Catholic Reading Wednesday & Saint Dymphna Society

With many thanks to our wonderful and insightful curator, Karen Celano, you can explore faith-related news topics each Wednesday! Karen writes this week in Catholic news:

Politics:
Crux, the new website sponsored by the Boston Globe dedicated to reporting on Catholicism, reports on a Pew Research study that finds that 72% of Americans believe religion is losing its influence on public life, but also that more Americans than ever before want their churches to be more engaged in politics. The National Catholic Reporter also covers the same story.

Pro-Life News:
1) In The American Conservative, Rod Dreher speaks of the rise of women sharing their stories about their abortions in a “guilt-free” way, and about how these stories are discomfiting even for those who consider themselves “pro-choice.” Such tales of “guilt-free abortions” have made at least one reader wonder if pro-lifers are “right about the overall effect [of abortion] on our humanity.”

2) The Atlantic observes that, despite the fact that abortions are at a historical low in this country, they are actually on the rise among African-Americans and Latinas. Part of the reason may be the fear among these women of “the way society treats people who get pregnant young or unintended, especially if they’re of color" - which suggests that pro-life people may want to think of ways to combat the stigma such women face.

The Vatican:
1) Pope Francis appoints five women to the International Theological Commission, which advises the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF). Women now comprise 16% of the Commission’s members.

2) Pope Francis has also chosen a successor to Chicago’s Cardinal George, naming Bishop Blase Cupich of Spokane to the position. Some observers see this as a “clear signal that the church is changing under this pope,” as “George’s rigid approach to upholding church doctrine” is contrasted with Cupich’s “more conciliatory mode.”

Culture:
In The National Catholic Reporter, Eddie Siebert, SJ, examines the recent spate of films with religious and/or spiritual content, such as “Noah” and “Heaven is For Real.” He argues that these films reflect an “evangelical Protestant” understanding of the Christian tradition, leaving little room for a Catholic viewpoint, which is “seen as too conservative by mainstream. . . companies” but “too liberal or Catholic by faith-based companies.” However, he sees hope in the fact that many television shows are engaging deeper spiritual, theological, and religious questions that may bring a more thoughtful engagement with religion back into popular culture.

Miscellaneous:
1) The Atlantic responds to Cal State's decision to de-recognize the Intervarsity Christian Fellowship as an official campus organization, saying that such a decision not only hurts students of faith and threatens their religious freedom, but also undermines the university's ability to "create space for competing ideas" in a pluralistic environment.

2) Crux tells the story of Sr. Joan Dawber, who runs a safe house for survivors of human trafficking.

3) Experiencing anxiety? In The Catholic Exchange, Fr. Joseph Esper has lessons for us from the saints.

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Saint Dymphna Society
A faith-based, peer-led support group will begin this Thursday, September 25th at 6:30 pm in the Saint Agnes Parish Center.  We will listen, share, learn, pray, and provide spiritual support to each other in our journeys through depression.  If you are struggling with depression, please come to share your story in a faith-based, confidential, and safe environment.  For more information, contact Karen Celano at 516-946-6287 or KCelano [at] gmail.com.