Articles by Matt McDonald
New Boston archbishop challenges flock to develop ‘deeply personal’ relationship with God
Oct 31, 2024 / 19:00 pmArchbishop Richard Henning, 60, most recently bishop of Providence, Rhode Island, replaced Cardinal Seán O’Malley, who led the Archdiocese of Boston since 2003.
Word on Fire to publish Pope Benedict XVI’s collected works in English
Oct 25, 2024 / 14:20 pmBishop Robert Barron’s media company Word on Fire plans to publish in English more than two dozen volumes of the collected works of Joseph Ratzinger.
Report: Nearly 150 Catholic hospitals provided transgender drugs or surgeries to children
Oct 10, 2024 / 11:50 amIn all, more than 520 minors received treatments in Catholic hospitals in about 40 states over a five-year period, an analysis of the data by EWTN News shows.
Abortion makes men ‘more free,’ Pete Buttigieg says
Jul 31, 2024 / 15:32 pmPro-life advocates reacting to Pete Buttigieg’s comments said he put his finger on a problem with abortion: sex without responsibility.
Where Kamala Harris’ VP options stand on abortion and religious liberty
Jul 26, 2024 / 16:45 pmA look at potential VP contenders and what they could bring to the Democratic ticket.
Legionaries of Christ founder almost removed from priesthood in 1950s, Vatican documents show
Jul 25, 2024 / 12:30 pmFather Marcial Maciel was investigated in the mid-1950s on claims that he sexually abused boys, according to a story published by The Associated Press.
13 things to know about J.D. Vance’s Catholic journey
Jul 21, 2024 / 07:00 amRepublican vice presidential nominee J.D. Vance has written extensively about his life in faith, both in a mega-selling memoir and in a long essay for The Lamp.
Devout Christian dad killed in Trump assassination attempt was ‘the very best of us’
Jul 14, 2024 / 15:46 pmCorey Comparatore died shielding his family during the assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump.
Catholic priest prayed for Trump’s safety at Pennsylvania rally moments before shooting
Jul 14, 2024 / 06:40 amFather Jason Charron, a Ukrainian Catholic priest who offered a benediction at Trump’s rally, recounted the moments before and after the assassination attempt.
Trump wounded at Pennsylvania rally in assassination attempt; shooter, rally attendee dead
Jul 13, 2024 / 19:34 pm“The former president is safe,” the U.S. Secret Service said in a written statement.
New Hampshire teacher drove pregnant student to get an abortion
Jun 29, 2024 / 07:00 amThe student was at least 18 years old at the time and therefore under state law did not need the permission of her parents, the teacher says in a lawsuit filed this week.
Ohio House backs single-sex bathrooms in schools
Jun 28, 2024 / 18:30 pmSupporters of the bill say they are trying to protect women and girls from humiliation, intimidation, and violence.
Stop using art by Father Rupnik, Cardinal O’Malley tells Vatican officials
Jun 28, 2024 / 15:05 pm“We must avoid sending a message that the Holy See is oblivious to the psychological distress that so many are suffering,” Cardinal Seán O’Malley wrote.
Montana judge strikes down law defining ‘sex’ as ‘male and female’
Jun 27, 2024 / 17:45 pmThe law defines “male” as a “a member of the human species” who has XY chromosomes. It defines “female” as having XX chromosomes.
Democrats move to repeal federal law that forbids abortion materials in U.S. mail
Jun 21, 2024 / 11:30 amSen. Tina Smith, D-Minnesota, said in a Thursday press release on her website that she had introduced a bill to repeal the Comstock Act.
Texas Supreme Court upholds law outlawing abortion even in so-called ‘hard cases’
May 31, 2024 / 18:15 pmThe Texas Supreme Court has upheld the state’s law outlawing almost all abortions, turning aside a challenge based on severe pregnancy complications.
Tennessee bans ‘abortion trafficking’ of underage girls
May 31, 2024 / 14:30 pmThe new Class C felony, called “abortion trafficking of a minor,” applies to an adult who “recruits, harbors, or transports” a pregnant girl 17 or younger.
Tennessee bans minors’ interstate gender transitioning without parental consent
May 31, 2024 / 13:30 pmSupporters call it a parental rights bill. Opponents say it’s unnecessary and a shot at transgender people.
Florida priest charged for biting arm of woman he says was desecrating Eucharist
May 23, 2024 / 18:21 pmFather Fidel Rodriguez admitted to police that he bit the woman but said he did so only after she reached into the ciborium and tried to grab a host from it.
Chiefs’ Harrison Butker chides Catholic leaders in Benedictine College commencement address
May 14, 2024 / 11:38 amCatholic bishops should be more like St. Damien of Molokai and less concerned about what civil and cultural leaders think about them, Butker said.