Note from the Assistant Managing Editor:
It seemed the flames of Notre Dame had barely cooled before self-righteous memes flooded my Facebook feed.
Don't donate to Notre Dame—help the poor and suffering instead. This argument as to why we shouldn't spend money on the beautiful art and architecture of the Catholic church always galls me because, as Fr. Raymond de Souza says, "The building of churches, open to all, is actually one thing the rich can spend money on that does benefit the poor. When they build billion-dollar stadiums, or elegant concert halls, or order a luxury yacht, the poor have no place there. But step into any cathedral in the downtown of any city, and the poor, the lonely, the mentally disturbed, take their place alongside everyone else."
Amazing statistics from Hungary: marriages have increased by 43%, the divorce rate has dropped by 22.5%, 33% fewer women are having abortions, and the national birth rate is at its highest in 20 years. All of this is from aggressive (in the best way) pro-family policies, such as a lifetime personal tax exemption for mothers with four or more children. Read more: "The West can learn a lot from Hungary's pro-family policies."
And a great piece from Anthony Esolen, who explains so easily and clearly the irrationality of "God made me this way" (currently claimed by US presidential candidate Peter Buttigieg).
"I look at a shovel. It has a long wooden handle and a pointed and scooped iron blade. It is made for digging. I look at a man and a woman. Unless I am a babe or a man from Mars, I know that they are made for one another. No one has a reproductive system. Everybody has half of one. Men have this half, and women have that half. Mr. Buttigieg wants us to believe, then, that God who made Mr. Buttigieg's body did not consult his own blueprints when he made Mr. Buttigieg's feelings."
God bless you all this week! - Meaghen Hale
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"No one will seek the highest [things] if he believes that there is no truth, that nothing is his fault, and that government will guarantee his wants." - James V. Schall, S.J.
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New Resources
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Living as Mature Children of God - Pope Benedict XVI - the Angelus, St. Peter's Square (Libreria Editrice Vaticana).
This passage of Saint Luke (the Parable of the Prodigal Son) constitutes one of the peaks of spirituality and literature of all time.
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Notre Dame as Cultural Moment - Father Raymond J. de Souza - Convivium
The burning of Notre Dame de Paris sparked an inferno of journalistic ignorance about Christianity.
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Saint Stephen of Hungary - John Janaro - Magnificat
The story of the conversion of Saint Stephen is inseparable from the story of the thousand-year-old Hungarian nation.
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Mayor Buttigieg's God of Feelings - Anthony Esolen - Crisis
Mr. Peter Buttigieg, mayor of South Bend, Indiana, and a candidate for the presidency of the United States, has picked a theological quarrel with Mike Pence, the current vice-president.
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The Living Word always has the last word - Father George W. Rutler - From the Pastor
In the radiance of the Resurrection, the Church relates to the emotions of the first witnesses: grief, fear, bewilderment, and then exultation.
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Editorials of Interest:
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Editorials of Interest
Benedict and his critics - Gerhard Ludwig Muller - First Things
Pope Francis is happy with Benedict XVI's profound analysis of the reasons behind the abuse crisis in the Church, and grateful to his predecessor for pointing out the conclusions those in positions of responsibility must draw.
Awakening From Nihilism - Michael Novak - National Review
In the 20th century, prisons and torture chambers have been better places to encounter God than universities.
God chose us for this moment - NC Register
The truth about our Church is going to disappoint, depress, and demoralize us, but we cannot let these dismal truths derail us. We are living in the time God chose for us.
The Sri Lanka Terrorists: Martyrs or Murderers? - Crisis Magazine
Jihad martyrs (or 'terrorists' as we call them) are extremists only in the sense that Catholic saints are 'extreme.' In short, they are willing to go beyond the average in answering the call of duty. The difference lies in what that call of duty consists of.
No Counterfeit Mercy - The Catholic Thing
While it presents itself as mercy, moral relativism is, in fact, the greatest cruelty: it robs man of the ability to repent.
The Disposable Modern Hymn - Crisis Magazine
Modern church music is blandly uniform and impersonal in its aesthetic telos, for it explicitly cuts off the modern congregation from all previous generations of the Church and from the future as well. When the modern Catholic sings, he sings alone.
Pilgrimage is good for employees, study concludes - Catholic Herald
A three-year study by the Universities of Lancaster and Strathclyde has concluded that going on pilgrimage to places such as Lourdes has considerable benefits for one's mental and physical health.
Blessed John Henry Cardinal Newman and St. Justin Martyr, pray for us |
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