Catholic News Agency, Andrea Gagliarducci: Pope Francis is reportedly considering returning to the United States in September to speak before the United Nations General Assembly. The news was initially reported by the French Catholic newspaper La Croix and has not yet … Continue reading
Category: News
Time to resist the ‘gender-affirming’ juggernaut
Catholic Culture, Phil Lawler: The horror stories are going to multiply: A troubled girl says that she would like to be a boy, or a boy says he wants to be a girl. The child’s grammar-school teacher, saturated in gender-theory … Continue reading
Cardinal Fernández: New Document on Discerning Apparitions ‘Being Finalized’
National Catholic Register, Edward Pentin: The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith is putting the finishing touches to a new document that sets out clear rules on discerning apparitions and other such supernatural events. The dicastery’s prefect, Cardinal Victor … Continue reading
‘The Habsburg Way’: Lessons for Today, From Openness to Life to How to Die Well
National Catholic Register, Edward Pentin: The Catholic faith and traditions of the Habsburg monarchies helped them enjoy mostly stable marriages and large, happy families that were crucial in governing their kingdoms for more than eight centuries. Now, some of those … Continue reading
Pope Francis issues motu proprio on Vatican judiciary retirement age and benefits
Catholic News Agency, Courtney Mares: In the latest move in Pope Francis’ reform of the Vatican judiciary, the pope issued a new motu proprio on Friday on the retirement age and benefits for cardinal judges and magistrates in the Vatican’s … Continue reading
What is truth? A journalist asks Pilate’s question
Catholic Culture, Phil Lawler: “What is truth?” That cynical question, memorably posed by Pontius Pilate, is enjoying new currency today, thanks to public statements by Katherine Maher, the newly installed head of National Public Radio (NPR). ”We all have different … Continue reading
Trust the science, not the scientists
Catholic Culture, Phil Lawler: In boxing, when one fighter becomes unable to protect himself, the referee stops the fight and declares a technical knockout (TKO). The same system might profitably be applied to public debates: When one side has been … Continue reading
Infinite dignity and its enemies
Catholic Culture, Phil Lawler: Math test: What is infinity minus 5? The question makes no sense, because infinity cannot be measured. Infinity cannot expand or contract; it is boundless. God is infinite. His creatures are not. But Dignitas Infinita begins … Continue reading
Why ‘Infinite Dignity’ falls short
Catholic Culture, Phil Lawler: As my colleague Jeff Mirus has pointed out, there are strong points in Dignitas Infinita. But another friend, Robert Royal, has observed that with this document from the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF), … Continue reading
The Catholic Church by the numbers: more Catholics but fewer vocations
Catholic News Agency, Katie Quiñones: The number of Catholics worldwide increased by 14 million in 2022, according to the Vatican’s 2022 Statistical Yearbook of the Church released earlier this month and highlighted in a report by the Vatican newspaper L’Osservatore Romano. … Continue reading
Vatican document on human dignity condemns gender transition, surrogacy, abortion
Catholic News Agency, Tyler Arnold: The Vatican’s top doctrinal office issued a declaration on the theme of human dignity on Monday that addresses growing concerns such as gender theory, sex changes, surrogacy, and euthanasia in addition to abortion, poverty, human … Continue reading
Oldest man in the world dead at 114; prayed the rosary twice daily
Catholic News Agency, Francesca Pollio Fenton: Juan Vicente Pérez Mora, a twice-daily prayer of the rosary who at his death was the confirmed oldest man in the world, died on April 2, just weeks before his 115th birthday. Mora held … Continue reading
Vatican to publish document on ‘moral questions’ regarding human dignity, gender, surrogacy
Catholic News Agency, Matthew Santucci: The Vatican’s top doctrinal office next week will unveil a new declaration on the theme of human dignity, one that is expected to address a range of contemporary moral issues including gender ideology and surrogacy. … Continue reading
Papal Doctor: Pope Has ‘No Particular Illnesses’ and ‘Is Doing Well Consistent With His Age’
National Catholic Register, Edward Pentin: Pope Francis currently has “no particular illnesses,” is “doing well consistent with his age,” and has the “head of a 60-year-old,” a doctor who has operated on him in recent years has said. In a … Continue reading
Assessing ‘Fiducia Supplicans’: The First 100 Days
National Catholic Register, Edward Pentin: March 27 marks 100 days since the Vatican published Fiducia Supplicans, an instruction on blessings of persons in irregular unions. And while the controversy it stirred in the Church in the West has somewhat abated, … Continue reading