At the Eucharist of Epiphany in St Peter’s Basilica, Pope Leo XIV introduced a new Ferula pontificalis for the first time, VaticanNews.va reports on January 13. Unlike a bishop’s crozier, which ends in a curved hook, the papal pastoral staff is straight at the top. The new ferula resembles the famous pastoral staff used by John Paul II, with its prominent cruciform design. However, it omits the crucifixion imagery. "Christ is no longer depicted with the nails of the Passion," noted the Liturgical Office, "but with his glorified body, ascending to the Father." It continued: "As in his appearances after Easter, the risen Lord shows his wounds as luminous signs of victory - a victory that does not erase human suffering, but surpasses it in the dawn of divine life." The Ferula pontificalis has been in use since the late Middle Ages and was traditionally presented to a newly elected pope when he took possession of his cathedra at the Basilica of St John Lateran. Paul VI was the first pope …Bontsi
A big company decided to send three employees to a professional development program. The first one to go was a data analyst. He came back three days later and reported: “The course was fascinating. They taught us how to build a full analytical model. The model doesn’t actually work yet, but hey — the architecture is gorgeous.” The second one was a sales manager. He returned after two days and announced: “Fantastic training. They taught us how to sell anything. If you want, I can sell you my completion certificate — it’s still warm.” The third was a logistics specialist. He didn’t return after three days. Not after five. Two weeks went by before he finally walked back into the office — tanned, relaxed, and looking extremely pleased with himself. Everyone rushed him: “Where have you been?!” He shrugged: “Well… did anyone book me a return date? Did anyone put down the office address? Did anyone list a contact person in case I got lost? No? Thought so. So I applied what they taught …Bontsi
Russia is sending military craft to Iran, the UN comes out condemning Iran's actions against its protesters, as Trumps calls them patriots and that he will support them and sending them aid, the hypocrisy of nations condemning Iran's actions but not Trump's actions vs his own protesters in the U.S. the killing of innocent Americans defamed by calling them domestic terrorists and the stealing of Venezuela's oil, and the abduction of president Maduro, the UN never imposed sanctions nor condemn Trump but is conveniently condemning Iran. Trump defends Iran's democracy but tramples over his own and shows how good of a Dictator he is. The irony for power, and the gullible Americans that still believe all is for the good of the world and a country when they are not listening to Trump's own words that he is in for the resources, nothing else. WW 3 is coming.
weihnachtlich Bûche de Noël Für den Teig 100g Weizenmehl (Type 405) 1TL Backpulver 135g Zucker 5 Eier (Gr. M) ½TL Salz 60ml neutrales Speiseöl (z.B. Sonnenblumenöl) 2TL Vanilleextrakt Für die Füllung 200g Sahne 80g Doppelrahmfrischkäse 2TL Vanilleextrakt ¼TL Salz 30g Puderzucker 2EL Backkakao Für die Tränke 40g Zucker 45ml dunkler Rum Für die Buttercreme 160g weiche Butter 2 Eigelbe (Gr. M) 75g Zucker 2EL Wasser 75g Zartbitterschokolade (70% Kakaoanteil) 1TL Vanilleextrakt ¼TL Salz Für die Dekoration Etwas Puderzucker zum Bestäuben Ein paar Rosmarinzweige Frische oder tiefgefrorene Cranberries Außerdem Etwas Öl für das Blech Etwas Puderzucker für das Küchenhandtuch
Paul VI said: “In my view, it is better that a selection be made of Psalms more suitable to Christian prayer, and that the imprecatory and historical Psalms be omitted (though these last may be suitably use in certain circumstances." (Annibale Bugnini, The Reform of the Liturgy (1948-1975), Collegeville: Liturgical Press, 1990, p. 509). Photo and quote from the website The ‘Anti-Liturgical Heresy’ - Dialogue Mass 153 …
Some people say Catholics leave the Church because Catholicism is weak. But here’s the real question: "Why do people usually leave because they never learned the faith, while many converts enter because they studied it deeply?" History shows a clear pattern. When Catholics are poorly catechized, they often drift away without knowing what the Church actually teaches about Scripture, the Eucharist, the sacraments, or apostolic authority. The Bible itself warns us about this reality: “My people perish for lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6). At the same time, many former Protestants tell the opposite story. They didn’t convert because of emotions or pressure. They converted after serious study. They read the early Church Fathers. They examined how the Bible was formed. They studied the Eucharist, apostolic succession, and the authority Christ gave to the Church. And the more they studied, the more Catholic Christianity matched what they found in history and Scripture. Jesus said, “The truth …Bontsi
Sex abuse is selectively and ideologically treated in public debate, writes Archbishop Jesús Sanz Montes of Oviedo, Spain, on Abc.es on January 11. While condemning homosexual abuse cases within the Catholic Church, he argues that focusing almost exclusively on ecclesial cases risks obscuring the true scope of a crime that affects society as a whole. Referring to official reports, Archbishop Sanz Montes emphasizes that the majority of abuse cases occur in non-religious contexts: within families, schools, sports organizations, residential care facilities, and other civil institutions. According to Archbishop Sanz Montes, if the true goal is justice for all victims, then governments and public institutions should assume responsibility for abuses that occurred under their oversight or within their spheres of competence. Furthermore, the Archbishop argues that a society that trivializes sexuality, weakens moral reference points, and allows unrestricted access to harmful material - such as …Bontsi
Saint Genoveva Torres Morales | The Angel of Solitude | January 5th St Joseph's Corner Youngest of sixchildren. By the age of eight, both her parents and four of her siblings had died. A child homemaker for her older brother, Genovena grew up a quiet child, accustomed to solitude. She took an interest in spiritual reading around age ten, and early understood that the purpose of all life is to follow God. When she was 13, her left leg became gangrenous and had to be amputated; there was no anesthesia for the operation, it never properly healed, and she was on crutches the rest of her life. From 1885 to 1894 she lived at the Mercy Home run by the Carmelites of Charity, healing, learning to sew, and deepening her spiritual life. She wanted to join these sisters, but her health was not good enough. In 1894 she moved in with two other laywomen who supported themselves and each other, living a poor but prayerful life. The desire to help poorwomen grew in Genoveva, …Bontsi
On December 6, 2025, the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops released a statement about the 62 Vatican artifacts returned to the Indigenous Peoples of Canada. Here's what the bishops said: (Montreal) – In celebration of the Jubilee of Hope declared by Pope Francis, Pope Leo XIV gifted 62 cultural artifacts that had been part of the Vatican Museums’ Anima Mundi collection to the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, for immediate transfer to Indigenous communities in Canada. Among the items is a rare, century-old kayak from the Western Arctic and other artifacts of cultural significance to Inuit, First Nations and Métis communities. Leaders of the Assembly of First Nations, Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and Métis National Council were in Montreal to receive the gifts when they arrived in Canada. Local First Nations leadership held ceremony to welcome the sacred items and First Nations bundles back to Canada. Elders and Residential School Survivors have …
The diocese of Rottenburg-Stuttgart, Germany, allegedly regrets its televised Christmas Eve Eucharist, which featured an adult woman covered in sticky rice paper who resembled a slimy alien in a manger. The Eucharist was broadcast Germanwide from the parish of St Mary’s in Stuttgart. The officiating priest, Thomas Steiger, said during the service: "The nativity scene shows a real human being, lying there miserable, naked and exposed." Next to him, the female actor breathed heavily and slowly writhed in the paper, which was apparently meant to represent the vernix covering a newborn child. "This is how radically God becomes human: close, touchable, without distance, real," said Rev Steiger. It was only on 12 January, after nearly three weeks of mounting criticism and online mockery, that Bishop Klaus Krämer of Rottenburg-Stuttgart published a statement on the diocesan website. It claims that the bishop has taken note of the feedback and carefully reviewed it over the past few days. "The …Bontsi
"Religious sentiments were hurt": After almost 3 weeks, the diocese of Rottenburg-Stuttgart acknowledges, in typical Novus Ordo speak, the disaster that was the nationally televised 'Christmas Mass' featuring a living slime-alien as the Christ Child
You know things are bad when the Novus Ordo tries to one up the Lutherans with filth and pagan rituals. This image was in 2023 - relating to nativity in Gaza