A forum of Catholic Thought

The adventures of classical moralityBishop Robert Barron

One of the most significant fault lines in Western culture opened up in the 16th and 17th centuries, when what we now know as the "modern" world separated itself from the classical and medieval worlds. ...

The gift of friendship with our LordMichael Pakaluk

I wonder that Our Lord says on Holy Thursday, "No longer do I call you servants, ... I have called you friends" (Jn 15:15). He had spent three years with them. They went through many things together. ...

Don't give up on the liberal arts!Bishop Robert Barron

It has just come to my attention that Marymount University, a Catholic institution in Arlington, Virginia, has announced its intention to cut 10 traditional majors from its program, including philosophy, ...

Inclusion and exclusionBishop Robert Barron

I would like to follow up on an earlier article I wrote on the notions of "inclusivity" and "welcome," which have come to dominate the Catholic conversation in the lead-up to the Synod on Synodality. ...

For the beauty of the EarthMichael Pakaluk

You are waking up in the morning and looking around your dark room, just able to discern the outlines of objects. You see a faint outline of some books on a table. There -- a shirt draped over a chair. ...

Inclusivity and loveBishop Robert Barron

The other night, I had the privilege of participating in one of the listening sessions for the continental phase of the Synodal process. The basis for our discussion was a lengthy document produced by ...

Failures of the Golden RuleMichael Pakaluk

We can view the Golden Rule as a kind of mechanism implanted in us by our Creator, which serves as a means by which any of us can derive the basic principles of the moral law, as we wish, at any time. ...

Farewell to Pope BenedictBishop Robert Barron

One of the most consequential churchman of the last 100 years has died. Pope Benedict XVI (formerly Joseph Ratzinger) leaves a remarkable legacy in both the Church he served and in the wider society. ...

St. Ambrose DayMichael Pakaluk

I don't know why it was only this year that I noticed the significance in St. Ambrose's feast day, Dec. 7, falling between St. Nick's and the Immaculate Conception. Maybe it's because, ...

David and GoliathBishop Robert Barron

This piece is an excerpt from the forthcoming book "The Great Story of Israel" (Word on Fire Publishing), reflecting on 1 Samuel 17. Certainly, in the biblical framework, an important dimension of ...