'Opportunities for conversion' - the liturgies of Holy Week

Any priest will tell you that Easter Sunday Mass is one of the most highly attended of the year, alongside Christmas Mass and, at least in the United States, Mass on Ash Wednesday. But Easter Sunday Mass, while popular, is not the only important or beautiful liturgy celebrated during the days of Holy Week and the Easter Triduum.

In fact, the liturgies of Holy Week are designed to foster in Catholics an intimate and historical connection to the Church, and to death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Timothy O’Malley, director of the Notre Dame Center for Liturgy, gave CNA insight into the symbolism and foundations to the Chrism Mass, Mass of the Lord’s Supper, Tenebrae, Good Friday of the Lord’s Passion, and Easter Vigil.

How to get holy during Holy Week

As Catholics around the world are buying Easter candy and dyeing boiled eggs, two priests have offered suggestions for getting the most out of Holy Week.

 “The most important, I believe, is to take advantage of the opportunities of prayer, especially attending each of the Triduum liturgies,” said Fr. Gary Benz of the Diocese of Bismarck, N.D.

“I’m not sure if a lot of Catholics have ever attended all three liturgies – Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday Vigil – and experienced the whole paschal mystery in the passion, death and resurrection,” Fr. Benz told CNA.

James Goll: Satan Fights Dirty—How You Can Prepare

You have to run over the devil before he runs over you. You are standing on a battlefield (perhaps a different one than you were last year at this time). You may be standing in the middle of an army or you may be standing all alone. Are you just going to stand there, waiting to see what will happen? Or are you going to do something that will allow you to get and keep the upper hand?

Pope Francis Defrocks 9 Monks for Illegal Exorcisms, Following 'Prophetess' Who Heard 'Voice of God'

Pope Francis has defrocked nine monks of a monastery in Ukraine for performing exorcism prayers without authorization and for spreading messages from a nun who claimed God had spoken directly to her, according to reports.

The nine, who were from St. Theodore Studite's Monastery in the village of Kolodiivka in Ternopil region, refused to be corrected and "did not accept the admonitions of the Church authorities and refused to listen to them … (and) continued to violate the rules of the monks," the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church said in a statement, according to The Daily Mail.

Pope sends prayers for victims of attack in France, fire in Russia

On Monday Pope Francis sent his prayers and condolences for victims of an alleged terrorist attack in southern France, and for those affected by a fire inside a shopping mall in Russia which has killed at least 64 people.

A fire broke out on the top floor of the Winter Cherry shopping and entertainment complex in Kemerovo, Russia on Sunday afternoon, engulfing the building and collapsing the roofs of two cinemas, Russia’s Investigative Committee stated.

This Sunday, where will the millions of palms come from?

With the arrival of Palm Sunday, Catholics across the globe will soon be handed leaves as they walk into church. Some might fold them into elaborate little crosses. Kids will poke each other with them. But it's safe to say most won't know where they came from.

The feast commemorates Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem the week before his passion and crucifixion. The Gospels attest that as Jesus entered the city, crowds lay down palm branches and cloaks as he rode into Jerusalem on a donkey.

For centuries, Christians have commemorated the feast day that begins Holy Week by waving branches of either palm or another local tree, as well as with liturgical processions and other celebrations.

In the U.S. alone, nearly 18,000 Catholic parishes will celebrate Palm Sunday by blessing and distributing palm branches to the faithful. That makes millions of palm leaves each year – and that doesn’t include all of the Protestant churches that observe the tradition.

Youth say they want a Church that's transparent, up-to-date

At the end of a week-long meeting held at the Vatican, young people from around the world have urged the Church to be more authentic, modern and creative in the way it interacts with young people, and in addressing controversial contemporary issues.

“We want to say, especially to the hierarchy of the Church, that they should be a transparent, welcoming, honest, inviting, communicative, accessible, joyful and interactive community,” the youth delegates said in the final document of this week's pre-synod meeting in Rome.

“A credible Church,” they said, “is one which is not afraid to allow itself be seen as vulnerable.”

Pope Francis' Holy Thursday Mass will be at a prison

Continuing his custom of saying Holy Thursday Mass outside a sacred place, Pope Francis this year will visit one of Rome’s most well-known prisons, the Regina Coeli, located in the historic Trastevere neighborhood.

The Pope will celebrate the Mass of the Lord’s Supper March 29. During the ceremony he will wash the feet of 12 inmates. He will also meet with prisoners and visit sick inmates in the prison’s infirmary.

The female nuclear physicist who created a fertility app

Meet Elina Berglund: a nuclear physicist who will be known as the woman who developed the first natural cycle fertility app to have been internationally certified as an effective means of avoiding pregnancy.

“It feels incredibly exciting that there is now an approved alternative to conventional pregnancy prevention methods, and that it’s possible to replace medication with technology,” Berglund told Business Insider.

The app, called Natural Cycles, was founded in Switzerland by Elina Berglund and her husband Raoul Scherwizl. They created the app as a way to go “beyond contraception,” and to “get to know your body and unique cycles,” according to their website.

4 Tips to Aim Your Sword at the Enemy

Let me share with you some of the characteristics of men that I have seen who have their sword facing the enemy, alert like Gideon's men at the water (Judg. 7).

1) Commit to Be Clean

A man aiming his sword will one day in his life make a commitment to be clean. While speaking at singles and youth conferences, I often have young men and women come to the altar to commit their sexuality to Christ.

The Bible says, "For as [a man] thinketh (yes, I like the word thinketh) in his heart so is he" (Proverbs 23:7a, KJV). As a psychologist, I know we are today the sum of our commitments and the discipline to keep them. As a man, if I commit to something, I will attract the people and things I need to fulfill that commitment.

Free Speech Endangered If Twitter, Facebook and Google Continue Censorship, Conservative Leaders Warn

Marjorie Dannenfelser, Tony Perkins, Todd Starnes, Larry Elder, and Dennis Prager participate in a panel session on online censorship at Proclaim 18, the National Religious Broadcasters' (NRB) International Christian Media Convention in Nashville, Tennessee, on March 2, 2018.

Leading tech companies like Facebook, Google and Twitter are censoring the online posts of Christians and conservatives — and if this trend continues, it won't be long before free speech in America is gone, conservative leaders have warned.

During a session on public policy and online censorship at Proclaim 18, the National Religious Broadcasters' (NRB) International Christian Media Convention, U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn shared how, last year, Twitter blocked a campaign video in which she discussed her efforts to stop Planned Parenthood's "sale of baby body parts."

US bishops voice support for First Amendment Defense Act

The U.S. bishops have voiced their strong support for a bill protecting individuals and institutions from discrimination by the federal government based on their beliefs about marriage, regardless of what those beliefs are.

"We welcome and applaud the recent reintroduction of the First Amendment Defense Act (FADA),” wrote Archbishop Joseph Kurtz of Louisville and Bishop James Conley of Lincoln in a March 14 statement. Archbishop Kurtz chairs the US bishops' Committee for Religious Liberty, while Bishop Conley is chairman of the Subcommittee for the Promotion and Defense of Marriage.

St Louis program trains priests in business, finances

While the intellectual formation of pastors is dominated by philosophy and theology, their pastoral duties also require something beyond the intellectual and spiritual aspects – a business component.

The Pastoral Leadership Institute has developed a curriculum to train priests in business and an administration skills, enabling pastors to better understand the financial properties of a parish.

7 Sure Signs You're in a 'Christian' Cultish Church

Are you in a Christian cult? A cult-like church? Is your church leadership manipulating and controlling you?

It's hard to believe these things happen—but they do. And many times you feel like you must be crazy or that the enemy is just making false accusations. I came out of a cultish church.

I'm offering you seven signs and personal examples of Christian cults and cult-like churches.

Want more on this topic? This book really helped me understand what I was dealing with and brought a lot of healing. Check it out here: goo.gl/MxswDA

Why We Must Win the Trust Battle

What is it that draws people to you? Dr. Steve Greene offers advice to Christian marketers on how to win consumers' trust and leave people with the answers they seek. Don't miss it.

Behar Reportedly Apologizes for Pence Remark, Some Not Buying It

Disney CEO Bob Iger

 A host of ABC News' The View, Joy Behar, has reportedly apologized for comments she made against Vice President Mike Pence's Christian faith.

Los Angeles Times reporter Daniel Miller tweeted Thursday that during a shareholders meeting, Disney CEO Bob Iger "says Joy Behar apologized for things she has said about Christians and the Trump administration. Iger agrees that was appropriate."

Entertainment reporter Joe Flint of The Wall Street Journal tweeted Thursday, "Disney CEO Bob Iger says he took exception with Joy Behar's remarks about Christianity and VP Mike Pence. Says Behar apologized to Pence."

6 Pastors Arrested in Rwanda for Planning to Defy Gov't Ban on 'Unclean' Churches

Rwandan police have arrested six Christian pastors on grounds that they are planning to defy a recent order that closed more than 700 churches that allegedly don't meet safety and cleanliness standards.

AFP reports that authorities in the African country announced Tuesday that they had arrested six "masterminds" plotting to defy the government's  shutdown of 714 churches and one mosque that were deemed unsafe, unclean and noisey in the capital city of Kigali.

The government accuses the religious leaders, all Pentecostals, of holding meetings where they discussed resistance of the order, which was issued last week.

Pentecostals worship at a church in Nigeria.

"After the suspension of churches that did not meet required standards, some church leaders began illegal meetings intended to defy and obstruct the directive," Rwanda National Police spokesperson Theos Badege told the international news agency. "Police began investigations to find the masterminds behind this illegal act."

Five Pakistan Christians attacked by mob while building a church wall

Five Christians were attacked by a mob of 20 as they tried to build a wall around their church in Pakistan on Sunday, according to the persecution website World Watch Monitor.

'Our church elder, George Masih, who is 70, was overseeing masons and labourers who were constructing the wall. We were praying [inside the church] when we heard shouting and yelling, and, when we rushed outside, we saw about 20 men, armed with clubs and axes, [who] were beating Masih and others,' said the pastor of the Pakistan Gospel Assemblies church in Yousufwala village, on the outskirts of the Punjabi city of Sahiwal.

George Masih (left) and his son Babar were taken to hospital after the attack.

The dispute is thought to centre around the use of the land, which was originally set apart for communal purposes though the pastor said they had obtained permission to build the church on the land three years ago.

Male escort outs 40 gay priests and seminarians in dossier sent to Vatican

A 1,200-page dossier compiled by a male escort identifying 40 priests and seminarians engaged in homosexual activity in Italy has been sent to the Vatican by the archdiocese of Naples.

In a statement on the diocesan website and reported by AP, Cardinal Cresenzio Sepe stressed that none of the identified priests worked in Naples, but said he forwarded the file to the Vatican because 'there remains the gravity of the cases for which those who have erred must pay the price, and be helped to repent for the harm done'.

The dossier, which contains WhatsApp chats and other evidence, was compiled by a gay escort, Francesco Mangiacapra. He has told Italian media that he outed the priests because he could no longer stand their hypocrisy.

Teach primary school children about money, says archbishop's charity

Primary school pupils should be taught how to manage money, according to a charity founded by the Archbishop of Canterbury.

The Just Finance Foundation, which provides training teachers and helps school savings clubs, said in a joint response with the Church of England to a Department for Education consultation that learning where money comes from, when to spend and how to save is vital to children's ability to navigate adult life.

It said teaching financial skills should be be a mandatory part of personal, social, health, and economic education (PSHE) in primary schools and warned that a 'strong focus on sex and relationships education' could squeeze out other important areas of the subject.

Vatican releases slap down document rebuking modern-day heresies

The Vatican has issued a major document slapping down what it sees as modern day heresies.

Placuit Deo, or 'Pleasing to God,' is the first major anti-heresy document for 18 years after the controversial Dominus Iesus was published in 2000.

The four-page letter released on Thursday largely steers clear of the controversies that haunted its predecessor, which was accused of having an air of superiority towards other religions, particularly in its claim that non-Christians 'objectively speaking ... are in a gravely deficient situation' with regard to salvation.

Nigerian bishops map out ways to promote 'culture of life'

Amid ongoing violence and attacks against human dignity in Nigeria, the Catholic bishops of the country released a pastoral communique promoting a culture of life within the Church and nation.
  
“As the Church prepares to mark the golden jubilee of Pope Paul VI’s Encyclical Humanae Vitae, we call on families to embrace and cultivate the culture of life, a culture marked by faith and solidarity,” read the statement released together by the bishops.

“In recognition of our divine mandate, may we remind all of the sacredness and inviolability of human life. No person, authority or institution has the right to terminate human life,” they continued.

Popular Christian Singer Declares Freedom From Satan's Attacks

Worship leader Kristian Stanfill says he was once held captive by the enemy and shame—but God freed him from all that. His song "Whole Heart" performed live at Passion 2018, is an ode to finding identity in Christ. Watch the official music video.

More churches closed down in Algeria amid growing pressure on Christians

Two more churches have been closed down by local authorities in Algeria's north-western city of Oran amid growing pressure on Christians in the north African country, according to World Watch Monitor (WWM).

The two churches – L'Oratoire [The Oratory] in Oran's city centre, and a village church in Layayda (about 40km from Oran) – were sealed off by police on Tuesday this week, WWM reported.

According to the police notification, the churches did not have state approval. WWM said that the decision is not the first of its kind in Oran.

Under Algerian law all faiths are allowed to practise if they meet certain conditions, but proselytising is illegal.

The closures come after growing concerns about heightened government pressure on churches and Christians in Algeria, with the World Evangelical Alliance's (WEA) Religious Liberty Commission this week calling on authorities there to ensure religious freedom for people of all faiths.

What's in it for men? The benefits of getting married

While the phrase “ball and chain” is still sometimes tossed around by those who view marriage as a burden, a recent study shows that men who tie the knot reap a plethora of benefits.

“Indeed, the benefits of marriage for men are substantial by every conceivable measure, including money, a better sex life, and significantly better physical and mental health,” noted a recent study released by the Institute for Family Studies.

“There’s no doubt that marriage requires sacrifices… but it turns out that these sacrifices pay for themselves and more.”