Francis of Assisi is a good example of why the legends should never overshadow the life, Father James Martin writes. For within his life lie many surprises awaiting those who are willing to meet Francis on his own terms.

On this feast day of his favorite saint, James Martin, S.J., shares a reflection on Therese of Lisieux.

The stunning news that a soon-to-be-saint was excommunicated for urging the church to take action against a sex offender is a reminder of the virulence of the crimes of clerical abuse.

File this under the Really column nbsp David Gibson over at Politics Daily reports President Obama s surprising devotion to Mary Help of Christians nbsp Somehow this slipped past the Disputations filter but during her vacation in Spain in August First Lady Michelle Obama revealed that her

The nbsp editors of The New York Times nbsp evince something of nbsp a fascination for Matteo Ricci the great Jesuit missionary to China nbsp As well nbsp they nbsp should nbsp nbsp The Italian Jesuit 1552-1610 was nbsp fascinating man living in a fascinating era who did fascinating things n

It s always nbsp interesting nbsp seeing a non-Christian or non-Catholic person group or organization discovering the wisdom of our tradition-- unbeknownst to them nbsp A few years ago I met a man not a Catholic who told me that he had stumbled upon a fascinating new nbsp idea in a corporate r

USA Network last night began advertising their special Killer Clergy Marathon airing--of course--on Sunday nbsp Here s the schedule nbsp 5 00 PM Law amp Order SVU Killer Clergy Marathon ldquo Misleader rdquo 6 00 PM Law amp Order SVU Killer Clergy Marathon ldquo Silence rdquo 7 0

I ve not watched his entire testimony but when Stephen Colbert was asked why he is trying to work on behalf of migrants he had a pithy answer

And why not nbsp My friend Brother Guy Consolmagno the Jesuit nbsp astronomer and MIT grad who works at the Vatican observatory and who surprised Stephen Colbert with his common sense about the Second Person of the Trinity said he was comfortable with the idea of baptizing an alien nbsp At

Ross Douthat an intelligent and literate Catholic observer nbsp and a columnist nbsp in the New York Times writes perceptively nbsp on the surprising turnout for Pope Benedict in light of the protests by atheists like Richard Dawkins and predictions of embarrassing crowds nbsp The same phenome