Yesterday, I noted a sure sign that summer is nearly over: There were commercials on TV for ingredients to make school lunches. Already, the folks at Oscar Mayer are offering suggestions for how to make a lunch that kids will find nutritious and delicious, though they don’t offer any advice in the ads on how […]
If you’re not familiar with “liberation theology,” chances are you’ll be hearing more about it in the weeks and months ahead as Archbishop Gerhard Mueller, the newly appointed Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF), is said to be a student, friend and supporter of Fr. Gustavo Gutiérrez, the “father” of […]
“Smart move.” That’s how many loyal Catholics reacted to the announcement that the Vatican had hired a veteran American newsman as a consultant to grapple with its communication problems. In many respects, the reaction was correct. As an experienced professional with Fox News and Time, and a serious Catholic, Greg Burke is an excellent choice […]
What does it mean that Mohamed Morsi is president of Egypt? Speaking for the American consensus, Bret Stephens recently argued in the Wall Street Journal against the consolation that the Muslim Brotherhood’s victory “is merely symbolic, since the army still has the guns.” He concluded that “Egypt is lost.” We shall argue to the contrary: […]
For a man known in political and media circles for his prodigious application of the “f-word” (as a noun, an adjective, a verb, an adverb — most likely all eight parts of speech), Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel sounds like the veritable schoolmarm when recently scolding that city’s murderous gangs. In an interview with CBS anchor […]
I felt a pang of guilt as soon as I pulled it off the shelf, but I knew I had no choice. It was 103 degrees outside. I had three children under age 3 to keep busy, and I did not want to spend the next four hours maniacally slathering them with 60-proof sunscreen as […]
When she was a precocious preschooler, the daughter of my cousin was famous for begging to sit in the front seat of the family car. As the youngest of four children, she was unlikely to have that privilege, even if she was large enough to safely sit up front. She begged anyway. The story goes […]
The time has come. From now to November 6, a top priority of the Church and the pro-life movement has to be informing and registering voters and then getting them to the voting booths to take part in this year’s elections! Once again, the entire House of Representatives, one-third of the US Senate, and the […]
Perhaps it was the rash of sexual-abuse cases on the part of public school teachers discovered during the 2011-2012 school year. Or maybe it was the poor impression of educators left by Wisconsin teachers union members in the wake of protests against Gov. Scott Walker. Or maybe parents finally took the time to go through […]
Lately, I’ve been involved in a number of ongoing efforts and conversations regarding community. Basically, we’ve been trying to get at the crux of what community really is and how to live it, and that’s got me yearning to dig deeper into the subject. We hear the word “community” all the time, used in many […]
Today begins the U.S. Catholic bishops’ “Fortnight for Freedom,” a two-week period of prayer and social action organized in response to President Barack Obama’s contraception mandate. Rallies and prayer vigils for religious liberty are planned in nearly 100 dioceses across America. If the virtual blackout of last month’s anti-mandate lawsuits is any indication, though, national […]
Fr. Carlos was a dear family friend and spiritual director for both Mark and I before and also after we were married. German-born, but having been stationed in Argentina for fourteen years, Fr. Carlos had an amazing German-Latino accent that was endearing and sometimes frustrating to those who didn’t know the origin of his unique […]
Bear with me here while I make a point. Vagina, vagina, vagina. There. I said it. The “V-word” has been typed repeatedly for effect, and of course, as expected, this gesture means exactly nothing. Because it’s not what you say, but how you say it and for what reason that really counts. Yet here in […]
Father’s Day invites us to ask a very important question – what does it mean to call God “Father?” Most of the great religions of the world believe in one God and teach the gist of the Ten Commandments. But that the supreme Being is not just “King of the Universe” or “Master” but “Father,” […]
In 1983, President Ronald Reagan’s National Commission on Excellence in Education presaged “a rising tide of mediocrity that threatens our very future as a nation and a people.” Looks like the tide has rolled in. This week, proving just how accurate a predication that was, kindergartners in Brooklyn, N.Y., were forbidden from singing the patriotic […]
LifeSite News recently reported that “the Democratic Party is already losing seats to Republicans, as a growing number of elected officials are changing parties over issues like the right to life, the definition of marriage, and the Obama administration’s mandate that religious institutions cover abortion-inducing drugs in their health care plans.” Among the most recent […]
The Catholic Church teaches that in the Eucharist, the communion wafer and the altar wine are transformed and really become the body and blood of Jesus Christ. Have you ever met anyone who has found this Catholic doctrine to be a bit hard to take? If so, you shouldn’t be surprised. When Jesus spoke about […]
Poor Planned Parenthood. Even with unflagging support from the White House, lapdog allegiance from congressional Democrats and fawning coverage from most mainstream media outlets, America’s largest abortion provider cannot help looking ridiculous. The organization’s latest public relations debacle began on May 29, when the youth-led, pro-life activist group Live Action released a video showing a […]
Cap and gown? Check. Camera, videocamera and cellphone for instantly uploading photos to Facebook? Check. Umbrella to keep grandma from getting wet or overheating in the sun inside the football stadium? Check. Air horn, confetti, posters, noisemakers, beach balls, rubber snakes? Check. Let the commencement exercises commence. Earlier this month, graduating senior Chuck Shriner of […]
When historians one day look back on the rise and fall of the American republic, it won’t only be our habitual deficit spending and lack of financial discipline they blame for our demise, but the deficit of faith and lack of religion in our children’s generation. The beliefs and values that once served as the […]
Every so often, I feel the driving need to go thrift shopping. I don’t just “need” to go, I need to go. Most of the time, I’ll go and be happy I went. At other times, I’ll tell myself it’s a fanciful notion and try to ignore it, but that only lasts so long. The […]
As a teen, I thought the clergy were supposed to do everything. We laity were just called to pray, pay, and obey. Oh yes, and keep the commandments, of course. The original 10 seemed overwhelming enough. Then I discovered the Sermon on the Mount and nearly passed out. Perhaps this is why many inactive Catholics […]
Throughout the ongoing debate over President Barack Obama’s contraceptive mandate, and again on Monday, when Catholic leaders here in St. Louis and nationwide announced anti-mandate lawsuits, one question has surfaced repeatedly among Obama’s critics and allies alike: Why choose an election year to pick a fight with the Catholic Church? The mandate controversy is, after […]
I have joked for years that MTV is destroying civilization as we know it. Then, the network gave us “Jersey Shore,” and proved my joke wasn’t funny, it was true. Now, I’m convinced the people at MTV actually sit around a conference table and ponder the question: How can we exploit and corrupt the innocence […]
