It has really been astonishing to me, who 20 years ago assumed (and was taught by conservatives to expect) that it was just a matter of time till the Damn Libruls finally carried the day and drained language of all meaning. Over and over I was warned (and warned others) that conservatives–and especially Catholic ones–were the bastions against all the deconstructionist nonsense in the academy which insisted that language has no objective meaning and that “truth” was simply a mask... Read more
A reader writes: I am a little hesitant to ask you to use your bully pulpit, but I am feeling a little desperate. I have a friend who has metastatic cancer who is facing imminent homelessness. He just had reconstructive surgery after having his jaw removed and is currently in radiation treatment for a second cancer they discovered during the 20-hour surgery. I’m trying to raise enough money for them to purchase a used mobile home and pay lot rent... Read more
Charlie Camosy talks about the recent victory of John Bel Edwards in the Louisiana governor’s race: Given our nation’s polarized abortion politics, it is hard to believe that a governor who dramatically expanded Medicaid in his state also signed a bill banning abortion after a heartbeat can be detected. Yet that’s precisely what Democrat John Bel Edwards of Louisiana did. And this weekend, Edwards won a reelection race against Eddie Rispone—a Republican who got strong support from Trump, including two personal visits in... Read more
It ought not to be necessary to defend the proposition that Fred Rogers was a wonderful human being, a fine Christian witness, and exactly the antidote for our dehumanizing age. This should not be a claim that requires defense, but a claim that invites celebration. His life and witness ought to be, especially in Christian circles, nothing but an occasion of rejoicing over one of the greatest success stories, both in sanctity and in global evangelization, of our time. Steven... Read more
…I thought it would be good to take a look at Dan Amiri’s review of To Change the Church: Pope Francis and the Future of Catholicism. It’s a fair-minded review and I encourage you to read the whole thing. The part I want to focus on is here: Especially in American politics, there is a tendency to break populations down into two dominant sides, in almost every respect. Conservative or progressive, Republican or Democrat, capitalist or socialist. If you’re not on... Read more
Ever since a pope was elected who does not fit well with the American conservative agenda of selecting from the Magisterium to accessorize a now thoroughly demented right wing ideology that has metastasized into the Cult of Trump, the Right Wing Lie Machine in both secular and Catholic forms has worked overtime to discredit fidelity to the Pope’s authority with the lie that “belief in ‘papal fiat'” has replaced Real Catholic Faith[TM]. Accordingly, all the stuff we used to hear... Read more
…and does their typical fair and judicious work. The author, Mike Lewis, is (I think) very charitable to the Cardinal, remarking: [U]nlike many other Catholics who see Cardinal Burke as a Machiavellian and power-obsessed schemer, I actually believe he is sincere, not terribly political, and is following his conscience. Those who have met him, even his critics, have told me that he is–at heart–a kind-hearted and dedicated priest who deeply cares about the Church and the salvation of souls. In... Read more
…in the pages of the New York Times, so they have officially hit the Big Time. Douthat, whose super-judicious and perceptive prudence about all things Catholic once moved him to write this encomium to documented white supremacist and aspiring ethnic cleanser Stephen Miller, is quoted and answered here: He mentions WPI while describing the second path forward: “Another alternative is a conservatism that simply resolves the apparent conflict between tradition and papal power in favor of the latter, submitting its... Read more
Here, for instance, is Paul Fahey, strengthening the faithful against the single greatest enemy the Church faces in this hour: right wing Catholics in ceaseless war against the Holy Father and the Magisterium: In my spiritual formation as a young adult, the idea of a future schism–refusing to submit to the teaching of the pope–was presented as a “liberal” concept. The idea was that in the name of progress, some Catholics rejected papal teaching on subjects like contraception, same-sex marriage,... Read more
vs. the dumb “Everything Should Entertain Me” mentality of minds begging for chains (she wrote this on 11/14/19): Last night, NBC News complained that the day’s impeachment hearings, featuring testimony from former Ukraine Ambassador William Taylor and diplomat George Kent, had been substantive but lacked “pizzazz,” so likely would not convince Americans to pay attention to Trump’s scheming. Today, Fox News Channel personalities continued to harp on the idea that the hearings were “boring.” A strong Trump backer, Mark Meadows (R-NC), said... Read more
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