Essay
The Next Pope
As the Cardinals prepare for perhaps the most important days of their lives, let us, the faithful, keep them in our prayers in a fervent way. The devil is no doubt at work trying to […]
Essay
Essay
An Open Letter to Archbishop Bruno Forte
Your Grace1, I was stunned to read of your recent attack on those who receive Holy Communion on the tongue. Even more so because you used an Easter homily to launch that assault, which demonstrates […]
Essay
Lessons for a new pope from the greatest popes
Since the death of the first pope, Saint Peter, two hundred and sixty-five men have succeeded him in that office. And now, following the death and burial of Pope Francis, we can consider how the […]
Essay
The risen Christ’s first gift to His Church was His peace and mercy
An embarrassment of riches confronts us today as we observe the Octave Day of Easter, Dominca in albis, Divine Mercy Sunday, Low Sunday, Quasimodo Sunday—take your pick—with readings that lead us to such seemingly diverse things as the experience […]
Essay
Retrospect on a pontificate
During the March 2013 interregnum following the abdication of Pope Benedict XVI, and in the conclave itself, proponents of Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, SJ, as Benedict’s successor described him as an orthodox, tough-minded, courageous reformer […]
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The reign of Pope Francis in retrospect: A Catholic World Report symposium
In October 2013, I wrote one of the more challenging pieces of my nearly 30 years as an author: a CWR editorial titled “Pope Francis: The Good, the Baffling, and the Unclear”. I won’t repeat […]
Essay
Pope Francis, 1936-2025
Pope Francis, who said he never wanted to be earthly head of the Catholic Church and frequently governed as though he were a simple parish priest, is dead. The 265th successor to St. Peter the […]
Essay
The Resurrection of Europe?
Something strange is happening in the heart of Europe. Something is stirring. What is happening, what is stirring, is the stirring of the people of Europe against the decadent ascendancy that has ruled the roost […]
Essay
Forgiveness proves the Resurrection
What is the one thing more outlandish than claiming a crucified criminal rose gloriously from the dead? Answer: Claiming that this man existed for one purpose: the forgiveness of sins. Forgiveness, as doctrine and salutary […]
Essay
Pope Benedict XVI’s “First Convert”
Editor’s note: This essay was first posted at CWR, in slightly different form, on April 16, 2013. It is reposted here on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the election of Benedict XVI. ——– Groucho […]