Regular Contributions
A Jesuit to the Core: Pope Francis Manifests Sincere Practice of Exercises
Too traditional to be understood today in American Catholicism, and despite the constant grind against him by the news, and the ill feelings generated by those within the Church, Francis is teaching well, thank God — A Jubilee of Mercy and why his thoughts of death produced it.
Oh, that Death Penalty Thing Again…
It has been a couple years since the last death penalty confusion amassed, so it seems that once again, people are kicking dust up trying to make it seem like the death penalty is immoral. Surely they jest, right? But, the Catholic newspapers, all of them it seems, have rallied around taking a stance against it this…
He Who Humbles Himself Will Be Exalted
He wanted to keep it simple, humble, down to the plain pine casket. After all, the Funeral Mass and graveside Commendation carry the last day’s importance, not the shine on the soon-to-be-buried casket. But it wasn’t to be. Hundreds of people showed up on March 2 at St. Joseph’s Church in Mishawaka, Indiana, to…
Faith, Family, and Football
I didn’t go to Notre Dame and I didn’t have Charlie Rice in a law class. I was just lucky enough to work with Professor Rice, first when he began giving annual talks at the National Wanderer Forums in the 1970s, and for the last 20 years as secretary of the Wanderer Forum Foundation/Bellarmine Forum,…
Charles E. Rice (1931-2015): Well Done, Good and Faithful Servant
Composing an encomium for Charles E. Rice is possibly one of the most difficult things to do. Difficult, not because he is unworthy; rather it is difficult, because words in a brief space cannot capture what the man meant to the thousands who have known him. Indeed, each of us who were privileged to have been…
Eternal Rest, Professor Rice
It is with saddened hearts that we learned of the passing last night of our Chairman, Professor Charles E. Rice. May God grant his soul to rest in a place of just repose. For us, Professor Rice has been a blessing to the Forum over the decades. He had a quick wit and always had God’s interests…
PSA: Ember Days Start Tomorrow, but who cares?
In a day and age where it seems like our own bishops aren’t fans of asking the faithful to fast, and when the purpose of Ember days was specifically to help Mother Church strengthen herself in her clergy, we should look at how we’ve done since abandoning this practice. In 1964, the United States had…
Pray for our Chairman, Charlie Rice
Please offer some prayer for our Chairman, Professor Charlie Rice. He was recently admitted to the hospital and although his condition is improving, he and his family could use our support! Update: see this announcement.
New! Now 36 Doctors of the Church- Armenian Narek added
Surprise! We now have 36 doctors of the Church! Reported today, Pope Francis has named St. Gregory of Narek to be a doctor of the Universal Church. This move is interesting on many levels, partly because of when Narek lived: he was born a mere 58 years before the Great Schism. So his life straddled the oncoming schism, but…
Lent: Crush the heads of invisible dragons
From the Melkite weekday services in Lent, known as the Presanctified Liturgy, the closing prayer: ALMIGHTY LORD who created the whole universe in wisdom; who by your ineffable providence and great goodness have brought us to these salutary days for the purification of our souls and bodies, for the control of our passions and for hope…
