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
“Three generations of imbeciles are enough.” With these words, Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes concluded the majority opinion in Buck vs. Bell. The Virginia law allowing the forced sterilization of the so-called “feebleminded” was upheld as constitutional. Carrie Buck, a young woman from Virginia, was ordered to be forcibly sterilized. … Read more
In a previous article on the apostolic origins of celibacy, I wrote: Among the Apostles, only Saint Peter is known to have been married because his mother-in-law is mentioned in the Gospels. Some of the others might have been married but there is a clear indication that they left everything, including their … Read more