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Catholic schools have a right to self-defense
This past June, the Archdiocese of Indianapolis opened a huge can of wormswhen it asked two Catholic schools within the diocese—Cathedral High School and Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School—not to renew the contracts of two male teachers who had, in flagrant violation of the Church’s... Read more -
One Academic to Others: A Brief for Prudence on the Case of the John Paul II Institute
Much has been written about the decision to reconstitute the Pontifical John Paul II Theological Institute for Marriage and Family Sciences in Rome. I do not believe the point has been sufficiently made that the graduates of the institute in Rome, and of those elsewhere as well, have made... Read more -
The Biblical Roots of the Assumption of Mary
While the actual event of the Assumption of Mary into Heaven is not recorded in the Scriptures, there is a biblical basis for the teaching that, considered as a whole, confirms Catholic teaching as both fitting and in keeping with biblical principles. Let’s ponder this feast in stages: The... Read more -
Melbourne archbishop ready to defy law over seal of confession
The Archbishop of Melbourne has said he is prepared to defy a proposed new law that would force priests in the Australian state of Victoria to violate the seal of confession. The proposed legislation would include priests in mandatory reporting laws in cases of child sexual abuse, without any... Read more -
Shocked, shocked! On Catholics and belief in the Real Presence
“Each time the Mass is offered, the fruits of our Redemption are poured anew upon our souls. By uniting ourselves with the sacred rite of the Mass, and above all by receiving Holy Communion, we enter into the sacrifice of Christ. We mystically die with the divine Victim and rise again with Him... Read more -
What I Learned at the John Paul II Institute
Recent events have brought the Pontifical John Paul II Theological Institute for Marriage and Family Sciences in Rome into focus. Likely for many, it seems a far-off place with little bearing on the everyday experience of most people in the Church. As an alumna of the Washington, D.C.,... Read more -
Practical Principles for Proclaiming the Kingdom
In the Gospel this Sunday, Jesus gives a number of practical principles for those who would proclaim the Kingdom. Let’s look at each of them in turn. I. Serious – The text says, At that time the Lord appointed seventy-two others whom he sent ahead of him in pairs to every town and place... Read more -
Cardinal Gerhard Muller: ‘True Reform of the Church Is About Her Renewal in Christ’
The thinking behind the much-debated working document for the Synod of Bishops for the Pan-Amazon Region is a “projection” of European theological thought not in accord with Catholic theology and needs to be corrected “in a more Catholic way,” Cardinal Gerhard Müller has said. In... Read more -
Seal of confession is an ‘intrinsic requirement,’ Vatican says
The head of the Vatican’s Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Penitentiary released a note Monday reaffirming the inviolability of the seal of confession and the importance of other forms of secrecy in the life of the Church. The text follows action by governments in Australia, California,... Read more -
Cathedral High School in Indianapolis recognizes archbishop’s oversight
A Catholic high school in the Indianapolis archdiocese has said it will comply with the archbishop’s instructions to stop employing a teacher in a same-sex marriage. The decision comes days after a Jesuit high school in the archdiocese refused to comply with a similar instruction and had... Read more