Families have the obligation to maintain their social standing and family name at all levels in society. They have a duty of honor to themselves never to lower their standards, except when necessary to avoid sin. Therefore, families have a duty to save money, work and keep themselves at a level that befits them and … Read more
Among all the figures in the Passion of Our Lord, Simon of Cyrene stands out for his simplicity. He is neither an apostle nor a well-known disciple, but an ordinary man. This outsider from North Africa comes to Jerusalem to observe the Passover. He is taken from the crowd and unexpectedly thrust into the center … Read more
“Another petition! What’s the point?” This objection comes up often. A signature alone can’t repeal a law, force a bureaucrat to back down, stop a movie or immediately change a political decision. However, such an attitude toward a petition fails to address its true purpose. If petitions were truly useless, governments, lawmakers, the media and … Read more
Today, October 21, the Catholic Church celebrates the feast day of Blessed Charles I of Austria, also known as Charles Habsburg. Curiously, we celebrate his feast day on the day he got married, not on the day of his death. He unexpectedly became Emperor of Austria-Hungary, witnessed the collapse of his empire, and died in … Read more
When in need of special graces, I visit Lourdes. I go to the blessed Grotto where Our Lady appeared to Saint Bernadette Soubirous in 1858. Millions of pilgrims like me gather there every year to seek out grace, favors, and peace. I have never returned unsatisfied or been “left unaided.” Thus, I have always thought … Read more
Massachusetts needed more natural gas pipeline capacity ten years ago, and it needs a lot more today. In 2015, Maura Healey helped kill the Algonquin pipeline upgrade that would have provided cheap natural gas to Massachusetts consumers. Today, the state is paying dearly for her folly. On October 1, 2026, the now-Gov. Healey wrote to … Read more
The uproar over the sordid sexual assault case of Jane Doe at Cornell University is raging all over the country. The left has latched on to this cause, framing it as one more example of the patriarchy’s oppression. Women are once again victims of a system that refuses to believe in them. What allegedly happened … Read more
Peoples and nations—as well as individuals—receive from God a mission according to the designs of His Providence. In relation to France, Pope Gregory IX, in an October 21, 1239 letter to King St. Louis, has these beautiful words: “God, to whom the heavenly legions obey, having established different kingdoms here on earth according to the … Read more
In Portland, Oregon, a suburban parish’s decision to remodel the interior of its church building has the local architectural community crying over the loss of an “architectural masterpiece.” To read the coverage, one might think that the building belongs to the architects rather than to the parish. A Typical Suburban Parish The suburb of Milwaukie … Read more
A recent article in The Washington Post described a troubling new business trend in China, renting out adult grandchildren to elderly people who lack caring children and grandchildren of their own. It’s Just Business The article tries to present this bit of commerce in objective tones. It notes that the Chinese population aged sixty and … Read more
