As we have been exploring the nature and effects of original sin on humanity, it is now time to plunge into the reality of shame, with the help of Pope St. John Paul II. We could hope for no better guide. As a poet, pastor, philosopher and theologian, he reflected …

In our last two reflections, we explored the nature of the sin that occurred at the beginning of human history, when Satan tempted our first parents to mistrust their Creator and seek to supplant Him. Being deceived, they grasped at divinity, thinking they could determine right from wrong and become …

At the beginning of human history, our first parents experienced original innocence, the state in which they had enjoyed harmony within themselves, in God’s friendship, in relationship with each other and in relation to the rest of creation. They then experienced a fundamental break from that original innocence when the …

by Solène Tadié Krakow, Poland, Mar 23, 2022 / 13:00 pm In the month since the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, more than two million people have crossed the border with Poland seeking refuge. In the Polish city of Kraków, the local Archbishop Marek Jędraszewski has shown his support for …

by Courtney Mares Rome Newsroom, Sep 8, 2022 / 10:12 am With the Royal Family gathering in Balmoral Castle Thursday amid concerns for Queen Elizabeth II’s health, Catholic bishops in England and Wales have offered their prayers for her and her family. Queen Elizabeth, who turned 96 in April, is England’s longest-serving …

This article is part of an ongoing series on Pope St. John Paul II’s Theology of the Body (TOB). All of creation is a gift held in being at every moment by God, whose inner life is an eternal giving and receiving of love. Since the very meaning of our …

by Joe Bukuras Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jun 6, 2022 / 15:56 pm In response to a federal court decision affirming the constitutionality of Oklahoma’s death penalty protocol, Archbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City on Monday called on state lawmakers to end the death penalty. “No matter the decision of the …

This article is part of an ongoing series on Pope St. John Paul II’s “Theology of the Body” (TOB). Last month, I reflected on how the logic of gift is a golden thread woven throughout Pope St. John Paul II’s thought, especially in Theology of the Body. All of creation, …

by Courtney Mares Rome, Italy, May 19, 2022 / 06:23 am John Paul II began his pontificate with the words “Be not afraid” — a phrase that the Polish pope’s biographer believes can be applied to Vatican diplomacy with Russia and China today. George Weigel, author of the bestselling biography “Witness to …

An arrow points to David DePerro in St. Peter’s Square on May 13, 1981. | Magda Gorman/Used by permission. by CNA Staff Vatican City, May 13, 2022 / 03:47 am On May 13, 1981, Mehmet Ali Ağca shot Pope John Paul II and critically injured him. The pictures of the …