The jubilee of 1852Thomas Lester
Dec. 1, 1852, marked the beginning of a month-long jubilee in Boston, the second in two years, granted by Pope Pius IX. As readers may recall, Pius IX's tenure was a turbulent one, coinciding with ...
The toughest job in sportsDick Flavin
As those of you who are regular readers of this space well know, I was never much of an athlete in my day, so I have no direct knowledge of how it feels to be hit by a bone-crushing tackle by a 280-pound ...
The contested legacy of Vatican IIRichard Doerflinger
This October was the 60th anniversary of the first session of the Second Vatican Council, a landmark event in the Catholic Church. Yet the council's legacy remains a matter of confusion and controversy ...
Genocide in Ukraine?George Weigel
Memo to both newly elected members of Congress like J.D. Vance and incumbents like Josh Hawley and Kevin McCarthy: It's time to stop sloganeering ("America First!" "No blank checks for Ukraine!") ...
The battle for religious freedom: Conviction points the way forwardDr. R. Jared Staudt
Catholics are not winning any popularity contests. Not only do we still face fallout from the abuse crisis, we also now regularly hear accusations of "hate" for our stances on life and sexual morality. ...
Preparing for marriageRussell Shaw
These are not the best of times for Catholic marriage in America. Numbers illustrate the point. According to the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate, in 2020 -- when U.S. Catholic population ...
Easing burdens through technological temperanceElise Italiano Ureneck
When we speak about the burdens that people bear, we tend to reference what they "carry on their backs" or what's been placed "on their shoulders." When it comes to the hardships of today's children ...
Love means putting others firstMichael Reardon
Catholic schools do not always have the best facilities or the shiniest new materials, but there is one constant that makes a difference: students are put first, and they are loved. As one student recently ...
Rooting for the bad guysDick Flavin
Dear reader: For your own sake, please be sure that you are seated before reading this missive any further. I am about to admit to a dastardly deed, which brings me great shame. My only defense, weak ...
Giving thanks for Mike Pence at Thanksgiving George Weigel
I'll confess to some exasperation when, during the 2016 campaign, Republican vice-presidential nominee Mike Pence described himself as an "evangelical Catholic." Three years earlier, I had published ...
