Pope Leo XIV has been speaking about one of the hottest of hot-button topics in Catholic Church discourse lately: The so-called “liturgy wars” that have been going on for decades in the wake of Vatican II. As Crux Now’s Managing Editor has noted in May, one of Leo’s goals out of the gate has been…
The day the Leaving Cert results were published, Friday, August 21, was, we hope, a happy and memorable day for all students. At the end of a long straight road of five or six years in secondary school, they’re now starting off down a new one. Don’t all of us middle-aged adults feel again the…
As I’ve suggested in earlier reflections in this series, one of the ways in which we can protect ourselves from excessive anxiety is to be clear regarding what we might call a sensible ‘moral architecture.’ Our moral responsibility is limited; it does not extend to the whole world. Developing a wise and balanced sense of…
When I pulled up to the high school that my two oldest sons attend in downtown Minneapolis, the excitement was buzzing. Students were clapping and cheering for their classmates as they entered the doors for the first day. Teachers and staff stood on the pavement welcoming everyone to the new school year. I couldn’t help…
‘Dono di Maria’ or ‘Gift of Mary’ is a convent of the Sisters of Charity located close to the Holy Office near St Peter’s Square here in Rome. For six evenings of the week, the sisters welcome fifty-five homeless people into the convent where they gather for a meal. Recently, I have volunteered to help…
Q: Could you clarify the Church’s current stance on Freemasonry? Some seem to think that these days it’s “no different than belonging to Rotary” or any other service club. The local church has parishioners that belong to the local Masonic lodge. A: Despite what you might be hearing from your fellow parishioners, it is still…
When I reflect on the spirituality I was raised on, I’m deeply grateful. No spirituality is perfect, but what I have been given through our rich Christian tradition stands up to the challenges of life and of faith. But if I had one criticism it would be this: For all its richness, Christian spirituality hasn’t…
How much is enough? In Matthew’s Gospel, Peter asks that question, but with a very specific idea in mind. How much do I have to forgive my brother? How many times? Seven? That should be enough, right? Right? But what followed probably wasn’t what Peter expected. “Jesus answered, ‘I say to you, not seven times…
For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them The Gospel Matt 18:15 [Jesus said:] “If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one.…
What is reality? Is it the same as cinematic realism? In times past we treasured our screen heroes. Then The Morning After Optimism – to quote playwright Tom Murphy – arrived. The first time I saw a celluloid icon being toppled from his perch was in Doc in 1971. Harris Yulin played Wyatt Earp as…
Fr Ronald Rolheiser
Aubrey Malone