CNA Columns
Human respect: Socrates and Herod
Almost every school of ancient philosophy claimed Socrates as their patron saint. In Greece and Rome, the Skeptics, the Stoics... Read more
Jesus, Who Are You?
Sometimes people are sort of surprised that bishops, when not in the public spotlight, lead relatively normal lives. We eat... Read more
Meekness: the power to change the world
Before Gutenberg invented the printing press, society depended mostly on the spoken word. When it came to communicating the news,... Read more
Looking to my neighbor: A classroom reading of ‘March’
I never meant to be so political. At the beginning of the school year, I found myself bored with the... Read more
Free speech, conscience, and the court
In his much discussed indictment of secularized liberal democracy, Polish philosopher and sometime government minister Ryszard Legutko writes bitingly of... Read more
The faith confronting Neo-Pelagianism and Neo-Gnosticism
Two words are frequently found on the lips of Pope Francis in his addresses and homilies. One is the word... Read more
Looking back at the last five years with Pope Francis
This week marks the 5th anniversary of the pontificate of Pope Francis. He has surprised the Church – and the... Read more
Pro-life and the U.S. Supreme Court
Defeat on a Senate procedural vote last January of legislation to ban abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy was a... Read more
A grace ovation
As a gift to my brother on the occasion of his ordination years ago, I told him that I would... Read more
A pro-life triptych
According to the dictionary, a triptych is “a set of three associated artistic, literary or musical works intended to be... Read more
Book Review - "Plan of Life: Habits to Help You Grow Closer to God"
Praise abounds for Father Roger Landry's engaging book, Plan of Life: Habits to Help You Grow Closer to God. Heavy-hitters... Read more
Grisez’s influence on Catholic moral thinking
“We are all students of Grisez now.” The man who said that several years ago was a Catholic theologian not... Read more
A requiem for God
Young people fleeing in panic. Shots ringing out. Police swarming the building. Screams. Tears. Anxious parents huddled together. News media... Read more
Ash Wednesday is Valentine’s Day – for God
The impending collision of Ash Wednesday and Valentine’s Day on the calendar this year might seem like an insurmountable conflict... Read more
Getting to forgiven
Some years ago, a woman told a lie about me that caused some serious harm and was tremendously painful to... Read more
Are eulogies allowed at funeral masses?
The touchiest aspects of funeral planning are music and eulogies. In my experience, at least half of the time one... Read more
Religious freedom and U.S. foreign policy
Promoting international religious liberty is one of those things that America ought to be doing for its own sake, but... Read more
Things That I Have to Watch with My Kids: “Paddington 2”
I always want to go to the movies. There was a time in my life when I would just go... Read more
The morality of nuclear deterrence
“We are at the limit of what is licit.” In early December Pope Francis offered that assessment of nuclear deterrence... Read more
Artificial contraception: its sad effects
Written for the musical Hair, the song “Age of Aquarius” became an overnight success worldwide. It glamorized and promoted the... Read more
