Happy Valentine’s Day, Lucky You

by David Mills

A valentine card from a child who has either not quite mastered the English language or who has: . . . . Continue Reading »

14 Feb 2013 0

Bishop Sample on Music at Mass

by Anna Sutherland

In a newly released pastoral letter  to the Diocese of Marquette, Bishop Alexander Sample (now archbishop-designate of Portland) calls for implementation of Church teaching on the use of sacred music in the liturgy. Drawing on a century’s worth of papal and council documents, he points . . . . Continue Reading »

14 Feb 2013 0

Dull Days at Downton

by David Mills

For those of you who are  Anglophiles, and I suspect that’s a good many of you, who therefore are probably spending your Sunday evenings watching  Downton Abbey , a dissenting story from Slate, What is Actually at Stake at Downton Abbey?  The answer is apparently, according to . . . . Continue Reading »

14 Feb 2013 0

FEMA Aid to Houses of Worship

by Joseph Knippenberg

Yesterday, a bipartisan House majority passed H.R. 592 , sponsored by Rep. Christopher Smith (R-N.J.), which requires FEMA to provide disaster assistance to houses of worship using the same criteria it has for other applicants. A letter to Rep. Smith from the Becket Fund assures him that his . . . . Continue Reading »

14 Feb 2013 0

Strong Support for Incremental Pro-Life Laws in New York State

by Michael J. New

Last month, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced his support for the Reproductive Health Act in his “State of the State” address. The Reproductive Health Act would make abortion a “fundamental right” in New York law, rendering it very difficult to pass incremental pro-life . . . . Continue Reading »

14 Feb 2013 0

First Links — 2.14.13

by Matthew Cantirino

A Request: Tell Me I’m Not Good Enough David Paul Deavel,  Catholic World Report Apologies for Interfaith “Debacle” Caleb K. Bell, Christianity Today More Evidence Exonerating Pius XII Dalya Alberge, Guardian Can Writers Retire? Bill Morris, The Millions More Reflections on . . . . Continue Reading »

14 Feb 2013 0

The Rubio Response: The Rhetorical Problem, The Reality Problem, And the Media Problem

by Pete Spiliakos

1. Rubio’s speech was fine. It had the correct populist working-class and middle-class focus. Rubio’s speech compares favorably with Romney’s Republican convention speech despite Rubio having a tougher environment. 2. This isn’t a criticism of the speech, but Rubio’s . . . . Continue Reading »

13 Feb 2013 0

SOTU Thoughts Part II: A Defense That Is Really Offensive

by Pete Spiliakos

Yuval Levin argues that Obama’s lack of major proposals represents (in part) the “exhaustion of liberalism in our time.” I agree with Levin that Obama’s SOTU was mostly defensive,  but I take that as more scary than anything else. I think Obama is betting that, in the . . . . Continue Reading »

13 Feb 2013 0

SOTU Thoughts Part I: Narcotics Have A Purpose

by Pete Spiliakos

1. Obama’s speech yesterday was almost unbearably boring. It is tough to imagine anybody keeping focused on the whole speech who wasn’t being paid to do so. But boring doesn’t mean ineffective. Pete Hegseth got it about right. The purpose of last night’s speech was to make . . . . Continue Reading »

13 Feb 2013 0

Catholics Up (Absolutely) and Holding Steady (Proportionately)

by David Mills

The more things change, etc. Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion & Public Life reports that over the last century the number of Catholics in the Church has more than tripled, from 291 million in 1910 to about 1.1. billion today, but the Church’s percentage of the . . . . Continue Reading »

13 Feb 2013 0