Carolyn Cekander

wife, mother, new grandmother. I say the wrong things but do the right things. life long Catholic. Love books, cats and tequilla. she/her

[Carolyn Cekander @CarolynCekander]

@BarackObama @MichelleObama I’m profoundly sorry. Yesterday I lost this member of my family. Winston was 20 years old and cherished. I’ll think of Sunny when I remember Winston.

[Carolyn Cekander @CarolynCekander]

@Joeinblack 💔

[Carolyn Cekander @CarolynCekander]

@Joeinblack Have you checked with neighbors for sightings? Is there a neighborhood Facebook page you could post to? Try setting up outdoor camera to watch? They generally don’t go too far. I’m sorry. Not knowing is terrible. I bet there are parishioners who would help search at night.

[Aaron Rupar @atrupar]

Ossoff: "How does American politics really work? It's coin operated. Money goes in, favors come out. It's been running on secret money, corporate money, billionaire money ... all of this gave rise to a depraved president who exploits this rot to empower and enrich himself"

[Fr. James A (Faith-Chat Platform) @frjamesa]

This was after he warned the Pope to be careful preaching theology and now calls the Pope’s moral teachings an opinion.

To be clear, the Pope’s message on theology and morals are based on the truth of the Gospel, not his personal opinion. They flow from the teaching authority of the Church, grounded in Scripture and sustained by a consistent tradition, not from shifting public discourse.

Also, to pray for the Pope is a good step, but to listen to him is even better and commendable. Because authentic prayer should open us to obedience, not just sympathy. It should move us to take seriously the voice of the one entrusted with guarding and proclaiming the truth of the Gospel.

We cannot affirm the Pope when it is convenient and reduce his teaching to “opinion” when it challenges us. The Gospel is not negotiated to fit the world; it calls the world to conversion.

[Carolyn Cekander @CarolynCekander]

@JDVance Opinions? No. Rather, moral and theological truths. And if we’re really listening, this is uncomfortable for all of us as we confront our own opinions and viewpoints.

[James Martin, SJ @JamesMartinSJ]

Yes, he really said that.

Yesterday Vice President JD Vance criticized Pope Leo XIV for not knowing enough theology: "I think it's very, very important for the pope to be careful when he talks about matters of theology ... If you’re going to opine on matters of theology, you’ve got to be careful, you’ve got to make sure it’s anchored in the truth," he said, at a Turning Point conference.

One of the many, many, ironies about that statement is that it came in response to Pope Leo's comments about war and peace and, specifically, the concept of "just war," which originated with St. Augustine. As many have already noted, when the Vice President was making his comments, Pope Leo XIV, a member of the Augustinian Order, and twice Prior General of the Augustinians before his election as Pope, was visiting the hometown of St. Augustine, then called "Hippo," now in Annaba, a town in modern-day Algeria. For good measure, Pope Leo XIV, the man critiqued for insufficient theological education, earned not only a master's degree in divinity, but also licentiate and a doctorate in canon law from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome.

JD Vance's recent conversion to Catholicism is beside the point, because many converts are of course not only highly intelligent (and learned in theology) but faithful and energetic Catholics. We rejoice over everyone entering the church.

What most of us do not rejoice over, however, is a deadly combination of inaccuracy and hubris. Pace, Vice President Vance, but the current war in Iran is not a just war under Catholic doctrine. You can hear that from church leaders from across the theological spectrum, from Archbishop Timothy Broglio, the head of the military vicariate and former head of the @USCCB, to Cardinal Robert McElroy, Archbishop of Washington who holds doctorates in both theology and political science. You can look all that up online. Suffice to say, the Vice President doesn't seem to understand the tenets of just war.

Nor does he seem to understand the fundamental position of the church, which is for peace. "War is always a defeat for humanity," as St. John Paul II said. If that authority isn't enough, then turn to Jesus who said, "Blessed are the peacemakers," not "Blessed are the warmongers." And after the Resurrection, the Risen Christ says to the frightened disciples not "Vengeance is mine" but "Peace be with you."

Incidentally, the day before, the Vice President said that the Pope (and the Vatican) should stick to teaching about morality, also seeming to forget that war and peace are profoundly moral issues.

For his part, Pope Leo was focused yesterday on his spiritual father, St. Augustine. After what seemed like an emotional visit to Hippo, he celebrated Mass at the Basilica of St. Augustine in Annaba. During his homily he said, "The primary task of pastors as ministers of the Gospel is therefore to bear witness to God before the world with one heart and one soul, not permitting our concerns to lead us astray through fear, nor trends to undermine us through compromise."

Amen. Let's all continue to pray for the Holy Father as he works for peace.

(Image: Pope Leo XIV prays at the archeological ruins of Hippo, home of St. Augustine, in current-day Algeria. CNS photo).

[Carolyn Cekander @CarolynCekander]

@JamieBonkiewicz @RonFilipkowski Arnold Palmer’s physical endowment

[Carolyn Cekander @CarolynCekander]

@Joeinblack Gabapentin for the win

[Carolyn Cekander @CarolynCekander]

@MrsRuvi Yes. My Dad visited his Mom 2-3x/day for 10 years. She did require a move to assisted living at some point but he still faithfully visited her. My Mom fed her Mom dinner at a nursing home every night for years after her mother had a severe stroke. My parents set the bar high.

[Carolyn Cekander @CarolynCekander]

@gtconway3d @realDonaldTrump And yet……..

[Carolyn Cekander @CarolynCekander]

@iWomansplainer This is beautiful!

[Carolyn Cekander @CarolynCekander]

@cmclymer I love Jane Austin! Had no idea of her early readers being soldiers. Btw, I swear I spotted you in a rest stop going east on the PA turnpike the Monday before Thanksgiving. If you felt me staring, I was trying to figure out if the person was you.

[Carolyn Cekander @CarolynCekander]

@cmclymer I l

[Carolyn Cekander @CarolynCekander]

@RoyallyBelle_ Has she ever repeated the ruby and diamond necklace? I believe it was a wedding gift. It was lovely on her. As is everything!

[Carolyn Cekander @CarolynCekander]

@iWomansplainer Being a Grandma is the best thing that has ever happened to me. I am lucky to see my grandchildren several times per week. Hearing them shout “Grandma CC” with delight when they see me fills my heart with joy. That being said, I’m a hard no to Granny.

[Carolyn Cekander @CarolynCekander]

@gayguycandleco Had to mute it

[Amanda Held Opelt @AmandaHeldOpelt]

How did with end up with a government that demonizes vaccines but deifies assault rifles?

[Carolyn Cekander @CarolynCekander]

@mhdksafa @PVAenglish Question: how do you get the aid into Gaza?

[Carolyn Cekander @CarolynCekander]

@mark_joubert So beautifully, thoughtfully written. What a tribute to them both.