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All Catholic commentary from June 2019
Don’t call me Father
John Dew thinks that Catholics should stop addressing priests as “Father.” I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking: “Who cares what he thinks, and why can’t you guys spell ‘John Doe’ correctly?” But you see it’s not John Doe....
When the headline is the editorial
The headline on a Boston Globe story read: Providence bishop faces backlash for homophobic tweet. Here’s the story, in its entirety as it appeared on the Boston.com site: Providence Bishop Thomas J. Tobin took to Twitter Saturday to tell Catholics not to celebrate Pride Month this...
“I spit on your evil!” (or) The joy of rational discussion
The last few days have been amusing, as I’ve fielded comments on my review of Taylor Marshall’s book. For example: I learned that Taylor Marshall, during the run-up to the publication of his book, claimed to have a mystical experience, a vision, concerning its contents. I...
Episode 40—Tolkien and Aquinas—Jonathan S. McIntosh
Tolkien is well known to have been concerned with the internal consistency of his fictional world, from geography to history to language. But he was also concerned with another sort of consistency: metaphysical consistency, not only within the...
Does Bishop Tobin deserve our support, or do we deserve his?
Here’s the narrative, as I’ve seen it presented: An American bishop made a bold statement against the celebration of Gay Pride Month. When he was denounced and abused for doing his job, the bishop expressed regret that his statement had created controversy, but held firm on its...
On the difficulty of knowing whom to believe, and what to do
If the furor over Taylor Marshall’s book does not tell us how hard it has become to know whom to believe and/or what to do, then I can point to two other contemporary issues (among many) which present the same problem. Whom to believe First, on the problem of whom to believe, let me...
A whole new scandal—financial this time—looms for the Catholic hierarchy
Another week, another story about massive corruption in the Catholic hierarchy. But there is some relief as well. First, this week’s scandal is not about sexual misconduct. Well, not primarily about sexual misconduct. In his report to the faithful of Charleston/Wheeling, West Virginia,...
Scandal in the West Virginia diocese: ‘there is no excuse’
Yesterday I wrote that Archbishop William Lori had done the Church a real service by providing a detailed account of the corruption that had been uncovered in the Diocese of Charleston/Wheeling, West Virginia, under former Bishop Michael Bransfield. It was, I wrote, the first time—at least...
Making abortion unsafe and legal
The headline read: Maine governor signs abortion bill allowing non-doctors to perform procedure Thought experiment: Take the word “abortion” out of the headline, so that it reads: Maine governor signs bill allowing non-doctors to perform procedure You’d still...
Episode 41—The Neo-Colonial West Is Forcing Abortion on Africa—Obianuju Ekeocha
Western governments and NGOs are pushing the Sexual Revolution on Africa, using strings-attached development aid. Of all the funds from Western nations going to “development” in Africa, the majority are for population control....
Cardinal Cupich’s counterproductive advice
Cardinal Cupich explains why he will not deny Communion to pro-abortion politicians, despite the clear mandate of Canon 915: I think it would be counterproductive to impose sanctions, simply because they don’t change anybody’s minds, but it also takes away from the fact that an elected...
The CCE on gender theory: Strengths and weaknesses of a Catholic position
The text of the statement on gender theory by the Congregation for Catholic Education is excellent, but the approach it proposes demonstrates both the strengths and weaknesses of the Catholic position today. This is reflected in the full title/subtitle: “Male and Female He Created Them:...
Exit, voice, and loyalty in the Catholic Church
Different people react in different ways to the crisis in our Church. Reflecting on that fact, I find myself thinking about a little classic of a book that was published almost 50 years ago: Exit, Voice, & Loyalty, by Albert O. Hirschman. At a glance you might say that Hirschman’s...
Taking a risk with Pope Francis; avoiding a risk to ourselves
I think it is time to remind ourselves once again of what we might call the other side of the Pope Francis coin. Back in 2013, when we were first adjusting ourselves to this Pope’s “all over the map” style of leadership, including his apparent lack of doctrinal precision and his...
It ain’t news ‘til it happens
This isn’t serious complaint. It’s more of a pet peeve. Still… Here at CWN, I have a firm editorial policy: News isn’t news until it happens. If you have a story about something that is going to happen soon, save it. Sure, there are exceptions. Sometimes the mere mention of a forthcoming event...
Rediscovering generosity
Children love to take things apart to figure out how they work. Before the advent of hi-tech cars, the average young man could work on an automobile, changing the fan belt or rebuilding the carburetor. Today, we just put gas in the tank, press the ignition button, and schedule routine servicing....
Episode 42—The Missionary of Wall Street—Stephen Auth
Stephen Auth is a highly successful investment manager on Wall Street. In his spare time, he hails down strangers on the streets of Manhattan and convinces them to go to confession. Links Steve Auth, The...
On raising our voices in and for the Church
In his commentary “Exit, voice, and loyalty in the Catholic Church” (with which I completely agree), Phil Lawler applies to the Church the three basic responses people make when they are dissatisfied with any institution of which they are a part. Phil concludes: If you, as a morally...
Mr. Catholic Boston, RIP
My friend Jim dropped by on a Sunday afternoon to let me know that Phil Crotty had died. We spent a few minutes swapping stories about Phil—who was a memorable man—and I found myself wondering why, although I missed him already, I was not saddened by his death. Was it because Phil...
When is religion OK in America? When it is no longer religious.
The recent US Supreme Court decision permitting a cross to remain on public land in Bladensburg, MD is a peculiar one, to say the least. It demonstrates the kind of convoluted reasoning that must characterize justices who have reservations about public expressions of religion but do not wish to...
Quick Hits: Priest-pundits mince no words, on death penalty and McCarrick scandal
Today two priest-pundits offer essays that really cannot be missed: Father George William Rutler is at his best, which is very, very good, as he analyzes the US bishops’ discussion of capital punishment for Crisis. He focuses attention on the decision by Pope Francis to change the...
God works through friendship: the Easter that changed me
To Karina and James Majewski on their wedding day, the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. I had looked forward to Easter 2019 for months, even before Lent began; for with it would come the baptism of my new friend—the fiancée of an old and dear one, who had brought her...
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