Pope Leo XIV urged parishes to invest in liturgical formation, especially for lectors, while also encouraging people to pray the Liturgy of the Hours and calling for attention to be paid to popular piety.

While receiving participants in a course organized by the Pontifical Liturgical Institute of St. Anselm in Rome at the Apostolic Palace for diocesan liturgical pastoral workers, the Holy Father saidthat “in the dioceses and parishes there is a need for such formation” and encouraged the creation of “biblical and liturgical courses” in places where such formation programs are lacking.

Through such courses, the pope said the institute could help local churches and parish communities “to be formed by the word of God, explaining the texts of the weekday and feast day Lectionary.”

For the pope, it is important that the liturgy be “expression of a community that cares for its celebrations, prepares them, and lives them to the full.”

Continued below.

The Archdiocese of Detroit has announced a restructuring process that will lead to church closures and parish mergers as a result of declining church attendance, its archbishop said.

Archbishop Edward Weisenburger announced in a letter over the weekend that due to a shrinking Catholic population in the archdiocese, a two-year restructuring process will see some parishes close while others will be collected into groupings called “pastorates,” led by one pastor and his team.

He said the “struggle to care for buildings and parish structures where there are very few people” is preventing the Church there to focus on “areas where the Church is growing.”

Weisenburger said that currently there are 900,000 Catholics in the archdiocese, and fewer than half of those attend Mass regularly. Many parish buildings were constructed at a time when there were 1.5 million Catholics in the archdiocese.

Continued below.

If we believe in Jesus Christ to be Lord (Owner-Master) and Savior of our lives, we are to be his followers, his servants who do as he commands. We are to follow him wherever he leads us in doing whatever his word requires of us, as those who profess his name. And we are to follow the leading and guidance of the Holy Spirit in our lives who gifts us with Spiritual gifts so that we can know and do what God has for us to do as his servants.

We need the wisdom of God in living our lives day in and day out so that we do what is right in the eyes of the Lord, and so that we do no wrong. But this isn’t just about moral right and wrong, but this has to do with God’s callings on our lives collectively, as well as individually. We need understanding to know what he has for us to do in his service, and in the giftedness he has bestowed upon us, so that we do his will in all things.

And this isn’t just about us and how we are living and what we are to do or not do, but we need a God-given sensitivity to see what is going on all around us in this world of ours, as well as in the gatherings of the church (or what are falsely being called “church”). In this way we are able to know what to pray for, and how to pray, and what to address as serious issues going on which need to be addressed and reconciled within the church.

For, the Scriptures not only give us guidance in how we are to believe and to behave as followers of Christ, but they command that we expose the fruitless deeds of darkness for what they are, that we call out the lies being spoken in the name of Jesus by “wolves in sheep’s clothing,” and that we speak the truth of God to one another, and that we warn one another against false doctrines and false gospels which are leading many astray.

We should never hate anyone, but we should love all people, and we should hate every false way. We are to hate the evil, not the people. And out of genuine love for one another we are to speak the truth to one another for our good. And so we should let the church, the body of Christ, know what is truth, and what is being spoken of as truth but which are lies intended to deceive and to trap and to lead people to sin and to false gospel messages.

For we have many charlatans and “wolves in sheep’s clothing” among the gatherings of “the church” who are teaching the people lies, and not the truth of the Scriptures. They pull Scriptures out of context, and they twist them to make them say what they do not say if taught in the correct biblical context. And they are leading multitudes to believe that they can make a verbal profession of faith in Jesus Christ and now their salvation from sin and eternal life with God are guaranteed them, no matter how they live.

But Jesus Christ taught that to come to him we must deny self, take up our cross daily (die daily to sin), and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to living in sin and for self, we will lose our lives for eternity. But if we deny self, die daily to sin, by the Spirit, and we walk in obedience to our Lord and to his commands, in his power, then we have eternal life with God. For not everyone who calls him “Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one DOING (obeying) the will of God (see Luke 9:23-26; Matthew 7:21-23).

For by God-gifted faith in Jesus Christ, which is not of our own doing, we are crucified with Christ in death to sin and raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer to live as slaves to sin but as slaves to righteousness in walks of obedience to God’s commands. We are no longer to permit sin to reign in our mortal bodies to make us obey its desires. For if sin is what we obey, it results in death. But if obedience to God is what we obey, it results in sanctification, and its end is eternal life with God (see Romans 6:1-23).

So, be people of discernment who are testing what you hear against the teachings of the Scriptures, taught in the correct biblical context. And compare Scripture with Scripture, for the gospel message should not contradict itself. Therefore, Romans 10:9 must agree with Romans 1:18-32; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; and Romans 12:1-2. For Jesus gave his life up for us on that cross that we will now die to sin and walk in obedience to his commands in holy living.

[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 10:19-39; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22]

Your Servant

An Original Work / September 21, 2011
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Lord, I love to have You near me
As I go throughout my day,
Walking daily in Your footsteps,
As I humbly pray.
List’ning to You, hear You teaching
Me to live and work for You,
Lord, I pray You lead and guide me
Daily in Your truth.

Lord, I want to be Your witness,
Telling others of Your grace;
Telling how they can be set free
Of their sins today;
Share with them the love of Jesus,
He died on a cruel tree,
So that we’d be forgiven
For all eternity.

Lord, I want to serve You only,
As I bow on bended knee,
Making You my Lord and master,
And Your servant be.
Humbly walking in obedience,
Doing what You say to me,
Lord, may I be an example
Of one who’s set free.

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I Am Your Servant
An Original Work / November 18, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Best-selling author and radio host Eric Metaxas shared a video of President Trump pointing at him and joking that Metaxas is the “guy who’s going to get me to heaven.”

Explaining the context of the video, which has over 6 million views on X, Metaxas said, “Last night, at my friend Mike Wilkerson’s wedding at Mar-a-Lago, the President showed up. As he walked in, he pointed right at me and joked, ‘This is the guy who’s going to get me to heaven…’” Metaxas shared that he “laughed” and then told the president, “‘I’d really like to talk to you about that…but another time.’ Then I reminded him, ‘Don’t forget—you’re America’s Supercentennial President.’”

“Truthfully, I would love to have that conversation with him one day. But this wasn’t the place,” Metaxas told his social media followers.

“The Prez was SO gracious to show up at my friend’s wedding and obviously taken with the happy couple. When he saw me he joked that my evangelistic efforts were having an effect but he was pulling away so it wasn’t possible for me to say more,” he added. “I would have loved to! Pls pray for that!”

Continued below.

Ingredients​

• 1 pound pork sausage
• 1 pound cooked potatoes,(1 1/2 cups),chopped
• 1 1/2 cups onions,chopped
• 1 1/2 cups tomatoes, chopped
• 3/4 cup green bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 cup picante sauce
• 1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce,to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 
  
• 
  
• Topping:
• 4 ounces flour tortillas,( 9-inch),(4)
• 2 meatless cups chili
• 4 ounces of shredded cheddar cheese

Step by Step Method​

Step 1​

Crumble and cook sausage in large skillet over medium heat until browned.

Step 2​

Adding onion and bell peppers cooking until softened

Step 3​

Drain off any drippings.

Step 4​

Add all remaining ingredients except tortillas, chili and cheese

Step 5​

Simmer 20 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender.

Step 6​

Check seasoning to taste

Step 7​

Place 1 cup sausage mixture in center of each

Step 8​

Warmed tortilla

Step 9​

Fold tortilla over filling to close.

Step 10​

Heat meatless chili in small saucepan until hot, stirring occasionally.

Step 11​

Top each folded tortilla with 1/2 cup chili and 2 tablespoons cheese.

Step 12​

Serve hot.

You can add hot sauce of your choice if desired.

A congregation in Georgia recently gave away groceries to 400 area families in need.

Solid Rock Church of Midland, which has an average weekly worship attendance of 300 people, held a grocery giveawayevent on Saturday.

Lead Pastor Jay Bailey told The Christian Post that the event was “much more than giving away food,” as it was truly “about neighbor helping neighbor.”

“We decided to do the grocery giveaway because we realized that many in our community are going through a difficult time, and if we could, in some small way, make a difference in helping to fill the gap, we would be living out the love of Christ,” said Bailey.

Continued below.

We all have that command: the first time it jumped off the page, felt like it was written with your name on it, and left you quieter, freer, or flat-on-your-face grateful.
Mine was Luke 6:35-36 —

“Love your enemies… be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”
Suddenly every grudge looked ridiculous.

Drop the reference below and, if you’re brave, one sentence describing the wreckage—it builds others up.

Ready to hear some stories of ink becoming alive.
Grace,

bob121 – Tokyo

Three sharp-force injuries were documented in the autopsy.

The fatal neck wound, located just right of the midline above the collarbone, penetrated downward from right to left. The track passed through neck tissue, damaged the thyroid gland and severed the carotid artery before penetrating into the left chest cavity.

A second, superficial stab wound to the upper right chest injured only soft tissue.

A third wound below the left kneecap penetrated approximately 1.5 inches into soft tissue and impacted the bone.


The Bible teaches that, "the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground." And I can hear Iryna's blood crying unto God... "Why did that man do that to me? Why didn't anyone help me? Why did the system let him go free?"

It need to be made clear to the Nigerian government that the U.S. will intercede should this continue unabated.

'We reached an impasse'

A prominent Princeton University professor, author and member of the Heritage Foundation's Board of Trustees announced his resignation from the influential conservative think tank on Monday amid lingering fallout from Tucker Carlson's recent interview with Nick Fuentes.

Robert P. George, a Catholic conservative legal scholar who serves as the McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence at Princeton University and had been a member of the Heritage board since 2019, announced in a Facebook post that he resigned in response to Heritage President Kevin P. Roberts not retracting an Oct. 30 video defending Carlson.

“Although Kevin publicly apologized for some of what he said in the video, he could not offer a full retraction of its content. So, we reached an impasse," George wrote.

Continued below.

Commander Gregory K. Bovino described those arrested as having "significant criminal and immigration history."
"81, many of whom had significant criminal and immigration history, are off the streets," Bovino said, adding that more details about those apprehended would be released on social media.

Crimes continue to be stopped around the country.

"Unfortunately, the worst fears have been confirmed," Tusk said in a post to X on Monday morning. The detonation "of an explosive device destroyed the railway track," the prime minister added.

Tusk did not name any suspects or a potential motive for the alleged sabotage. The prime minister did, however, note the line's importance in delivering aid to Ukraine.

In a later post, Tusk said the incident was "an unprecedented act of sabotage targeting directly the security of the Polish state and its civilians. This route is also crucially important for delivering aid to Ukraine."

"We will catch the perpetrators, regardless of who their backers are," Tusk added.

On a Friday in October, there were shootings in three towns, in three different counties, in rural Mississippi. This was Friday, October 11, and some of the shootings happened after midnight, on Saturday, October 12. The final tally is nine dead from gunfire, not counting a fetus, over two dozen injured by gunfire and one other death. Why Mississippi? It is a stand-your-ground state, which does not recognize a duty to retreat from violence, and it allows concealed carry and open carry of guns without a permit.

MSNBC quotes Nick Wilson, who works for the Center for American Progress. Wilson says, “Trump is sending the National Guard to Chicago, but Mississippi’s homicide rate is twice that of Illinois.” He goes on to say that permitless carry of guns can cause small disputes to turn deadly. Another observer blames the combination of guns, alcohol and drugs.

https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/mississippi-mass-shooting-leland-gun-violence-murder-valley-rcna237594

“Secretary Noem is leading efforts to rescue and stop the exploitation of the 450,000 unaccompanied children the Biden administration lost or placed with unvetted sponsors. Many of the children who came across the border unaccompanied were allowed to be placed with sponsors who were smugglers and sex traffickers. The Trump administration has located more than 24,400 of these children in-person, in the United States, through visits and door knocks," said Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. "We've jumpstarted our efforts to rescue children who were victims of sex and labor trafficking by working with our state and local law enforcement partners to locate these children. President Trump and Secretary Noem are laser-focused on protecting children and will continue to work with federal, state, and local law enforcement to reunite children with their families."

Because of those who interfere with ICE or refuse to cooperate some of the children might not be rescued in time.

A debate has erupted online and in Indian social circles worldwide. The subject is U.S. Vice President JD Vance, who has been criticized for hoping that his Hindu wife, Usha, might one day share his Christian faith.

To right-wing Hindu extremists and left-wing elites, this is exaggerated as an act of war — proselytization, cultural assault, a colonial echo. The outrage is loud and the accusations swift. Yet beneath the noise lies a profound misunderstanding, not only of JD Vance, but of Christianity itself.

At a TPUSA event and in subsequent social media commentary, Vance spoke about his spiritual journey. When asked about Usha, a brilliant attorney raised in a Hindu home, he offered this reflection: “Do I hope, eventually, that she is somehow moved by the same thing that I was moved in by church? Yeah, honestly, I do wish that … I hope she may one day see things as I do."

Note that Vance has not suggested coercion or ultimatum. In fact, he has explicitly rejected force, saying, “But if she doesn't, then God says everybody has free will, and so that doesn't cause a problem for me.”

This is not proselytization. It is love, the kind Jesus modeled. Conversion in Christian theology is not a human transaction but a spiritual encounter. Jesus warned against forcing faith; in the Parable of the Sower, some seeds take root and others do not. Growth cannot be commanded.

Vance understands this truth. His critics do not.

Continued below.

Justification by Faith

Rom 3:
21 But now the righteousness of God has been clearly revealed [independently and completely] apart from the Law, though it is [actually] confirmed by the Law and the [words and writings of the] Prophets.

22 This righteousness of God comes through faith in Jesus Christ for all those [Jew or Gentile] who believe [and trust in Him and acknowledge Him as God’s Son]. There is no distinction,

23 since all have sinned and continually fall short of the glory of God,

24 and are being justified [declared free of the guilt of sin, made acceptable to God, and granted eternal life] as a gift by His [precious, undeserved] grace, through the redemption [the payment for our sin] which is [provided] in Christ Jesus,

25 whom God displayed publicly [before the eyes of the world] as a [life-giving] sacrifice of atonement and reconciliation (propitiation) by His blood [to be received] through faith.

Justification By Faith Evidenced In Old Testament

Rom 4:
7 “BLESSED and HAPPY and FAVORED ARE THOSE WHOSE LAWLESS ACTS HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN, AND WHOSE SINS HAVE BEEN COVERED UP and COMPLETELY BURIED.

8 “BLESSED and HAPPY and FAVORED IS THE MAN WHOSE SIN THE LORD WILL NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT nor CHARGE AGAINST HIM.”

ABRAHAM BELIEVED

20 But he did not doubt or waver in unbelief concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong and empowered by faith, giving glory to God,

21 being fully convinced that God had the power to do what He had promised.

22 Therefore his faith WAS CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS (right standing with God).

23 Now not for his sake alone was it written that it was credited to him,

24 but for our sake also—to whom righteousness will be credited, as those who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead—

25 who was betrayed and crucified because of our sins, and was raised [from the dead] because of our justification [our acquittal—absolving us of all sin before God].

Results Of Justification

Rom 5:
1 Therefore, since we have been justified [that is, acquitted of sin, declared blameless before God] by faith, [let us grasp the fact that] we have peace with God [and the joy of reconciliation with Him] through our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed).

2 Through Him we also have access by faith into this [remarkable state of] grace in which we [firmly and safely and securely] stand. Let us rejoice in our hope and the confident assurance of [experiencing and enjoying] the glory of [our great] God [the manifestation of His excellence and power].

9 Therefore, since we have now been justified [declared free of the guilt of sin] by His blood, [how much more certain is it that] we will be saved from the wrath of God through Him.

10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, it is much more certain, having been reconciled, that we will be saved [from the consequences of sin] by His life [that is, we will be saved because Christ lives today].

The Word Of Faith Brings Salvation

Rom 10:
8 But what does it say? “THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, IN YOUR MOUTH AND IN YOUR HEART”—that is, the word [the message, the basis] of faith which we preach—

9 because if you acknowledge and confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord [recognizing His power, authority, and majesty as God], and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

10 For with the heart a person believes [in Christ as Savior] resulting in his justification [that is, being made righteous—being freed of the guilt of sin and made acceptable to God]; and with the mouth he acknowledges and confesses [his faith openly], resulting in and confirming [his] salvation.

A rebel group's attack on a Catholic hospital's maternity ward in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo killed around 20 people, including breastfeeding mothers and their babies. Authorities have blamed the Allied Democratic Forces, an armed group affiliated with the Islamic State, for the massacre.

The strike occurred Friday night in the village of Byambwe in North Kivu province's Lubero territory, where the ADF terror group targeted a health facility run by the Little Sisters of the Presentation.

Armed men moved swiftly through the village, killing patients in their beds and setting fire to the center, local administrator Col. Alain Kiwewa told The Associated Press on Saturday.

"Women who were breastfeeding were brutally slaughtered and found with their throats slit in their hospital beds," Kiwewa was quoted as saying. Of the 17 people killed, 11 were women and six were men, he said.

Continued below.

When you're worried about your aches and pains, these comforting Bible verses remind you that God is near and cares deeply for you.

We all know how physical ailments – even routine colds or flu – can make us feel vulnerable and anxious. Not knowing what the doctor will say, waiting for test results, or coping with persistent aches can stir up real fear. In those moments, God’s Word can be like a gentle companion, reminding us that we are not alone.

Thankfully the Bible offers many verses about God’s care, strength, healing and presence. Here are five comforting passages and why each one can bring peace to a worried heart.

1- Isaiah 41:10 -- GOD’S PRESENCE IN OUR FEAR​

Continued below.

Scott Hahn and Curtis Mitch had the help of 12 other Catholic biblical scholars to gather and compose the commentary on the books of the Old Testament alone.

Eighteen years ago, I walked into my first night class with Scott Hahn on the New Testament. My fiancé and I had the required books for the class divided between us, which were mostly individual volumes of the books of the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible — three of the Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. Every week, we would attend the lecture and absorb scholar Hahn’s biblical knowledge, trying to let it soak in, hoping to remember it all, and, of course, studying our notes.

A few years after we took our class, it must have been easier for Hahn’s students, as they could get the whole Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: The New Testament in one volume, which was edited by both Hahn and Curtis Mitch. I asked for my own copy of the New Testament for Christmas one year and started to meet monthly with friends, studying different books of Scripture. The women in our group had a wide variety of backgrounds, some having read Scripture their whole lives and others barely reading it at all. The notes and essays in the Study Bibleon the RSV: Second Catholic Edition translation, opened our minds and hearts to the Scripture in a completely new way for all of us.

What makes this Study Bible unique are the extensive essays, introductions to each book, commentaries, charts and notes on nearly every verse of the Bible. The notes are rooted in the Tradition and drawn from the fathers, doctors and councils of the Church, giving the various interpretive senses of Scripture. They tie together the Old and the New Testaments.

I loved the New Testament edition so much that I started checking several times a year (as many others did as well) on the status of the complete Old Testament. From time to time, I would see that another individual book of the Old Testament had been released, but I held off. I wanted to have the whole Old Testament at once, as I knew it would aid me in both my work as a theological editor and writer but also in my personal prayer life. And sometime late summer 2024, I learned to my great delight that the complete Bible would be released by the end of 2024. I had a copy pre-ordered, the leatherbound as opposed to the hardback, and waited eagerly for it to arrive.

Continued below.

If we believe in Jesus Christ to be Lord and Savior of our lives, this is what our faith should look like. The Word of God (the Scriptures) should be our delight. The Scriptures, and the Holy Spirit living with us, should be what are guiding our lives, giving us direction, and showing us the way in which we are to walk (in conduct, in practice). They should be our daily “bread and butter,” i.e. our daily sustenance for living. We cannot live without them.

Sadly, that is not being taught much these days. So many have reduced the gospel message to a mere verbal confession of faith in Jesus Christ which does not put sin to death in the life of the sinner, and which makes no requirements for obedience to our Lord’s commands in holy living. Thus, the teachings of the Scriptures are often being taught out of context to make them say what they do not say in context, and many are being led astray.

Therefore, a daily digest of the Scriptures, taught in context, is not being stressed much, either. Too many people are relying on the teachings of other humans in place of the teachings of Christ and his New Testament apostles. Too many are relying upon short little devotions often taught from Scriptures out of context to be their “daily bread,” i.e. their daily sustenance for living, and they are not being taught the importance of studying the Scriptures.

But reading the Scriptures ourselves is also not to be just a daily ritual we go through so that we can say that we read them. But we must be putting what we are reading into daily practice, providing that what we are reading is intended of God for us who believe in Jesus Christ. For example, we are not under the Old Covenant liturgical, ceremonial, sacrificial, purification, circumcision, dietary, and Sabbath laws. But we are still under God’s laws.

The New Covenant God has with us who believe in Jesus Christ is not lawless. His commands to us who believe in Jesus are all throughout the New Testament writings. And we are taught under the New Covenant that if we do not make obedience to God our practice, but if sin is still our practice, that, unless we repent (turn from our sin to obey God) we will not inherit eternal life with God, regardless of what professions of faith we make.

[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 10:19-39; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22]

So, this is not something to be taken lightly. The Word of God and the guidance of the Holy Spirit living within us should be what are directing our steps and guiding us in our decision making processes on a day to day basis. They are to be our “GPS,” i.e. our navigation system for daily living so that we walk in the way that is right and so that we do not end up going the wrong direction and getting lost in the cares and the traps of this world.

So, if you believe in Jesus Christ, and you have made him Lord of your life, then make His Word the lamp to your feet and the light for your path. Be dedicated to the study of the Scriptures (taught in the correct biblical context) and to putting the teachings of the Scriptures into daily practice in your lives, guided by the Holy Spirit living within you. And walk in the ways of the Lord in being and in doing what he has for you to be and to do.

His Tender Mercies

An Original Work / January 26, 2014
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Fear not! I’m with you.
Be not dismayed!
God watches o’er you.
Trust Him today.
He’ll lead and guide you;
Give you His aid.
He’ll love and keep you
With Him always.

Walk in His footsteps.
He’ll lead the way.
Trust in His love;
Believe that He cares.
He will not leave you.
Faithful He’ll be.
His tender mercies
Now you will see.

Fellowship with Him
Throughout the day.
Tell Him your heartaches.
He’ll heal always.
Rest in His comfort.
He is your friend.
Your faith He’ll strengthen,
True to the end.

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A Light to My Path
An Original Work / November 17, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Friends and relatives pass away; old age is for the birds!

ROME – When he addressed an international congress on the pastoral care of the elderly yesterday, Pope Leo laid out the demographic premises for an honest assessment of Catholic life these days, but he didn’t quite draw out the logical pastoral consequences – in part, perhaps, because there’s only so much you can do in a brief 900-word address.

Leo clearly acknowledged that rapid aging of societies is one of the key hallmarks of our time: “The growing number of elderly people is an unprecedented historical phenomenon that calls us to discern and understand the reality in new ways,” he said.



Basic demographic data backs up that observation.

In the United States, the median age was 30 in 1950, but it will reach 41 by 2050. In Europe it will be 47.1, and in Japan a staggering 52.3. Fully a third of all Japanese will be over 60 within a decade, creating a potentially serious shortage of elder care facilities and personnel. One leading Japanese politician actually has proposed exporting retirees to the Philippines in order to relieve the pressure.

Continued below.

On the Over-Seriousness of Today

The current age, with its technologies, its wars, its uncertainties and anxieties, is a gloomy and worried age. Rates of depression and anxiety have skyrocketed among younger generations and there is an ever-present burden upon everyone’s shoulders. The constant terrible photos and videos of the news cycle weigh upon our minds and hearts, as we are forced to hear about everything happening everywhere, all the time. Our phones and laptops keep us connected, even when we might desire to be left alone. This is, certainly, a very serious age: we take everything seriously. Our jobs, our families, our economy and political affiliations, and, most dangerously, our religion. It has become a Serious Matter to attend Church on Sundays, to receive the sacraments, to profess the Creed. Of course, the Faith should be celebrated and embraced with dignity, but one of the key words is that it should be “celebrated.” Our faith is not meant to only be a dour and depressing hour of our week, in which we all silently sit and wait for it to be over, our minds and hearts occupied with the myriad horrible things occurring around us.

Continued below.

How is it at yours? Ours is a large church with elementary and high school. So if you have children or grandchildren it can be easy to feel integrated. Otherwise I notice the same people at daily Mass and there is a tacit recognition that we share this. Sometimes there are adult education programs or other small groups for people who have the time to attend. I had always hoped for third order or oblate possibility.