The blessings that are our limitations
Any of us who has ever suffered a grievous loss, a terrible illness, a physical or mental handicap that consumes us, knows the pain of such loss. Why did my brother have to die? Why do I have this disease ...
In praise of fathers
There is a lot of handwringing going on about the state of manhood these days. Maybe this Father's Day, we can focus on what's good about men who are fathers. It's an uphill slog, I know. It seems ...
Popes vs. presidents
"War is not always inevitable. It is always a defeat for humanity. International law, honest dialogue, solidarity between states, the noble exercise of diplomacy: These are methods worthy of individuals ...
School's in session
St. John Henry Newman, writing in the 19th century, wanted a Catholic laity "who know their religion ... who know what they hold and what they do not." Whatever the challenges Newman faced in the 19th ...
Is our nation losing its soul?
U.S. bishops are speaking up about the treatment of immigrants and the deportation strategy and tactics of the current administration, and their messaging has grown increasingly urgent and concerned. What ...
The grandparent shortage
There's been a lot written about falling birth rates in the United States. Less covered has been the simultaneous decline in grandparenthood. Grandparents, to hear friends tell it, are an endangered ...
A little soap for the nation's potty mouth
I tasted soap once, and it was enough. At a rather tender age, I must have sassed my mom. I don't remember the crime, but I remember the punishment: Getting my mouth washed out with soap. It left an ...
Raising their voice for justice
History has shown that collectively America's bishops have taken controversial stands that have helped animate and even shape the national discussion. Perhaps most noteworthy was their 1919 "Bishops' ...
