I think we have, in our hands, an achievable way of changing America in a way that will seem as sudden and earth-shaking as the 1960s civil rights revolution or the 1989 anti-Communist revolution. But first I think it’s important to give some context. What needs to be saved about the American culture in the first place? The family. A nation is only as strong as its foundation, and for a society,... More

“They’ve done it before and they’ll do it again and when they do it – seems that only the children weep.” -Harper Lee, “To Kill a Mockingbird” Remember when sports pundits called the Penn State football program squeaky clean? The famous Paterno creed, “winning with honor” served as the high standard for collegiate football. Then, the Sandusky scandal erupted.... More

Welcome to the Lunchtime Reader, where we assemble important stories to keep your eyes on. Republicans take over Virginia Senate, pending a recount. Bryce Reeves (right) has an 86 vote lead. If that holds, the GOP will control both house of the Legislature and the Governor’s office. http://cvote.to/7w Ohio voters rejected GOP’s public union reform plan but also rejected President Obama’s hea... More

The cause of our joy. And the sure sign that evil cannot prevail. “Will the Church survive this? Yes. How? The Holy Spirit. I wouldn’t give you five bucks for the whole operation if it weren’t for the guidance of the Holy Spirit. We can’t keep this up on our own.” I paraphrase from memory, but so said Father Benedict Groeschel in a conference I heard years back shortl... More

It's a target. The Roman collar proclaims to the world, "JESUS IS LORD. And I will live and die by that credo." So the Irish prime minister, and now some Australian legislator, is working on a bill that, if passed into law, would ostensibly compel, under penalty of jail time, priests to break the seal of confession and tell the civil authorities if child abuse is confessed. Let’... More

Morley Safer of CBS’ 60 Minutes spent some time talking with one of my favorite Catholics, Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York. Dolan is a gregarious Irishman with a smile that doesn’t quit, a magnetism that holds your attention, an eloquence that instructs without overburdening, and honesty and fidelity that inspire. My final semester in seminary began with a 5-day silent retreat wit... More

Double Standard: Abuse Scandals and the Attack on the Catholic Church is essential reading for anyone who wants to hear the other side of the clergy sexual abuse scandal. The side the media hasn’t told you, and side most of the public doesn’t know. David Pierre, the author, runs TheMediaReport.com and blogs for Newsbusters.org (a resource I often use when critiquing media bias). His re... More

Today the Diocese of Phoenix announced that the former Father Dale Fushek has been dismissed from the clerical state (i.e. the Priesthood). Fushek, best known for founding the Life Teen Ministry, was laicized after a Vatican investigation into charges of the sexual abuse of minors. Fushek actually left the Church in 2007 and was formally excommunicated by Phoenix bishop, Thomas Olmsted’s in... More