Columns
Abortion and the Greatness of the Church
I was recently asked, again: “Why is the Catholic Church so focused on abortion?” At least this time, it was asked out of curiosity rather than with anger. I can’t imagine how such questioners perceive the Church. Do they think she is the…
The ‘Catholic Character’ of Our Institutions
Debates about the “Catholic character” of the institution often stir up strong passions and debates at Catholic colleges and universities. Other “Catholic” organizations likely should be having these discussions, too. Indeed, when Catholic…
Shakespeare’s Hand in ‘Sir Thomas More’
Scholars have long known that Elizabethan drama was a collaborative business. Yes, a play by Ben Johnson, Christopher Marlowe, or William Shakespeare rightly belongs to each named author as the principal hand behind it. But there were often…
The Perils of Sophistry, Sacred and Profane
Persuasive and powerful words ignite us. Their commanding rhetoric moves our emotions, giving us energy to follow. As powerful as persuasive speech is, however, a question arises. Is it true? Or are we just listening to eloquent arguments…
Leo XIV’s Vision of Catholic Education
As part of the Jubilee celebrations, Pope Leo XIV laid out a vision for Catholic education over the last several days. He also declared St. John Henry Newman the 38th Doctor of the Church and the co-patron (with Thomas Aquinas) of Catholic…
The Last Lifeline – The Catholic Thing
I take it as given that God commands only what is good for us and forbids only what is bad, which means sometimes also not permitting others to do what’s bad. For we are social beings, and permission slides into participation, and participation…
To the place of the Dead
Some parts of the life of Christ cannot easily be imitated, and yet good Christians find a way. We cannot literally die with Christ each day – grandma could not literally be shot once a day – and yet we can “mortify” ourselves, that is, put to…
A Peek under the Hood
I’ve used personal computers for work and play since 1982. My first PC was a Kaypro II. The Kaypro was a high-tech marvel back then, and as a bonus, it was (in theory) “transportable.” Sturdy and reliable, it had the user-friendly mobility of…
What World and Time Is This?
One of the better ways of trying to understand a writer or speaker is to imagine what audience he thinks he’s addressing, and what he believes that audience most needs to hear. For the popes of the last half century or so, I think I pretty much…
Of IVF and the Full Gospel of Life
President Trump recently announced measures to expand access to and reduce costs associated with in vitro fertilization (IVF). This is being billed as a pro-family and pro-life effort to help “American families have more babies.” While the…