Matthew Cantirino

A recent Congressional hearing on the contraception mandate (in which Bishop Lori told the well-publicized “Parable of the Kosher Deli”) prompted two Democratic congresswomen to walk-out “in protest” at the apparent gender imbalance of the testifying panel. “Where are the . . . . Continue Reading »

Has the ‘Catholic moment’ passed? Rod Dreher worries it might have, in a recent post at The American Conservative examining Fr. Richard John Neuhaus’ thesis. A quick primer for those unfamiliar with the term under consideration: In brief, Neuhaus argued that, as a result of both . . . . Continue Reading »

In a rather surreal and (until recently) highly unlikely move, Baroness Warsi, a British Muslim member of the House of Lords, has become one of the most vocal defenders of Christianity in Europe. Her remarks, made in numerous separate public appearances and speeches of late, build on a recent . . . . Continue Reading »

If that title sounds like a fishy e-mail subject line, you might be in the wrong business. Mark Bauerlein over at the Chronicle of Higher Education blog posts some highlights from the just-released 2011 American Freshman Survey, and that’s essentially the thrust of the document: . . . . Continue Reading »

Philadelphia’s recently-appointed Archbishop Charles Chaput made news last week by announcing plans to sell off his official residence, an unexpected inheritance that came with his position. According to press reports, the manor house of over 13,000 square feet sits on eight acres of land and . . . . Continue Reading »

In an essay in the Times Literary Supplement , Marina Warner reviews Wes Williams ’ new book “Monsters and Their Meanings in Early Modern Culture.” The thesis of the book might surprise some, in that it asserts that monsters do not represent a static fear, but actually arise in times . . . . Continue Reading »

Wayne Roosa, artist and art historian, will be displaying his 2010 series, In the Slipstream, at the First Things offices beginning February 16, 2012. (For more information on the opening night event, click here.) A professor of art history at Bethel University, St. Paul, Minnesota, and Chair of the New York Center for Art and Media Studies (NYCAMS), Roosa has been a research fellow at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and a recipient of a National Endowment for the Humanities research grant. His writings deal with contemporary art as well as the role of faith in art… . Continue Reading »

Some writers and pundits, troubled by the obvious problems with the HHS mandate but still unwilling to denounce the administration wholesale, have been looking to Hawaii for a possible compromise position. Yesterday, however, Richard Doerflinger, spokesman for the U.S. Conference of Catholic . . . . Continue Reading »

As coverage of the contraception mandate finally enters mainstream discourse and the standoff between the government and the Church escalates, it’s worth taking a few moments to flay some persistent red herrings about what this battle is  not . First, this fight is not a referendum on . . . . Continue Reading »

A rather remarkable story posted at GetReligion over the weekend claims that Fidel Castro, a man who comes close to qualifying for the title of ‘eternal president’ of Cuba, will make a return to the Catholic Church during Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to the island nation in March. The . . . . Continue Reading »