Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, when the sign of the cross is made with ashes on our foreheads and is accompanied by the words “Remember man that thou art dust, and unto dust thou shall return.” The readings in the service that follows...
By now most Americans understand that the country is not only in decline, but that the situation is worsening. Economic, educational, and political problems multiply. Moral and religious values are increasingly challenged. Unfortunately, with all...
Although the term “justice” has been in use for thousands of years,“social justice” was coined in the late 1800s and became prominent in the 20th century. Catholic bishops, including Pope John XXIII, Pope Benedict XVI, Pope Francis, and the U.S...
“Social justice” is at the center of most political activism in contemporary America. It has provided arguments for the expansion of entitlement programs, for making the affluent “pay their fair share,” and more generally for “redistributing wealth...
Following Pope Francis’ approval of blessings for same-sex couples, the Jesuit publication America Magazine published reactions from U.S. bishops, as well as from others. A statement by the U.S. Conference of Catholic bishops pointed out the...
The decline of America has been underway for decades and has dramatically increased in recent years. Signs of it are now evident throughout our society. Part 1 of this essay explained how Churches can help solve the problem by directly addressing...
I recently wrote that for many decades politicians have used “Separation of Church and State” to intimidate the clergy to be silent about “political issues,” and that most churches responded accordingly. One result I noted has been to deprive...
In a recent essay I explained that America’s intellectual and moral decline can be reversed by restoring the ideas and practices foolishly discarded in recent decades—the belief that all humans are imperfect; that good and evil (sin and virtue) are...
