News

Detroit Catholic, CNS News - In response to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Pope Francis said he will give an extraordinary blessing "urbi et orbi" (to the city and the world) at 6 p.m. Rome time (1 p.m. Eastern) on Friday, March 27… The formal blessing — usually given only immediately after a new pope's election and on Christmas and Easter — carries with it a plenary indulgence for all who follow by television, internet or radio, are sorry for their sins, recite a few prescribed prayers and promise to go to confession and to receive the Eucharist as soon as possible… The special blessing will be streamed live from www.vaticannews.va and Vatican News’ Facebook page, and the CatholicTV (CTV) will carry it live at 1 p.m. Eastern time.

By Michael Warren Davis, Crisis Magazine - The reader, I’m sure, can’t help but think of Our Lady’s warning to the three little children of Fátima that “if people do not cease offending God,” a second (and far worse) World War would break out. “When you see a night illumined by an unknown light, know that this is the great sign given you by God that He is about to punish the world for its crimes,” she advised. Russia “will spread her errors throughout the world, causing wars and persecutions of the Church. The good will be martyred, the Holy Father will have much to suffer, and various nations will be annihilated.”

By Janet E. Smith, EWTN News - With few exceptions, the bishops seem to be “missing in action.” Many of them already use social media, particularly Twitter, to connect with their flock, but besides live streaming their Sunday Mass and putting links to where other Masses can be “viewed” in the diocese, they have not stepped up their “personal” presence to their flock. It seems only Bishop Joseph Strickland of Tyler, Texas, has begun to match what some of their priests are doing. Bishop Strickland (as quite a few priests have) has taken the Blessed Sacrament in the monstrance out to the public. Why wouldn’t all of them be doing that and much more?

EWTN Radio is temporarily rebranding its EWTN Radio Classics programming as EWTN Radio Essentials to provide more broadcasts of the Mass, devotionals, and spiritual reflections… “Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures,” Jack Williams, general manager of the EWTN… Under the program changes, Mass will be broadcast eight times a day, every two hours from 8 a.m. through midnight Eastern Time….