“Only a permanent formation of the heart and mind can actually create intelligibility and participation which is more than one external activity, which is an entering of the person, of his or her being into communion with the Church and thus in fellowship with Christ.”—Pope Benedict XVI this morning, in his annual address to the […]
“While the Lord continues to raise up examples of radical conversion, like Pavel Florensky, Etty Hillesum and Dorothy Day, he also constantly challenges those who have been raised in the faith to deeper conversion.”—Pope Benedict XVI, at his next-to-last General Audience, this morning in the Paul VI Audience Hall in Vatican City Benedict Reaches Out […]
Forty years ago today, Navy Admiral Jeremiah Denton was freed from captivity as a POW by the North Vietnamese in Hanoi. In May 2007, Admiral Denton agreed to serve as Chairman of the Thomas More Law Center’s Citizens Advisory Board. Admiral Jeremiah Denton served as United States Naval Aviator during the Vietnam War and was the […]
Last summer, I had a conversation on the topic of religious liberty with a dear priest friend who is a very accomplished moral theologian and seminary professor. He’s one of very few people I know whose rock-solid orthodoxy, knowledge and insight make him a reliable guide in all matters Catholic. That being the case, I […]
Throughout history, there have been a number of religious military orders. These orders dwelt in the shadow of the Church, shaping it through their deeds and accomplishments. One such order was the Teutonic Knights. There were three major religious military orders formed during the Crusades. The most known were the Templar Knights founded around 1119, […]
For the past several weeks, Catholics around the Internet have been talking about a scandal, and, surprisingly, they’re more or less in agreement. It is a real-life scandal of a bishop who forgave a criminal for robbing from him. It is a fictional scandal of a criminal who broke parole, became a successful businessman and […]
In 1961, three months before Barack Obama’s birth, President John F. Kennedy gave a speech to members of the media. There is, said he, “little value in ensuring the survival of our nation if our traditions do not survive with it.”[1] Does JFK’s assertion apply today? In my judgment it is both pertinent and accurate, given […]
![Sides of the Same Coin: St. Angela Merici and [Sister] Adele Brise](http://www.catholiclane.com/wp-content/uploads/St.-Angela-Merici-150x150.png)
This year January 27th falls on the Third Sunday of Ordinary Time. Ordinarily the Catholic Church would celebrate the memorial of St. Angela Merici, an Italian saint on this date. When I first heard the story of St. Angela Merici in the college seminary, I was struck by the similarities St. Angela shared with [Sister] […]
Imagine you are the pope. The previous half-century has seen the rise of many radical political movements and systems of thought hostile to the Church. Major societal upheaval is well underway, disrupting the basic order of civilization that had persisted for centuries. The territory that had for a millennium been politically controlled by your predecessors has […]
A Very Brief Biography Rev. John Banister Tabb (March 22, 1845 – November 19, 1909) was a Catholic priest and professor of English. Born into one of Virginia’s oldest and wealthiest families, at “The Forest” in Amelia County, Tabb fell in love in his teens, though his marriage proposal to the neighbor girl was declined. He […]
Much has been said lately about how to do evangelization. I’ve contributed a bit to that myself. Now I begin to think that, instead of always stressing niceness, it might be good to give tough religion a try. That idea was inspired by a reading of Eric Metaxas’s biography of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the Lutheran theologian […]
On December 9, 1531, a poor and humble man from a remote village, some fourteen miles outside of present-day Mexico City, had a miraculous encounter with a mysterious lady and the Americas would never be the same. That peasant was Juan Diego, and the mysterious lady that he encountered was none other than she whom […]
This interview with Christopher Ferrara, Catholic author and founder of the American Catholic Lawyers Association, was conducted by Dr. John C. Rao, November 11, 2012. JR: Let’s begin, appropriately enough, with your title, [Liberty, the God That Failed: Policing the Sacred and Constructing the Myths of the Secular State, from Locke to Obama] and the […]
God did not send the Savior to a pacifist society in Nepal, or to some remote place eschewing military preparedness (like an ancient version of today’s Costa Rica). Instead he chose the world’s greatest and most literate empire at “the fullness of time.”[1] The Pax Romana, the Roman Peace, was maintained by training, equipping and […]
In these final few days of election season, wouldn’t it be a relief to read something informative, constructive, and positive? The political scene this year is filled with negativity and misinformation; yet, we are presented with two very clear choices, at least when it comes to the presidential race. The book Indivisible provides a positive […]
Today begins the Year of Faith 2012-2013, on the 20th anniversary of the promulgation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and the 50th anniversary (“quinquagenary”) of the opening of the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council. In Gaudet Mater Ecclesia, his address on the first day of the Council, Bl. John XXIII proclaimed the heart of […]
History offers insightful comparisons and contrasts between past and present. A generation or so before the birth of Christ, Rome lost her republic to political and cultural decadence. Although reformers emerged in the political and literary spheres, their efforts failed and ancient democracy faded into oblivion. Whereas in America, the game is not quite up. […]
167 years ago today, Thursday, October 9, 1845, the Anglican priest Rev. John Henry Newman was received into the Catholic Church by the Italian Passionist priest Rev. Dominic Barberi. Today, both Fr. Barberi and Fr. Newman are beati of the Catholic Church: Bl. Dominic of the Mother of God was beatified by Pope Paul VI […]
The Queen of Heaven Visits Adele Brise On October 9, 1859, the life of a Belgian immigrant named Adele Brise was forever changed. It was on that day she received her third apparition of the Blessed Mother, who identified herself as the Queen of Heaven. Our Lady’s specific request of Adele was to pray for […]
Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 In late Spring, AD 312, Constantine’s victories at Susa and at Turin in northwestern Italy liberated Roman domains as far east as Milan, much to the joy of Christians and also of many pagans alienated from the co-Emperor, Maxentius. Misrule by Maxentius in the Roman diocese of Italia had […]
Few expressions are better guaranteed to spark passionate debates among Catholics today than two words: “Vatican II.” Though most Catholics today were born after the Council closed in 1965, the fiftieth anniversary of the Council’s 1962 opening on 11 October this year will surely reignite the usual controversies about its significance. Much discussion will undoubtedly […]
Editor’s note: For Greater Glory comes out on DVD on Tuesday, September 11th. In light of this, Leticia Velasquez interviewed Eduardo Verastegui, one of the film’s actors. Velasquez: Eduardo, when I interviewed you in 2009 in Connecticut, you mentioned wanting to do a film about the Cristeros. Tell me how you got involved in For […]
Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4 It’s a bit disenchanting to suppose that the Christian revolution of the fourth century originated in just another contest between ambitious pagan rulers. But was that really the case? Today, many historians tend to think so. They follow Eusebius (Vita Constantini 1.27) the fourth century Roman citizen […]
Every Christian has heard about the stunning conversion of St Augustine, the most famous doctor of the Church. His wisdom permeates Western culture and Catholics are familiar with his saying, “You have made us for Thyself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in Thee”. We have heard about St Augustine’s long […]
