A thrown knife plunges menacingly into the wall. A handgun slides in from off-screen to fire a warning shot. Words of caution appear on the screen: “The only thing I can tell you is to watch your step.” When I was a young boy playing Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?, silly warnings like these told me I…
In the early 1200s, St. Francis of Assisi inflamed the hearts of the faithful with the Gospel message. He did not just speak the Good News; he lived it, with a particular emphasis on poverty and simplicity. As he wandered Italy and farther abroad, people flocked to hear his preaching and marveled at his example.…
A woman asked a friend to take her to the doctor’s office. She had a stressful medical procedure planned, and she needed her friend’s support. Her friend willingly agreed, and accompanied her throughout the process. The woman was happy to have this support during this stressful time. Her medical procedure? An abortion. Ecclesiastical Buzzwords The…
I put aside the day’s news with one thought: the end times are always with us. We do not have to wait for their approach—not tomorrow, not next year, not some distant century. They abide with us. We are forever in them. And every morning we awaken one day closer to the solitary Apocalypse that…
A new and unexpected conflict has developed in Rome. This time, however, it is not about marriage and the family, nor, for example, about that vexed question as to whether or not unrepentant and obstinate adulterers may, after all, receive the Sacraments. The contentious issue is now a much more gustatory – and unmistakably profane,…
I very recently asked Bishop Rene Henry Gracida, bishop emeritus of Corpus Christi, Texas, the following question: Would you say that this pontificate [of Pope Francis] has thus far been more heterodox and confusing than orthodox and edifying? Bishop Gracida’s answer: Yes! He added: Most Catholics are unaware that there have been instances in Church…
On October 20th, 2015, as the second half of the Synod on the Family was underway, I wrote: It has long been my concern that Francis will make an end-run around the restrictions of papal infallibility by not making a decision that is binding, but rather by delegating the decision on matters as important as…
Everyone has that family member or friend who embarrasses them by saying things they shouldn’t in public. The racist joke, the sexist comment, the unsolicited conspiracy theories…the options run the gamut. Sometimes, they might even say something you might agree with in private, but would never say around strangers. Whatever the case, you just wish they’d…
Today’s Holy See Press Office Bulletin tells us that Pope Francis received a thousand German Lutherans in audience at the Pope Paul VI hall at the Vatican: The Holy Father described this as a “beautiful initiative” and thanked the bishops who supported and accompanied the pilgrims. “Let us give thanks to God”, he said, “because…
After the announcement that Pope Francis had selected Archbishop Blaise Cupich of Chicago to become one of the new cardinals, Cupich gave short, but very revealing, 12 October interview to the Italian newspaper La Stampa‘s publication Vatican Insider. This interview is very important, because Cupich explains his own understanding of the Eighth Chapter of the…
The podcast is finally back! In the first show of the fall, Steve tackles the thing that seems to be weighing on everyone: what a difficult year it has been. The challenges, the crosses, the unexpected suffering. The incredible turmoil in the Church. We’re tired. We’re worried. We’re almost out of punches. But there’s still…
