What Montaigne Knows
What Montaigne Knows By Burke Nixon December 31, 2023 The essays of Montaigne aren’t the easiest sell in the twenty-first century. The French nobleman wrote 107 of them, all composed in the final decades of the sixteenth century, totaling nearly nine-hundred pages in the bulky English edition resting right now on my kitchen table. Most […]
In 2023, World Youth Day’s Joy Shined Amid Synodal Way, Holy Land’s Sorrow
David Martins/SOPA Images Pope Francis waves from the popemobile prior to presiding over the Holy Rosary prayer with sick young people at the Chapel of Apparitions in the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fatima. YEAR IN REVIEW
Sudan’s Bishops appeal to international community to help stop war
In a collective statement on the situation in war-torn Sudan, the Catholic Bishops appeal to the international community to intensify efforts to end the violence in the country,. They also express concern that the protracted fighting may aim to block solidarity between the people of Sudan. Read all
Dozens dead in Japan quake
Dozens of people have been killed in a violent earthquake that razed buildings and set others ablaze on Japan’s western coast. Read all
January 2024 papal prayer intention: for the gift of diversity in the Church (Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network)
The Pope’s January prayer intention, disseminated by the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network (Apostleship of Prayer), is “that the Spirit help us recognize the gift of different charisms within the Christian community, and to discover the richness of different ritual traditions in the heart of the Catholic Church.”
Joy, prayer, humility: papal encouragement for children’s choirs (Vatican Press Office)
On December 30, Pope Francis received members of the International Federation of Pueri Cantores in Paul VI Audience Hall. The federation of children’s choirs was founded in 1950 in France. “Dear children, how much do we learn from music,” the Pope told the children, after he reflected on the importance of joy, prayer, and humility, […]
‘May Mary, Queen of the family, help us marvel,’ Pope tells pilgrims (Vatican Press Office)
In his Angelus address for the Feast of the Holy Family, Pope Francis spoke about the poverty and suffering experienced by the Holy Family. He then reflected on a verse from the day’s Gospel reading: Joseph and Mary “marveled at what was said about Jesus” (cf. Lk 2:33). “Being able to marvel is a secret […]
Auxiliary Bishop of Kyiv: God has already planned day of peace in Ukraine
After Russia’s largest missile attack on Ukraine’s capital, Bishop Oleksandr Yazlovetskiy, auxiliary bishop of Kyiv, describes Caritas Spes’ continued assistance to people in need and the work of the Catholic clergy in support of the Ukrainian people. Read all
Peter Sonski: the Other Catholic Candidate
I suspect I am not the only one who is bewildered by the options available to voters in the run-up to the 2024 presidential election. It seems likely that next year’s election will see both Donald Trump and Joe Biden seeking a return to the White House. How is it possible that the richest, smartest, […]
My Advice? Step Down
Suppose you’d been asked by Cardinal Manuel Fernandez, Prefect for the Dicastery for the Doctrine of Faith, to assist him in putting together an official statement on the possibility of blessing same-sex couples. He’s all in, of course, but would like it if you climbed on board as well. And never mind why he’s asked […]