CNA Columns
All Saint’s Day includes every man and woman of goodwill
The month of November opens with the celebration of one of the richest feasts of the liturgical year, the Solemnity... Read more
Days of Special Remembrance
As October makes way for November, the feasts of All Saints and All Souls bring home in a special way... Read more
Ignoring the suffering of a nation
While much needed attention is being given to refugees flowing from war-torn Syria, one desperately suffering Middle East nation is... Read more
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
Family, the Synod and the Pope
The ever-popular Pope Francis received a rock-star welcome in the United States recently, doing what he usually does: challenging entrenched... Read more
Celebrating All Hallows' Eve: Part Two
Editor's note: Part one of this series can be read here. Next to Christmas, Halloween is the most commercial and... Read more
Holy spouses, holy families: Reflections on the final days of the synod
As synod 2015 began its final week of work, Pope Francis canonized a married couple, Louis and Zélie Martin, whose... Read more
Did Thomas More and John Fisher die for nothing?
The idea that Catholics should be allowed to remarry and receive communion did not begin with the letter signed by... 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
Prosperity Gospel is a travesty of the Good News of Christ
Perhaps the most appalling aspect of televangelism is what is called “the prosperity gospel,” that is the conviction that God... Read more
Assisted suicide a century ago and now
As Robert Hugh Benson’s apocalyptic novel Lord of the World moves toward its shocking conclusion, a naïve young woman who... Read more
From All Hallows' Eve to Halloween: Part I
Halloween fever is just around the corner. In two weeks, many children and adults will don costumes of all designs... 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
'Cracks in the Sidewalk' -- a charming new children's bedtime story
How do you talk to a child about God? How can complex theological teachings that have taken centuries to define... 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
Respecting life the Gospel way
For the sake of our salvation, we need to pay serious attention, and act with purpose, to what Jesus teaches... Read more
Some Reflections on Dorothy Day and Thomas Merton
In his address to Congress last month, Pope Francis mentioned four exemplars of the great American enterprise: Abraham Lincoln, Martin... Read more
The 2015 Synod: From Confusion to Clarity
Last year, the Extraordinary Synod on the Family took place in Rome from Oct. 5 to19. The participants boldly examined... Read more
Pope Francis has done it again
Pope Francis has done it again. He has reminded us what it means to be an elected official, a leader,... Read more
Treatise on Humane Politics: Highlighting Pope Francis’ Statements in the United States
At a time when there is much antagonism, polarization, pain, and inequity in the world, at a time when socially... Read more
