is not self-evident. It is a notion borrowed from the Judeo-Christian tradition and nothing else. Read more

may have trouble making good films that aren’t The Lord of the Rings. Read more

…after making ill-advised remarks that drew the fire of both the local ordinary at Medugorje *and* the cardinalspeak rebukes of another cardinal *and* the brief visit to the woodshed with the Pope, Cdl. Schonborn sends a letter, in cardinalspeak, saying “Sorry. Dumb. My bad.” So that’s over with. Except that it isn’t since this absurd incident will be added to the lore of Medugorje true believers as still more proof of the truth that Mary is appearing at Medugorje despite... Read more

with a post I mostly agree with (except for the bit about how “we” take ideas and history seriously. I don’t see a lot of Americans taking history too seriously. If they did, the Da Vinci Code would never have been a best seller. Americans take TV seriously. Dr. King will soon be as digested into a five word slogan as Lincoln or Washington were and, when he has served his purpose, will likewise be forgotten or even discredited. Washington... Read more

Democrats send the message about their sole core belief to all the world. Abortion and more abortion is where it’s at! They love it! Can’t get enough! Of course, they do have the help of great men like Arlen Specter (you remember, the guy that the Bush Administration fought so hard for because, as we know, the GOP’s most sacred belief is the value of human life?). But that said, the Dems own this big time. They hold all the... Read more

A reader writes: a prayer request for a good friend of mine: Her husband has gotten into bad company, has turned away from the Faith and is now in the process of leaving his wife and their three school-age children after 17 years of marriage. These developments and upheavals are also leading to financial problems for my friend, who’s been a homemaker since her wedding and has hardly any formal job experience, and the kids. Thank you for your prayers!... Read more

though I am always wary of TV’s ability to treat of complex historical phenomena (like the Reformation) without simplifying it to cartoonish levels. But Fr. Pacwa is a fair and smart guy, so I’ll be interested to see if the message can overcome the inherent limitations of the medium. Almost anything would be better than the cartoonish creation myth that exists in the minds of most Americans–assuming they’ve ever heard of the Reformation, which is no sure be in our... Read more

There will be a memorial Mass for him this Friday at the UW Newman Center. For those of you not familiar with him, my account of his final public Mass is here. He is one of my heroes. If you could offer a prayer for him or, better still, come to the Mass you would be doing a kindness to a great man. Read more

It is with pleasure that we invite you to the third lecture of the season, next Thursday, January 21, at 7:30 pm on the campus of Seattle Pacific University. Please note that this time we are back in our more usual room: Conference Room 109, Otto Miller Hall, across Third Avenue West from the Royal Brougham Pavilion (see the campus map). The full Events Calendar for our current season is available at our website. We are pleased to present the... Read more

Never before has one of my followers escaped my beneficent iron grip of warm fuzziness! What could have caused the offense? Could it be my ongoing war against Medugorje, with the endless series of two posts linking to Catholic Light and my expressions of support for the local ordinary? Could it be my failure to approve of homosex as the source and summit of all that is noble, good, true, and awesome in the universe? Perhaps it’s my lack of... Read more