Even though we had all been friendly enough earlier, the whole mood changed. We were no longer simply diners in the restaurant.

Whatever the case, we probably do well to allow children to leave this particular question open. Perhaps the best answer would be to affirm that if, by God’s help, they go to heaven, they will carry their pets with them in their hearts.

A church building is a sacred space that is open to the public by its very nature. The faithful fundamentally have a right to join in the prayer conducted in a church building since it is, in a sense, their spiritual home.

Bishop Thomas does not hesitate to tell two important truths. First, gender ideology proposes a false idea of our humanity: one that denies the biblical truth about us, reduces us to mere bundles of morally equal desires, and does serious damage to individuals and society. Second, gender dysphoria causes real suffering, but there is no clinical evidence that “transitioning” yields long-term mental health benefits.

As we were beginning 2025, I decided to kick it up a notch. Why not try to go to 150 Masses?

God bless Erika Kirk for her very difficult act of forgiveness, for sharing it with us and for inspiring others to forgive. I hope it starts a tsunami of forgiveness because forgiveness can heal the world.

Holiness does not wait for stability. Holiness is forged in revolution.

The Catholic Church doesn’t reject evolution, because it doesn’t reject — but, in fact, welcomes — any legitimate scientific inquiry. Science studies nature, and the truth of creation can never contradict the truth of the Creator.

The Psalms remind us that we can bring all our human emotions and experiences to God, holding nothing back.

If, as the church teaches, the family is the fundamental building block of a healthy society, then we cannot ignore how economic structures, especially the cost of housing, influence family life.