Archbishop Chaput
Keeping Christ in Christmas
By Cardinal Justin Rigali As we come to the halfway point in the Advent season of preparation for the birth of Jesus, let us reflect on giving Him His proper place during this time. Knights of Columbus’ campaignMany years ago, the Knights of Columbus began their North American campaign to “Keep Christ in Christmas.” This […]
Bless the Baby Jesus Devotion
By Cardinal Justin Rigali This Sunday, December 6, the Second Sunday of Advent, our Bless the Baby Jesus Devotion will be held once again. Let us reflect on its meaning this week. The use of imagesThe Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy of the Second Vatican Council teaches the following concerning the use of religious images: […]
‘Love and Life in the spanine Plan’
By Cardinal Justin Rigali At last week’s meeting of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Bishops approved a Pastoral Letter with the name of this week’s topic. Let us introduce this letter this week. Pastoral Initiative There is no doubt that we live in an age of marvelous technological advances. In the areas […]
The plague of pornography
By Cardinal Justin Rigali A particular scourge of our time is that of pornography. Since it has such devastating effects, we address this topic, once again, this week. Temptations in every age of historyWe can say that there are many “defining experiences” in the history of God’s relationship with the human race. A number of […]
‘We do not want you to be unaware about those who have fallen asleep’
By Cardinal Justin Rigali We began this month of November by recalling all the Saints in heaven and by praying for the souls in purgatory in a special way. This is a good opportunity to reflect on the consoling revelation concerning Christian death. We are not speaking of a great unknownTo a degree, it is […]
Heroine of charity:
Saint Jeanne Jugan (Sister Mary of the Cross)
By Cardinal Justin Rigali Last week, we reflected on the newly canonized Saint Damien of Molokai and his heroic charity towards those afflicted with leprosy. This week, we reflect upon Saint Jeanne Jugan, who was also recently canonized by Pope Benedict, and her heroic charity towards the elderly poor. The need for heroesIt seems that […]
Priestly heroes: Saint Damien of Molokai
By Cardinal Justin Rigali The recent canonization of Saint Damien of Molokai and Saint Jeanne Jugan (Sister Mary of the Cross) gives us the opportunity to reflect on their lives and example this week and next week. The missionary spiritThe command of Jesus to “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the […]
Remaining vigilant in the matter of health care
By Cardinal Justin Rigali As the important question of health care remains an issue in our country, it is necessary to continue our vigilance concerning the form it can or may take.An ongoing concernDuring Pope Benedict XVI’s recent pastoral visit to the Czech Republic, he venerated the famous Statue of the Infant Jesus, which is […]
The challenge of building a culture of life
Respect Life MonthBy Cardinal Justin Rigali Editor’s note: This column was written especially for the U.S. Bishops’ materials for Respect Life Month. The Cardinal’s regular column, “The Word Made Flesh,” will return next week. The effort to restore legal protection for unborn children faces new challenges, as we deal with a new administration and Congress […]
The gift of various cultures
By Cardinal Justin Rigali Several of the ethnic groups present in our Archdiocese celebrate their origins during the month of October and this gives us the opportunity to look at the multi-cultural nature of our local Church this week. The unique nature of our countryWe know that the United States possesses an identity which is […]