Perspective

One of the most misunderstood moments in Theology of the Body reveals why authentic marital intimacy is about self-gift, not use. Remember that time when St. John Paul II said that husbands shouldn’t be attracted to their wives? That wasn’t actually what he said. But it’s definitely what he was reported to have said. It was the General Audience of October 8, 1980, amid his “Theology of the Body” talks. The media, which up until that time had been pretty much ignoring these addresses entirely,...

A pilgrimage through France’s churches, shrines and sacred history culminated at Notre Dame — and in a renewed understanding of the miracle Catholics encounter at every Mass. The stunning Sainte-Chapelle, the former chapel for St. Louis IX, who built it to house relics of Christ's Passion. (Photo by Allison Auth) This summer, my oldest son and I had the opportunity to travel to France. We started with a family reunion celebrating the 100th anniversary of my great-grandparents’ marriage, and...

Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Vatican secretary for relations with states and international organizations. (Photo by Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News) Archbishop Paul Gallagher, the Holy See’s “foreign minister” (Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations, to use the official title), visited Moscow from August 24-28, meeting with senior officials of the Putin regime and the Russian Orthodox Church. Reactions to the visit were mixed. A Ukrainian-American friend, who was in...

(Photo by Dan Petty/Denver Catholic) “Could you explain what the Catholic Intellectual Tradition means?” This simple question from a superintendent reflected the renewal that is happening across the country. We’ve finally realized that Catholic education cannot simply follow along with current trends. Even if we can learn from contemporary methods, we stand within an unparalleled tradition reaching back thousands of years. The wisdom we have handed down through each generation is more...

(Photo by Rachel Moore) By Karin Middleton Assistant Director of Family Ministry Archdiocese of Denver Bringing your child to be baptized gives him or her a tremendous grace and gift of God. It begins your child’s relationship with the Father, Jesus and Holy Spirit as well as the Church. God charges parents to communicate his love and truth at home and in the world (see Deuteronomy 6:7). Jesus affirms this by inviting parents to bring the little children to him (see Matthew 19:14). Yet not...

Rescue workers dig through rubble from the destroyed World Trade Center in Manhattan, NY. (Photo: Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons) Several weeks after Islamist terrorists hijacked four planes, wreaking havoc in lower Manhattan and at the Pentagon in the name of deranged religious convictions, I was at dinner in the papal apartment with John Paul II and three of his closest associates. The mood was somber, which was unusual at that table. The pope’s hope for a “new springtime of the human...

A peaceful moment with a sleeping goddaughter became a profound reflection on grace, prayer, witness and the love of God for one new godfather. (Photo provided) A warm November day might be rare in Denver, but in Florida, it’s to be expected. But even as November days go, this was a perfect one. It was sunny and temperate, there was a light breeze, and my four-month-old goddaughter, newly baptized, was asleep on my chest. I sat quietly on my mom’s screened-in porch, admiring the paddling of...

The phrase “contraceptive mentality” can confuse Catholic couples trying to discern family size faithfully and live the Church’s call to responsible parenthood. (Photo: Pexels) By Elizabeth Timpe It has been 58 years since the publication of Humanae Vitae, the pro-life encyclical by Pope St. Paul VI. In the decades since, the Catholic Church has promoted methods of Natural Family Planning (NFP) to help couples live out this teaching. Notably, the Couple to Couple League (CCL) has been around...

(Photo: Unsplash) Reluctant as I am to fiddle with the U.S. Constitution, I’m willing to consider an amendment banning any elementary school from opening before Labor Day. That’s the way things were when I was a boy in Baltimore and could no more imagine being in school before Labor Day than I could imagine rooting for the New York Yankees. Labor Day marked the end of summer vacation: Ocean City, Maryland, emptied a few days earlier; my mother took my brother and me to Stewart’s in downtown...

For the Solemnity of the Assumption, a masterpiece of sacred art reveals the relationship between beauty, longing and love. Assumption of the Virgin by ​Titian, c. 1516-1518. Basilica di Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari, Venice, Italy. (Photo: Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons) “What makes good art?” It was the way my friend asked the question. Knowing him, he wasn’t looking for an answer that included anything along the lines of “sound composition, good lighting, technical mastery in the...

(Photo: Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons) Jealousy is not the same as envy. Envy desires what another possesses, while jealousy seeks to guard what one has so that no one else may possess it. It’s an important distinction for understanding the Bible. God calls himself jealous toward his people Israel, wanting to keep them for himself so that they do not follow after the customs of surrounding nations and their strange gods. In Exodus 34, after charging Israel to tear down altars and...

Part Nine: Once someone has encountered Jesus, the need to change, repent and convert becomes clear. Denver Archbishop James Golka baptizes a young man during the 2026 Easter Vigil at the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Denver. (Photo by Dan Petty/Denver Catholic) Editor's Note: This column is part of a yearlong series on evangelization, breaking down what often feels like a tall order into real, practical, actionable steps towards intentional accompaniment. Part One: A...