Bishop Joseph McFadden of Harrisburg, PA made this regrettable statement recently with regards to the public schools in his diocese. “In totalitarian governments, they would love our system,” McFadden said to during the interview. “This is what Hitler and Mussolini and all those tried to establish a monolith so all the children would be educated …
Category Archive: Catholics and World Events
Jan
22
Soon to Be My Favorite Cardinal
Cardinal-Designate Thomas Collins, the Archbishop of Toronto is simply a wonderfully humble guy. I got to interview him once for BustedHalo® and he’s always warm and inviting. You can sense the surprise in his voice here as he meets with the Canadian media on his recent appointment: Congrats, to our neighbors to the North and …
Jan
22
Will Health and Human Services Really Force Catholics to Cooperate With Evil?
The Department of Health and Human Services in the Obama administration will soon require all employers to include “contraception and sterilization coverage in their health-insurance plans, including those provided to employees of religious institutions.” The USCCB is complaining that this violates religious liberty and requires Catholics to purchase a health care plan that violates their …
Jan
20
Kerry Robinson: The Church’s Classiest Woman
In my now many years of ministry one of the joys I have had is being able to meet a lot of really wonderful people. Some of these people are prayerful and contemplative, like my buddy Fr. Tom Ryan, CSP. Others are silly and fun, like Fr. Brett Hoover, CSP. Some are energizing like Becky …
Dec
26
Boxing Day
So today is Boxing Day, a day that few know about, but is huge in Britain where is is also known as St Stephen’s Day (as it is in Catholic circles). The origins of Boxing Day are dubious, ranging from some saying that the lower classes would bring a box to their employers who would …
Dec
25
We Need a Savior
After a lovely “Midnight Mass” (at 10PM–don’t get me started) at St. Joe’s I had a hard time concentrating. A friend is dealing with a horrible tragedy in her life that occurred just before the holiday—so please pray for her. After opening some presents and getting a restful night I awoke to the following story …
Dec
23
Should Catholics Let Their Children Believe in Santa?
So I’ve seen a couple of thoughts from some random colleagues on this the past few days and I’ll sprinkle my thoughts in with theirs. The first comment goes to Sarah Hart, of Christian music fame: My early Christmas present: My 6th grade daughter said “mom, some kids at school don’t believe in Santa…but I …
Dec
18
Kim Jong Il Dead: What’s Next for North Korea?
It’s a dangerous time for North Korea (and the world) now that Kim Jong Il is dead. Nicholas Kristof of the NY Times shared this snip on Facebook moments ago. North Korea is by far the most repressive and totalitarian country I’ve ever visited; it makes Syria or Burma seem like democracies. In North Korea, …
Dec
17
Dutch Church and Sexual Abuse
The Dutch Bishops apologized for failing to adequately deal with the sexual abuse of over 20,000 children in institutions since 1945. But anecdotal evidence in the report concerning two Catholic orders — the Brothers of Charity and the Salesians of Don Bosco — suggested “that the Catholic situation was worse than in other denominations.” In …
Dec
17
Away In a Manger, The Flying Spaghetti Monster
In Leesburg, VA, Christmas displays are causing discord. Members of the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster are scheduled to put up their contribution this weekend. It’s a banner portraying a Nativity-style scene, but Jesus is nowhere to be found. Instead, the Virgin Mary cradles a stalk-eyed noodle-and-meatball creature, and the manger is surrounded by …
About the Blogger
Mike Hayes is an author, commentator, Campus Minister and Spiritual Director. He founded the award winning BustedHalo.com in 2001 and wrote the book Googling God with Paulist Press in 2007. Mike is currently a Campus Minister at The University at Buffalo where he serves on the staff of St Joseph University Church. He is available for speaking engagements, retreats and personal spiritual direction.
Are We Friends?