Mystery priest revealed. We now know the identity of a flesh and blood priest who helped out at the scene of a horrid Missouri accident earlier this month. Image courtesy of Nomad_Soul via Shutterstock.
To get you going this morning, a new coffee prayer from Yale Divinity student Kelsey Dallas and some thoughts on the spirituality of java.
Give us this day our daily venti, non fat, no foam latte.
Forgive us our morning moaning, as we forgive yours.
Lead us not into Starbucks, but deliver us a Keurig.
For coffee is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory.
Amen.
Remember a rather ethereal, heart-warming story last week about a young woman in a life-threatening car crash and the “mystery priest” who showed up at the accident site and then, suddenly, she was gonna make it? The priest who mysteriously didn’t show up in the dozens of photos snapped at the crash? He reveals himself.
David Gibson obviously had fun at the Catholic Marketing Network’s annual trade show. But he also points out that the trade in Catholic religionware is serious business, and that there is a growing realization that it’s time to get as good at this as the Protestants.
We also have a fun slide show that shows off the merchandise.
Not so fun: a situation in Glendora, Calif., in which a Roman Catholic high school teacher was fired for marrying his same-sex partner. A petition to reinstate the popular teacher continues to grow — and topped 58,000 signatures Monday.
Last week David Gibson concluded that traditional Catholics were divided on popular Pope Francis. Now Michael Sean Winters argues that a slice of the Catholic left is also unhappy with Francis.
Sandro Magister suggests that Francis is bypassing his Secretary of State and instead employing his own “Segretariola,” in keeping with his DIY style.
Learn more about the 24 percent of evangelicals who fall into a “messy middle” and feel “ambivalent” about homosexuality — meaning they support some legal recognition of gay relationships while maintaining a moral opposition to homosexuality. The results are from a new Baylor U study.
“The war over abortion is going digital,” writes USA Today’s Kimberly Railey, who documents the increasing number of states that have outlawed the practice of doctors remotely administering pregnancy-ending drugs to women via teleconference. Proponents of the practice say it gives women, especially those who would otherwise have to travel far for an abortion, a safe way to get one closer to home. Opponents say its unsafe and makes abortion too easy to obtain.
A fellow at the Yiddish Book Center argues that promoting Yiddish as a Jewish language is the key to stemming the tide of assimilation and intermarriage that threatens American Jewry. Start with my favorite Yiddish book, “Beautiful Yetta: The Yiddish Chicken.”
Larry Defner in the Forward calls on fellow American Jews to cease tolerating racism in Israel.
Toronto police are investigating a Christian Palestinian leader who called for the death of Israelis.
Hundreds of people rallied Monday for the two Nigerian students granted sanctuary in a church in Regina, Saskatchewan. Both are facing deportation. An otherwise fact-filled AP story on the situation doesn’t name the church. Anyone reading this know? Please make use of the comment section below.
The Coptic pope in Egypt, Tawadros II, has ceased his weekly meeting for fear his congregation may be attacked.
RNS blogger Jana Riess shares her five favorite things about the Wild Goose Festival. Preview: One of them is “Revangelical” and another is the Indigo Girls.
So how long ’til your soul gets it right, and signs up below for the free, informative Religion News Roundup?
– Lauren Markoe
