William Doino Jr.

The name of Fulton J. Sheen brings to mind many things: “the Golden Age of Catholicism” … the stirring sermons … the amusing stories and dramatic conversions… the black cassock and red cape … the glistening pectoral cross … the angel cleaning the blackboard … and the signature sign-off to his Life is Worth Living television shows: “God love you!” And now, a new description can be added to the list: a saint-in-waiting… . Continue Reading »

Blessed John XXIII is one of the most beloved popes in all of history”and quite possibly the most misunderstood. Almost from the moment he was elected pope, Angelo Roncalli”or “Good Pope John,” as he came to be known”captivated the world. There was something about Roncalli’s ways”his buoyant personality and self-deprecating humor; his willingness to affirm rather than condemn”that attracted so many to him.… . Continue Reading »

Excommunication is the most severe penalty the Catholic Church can impose upon its members, but it is sometimes necessary as a matter of simple justice. Writing in the  National Catholic Register , Father Brian Mullady  makes the point well . Acknowledging that many regard excommunication . . . . Continue Reading »

Whenever criticism is voiced of the mainstream media these days, we are sure to be reminded of its accomplishments. “Don’t forget,” critics are told, “it was the much-maligned media that uncovered Watergate; the media which exposed evils like Abu Ghraib; and the media, . . . . Continue Reading »

The entry of Christ into history is the greatest blessing the world has ever known, but the beauty of that event is never matched by the practice of Christians. Perhaps nowhere is this more painfully apparent than in Christian conduct toward Jews. The Passion narratives were long abused as part of a polemic against “the Jews,” who were blamed, collectively and of course wrongly, for the death of Christ. The “deicide” myth, as it became known, led to the equally destructive idea that Jews would be forced to wander the earth forever, because they had not accepted Christ… . Continue Reading »

Nothing so excites the press than does a Vatican scandal. The recent  firing of the head of the Vatican’s Bank , amidst charges of wrongdoing, and the  arrest of the pope’s private butler , accused of leaking papal documents, have provoked an international media . . . . Continue Reading »

At his famous Harvard Commencement address in 1978, Alexander Solzhenitsyn remarked, “A decline in courage may be the most striking feature which an outside observer notices in the West.” Thirty-five years later, one could add: “and an increase in pessimism and despair.” Defeatism and disillusionment have become fashionable in certain circles, considered high acts of sophistication. Books announcing the ruination and end of America flood the marketplace and are praised for their black humor. Hopelessness has become chic… . Continue Reading »

Unveiling a new work on the Second Vatican Council in Rome , Cardinal Walter Brandmuller, the retired president of the Pontifical Committee for Historical Sciences, announced that Vatican II’s decrees on non-Christian religions (Nostra Aetate) and Religious Freedom (Dignitatas Humanae) . . . . Continue Reading »

We tend to love saints”provided they are safely dead. When they are alive, kicking up a storm, challenging us to live out the Gospel, they act like a thorn in our conscience. The saints inspire awe. There is nothing more holy”or terrifying”than reading what St. Catherine of Siena wrote about wayward clergy in her searing Dialogue; few sermons in Christendom equal the power of St. Alphonsus Liguori’s on the enticements of the world; and how many of us would have the courage of a St. Charles Borromeo, who, as he implemented the reforms of the Council of Trent, had his life threatened multiple times? … Continue Reading »

As we await the results of the  Holy See’s talks with the Society of St. Pius X , a prominent Catholic priest has issued an important statement about Vatican II, which is at the center of the discussions. Msgr. David Jaeger, a judge at the Roman Rota,  cautioned  against looking . . . . Continue Reading »