A sub-category of News.
All good things come to their end, with the exception of God’s love and the eternal joy of Heaven. Thus, the Church, in her liturgical wisdom, allows the cycle of the year to come to its own solemn conclusion, so that we may be stirred up again to begin anew. As this series of reflections…
Friday, November 21, is “World Vasectomy Day.” It is this November’s culmination of a variety of global celebrations of male sterilization. Each year, the first three weeks of November are set aside for that purpose, with activists in one country—this year, Argentina—acting as organizers. The annual celebration of vasectomies is significant because it plays into…
It is seemingly impossible to engage in a conversation about conservative politics, or even the intersection of religion and politics, without the topic of “Groypers” rearing its head. If you know what a Groyper is, or what “groyperism” is, then I will not have to define what it is. If you do not know what…
Above: a colossal statue of Carlo Borromeo erected in Arona, Italy in 1697. Doctor in civil and ecclesiastical law, an aristocrat by birth on his father’s side—Count Gilbert of Arona—and also on his mother’s side, Margaret (the sister of Pope Pius IV), who descended from the Milanese branch of the famous Medici family, Charles Borromeo…
The Church is mater et magistra—mother and teacher. And as teacher, she has divided the liturgical year into seasons, each having their own emphasis—their own “curriculum” as it were. In November, the Church has us remember our end. Starting with All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day, the month is dedicated to remembering the faithful…
Russell Moore’s latest panic about the “Nazification” of American Christianity is a sermon in search of a swastika. His argument—that scattered online trolls and a handful of fringe youth groups somehow signal the rise of a Fourth Reich in the pews—is comical. America’s churches aren’t breeding grounds for fascism. In truth, they’re barely holding on…
Boomers run the Catholic Church. Now, I know that many in the Baby Boomer cohort react to the term “Boomers” like a black person reacts to a white Republican using the N-word, but hear me out for a minute. By “Boomer,” I simply mean the views that dominate that age group and what it’s most…
Some people traveling around Italy have found themselves in front of churches and basilicas that require an entrance ticket for admission and visitation. Of course, this fee is not for participation in liturgical celebrations. However, if someone wished to enter for a devout visit (that is, not purely touristic, but inspired by a spiritual desire)…
The skies are growing darker. The air is crisp, even biting. The torn-up Main Street in my sleepy little Pittsburgh borough is ever so slowly prickling up with snowflake banners, evergreen, and sparkling lights. My son is buzzing whenever he rolls past the newest Santa decoration in the department store. The magic of Christmastime is…
Fr. Joe became a priest at the perfect American moment. In the summer of ’85, America’s dads and moms gathered with their children in family rooms, laughing together at the wholesome storylines of The Cosby Show and Family Ties. Springsteen’s Born in the U.S.A. seemed to pour from every car radio, each track reflecting the…
