Has the church changed her teaching on condom use to prevent the spread of HIV? Can you tell me the origin of celibacy as a requirement for the priesthood and why the Western Church puts so much emphasis on it? Question: In the d … [Read more...]
Articles
Supreme Court Decision on Marriage: “Tragic Day for Marriage and our Nation”
Statement from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
June 27, 2013 by United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
Marriage is the only institution that brings together a man and a woman for life, providing any child who comes from their union with the secure foundation of a mother and a father. June 26, 2013 WASHINGTON—The U.S. Supreme Court d … [Read more...]
Celiac Disease and Holy Communion: A Medical and Spiritual Dilemma
June 24, 2013 by Msgr. Mark J. Merdian
In this article, I hope to inform as many people as possible ... about the damaging spiritual and physical effects of celiac disease. And ... provide resources and pastoral recommendations for caring for individuals who may be unable to … [Read more...]
Rallying for Religious Freedom under the Shadow of Planned Parenthood
June 22, 2013 by Arland K. Nichols
Our Founding Fathers understood that when the state oversteps its boundaries—offending its very charge and offending the rights of the people—we must stand up. We stand today in a shadow cast by this massive Planned Parenthood facility, w … [Read more...]
Jesus and Marriage? A Theological Response
June 20, 2013 by R. Jared Staudt, PhD
The celibacy of Jesus, and the Christian response to it, is ultimately a question of love, an intimate relation that is hard to grasp for modern man looking in from the outside. Early papyrus fragment of "wife of Jesus;" Jesus Christ Pa … [Read more...]
Prayer as the Wellspring for Positive Transformation
June 12, 2013 by Carolyn Humphreys, OCDS
As long as we are faithful to prayer, we maintain a clarity of vision that promotes higher ideals and elevated standards of conduct. ... The more we pray, the more its fruits nourish our daily lives. John Chrysostom once wrote: “Prayer i … [Read more...]
Spirituality for Widows
June 10, 2013 by Ronda Chervin, PhD
In the New Testament, widows flourish in their ministry as they draw close to Christ and to Christ’s people. They are free to follow the Crucified One ... Concerning widows in the early Church ... some of them constituted the first form of c … [Read more...]
Holy Communion: Sharing in the Threefold Munus of the Divine Gladiator
June 7, 2013 by Fr. Andreas Hoeck, SSD
The Church early on espoused munus to designate the triple character or office of the God-Man, Jesus Christ: he is at the same time Priest, Prophet and King or Shepherd. Gladiators fighting to the death; Christ's glorious resurrection … [Read more...]
Vocation for the Wives of Ordained Permanent Deacons
June 6, 2013 by Mary Gannon Kaufmann, MA, MS
Women who pray for the Church, and who are spouses of permanent deacons (or those in formation), are undoubtedly responding to a unique grace of personal mission that comes to them as a result of their baptism. I was at a retreat in … [Read more...]
Discernment and Communion
June 6, 2013 by Fr. Bryce Sibley
If young people want to properly discern a vocation, they need an expert to help guide them. In the Church of San Luigi Dei Francesi in Rome, there are the three famous paintings of the life of St. Matthew by the great Baroque artist … [Read more...]
June is Vocations Month
June 6, 2013 by David Vincent Meconi
Congratulations! Our prayers and best wishes to all those ordained to the priesthood and the diaconate this month, and all those taking final vows for religious life! May God bless you and be … [Read more...]
Change and permanence
May 22, 2013 by Fr. Kenneth Baker, SJ
The Catholic Church has always seemed to me to be like the solid Rock of Gibralter — stable and permanent. Even though we live in a world of constant change and are able to adapt ourselves to it, most of us feel more at home with t … [Read more...]
An Ignatian Bishop of Rome
May 22, 2013 by Gregory Vall
Like Bergoglio’s choice of the name Francis—after the Poverello of Assisi rather than the Jesuit Francis Xavier—the phrase “presides in charity” and its evocation of “the other Ignatius” may turn out to be interpretive keys to the unpretenti … [Read more...]
Thinking as a Christian with Josef Pieper
May 20, 2013 by Matthew Anger
In an age when society is again becoming highly polarized, it is important to remember that the lack of real communication causes a breakdown in civility, and an increase in ignorance. During his long lifetime, Josef Pieper (1904-1997) … [Read more...]
Questions Answered
May 16, 2013 by Fr. Brian Mullady, OP
Is it true that Hell is not a permanent condition? Are there any clear statements in Scripture that homosexuality is a sin and unnatural? Question: Is it true that Hell is not a permanent condition? Answer: The question of the e … [Read more...]
Recent Comments