Is There a Priesthood Crisis in America?
I work with priests and bishops from all around the country, so I am blessed to have conversations that the average lay person doesn’t get. In fact, since I am no longer an institutional insider (since I work for our apostolate now), I am considered “safe” to talk to and therefore, I get to hear what is really happening with them. They ask for advice...
Today in Papal History: Martin Luther Burns a Bull...
Today in Papal History, exactly 505 years ago, Martin Luther burned his copy of the papal bull Exsurges Domine – or “Condemning the Errors of Martin Luther” – written by Pope Leo X in response to the former’s infamous 95 Theses. The document itself addressed 41 of Luther’s 95 points specifically, and was the product of a commission convened by the pope that brought theologians...
The Return of the Queen...
There was a time, for a very long time and a long time ago, when the shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham was one of the major places of pilgrimage in the whole of Christendom. By the sixteenth-century, the holy shrine at Walsingham, in the English shire of Norfolk, had welcomed pilgrims for more than 450 years...
XIV, XIII, and Buon Natale...
Today’s the feast of St. Juan Diego (and my daughter Pia’s birthday) and you’re reading The Tuesday Pillar Post. Today also marks seven months since the newly elected Pope Leo XIV offered his first Mass as pontiff, in the Sistine Chapel, where I will have the privilege and gift to stand today.
Here is Your God: A Reflection on the Upcoming Third Sunday of Advent...
John questions Jesus from prison in today’s Gospel—for his disciples’ sake and for ours. He knows that Jesus is doing “the works of the Messiah,” foretold in today’s First Reading and Psalm. But John wants his disciples—and us—to know that the Judge is at the gate, that in Jesus our God has come to save us. The Liturgy of Advent takes us out into the desert to see and hear the marvelous works and words...
This Sunday, We Each Have a John the Baptist in Our Heart...
Our conscience speaks up to us in the Second Sunday of Advent, Year A, telling us to repent and be ready for the clear-cutting operation God is preparing to make way for a new kingdom. Here are five takeaways for this Sunday drawn from Sunday Readings columns at this site and the Extraordinary Story podcast.
What the Vatican’s New Curia Rules Change — and Why They Matter...
The new General and Staff Regulations of the Roman Curia, published on Nov. 23, marked the conclusion of the Curial reform initiated by Pope Francis. Almost simultaneously, Bishop Marco Mellino — named secretary of the Interdicasterial Commission for the Revision of the Regulations of the Roman Curia under Pope Francis’ pontificate...
Catholic Dioceses and Schools Confront $800 Million Pension Fund Shortfall...
Leo XIV Shuts Down Vatican Donations Commission 10 Months After Its Creation by Pope Francis...
Dolton, Illinois, Designates Pope Leo XIV’s Childhood Home as Historic Landmark...
Society’s New ‘Sins’: Smoking, Spanking — and Having Too Many Kids...
A YouTube Priest Says You Shouldn’t Pray After Communion. Here’s Why He’s Wrong...
Pope Leo XIV Finishes Third Day in Turkey With Mass at Soccer Stadium...
For 300 years, the early Church learned from ‘The Shepherd of Hermas’...
The Fragility and Stability of the Liturgical Benedict Option...
How Plato Turned Socrates’ Death Into a Blueprint for True Learning...
On the surprising sanity of Bill Gates on climate change...
How to Keep Politics From Colonizing Your Soul...
The Vatican’s Unhappy Return of Canadian Indian Gifts...
No Duty Is More Urgent Than That of Returning Thanks...
Angels are the REAL Guardians of the Galaxies...
‘The Sinner,’ Vatican Terms, and Stretching Curds...
Rian Johnson Turns to Denver Priests for Catholic Accuracy in New ‘Knives Out’ Film...
Greenville, South Carolina, Traditional Catholic Haven in the Bible Belt...
Pope Leo XIV Prepares to Depart Thursday for ‘Demanding Journey’ to Turkey and Lebanon...
Pope Leo XIV Issues Apostolic Letter 'In Unitate Fidei' on 1,700th Anniversary of Nicene Council...
Pope Leo XIV Warns Against ‘False Mercy’ in Marriage Annulment Proceedings...
I Can’t Do the Push-Ups for You...
Presenting Yourself, Zuppi and Me, and High Rollers...
‘The Carpenter’s Son’ Reimagines the Boyhood of Christ — Badly...
What the Church Teaches About the End Times, Antichrist, and the Second Coming...
Notre Dame Professor Secretly Books Campus Rooms for Condom and Plan B Distribution...
We All Live in a Perfect House...
Imagine living in the conviction that every aspect of our every day is perfectly arranged for our good. The life-giving power of such a conviction would come from the simple fact that it is true. The heart of our daily challenge is to remember this truth. Having the right images in our mind goes a long way in helping us really to remember...
Memo to the White House: God Became Man 9 Months Before He Was Born...
Boston-Area Pastor Refuses to Remove Anti-ICE Nativity Scene, Seeks Meeting With Archbishop...
The pastor of a Catholic parish near Boston says an anti-immigration-enforcement display in its Nativity scene will stay up at least for the time being, and he is asking for a meeting with the archbishop. The announcement Monday night — more than three days after the Archdiocese of Boston said the display should be removed — leaves the parish and Archbishop Richard Henning of Boston at an impasse.
Advent, Salvation, and the Gift of Silence...
In his letter to the Romans, Paul exhorts both Jew and Gentile about the necessity of belief in Jesus Christ as the path to salvation. And it is not only belief but in practice, as established by Christ through the Apostles, specifically through the celebration of the Mass commemorating Christ, culminating in the Eucharistic celebration of the Mass. St. Paul places great emphasis on the relationship between a confession, assent, and belief of faith.
Lose the Distractions This Advent...
What can you learn from a preacher who wore a camel's hair cloak while eating locusts and wild honey Plenty. In this week's Gospel, John the Baptist gives us the perfect playbook for entering into Advent...and for taking our spiritual lives to the next level. His ascetic appearance and way of life might seem crazy to us, but his intensity had the goal of stripping away life's distractions...
Why I am not (quite, yet) a Traditionalist...
Imagine that you are a young bachelor, having lunch with an old friend who has just married. Wreathed in smiles, radiating joy, he asks you: “Isn’t my wife the most beautiful woman in the world? Isn’t she just perfect?” She is a very attractive woman; that much is beyond dispute...
‘Peace Is Possible,’ Pope Leo XIV Says After Visits to Turkey and Lebanon...
Pope Leo Asks: What Has Arius to Do With Jesus?
On his visit to Turkey to commemorate the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, Pope Leo XIV took up two themes dear to his predecessors, Pope Benedict XVI and Pope St. John Paul II. He offered a difference in emphasis from the former, and an echo of the latter in the context of Arianism, the heresy that Nicaea was called to confront.
‘Miraculous’ Summer Wildfire Reveals Dramatic Discovery in Biblical Bethsaida...
Advent, St. Newman, and the Forgiveness of Sins...
Here’s the easiest way to de-banalize your liturgy...
Pope Leo XIV Returns to Rome, Discusses Peace Efforts, Ukraine, and His Election...
Humility Is the Devil’s Achilles’ Heel...
Our God is a God of surprises. From the Son of God being born a helpless infant raised by a carpenter and then dying to bring salvation, his ways are beyond human imagination. The humility of God is the ultimate plot twist that baffles Satan. The devil chose eternity in hell rather than to humble himself before the very one who created him. And his first big score against humanity was made possible through pride...
If We Must Thank God for Good Things, Why Can’t We Blame Him for Bad Things?
In the Beginning: The Catholic Answers I Knew...
Advent and the Deliverance from Evil...
A Meal of Toads and Other Gruesome Punishments...
Pope Leo XIV Visits Nicene Basilica on 1,700th Anniversary of Council of Nicaea...
Pope Leo: Repent Sins, Bear Witness, Foster Christian Unity...
Vatican Reports First Budget Surplus After Years of Deficits...
Pope Leo XIV Arrives in Ankara to Begin First Apostolic Journey to Turkey and Lebanon...
In a Dark Hour: A Reflection on the First Sunday in Advent...
Vatican ends routine use of Latin in sweeping overhaul of Curia governance...
Why Does Jesus Heal Some People and Not Others?
How Close Can East and West Get in Nicaea?
This Sunday, Christ the King Moves You From Satan’s Tyrannical Rule to the Kingdom of God...
Abortion Is a Preeminent Priority...
Co-Redemptrix Si, ‘Fifth Marian Dogma’ No...
Enter Your Birthdate Here to Find Out What Was Happening the Day You Were Born...
Humanities Syllabus for November: The Harvest of Love...
World’s Tallest Our Lady of Fatima Monument Inaugurated in Brazil...
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—)
