Commentary
Pope Leo’s visit to Algiers’ Grand Mosque and the question of Islam
Pope Leo XIV visited Algeria’s Grand Mosque, the third largest mosque in the world after those in Mecca and Medina. The Pontiff removed his shoes in accordance with protocol before entering and remained inside for just under 10 minutes in…
Trump’s own derangement – The Catholic Thing
Like so many other Americans, I seriously underestimated Donald Trump’s political skill when he first burst into the presidential race of 2016. At first, I was fully convinced that he was a “straw”—a candidate lured into the field by another…
The Almost-Greatness of Donald Trump and Leo XIV
I have been repeatedly struck by the truism that moments of institutional crisis demand genuinely great leaders. Movements, forces, trends are all very well, but in the end you need these towering figures like an Augustine who can encapsulate…
New York Is Bullying Nuns Who Care for the Dying
New York governor Kathy Hochul recently made headlines for decriminalizing assisted suicide, claiming as motivation her compassion for the terminally ill. Now her state’s public health agency has targeted Catholic sisters who actually serve…
Is Donald Trump Antichrist? – The Catholic Thing
My question is not quite the provocation it will probably sound like to some readers. For one thing, even an answer in the affirmative does not necessarily mean that the former host of Celebrity Apprentice is actually the Beast From the Sea…
Is the Catholic revival really so quiet?
We have all heard that famous quote echoed by Mark Twain, the provenance of which is disputed: ‘There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics.’ Perhaps this is a little too strong when assessing the truth behind the so-called…
God and Man at MIT
The pamphleteers are hard to miss. They stand in front of the big doors of Lobby 7, MIT’s main entrance, waving, preaching, and flagging down passersby with all the urgency appropriate to their task: saving young souls. Most students stream…
The Merchant Who Became a Saint
The figure of Omobono of Cremona occupies a peculiar place in Catholic history and Christian moral imagination. He is neither a monk nor a prince, neither a martyr nor a theologian, but a working merchant in a city whose life was already shaped…
A Disembodied Gospel – The Catholic Thing
I am a priest, and I have drawn a hard line on artificial intelligence. Insofar as I can, I avoid it. I am aware of course that A.I. has already become so much a part of ordinary modern life and that I cannot truly forgo its use. So when I say…
Looking for the Real Catholic Church in New York City
Young Catholics are on the rise in New York City, according to the Washington Post, the New York Post, and social media influencers who sell the faith with an implicit message: “Everyone’s becoming Catholic—you should too.” But to a Reformed…