In the wake of a progressively globalized society, namely, the integration of the various cultures, markets, and political convictions, the world faces the question of determining a principle constituent of unification.[1. Joseph Ratzinger, … [Read more...]
Articles
Faith and Reason, Like Milk and Cookies, Are Better Together
The old comedy series “Get Smart” featured a gizmo called the cone of silence. It was a glass silo that descended upon a group who wanted to have a private conversation. It never worked very well. The information silos in which technology wi … [Read more...]
What’s Going to Bring Me Happiness?
The Implications of a Shift from a Morality of Obligation to a Morality of Happiness
“ ‘What will bring us happiness?’ many say. Lord, let the light of your face shine upon us.” ~ Psalm 4:6. Do you ever feel like you are just going through the motions, checking off the good deed box because you feel obliged to do so? Do you … [Read more...]
Dante and the Catholic Intellectual Tradition on Faith and Reason
The topic of the relatedness between reason and faith is important. As people leave the faith in high numbers, one of the reasons given is that faith and reason — more specifically, scientific reason — are viewed as incompatible. The Cath … [Read more...]
Doing the Works of Mercy with Mary, Mother of Mercy
Although I have had a relationship with Mary since I was a child and had been praying the Rosary since my early twenties, I developed a closer relationship with Mary as a mother and came to understand her as the Mother of Mercy because of … [Read more...]
The Preeminence of the Eternal and the Dignity of the Human Person
Do all men and women have their origin in the One True God? If so, have they been created to be concerned solely with what can be manipulated and obtained during this life, regardless of morality? Has mankind lost an awareness of the … [Read more...]
God Is Not Ineffective Against Evil
The problem of evil is a profound enigma. Even for people who believe in God, the presence of evil can be overwhelming. Many ask, “How could God be so silent or inactive?” A look at history reveals countless evils, including wars and gen … [Read more...]
Catholics in High Public Office Today
Today there are approximately 51 million Catholic Christians in the United States. The U.S. population currently numbers approximately 330 million, and thus Catholics make up only about one fifth of the population. Nevertheless, there is an … [Read more...]
Clericalism and the Crisis of the Church
When Steve Skojec and Cardinal Marx Agree
It’s not news to anyone who’s been paying attention that the broadly-Catholic world is in a state of crisis. If you’re interested in the long history of how we got to this point, there are plenty of places to look, but that’s not what this e … [Read more...]
Newman, Aquinas, and the Development of Doctrine
The question of the development of doctrine, and his investigation of its implications, was crucial to John Henry Newman’s conversion to the Catholic Church. The question with which he struggled was this: how can it be that the Christian f … [Read more...]
Heaven in the Heart
“It seems to me that I have found my heaven on earth, because my heaven is you, my God, and you are in my soul. You in me, and I in you — may this be my motto.” ~ St. Elizabeth of the Trinity What is the greatest earthly love we have known … [Read more...]
The Death Penalty Is a Failed Sacrifice
The final abolition of the death penalty in the 2018 revision of the Catechism[1. The Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 2267.] and follow-up confirmation in the latest Pope Francis encyclical, Fratelli tutti,[2. Pope Francis, Fratelli … [Read more...]
The Mystery of Miscarriage
Mary, Joseph, and the Theology of Pre-Natal Life
The deepest truth about the human person is contained in the words “Our Father.” Enfolded in this sublime opening to the Lord’s Prayer is God’s loving provision for and delight in each one of us; our connection to Jesus and to one another as … [Read more...]
The Anvil of God
Drawing Inspiration from the Preaching of Bl. Clemens von Galen
In a time when his people were suffering and felt helpless to change the course of world affairs, the Lion of Münster[1. To read more about Blessed Clemens von Galen, see Fr Daniel Utrecht, The Lion of Münster: The Bishop Who Roared Against … [Read more...]
The Biblical Mariology of Pope Benedict XVI, Part II
Blessed Is She
In the first part of this article, I demonstrated how Pope Benedict XVI, erudite biblical theologian that he is, grounds his Mariology in an ardent love of Sacred Scripture. In this article, the second of the two parts, I will demonstrate … [Read more...]
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