If polls and anecdotal evidence are true, parishes should be ready to practice discipleship. Is there evidence of a significantly positive post-Francis visit impact on the American religious scene? Why yes, Virginia, there is. The most critical question for evangelically-minded Catholics is how... Read more

[caption id="attachment_54079" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Pope Francis celebrates a Mass in St. Peter's Basilica, at the Vatican, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2013. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)[/caption] POPE Francis’ recently concluded tours of Cuba and the United States have been hailed as triumphs.... Read more

Our tug-of-war on Francis is all about us, our American narcissism, our idols and our obsessions Using people is something humans do. We can be selfish human beings so we often end up approaching other people with a utilitarian mindset, asking ourselves: “What can this person do for me?” If... Read more

There's very little evidence that Pope Francis knows the details about Kim Davis. It's unclear if he has much to say about her stand against issuing licenses for same-sex marriages in Kentucky's Rowan County, her subsequent jail time, or even her Evangelical faith. Before the now infamous secret... Read more

ROME — By any reasonable standard, the keenly awaited Sept. 22-27 visit of Pope Francis to the United States, his first outing to the country in his entire life, has to be judged a massive short-term triumph. The pope wowed crowds everywhere he went, whether it was leading the “Mass on... Read more

Kim Davis, the Kentucky clerk who went to jail for refusing to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, met with Pope Francis last week during his visit to the U.S., Davis' attorney Mat Staver told CBS News. According to Staver, the two met briefly last Thursday, September 24, at the Vatican... Read more

In the wake of Pope Francis’s extraordinary pastoral visit to the United States, marked as it was by an unprecedented outpouring of enthusiasm and affection, a question for the long haul occurs. In his efforts to reach out to disaffected Catholics and religiously uninterested secularists, is the... Read more

The Pope is back home in Rome safe and sound after his trips to Cuba and the United States. These are events Catholics and so many others glued to the TV or their computer following his travels will be unpacking (no pun intended) for months and even years. After Pope Benedict’s visit to... Read more

[caption id="attachment_54410" align="alignnone" width="874"] Pope Francis delivers Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, DC, on September 23, 2015. AFP PHOTO / VINCENZO PINTO[/caption] Wait. What just happened? The Alitalia jet has lifted off, the... Read more

PHILADELPHIA — From meeting with the Little Sisters of the Poor to quoting the Declaration of Independence, Pope Francis underscored the importance of religious liberty frequently during his six-day visit to the United States. “What amazed me was how often he mentioned it, how often it... Read more