The Dispatch
God’s goodness and the laborers in the vineyard
On the Readings for Sunday, September 24, 2017 […]
Catechism of the Catholic Church
The Dispatch
Lazarus, the Rich Man, and the Sin of Pride
Readings: • Am 6:1a, 4-7 • Ps 146:7, 8-9, 9-10 • 1 Tm 6:11-16 • Lk 16:19-31 As we hear the various parables from the Gospel of Luke it is good to keep two things […]
Essay
The Crisis Behind the Crisis of Faith in the Real Presence
Not too long ago, I had occasion to observe in a piece for Catholic World Report (CWR) that a series of previous articles on the Brebeuf Jesuit controversy in the Archdiocese of Indianapolis were conspicuous […]
Essay
Three questions for Catholic opponents of capital punishment
Pope St. John Paul II favored the abolition of capital punishment. However, the catechism he promulgated nevertheless taught that the death penalty can be legitimate “if this is the only possible way of effectively defending […]
Analysis
Thoughts on five problematic passages in the Synod’s Final Document
While all sensible and faithful Catholics ought to be grateful that the worst fears of many about the Synod were not realized, there are still several elements of the Final Document that require comment and […]
Capital Punishment and the Catechism: A Symposium
Capital Punishment and the Catechism: A CWR Symposium
Six Catholic scholars and commentators reflect on the Holy Father’s recent and controversial revision to the Catechism of the Catholic Church. […]
General
On human dignity and the death penalty
Whether human dignity is upheld if we allow no executions remains an open question. As Plato intimated, a case for the execution of certain criminals […]
General
The death penalty debate and the Church’s magisterium
I regard the liceity of the death penalty as having been established with infallible certitude by the Church’s ordinary magisterium. […]
General
Development, not deviation: Evaluating Francis’ modification on the death penalty
We can reaffirm that state executions are not intrinsically evil, even while we join Pope Francis in working toward the abolition of their social application. […]
General
Capital punishment: Intrinsically evil or morally permissible?
What we appear to have on our hands is a case of interpretive undecidability. […]