Opinion
‘Googling’ your conscience
Guest ColumnistBy A. B. HILL We live in a remarkable time. The amount of information at our fingertips about the upcoming election for president is amazing. Type “Barack Obama” or “John McCain” into your favorite Internet search engine, you get at least 70 million hits each for candidate. Cable shows talk about the election around […]
That’s good news
Guest ColumnistBy Father Stephen D. Thorne I read the news paper everyday and when I watch television, it’s often a news station. Often the news that I listen to, read and watch is not very good or very inspiring. Recently, I received some good news. Our Archdiocese was granted a bequest from a woman named […]
We’re all missionaries now
Guest ColumnistBy Msgr. Francis X. Meehan There is in our time within both church and society a certain paradox. On the one hand, a deterioration and secularization is taking place. It has its impact on all of us. The deterioration includes the diminishment of faith-practice among many, the steep drop in vocations to priesthood and […]
This month, listen to God in the Bible
Most Christian households own a Holy Bible. But ask yourself, when was the last time you pulled it off the shelf and read it, allowing God’s Word to speak to you? If it has been a while, maybe this month is a good time to turn off the television, find that Bible, and open it. […]
Congress must act to fix financial crisis
In our times the Church contributes an immense service to society through its social service, health care and educational ministries, and especially the spiritual offerings of members of the Body of Christ for the whole world. Multiply it all by 200 (the years since the founding of the Philadelphia Diocese) and this gift to all […]
No bliss in misinformation
Guest ColumnistFather Leonard Peterson The 18th century English poet Thomas Gray put it this way: “Where ignorance is bliss, ’tis folly to be wise.” With due respect to the poet, I could respond with “when ignorance is harmful, ’tis wise to be informed.” Which brings me to the matter of the abysmal ignorance displayed by […]
As financial rescue arrives,
weed out greed, turn to Christ
Here comes the cavalry. Will it be enough, and in time? It remains to be seen whether the rescue plan offered by the Bush Administration will pull America back from the brink of a widespread economic catastrophe. As it is, these are tough times for people of lesser means than the Wall Street bank types […]
Halt workplace raids
America’s Catholic bishops convey Church teaching without heed to popularity, and rightly so. Their recent call for federal agents to cease workplace raids of immigrants will likely stir a storm of commentary. So be it. The immigration system is broken, a point on which supporters and opponents can agree. But a broken system cannot be […]
On economy, hope outperforms anxiety
At the conclusion of the Lord’s Prayer at Mass, the priest prays the familiar words, “protect us from all anxiety.” Anxiety visits most people’s lives, but sometimes it spikes due to events like this week’s turmoil among major Wall Street banks and insurers. While it is too early to tell the extent of this financial […]
Catholic school students ready to make the world a better place
Catholic EducationBy Mary Rochford I could provide a significant number of success stories coming from the 182 elementary schools, 20 secondary schools, and five schools of special education in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. I have the data to “wow” the public with statistics to prove that a Catholic education significantly prepares a student for college, […]