Tomorrow’s meeting between Archbishop P.R. Gallagher, the Holy See’s Secretary for Relations with States, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov could be crucial to resolving the war between Russia and Ukraine diplomatically. August 24 marks the start of Archbishop P.R. Gallagher’s five-day visit to Russia. Gallagher is the Holy See’s Secretary for Relations with States […]
Against the Primacy of Christianity: Bishops’ Fidelity to the U.S. Constitution
Florida’s clash: Attorney General call theology, bishops call the law. Is the essence of US constitution in trouble? The bishops of Florida’s response to Attorney General James Uthmeier’s letter is a masterpiece of constitutional law. It sets forth arguments supporting the autonomy of Churches and religions in matters of faith and doctrine. At stake are […]
U.S. State Catholics Trumping the Bishops?
Does Florida Attorney General (a Catholic) expect the Church to totally fall in line with the state? America sets a risky precedent that could cripple Christianity. On July 31, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier sent a letter to the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops, requesting that they comply with Florida law granting religious exemptions to […]
United States–Catholic Church: Between Liturgical Battle and Politics
Over the centuries, theological debates and conflicts within the Catholic Church have often had political implications of general interest. The pressure being exerted on Pope Leo to reinstate the option of celebrating the Catholic liturgy according to the rite that preceded that of the Second Vatican Council poses a significant challenge to the Catholic Church’s […]
Thiel, Pope Benedict, and the Fate of U.S. Catholicism
Thiel misunderstands Ratzinger. The project of “pure Church” failed. A Pope at the service of a US President would harm the US and the Church. But perhaps the Church can help the US and world find a new balance when the old one is gone. In an article published in First Things, Peter Thiel continues […]
Pope Leo in the Footsteps of Cardinal Joseph Bernardin
In his messages to the United States on the occasion of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, Pope Leo XIII builds upon Cardinal J. Bernardin’s discourse on a consistent ethics of life in order to define the position of the Catholic Church in the face of major moral and social challenges. It was […]
U.S. Catholicism in the Vise of the Lefebvrian Schism
American conservative Catholics could help steer the presidency away from the losing battle of the “culture wars” and toward a pragmatic and substantial Trump’s political revolution. Following the episcopal ordinations performed by the Lefebvrian Society of St. Pius X, the Holy issued a decree of excommunication formalizing the schism. Excommunicated are all bishops, priests, and […]



