In a recent conversation with some Word on Fire colleagues, I brought up the ubiquitous nature of Viking culture present in media and film. Sure, the trend of Scandinavian minimalism in home design and a romanticization of the Nordic economic models is apparent in my generation, but I’ve also noticed the allure of the culture of the long-dead warriors known to us as the Vikings. A popular History Channel series, a Marvel Comics tentpole character, and the uber-successful video game series Assassin’s Creed now put the Viking age in its focus. Even fitness equipment and coffee mugs now feature Nordic aesthetic elements and heavy-duty construction. Why Vikings? Why now in the twenty-first century? “Well sure! It’s symptomatic of our vacillating culture of masculinity!” asserted one colleague. “The beards and tattoos and ruggedness of the Viking is a reaction to…
POPE FRANCIS TO CONFER NEW LAY MINISTRIES FOR FIRST TIME IN ST. PETER’S BASILICA
The Vatican has announced that Pope Francis will confer the ministries of catechist, lector, and acolyte upon lay men and
