William Doino Jr.

Watching Roberto Clemente play baseball was to have seen the game at its best, but to have known him as a man, and appreciate him as a leader, was even better. Forty years after his death, in a tragic plane crash on New Year’s Eve 1972, Clemente’s stature only continues to grow. Born in Carolina, Puerto Rico on August 18, 1934, to Luisa and Melchor Clemente, Roberto was the youngest of seven siblings. … Continue Reading »

Pope Paul VI was carried and sustained by his faith, something much stronger than anything in this world. Continue Reading »

The recent news that Cardinal Elia Dalla Costa has  been recognized as “Righteous Among the Nations”  by Israel’s Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial is a welcome, and a much-deserved, honor. Dalla Costa, the archbishop of Florence during World War II, . . . . Continue Reading »

He was among the most notorious criminals of his time, and certainly one of the most brutal. Henri Pranzini—tall, charming, and charismatic—was a life-long petty thief who took advantage of vulnerable women in nineteenth century France, a vice that eventually destroyed him. On the morning of March 17, 1887, the bodies of Marie Regnault, a prominent Parisian women, her servant, Annette Gremeret, and the servant’s daughter, Marie, were all found lifeless in an apartment… . Continue Reading »

First Things readers in America interested in obtaining Rupert Shortt’s new book, Christianophobia , about the relentless persecution of Christians throughout the world (which I described here ), will be pleased to learn that Eerdmans will be bringing out an American edition of the book in . . . . Continue Reading »

The news that America’s bishops, led by Cardinal Dolan, have  unanimously approved  the cause of Dorothy Day—-the famous convert and Catholic Worker leader—-has brought joy to her many admirers. I am among them. Several months ago, in writing about Day’s “ . . . . Continue Reading »

As anxious as many Christians are about religious freedom in America, nothing we’ve experienced”and God willing, never will”comes close to the brutal persecution of Christians abroad. The stunning extent of this persecution is documented in Times Literary Supplement religion editor Rupert Shortt’s evenhanded and unsettling new book, Christianophobia: A Faith Under Attack… . Continue Reading »

If there is one silver lining to President Obama’s re-election”an event that fills many with apprehension”it is that it’s provided a clarifying moment for American conservatism. For years, the conservative movement has been carried along by its “big tent” philosophy, which welcomes conservatives of various types. In the wake of Obama’s victory, however, these differences have been accentuated… . Continue Reading »

Tomorrow, Americans will be flocking to the polls to decide their President for the next four years. When the election concludes, there will be a great deal of discussion about the blessings of democracy, our grand political tradition, and the precious freedoms Americans have”all of which we should be thankful for. Hand in hand with those blessings come hazards, though they aren’t likely to be discussed much, since questioning any aspect of a democracy, while living in one, is itself considered undemocratic… . Continue Reading »

When Pope Benedict canonized Kateri Tekakwitha yesterday—making her the first Native American saint—he not only elevated an extraordinary Catholic woman; he lifted the entire community of Native American believers. Ever since the “Lily of the Mohawks” died in the seventeenth century, her indigenous supporters have believed what the Catholic Church now officially proclaims: that she was a bold and prophetic saint. . . . Continue Reading »