Bishop chairman welcomes passage of landmark gun legislation (USCCB)

Archbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City, chairman of the bishops’ Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, welcomed the passage of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (S.2938). Following passage in the House (234-193) and Senate (65-33), President Biden signed the bill into law. The law “will take meaningful action to prevent gun violence and protect […]

EU Bishops lament victims of Morocco-Spain migrant tragedy

The Bishops of the EU express sorrow over the deaths of at least 23 persons during a border crossing attempt between Morocco and Spain, and call for the respect of the human dignity and fundamental rights of migrants and asylum seekers. Read all  

Pope tells young people to be messengers of hope

Pope Francis encourages young people participating in first Global Youth Tourism Meeting – underway this week in the town of Sorrento on Italy’s Amalfi Coast – “to be messengers of hope and rebirth for the future.” Read all  

Our Task in Post-Roe America

In 1974, Justice Harry Blackmun, the author of the Roe v. Wade decision, said in a television interview that Roe  “will be regarded as one of the worst mistakes in the court’s history or one of its great decisions.” Continue Reading »

Style Is Vital

The  First Things  2022 Spring Campaign seeks to raise $600,000 by June 30. To make your contribution, visit   www.firstthings.com/donate. Continue Reading »

Marriage is Made in the Mess

As a devout cradle Catholic, I was raised with a traditional, Catholic understanding of what marriage is.  I was also blessed to have two parents who strove to live out a Catholic marriage through the good times and the bad and who defied the frequently cited statistic that 50% of marriages today end in divorce.  […]

7 Steps to Bring People Back to Church

There are seven things that are really essential if we want to enter into true evangelization and bring people back to the Church. First and foremost is prayer, penance, fasting, and sacrifice. Nothing happens without the grace of God. Everything is God’s grace. We have to pray, it’s the greatest thing we can do if […]

English accountant appointed to board of Vatican finance watchdog agency (Vatican News)

Pope Francis appointed Kevin Ingram, a retired partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers (1990-2009), as a board member of the Financial Intelligence and Supervisory Authority. Pope Benedict established the Vatican’s Financial Intelligence Authority in 2010; ten years later, Pope Francis renamed it the Supervisory and Financial Information Authority. Carmelo Barbagallo, a layman, was appointed the agency’s president in […]