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Francis, Filtered

From Web Exclusives

About a year ago, I suggested to one of the top editors of a major American newspaper that his journal’s coverage of things papal left something to be desired, as it seemed based on the assumption that Pope Francis was some kind of radical wild-man, eager to toss into the garbage bin of history all those aspects of Catholic faith and practice that mainstream western culture finds distasteful. My friend replied, in so many words, look, you know how these media narratives are: they’re like bamboo. Once they get started, there’s no stopping them. They just keep growing. Continue Reading »

Possessed

From the June/July 1993 Print Edition

Lord have mercy on my son for he is a lunatic, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire and ofttimes into the water. —Matthew 17:15 The devil is a man, not unlike  a father who has his faults.  He can’t help but take hold  beneath the blue flame of vein and . . . . Continue Reading »