You may have heard of a book written by the Servant of God, Father Walter Ciszek, S.J. (1904‑1984), titled “With God in Russia” (Ignatius Press, 1997). After his ordination to the priesthood in 1938, Father Ciszek, a Pennsylvania native, served…

(Homily from opening Mass for World Youth Day 2008) 

We all know that Christ Our Lord is often described as the Good Shepherd of today’s responsorial psalm. We are told that he leads us near restful waters, revives our flagging spirits, enables us…

During their meeting last [month], the Catholic bishops of the United States heard two reports about the state of religious groups in our country, with particular application to the numerical status of Catholics in the general population.About 10 percent of…

The liturgical celebration of Saints Peter and Paul on June 29, is of great significance to Catholics throughout the world as well as to those of us here in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, where our Cathedral bears their names. These…

In the course of the long history of the human race, there has only been a comparatively brief period in which fatherhood has been celebrated with a holiday. In the United States, the first modern Father’s Day celebration was held…

A Pastoral Letter from the Roman Catholic Bishops of WisconsinDear Brothers and Sisters, When we deliberate about the pressing issues of our day, such as embryonic stem cell research, our Catholic tradition employs both reason and faith to help us…

The Sacred Heart of Jesus, pierced by a soldier’s lance while Jesus still hung on the cross after his death, is a symbol of God’s infinite mercy. God’s desire to forgive our sins becomes visible in Jesus’ wounded heart; we…

Archbishop Chaput’s column this week is taken from the homily he delivered at the episcopal ordination of new auxiliary Bishop James D. Conley on May 30 at the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception.

As I was preparing my thoughts on…

Earlier this month, I was privileged to celebrate Jubilee Masses for the priests and religious sisters of the Diocese of Arlington, who mark their 25th or 50th anniversary of ordination or final vows this year.

St. Mark tells us, “For anyone…

Catholic leadership in the secular world belongs to laypeople, not to clergy or religious. The visible role of the priest in public affairs-if by public affairs we mean political affairs-should normally be pretty small.

It’s very dangerous for the Church to…

The escalating statistics on homicide, especially the killing of school children, in the city of Chicago leave many profoundly disturbed. There is the tragedy of mothers and fathers whose children have been killed, the tragedy of families further broken. There…

C.S. Lewis once wisely observed: “When everyone is rushing headlong towards the precipice, anyone going in the opposite direction would appear to be mad.”

In July of 1968, the world at large thought Pope Paul VI had lost his mind. For…

t the end of his encyclical letter, Spe Salvi (”Saved in Hope”), Pope Benedict XVI, wrote of the Blessed Virgin Mary as the star of the sea, a beacon that guides us on the voyage of this life to Christ, the…

Introduction

In some places in the English-speaking world, under the influence of a false feminism, a new and unauthorized practice has been introduced into the celebration of the Sacrament of Baptism. The practice consists in substituting for the names of the…

A friend of mine grew up in a family where her father worked for General Motors. When she was young, the company transferred her dad around the Midwest every few years. The good news is that she made many different friends, some of whom have lasted a lifetime. The bad news is that she never really set down roots until adulthood. She has no single city or town from her childhood that she remembers as "home."

Military families often have the same experience. Assignments come and go during an armed forces career. Families must learn to find "home" in each other and in faithful friends who understand the unique rhythm of a family life ruled by larger obligations. A life on the move can be fruitful and rewarding, my friend likes to say. But easy, it's not.

Easter Sunday celebrates Christ's victory over sin and death. This victory is directly and immediately the work of God, and Easter is therefore the day the Lord has made. The first creation of the world went astray; the re-creation of the world dawns on Easter when all is made new. "This is the day the Lord has made: let us rejoice and be glad" (Ps 118: 24).

The astonishment of the holy women at the tomb, of the disciples on the road to Emmaus, of the apostles who found the tomb empty gave way to joy in their meetings with the Risen Lord. "Jesus is Lord," they exclaim, and everything and everyone gets a second chance at everlasting life and eternal joy.

Several weeks ago a wonderful gentleman from one of our parishes called me with a question that I had never faced before in nearly 25 years as a bishop. It seems that he had been invited to serve as the…

During Lent, we take stock of our own sinfulness and its consequences. The toll is heavy, both personally and socially. Faced with this picture of evil in our lives and in the world, many come to question God and his relation to his creatures.

Responsibility for Evil

Sometimes it's easier to blame God, even for our own sinfulness, than to take possession of our sins and admit our guilt. It's easier to blame someone else, whether the devil, bad companions or God, than to take personal responsibility for our evil actions.

Our Lenten penance should help prevent us from lying to ourselves about our sins. But, in fact, sometimes we truly are victims. Children die of cancer; college students are shot in class; a tsunami destroys thousands of homes and lives.

The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life recently released a study on religious affiliation in America.  It found among other things, that "the Roman Catholic Church has lost more members than any faith tradition because of affiliation swapping….While nearly one in three Americans were raised Catholic, fewer than one in four say they're Catholic today.  That means roughly 10% of Americans are ex-Catholics." Thanks to immigration (more than half of recent immigrants to the U.S are Catholic), the Catholic Church still constitutes about 25% of the U.S. population.  One in three Catholics in the U.S. is Hispanic.

This week, we continue our brief Lenten series addressing the three principal themes of this liturgical season: prayer, almsgiving and fasting. Last week, we reflected on prayer and this week we continue with the theme of almsgiving.

All three of these concepts are expressions of the basic purpose of Lent, which is a turning to God, a conversion of heart. In this context, we are not necessarily speaking about a major conversion from a life of sin or the process of entering the Church or coming into full communion with her. For us conversion is the response to the constant challenge of the Christian life to turn away from sin and turn towards our loving God. We meditate on this call to conversion in a special way during Lent and remind ourselves that conversion takes place in relation to God, to others and to ourself. Prayer calls us to conversion to God by an increased communication with Him, which always leads to greater fidelity. Next week, we will discuss fasting, which aids our interior personal conversion. Almsgiving, which we address this week, highlights conversion towards our neighbor. It is an opportunity to practice charity which, as the Scriptures tell us, "covers a multitude of sins" (1 Peter 4:8).

What is almsgiving?

Over the past few years, as I've talked about Catholics and the obligations of citizenship, two quotations have always guided my thinking.

The first is from the French writer Charles Péguy. Péguy once said that "Freedom is a system based on…

For millions of Christians around the world, Feb. 6 this year marked the beginning of Lent, the annual season of almsgiving, self-examination and repentance. Lent prepares us for the great feast of Easter. The fasting and acts of self-denial most…

Mystery of Life Grand Prix Award Address
Seoul, South Korea

There is deep confusion today about the place and value of the human person in the world. Our concern for concern the physical ecology or the world is not always matched by…

Personal witness is always the best proof of what we claim to believe. And this year, like every other year, with or without an election, we need to apply the idea of Catholic witness in a special way to our…

"Consider the major poll of those who attended the Iowa caucuses; it was done at the behest of the four major television networks plus CNN and the AP. Republicans were asked two questions: whether it mattered that the candidate shared…

Benedict XVI dedicated his catechesis during Wednesday's general audience, held in the Vatican's Paul VI Hall, to St. Augustine, bishop of Hippo, "a man of passion and of faith, of exalted intelligence and of tireless pastoral activity", he said.

The…

After centuries of waiting and preparation on the part of the Chosen People, God sent the Savior into the world to bring us peace, to take away our sins, to teach us how to live in justice, harmony and love:…

"The time came for Mary to be delivered. And she gave birth to her first- born Son and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn," said…

We sing of peace and pray for peace at Christmas because peace is a sign of God's presence. Jesus is Emmanuel, God-with-us, and peace is a sign of his presence. For most of recorded history, however, the world has known…

"The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us." This baby in the manger - so small, so helpless, so vulnerable, this child is the Son of the Most High God. The darkness of a long night - when…

"Do you miss Chicago?" It's one of those questions I am asked repeatedly.

With the rather abrupt weather change that occurred last weekend and the first typical Atlanta December temperatures coming quickly after an extended period of abnormally warm weather, a…

On this past Monday, December 17th, we entered into the last days of Advent, the seven days before the Vigil of Christmas.

During these days, our anticipation of Christmas increases in intensity, making us aware not only of how much…

 [Given by Arlington Bishop Paul S. Loverde on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, during the monthly Respect Life Mass, at the Cathedral of St. Thomas More in Arlington.]

Choosing: this human act is very familiar to each one of us.…

When the first Harry Potter movie arrived in theaters several years ago, many Catholic families had divided views about the film. Some enjoyed it as an innocent and intriguing fantasy. Others avoided it because of its emphasis on magic. But the…

Two important feasts of the Blessed Virgin Mary take place during the Season of Advent: the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception (a holy day of obligation) on December 8th and the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mother of America and…

Pope Benedict XVI released his new encyclical letter, “On Christian Hope,” Nov. 30, just two days before the beginning of Advent. Not surprisingly, the Holy Father’s timing was perfect because Advent, more than any other season of the year, is…

Dear Pastor,

My responsibility as a Bishop is the inform you as well and the faithful as to any movies, activities or entertainments that question or undermine the belief of our people and subvert the message of salvation which you as…

Why do Catholics say that Mary was always a virgin?

Actually, it's not just Catholics who believe Mary was a virgin throughout her life. So does the Orthodox Church. And the Protestant reformers Luther and Calvin held the same belief. To…

Introduction

The Season of Advent is, above all, a season of preparation by means of purification.

The words of Saint John the Baptist, which express his mission in the world, uncover the meaning of our Advent observance:

"Prepare the way of the…

[Editor's note: Archbishop Gregory has been recovering from cancer surgery and could note attend the conference this year.]

Cal Ripken Jr. seized the existing record for consecutive games played when he retired from Major League Baseball in 2001. I watched my personal…

Introduction

On Sunday, December 2nd next, we begin our annual observance of the Season of Advent. During the Season of Advent, the Church draws our attention to the most fundamental reality of our life: eternal salvation in Jesus Christ. Advent draws…

The Roman statesman Cicero once said that, "Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others." Gratitude expresses our dependence on others. By its nature, it leads to humility and wisdom, because a grateful…

One of the characteristics of Christianity from its earliest days has been the fact that it is embraced by both rich and poor. This is, of course, according to the preaching of our Lord Jesus Christ, who offers His salvation…

"Fifty Million French Men Can't Be Wrong" was the title of a popular Tin Pan Alley song from 1927. It spawned a Broadway play title in 1931 with songs composed by Cole Porter. We've often heard the saying made well…

Next week, we celebrate Thanksgiving Day, one of the principal holidays of the year and a time for families to gather in celebration. Although Thanksgiving Day is a civic holiday, it was religious in its origins and remains for us…

In early November, Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains (PPRM) broke ground on a new headquarters and clinic in northeast Denver.  Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains purchased this property secretly under the guise of Fuller 38 LLC.

Planned Parenthood…

"I quit!" The fact that the parish maintenance man quit without giving me two weeks notice had me upset. Until I could hire someone else, I needed a short-term replacement. So I called Mr. Troy, who operated the cleaning firm…

Praised be Jesus Christ, now and for ever. Amen.

By the Parable of the Pharisee and the Publican, our Lord Jesus provides us with a fundamental instruction on how to pray. He teaches us, first, the foundation of all prayer in…