St. Francis by Bill Droel Pope Leo XIV declares 2026 as “Year of St. Francis of Assisi.” Christians today are mistaken to reduce St. Francis (1181-1226) to merely a wanderer who talks to birds and negotiates peace with a wolf. The essence of his life was a cultural and deeply spiritual critique of his society, a critique that today pertains even more. The world’s Catholic bishops, meeting at Vatican II (1962-1965), affirmed our modern ambitions and achievements, specifically noting advancements... Read more

Catholics are schooled in the faith by memorizing dogmatic points and lots of Catholic trivia. What are the colors for various liturgical seasons and special feast days? What are the three possible destinations upon one’s death? Name the seven sacraments. Name the glorious mysteries of the rosary. Name the four gospels. This quiz show format is perhaps acceptable for primary-grade children. It is regularly used in parish-based religious education programs and in a few light-hearted card games and skits. However,... Read more

A Catholic Take on AI With hammer in hand, Martin Luther (1483-1546) struck a significant blow against clericalism and for the laity in the world by insisting on the universal call to holiness. A cobbler’s work is as valuable to God as is a priest’s, he explained. The vocation of a homemaker is no further away from God than that of a priest in the pulpit. Subsequent leaders of the Reformation lost sight of Luther’s significant contribution on the primacy... Read more

  The Catholic church and the political machine had a symbiotic relationship in Chicago and elsewhere for many years. So argues Dominic Pacyga in his latest book: Clout City (University of Chicago Press, 2025). Chicago politics was “a mixture of the sacred and the profane, a combination of cultural and religious roots and more worldly pursuits,” he writes. “Chicago is a secular, capitalist city, but one with a religious core.” Pacyga includes synagogues and Jewish organizations on the religious side.... Read more

Mary Christmas by Bill Droel Who invented Christmas? Over the years several people have contributed their variations to the Christmas season—St. Nicholas, St. Francis of Assisi, Charles Dickens and others. However from the Bethlehem stable to today’s observance, Our Blessed Lady is the best answer to the question. The gospel writers leave us with scant details about Jesus’ mother, Mary. Yet because Christians have long been attracted to her, they have supplemented the gospels with their own memories and legends,... Read more

GIVE THANKS FOR IMMIGRANTS by Bill Droel Our flag is the number one symbol of our country. Its design of 13 stripes and 50 stars means unity through pluralism. It represents our belief in a layered government with authority given by citizenry. The flag stands for all the positive values of our experiment in democracy. There are other symbols of our country. This month features pictures and displays of the harvest rituals and feasts that occurred in the early 1600s... Read more

Poverty Is More Than Lack of Money by Bill Droel Unconditional cash assistance to the poor may not do any good. That is a conclusion from a rigorous study, Baby’s First Years (www.babysfirstyears.com). An experiment, supervised by eight researchers, gave $333 per month for 48 months to 1,000 needy families from the Twin Cities, Omaha, New Orleans and New York City. A control group received $20 per month. Results were additionally compared with the population at large. (No government money... Read more

Catholic churches will not take advantage of a new provision in the U.S. tax code. Since 1894 all charitable groups that obtained a 501 (c) 3 tax letter have been excused from paying federal taxes, and usually local taxes. In 1954 there was an addition to that IRS policy. Named the Johnson Amendment after its sponsor, Senator Lyndon Johnson (1908-1973), the change specified that tax-exempt groups could not endorse partisan candidates. Critics in recent years, including President Donald Trump, have... Read more

It was called Americanism. Pope Leo XIII (1810-1903) condemned it. In 1899 Leo XIII sent a three-page letter to the U.S. bishops in care of Cardinal James Gibbons (1834-1921) of Baltimore. It is titled Witness to Our Good or sometimes On New Opinions of Virtue, Nature and Grace. Leo XIII’s admonishment was aimed at progressive U.S. Catholics. Its general theme speaks to today’s U.S. Catholics—conservatives and liberals. The second paragraph of  Witness to Our Good mentions Fr. Isaac Hecker, CSP... Read more

Pope Leo XIII and Controversy in the United States  by Bill Droel Our new Pope Leo XIV chose his papal name to pair his interest in our high-tech economy with Pope Leo XIII’s (1810-1903) interest in the industrial revolution. Today’s social questions, particularly “developments in the field of artificial intelligence pose new challenges for the defense of human dignity, justice and labor,” says Chicago-born Leo XIV. In his 1891 encyclical, On the Condition of Labor, Leo XIII famously endorsed labor... Read more