Congress last approved a debt ceiling increase in December 2021. Also in January, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said the federal borrowing limit will need to be increased by June of this year to prevent a default on America’s national debt. McCarthy said Biden’s unwillingness to negotiate as commander-in-chief differs greatly from his past openness to fiscal reform as a US senator and even as Barack Obama’s vice president. Both the White House and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) compared McCarthy’s push for spending cuts to “hostage-taking.” https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/2-arrested-for-allegedly-operating-illegal-chinese-police-station-in-nyc-sources-say/4247736/ 2 Arrested for Allegedly Operating Illegal Chinese ‘Police Station' in NYC Two people have been arrested by the FBI on allegations they helped operate an illegal police station for the government of China in lower Manhattan. The two are charged with conspiring to act as agents for the Chinese government. The FBI said “Harry” Lu Jianwang, 61, of the Bronx, and Chen Jinping, 59, of Manhattan, were arrested Monday morning at their homes in New York City. "The defendants worked together to establish the first overseas police station in the United States on behalf of the Fuzhou branch of the (Ministry of Public Security)," the FBI said in a statement. In addition to the New York complaint, two other complaints were filed - one against 34 members of Beijing's Municipal Public Security Bureau, and another against a group of 10 people that includes eight Chinese government officials. The common thread in the three complaints - that the suspects allegedly worked to intimidate, harass and threaten "wanted" Chinese nationals inside the United States. Last November, the FBI said it was aware that China was operating a de facto police station in Manhattan, outside of proper procedure or authority, as part of global network of such outposts. It followed a Sept. 2022 investigation by a nongovernmental organization, Safeguard Defenders, which reported there were dozens of such centers worldwide conducting police operations. Chinese officials decried that characterization, saying the "service centers" were volunteer-run and had nothing to do with policing. But the New York Times reported in January that Chinese state media had explicitly described the centers as policing facilities, acting in other countries without collaborating with local authorities. The Times also reported that the FBI had searched the East Broadway facility in the fall of 2022. https://www.businessinsider.com/nancy-pelosi-campaign-pays-man-fundraising-text-lawsuit-2023-4 Pelosi campaign pays Illinois man $7,500 after he sued over 'invasive and harassing' fundraising texts An Illinois man is now $7,500 richer after accusing Nancy Pelosi of violating federal robocalling laws. In October 2022, a Bolingbrook, Illinois resident named Jorge Rojas filed a 13-page lawsuit in the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois that accused the former speaker of the House and her campaign of violating the Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991. That law, which has been found to apply to text messages in addition to calls, applies restrictions to robocalling and requires telemarketers not to contact individuals who've placed themselves on the Do Not Call Registry. "As the Supreme Court has explained, Americans passionately disagree about many things," reads the introduction of Rojas's complaint. "But they are largely united in their disdain for robocalls." According to the suit, Rojas received 21 texts from Pelosi's campaign from November 2021 to July 2022 despite previously placing himself on the registry in 2008 to "obtain solitude from invasive and harassing telemarketing calls." He went on to argue that he "experienced frustration, annoyance, irritation, and a sense that his privacy has been invaded" by the texts. Arguing that the texts constituted "malicious, intentional, willful, reckless, wanton and negligent disregard" for his rights, Rojas sought at least $31,500 in damages from Pelosi's campaign, including $1,500 for each text received. But months later, on February 22, Rojas moved to dismiss the suit against Pelosi. And according to federal campaign finance disclosures made public on Friday, the dismissal came after Rojas received a $7,500 payment marked "Settlement" from Pelosi's congressional campaign. Rojas and Pelosi's campaign did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. https://www.foxnews.com/us/teen-takeover-terrorizes-chicago-hundreds-children-destroy-property-attack-tourists ‘Teen Takeover’ terrorizes Chicago as hundreds of teenagers destroy property, attack tourists Hundreds of teenagers stormed the streets of downtown Chicago, smashing car windows, attacking bystanders and sending panicked tourists running from the sound of gunfire. Fox 32 cameras captured video of teenagers crowding the streets and police seeking to restore order to the area. Large groups of teens were seen blasting music from Bluetooth speakers and roaming in front of traffic, with some attempting to gain access to the city's Millennium Park, which is off-limits to those under 21 after certain hours, and the downtown Art Institute. Some teens in the group began jumping up and down on cars, smashing windows and attacking people inside. One woman told Fox 32 her husband was attacked from the driver side of his vehicle and beaten after a group of teens jumped up and down on the couple's windshield. The man was taken to a local hospital for treatment. Hundreds of police officers assisted by SWAT teams descended on downtown in an attempt to restore order as gunfire was reported multiple times amid the unfolding scene. Police were seen escorting frightened tourists back to their cars or hotels to escape the chaos, and traffic on Chicago's Michigan Avenue ground to a halt as police attempted to restore order. Police say a 6-year-old boy was shot in the arm near the Chicago Loop and a 17-year-old boy was shot in the leg. Both were taken to Northwestern Hospital and listed in fair condition, according to a report from WLS. Fox 32 reported that the chaos appeared to be another "Teen Takeover" of the city that was planned on social media, noting that a similar scene played out in Chicago last year. Some local reporters were on the scene to interview some by-standers, including a woman who’s husband was beaten in their car. 'Where are their parents?' Teens swarm downtown Chicago during violent, chaotic weekend-Play 0:53-1:23

Father Ed Broom, OMV, serves as Associate Pastor at St. Peter Chanel Church in Hawaiian Gardens, California. He is a member of the Religious Order, Oblates of the Virgin Mary, and was ordained by Saint John Paul II in St Peter's Basilica on May 25, 1986. Fr. Ed is a Retreat Master and teaches Catholic […] The post ST. JOSEPH appeared first on Fr. Ed Broom, OMV.

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Tuesday, April 18th, 2023. It’s been awhile since I’ve done this… but how about some “On this day in History!” On this day in history, April 18th… 1506 The cornerstone of the current St. Peter's Basilica is laid in the Vatican by Pope Julius II 1775 Paul Revere and William Dawes ride from Charlestown to Lexington warning the "regulars are coming!” 1783 American Revolution: George Washington issues General Order announcing the end of hostilities with Britain, giving thanks to the Almighty, and offering congratulations and authorizing an extra ration of alcohol to the troops to celebrate 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire kills nearly 4,000 while destroying 75% of the city 2018 “Black Panther” is the first film shown at a commercial cinema in 35 years in Saudi Arabia as cinemas are reopened Famous Birthdays… James Woods - 75, Conan O’Brien - 59 https://nypost.com/2023/04/17/kevin-mccarthy-vows-house-will-vote-on-one-year-debt-hike/ As Biden hides, House will vote on one-year debt limit hike House Speaker Kevin McCarthy vowed Monday that while President Biden “continues to hide, House Republicans will take action” on a plan meant to limit federal borrowing to one year and reduce government spending. “Let me be clear: A no-strings-attached debt limit increase will not pass,” McCarthy (R-Calif.), 58, said in a speech at the New York Stock Exchange meant to evoke former President Ronald Reagan’s visit to the trading floor nearly 40 years ago. Monday’s remarks sought to highlight what McCarthy called Biden’s “irresponsible” economic policy after the speaker last month accused the commander-in-chief of being “missing in action” from debt ceiling talks. The speaker in March suggested cutting non-defense spending back to pre-inflationary levels and introducing more work requirements for some welfare programs. Biden rolled out a $6.9 trillion budget proposal the same month, which would have increased the national debt to $51 trillion over the next decade. In January, the federal government exceeded its roughly $31 trillion debt limit, halting its ability to borrow funds for programs like Social Security and Medicare. Congress last approved a debt ceiling increase in December 2021. Also in January, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said the federal borrowing limit will need to be increased by June of this year to prevent a default on America’s national debt. McCarthy said Biden’s unwillingness to negotiate as commander-in-chief differs greatly from his past openness to fiscal reform as a US senator and even as Barack Obama’s vice president. Both the White House and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) compared McCarthy’s push for spending cuts to “hostage-taking.” https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/2-arrested-for-allegedly-operating-illegal-chinese-police-station-in-nyc-sources-say/4247736/ 2 Arrested for Allegedly Operating Illegal Chinese ‘Police Station' in NYC Two people have been arrested by the FBI on allegations they helped operate an illegal police station for the government of China in lower Manhattan. The two are charged with conspiring to act as agents for the Chinese government. The FBI said “Harry” Lu Jianwang, 61, of the Bronx, and Chen Jinping, 59, of Manhattan, were arrested Monday morning at their homes in New York City. "The defendants worked together to establish the first overseas police station in the United States on behalf of the Fuzhou branch of the (Ministry of Public Security)," the FBI said in a statement. In addition to the New York complaint, two other complaints were filed - one against 34 members of Beijing's Municipal Public Security Bureau, and another against a group of 10 people that includes eight Chinese government officials. The common thread in the three complaints - that the suspects allegedly worked to intimidate, harass and threaten "wanted" Chinese nationals inside the United States. Last November, the FBI said it was aware that China was operating a de facto police station in Manhattan, outside of proper procedure or authority, as part of global network of such outposts. It followed a Sept. 2022 investigation by a nongovernmental organization, Safeguard Defenders, which reported there were dozens of such centers worldwide conducting police operations. Chinese officials decried that characterization, saying the "service centers" were volunteer-run and had nothing to do with policing. But the New York Times reported in January that Chinese state media had explicitly described the centers as policing facilities, acting in other countries without collaborating with local authorities. The Times also reported that the FBI had searched the East Broadway facility in the fall of 2022. https://www.businessinsider.com/nancy-pelosi-campaign-pays-man-fundraising-text-lawsuit-2023-4 Pelosi campaign pays Illinois man $7,500 after he sued over 'invasive and harassing' fundraising texts An Illinois man is now $7,500 richer after accusing Nancy Pelosi of violating federal robocalling laws. In October 2022, a Bolingbrook, Illinois resident named Jorge Rojas filed a 13-page lawsuit in the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois that accused the former speaker of the House and her campaign of violating the Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991. That law, which has been found to apply to text messages in addition to calls, applies restrictions to robocalling and requires telemarketers not to contact individuals who've placed themselves on the Do Not Call Registry. "As the Supreme Court has explained, Americans passionately disagree about many things," reads the introduction of Rojas's complaint. "But they are largely united in their disdain for robocalls." According to the suit, Rojas received 21 texts from Pelosi's campaign from November 2021 to July 2022 despite previously placing himself on the registry in 2008 to "obtain solitude from invasive and harassing telemarketing calls." He went on to argue that he "experienced frustration, annoyance, irritation, and a sense that his privacy has been invaded" by the texts. Arguing that the texts constituted "malicious, intentional, willful, reckless, wanton and negligent disregard" for his rights, Rojas sought at least $31,500 in damages from Pelosi's campaign, including $1,500 for each text received. But months later, on February 22, Rojas moved to dismiss the suit against Pelosi. And according to federal campaign finance disclosures made public on Friday, the dismissal came after Rojas received a $7,500 payment marked "Settlement" from Pelosi's congressional campaign. Rojas and Pelosi's campaign did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. https://www.foxnews.com/us/teen-takeover-terrorizes-chicago-hundreds-children-destroy-property-attack-tourists ‘Teen Takeover’ terrorizes Chicago as hundreds of teenagers destroy property, attack tourists Hundreds of teenagers stormed the streets of downtown Chicago, smashing car windows, attacking bystanders and sending panicked tourists running from the sound of gunfire. Fox 32 cameras captured video of teenagers crowding the streets and police seeking to restore order to the area. Large groups of teens were seen blasting music from Bluetooth speakers and roaming in front of traffic, with some attempting to gain access to the city's Millennium Park, which is off-limits to those under 21 after certain hours, and the downtown Art Institute. Some teens in the group began jumping up and down on cars, smashing windows and attacking people inside. One woman told Fox 32 her husband was attacked from the driver side of his vehicle and beaten after a group of teens jumped up and down on the couple's windshield. The man was taken to a local hospital for treatment. Hundreds of police officers assisted by SWAT teams descended on downtown in an attempt to restore order as gunfire was reported multiple times amid the unfolding scene. Police were seen escorting frightened tourists back to their cars or hotels to escape the chaos, and traffic on Chicago's Michigan Avenue ground to a halt as police attempted to restore order. Police say a 6-year-old boy was shot in the arm near the Chicago Loop and a 17-year-old boy was shot in the leg. Both were taken to Northwestern Hospital and listed in fair condition, according to a report from WLS. Fox 32 reported that the chaos appeared to be another "Teen Takeover" of the city that was planned on social media, noting that a similar scene played out in Chicago last year. Some local reporters were on the scene to interview some by-standers, including a woman who’s husband was beaten in their car. 'Where are their parents?' Teens swarm downtown Chicago during violent, chaotic weekend-Play 0:53-1:23