The Latest in ‘The Chosen' Book Series: ‘Not My Will'
The father of the show's creator just happens to be the author of one of the most popular Christian book series of all time.
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New York Post
6 hours ago
- New York Post
My awakening: How Gen Z's relationship with religion is changing
When someone told me it was going to be like the Catholic version of Woodstock, I laughed. But as soon as I got there, I thought: OK, now I get it! As I walked through the 237-acre Tor Vergata grounds just 10 miles east of Rome, around me were hundreds of thousands of young people from all over the world, setting up their tents, blowing up air beds, singing and dancing as Christian music pumped from the speakers. It was a hot Roman day, around 90 degrees, and some of these pilgrims had walked for up to eight hours to get here. But still, the heat was no deterrent to the joy in the air. Advertisement What was extraordinary about this event, the Jubilee of Youth, was that while there were well-known Christian artists performing, the young people hadn't come to see them. They were waiting to pray. Yes — pray! And when, at 7:30 p.m., the roar of a helicopter was heard overhead, the crowd erupted. The white papal chopper had made the short journey from the Vatican and circled the crowd twice. 'Viva Papa,' they cheered. Throwing up clouds of dust, the chopper was glowing in the evening sun as it landed. Then on the large screens, people watched as Pope Leo XIV — the first American pope — emerged and boarded the Mercedes Popemobile. Every morning, the NY POSTcast offers a deep dive into the headlines with the Post's signature mix of politics, business, pop culture, true crime and everything in between. Subscribe here! 'Incredibly moving' Advertisement After weaving through the crowd, going back and forth blessing the sea of people on either side, the pope took to the stage and led a two-hour, deeply spiritual prayer vigil. The moment Pope Leo brought out the Eucharist, what Catholics believe is the real body of Jesus in the bread, 1 million young people suddenly fell silent, many on their knees with their eyes closed. Fr. Vincent Bernhard, the university chaplain at NYU, who was there leading a pilgrimage of young men from across the US, was moved by that moment: 'It was so silent you could hear a pin drop. When I looked around, you could see everyone kneeling and looking in one direction. It was incredibly moving. Only the pope could do that. Make everyone stop and look towards Jesus.' Something is changing in society when it comes to Gen Z and their relationship with religion. Their parents may have drifted from the Church — because of scandals, laziness, shifting priorities, etc. Advertisement But from the young people I spoke to at Tor Vergata, I got a sense they are searching for deeper answers to life's oldest questions. This is something Pope Leo spoke to directly from the stage: 'There is a burning question in our hearts, a need for truth that we cannot ignore, which leads us to ask ourselves: What is true happiness? What is the true meaning of life? . . . Jesus is our hope.' True meaning Indeed, from traveling the world covering the Catholic Church and people's relationship with faith for EWTN, I think young people — especially — have been fed the lie that they'll find fulfillment in fame, fortune and followers. Advertisement They've been encouraged to hang their identity on their career, on their social-media persona, and on their popularity. And while these things might offer instant, short-term gratification, more and more young people seem to be realizing that they don't lead to lasting, meaningful fulfillment. When the three F's disappear — fame, fortune, followers — what gives your life fulfillment and meaning? Young people today are looking for meaning, and many are finding it in the tradition, culture and beauty of the Catholic Church. For years it hasn't been 'cool' to be Catholic, or even easy to say you believe in God. But as with anything pushed aside or suppressed, sometimes the opposite happens — it re-emerges as something unexpected, something different. Something countercultural that intrigues young people and starts to draw them in again. Cue the Jubilee of Youth, and a million young people on their knees in a field outside of Rome. Something profound is drawing them, and with the Catholic Church having a new, relatively young and timely pope who talks about social media, algorithms, and artificial intelligence, young people are engaged. Found a home As darkness fell over Tor Vergata, the choir sang, 'Jesus Christ, you are my life,' as the papal helicopter once again roared into the air and turned back toward Vatican City. One of the most powerful messages the pope left the young people with was, 'Aspire to great things, to holiness, wherever you are. Do not settle for less.' One of the young men with Fr. Vincent on pilgrimage was 19-year-old Marco Terrizzi from Illinois. He recently came into the faith and told me, 'This was sensational. I truly feel changed forever. I feel like I've found my forever home in the Catholic Church.' Colm Flynn is a correspondent for EWTN, global Catholic television.
CNN
4 days ago
- CNN
Peter Phillips, grandson of late Queen Elizabeth II, is engaged
Peter Phillips, the son of Britain's Princess Anne and eldest grandchild of the late Queen Elizabeth II, announced his engagement to nurse Harriet Sperling on Friday. 'Mr Peter Phillips, the son of HRH The Princess Royal and Captain Mark Phillips and Ms Harriet Sperling, daughter of the late Mr Rupert Sanders and Mrs Mary Sanders of Gloucestershire, have today confirmed their official engagement,' the couple's spokesperson told CNN in a statement. 'Both families were informed jointly of the announcement and were delighted with the wonderful news of their engagement. Their Majesties The King and Queen, The Prince and Princess of Wales have been informed of the announcement. 'No date has officially been set for the wedding,' the statement added. The couple first announced their engagement with a photo shoot in UK celebrity magazine Hello!, in which they were pictured in a field, with Sperling's ring prominent. They have been a couple since at least May 2024, when they were pictured together at the Badminton Horse Trials alongside Phillips' daughters and Queen Camilla. Sperling is a pediatric nurse for Britain's National Health Service and a freelance writer, according to an online biography attached to an article she wrote for Christian magazine Woman Alive last year. Phillips, 47, was previously married to Canadian-born Autumn Kelly with whom he shares two daughters – Savannah, 14, and Isla, 13. They announced their 'amicable' divorce and decision to share custody of their children in 2020.
Epoch Times
4 days ago
- Epoch Times
The Latest in ‘The Chosen' Book Series: ‘Not My Will'
If you're a fan of the hit series 'The Chosen' and wondering if there's a director's cut that includes 'deleted scenes,' there is a good substitute. They're not deleted scenes, but additional ones, and they were never shot, just written by someone close to the series showrunner. The father of the show's creator just happens to be the author of one of the most popular Christian book series of all time.
