Thomas G. Guarino

The bishops in the United States have worked very hard to make the Catholic Church the safest institution for children in the entire country. They have systematically rooted out sexual predators, suspending them from the exercise of priestly ministry. Their determination in this regard has been steadfast and their intentions should be warmly and universally applauded. . . . Continue Reading »

Pope Francis’ recent interview generated headline after headline about abortion and gay marriage. But more significant in the long run are the theological accents found in the interview, accents with important ecclesiological implications. … Continue Reading »

Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum. Habemus papam: We have a pope! And so Pope Francis walked out on the balcony, spoke humbly of his mission, asked for the prayers of all people, and blessed the city and the world. It was a climactic moment, coming after weeks of speculation and interviews… . Continue Reading »

It is well nigh impossible to offer an appreciation of Pope Benedict XVI’s theological accomplishments in a short column. But on the occasion of his resignation, perhaps a few of his noteworthy achievements can be highlighted. Although we are formally speaking of Benedict’s initiatives as pope, it is probably best to discuss the theological body of work he produced from 1981 to 2013, rather than simply his last eight years as bishop of Rome… . Continue Reading »

It was an extraordinary moment at the Republican convention last month when Mike Huckabee, a Baptist preacher turned politician, criticized Barack Obama for insisting that people have to “violate their faith and conscience in order to comply with what he calls health care. Friends … let me say it as clearly as possible, that the attack on my Catholic brothers and sisters is an attack on me.” … Continue Reading »

Chuck Colson, who passed away last week, famously went to jail for crimes related to the Watergate scandal and, during his time in prison, discovered the healing mercy and love of Jesus Christ. Colson dedicated the remainder of his life to the redemption he found in Christ, seeking to communicate the good news of the Gospel in a variety of settings: through Prison Fellowship, a vast radio network, and innumerable books and lectures… . Continue Reading »

Unsurprisingly, when in November 2009 the Holy See announced the establishment of personal ordinariates (similar to dioceses) for those Anglicans and Episcopalians entering into full communion with the Catholic Church, the standard journalistic account cast Pope Benedict’s outreach in . . . . Continue Reading »

Recently archbishop of Boston Cardinal Sean O’Malley published on his archdiocesan website a list of the names of priests accused of the sexual abuse of children. Accompanying the list was a letter that carefully explains the rationale for his decision. Cardinal O’Malley indicates that he is deeply concerned about the tragedy of sexual abuse and hopes to ensure that it is “never repeated in the Church.” … Continue Reading »

In an earlier essay on this site”and building upon the insights of Fr. Richard John Neuhaus and Avery Cardinal Dulles”I argued that the norms of the Dallas Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, as presently implemented, are straining the theology of priesthood. … Continue Reading »

At the end of last year, Msgr. Charles Kavanagh, who held several significant positions in the Archdiocese of New York, was laicized at the age of seventy-three for an incident of abuse that occurred over thirty years ago. I do not know all the details of the Kavanagh case and will not, therefore, comment on its specifics… . Continue Reading »