“ARCIC III hasn’t proved itself yet,” Sir David Moxon, Anglican co-chair of the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission, told The Catholic Register following an ecumenical evensong on Pentecost Sunday.

This third stage of the dialogue has bee...

The apostle Thomas was absent when the resu...

Over the last two years, the Patriarchate of Constantinople has repeatedly announced that the much anticipated Great and Holy Council will take place around the Feast of Pentecost in June 2016. When it happens, this Council will be an event of considerable historical import, bringing together the leaders of all Orthodox Churches for the first time since 787. Unfortunately, not all Orthodox leaders are equally enthusiastic about the Council and some are even trying to prevent it. Why is...

"Evangelize the poor: this is the mission of Jesus; this is also the mission of the Church, and of all the baptized in the Church," the Pope said Jan. 24 to the crowds in Saint Peter's Square. "To be a Christian and to be a missionary is the same thing."

"What does it mean to evangelize the poor? It means to be close to them, to serve them, to free t...

ROME — Mother Teresa, who dedicated her life to helping India's poor, will be made a saint in the Roman Catholic Church, the Vatican said Friday.

She will likely be canonized in September to coincide with the 19th anniversary of her death and , according to an Italian Catholic newspaper report.

The pontiff marked his 79th birthday on Thursday by appr...

Pastor Jens Kruse of Rome's Evangelical Lutheran Church said in a Dec. 12 interview with the Register (see full transcript below) that he thinks his flock feel freer, in accordance with their conscience, to receive the Eucharist in the Catholic Church after Francis' comments.

The Holy Father ...

The leader of the Satanic Church of Ahriman, Adam Daniels, a registered sex offender that has used the alias "Adam Smith," has titled the protest "The Virgin Birth Is a Lie," and says he wants to expose the "lies of the Catholic Church" by adding "another layer of corruption to Mary." He says the Virgin Birth of J...

One of the great mysteries to believer and non-believer alike is that of evil and suffering. If there is a God who is omnipotent and omniscient, how can He tolerate evil, injustice, and suffering of the innocent? Where is God when things like shootings (e.g., in the U.S., Paris, and Kenya), church bombings (e.g., in Nigeria), and beheadings (e.g., in Egypt and Iraq) occur? Where is God when a woman or young girl is raped, or when genocide is commi...

There was a puzzling reference in Saturday morning's Gospel (Saturday of the 31^st week in Ordinary Time) in which Jesus says,

I tell you, make friends for yourselves by your use of dishonest wealth, so that, when it fails, they will welcome you to eternal dwellings (Luke 16:9).

What does He mean by "dishonest wealth"?

The Greek expression (mamona tes adikias) is more literally translated as “mammon of unrighteousness.” Mammon is a Hebrew and Aramaic ...

Francis encourages young people to read the Bible, sharing his own reading habits in his prologue for the new YoutCat German Bible

The Bible is a “dangerous book” that young people should read daily rather than letting it gather dust on their shelves.

“The Bible is not meant to be placed on a shelf, but to be in your hands, to read often – every day, both on your own and together with others,” the Pope wrote in the prologue for a youth bible published in Germ...

A 2012 report on men and marriage by the Pew Research Center shows statistically what many of us have noticed anecdotally: men are finding marriage less desirable than in the past and are now marrying later, if at all.

In today’s post I want to present some excerpts from a hard-hitting article that appeared at Lifesite News in 2013, commenting on the Pew study. The full article can be read here: .

As usual, I present the text from the...

In honor of the Year of Mercy decreed by Pope Francis — which begins on December 8, 2015 — Stanislas LaLanne, Bishop of Pontoise and “Guardian of the Holy Tunic” has announced that the – purported to be the seamless garment worn by Christ on Calvary – will be exhibited to the public for a very brief time: from March 25 to April 10, 2016.

This tunic was originally documented as being seamless and of-a-piece, fitting the description found in t...

Pope Francis warns marriage has been stretched and distorted in the United States, to the point where it is no longer even similar to the Christian sacrament of matrimony.

The pontiff noted the “unprecedented changes” taking place in contemporary society, “with their social, cultural – and sadly now juridical – effects on family bonds,” referring to the Supreme Course in June to legalize same-sex marriage for the entire nation in Obergefell v. Hodges.

“These changes...

ROME – This morning, Pope Francis formally announced Father Robert Barron's appointment as auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.

Bishop-Elect Barron is the founder of Word on Fire Catholic Ministries, host of the award-winning film series, and since 2012 has served as the Rector/President of the University of Saint Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary outside of Chicago, IL.

His website, , reaches millions of people each year. His regular YouTube...

It’s easy to hide behind our online facades and interact in ways that we never would face-to-face. But Jesus wants to be the God of all areas of our lives, including how we communicate in the digital realm. By adopting His mindset, we are better able to live out online some of the qualities that are close to His heart . . . truthfulness, wisdom, gentleness, and love. Being Jesus Online: Biblical Wisdom for a Wired World offers some practical insights for digital discernment.

WASHINGTON — (NCR) The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Friday that same-sex “marriage” is a constitutional right, in a long-awaited decision that will have sweeping and unpredictable consequences for U.S. jurisprudence, cultural norms and religious freedom.

Catholic leaders, legal scholars and marriage experts reacted with dismay to the landmark ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges and three related cases.

But they also expressed resolve that the decision would not discourage their efforts to ...

Lebanon’s Maronite Catholic patriarch, visiting war-torn Syria, has condemned “the death of the world’s conscience” in its response to the violence in the Middle East.

In a homily on Sunday at the Maronite Cathedral of St. Anthony in Damascus, Cardinal Bechara Rai also issued a call for peace, “for stopping the war, for political solutions and for the honored return” of the 12 million Syrians who have been uprooted by the country’s four-year civil war.

“We condemn injust...

BOSTON (AP) — Parishioners of the St. Frances Xavier Cabrini Church must end their 11-year protest vigil and vacate the shuttered Roman Catholic church, a judge ruled Thursday.

But the Friends of St. Frances, the group that has been occupying the Scituate church day and night since 2004, say they're not going anywhere. They intend to ask the state court to stay the ruling pending an appeal.

"As of today, nothing changes," Jon Rogers, one of the organizers, declared late Thursday. "From...

Thirteen years ago Jim Cardosi’s wife, Cindy, discovered she had little time left to live.

In 2002 she experienced symptoms resulting from a neurological illness that by 2005 would be identified as frontotemporal dementia or Pick’s Disease, which Cindy developed in her mid-40s.

She required full-time care, so Jim retired from the military. They raised five kids together and built their lives around each other.

Jim’s faith kept him poised throughout the illness, and he felt the call t...

“One of my favorite testimonials as to the authenticity of the Shroud,” says Barrie Schwortz, an expert on the Shroud of Turin, “actually came from my Jewish mother.”

People view the Shroud of Turin on display at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Turin, Italy, in this April 26, 2010, file photo. (CNS photo/Paul Haring)

This June, Pope Francis will be making a pilgrimage to Turin, Italy, home of the famous Shroud of Turin, which many believe is the 2,0...

Reflects on the Sacrament of Penance During General Audience

Continuing his catechetical series on the Sacraments, Pope Francis reflected on the Sacrament of Reconciliation, which along with the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick form what he described the “Sacraments of Healing”.

“The Sacraments of Penance and Reconciliation [...] flow directly from the Paschal mystery,” he told pilgrims attending his weekly general audience in St....

"The only thing I'd like to do is to be able to go out one day without anyone recognizing me and go get a pizza. In Buenos Aires, I was a rover. I moved between parishes and certainly this habit has changed. It has been hard work to change. But you get used to it. You find a way to get around: on the phone, or in other...

The Coptic Orthodox Church has announced that the murder of the 21 Egyptian Christians killed by the so-called Islamic State in Libya will be commemorated in its Church calendar.

Pope Tawadros II announced that the names of the martyrs will be inserted into the Coptic Synaxarium, the Oriental Church’s equivalent to the Roman Martyrology. This procedure is also equivalent to canonization in the Latin Church.

Call this a contrast of leadership. In a meeting today with a delegation from the Church of Scotland, who traveled to the Vatican on an ecumenical visit, Pope Francis decried the slaughter of 21 Coptic Christians from Egypt by Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS). Speaking in his native Spanish, the pontiff used the ecumenical audience of Presbyterians to declare that the Copts wer...

A French bishop has officially opened the beatification Cause of Léonie Martin, the sister of St Thérèse of Lisieux.

Bishop Jean-Claude Boulanger of Bayeux-Lisieux opened the diocesan stage of the Cause on Saturday at a Mass at the Monastery of the Visitation in Caen, north-west France, where Léonie lived from 1899 until her death in 1941, aged 78.

Léonie, who took the name Sister Françoise-Thérèse when she entered religious life, now has the title “Servant of God”.

Léonie, ...

The St. Mary and St. Joseph Family Memorial Foundation has purchased the Twin Spires in Downtown St. Joseph with plans to create a national pro-life shrine.

When it opens this spring, the church will become the Shrine of the Immacul...

Even though Catholics account for only about 22 percent of the U.S. population — admittedly the largest body of religious belief in the country — they make up 31 percent of the House and the Senate.

If you’re looking for differences between the two major parties, there’s indeed some — but ...

The Catholic world is awed by the simplicity, humility, and heart for the poor of His Holiness, Pope Francis.

Images of him embracing a boy suffering from cerebral palsy, hugging children and the disabled, walking to greet the crowd, reaching out to non-Catholics, reforming the Roman Curia, kissing a man afflicted with a rare disease, his tele...

"You just can't say that, just as you can't say that all Christians are fundamentalists. We have our share of them (fundamentalists). All religions have these little groups," Pope Francis said.

(Vatican Radio)  In an address upon conclusion of the Divine Liturgy celebrated by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I at the Orthodox Church of St. George in Istanbul, Pope Francis said “the one thing that the Catholic Church desires and that I seek as Bishop of Rome…is communion with the Orthodox Churches.”

Below, please find the complete text of the Holy Father’s address:

            When I was the Archbishop of Buenos Aires, I often took part in the celebration of the Divine...

NEW YORK — Franciscan Father Benedict Joseph Groeschel, well-known preacher and a founder of the , died on Friday at age 81, after an extended illness.

“We are deeply saddened by the death of Father Benedict. He was an example to us all,” said Father John-Paul Ouellette, community servant of the Friars of the Renewal, in a statement.

“His fidelity and service to the Church and commitment to our Franciscan way of life will have a ...

It is certain that America is at the most crucial moment of her history. At this time we would do well to keep in mind the power of the Rosary and the message of Fatima. The Rosary is not merely a devotion. It is weapon of conversion, protection and love. Never has this weapon been more needed than it is today.

The Rosary has proven itself as a weapon of protection. Some of the battles in which victory was attributed to the Rosary are: The battle of Lepanto in 1571, which the Chu...

Catholic News Service posted Pope Francis' list on Tuesday, published in part in the Argentine weekly "Viva."

The list goes as follows:

1. "Live and let live." Everyone should be guided by this principle, he said, which has a similar e...

Francis has nominated the Prior of Bose, Enzo Bianchi, as the consultor of the ecumenical dicastery. He speaks of “synodality and supremacy”, the martyrs of the Middle East and the intelligence of the various denominations in Ukraine

“The Pope plans to reform the papacy and this will benefit relations with the Orthodox,” says the Prior of the monastic community of Bose, Enzo Bianchi. Yesterday Pope Francis appointed Bianchi as one ...

It is always assumed by the Church that Couples are truly, or "validly" married. The burden of proof is on anyone who says that they are not...

One thing that would help would be if all of us realized that receiving communion is not obligatory at Mass...

Lot's of good stuff in this interview.

(Excerpt) Read more at ...

"The last citadel in the Western world of God-given moral prescriptions concerning man's use of his sexual faculties is the Catholic Church." — Monsignor George A. Kelly, The Battle for the American Church, 1979.

"Question authority." This well-known slogan, which has a Socratic heritage (mor...

Father Lombardi r...

The Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople will preside over a pan-Orthodox council in 2016, according to a statement from the patriarchate.

The decision to hold a pan-Orthodox council-- officially called the “Holy and Great Synod of the Orthodox Church”-- was announced at the conclusion of a meeting of all the heads of the Eastern Orthodox churches. During the meeting, the leaders also discussed the situation in Syria and Ukraine.

The Catholic Church has held 21 ecumenical ...

First, tune in to "The World Over" with Host Raymond Arroyo for an exclusive interview at the Los Angeles home of Roma Downey and Mark Burnett, the couple behind the film. (Airs 8 p.m. ET, Thursday, Feb. 20 on EWTN.)

Then, tune in to "Faithful Reflections on 'Son of God'," a half-hour documen...

VATICAN CITY -- During his Wednesday audience on Feb. 19, Pope Francis encouraged the pilgrims filling St. Peter's Square to receive the sacrament of reconciliation. "Everyo...

Most Catholics worldwide disagree with church teachings on divorce, abortion and contraception and are split on whether women and married men should become priests, according to a large new poll released Sunday and commissioned by the U.S. Spanish-language network Univision. On the topic of gay marriage, two-thirds of Catholics polled agree with church leaders.

Overall, however, the poll of more than 12,000 Catholics in 12 countries reveals a church dramatically divided: Between t...

Patriarch Kirill made this comment as he met on December 18 with Cardinal Kurt Koch, the president of the Pontifical Council for Christian Unity, who is visiting Moscow this week. The Russian patriarch said that he was pleased to meet the Vatican official, remarking that he had “more and more opportunities to meet with Ca...

Pope Francis may have been named Time magazine's Person of the Year, but he has come under scathing criticism from a growing number of traditionalist Catholics for cracking down on a religious order that celebrates the old Latin Mass. The case has become a flashpoint in the ideological tug-of-war going on in the Catholic Church over Francis' revolutionary agenda, which has thrilled progressives and alarmed some conservatives.

The matter concerns the Franciscan Friars of the Im...

VATICAN CITY (Catholic Online) - One day after the celebration of the 85th birthday of the Pope of Christian unity, on the week commemorating seven years of his pontificate, an amazing turn of events may have finally occurred. The rumors have been rampant. However, they they have received mixed reviews from Vatican observers. They have also prompted rampant speculation.

However, on Tuesday, April 17, 2012, the reliable Andrea Tornielli reported that the doctrinal preamble issued by the...

CHESAPEAKE, Va. (Catholic Online) - The week we call Holy (Great Week for Eastern Christians) began for me with proclaiming contrasting Gospel readings during the Liturgy of Palm or Passion Sunday. Before we enter the Church in a Procession waving Palm branches, we listen to the Gospel narrative and are invited to identify with the jubilant crowds welcoming the Master into Jerusalem.

Once inside the sanctuary, the Liturgy of the Word begins. Before long, some of those same people shoute...

WASHINGTON, DC (Catholic Online) - On Wednesday February 16, 2012, the Most Reverend William E. Lori, the Bishop of Bridgeport and Chairman of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Committee for Religious Liberty, gave testimony before Congress. He appeared before the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform of the United States House of Representatives.

Bishop Lori spoke on behalf of all of the Catholic Bishops of the United States. They are unanimous in their effort to ...

WASHINGTON, DC (Catholic online) - Over the last two weeks Catholics have heard read letters read at Mass which were written by the Catholic Bishops of the United States. We have been asked to rise up in prayer, fasting, Catholic Action in response to an unjust Edict issued by Kathleen Sebelius, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, on January 20, 2012.

This mandate requires all employers, including Catholic and other religious employers, to cover sterilization, abortifacients, a...

WASHINGTON,DC (Catholic Online) - The moment that President Obama nominated Governor Kathleen Sebelius to be the Secretary of Health and Human Services he sent the signal of where he would lead this nation. Sadly, many people did not see the signs, including some Catholics.

Of course, anyone who heard former Presidential candidate Obama utter his "that's above my pay grade" answer to Reverend Rick Warren's question as to "when a baby gets human rights" - either had their head in the sand - ...

Continue reading ...

CHESAPEAKE, VA (Catholic Online) - Let me begin with a quotation from a Christian leader who is often not associated with honoring Mary: "Men have crowded all her glory into a single phrase: The Mother of God. No one can say anything greater of her, though he had as many tongues as there are leaves on the trees." It was Martin Luther, one of the Protestant Reformers, in his commentary on the "Magnificat".

From antiquity, Mary has been called "Theotokos", or "God-Bearer" (Mother of God). The...

Continue reading ...

VATICAN CITY (Catholic Online) - Since he ascended to the Chair of Peter, Pope Benedict XVI has met with Cardinals, Bishops and other the members of the Roman Curia on December 22. This group includes the leaders of Dicasteries and Institutes who work closely with him in his pastoral care of the whole Church. In these addresses he expresses his gratitude, shares what is in his heart, and offers an alaysis of the state of the Church and the world. He also gives a glimpse into his spirituality ...

PEOSTA, IA (Cistercians of the Strict Observance) - For more than nine centuries, Trappist monks and nuns have witnessed to the gospel of Jesus Christ through a cloistered, communal life wholly ordered to contemplation. Cistercians of the Strict Observance, also known as "Trappists" are an order of the Roman Catholic Church who founded their first monastery in the U.S. in 1848.

Cistercian presence in the U.S. has since expanded to include 17 monasteries across the nation. Yet recently, monasti...

WASHINGTON, DC (Catholic Online) - Everywhere you look you see the word "Freedom" being used these days. Sadly, it has provided cover for some who offer lifestyle choices as the path to liberation when thay lead to bondage and misery. The question we must ask is what does freedom really mean? Do our choices really matter? Are there some choices which will not lead us to freedom - or to human flourishing and happiness - but actually take away both?

I offer some insights from the writing...

WASHINGTON, DC (Catholic Online) - I have followed the courageous leadership of Bishop William C. Lori of Bridgeport, Connecticut for years. He is not only a faithful and inspiring shepherd of the Church; he is a heroic defender of religious freedom, marriage and life at a critical time in our Nation's history. We must face the facts, the first freedom is under assault and the Catholic Church is increasingly threatened in her mission. We were thrilled when the Bishops selected this Bis...

ASSISI, Italy (Catholic Online) -For months preceding the global gathering of religious leaders convened by Pope Benedict XVI on October 27, 2011 in Assisi, some questioned the entire event. Twenty five years ago, Benedict's predecessor, Blessed John Paul II, called religious leaders to Assisi to promote peace and this was the anniversary. Some within the traditionalist community ( in full communion and outside of full communion) and others, strongly and publicly criticized the Pope.

S...

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Catholic Online) - I have followed the multi-year legal battle between  and the Internal Revenue for several reasons. First, because I applaud Catholic Answers and its founder Karl Keating for the work they have done for decades. Their mission statement explains, "Catholic Answers is an apostolate dedicated to serving Christ by bringing the fullness of Catholic truth to the world. We help good Catholics become better Catholics, bring former Catholics "h...

CHESAPEAKE, VA. (Catholic Online) - No matter where you look these days there is a news report, commentary, study or conference on the growing National epidemic of bullying.  One television network recently aired a multi-platform series on bullying. The National Education Association released statistics in 2010 indicating that every day 160,000 children miss school out of fear of some form of bullying, verbal, physical or cyber-bullying.

Bullying is a real problem, but it is not a new ...

STEUBENVILLE, Ohio (Catholic Online) - I am an alumni of the Franciscan University of Steubenville. Way back then it was called the College of Steubenville. Many of my readers know I am a "revert" to the Catholic Church. I came back to the faith of my childhood after turbulent years searching for truth and meaning. I was a teenage "hippie", caught up in the sixties and early seventies.

My journey culminated in a harrowing hitchhiking journey across the country to California searching f...

GILAN, Iran (Catholic Online) - The martyrs of the early Church died for their faith in the God who was revealed in Jesus Christ, and for this very reason they also died for freedom of conscience and the freedom to profess one's own faith - a profession that no State can impose but which, instead, can only be claimed with God's grace in freedom of conscience.

A December 2005 address given by Pope Benedict XVI to the Roman Curia states the clear position of the Catholic Church concernin...

CHESAPEAKE, VA (Catholic Online) - Almost weekly there is another assault on marriage. The efforts of an activist wing of the homosexual community, what I call the "homosexual equivalency movement", have reframed the debate and are engaged in a Cultural Revolution. They have been joined by eager collaborators in the Judiciary and elected officials who believe they are some kind of new "liberators" when, in reality, they are injuring the common good.

The leaders of the homosexual equival...

CHESAPEAKE, VA (Catholic Online) - Almost weekly there is another assault on marriage. The efforts of an activist wing of the homosexual community, what I call the "homosexual equivalency movement", have reframed the debate and are engaged in a Cultural Revolution. They have been joined by eager collaborators in the Judiciary and elected officials who believe they are some kind of new "liberators" when, in reality, they are injuring the common good.

The leaders of the homosexual equival...

CHESAPEAKE, VA (Catholic Online) - On the tenth anniversary of September 11 we paused to remember the heroes whose lives were taken by evil men who claimed their god had told them to kill. They crashed two planes into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, one into the Pentagon and tried to crash the fourth in the U.S. Capitol. Approximately 3000 innocent people lost their lives on that day. The evil face of Jihadi militancy and its revolutionary agenda was unmasked...

BEIJENG, China (Catholic Online) - I have been regularly writing about the horrid persecution of faithful Catholics by the Communist Regime currently ruling mainland China. Sadly, because these Maoist Atheists now wear business suits, smile a lot, and hold commercial paper which represents a substantial amount of American I.O.U.'s, few politicians in either major political party have the courage to call them out for their egregious human rights abuses.

For example, the Vice President o...

WASHINGTON, DC (Catholic Online) - The American celebration of Labor Day usually signals the real beginning of the Presidential campaign. However, this year, people are paying attention a lot earlier. The economy is in a free fall and the sense of fear in the United States is palpable. A majority of people have lost confidence in our elected leaders.  

At the Iowa Republican presidential debate Thursday, August 11, 2011, Presidential candidate Rick Santorum experienced one more effort ...

CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy (Catholic Online) - After returning from Madrid where Two  Million young people gathered with him to be instructed in the faith and enlisted into the mission of the Church, Pope  Benedict XVI gathered his former doctoral students together in Castel Gandolfo to reflect on the theme of the New Evangelization.

The first meeting of the "Schulerkreis" or "student circle" of doctoral candidates advised by Professor Joseph Ratzinger occurred in 1977. Back then, Fr. Jose...

WASHINGTON, DC (Catholic Online) -The Daily Kos is a secularist weblog which purports to present the "state of the Nation". On Friday, July 30, 2011, it decided to pontificate. In a post entitled  they offered their spin on the recent budgeting debates in the US Congress opining that, "John Boehner, Catholic, is displeasing the US Conference of Catholic Bishops."

The Daily Kos, by selectively quoting one paragraph from a July 26, 2011...

CHESAPEAKE, VA. (Catholic Online) - As the implementation of the Revised Roman Missal draws near the entire Catholic Church is presented with an invitation to rediscover the heart of Catholic worship and be changed in the encounter.There is a Latin maxim that addresses the centrality of worship in the life, identity and mission of the Catholic Church; "Lex Orandi, Lex Credendi".

The phrase in Latin means the law of prayer ("the way we worship"), and the law of belief ("what we believe"...

VATICAN CITY (CNA/EWTN News) - The Vatican has recalled its apostolic nuncio in Ireland to Rome for consultations after the release of the Cloyne Report on priests' abuse of minors in the Diocese of Cloyne.  The recall is a sign of the Holy See's seriousness in addressing the issue, a Vatican spokesman said.

The recall of Archbishop Giuseppe Leanza shows the seriousness of the situation and the desire of the Holy See to deal with it "objectively and with determination," Fr. Ciro Benedet...

GAINSVILLE, FL. (Catholic Online) - On July 15, 2011 the United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida issued a thirteen page opinion in a case entitled ACLU of Florida Inc. v. Dixie County Florida (ND FL, Case 1:07-cv-00018-MP-GRJ). It can be read in . The Court ordered that a large Ten Commandments monument - paid for privately by a local businessman and displayed since 2006 - be removed within thirty days from the front steps of the Courthouse.

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (Catholic Online) - Jonathan Turley is the J.B. and Maurice Shapiro Professor of Public Interest Law at George Washington Law School in Washington, DC. He has catapulted to National recognition as a "talking head", a kind of legal "go to" guy for a media obsessed with lawyers, litigation and celebrity.

It seems he has an opinion about anything even remotely legal these days - and no lack of media bully pulpits from which he can opine about his views. In addition to...

WASHINGTON, DC (Catholic Online) - The news and blogosphere is filled with responses to the July 14, 2011 story by Joshua Green, the Senior Editor of the Atlantic, entitled  That is because it raises a serious matter which should not be taken lightly, and one which the candidate must address.

First, let me share some personal context. I am what is often called a "revert" to the Catholic Church, someone who returned to the Church ...

A July 5 press release from the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity (SOLT) said that while Fr. Corapi was involved in public ministry he had “sexual relations and years of cohabitation with a woman known to him, when the relationship began, as a prostitute.”

The investigative team als...

VATICAN CITY, (Catholic Online) - In June of 2010 Pope Benedict XVI officially announced the establishment of a new Pontifical Council for the New Evangelization. The term "New Evangelization" is a favorite phrase of Pope Benedict XVI - as it was of his predecessor, Blessed John Paul II.  There is a desperate need for such a new evangelization in the secularized Western world.

Many Catholics do not know what the Catholic Church actually teaches. Some have embraced what is often called ...

CORPUS CHRISTI, TX (CNA/EWTN News) - Father John Corapi's superiors confirmed and expressed grief over his decision to leave his order and the priesthood following allegations of misconduct.

We are "deeply saddened that Fr. Corapi is suffering distress" and "further saddened by Fr. Corapi's response to these allegations," said Fr. Gerry Sheehan, Regional Priest Servant of the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity.

In a June 20 statement, the Fr. Sheehan said the order "will do all...

CHESAPEAKE, VA. (Catholic Online) - There is a Latin maxim that addresses the centrality of worship in the life, identity and mission of the Church; "Lex Orandi, Lex Credendi". The phrase in Latin literally means the law of prayer ("the way we worship"), and the law of belief ("what we believe"). It is sometimes written as, "lex orandi, lex credendi, lex vivendi", further deepening the implications of this truth - how we worship reflects what we believe and determines how we will live.

T...

BLADENSBURG, MD. (Catholic Online) - Pentecost Sunday is when Catholics celebrate the birth of the missionary church in power. There, in the Cenacle, as the Lord Jesus had promised, the Holy Spirit fell upon the disciples who, gathered with Our Lady, had waited and prayed. How fitting that during this month when we celebrate Pentecost over 50 men will be ordained to the Holy priesthood in a series of ordinations throughout England and Wales.

These Catholic priests will be ordained for ...

KIRKUK, Iraq (Catholic  Online) - Last Friday,  a 29 year old Christian husband and father of three children was kidnapped by Islamic militants in Iraq. A ransom of the equivalent of $100,000 US was demanded.

On Monday, May 16, 2011, his mutilated body, showing signs of extreme torture was found by a bridge. His head had been severed and his eyes had been gouged out.

The heroic Archbishop of Kirkuk, Louis Sako, praised the heroism of this Christian man and the continuing strength and fa...

GRAND RAPIDS, MI--With less than a month before the so-called "American Catholic Council" (ACC) convenes in Detroit on Pentecost weekend, their recent press release continues to betray a disconnect from the authoritative teachings of Vatican II-in whose "spirit" they claim to act.

In a May 10 press release titled "Catholics Speak Out in Nationwide Listening Sessions," ACC said this of the nearly 100 sessions held nationwide in preparation for the gathering:

 "From the perspective of th...

VATICAN CITY (Catholic Online) - On July 7, 2007, Pope Benedict XVI issued "Motu Propio" (on his own authority) an Apostolic Letter on the celebration of the Roman Rite according to the Missal of 1962, entitled Summorum Pontificum. Along with the letter the Pope wrote a personal letter to all the Catholic Bishops throughout the world. This apostolic letter was intended to open up the celebration of what is now called the "extraordinary form" of the Roman Liturgy (sometimes called the "...

It was one of the more uncomfortable moments in my life.

Outside of St. John the Evangelist Cathedral in Milwaukee, where I, as archbishop, was celebrating Sunday Mass on an otherwise magnificent Wisconsin autumn day, were a couple dozen very vocal protestors, representing some off-brand denomination, shouting vicious chants and holding hateful signs with words I thought had gone the way of burning-crosses and white hoods.

This frenzied group, taunting the peo...

VATICAN CITY (Catholic Online) - Mary Ann Glendon, the Learned Hand Professor of Law at Harvard University, served as U.S. Ambassador to the Vatican and was appointed by Blessed John Paul II as the President of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences which he founded in 1994.  She enjoys global respect for her intelligence, eloquence and distinguished record of public service. She is a faithful Catholic who has defended the Church without compromise for many years and a Pro-Life Champ...

VATICAN CITY (Catholic Online) - Last week the Pontifical Biblical Commission gathered in Rome for a plenary session under the theme of "Inspiration and Truth of the Bible."  Pope Benedict XVI sent a letter to Cardinal William Levada, the President of the Commission, to encourage the participants. He quoted from his apostolic exhortation on the Word of God (Verbum Domini) written on September 30, 2010, the Feast of St. Jerome. He wrote, "an interpretation of the sacred writings that ne...

VATICAN CITY, (Catholic Online) - On Wednesday Pope Benedict XVI began a new catechetical series for the faithful who gather in St. Peter's Square. Since the beginning of his papacy these instructions have been a source of inspiration and growth. His series on Christian saints brought them to life in order to inspire new saints for our time. Now, this man of deep prayer begins a "School of Prayer" for the faithful. It is time for all of us to enroll and tuition is free!

This Pope/profes...

Religiously-active Catholics are those who report attending Ma...

Pope John Paul II “restored to Christianity its true face as a religion of hope,” Pope Benedict XVI said at the May 1 beatification of the Polish Pontiff.

Well over 1 million people crowded into St. Peter’s Square, and spilled over into the surrounding streets of Rome, for the May 1 beatification. Six years earlier, an even larger congregation had broken into shouts of Santo subito! at the conclusion of the funeral for the beloved Pontiff. Now the people burst into warm applau...

BALTIMORE, MD. (Catholic Online) - The sacred liturgy is no less than the very work of Almighty God through which Christ continues the work of our redemption (cf CCC 1069). This is a truth that is so profound that the Church is rightly moved to refer to Holy Mass as a "sacred mystery."

Bask in that glorious reality indeed, but let's not be naïve. It also happens to be the epicenter of Satan's war against all that is good and holy. Scandalized? Don't be.

The Council Fathers tells us th...

VATICAN CITY (Catholic Online) - Yesterday, I joined our beloved Priest in the Procession leading the faithful waving Palm branches into the Sanctuary. There, I had the privilege of participating in the reading of the Passion narrative. Every year, the experience becomes more profound.As we progress through Holy Week, the Scriptural readings at the Liturgies present us with the very real people whom Jesus chose to follow Him in the Redemptive work he was to accomplish on the tree at Ca...

CORPUS CHRISTI, TX (Catholic Online) - Last week I began a reflection on the Sacrament of Confession.  Lent provides an excellent opportunity for everyone to return to the regular use of the Sacrament where we experience God's mercy and forgiveness.  

Let us continue by taking a close look at the Parable of the Prodigal Son. The Parable of the Prodigal Son is by far one of the most beautiful narratives of the Holy Bible and it will help us understand the Sacrament of Confession.

The co...

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Joel Cheatwood, a senior Fox News executive who Beck hired away to his own company, will serve as the main liaison between the two networks. Both Beck and Fox News have been hinting that a split could be forthcoming.

The New York Times reported that Fox News was "contemplating life without" Beck. Later that month, Beck told his radio listeners that, no matter what happened, they would "continue to find each other."

The announcement ended months of spe...

VATICAN CITY (Catholic Online) -  It is hard to believe it has been six years since the one whom I call with deep affection, "My Champion", the soon to be Blessed John Paul II, went home to the Father's house. I still feel the pain of loss as do millions around the world. Right before he died, Pope John Paul said, "I am happy. You should be, too. Let us pray together with joy."  As I grow older it has become so clear that he is the man who has most influenced my life, shaped my thought ...

WASHINGTON, DC (Catholic Online) - On Monday, April 4, 2011, President Barack Obama announced his re-election campaign with a You Tube video and massive email blast. The title of the video was "It Begins with us."  It presented a cross section of supporters who pledged their support. For example, there is a young man who was not able to vote in 2008 but will work to re-elect him; an Hispanic family seeking opportunities to live the American dream; and a white Southerner who doesn't agr...

CHESAPEAKE, VA. (Catholic Online) - Fr. Roy Bourgeois is a Catholic Priest who was ordained to the priesthood in 1972.  He is also a member of the Maryknoll Order. From the beginning of his priestly ministry he worked with the poor and the oppressed. He took public and sometimes controversial stands against Latin American leaders who did not respect human dignity and seemed to have little concern for the oppressed or the poor. He founded the "School of the America's Watch" in 1990 to c...