I am not on Facebook, which I realize makes me akin to an alien. Yes, I miss out on invitations, fun photos, and connections, but the losses aren’t worth the gains… at least not yet. I’ve been chided and criticized for not joining the club, but it turns out I’m in good — and unexpected … Read more
We are all familiar with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), and I suspect most of us accept it as a fact of life. I further suspect that most of us have never really considered the who, what, why, or wherefore of such conferences in the Church. This does not mean that the … Read more
Here’s part two of Catholics in Action, an exploration of Catholic Social Doctrine from the personal level instead of the political. As always, these pages come from Catholic University’s online archive of Treasure Chest of Fun and Fact. There, a new bit of Catholic sports trivia for you. I do have some misgivings about everyone’s … Read more
Christine O’Donnell’s surprise victory in Delaware has stunned the pundits. It’s called a Tea Party victory, but in fact it was something a bit different. O’Donnell’s message was consistently grounded in the social conservatism of her Catholic faith, with a strong emphasis on the sanctity of life and the defense of marriage. The role of … Read more
Once, when asked his philosophy, Franklin Roosevelt answered simply, “I am a Christian and a Democrat.” As always with Roosevelt, there was more to it than that. He was not just a Christian, but a Protestant, an Episcopalian, a descendant of Huguenot and Yankee New Englanders on his mother’s side. And he was not just … Read more
No, I’m not a musician doing an accoustic set. Instead I’m a guy who has had to do some serious budget downsizing, which included dropping my cell phone when the contract ended. I’ve been without it for almost two weeks now, and I still have phantom phone syndrome. I’m not just a cell phone user, … Read more
It’s a slow day here on the blog, so I thought I’d raise some hackles. Though a cradle Catholic, my adult conversion to the Faith was intimately tied to the writings of C.S Lewis, and thus I take somewhat of an academic approach to it. Add to this my legal training, and I tend to view … Read more
When I accepted a job as an activity director in a nursing home, I had grand ideas of what I would accomplish with the residents there. Fresh out of college, sporting my shiny new bachelor’s degree in sociology, I felt ready to change the world. Real nursing homes, I quickly found out though, are nothing … Read more
Last night’s Partnership Dinner was a great success — so successful, in fact, that we’re all going to be a little slow out of the gate this morning. So rather than the usual Friday round-up, I thought I’d share a few shots from the evening: Marjorie Dannenfelser, the president of the Susan B. Anthony List, … Read more
Two basic needs that we human beings have are the need for meaning and the need for morality. We need to feel that our lives are meaningful, that they have a purpose. And we need to have an authoritative moral code that tells us what’s right and what’s wrong, what’s good and what’s bad. Absent … Read more
As Brian mentioned, all of us here at InsideCatholic are headed to our 15th annual Partnership Dinner tonight, where we’ll honor Bishop Vasa for his service to the Church. It’s a little hectic at IC headquarters today as a result, so in our absence, I’ll leave you with this, which had me totally mesmerized this … Read more
Benedict’s visit to the UK is already underway, and the coverage began on his flight over, with the pope’s customary habit of answering written questions from journalists — a practice that tends to set the tone for the first day of reporting. As with several of Benedict’s recent state visits, one of those questions dealt … Read more
Among friends and family, I’m known for being an amateur barista and coffee aficionado. It’s not that I’m a connoisseur — far from it — but I have high standards when it comes to the quality of my coffee, and I try to stay informed on how to achieve excellence in every sip. Knowing this, … Read more
Tonight is InsideCatholic’s 15th annual Partnership Dinner and Dance, so things will be quiet around the blog as we prepare. I did want to call your attention to one timely item. Elizabeth Scalia had a lovely Tuesday column at First Things, anticipating the meeting today between Benedict XVI and Elizabeth II: At the age of fourteen, … Read more
While in Rome recently, I went to confession at St. John Lateran. It’s the cathedral of Rome, and I’d heard the grace was better there. I got an old Irish priest, soft-spoken, deliberate, patient, and with a habit of sighing frequently as you spoke. He sounded — and looked, when I saw him a little … Read more
What is it about us that makes us willing to stand in line for an eternity at a coffee shop just to get a cup? Actually, I’m not really sure what to call those establishments, as they’re part Internet cafe, part hang-out joint, and part public restroom. It seems that people do everything there except … Read more
This past weekend was a farrago of extreme experiences — the anniversary of September 11, the build-up to rallies favoring and opposing the Ground Zero Victory Mosque, marches by paranoid 9/11 “truthers” — and a solemn farewell to a dear friend I will never see again. All this at once, in just two days, might … Read more
Here’s a story after my own heart: An exemplary organic farm run by a group of nuns. Villa Maria, on the border of Pennsylvania and Ohio is like a small town, with a Post Office, and a 23 acre plot of land housing a convent, an apartment building for seniors, and a retreat center full … Read more
Over at Catholic Culture, Phil Lawler offers five things we can expect from Benedict’s trip to the UK (which begins tomorrow). Among things like the “nasty rhetoric” and criticism of the organizers that we’ve already seen, one item stood out — and gave me hope for the visit: 4. Expect the unexpected Pope Benedict has … Read more
This year’s election season promises ever greater challenges to the fake Catholic political groups. Catholics United and Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good seem to be running out of ideas for how to convince Catholics to vote for the same Democratic candidates who had promised in 2008 to support Catholic teachings on life issues, … Read more