Anyone familiar with the life of John Paul II will recognise the names of books he published before becoming Pope. But they may be surprised to hear that his longest, containing crucial early reflections on Christianity and Marxism, has never been published. When Polish newspapers wrote about it recently, the news sparked a debate in… continue reading
Deliver Us, Lord, From the Fear of the Enemy
April 1, 2007 by
Dorothy Day often quoted the Psalms. In January of 1967 she said in The Catholic Worker,“‘Deliver us, Lord from the fear of the enemy.’ That is one of the lines in the Psalms, and we are not asking God to deliver us from enemies, but from the fear of them. Love casts out fear, but we… continue reading
Pope Benedict XVI Insists: No Structural Adjustment Related to Forgiveness of the Foreign Debt. But What Is It?
February 1, 2007 by
The Holy Father recently drew the attention of national leaders when he said something dramatic and startling in his address to the Diplomatic Corps. When he asked that the process of debt cancellation and reduction for the poorest countries be continued and accelerated, Pope Benedict XVI insisted that these processes must not be made conditional upon… continue reading
The Vocation of Business: Social Justice in the Marketplace by John Médaille. Continuum Books, 2007
February 1, 2007 by
In his new book , The Vocation of Business , John Médaille, a businessman who teaches “Social Justice for Business Students” at the University of Dallas, makes a comprehensive case for introducing values such as justice and equity into business practices by applying the principles of Catholic Social Teaching (CST). It certainly seems like a reasonable… continue reading
The Tragedy of our Deported Brothers and Sisters: What Can We Do When People are Hurt So Much in the Immigration Debate?
December 1, 2006 by
Since the date on which the politicians in this country undertook the theme of the “undocumented” as a tool that would allow them to dig up more votes in the coming elections, many situations for and against our more than 10 million undocumented brothers and sisters have taken place. We know the positive elements, since… continue reading
Locking Up the Huddled Masses: Innocent Refugees in Cyclone and Barbed Wire Fences
December 1, 2006 by
Professor Joe Vail directs the Immigration Law Clinic at the University of Houston. He was formerly an immigration judge. There is a building located just north of Beltway 8 approximately 2 miles to the east of the Houston Bush Intercontinental Airport. The building is owned by a private corporation called the Corrections Corporation of America… continue reading
Into the Dark with God: A Christmas Meditation on the Incarnation, for a Troubled World
December 1, 2006 by
And the angel said to them: “Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you Good News of a great joy that will come to all the people: for to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you… continue reading
Vatican Declares Catholicism a Peace Church: Follow the Way of the Great Prophets of Peace, the way of Conscientious Objection and of Alternative Social Service, the way of Nonviolence
December 1, 2006 by
Excerpted from Cardinal Bertone’s first address as new Vatican Secretary of State to the Vatican Diplomatic Corps, all the ambassadors accredited to the Holy See, on September 29, 2006. Our contemporaries hope that the diplomats in their role will contribute to establishing and maintaining “an international order, the art of establishing reasonable human relations among peoples”… continue reading
Death Sentence for Rafael and Other Immigrants
December 1, 2006 by
Rafael (not his real name), a construction worker, came to us a sick man. We went the usual procedure of trying to arrange help for him before his cancer became any worse. We tried to arrange an eligibility card—called a Gold Card—but were unsuccessful because he didn’t have a picture ID. We accompanied him to… continue reading
Pope Benedict XVI: A Voice Crying in the Wilderness on Nonviolence in the Middle East: We Will Not Be Quiet
October 1, 2006 by
During the recent war in Lebanon, Pope Benedict XVI cried out at every public appearance for all, in the name of God, to immediately lay down their arms. He said, “We will not keep quiet, we will do everything possible so that those in power hear us.” The Vatican Information Service has faithfully reported his… continue reading
