Perspective
A hundred love letters
In a recent essay in the Wall Street Journal, Kimberly Cutter chronicled the death of her father by suicide. As he struggled with rapidly progressing prostate cancer, he lost more […]
Perspective
Christian girls and abortion
When Mother Teresa visited New Bedford, Massachusetts, in June 1995, she told those of us gathered at St. Lawrence Martyr Church: “Abortion is the greatest evil of today.” Never one […]
Perspective
The foxes and the henhouse
Probably the biggest bioethics story of 2019 involved Dr. Jankui He — known to his associates as “JK” — a Chinese scientist who employed a new technology called CRISPR/Cas9 to […]
Perspective
Medicine and a ‘sense of the sacred’
As clergy, we touch upon very holy realities when we baptize, consecrate the Eucharist, give absolution to sinners or anoint the sick. These special moments engage divine grace in deep […]
Perspective
Pushing back against evil
During a recent speech in Texas, I mentioned that “Drag Queen Story Hours” are being sponsored by local public libraries across the country. Toddlers and kids are brought in and […]
Perspective
Palliative sedation and nearing death
Because suffering almost always imposes itself on us during life, and especially at the end of life, it can be helpful to reflect on the need to accept some personal […]
Perspective
Contradictory suicide messaging
In July 2014, police found the body of 18-year-old Conrad Roy inside his truck in Fairhaven, Massachusetts, having died from carbon monoxide poisoning. As the case unfolded, it became apparent […]
Perspective
An authentic democracy
Those of us who have grown up within the womb of a democratic society may not always recognize how radical the idea behind such a society actually is, nor how […]
Perspective
Securing authentic children’s rights
Children require extensive support and protection to meet their physical, emotional and spiritual needs. They are uniquely dependent on their parents because they are particularly vulnerable. Often they are unable […]
Perspective
The corpse raiders
Most people recognize the importance of obtaining consent before retrieving organs from the bodies of deceased persons. They also understand the necessity of showing respect for those bodily remains following […]
Perspective
Nobody gets hurt?
A few years back, I gave a talk titled “Thinking Through the Transgender Question” at a local parish. In the audience were several individuals supporting the transgender movement. During the […]
Perspective
It’s not just about the frozen embryos
I remember a conversation I had with a married Catholic couple a few years ago. They were feeling lost and desperate over their inability to conceive a child. They were […]