When I began working with some regularity in Rome thirty years ago, my elders and betters taught me that no one paid much attention to the Vatican newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano.
Guest Columnists
From Germany in 1936 to Beijing 2022
In July 2016, as we were sitting on the fantail of the Swiss sidewheeler Rhone while she chugged across Lake Geneva, my host pointed out the city of Lausanne, where a massive, glass-bedecked curvilinear building was shimmering in the summer sun. “Isn’t that the headquarters of the International Olympic Committee?” I asked.
Books to Give For Christmas 2021
Some suggestions for Christmas giving, in the form of books that amuse, inspire, educate or all-of-the-above.
Nativity Mystery Through The Eyes Of St. Joseph
Early in December, we will be closing the Year of St. Joseph. Just like so many partings, we may find ourselves with mixed emotions. One thing is for sure: This year of grace has blessed the Church and has enriched many lives spiritually. It also has fostered more devotion to the Patron of the Universal Church and the Master of Interior Life.
On Being Thankful for America at Thanksgiving
This Thanksgiving, no one living in the United States should be anything but profoundly grateful for the privilege of living in this country. No one.
Catholic Progressives And the Culture War
The culture war defining much of contemporary public life throughout the western world comes in two forms.
U.S. Bishops, Officials, Media: Communion Clarity Needed
The confusions originating from online Catholic sources and social media have been exacerbated by a mainstream press that has consistently misrepresented what the bishops are doing. I hope the following clarifications are useful.
On St. John Paul II’s 75th Anniversary
By any worldly measure, 1946 was an annus horribilis in Poland. With the exceptions of Cracow and Lodz, every Polish city lay in ruins. The homeless and displaced numbered in the millions. As a ruthless Stalinism tightened its grip on a country that had been doubly decimated during World War II, heroes of the anti-Nazi resistance were executed on spurious charges by Poland’s new communist overlords.
Synod Invitations: Come Listen, Come Speak
What I have seen so far on this “Synod on Synodality” is a symphony of surprises. The first surprise for me is the topic itself. “Synodality” is a new term not even registered yet in dictionaries.
A Shanksville Meditation: On 9/11, Dignity Soared
The most moving feature of the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, are the pictures of the 40 brave men and women who lost their lives on September 11, 2001, while preventing al-Qaeda terrorists from destroying the U.S. Capitol.
