Thanksgiving is clearly a civil holiday in the USA. And yet, for many of us still, thanks be to God, it takes on a religious significance. Many of our Catholic faithful, either on Thanksgiving day itself, or on the eve of Thanksgiving, join together in the action that defines what Thanksgiving truly is – the […]
Editorials
Marriage and Priesthood
This past week, responding to a request from Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, prefect of the Vatican’s Congregation for Oriental Churches, Pope Francis gave permission that Eastern Catholic rite bishops in the Western world may ordain married men in their home territory. This may seem very confusing, as a number of questions arise from this statement. First, […]
Terrorism of Gossip
Twice last week, Pope Francis spoke to the Church about the serious threat of terrorism. However, the terrorism of which he spoke was of a very different kind than the danger of Islamic extremism and the growing threat of the Islamic State. No, in two separate audiences, one with superiors of Religious Orders of Men […]
First, Know the Facts
It’s amazing how often people hear only what they want to hear – especially when the speaker is someone like Pope Francis. In the past week, we read about pop star Sir Elton John, at a fundraiser for AIDS research, praising Pope Francis. “Make this man a saint already!” the pop star declared and referred […]
Let Your Voice Be Heard
This Tuesday, we get our annual opportunity to go to the polls and make our choices as to where the city, state and nation is heading.
Affirmative Orthodoxy
The past two weeks have been a rollercoaster ride, to say the least, at the Vatican, from the midpoint Relatio of the Synod, where media outfits (and dare we say it, even people in Rome) were questioning what exactly the report was saying (and implying) about some controversial issues, to interviews (officially made or not) from cardinals.
Pro-Life Sci-Fi
Every so often, television can surprise you. Last Saturday’s episode of the long-running British science-fiction series, Doctor Who, broadcast on BBC America, went far beyond just the usual time travel and outer spaces themes that the 51-year old series normally covered. This episode, entitled “Kill the Moon,” was one of the most pro-life hours ever broadcast on television.
Saints in the Family
Last Sunday, Pope Francis celebrated the opening Mass for the Extraordinary Synod of Bishops on the topic of the family. Before the liturgy began, the Holy Father stopped and did something extraordinary – he venerated the relics of a family of saints.
And So It Begins…
The reaction of the majority of the press demonstrates once again the lack of understanding of the nature of the sacrament of marriage in the Catholic Church.
Leading the Way to Healing
This past week, Pope Francis made great strides in his effort to establish a Vatican office that will deal exclusively with clerical sexual abuse.