May 12, 2024

With all the to-do surrounding the April 8 total eclipse of the sun, what went unnoticed by most people was two other occurrences from that day. The first was the Church’s celebration of the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord – the day on which the angel Gabriel informed our Blessed Mother that she was to be the mother of Jesus. Normally this feast is celebrated on March 25, but when that date falls during Holy Week, as it did this year, it is transferred to the Monday after the Second Sunday of Easter. The second occurrence was the release of Pope Francis’ “Declaration on Human Dignity” which was prepared by the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the…