Articles

The Demographics of the Extraordinary Form

Young People, Families, Sex Ratios, and Diversity

The Foederatio Internationalis Una Voce (FIUV, or Una Voce International) recently submitted to the Holy See a report on the availability of the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite around the world (hereafter, “the FIUV Report”), in the pre … [Read more...]

Questions Answered – January 2021

What Does It Mean to Judge? Question: When can we and when can we not judge? Answer: “Judge not, lest you be judged.” (Mt. 7:1) This text is the origin of much handwringing on the part of Christians about judging others. As a confessor, … [Read more...]

Can There Be a Catholic History?

Some years ago, in a conversation with a non-Catholic woman of my acquaintance, I mentioned how I made my living. “I write Catholic history texts,” I told her. With head cocked and a challenge in her eyes, she asked, “Catholic history? What … [Read more...]

Evangelization: The Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist

A significant number of Catholics — according to the latest Pew Research Center survey, almost two-thirds of self-identifying Catholics — do not believe in the Real Presence. [1. OSV Editorial Board, “The Real Presence,” Our Sunday Visitor, … [Read more...]

Hail Full of Grace, the Lord Is With You

Whom does the Archangel Gabriel address when he speaks the words: “Hail full of grace, the Lord is with you”? Is it not a humble Virgin named Mary, born to Saints Joachim and Anne in the city of Galilee named Nazareth? She who is known as … [Read more...]

A Contribution of Madonna House to Synodality

The present article was occasioned by reading Adam DeVille’s recent book, Everything Hidden Shall Be Revealed: Ridding the Church of Abuses of Sex and Power (Angelico Press) (NIH). He sees one of the root causes of the sexual abuse scandal a … [Read more...]

Male and Female He Created Them: Ecumenical Reflections

Confusion. Division. Chaos. Heresy. These terms describe the effects of the serious flirtations with the Zeitgeist currently afflicting to a lesser or greater degree the Catholic Church — see the German and Belgium episcopacy — and other chu … [Read more...]

Should Catholics Receive a COVID-19 Vaccine?

On January 30th, 2020, the World Health Organization declared a public health emergency of international concern in the wake of the rise of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19.[1. “IHR Emergency Committee on Novel Coronavirus (2019-NCoV).” Acc … [Read more...]

A Conversation about Cancel Culture

Over Thanksgiving break, a friend of mine asked me, “What is meant by the phrase cancel culture?” I thought the best way to get at the answer was to ask him a question of my own, “What does it mean to talk about culture?” That simple questio … [Read more...]

Recollection: The Beating Heart of Prayer

“We must serve GOD in a holy freedom; we must do our business faithfully, without trouble or disquiet; recalling our mind to GOD mildly and with tranquility, as often as we find it wandering from Him.” — Br. Lawrence of the Resur … [Read more...]

The Gift of the Mind: Scholars and Saints

If one thing characterized priesthood fifty years ago (especially in Europe, even if less so here), it was the priest as a man of learning, that is, possessing a broad grasp of knowledge, a true Renaissance man — an in-depth knowledge of a f … [Read more...]

The Sweetness of the Yoke of Christ

Hope for those struggling to live out the teaching of Humanae Vitae

My wife, Kristina, and I were married just weeks after our twenty-second birthdays. We were still in our final year of college, young, naive — and in love. Our Catholic faith was always a central part of our lives and our relationship. We t … [Read more...]

Conception: A Contradiction?

[Cf. Francis Etheredge: Conception: An Icon of the Beginning, St. Louis: En Route Books and Media, 2019: https://enroutebooksandmedia.com/conception/ (the publisher’s page includes interviews, reviews, endorsements, Contents and connections … [Read more...]

A Review Essay of The Devil’s Redemption: A New History and Interpretation of Christian Universalism

This is a very important book. In two large and carefully documented volumes, Dr. McClymond, a professor of theology at St. Louis University, has traced the entire history of Christian universalism from its first appearance in the Gnostic … [Read more...]

Liturgical Lessons for Social Media from Medieval Hermits

In the face of stay-at-home orders and church closures put in place throughout the world to keep people safe from the coronavirus, Catholic priests have exhibited remarkable pastoral creativity. One has only to browse social media to see … [Read more...]