Our Takes Daily

"Hail, Persephone ..."
The Chicago Tribune (registration site)

Pagans and Neo-pagans have appropriated Catholic rosary beads for worshipping Celtic, Norse, Greek and Roman gods and goddesses. Some pagans are former Catholics who have retooled the Catholic rosary of their youth, while others are discovering the beads for the first time, a story in The Chicago Tribune reports. Many are adapting rosaries or creating their own, with charms of goddesses, pentagrams and bones instead of crucifixes and medals of the Virgin Mary. One Catholic scholar makes clear the distinction between the appropriate use of Catholic rosary beads for devotion to the Blessed Virgin and "prayers" used in pagan ritual. "The neo-pagan 'rosary' has no connection whatever to the Catholic devotion ... other than the use of beads and repetition," said Msgr. Robert J. Wister, an associate professor of church history at Immaculate Conception School of Theology at Seton Hall University in South Orange, N.J.

Latinos and the U.S. Church
Pew Hispanic Center
A new study by the Pew Center for Hispanics and the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life sheds light on religious practices among Latinos in the United States and how they could transform the Catholic Church. One-third of all U.S. Catholics are Latinos, with more than half of Hispanic Catholics identifying themselves as charismatic. Unlike most non-Hispanic Catholics, many Latinos have witnessed or experienced occurrences typical of spirit-filled or renewalist movements, including divine healing and direct revelations from God. In fact, the desire for a more direct, personal experience of God emerges as a large factor in Latinos leaving Catholicism for evangelical churches. The study should help Catholics understand this rapidly growing demographic within the U.S. Church.

TV still too violent
The Los Angeles Times (registration site)
Hollywood's efforts to shield children from violent programming have fallen short, a new Federal Communications Commission report concluded. The report stated that lawmakers have the authority to give the FCC the power to restrict when broadcasters can air gore and mayhem. The FCC also determined that Congress can require cable and satellite providers to allow viewers to purchase only the channels they want, giving them the chance to opt out of certain kinds of programming, The Los Angeles Times reported. Expect a fierce battle on Capitol Hill and the presidential campaign trail that could end up at the Supreme Court.