The Narthex

Historical Amnesia May 8, 2025 marks the 80th anniversary of V-E Day. Four score years ago, Allied troops entered Berlin and the Thousand Year Reich ended after 13 years. Last month marked the 250th anniversary of Lexington and Concord, the battles that began the American Revolution (after the "midnight ride…

The Church faces a pivotal moment as the papal conclave begins -- a moment that sets course for how we continue to receive the Second Vatican Council. Let me say up front that I take reception of the Council as a necessary fact for a Catholic. It is part of the…

What I Want in a Pope The Catholic press and blogosphere is filled with writers pontificating on what they want in a new pontiff. Coupled with the musings of conclave observers and (pseudo) whisperers, one often hears about “a man of the Gospel,” “a man of God,” “a man of…

There has been an active campaign to promote a positive image for in vitro fertilization (IVF). Pro-abortionists (i.e., Congressional Democrats) have glommed on to the issue as part of a “reproductive rights” agenda, whose real intention is to advance abortion. Since unrestricted abortion for any reason whatsoever still encounters resistance,…

High school and college graduation days are coming up, so I thought I’d share this dream which I remember like it was yesterday. On two occasions a couple years on either side of the year 2000, I attended graduations at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. I watched these events…

The Gospel of the Second Sunday of Easter (Jn 20:19-31) incorporates two appearances by Jesus to His Apostles. His first, on Easter Sunday evening, is the institution of the sacrament of Penance, entrusting the ministry of forgiveness to His Apostles. The second, a week later, is when he confronts “doubting…

“Awesome!” So say the young, and so often that the adults in the room join in. I like to add, “Totally,” which sometimes elicits a smile. Rarely if ever, though, are we really in awe of the supposedly awesome. But, truth be told, we rarely take to be a wonder…

The U.S. Supreme Court April 22 heard oral arguments in Mahmoud v. Taylor. The case comes from just down the road from the Court -- Montgomery County, Maryland -- where the local school board has imposed a family life curriculum throughout elementary and secondary (even pre-) schools. The curriculum is…

We recently considered the less-than-pretty side of the “ecumenical” push to impose a common Easter. (See my post from two days ago.) That essay notes that most discussion focuses on three possible approaches: have the East adopt the Catholic approach; have the West adopt the Orthodox approach; or have both…

A particularly deceitful attack on parenthood and children happens via fear-mongering on the supposed cost of raising a child. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) issued an annual report from 1960 through 2017 entitled “Expenditures on Children by Families,” better known as “The Cost of Raising a Child.” The…

Much attention has been given this year to a push by the late Pope Francis (with Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew) to find a date for a “common Easter.” Francis had resurrected a dormant appendix of Vatican II’s Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy as his warrant for the push which, one senses,…

Back in my undergraduate theology days Fr. Robert Werenski, our Bible professor, regularly came back to what he called the “PDR” -- the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. We Catholics call it the “Paschal Mystery,” which we just finished celebrating during the Paschal Triduum but still have seven…

Fear-mongering continues regarding parenthood and child-rearing. I address two aspects here: risk of maternal mortality and dangers associated with unintended pregnancy. Risk of Maternal Mortality A frequent contributor to this blog, Professor John M. Grondelski, has addressed the contention that maternal mortality (any mortality, no matter the rate) requires the escape…

The Erasure of Easter Easter is less than a week away. Among non-believers it’s easier to ignore than Christmas, as it always falls on a Sunday. You can say “goodbye” to a co-worker on Friday and return on Monday and Easter weekend will not be noticeably different to the broader…

About a year ago a new Planned Parenthood of America (PPA) clinic moved into the neighborhood. We first noticed it on the way to Mass at our Inglewood, California, parish, St. John Chrysostom. The clinic, fairly large and with bold signage, is in a busy strip mall. Why not? The…