Why Lapsed Catholics Have Left the Church

by Father William J. Byron, S.J. ON MARCH 22, the Institute for Policy Research and Catholic Studies at The Catholic University of America sponsored a symposium on “Lapsed Catholics: Old and New Theories, Contemporary Voices, and the New Evangelization.” Mine was one of the contemporary voices in this conversation. Along with Professor Charles Zech, who […]

HHS Mandate and Religious Freedom

by Father Tadeusz Pacholczyk On Jan. 20, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a mandate placing First Amendment rights and religious freedom in the crosshairs. The mandate, as a provision of ObamaCare, requires “preventive health services” to be covered by all health insurance issuers and all group health plans. Those insurance […]

Can’t Be a Little Unconstitutional

by Stephen Kent A woman once was told where to sit on a public bus. A group of young people once were told where to sit in a public lunchroom. Many students once were told where they would go to school. Taken individually, these examples would have been unremarkable if solved locally. Rosa Parks would […]

For What Are We Morally Responsible?

by John Garvey   The Affordable Care Act that Congress passed in 2010 directs employers to provide health insurance or pay a fine. New regulations adopted by the Department of Health and Human Services will also require employers to provide full coverage for contraceptives, abortifacient drugs and sterilization procedures that the Catholic Church teaches are […]

Tampering with Basic Rights

by Father William Byron, S.J., Call it curious, ironic or just plain strange. New York Cardinal-designate Timothy M. Dolan, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, published a Jan. 25 op-ed piece in The Wall Street Journal to express his frustration over President Barack Obama’s ruling that most health insurance plans will have to […]

No Child Is Perfect, But All Are Precious

by Father Tadeusz Pacholczyk. ONCE I MET A woman who had worked for years in fashion and modeling. Unsurprisingly, she was strikingly attractive. She was accompanied by her teenage daughter who, by contrast, was rather unremarkable to look at, maybe even a plain Jane. After spending time with them, I began to sense that the […]

People Are Not Cars to Test Drive and Cast Aside

DURING A 2011 roundtable discussion on Fox News, guest commentator Jay Thomas argued that young people should not be too concerned when it comes to pre-marital sex, because nobody would choose to “buy a car without driving it first. You don’t get married, and you don’t learn about sex, by not having it.” Any reasonable […]

Link Between Justice And Forgiveness

by Father William Byron Recently, a lawyer friend asked me whether forgiveness can, in any way, be a form of justice. I think it can, but I’m not sure how to explain it. The healing power of forgiveness cannot be overemphasized. Whether given or received, and regardless of whether it comes from God or another […]

FATHER PETER J. DALY

Hitchens’ Bigotry Won’t Be Missed

by Father Peter J. Daly Christopher Hitchens, the famous militant atheist, died in December from esophageal cancer. He was 62. I am sorry for his painful death at a young age, but I cannot say that I am grieved. Hitchens was the only person ever to attack me by name in the pages of a […]

A Continuous Celebration

by Antoinette Bosco WHEN I SAW the title “Christmas Shock: The Human Experience of God,” I grabbed the book. And when I saw the author’s name, Jean Maalouf, I knew that I had a good learning experience in store. I have often met with Maalouf, a very spiritual writer who has two doctorates from the […]