Where did the practice of praying the rosary come from, and why is it such an important part of so many Catholics’ spiritual lives?
History
Posted inExplainer, Faith
Which president met the most popes? Who gave the weirdest gift? A brief history of U.S.-Vatican encounters.
When Pope Francis welcomes U.S. President Joseph R. Biden Jr. to the Vatican tomorrow, it will mark the 31st meeting between a sitting pope and a sitting U.S. president.
Posted inArts & Culture, Catholic Book Club
Sally Rooney isn’t just the ‘Snapchat Generation’s’ Catholic novelist (but she is that).
Is Sally Rooney the millennial generation’s great Catholic writer?
Posted inExplainer, Faith
Explainer: Pope Francis is naming St. Irenaeus a ‘Doctor of the Church.’ What does that mean?
Is St. Irenaeus really a doctor, or does he just play one on TV? Does he rush to someone’s aid on an airplane? Might he collaborate with Dr. Dre?
Posted inFaith, Faith and Reason
Cardinal John Dearden wanted to give lay Catholics influence after Vatican II. Pope Francis’ vision for synods could finally do it.
Archbishop (later Cardinal) John Francis Dearden of Detroit (1907-88) played an exceptionally significant role in paving the way for what Pope Francis is trying to do in reviving the ancient practice of including all the baptized in the work and mission of the church.
Posted inArts & Culture, Film
‘The Many Saints of Newark’ is set in a Catholic world. That doesn’t make it a Catholic movie.
When it comes to their religion, the criminals embrace the rituals and ignore the meaning.
Posted inArts & Culture, Short Take
Notre Dame football is off to a hot start. Don’t get your hopes up.
Yes, the Fighting Irish are undefeated. Yes, they have beaten several very good teams. Yes, their opponent this weekend, Cincinnati, is the only currently nationally-ranked team left on their schedule. Who are we kidding? Notre Dame is doomed.
Posted inArts & Culture, Books
Edgar Allan Poe, scientific pioneer?
To understand the life and work of Edgar Allan Poe demands close attention to his engagements with scientific thought and discoveries.
Posted inFaith, Faith and Reason
In defense of a classical education
Classical education provides students with exactly the analytical tools that they need—logic, philosophy, rhetoric, poetry, history—to both grasp and critique the great books, taking both their original context and their modern significance into account.
Posted inArts & Culture, Books
Inside the catastrophe itself: Blame and shame in the short stories of Danielle Evans
Many of the short stories in Danielle Evans’s new collection address the reality that so many of our current conflicts center on how to understand, heal from, punish, honor or make amends for past actions.