The Insights eNewsletter
Insights provides critical perspective on the issues that affect your life as a Catholic today. Delivered twice weekly.
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Synodal Clarity?
As those who receive this message already know, I have been a consistent critic of the way the concept of “synodality” was developed under the leadership of the last pope. But there is good news now, for the new pope has begun to put his stamp on a much-abused concept: Pope Leo: Hope...
Wars and the rumors of wars
Amid wars and the rumors of wars, Peter Wolfgang engages in the kind of dialogue that should happen among Catholics who prioritize different issues: Israel, Palestine, and Jason Jones Jeff Mirus considers the prophet Amos’s denunciation of Israel in light of Christ’s commission to...
The growth of Catholic commitment
My profound thanks to everyone who contributed to Catholic Culture’s successful spring fundraising campaign! Phil Lawler comments on what seems to be a recurring piece of good news: The under-the-radar growth of Catholic commitment. St. Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179) was a...
An "ordinary" pontificate?
This week, Phil Lawler continues to parse the new pontificate, attempting to outline what we can expect from Leo XIV: Will this be an ‘ordinary’ pontificate?. I also want to call attention again to Peter Wolfgang’s analysis of What Musk vs. Trump means for Catholics and for...
Occult subversion of traditional Catholicism
We only have 2 days remaining in our Spring Campaign – just $8k left to raise to make our matching grant! Help us cross the finish line! For the last few years, I have observed as a number of major traditionalist Catholic figures publish or otherwise approve of works that advocate...
Spiritual life and death
In a bit of good news for this week, Peter Wolfgang notices—and explains—Why support for same-sex marriage is declining. Meanwhile, Phil Lawler reflects on US President John Tyler’s recently-deceased grandson, on the human life-span, and on how short it is in light of...
Who is threatened by reverent liturgy?
The biggest news item for American Catholics this week has been the draconian prescriptions against traditional expressions of liturgical reverence proposed (but not yet implemented) by Bishop Martin of Charlotte, North Carolina. We have columns by Phil Lawler and Jeff Mirus on...
A pontificate develops
It is unwise to make sweeping statements about a pope in the first days of his pontificate, so this is a time for following the news rather than reaching hard conclusions. Things take time to develop. And it is very hard to predict whether new appointments will be brilliant, catastrophic, or...
Only real news here!
A few days ago, Phil Lawler posted his reminiscence on Solzhenitsyn as prophet, a timely reminder for our own times. Today Phil explained why we mentioned fake news about Pope Leo in Tuesday’s message: Warning: Fake News. Echoing Phil’s concerns, Vatican News warned against a...
As a new papacy unfolds...
WARNING: Catholic Culture news director Phil Lawler warns that a great many people are posting false claims and fake stories about things Pope Leo is supposed to have said or done. Phil recommends that any surprising or self-serving claims or “reports” be checked against reliable...
Catholic social teaching and fragmented sexuality
A week into Pope Leo XIV’s reign, Catholic social teaching is at the forefront of discussion. Jeff Mirus offers some reflections on this modern genre of papal writings: Do social encyclicals advance the Church’s mission? Obviously the answer depends greatly on the details. We have a...
Getting to know Pope Leo?
At the forefront of the Catholic mind right now is the desire and need to get to know Pope Leo. We can start perhaps by noticing the Pope’s May 10th address to the College of Cardinals: Pope Leo discusses choice of name, ‘fundamental points’ of Church’s path. You may also...
Pope Leo XIV's daunting challenge
Habemus papam! We are all excited about our new American Pope, and eager (and nervous) to see what kind of pontificate his will be. But remember that this partly depends on our own prayers. As Phil Lawler writes, Pope Leo XIV faces a daunting challenge. Here are just some of the many news items...
Watching for the white smoke
Everyone is beginning to express what they would like to see in the next pope (as I did on Friday). As if to offer a caution, Thomas Mirus suggests that there is much to be said for Preparing for a bad pope. Phil Lawler offers Seven questions for cardinal-electors, but he also wonders: Will...
Conclave to start May 7th
As we pray for the conclave which will elect the next pope, which begins on May 7th, I raise a question which must be of interest to most of us: What outcome should we want from the papal election? Of course, the best answer is: The outcome which results from the cardinal electors being most...
Conclave to start May 7th
This week, Thomas Mirus continues his deep discussion of masculinity, femininity and the bond between husband and wife in An orthodox reading of “mutual subjections” in marriage. This, of course, is a source of both confusion and tension in our day, with a profound effect our...
A pontificate marked by contradictions
Happy Easter! Christ is risen! We at Catholic Culture hope you are having a blessed Easter season, not too distracted by the news to continue celebrating the Risen Lord. Given that our last newsletter was on Wednesday of Holy Week, and this has been a rather massive news week for the...
Holy Week and Easter
To set the tone for this Holy Week, we offer a special clip from the Catholic Culture Podcast in which Ryan Wilson reads his brief but challenging Good Friday poem: One of Many Centurions. Time for prayer: Today’s message will be the only one during this Holy Week, and the next Insights...
The Church's hour of testing
A holy priest must take precedence in today's newsletter. This week on the Catholic Culture Podcast, I had the privilege of interviewing the great spiritual writer Fr. Donald Haggerty, whose new book offering a spiritual response to the crisis in the Church I can’t recommend highly...
The collapse of good works?
As Phil Lawler notes in his latest commentary, the American bishops have “elected to bow out” of refugee resettlement programs: USCCB to Trump: You can’t fire me; I quit. Granted that nothing will provide as much revenue as taxes, it will be interesting (and telling) to see if...
St. John Paul II's misrepresented views on feminism
In the latest installment of my essay on why young Catholics are rejecting feminism, I investigate Church teaching to defend the anti-feminist position on a number of hot-button issues authority in marriage and mothers working outside the home. Catholic feminists tend to cite snippets from Pope...
Generation after generation
In his latest commentary, Peter Wolfgang takes a look at recent generations (you know, the generations with all the nicknames), and explains Why Gen X Catholicism is a fighting faith. I recommend you compare notes. (Tarnation! We baby boomers don’t hold no truck with them new-fangled...
Lawler's prodigious pen
Phil Lawler’s pen has been busy since our last newsletter! He offers two new pieces on how Catholics should think about America’s founding principles, and reflects on the memorable image of Pope Francis alone with the Blessed Sacrament in St. Peter’s Square at the beginning of...
Feminism, pro or con?
We are off to a running start this week: In the first installment of a multi-part treatment, Thomas Mirus takes on the question of how Catholics should (and often do) engage with feminism. Jump into this hot topic with Why young Catholics are rejecting feminism, Pt. 1. Meanwhile, on Saturday...
The more things change...
The Church, it often appears, is in a Lenten period which is far longer than the traditional 40 days. Phil Lawler discusses one aspect of this in his latest commentary, The Vatican (still) isn’t listening, which touches on both the saga of synodality and the vigor of Vatican venality (with...
The Church's hard teachings on the Jews
In a recent article for a secular publication, Cardinal Dolan rightly condemned antisemitism. In the process, though, he unfortunately (whatever his intention) gave a false impression about Catholic teaching on the Jews. I address this sensitive question in my response: When attacking...
When the conclave comes
Phil Lawler has some advice for being a savvy judge of reporting about the Catholic Church: What to do when the conclave comes. Jeff Mirus on a statement by the head of the Ukrainian Catholic Church: When Churchmen seek to rally earthly troops. The fifth anniversary of the COVID lockdown and...
On change and revolution
As of Monday afternoon, we have this update on Pope Francis’ health: Pope’s condition improved. Please continue your prayers. In Catholic commentary, Peter Wolfgang continues the discussion about the predicament of Ukraine, explaining why, despite the unimaginable hardships...
False compassion, that dope-dealing doctor
I’ve written something about the false categories we put ourselves in to avoid conversion: Your sexual pathology doesn’t make you special. Phil Lawler asks: When will we fully embrace the Council? (But you’ll have to click to find out which Council he means!) Jeff...
A happy death?
Whatever our opinions on the success or failure of Pope Francis’s leadership of the Church, he is accepting his illness with considerable grace and generosity: Pope reflects on frailty, thanks faithful for prayers, prays for peace. Here is the latest medical bulletin: Pope stable after...
A just man in an unjust war
Please continue to pray for Pope Francis as his condition worsens, above all for his soul. And if we haven’t started praying for his successor yet, perhaps we should. As Jeff Mirus elaborates, this is A pivotal moment—for both State and Church. The headline of this email refers to...
Uncertainty for Francis, Ukraine
Please join us in continuing to pray for Pope Francis and the Church. The latest update we have is “critical but stable”: Vatican prayer vigils as Pope’s condition remains critical [updated Tues PM]. Perhaps because the news on the Pope’s health has been so confusing, on...
