Reflections on life, meaning and purpose

The patriarch and Ukraine

While the human suffering caused by the war in Ukraine is incomparably worse than any other evil arising from that conflict, it’s no stretch to say another casualty of this disastrous war has been the crushing of hope for Catholic dialogue with the Russian Orthodox Church any time soon. And while responsibility for this ecumenical […]

This Is the Only Way You Should Cut an Avocado…

The first time I ever saw someone’s method for how to cut an avocado, I had ordered tableside guacamole at a restaurant. The server sliced the fruit in half, removed the pit with a sharp knife and then spooned the fruit into a bowl. I saw countless people do it this way—Food Network stars, cookbook […]

Daily Rome Shot 1038

Yesterday in Italy was the observance of the Feast of Corpus Christi.  I am glad that the custom of a Eucharistic procession from St. John Lateran to St. Mary Major has been revived.  I have great memories of years past … Read More →

Russo-Ukraine War Mirrors a Monumental Setback on Multiple Fronts

Alejandro Ernesto Pope Francis and the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, are seen during a historic meeting in Havana on Feb. 12, 2016. It’s a setback not only in human terms, but also in terms of ecumenical dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Russian Orthodox Church.