News

By Phil Lawler, Catholic Culture - Following the installation of a new Catholic bishop in China last week, the Vatican announced that the appointment had been made “in accordance with the Provisional Agreement between the Holy See and the People’s Republic of China.”... Not quite. The details of the Vatican-Beijing accord remain secret, but the common understanding is that the Pope chooses bishops from among candidates nominated by Beijing. But Bishop Francis Li Jianlin, who was ordained last week to head the Xianxiang prefecture, was named by the Chinese regime in April, when there was no Pope to approve the selection.

By Fr. Kevin Drew, Catholic Exchange - Where did John baptize people?... The Jordan River runs south out of the Sea of Galilee, seventy miles to the north of Jerusalem. Pilgrims, headed to Jerusalem for the feasts, would take the river road south to Jericho and then head west up the Jericho Road the last fifteen miles to Jerusalem.  The Baptist positioned himself somewhere near where these two roads met.  It was a good location for business, busy with people coming and going from the big city.