There is nothing unusual about a Catholic leader urging priests to draw closer to their flocks, to focus on day-to-day issues that bridge the gap between pulpit and pew. Still, it caught Vatican insiders off guard when Pope Francis, a week after his installation Mass, used a somewhat pungent image when discussing this problem. "This is precisely the reason for the dissatisfaction of some, who end up sad -- sad priests -- in some sense becoming collectors of antiques or novelties, instead … [Read more...]
Old religion-beat questions linger, even after 25 years
April 15, 2013 By 1 Comment
Every year or so, editors are asked to sit patiently while market researchers dissect thick reports about what consumers say they want to see in their newspapers. That was already true back when Harry Moskos was editor of The Knoxville News Sentinel. But he immediately noticed something strange, when handed the executive summary of one late-1980s survey. Two words near the top of the subjects valued by readers caught his attention -- "religion" and "family." Yet the professionals … [Read more...]
Columbine, Newtown and our culture of death
December 24, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Blame it on the guns. No, blame the judges who banned Godtalk in schools, along with most lessons about right and wrong. No, our lousy national mental health care system caused this hellish bloodbath. No, the problem is the decay of American families, with workaholic parents chained to their desks while their children grow up in suburban cocoons with too much time on their hands. No, it's Hollywood's fault. How can children tell the difference between fantasy and reality when they've been … [Read more...]
Dave Brubeck’s long pilgrimage
December 17, 2012 By 1 Comment
Dave Brubeck had a problem and, as a short concert intermission turned into a long and mysterious delay, the jazz master sheepishly came back on stage to make a confession. It seemed that his son Chris had locked his electric bass in a dressing room and the Baylor University stage crew couldn't find the right key. Without that bass, the Two Generations of Brubeck ensemble -- pianist Brubeck backed by sons Chris, Dan on drums and Darius on electric keyboards -- was in trouble. "I really don't … [Read more...]
Occupy Advent 2012 (Let’s ask Siri)
December 10, 2012 By 1 Comment
The first question was simple: "Siri, when is Christmas?" After the two-tone "BEED-EEP" chime, the voice of the Apple iPhone responded: "Christmas is on Tuesday, December 25, 2012. I hope I have the day off." Then matters got complicated: "When is Advent?" Siri searched her memory and said: "I didn't find any events about 'Ed Fant.' " Trying again: "When is the Advent season?" Siri cheerfully responded: "I am not aware of any events about 'advent season.' " After several more "BEED-EEP" … [Read more...]
Secular unions vs. Holy Matrimony, Part II
December 3, 2012 By 1 Comment
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the second of two columns on current debates about Holy Matrimony and civil unions. Gay-rights advocates know the formula and so do their opponents: If gay marriage becomes a civil right, then religious believers who dare to defend ancient doctrines on marriage will become de facto segregationists and suffer the legal consequences. The problem for the left is that this happens to be true. "Before we shrug and reply, 'So what if it's religious? It's still bigotry, … [Read more...]
Secular unions vs. Holy Matrimony, Part I
November 26, 2012 By 1 Comment
EDITOR'S NOTE: First of two columns on current debates about Holy Matrimony and civil unions. If the American public has truly changed its mind on marriage, then it's time for Catholic priests to start saying, "We don't," instead of continuing to endorse the government's right to legislate who gets to say, "I do." At least, that's an option that Catholics, and by implication other religious traditionalists, must be willing to consider, according to scholar George Weigel of the Ethics and … [Read more...]
Warnings to believers in a consumer culture
November 19, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Since the goal was to explore the cultural ties that bind, Father John Kavanaugh asked the young Catholics in a St. Louis classroom a basic civics question: How many national and world leaders could they name? The Jesuit didn’t allow the seventh graders to include celebrities and entertainers, which meant that actor Tom Cruise didn’t make the list. In the end, they ended up with 12 names. "You started off with the pope and the president, of course. Then things got harder after that," said … [Read more...]
Commandments for believers who blog
November 12, 2012 By 2 Comments
Popes rarely produce viral sound bites, but legions of Catholic bloggers continue to pass around a quote from Pope Benedict XVI in which he openly blessed the passion that drives them to their keyboards. "Without fear we must set sail on the digital sea facing into the deep with the same passion that has governed the ship of the Church for 2000 years," he said, in a 2010 Vatican address easily found at YouTube. The goal is to live in the "digital world with a believer's heart, helping to give a … [Read more...]
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