On June 29, the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, I was blessed to receive from the hands of Pope Francis the vestment known as the pallium. This ancient insignia, which I described in an earlier Transcript column, has been conferred on metropolitan archbishops by the pope since ancient times. I have been asked what [...]

It is probably safe to say that everyday life has changed more in the last 100 years than it did in the previous 1,000. The whole rhythm of life and human interaction is vastly different today because of the mode of living created by technology, transportation, communications and modern economics. No doubt something has been [...]

If you’ve ever attended a big public fireworks display, you will know how it begins and ends with a bang, and is marked by many fiery bursts against the dark sky, to the oohs and ahs of the delighted spectators. I would like to suggest that at this season we are near the end of [...]

There is a passage in St. Paul that reads: “Even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way” (2 Cor 5:16). What Paul is saying is that once Christ rose from the dead at Easter he became a new creation. Jesus burst the bonds [...]

Pray for those who are tempted to lose hope: Most of us wake up each day and face our problems with the hope that we can overcome them with the help and strength that come from God. Sometimes, however, people can be caught up in events beyond their control, and hope is severely tested. I [...]