It is Christmas time, and the world stops for a brief moment. It does not stop long because there are too many important things to be done to waste on festive and unproductive folly. It can only be a short pause on Christmas day before the world must almost immediately return to … Read more
On campuses nationwide, students have whined about what they call “micro-aggressions.” People suffering from “micro-aggressions” are offended by tiny acts that might in some slight way, point to politically incorrect behavior. The offended student then feels free to demand changes from college administrators in a very macro-aggressive way. Such an attitude is … 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
Every year, numerous people who usually sent Prof. Plinio a Christmas card had a hopeful expectation. It was to receive sometime later, a reply with another card containing a Christmas message signed by him, filling their souls with joy and hope. On Christmas 1994, the last one the distinguished Catholic leader celebrated … Read more
It is Christmas and we all think back on Christmases past not without a bit of nostalgia for what the feast represents. We think back on Christmas trees, manger scenes and midnight Masses. We recall family dinners, marveling children and Christmas carols. Such memories fill us with joys in a brutal world … Read more
Magnificent medieval stained glass windows have sometimes been referred to as a “catechism in glass” because of the richness of the faith which their imagery conveyed. We could say the statues of this time period aptly captured the virtues of the holy personages. When done well they are, in their turn, truly … Read more
The Finnish marriage movement, Aito Avioliitto (True Marriage Association), which aims to uphold marriage as the union between one man and one woman in law and in Finnish society, has been actively campaigning the last six months to raise the necessary signatures across Finland to challenge a gender-neutral “marriage” law passed by … Read more
A couple of summers ago, an old building in Topeka, Kansas was razed by a spectacular implosion. It was a large, 14-story structure, a minor landmark in the downtown area, and the event was scheduled for a Sunday morning so as not to interfere with traffic and commercial activity. Although the implosion … Read more
The sexual revolution decades ago drove to separate the marital act from marriage. Promiscuity for both men and women transformed mentalities almost overnight. The act of procreation was turned into an act of recreation. The use of contraception, abortion, and sterilization ensured that pregnancy would not result from what came to be … Read more
I recently had the opportunity to guest lecture for an American Government class at a private Midwestern college. My friend who teaches the class invited me to share some insights about political theory. While I have taught classes to select groups of motivated students, I was ill prepared for the harrowing experience … Read more