William Doino Jr.

By now, the Pope’s impromptu press conference, on his flight back from Brazil, has been analyzed the world over. But in all the discussion over Francis’ comments, very little has been said about the key line in his now famous exchange on homosexuality. “This is what is important,” declared Francis to reporters, “a theology of sin.” That is what should have made headlines after the papal press conference”not that Francis used the word “gay,” or expressed a merciful (and thus deeply Christian) attitude toward those seeking reconciliation with God. “This is what is important: a theology of sin.” … Continue Reading »

Fans of Dawn Eden, well-known Catholic-convert and recent  First Things speaker , will surely want to read Alexandra Molotkow’s  new profile of Eden  in this Sunday’s  New York Times Magazine  (August 11 edition). The article connects the story of . . . . Continue Reading »

Of all the challenging things Francis has said since becoming pope, none has been more quoted than this line: “How I would like a Church which is poor, and for the poor!” Simple and direct, it perfectly captures the spirit of Francis’s new pontificate. And what gives it such power and meaning is the personal witness behind it… . Continue Reading »

At the  National Catholic Reporter , Michael Sean Winters misspells my name and misunderstands my column. According to Winters, I—-or at least a certain Mr. “Donio”—-try to “twist Pope Francis into the kind of Catholic neo-con who, well, the kind who reads  . . . . Continue Reading »

He has been called an “improv pope,” a pope of many surprises, but the biggest surprise of all is that Francis continues to elude all efforts to classify him. Since the opening days of his papacy, a flood of commentators have come forth to tell us what to expect of him, only to miss the mark… . Continue Reading »

In my last  On the Square column , I took exception to a  New York Times piece  which   assailed Giovanni Palatucci, an Italian policeman honored by Yad Vashem for rescuing Jews during the Holocaust, and also under consideration for sainthood. Relying on  highly . . . . Continue Reading »

In 2005, a special ceremony in Jerusalem was held for Giovanni Palatucci, an Italian policeman who was arrested and died in Dachau for his anti-Nazi activities. Fifteen years before, Yad Vashem, Israel’s Holocaust Memorial, had named him a Righteous Among the Nations, for rescuing Jews … Continue Reading »

Visually stunning and gripping to the last frame, Baz Luhrmann’s Gatsby is a whirlwind ride into the Roaring Twenties, complete with a pulsating sound track and 3-D imagery. But its greatest strength is also its biggest weakness: Luhrmann is so intent on dazzling viewers with his frenetic, over-the-top directing style that the film constantly threatens to overshadow, if not injure, the delicacy and profundity of Fitzgerald’s exquisite novel… . Continue Reading »

When Timothy Dolan was elected president of the U. S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in 2010, it caught almost everyone by surprise. The custom had been to select the sitting vice president”which Dolan, at that time, was not. He was, however, the recently installed Archbishop of New York, the most influential pulpit in the nation, and a man of unique gifts… . Continue Reading »

On an early summer day, six years ago next month, an event of historic significance took place in Washington, D.C. A diverse group of people”politicians, clergy, and émigrés”gathered to dedicate the Victims of Communism Memorial in honor of “the tens of millions of men, women and children who were ruthlessly and systematically exterminated to advance the cause of the murderous, malevolent ideology that is Communism.” … Continue Reading »