Real Catholic Blog

A lecture entitled “Science and The Shroud” will take place at The Shroud of Turin Center at Mary Mother of the Church Benedictine Abbey, this Saturday at 10:00 a.m., in Goochland County in suburban Richmond, Va. (12829 River Road). If you are in the central Virginia area this weekend or want to make a special trip, please do so. Interest in The Shroud is very high again, as we’ve written about, due in part to the Easter Season, the History Channel special and the fact that later this year, The Shroud will go on a rare public display. Pilgrimages are being arranged and thousands are expected to attend the exhibit in Italy.

But for those who can’t make a European vacation, this may be a good option. The event is free. For more information, call 804.784.3366.

If you missed the debut earlier this week of the absolutely spectacular History Channel documentary The Real Face of Jesus? — I watched it and highly recommend it — this part history of the Passion, part history of the Shroud of Turin and part hi-tech CSI airs tonight at 8:00 Eastern and at midnight, as well as at 5:00 p.m. Easter Sunday and at 5:00 p.m. a week from today. It may have additional showings in the next two weeks.

According to media reports (see Boston Herald), millions watched. It is absolutely stunning and I hope to share my impressions next week (I don’t want to ruin it for anyone).

But I will say this: since I saw the film, I now have a dynamic perspective when I read and hear the Gospel in church now, as I did at Mass Spy Wednesday and Holy Thursday, and at Good Friday service. I now visualize the man whose words are being read! If that doesn’t have an impact on you and your faith . . . . It just does. At least for me.

Another thought: Why is Jesus’ face the most sought after of pre-camera historical figures? No one clamors for Julius Caesar’s face, nor Alexander the Great, Aristotle, Henry VIII, Charlemagne, Confucius, Thomas Jefferson or George Washington. But the drive to discover Jesus physically certainly implies a yearning for a deeper understanding and commitment to faith.

From Brother John, myself and the whole Real Catholic team, thank you for your support of our blog and the online store. We wish you a Holy and Blessed Easter.

I received a pleasant surprise today. When I logged on to the blog’s dashboard (the administrative site), there was a comment stuck in the pending file. Comments there need approval to go “live.” It was a comment from a reader about Friday’s post. The post was about the History Channel’s documentary tomorrow night (9:00 Eastern) on the construction of the face of Jesus, made from The Shroud of Turin using 3-D technology (see images).

But it wasn’t just any comment. It was from the co-producers!

I e-mailed Maria Downing and thanked her for reading our blog. Then I asked if we could conduct an interview with her and her husband, Ray, and she replied that they would be happy to do so. Pretty cool, huh? Studio Macbeth is an organization after my own heart as it believes in grassroots marketing, and Maria believes in touching base with all types of media, niche and mass.

There’s a part for you to play in all this: Watch the special tomorrow night (or one of its certain re-airs during Holy Week or Easter Weekend) and submit questions about the documentary on this thread. I’ll include them in what I submit to the the Downings. Let us also know your thoughts on the Shroud of Turin and its authenticity, how it affects your belief, and how, if there ever was conclusive evidence it was the burial cloth of Christ, how it would change the world.

One new fascinating aspect about the Shroud (at least to me) is that the Shroud not only contains the well known photographic characteristics (it has a negative), but it also has 3-D characteristics, which actually made the mapping of the face difficult for Ray Downing. He told Fox News that it produced a mountain range affect that had to be smoothed out. Also in that interview is Father Jonathan Morris, who is featured in the documentary.

What might be revealed about The Shroud of Turin? Can we really learn what the human face of Jesus looks like? Ray Downing of Studio Macbeth and Father Jonathan Morris discuss on Fox News Channel tomorrow night’s History Channel special, “The Real Face of Jesus?”

Here’s an exciting event hosted by Father Frank Pavone of Priests For Life. It’s an election related conference call and it will feature Thomas Peters of American Papist and other prominent, traditionalist Catholics. It takes place tomorrow from 9:00-10:00 Eastern Time. Here is Father Pavone’s invite:

Friends,

I am inviting you to join me along with Tom Peters of Catholic Vote Action (www.catholicvoteaction.org) and other special guests, for an important election-related conference call on Thursday evening, February 25, from 9 to 10pm ET. This will be part of our “Vote Pro-life” Coalition, and we will continue to gear up for the elections of 2010. You will be able to listen to the call either by phone or by internet.

This call will not be the same as the January 25 call but rather a continuation of the discussion. Click here to listen to a replay of the January 25 call which featured David Barton of Wallbuilders, Marjorie Dannenfelser of the Susan B. Anthony List, Brian Burch of Catholic Vote and Gary Bauer of American Values.

After you sign up, (click here) you will receive a letter via email with the details. If you do not receive the letter, be sure to check your spam folder. The letter will also appear on your computer screen and you can print it from there.

Now is the time to get started, and we need all hands on deck! Join us for an informative and inspiring call on February 25.

Thank you,

Fr. Frank Pavone

National Director, Priests For Life

I just received this e-mail from our friends at CatholicVote.org. Last week, its president, Brian Burch, asked people to sign a petition to back up CBS’ decision to air an pro-life ad during this Sunday’s Super Bowl, featuring star college quarterback Tim Tebow and his mom, who was urged to abort him 20-plus years ago. Big money pro-abortion groups have pressured CBS to pull the ad, so CatholicVote.org stepped in as a counter balance. We hope you signed on. Here’s Brian’s update:

Dear CatholicVote Member,

The President of CBS received a surprise at 9:53 a.m. yesterday.

A large Fed Ex box filled with nearly 500 pages of signatures from over 50,000 friends of CatholicVote arrived at the office of CBS President Leslie Moonves.

Enclosed in the package was a personal letter thanking CBS for standing firm and agreeing to air the ad produced by Focus on the Family featuring Florida football star Tim Tebow and his mother.

I explained that CatholicVote was especially interested in their decision because of our own efforts last year. With your help last January, we pushed hard to have our ad featuring President Obama aired during the Super Bowl.

NBC ultimately rejected the ad, yet I remain enormously proud of what we did together. We stood firm for the principle that every human life matters. We proudly stepped forward to tell the world that every human life is a gift — including the lives of those with whom we may disagree.

We had 2 million people watch our ad on YouTube over the past 12 months, while also sparking a healthy discussion in the media and on the Internet. And the ad was mentioned repeatedly again this year as controversy over the Tebow ad was discussed.

Did we help pave the way for this year’s Tebow ad to be aired? Who knows? What really matters is that we are winning.

Focus on the Family has taken the lead in making a Super Bowl ad a reality for an estimated 400 million people around the world. They deserve our heartfelt thanks.

I know when I see the ad this Sunday, my heart will swell with pride. This ad is not merely a story about Pam Tebow and her son, but also a statement about being pro-life in America.

We aren’t outsiders. We are mainstream, proud, and inspiring the rest of America with what we believe.

And more people every day are coming to see what we see: Life is indeed beautiful.

Be sure to catch Thomas Peters on Fox News tonight. Enjoy the Super Bowl. See you next week.

Sincerely,

Brian Burch, President

CatholicVote.org

P.S. Send us your prediction on the score for the Super Bowl. Pick the winner and the score. Whoever is closest will receive a surprise gift next week and get a shout out at our legislative arm, CatholicVoteAction.org. (Our combined sites receive 15,000 visitors every day!)

This just in from Brian Burch, president of CatholicVote.org:

BREAKING: CatholicVoteAction.org blogger Thomas Peters will appear on Hannity on the FOX News Channel tonight at 9 PM EST. He will discuss the anti-Catholic attacks on Pope Benedict XVI made by Henry Knox, who serves on President Obama’s Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. TUNE IN TONIGHT!

If you have never seen, read or heard Thomas Peters, do yourself a favor. He’s very well accomplished at a very young age, bright, articulate and witty — and sharp as a nearly forged sabre. He’s the founder of incredibly popular American Papist Blog. Be sure to watch or record this interview.

Father Frank Pavone (see Father Pavone’s Blog) and Priests for Life are hosting a Vote Pro-Life teleconference on Monday, January 25, 2010. The teleconference will focus on the 2010 elections and will have a panel of experts, including David Barton of Wallbuilders and Majorie Dannenfelser (see Weekly Standard interview on YouTube) of the Susan B. Anthony List (see The SOP.org).

The teleconference, which is designed to motivate, inspire and educate will be a great way to capitalize on the momentum of the March For Life later this week in Washington, D.C. (It’s not too late to attend. Ask your parish, diocese, a Knights of Columbus council, find here, or other Catholic or pro-life organization in your community if they are planning to charter a bus.) If you can’t attend the March For Life, the teleconference is a good way to learn how you can participate in the pro-life movement.

Sign up for the teleconference here, at Priest For Life. After you sign up, you will receive an e-mail with more details. You cannot receive the details on how to participate without an online RSVP. 

Father Pavone accurately notes that “A key part of putting our prayers into action is bringing them to the voting booth.” So, please, forward this link to friends you think are interested in getting more involved so they can learn about the teleconference. You can also join the Pro-Life Cause on Facebook by clicking here. Father Pavone asks that we “act for the unborn so that we may save Our Lord’s children.”

We hope as many people as possible attend the March For Life, January 20-23, in Washington, D.C. Our very own Brother John (the hard working, behind the scenes, driving force of this blog) will be there and will offer will provide coverage for us. Parishes and dioceses all over the country, as well as Catholic and pro-life organizations, are sponsoring transportation. It will be worth the effort — a pilgrimage of activism in the defense of the unborn.

Many events are planned for the week, culminating in the great march on Friday, January 23. Many of the events are Catholic oriented, including Cardinal O’Connor Conference on Life and Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. For more information on these and the many other events and activities, from lectures to a flashlight rally across from the White House, to a bloggers conference, LifeSiteNews.com has an entire schedule and details on each event, here. 

Meanwhile, we’ll provide updates along the way. We hope you check back often and, most importantly, continue to pray for the end of abortion in America.

From EWTN.com:

St. Michael the Archangel,

defend us in battle.

Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the Devil.

May God rebuke him, we humbly pray,

and do thou,

O Prince of the heavenly hosts,

by the power of God,

thrust into hell Satan,

and all the evil spirits,

who prowl about the world

seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.

O glorious prince St. Michael,

chief and commander of the heavenly hosts,

guardian of souls, vanquisher of rebel spirits,

servant in the house of the Divine King

and our admirable conductor,

you who shine with excellence

and superhuman virtue deliver us from all evil,

who turn to you with confidence

and enable us by your gracious protection

to serve God more and more faithfully every day. Amen.

I’m sorry for the lack of posts recently, but I was knocked off my feet last week with something . . . still not sure what. Either food poisoning or some hit and run flu strain. However, I appear fully (or mostly) recovered and bare exciting news:

Real Catholic Blog will have a presence at this year’s March For Life, Friday, January 22, in Washington, D.C. Not an official presence, but Brother John will be in attendance and we are excited that he will relay his impressions of his experiences of this massive outpouring of pro-life sentiment. We hope to have pictures to post as well. Brother John will be on a bus chartered by Saint Anthony Maronite parish in Richmond, Va. If you see him, tell him hello. He’ll have a prayer card to give you.

For more information about this event, the largest and most significant event promoting the cause of the unborn in American each year (and maybe the world) visit MarchforLife.org. It is a three-day event, including the Rose Dinner, whose featured speaker this year is Robert George (see LifeSiteNews), author of the Manhattan Declaration, the groundbreaking document signed by thousands of religious and pro-life leaders, and hundreds of thousands of grassroots pro-life activists, committing themselves to the end of abortion in America. The March For Life site has information on chartering buses, how to participate and all the related events. We hope that all of our readers, if not their parishes and/or dioceses are not already making plans for March For Life, will take a leadership role in getting them involved. We will provide updates about March For Life until then and, as always, keep you up to date on all pro-life news.

We rarely get commercial here, but, after all, we are part of a retail operation. So, as a reminder, if you like the devotional, spiritual and moral  elucidations of this blog, and would like to give someone or some people a gift that truly reflects the season, please visit RealCatholic.com, our Ave Maria online store, where we can fulfill all of your Catholic and Christian religious goods needs: Bibles, Christian art, books from numerous authors on almost any subject, including those authored by Pope Benedict XVI and Pope John Paul II (or books about them); or books about Church history and saints; or sacred or contemporary music, devotionals, Rosaries, prayer cards, you name it. We offer quality merchandise and competitive prices and ship anywhere in the world.

So, we thank you for letting us take this commercial time out, and hope you have the opportunity to visit us at RealCatholic.com. We hope you have a very Merry and Spirit-filled Christmas.