"The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it."
Opinion > Culture
‘The Father of the World’—The Pope at the U.N.
As I listened to the Pope’s U.N. address, while driving through Manhattan with Godspy editors John Romanowsky and John Murphy, and my son Gianni, on our way to videotape among the crowds at Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza, just outside U.N. headquarters, I thought to myself—what could I possibly write about the Pope’s astonishingly deep and complex … READ MORE >
Opinion > Faith
How the Media is Missing the Pope’s Radical Critique of American Religion
I sometimes think that Catholic theology operates on a super high frequency that just doesn’t register on some people’s hearing. That’s the conclusion I came to when I read veteran NY Times Vatican-beat reporter Alessandra Stanley’s summing up of the papal visit so far. Comparing it to Prince Charles’ second wedding to Camilla Parker … READ MORE >
Opinion
Beyond Politics at the White House: What the Pope said, and what he didn’t say
As I listened to Pope Benedict XVI’s speech at the White House this morning, I thought of a very wise statement about God: “He loves us just the way we are, but he loves us too much to let us stay that way.” All popes follow this method, the one established by Jesus: Communicate unconditional love specifically to every person and nation, … READ MORE >
Opinion > Faith
Beyond Benedict, ‘the American Pope’
Time Magazine’s recent cover story about Benedict XVI’s upcoming visit had two headlines: “Why The Pope Loves America,” and “The American Pope.’ Neither title was accurate. It’s hard to imagine the soft-spoken, intellectual, Mozart-loving pontiff as somehow quintessentially American. But is it true that he loves America? Sure, … READ MORE >
Opinion > Issues
Driving a Wedge into the ‘Evangelical Center’ on Gay Marriage
Why is it taboo within the cultural left to “privilege” marriage in any way? Several years ago I came across a snarky little news item in New York Magazine titled: “The Smug Marrieds Head Underground: Pro-marriage propaganda to invade subway.” What sort of propaganda was this? They were subway billboards produced by an abstinence … READ MORE >
Opinion > Faith
Easter and the Problem of Evil
This Easter I waited for the usual Newsweek, Time or U.S. News magazine cover story about “Why Jesus Really Died,” or the “Lost Christianities” the Church has supposedly suppressed in centuries past. Mercifully, I didn’t notice any (I did find a very respectful photo essay on Ireland’s religious orders in Newsweek). Could it be … READ MORE >
Opinion > Politics
What the Presidential Election Reveals About the American Soul
With the death this week of Chiara Lubich, founder of the Focolare movement, the passing of the generation that founded the lay movements and greatly influenced Vatican II is accelerating. St. Josemaria Escriva, founder of Opus Dei, died in 1975, and Servant of God Dorothy Day, founder of the Catholic Worker movement, died in 1980. Within … READ MORE >
Opinion > Politics
None of the Above: The Only Vote Worth Casting in November?
As I listened to John McCain’s victory speech Tuesday night, spelling out the themes of his general election campaign—no apologies for the Iraq war, fight the “global war on terror” like it’s World War IV, keep taxes low, and global markets free—in other words, stay the course, the harsh reality of having to choose between him … READ MORE >
Opinion > Faith
Looking at the Pew Study: Danger Ahead?
What are we to make of the negative Catholic headlines last week from the Pew study of religious affiliation? “Catholicism has experienced the greatest net losses as a result of affiliation changes” … “Approximately one-third of the survey respondents who say they were raised Catholic no longer describe themselves as Catholic” … … READ MORE >
Opinion > Spirituality
The Joy of Nada—Doing Nothing for Lent
Pascal said “the sole cause of man’s unhappiness” is that he doesn’t know “how to stay quietly in his room.” That suggests something you can do for Lent—nothing. It’s not too late. If you’ve forgotten how, “All Nothing, All the Time,” a travel article in today’s New York Times, can help. “Aggressive inactivity,” says the … READ MORE >
