My brave, witty and beautiful colleague, Katrina Fernandez, writes with the uninhibited gusto of a natural born wordsmith. She has her finger on the pulse of the American condition. Her struggles with making ends meet as a single Mom in our current “jobless recovery” echo those of a lot of people I know, including my own family members. Her passion for Christ and His Church, her love of art and her fearless honesty make her one of the best reads on the... Read more
Sisters who serve feel blessed, and they are a blessing. From Catholic News Service: BAPCHULE, Ariz. (CNS) — Sister Pamela Catherine Peasel is a rarity in modern Catholic religious life.She’s in her 30s — only 1 percent of women religious are. And she’s an elementary school teacher. Fewer than 2,000 women religious — 2 percent of all sisters — teach in U.S. Catholic grade schools.Yet she said she’s joyfully where she needs to be and is not discouraged by the... Read more
Actually, it’s a no-brainer. And no, it does not require abortion clinics to close. I’m talking about a Texas law that requires free-standing abortion clinics to meet the same safety standards as any other free-standing surgery center. The law does not, as its opponents imply, close abortion clinics. It does make them safer for women. It’s an odd sort of “reproductive health” that fights laws that simply require abortion clinics to meet the standards of every other outpatient surgery center.... Read more
Parish priests are where the rubber meets the road. If the parish priest fails, the Church fails. We need to pray for these men in collars. They have a grave responsibility for souls. Actor Mark Wahlberg left a life of drug and violence which resulted in him being charged with attempted murder to become a devout follower of Christ. “I pray every day and try to go to church every day. My faith in God is what makes me a better... Read more
I hadn’t intended to discuss Bruce Jenner, the person. I don’t mind discussing what I sincerely believe is the medical quackery of “gender reassignment surgery.” This barbarism is being used as “treatment” for people who experience gender dysphoria. This mutilating surgery is just another of the many quackeries and cruelties practiced on mentally ill people. Gender reassignment surgery is today’s pre-frontal lobotomy. One day, people will look back on it and wonder how anyone could be so cruel to do this... Read more
Oklahoma’s Senator James Lankford raised the question, and it’s a good one. President Obama has staked the legacy of his presidency on a tyrannical revision of the First Amendment to limit the Constitutional right to the free exercise of religion to activities conducted out of sight and behind the closed doors of church sanctuaries. Senator Lankford, along with Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council, asked if this has hurt United States’ efforts to speak for religious freedom in other... Read more
ISIS may have a few problems with the social niceties. Their tendencies to murder, rape, enslave and behead are well known, as if their love of genocide. But it appears that many local businesses are choosing to move under their governance. The reason? ISIS operates in a predictable fashion without the corruption tax imposed by other regimes. I wonder how long it will be before our government signs a trade agreement with ISIS and begins shipping whatever American jobs are left... Read more
Catholic priests in the United States have joined their brothers in England in petitioning participants of the upcoming synod on the family to issue a “clear and firm” statement of support for traditional Church teaching on marriage and sexuality. Nearly 1,000 American priests have signed this petition. From Catholic New Agency: Washington D.C., May 16, 2015 / 04:04 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Nearly 1,000 United States priests made their own a petition to the fathers of the upcoming Synod, originally made... Read more
Legislators can be dismissive of clergy. In fact, elected officials are, whether they will admit it in public or not, downright cynical about collared folk. Anyone who’s been through a political campaign and had the experience of a member of the clergy lying about them from the pulpit is bound to be changed by the experience. In my young life, I’ve had clergy of many denominations stand behind the pulpit and call me everything but a nice person. Much of this... Read more
Prosecutors filed criminal charges against the Archdiocese of St Paul Minneapolis due to what prosecutors claim was “mishandling” of “repeated complaints of sexual misconduct adjacent a priest.” According to news reports, the archdiocese was also charged with “failing to follow through on pledges to protect children.” There’s also a civil penalty in there somewhere, as well. The six charges filed against the Archdiocese were all misdemeanor charges of failure to protect children. They carry a $3,000 fine. The civil petition... Read more
Select your answer to see how you score.
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In