Law, Morality and Common Ground
It seems as if every complicated moral issue sooner or later becomes a legal issue, at least in the United States. Consider, for example, the recent tobacco litigation. The moral question is whether tobacco companies should profit by selling such a dangerous product. This moral question immediately
Catholics and Jews: From Alienation to Dialogue to Reconciliation
The world of Catholic-Jewish relations is far, far better today than it was when I was growing up in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn, where Jews were the overwhelming majority. Sure, as a youngster I had some Italian, Polish, Puerto Rican and Russian friends, but I didn’t know they w
Out of Sight, Out of Mind: There is a kinder, gentler, subtler discrimination these days.
Is there anything more central to our existence than hope? And when it is denied, is there anything more disheartening? There is a poignant moment in Ralph Ellison’s novel Invisible Man when the nameless black narrator realizes he is bereft of hope: I am invisible, understand, simply because p
A Nightmarish Existence: The number of internally displaced persons has risen to 21 million worldwidetwice the number of refugees.
While the number of refugees who are residing in a foreign country dropped worldwide in the 1990’s, during the same period civil wars, government repression and other forms of social violence led to a dramatic increase in the number of persons displaced within their own countries. In Sudan alo
Madness? Hardly: The proceedings have been more like a civics lesson…a glimpse into what goes on behind the scenes.
Two nights before Thanksgiving, and no president-elect yet. A remarkable turn of events! Morning news anchors, cable-television pundits and op-ed sages insist that Americans are demanding a quick end to the madness. A quick end? Madness? Why, I don’t know a soul who feels that way! Most people
Of Many Things
Of Many Things
There it was, Baltimore’s huge gulag of a jail and prison complex covering two and a half city blocks. I was looking at it from the northeast corner of St. Ignatius Church, where I was to give a talk on prison ministry that Monday evening; the sight served as a useful if painful inward prepara
Letters
Letters
Choices More WorthyI want to thank America for the attention you have brought to the pledge Renewing the Mind of the Media (11/11) and for John McCarthy’s excellent explication of the mind of the U.S. bishops in asking that this pledge be taken on Dec. 17 this year and on World Communications
Editorials
Living Stones
Envision, if you will, the perfect Catholic church building. For some this would be an exercise of the imagination, one that takes into account the person’s idea of the sacred, of beauty, of practicality. For others it may be an exercise of the memory, recalling the space, sight-lines, colors
Books
In the Beginning
Michael Ruse a professor of philosophy and zoology at the University of Guelph in Ontario Canada is that rare bird a theologically literate scientist He was a major expert witness along with the theologian Langdon Gilkey in the 1981 test case of the state law signed by then Governor Bill Cli
Agnes at Rest
In this the third and presumably final volume of his Agnes Browne trilogy Brendan O rsquo Carroll sends poor Agnes off to heaven at the relatively young age of 60 All her living children and grandchildren are around including a son with whom she is reconciled at the last possible second Agnes h
Film
Moving On: You Can Count on Me
Road maps provide a wonderful metaphor for life. The thick double line of the Interstate marks the quickest, most direct route to our destination, but a nearly infinite number of blue and red side roads offer unimagined possibilities. By choosing the safe, direct route, we miss a great many of life&
The Word
Waiting for the Good News
For seven years I taught in Nashville which is known not only for its rich musical tradition but also as a place where biblical religion was vital in peoples rsquo lives Riding along one day I saw on a church bulletin board the Sunday sermon announced Repent for the End Is Near The topic for
Culture
United Under the Same Spirit: Ecumenical Reading
Ecumenism in spiritual book publishing is alive and well. We are increasingly presented with spiritual reading intended for all ChristiansCatholic, Protestant and Orthodox. If there is any truth to the axiom lex orandi, lex credendi (our way of believing mirrors our way of praying), one is tempted t
News
Signs of the Times
Bishops Join Death Penalty Moratorium Appeal to ClintonThe president of the U.S. bishops’ conference and the chairman of its Domestic Policy Committee are among 40 prominent Americans who have asked President Clinton to declare a moratorium on federal executions. The first execution since 1963
Portfolio
Mother of Consolation: A meditation based on an icon by William Hart McNichols, S.J.
What you look hard at looks back hard at you.
Politics
Faith
Culture
Vatican
Scripture
Podcasts