Guest columns

An unexpected headline in the New York Times recently caught my eye: “A Disrupted Thanksgiving Leaves the Turkey Business Guessing.”

I was bemoaning the state of a country divided almost down the middle. The election that so many people thought was for the soul of the country or for its future instead revealed that we are divided almost 50-50. The priest I was talking with agreed. And then he said, “I think it’s a great opportunity.”

In the wake of the publication of Pope Francis’ most recent encyclical letter “Fratelli Tutti,” there was a great deal of negative commentary regarding the pope’s attitude toward capitalism and private property. Many readers interpreted Francis to mean that the capitalist system is, in itself, exploitative and that the holding of private property is morally problematic.

Every four years, Catholics face an intense dilemma in regard to the vote. There are ardently Catholic Democrats who wonder how their co-religionists could possibly choose a Republican candidate, and there are ardently Catholic Republicans who express precisely the opposite opinion. And both sides, typically, look with eagerness to their bishops and priests to resolve …

Catholic principles in election season Read More »

During the month of October each year, the Catholic Church in the United States celebrates Respect Life Month. We are called to spend time reflecting on the dignity of EVERY human life.

I have just received word that, after voting to remove a large statue of St. Junípero Serra that stands in front of their city hall, the government of Ventura, California, (which is in my pastoral region) is now considering removing the image of Padre Serra from the county seal. This entire effort to erase the …

Canceling Padre Serra Read More »