Pope Benedict’s letter this past week to the Catholics of China is a development of potentially historic importance. In reading the letter and talking with people who know the situation in China, the most striking thing is Benedict’s insistence that there is one Catholic Church in . . . . Continue Reading »
Prof. Stephanie Coontz recently took to the pages of the New York Times to inform us that we do not need marriage as a legal institution. This is not the first time she has ridden rough-shod over marriage in the Times , and I doubt it will be the last. In this instance, Coontz is nothing short of . . . . Continue Reading »
Pope Benedict XVI released his new encyclical letter, Spe Salvi (Saved by Hope), November 30, just two days before the beginning of Advent. Not surprisingly, the Holy Father’s timing was perfect because Advent, more than any other season of the year, is rooted in the virtue of hope. For Catholics, . . . . Continue Reading »
Sometimes political discussions get so bogged down that people’s views get set in stone. With advocates on both sides of a contentious issue preaching to the choir, the hope of actually persuading anyone diminishes as each side’s talking points become more predictable. But sometimes the . . . . Continue Reading »
More than any other pope, John Paul II was the twentieth century’s greatest papal friend and supporter of the Jewish people. Indeed, John Paul II’s extraordinary relationship with the Jews was an important chapter in the historic legacy of his pontificate, which has had profound . . . . Continue Reading »
The film version of The Golden Compass opens on December 7 and it’s worth remembering that the book, part of Philip Pullman’s series of fantasy novels, was widely discussed when Pullman finished the series back in the fall of 2000. first things published two sharp discussions at the time, both . . . . Continue Reading »
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