Anyone who wonders why the Catholic Church is in its present crisis need only read Dr. Scott Bruce’s “Do We Still Need to Believe in Hell?” The Wall Street Journal article (9/15-16/2018) recently appeared in its popular weekend review section. It was a rather typical yet brutal appraisal of the notion of Hell. The author believes Hell is … Read more
Although it is not new, a trend called “Gray Divorce” is growing. Charles Schwab’s Advisor Services recently ran an article in which they point out that, “People are living longer, and divorces after age 50 are happening at twice the rate they did just a generation ago.” This statement is based on a Pew Foundation … Read more
Misery has a lot of company these days. Perhaps too much. The number of those unhappy, stressed or lonely has reached its highest point on record. America is not alone in its misery. However, it is hardly consoling that the whole world keeps it company. This climate of discontent is the consistent finding of surveys … Read more
Conservatives often blame liberals for the breakdown in society today. After all, liberals challenged an order that existed and replaced it with a situation that is now unraveling. This unraveling can be traced to the efforts of liberal activists to influence legislation and elections and to liberal control of the media that shape the debate. … Read more
If there are “rags to riches” stories in the Church, surely the story of John Joseph Hughes is one of them. He is one of the most inspiring figures from the history of American Catholicism. If you have ever stepped into the vastness of St. Patrick’s Cathedral on Fifth Avenue in New York City, you have experienced … Read more
The defense of egalitarianism in the socio-political order is a philosophical error. When attempts are made to apply this egalitarianism to the Church, it becomes a theological error. It is a theological error because Scripture clearly shows that Our Lord instituted a hierarchy to govern His Church. It is additionally erroneous because egalitarian efforts to … Read more
Hordes of people are descending on Europe, destroying local cultures and straining infrastructure. They are descending upon picturesque villages and public squares. Locals are moving out. Some might think that this invasion refers to the immigration crisis. However, these new invaders do not stay. Unlike conquering Caesar, they come, they see, and they leave. They … Read more
To the scientific community, religion is a mystery that should not exist. The greatest mystery is the God problem. There must be some kind of scientific explanation to account for why people believe in God. Since the Enlightenment, secular scientists have held that God is an imaginary being, created by weak people who need psychological … Read more
September 25 is the feast of the Divine Shepherdess. This devotion dates back to 1703, when Capuchin Friar Isidoro of Seville, a scion of Spain’s most noble families, experienced a mystical illumination in which the Virgin Mary asked him to spread devotion to her as Shepherdess of Souls. He commissioned a painting, preached this devotion, … Read more
You are waiting for your food at a restaurant. Near you, four diners sit in silence at a table. Each diner is operating a cellular telephone. If you have seen this picture, you already know that digital media have replaced conversation for many. Typically, they are young, but not always. Children, fathers, mothers, and even … Read more
