In Defense of Fr. Ripperger
Fr. Chad Ripperger was recently accused of making statements that are “contrary to Catholic Tradition, doctrine, and theology.” We need to set the record straight.
Catholics Are Abandoning the Church
The new Pew Survey should be a wakeup call for all Catholics: we are losing members at an alarming rate. What can be done to reverse the tide?
Catholics Are Rapidly Losing Ground
A new survey shows that for every 100 new Catholics, more than 800 people leave the Church. As bad as that is, the news is actually worse when we look more closely at the numbers. Radical changes are needed.
Keep Ringin’ Those Bells!
Are ringing bells during Mass a vestige of the bad old pre-1969 Mass, where everything was hidden from the People of God in a dead language and the priest had to get the congregation’s attention?
Geopolitics and Papal Elections
If you have any doubt that geopolitics should play a role in papal elections, think of this: while choosing someone to step into the shoes of the poor fisherman from Galilee, the cardinals are also electing the head of a sovereign, juridical entity.
The Coming Trumpian Pope
As we pray for the Holy Father in his final agony, we wonder who the next pope will be and pray he will be a Trumpian pope, a bull in the china shop who will “make a mess.”
Confessions of a Catholic Fundamentalist
A recent book called me a “Catholic fundamentalist.” Considering the source, I take that as a compliment.
The Pope I Pray For
I must admit to having—as every Catholic must—an idea of what I would wish for from and in a pope.
Pope Francis’s Declining Health and the Next Conclave
Pope Francis might be nearing the end of his earthly life; what will the next conclave be like?
Preparing for the Pope’s Passing
There is an apologia brewing for the spirit of the Francis papacy as secular stakeholders recoil to lose his fast-and-loose presence in the Vatican with the same vehemence as they recoil at Donald Trump’s fast-and-furious return to the White House.
The USCCB Should Be Disbanded
We’ll look at the origins of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), where it fits theologically in the structure of the Church, why it is suing the federal government, and what should be its future.
Will Federal Funding Cutbacks Spur the Catholic Church to a Mission Course Correction?
Catholic NGO funding scandal prompts calls for USCCB to pivot away from emphasis on pro-immigrant policies.
Bishops Burning Bridges
As much as the American public is shocked by the ongoing DOGE revelations of our abuse by the Federal government, betrayal by spiritual leaders is infinitely worse.
An Examination of Conscience for a Jaded Francis Reader
There’s something to be learned from the pope’s actions, timing, and even (as I suspect this is) missteps—not necessarily because the pope is trying to teach us but because God always is.
Happy Feast of St. Valentine’s Day
St. Valentine apparently did not meet the DEI criteria or the historical-critical requirement, so he was removed from the liturgical calendar.
What is a Catholic’s Duty to the Pope?
There’s a lot of confusion among Catholics regarding our obligations to the pope. Do we have to agree with everything he says? Must we implement his political views? Are we allowed to ignore him? We’ll break down exactly when we must adhere to the pope’s views and when we don’t have to.
Uncomfortable Martyrdoms
The dominant narrative of victimized American Indians and victimizer white settlers has a tendency to obscure what the many civilizations and tribes of our continent’s indigenous populations were truly like.
You Suffer, We Get the Credit
The American Church in my lifetime, as an institution rather than as individual priests or bishops here and there, has done nothing to keep the working class in the fold.
Robbing Abraham to Pay Bartholomew
The professional ecumenical class claims a common Easter would promote “Christian witness, unity, and evangelization.” The claim leaves me unconvinced because it does not address calendar differences.
Why Do Progressive Catholics Hate Converts?
Progressive Catholics have always had a suspicion and distrust of Catholic converts. Now that’s become full-blown hatred as converts work to dismantle their failed project to remake Catholicism in the image of the world.