John BurgerSince it was a decidedly Catholic film, it was only fitting that the invited audience at the premiere of Thérèse should be the same. Sitting with actor/director Leonardo Defelippis in the New York theater were a bishop, some priests, local diocesan officials, Catholic activists, and a patchwork of religious men and women wearing full-length habits. … Read more
Thirty-one years after philosopher Dietrich von Hildebrand died, his work is enjoying something of a revival. New editions of his books are being translated and published for the first time. Catholic colleges and universities are integrating his thought into philosophy courses. And a theologian who knew and admired von Hildebrand sits on the Chair of … Read more
Since it was a decidedly Catholic film, it was only fitting that the invited audience at the premiere of Thérèse should be the same. Sitting with actor-director Leonardo Defelippis in the New York theater were a bishop, some priests, local diocesan officials, Catholic activists, and a patchwork of religious men and women wearing full-length habits. … Read more
Last year, Harvard historian Samuel P. Huntington published Who Are We?: The Challenges to America’s National Identity, in which he claimed that the national identity of the United States is being threatened by large numbers of immigrants who refuse to assimilate with our society and culture. Huntington argued that America, founded by British settlers, is … Read more
Rev. C. Frank Phillips rescues antiques. Wearing a soutane with the black cords of a Resurrectionist priest, he sits in the office of his Chicago parish surrounded by old objects and images. The furniture here—as throughout the rectory and sacristy—puts one in mind of 16th- century France. On a pedestal by the wall, a brass … Read more
The old joke goes something like this: The pastor couldn’t get his early Sunday morning congregation to respond when he noticed that the PA system was on the blink. “The Lord be with you,” he said several times, only to be greeted with blank stares from the parishioners in the big suburban church. “There’s something … Read more
The map at the subway station on Manhattan’s East Side shows it as St. Michael’s Liberal Catholic Church. Liberal Catholic Church? What does that mean—a statue of the archangel wearing a “Hillary for Senate” button? I look for Gothic spires off Lexington Avenue and East 53rd Street, where the listing in the phone book for … Read more
When Robert Funk announced the founding of the Jesus Seminar in 1985, he made a point of saying that all its work would be above-board. “We are going to carry out our work in full public view,” the New Testament scholar told a gathering of scholars in Berkley, California. “We will not only honor the … Read more
In a quiet section of Tirana, the capital of Albania, in a relatively palatial building, John Cardinal O’Connor sits calmly sipping espresso and speaking to a reporter after arriving on a flight from Poland. “It’s still difficult to believe,” he exults, “that great big sign we saw in the center square, Welcome Pope John Paul … Read more
When Robert Funk announced the founding of the Jesus Seminar in 1985, he made a point of saying that all its work would be above-board. “We are going to carry out our work in full public view,” the New Testament scholar told a gathering of scholars in Berkley, California. “We will not only honor the … Read more