Catholic Church

By Fr. Joseph M. Esper, Catholic Exchange - When loved ones die, many people experience, in addition to grief and loneliness, a concern over the state of those loved ones, particularly if those departed souls weren’t the saintliest people in their lifetime or if they died sudden, unprovided deaths. What has become of these souls? Those who are left behind wonder... The Church has always taught the existence of Purgatory, a place or state of existence after death, where, if necessary, we’re cleansed of any remaining effects of our sins and made ready to enter into Heaven.

By John Zmirak, The Stream - Imagine if in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein sex abuse scandal, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) had met. But it didn’t rebuke Weinstein. Or establish firm policies to keep such men from preying on actresses. It invited one of the studio heads who’d covered up for him the longest to speak. And it kicked the can down the road. Would it ever solve the problem of sexual exploitation?

By Jonathan B. Coe, Crisis Magazine - The apostle Paul certainly saw the redemptive side of scandal and division: “For there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized” (I Cor. 11:19). At least the laity, operating as Mary’s Heel, can say to a prelate like Cupich or a priest like Martin, “We know who you are, and we know that you know that we know.”...

By Edward Pentin, EWTN News - The Holy See has become increasingly mute in the face of frequent… Whether it be the sexual abuse crisis, the Holy See’s recent landmark deal with China, or allegations raised in Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò’s testimonies, the Vatican is often being subjected to a barrage of important questions from the faithful… But usually these days, the Vatican’s response to these inquiries is obfuscation or, more commonly, silence.