Six months after he was elected to the Chair of Peter, Pope Francis made one of the most provocative statements of his five-year pontificate. Asked by the Italian Jesuit Antonio Spadaro what the church (small c) most needs at this point in her history, he replied that he sees the church as a field . . . . Continue Reading »
The apostolic exhortation Gaudete et Exsultate, for all its strengths, adds to the ambiguities of Pope Francis’s papacy. Continue Reading »
Pope Francis allegedly declared recently that there is no such thing as Hell—only the annihilation of souls. Continue Reading »
To Change the Church: Pope Francis and the Future of Catholicism by ross douthat simon and schuster, 256 pages, $26 It is beyond question that the Roman Catholic Church is currently in the throes of one of the greatest crises in its two-millennium history. In human terms, its future might be . . . . Continue Reading »
A youth meeting at the Vatican fails to represent either the Catholic faith or the young people who profess it. Continue Reading »
On Thursday, the CDF released a letter to the Catholic bishops of the world entitled Placuit Deo. Continue Reading »
How far may a Catholic go in openly criticizing the Vicar of Christ? Continue Reading »
The more the present day is marked by noise about ephemera, the more the silence of Benedict XVI becomes profound in contrast. Continue Reading »
People like the Lord’s Prayer precisely because it sounds archaic. Let’s not tamper with the language. Continue Reading »
Francis’s remarks at his annual Christmas greeting this year show he is taking personal responsibility for the reform of the Curia. Continue Reading »
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