Countless films depict the descent into an uncontrollable addiction and its consequences, but few aptly convey the challenging ascent to sobriety. Most movies gloss over the complex and strenuous path to recovery and away from addiction. In short, they inappropriately convey the message that it is easy and permanent once someone manages to triumph over […]
That rumbling sound you hear isn’t a snow-removal truck, a low-flying plane or a train inadvertently chugging through your backyard. No, it’s the low, slow churning of civic discontent, fomenting thanks to the decades-long trend toward educational mediocrity and resulting in a grass-roots movement that will — with any luck at all — restore our […]
Many people today are worried, justifiably, about major devastating events that could seriously alter our way of life. Yet, intertwined with those legitimate fears are vehicles that may or may not be legitimate, which do little more than stoke fear or evoke a collective sense of worry, unsubstantiated by the facts. It goes without saying […]
If there is one word that captures many Europeans’ response to the continent’s financial crisis, it is denial. Witness the description by the editors of France’s newspaper-of-record, Le Monde, of France’s S&P credit-downgrade on January 13 as “un non-événement financier.” The fact that this “non-event” will increase France’s borrowing-costs (not to mention those of the EU’s own bailout […]
The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty applauds Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) for introducing a bill protecting the conscience of millions of individuals against the Obama Administration’s abortion-drug mandate. Unlike other pending bills that address conscience issues, Senator Rubio’s bill—The Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 2012—is narrowly focused and establishes a firm religious exemption in the […]
For a picture of how low the level of public discourse has sunk in America, look no further than the New York Times. In an editorial following Newt Gingrich’s upset victory in the South Carolina Republican Primary, the Times’ editorialists dealt from the bottom of the deck, playing the race card in an attempt to deflect attention from […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion (Job 7:1-4,6-7; Psalm 147:1-6; 1 Corinthians 9:16-19,22-23; Mark 1:29-39) Seeking the Father’s Will Each Day in Prayer “Rising very early before dawn, he left and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed.” (Mark 1:35) Jesus certainly had a full day. With his first four chosen […]
Are you like me? Reading the coverage of the HHS mandate for insurance to cover contraception and sterilization and wondering why the bishops are only now speaking out against it when citizens have been forced to pay taxes that fund contraception, sterilization and even abortion for a long time. “Hey, it’s about time!” Yes, this mandate […]
I certainly hit “pay dirt” when I met my husband thirty-two years ago. I could never have anticipated that the sexy man in the disco pants and silky shirt had so many unique talents. These gifts complement our family and me personally, in so many ways. For starters, I jokingly refer to him as the […]
In March of 2010, I had the opportunity to preach to members of Congress and their staff who were gathered at the worship service held inside the Capitol just prior to the vote on Obamacare. In that sermon, I told them that Christianity transforms politics and government, because every human being in Christ has access […]
The title of this article, “What Does Centesimus Annus Really Teach?,” seems to imply that there might be some dispute about the teaching of Centesimus Annus, the latest of the three social encyclicals written by our late Holy Father, Pope John Paul II. And this is correct. For when Centesimus was issued in 1991 it generated an unusual […]
But the Lord answered: “Martha, Martha,” he said “you worry and fret about so many things, and yet few are needed, indeed only one. It is Mary who has chosen the better part; it is not to be taken from her” (Luke 10:41–42, JB). In this passage from scripture we find Martha’s sister, Mary, sitting […]
January 23 is a day that will forever live in the hearts and minds of pro-life Americans, people from all corners of the United States gather in Washington D.C. for the March for Life. Most media outlets barely reported on the annual March, but instead went on a slaughter frenzy of a little-known Republican State […]
Kid-Thing (shown at the Sundance Film Festival) examines the relationship between loneliness and hope as Annie (Sydney Aguirre), a 10-year-old only child, who is neglected by her alcoholic father, spends her days trying to entertain herself by creating trouble. Her misbehavior carries a suspenseful edge. Whether she is stealing food from a convenience store, throwing […]
On January 10, 2012, the United States 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in Texas Medical Providers Performing Abortion Services, et al. v. David Lakey, et al. vacated the preliminary injunction order of the federal district court in Austin, Texas that prohibited the enforcement of parts of the Texas Woman’s Right to Know Act (H.B. 15), […]
Was Saint Paul married? No evidence exists in the scriptures or in tradition that Paul had a wife and family. If he had, it would be difficult to explain why his wife would never once have been referenced either in the Acts of the Apostles or in his own letters. [1] Yet he writes so […]
On Tuesday evening, I had the honor of attending the State of the Union address as the guest of Congressman Mike Kelly (PA-03). Here are my impressions in abbreviated form: The address seemed more like a rewrite of previous speeches than an original work. Sure, there were new anecdotes and fresh twists on old policy […]
“For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall understand fully, even as I have been fully understood” — 1 Corinthians 13:12. A group of atheists in Colorado are putting up the newest version of their billboard messages, this time proclaiming that “God […]
Catholic League president Bill Donohue points to some instances of bias in today’s New York Times: The reason I read the New York Times every day is because of its comprehensive coverage and tremendous influence on other media outlets. Editorially, at least on cultural issues, the positions of the New York Times are diametrically opposed to the teachings of the […]
While reading a tale of adventure and combat on the high seas, say a novel by Patrick O’Brian or C.S. Forester, I can recall a vivid description of two ships of the line, engaged in a deadly duel, in which one of the vessels manages to inflict a particularly crushing fusillade on its opponent, described in a […]
Today, the Sixth Circuit issued a major victory for the constitutional rights of individuals with religious beliefs. The court held that Eastern Michigan University may have violated the Constitution by expelling a counseling student based on her religious beliefs about homosexual conduct. “No individual should be forced out of their profession solely because of her […]
As the United States marks the 39th anniversary of the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision this week, a new survey shows that the vast majority of Americans support significant restrictions on abortion. The poll, commissioned by the Knights of Columbus, found that 79 percent of Americans say that they would not allow abortion after […]
Quarters can’t buy protection against STD’s. Even without religion, the facts speak the truth. Peace of mind is free. When a former college president shared that he had installed vending machines with condoms in the girls’ dorms, my face must have betrayed disapproval. After a pregnant pause, (sorry, couldn’t resist) he further explained, “The girls […]
EWTN TV host and Catholic author, Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle recently interviewed Dorothy Pilarski about her new book Motherhood Matters. Donna-Marie: Dorothy, the book you’ve seemed to put your heart into has finally been released. What are your thoughts? Dorothy: There is a part of me that still doesn’t believe it’s true. There are moments where […]
