The Scandal and Allure of the Priesthood

by Philip Tartaglia

The priesthood—like the Mass, the Church, and God—must be set apart, no matter how much it scandalizes the secular world. Continue Reading »

2 Aug 2017

Time Magazine Reinvents the Priesthood

by William Doino Jr.

In a recent story on the next generation of Catholic priests, Time magazine showed itself to be partisan and misinformed. Continue Reading »

3 Jul 2017

The Priesthood of all Believers

by Timothy George

The priesthood of all believers is a call to ministry and service; it is a barometer of the quality of the life of God’s people in the body of Christ and of the coherence of our witness in the world, the world for which Christ died. Continue Reading »

31 Oct 2016

A Paulist Priest’s Wonderful Life

by William Doino Jr.

At ninety-five, Fr. James Lloyd is the oldest living Paulist priest. But you’d never know that from following his busy schedule. Continue Reading »

24 Oct 2016

Spotlight on the Vulnerable

by Philip Lawler

Any major American newspaper would immediately fire a reporter who was caught using composite characters or inventing quotations for his stories. Hollywood naturally plays by different rules. A film “based on” a true story is considered acceptable; “recreated” dialogue is the norm. We expect . . . . Continue Reading »

8 Jan 2016

Of Marriage and Orthodox Priests

by Wesley J. Smith

If anyone had asked me what I thought about Eastern Orthodoxy before I converted, I would have said it was basically a popeless Catholic Church, except that its priests can marry. My presumption was mostly wrong. While there are certainly important similarities between the theologies of world’s . . . . Continue Reading »

2 Oct 2015

Facebook and Calling Priests “Father”

by Nathan O’Halloran, S.J.

On Facebook people connect using their real names and identities.” “Titles of any kind” are forbidden; “the name you use should be your authentic identity.” So reads Facebook’s official policy, and among those affected are priests using the title “Father.”Priests cannot call . . . . Continue Reading »

4 Sep 2015

The amazing, and now Venerable, Father Al

by George Weigel

At an inch or so over five feet and weighing, I would guess, something on the underside of 100 pounds, Sister Winnie, a soft spoken Filipina, is not your typical dinner speaker. Yet a few weeks ago she held a room full of Washingtonians spellbound with her story – which is also the story of a largely unknown American of whom the Church in the United States should be very proud. Continue Reading »

29 Jul 2015

Rolling Stone, Alan Dershowitz, and Catholic Priests

by Thomas G. Guarino

By now, virtually everyone has heard of the Rolling Stone fiasco, with its explosive article, “A Rape on Campus,” having been unmasked as deeply flawed. Although the magazine featured a long story about campus sexual assault, the police found no evidence to substantiate the allegations of rape at the University of Virginia. Perhaps fewer are familiar with the case of Alan Dershowitz, the well-known Harvard Law professor who tells his own frightening story of a false accusation. Dershowitz’s reputation for integrity, built over the course of a lifetime, was recently threatened by an uncorroborated allegation of sex with an underage woman. While that accusation has now been stricken from the record, Dershowitz notes that “you can’t unring a bell.” His sterling career and good name having been called into question. Continue Reading »

21 May 2015

An Apology for the Catholic Church’s Patriarchy

by Dominic Burbidge

Patriarchy refers to rule by men. It is an accusation often levelled at the Catholic Church, an institution led by a class of male-only priests distinct in status. Priests decide on disagreements over dogma, administer God’s forgiveness of sins through the sacrament of confession, and institute the Eucharist at Mass—some of the most important Church activities. For most people, this is patriarchal and unwelcome in our age of gender equality. Continue Reading »

3 Feb 2015