From the folks at Daily Gospel Online, a quote from St. John Chrysostom that I wanted to share. “Those with ears, let them hear!” Nothing is more cold than a christian who is not dedicated to saving others. In this respect there can be no pretense of poverty: the widow who gave her two tiny coins would rise up and call you to account (Lk 21,2). Peter too, who said: “Silver and gold have I none” (Acts 3,6). And Paul,... Read more
The US government is (technically) functional again, and the national crisis has been (sort of) averted, for the time being. But whatever our political persuasion, we all know that the recent government shutdown was only the latest episode in an ongoing pattern of melodramatic debt crises ending in hard-fought, down-to-the-wire agreements to kick the can a little further down the road. And now as always, the question of the day remains, “Who is to blame for this mess?” If this is... Read more
The news came through today that Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst, the Bishop of Limburg in Germany, has been granted a leave “outside of his Diocese” for an indeterminate period. Bishop Tebartz-van Elst has acquired the moniker “the bling bishop” for his expenditures on a new residence, which reportedly cost $40 million, and his other lavish lifestyle choices. Though the matter is being handled very discretely by the Vatican, it seems to me that he is being (in the language of government)... Read more
I had not planned to extend this series to a third post – until I stumbled upon a short and sweet analysis that is so utterly sane that its positive suggestions make an irresistible complement to my more critical breakdowns (here and here) of the ongoing ideological tug-of-war over Pope Francis and how he is interpreted. I am referring to a simple yet astute article by Kevin Cotter of the college-oriented ministry FOCUS. After noting the controversy that tends to circle... Read more
I must confess, I am a beat behind. Partly for personal reasons, partly for stylistic ones, and partly because our pope is so full of surprises (and provokes so many reactions), it’s been a little hard to keep up. But if the first wave of reactions to the impactful interview with our pope of surprises that America and other Jesuit magazines scored has largely subsided, the time may be all the more opportune to revisit afresh the substance of Pope Francis’ witness –... Read more
Note: this post discusses the content of the move Gravity. If you don’t want to know, don’t read on! (more…) Read more
Rick Smith, the father of a two year old son with Down Syndrome, who blogs about him as “Noah’s Dad,” has published an open letter on his blog entitled: To Every OB/GYN On The Planet: How To Deliver A Down Syndrome Diagnosis,The Right Way. It is a thoughtful and powerful message, delivered patiently and with love. Since I have written about Down Syndrome before, I wanted to share this with everyone. Getting the news about your child, whether in utero... Read more
We seem to be living in a new Gilded Age. Just look at some basic indicators. The level of inequality has peaked once again, and is back to where it was on the eve of the Great Depression. Over the past 40 years, real wages have stagnated, while the profit share of national income has risen to record levels. Normally, we expect real wages to track labor productivity. But across the developed countries since 1999, average labor productivity grew twice... Read more
In a second major interview, this time with a noted atheist Italian journalist, Pope Francis has made more waves. Certain elements in the Church have started hunkering down assuming that this will be the Pope’s modus operandi for the foreseeable future. They imagine several years of clarifying off–the-cuff papal statements given in uncontrolled fora that the media and, worse than that, the liberals in the Church are going to use as excuses to downplay or altogether reject central Catholic teachings,... Read more
As Pope Francis’ pontificate passed the six-month mark, it was observed with a level of enthusiasm that shows a large-scale honeymoon still going strong. His ongoing popularity contains tremendous opportunities for the Church in both its internal life and its proclamation of the gospel. These opportunities, however, are not quick fixes but require a good deal of collective introspection and circumspection. As with many things, there is a flip side, which I point out not for the sake of being negative about a... Read more
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