Loving God, today, we grieve for our beloved Pope Francis.
Death and Dying
Posted inFaith, Faith in Focus
What the death of my dog taught me about Ash Wednesday
Caring for my senior dog was a masterclass in that Lenten refrain: “Remember you are dust and to dust you shall return.” It was my soul that she was training.
Posted inFaith, Faith and Reason
The Catholic debate over brain death and organ donation
Two health care ethicists continue a conversation started in the pages of America.
Posted inArts & Culture, Books
Review: Joyelle McSweeney mourns in verse
Joyelle McSweeney’s ‘Death Styles’—her 10th book across creative and critical genres—rewards our attention.
Posted inFaith, Faith and Reason
Never die? The dangers of transhumanism in the 21st century
Laws aimed at providing “death with dignity” and internet influencers promising to extend life unnaturally are actually two sides of the same coin: In both circumstances, humans usurp a role intended for God.
Posted inOf Many Things, Politics & Society
The False Compassion behind the U.K.’s Assisted Suicide Law
A proposed assisted-suicide law in Britain does not serve compassion. Instead it presents an illusion of final autonomy.
Posted inFaith, Faith in Focus
What do Catholics really believe about purgatory?
If heaven is like a wedding banquet, then purgatory may be understood as preparation for a great celebration. It is not a dreary waiting room at the D.M.V., but a place of lively hope.
Posted inFaith, The Good Word
Why it’s hard for modern Christians to understand All Souls’ Day
A Homily for the Solemnity of All Souls, by Father Terrance Klein
Posted inFaith, Faith in Focus
Three books about death to read before you die
My plan was not to read three books in a row about death. But I just did.
Posted inArts & Culture, Catholic Movie Club
‘A Ghost Story’ reminds us how difficult it is to let go
Ghost stories speak to how deeply we love, but also to a desire to prolong our lives however we can.