Bishop Robert Barron
Preaching the Strange Word
About fifteen years ago, I prepared an elective class at Mundelein Seminary which I entitled “The Christology of the Poets... Read more
'The Martian' and why each life matters
Editor's note: This article contains plot spoilers! Ridley Scott’s The Martian is a splendidly told tale of survival and pluck,... Read more
Pope Francis and true mercy
Having just returned from a week covering Pope Francis’s triumphant journey to the United States, I can confidently tell you... Read more
Brian Williams, Chris Matthews and letting the fly out of the bottle
During the Pope's visit to America, I had the privilege of commenting for NBC News and for MSNBC. Twice I... Read more
Your life does not belong to you
It was revealed this week that, for the first time in its history, Harvard University, which had been founded for... Read more
Why St. Junipero Serra matters today
The upcoming canonization of Blessed Junípero Serra in Washington, D.C.—the first ever to take place on American soil—has generated, as... Read more
Stephen Colbert, J.R.R. Tolkien, John Henry Newman, and the providence of God
Just last week, Stephen Colbert gave an interview in which the depth of his Catholic faith was on pretty clear... Read more
Mother Nature is one unreliable lady
Conservation International has sponsored a series of videos that have become YouTube sensations, garnering millions of views. They feature famous... Read more
Why you need spiritual food
Every third summer, the Catholic lectionary provides a series of readings for Sunday Mass from the sixth chapter of the... Read more
The death of God and the loss of human dignity
I am sure by now that many of you have seen the appalling hidden-camera videos of two Planned Parenthood physicians... Read more
A prophetic Pope and the tradition of Catholic social teaching
In the wake of the publication of Pope Francis’s encyclical letter Laudato Si’ and of the Pope’s recent speeches in... Read more
We've been here before: Marriage and the Room of Tears
Just last week, I had the privilege of spending four hours in the Sistine Chapel with my Word on Fire... Read more
'Laudato Si' and Romano Guardini
In 1986, after serving in a variety of capacities in the Jesuit province of Argentina, Jorge Mario Bergoglio commenced doctoral... Read more
Bruce Jenner, the 'shadow council' and St. Irenaeus
Two news items from last week put me in mind of St. Irenaeus and the battle he waged, nineteen centuries... Read more
Thoughts on the Passing of Cardinal George
Cardinal Francis George, who died last week at the age of 78, was obviously a man of enormous accomplishment and... Read more
Kenneth Branagh's Very Christian Cinderella
Kenneth Branagh’s “Cinderella” is the most surprising Hollywood movie of the year so far. I say this because the director... Read more
Stephen Fry, Job, and the Cross of Jesus
The British writer, actor, and comedian Stephen Fry is featured in a YouTube video which has gone viral: over 5... Read more
Dietrich von Hildebrand and Our Relativistic Age
Postmodern relativism and deconstruction have produced, at the popular level, what I have termed the “Meh culture,” that is to... Read more
Revisiting the Argument from Desire
One of the classical demonstrations of God’s existence is the so-called argument from desire. It can be stated in a... Read more
John Henry Newman at the Synod on the Family
The controversies surrounding the recent Extraordinary Synod on the Family have often put me in mind of John Henry Cardinal... Read more
