The Other Side of the Death Penalty
What have you learned from the families of murder victims?Through my association with an anti-death penalty group, Murder Victims for Human Rights, I have learned how much the family members of murder victims feel manipulated by prosecutors in capital cases. If the family members are against the dea
A Tale of Two Ships: Church and State in the Philippines
Philippine politicians and Catholic bishops seem adrift in their separate ships. The political ship is listing; the lights are going out, and every sensible person on board knows the ship is in serious trouble. The bishops’ ship, on the other hand, is fully lit; the passengers are comfortable;
Of Many Things
Of Many Things
We get lots of stuff at America: press releases from Catholic colleges, books from Catholic publishers and, of course, letters from subscribers both pleased and angry at what we publish. Mostly the letters are friendly, charitable and pleasant. Only rarely are they vituperative. Still, even nasty le
Letters
Letters
A Fifth Conclusion
Bishop Emil A. Wcela is right, in A Dangerous Common Enemy (2/21), that consumerism and its accompanying expressive individualism are at the core of many affluent Catholics’ decision to stay away from most forms of community. He mentions four conclusions about the practice of the faith todayparish involvement, a strong family, greater emphasis…
Editorials
Take Out the Garbage
Glaciers are disappearing; Antarctic ice shelves are collapsing; the Greenland ice cap is eroding; the Arctic winter has grown shorter; and polar sea ice is thinner. Penguins are deprived of nesting areas, and polar bears are losing breeding grounds. Across the Northern Hemisphere, flora and fauna a
Poetry
Exquisite Corpse
Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. There they made him a supper.
The Word
True to Himself
The Gospel for today which recounts the passion and death of Jesus includes elements of intrigue betrayal and murder A careful reading shows that the victim was not ignorant of the plots devised against him Even before the horrendous onslaught began Jesus announced ldquo My appointed time dr
Culture
The Bible and History
Modern biblical study is not only a literary and theological enterprise but also a historical discipline. The term “history,” however, is hardly univocal. The six books covered here illustrate some of the approaches involved in writing about the Bible and history. They show that in the c
News
Signs of the Times
Supreme Court Hears Arguments on Display of Ten CommandmentsIn two cases argued on March 2 over displays of the Ten Commandments on government property, U.S. Supreme Court justices raised questions about the motives of government authorities who ordered the displays, about the difference between ver
Portfolio
The Illustrated Word: The Saint John’s Bible
By any measure, it is a stunning achievement. Since 1998, the artist Donald Jackson has been diligently at work on the first handwritten, illuminated Bible since the invention of the printing press five centuries ago. Under the auspices of Saint John’s Abbey in Collegeville, Minn., and The Lit
Politics
Faith
Culture
Vatican
Scripture
Podcasts