I believe Tolkien and The Lord of the Rings is not merely an “allowable” source of reading for Catholics, it is, particularly for the laity, a required piece of literature.

The war between good and evil is real, but it is not in society. The culture war is a façade; the real war rages within.

“It’s a waste of time to read The Lord of the Rings. You should read the Lives of the Saints instead.” Doubtless you could imagine my confusion after hearing these words. Why not read (and value) both?

We should look to Bishop Fenwick and Archbishop Purcell. Our challenges are not precisely the same, the principle underlying their success is: Both uncompromisingly sought first the Kingdom of God.

I want to offer some thoughts continuing the conversation on Gabriel’s article examining art as a way to evangelize. I happened to read his article right after listening to Bishop Barron’s interview with movie actors Ethan and Maya Hawke on art, grace, and Flannery O’Connor, which made me more open to Gabriel’s points than I…

The same errors lie at the root of both communism and unchecked capitalism: the gross exploitation of human nature and the failure to understand man’s true end and purpose.