On July 19 Pope Benedict XVI accepted the resignation of Cardinal Justin Rigali of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and named Archbishop Charles Chaput, O.F.M.Cap., of Denver to succeed him. The pope also accepted the resignation of Bishop J. Kevin Boland of the Diocese of Savannah on July 19 and announced that Gregory John Hartmayer, O.F.M.Conv., will replace him. • The Washington Theological Union announced on June 27 that the school could no longer support itself financially and will close for good at the end of the 2012-13 academic year. • On July 14 Governor Jerry Brown of California signed a bill requiring public school social studies textbooks to recognize the contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans. California is the first state to approve such a law. • In connection with World Youth Day 2011, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops will host a vocation day on Wednesday, Aug. 17, at St. Francis Borgia Parish in Madrid and a “virtual pilgrimage” online for those unable to travel. • The Vatican newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano, praised the final Harry Potter film for its focus on the values of sacrifice and friendship.
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Pope Francis prayed that the Jubilee Year may become “a season of hope” and reconciliation in a world at war and suffering humanitarian crises as he opened the Holy Door in St. Peter’s Basilica on Christmas Eve.
‘If God can visit us, even when our hearts seem like a lowly manger, we can truly say: Hope is not dead; hope is alive and it embraces our lives forever!’
Inspired by his friend and mentor Henri Nouwen, Metropolitan Borys Gudziak, leader of Ukrainian Catholics in the U.S., invites listeners in his Christmas Eve homily to approach the manger with renewed awe and openness.
A Homily for the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, by Father Terrance Klein