Catholics in the United States have been slow to grasp the problems facing Christians living in the Holy Land. Many Catholics don’t even know they are there, or that they are Arab Christians. Most Americans equate Arabs with Muslims, in spite of the fact that Arabs were Christians long before they were Muslims. Arab Christian … Read more
Chesterton’s Ghost Appears, Suggests Fans Find ‘Other Interests’ LONDON — A London book buyer got the shock of his life yesterday when the ghost of G. K. Chesterton appeared to him and joked that he wished his fans would “get lives.” “I was in The Bookstop, buying a copy of Orthodoxy when a man touched … Read more
This month I must reflect on a phone call I received from an old and discerning friend who was extremely upset over the music used at the papal Mass in Washington on April 17, and on a note another friend sent saying, “It was as if the Washington, D.C., crowd were pleasing themselves and not … Read more
Catholic parents, let me take this moment to commend you. When it comes to education in . . . well, you know, the — ahem — facts of life, you have bravely stood up for parental rights. You have said: “These delicate matters are for parents to attend to! No one must usurp this right! … Read more
This year marks an anniversary for Catholics in Britain: 230 years since the first Catholic Relief Act. In 1778, the law banning Catholic worship and making it a capital offence to be a Catholic priest was relaxed for the first time since the reign of Elizabeth I. For several years I worked at the House … Read more
Regrets? I’ve had more than a few. Stubborn vignettes cling inexplicably to the crags of my memory. There was the time in fifth grade when Heide, the prettiest girl in school, approached me in the lunch line, held up a quarter, and asked if I wouldn’t mind buying her a pretzel. I proved … Read more
Pope Benedict XVI has left America a treasure of wisdom that will take some time to unlock. Just a few of a wide variety of pearls include the relationship of freedom and truth, the primacy of human dignity and human rights, the “responsibility to protect,” the place of religion in the public square, and the … Read more
Now that Benedict has come and gone we are in the thick of media analysis of the meaning of it all. Many folk (Rod Dreher is a notable example) were (as I expected) disappointed because the pope didn’t “do something” about bishops who have, to say the least, not particularly distinguished themselves in the Scandal. … Read more
With his now notorious remarks about the way “bitter” small-town folks “cling” to their religion and guns while disliking immigrants, Barack Obama has taken us — at least those of us old enough to remember — for a stroll down memory lane, back to the 1950s, when it was taken for granted among liberals that … Read more
Gstaad in Swizerland was where William F. Buckley Jr. (1925-2008) spent winters skiing and writing the novels that he regularly sent me in the vain expectation that I would read them; they were not his best writing, and I do not read novels anyway, as every day in real life is more thrilling than any … Read more
In Raymond Arroyo’s fascinating EWTN interview with President George W. Bush before Pope Benedict XVI’s visit, President Bush said some very revealing things about how he views the sources of terrorism and, in general, the world. In two instances, his basically sound instincts led him awry. Both involve issues central to the country’s security, … Read more
Pope Benedict XVI’s trip to the United States was a huge success. The eyes of America were upon him, and most people liked what they saw — very much. Benedict is not the trained actor and charismatic figure that Pope John Paul II was, but there is a fundamental decency that shows through to compliment … Read more
His Holiness came to America known as the “enforcer” of Catholic doctrine. He left America as the face of the Church, the face of peace. Benedict XVI arrived in the midst of swirling controversies, but in addressing them, he raised our hearts and minds to the place where all struggles cease and all questions are … Read more
Particularly in springtime, the campus of The Catholic University of America is arguably one of the prettiest in the country. But in anticipation of a visit from Pope Benedict XVI, the school — which is America’s only pontifical university, supported by the bishops and the pope — did freshen itself up, installing a new … Read more
Like many American Catholics who weren’t lucky enough to score tickets to a Papal Mass, I have been watching this week’s events unfold on my television screen. Viewing from my living room, with a gang of kids gathered around me on the couches, reminds me of the springtime three years ago when we watched the … Read more
Pope Benedict XVI’s address to Catholic college presidents yesterday afternoon was brilliant. The pope built upon a generation of Vatican efforts to encourage the renewal of Catholic identity in Catholic education. But more than that, he laid out a vision and roadmap for renewal that are ultimately tied to the survival of the West. … Read more
Stretching from the Southeast gate of the White House around the corner to Constitution Avenue, a line of people from as far away as California began forming at 7:00AM yesterday. They were among the 12,000 people who greeted Pope Benedict XVI on the South Lawn of the White House at his official welcome after … Read more
It was the biggest event in the history of the White House, with over 13,000 people forming a line that snaked for over a quarter of a mile down 15th Street and onto Constitution Avenue. Benedict XVI was in town, and President George W. Bush was giving him his 81st birthday party on the South … Read more
The appeal of Catholic liturgy is that it is structured, and in this, it differs dramatically from the run-of-the-mill evangelical service in which everything is left to human discretion. What a relief, even a liberation, to have an order of service that has been put together by organic development over the ages rather than … Read more
Pope Benedict XVI addressed the bishops of the United States on secularism, relativism, the sex abuse scandal, and the future of the Church in America. * * * It gives me great joy to greet you today, at the start of my visit to this country, and I thank Cardinal George for the gracious words … Read more
