July 8, 2009 Vatican City (CNA)—This morning in Rome, the Pope interrupted his series of teachings on the saints to explain the essential thoughts contained in his new social encyclical, published yesterday. In the face of the world’s “vast and profound” problems, Benedict XVI stated that the world economy must recover ethical principles. The encyclical, explained the Holy…
June 4, 2009 When faced with an opportunity to fundamentally change your life, will you take it? Many of us want to answer this question with a resounding “yes,” but may think that reality is not attainable. Not necessarily so. Consider the possibility that the current recession may be providing the catalyst for meaningful lessons and positive life…
June 4, 2009 U.S. ECONOMY Preliminary estimates of 2009 first quarter GDP suggest only a slight improvement from 2008’s fourth quarter (-6.1 vs. -6.3); however, the massive federal stimuli coming forward point to a possible leveling and then rebound in the quarters ahead. Much of the last quarter’s contraction centered on decreases in exports (-30%) and a reduction…
April 3, 2009 by Mark McElrath In response to an ongoing economic headwind, members of Catholic business clubs and parishes nationwide are reaching out to help those in need of work. Here is a look at what some are doing. —ed. Record unemployment level affecting all segments of the economy, a Dow Jones Industrial Average that has lost…
March 1, 2009 My children are a constant source of wisdom and clarity for me. Our sons are ages 8 and 11, and keenly interested in what’s going on in the world. We share openly and candidly the current state of politics, the economy and world news in a way they will understand. This past Saturday, my wife…
It seems like we’ve been preparing for this current recession for the past two or three years, constantly predicting it and staving it off as long as we could, all the while listening to the media tell us that it was just around the corner. And now that it is here—and it is here—we’re witnessing…
October 1, 2008 SANTIAGO, Chile (Zenit.org)—The financial crisis under way in the United States should remind us that the human person must be at the center of the economy, says the president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace. Cardinal Renato Martino affirmed this in a press conference during a visit he is making to Chile through Wednesday.…
