Recently, I had the opportunity to attend a conference sponsored by the Coming Home Network focused on the issue of papal authority in the Church: how it developed and what it means for the Church today. The main focus of…

Known for the way he developed the interplay between light and darkness in his paintings, the Italian master Caravaggio has had a lasting impact in the world of art since his troubled life ended nearly 400 years ago.  His distinctive…

We have been examining the development of priestly identity in the Jewish Scriptures over these last few months, culminating my last column with Jesus fulfilling the Passover rituals during His entrance into glory through His Paschal mystery.

Even with these discussions,…

In my last column, the element of sacrifice in Jewish worship was discussed. As Catholics, we see the Old Testament illuminating and clarifying the New, but with the passage of time, we have lost some important details that give us a…

As the Israelites moved from a nation on the move to settling in cities in the newly conquered Promised Land, one of the first desires was to build a suitable house for the Lord, as David desires in Second Samuel. The…

In my last column, Melchizedek was upheld as the first model of priesthood in the Scriptures. This initial model was rather short lived, unfortunately. During the Exodus, the Tribe of Levi claimed the priestly responsibilities of the Jewish people. This shift proves pertinent…

Contrary to what might be expected, the first priest mentioned in the Bible is not from the Tribe of Levi. In fact, the first priest is described before Levi is even born. In Genesis 14, we are introduced to Melchizedek,…

Catholics are now mainstream.  The "Catholic Ghettos" such as Price Hill and Mercer County which were supported by classics such as "The Bells of St. Mary's" or Archbishop Fulton Sheen's "Sunday Night Catechism" no longer exist, and have a certain…

The Response to Vocations

[Part One, Part Two, Part Three]

As the number of priests in this country continues to decline, the question of who is able to be admitted to Orders keeps being raised.  As seen in the previous articles, this question…

Marital Imagery of the Priesthood

[Part One, Part Two]

Michael Novak, writing in the Journal First Things, comments on the meeting between Pope John Paul II and Dr. George Carey, the Archbishop of Canterbury, in May 1992.  In the interim period between…