“The time is sure to come when people will not accept sound teaching, but their ears will be itching for anything new and they will collect themselves a whole series of teachers according to their own tastes; and then they will shut their ears to the truth…” (2 Tim. 3:4,5) The Apostle Paul issued that…
French pediatrician and geneticist Jérôme Lejeune, renown for discovering the extra chromosome that causes Down syndrome, was a devout Catholic. As a Catholic, Lejeune thought his historic discovery would lead to a more compassionate approach to children with the syndrome. Instead—to his horror—Lejeune’s famous discovery became a tool used to diagnose Down Syndrome babies in…
As he approaches his ninth decade of life, Monsignor Hilary C. Franco, author of Bishop Sheen: Mentor and Friend, has given us a gem of his reflections, Six Popes: A Son of the Church Remembers, encompassing a distinguished life that spans his nearly 70 years as a priest. As a son of Italian immigrants from…
Several of our Lord’s parables have to do with productivity in one form or another: The Sower, The Mustard Seed, The Tares, and then there is today’s (November 15, 2020), which is specifically about money (Matthew 25:14-30). In Greek currency, a talanton, as a measure of silver, was the equivalent of 6,000 Roman denarii. Establishing…
A chronic temptation of the historian is to play the “Monday morning quarterback” who assumes that he would have made a correct decision in a past crisis. But the players at the time could only postulate consequences. The appeasers who signed the Munich Agreement in 1938 do not enjoy a happy legacy, but then the…
December 23, 2009 As we rapidly approach the Christmas Eve vigil of 2009, I am reminded of another Christmas Eve just 10 years ago, a Christmas Eve that I had spent six years preparing for in a special way. The late Holy Father, the recently named Venerable John Paul II said the Great Jubilee 2000 was the event…
December 8, 2009 Vatican City, Dec 7, 2009 / 11:42 am (CNA).- In a meeting with a group of Brazilian bishops on Saturday, the Holy Father warned of the dangers of Marxist liberation theology and noted its grave consequences for ecclesial communities. During the ad limina visit, the Pope recalled that “last August marked 25 years since the…
June 19, 2009 The ongoing demonstrations in Iran, touched off by public outrage at what is believed to be fraudulent vote counting in the recent Presidential election, has completed its sixth day. Not since the Islamic Revolution of 1979 has there been this much sustained, grass roots political protest in what is one of the world’s most closed…
April 3, 2009 VATICAN CITY (Zenit.org)— Below is a translation of the homily delivered by Pope Benedict XVI on April 2, at the Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica, to mark the fourth anniversary of Pope John Paul II’s death. * * * [Translation from Italian:] Dear Brothers and Sisters! Four years ago, exactly today [April 2], my beloved…
November 26, 2008 When is the last time you took a quiet moment and allowed yourself the inner silence to listen to the whisper of the Holy Spirit? To what were you invited—conflict resolution, another perspective, decisive action, compelling insight, inner peace, silence? Did you follow the prompting? This past Sunday, the Feast of Christ the King, such…
October 21, 2008 “You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.” -Matthew 5:13-14 and 16. Most of us spend the majority of our…
October 8, 2008 When I imagine a fortress, it invokes thoughts of strength, security and protection. The image is comforting, particularly when used in relation to one’s faith. I was speaking with someone I met recently about my faith and learned that he, too, was Catholic. After hearing my story, he explained to me the role faith played…
