Viewpoint

CNA

O Come, O Come Emmanuel: A Christmas Reflection

Viewpoint

Dec 24, 2016

By Msgr. M. Francis Mannion

The story that we narrate and celebrate at Christmas needs no rehearsal. We know it by heart. The story has... Read more

Recovering the notion of original sin

Viewpoint

Nov 29, 2016

By Msgr. M. Francis Mannion

One of the topics that catechists preparing parents for the baptism of their child must explain is the notion of... Read more

CNA

Rediscovering the Authentic Catholic Vision of Purgatory

Viewpoint

Nov 2, 2016

By Msgr. M. Francis Mannion

On November 2, the Church throughout the world celebrates the Commemoration of All Souls, a day which, though popular in... Read more

CNA

News Items that Caught my Attention Recently

Viewpoint

Oct 20, 2016

By Msgr. M. Francis Mannion

In clearing out my “Viewpoint” shoebox at the end of summer, I found a few items that might be of... Read more

On Praying the Psalms on Behalf of the World

Viewpoint

Oct 10, 2016

By Msgr. M. Francis Mannion

The Psalms are the most famous poems in the Judeo-Christian tradition. Yet praying them can often be difficult for the... Read more

CNA

By the age of 10, young Catholics are losing their faith

Viewpoint

Sep 27, 2016

By Msgr. M. Francis Mannion

Two national studies produced by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA), based at Georgetown University, found that... Read more

CNA

Bishop Robert Barron: a great gift to the Church

Viewpoint

Aug 16, 2016

By Msgr. M. Francis Mannion

One of the brightest moments in the history on the Church in the U.S. in the past year was the... Read more

Ingrid Taylar via Unsplash.com (CC BY-SA 2.0)

How Christians can deal with the experience of suffering

Viewpoint

Jul 29, 2016

By Msgr. M. Francis Mannion

Richard Harries, former Anglican Bishop of Oxford (U.K.), wrote a book some years ago entitled Art and the Beauty of... Read more

CNA

News that caught my attention recently

Viewpoint

Jul 6, 2016

By Msgr. M. Francis Mannion

In clearing out my “Viewpoint” shoebox for June, I found a few items that might interest readers. Here are three.... Read more

CNA

Why lay liturgical ministers should wear albs at Mass

Viewpoint

May 28, 2016

By Msgr. M. Francis Mannion

In my status as a retired-but-still-working priest, I have the opportunity to fill in for Sunday Masses in a variety... Read more

CNA

How to work the Spiritual Works of Mercy into your Holy Year of Mercy

Viewpoint

May 19, 2016

By Msgr. M. Francis Mannion

There are many ways to observe the Holy Year of Mercy proclaimed by Pope Francis last December and continuing until... Read more

CNA

Some items that have caught my attention recently

Viewpoint

Apr 13, 2016

By Msgr. M. Francis Mannion

I have more material in my “Viewpoint” drawer than I could ever write columns on. But here are some brief... Read more

Image via Unsplash.com

Prayer of acceptance is a neglected mode of address to God

Viewpoint

Apr 7, 2016

By Msgr. M. Francis Mannion

In his most recent book, Nine Essential Things I’ve Learned About Life,  Rabbi Harold S. Kushner (widely known for his... Read more

CNA

Eight reasons college students turn away from the church

Viewpoint

Mar 3, 2016

By Msgr. M. Francis Mannion

A recent blog on Huffington Post written by religion commentator Bob Smith lays out what he has found from experience... Read more

Photo by Mike Kenneally via Unsplash

The practice of fasting has many dimensions

Viewpoint

Feb 11, 2016

By Msgr. M. Francis Mannion

Fasting is one of the practices associated traditionally with the season of Lent. Lenten fasting is rich in meaning and... Read more

CNA

Lay ecclesial ministry programs need careful implementation

Viewpoint

Jan 28, 2016

By Msgr. M. Francis Mannion

Lay ecclesial ministry programs are a significant development in the Catholic Church in the U.S. Candidates are proposed by the... Read more

CNA

Some items that caught my attention recently

Viewpoint

Jan 21, 2016

By Msgr. M. Francis Mannion

I find that my occasional brief commentaries on news and other items are popular with readers. So here are some... Read more

CNA

Broken reeds, smoldering wicks, and the Church’s ministry

Viewpoint

Jan 7, 2016

By Msgr. M. Francis Mannion

Every time we come to the Solemnity of the Baptism of the Lord, I think of one of my favorite... Read more

CNA

Child sexual abuse is not just a Catholic problem

Viewpoint

Dec 17, 2015

By Msgr. M. Francis Mannion

The movie “Spotlight” (which I saw last week, and thought remarkably fair—not at all expressive of the familiar media attacks... Read more

CNA

'Spirituality' without 'religion' does not hold up

Viewpoint

Dec 10, 2015

By Msgr. M. Francis Mannion

When Bill de Blasio was elected Mayor of New York in 2013, he told reporters at a press conference that... Read more