Signs of the Times

Pope Benedict on Europe and the Future. Just in case anyone doubts that Europe is, in effect, de-Christianized, Pope Benedict XVI recently shared his thoughts on the subject with Catholic journalist, Sandro Magister. In the interview the Holy Father comments on Europe's past, present and future and on the importance of the Church's new role as a "creative minority." It's a wonderful interview and can be read in its entirety here.

The Dictatorship of Relativism. This is another subject on which the Holy Father frequently speaks. To understand better the effects of runaway relativism on our culture, read this article by Matthew Hanley in which he exposes the need to pile lie upon lie in a never-ending effort to build a facade to conceal the truth. Eventually, of course, it will all come tumbling down. Read his commentary here.

Pro-Life Sentiment Gains. Good news! According to a survey conducted by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, the American people have actually become more pro-life since President Obama took office. Indeed, this movement toward the pro-life position is the largest shift since polling on the subject started in 1995. It would seem that the president's radical pro-abortion stance is causing people to take notice and examine the issue more closely. I expect, however, that the Democrat leadership in Congress will attribute this shift to growing racism among the American people. To read the full story on this development, click here.

Pope Benedict to Visit UK. For the first time ever, a pope will make an official state visit to England. Pope Benedict plans to make the trip next year. According to reports he will meet with the queen, perhaps even spend a night or two at Buckingham Palace, and also visit Birmingham, Oxford and Edinburgh. It is expected that the Holy Father will conduct the beatification of Cardinal John Henry Newman during the visit, most likely in Birmingham where Newman founded the Oratory. Click here for the full story.

Open Church Doors! Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, Archbishop of Vienna, told his priests during a retreat to make churches available to the people for prayer and worship: "Do everything possible, and the impossible, to allow the faithful and persons seeking God -- whom God awaits -- to have access to Jesus in the Eucharist: Don't close the doors of your churches, please!" Read more on this here.

Keep Sunday as the Lord's Day. For his October prayer intention Pope Benedict has given us the following: "That Sunday may be lived as the day on which Christians gather to celebrate the risen Lord, participating in the Eucharist." How many of us fail to keep holy the Lord's Day? How many of us habitually attend Saturday Mass so we can sleep in on Sunday? How many actually turn our minds and hearts to the Lord on Sunday by participating in the Eucharist, the source and summit of the Christian life?

God's peace...