The Narthex

Pope Leo has made it official: St. John Henry Newman is a Doctor of the Church. In this I rejoice; Newman has long been a favorite of mine. I often taught his An Essay in Aid of a Grammar of Assent (1870), a classic in the epistemology of religion, in…

In a recent essay, I quoted approvingly Oren Cass’s observation that employment, labor, and immigration law form a coherent legal whole that protects both national security and domestic workers. Summarizing Cass, immigration law determines who can work; employment law fixes “baseline” criteria for the employer-employee relationship; and labor law protects…

A few weeks ago, the Missionary of Charity Brothers celebrated the 50th Anniversary of their presence in Los Angeles. First, a bit of history. With the blessing of their foundress Mother Teresa, in 1966 Br. Andrew (originally a Jesuit priest) began his service as co-founder of the Congregation, centered in…

Pope Leo XIV’s premier apostolic exhortation Dilexi Te, on the poor, is due for release Thursday, though it was signed October 4. I have no insight into what it may contain and look forward to reading the Pope’s document. I do not prejudge what it might say. That said, I…

Recently I wrote about what I call “food gentrification,” the displacement by grocers of staples for “foodie” treats, and its adverse impact on prices. My comments centered on a New York Times story lauding the “comeback” of bakeries offering niche (and premium-priced) novelties, one baker touting the fact that he…

Last Sunday’s First Reading was the prophet Amos decrying the religious hypocrisy and wage injustice rife in the Israel of his day. His indictment reads:

“When will the new moon be over," you ask, "that we may sell our grain, and the sabbath, that we may display the…

Catholic moral theology, including just war theory, always included the concept of self-defense. A victim of aggression has the right to repel that aggression, whether it be a thief breaking into your home or a king marching with his 20,000 troops against your kingdom with 10,000. Nobody questioned that right.…

Hannah Dugan, the Wisconsin circuit court judge who last April berated ICE agents in the Milwaukee courthouse and smuggled a wanted illegal alien out a back door, learned this week that wearing a black robe does not place one above the law. A federal judge ruled that her judicial status…

On August 22, 2025, FBI agents raided the home of John Bolton, national security advisor during the first Trump administration and, later, trenchant critic of his former boss. The feds were apparently on a mission to protect classified documents, the same mission the FBI claimed to be carrying out when…

President Trump’s announcement to enhance federal control of policing in Washington DC to fight crime in the nation’s capital is welcome. Talking heads insist that “crime is down” in DC, that Trump’s move is “cover” for not wanting to discuss the Epstein case, that it usurps “home rule,” and augurs…

As part of their settlements with the Trump Administration, Columbia and Brown Universities have agreed to provide applicants' grade point averages and standardized test scores. The New York Times is appalled (link below). I am not. Large swaths of American higher education refuse to let DEI -- diversity, equity, and…

Under canon law, a person "who uses physical force…against a Bishop incurs a latae sententiae interdict” (Canon 1370, sec. 2), that is, the penalty is incurred at the moment of the violation and requires no episcopal or judicial declaration. The three bishops of the State of Washington, of the Archdiocese…

In the leadup to the recent conclave, certain voices, amplified by the New York Times, advised us to beware of those seeking “unity.” Even though the goal seemed legitimate, it was a rhetorical device of those who wanted to roll back the initiatives of Pope Francis. Now comes Pope Leo…

There has been an active campaign to promote a positive image for in vitro fertilization (IVF). Pro-abortionists (i.e., Congressional Democrats) have glommed on to the issue as part of a “reproductive rights” agenda, whose real intention is to advance abortion. Since unrestricted abortion for any reason whatsoever still encounters resistance,…

The U.S. Supreme Court April 22 heard oral arguments in Mahmoud v. Taylor. The case comes from just down the road from the Court -- Montgomery County, Maryland -- where the local school board has imposed a family life curriculum throughout elementary and secondary (even pre-) schools. The curriculum is…