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A Less Well-Known but Essential Role of the Priest
There are many roles that come to mind when one thinks of a parish priest or pastor: he is to celebrate the Liturgy, to preach, to teach, and to care for the people’s pastoral needs. In the reading for Wednesday of the Second Week of Lent, Jeremiah refers to a role many of us would not think... Read more -
Catholic Church in Taiwan Building Bridges Under Menace of Forced Unification
WASHINGTON — For close to 70 years, the Catholic Church has been quietly involved on the island of Taiwan, working in the vineyards as an existential geopolitical question about the island’s status — is it an independent nation or a piece of mainland China? — hums in the... Read more -
Power and Sex: Why Our Culture Needs the Church’s Teachings on Sexuality
The recent testimony of female celebrities and ordinary women who have been preyed upon sexually by powerful men has demanded a reckoning across many sectors of American life. “We are finally becoming conscious of a vice that has been socially accepted,” said the actress Salma Hayek, who... Read more -
No, Pope Francis Is Not Changing the Lord’s Prayer
Newspapers and websites erupted over the weekend with headlines like: Lord's Prayer: Pope Francis calls for change (BBC) Pope Francis proposes change to the Lord's Prayer (AOL) Pope Francis wants to change the Lord's Prayer - Here's why (Catholic.Org) Pope Francis calls for... Read more -
A House of Prayer for All People
Why do Catholics call their Church the Catholic Church? Why not just call it the Christian Church? Is the Catholicity of the Church important? Is it Biblical? What does it even mean to say that the Church is “Catholic”? Today, I want to take a brief look at five things: The... Read more -
The Many Miracles of Solanus Casey
[caption id="attachment_92141" align="aligncenter" width="660"] The sainthood cause of Wisconsin-born Father Solanus Casey (1870-1957), a Capuchin priest and doorkeeper at Franciscan friaries in New York and Detroit, has advanced to the beatification stage after Pope Francis approved a miracle... Read more -
Inside America’s Largest Religious Revival You Know Nothing About
For decades, demographic studies have indicated the steady decline of religion in America, but new measures suggest that, on the contrary, at least one religion in America is alive and well, thriving in every community, and claiming devoted adherents in nearly every household. This new... Read more -
The Principled Ambivalence of Pope Francis
Pope Francis’s apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium is rightly considered the inaugural address of his pontificate. In it, he sets forth the major themes and directions that have characterized the writings and speeches of the ensuing four years. I have often cited and commented upon... Read more -
FEMA rethinking ban on disaster aid to church buildings
When disaster strikes, houses of worship are often on the front lines, feeding and sheltering victims. Yet churches, synagogues and mosques are routinely denied aid by the Federal Emergency Management Agency when it comes time to repair or rebuild their damaged sanctuaries. Pressure is... Read more -
The Least Religious Generation in U.S. History
Jean Twenge's book iGen is one of the most fascinating—and depressing—texts I've read in the past decade. A professor of psychology at San Diego State University, Dr. Twenge has been, for years, studying trends among young Americans, and her most recent book focuses on the... Read more
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