Some readers want to know my views about Obama ordering the assassination of al-Awlaki, an American citizen.  Basically, I am deeply disquieted by it.  Yeah, yeah.  I know all the rationales.  The guy was an enemy, well, not combatant exactly, but a big noise in the recruiting department.  And he was on foreign soil and impossible to get at by normal juridical means.  And, yep, he was a Bad Guy who sought to kill any American he could. Got it. ... Read more

of smoking and drinking. Me: I’m a prissy who does none of the former and only enough of the latter to be convivial and sociable.  However, I’m not one of those tiresome prissys who thinks that everybody a) has to affirm me for that and b) has to be forced by the might of the state to do what I do.  So the Chestertonians put up with me.  Also, I’m fat, so they think that I’m okay. Read more

First, there is the gut-wrenchingly painful story of R.J. Stove, whose terribly painful and beautifully honest story of conversion moves me to pray for his poor parents and reminds me that Christianity is a faith that confronts rather than avoids the fact that we are a species in a desperate plight. Until we grasp why *that* awful sacrifice was what it took for God to save us, we are not really facing what it means to say that we are... Read more

A 3D animated film on the Mass, THE GREATEST MIRACLE, is coming to select theaters across the US Starting October 14th! The Greatest Miracle, is a 3D animated film on the Mass. Made by some of the creative talent behind films like Hercules, Spider Man and Ice Age, The Greatest Miracle tells the story of three strangers whose lives intersect one morning at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. There, each person meets their guardian angel and is given the... Read more

I just wanted to ask you if you know of an official Profession of Faith and Oath of Fidelity to the Pope and Magisterium which Catholic high schools could administer to religion teachers? Also- what is your view in light of President Obama’s strong moves to promote open homosexuality in the Military to an informal boycott of faithful Catholics from entering the Armed Services- especially since part of the basis for removing Don’t Ask was that the Military would not... Read more

…can conduct themselves with dignity and not just cooperate with, but urge, a full investigation. Compare and contrast the honorable behavior of Bp. Zubik as he bears his cross with the lies, slanders, fraud and rebellion of the BS Dawg. He’s also showing the soft core terrorists who are scaring the Catholic children of Amarillo–and, frankly, Fr. Pavone who is not calling them off–how it’s done. And Fr. Pavone isn’t even accused of anything but is still conducting a guerrilla... Read more

“Secret Panel Can Put Americans on ‘Kill List'” Feel safer or you might be an Enemy of the State. Don’t worry. This unilateral, secretly exercised, utterly unaccountable power to murder Americans without evidence, arrest, trial, witnesses, judge, jury, verdict or sentence is only a temporary Enabling Act that just applies for as long as the current crisis (meaning our Eternal War of Empire Against Terror) obtains. Since when has a Modern State ever misused such a power? Look! Lady Gaga!... Read more

You should check out the Franciscan Sisters’ nifty little tune download. Read more

A reader writes: If you could post this prayer request I would be most grateful. My mother is seeing signs that she may soon lose her job. Please pray for the intercession of St. Joseph and St. Matthew that she is able to find another job before this one is gone. Father, hear our prayer that this woman not lose her job or, if she does, that you will find her a better one swiftly. We ask this through Christ... Read more

Here’s a piece I wrote for the Register in response to somebody who feels that Catholic salvation is too complicated. And here’s a piece I wrote for the Register on rhyming our lives with Jesus’ life. And here’s a piece I wrote for OSV on the ever-popular quest to decide “Who is the Real Catholic?” Read more