CNA—Bishop Thomas Olmsted of Phoenix did not mince words when he called on a gathering of the nation’s Catholic leaders to stand up to the heresies of the modern age by defending the dignity of the human person, body and soul, as an integral part of defending the faith. Speaking at the National Catholic Prayer…
CNA—The following is a previously unpublished essay from Pope emeritus Benedict XVI: On February 21 to 24, at the invitation of Pope Francis, the presidents of the world’s bishops’ conferences gathered at the Vatican to discuss the current crisis of the faith and of the Church; a crisis experienced throughout the world after shocking revelations of…
Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, the president of the US Bishops’ Conference, shared his shock and sadness over the Notre Dame blaze, calling the cathedral “a world treasure.” In a statement to the people of Paris, DiNardo said the cathedral has “long been a symbol of the transcendent human spirit as well as our longing for God.”…
Sermon for the Salutations to the Holy Cross with His Eminence, Metropolitan GerasimosHoly Cross Greek Orthodox Church—April 4, 2019—This past January, during a visit to Rome and other parts of Europe, I had a rare and truly privileged opportunity that I will never forget for the rest of my life: a face-to-face encounter with Jesus…
On February 18, 2019, Bishop Borys Gudziak was appointed by Pope Francis as the Metropolitan and Archbishop of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia. A native of the U.S., for the last six years, Bishop Borys served as eparch of the Eparchy of St. Volodymyr in Paris, serving the Ukrainian Greek Catholic faithful in France,…
CNA—Newly appointed Archbishop Wilton Gregory made an uncompromising commitment to transparency during his introduction to the faithful of Washington, DC, at a press conference Thursday. “First of all, I believe that the only way I can serve this local archdiocese is by telling you the truth,” said Gregory at his formal introduction as the next…
A friend of mine, a mother and teacher, has spent the last 40 years caring for young people: her hundreds of grade-school students, her children, and her many grandchildren. She’s spent those same 40 years volunteering in the cause of life. Over the decades she’s helped open 11 prolife clinics; led and served on the…
Beneath the soil of every continent lie buried the ruins of fallen civilizations. The Sumerians, Akkadians, Mayans, Assyrians, Babylonians, Minoans, Romans: all of them, faded memories of past grandeur and glory. History records the collapse of at least thirty-two major civilizations that once thrived and prospered before our time. No great civilization is built in…
Aristotle, the famous Greek philosopher who lived four centuries before Christ, proposed the scientific theory of horror vacui. Based on his observations, he concluded that nature fills every empty space with something, even if it is only air. In his works Gargantua and Pantagruel, the Renaissance priest, doctor and scientist Rabelais popularized this idea with…
“Let not your heart be troubled!” (John 14:1) In the face of growing confusion about the doctrine of the Faith, many bishops, priests, religious and lay people of the Catholic Church have requested that I make a public testimony about the truth of revelation. It is the shepherds’ very own task to guide those entrusted…
Happily married for 40 years, a friend of mine from New York says that one of the (several) reasons his marriage has survived when so many others have crashed is a single, simple act of self-discipline. Every payday for more than three decades, he’s brought home six roses for his wife: sometimes three red, sometimes…
CNA—In a rare new letter penned by Benedict XVI, the retired pontiff said he is in the last phase of his life, and while his physical strength might be waning, he is surrounded by a “love and goodness” that he never imagined. “I can only say that at the end of a slow decline in…
“Why isn’t God answering my prayers? Am I not praying right?” These are very serious questions and deserve honest answers. Many people who pray — including those who pray long and hard — ask these questions from time to time, as well they might. Jesus certainly told us to “pray always” (Mt 21:22, Lk 18:1-18,…
Just days ago Bishop Thomas Daly wrote a clear, concise and thoughtful letter to his diocese regarding politicians who support abortion. It is so refreshing in its clarity that we repost it here in its entirety—as follows: Dear Friends, Each January as the nation commemorates the sad anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision, marches…
statement released February 13, 2017 (and worth reprinting)—“The public policy issue of defunding Planned Parenthood was the subject of demonstrations and counter-demonstrations across the country this weekend, including here in the Capital Region. “Without question, Planned Parenthood provides some morally unobjectionable health services to women. However, this statement is not unlike saying that a man…
Fox News and other sources—Bishop Edward B. Scharfenerger of Albany, New York, called out Gov. Andrew Cuomo for citing his Catholic faith and supporting recent legislation that legalizes abortion up until birth. Cuomo (D) signed the Reproductive Health Act on Tuesday, which he called “a historic victory for New Yorkers and for our progressive values.”…
It was the celebration that was particularly galling. On the 46th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision, the governor of New York, Andrew Cuomo, signed into law a protocol that gives practically unrestricted access to abortion, permitting the killing of an unborn child up until the moment of delivery. In the wake of the…
Dear Governor Cuomo, Although in your recent State of the State address you cited your Catholic faith and said we should “stand with Pope Francis,” your advocacy of extreme abortion legislation is completely contrary to the teachings of our pope and our Church. Once truth is separated from fiction and people come to realize the…
—Homily Given on the Occasion of the Annual Red Mass for the Diocese of Dallas, Most Rev. Salvatore Cordileone, Archbishop of San Francisco, October 13, 2018 -28th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year “B”— Introduction Your Excellency Bishop Burns, Your Excellency Bishop Kelly, my brother priests, dear deacons, brothers and sisters in Christ: it is a…
When I visited UC-Berkeley earlier this year and met with a large group of Catholic students for a discussion, the first question they asked me was, “What do I tell my Catholic friend who no longer practices his faith because of the scandals in the Church?” Many Catholics have had their faith shaken by the…
