Francis X. Clooney, S.J., offers reflections in this 1986 article on the life and message of Sri Ramakrishna on the 150th anniversary of his birth (February 18) and the 100th anniversary of his death (August 15).
Vantage Point
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From 1953: The British coronation rite is essentially Catholic
The coronation of a British monarch is a ceremony that at several points bears a marked resemblance to the consecration of a bishop and which, in its essence and most of its origins, is essentially Catholic.
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Shusaku Endo, Japanese Catholic novelist
A profile of Shusaku Endo from 1992, three years after America awarded the famous Japanese Catholic novelist the Campion Award.
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From 1991: Avery Dulles on Henri de Lubac
After the death of Henri de Lubac, S.J., on Sept. 4, 1991, Avery Dulles, S.J. penned a long tribute to the theologian, a major influence on Vatican II and later theological developments.
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From 1969: America’s editors on the religious significance of the moon landing
After Neil Armstrong stepped foot on the Moon in July 1969, America’s editors called the effort to reach the Moon “so much a symbol and product of human unity as to argue its distinctively religious character in itself.”
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Easter—not Christmas—should be the most important Christian holiday
For the early church, the reality of the Resurrection was central, not only in the structure of the liturgical celebration, but also in the pattern of the liturgical year. Easter was the greatest feast of the whole year.
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From 1919: President Éamon de Valera on Ireland’s right to independence
In advance of a visit to the United States in 1919, Irish patriot and politician Éamon de Valera argued in America’s pages that Ireland deserved full independence from England.
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Archbishop John Quinn in 1989: Abortion breeds insensitivity to the sacredness of human life
The archbishop of San Francisco writes on the immorality and legal dangers of abortion in 1989.
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From 1936: Fulton Sheen on Catholicism, Communism and the need for intolerance
If the world is to be saved from the evils of communism, Archbishop Fulton Sheen argued, only the Catholic Church, with its intolerance for falsehood, is up to the task.
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The Nativity’s reminder: God isn’t just for us. God is with us.
At Christmas we can rejoice in a uniquely rich and mysterious gift, the new personal presence of “God with us.”