Catholic Perspective

Becoming Acquainted With a Great Man of God

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Becoming Acquainted With a Great Man of God 1

  A Review of the Book Pius IX by Roberto de Mattei (Leominster, England: Gracewing, September 2004) Today’s problems often seem to be the worst ever faced by the human race. Thus, it is easy to be overwhelmed by focusing on the division, apostacy, scandal, and confusion of the current age. One … Read more

What Is the Meaning of Pope Francis’s New Gesture?

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What Is the Meaning of Pope Francis’s New Gesture? 1

Since the Middle Ages, Popes have used a ferula, a metal rod topped by a cross, to symbolize their authority. However, at the inauguration of the Youth Synod, on October 3, the Holy Father presented himself with a new papal ferula: a forking bamboo-like staff. The cross disappeared. Paying close attention, one … Read more

The Other Sexual Abuse Culture That No One Dares to Mention

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The Other Sexual Abuse Culture That No One Dares to Mention

With the Kavanaugh confirmation hearings, the sexual assault debate ignited once again, as it will with each new accusation—whether true or false—of high profile celebrities or public figures. Every time, we hear the same message: There is an abuse of power that allows people to force themselves upon others. We are urged … Read more

Why Apple Is Shaking in Its Boots

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Why Apple Is Shaking in Its Boots

I have always believed that Apple fears no one. Valued at over one trillion dollars, the maker of iPhones and iPads can do whatever it wants when marketing its products. It can count on the loyalty of tens of millions of passionate customers that make it immune to market fluctuations. Apple is … Read more

Save Us From the Deniers of Hell

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Save Us From the Deniers of Hell 1

Anyone who wonders why the Catholic Church is in its present crisis need only read Dr. Scott Bruce’s “Do We Still Need to Believe in Hell?” The Wall Street Journal article (9/15-16/2018) recently appeared in its popular weekend review section. It was a rather typical yet brutal appraisal of the notion of … Read more

“Paradigm Shift”–A Critical Assessment of the Francis Pontificate

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“Paradigm Shift”–A Critical Assessment of the Francis Pontificate 1

  Pope Francis’s “Paradigm Shift”: Continuity or Rupture in the Mission of the Church? An Assessment of His Pontificate’s First Five Years.   Pope Francis places Catholics in a dilemma. Many have the very understandable, indeed holy, desire to obey the Successor of Saint Peter. At the same time, Pope Francis seems … Read more

An Appeal to the Divine Shepherdess

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An Appeal to the Divine Shepherdess 1

September 25 is the feast of the Divine Shepherdess. This devotion dates back to 1703, when Capuchin Friar Isidoro of Seville, a scion of Spain’s most noble families, experienced a mystical illumination in which the Virgin Mary asked him to spread devotion to her as Shepherdess of Souls. He commissioned a painting, … Read more