Pope Francis broke me
Pope Francis broke me. I used to believe in a Church that was comforting. I loved exploring the depths and breadth of its teaching. I marveled at its grandeur. It was among those that also shared my beliefs and convictions...
Author: Daniel Amiri
Father Ed: A man for God and others
What does it mean to be a Catholic man? In recent years, many podcasts, YouTube videos, articles, and books have been devoted to the subject. The number is not surprising. As many argue, the Catholic Church in the West is...
Francis the Pacifist
When is it good to kill another human being? The only correct answer, the one offered by the Church, is “never.” As Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for...
Hiring & Firing in Catholic Education
A North Carolina Catholic school fired a teacher in September 2021 after he announced on social media that he was going to be married to his male partner. A few years ago, a Catholic high school in Indianapolis was put...
Why were those words on that USCCB graphic?
Earlier this week, the USCCB tweeted a graphic featuring “seven attitudes we can all adopt as we continue our synodal journey together,” which many on social media criticized for various reasons. Some criticized its apparent “corporatese.” Others argued that the...
Synodality: A New Way of Living as a Church
On Sunday, Pope Francis opened the two-year process for the 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops with a Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica. The diocesan phase of the Synod is set to begin this Sunday, October 17....
The Libertarian, Anti-Vaccine Conscience
The overlap between the anti-vaccination movement and reactionary resistance to the Church’s magisterium has been well-documented. In one recent example, Janet Smith, a professor renowned for her defense of Pope Paul VI’s Humanae Vitae, argued for Crisis that “the Church...
Blame Yourself
On Sunday, August 29th, Pope Francis provided a brief exegesis of the day’s Gospel passage from Mark, in which Jesus berated the hypocrites who “honor God with their lips” but whose hearts are far from him. For those who have...
Our Unfolding Suffering
Many Catholics today try to find solace in their suffering by imposing meaning upon their experiences. The desire to make sense of the chaos of the modern age often leads people to attempt to customize their lives and the lives...
Prayer Is a Prerequisite for Holiness
In the United States, a pervasive intellectualism continues its stranglehold on Catholics, thwarting our flourishing. Again and again, we hear the need for “doctrinal clarity,” or about how Pope Francis is “confusing.” Many seem to believe that being clear-minded and...
Traditionis Custodes: In the Hope of Liturgical Reform
In his post yesterday, Adam Rasmussen explained the theological and ecclesiological reasons for Pope Francis’s motu proprio, Traditionis Custodes. In the midst of all the controversy, there is much hope to be found in this rather bold decision. I don’t...
The Liberating and Ever-New Path of Jesus
In this morning’s General Audience address, Pope Francis began a new catechesis series on St. Paul’s letter to the Galatians. In just a few words, he returned to some familiar themes: inculturation of the Gospel, trust, discernment, prayer, and rigidity....
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