Sunday Bulletin
Conclave in Hollywood v. Reality
Nobody checks this email to get my take on movies. However, maybe it's time to change things up. So here is my hot take: The 2024 movie Conclave is, in my humble opinion, terrible.
Now truth be told, I haven't seen it. Since actually watching the movie is the bare minimum necessary for a movie review, I guess I should stick to my day job. But I read enough about the film to know I didn't want to see it.
And Stefano Rebeggiani, an associate professor of Classics at the University of Southern California, and writer for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles newsletter, said "Anti-Catholic bias aside, ‘Conclave’ is just plain bad."
Of course, it's a free country, I'm not trying to stop anyone from watching a movie. But don't say I didn't warn you.
Anyways, thus ends my very brief foray into movie reviews...
Now, the actual conclave is scheduled to begin on May 7th and will elect the 267th Pope. You can read about the conclave here. Please pray for the cardinal electors.
You may have seen various websites suggesting Cardinal so and so is the frontrunner, or one of two frontrunners. But there is an old saying, "He who goes into the conclave a pope, comes out a cardinal."
I also think it is important to remember that before the 2013 conclave, oddsmakers gave Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio (the future Pope Francis) a 4% chance of being elected. As the graphic below shows, there were 14 cardinals considered more likely to succeed Benedict (according to the oddsmakers).
I know this is a lot of 'inside baseball' as the saying goes. And I do find it weird there are oddsmakers for conclaves - I mean are there people betting actual money on who will be the next pope? I certainly wouldn't. After all, God only knows who the next Pope will be.
The best thing we can do is to pray for the Church and to pray for the Cardinal electors. Below you will find one such prayer, as well as, a very informative graphic. Click on the picture if you need to enlarge it.
O God, eternal shepherd,
who govern your flock with unfailing care,
grant in your boundless fatherly love
a pastor for your Church
who will please you by his holiness
and to us show watchful care.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever. Amen.
who govern your flock with unfailing care,
grant in your boundless fatherly love
a pastor for your Church
who will please you by his holiness
and to us show watchful care.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Schedule Change
On the evening of Saturday May 10th I'm going to Kansas City to baptize my niece.
The visiting priest cannot get to Holy Name until 3:45.
So, just for Saturday May 10th, confessions will be from 3:45-4:30 rather than the usual time.
May is the month Mary
Podcasts
Mass Readings for this Sunday
