Articles by Marianne Medlin
Catholic community grieves Arizona shooting victims
Jan 10, 2011 / 16:13 pmA mass shooting in Arizona that left 6 dead and over a dozen injured has caused an outpouring of grief from individuals across the nation, but it is being even more deeply felt by the local Catholic community in Tucson.
US lodges strong protest with Vietnam after beating of American diplomat
Jan 8, 2011 / 06:01 amThe U.S. State Department lodged a sharp protest with the Vietnamese government after a U.S. diplomat was beaten in the country for attempting to visit an ailing Catholic priest who is under house arrest.
Need for better Catholic school books prompts mother to start publishing company
Jan 7, 2011 / 03:52 amAs Cheryl Dickow was teaching English and Religion to Catholic junior high students over the course of several years, she began to notice a problem. Although she was able to provide books to her kids that addressed basic Christian values, she had difficulty finding material that was explicitly Catholic and saw the hunger her students had to learn more about the faith.
Obama administration drops 'death panel' provision after controversy
Jan 5, 2011 / 13:34 pmAfter enacting a Medicare regulation on Jan. 1 that would reimburse doctors for holding end-of-life planning consults with patients, the Obama administration swiftly reversed the move just three days later, after intense controversy swirled around the issue.
Knights of Columbus vigorously deny abuse cover up
Dec 15, 2010 / 15:33 pmThe Knights of Columbus, the largest Catholic fraternal organization, is vehemently denying accusations that they willfully covered up reports that one of their members sexually abused minors several decades ago.
Catholics weigh in on teens' excessive use of Facebook, texting
Dec 7, 2010 / 00:52 amA new study linking teen's excessive use of Facebook and texting to alcohol abuse and sexual activity has ignited discussion among Catholics as to whether or not the drastic rise in impersonal communication among young people can be seen as a good thing.
Massive WikiLeaks disclosure involves Vatican cables
Nov 30, 2010 / 16:14 pmAs the uproar increases over WikiLeaks publishing hundreds of thousands of confidential U.S. State Department cables online, the latest reports show that 852 of the communications involve the Vatican.
Catholics remember Dorothy Day on 30th anniversary of her death
Nov 29, 2010 / 15:52 pmCatholics are honoring the life and work of humanitarian Dorothy Day on Monday, marking the 30th anniversary of the Catholic Worker Movement founder's death.
Vatican spokesman’s remarks on condoms add to confusion, top US theologian says
Nov 23, 2010 / 16:36 pmRemarks by the Vatican spokesman intended to clarify the Pope's meaning on the use of condoms in the fight against AIDS have only caused further confusion, a leading U.S. moral theologian said.
Experts argue new study shows Americans are optimistic about marriage
Nov 20, 2010 / 05:07 amMarriage and family experts argued against media coverage of a recent study that claims a large numbers of Americans view marriage as obsolete. Rather than endorse a negative interpretation of the figures, the experts argued that the same study shows the majority of young people today still want to get married.
Isolation from Church leads more to occult practice than Harry Potter, bishop says
Nov 19, 2010 / 11:36 amAmericans around the country will be flocking to see the latest Harry Potter movie this weekend, and some Catholics maintain that the series exposes children to evil influences. But Bishop Thomas Paprocki said in a recent interview that the root cause of dabbling in the occult comes from being isolated from the faith.
Over 100 Catholic clergy attend exorcism training in Baltimore
Nov 17, 2010 / 03:58 amDespite the intrigue and attention given to the topic of exorcism, the primary work of the Devil lies in daily “temptation,” Bishop Thomas Paprocki said, following a successful exorcism training weekend hosted by the U.S. bishops in Baltimore.
Church analyst: Election of Archbishop Dolan signals desire for strong leader
Nov 16, 2010 / 12:17 pmA well-known Church analyst says the election of Archbishop Timothy Dolan as president of the U.S. bishops' conference is a confirmation that the bishops want a strong, outspoken leader to guide the Church in an increasingly polarized and secular culture.
Catholics should not fear 'political isolation,' says Cardinal George
Nov 15, 2010 / 11:40 amCardinal Francis George opened the annual U.S. bishops' meeting today by stressing that Catholics “should not fear political isolation” when upholding their beliefs in the public square.
US bishops to address full slate of issues at fall meeting
Nov 9, 2010 / 05:04 amAt their annual fall assembly, the U.S. bishops will elect a new president, vote on a new ecumenical agreement on baptism and discuss the reform of its social justice-funding arm, which has come under fire for possibly funding pro-abortion and pro-gay groups.
Though clever and visually stunning, 'Inception' raises more questions than it answers
Jul 26, 2010 / 00:00 amBefore actually seeing “Inception,” it was a sincere challenge not to be swept into the major buildup behind the film, which is famed director Christopher Nolan's first since his ominous 2008 blockbuster, The Dark Knight.Enigmatic trailers for “Inception” coupled with media whispers on its “epic” proportions added to a sort of infectious, humming excitement over the movie, and had critics mouthing the words “Academy Award” within minutes of its release.The appeal of the film is more than understandable. A fast-paced heist thriller, which features Leonardo DiCaprio as a corporate spy by the name of Dominic Cobb who specializes in stealing secrets from the dreams of his subjects, makes for a thoroughly engaging two and a half hours.Without giving away the movie's intricate plot twists, Cobb wishes to give up the life of dream espionage, yet can't return to his home in the U.S. to be with his estranged children without being arrested for reasons that are later revealed.Enter Japanese business mogul named Saito (smoothly-played by Ken Watanabe), who offers to maneuver his bureaucratic powers and ensure that Cobb doesn't get detained if he returns to the states - in exchange for Cobb's services. However, Saito doesn't want Cobb to steal an idea from someone's subconscious.Rather, he wants the spy to perform the near impossible task of planting an idea in the mind of a business competitor – a young heir – to break up his father's energy empire which threatens to become a global monopoly.Thus ensues Cobb's complex, high-tension journey into the mind of his victim. A quirky and atypically attractive set of side-kicks accompany Cobb in his espionage endeavor, with solid performances from Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ellen Page and Tom Hardy.“Inception's” stunning visuals and cinematography alone are worth the buzz, as we see dream sequences that feature cities delicately folding on top of themselves and gravity-defying fist fights in the halls of elegantly plush hotels.Aside from the Matrix-esque, “shoot-em-up” violence, of which there is plenty, the movie does offer some depth in Cobb's angst-ridden character. A tortured soul, Cobb wrestles with inner demons of regret and guilt over a series of poor decisions and fate-ridden accidents that have led him to the point of taking this last job out of desperation.The viewer naturally identifies with and roots for Cobb, and so his morally questionable actions of invading the young heir's subconscious are never fully addressed.In a somewhat utilitarian fashion, Nolan presents the idea that Cobb's need to be reunited with his children or the potential of the young heir making his firm into a tyrannical monopoly are justifiable reasons to break into someone's mind and psychologically manipulate him for one's own ends.Another criticism is that the film lends plenty of opportunity for confusion and thinly explained scenarios. Though the journey into the recesses of a subconscious could hardly be depicted in a simplistic way, the movie at times pushes the boundaries of coherence and fails to give satisfying explanation for how or why things are happening.“Inception” ultimately asks you to take its plot seriously as a plausible analysis of dreams and the subconscious, yet also demands that the viewer willingly suspend disbelief and accept the film as a work of fantasy fiction. This contradiction begs the question as to what the film is actually intended to be.All hype aside, the movie both lived up to its expectations and fell short. Though a complex and thoroughly entertaining visual delight, the film raises more questions than it answers, and for those who view cinema as an artistic medium through which deeper truths can be explored, the film solicits more quizzical shrugs than serious pondering.