Background Note: I recently explained how popes have strived to preserve doctrinal continuity by supporting their predecessors’ pronouncements. I noted, as well, that though this action may be well intended, when the issue involves a contradiction...
That the Catholic Church has been losing numbers for decades has been well established. Why the loss has occurred, however, is not as clear. One might expect that Church leaders would be interested in finding the answer and sharing it with their...
A reader recently offered this (paraphrased) comment on an essay of mine: “Your essay and others like it leave me frustrated. They talk about the impact of Modernism, the failures of U.S. bishops and Pope Francis, sexual abuse by priests, financial...
For centuries missionary priests have risked their lives to spread the Gospel and expand the reach of the Catholic Church. Many have been martyred for their efforts. In Japan, as beautifully dramatised in Martin Scorcese’s Silence, the Shogunate of...
I am a proud carnivore. I often show my cuspid teeth to my vegan buddy as a reminder to him that our genetics created these to rip and tear meat. In addition, not being a fan of the greens he eats, I offer to save him my lawn clippings each summer...
I live in a small town in New Jersey where things have not been going so well for our parish or the surrounding diocese. We have struggled to maintain two priests at our parish. Our pastor, now approaching 75 years of age, has appealed numerous...
Ours is a world over which technology and pop culture are constantly swaying dominance, especially in society. The concrete jungle, being built ever higher and more expansive, allows the bombardment of media and entertainment to reach us with ease...
Recently, while dusting my bookcase, I noticed my copy of Malachi Martin’s The Decline and Fall of the Roman Church, published in 1981. I flipped through its underscored and annotated pages and realized that Martin’s observations seem even...
