John Paul II: The Man, the Pope, the Saint...
Dying From Compassion...
The “Mother of Parliaments” — that’s the one in London — has been embroiled for months in a debate over “assisted dying,” which is euphemized elsewhere under other Orwellian monikers: “Medical Assistance in Dying,” “Physician Assisted Suicide,” “Physician Assisted Dying,” and so forth. The bill legalizing this odious practice narrowly passed the House of Commons on June 20 and has been subsequently debated in the House of Lords. Further parliamentary procedures may delay a final decision until next April or May; the parliamentary clock may even run out on the bill, which would be all to the good.
Scared of Spiders? Some Former Arachnophobes Now Are Keeping Jumping Spiders as Pets...
Straight to Heaven, Straight to Hell...
One of the most common objections Protestants raise against the Catholic doctrine of purgatory is that it seems to contradict what Jesus taught about the immediacy of heaven after death. In fact, well-known Protestant writers Norman Geisler and Ralph MacKenzie make this exact case in their book. Their argument is simple: Jesus teaches that people either go straight to heaven or straight to hell after death, leaving no room for an in-between purification like purgatory...
27 Aphorisms for Knowing God in the Present World...
5 Ways to Become a Grounded Woman...
A few weeks ago, a new ad popped up on my Instagram feed. Grounding sheets. I didn’t know what they were, but now, after a feed flooded with posts about them, I have a pretty good idea. They are meant to connect a sleeper with the earth’s natural energy frequency, hence “grounding.” Who wouldn’t want to connect with the ground, the earth, dirt, something solid, ordered, natural, and life-promoting?
I Test Drove a Flying Car. Get Ready, They’re Here...
Goon Assaults ‘The Pillar’ Journalist in Rome for Asking ‘Delicate’ Question About Venezuelan Dictatorship...
Today the Church canonized seven new saints, including the first two Venezuelans ever to be canonized: St. José Gregorio Hernández and St. María del Carmen Rendiles. In Venezuela, everyone is excited about those canonizations — and the embattled regime of President Nicolas Maduro has even gotten in on things, sponsoring celebrations across the country to mark the canonization.
These 7 New Saints Are Arriving at Just the Right Time...
What may seem like a delay from God is often simply the unfolding of his perfect plan for you...
Are you waiting to find "the one?" The perfect job? Maybe just a general feeling of contentment in your life? God's timing is often (usually!) not our timing. So what can you do? Meet Blessed Sebastian of Aparicio—a man who built roads, made a fortune, and waited decades for his deepest prayer to be answered, but it didn't go quite like he envisioned it. His story is a powerful reminder...
This Sunday: Prayer Changes You, Not God...
Sunday’s Gospel begins, “Jesus told his disciples a parable about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary.” It’s good to know this is about we who pray, not the God we pray to, because it is hard to see God in the story. The situation the parable describes is dire: a widow, who would have been utterly without status or resources in the ancient world, wants
Pope Leo XIV Appoints Cardinal Cupich to Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State...
Why Christ Won’t Let His Church Ordain Women...
Surrounded by a pagan culture that often had priestesses, the decision — by Judaism first, and then by Christ — to limit the priesthood to men is either the result of a mere patriarchal and cultural bias, or the product of a definitive theological decision with deeper meaning. When did Jesus ever make decisions in the Gospel that we can say are clear examples...
Evidence of Mercy Amid the Madness...
How the Oct. 13, 1917, ‘Miracle of the Sun’ in Fátima Helped to End an Atheist Regime...
Contemplation and the Cross...
It’s Not Too Late: Why Adults Should Learn Latin and Ancient Greek...
Pope Leo’s Augustinian community is drawing renewed interest. Here’s what makes it unique...
Is There a Purpose to Religious Education?
Dare Students Go Amish on the Topic of AI?
Pope Hails Glimmers of Hope for Peace in Holy Land and Prays for Ukraine...
Wisdom in ‘The Wind in the Willows’...
Washington State Drops Effort to Make Priests Violate Seal of Confession in Reporting Law...
‘Dilexi Te’: Pope Leo XIV, in His First Major Document, Says the Poor Evangelize Us...
Apostolic Exhortation ‘Dilexi Te’ on Love for the Poor...
Remains of St. Francis of Assisi to Be Publicly Displayed for the First Time in 800 Years...
Hollywood Has Made Many Movies About Exorcism. But None Has Had Christ at Its Heart...
Our Lord warned about ‘vain repetition’ in prayer. So what about the Rosary?
Returning Thanks: A Reflection on the upcoming 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time...
Mary Shows Up, and Mrs. Bucket...
The 5 Great October Homilies of St. John Paul II...
In recent decades, canonizations have often been scheduled for October, and so frequently fall on World Mission Sunday, the second-to-last Sunday in October. It was established in 1926 by Pope Pius XI, who had the previous year established the solemnity of Christ the King, then fixed for the last Sunday in October. The mission of the Church is to proclaim that the kingdom of God is at hand.
No Favorites: A Reflection on the Upcoming 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time...
Jesus draws a blunt picture in today’s Gospel. The Pharisee’s prayer is almost a parody of the thanksgiving psalms. Instead of praising God for His mighty works, the Pharisee congratulates himself for his own deeds, which he presents to God in some detail. The tax collector stands at a distance, too ashamed even to raise his eyes to God. He prays with a humble and contrite heart. He knows that before God no one is righteous, no one has cause to boast...
Why Use Many Streetlights When One Will Do?
When Catholics Forget Our Mission, the Church Declines...
I while back, I helped a friend move into his new home. He is a Catholic priest and got assigned as Pastor to a new parish. This parish has multiple locations, a school, a big staff, and dozens of large buildings. When he realized just how many things he is responsible for, it was a bit disorienting. It was also clear that he is stepping into a situation where some of these responsibilities are possible distractions to that which is much more important...
Bishops Denounce Rising Mafia-Style Violence in Sicily Following Murder of 21-Year-Old...
Are We Teaching Too Much Religion?
Some time ago, I walked into an argument among several Catholic religious educators, both lay and religious, where the question was whether too much time was being dedicated to religious instruction. Before you do a double-take and ask yourself: Did I read that correctly? And, once you realize you did, you might wonder: Why would anyone think this? How can anyone argue against too much religious instruction...
The Least-Visited National Park Unit in All 50 States...
Bishop Scharfenberger of Albany Retires; Boston Auxiliary Bishop O’Connell Named Successor...
Is It a Sin to Watch Pirated Content Online?
Presuming the content of the material you view is innocent — not pornographic, and so forth — there is nothing in what you have said that suggests viewing them is in itself mortally sinful. To commit a mortal sin, three conditions must be met. First, the act that you commit must constitute “grave matter.” When we speak about an act’s matter, we are referring to the degree of the wrongness of the act...
The ‘gay-washed’ Bible’s imprimatur should be withdrawn. Here’s why...
I am grateful to OSV News for reporting on my concerns about the USCCB’s granting of an imprimatur to the New Revised Standard Version updated edition (NRSVue) Bible. I appreciate USCCB Scripture scholar Father Pablo Gadenz responding directly to my concerns. But I found his responses unpersuasive, and I still think the imprimatur should be withdrawn, for the reasons below.
Why Are There Different Numbering Systems for the Psalms?
Most Catholics have had the experience of looking up a psalm, only to discover that the psalm number they’ve been given is different from the one printed in their Bible. This experience can be a source of confusion and frustration, and it raises some obvious questions: Why are there different numbering systems for the psalms? And which system is correct?
Pope Leo XIV Canonizes 7 New Saints, Including First From Venezuela and Papua New Guinea...
Your Home Is the Home of Responsibility...
‘Help Me Help Missionaries’: Pope Leo’s Historic Video Appeal...
2,000 Join Rosary Crusade Through Streets of London...
Vatican Announces Formal Nomination of Judges in Father Rupnik Trial...
How Should Catholics Understand the Rogue Exorcist in Mark 9?
Men Without Heads: The Real Crisis in Classical Education...
Once-secret Emperor Commodus’ passage to Rome Colosseum opens to public for the first time...
Reflections on Dilexi Te, the first magisterial document of Leo XIV’s pontificate...
Loyola University Basketball’s Sister Jean Dolores Dies at 106...
‘Dilexi Te’: The Franciscan Framework of Pope Leo’s First Document...
The problem(s) with ‘LGBTQ Catholic’...
The Devil and the Duckspeakers...
Go Behind the Scenes of the ‘Hallow’ App With Co-Founder Alex Jones...
How you will never hear the seamless garment theory used...
12 Failed Constitutional Amendments That Could Have Reshaped American History...
The Rosary, the Battle of Lepanto and More in Voyage Comics’ New Comic Book...
What Awaits Pope Leo XIV in Lebanon...
How should Catholics think about Islam?
Get this entire Catholic website as an instant digital download...
The full contents of the New Advent website are available as a digital download. It includes the Catholic Encyclopedia, Church Fathers, Summa, Bible and more — and it's only $19.99...
The Complete List of Popes
- St. Peter (32-67)
- St. Linus (67-76)
- St. Anacletus (Cletus) (76-88)
- St. Clement I (88-97)
- St. Evaristus (97-105)
- St. Alexander I (105-115)
- St. Sixtus I (115-125)
- St. Telesphorus (125-136)
- St. Hyginus (136-140)
- St. Pius I (140-155)
- St. Anicetus (155-166)
- St. Soter (166-175)
- St. Eleutherius (175-189)
- St. Victor I (189-199)
- St. Zephyrinus (199-217)
- St. Callistus I (217-22)
- St. Urban I (222-30)
- St. Pontian (230-35)
- St. Anterus (235-36)
- St. Fabian (236-50)
- St. Cornelius (251-53)
- St. Lucius I (253-54)
- St. Stephen I (254-257)
- St. Sixtus II (257-258)
- St. Dionysius (260-268)
- St. Felix I (269-274)
- St. Eutychian (275-283)
- St. Caius (283-296)
- St. Marcellinus (296-304)
- St. Marcellus I (308-309)
- St. Eusebius (309 or 310)
- St. Miltiades (311-14)
- St. Sylvester I (314-35)
- St. Marcus (336)
- St. Julius I (337-52)
- Liberius (352-66)
- St. Damasus I (366-84)
- St. Siricius (384-99)
- St. Anastasius I (399-401)
- St. Innocent I (401-17)
- St. Zosimus (417-18)
- St. Boniface I (418-22)
- St. Celestine I (422-32)
- St. Sixtus III (432-40)
- St. Leo I (the Great) (440-61)
- St. Hilarius (461-68)
- St. Simplicius (468-83)
- St. Felix III (II) (483-92)
- St. Gelasius I (492-96)
- Anastasius II (496-98)
- St. Symmachus (498-514)
- St. Hormisdas (514-23)
- St. John I (523-26)
- St. Felix IV (III) (526-30)
- Boniface II (530-32)
- John II (533-35)
- St. Agapetus I (535-36)
- St. Silverius (536-37)
- Vigilius (537-55)
- Pelagius I (556-61)
- John III (561-74)
- Benedict I (575-79)
- Pelagius II (579-90)
- St. Gregory I (the Great) (590-604)
- Sabinian (604-606)
- Boniface III (607)
- St. Boniface IV (608-15)
- St. Deusdedit (Adeodatus I) (615-18)
- Boniface V (619-25)
- Honorius I (625-38)
- Severinus (640)
- John IV (640-42)
- Theodore I (642-49)
- St. Martin I (649-55)
- St. Eugene I (655-57)
- St. Vitalian (657-72)
- Adeodatus (II) (672-76)
- Donus (676-78)
- St. Agatho (678-81)
- St. Leo II (682-83)
- St. Benedict II (684-85)
- John V (685-86)
- Conon (686-87)
- St. Sergius I (687-701)
- John VI (701-05)
- John VII (705-07)
- Sisinnius (708)
- Constantine (708-15)
- St. Gregory II (715-31)
- St. Gregory III (731-41)
- St. Zachary (741-52)
- Stephen II (III) (752-57)
- St. Paul I (757-67)
- Stephen III (IV) (767-72)
- Adrian I (772-95)
- St. Leo III (795-816)
- Stephen IV (V) (816-17)
- St. Paschal I (817-24)
- Eugene II (824-27)
- Valentine (827)
- Gregory IV (827-44)
- Sergius II (844-47)
- St. Leo IV (847-55)
- Benedict III (855-58)
- St. Nicholas I (the Great) (858-67)
- Adrian II (867-72)
- John VIII (872-82)
- Marinus I (882-84)
- St. Adrian III (884-85)
- Stephen V (VI) (885-91)
- Formosus (891-96)
- Boniface VI (896)
- Stephen VI (VII) (896-97)
- Romanus (897)
- Theodore II (897)
- John IX (898-900)
- Benedict IV (900-03)
- Leo V (903)
- Sergius III (904-11)
- Anastasius III (911-13)
- Lando (913-14)
- John X (914-28)
- Leo VI (928)
- Stephen VIII (929-31)
- John XI (931-35)
- Leo VII (936-39)
- Stephen IX (939-42)
- Marinus II (942-46)
- Agapetus II (946-55)
- John XII (955-63)
- Leo VIII (963-64)
- Benedict V (964)
- John XIII (965-72)
- Benedict VI (973-74)
- Benedict VII (974-83)
- John XIV (983-84)
- John XV (985-96)
- Gregory V (996-99)
- Sylvester II (999-1003)
- John XVII (1003)
- John XVIII (1003-09)
- Sergius IV (1009-12)
- Benedict VIII (1012-24)
- John XIX (1024-32)
- Benedict IX (1032-45)
- Sylvester III (1045)
- Benedict IX (1045)
- Gregory VI (1045-46)
- Clement II (1046-47)
- Benedict IX (1047-48)
- Damasus II (1048)
- St. Leo IX (1049-54)
- Victor II (1055-57)
- Stephen X (1057-58)
- Nicholas II (1058-61)
- Alexander II (1061-73)
- St. Gregory VII (1073-85)
- Blessed Victor III (1086-87)
- Blessed Urban II (1088-99)
- Paschal II (1099-1118)
- Gelasius II (1118-19)
- Callistus II (1119-24)
- Honorius II (1124-30)
- Innocent II (1130-43)
- Celestine II (1143-44)
- Lucius II (1144-45)
- Blessed Eugene III (1145-53)
- Anastasius IV (1153-54)
- Adrian IV (1154-59)
- Alexander III (1159-81)
- Lucius III (1181-85)
- Urban III (1185-87)
- Gregory VIII (1187)
- Clement III (1187-91)
- Celestine III (1191-98)
- Innocent III (1198-1216)
- Honorius III (1216-27)
- Gregory IX (1227-41)
- Celestine IV (1241)
- Innocent IV (1243-54)
- Alexander IV (1254-61)
- Urban IV (1261-64)
- Clement IV (1265-68)
- Blessed Gregory X (1271-76)
- Blessed Innocent V (1276)
- Adrian V (1276)
- John XXI (1276-77)
- Nicholas III (1277-80)
- Martin IV (1281-85)
- Honorius IV (1285-87)
- Nicholas IV (1288-92)
- St. Celestine V (1294)
- Boniface VIII (1294-1303)
- Blessed Benedict XI (1303-04)
- Clement V (1305-14)
- John XXII (1316-34)
- Benedict XII (1334-42)
- Clement VI (1342-52)
- Innocent VI (1352-62)
- Blessed Urban V (1362-70)
- Gregory XI (1370-78)
- Urban VI (1378-89)
- Boniface IX (1389-1404)
- Innocent VII (1404-06)
- Gregory XII (1406-15)
- Martin V (1417-31)
- Eugene IV (1431-47)
- Nicholas V (1447-55)
- Callistus III (1455-58)
- Pius II (1458-64)
- Paul II (1464-71)
- Sixtus IV (1471-84)
- Innocent VIII (1484-92)
- Alexander VI (1492-1503)
- Pius III (1503)
- Julius II (1503-13)
- Leo X (1513-21)
- Adrian VI (1522-23)
- Clement VII (1523-34)
- Paul III (1534-49)
- Julius III (1550-55)
- Marcellus II (1555)
- Paul IV (1555-59)
- Pius IV (1559-65)
- St. Pius V (1566-72)
- Gregory XIII (1572-85)
- Sixtus V (1585-90)
- Urban VII (1590)
- Gregory XIV (1590-91)
- Innocent IX (1591)
- Clement VIII (1592-1605)
- Leo XI (1605)
- Paul V (1605-21)
- Gregory XV (1621-23)
- Urban VIII (1623-44)
- Innocent X (1644-55)
- Alexander VII (1655-67)
- Clement IX (1667-69)
- Clement X (1670-76)
- Blessed Innocent XI (1676-89)
- Alexander VIII (1689-91)
- Innocent XII (1691-1700)
- Clement XI (1700-21)
- Innocent XIII (1721-24)
- Benedict XIII (1724-30)
- Clement XII (1730-40)
- Benedict XIV (1740-58)
- Clement XIII (1758-69)
- Clement XIV (1769-74)
- Pius VI (1775-99)
- Pius VII (1800-23)
- Leo XII (1823-29)
- Pius VIII (1829-30)
- Gregory XVI (1831-46)
- Blessed Pius IX (1846-78)
- Leo XIII (1878-1903)
- St. Pius X (1903-14)
- Benedict XV (1914-22)
- Pius XI (1922-39)
- Pius XII (1939-58)
- St. John XXIII (1958-63)
- St. Paul VI (1963-78)
- John Paul I (1978)
- St. John Paul II (1978-2005)
- Benedict XVI (2005-2013)
- Francis (2013-2025)
- Leo XIV (2025—)
