Commentaries
What I learned in the Philippines
Seven cargo ships ran aground in the Anibong region of Tacloban City during Typhoon Haiyan, or Yolanda, as it's called in the Philippines. Three months later, children run and play around the mud-encrusted rudders of one ship.
Media misinterprets the pope’s message to the world
Commentator Peter Lachance finds it remarkable that liberal news sources are complimentary of Pope Francis' Evangelii Gaudium (“The Joy of the Gospel”), while conservative news sources are critical of it. We must ensure that youths learn to interpret for themselves what they read, hear and watch, rather than relying on the media’s interpretation.
For wife, retirement is no time to slow down
Deacon Paul and Helen McBlain write in their Marriage Matters column about the tensions when one spouse wants to spend retirement relaxing at home while the other wants to volunteer, almost full time.
The basics of caring for our eyes at all ages
Maureen Pratt sees the value in regular screening for conditions of the eyes and simple tips for healthy eyesight.
The light and divinity of Byzantine art
Columnist Father Eugene Hemrick is thinking about the gaunt figures and priceless gold and glass elements of Byzantine-style mosaic art. It still has much to teach people today about Christianity, human culture and Christ our king.
The degeneration of words as weapons
Columnist Effie Caldarola is appalled by how easily and rapidly speech degenerates into hate speech and racial innuendo. We must evaluate what we read and hear with thoughtfulness, and respond with words chosen carefully on the scale of love.
In absence of reasoned argument, schools are civilization’s best hope
The gridlock that Jesuit Father William Byron observes in Congress isn't exactly barbarism, but it's close, he writes. What's needed is the ability to listen in an orderly conversation, which requires orderly thinking.
Reflect calmly on the news, not the next ‘crisis’
With a minute-by-minute assault on our senses by the news media, columnist Stephen Kent says we should heed Pope Francis' message "to be people of depth, attentive to what is happening around us and spiritually alert."
HHS mandate will hurt poor people
Fines for not complying with the HHS mandate calculate to $36,000 per year, per employee. Consider the amount of fines that will be levied against all Catholic institutions that refuse to comply, and one can imagine how that is going to affect their programs for the poor.
A modest proposal: Surely we can execute people better than this
With tongue firmly in cheek, columnist Steve Kent thinks if we're going to use the death penalty in America, we ought to be more efficiently barbaric. Or else we'll lose capital punishment to noted practitioners such as North Korea.