Pope John Paul I

There are many people and religious sects that resemble the Scribes and Pharisees from when Jesus was walking the earth. Even though there is plenty of evidence of the events that took place some two thousand years ago, people and religious groups do not believe they had taken place. Some groups that could resemble the Pharisees and Scribes of today lack some of the attributes of the teachers of the past. When Jesus was dealing with the questions of the different religious sects of the day, He…

Since I can remember, my religion and my life come hand in hand. I grew up in a town with a very strong Catholic faith that was passed on to me and I have kept it since. I started learning about my faith since I was a child and now that I am a young adult, I try day by day to understand it better and to follow the teachings of it. My faith is something I carry with me everywhere I go and it is not only a part of my life but a part of me. Faith has been a part of me since the day I was born. I…

euthanasia. Particularly, Roman Catholicism and Buddhism have similar and opposing stances on euthanasia. Theravada Buddhism and Mahayana Buddhism share the same core beliefs and the basic teachings of Four Noble Truths and Eightfold path, that’s why I am comparing the religion of Buddhism as a whole, rather than using a specific branch. Despite bearing a few comparable viewpoints on…

Catholic University of America itself is stretched across one hundred and seventy-six acres of land adjacent to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, the largest Catholic church in North America. It has been visited by Popes John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and Francis. The shrine’s Spiritual Director Fr. Raymond Lebrun knows a lot about the goings-on in the neighborhood and how the church has continued its outreach efforts despite all the recent real-estate developments…

The Boardwalk Muse I followed the ancient, rickety boardwalk through the rows of corn that went to the ends of my Earth. The early summertime dew had a perfume of light magic that hung in the air like the fireflies that danced in and out of my vision. Pounding against the decrepit boards, my bare feet were getting tired from the running I was doing, but I couldn 't stop now. John was waiting for me near the ocean at the end of the lane, our little spot. Nothing more than a puny fishing…

Righteous B and His Ministry of Dirty Vagabonds There are many people who have made an impact when it comes to Youth Ministry. Pope John Paul II comes to mind when thinking about leaders in youth outreach, but I always think of someone who works on a much smaller scale. Someone who affected my life personally when it came to my religion. I always think of the Catholic youth minister and rapper Bob Lesnefsky aka Righteous B. With his wife, and a large number of young missionaries…

Animals Have Souls Do animals have souls? Do people have souls? There are many differing definitions for the soul, and how can you begin to answer any of these questions without a chosen definition? Clarence Darrow’s “The Myth Of the Soul” and my secondary sources will conclude that yes, animals do have souls, and in fact, to think that they do not is much harder to believe. Jesus and Buddha praised vegetarianism because of a humans connectedness to all life (Jones-Hunt). Before eating meat…

Pope John XXIII initiated the Second Vatican Council in January of 1959. This came to a suprise for many as they believed that Ecumenical Council was an outdated method for change. However, Pope John XXIII believed this would be an effective way to make doctrinal changes. This Council brought about many changes to the Mass that were significant. Four changes that were momentous were the language change, the readings change, singing during Mass, and fasting times. Before the Second Vatican…

“external changes.” Many external changes have been only ceremonial with many forms of racism ever present in our society today. We can change the laws, the appearances, but these things are useless without a change of heart. In Pacem in Terris, Pope John XXIII states that in order for the equality and dignity of man to be upheld “No…

In 2014, I was head over heels for the Catholic Church. A young adult going to mass every Sunday morning and then again Sunday night for “Teen” mass wasn’t abnormal in the city of Corpus Christi. I mean, the name of the city translates into “Body of Christ.” (Spoiler: “Teen” mass wasn’t as ‘Hip’ or ‘poppin’ as you might think it would be. The only difference was instead of a children’s choir it was a ragtag band playing slow Jesus songs.) But this Teen Mass was different, this was my last one…