Michael M. Canaris

2 weeks ago | catholicstarherald.org | Michael M. Canaris

Archeologists have obviously unearthed many cultural and artistic artifacts that date back earlier than 1,700 years ago. A recent documentary piqued my interest in the Rudston Monument in England, as it claimed it has stood for 6,000 years; Göbleki Tepe in Turkey is much older, with some scientists believing the worship space can be dated to 11,000 years ago.

3 weeks ago | catholicstarherald.org | Michael M. Canaris

As we cross the halfway point in our Lenten journey, the Church calls us to ponder Jesus’ parable typically referred to as the Prodigal Son in the liturgical readings for the Fourth Sunday of Lent. While a stunning work of ancient writing – one that inspired nearly all of Fyodor Dostoevsky’s literature after he encountered the parable in the apocalyptic prison camps of Siberia – Christians all too frequently have a tendency to sanitize the unsettling message of the passage.

1 month ago | catholicstarherald.org | Michael M. Canaris

A letter sent to all bishops and eparchs in the world, “and, through them, to the entire Holy People of God entrusted to their care,” from the General Secretariat of the Synod, signed by its secretary general, Cardinal Mario Grech of Malta, was made public March 15.

1 month ago | catholicstarherald.org | Michael M. Canaris

In celebrating the 700th anniversary of the poet Dante Alighieri’s death, Pope Francis opened his 2021 apostolic letter “Candor Lucis Aeternae” with a reference to the ancient Florentine calendar starting the year on March 25. This was because Florence marked time “ab Incarnatione,” meaning from the time when Jesus Christ took on human flesh.

1 month ago | catholicstarherald.org | Michael M. Canaris

Due to the ongoing health challenges facing the Holy Father, this year’s traditional opening of Lent was celebrated by Cardinal Angelo De Donatis, an Italian prelate who heads the Apostolic Penitentiary, the Roman tribunal office overseeing the forgiveness of sins and the welfare of individual souls before God in cases that are reserved to the Holy See.