Francis the Augustinian

Here are our new pope’s beautiful words . He’s not exactly another philosopher-pope, but there are other ways of being an inspirational, evangelical, and poetically theological pope: For Augustine, the joy promised by the Lord to his followers is given and lives in spe, in hope. What . . . . Continue Reading »

Jewish Leaders Welcome Francis

Pope Francis is “an experienced man, someone who is known for his open-mindedness . . . a man of dialogue, a man who is able to build bridges with other faiths,” says Ronald Lauder , the president of the World Jewish Congress, conveying the group’s “warm . . . . Continue Reading »

Armenian Orthodox Patriarch on Pope Francis

His Holiness Karekin II with then Cardinal Bergoglio ( source ). One of the most hopeful aspects of the ecumenical movement of the past decades has been the growing warmth among Western and Eastern Christians. Here is part of the letter that the Armenian Orthodox Patriarch, or Catholicos , Karekin . . . . Continue Reading »

First Links — 3.14.13

Quiet Thunder in Argentina Jose Maria Poirier, Catholic Herald Three Keys to Pope Francis Edward Mulholland, Zenit What the Pope Really Is for Catholics Lorenzo Albacete, Il Sussidiario A Friend to Argentine Anglicans George Conger, Anglican Ink In Papal Elections, Are Longshots the Rule? David . . . . Continue Reading »

Ho-Hum

Secret service man claims the Obama administration is lying about who made the decision to suspend White House tours. From time to time it’s good to remind ourselves of the laws of nature. Aristotle got most of it right, but we have to add a couple: Earth goes down. So does water. Fire goes . . . . Continue Reading »

Pope Francis on Politics

“To those who are now promising to fix all your problems, I say, ‘Go and fix yourself.’ . . . Have a change of heart. Get to confession, before you need it even more! The current crisis will not be improved by magicians from outside the country and nor will [improvement] come . . . . Continue Reading »