So, Senator David Vitter used escort services. Larry Flynt, in a fit of shameless glee, rushes to expose him. This “gotcha” culture has become far too commonplace. As Catholics, we should always be aware that detraction may well be a mortal sin. Detraction is defined as “the unjust damaging of another’s good name by the revelation of some fault or crime of which that other is really guilty or at any rate is seriously believed to be guilty by the... Read more
Source: Zenit Bishop Giampaolo Crepaldi, secretary of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, said at the end of a symposium on Trinitarian theology that “[d]emocracy is an instrument at the service of communion among people and, to be able to exercise this role, it must relate to something other than itself.” The bishop considered two elements that characterize democracies: “access to free elections” and “public debate.” He did not think these were sufficient because “non-manipulated public dialogue and participation... Read more
And what a better way to remember and to be challenged in our daily lives by this great saint than to read what Pope Benedict XVI had to say about him even before he became pope in one of his socio-political essays: We need men who keep their eyes fixed on God, learning from him what true humanity means.We need men whose intellect is enlightened by the light of God, men whose hearts are opened by God, so that their... Read more
What would you do if were met by someone who, as the ruler of a nation, led a campaign of terror against their neighbors? Someone whose brutality knew no bounds? Someone who would use the pretense of hospitality as a means of getting close to the people they hate and then kill them? Someone who would suggest a truce with their enemy, invite them to a feast with plenty of alcohol, only to betray that truce and slaughter their enemy... Read more
I generally don’t like voter’s guides. I find their stated purpose, “How can anyone know everything about the candidates?”, to be insulting and condescending. There are very few competitive races, even at the local level, where one who has even the slightest bit of interest in knowing the positions of candidates can’t easily learn them. Even a significant number of non-voters know the positions of candidates. One thing these voter’s guides don’t discuss is the type of people seeking office.... Read more
I generally don’t like voter’s guides. I find their stated purpose, “How can anyone know everything about the candidates?”, to be insulting and condescending. There are very few competitive races, even at the local level, where one who has even the slightest bit of interest in knowing the positions of candidates can’t easily learn them. Even a significant number of non-voters know the positions of candidates. One thing these voter’s guides don’t discuss is the type of people seeking office.... Read more
Georgetown University and St. Thomas University are the first two Catholic universities in the U.S. to adopt a “living wage” policy in an effort to practice what the Church’s social doctrine teaches. Georgetown passed the Just Employment Policy in 2005, though there has been some controversy involved in its timetable and implementation according to the Georgetown Solidarity Committee. At St. Thomas, a similar policy went into effect on July 1, 2007, which affects the housekeeping and grounds maintenance crews, and... Read more
Pope Benedict, who will be on a three week vacation in northwest Italy, hinted at the possibility of writing a second encyclical. CathNews reports: Arriving in Lorenzago di Cadore, reporters asked the pope when he expects to publish the second part of his book on Jesus. The first volume of “Jesus of Nazareth” was released in the spring and covered the period from Jesus’ baptism to his transfiguration. “It is in the hands of God,” said the pope, referring to... Read more
Archbishop Agostino Marchetto, the secretary of the Pontifical Council for Migrants and Itinerant People, told the Global Forum on Migration and Development: “An irregular migration status, in fact, does not mean criminality.” Archbishop Marchetto identifies poverty and war in developing nations and the need for labor in industrial countries to be the main causes of migration. In what is a virtual consensus among Catholic bishops in the West, including the Pope, true Catholic faith does not look to the letter... Read more
Let us pray for the soul of Zheng Xiaoyu, who was executed today in China. He was the former head of the Food and Drug watch in China, and, because of bribes he received, he signed approvals for untested medicine which resulted in the death of at least ten people. While what he did was criminal and morally wrong, does his death make up for it? Does this make you trust China more, when it says it is looking to... Read more
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