Vatican Bank chief sacked as police inquiry continues...
Predestination and Prayer...
Predestination often evokes arguments surrounding grace and freewill, God's plan and human freedom, who will get into heaven and who will not. Yet the Fathers of the Church and mystics like Blessed Elisabeth of the Trinity considered this mystery from another standpoint. For these great contemplatives...
So what SHOULD we tell our kids about sex?
No matter what sort of school your kids are in, it's primarily the parents' responsibility to shape and guide a child's attitude toward sex. Yesterday, we discussed the drawbacks of abstinence-only education as it is commonly presented in secular schools, and an excellent discussion in the combox followed. In this post...
Escape From Apathy-ville...
If we take a candid look around us, it is obvious that we live in a consumer-driven, materialistic society. Advertisers bombard us with messages about how our lives can be so much better if we only had the latest gadget or toy. Additionally, over the last few years, we have seen unparalleled growth in the federal government and its subtle...
15 of the Most Beautiful Crater Lakes in the World...
Pushing and tugging on the Supreme Court...
With the exception of Bush v. Gore, which in effect confirmed George W. Bush’s victory in the 2000 presidential election, it would be hard to think of another recent Supreme Court case that’s been the occasion of as much advance tugging and pulling from outside sources as the court’s anticipated ruling on Obamacare.
Every life, EVERY life, is a gift from Almighty God...
Have you seen this video? Lacey Buchanan of Woodbury, Tennessee is a mom and for that she has been criticized. You see, our culture and some rude people on the street think she should have aborted her son Christian. WOuldn't everyone be better off. Lacey Buchanan answers those critics in a very moving way that shows that every life...
In His Own Defense: At Philly Abuse Trial, The Secretary Takes the Stand...
CDF publishes document on apparitions 34 years after its first issuance...
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Battle in Canadian schools mirrors broader Catholic realities...
Politics is the mother of irony, and there's a juicy one bubbling right now in Canada, in the province of Ontario, where a school system originally designed to protect one aggrieved minority -- namely Catholics -- is under mounting pressure in the name of defending another -- in this case, gays and lesbians. Specifically...
E.T. at 30: 10 things you didn't know about our favorite extra-terrestrial...
When people say that Catholics are waging a 'War on Women', you have to consider the source...
Against Snacks: A Mother's Manifesto...
I'm done with snacks. I'm ready to limit my kids to mealtime eating only, and to reject the entire concept of food that is not eaten as part of a meal. Whenever I voice this idea, however, I am met with some mix of bewilderment and concern. For example, shortly after our pantry apocalypse I found myself at the park with some other moms...
Obama vs. Catholics, Catholics vs. Obama...
Exit polling tells us that in every presidential election since 1972, the candidate who has won Catholics has won the popular vote as well. To the unsophisticated, this statistic might suggest that the Catholic vote is tremendously important.
President Obama: The best thing to happen to the pro-life movement in years?
Five reasons why coffee is better than beer...
Mr. Murphy and I are in the midst of the nightmare of issuing, proctoring and grading finals. This is a magical time when our grip on and belief in reality are a bit shaky and there are only a few things that can keep a teacher going: Grace, a pulse and coffee. While I don’t believe Micah to be a coffee drinker...
Get this entire Catholic website on CD-ROM...
The full contents of the New Advent website are available on CD-ROM. It includes the Catholic Encyclopedia, Church Fathers, Summa, Bible and more — and it's only $19, with free shipping worldwide...
If you think you’re in a hurry, you have no idea how fast you’re really getting there...
It’s dizzying to consider our speed and motion: A spinning earth rotating around a sun which is rotating around a galaxy which is rotating around a universe at millions of miles an hour. So if you think you’re standing still, think again. We are actually hurtling through space at dizzying speeds. Yes, you’re on the move!
Mormons struggling with doubt turn to online support groups...
Margeaux’s Stand: Catholic Teen Defends Her Right to Attend Mass | The American Catholic...
While the nation discusses and debates the attacks on religious freedom, a high school junior in Florida has put her academic reputation on the line to stand up for her faith. Margeaux Graham was selected this year to participate in a prestigious 9-day leadership event in her state’s capital.
Ten high-ranking members of the Roman Curia will soon retire. Who will replace them? And will the Italians retain their majority?
In "pole position" seems to be the bishop of Regensburg, Gerhard Ludwig Müller, editor of the publication of Ratzinger's opera omnia and a theologian himself, considered a conservative in Germany although some even more conservative circles in Rome and Latin America view him with suspicion because of his longstanding friendship, never disowned...
Is THIS what abstinence-only sex education looks like? If so, we have a big problem...
On Saturday, 17 deacons will be ordained for the ordinariate — but in Westminster Cathedral and not in their own church. The reason why is a disgrace...
At Westminster Cathedral this Saturday, another milestone for the Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham will be reached, with the ordination of another 17 former Anglican priests as deacons on their way to the Catholic priesthood. The ordination Mass will be celebrated by Auxiliary Bishop Alan Hopes of Westminster. “I have been informed”...
First ancient proof of Bethlehem's existence discovered...
This is huge news, which is made even more wonderful since it comes from such a tiny object. In an excavation in the City of David (the most historically important area of Jerusalem), a tiny bulla was found imprinted with the words “Bat Lechem,” the ancient name for Bethlehem. (A bulla is a seal, usually made by imprinting soft clay.
