Flashes
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Hope wears an apron, not a crown
In a noisy world, service is how faith still speaks. It’s less about what we believe and more about how we live. When words fail — and they often do — a kind gesture says: you matter, and you are not alone.
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Blessings for couples who love one another
Germany’s bishops have said yes to blessing LGBTQ and other non-traditional couples in a historic pastoral shift. The catch? There’s no approved ceremony to do it, leaving questions about how sustainable this practice can be.
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A story of courage (but don’t mention the ‘G’ word)
When Austin Appelbee swam four kilometers to save his family, he credited God for giving him strength. But most Australian and syndicated media outlets left that crucial detail out of their coverage, raising questions about how faith stories are reported.
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The great traditionalist tilt
Research spanning four decades confirms a significant shift toward conservatism among Catholic priests in the United States. A study highlights that newer cohorts are increasingly traditional regarding moral, theological and political issues, marking a distinct departure from the liberal attitudes prevalent in previous generations of American clergy.
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Synodality: Boredom of the bubble
Inside the beltway, some seriously try to bring synodality to life while others rely on token efforts and the passivity of the faithful to ensure the status quo remains undisturbed. Outside this bubble, however, it remains a sideshow that has simply failed to find traction.
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I was changed
Dust-covered pilgrims pour through doors at 12:30, speaking four languages in tangled sentences that somehow still communicate perfectly. A hospitalero learns that welcome isn’t just a word—it’s the space between a stranger’s exhaustion and their first breath of relief, where transformation happens to everyone standing at the threshold.
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The world needs more than just common sense
When “common sense” fails the heart, where do we turn? A look at how imagination allows us to see possibilities that simple precedent cannot offer. By expanding our vision, we find new ways to live with purpose in a difficult, often cynical world.
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The Church is not a ‘she’
Recent Vatican documents on women’s diaconate rely heavily on nuptial theology, arguing that female ordination would compromise the spousal relationship between Christ and church. This reasoning transforms metaphorical language into doctrinal necessity, creating theological problems by literalizing what tradition presents as symbolic representation.
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Covered in the dust of the road
There is something deeply moving about a love that refuses to wait for an apology. When we expect a lecture, we often receive a hug instead. It is the scandal of being welcomed home before we’ve even washed our hands.
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A convergence of realism and Catholic social teaching
Mark Carney’s Davos speech reveals a striking alignment between modern geopolitical strategy and Catholic social teaching. As the post-Cold War order fractures, the need for systems that protect human dignity and promote the common good has never been more urgent or necessary.
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