One of my great regrets is having been a very poor student, especially during my years at Franciscan University of Steubenville. Over these night hours I have indulged in some of what I all too often missed: the rich, poetic lectures of Professor John Crosby. While I am critical of some of his work, I have never lost a deep, lasting respect and admiration for his humane and generous spirit. He was a wonderful teacher to and for whom I... Read more
This is the first post in a possible weekly series being contemplated by a couple of regular contributors. The idea is to provide a short reflection on the readings for each Sunday, one which would ideally serve as the basis for a homily for the day. Feedback on the idea of such as series, as well as on the reflection itself, is welcome. Also, if we do continue, we are looking for a title for the series. At that time... Read more
This song seems to me such an essentially American song, simple, strophic, tuneful, and mournful, sharing its themes — of a trip taken far from home, of loneliness, of a kind of exile imposed in equal measures by the exigencies of circumstance, and by those arising from personal shame and pride — with other great American songs (like “Poor Wayfaring Stranger,” for instance, or Woody Guthrie’s “Going Down the Road Feeling Bad”). It’s supposed to have been written by Hedy... Read more
A Guest Post by Thaddeus J. Kozinski, Ph.D. Many today accept a false philosophical dichotomy: either the absolute absoluteness or absolute relativity of truth, as opposed to what is truly the case, as I shall explain presently, the relative absoluteness of truth. The acceptance of this false dichotomy stems from the neglect of a vital philosophical distinction. The distinction is between truth as it exists in itself, that is, in an objective sense and excluding any conditions and limitations, and... Read more
Before I begin in earnest, I suspect that my title may already have some people’s panties in a wad (pun definitely intended). Chill out. That’s a part of my point. Furthermore, I also understand that the “world” I speak from will be foreign to some, if not many, Catholics. In order to avoid hasty generalizations, I limit my views here to personal recollections, confessions, and memory. Nothing more, nothing less. For about 8 years of my childhood and early adolescence,... Read more
Robbie George has weighed in on gay marriage in general, and gay marriage in New York in particular. He tries to make a nuanced internally consistent argument, but it doesn’t work. Basically, George blames the “ideology of sexual liberalism”, especially in its 1960s manifestation, for paving the way for same-sex marriage. For, he holds, if you follow this path to its logical conclusion, “the reality that has traditionally been denominated as “marriage” loses all intelligibility.” As a core argument, this has a strong... Read more
Readers may be aware of James Alison’s interesting, to say the least, interpretation of Benedict XVI’s views on homosexuality. I recently noted, in response to my co-blogger David’s post, Loving Latin for all the Wrong Reasons, that Benedict XVI is the Pope of liturgical pluralism. And we all know the fuss he caused with Caritas in Veritate. Canada’s news weekly even asked, rhetorically, “Is the Pope Catholic?” considering his views on evolution and condoms, among other things. (Shows what they... Read more
This post is dedicated to my son Francisco, who is going to summer school to take Latin. His goal is to choose and translate a motto into Latin, so that it will sound impressive. Unfortunately, the leading candidate for his motto is “Go to Hell, and take your cheap suit with you.” Sandro Magister is providing a forum for a raging debate in Italy over the interpretation of Vatican II. Recently, a “liberal” from the Bologna school, Enrico Morini, has... Read more
Introduction and Part II Our God has granted immortality to those in heaven, but for those on earth He has created mutability, giving life and movement to the whole of creation; and all this for man’s sake. So do not be ensnared by the worldly fantasies of the demon who insinuates evil recollections into the soul, but immediately call to mind the blessings of heaven and say to yourself: ‘If I so wish, it is in my power to win... Read more
1. The most important short-term problem is jobs. The human and social costs of unemployment are crippling – you stay poorer for a far longer time, your health is worse, you die younger, your children do worse in school, your family is more likely to break up, you are more likely to fall into poverty, you lose your trust in public institutions, and the social bonds that knit communities together dissipate. During this recession, unemployment spiked, and it hasn’t really fallen. This... Read more
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