Fr. Bob's Corner

Hectic, anxious times right time to celebrate Christmas, priest says – Catholic Online

Ave Maria Press is offering free of charge a new web resource called Exploring Deus Caritas Est. This is a four-part discussion resource written to help small groups and individuals explore the major themes of Pope Benedict’s first encyclical, Deus Caritas Est, “God is Love.”

The author of this resource, Anthony Garascia, is a pastoral minister in South Bend, Indiana, parish and long-time marriage and family counselor. He is the author of Before “I Do”, Catholic Remarriage: A Workbook for Couples, and Getting Married, Living Together: A Guide for Engaged Couples, all published by Ave Maria Press.

Exploring Deus Caritas Est is found at avemariapress.com. The first session is available for download now as a PDF. The remaining three sessions become available during the next couple of weeks. A complete schedule of release dates is available on the web site.

This may be a good self-directed retreat for individuals and small groups.
Ave Maria Press (Find in downloads at this link)

Boston College’s C21 Online: “Prepare for Christmas with Scripture study
especially designed for busy people
The Birth of Jesus: Two Gospel Accounts
click here for the self-paced mini-course”

Catholic World News : Vatican confirms excommunication for US dissident group

ZENIT News Agency–The World Seen from RomeVATICAN CITY, DEC. 7, 2006 (Zenit.org).- The answer to the crisis the Church is facing, especially in the West, consists in proclaiming and rediscovering the grandeur of God’s love, experienced in prayer, says Benedict XVI.

Vatican confirms St Paul’s coffin has been found – World – smh.com.au

A wordsmith pope learns to talk in pictures | National Catholic Reporter Conversation Cafe192.168.0.100

In most of the world, the image of his solidarity in prayer with the imam has been interpreted as the definitive riposte to Regensburg, neutralizing the threat of a “holy war” that the speech had created. (Read full Story in the above link)

Pope Benedict, second from right, and Istanbul’s Mufti Mustafa Cagrici, right, pause during their visit inside the Blue Mosque in Istanbul on Thursday. (Salih Zeki Fazlioglu/Associated Press)

ZAMAN DAILY NEWSPAPER (2006120238863)

Pope Benedict XVI’s Turkey visit, which was closely followed by the world press with great interest and curiosity, turned out to be far more positive and beneficial than expected. (Read more of this story from Zaman – a Turkish Newspaper at the above link)