SAINTATHON 2015: Blessed Chiara Badano

Welcome, one and all, to Unpleasant Accents' second annual Saintathon! To commemorate our anniversary, which falls on All Saints Day, our team is posting about their favourite Saints throughout the week. This year, Tani starts us off with Blessed Chiara Badano:

Human beings have always had a strange relationship with suffering. In A.D. 524, the philosopher Boethius wrote, "Finally, and this is the last straw, the judgement of most people is based not on the merits of a case but on the fortune of its outcome; they think that only things which turn out happily are good." Perhaps that is why Blessed Chiara Badano so confuses, and yet so captures the imagination of, many people around the world.

Bl. Chiara at 16

A Catholic Woman in Saudi Arabia

A guest post by Anonymous*

(Disclaimer: This piece was done by an amateur who was foolish enough to grant Damian a favor. Here it goes...)

Consumerism and the Family

I am a BuzzFeed fanatic. When I’m not doing homework (which I do do occasionally, mom) you can usually find me scrolling endlessly down the feed, looking at quizzes and pictures and lists. This is why, when blog overlord Damian sent me this post containing pictures of dads in Sweden with their kids, I clicked instantly.

Looking at the pictures, those fathers look so happy to be with their kids. Their kids look secure and happy to be with their dads. Sweden has mandatory sixty-day paternal leave and 480 days of total leave time for both parents. (In contrast, the U.S. has a suggested 12 weeks' maternity leave and neither suggested nor mandatory paternal leave!) The Swedish government is actively trying to promote the family, perhaps to combat the fact that Sweden has the second-highest divorce rate in Europe. But the dissolution of families, who are the very foundation of society and civilization, is a worldwide problem, especially in our own backyard. And no, I don’t mean Canada.

Confessions of a Black Catholic

Praised Be Jesus!

I hope this post finds everyone well and that everyone is keeping warm in these cold times (and to all those in warm climates, I have some uncharitable things to say, but in charity, I will leave them out).

Every February, the secular world celebrates Black History Month, a month to remember and celebrate the contributions and history of African Americans and other people of color. So, in honor of Black History Month, I wanted to share my experience of being both Black and Catholic. This is neither the story of my conversion, nor about the sociological implications of what it means to be Black and Catholic (even though I may touch on these things) but just my personal experience and my outlook.

When God Speaks My Love Language

Readers, I have a confession to make. 

I have an addiction. 

An addiction…

To adoration!!

That was awful. I'll never joke again. So, on to all seriousness: Eucharistic Adoration is probably my favorite thing in the whole world. It wasn't always, though. As a kid, I remember being dragged along to Adoration and feeling that it was the most boring thing anyone could possibly do. I didn't actually believe in the Real Presence back then. I couldn't tell that Jesus was there using my senses, so I couldn't really believe. Why would someone spend an hour in silence staring at a piece of bread, when she could be out climbing trees or playing kickball? 

The Myth and Distraction of Liberal and Conservative Catholicism

"Haters gonna hate."

And not for them only do I pray, but for them also who through their word shall believe in me; That they all may be one, as thou, Father, in me, and I in thee; that they also may be one in us; that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou hast given me, I have given to them; that they may be one, as we also are one: I in them, and thou in me; that they may be made perfect in one: and the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast also loved me. Father, I will that where I am, they also whom thou hast given me may be with me; that they may see my glory which thou hast given me, because thou hast loved me before the creation of the world. Just Father, the world hath not known thee; but I have known thee: and these have known that thou hast sent me. And I have made known thy name to them, and will make it known; that the love wherewith thou hast loved me, may be in them, and I in them. —John 17:20-26

Je Suis Chrétien

Today marks one week since the Islamist assault on the anti-clerical satirical French magazine Charlie Hebdo, a publication which has published — and continues to publish — cartoons mocking Mohammed, the founder of the Muslim religion. The world reacted in horror at not just the senseless deaths at the hands of madmen but at the symbolism of the attack: that in a free and secular society, the freedom of expression might be held hostage to fanatical barbarism.

Many of those who condemned the attack were quick to point out that the publication was not merely anti-Islam but anti-Catholicism, anti-Judaism and anti-any non-secular belief system (examples of such cartoons can be viewed here and here, but warning: some are quite graphic and sexual in nature). What's more, despite being a generally Left-wing outfit, Charlie Hebdo was frequently accused of indulging in racism in the process of staking out its positions. An excellent appraisal of their cover depicting the kidnapping and rape victims of Boko Haram as welfare queens is explained here, and I promise never to link to Vox again if you promise to read it.

But for all of the high praise given Charlie Hebdo for its defiance in the face of violence — its offices had been firebombed for portraying Mohammed before, with no casualties — there has been criticism, as well. Yes, the killings of the magazine's staff were unjustified, the critics argue, but so too was their mockery uncalled for. And here we are faced with the question: Just because we can do something, does it mean we should?

SAINTATHON 2014: Day 6 - Saint Isidore of Seville

Has Internet access: «bored, bored, bored...»

In our Internet age, so much of what we do on a daily basis involves Web access, from learning to leisure to social activity. It's fitting that the Internet have a patron Saint — perhaps you've seen him before. The bookish fellow in the Unpleasant Accents Facebook avatar, as well as in our sidebar, is also the patron of this blog: Saint Isidore.

SAINTATHON 2014: Day 5 - Saint Joan of Arc

Praised Be Jesus!

I hope this post finds everyone well and that God is blessing you through the intercession of all His holy ones this week! A few weeks ago, Pope Francis got some heat after a homily he gave after the preliminary meeting for the Synod on the Family, about how God is a God of "surprises", and he gave some examples of how God has surprised His people throughout history. Today, we turn to focus on one of my favorite Saints, Saint Joan of Arc (also the favorite Saint of my Patron Saint, Thérèse of Lisieux), or as I like to call her, "The Saint who was God's surprise."

SAINTATHON 2014: Day 4 - Saint Quiteria

Day Four of the Saintathon is upon us, and to your great shock, I've been drinking it away. Don't you look at me like that — all of these Saints probably drank more in a day than I did in my lifetime, 'cause you know most of them were born in a time when alcohol was more sanitary than drinking water. Today, I'm going to tell you about one of the most badass Saints in history: Saint Quiteria, a Virgin Martyr.

SAINTATHON 2014: Day 3 - Saint Philip Neri

Hey, guys! It’s day three of our slog through the Saints, and you've already heard about some compelling characters! But today, I’m going to introduce y’all to my patron, a man with such awesome titles as "prophet of joy" and "second Apostle of Rome." So, who is this guy?

SAINTATHON 2014: Day 1 - Saint Josephine Bakhita

Welcome, one and all, to Unpleasant Accents' first annual Saintathon! To commemorate our anniversary, which falls on All Saints Day, our team is posting about their favourite Saints throughout the week. We begin with Saint Josephine Bakhita:

Saint Josephine Bakhita is not exactly a household name when it comes to Catholic Saints, and that's a shame. Bakhita's story is one of courage, forgiveness and renewal, and it deserves to be told.

Lean Stupid: msnbc Tackles Catholicism and Science, Fails Miserably

"Oh, are we seriously having this discussion again? Fine. ANDREA! HOLD MY CALLS!"

So, there's this guy, right? His name is Daniel Berger, and he fancies himself a "Political Junkie/Policy Wonk" and is msnbc's Community Editor. He's kind of a big deal.

He also just so happened to have the most popular article on msnbc.com for much of Tuesday, featuring this completely-not-sensationalistic-and-totally-journalistic headline:

Pictured: Subtlety.

The article in question covers Pope Francis' recent comments supporting the theories of evolution and the Big Bang, asserting that he is taking Church teaching in a new direction and contradicting the theology of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. As a really important, obviously qualified journalist™, surely Dan's got his facts right? Right?

Drunken Book Club Presents: Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal, by Christopher Moore

Welcome to another episode of Drunken Book Club!

I’m your host, Anna, Queen of the Ox People and Head of the Dragonslayers Northern Guild. This episode features:

Honour, Virtue, and Not-Unpleasant Accents

It's (still) the summertime, and from my lofty perch top atop the Honorary Chair of Leisure as Culture, I can't think of a better time to review some recent — and not-so-recent — works of literature and television concerning Catholics living in times of tempestuous social change!

It also happens that this post coincides with the centenary of WWI, which is the setting for Ford Madox Ford's Parade's End trilogy. This great tragedy that marked the beginning of the 20th century could not be stopped, despite attempts to secure peace by the reigning Pope and the devout Catholic Emperor of Austria. 

Benedict XV

Blessed Charles/Karl I 

Living Faith: A Special Report from the Steubenville West Youth Conference

"The Catholic Church is dying. All her ancient rules and outdated traditions drive the young away. It's a faith of old, out-of-touch people who aren't enlightened like modern youth."

Chances are, we've all heard these words, or words very like them. It's become popular in the Culture of Death today to see religion, especially a religion as ancient and venerable as Roman Catholicism, as disconnected from the young and therefore disconnected from the future. The faith is dying, on its last legs, the culture says with glee, and in another generation, it will be gone entirely.

Or will it?

This past weekend, I had an amazing opportunity to attend a Steubenville Conference with my youth group in my hometown of Tucson, Arizona. The conference is one of about twenty put on across North America by the Franciscan University of Steubenville, and they serve some 50,000 high-school age teens every summer. At the behest of our beloved Editor-in-Chief [And don't you forget it! —Ed.] Damian, I decided to write about the experience. I had a notebook, a pen, and a sparkly hat to draw people in, and I interviewed five people about their faith and their experiences at the conference. In addition, I will also attempt to put down my own feelings about the conference.

The noise is deafening as the crowd files in and finds their seats. People wave flags, shout cheer routines, and even blow vuvuzelas between sessions!

How Sickness and the Spirit Taught Me Surrender

Being sick is no fun. Being sick all the time is even less fun (that's negative numbers of fun, for all you non-math majors out there!). But that's my life, and that's been my life for four years. I have a rare disorder called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, type 3 hypermobility, which pretty much means that my collagen, which makes up roughly 80 percent of the body's structures, is faulty and fragile. It's not at all pleasant — have you ever sprained your ankle? Imagine that kind of pain, but spread through every part of your body. Even my ribs manage to dislocate sometimes!

Me (in the center with the bad dye job), a month after my diagnosis, at the 2011 Steubenville West Youth Conference

Drunken Book Club Presents: Save Send Delete, by Danusha V. Goshka

Welcome to the first episode of Drunken Book Club!

Featuring:

Walker Percy, True Detective

Welcome, The American Conservative readers! If you like what you see here, kindly give our Facebook page a "like" and follow us on Twitter!

Walker Percy enthusiasts have wondered when one of his novels would find its way to Hollywood. I am convinced the famed Southern Catholic author has already made his mark — but not in the way one might expect. The HBO series True Detective is an explicit and crude show at times that nonetheless is how I picture Walker Percy crime noir.

It's a man within a man... Know what that reminds me of?

That All May Be Saved!

Praised Be Jesus!

I hope all of you are well and that you are all enjoying this joyous Easter season. I'm back!!! After a little hiatus, I'm back! And it's my favorite month of the year, May, the Month of Our Blessed Lady! There's something about May which brings me right back to my time in Catholic elementary and high school. May was always filled with May Mary Altars, and May crownings, and processions, These outward signs of devotion have greatly shaped my devotional life in faith. We also celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima during this month, a feast that has special meaning for me and my life.