Marching Toward a “New Feminism”

The aftermath of this year’s several Women’s Marches around the country has offered me an opportunity to reflect upon the role of women, both in the country as a whole, as well as in my own daily life. I spent a great deal of time thinking b … [Read more...]

Racketeer for Life

Book Review Essay

Fighting the Culture of Death from the Sidewalk to the Supreme Court by Joseph M. Scheidler with Peter M. Scheidler (Charlotte, NC: Tan Books/St. Benedict Press, 2016; ISBN 978-1-61890-850-6, $24.95) 455 pages. Maybe once in a lifetime, … [Read more...]

Philosophy Is About Real Questions: Why the Pain If There Is No One There?

Although we are naturally philosophers (cf. Fides et Ratio, 3-4, 33), what will bring that search for the truth to the fore and confront us with a question in search of an answer? There are those, however, that claim that truth does not … [Read more...]

Contraception as a Lesser Evil

From Modern Moral Problems

The following are excerpts from a new book which is a compilation of the writings of Msgr. William B. Smith who was a regular contributor to Homiletic and Pastoral Review, from October 1992 to July 2005, for the magazine's "Questions … [Read more...]

Contraception and Original Sin

Alice von Hildebrand wrote, regarding Satan, “Abortion is his greatest victory since original sin.” (New Oxford Review, "To the Editor," May 2015). May I demur? Artificial contraception is. Why? Because it repeats the original sin of Adam an … [Read more...]

A “Categorical Silence” in the Preparatory Questionnaire for the 2015 Synod

“Make no mistake, my brothers: those who corrupt families will not inherit the kingdom of God.” —Ignatius of Antioch, To the Ephesians In his 2007 autobiography, Cardinal Giacomo Biffi, retired Archbishop of Bologna, recalled his surpr … [Read more...]

A Due-Process Compliant Pathway to Restore Constitutional Fetal Personhood and Reverse Roe v. Wade

“The power of the modern state {including one of its arms, such as its highest court} makes it possible for it to turn lies into truth by destroying the facts which existed before, and by making new realities to form what until then had b … [Read more...]

Appreciating the Ancient Roots of Church Precepts: The “Didache” Revisited

In all ages and places, members of the Church need guidance and discipline. ... What we learn from consulting the Didache is that the first generations of Christians had many of the same concerns as we do today, and that these were … [Read more...]

Benedict XVI on Freedom in Obedience to the Truth: A Key for the New Evangelization

... the more fundamental task ... is to form human hearts, beginning with those who have already been evangelized and need to be “newly evangelized,” those who know something already, but are not living it; those who are showing up in the pe … [Read more...]

The Person of Jesus Unites Himself with the Unborn

I began to meditate on the awesome truth that Almighty God, became fully human, feeding on nutrients and oxygen within the blood of his Blessed Mother, as is every human fetus fed by his or her natural mother. ...Jesus teaches, by his … [Read more...]

Questions Answered

Many politicians have claimed that though they are Catholic, they are in favor of a woman’s right to choose whatever is necessary for her reproductive health. Can you comment on this attitude? Some couples have chosen to practice c … [Read more...]

USCCB President Archbishop Kurtz Responds to ACLU’s Lawsuit

Statement from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

The Church urges respectful, compassionate care for pregnant women and their children. ACLU claims are “baseless” and lawsuit “misguided.”   Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, called a suit by … [Read more...]

What Color Is Your Parachute?

I was recently reading through a blog honoring Abortion Provider Appreciation Day ... The organizers describe their rationale for such a dark and strange observance as being a response against crisis pregnancy centers... “The most st … [Read more...]

Abortion: Unmasking the Demon

It is true that fatherhood is the main target of Satan’s forces, but his is a multi-pronged strategy which includes the destruction of motherhood and childhood. This is blatant in abortions.   The spiritual dimension of abortion, based on … [Read more...]