Elizabeth Scalia

In Jennifer Senior’s highly entertaining interview with Antonin Scalia, she asks the Supreme Court Justice about Pope Francis and he responds, “He’s the Vicar of Christ. He’s the chief. I don’t run down the pope” … Continue Reading »

In his remarks to the press this past Sunday, following the release of Antonio Spadaro’s broad-ranging and inspiring interview with Pope Francis, New York’s Timothy Cardinal Dolan called the pope’s pronouncements “a breath of fresh air” and added, “He’s a great relief to all of us” Continue Reading »

With summer becoming cool enough to warrant a shawl or sweater, my task this weekend was to clean the pool before closing. Thus occupied, I encountered Barack and Bashar”two frogs dwelling in the deep end and refusing to budge from their positions as I worked. Moving the vacuum head carefully, I would try to gently nudge the creatures away, but they would take turns launching themselves at the suction head. At one point, as I tilted the pole, lifting up just enough to capture a leaf, one of the frogs”I believe it was Barack”dared too deeply … Continue Reading »

While traveling to Rio de Janeiro to preside over his first World Youth Day, Pope Francis declined to do a formal interview with the press pool. “I don’t give interviews. I don’t know why… . It’s tiresome. But I enjoy your company.” On the return to Rome, the Holy Father… Continue Reading »

Scene: A florist’s shop somewhere in America, 2013 The Gentleman walks into shop and greets the owner familiarly. The Florist returns the greetings as she steps behind the counter… . Continue Reading »

It was easy to miss but on June 30 the New York Post carried brief editorial remarks by Michael Goodwin that read: “Count me among those cheering the Supreme Court decisions on gay marriage. At least I was cheering until I read the part of Justice Anthony Kennedy’s opinion where he claims the law he struck down was motivated by hate … Continue Reading »

I recently received the following message from a stranger: “So basically, the ‘orthodox Catholic’ game you all play is just that … a game?” It was in reference to a Catholic man with whom I am friendly, and like very much. She had apparently read on social media that this man was planning to marry another man… . Continue Reading »

In her excellent book How the West Really Lost God, Mary Eberstadt argues that the sharp decline in religious belief (and the waning influence of the churches) in the Western world is related directly to the decline of the traditional family. “The Christian story itself is a story told through the prism of the family. Take away the prism, and the story makes less sense … Continue Reading »

Writing for The Atlantic in September of 2012, Hanna Rosin argued that the “hookup culture” so prevalent on college campuses and in the lives of young adults is “an engine of female progress”one being harnessed and driven by women themselves.” She wrote: “To put it crudely, feminist progress right now largely depends on the existence of the hookup culture” … Continue Reading »

In 1986, Paul Simon took a look at the headlines full of pain and promise—stories about a boy in a bubble, bombs in baby carriages, ubiquitous cameras, and the ever-constant streams of information that engulf us—and wrote “Boy in the Bubble.” His lyrics, coupled with Zulu-pop-infused instrumentals recorded in South Africa, conveyed a jaunty optimism … Continue Reading »