Sacramental Authority III

In the first post of this series, I alluded to further exploration of the underpinnings of Pope Benedict’s assertion that “The Church is the living presence of the divine word; and this presence is given concrete shape in those persons – the bishops – whose fundamental task is that of holding fast to the word and [...]

California Dreamin’

When I was a younger man, I was driving trucks for the United States Air Force in Northern California. On one beautiful, sunny but chilly fall afternoon, I was making a run from north of Sacramento past San Francisco and beyond. I had the radio on as usual, since music was then (as now) a [...]

A moment of your time

While you’re watching football tomorrow, during halftime, take a moment to write the Rev. Joseph McShane, S.J., 441 E Fordham Rd. Bronx, N.Y., 10458, to tell him what you think of this. Combining the author of the Supreme Court decision overturning state laws banning partial birth abortions and “ethics award” in the same breath by presenting such [...]

Mid tenebras

Sorry for the unintended hiatus in blogging, folks. I have been beset with a medical concern which has taken up the bulk of my energy, and the treatment (as of this writing) has taken the form initially of some anti-seizure medication which I loathe because of its side effects. I don’t know which is worse, [...]