Washington, DC: A politician, whose handler begged he/she not be named due to illness, has in his/her own words, "owned up."

"Easter was so--so freeing, it felt like the perfect time to be completely honest: I don't agree with a whit of it.  Natural family planning, the pro-life movement, marriage defined as an exclusive union between a man and a woman.  It's all wrong.  Yeah, so is male-exclusive ordination.  Wow, do I feel so much more myself in saying that out loud," said the politician, smiling.

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Metropolis, USA: The liturgical commission of the Metropolis diocese, meeting for a Saturday workshop at RBCU*, was clearly looking a little frayed.

"This is usually not our best month, before Easter Sunday," laughed commission secretary Diana Tuberville, "but the upcoming conclave has our directors of music in a panic.  No one is practicing the parts.  Everyone is swapping papabile articles by John Allen and Sandro Magister and setting their cell phones to popealarm.com ."

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Staten Island: After the drama of abdicating the Petrine ministry for the first time in 600 years, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI was seen at the Staten Island Ikea looking for "one good solid chair."

"I brought the cat and swept out the apartment, but I forgot I needed a great big chair," admitted the frail man in lightly accented English.  "It's true I am retiring to a life of prayer, but I do not think God will begrudge me a place to sit down.  And the Chair of Peter must remain vacant until the new Pope is elected.  So I was thinking, maybe a La-Z-Boy.  I hear they fold back and are very comfy."

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Wow, I don't know about you all, but I was just so grateful to see the gold and white decor come down at Church.  Creche packed away, needled trees in the chipper, poinsettias dead and composted, Christmas music in the dusty back files.  I just feel so...relaxed, entering fully into ordinary time....

Well, we're still here, so buy a book already.  Click the annoyed cat for more info.

From http://www.facebook.com/JasonBachCartoons .  Posted with permission.

Houston, TX: St. Hugh of Hungary Catholic Church's evangelization committee has run into "a huge stumbling block" to the New Evangelization: Valentine's Day in Lent.

"This is a stumbling block to the faithful and we need to be on top of this, to find out what can be done to avoid sacrifice during Lent.  There is such a thing as too much of a good thing," announced Mark Thomas, the chair of the committee.

The committee's agenda for Wednesday night, Feb. 6th, states: "New business: open forum to brainstorm ways to give up chocolate for Lent and yet eat it on Valentine's Day."