Matthew Schmitz

Watch this page for white smoke. . . . . Continue Reading »

Jennifer Rubin applauds Rand Paul’s remarks on gay marriage and tells social conservatives to pay attention : As much as I disagree with Rand Paul on his larger vision on foreign policy, he is worth heeding on marriage. Americans have not bought into the “traditional marriage” . . . . Continue Reading »

The mystery is over : On Tuesday, the Vatican press office revealed the composition of the colored smoke used during the conclave to signal the results of the voting. Earlier, a Vatican spokesman had said only that the smoke was made “from several different elements.” Both recipes are . . . . Continue Reading »

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That is the question asked by Austin Ruse in a column at the  Catholic Thing . Ruse calls Burke a “true pastor and a man who has all the gifts – ecclesial, spiritual, and temporal – to be Bishop of Rome.” Ruse is hardly the only one to tout Burke’s name. A Catholic . . . . Continue Reading »

Citing a shortage of swordsmen, Saudi Arabia is considering performing executions using firing squads instead of public beheadings : A joint Saudi committee composed of representatives of the ministries of interior, justice and health is mulling the replacement of beheading with firing squads for . . . . Continue Reading »

Younger American Catholics express slightly more real agreement with Church teaching and slightly less respect for its shepherds in a new poll by the  New York Times /CBS News. Women’s ordination was favored by 72 percent of Catholics between 45 and 64 and 68 percent of Catholics between . . . . Continue Reading »

As the  New York Times  has reported , the Obama administration’s drone policy assumes that women, children, and the elderly are civilians but “in effect counts all military-age males in a strike zone as combatants, according to several administration officials, unless there . . . . Continue Reading »

Humor magazine McSweeney’s posts a satirical cover letter for the world’s most discussed job opening: Dear sir or madam, I am writing to apply for the position of Pope. I recently received my Bachelor of Arts, or “artium baccalaureus,” from Dartmouth College, with a major . . . . Continue Reading »

Standing before all of Hollywood at last night’s Academy Awards, confronted by an inquisitorial teddy bear, Mark Wahlberg refused to deny his Lord and savior: Ted: “You’ve got a ‘berg’ on the end of your name. Are you Jewish?” Mark Wahlberg: “No, . . . . Continue Reading »