Introduction The approach of the 50th anniversary of Humanae vitae gives us the opportunity to once again meditate on the Church’s teaching on human generation, and on the magnificent articulation of this teaching in recent decades, coming … [Read more...]
Contraception as a Lesser Evil
From Modern Moral Problems
February 29, 2016 by Msgr. William B. Smith
The following are excerpts from a new book which is a compilation of the writings of Msgr. William B. Smith who was a regular contributor to Homiletic and Pastoral Review, from October 1992 to July 2005, for the magazine's "Questions … [Read more...]
Preaching to the Young Casualties of the Sexual Revolution
February 1, 2016 by Neil Kane
For over 40 years, it has been my privilege, challenge, and joy to teach Catholic theology. I began with the somewhat maligned Junior High level (seventh grade in my parish elementary school lingo), and then Catholic high school (Grades … [Read more...]
How the Synod of 2015 Ignored the Real Problem, 50 Years in the Making
January 15, 2016 by Fr. Regis Scanlon, OFMCap
It’s hard to believe now, but at the beginning of the year, Synod 2015 was predicted to be a possible game changer for the Church. According to various media reports, the Synod promised to be: “stormy,” “intense,” a time of “great expectatio … [Read more...]
Contraception and Original Sin
December 14, 2015 by Dr. Terence J. Hughes, PhD
Alice von Hildebrand wrote, regarding Satan, “Abortion is his greatest victory since original sin.” (New Oxford Review, "To the Editor," May 2015). May I demur? Artificial contraception is. Why? Because it repeats the original sin of Adam an … [Read more...]
The Gift of Law and the Law of Gift
August 30, 2015 by Dusty Gates
“I can’t understand why your Church makes you live that way,” a friend of mine once said to me, “it’s just not natural!” I fear that many, Catholics and non-Catholics alike, have a similar misunderstanding about nature, law, and the foundati … [Read more...]
A “Categorical Silence” in the Preparatory Questionnaire for the 2015 Synod
July 27, 2015 by Fr. Mark A. Pilon
“Make no mistake, my brothers: those who corrupt families will not inherit the kingdom of God.” —Ignatius of Antioch, To the Ephesians In his 2007 autobiography, Cardinal Giacomo Biffi, retired Archbishop of Bologna, recalled his surpr … [Read more...]
The Resolution of Conflicts in Priestly Life and Relationships
April 27, 2015 by Dr. Richard P. Fitzgibbons, MD
Loving, supportive and mutually encouraging relationships among priests are essential to the physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being of priests and to their ministry[1. Richard Fitzgibbons. “The Origins, Manifestation, and Resolution o … [Read more...]
Revisiting the Rabbits
February 24, 2015 by David Vincent Meconi
He said it. I wish he hadn’t said it, but he said it: “God gives you methods to be responsible. ... Some think that—excuse the word—that in order to be good Catholics, we have to be like rabbits. No.” Pope Francis’ unguarded line about an un … [Read more...]
Cardinal Walter Kasper on “Artificial” Birth Control
September 25, 2014 by John F. Kippley
I grant that there are some today who erroneously refer to unnatural forms of birth control as “artificial contraception,” but no one today is arguing that the evil of marital contraception is its use of an artifact. In the online edit … [Read more...]
Personal Holiness and the Homosexual Agenda
September 9, 2014 by Fr. David Kime
... it is imperative that we reclaim the language of covenant within marriage, and that we clarify the vocabulary we use in this debate. We are not simply talking about contracts, but about covenants. In the last several months, we have … [Read more...]
What Should the October Synod Discuss?
August 25, 2014 by Msgr. Cormac Burke
...I must say that we are blinking at reality if we do not face up to the fact that since the 1950s, marriage and the family, outside and inside the Church, have been plunged into an ever-growing crisis—to the extent that their nature, and v … [Read more...]
Questions Answered
August 11, 2014 by Fr. Brian Mullady, OP
Does the Church state that there is an ideal form of government? What Magisterial status does the teaching of the popes on contraception enjoy? Can it be changed? Must we believe it? Plato, St. Thomas Aquinas, and A … [Read more...]
The Side Effects of the Pill: Why the Church Has So Much to Say about Contraception
March 21, 2014 by Dr. William Newton
The Church pays special attention to the issue of contraception ... because so many of the modern errors in moral theology converge in this particular question of conjugal morality. There is an impression out there–in the world and even w … [Read more...]
Questions Answered
December 10, 2013 by Fr. Brian Mullady, OP
Many politicians have claimed that though they are Catholic, they are in favor of a woman’s right to choose whatever is necessary for her reproductive health. Can you comment on this attitude? Some couples have chosen to practice c … [Read more...]
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