The immigration crisis on the border is one of those issues where people address symptoms, not causes. They refuse to get to the root of things. The media show people streaming across the border. Some propose building a wall as a solution. However, as much as a wall would be helpful, it … Read more
Italian media have been rife these past months with references to an “immigration crisis.” The term “crisis” may be a bit overstated. Nonetheless, in the first four months of 2023, the number of illegal immigrants arriving on Italian shores, especially from North Africa and the Middle East, has more than tripled. This … Read more
If there is one thing that is certain about the shutdown, it is not only about the wall. There are many levels of discussion in this debate that involve more fundamental issues than just a physical structure. Understanding these issues can make sense out of the present impasse. Of course, there is … Read more
In his book, Pope Francis’s “Paradigm Shift”: Continuity or Rupture in the Mission of the Church? An Assessment of His Pontificate’s First Five Years, José Antonio Ureta discusses reasons why faithful Catholics need to be concerned about where Pope Francis is taking the Church. The fourth chapter of the book looks at … Read more
It is paradoxical that super-progressive California would have recourse to a concept of medieval law to support its revolt against federal immigration law enforcement. It is even more bizarre that the super-secular Golden State would consider itself a kind of Church with authority higher than that of the government and declare itself … Read more
The “dreamer” debate is raging as the nation contemplates what to do with the 800,000 young people who came to America illegally as children alone or with parents or relatives. Of course, this debate was foreseen. The Obama administration broke the immigration rules with its Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, … Read more
The problem with the “dreamer” debate is that it has little to do with children or their dreams. Most of the “dreamer children” are now adults. On average, the 800,000 recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program who entered America illegally as minors—alone, or brought by parents or relatives—are … Read more
If the 2016 elections proved anything, it was that the classic American order still prevails. Americans still have a strong attachment to the Founders’ vision of life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness. Translating this conservative vision into Red State terms, this means that many Americans still stubbornly cling to their morals, guns, … Read more
In looking at the debate over immigration, it is almost automatically assumed that the Church’s position is one of unconditional charity toward those who enter the nation, legally or illegally. However, is this the case? What does the Bible say about immigration? What do Church doctors and theologians say? Above all, what … Read more
“Catholics dropped from 93.1% to 64.6% of the population in 50 years” “Between 1960 and 2010, Brazil saw its share of people declaring themselves Catholic fall from 93.1% to 64.6%” reads the Folho de S.Paulo article based on a report of the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics IBGE.“In a decade, Catholics … Read more