While flipping through one of the many Christmas catalogs on the coffee table the other day, I noticed an attractive silver cross pendant and read, “The cross represents the four winds in Native American culture . . . ($39.95).” A couple of catalogs later I ran across this description of a medieval “Tree of Life” … Read more
I am writing this from the Eternal City. Although the October weather is sunny and calm, two major meetings are going on which give evidence of strong winds now buffeting the Barque of Peter. Despite the perfect weather, I am wearing two hats, one as a delegate to the International Congress on the Family, and … Read more
The mission church of Saint Francis Xavier is a tiny, white-frame church not unlike hundreds of others built over the past century in America for the purpose of bringing Christ, literally, to the furthest corners of the world. Unlike its many counterparts which dot the Great Plains and the Mountain States, Saint Francis’s simple and … Read more
When columnist Father John Catoir, of the Christophers, addressed a convention of the Newark Archdiocesan Council of the National Council of Catholic Women, April 30, he urged women not to leave the Church because they are enraged about the Catholic hierarchy’s treatment of women: “You must own up that you are not angry at the … Read more
At the June meeting of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops (NCCB), a new batch of revised texts proposed by the International Commission on English in the Liturgy (ICEL) will be discussed, as will the issue of altar servers. Given the lineup of speakers chosen, there is little cause for hope that the bishops will … Read more
“I guess it shows the Vatican is obeying us,” quipped San Antonio Archbishop Patrick Flores on hearing of the Vatican’s official permission for girls and women to serve at Mass. “I’m very happy about it. The American bishops had asked for this about ten years ago,” he told the San Antonio Express. A letter dated … Read more
“If I understand the force of the motion, I think I am opposed to it, but I may misunderstand.”—Bishop M. “What are we voting yes on? Is that all right to ask?”—Cardinal O. “Does that then mandate a vote at a particular meeting of the bishops?”—Bishop M. “If we don’t approve this amendment, will we … Read more
During the protracted liturgical debate at the bishops’ meeting last November, one prominent prelate said the matter of “inclusive” or “exclusive” language was a no-win situation; but then said he had doctrinal problems with the revised liturgical texts put up for approval by the Bishops’ Committee on the Liturgy (BCL). His dismal assessment of the … Read more
“Look, you don’t have to understand why those verbs are irregular. You simple have to memorize them,” I told my daughter who was studying for her French final and complaining about the impenetrability of the logic of language. “Once you’ve got them in your head, they’re in there for good,” I added by way of … Read more
It’s called the Bedbug Letter. As the story goes, it is the letter sent routinely to hotel guests who complain about vermin in their beds. If you have registered any criticism with any bureaucrat over any matter, you have probably received a Bedbug Letter — the typical “damage control” response which combines denial that a … Read more
The appearance of Veritatis splendor, the long-awaited encyclical on Christian morality was, predictably, greeted by negative comments in the secular press and faint praise in most Catholic papers. It was not surprising that major secular media and dissenting theologians had access to the encyclical before its official release date and so had their weapons honed … Read more
An inexplicably neglected book, The Politics of Sex and Religion by Robert Blair Kaiser, came to my attention recently. It is a riveting account of the circumstances surrounding the promulgation of Humanae Vitae, the encyclical issued 25 summers ago that reaffirmed the Catholic Church’s constant teaching on the transmission of life. Kaiser was Time magazine’s … Read more
“The little Jellybys,” said Richard, “are—really I can’t help expressing myself strongly sir—in a devil of a state.” “She means well,” said Mt Jarndyce, hastily. “The wind’s in the east. ” “It was in the North, sir, as we came down,” said Richard. “My dear Rick,” said Mr Jarndyce, “I’ll take an oath it’s in … Read more
The bishops’ Committee on Women in Society and in the Church met in Washington, March 26, to continue its work on “women’s concerns.” “We’ll devote most of our time to advancing some sections of the fourth draft of the pastoral letter on the concerns of women,” Rochester’s Bishop Matthew Clark notes in his diocesan newspaper … Read more
When the women representing feminist groups fled from the ballroom of the Omni-Shoreham Hotel on November 18, 1992, they declared a major victory. For the first time ever, the National Conference of Catholic Bishops (NCCB) had just declined to issue a pastoral letter proposed by one of its own committees, in process for nearly ten … Read more
It is overwhelmingly obvious, after reading the first draft of their latest pastoral letter on the role of women in the Church, “Partners in the Mystery of Redemption,” that the American bishops have set themselves an impossible task: appeasing feminist demands for more power in the Church while remaining faithful to Catholic teaching and doctrine. … Read more
A recent television film about teenage drug addiction effectively and sympathetically portrayed the “tough love” of the parents of self-destructive and rebellious youths. The film focused on two young drug users, a boy and a girl who are romantically involved, and whose common bond is their rebellion against their families and their drug and “punk … Read more
Note: The following interview came to me from an anonymous source. Because of the importance of the subject of the interview, and because certain portions of it are distinctly timely, it seemed to me to be worth transcribing and bringing to the attention of a wider readership. Although I would certainly like to know the … Read more