Yesterday, Pope Francis was presented with the Charlemagne Prize by the City of Aachen, or Aix-La-Chapelle, an honor given annually to individuals for their extraordinary commitment to European unity and solidarity. In honoring a Pope who has been very vocal and outspoken in his criticism of the European Union, the award committee reminds us that… Read More It is Time for Europe’s “Pope Francis Moment”
A recent article published in Crux laments what the author considers a lack of adequate attention given to the Catholic Church in centenary celebrations of the 1916 Easter Rising in Dublin, Ireland. In spite of the presence of the Head Chaplain for the Irish Defense Forces during the centenary celebrations, a planned centenary Requiem Mass… Read More The Easter Rising at 100: What Role Did the Church Play?
The Name of God is Mercy is an extended interview with Pope Francis, turned into a book, exploring his reflections on and experiences of God’s heavenly mercy. In it, he elaborates on the reasons he called for this Jubilee Year of Mercy that we are now celebrating. The book came out earlier this year, and… Read More On “The Name of God is Mercy”
Spotlight is not, at its heart, a movie about the Church. It is a movie about people doing their jobs for the sake of honesty and justice. The reporters at the Boston Globe, committed to truth and bringing that truth into the light, are doing the practical work of the Word without knowing it. The… Read More A Spotlight on Abuse: Healing the Wounds of the World through Truth, Justice, and Solidarity
“Continue to overcome apathy, offering a Christian response to the social and political anxieties, which are arising in various parts of the world. I ask you to be builders of the world, to work for a better world. Dear young people, please, don’t be observers of life, but get involved. Jesus did not remain an… Read More Don’t Be an Observer: Our Generation’s Call to Defend Life
The suggestion that we should hate our families seems repellent, like smelling food you intuitively know has passed. Even in my most wrathful moments of adolescence, in the midst of injustice at the hands of the oppressive regime of Mom and Dad, I would never, truly, hate my parents. I came closer with my twin… Read More “I Wasn’t Home for Christmas”: Reconciling Family and the Kingdom
“The fight against poverty and hunger must be fought constantly and on many fronts, especially in its causes.” Pope Francis Poverty is linked to some of the most pressing issues of modern times, from climate change to gun violence. Yet all too often, how we view poverty reflects societal misconceptions and prejudices and is disconnected… Read More Poverty, Capitalism, and Pope Francis
Millennial 