Today I learned that Nelson Mandela, former South African president and a hero to all, had passed away. Here is the statement that I released to the press:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 5, 2013

STATEMENT OF CARDINAL DOLAN ON THE PASSING OF NELSON MANDELA

Nelson Mandela was a hero to the world. His bravery in defending human rights against the great evil of apartheid made him a symbol of courage and dignity, as well as an inspiration to people everywhere. As Blessed Pope John Paul II noted during his visit to South Africa in 1995, Nelson Mandela was for many years,…

I’ll blame my rush to get home to be with my Mom and family for Thanksgiving,  but I was remiss last week in not thanking the Daily News for publishing on their website my op-ed article on the protest of a talk that was to have been given – at their request – to high school parents by an archdiocesan priest about Courage, the Church’s ministry to those with same-sex attraction who are trying to lead virtuous lives. As you probably know, the protest eventually led to the cancellation of that talk.

If you missed the column, you can

Father James Martin, SJ has an excellent response to Bill Keller’s piece in yesterday’s New York Times about celibacy.  Father Martin is right:  “Overall, the article is rife with lazy stereotypes and flat-out guessing. (“The apostles had wives.” Really? Peter did–but all of them? Guess I missed those mentions of Zebedee’s daughters-in-law.)

Ironically, Keller likes Pope Francis a great deal and speaks of his overall approach to the church approvingly. But he somehow missed the fact that Jorge Mario Bergoglio took a vow of chastity when he made his first vows as a Jesuit in 1960, and…

It’s all about the kids, isn’t it?

That dawned on me over the Thanksgiving weekend, when I was back in St. Louis with my family.

Besides eating . . . which I obviously relished – - and sleeping, we spent most of our time just enjoying the kids!  There we sat, passing one little one to another, cooing, talking baby-talk, or laughing as the kids would do something new.

My nieces are mostly grown-up, and now the married ones are having babies!  So we’ve got five of them, four and under, with two on the way. …

Haga clic aquí para leer mi blog en español.

This past weekend, I was honored to join hundreds of other pastoral leaders from North and South America for a moving Pilgrimage and Encounter at the Shrine of Guadalupe in Mexico City.

It was a grace for me.  For one, I enjoy visiting any sanctuary where Our Lady has appeared, such as Lourdes, Fatima, or Knock.

Two, under the title of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mary, the mother of Jesus, is patroness of all America . . . that’s us!

Three, our Mexican-American Catholics, now such a vibrant part of our national…

Congratulations to Archbishop Joseph Kurtz and Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, who were elected as president and vice president, respectively of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. I would like to share with you the following press release that was issued today by the USCCB.

Archbishop Kurtz Elected President of U.S. Bishops, Cardinal DiNardo Elected Vice President

Bishops elect chairman of Catholic Education Committee Chairmen-elect chosen for five other USCCB committees New CRS, CLINIC board members chosen 

November 12, 2013

BALTIMORE—Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz of Louisville, Kentucky, was elected president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) during the bishops’ annual fall General Assembly, November…

I am grateful to our Holy Father, Pope Francis, for the appointment of Bishop Salvatore R. Matano to be new Bishop of the Diocese of Rochester. Bishop Matano has been an excellent Bishop of Burlington, and I know that he will be warmly welcomed as he undertakes his new pastoral duties in Rochester. He succeeds my good friend, Bishop Matthew Clark, who served the people of Rochester so well and so faithfully during his time as their bishop. I look forward to working with Bishop Matano in caring for God’s people in New York.

A blessed Feast of All Saints!

I want to encourage you to vote on Tuesday.  One of our national embarrassments is that we American citizens do not take our duty to vote — a freedom most of the world’s inhabitants long for — seriously.

Might I also thank our candidates.  Disagree with them on issues I do, but I sure appreciate the sense of public service that inspires them, and will ask God’s guidance for Tuesday’s victors.

We Catholic pastors scrupulously avoid endorsing candidates.  Why?  For one, we trust the judgment of our people, that they will “render to God what is…

A string of good popes!

In recent memory, all of the occupants of the Chair of St. Peter have been virtuous, good, even saintly men.

Only the naïve will consider that statement a “no-brainer.” Why? Because this has not always been the case.

We have had more than one bad pope! There are books written on them! We have had drunks, philanderers, tyrannical, bloodthirsty rogues whose exploits would make a truck driver blush.

Come to think about it, the first one, St. Peter, was no gem, as he denied even knowing Jesus, three times, at the very moment the Lord could most have…

Catholic Extension is dedicated to transforming poor Catholic communities across the United States – by building faith, inspiring hope and igniting spiritual renewal. More and more people are becoming aware of its vast network of support for 11 million Catholics who live the teaching of Christ day after day despite the most challenging of circumstances.  I hope you will take a moment to learn more about how Catholic Extension has been empowering Catholic faith communities for more than 100 years by supporting remarkable ministries, leadership initiatives, seminarian education and much more.

Rev. John J. Wall, president of Catholic Extension, will concelebrate Mass…