St. Ignatius of Loyola likened the “enemy of our human nature” to a cunning military strategist who sussed out each of our weakest defenses and thereby knew exactly where to strike. A war for souls is truly on, both on the individual as wel … [Read more...]
Letter of His Holiness Pope Francis to Priests
September 11, 2019 by Pope Francis
Letter of His Holiness Pope Francis to Priests on the 160th Anniversary of the Death of the Holy Curé of Ars, St. John Vianney To my Brother Priests Dear Brothers, A hundred and sixty years have passed since the death of the holy … [Read more...]
Alternate Views on the Root Causes of the Bishops’ Clergy Sex-Abuse Cover-Up
July 26, 2019 by Rev. Martin R. Tripole, SJ
The Church is now in the throes of the second wave of the clergy sex-abuse crisis, which began June 20, 2018, with the exposé of former cardinal archbishop of Washington Theodore E. McCarrick’s abuse of minors and seminarians. Since then, at … [Read more...]
Benedict XVI and the Absence of God
April 30, 2019 by Joel R. Gallagher
Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI’s extraordinary letter on the sexual-abuse crisis in the Church generated expected, imprudent mixed reactions in the media and on social media. Almost immediately, some media organizations ran headlines that c … [Read more...]
What does the Doctor Diagnose? Listening to the Church Doctor
St. Catherine of Siena on Perennial Principles for Our Attitudes towards Priests
March 10, 2019 by Sr. Mary Catherine Blanding, IHM
Introductory Note: The author is restricting this essay to attitudes toward priests in light of the Philadelphia Grand Jury report. She extends wholehearted sympathy for the shattered lives affected by the actions of immoral priests. By … [Read more...]
The Screening, Protection, and Crisis Education of Seminarians
January 17, 2019 by Dr. Richard P. Fitzgibbons, MD
Fr. D. Paul Sullins, PhD, is a married Catholic priest. He was formerly an Episcopal minister and has been blessed with a marriage of 30 years and three children. Fr. Sullins recently retired as a Professor of Sociology at the Catholic … [Read more...]
A Surprising Beatitude
Dashing the Little Ones upon the Rock
January 1, 2019 by Kevin M. Clarke
In a 2007 class on the Epistle to the Hebrews, Jesuit Fr. James Swetnam passed along to us two words of wisdom from German Biblical scholar Joachim Jeremias. The first word: read a chapter of New Testament Greek every day. Indeed, very wise … [Read more...]
Reform Requires Holiness of All the Faithful
November 14, 2018 by Richard P. Maggi, Esq.
The wounds of the Church’s sex-abuse scandals have been reopened by the revelations of abuse by Cardinal McCarrick, the former Washington D.C. archbishop; by the Chilean scandal, the Pennsylvania grand jury report, and more recently perhaps … [Read more...]
Renewal and the Penitential Life
October 2, 2018 by Monsignor Jeffrey A. Ingham
Wherever we may look for solutions to the present tension and confusion, we must realize that the solution will begin with the Eucharist, return to the Eucharist, and be formed by the Eucharist. Whatever secular processes may be deemed … [Read more...]
Fatima’s Third Secret—More Relevant than Ever?
September 18, 2018 by Fr. Regis Scanlon, OFMCap
For many decades, the “Third Secret of Fatima” was considered by many people to be one of the great mysteries of the Church. It was part of the message believed to be held back from the public at the request of Our Lady of Fatima, who app … [Read more...]
Reflections on the Crisis in the Church
September 18, 2018 by Deacon Mike Houghton
Every weekday morning, I pray the rosary in my car on the way to work. It’s not the most ideal time to do it; I’m often distracted by traffic events and inclement weather, but I suppose it’s better than not praying it at all. On Tuesdays … [Read more...]
“Lord, to Whom Shall We Go?”
September 1, 2018 by Mother Mary Assumpta Long, OP
We are deeply saddened by the news that comes in daily about the sexual abuse involving the hierarchy (cardinals, bishops, and priests) in the Catholic Church. We certainly believe that those found guilty should be punished and live out … [Read more...]
Dear Troubled Catholics,
July 31, 2018 by Dr. Ralph Martin, STD
I have never seen so many "ordinary Catholics" — who usually never follow or hear about Church news — as deeply troubled as I have seen them in response to the recent revelations about the retired archbishop of Washington, D.C. Cardinal T … [Read more...]
When the Church Defames Her Priests
Over the last two decades, the Roman Catholic Church in the United States has reeled under claims of clerical sexual abuse. The claims resulted in extraordinary liability and wide-spread publicity. When bad things happen in any … [Read more...]
Sacrificing Priests on the Altar of Insurance
February 24, 2015 by David A. Shaneyfelt and Joseph P. Maher
Fr. Bob (that’s what we’ll call him) was a faithful parish priest for more than 25 years. One day, a process server showed up at the rectory door and handed him a summons and complaint. The complaint alleged that some 20 years earlier he had … [Read more...]
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