As the next national elections loom on the horizon, many liberal candidates are calling for urgent measures to help the American family. There is impassioned talk about poverty, wage stagnation, and health care. There are yet more pleas for money and programs for those who suffer from want. There is nothing wrong … 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
Every year New Orleans plays host to a longstanding Catholic tradition which has its origins in the Middle Ages. On Saint Joseph’s Day, March 19th, Catholics all over the city are eager to show their devotion to the head of the Holy Family. The celebration serves as a striking contrast in a … Read more
On February 20, 2019, the Supreme Court took an important step to protect property rights. Even more encouraging is the fact that the decision was unanimous. If readers were unaware of the case of Timbs v. Indiana, that is hardly surprising. That week, news of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s “Green New Deal” dominated … Read more
“Keep therefore and do the things which the Lord God hath commanded you: you shall not go aside neither to the right hand, nor to the left.” – Deut. 5:32 Assessing Francis’ “Paradigm Shift” Among the more interesting books published in 2018 is the work of Chilean scholar José Antonio … Read more
“Toxic masculinity” is one of those trendy expressions that is intentionally left vague and emotional so that it might wreak havoc on society. Once limited to women’s studies department, the term has broken out of its cage and now seems to be everywhere. In these #MeToo times, everyone can claim to be … Read more
When I was much younger, I remember listening to a song from the band REM which begins with the words: The world is collapsing around my ears I turned up the radio but I can’t hear it… Nearly thirty years ago, in the idylls of the fading century, that song was poetry. … Read more
Review of Pope Francis’s “Paradigm Shift”: Continuity or Rupture in the Mission of the Church? An Assessment of His Pontificate’s First Five Years. Looking at the Catholic horizon, confusion reigns. An endless succession of scandals and controversies surround the Francis pontificate. Things change so quickly that is hard to keep them straight. … Read more
A Pastoral Revolution: Six Talismanic Words in the Ecclesial Debate on the Family, Guido Vignelli Language changes over time, so the linguists say. Many changes creep in as people use and reuse a word over centuries. Sometimes, though, a change in meaning is quite deliberate. That is the topic of … Read more
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