by George Weigel I doubt that Pope Francis has heard of Ernie Banks, the Hall of Fame shortstop. But like “Mr. Cub,” whose love for baseball led him to exclaim “Let’s play two!” before Sunday doubleheaders in the 1950s, the pope from the end of the world seems to think that papal canonizations are better […]
by Father Tadeusz Pacholczyk Private foundations and non-profit groups are frequently involved in advocating for particular causes, ranging from cancer research to protecting the environment. Some of these foundations rely almost exclusively on charitable donations to carry out their promotional work. Potential donors seeking to support these causes face the challenge of exercising “due diligence,” […]
by George Weigel From his present location in the communion of saints, Father John Courtney Murray, S.J., who died in 1967, is probably indifferent to the various ways his work on Catholicism and American democracy is misconstrued in the 21st century. But those who think that Father Murray still has something to teach Catholics about […]
by Erick Rommel WHEN YOU’RE IN SCHOOL, playing hooky is frowned upon. The same is true as an adult, but adults have something students in school do not. We have vacation time. It’s because of that wonderful “get out of work free” card that my wife and I found ourselves relaxing on the beach Sept. […]
by Bill Dodds AS RESPECT LIFE Month rolls around each October, I realize that one of the joys of working with family caregivers is being able to point out to them that often what they’re doing is more than they realize they’re doing. Over the years, I’ve heard a lot of caregivers say, “I used […]
by George Weigel The humanitarian and strategic disaster of Syria should focus Catholic minds on the hard fact that there is no easy or quick path to peace in the Middle East, a very dangerous part of the world where Christians of all persuasions are at daily risk of their lives. Two recently published books […]
by George Weigel NO ONE KNOWS when pious Lithuanians first erected crosses of all sizes on a hill about seven miles north of the city of Siauliai, Lithuania. It may have been after an abortive 1831 uprising against Russian rule over the small Baltic country. Oftentimes, the bodies of Lithuanian patriots killed during that rebellion, […]
by Agostino Bono In a gargantuan effort, John L. Allen Jr. chronicles the Catholic Church’s history, doctrine, discipline, institutional structures, population shifts, divisions, tensions, diversity, problems and prospects in The Catholic Church: What Everyone Needs to Know (New York: Oxford University Press, 2013). The one-volume work combines fact-filled pages with succinct writing. In good journalistic […]
by Father William J. Byron, S.J. AS THE FALL 2013 semester opened on college campuses all across the country, the Obama administration showed renewed interest in the finances of higher education. More specifically, the president raised the question of how federal funds can be used more effectively in getting willing students into college classrooms. He […]
by Effie Caldarola THEY SAY JOYFULLNESS is a mark of sanctity. There are no grumpy saints. My husband can verify that by that standard, I have a ways to go toward sainthood. On the other hand, Sister Helen Prejean, C.S.J., passes that criterion with flying colors. I had the honor of being with Sister Helen […]
