Some web browsing..............

Well Il Papa created quiet a stir during the week around the world (although not so much in Ireland, we were too busy trying to figure out what was going on with IMF/ECB/Banks/Government etc) but it seems the Pope said something about the use of condoms and the fight against AIDS.

Now one of the first suggestions we would make is that you should have a quick look at Humane Vitae. Everyone thinks they know what the Church teaches in relation to this issue, but how many of us can actually say we bothered to read it. Then for the A+ students have a look at Pope John Paul II's Theology of the Body.

Now rather than tell you what we think Pope Benedict XVI said this week, we would encourage you to actually read the text here.

Commentary during the week was extremely varied with alot of misunderstandings and down right misleading even among Catholic bloggers but a few links for you to browse through and make up your own mind, with Sacred Space 102 highly recommending this Q&A section in this weeks Irish Catholic.

Some other links:

• Deacon Greg has some reaction and links from all around the internet,
• The Anchoress has lots of links for you to read around too
• Peter Seeweld who actually wrote the book with the Popes interview which contained the comments Pope Benedict made thinks that Benedict XVI Misunderstood by Many
• Vatican Information Service (VIS) has a summary of the press conference about the new book "Light of the World"
• A Jewish perspective on how the Pope plays it right
• ThinkingFaith - the online magazine of the British Jesuits looks at The Pope on Condoms: Change or no change.
• America magazine gives a bit of background to the whole debate.
• Elizabeth Scalia poses the question "Did Benedict stir the water on purpose?!" From that article, this quote jumps out, "He’s a professor, a teacher, and he’s challenging his students to think, argue, debate, discuss — and he’s drawing theologians into a wider debate that will ultimately, I suppose, lead to a more definitive statement. He understands that the thinking of the Church can and does change (though the teaching mostly doesn’t)."

But the best response to the media frenzy about the Pope's comments, "Father Lombardi [Vatican Media Spokesman] said he had asked Benedict if he had recognized the risk in publishing a book of interviews in a complex media landscape where his words might be 'misunderstood'......The pope smiled"

Although perhaps we should say a quick prayer for the Papal family as they had a brevement during the week.

We all try to work on our prayer lives from time to time, two reflections we came across during the week; The Life of Prayer: the sure path to freedom, and  Recollection in Prayer: hurry up and come down.

The American bishops conference was meeting recently and noted that the modern social media is "As Great a Challenge as the Reformation and that the church needs to engage positivally with its users, looking for missionaries for this digital continent.

Vaticanista John Allen looks at the relationship between the Vatican, the media, and the sex abuse crisis in 2010.

Why does Marxism always fail?

An inspiring story about how each life is precious, A Life beyond reason.

Some good news during the week was the ordination of David Barrins OP, who was the third Dominican ordained in the last year. For some of the media reaction to his ordination have a look here and Ad multos annus Fr Barrins.

For our cousins across the pond, Thursday just past was one of their biggest holidays - Thanksgiving - and Pat Gohn reminds us Catholics that through the Eucharist, Perfect thanksgiving has nothing to do with turkey.

Another Irish farm (sort of) bites the dust...........

Another good news story during the week was that Teenage boys survive 50 days adrift in South Pacific
And for the tough times that we live in and something from Monthy Python to pick you up