struggles with the problem of senility. Not the senility of its oldest citizens. The senility of its post-Christian culture. A Christian culture, faced with the problem of weak and defenseless citizens (say, for instance, the elderly), figures out ways to care for them. When the institutions charged with doing so break down, a Christian culture, infused with the Holy Spirit, raises up reformers who lead the charge to fix the problem. A post-Christian culture looks at the problem of caring... Read more

Margaret Sanger’s vision marches on! The Population Research Institute tries to stop the castrators. Read more

The Noble Bard writes: I know you’re a busy guy, so I guess i’ll have to keep this brief. Both you and my aunt (Simcha Fischer: Creator of the blog “I have to Sit Down”) have inspired me to start my own blog: the Noble Bard in an attempt to cheer up people’s days like you so often seem to do. P.S. I really have no idea if you remember this at all, but we were the people who sent... Read more

Greetings from Walla Walla. We had the privilege of hosting you here two years ago for the weekend mission you put on. I’m writing you this evening to bring to your attention a post on my daughter Amy’s blog. Amy has a 3 year-old son, Matthew, who has Down Syndrome and she chronicles his life and the joys and trials of raising Matthew. What she’s posted here regards another mom’s efforts to raise funds to rescue children with Down’s from... Read more

A reader writes: Please say a prayer for me that I can get a job at a good Catholic university soon after I graduate. I will keep you and your family in my prayers too. Father, hear our pray that this man can put his gifts to work for you in academe. Smooth the way for him to get a good job and serve you and your people through Christ our Lord. Mother Mary and St. Thomas Aquinas, pray for... Read more

A reader writes: I am a PhD student in ethics at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley and I spend a lot time with the Dominicans at DSPT. I’m working on the relationship between contemporary science and Thomistic natural law. I also used to be an atheist, so I try to debunk the new atheists whenever I can. As far as that goes, I have the first part of a review I am writing of Sam Harris’ The Moral Landscape... Read more

Have you ever heard of Met. Hilarion Alfeyev? He’s the No. 2 figure in the Russian Orthodox Church, the church’s chief diplomat. He’s only 44 years old. Super-brilliant guy, and startlingly open to the West. I heard him speak this past weekend in NYC, and let me tell you, this guy really gets it. He doesn’t have that old-school closed-off approach, but he is not a religious liberalizer either. He’s also a classical music composer, and was in NYC for... Read more

Well, in Portugal, things aren’t going so well. In the span of only 5 years, Portugal has legalized abortion on demand, embryonic stem cell research, no-fault divorce, obligatory State mandated sexual education and homosexual “marriage”. We are on the verge of legalizing sex changing on our ID cards and, very probably, euthanasia. All thanks to a radical, Left-wing prime-minister and to a “moderate” lukewarm-catholic Right-Wing president! Please, pray for my country! It is tiny and insignificant, but it is my... Read more

Today, my minions, I bid you go and watch a little lesson on how to resist the seduction of the Faustian Bargain. Which is, you know, what all consequentialist arguments always boil down to. Read more

A reader asks prayer: For a special intention. For the Blessed Virgin Mary’s intentions. Father, hear our prayer through your Son Jesus Christ. Read more