Viewpoint
The Pact of the Catacombs is still relevant today
On November 16, 1965, near the end of the Second Vatican Council, 42 bishops attending the Council met together in... Read more
Liturgy is work — not 'fun' or entertainment
I was taken aback recently when a sixth-grader from our parish school told me as he left the church with... Read more
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
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
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
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
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
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
The Church needs better ministry to priests in prison
A recent article in the National Catholic Reporter by Thomas C. Fox, entitled “Vincentian visits imprisoned priests,” drew my attention... Read more
America needs a new 'Baltimore Catechism'
The religious formation of Catholic children and young people before Vatican II generally followed a deductive method, one that understands... Read more
Unsympathetic confessors abuse the sacrament and turn people off
Recently, I had a conversation with a woman who had not been to Confession for ten years because the last... Read more
Are angels on the Catholic endangered species list?
In both New Age spirituality and Christian fundamentalism, belief in angels is very high. However, in contemporary mainstream Christianity (including... Read more
Poverty, chastity, and obedience are all about money, sex, and power
The evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity, and obedience correlate with the fundamental human issues of money, sex, and power, and... Read more
On Ascension Day the Whole Church Ascends to Heaven
The Preface of each Mass begins with the exchanges: “The Lord be with you,” “And with your spirit”; “Lift up... Read more
Lectionary-based catechesis for converts is inadequate
Recently, I received a letter from a woman in Portland, Oregon, with the question, “What do you think of lectionary-based... Read more
Papal Impressions
Last fall, while in Rome to take part in the extraordinary, multi-faith, Vatican-sponsored colloquium on the “Complementarity of Man and... Read more
Raising perfect children by teaching authentic family values
Judith Martin (a.k.a. Miss Manners), the widely syndicated columnist, has written a number of books on proper social behavior. One... Read more
Sign of Peace at Mass needs to maintain a public character
The Catholic liturgical tradition regards the Sign of Peace at Mass as a disciplined and restrained public gesture, and not... Read more
The Eucharist is the ‘memory bank’ of the Church
When we celebrate the origin of the Eucharist on Holy Thursday, we cast our minds back to the Last Supper... Read more
Is human society a covenant community or a marketplace?
The United States was founded as a covenant society – a society held together by a covenant with God and... Read more
