The Catholic Thing

By Rev. Peter M.J. StravinskasHomily preached by the Reverend Peter M. J. Stravinskas, Ph.D., S.T.D., at the Church of St. Pius X, Forked River, New Jersey, for the Confirmation of Nolan Santos.'I am a link in a chain, a bond of connection between persons,' wrote our latest doctor of the Church – the great St. John Henry Newman – in one of his more famous meditations. His words have been coming...

By Fr. Gerald E. MurrayThe Catholic Church is accustomed to attacks upon her teaching. The history of heresy over the centuries reveals the never-ending efforts of those who seek to replace Catholic doctrine with various errors. What the Church has only recently become accustomed to is attacks upon her teaching coming from some of her shepherds, especially from the never-ending pronouncements...

By Samuel TrizuljakThis year is special for American Catholics in two ways. First, there's the upcoming 250th birthday of the American Republic on July 4, 2026. But there's another anniversary to celebrate. Today is the first anniversary of the election of Leo XIV, the first pope to hail from the United States.I'm from Bratislava, Slovakia, and have long had a keen interest in all things American...

By Michael PakalukIf I were created a Cardinal and dispensed from the canonical requirement to be ordained a deacon or priest – my vocation is as a layperson – this is how I would counsel the Holy Father on the first anniversary of his pontificate."Holy Father, the first thing you must do is correct Francis, because only the pope may aptly correct a pope. There is no need to judge his motives....

By Robert RoyalSomeone asked recently what it's like to be a Catholic writer these days. That brought me up short. Because the situation of a Catholic writer at present is pretty much like that of any Catholic – we're all bewildered by the many things now that seem to have passed beyond human, rational thought and action. Except, it's worse for the writer because he has to set down words to try...

By Auguste MeyratAlthough the idea of a midlife crisis feels like an outdated concept these days, there is still something to be said about it. It may look different for men today, but they are still forced to confront certain personal challenges that arise around their forties.This is because men at this point in their lives often must assume responsibility for everything and everyone...

By Anthony EsolenThe German episcopate appears all agog, not to say hot and lathery, to extend blessings to men who bed down with men, and women with women, apparently believing that Saint Paul and Saint Jude have nothing to teach them: Germany having led the way toward a world in which families are rich with children and stronger than ever; the love between man and woman is celebrated in song...

By Brad MinerThe current show at America's greatest museum, Raphael: Sublime Poetry, will run through June 28th of this year. As with most major exhibits at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, curators have gathered works by the artist from museums around the world – and in this case, not just by Raphael. There are 237 works in total, including 33 paintings, 142 drawings, some monumental tapestries,...

By Luis E. LugoThe feud between Pope Leo and President Trump over U.S. immigration policy and military action in Iran raises important questions about the propriety of observing boundaries and not crossing certain lines.Little needs to be said about the president's behavior on this score, except to recall Hilaire Belloc's description of Henry VIII, whose chief characteristic "was an inability to...

By Joseph R. WoodThe new month brings a trifecta on my ecclesiastical calendar: a full moon, First Friday, and the feast of St. Joseph the Worker.My calendar's tracking of astronomical events is a holdover from long ago, when the Church had its own astrology. It accepted the possibility of the influence of the heavens on earthly events as natural causes, much as the relative orientation of the...