It always happens this way: Less than a week after the election of a new Pope, Vatican journalists are confident (at least they tell us they are confident) that they know exactly what happened in the conclave. But there’s a problem with that claim. Everyone who was present in the Sistine...

Many faithful Catholics were surprised and dismayed to learn that Pope Leo had met with Father James Martin, SJ, in a private audience last week. I share their dismay. But not their surprise. We all knew, from the moment he was elected, that Pope Leo XIV would not repudiate the policies of his...

Harrison Tyler died last Sunday. Since he was 96 years old, and died of natural causes, his death might have not have caused much notice, but for one remarkable fact. Harrison Tyler was the grandson of John Tyler, who became President of the United States in—wait for it—1841. Thus...

Is there are a double standard for judging the behavior of Catholic bishops? Can liberal bishops push their own controversial ideas without fear of public rebuke, while their more conservative colleagues are shunned as “uncollegial” if they break with the general consensus? For an...

Throughout the Western world, Catholic Mass attendance has declined dramatically since Vatican II. That is an established fact. But did the Council—or its aftermath—cause the decline, or was the decline part of an overall cultural trend that the Council could not reverse? That question...

So now we see the price that the Catholic Church must pay for the years of confusion over matters of doctrine during the reign of Pope Francis. When the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) publishes a statement, designed to clarify the proper language to use in praise of the Virgin Mary,...

In this first month of his pontificate, Leo XIV has already provided us with many indications of what we can expect from his leadership. Those Catholics (and non-Catholics) who hoped for dramatic change will probably be disappointed. On balance, that’s a good thing. When the conclave...

From the date of his election—March 13, 2013—to the time of his death on Easter Monday, the pontificate of Pope Francis was marked by surprises and novelties, contradictions and confusion. When he first appeared at the loggia of St. Peter’s basilica, and began his remarks with...

With a directive that bans the celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass (TLM) in his parishes, and the threat of more detailed instructions barring even modest incorporation of traditional practices, Bishop Michael Martin of Charlotte, North Carolina, threatens to re-ignite the bitter...

Imagine that you are a young bachelor, having lunch with an old friend who has just married. Wreathed in smiles, radiating joy, he asks you: “Isn’t my wife the most beautiful woman in the world? Isn’t she just perfect?” She is a very attractive woman; that much is beyond...