The Church in China must yet endure more persecution. The government of Xi Jinping claims to respect religious freedom, but the harassment and indoctrination continue unabated. The latest manifestation of this true passion is reports that massive photographs of Chinese dictator Xi have replaced crucifixes, pictures of Our Lady and other sacred … Read more
Joseph of Cupertino St. Joseph of Cupertino (1603-1668) was an Italian mystic whose life is a wonderful combination of a complete lack of natural capacity and an extraordinary supernatural efficiency. He lacked every natural gift. He was incapable of passing a test, maintaining a conversation, taking care of a house, or even … Read more
President Biden’s inauguration ceremony was full of symbolism and imponderables. Tension in the air dominated the empty mall as thousands of National Guard troops surrounded the Capitol. The scene was marked not with somber solemnity but nervous inquietude in the face of a divided nation. One curious observation about the ceremony was … Read more
Two unexpected things happened at the 47th annual March for Life in Washington, D.C. this year. These developments might well change the nature of the whole debate. Those of us who regularly attend the March for Life seldom find the unexpected. Quite the contrary, we expect our hundreds of thousands of marchers … Read more
The family is one of the institutions most affected by the crisis in our decadent times. Religious and moral sentiments have practically disappeared as if torn to bits. The divorce rate is overwhelming—an estimated 50% of marriages fall apart. Added to this, there are illicit unions, which are common and seemingly without … Read more
There is a major problem with books written solely from an economic prism. Consider the fact that the American economy is booming by all major indicators. Unemployment is down to record lows. Inflation is minimal. Consumer confidence is up. We have not seen times like this for decades. Admittedly, wages are still … Read more
It is that time of the year again when students graduate from their high schools and colleges. The graduation ceremony is a rite of passage that is so much a part of our tradition. Commencement speakers call upon graduates to dream, hope and plan for the future. While such words may seem … Read more
Does the American religious right hold a theopolitical outlook similar to that of ISIS? That appears to be one of the insinuations of a recent article published by the Italian Jesuit fortnightly publication La Civiltà Cattolica. The unexpected attack is causing perplexity and concern to many American Catholics who have fought hard … Read more
The real education of the child begins very early in the child’s development. New research is finding that firm foundations set early are the best guarantee that children will experience success later in life. Liberal educators really do not want to hear such truths. They would prefer to parrot over and over … Read more
In the scramble to make sense out of the present election cycle, analysts have come up with all sorts of theories. One popular explanation claims that people are hardening in their positions. On the left and the right, all parties are holding rigidly to their agendas, forcing their will upon the rest … Read more