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Columns
Swimming Upstream
Thomas J. McCarthy
I am very sensible what a weakness and presumption it is, to reason against the general humor and disposition of the world. Jonathan Swift, 1708Two fall rituals go together in the United States: the new school year and the new football season. From countless boyhood games in the crisp air of leaf-st
John Paul's Quarter-Century
John Thavis
As Pope John Paul II celebrates 25 years in office, the world is taking stock of a pontificate that has helped shape political events, set new directions for the Catholic Church and offered spiritual inspiration to millions of people around the globe. By any measure, this is a papacy for the ages. S
Books
Lady With a Cause
Pam Kingsbury
Dorothy Height thinks of her life as a unity of circles Some are concentric others overlap but they all connect in some way Sometimes the connections don rsquo t happen for years But when they do I marvel As in a shimmering kaleidoscope familiar patterns keep unfolding Too well-bred to compl
Of Many Things
Of Many Things
Patricia A. Kossmann
Children are a fascinating lot. In their innocence, trust, playfulness and inquisitiveness they can often be our teachers. They question and wonder about big and small things; they hunger for knowledge. There’s no end or limit to their sense of wonderment. And this will never change.   Th
A Light for the World
Mary Ann Walsh
As part of the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the pontificate of John Paul II, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has sponsored a handsome new book entitled John Paul II: A Light for the World (edited by Mary Ann Walsh, R.S.M.; Sheed & Ward). Accompanying the many photographs by off
Letters
Letters
Our readers

Memory of Millions

While Nicholas Mele makes some important points in his article The North Korea Conundrum (9/8), he begins with a comparison that fundamentally weakens his overall argument. In the second paragraph of his essay, he states that while the policies of the North Korean leadership have resulted in the starvation or malnutrition of millions, which is reprehensible, Americans should perhaps consider the impact of the current and previous U.S. administrations’ policies on the American poor before stigmatizing the North Koreans.

While the American people and their elected officials have often ignored the principles of social justice in legislating policy that affects the poor and marginalized, in no way can one seriously compare America’s past and present faults with the crimes against humanity perpetrated by Kim Jhong Il, his father and their cronies. Such a comparison does violence to the memory of the millions of North Koreans who have died at the hands of the monsters who have led their nation for the past decades, whose atrocities can rightly be compared to those of Hitler, Stalin and the Khmer Rouge.

Anthony D. Andreassi

Books
Angelic Doctor
Stephen J. Pope
Aidan Nichols presents a brief accessible and clear introduction to the theology of St Thomas Aquinas The prior of Blackfriars in Cambridge England Nichols communicates the sweep and texture of St Thomas rsquo s thought in a remarkably direct and simple but not simplistic manner He follows
Of Many Things
Of Many Things
George M. Anderson
Walking south through Manhattan from America House on weekdays—this remains my preferred way of getting home. But on days when the weather does not lend itself to walking, I take the subway. The F train is only a short distance from our front door, and on boarding I generally see a majority of
Cheaters
John F. Kavanaugh
Recently I presented a short reflection on academic integrity to some faculty members at Saint Louis University. One of the reasons I was asked to do this may have been my efforts to encourage all teachers of core curriculum courses to spend some time, possibly even a whole class session, on the pro
The Word
We Can't Really Live Alone
Dianne Bergant
It is not good for the man to be alone rdquo writes the author of Genesis Nor is it good for the woman or the child Our fundamental human need to bond with another is beyond question We are told that newborns can die if they do not experience human touch And even if they do not die they may b
Is Nuclear Deterrence Still Moral?
Nancy Small
Twenty years ago, the Doomsday Clock, a well-known barometer of how close the world was to nuclear holocaust, stood at three minutes before the fateful midnight hour. The nuclear arms race was in full force. The fear of nuclear war was palpable. We held our collective breath and prayed mightily that
Film
Gulag Erin: The Magdalene Sisters
Richard A. Blake
Given the choice between dental surgery without anesthetic and The Magdalene Sisters, call your dentist for an appointment immediately. In either case, pain may be salutary in the long run. The film raises too many important issues to be dismissed as just another skirmish in the vast anti-Catholic c
Editorials
Victims
The Editors
There is a sense of relief in Boston, and in the rest of the country as well, now that the Archdiocese of Boston has finally settled the suits filed against it by the victims of sexual abuse. For 19 months, Boston has unfairly been perceived by many people as paradigmatic of the American church&rsqu
The Lay Vocation and Voice of theFaithful
Thomas P. Rausch
One unanticipated effect of the sexual abuse scandal that has been convulsing the Catholic Church in the United States is a growing realization on the part of the laity of how little real say they have in the government of their church. This was first brought home when many who were aware of situati
The Man Born Blind
Katherine Schneider
It happened one too many times. My Seeing Eye dog and I went to church and heard another totally uninspiring homily about John 9, the story of the man born blind. It contained the usual elements: “I knew a blind person who was amazing (climbed Mount Everest, was cheerful all the time); wouldn&
Letters
Letters
Our readers

Direct Involvement

After reading Terry Golway’s No Questions, Please (8/18), I made an effort to get as close as I could possibly get on a personal basis (for someone that has no direct involvement) to what goes on in Iraq. I did this by reflecting on a house that one passes on the way into town. It’s a modest row home, and the porch is bedecked with flowers, ribbons, pictures, and an R.I.P. notice for Victor with a lettered sign below it: We love you Victor. Victor was a soldier who died during this war in Iraq. I will wait for someone to tell me that Victor’s death was justified. If/when someone does, I will ask the person to accompany me to knock on the door of Victor’s family to ask them if the death was worthwhile. In the meantime, I can only imagine the family’s sense of loss. And doing so reveals that Victor and others should not have been sacrificed. My personal consolation is that they perfectly laid down their lives for their friends, and in this they are privileged to know Christ.

Ignacio J. Silva

Books
Visionary and Moral Tales
Thomas R. Murphy
So far the 21st century has witnessed a remarkable resurgence of anti-American feeling around the world Despite a brief burst of sympathy for the United States immediately after Sept 11 2001 alarm about American conduct has increased markedly abroad It is a mistake to attribute this apprehensi
News
Signs of the Times
From AP, CNS, RNS, Staff and other sources
Pope, Physically Fading, Crisscrosses Slovakia On a trip that taxed his fading physical powers, Pope John Paul II crisscrossed Slovakia to celebrate liturgies, beatify two 20th-century martyrs and offer people inside and outside the church a message of hope. But he had trouble delivering that messag
Snake Eyes or a Seven?
Richard A. McGowan
William Bennett’s gambling habits and million-dollar losses initiated a short-lived national discussion of the morality of gambling and its addictive character. Gambling is a form of entertainment that involves some dangers, but most gamblers can enjoy the activity without developing an addict
Faith in Focus
Art in America
George M. Anderson
Art plays a key role in America, from the cover itself to the illustrations on the inside. My awareness of this role was heightened during a recent visit to Abraham House, an organization in the Bronx that assists prisoners with their reintegration into the community. At the same time, it provides a