Social media, smartphones give young people a new look at Lent WASHINGTON — This is not your parents’ Lent. That’s pretty clear when smartphone alarms — sounding like police whistles — ring at mealtimes on Fridays along with text messages from the “meat police” offering reminders such as: “Hey, it’s Friday, drop the cheeseburger!” The […]
The Francis effect: Catholics love the pope, but for the lapsed, not enough to return to church
Pope Francis prays during his general audience in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican Feb. 26. (CNS photo/Tony Gentile, Reuters) WASHINGTON Pope Francis’ popularity began immediately after his March 13, 2013, election when he walked onto the balcony and humbly greeted the crowd in St. Peter’s Square. His appeal has been on a fast […]