That’s the question posed by Fr. James Martin at the continuing blog, A Papal Discussion, over at the New York Times, and he’s got some compelling answers: Most Catholics, even those who may disagree with some of the pope’s statements, have an inherent understanding of his role as the “Vicar of Christ,” that is, Christ’s…

How can a modern urban parish prosper, when church attendance is down and vocations are lagging and people are fleeing for the suburbs? The New York Times has one intriguing answer: The morning service begins with the swift tap-tap-tap of drums, accented with horns. “El Señor es mi pastor,” the band sings out, echoed by…

One of the best writers at the New York Times, Dan Barry, has composed a thoughtful, honest and unfailingly down-to-earth essay this Sunday on his experience as an American Catholic. Some Catholics, I know, will question whether he is really all that Catholic to begin with. But I others will recognize his voice as, in…

By and large, yes. Days before the pope hits the States, a new survey takes the temperature of his American flock: According to the survey, eight out of 10 people are very satisfied or at least somewhat satisfied with how Pope Benedict leads the Roman Catholic Church. However, the study also found out that, although…

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