Pope Francis, Catholics, and Christians in the news worldwide
I will deny this person is me, but I would be lying! The Dead Sea might heal skin, but the smell is dreadful. I loved the effortless floating, but my husband was an avid swimmer, and his frustration over not be able to swim is a story I was sworn to never tell a soul! The story about the evacuation of the hotel in which we were staying — in the middle of the night — would be book length, I fear.
yeah, the Dead Sea and natural salt….very smelly!
There are so many skin disorders that would have been poorly understood back in ancient times. My FIL had ichthysosis, so white scales resembling snakeskin all over his body. Then, of course, we all know about vitiligo (which I don’t think can be cured by a dip in the Sea), eczema, psoriasis, even recurring hives and allergy rashes. I know there are more, but can’t think just now - am on hold on the phone with really annoying tinny muzak.
Ancient Israel had very stringent protocols for people with leprosy. FWIW, the section of Old Testament dealing with leprosy also deals with treatment of various boils, coughs, diarrhoea etc and chronic ailments as well as town planning and public building architecture. Really interesting reading for what we think of as ‘ancient fairy tales’.
From The Tablet (the one founded in 1840), a review of Catholic feminists down through the ages — and a new film to find…
For Marilynne Robinson fans… if the photo is blurry, the story is in this week’s edition of the UK’s Tablet.
The untold suffering of Catholics in Gaza…
Christians in Gaza face ‘worst period’ since start of war, report says
ACI Prensa Staff, Mar 14, 2024 / 07:00 am
The pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) has released a report highlighting that the Christian community in Gaza “is going through the worst period” since the start of the war on Oct. 7, 2023.
According to the report released on March 8, Gaza is facing difficult times, with shelling, disrupted communications, and food shortages. Sister Nabila Saleh, a religious of the Holy Rosary Congregation, described the situation as distressing but is grateful for God’s grace even in adversity.
“The little we have is because of God’s grace. The people outside suffer even more than we do, because they don’t have that consolation at this time,” she said.
Holy Family Parish in the neighborhood of Al Zeyton, in the north of the Gaza Strip, is one of the places affected by the intense clashes and bombardments. The church is currently sheltering 128 families — a total of 512 Christians, both Catholics and Orthodox — including 120 children under the age of 18, among them 60 with disabilities, and 84 elderly people.
An ACN project partner operating in the area, whose name cannot be disclosed for security reasons, reported that “the intensity of military operations increases” every time a truce is mentioned and that food shortages are at a critical point.
“Food is simply in short supply and it is difficult to find where to buy it. The Christian community takes every possible opportunity to secure some clean water and food,” the project partner said.
The food supply is limited to two meals a week and one loaf of bread every other day per person, provided by the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem with the help of organizations such as ACN. However, the community must often share small portions with one another to survive.
Access to clean water is a challenge, and many people have lost weight due to food shortages. Health problems are severe, with sick children and elderly people needing urgent medical attention, which is difficult to obtain in the midst of conflict.
“People walk for long hours to get a small box of food, which in the end is not even enough for three people. Because of this forced diet, sharing is becoming part of daily life and a new Christian identity,” the project partner told ACN.
The health situation is also alarming. Children are suffering from an outbreak of a virus that causes nausea and diarrhea, while several elderly people are facing serious illnesses that require hospitalization.
Despite the difficulties, faith remains a powerful force for the community. Religious and psychological support activities are held, including daily Masses, catechesis, and meetings for healing trauma through prayer.
Priests and religious sisters, such as Sister Nabila, play a crucial role in caring for the community, despite being exhausted. Sister Nabila emphasized that, despite everything, the faith of the community is strengthened.
“They are all exhausted; no one can really experience what they are living. But with God’s grace, our children are now even closer to their faith than ever. It’s a very special Easter; we are closer than ever to the crucified Savior,” she declared.
Although communication with the community is difficult, her constant request is simple: “Pray for us, pray for the whole population to end this war.”
This article was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA's Spanish-language partner, and has been translated and adapted by CNA.
Diego López Marina is a communicator and journalist by profession. He has been part of ACI Prensa since 2016 and currently serves as one of the agency's 
Since St. Patrick’s Day always falls during the Lenten season and he was Catholic, it is fitting to share this here…First time I was aware of this history.
Good Lord, what a collection of pro-Trump resentments this sounds like (as reported in the National Catholic Reporter) -
"Mar-A-Lago prayer event labels Trump voters' 'only Catholic option'"
"Featuring apocalyptic rhetoric tinged with Christian nationalism and grievances popular in far-right circles, the March 19 'Catholic Prayer for Trump' event at the former president's residence in Palm Beach, Florida, presented a bleak portrait of life in the United States.
"Advertised as a prayerful gathering purposely scheduled on the solemnity of St. Joseph, several speakers at the Mar-a-Lago resort described a country on the brink, where 'cultural marxists' in government manipulate the levers of power to imprison Christians and like-minded 'patriots"'who speak inconvenient truths about stolen elections, sexuality, gender, abortion and COVID-19 vaccines."
nohero said:
Good Lord, what a collection of pro-Trump resentments this sounds like (as reported in the National Catholic Reporter) -
"Mar-A-Lago prayer event labels Trump voters' 'only Catholic option'"
"Featuring apocalyptic rhetoric tinged with Christian nationalism and grievances popular in far-right circles, the March 19 'Catholic Prayer for Trump' event at the former president's residence in Palm Beach, Florida, presented a bleak portrait of life in the United States.
"Advertised as a prayerful gathering purposely scheduled on the solemnity of St. Joseph, several speakers at the Mar-a-Lago resort described a country on the brink, where 'cultural marxists' in government manipulate the levers of power to imprison Christians and like-minded 'patriots"'who speak inconvenient truths about stolen elections, sexuality, gender, abortion and COVID-19 vaccines."
Even Catholics get to vote for candidates in America! WOW!
mtierney said:
nohero said:
Good Lord, what a collection of pro-Trump resentments this sounds like (as reported in the National Catholic Reporter) -
"Mar-A-Lago prayer event labels Trump voters' 'only Catholic option'"
"Featuring apocalyptic rhetoric tinged with Christian nationalism and grievances popular in far-right circles, the March 19 'Catholic Prayer for Trump' event at the former president's residence in Palm Beach, Florida, presented a bleak portrait of life in the United States.
"Advertised as a prayerful gathering purposely scheduled on the solemnity of St. Joseph, several speakers at the Mar-a-Lago resort described a country on the brink, where 'cultural marxists' in government manipulate the levers of power to imprison Christians and like-minded 'patriots"'who speak inconvenient truths about stolen elections, sexuality, gender, abortion and COVID-19 vaccines."
Even Catholics get to vote for candidates in America! WOW!
My post is about a dishonest Trump event telling lies about my Catholic faith and saying that if I don't vote for Trump I'm somehow not a real Catholic.
In light of that, your response is just as offensive. And not, I'm not going to "have a sense of humor" about those religious phonies at Mar-a-Lago supporting Trump's campaign.
Note.. the Gospel today is very long, and beyond my cut and paste capabilities, so I offer these Readings today…
Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion
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joanne, hmm, interesting. Based on your mother's experience, i wonder how many "lepers" in the bible actually may have had psoriasis or some other skin problem. And yay! for her happy outcome.