John Horvat II 
“Send down the dew, ye heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain the Just One: let the earth be opened, and bud forth the Redeemer.” Thus begins the Advent hymn, “Rorate Caeli,” that mournfully calls upon God to hear our prayers. We are made to sigh with longings, as the Fathers … Read more
Review of Pope Francis’s “Paradigm Shift”: Continuity or Rupture in the Mission of the Church? An Assessment of His Pontificate’s First Five Years. Looking at the Catholic horizon, confusion reigns. An endless succession of scandals and controversies surround the Francis pontificate. Things change so quickly that is hard to keep them straight. … Read more
In our polarized nation, an “us versus them” scenario naturally arises. We are not supposed to frame the debate in this way. “Us” should refer to all Americans. “Them” is a term that is better not used at all. This is the central message of Sen. Ben Sasse’s new book, Them: Why We Hate … Read more
On every American coin, there is the Latin expression, e pluribus unum, meaning “one out of many.” The motto is a celebration of the variety found in America expressed by different groups, regions, races and opinions. Of course, not everything can be pluribus in a political entity. There must be some point of … Read more
The rash of violence leading up to the elections has given way to the spinning of narratives to explain the sad state of the nation. While ignoring all violence from their side, the left has become especially adept at turning every violent incident involving anyone even remotely conservative into an ideological statement … Read more
As three human caravans snake their way through Mexico, two different visions of America emerge. The first vision can be represented by several metaphors that reflect a materialistic, mechanical mindset. Thus, some see America as a giant shareholding company in which immigrants, legal or otherwise, are seen from a purely economic perspective of … Read more
At first glance, it seems to be a very positive initiative on the part of those at University of Notre Dame. Over one thousand male students, faculty and staff have signed a petition asking that “the University implement a filter to make pornography inaccessible on the Notre Dame Wi-Fi networks.” Finally, some … Read more
The Kansas City Star recently reported on a minor incident at the Country Club Plaza, a popular upscale shopping area. Someone fired a shot in a public square full of citizens. Police immediately responded and tweeted a warning to people in the area. Based on witness reports, they described the suspect with … Read more
As Halloween approaches, the debate over whether Catholics should join in the celebrations has reignited. Many claim it is a harmless holiday for children that Catholics may freely participate in. Others affirm that it has now descended into dark regions with the return of pagan and Satanic imagery; it should thus be … Read more
On October 13, 2018, there were 21,145 Public Square Rosary Rallies all across America. This special outreach of the America Needs Fatima campaign seeks to beseech God’s blessings on a sinful America by praying in a conspicuous public place. I have participated in many of these rallies over the years. Each time, … Read more