Christians had been fleeing Iraq for years before the U.S. invasion in 2003. The ancient Assyrian Church of the East saw four-fifths of its members emigrate before 2000 and its ancient patriarchate transferred to Chicago. The government of Saddam Hussein persecuted the Assyrians because of their res
The Editors
Posted inCatholic Book Club
February-March Selection
One of our nation rsquo s leading writers on the environment whose many books include The End of Nature–the first account of global warming for a general readership–Bill McKibben has been publishing essays for 20 years in leading magazines and journals including The New Yorker Nature Conservanc
Posted inCurrent Comment
Current Comment
Pictures at a Revolution One pauses before assigning too much significance to the voting patterns of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. After all, this is the estimable organization that deemed Doctor Dolittle worthy of a Best Picture nomination in 1967. Yet sometimes the academys choi
Posted inEditorials
Lost Sheep
A religious seeker who found her home in the Catholic Church, Flannery OConnor once noted that stories are considered not quite as satisfying as statements, and statements not quite as satisfying as statistics; but in the long run, a people is known, not by its statements or its statistics, but by t
Posted inEditorials
Cuba S, Castro No!
Time has accomplished what a U.S.-supported invasion, a crushing economic embargo, the collapse of the Soviet Union and any number of external and internal catastrophes could not: the removal of Fidel Castro from direct control over the people of Cuba. Suffering from failing health, Castro has final
Posted inCurrent Comment
Current Comment
Really short stories, Australia's apology, Darfur's displaced
Posted inEditorials
King Coal
Coal is now used to generate half the electricity consumed in the United States, and its use is likely to grow as efforts are made to reduce dependence on foreign oil. Coal-powered plants, however, create carbon dioxide, a main contributor to global warming. It is estimated that coal-fired plants cr
Posted inCurrent Comment
Current Comment
Coral Reefs Under Assault More than two dozen conservation organizations and 17 countries have designated 2008 the Year of the Reef. Ten percent of the worlds coral reefs have already been damaged beyond recovery, according to the environmental group Eco-Pros, and two-thirds are being degraded, larg
Posted inEditorials
The Bush Legacy
In the wake of the Super Tuesday primary elections on Feb. 5, the field of candidates for the 2008 presidential nominations has been clearly defined. The contest for the Democratic nomination has been reduced to two, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, either of whom would break with historical preced