Today on “Conversation with Cardinal Dolan,” Father Dave Dwyer and I talk about upcoming travel plans and resisting the culture of death.
Podcast (homilies): Download (24.1MB)
On “Conversation with Cardinal Dolan,” Father Dave Dwyer and I discuss New York City in February, the consistency of the Catholic perspective, and effects of social media.
Podcast: Download (21.2MB)
I’d like to share with you a column I wrote about recent troubling developments at the state and national levels. Here’s an excerpt:
Recently, over an enjoyable meal, a rabbi friend and I discussed at length a litany of controversial issues, from immigration to the death penalty; from minimum wage to abortion; from prison reform to physician-assisted-suicide. We agreed on some, differed on others. At the end of our pleasant conversation, my colleague teased me, “The trouble with you is that you’re so damn consistent!”
I take that as a compliment! Our belief in the dignity of the…
The news has been full over the last few weeks of revelations about the “harvesting” of organs by Planned Parenthood from the remains of aborted children, so they can be sold for medical research. Reactions have varied. Some have offered technical arguments about the legality of this practice, while others have sought to attack the makers of the undercover videos. Planned Parenthood’s PR people have been busy. Some legislators have understandably and laudably initiated measures to stop their public funding, while others continue to attempt to defend the indefensible.
Most of us simply recoil in horror from this ghoulish practice.
This…
Just a few items to share with you.
For one, late tonight I leave for Rome, summoned there, along with my brother Cardinals from around the world, by Pope Francis. Your intentions accompany me, and I already look forward to returning back here in a week.
What brings us over is the consistory for new cardinals, to occur this Saturday, February 22, the Feast of the Chair of St. Peter. We “upper-classmen” are always there to welcome “freshmen”!
People wonder about the significance of even having cardinals anymore, and, occasionally, I do myself.
Sunday is always colorful, interesting, and inspirational at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, as thousands from all over the world crowded in for prayer, to light a votive candle, or to worship at one of a dozen Masses.
Last Sunday seemed even more so. I started the day meeting the leadership of our Knights of Columbus, the largest volunteer organization in the country. We spoke about our common efforts to protect the innocent, fragile life of the baby in the womb, but also about their sterling work to assist poor, mostly immigrant children attend our first-rate inner city Catholic schools, and their…
Pope Francis is an excellent teacher. He’s a classical Jesuit, and has himself taught in high school (chemistry and literature, I hear) in Argentina.
An effective pedagogue sets a few clear goals for his class. “Professor” Francis sure has done so for the Church, for the world, for all God’s children.
Among his goals is a call to love and serve the poor. No surprise, since this is a clear, clean goal of Jesus in the gospels.
This month of January presents us a chance to grow in our love and service of the poor.
January 20th is the birthday of the Reverend…
One part of the HHS mandate sadly goes into effect today.
You probably know all about the mandate by now. It’s the decree from the Secretary of Health and Human Services that the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act requires employer health care plans to include contraceptive services for women, including drugs called abortifacients. Although, in America’s finest tradition, the bill allows an exemption for religious reasons, it presumes to define just what a church’s ministry must be to qualify, a dramatic and unprecedented intrusion into the integrity of all faiths. My brother bishops and I – in welcome collaboration…
Let me share with you this interesting article written by Andrew Ferguson, senior editor at The Weekly Standard. Ferguson writes about after-birth abortion.
On the list of the world’s most unnecessary occupations—aromatherapist, golf pro, journalism professor, vice president of the United States—that of medical ethicist ranks very high. They are happily employed by pharmaceutical companies, hospitals, and other outposts of the vast medical-industrial combine, where their job is to advise the boss to go ahead and do what he was going to do anyway (“Put it on the market!” “Pull the plug on the geezer!”). They also attend conferences where…