Archhbishop of Seattle Calls for Prayer and Fasting for Peace

December 5, 2006

Archbishop Alexander Burnett of the Archdiocese of Seattle has called on Catholics in Western Washington to pray and fast for peace.

Where is the Newman Society Now?

May 9, 2006

On May 22, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is scheduled to receive an honorary degree from and to give the commencement address at Boston College, a Catholic school. Almost 100 faculty members have signed a letter opposing the invitation and the granting of the honorary degree, on the grounds that Rice stands for government policies that are fundamentally at odds with Catholic teaching. In particular, Rice has played an instrumental role in the launching of the US-led invasion of Iraq, which was unambiguously condemned by Pope John Paul II as unjustified and immoral.

Pope Calls for Peaceful Resolution to Nuclear Crisis

April 21, 2006

Pope Benedict XVI devoted most of his first Easter message to calling and praying for peace. His words deserve to be quoted at length:

The Gospel of Judas and the Message of Gnostic Christianity

April 18, 2006

The recent publication of the Gospel of Judas has been greeted with much excitement. The surviving text of this ancient writing is far from complete; substantial portions of the original document appear to be missing. But one thing seems certain – the Gospel of Judas can be classified as a Gnostic Christian text.

Who were the Gnostic Christians?

30 Years at the Ballot Box: The Catholic Vote in US Presidential Elections

April 9, 2006

Statistics from the 2004 presidential election indicate that 48% of Catholic voters supported Democratic candidate John Kerry, while 52% voted for the Republican contender George W. Bush. The figures show a small shift from the 2000 presidential election, where a slight majority of Catholic voters favored Democratic candidate Al Gore over his Republican rival, George Bush. Much has been made of this relatively small change in the Catholic vote between the two elections, with those on the right predictably celebrating it, and those on the left, decrying it. But what do the figures really mean?

Not Male and Female: Paul’s Message About the Equality of the Sexes

March 25, 2006

The Apostle Paul is popularly known as the biblical author who instructed women to be obedient to their husbands, along with a number of other injunctions that would be considered sexist today. But was Paul really saying all that?

Ratzinger or Benedict?

April 20, 2005

Cardinal Ratzinger, John Paul II’s archconservative doctrinal enforcer, has become Pope Benedict XVI. Even as the crowds cheered in St. Peter’s Square, and world leaders started expressing their good wishes, there were those, Catholics and non-Catholics alike, who looked on with fear and trepidation.

Five Reasons for the Separation of Church and State

February 28, 2005

I am a Christian. My faith is an important part of my life. However, I do not want the government of my country to get entangled with religion. Why not? For five reasons.