Philip Lawler

Archbishop Charles Chaput rose to decry any suggestion that the American bishops are at odds with Pope Francis at last week’s meeting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.  Continue Reading »

It's not quite clear whether the Amazon Synod will focus on the ecological health of Amazonia or the spiritual welfare of its inhabitants.  Continue Reading »

The changes at the John Paul II Institute are part of a larger bid to force change in the Church. Continue Reading »

Francis is facing the sort of media skepticism that he has somehow escaped for years. Continue Reading »

Policies are only as reliable as the officials who enforce them.  Continue Reading »

The Vatican has left the US hierarchy in an impossible position. Continue Reading »

Viganò's letter implicates Pope Francis in the very behavior he denounced while in Ireland. Continue Reading »

What did the American bishops know, and when did they know it? Continue Reading »

With the mass resignation of 34 Chilean bishops, we have reached the decisive moment of the Francis pontificate. Continue Reading »

Because Pope Francis may have blundered in handling a sex-abuse scandal, secular reporters are beginning to view him with a critical eye.  Continue Reading »