Pope Leo XIV Laments “War Again” and says “Violence is never the right choice.” Defense Secretary Hegseth says “Christ is King” and Trump’s actions are “biblical.” Welcome to Wisdom Wednesday. Among our items this week you will find a greater emphasis on identifying news from opinion, conclusion from impartial observation. None of the items is endorsed by the AUSCP.
War in the Middle East
The US-Israeli war with Iran threatens Asia’s fragile ecosystem, says a news report from UCAN, the Union of Catholic Asian News. “The tempest touches the emotions and economies of people — Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, and small Christian communities.”
Pope Leo XIV issued a “forceful appeal” to end increasing violence in the Middle East as the United States, Israel and Iran continue to exchange missile strikes and threats of escalations, warning of the risk of a “tragedy of enormous proportions.” A news report from National Catholic Reporter.
“Violence Is Never the Right Choice” — Pope Leo XIV Laments “War Again” In the Middle East.
He told the world to stop a war. Then he sat with mothers of addicted children in the Quarticciolo. Our report is from Christopher Hale whose “Letters from Leo” represents his liberal viewpoint.
“Why A War With Iran Means Confronting Radical Evil” headlines an opinion item by Rabbi Jeffrey Salkin, published by Religion News Service. Salkin is the rabbi of Temple Beth Am in Bayonne, NJ, and the author of many books on Jewish spirituality, published by Jewish Lights. He says “For Jews observing Purim, the timing of the attack on Iran is uncanny. The lessons are sobering.”
Faith groups react to war
In Pakistan, Christians and Muslims pray together for peace, according to an agency describing its point of view as “Independent Catholic News.”
Anglican Archbishop Hosam Naoum of Jerusalem has issued a pastoral letter, responding to the military actions in the Middle East.
Iranian evangelicals are staying put, tentative but hopeful, says Hormoz Shariat, who runs a streaming ministry for Iranian Christians. He writes, “With this death of the supreme leader, everybody is firstly happy and hopeful but are still asking ‘What’s next? The report is from Religion News Service.
‘Open betrayal’ or ‘just and imperative’? The on-line newspaper, The Guardian, reports “Trump’s Iran strikes divide conservative media.” The news report says Trump’s decision to join Israel in attacking Iran has divided the American right – from Murdoch’s cheerleaders to Maga isolationists.
Faith and the Trump Presidency
NEWS During an address at the National Religious Broadcasters convention, Defense Secretary Hegseth told attendees that President Donald Trump is fighting for their faith and returning America to its Christian foundations and that Trump’s actions are “biblical.” This item is a news report from Religion News Service, on Hegseth’s recent speech.
OPINION Hegseth proclaims ‘Christ is king,’ turning Christian hope into a political slogan. The phrase does not — and should not — point to any earthly nation or project. Writer Michael DeLashmutt, in an item published by Religion News Service offers his opinion.
The U.S. bishops have filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court calling Trump’s birthright citizenship order “immoral” and unconstitutional — a consequential legal action without recent parallel. Our report is from Christopher Hale, who shares his views at the website for “Letters from Leo.”
CATHOLIC POSITION “The Thought of Holding Thousands of Families in Massive Warehouses Should Challenge the Conscience of Every American,” says Bishop Brendan J. Cahill, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Migration. Our report is from the USCCB Public Affairs office.
Maryland’s attorney general has sued the Trump administration over a planned 102-million- dollar detention center. The Black Catholic Messenger reports that Anthony Brown, a Black Catholic, is the first AG to sue the White House over its plans to convert warehouses into immigrant holding facilities.
400 Christian leaders urge resistance to Trump administration. Religion News Service reports the statement was issued on Ash Wednesday, and it included a mix of denominational leaders, seminary presidents, scholars and leaders of prominent congregations.
Reflecting on our Catholic faith
In an opinion piece, Fabian Adderley writes about “Catholic discernment while Black: When the call comes through dismay.” In his article, published by Black Catholic Messenger, Adderley explains how the call to service in the Church is uniquely experienced in Black life, especially through the lens of hardship.
For Catholics seeking spiritual renewal, rest and fellowship — all while exploring new destinations from the comfort of a floating hotel — cruise pilgrimages are becoming an increasingly popular option. This item is s feature story from the National Catholic Register.
OPINION ‘My Fellow Catholics, It Is Time to Choose.’ So says Christopher Hale at his website, Letters from Leo. He concludes, “Trump and Vance have made unmistakably clear who they are. History is now waiting to see who we are.”
“Who’s the bishop of the internet?” asks Tulio Huggins in his analysis at Black Catholic Messenger. He sees the internet as a challenge that rivals the arrival of the printing press. Who do you trust when anyone with a phone, ring light, and microphone can spread their message to potentially millions of people. Priests and bishops can speak confidently, persuasively, and still be completely wrong on the faith. “If ever there were a Bishop of the Internet, it is the Bishop of Rome.”
Columnist Michael Sean Winters writes, from National Catholic Reporter, “I have been linking to Pope Leo XIV’s ongoing catechesis on the teachings of the Second Vatican Council since he began them at the start of the year. Last week (Feb. 18), he began examining Lumen Gentium, the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, and it deserves more than a mere paragraph.”
Justice Bulletin Board
How would you name the presence of Jesus in your life today? This is a good question for personal reflection. Other questions that you might ask yourself are: Do I echo the kind of love that God shows in my own encounters with the poor, oppressed, or marginalized? What holds me back?
Papal impact
Following an examination of the papacy of Leo, Mark Silk offers this analysis: “The quiet American? Pope Leo XIV enables Catholic resistance to Trump.” Silk is an American academic. He is Professor of Religion in Public Life at Trinity College, In an item from Religion News Service, hze concludes, “Pope Leo XIV may be less inclined to stick his thumb in the eye of the conservative resistance, but he’s no less committed to Pope Francis’ agenda.”
The National Catholic Register offers a feature on young actors who were inspired by St. John Paul II. The lay-led Catholic youth theater in the Diocese of Wichita claims St. John Paul II as a patron as they train young actors in humility, courage, and the art of changing culture one performance at a time.
The eucharistic revival and parish life
The eucharistic revival in 2024 helped reshape parish life for some young Catholics, says Angeles Ponpa, a multimedia journalist who reports on politics, public policy and artificial intelligence. From National Catholic Reporter.
Okay to opt out in Maryland
A group of religious parents who sued the Montgomery County Board of Education in Maryland after it refused to let them opt their children out of classes discussing books on LGBTQ+ characters will receive a $1.5 million settlement. From Religion News Service.
Texas corrections: Preaching over teaching?
Hundreds of corrections are being issued for Texas’ Bible-infused curriculum, known as the “Bluebonnet” textbook. The report from Religion News Service says the action is among Republican-led efforts in the U.S. to incorporate more religious teaching into classrooms.
Research
Deep divides over Christianity: Republicans, Southerners and Trump backers are the mostly likely to support Christian nationalist ideas. That is the conclusion in a new report from the Public Religion Research Institute. It shows deep divides over the place of Christianity in the U.S.
Which U.S. religious groups are most highly educated? Hindus and Jews are much more likely to have a four-year college degree than Americans in other religious groups, according to Pew Research Center’s 2023-24 Religious Landscape Study (RLS).
Crowdfunding for a pope’s tiara
Isaac Smith, a convert to Catholicism and the founder of Amici Vaticani, told EWTN News that his new nonprofit hopes to generate enough small donations to construct a papal tiara for Pope Leo XIV as a gift from American Catholics. The report from National Catholic Register.
Catholic pilgrims take to the seas
Cruises are becoming an increasingly popular choice for faith-based vacationing, according to an article in the National Catholic Register. The story features Penelope Williams, a Catholic convert 12 years ago, who has since traveled the world, immersing herself in the history of the Church, from Rome and the Holy Land to North American shrines and St. Paul’s route across the Mediterranean.
Pope: Just say no to AI, TikTok
Pope Leo XIV has urged priests to not to use artificial intelligence to write their homilies or to seek “likes” on social media platforms like TikTok. His comments came during a question-and-answer session with clergy from the Diocese of Rome. From OSV News.
‘You don’t know the half’ of the Good Samaritan story
Baptist News Global offers a report on a sermon given by Reginald Sharpe Jr., on the story of the Good Samaritan: “Sharpe slowed the story down and forced the church to sit with the human body in the ditch.” Writer Braxton Wade offers his analysis.
What ‘Traditional Marriage’ Actually Meant (It’s Not What You Think)
Podcaster Chris Damian writes, “In my latest podcast episode, I explore how Christian theology has historically understood marriage, friendship, loneliness, and human flourishing.” Damian is an attorney and writer, with degrees from the University of St. Thomas and the University of Notre dame. Available on YouTube.
And lead us into laughter
Comedian Taylor Tomlinson: “I’ll get real big hair, marry a man, let him lead, write a book called, ’Submissive Wife, Submissive Life,’ adopt a Southern accent out of nowhere.” Tomlinson was joking about what it might look like for her to repent and return to her conservative evangelical roots in her new Netflix special, Prodigal Daughter. From Baptist News Global.
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