Introduction After the publication of the post-synodal exhortation, Amoris Laetitia, does one still need to regard as valid the teaching of Pope Saint John Paul II in Familiaris Consortio that parents are the ones called to give their … [Read more...]
And the Two Become One Flesh
A Model for Marriage and the Universal Church
April 14, 2016 by Veronica A. Arntz
The world is facing a crisis: the family, seen as the fundamental unit of society since the days of Cicero and Aristotle, is now crumbling at its very foundations. But this is not only a crisis for the world, as the secularization of the … [Read more...]
Love Is a Liturgical Act
February 12, 2016 by Francis Etheredge
“Christian marriage ... is in itself a liturgical action glorifying God in Jesus Christ and in the Church” (Familiaris Consortio, 56) (Man, Male and Female, is a "religious being" (CCC, 28[1. Catechism of the Catholic Church, hereafter CCC … [Read more...]
Wives, Be Subordinate to Your Husbands?
John Paul II on Ephesians 5:21-33
February 12, 2016 by Dr. Katie Froula
Ephesians 5:21-33 isn’t a popular reading at weddings these days, and at first glance, it seems that it isn’t hard to see why. Aren’t St. Paul’s repeated exhortations for wives to be submissive to their husbands rather sexist and outdated? H … [Read more...]
Winter Reading for February 2016
February 12, 2016 by Book Reviews
The Ancient Path: Old Lessons from the Church Fathers for a New Life Today. John Michael Talbot with Mike Aquilina. (New York: Image, 2015) 203 pages; $22.00. (Reviewed by Ken Colston) Richard John Neuhaus (A Life in the Public Square). … [Read more...]
The Priest: The Gift of Self
February 1, 2016 by Fr. Vincent Miller, STL
Two fundamental principles run through the famous passage from Pope Paul VI’s Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, Gaudium et Spes (24:3), which reads, “This likeness {between the union of the Divine Persons, and the uni … [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...]
A Fresh Look at the Song of Songs
December 14, 2015 by Melissa Maleski
With recent legal cases around the world, with the United States Supreme Court’s decisions, as well as the recent Irish referendum on same sex marriage, there are now reports of a group of bishops and theologians discussing the need for a “ … [Read more...]
Love and Responsibility: Required Reading for the Synod on the Family
October 26, 2015 by Dr. Richard A. Spinello
Thanks to the Synod on the Family, the Catholic Church is now engaged in an intense discussion on sexual morality and married life. Yet if one listens carefully to the debates and polemics, it becomes evident that there is immense confusion … [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...]
Theology of the Body: Insights for the Synod on the Family
May 31, 2015 by Dr. Peter Kahn
Introduction The upcoming Synod of Bishops on the Family, in October 2015, faces a huge challenge. The preparatory document for the synod reminded us that many families find themselves crushed and abandoned. [1. Holy See, "The Vocation … [Read more...]
Summer Reading for June 2015
May 31, 2015 by Book Reviews
Our Father, Who Art on Earth: The Lord’s Prayer for Believers and Unbelievers. Jose Tolentino Mendonca, with a Foreword by Enzo Bianchi. (Mahwah, New Jersey/New York: Paulist Press, 2012) 114 pages; $14.95. (Reviewed by Brandon H … [Read more...]
Sexuality and Spirituality
An Attempt at Integration for Sexual and Spiritual Health
May 12, 2015 by Patrick F. Cioni
Abstract: This paper attempts to show the relationship between sexuality and spirituality, and ways to attain profound union between husbands and wives. Incorporating spirituality with sexual behavior enhances the capacity for satisfaction … [Read more...]
Spring Reading for March 2015
March 30, 2015 by Book Reviews
Arriving at Amen: Seven Catholic Prayers That Even I Can Offer. Leah Libresco (Notre Dame, Indiana: Ave Maria Press, 2015) 192 pages; $12.12. (Reviewed by Fr. David C. Paternostro, SJ) --------- Master Thomas Aquinas and the Fullness … [Read more...]
The Legacy of the Vision of Pope John Paul II for Marriage and Family
November 14, 2014 by Dr. William Newton
Not even the bullet from the barrel of an assassin’s gun could stop Pope John Paul II from emphasizing early in his pontificate the issues of marriage and family. In just the first five years, he created six key markers in these critical a … [Read more...]
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