CNA Columns
The 'Joy of the Gospel' and the Gospel of Life
What do we hope Pope Francis will take away from his September visit to Philadelphia? I hope he realizes that... Read more
No school days for working children
It’s that time again when adults take off to celebrate Labor Day, and kids head back to the adventures a... Read more
Catholic Education II: Quality and Non-Quality
In November 1980, Barbara Tuchman, a noted historian and twice-winner of the Pulitzer Prize, published a controversial essay in the... 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
Why we need to pray for personal vocations, too
In the prayer of the faithful said at Mass in my parish day after day we regularly ask God for... Read more
Science and religion are partners, not antagonists
People are often surprised to learn that the Vatican runs an Astronomical Observatory in Arizona in association with the Mount... Read more
Catholic Education I: Jesus the Teacher
The new academic year is just around the corner. For the next few weeks, this column will address some topics... Read more
Should Catholic nuns be forced to include contraceptives in their health insurance plans?
Should Catholic nuns be forced to include contraceptives in their health insurance plans? The government thinks so and has spent... Read more
Aborted baby body parts for sale
How low can society go? When one considers the many ways countless human beings are treated like cheap disposable products... 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
Lessons from the Mozart Playbook
From the end of July and for four weeks thereafter, the Mostly Mozart Festival at Lincoln Center dominates other musical... Read more
There is no equivalence
Here’s a simple exercise in basic reasoning. On a spectrum of bad things to do, theft is bad, assault is... Read more
Some items that have caught my attention recently
Writing a regular column like “Viewpoint” requires me to collect oodles of news and feature items from a variety of... 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
Catholic priest who blessed atomic bomb crews – and his conversion
Seventy years ago, on August 6, 1945, the single most destructive weapon ever unleashed upon human beings and the environment... Read more
Beauty Rising from the Ashes
Tomorrow and this Sunday, the Church celebrates the feasts of the Lord’s Transfiguration and that of St. Teresa, Blessed by... Read more
The devil is in the details for the militant Michael Voris
“Church Militant” – a producer of online videos – has people scratching their heads this month. Again. The self-proclaimed defender... Read more
Planned Parenthood: The Unborn that Cry for Mercy
On July 1, 2015, American dentist Walter Palmer shot Cecil, the African lion, a popular attraction in Zimbabwe. The killing... 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
'Behold, I stand at the door and knock.'
“Light of the World,” a nineteenth-century painting by the Englishman, W. Holman Hunt, perhaps best captures the human narrative. The... Read more
