Bishop Michael Martin of Charlotte, North Carolina, has banned the public use of kneelers for receiving Communion with effect from 16 January 2026. In a letter published on CharlotteDiocese.org on 17 December, he writes that using them is 'a visible contradiction to the normative posture of Holy Communion established by our episcopal conference'. The text begins with pious or banal quotations. He then admits that it is the right of the faithful to kneel when receiving Holy Communion. But: "The normative posture for all the faithful in the United States is standing." "Faithful individuals who feel compelled to kneel to receive the Eucharist, as is their right, should prayerfully consider the communal blessing that is realised when we share a common posture." Monsignor Martin refers to the norms of the US bishops' conference which "logically" do not envisage the use of kneelers or receiving communion. The three main points of the letter are: 1. Clergy, catechists, ministers of Holy Communion …More
[Saint Alphonsus Maria de Liguori – XVII – XVIII Century AD: Marianella, Kingdom of Naples/Pagani, Kingdom of Naples; (aged 90); spiritual writer, composer, musician, artist, poet, lawyer, scholastic philosopher, and theologian, Founder, Bishop, Doctor of the Church] “IV. The Crucifixion It was revealed to St. Bridget that when the Savior saw himself laid upon the cross, he stretched out his right hand to the place where it was to be nailed. They then immediately nailed the other hand, and then his sacred feet; and Jesus Christ was left to die upon this bed of anguish. St. Augustine says that the punishment of the cross was a most bitter torment, because, upon [264] the cross, death itself was prolonged, lest the pain should be speedily ended. O God! what horror must then have struck heaven, at the sight of the Son of the Eternal Father crucified between two thieves! Such, in truth, was the prophecy of Isaiah: He was reputed with the wicked. Therefore St. John Chrysostom, contemplating …More
"St. Augustine adds, "He hung in deformity upon the cross, but his deformity is our beauty." And truly so, because this deformity of Jesus crucified was the cause of the beauty of our souls, which, when they were deformed, were washed with his divine blood, and became fair and lovely, according to what St. John wrote, Who are these that are clothed in white garments? These are they who have come out of great tribulation and have washed their garments, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. All the saints, as being children of Adam (with the exception of the Blessed Virgin), were at one time covered with a foul garment, and soiled with Adam's sin and with their own; but being washed with the blood of the Lamb, they became white and agreeable in the sight of God."
"And now behold this Lord, who was fairest among men, appears on Calvary with his form so disfigured by torments, that it struck horror into all who saw it. Yet this deformity makes him seem more beautiful in the eyes [266] of souls that love him, because these wounds, these marks of the scourging, this lacerated flesh, are all tokens and proofs of the love he bears them; upon which the poet Petrucci beautifully sings, "O Lord, if You suffer scourgings for us, to the souls that are bound to You, the more deformed You are, the more fair do You appear."
+++Prophesies of Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich+++ “The Church is in great danger… I see that in this place [Rome] the [Catholic] Church is being so cleverly undermined, that there will hardly remain a hundred or so priests who have not been deceived. They all work for destruction, even the clergy. The great devastation is now at hand.” “The Church is the only one, the Roman Catholic! And if there were left upon earth but one Catholic, he would be the one, universal Church, the Catholic Church, the Church of Jesus Christ against which the gates of Hell shall never prevail.”
Dec 17 Third Week od Advent, Wednesday We continue posting daily Advent reflections by the Church Fathers. It's a good way to prepare to celebrate Christmas. The reflections and quotations come from the book titled, Advent and Christmas with the Church Fathers by Marco Pappalardo. Introduction There is no time other than this life for the fulfillment of God’s dream of happiness for us. We are free to choose the path of life or the path of death, not just physically, but above all spiritually. Both dimensions are connected and will be condemned or sanctified together, just as salvation has been granted us through Jesus, who became man, died, and rose from the dead for us. Dec 16 It's time to stop with the Land Acknowledgement statement in Ontario's public schools Yes, it's time to stop with the Land Acknowledgement statement in Ontario's public schools. Schools run by the Toronto Catholic District School Board, this generally applies to schools across the province of Ontario, the school …
Tue Dec 16, 2025 - 12:51 pm ESTTue Dec 16, 2025 - 12:54 pm EST (LifeSiteNews) — Last week, a revealing poll from EWTN News and RealClear Opinion Research highlighted a profound disconnect emerging within American Catholicism that suggests a growing fissure between the U.S. bishops’ conference and the most devout Catholics who attend Mass on a weekly basis. Surveying 1,000 self-identified Catholic voters from November 9-11, the results showed that 54 percent of them supported “the detention and deportation of unauthorized immigrants on a broad scale,” with only 30 percent opposed and 17 percent undecided. Support for Trump’s policies was even stronger among Catholics who actually practice the faith and attend Mass weekly. Those Catholics support deportations 58 percent to 23 percent. White Catholics favored the policies by a 60-26 margin while Latino Catholics were split 41-39. The findings come nearly a year into President Trump’s second term, where his administration has aggressively …
The Catholic Church once stood for law and order, and the faithful are just following what they were taught. Each nation has a right and a duty to enforce immigration laws.
HAZEL'S HEART Official Trailer (2026) North Dakota farm girl’s heroic witness during 1920 blizzard arrives on major streaming platforms Dec. 23 following acclaimed world premiere BISMARCK, N.D. — A powerful true story of faith, courage, and sacrificial love rooted in the frozen plains of North Dakota is now headed for a national audience. “Hazel’s Heart,” the feature-length film written and directed by University of Mary professor and filmmaker Daniel Bielinski, will make its national premiere this Christmas season following a widely praised world premiere in North Dakota earlier this fall. Set for national video-on-demand release Dec. 23 on Apple TV, Amazon, Google Play/YouTube Movies, Fandango-at-Home, Versant, Vubiquity, and DirecTV/AT&T, the film will also stream on Angel Studios beginning Dec. 18. Distributed by Samuel Goldwyn Films, “Hazel’s Heart” tells the true story of 16-year-old Hazel Miner, a humble farm girl from Center, N.D., whose faith-filled courage during a devastating …More
Set for national video-on-demand release Dec. 23 on Apple TV, Amazon, Google Play/YouTube Movies, Fandango-at-Home, Versant, Vubiquity, and DirecTV/AT&T, the film will also stream on Angel Studios beginning Dec. 18. Distributed by Samuel Goldwyn Films, “Hazel’s Heart” tells the true story of 16-year-old Hazel Miner, a humble farm girl from Center, N.D., whose faith-filled courage during a devastating 1920 blizzard became one of the most stirring survival stories in American history. Originally developed under the title “Hazel,” the film’s name was refined as it prepared for national release.
Wednesday of the third week of Advent. Of the Desposorios of Our Lady with the glorious Saint Joseph. DAILY MEDITATIONS OF THE MYSTERIES OF OUR HOLY FAITH, By the P. Alonso de Andrade FROM THE COMPANY OF JESUS. PRAYER TO BEGIN By the sign of the Holy Cross, from our enemies delier us, Lord, our God. In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen. My Lord and my God: I firmly believe that you are here, that you see me, that you hear me. I adore you with deep reverence. I ask you for forgiveness of my sins and grace to make this time of prayer fruit. My Mother Immaculate, Saint Joseph, my father and lord, my guardian Angel: intercede for me. Meditation Wednesday of the third week of Advent. Of the Desposorios of Our Lady with the glorious Saint Joseph. POINT ONE. Consider the first how, according to (1) St. Jerome, when the Blessed Virgin was fourteen years old, the priests tried to give her a husband, according to the custom of that people; and knowing that he had made …More
Luke Yarwood, a 36-year-old from Dorset, has been sentenced to 18 months in prison after posting two anti-immigration tweets on X that together received just 33 views
It’s noteworthy that Hicks comes from the Bernardin lineage of the Chicago Church. He was ordained a priest in 1994 by the late Cardinal Joseph Bernardin, the legendary archbishop who championed the “consistent ethic of life” and shaped a generation of more progressive Catholic leadership.
Coca-Cola delivery man filling a Coca-Cola machine while a Shell station attendant stands holding a Coke and watching, Terre Haute, Indiana, Americana, 1957
Monsignor Ronald Hicks - Bishop of Joliet and soon to become the new Archbishop of New York - first met Pope Francis on 29 June 2015. After Francis’s death, he wrote about that meeting on Diocoliet.org on 5 May. Back then, he was standing in Saint Peter’s Basilica with Chicago Archbishop Blase Cupich. Cupich had been installed as Archbishop of Chicago in November 2014. In January 2015, he appointed Rev. Hicks as his Vicar General and in 2018 his auxiliary bishop. “Now Is Your Chance” In June 2015, Archbishop Cupich asked his Vicar General in the Basilica, “Have you ever met the Pope?” When Hicks replied, “No,” Cupich grasped his arm and said with a smile, “Well, now is your chance.” He led Hicks briskly toward Pope Francis and introduced him in Italian, saying, “Holy Father, this is Ron Hicks, my Vicar General, and he speaks Spanish.” Francis turned to Hicks and began speaking in Spanish. Hicks recalls: “From that moment forward, whenever we encountered one another, we spoke …More
Bishop Hicks is not a sychophantic type of personality, he is his own man. You will find that out. Here in Joliet we've seen a reasonable man. When some bishops were quick to eliminate the Latin Mass such was not the case with Bishop Hicks. Things have not changed on that front. He supports parishes and priests instead of undermining them as in other places. He is a man of prudence and caution who loves his Catholic faith. New York will thrive under his guidance.
St. John's University Opens 'Vincent's Table' On-Campus Food Pantry for Students in Need St. John's University has a new on-campus food pantry for students in need. Vincent's Table gives those facing hunger a dignified way to get fresh groceries, no questions asked. With 41% of college students nationwide experiencing food insecurity, St. John's partnered with St. John's Bread & Life to create the campus lifeline. currentsnews
17.12.2025 WHERE IS ST. THOMAS MORE TODAY IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN ENGLAND ? When King Henry VIII wanted to marry Anne Boleyn and the pope said no, he threatened to kill all the English cardinals and seize their property. All winked. Except for one. Today not a single cardinal will tell Ofsted and the Islamic groups that Lumen Gentium 16 in Vatican Council II refers only to a hypothetical case. It refers to someone invisible in London in 2025-2026. ‘Not a single cardinal except St. Thomas More’. Sounds familiar? Not a single cardinal in Britain will say that hypothetical cases of being saved ‘in imperfect communion with the Church ‘Unitatis Redigratio 3, are not exceptions for the dogma EENS. The Decree on Ecumenism, in Vatican Council II, is not an exception for Ad Gentes 7, Vatican Council II. Ad Gentes 7 says all need faith and baptism for salvation. Lumen Gentium 16 cannot be an explicit exception for Fr. Leonard Feeney of Boston on extra ecclesiam nulla salus (EENS), but ‘…More
Britain's Real Fear Isn't Russia—It's This In this episode, Susan Kokinda reveals the real reasons behind the British Empire's aggressive stance toward Russia. It's not about missiles or democracy, but a critical financial report from Washington that threatens the City of London's economic control. The 2025 FSOC report prioritizes people over financial parasites, marking a fundamental shift in U.S. economic strategy under Trump's administration. We also discuss the broader implications on U.S.-British relations, the National Security Strategy, and the strategic economic battles involving food security, big pharma, housing stability, and narco-trafficking. Tune in to uncover the economic war underpinning global tensions and subscribe to Promethean Action for more insights. 00:00 The Midweek Update - The 'Boring' Document That Terrifies the British Empire - December 17, 2025 01:53 How London’s Panic is Out In The Open, and Russia Knows It 04:54 New Economic Strategy: People, Not Bankers …More
December 18 THIRD DAY Novena of aguinaldos Or Christmas PRAYER TO BEGIN Every day By the sign of the holy cross... Most benign God of infinite charity that you loved men so much, that you gave them in your son the best pledge of your love, so that made a man in the bowels of a Virgin, he was born in a manger for our health and remedy. I, on behalf of all mortals, give you infinite thanks for such sovereign benefit. In return from Him I offer you the poverty, humility and other virtues of your humanized Son, begging him for his divine merits, for the discomforts with which he was born and for the tender tears he shed in the manger, have our hearts with deep humility, with lit love, with total contempt of everything earthly, so that the newborn Jesus has in them his cradle and lives eternally. Amen. Glory to the Father (x 3) It is read about every day. December 18 THIRD DAY Consideration Thus had begun his life embodied by the Child Jesus. Let us consider the glorious soul and the holy …More
Stelio Savante On "Hazel's Heart", A True Story Actor Stelio Savante of "The Chosen", "Ugly Betty", and numerous other films and shows, joins Bishop Robert P. Reed and Jay Fadden in the living room today. He talks about his latest project, "Hazel’s Heart", which is the true story of a teen girl named Hazel who fought to save her siblings during a whiteout blizzard in North Dakota in 1920. He shares which character he plays in the film, whether or not he heard of the story previous to being part of the film, why he decided to work on this project, how he prepared for the role and got into the headspace to play his character, what questions he would ask Hazel if he got to have dinner with her in real life, the release date, and where the film can be seen. To learn more, click here: hazelmovie.com Subscribe to our YouTube channel: This Is The Day Donate to CatholicTV: Donate | CatholicTV
Pope Leo XIV has appointed Bishop Ron Hicks, 58, of Joliet, Illinois, as the 11th Archbishop of New York. Monsignor Hicks was ordained as a priest in 1994 by likely homosexual Cardinal Joseph Bernardin. He was ordained as an auxiliary bishop by pro-homosexual Cardinal Blase Cupich, whom he owes his entire carreer. Cardinal Timothy Dolan, who has led the Archdiocese of New York since 2009, will be remembered for permitting a transvestite show funeral for homosexual activist Cecilia Gentili at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in February 2024. In all likelihood, substantively, Bishop Hicks will not differ significantly from Cardinal Dolan. First Generation-X Prelate at Major US Archdiocese Bishop Hicks will be the first Generation-X prelate (born roughly between 1965 and 1980) to hold a major U.S. see. He comes from a very different era of seminary formation. The Archbishop of New York is traditionally appointed a cardinal. From 2005 to 2010, Bishop Hicks spent five years on missionary assignment …More
James Martin, SJ: "Welcome to New York, Bishop Hicks! A great choice for the Archdiocese of New York: a gifted, hard-working and compassionate pastor close to the poor"
In the most significant appointment for the US Church to date, Pope Leo has officially appointed Joliet’s Bishop Ron Hicks (58) as the 11 Archbishop of New York, succeeding Cardinal Timothy Dolan. A native of Chicago, Hicks was ordained to the priesthood by Cardinal Bernardin. He served as Auxiliary/Vicar General to Cardinal Cupich. Hicks spent five years doing missionary work with orphans in El Salvador.