The Dispatch
It’s about the Art, for Art’s Sake
The Vatican’s 2017 Nativity Display is generating more than a little vitriol from some Catholics on social media. […]
Articles by Mark Brumley
General
Princess Leia is not dead
On some level, I would like to believe Carrie Fisher was Princess Leia of Star Wars. But of course she wasn’t. Like many others of the first Star Wars generation, I find it hard to […]
Opinion
The Signs of the Times
Food for thought, as we hear about various diocesan and other pastoral plans for outreach to LGBT families: Scenario 1: Penitent: “Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned. It’s been a month since my last […]
Opinion
Musings on Dead Voters
You may have read reports of dead people having voted in recent elections. You may also have heard warnings about questioning the legitimacy of the outcome of the upcoming presidential election. Indeed, one U.S. bishop […]
Opinion
The Latest in the Debate over Capital Punishment
Mark Shea’s latest contribution in his debate with Dr Ed Feser over capital punishment is a long quote from Princeton’s Robert George, who, as a proponent of the New Natural Law Theory, rejects capital punishment […]
Essay
The Death Penalty Debate Continues…
Let’s not kill one another in print, virtual or otherwise, over the death penalty. That was a main point of my recent comments regarding the re-emerging debate on that topic. We’ll see what happens as the debate […]
Essay
Ongoing discussion about capital punishment deserves charity and clarity
There’s emerging what some will call a new brouhaha and others will regard as a renewed rigorous discussion about capital punishment and the Catholic Church. The issue itself has been controversial in the last several […]
Analysis
Showing Mercy to Creation?
In his Message for the Celebration of the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, Pope Francis suggests adding two “works of mercy” to the traditional lists of the seven Spiritual Works of Mercy […]
General
The Trending of the Pope
Pope Francis’ post-synodal apostolic exhortation The Joy of Love (Amoris Laetitia) is getting mixed “reviews” in Catholic circles, if social media and other Internet activity is any indication. Officialdom is largely positive, as we would expect. […]
Analysis
Cardinal Kasper resorts to the “F” word in addressing critics
Cardinal Kasper has taken to using the “F” word in criticizing some of his opponents on the question of divorce and civil remarriage. It seems that they are “fundamentalists”, not appreciating the context of the […]