William Doino Jr.

Excommunication is the most severe penalty the Catholic Church can impose upon its members, but it is sometimes necessary as a matter of simple justice. Writing in the  National Catholic Register , Father Brian Mullady  makes the point well . Acknowledging that many regard excommunication . . . . Continue Reading »

Rare is the mainstream reporter or columnist who is willing to repudiate the pro-choice outlook for a pro-life stand. But there are exceptions. Continue Reading »

The entry of Christ into history is the greatest blessing the world has ever known, but the beauty of that event is never matched by the practice of Christians. Perhaps nowhere is this more painfully apparent than in Christian conduct toward Jews. The Passion narratives were long abused as part of a polemic against “the Jews,” who were blamed, collectively and of course wrongly, for the death of Christ. The “deicide” myth, as it became known, led to the equally destructive idea that Jews would be forced to wander the earth forever, because they had not accepted Christ… . Continue Reading »

Nothing so excites the press than does a Vatican scandal. The recent  firing of the head of the Vatican’s Bank , amidst charges of wrongdoing, and the  arrest of the pope’s private butler , accused of leaking papal documents, have provoked an international media . . . . Continue Reading »

At his famous Harvard Commencement address in 1978, Alexander Solzhenitsyn remarked, “A decline in courage may be the most striking feature which an outside observer notices in the West.” Thirty-five years later, one could add: “and an increase in pessimism and despair.” Defeatism and disillusionment have become fashionable in certain circles, considered high acts of sophistication. Books announcing the ruination and end of America flood the marketplace and are praised for their black humor. Hopelessness has become chic… . Continue Reading »

Unveiling a new work on the Second Vatican Council in Rome , Cardinal Walter Brandmuller, the retired president of the Pontifical Committee for Historical Sciences, announced that Vatican II’s decrees on non-Christian religions (Nostra Aetate) and Religious Freedom (Dignitatas Humanae) . . . . Continue Reading »

We tend to love saints”provided they are safely dead. When they are alive, kicking up a storm, challenging us to live out the Gospel, they act like a thorn in our conscience. The saints inspire awe. There is nothing more holy”or terrifying”than reading what St. Catherine of Siena wrote about wayward clergy in her searing Dialogue; few sermons in Christendom equal the power of St. Alphonsus Liguori’s on the enticements of the world; and how many of us would have the courage of a St. Charles Borromeo, who, as he implemented the reforms of the Council of Trent, had his life threatened multiple times? … Continue Reading »

As we await the results of the  Holy See’s talks with the Society of St. Pius X , a prominent Catholic priest has issued an important statement about Vatican II, which is at the center of the discussions. Msgr. David Jaeger, a judge at the Roman Rota,  cautioned  against looking . . . . Continue Reading »

In his now-famous address at Fordham University, Joseph Cardinal Bernardin, the late archbishop of Chicago argued that “the pro-life position of the Church must be developed in terms of a comprehensive and consistent ethic of life.” Consequently, the Church should not just focus on fighting abortion, but also the nuclear arms race, capital punishment and poverty; and promote health care, immigration reform and benefits for the unemployed… . Continue Reading »

Is official Catholic reconciliation with the Society of St. Pius X possible? More importantly, is it desirable ? Writing in the Washington Post , Melinda Henneberger thinks that news of a possible reconciliation with the SSPX is simply “bad news .” This is shortsighted, and overlooks the . . . . Continue Reading »