Month: July 2015

On
Tony Magliano

Encyclical is prophetic, challenging, wonderful

It’s courageous, it’s prophetic, it’s challenging, it’’ holistic, it’s wonderful: That’s what I think of Pope Francis’ environmental encyclical Laudato Si’, on Care for Our Common Home.

Quoting his patron saint, Francis of Assisi — who is also the patron saint of ecology — Pope Francis begins his papal letter with a beautiful verse from the saint’s Canticle of the Creatures: “‘Praise be to you, my Lord, through our Sister, Mother Earth, who sustains and governs us, and who produces various fruit with colored flowers and herbs.'”

Our common home

“St. Francis of Assisi reminds us,” writes the pope, “that our common home is like a sister with whom we share our life and a beautiful mother who opens her arms to embrace us. . . .

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On
Bishop Robert C. Morlino

Encyclical: respect for human and environmental ecology

Dear Friends,

Around this time of year, things typically slow down in this space. Our Catholic Herald usually has a reduced schedule during the summer, and I always take a bit of a “summer recess” from writing these columns.

That being said, there’s been enough happening in the last two weeks to fill numerous columns, and so I feel compelled to write.

Two very major things happened this past Friday — the ordination of six men to the priesthood for the diocese, and the Supreme Court’s disastrous decision redefining marriage.

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On
Kevin Wondrash, Catholic Herald Staff

Ground breaks on new Edgewood College residence hall

MADISON — Just several days after the end of another school year, Edgewood College looked to the future with the start of another building project.

As supporters and guests gathered on campus, Chair of the Board of Trustees Gary Schaefer welcomed everyone to what he called a “great occasion at Edgewood College.”

On Thursday, May 28, ground was broken on what will be the college’s newest residence hall.

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On
Fr. Robert Barron

Love, tolerance, and making distinctions

Last time, I wrote a piece on Bruce Jenner’s transformation into Caitlyn Jenner. I argued that the manner in which Jenner spoke of his transition reflected a Gnostic anthropology, which is repugnant to a biblical view of the human being.

I didn’t say a word about Jenner personally; I urged no violence against him/her; I didn’t question his/her motives. I simply made an observation that the moral and spiritual context for transgenderism is, from a classically Christian standpoint, problematic.

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