The Political Whore

By Peter Schweitzer
PoHo contributor

While many US bishops would wish it wasn’t so, President Barack Obama and Pope Benedict are eager to dialogue and engage each other on the world stage. Read the rest of this entry »

Vatican Ambassador nominee Miguel Diaz

By Peter Schweitzer
PoHo contributor

President Obama must’ve been in the mood for breaking new ground in Presidential appointments this week. First, he chooses a Latina, Sonia Sotomayor, for the Supreme Court, and then taps another Hispanic as his ambassador to the Vatican.

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By Peter Schorsch
PoHo contributor
Peter Schorsch is a political consultant and writes St. Petersblog 2.0.

I just returned from mass and taking part in Ash Wednesday. It was uplifiting to see so many of my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ take a moment out of their busy day to attend afternoon services.  If only so many people would show up for the twelve o’ clock mass on the other 364 days out of the year.

My receding hairline on Ash Wednesday.

But that kind of holier-than-thou sentiment reminds me, first, to humble myself, and, secondly, of a statistic I once read.  It said that while 140 million Americans watch some part of the Super Bowl, more than 180 million put on the Sunday Best for Easter services.

According to Wiki, Ash Wednesday gets its name from the practice of placing ashes on the foreheads of the faithful as a sign of repentance. The ashes used are gathered after the Palm Crosses from the previous year’s Palm Sunday are burned. In the liturgical practice of some churches, the ashes are mixed with the Oil of the Catechumens (one of the sacred oils used to anoint those about to be baptized), though some churches use ordinary oil. This paste is used by the priest who presides at the service to make the sign of the cross, first upon his own forehead and then on each of those present who kneel before him at the altar rail. As he does so, he recites the words: “Remember (O man) that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

One of the most important aspects of the Lenten season is sacrificing something that you really care about as a sign of your devotion.  Not that kind of sacrifice!  More like not eating chocolate for forty days.

So what am I giving up for Lent this year?
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