Marriage

By Bridget Sielicki, Live Action News – A father and son duo in Quebec, Canada, have been court-ordered to stop donating sperm after allegations that, between them, they have fathered hundreds of children… A judge in Quebec has ordered two men to stop donating sperm after a lawsuit against them proceeds… Philippe Normand and his son Dominik Seelos have reportedly fathered over 600 children between them. …

By Joseph Pearce, National Catholic Register – Grown-ups enjoy children’s literature; it is only those who refuse to grow up, like Peter Pan, who think that they are too grown up for it… It is said of William Shakespeare, in the words of his friend and fellow poet Ben Jonson, that he was “not of an age, but for all time.” What is true of arguably the greatest writer of all time is true of the greatest children’s literature. It is not of an age but for all ages.

By Charles J. Russo, Catholic World Report – As Vermont officials finally recognized, like their counterparts in Oregon and Massachusetts—albeit not without judicial intervention—parents have the right to be free from outside interference or influences by state officials, absent abuse or other circumstances clearly lacking in any of these controversies. Yet, as reflected in all three of these controversies, public officials were unwilling to respect religious freedom because they apparently do not understand, or do not care, that mutual tolerance and acceptance are supposed to be a two-way street ….

By Scott McKay, The American Spectator – The public conversation often focuses on which company will “win” the AI race. A lot better question is one Melissa keeps asking in those fabulous Spectacle segments: what values are being programmed into these systems that will soon help govern modern life?… That question becomes especially urgent when it comes to the kids… Over the past decade, parents have slowly come to realize that the internet children inhabit is very different from the one many adults first encountered. Digital platforms, once described as harmless entertainment, are now powerful cultural ecosystems shaping our identity, behavior, and belief… And not in a way we’ve voted for.

By Gregory Lyakhov, Patriot Post – One of the clearest indicators is generational imbalance. Millennials number roughly 74 million in the United States, while Generation Z — despite being the younger cohort — is approximately five million smaller. The older members of Generation X, at around 65 million, are already approaching retirement age. Under normal demographic patterns, each successive generation should be larger or at least comparable in size, particularly in a country with steady population growth. That pattern has broken down.

By Ralph Rodriguez, The Federalist – Nineteen hours after the hearing began, I finally stood before the Connecticut Education Committee to testify against House Bill 5468, which would end the state’s longstanding tradition of homeschool freedom. It was 4:45 a.m. on a Thursday… Hundreds of parents, students, and supporters filled the hearing room and lobby of the legislative office building in Hartford and waited hours for their turn at the microphone, demonstrating an amazing commitment to take a stand against this bill. …

By Cassy Cooke, Live Action News – Irish actress Jessie Buckley won the Best Actress Academy Award for her role in the film “Hamnet,” and in her moving acceptance speech, praised motherhood in a way rarely heard in the entertainment industry… Jessie Buckley won the Oscar for her role as Anne Hathaway, the wife of William Shakespeare, as they grieve the loss of their son, Hamnet… In her acceptance speech, she praised marriage and motherhood, and dedicated the award to mothers everywhere… The positive message about parenting is in sharp contrast to the negative message frequently espoused by Hollywood celebrities. …

By Fr. Shenan J. Boquet, Human Life International – This Thursday, March 19, the Church celebrates the Solemnity of St. Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary and patron of the Universal Church… Of all the saints, Joseph stands as the model of faithful fatherhood: the man whom God entrusted with the protection of the Holy Family, and who fulfilled that mission with quiet, unwavering devotion. In him we see what marriage and fatherhood are meant to be, i.e. a sacrificial gift of self, ordered toward the good of spouse and children, rooted in obedience to God’s plan.

By Rob Marco, Catholic World Report – recently spoke with seven young men about what they are looking for in a potential spouse, the role of technology for Gen Z, and how their faith informs how they think of marriage… As a married Gen-Xer, with kids, who’s been out of the dating world for almost two decades, I wanted to get some insight into how young men are faring in meeting a potential mate. Healthy Catholic marriages that are open to life are important, of course, and I think the topic of issues faced by young men in dating deserves more attention. …

By White Papers Policy Institute, American Greatness – For decades, white Americans have voted Republican in large numbers. They donate, they volunteer, they show up in midterms. They defend the Constitution, talk about free speech, wave the flag without embarrassment. They are, by every measurable standard, the party’s backbone…. (However) Republicans cheered “colorblind” meritocracy—but in practice, affirmative action shifted opportunity from white voters to Asians, leaving the party’s base unprotected.

By Ann Burns, Crisis Magazine – Women are incapable of teaching men how to be men… Not long ago, I opened up an email detailing Catholic events in the area. There, in bright colors, was a men’s conference announcement. A good thing, right? But looking at the keynote speakers, I couldn’t help but wonder why a picture of a young woman graced my screen. Feeling as if I morphed into a nosy old lady, I zoomed in on the picture. Yup! My eyes had not deceived me. Presenting to a room full of men on what masculinity is, would be an ostensibly young lady.

By Phil Lawler, Catholic Culture – So now the Chinese Communist Party is learning another painful lesson—and it is a lesson that Western governments should learn as well: Economic incentives alone do not produce population growth. Couples do not have children because they want tax breaks or maternity benefits or special bonus payments. Babies are produced not by government policies but by acts of love. Not love for the nation or the Communist Party or the Five-Year Plan or the prospect of world domination, but the love of men and women for each other.

By Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap., What We Need Now, Substack – Maleness is a matter of biology. It just happens. Manhood must be learned and earned and taught. So our prayer today and every day should be that God will plant the seed of that new knighthood in the hearts of every Christian man—and make them the kind of “new men” our families, our Church, our nation, and our world need.

By Auguste Meyrat, The Catholic Thing – What is a feminist? This used to be an easy question to answer. When feminism simply meant equal rights and opportunities for women, most people felt comfortable identifying as such. After all, who could be against women having the right to vote and owning property?… Even as feminists have broken glass ceiling after glass ceiling, however, it has become less clear what their goals are anymore. Worse still, the rise of transgenderism has undermined the core claims of feminism by questioning the objective reality of womanhood.

By Paul Kengor, Grace Reilly, The American Spectator – The woke NFL show is finally rivaled!… For years, the NFL has become more woke, less family-friendly, and less patriotic. This year’s halftime performer, Bad Bunny, is confirmation of this fact… Turning Point USA recognized that many Americans have had enough, so they’ve announced a rival All- American Half Time Show that will feature Kid Rock, Brantley Gilbert, Lee Brice, and Gabby Barrett… Watch the full episode …

By Nancy Flanders, Live Action News – Though end-of-life care has been debated for decades, well-meaning Americans have been misled by those who intentionally conflate palliative care with euthanasia and assisted suicide — but only one of these options is ethical… Some U.S. states have in recent years passed legislation allowing doctors to become both killers and suicide accomplices. While marketed to the public as a “compassionate” way to help people facing so-called “terminal” diagnoses, behind the scenes, health insurance companies and governments have touted how “assisted dying” saves them money.

By Jonah McKeown, National Catholic Register – Nashville Bishop J. Mark Spalding, speaking to the Register, noted that his is a diocese experiencing rapid, large-scale growth — about 1.5% on average per year for the Nashville metro, while the national average is well under 1% — primarily driven by large numbers of people moving into Middle Tennessee. People are primarily moving to the area for economic opportunities, he said, but also because the region is perceived as family-friendly and value-oriented, creating the soil for a vibrant and dynamic Catholic culture to spring up.

By Katherine Matt, The Daily Signal – In recent years, many parents have begun questioning long-standing assumptions about traditional education. Concerns about bureaucracy, one-size-fits-all curricula, and institutional failures have eroded confidence in the public school system for many families… Some parents are also increasingly wary of ideological instruction in public schools, particularly when it comes to gender ideology and sex education… While debate over education is healthy in our society, a growing number of families believe the system has become less responsive to individual needs

By Elise Winland, Catholic Vote – In remarks at a Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) policy celebration Jan. 8, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. accused major health organizations of promoting nutrition advice shaped by corporate interests… Speaking one day after HHS unveiled the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2025-2030, Kennedy argued that long-standing federal warnings against saturated fat reflected conflicts of interest rather than settled science… He singled out the American Heart Association, saying it “was and continues to accept millions of dollars from the biggest processed food makers in this country” ….

By Ryan Neuhaus, Chronicles – Politicos keep talking about an affordability crisis, and they’re not wrong; there clearly is one. But the price pressures everyone is obsessing about sit atop something deeper. The truth is that the affordability crisis is the result of choices, policy decisions made over decades, that reshaped the country in ways that no longer reward responsible behavior. The crisis is not primarily about inflation or deregulation or unemployment, or any other economic metric. It is about a generation of young Americans waking up and realizing that the path they were told to take no longer leads where they were told it would. …

By Elizabeth Troutman Mitchell, The Daily Signal – When Rep. Mary Miller saw President Donald Trump’s announcement of plans to ban large investors from buying single-family homes, she immediately volunteered to introduce a bill to codify it, she said… “It’s been an issue that the Family Caucus has been discussing, and I’m thrilled to see President Trump’s tweet and that he’s making this a priority,” Miller (said)… Miller expects Trump to sign an executive order banning large investors from buying single-family homes, and then her bill will codify that policy into law. ….

By Katy Faust, The Federalist – Then there is Elon Musk, who has openly declared that having many children is a moral duty to save civilization. Musk has at least 14 publicly known children, many conceived through IVF, surrogacy, or relationships intentionally structured around reproduction rather than marriage. He has said that “smart people” need to have more kids — and has used reproductive technologies to curate which women will bear them. …

By Nathanael Blake, The Federalist – Americans do not need illegal immigrants to raise our children… Atlantic writer Olga Khazan disagrees. She is angry at President Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration because it is disrupting the easily exploited servant class that provides cheap childcare. As she explains, “Millions of parents in the United States … rely on immigrants to take care of their kids. … Immigrants make up at least 21 percent of the child-care workforce — and this may be an undercount.”… Fertility is about priorities and character, not immigration policy. The birth rate will go up if Americans prioritize having and raising their own children, not because they are offered a supply of cheap, easily exploited foreign women to change diapers.