General
Priest, Prophet, King
The Holy Father has in the highest degree the roles of Priest, Prophet, and King. Of the many things he has done and said, three stand out in my mind as having a lasting influence […]
General
General
Pope Benedict XVI’s Fifth Anniversary | A CWR Round-Table
On April 19, 2005, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was elected pope, becoming the 266th Roman pontiff and taking the name Benedict XVI. To commemorate the fifth anniversary of this historic event for the Catholic Church, CWR […]
General
Let’s Get the Story Straight
The so-called “stalled pedophile case,” blame for which has been laid at the feet of then-Cardinal Ratzinger, had nothing to do with pedophilia and everything to do with strengthening marriage and the priesthood. Here’s what […]
General
The Pope and His Pharisaical Attackers
The very secularists and libertine Catholics who wanted the aberrant sexual revolution to enter the Church in the 1960s and 1970s now hold Pope Benedict XVI responsible for its lingering effects. This takes considerable gall, […]
Analysis
Landmark Pastoral Letter Sparks Mixed Reactions
In a statement, the group—which is currently engaged in a consultation process with the Irish Bishops’ Conference—said the pastoral letter represented a long-overdue apology from the Pope and the Vatican. “Victims desperately need closure for […]
General
Landmark Pastoral Letter Sparks Mixed Reactions
The response to Pope Benedict XVI’s pastoral letter to Ireland’s Catholics on the subject of child abuse has been somewhat predictable. The Catholic hierarchy, as represented by Cardinal SeÁn Brady and Dublin’s Archbishop Diarmuid Martin, […]
General
Pastoral Letter to the Catholics of Ireland
1. Dear brothers and sisters of the Church in Ireland, it is with great concern that I write to you as Pastor of the universal Church. Like yourselves, I have been deeply disturbed by the […]
General
Vatican Opens the Door to Anglican Converts
According to the CDF statement, personal ordinariates will operate under the jurisdiction of an ordinary, who will be appointed from among former Anglican clergy. Ordinariates will be established in cooperation with local Catholic episcopal conferences, […]
Interview
A Conversation with Catholic SF Writers
A CWR: Is there such a thing as Catholic/Christian SF? Gene Wolfe: Certainly. It’s science fiction informed by the Catholic faith. John C. Wright: The short answer is no. The long answer is that Christianity […]
General
Open to Transcendence, Open to Life
Another fundamental principle, and a central theme of this pontificate, is the continuity of the Church and her teaching. Surprisingly, the central ecclesiastical text from the past is Pope Paul VI’s Populorum Progressio, and […]