You are here: Home » Site Map

Site Map

Site Feeds

Monthly Archives

All Articles

Poem: “The Invitation”

The Invitation When I see the blazing of the redbud tree, The tulips filled with ruby and with ivory, The sunlight poured with lavishness inside and out, A moment then suspended is our churlish doubt, The naming for the banquet given out by One Who sets the goblets for us and pours out the sun […]

Catholic Media: Right and Wrong Approaches to the Occupy Movement

Oct 26 11 • James Tucker • 9 comments

Call it an occupational hazard, but I can’t look at Marybeth Hicks’ article without wondering, “What is this piece doing on a Catholic website? To be fair, the article was written for the Washington Times where it possibly feels more at home in the larger context of her “conservative” political column. Hicks has described that her […]

Shining the Light of Truth on Anti-Semitism

Oct 26 11 • Louie Verrecchio • 0 comments

Anti-Semitism must be exposed by the light of truth so it can be soundly defeated – the operative phrase here being the light of truth, and by this I mean whole and entire; with neither attenuation nor ambiguity. On this, surely all can agree. In practice, however, this appears to be a real challenge for […]

Obama’s Misplaced Mideast Optimism

Oct 26 11 • Daniel Pipes • 1 comment

Confidently commenting on the execution of Libya’s long-time dictator, Barack Obama stated that “the death of Mu’ammar al-Qaddafi showed that our role in protecting the Libyan people, and helping them break free from a tyrant, was the right thing to do.” About his own decision to pull all U.S. troops from Iraq in two months’ […]

‘Abortion’ May Not Be What You Think

Oct 26 11 • Judie Brown • 0 comments

The definitions of the terms used in a discussion can and do change the outcome. The political maxim, “He who frames the issue wins the debate” applies in many situations including how the public views what abortion is and why it is either legitimate or illicit. A chasm exists between those two positions, but what […]

Can’t We Battle Bullying Without Politics?

Oct 26 11 • Marybeth Hicks • 5 comments

If there’s one thing virtually everyone can agree on, it’s that bullying is bad. In fact, a recent survey commissioned by Care.com, a caregiver referral company, revealed that bullying is the No. 1 concern of parents of school-aged children — even more so than the fear of kidnapping. We’re all more aware of, and alarmed […]

Poem: “Requiem for the Homeless Man”

Oct 26 11 • Philip Kolin • 0 comments

Requiem for the Homeless Man He died of an overdose of neglect; who cares that he was one of the hidden people exiled from smiles. His sores were so heavy he had to lean them against a wall, a bench, or a gate, or let them fall into the gutter where he belonged who cares? […]

The Occupy Movement: A Report from Occupy Seattle, Part 1

Oct 25 11 • Robert Struble, Jr. • 20 comments

The Occupy Wall Street movement has yet to define itself, and remains in a state of flux and complexity. Commentators attempting to stereotype OWS, and reduce it to a simple formula, might consider Albert Einstein’s maxim that “politics is more complicated than physics.” Our local chapter of OWS is called Occupy Seattle. Let me offer […]

ECJ On Stem Cell Patents: A Tremendous Pro-life Victory

Oct 25 11 • J.C. von Krempach, J.D. • 0 comments

The European Court of Justice (ECJ, the EU’s supreme judiciary instance) [last Wednesday] issued a judgment (C=34/10, Brüstle vs. Greenpeace) clarifying that (1) no patents can be issued for inventions involving “the use for human embryos for industrial or commercial purposes” as this would be “contrary to order public or morality”, and (2) that this prohibition also […]

Mission Accomplished?

Oct 25 11 • Ken Connor • 0 comments

After nearly a decade of deployments, surges, and setbacks, after thousands of lives lost and over one trillion in taxpayers dollars spent, President Obama has announced that – in keeping with the timetable originally established by President Bush – all U.S. troops will withdraw from Iraq by the end of the year. At a time […]

Your Relationship Deserves a Good Home

Oct 25 11 • Anthony Buono • 1 comment

“With the Lord, there is mercy and fullness of redemption.” This responsorial psalm is derived from Psalm 130, which has the trembling words “If Thou, O Lord, should mark iniquities, who could stand?” In other words, if You keep a record of sins, who could ever make it to heaven? How true. We are committed […]

Poem: “Watchman, What of the Night?”

Oct 25 11 • Theodore Kobernick • 0 comments

Watchman, What of the Night? “Black, my friend, black as pitch, yet ever darkening. Those who live do sleep Some, troubled, tossing, groaning, dreaming of evils, Fearful of life, fearing personal poverty. “Sleeping in death are Paine, John and Abigail Adams, Franklin, Jefferson, the men of Washington, Who fought, died, for truths they held self-evident. […]

In Public, Keep What You “Believe” About Abortion to Yourself

Oct 24 11 • Mary Kochan • 3 comments

Given the recent incoherent attempts by Herman Cain to articulate what he claims is a pro-life position, it is apparent that he needs some lessons in how to make the prolife case — if indeed, he is pro-life. If he is pro-life, then some humility is in order, like recognizing that his answers so far have […]

The Vatican Said What?! Read the Text for Yourself

Oct 24 11 • Dr. Robert Moynihan • 1 comment

The important piece of news out of Rome today is that the Vatican has allegedly called for a “central world bank” in reponse to the continuing speculation and instability in the world financial system. I say “allegedly” because the text in which this call appears is not by Pope Benedict, but by a Vatican office, […]

Vatican Council Calls for Financial Reform

Oct 24 11 • Bill Donohue • 1 comment

The Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace issued a document today titled, “Toward Reforming the International Financial and Monetary Systems in the Context of Global Public Authority.” Commenting on it is Catholic League president Bill Donohue: There has been much hyperventilation from some quarters over the release of this document. All of it is unwarranted. […]

Needed: Political Leaders that Serve Christ the King

Oct 24 11 • Louie Verrecchio • 3 comments

I recently came across a perennially timely quote by William Penn — the colonial American proponent of democracy and religious freedom who founded Pennsylvania: “A people who will not be ruled by God are destined to be ruled by tyrants.” Even though Penn was a Quaker who was harshly critical of other faiths, in particular those […]

Rain and Sun

Oct 24 11 • Msgr. Richard Soseman • 0 comments

A few years back, a Princeville, Illinois family I know hosted an Italian teen for the summer. This young man enjoyed many parts of his summer, but was mystified by the weather. In the rural Midwest, during the summer, a storm can pass every few days or so, so that at least three or four […]

The Call to be Disciples as Catholic Men

Oct 24 11 • Maurice Blumberg • 1 comment

Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” He replied, “What do you wish me to do for you?” They answered him, “Grant that in your glory we may sit one at your right and […]

Parenting Advice from the Brink

Oct 24 11 • Erika Ahern • 0 comments

The Gray Lady ran an opinion column this weekend by Emily Rapp, mother to 18-month-old Ronan. Ronan has Tay-Sachs disease and, by all medical estimates, will die in a particularly gruesome manner before he is three. The subject is chilling, but I was particularly struck by her critical analysis–wisdom gained in suffering–of our parenting culture. […]

Being Pro-life with the Saints

Oct 24 11 • Fr. Edward Looney • 0 comments

One of the most central elements to the Catholic pro-life movement is prayer. As Catholics we have the power of the communion of saints and in my own reflection, I have come to identify a handful of saints who could be considered “co-patrons” of the pro-life movement. The Holy Family exemplifies for us a common […]

Greed is a Real Sin

Oct 24 11 • Mary Kochan • 7 comments

There is a lot of talk on the streets and in the media about a thing called “corporate greed.” This greed is supposed to reside in entities called corporations that are somehow exploiting people to make a profit by valuing profit over people. The only problem with this construction is that a corporation is a […]

Book Review and Parents’ Guide: <em>The Hunger Games</em> Trilogy

Book Review and Parents’ Guide: The Hunger Games Trilogy

Oct 24 11 • Jann FritzHuspen • 2 comments

***Spoiler Alert—The plot is discussed here in detail for parental benefit. I intend for the level of detail I provide here to help facilitate a discussion with your child even if you have not read the series yourself. Parents want to know who their children are spending time with, what music they are listening to, […]

The Radical Rabbi and the Great Commandment

Oct 23 11 • Marcellino D'Ambrosio, Ph.D. • 0 comments

They are at it again. In this Sunday’s gospel Jesus’ opponents enlist a lawyer to do what lawyers do best- ask a question that puts a person on the hot seat. “Which commandment of the law is the greatest?” (Matthew 22:34-40). If the law consisted in only the Ten Commandments, this would be tough enough. […]

Film Review: <em>John Paul II: The Man, The Pope, and His Message</em>

Film Review: John Paul II: The Man, The Pope, and His Message

Oct 22 11 • Leticia Velasquez • 0 comments

Catholics have long enjoyed the work of papal videographer Alberto Michelini. Now, under a special arrangement with the Vatican, a four DVD set on the life of Blessed John Paul II has been made available. It contains five hours of dramatic documentary footage, organized by topic into ten films that are each 30 minutes in […]