My latest article for CRUX rounds up opinions about the Pope’s encyclical. Some say –“Meh. Disregard it.” Others say, “It is almost infallible! Everyone must submit!” My own attitude to Laudato Si’ is one of critical enthusiasm. I think the pope could have used a good editor. The encyclical is verbose and often vague. I share William Oddie’s concerns about the pope’s choice of advisors and his enthusiasm for an agenda that has been highly politicized. I worry that some passages are unduly... Read more

I can’t resist G.K.Chesterton’s quip: “Birth control? No birth. No control” Writing here at the National Catholic Reporter, Jamie Manson argues that Pope Francis should have lifted the birth control ban in his recent encyclical. Manson uses the usual over population scare tactics that we’ve seen in the famous 1968 shock horror “non fiction” work The Population Bomb. Do you remember? There was going to be mass starvation in the 1970s and 80s. Terrible civil wars were going to break out. Countries... Read more

Too often conservatives are portrayed as miserable curmudgeons, parsimonious prudes and paranoid puritans. My latest article for Intercollegiate Review explains how a conservative worldview can make you happy. Being conservative helps us attain all four levels of happiness. A basic conservative principle is self-reliance. At the animal level, happiness is enhanced if the person earns his basic needs himself. Conservatives distrust handouts because they know that real happiness at the basic level is achieved as we work for our basic needs.... Read more

Fr Barron has an excellent article reproduced below which picks up the main teaching theme of Pope Francis’ encyclical. He traces the philosophical roots and traces the same themes in the work of J.R.R.Tolkien and C.S.Lewis. I might add that the pope’s fellow Jesuit, Gerard Manley Hopkins also laments the smudge and soil man’s industrial tread has left on the world. In his poetry–especially The World is Charged with the Grandeur of God  Hopkins calls for a return to sacred reverence... Read more

Everybody should see the storm clouds on the horizon. The re-definition of marriage is gathering pace not only in the USA but around the world. Same sex marriage is going to happen whether we like it or not. Those who are in favor of same sex marriage will continue to push for what they perceive as their rights. Some will push not only to have civil marriages, but will want to have religious ceremonies. Some religious groups will be good... Read more

During our recent visit to Italy I was so blessed to visit the monks of Norcia. Brother Philip is a former student of mine who is a novice there. He’s the guy pictured here with the splendid red beard. The mostly American monks have pioneered monastic life i the beautiful medieval walled town of Norcia–the birthplace of St Benedict. After a gap of several hundred years monks have returned to Norcia! They have produced a best selling CD of Gregorian... Read more

There is a lot of talk going on about the Pope’s recent statements about weapons manufacturers or those who invest in the weapons industry. Here’s an article about it. Turns out everybody can take a deep breath. First of all, the pope was speaking off the cuff in an interactive conversation with a group of young people. Therefore this was neither a planned nor integrated item of formal papal teaching. Within the conversation’s context he was lamenting the atrocities of war,... Read more

I’ve had an interesting question from a person preparing to enter the Catholic Church. He disagrees with the pope about global warming. Does than mean he can’t be a good Catholic? He thinks the pope is wrong about global warming. How does that affect what he’s come to believe about papal authority? Pope Francis has published Laudato Si about our responsibility to be good stewards of creation and sure enough, he does declare  not only his belief in global warming, but the idea that... Read more

Can the main stream media get any dumber than when they try to report on religion? This article at CNN reports on Pope Francis’ recent visit to Turin where he prayed before the Shroud. Pope Francis prayed Sunday before the Shroud of Turin, a strip of cloth that some believe was used for the burial of Jesus Christ. The shroud appears to bear the image of a man who resembles paintings of Christ. “A strip of cloth…”?? It’s that last line,... Read more