Each year in December, the noise, anxiety and party going of the season tend to obscure the reality we celebrate.  But this year, in the midst of our country’s troubling economic problems and the uncertainty they breed, some of us…

The 2008 election has come and gone, but with a difficult economy, an on-going war and an incoming administration committed to troubling policies on abortion and other sanctity of life issues, the challenges facing us as a country seem just…

To Catholics of the Archdiocese of Denver:

When Catholics serve on the national stage, their actions and words impact the faith of Catholics around the country. As a result, they open themselves to legitimate scrutiny by local Catholics and local bishops…

The Roman statesman Cicero once said that, “nothing can be useful if it is not at the same time morally good.” It’s another way of saying that the end never justifies the means. Our goals may be admirable, but if…

In presenting his encyclical, “Humanae Vitae,” Paul VI cautioned against four main problems that would arise if Catholic teaching on the regulation of births was ignored. First, he warned that the widespread use of contraception would lead to “conjugal infidelity and…

Archbishop Chaput’s column this week is taken from the homily he delivered at the episcopal ordination of new auxiliary Bishop James D. Conley on May 30 at the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception.

As I was preparing my thoughts on…

Catholic leadership in the secular world belongs to laypeople, not to clergy or religious. The visible role of the priest in public affairs-if by public affairs we mean political affairs-should normally be pretty small.

It’s very dangerous for the Church to…

A friend of mine grew up in a family where her father worked for General Motors. When she was young, the company transferred her dad around the Midwest every few years. The good news is that she made many different friends, some of whom have lasted a lifetime. The bad news is that she never really set down roots until adulthood. She has no single city or town from her childhood that she remembers as "home."

Military families often have the same experience. Assignments come and go during an armed forces career. Families must learn to find "home" in each other and in faithful friends who understand the unique rhythm of a family life ruled by larger obligations. A life on the move can be fruitful and rewarding, my friend likes to say. But easy, it's not.

Over the past few years, as I've talked about Catholics and the obligations of citizenship, two quotations have always guided my thinking.

The first is from the French writer Charles Péguy. Péguy once said that "Freedom is a system based on…

For millions of Christians around the world, Feb. 6 this year marked the beginning of Lent, the annual season of almsgiving, self-examination and repentance. Lent prepares us for the great feast of Easter. The fasting and acts of self-denial most…