It is official; the national debt has now exceeded $21 trillion. The tragic news comes just six months after it hit $20 trillion last September 8. This problem is obviously not going away. By voting to suspend the debt ceiling, Congress has allowed the government to borrow as much as it needs until … Read more
A Catholic soul is filled with sadness when it must criticize a member of the once glorious Society of Jesus founded by Saint Ignatius of Loyola, a religious order that did so much good for the Church. Alas, corruptio optimi pessima—the corruption of the best is the worst of all. This reflection … Read more
In an October 11 speech to the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization, Pope Francis condemned the death penalty, not only in its concrete application but also as a correct doctrine according to the Gospel. He said that no man, “not even a murderer, loses his personal dignity.”[1] For … Read more
Historian Dr. Andrew Willard Jones has managed to write a fascinating new book about medieval Christendom that discusses the amazing social relationships that brought individuals and families together as a people. This perspective is well presented in a brilliant defense of Christendom titled, Before Church and State: A Study of Social Order … Read more
It sometimes takes a disaster to bring out the good in people. The massive Hurricane Harvey that hit the Texas coast on August 26 was one such case. The outpouring of help for and rescue of the storm’s victims revealed one of the best aspects of the American soul. ABC News reports … Read more
I recently received an e-mail from someone who questioned me on a comment I made about manners. I had said that manners presuppose distinctions. They call upon us to honor those who are excellent with special treatment. At the same time, they allow us to show compassion and consideration toward those who … Read more
The same applies to the notion of Fraternity which they found on the love of common interest or, beyond all philosophies and religions, on the mere notion of humanity, thus embracing with an equal love and tolerance all human beings and their miseries, whether these are intellectual, moral, or physical and temporal. … Read more
There is a prevailing idea that health care plans are necessarily complex and expensive schemes. There was, however, an ideal health care plan in the distant past that was amazingly simple. The plan did not list its benefits, clinical metrics or financial data. The main emphasis of this plan was not so … Read more
Is the Pope always infallible in everything he says or does? What are the conditions and limits provided by the First Vatican Council for the Pope to exercise the charisma of infallibility? Can Catholic faithful with sufficient doctrinal formation resist documents that clearly contradict Catholic tradition? These are some of the urgent … Read more
One of the most earthshaking decisions of our country in 2015 occurred on December 3, when Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter declared that all combat jobs would become open to women with “no exceptions.” While it is horrible enough that women will be exposed to the horrors of war, the shock waves … Read more