Catholic Church

March 5, 2018

Amoris Laetitia : A Modern Pandora’s Box?

By Tom Collingwood, Catholic Stand - Not being a theologian or canon lawyer, I am at a disadvantage in evaluating the press stories and debates. However, it would seem that the encyclical has opened a “Pandora’s box” for contrasting interpretations that affect several areas of Church teachings… Today the phrase “to open Pandora’s box” pertains to performing an action that may seem small or innocent, but that turns out to have negative consequences.

March 5, 2018

Msgr. Charles Pope: A Pastoral Plan for Marriage and Family Is Unveiled

By Msgr. Charles Pope - The purpose of the pastoral plan is to achieve the overarching goal of Amoris Laetitia, which is to strengthen marriage and family. It emphasizes effective marriage preparation, support for married couples, marriage enrichment, and assistance for couples struggling in their marriages. The plan speaks to teaching the faithful more effectively on the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony, the need for conscience formation, and the overall need for formation in the Gospel...

March 3, 2018

Know Yourself

By Randall Smith, The Catholic Thing - Pope St. John Paul II began his 1998 encyclical Fides et Ratio (“Faith and Reason”) with two words: “Know Yourself.” Knowing yourself is a “minimal norm” for human beings, says the pope. It is a “fundamental question.” which should engage all persons... But how important is it really for regular people living regular lives?

March 3, 2018

Poland’s Baby Bump

By Lyman Stone, First Things - In 2015, Poland’s conservative Law and Justice Party proposed a plan called “500+ Families,” which would give Polish families 500 zlotys, or about $150, per month for every child they have after their first. For a family with three children, that’s about $300 per month in untaxed cash income, or about $3,600 a year—nearly double the amount of the U.S.’s new expanded child tax credit.