Stopped Clock Right Twice a Day
You may want to sit down for this, but flamboyantly apostate Episcopal bishop John Shelby Spong actually thrilled me with a prescient bit of insight into Scripture! How is this possible? Well, there is a basic principle at work in the universe called the Gomer Pyle Axiom of High and Low Expectations. It works … Read more
1942: Passing through a Severe Calvary
Marking the end of the third year of war, Italy seemed fated to lose, whichever side won. Germany began to view Mussolini as, in the words of Churchill, “a lackey and a serf, the merest utensil of his master’s will.” Italian aspirations for “spazio vitale” were not mentioned when Joseph Goebbels was in Venice to … Read more
Abortion, Health Care, and the President’s Priorities
Two days after the Stupak-Pitts Amendment passed, President Barack Obama made a statement that appeared to accept a ban on abortion funding in health care reform. “I laid out a very simple principle, which is, this is a health care bill, not an abortion bill, and we’re not looking to change what is the principle … Read more
What Makes a Catholic School, Catholic?
Vatican II’s “Declaration on Christian Education” was clear that parents “must be recognized as the primary and principal educators” of their children. Your school’s attitude toward this foundational principal of Catholic education is the single best measure of the faithfulness of your local Catholic school. Indeed, the school should not only welcome your involvement as … Read more
No Freaking Way
As the holiday season comes upon us, and Catholic teenagers everywhere prepare for their high school dances — searching for the perfect gowns, tuxedos, and corsages, and pondering how, whether, and when to find a date — the subject of freak dancing will not likely come up. While some high schools have implemented policies that … Read more
Welcoming the Anglicans: A Conversation with Monsignor William Stetson
Msgr. William Stetson is the secretary of the pastoral provision, the structure provided by Pope John Paul II in 1980 to enable married former Episcopal priests to be ordained as Catholic priests. The pastoral provision also empowers the establishment of “personal parishes” — groups to which the Church grants special pastoral care (in this case, … Read more
I Love Homeschooling… I Hate Homeschooling
Through the years, my experience as a writing, blogging, publicly homeschooling mom has made one thing clear to me — in Catholic parenting circles, homeschooling is a hot topic. Probably second only to the infamous “spank or don’t-spank” debates. On a daily basis, inquiring minds fill up my e-mail inbox: What is your homeschool philosophy? … Read more
How the Stupak-Pitts Amendment May Change Our Politics
Last Friday night, when House Speaker Nancy Pelosi decided to allow a vote on the Stupak-Pitts Amendment, she may have unwittingly altered the direction of the Obama presidency and the Democratic Party. For the first time in a long time, the pro-life issue is setting the agenda for the national debate on a major … Read more
