Over the past few years, there have been contentious public arguments over who has authority to educate children and what should be included (or excluded) from the curriculum. Many politicians and pundits declared that parents should have little or no input into curriculum decisions and proposed learning outcomes. For example, …

On May 2, 2022, Politico, an online magazine, published a leaked draft majority opinion for the U.S. Supreme Court case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which tests Mississippi’s 15-week abortion ban. Written by Associate Justice Samuel Alito, the Dobbs opinion holds that Roe v. Wade “was egregiously wrong …

I write this month to congratulate Bishop-elect Earl Fernandes on his impending consecration as Bishop of the Diocese of Columbus, OH. When he assumes the bishop’s chair (the cathedra), Bishop-elect Fernandes will join an unbroken succession of bishops that dates from the Church’s very first days. And, by virtue of …

In 1955, Pope Pius IX established May 1 as the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker, a day set aside to seek St. Joseph’s intercession on behalf of laborers. The date was chosen as an alternative to International Workers’ Day, to celebrate workers while avoiding association with May Day’s historical …

Death is a central motif in Christianity. In Catholic moral and spiritual reflection, death has a more dominant place than it does in most other forms of Christian theology. Indeed, some forms of American evangelicalism minimize – or even practically ignore – Christ’s crucifixion, rushing straight to His resurrection. This …

As most Catholics are well aware, Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the liturgical season of Lent. And, of course, almost everyone associates Lent with giving something up, even if they do not understand the penitential importance of the season. “I gave that up for Lent” is a common refrain, …

In his 1999 “Letter to Artists,” Pope St. John Paul II invoked a famous line from Fyodor Dostoevsky’s novel, The Idiot, attributed to the protagonist, Prince Myshkin: “Beauty will save the world.” He explained that “beauty is the key to the mystery and call to transcendence. It is an invitation …

Among the more famous passages from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah is the anthem of the Seraphim who surround God’s throne and chant, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts! All the earth is filled with his glory!” (Is. 6:3.) It introduces a central paradox for Christians, because …

Evelyn Waugh’s 1938 novel, Scoop is the fictional account of accidental reporter William Boot, sent from England to cover a fictionalized version of the Italo-Abyssinian war. Based on his own experience of covering the actual war, Waugh’s novel is a satirical – even cynical – send- up on journalism’s practices, …

Problems arising from technology and social media are more than could possibly be accounted for in one magazine. From the relatively mundane problem of work distraction, to more seriously annoying intrusions on privacy, to the tragedy of social-media-driven violence, stories about digital technology and social media fill headlines every day. …