Commentary
“Lived experience” and moral tradition: rivals or partners?
One question facing Pope Leo XIV will be whether to advance the “new paradigm” for moral theology proposed by Pope Francis and some of his advisors in recent years. As has often happened, the supposed “spirit” of Vatican II was being cited by…
Faith and science aren’t enemies (and young people need to hear it)
The ideology of scientism, which holds that only the findings of the natural sciences count as truth, has worsened the conflict between faith and science. And with the two pitted against each other, and many young people not wanting to be…
The irreversible consequences of California’s war on parents
Some California parents were granted a reprieve last week when the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Mirabelli v. Bonta blocked the enforcement of a California law prohibiting educators from sharing details about a child’s “gender identity.” Prior to…
Pondering the war on Iran
The Church habitually urges negotiation before confrontation and stability before chaos. Nevertheless, moral seriousness requires an honest description of the regime involved. An accurate description of the Islamic Republic of Iran reveals a…
Lou Holtz and Our Lady on the Dome
Lou Holtz’s heartfelt sentiments, which may seem schmaltzy to anyone except Notre Dame true believers, capture the essence of what made Louis Leo “Lou” Holtz such a distinctive football coach. He loved the Blessed Mother and, as he deemed it, …
The Spiritual Windfall of AI
Artificial intelligence, particularly large language models (LLMs), promises to automate aspects of white-collar work once thought immune to mechanization. That shift offers an opportunity—not merely economic but spiritual. If machines can draft…
Buy the Pope a tiara
A group of Americans, Amici Vaticani, has undertaken a project of “profound symbolic and spiritual importance”: the commissioning of a Papal Tiara to honor Pope Leo XIV. This initiative is more than an act of homage; it is a statement of unity…
‘764’: A violent group targeting vulnerable kids
Some violent extremist groups, led by minors and young adults, are increasingly targeting kids online, in some cases, with deadly results. “There is a naive view of the dangers that are currently online,” says Mary Graw Leary, professor at the…
The case for Christian Nationalism
Christian nationalism tempers the native idealism of America, which has not been immune to utopian aspirations. After the revolution, some embraced the notion that American society would inaugurate a new order for the ages (novus ordo…
Don’t write off Catholic Ireland just yet
There are signs of life in the Catholic Church in Ireland: the Archdiocese of Dublin is set to receive a record number of converts into the Church this Easter. On Easter Saturday, some 129 catechumens and candidates will be received into the…