Commentaries
A queen, two popes and a lot of creative license
A teaspoon of fact and a shovelful of fiction blend in slick docudramas such as "The Crown" and "The Two Popes," writes Greg Erlandson. The recipe makes for inaccurate history, with a bad aftertaste.
‘Tis the season for seeking a professional caregiver
The Christmas holidays can be a time for honest conversations about caring for an aging loved one, writes registered nurse Aimee Gustitis. By doing your homework, setting realistic goals and trusting in God, you can maintain your senior's dignity and safety.
Hanukkah, Christmas and the state of the world
Rabbi Abraham Skorka, a St. Joseph's University professor, recently reflected with his friend Pope Francis on the Jewish and Christian holidays celebrated at this time of year. Both faiths share a common vision: hope for a world in which peace and fraternity prevail.
Give books for Christmas — here are 14 for your list
George Weigel offers suggestions for 13 titles by other authors, and one by himself, of 2019's best reads. They will delight, instruct and edify your loved ones (or yourself).
Waiting well during Advent
In this season of promise and possibility, we can learn to release our grip on the desires we long to see fulfilled, writes Elise Italiano Urenek. The God who chose to become incarnate can be trusted to provide his best for us, even through divine delays.
The faith of youth offers thrill of hope
Watching thousands of teens and young adults kneel in eucharistic adoration at a conference revived the weary soul of Catholic author Katie Prejean McGrady. Through this new generation of believers, the light of Christ will continue to shine.
Finding reason to hope amid the pessimism
Despite the torrent of bad news, especially about the Catholic Church, there are many people rolling up their sleeves to do holy, life-changing work that glorifies God one person at a time, writes Greg Erlandson.
Jesus is calling, even (and especially) in those we’d like to avoid
Sometimes the Lord seeks us in the most unlikely people, writes Effie Caldarola. Having divine compassion for the hidden suffering of others enables us to respond with love and kindness.
To conquer racism, become truly Catholic
Generations of African American nuns have proven that the Catholic faith can lead the way to justice and equality, writes Shannen Dee Williams of Villanova University. To do that, the church must first acknowledge its own role in contemporary racial crises.
My journey with elderly priests on path to eternal life
Since the early 1970s Helen McConnell has been caring for archdiocesan priests nearing the end of their earthly pilgrimage. It has been rewarding work and a spiritual journey for her too.