Today, on the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, the Catholic Church celebrates the World Day of Peace. This celebration began in 1968 at the direction of Pope St. Paul VI who was inspired to establish the holiday by Pope John XXIII’s encyclical, Pacem in Terris, and his own encyclical, Populorum Progressio. Pope...
Every Christmas we picture the nativity as peaceful and warm — but the real story includes a family fleeing for their lives. In this video, Pedro Gabriel explores the question behind one of today’s biggest Christmas controversies: were Mary and Joseph refugees? Drawing on the Gospels and on papal teaching — from Pope...
In this episode, I talked with Dr. Shaun Blanchard about Pope Leo declaring St. John Henry Newman to be a doctor of the Church. We discuss Shaun’s role in that official process. We also discuss Newman’s theology of development and how it’s important for the Church today. Listen to the episode here or...
Today, on the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, the Catholic Church celebrates the World Day of Peace. This celebration began in 1968 at the direction of Pope St. Paul VI who was inspired to establish the holiday by Pope John XXIII’s encyclical, Pacem in Terris, and his own encyclical, Populorum Progressio. Pope...
Every Christmas we picture the nativity as peaceful and warm — but the real story includes a family fleeing for their lives. In this video, Pedro Gabriel explores the question behind one of today’s biggest Christmas controversies: were Mary and Joseph refugees? Drawing on the Gospels and on papal teaching — from Pope...
In this episode, I talked with Dr. Shaun Blanchard about Pope Leo declaring St. John Henry Newman to be a doctor of the Church. We discuss Shaun’s role in that official process. We also discuss Newman’s theology of development and how it’s important for the Church today. Listen to the episode here or...
The Christmas season is a time of joy, reflection, and celebration. It is when families gather to share in the love and warmth of the season, despite the busyness and distractions that often come with it. Among the many feast days in the Christmas octave, the Feast of the Holy Family — celebrated...
Earlier this week, Pope Leo was asked about the passing of “Deb’s Law” in Illinois. Signed into law earlier this month by Governor JB Pritzker, this law legalizes medically assisted killing in the pope’s home state. Leo said he was “very disappointed” that this bill was passed and that he spoke “very explicitly...
The WPI team wishes you a merry Christmas! We hope that you and your families are able to celebrate Christ’s birth with joy that is undimmed by any challenges you are facing; peace that surpasses understanding; love that breaks down walls and builds bridges; and hope that is secure in the promises that...
The Holy Father is celebrating his first Christmas as pope with an emphasis on peace. Throughout Advent, Pope Leo XIV has emphasized the need for peace this Christmas. He began the season with his first Papal visit to the Middle East where he emphasized peace between peoples and faiths. On December 6, he...
In imitation of the shepherds, we too move spiritually towards Bethlehem, where Mary gave birth to the Child in a stable, “because there was no place for them in the inn”. Christmas has become a universal feast, and even those who do not believe perceive the appeal of this occasion. A Christian, however,...
One of the handful of facts that Sunday school students seem to retain about the life of Christ is that he was born in Bethlehem and grew up in the city of Nazareth. Anyone who has observed a nativity set would assume the two cities in question were robust and well-known Jewish hamlets....
This December I have been struck by the ways that celebrating the birth of the Prince of Peace can sow such discord among His followers. I challenge you to Google “Is it permissible for Catholics to decorate for Christmas and listen to carols during Advent?” and skim through some of the results. Or...
Celebrity exorcist Fr. Chad Ripperger has become a prominent and authoritative voice in certain Catholic media circles, captivating large in-person and online audiences with his opinions on topics ranging from demonology to space aliens to Harry Potter. He is something of a religious guru to many of his followers — perhaps a “Chuck...
Long before St. John Henry Newman, St. Vincent of Lerins wrestled with questions that still divide Catholics today: Can doctrine change? What does it mean to remain faithful to tradition? In today’s debates about tradition and doctrinal development, St. Vincent is often quoted, but rarely read carefully. In this video, Pedro Gabriel goes...
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