Articles — Fr. Raymond J. de Souza

With ‘Querida Amazonia,’ It’s ‘Deja Amoris’ All Over Again

Progressives the world over were bitterly disappointed by the seeming sense of betrayal by Pope Francis. At the same time, though, the Holy Father did not reject the proposal.

Newman House ManagerFebruary 14, 2020Church Affairs, National Catholic Register

‘The desire to confess is overwhelming’: The theology of Mafia movies

The genius of the Mafia genre is that, amid brutal criminality, it always pointed toward something more.

Newman House ManagerFebruary 13, 2020Faith, Catholic Herald

'Blatch' never bleached the truth. We need more like her

The talents of Christie Blatchford cannot easily be matched. But what made her truly admirable was her courage.

Newman House ManagerFebruary 12, 2020Culture, National Post

‘Querida Amazonia’: On the Question of Married Priests, a Papal Pattern Returns

In Querida Amazonia, as in previous documents, clear questions were posed. Ambiguous answers were given, awaiting clarification by novel maneuvers.

Newman House ManagerFebruary 12, 2020Church Affairs, National Catholic Register

A remarkable journey from slave to saint

St. Josephine Bakhita, the flower of the African desert, serves as a powerful intercessor for the victims of these heinous crimes as well as astonishing forgiveness for the perpetrators.

Newman House ManagerFebruary 8, 2020Catholic Register, Faith

For Argentinian Delegation, Nation’s Rocky Financial Road Leads to Rome

Argentina is a rich country that has made itself systematically poorer for a century, not due to war or natural disaster, but by generations of failed leadership.

Newman House ManagerFebruary 7, 2020Culture, National Catholic Register

The Irishman’s Last Ride

Martin Scorsese’s homage to Mafiosos movies is ultimately a tale of life experienced from the perspective of eternity.

Newman House ManagerFebruary 7, 2020Culture, Convivium

Bishops in the dock: the new relationship between Rome and the courts

The Church’s judgment cannot be contracted out to criminal justice systems that have been unduly influenced by public opinion.

Newman House ManagerFebruary 6, 2020Church Affairs, Catholic Herald

A shift in conservative thinking on criminal justice

It was notable that in Trump's state of the union, the only mention of criminal justice and prisons was about getting inmates out of prison.

Newman House ManagerFebruary 6, 2020Politics, Donald Trump, National Post

Buffalo Seminary Closure Speaks Volumes to Other Dioceses

The decision removes a source of toxins that the seminary injected in the life of the local Church.

Newman House ManagerFebruary 6, 2020Church Affairs, National Catholic Register

Ticking Clocks and Kobe Bryant

Last week’s helicopter crash that killed the basketball star and eight others leads us to ponder Jesus’ warning about death and thieves in the night.

Newman House ManagerJanuary 31, 2020Culture, Convivium

Christianity and the holy headache of Donald Trump

Evangelical and other Christian leaders wrestle with their complicated relationship with the American president.

Newman House ManagerJanuary 31, 2020Faith, National Post

Why Do Normal Events, Like Book Launches, Become ‘Imbergoglios’ That Snare the Pope?

The Vatican snafus in recent years are usually launched by commentators who are eager to advocate for Pope Francis, but often end up doing more harm than good.

Newman House ManagerJanuary 31, 2020Church Affairs, National Catholic Register

Cardinal Tagle could change the Vatican’s tune on China

Loyalty, trust, and justice hang in a balance. In what way will the influential new prefect for the Evangelization of Peoples, Cardinal Tagle, tip the scale?

Newman House ManagerJanuary 30, 2020Church Affairs, Catholic Herald

Archbishop Charles Chaput: America’s Least Conservative Bishop

For more than 30 years, Archbishop Chaput has been a model of creativity and collaboration in preaching and preserving the Gospel.

Newman House ManagerJanuary 24, 2020Church Affairs, National Catholic Register

Auschwitz and Russia's selective memory of the Second World War

Putin presents himself as the heir of Russia’s purported glory. That explains his efforts to remember the war as a time of Russian sacrifice and triumph, including at Auschwitz.

Newman House ManagerJanuary 24, 2020National Post, Culture