We live in turbulent times. There is much transition and many sense that historic events are taking place before our eyes. Things we thought were solid and secure are shifting and changing. We seem to be dancing on quicksand. As a result of this transition and change people are bewildered, confused, discontented, angry and afraid. When [...]
Everybody in the blogosphere seems obliged to weigh in on Mark Shea's release from National Catholic Register. I should say up front that I like Mark Shea. He's a friend of mine, and I've always taken his huffing and puffing with a shrug and a smile. He reminds me of bellicose Hilaire Belloc who was a [...]
Auschwitz Commandant Rudolf Hoss I have been busy today about parish business, but I wanted to write a bit more about this story I contributed to CRUX. The story recounts how Rudolf Hoss, the commandant of Auschwitz and the one who actually devised and put into action the gas chambers and crematoria had been [...]
Auschwitz Commandant Rudolf Hoss Did you know that Rudolf Hoss-- the Nazi commandant of Auschwitz returned to his Catholic faith at the end? Read the story here.
When You Wish Upon a Star... Some time ago I was speaking to someone about religion and happened to mention the possibility of going to hell. "Oh, I don't believe in hell!" said this person. The implication was that because she didn't believe in hell there was no such place. I've had the same [...]
A View from my Desk Today is the Memorial of St John Vianney, the patron of parish priests, and it is a good time to be reminded of the parish priest's priorities. If he is to be an alter Christus then he will try to do what Jesus did, and Jesus' ministry consisted of four clear [...]
From emails and conversations I have had, I am aware that there are a good number of conservative Catholics who are confused, bewildered and distressed by the current state of affairs in our country and in our church. They see the disastrous presidential candidates our system has produced and they wonder what on earth is going [...]
With the announcement today that Pope Francis has set up a commission to explore the possibility of women deacons, here are some thoughts on the matter. Throughout his pontificate the Pope has called for women to be granted more prominent roles in the church and for the Catholic church to continue to develop a positive [...]
After writing an opinion piece about Catholics voting for Hillary Clinton, someone asked me to write a similar article about Donald Trump. Can a Catholic vote for Donald Trump? Let's think it through. What I find curious about supporters of Donald Trump is that they are eager to tell everyone Hillary's terrible past. We are told [...]
The question is very simple. Can a faithful Catholic vote for Hillary Clinton? But first, let's get some things straight: First, my opinion doesn't really matter. How I vote as an individual is my business. How you vote is your business. Second, don't assume that a person's criticism of one candidate means endorsement for their opponent. [...]