Guest Commentaries

A black and white portrait of an older man in a suit, sitting with hands clasped, looking contemplative.

The Value of Preaching to the Choir

By Dale Ahlquist I went to a very secular liberal arts college. Like most secular liberal arts colleges, it had been founded by a church. Its church affiliation had long since ended, but it still had a beautiful, Gothic-style chapel in the center of campus. The other remnant of its religious past was that there…

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A large crowd of people gathered outdoors holding signs with messages like "life" and "pro-life." Many are wearing winter clothing, including hats and scarves. The atmosphere suggests a pro-life rally or march with Catholic themes."

What Has the Pro-Life Movement Accomplished Since 1973?

By John Jansen In the opening scene of Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ, we see Our Lord enduring the Agony in the Garden, and the devil telling Him, “No one man can carry this burden… It is far too heavy. Saving their souls is too costly.” Working in the pro-life movement, we often…

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A dramatic scene of a Catholic religious gathering with figures in historical attire, predominantly dressed in earthy tones. A central woman kneels, surrounded by others in prayer and devotion. The setting appears to be outdoors with a mountainous background.

Hanukah: Prequel to the Gospels

Ever wonder why Catholics insist on keeping the books of the Maccabees in her bibles while everyone else keeps throwing them out? It’s a pretty wild story, one far better than George Lucas could cook up! Never look at hanukkah the same after this muse by Major Frey.

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A group of Catholic cardinals wearing red robes and zucchetto hats, viewed from behind during a formal gathering.

The Perfect Ecclesial Storm

by Fr. Mark Pilon The Holy See has sent out a survey or questionnaire on the topic for the next Synod of Bishops, the family, and the bishops have been instructed to give it the widest possible distribution. So some dioceses in Great Britain have already put it online, and dioceses everywhere will soon send…

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A worn sign with bold red text reading "SALE ON ALL BODY PARTS." The background is a faded, aged white. The text is prominently displayed in large, capital letters."

Brain Death and the Harvesting of Human Organs

by Patrick Laurence  Introduction: It’s true today that everything has a value on the market, but does that mean we can easily take the value of our organs? If you’ve donated your organs, doesn’t it make some tension over whether you are dead when they take those organs? The Bellarmine Forum is pleased to welcome…

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Book cover featuring a portrait of Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuits, in historical attire. The cover is primarily dark with a portrait illustration and text: "Ignatius of Loyola Speaks" by Karl Rahner S.J. Translated by Annemarie S. Kidder. The text discusses Ignatius of Loyola's life and spiritual teachings, emphasizing his role as a Catholic saint."

Ignatius Speaks?

Ignatius of Loyola Speaks Karl Rahner, S.J. St. Augustine’s Press Paperback, $13.00 Simply looking at the cover of Ignatius of Loyola Speaks instantly sets the stage for the work. It gives the context of the work, quotes from Karl Rahner late in life saying it is “a sort of last will and testament” and “a…

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A statue of Jesus with long hair covering his face, set against a red background. Text reads: "NO! WHAT?? THAT OLD PLAYBOOK AGAIN? WHY?" The statue appears to be in a gesture of distress, emphasizing Catholic themes."

Archdiocese of St. Paul-Minneapolis: Prudence? Incoherence?

by Guest Author, George Glavan Have they blown it again? Given the recent scandals of priestly sexual abuse in the Archdiocese of St. Paul-Minneapolis, this seems to be another slap in the face to the good priests and the lay faithful of the Archdiocese: Kathleen Erickson DiGiorno. Task force chairwoman. Attorney at Medtronic, where she served…

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For Notre Dame: Battling for Heaven & Earth book cover featuring a statue of the Virgin Mary, a clock tower, and text. The colors are primarily blue, gold, and white with Catholic themes.

Holding Back the Secularist Tide that Threatens to Overtake Our Lady’s University

by Guest Author, Daniel J. Kelly, Esq. For Notre Dame: Battling for the Heart and Soul of a Catholic University Fr. Wilson D. Miscamble, C.S.C St. Augustine’s Press Paperback, $17.00 Academia is certainly a major front in contemporary culture wars.  Academics who dare trespass the politically correct positions espoused by the mainstream masses of tenured…

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Black and white illustration of a nativity scene with Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus in manger, shepherds, and angels. Animals present; one angel ascends to heaven.

“Papa” Francis and the Prodigal Son’s Brother

by Guest Author, Major Adam E. Frey Clearly, not everyone in Catholic circles is happy with our new Holy Father.  While many of the prominent Catholic journalists that I follow have expressed surprise and delight at Pope Francis’ shock-and-awe strategy of using love to bring people back to the church, I have seen a disturbing…

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A statue of a robed figure in light beige stone, holding an open book with text "AD MAJOREM DEI GLORIAM," in a Catholic church setting. The figure has one arm raised, suggesting inspiration or preaching."

Francis, Ignatius, and Reform

The first indication that the Church had a new Successor of St. Peter came to the Jesuit community at the Gregorian University during its weekly community Mass. As the main celebrant Fr. Javier López was preparing the gifts, a cell phone rang among the concelebrants and within a few seconds the bells of Rome could…

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