As the nation heads into the next election cycle, there is much frustration, angst and anxiety directed at a system that does not seem to work. Everyone senses there is something terribly wrong with the country. The worst part of this growing malaise is the feeling that no one seems to know … Read more
As the anniversary of Roe v. Wade approaches on January 22, those who have long fought the important battle against abortion know that it is not only this issue that must be protested. Connected to abortion is a web of other nefarious practices that make up what has been aptly called the … Read more
On Christmas Eve, as we commemorate the most important and glorious event in the history of mankind — the birth of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Word and our Redeemer — a small Satanist group staged a sacrilegious act in front of the Catholic St. Joseph Old Cathedral in Oklahoma City … Read more
The days leading up to Christmas are always ones of great anticipation and with good reason since everything about Our Lord’s birth was marvelous. It occurred in the middle of the night under a blanket of stars. The “good tidings” of His birth was announced to nearby shepherds by an angel: “…This … 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 issues now being debated in the 2016 elections are framed as if the country revolved around a great big cookie jar. The benefits and promises candidates offer are like cookies that must be substantial, instantly gratifying and abundant. All the problems the nation faces seem to be reduced to who has … Read more
Speaking with a friend recently, we chanced to talk about money and coins. He is a coin collector and had just visited a coin shop nearby. I mentioned my own studies of medieval economy and its coinage. Much to my surprise and delight, he reached into his inner coat pocket and pulled … Read more
Pope Francis’ visit to Cuba last September, symbolically preceding his arrival in the United States, provoked many Americans to rethink our country’s decades-old embargo of the communist island nation. The Pope’s act of visiting Cuba en route to America was clearly a symbolic gesture that expressed a greater moral opposition to the … Read more