Category Archives: Commentary

I Don’t Want A Francis Effect

Posted on 6 March 2014 by

I put it in the headline to underscore I’m serious. Not cynical. Not making a funny. Cathy Lynn Grossman at RNS cites some Pew Research on Catholic thinking and behavior since last March 13th. Truthfully, I don’t want people showing … Continue reading →

Posted in bishops, Commentary, spirituality | Tagged | 3 Comments

Another FfF

Posted on 6 March 2014 by

Reading over this essay, I feel the need to provide a cynicism alert. If you are trying to be positive during Lent, perhaps come back later. I see the USCCB is gearing up for another Fortnight for Freedom. I haven’t … Continue reading →

Posted in Adoption, Commentary, Two Weeks of Worthy Women | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

How Surprisingly Profitable

Posted on 3 March 2014 by

Brian Pellot writes a weekly Monday blog for RNS on religious freedom. Since he writes from the UK, the post is up before most of us in the Americas wake. Today’s installment is here. Lots of angry Muslims lead off. And most prominently, … Continue reading →

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Throwing In The Towel

Posted on 21 February 2014 by

I’ve been following NLM these past few weeks, and commenting there a bit. I think they forgot they banned me a number of years ago. My days may already be numbered there–who knows? Another voice seems to be giving up … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary, Liturgy, The Blogosphere | Tagged , | 4 Comments

Is Pope Francis Really A Problem for Pro-Life Catholics?

Posted on 21 February 2014 by

One of the most common complaints I read about Pope Francis is that he has somehow abandoned committed pro-life Catholics. If the word from the Chair of Peter is that a lack of hope among youth and the isolation of … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary, Hermeneutic of Subtraction | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

The Seven-Percent Section

Posted on 20 February 2014 by

It seems that the bulk of canon lawyers are working on numbers 1055-1165, about seven percent of the legal corpus. What happens if, over the next few years, taking action on declarations of nullity fades away? Will the Church’s canon … Continue reading →

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Jaywalking

Posted on 11 February 2014 by

The Brits are amused at American persnicketiness over jaywalking. Nice feature here. Nice quote from lawyer Ray Thomas a specialist in pedestrian and bicycle law: People in law-enforcement tend to identify with a motorist’s perspective. It’s their version of being … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Reflecting on Ages

Posted on 11 February 2014 by

As the years have passed, it’s taken me a bit to get used to seeing people born after I was: being my employer and pastor getting elected my president appointed to the College of Cardinals There are others, but these … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary, film | Tagged | 2 Comments

Next Italian Pope?

Posted on 11 February 2014 by

We’ve had three non-Italian popes in a row. It used to be expected that the occupant of the Chair of Peter would be from Italy. It was so for centuries. Now that the pattern has been broken, I wonder when … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary | 1 Comment

Montana Teaching

Posted on 7 February 2014 by

People across the Catholic ideological spectrum are questioning the decision to fire the pregnant teacher in Montana. I’m not even going to tell you what I think. You regular readers know what I think. Another pr disaster that spreads ripples … Continue reading →

Posted in Church News, Commentary, The Blogosphere | Tagged | 1 Comment

Stones Keep Rolling

Posted on 3 February 2014 by

“The Cover” is several days old but the commentary on it continues to roll out. After a few days, perhaps said commentary becomes a little more thoughtful and nuanced. From Twitter, I was alerted to Lincoln’s Bishop James Conley’s piece in First … Continue reading →

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First Mistake? I Think Not

Posted on 30 January 2014 by

Thomas Reese SJ thinks Pope Francis made his first mistake by dropping the red hat on four curia bureaucrats. I think probably not. From the NCR blogger: True reform must destroy the papal court and turn it into a civil … Continue reading →

Posted in Church News, Commentary, The Blogosphere | Tagged , | 1 Comment

That War On Aspiration

Posted on 24 January 2014 by

I thought about it, but at first I wasn’t going to blog on this. Peter Nixon (for more than a decade, one of the people who have mastered this thing called blogging) on Adam Shaw’s “War on Aspiration”: I generally don’t … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

War and Remembrance

Posted on 20 January 2014 by

Marking a hundred years of history is often a big celebration. This new year is the centenary of the once so-called Great War. At the top of the news list on BBC this morning is this glowing treatment. I have no … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary | Tagged | 2 Comments

Darn That Dream

Posted on 19 January 2014 by

It’s been a long time since I perused ads for parish music positions. What do you make of this dream job I saw advertised at the Musica Sacra Forum: (Church) is looking for an organist and assistant in sacred music. … Continue reading →

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