“The Joy of Love experienced by families is also the joy of the Church.” With those opening words, Pope Francis began the second apostolic exhortation of his pontificate, Amoris Laetitia, “The Joy of Love,” his reflection on the work of the Synod of Bishops
Amoris Laetitia is an epic bid to convert the Church worldwide to a mission to rescue the family, not by finger-wagging or table-thumping nor even by persuasion, but by a concrete strategy of rebuilding from the ground up. It will shape the Church’s actions and attitudes
VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis’ summary document on the two synods on the family released today does not explicitly allow remarried divorcees to receive holy Communion, as some had feared — but it comprehensively covers complex pastoral challenges to the family, in a long text
On a spring day about five years ago, when I was rector of Mundelein Seminary, Francis Cardinal George spoke to the assembled student body. He congratulated those proudly orthodox seminarians for their devotion to the dogmatic and moral truths proposed by the Church, but he
First, the positives. As there were in the Final Report of the 2015 Synod, there are many beautiful passages in the pope’s new Apostolic Exhortation on the Family,Amoris Laetitia (“The Joy of Love”) testifying to: God’s original plan for man and woman; love and marriage; children, siblings,
The popular “Existential Comics” Twitter page appeals to a segment of the population most of us avoid at dinner parties. It’s humor at its most esoteric. But Existential Comics recently posted a real zinger that cuts scientific hubris down to size. A scientists asks why philosophy matters.
For centuries many of the world’s distinguished philosophers have assaulted Christianity as being irrational, superstitious and absurd. Many have chosen simply to ignore the central issue of the resurrection. Others have tried to explain it away through various theories. But the historical evidence just can’t
Noted historian Arthur Schlesinger Sr. called anti-Catholicism the deepest-held bias in the history of the American people. In this toxic climate of the politics of 2016, candidates tear one another apart with almost childish statements. One doesn’t know whether to laugh or cry. The political
Mandatory appeal in Louisiana case involving reporting sexual abuse A Louisiana law that requires clergy to report allegations of wrongdoing, even if learned during sacramental confession, is unconstitutional, a state judge ruled Friday. The case involves Rebecca Mayeaux, a 22-year-old woman who says she was
Al Kresta, the CEO of Ave Maria Radio and host of the syndicated Kresta in the Afternoon radio show, is urging Catholic priests and bishops to teach Catholic doctrine with courage, clarity, and kindness, despite hostility of the popular culture. “Expect people to misunderstand you. Be as kind as
