The church and monastery were vacated in 1967 at the outbreak of war between Israel and some of its Arab neighbors, including Jordan, just across the Jordan River. After Israel took control of the area from Jordan, it was laid out with land mines by both the Israeli army and Palestinian gunmen who battled there in the 1960s and 1970s.
Your thoughts: A recent column from Jesuit Fr. Thomas Reese has stirred up the debate again in the news that changing the words of the formula for baptism renders the sacrament invalid.
Signs of the Times: Even under Pope Francis, who is all about compassion and forgiveness, the literalists appear to be alive and well in the Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
Listen: NCR's Heidi Schlumpf has joined "The Francis Effect" podcast for its new season as a co-host with Franciscan Fr. Dan Horan and David Dault. The podcast is available on NCR's site and various podcast apps.
Your thoughts: More NCR readers responded to the recent Vatican instructions that Catholic parishes should normally be led by priests. The Vatican also announced that changing the words of the formula for baptism renders the sacrament invalid, causing a bit of a theological debate.
The Vatican's decision in August to clarify the formula that should be used in the Catholic rite of baptism attracted unusual interest after it caused something of a theological head-scratcher.
August has been a roller coaster for Fr. Matthew Hood, who was ordained to the priesthood — some might say for the second time, but in reality, for the first time — Aug. 17, 2020, for the Archdiocese of Detroit.
