CNA Columns
Recapping the Papal Visit
Last week, Pope Francis held much of the nation riveted on his presence, words and gestures. Millions gladly stood for... Read more
Pope Francis speaks truth to power
As the first pope in history to address a joint session of Congress, Pope Francis, defending the human right of... Read more
Pope Francis — a comforting, uncomfortable pope
Pope Francis is the spiritual leader of 1.2 billion Catholics worldwide. There are bound to be some who don’t like... Read more
Our Missionary Pope Named Francis and Political Piracy
The word pirate calls to mind images from movies or books which often romanticized them. However, they were plunderers who... Read more
Pope Francis: Missionary of Mercy and Peace
The warm familial approach of Pope Francis imitates the way Jesus was present to others. The early disciples followed Jesus... Read more
Time to Rescue the Rule of Law from a Judicial Aristocracy
The framers of the Constitution of the United States were not fond of unjust monarchs or aristocracies which showed no... Read more
Pope Francis and Annulments: The Reality of Marriage
Sweeping Reform! Dramatic change! Cumbersome, complicated procedure gone! Clearing away rules dating from 1741! Fast-track annulments in forty-five days! No... Read more
America has accommodated conscientious objection before. Why not now?
Let’s begin by recognizing that the case of the Kentucky county clerk who refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex... 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
Oliver Cromwell reviled in the annals of Irish history
No figure has been more hated by the Irish people than Oliver Cromwell (1599-1658), the fanatical and puritanical Lord Protector... Read more
Doctor-prescribed death is the wrong choice for California
Last week, the California legislature voted to allow doctors to help their patients kill themselves. This decision is deeply... Read more
Millions of refugees have no place to call home
The heartbreaking photo of the little Syrian refugee boy washed up dead on the shore of Bodrum, Turkey (see picture:... Read more
Gay Marriage and Civil Disobedience: The Place of Conscience
In the fifth century before Christ, the Greek playwright Sophocles wrote the tragedy entitled Antigone. The protagonist, Antigone, is one... Read more
Are there cats (and other animals) in heaven?
A good friend talked me into adopting a stray cat on Christmas Day 2011. I named him PatCat after my... Read more
Catholic Education IV: Grace under Pressure
Catholic education is pedagogy of values and principles that prompt our students to aim high for excellence. It also prepares... Read more
Pope Francis shines a light on mercy
Pope Francis has called for an extraordinary Jubilee Year—typically, Jubilees are held every 25 years (the most recent was in... 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
The Pope and popularity
Journalists are understandably fond of conflict—after all, it gives them something to talk about. Media coverage and commentary relating to... Read more
Catholic Education III: Fully Alive for Virtue
“I have come that they may have life, life to the full (Jn 10:10),”—the assurance of Jesus. In the second... Read more
