Where Peter Is
The Pope Francis Generation
I?m too young to have known John Paul II. He died before I cared about Jesus, let alone the pope. Benedict was pope during my conversion at the end of high school and during college. But I was too deeply…
The Stupid Shepherd
What is your opinion? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills and go in search of the stray? And if he finds it, amen, I…
We do not Possess the Truth: How the Church Changes Her Teachings
“We must move toward an idea of truth that is evermore inclusive, less restrictive; at least, if we are thinking of the truth of God and not some human truth, however solid it may appear to us. The truth of…
Yet another reason to mistrust the pope
Over the weekend I saw many people speaking out in frustration over?Pope Francis putting Cardinal Cupich of Chicago on the planning committee?for the February meeting in Rome addressing the abuse crisis. Those critical of this appointment are, unsurprisingly, conservative American…
#USCCB18 and the McCarrick Documents
During the US bishops conference this week, my bishop, Bishop Boyea, put the following proposal to vote: ?Be it resolved that the bishops of the USCCB encourage the Holy Father to release all the documentation that can be released consistent…
The Virtue of Not Being Weird
The Christian ideal will always be a summons to overcome suspicion, habitual mistrust, fear of losing our privacy, all the defensive attitudes which today?s world imposes on us. Many try to escape from others and take refuge in the comfort…
Bishop Barron’s podcast about Amoris Laetitia
I love?Bishop Robert Barron. I just listened to his talk from the World Meeting of Families last month in Ireland where he spoke on chapters seven, eight, and nine of?Amoris Laetitia?and I noticed two things. First of all, in an…
Mortal Sin: the Consequences of Confusion
A common confusion I see among Catholics is a misunderstanding of mortal sin that conflates mortal sin and grave matter. This misunderstanding has serious consequences for that distort the very heart of our faith. ?Concerning mortal sin, the Catechism says:…
Modern Pharisees and the Abuse of Freedom
There?s an image that I would like to use as a framework for this article. Imagine the moral life as a garden, an oasis surrounded by a wasteland. We, the persons in that garden, have everything that will make us…
The Gay Scapegoat, an Exercise in Unjust Discrimination
The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) has taught that men who practice homosexuality, present deep-seated homosexual tendencies, or men who support “gay culture” should not be admitted to seminary. Personally, I don’t have a problem with this…
