Elin’s Fevered Island
The first big surprise on landing in Havana, Cuba, is the magnificent new José Martí International Airport. You’ve heard all the stories about the collapse of the island’s economy after the Soviet Union abandoned subsidies in 1989, and how since then, with the tightening of the U.S. em
Mexico’s Horse Race for the Presidency
In May and June, with the Bush versus Gore contest possibly a yawn, political buffs can turn south for a real horse race. This is a new and exciting picture for Mexicoa field of six running for the presidency, three of them with a good chance: Francisco Labastida for the Revolutionary Institutional
Ideology and Intimacy
I have resisted writing about the Elián González story for four months. Maybe it was the disproportionate amount of attention given to one child in the sea of this world’s suffering. I bristled with the thought that we have little concern for the kids of Iraq, the children of Haiti or the po
Of Many Things
Of Many Things
The death of cardinal John O’Connor of New York on May 3 marks the end of an era in the American Catholic Church. Without question, he was the most powerful American cardinal of his generation. New York makes a bully pulpit for any archbishop with talent and chutzpah, and Cardinal O’Conn
Letters
Letters
Secret BlessingThe article by John O’Malley, S.J., (4/8) gives rise to the hope that our best kept secretthat the church is an institution that lives in history and has changed – will finally be appreciated. What a blessing a dedicated church historian is.Thomas A. ShannonWorcester, Mass.None
Editorials
Religious Persecution
"Religious liberty is at the very heart of human rights, making the other personal and collective liberties possible," Archbishop Giuseppe Bertello, the Vatican’s Permanent Observer at the United Nations Human Rights Commission in Geneva, said on April 8 in an address to the members.
Books
Enlightening Lessons
Developments in Catholic theology during the second half of the 20th century have not always found their way into the standard curriculum of our schools and colleges Ethics education has especially suffered This book is an attempt to rectify that Edited by Judith A Dwyer executive vice president
Rewriting History
In 1852 Sir Edward Creasy rsquo s famous classic Fifteen Decisive Battles of the World indicated how certain major military engagements determined the social cultural religious and political nature of subsequent history In What If Robert Cowley founding editor of the award-winning MHQ The Qu
Film
One Last Sting: Where the Money Is
For years my shaving mirror has tried to convince me that I look just like Paul Newman: baby blues, wavy hair (with just a sprinkling of salt amid the pepper), sharp, assertive chin and that drive-the-ladies-wild roguish grin, with just a touch of worldly wisdom revealed in the perfectly etched line
Television
Jesus of CBS
Woe to those who produce Jesus movies, for their worries will be many. The first task of a producer is to cast a credible Jesus. Such an actor must look at least something like the Everyman edition of Jesus: big, mysterious eyes, brown hair and full beard (with the notable exception of Willem Dafoe
Poetry
St. Catherine of Siena: The Intactness of Fragments
Why should you believe
The Word
A Love Song for God’s Vineyard
Frequent question these days is Just what does it mean to be a Christian The readings this Sunday and next provide a powerful answer The Gospels taken from John 15 use the symbol of the vine and the branches to describe the intimate union between Christ and the believer This begins with God rs
News
On the ICEL Controversy
In the March 4 issue of America His Excellency, Bishop Donald Trautman, offered certain reflections regarding a letter that I had sent on October 26 of last year to His Excellency, Bishop Maurice Taylor, in his capacity as Chairman of the Mixed Commission for English-language liturgical translations
Signs of the Times
At Jubilee for Workers, Pope Urges Globalization of Solidarity
Celebrating one of the biggest events of Holy Year 2000, Pope John Paul II appealed for a globalization that extends beyond the economy to encompass worldwide solidarity. At the Jubilee for Workers on May 1 on the Tor Vergata University campus on the outskirts…
Politics
Faith
Culture
Vatican
Scripture
Podcasts