We seem to be living in a world of extremes. The headlines scream at us from two distant poles. Liberal – conservative. Gay – straight. Vatican – LCWR. Skinheads – Sikhs. Fox News – MSNBC. Pro-life – Pro-abortion. Rich – poor. Black – white. We are polemically divided, starting our arguments from two different directions! […]
Author: Ed Wilkinson
Time Running Out on Religious Freedom
This past week, some of the more unsavory parts of the Affordable Health Care Act (ObamaCare) went into effect. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius used the occasion to trumpet Aug. 1, 2012, as “a new day for women’s health in America.” “Thanks to the new health care law, all insurance policies will be […]
Check Out What the Real Church Is Doing
In case you need another reason for the necessity of the Catholic Press, look no further than the current controversy surrounding the Administration’s attempt to redefine who the Catholic Church is and what it does. You won’t find much about this in the secular press that is too preoccupied with the latest sexcapades of the […]
The Making of New Auxiliary Bishops
Everyone agrees that the recent episcopal ordinations of Bishops Chappetto and Sanchez went flawlessly. From the moment that the leaders of the procession stepped out of Our Lady of Angels School onto 74th St. to the time the lights went out after the reception in the gymnasium, the schedule proceeded like clockwork. No blips, no […]
These Two Bishops Have the Right Stuff
On our Currents interview with Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio, the bishop said that our new auxiliary bishops, Ray Chappetto and Paul Sanchez, are two of the most highly regarded priests in the diocese. He talked about the selection process: how polls are taken of the local clergy, how questionnaires are distributed to clergy and laity alike, […]
Busy News Week Offers Variety of Reactions
It’s been a busy news week. The biggest story of the week – the Supreme Court ruling on the Affordable Health Care Act, better known as ObamaCare – happened after The Tablet went to press. That’s the problem with a weekly newspaper. You’re always catching up. We will have complete coverage of church-related reactions to […]
Some Recommended Summer Reading
In two weeks, we will be publishing our annual survey of what people in the diocese are reading this summer. But before we do that, I want to tell you about a significant book, which if it is not, should be on your list. Bill Donohue, president of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil […]
Finally, It Was Worth Going to the Movies
“For Greater Glory,” the new film about Mexico’s repression of the Catholic Church in the 1920s, couldn’t have come at a better time. The film, which is in limited engagement at three theaters in Manhattan, tells the story of the little-known or easily forgotten tyrannical moves against religious liberty by President Plutoarco Calles, Reuben […]
Catholic Cemetery Offers a Place of Peace
A visit to one of our Catholic Cemeteries never fails to impress. Thousands of Catholics flocked to our cemeteries again last weekend for the annual Memorial Day Field Masses. At St. Charles Cemetery, Farmingdale, L.I., (yes, it’s owned by the Diocese of Brooklyn), Auxiliary Bishop Frank Caggiano, the Vicar General of the Diocese, celebrated the […]
Social Media and Today’s Parish
At the diocesan observance of World Communication Day, a local pastor and a publisher had some interesting things to say about how the new social media impacts parish life. For instance, the parish bulletin, a staple in every parish on Sunday, now can be found online. Joe Luedtke, president of the E-giving division of Liturgical […]