Ambiguity and Eucharistic Instruction - Stanley D. Williams Ph.D, Catholic Lane

The Virtues of the City - Randall Smith, The Catholic Thing

Why Did the Law of Moses Exist? - Joe Heschmeyer, Shameless Popery

Does Religion Shrink Your Brain? - Denyse O’Leary, MercatorNet

Down Syndrome & the Purpose of Prenatal Testing - Matthew Hennessy, First Things/On the Square

Give Me that Old Time Religion to Reduce Crime - Dr. Jeff Mirus, Catholic Culture

The Virtue of Fairness - Dr. Donald DeMarco, The Integrated Catholic Life™

Co-Creational Curriculum - Dr. James Knotwell, The Distributist Review

Calling Things by Their Proper Names- Anthony S. Layne, The Impractical Catholic

Bart Ehrman and...READ MORE

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Blessed Junipero Serra and his fellow Spanish missionaries first brought Catholicism to California in 1769, and nearly a third of the state is today Catholic. 

But, despite its Catholic roots, an increasing number of its laws are hostile to families and opposed to Catholic morality, contends Los Angeles Archbishop Jose Gomez and his brother bishops in California.  And, while California is arguably the most egregious example, many other states are following California’s lead.

The archbishop made national news in July, when, in his archdiocesan newspaper, The Tidings, he specifically pointed to two such state laws. The first, which was signed into law by Gov. Jerry...READ MORE

Rome, Italy, Aug 1, 2011 / 05:56 pm (EWTN News/CNA) — The regent of the apostolic penitentiary, Archbishop Gianfranco Girotti, firmly stated that the Catholic Church will never divulge the confession of a penitent.

“Ireland can pass whatever laws it wants, but it must know that the Church will never submit to forcing confessors to inform civil officials,” said Archbishop Girotti in July 27 statements to Il Foglio.

On July 14, Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny promised to introduce a new law that would establish a prison sentence of five years for priests who do not inform civil authorities about cases of sexual abuse revealed to them in confession.

The proposed law contradicts canon law,...READ MORE

St. John of Avila: Likely to be Declared a Doctor of the Church during World Youth Day in Madrid - Dylan Parry, A Reluctant Sinner

Every Dioceses Should Have an Episcopal Vicar for Online Ministry - Father John Zuhlsdorf, What Does The Prayer Really Say?

Guinness Record for Catholic Chant: Euouae - Taylor Marshall, Canterbury Tales

‘School of Life’ is Path to Freedom & Peace for Addicts - Chelsea Zimmerman, Catholic Lane

This Tryst Paid for by U.S. Taxpayers Like You - Thomas Peters, Catholic Vote/American Papist

. . . HLI America: Sebelius Wastes No Time Making Costly Birth Control Free . . .

. . . Matt Bowman: Mandating culture of death . . .

. . . Mary DeTurris Poust: Birth...READ MORE

CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy (CNA/EWTN News) — Pope Benedict XVI’s Sunday Angelus address highlighted the plight of those affected by drought and famine in the Horn of Africa.

“One thinks of the many brothers and sisters these days, in the Horn of Africa, who suffer the dramatic consequences of famine, exacerbated by war and the lack of strong institutions,” the Pope told pilgrims gathered in the courtyard of his summer residence at Castel Gandolfo, 15 miles south of Rome. 

The Horn of Africa refers to the group of countries situated on the Somali peninsula in the northeastern part of the continent. These include Ethiopia, Djibouti and Somalia itself. All three states, plus Kenya, which...READ MORE

The Good Confessor, According to St. Alphonsus - Father Ryan Erlenbush, The New Theological Movement

. . . Catholic Lane: St. Alphonsus Liguori . . .

On the Great U.S. Migration of Catholics & What it Means for Parishes - Monsignor Charles Pope, Archdiocese of Washington

Venerable Father Solanus Casey - Therese Rita, Community of Catholic Bloggers

Conquering Toddler Antics at Mass - Dr. Stacy Trasancos, Accepting Abundance

The Roles of Men and Women - Anthony Buono, 6 Stone Jars

Why Is Obeying the Church Not Easy for Us? - Father R. Tomasek SJ, Zeal

Evil and the Empty Soul (Anders Breivik) - Carl E. Olson, Ignatius Insight Scoop

Unlike Art, Icons are to be Adored - Christopher...READ MORE

Our political debate about immigration in America frustrates me. Often, I think we are just talking around the edges of the real issues.

Both sides of this argument are inspired by a beautiful, patriotic idea of America’s history and values. But, lately, I’ve been starting to wonder: What America are we really talking about?

America is changing, and it has been changing for a long time. The forces of globalization are changing our economy and forcing us to rethink the scope and purpose of our government. Threats from outside enemies are changing our sense of national sovereignty.

America is changing on the inside, too.

Our culture is changing. We have a legal structure that allows,...READ MORE

Part one of this series appeared July 26.

Our pilgrim group, organized by Franciscan University at Steubenville and headed by Bishop Zubik of Pittsburgh, wended our way to Wadowice, the birthplace of Karol Jozef Wojtyla, the Polish boy would become Pope John Paul II.

Born in 1920, he lived in this small city during his childhood and adolescence, until 1938, when he entered the Jagiellonian University in Krakow.

Suffering and loss soon entered the life of the small family, with the death of Karol’s mother in 1929, and then his older brother in 1932. Yet a deep faith and sense of hope — rather than desolation and bitterness — pervaded the Wojtyla home, a spiritual perspective fostered by...READ MORE