“We so heartily approve the magnificent tribute of praise bestowed upon this most divine genius that We consider that Thomas should be called not only the Angelic, but also the Common or Universal Doctor of the Church; for the Church has adopted his philosophy for her own.” (Studiorum Ducem, 29 June, 1923, Pope Pius XI)…
God and I hadn’t been on speaking terms for awhile. At least, it didn’t seem as if He had any interest in speaking to me. Since I was a teenager, I’d struggled with Obsession Compulsive Disorder manifesting as extreme scruples, or the idea that all of what I did, even prayer, was somehow displeasing…
Modern life, despite all of its many comforts, is a cesspool. We know it. We can feel it. We swim in it every day — a never ending torrent of information, images, and interactions — and we never come out sparkling clean, even if we try. Social media is bad. The word “toxic” is overused,…
Editor’s note: the following comes to us from an attorney, husband, and father who, because of politics of his law firm, cannot publish under his real name. If you think that underscores the point of this article, you are correct. On October 19, 1984, Father Jerzy Popieluszko was tortured and beaten to death by communists…
Twelve-year-old Charlotte Toguchi had to make a decision. Which should she choose? The Liberty cotton or the Swiss? The periwinkle blue or the coral? The stripes or the tiny flamingo print? Her art teacher had convinced her that she had a special aptitude for color, so she felt confident in choosing the fabric for her…
The headline for this piece was the first thought I had upon reading the following from The Pillar: The Archdiocese of Washington has allocated more than $2 million for the “ministry activities” of retired Cardinal Donald Wuerl. The archdiocese, which has pledged in recent years a commitment to financial transparency, has not responded to questions…
Pope Pius XI: “No genuine cure can be furnished for this lamentable ruin of souls, which, so long as it continues, will frustrate all efforts to regenerate society, unless men return openly and sincerely to the teaching of the Gospel” (Quadragesimo Anno [1931: #136]). “For there is no permanent city for us here on earth;…
For the past two years, our family has been attending Mass in the Extraordinary Form exclusively, save for a couple of times where I found myself at the Novus Ordo by necessity. Though we attend a Diocesean TLM, I have also had the opportunity to attend traditional masses with the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter…
(Banner Image: Jfvoll, Martyrs Shrine Midland, ON – St. Jean de Brefeuf, CC BY-SA 4.0) Perhaps it is nostalgia that has me think back every March to when I attended an authentic Catholic college. The transience of those lighthearted years brings a bittersweet remembrance; as our student anthem suggested – Gaudeamus igitur, Juvenes dum sumus – Let…
It’s a new interview from an old pope who had promised silence, but has offered anything but. In a new conversation with Corriere Della Serra‘s Massimo Franco, we get yet another glimpse into the mind and life of Joseph Ratzinger behind the walls of Mater Ecclesiae Monastery, and per usual, it offers a little insight,…
I took a walk this morning around the neighborhood. Second day in a row. This is an insignificant accomplishment by any objective measure, but it’s a milestone for me. (Recall, if you will, my recounting of Scott Adams’ discussion of the technique whereby one wiggles their pinky finger as the first step to overcoming a…
