The Christian Roots Of Modern Science

By DONALD DeMARCO

No one has worked harder to document and bring to light the Christian roots of modern science than Pierre Duhem (1861-1916). His magnum opus, The Structure of the World: Teachings on Cosmology From Plato to Copernicus, is a prodigious work of ten massive volumes. It is a masterpiece that is unparalleled in its field. Yet, he was the target of censorship, rancor, and fierce opposition throughout his academic career.
Templeton Prize-winner Fr. Stanley Jaki, OSB, who held doctorates in physics as well as in theology, states: “What Duhem unearthed among other things from long-buried manuscripts was that supernatural Revelation played a crucial liberating role in putting scientific speculation on the right track. . . . … Continue Reading

With First Apostolic Exhortation… Pope Francis Gives Blueprint For Mission

By PAUL LIKOUDIS

In his first apostolic exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium, released November 26, Pope Francis has outlined the mission for his pontificate, and the worldwide Catholic Church.
The 48,000-word letter exhorts all Catholics “to embark upon a new chapter of evangelization,” “to a renewed personal encounter with Jesus Christ, or at least an openness to letting him encounter them.”
Pastoral in tone, the Holy Father repeats many of the themes, and even the phrases, of the daily homilies he has given at Mass since his election to the papacy last spring, calling on Catholics to show a “preferential option for the poor,” buttressing his appeal with numerous references to the writings of his three Predecessors, Paul VI, John Paul II, and Benedict XVI, … Continue Reading

A Season Of Hope In Dark Times

By LAWRENCE P. GRAYSON

The Church experienced a rebuff recently in the culture war against religion. In spite of a letter from the U.S. Catholic bishops about dire effects of the proposed Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), the Senate voted overwhelmingly on November 7 in favor of it. The act bans workplace discrimination based on a person’s self-proclaimed gender identity. The battle now moves to the House of Representatives.
This is the latest assault on religious liberty in America. Roe v. Wade, Obamacare, a growing number of states recognizing same-sex marriage, statutes legalizing physician-assisted suicide, and a host of other laws and regulations are creating a dark moral climate in the nation.
In just the past few months, Christian photographers in New Mexico were fined for declining to photograph a commitment ceremony between two lesbians; a Christian-owned bakery in Oregon … Continue Reading

Is The Superpower Afraid Of Iran?

By PATRICK J. BUCHANAN

“Iran’s Nuclear Triumph” roared the headline of The Wall Street Journal editorial. William Kristol is again quoting Churchill on Munich.
Since the news broke Saturday night, November 23 that Iran had agreed to a six-month freeze on its nuclear program, we are back in the Sudetenland again.
Why? For not only was this modest deal agreed to by the United States, but also by our NATO allies Germany, Britain, and France.
Russia and China are fine with it.
Iran’s rivals, Turkey and Egypt, are calling it a good deal. Saudi Arabia says it “could be a first step toward a comprehensive solution for Iran’s nuclear program.” … Continue Reading

Is Pope Francis To The Left of Nancy Pelosi?

By JAMES K. FITZPATRICK

How should Catholics who are “on the right” on economic matters respond to Pope Francis’ apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium? The left likes what the Pope had to say, describing the exhortation as a condemnation of free-market capitalism. A columnist on Yahoo News argued that it goes a long way toward corroborating Fr. Thomas Reese’s proposition, made some months ago, that the Pope is “to the left of Nancy Pelosi.” (An apostolic exhortation does not carry the same weight as an encyclical, but it represents the Pope’s thinking, an indication of where he intends to move the Church. It is not something that can be shrugged off … Continue Reading

Bishop Of Shrewsbury . . . Concludes The Year Of Faith With A Call To Witness

LONDON (ZENIT) — As the Year of Faith draws to a close, an English bishop has encouraged his flock not to be discouraged by the antagonism they face when bearing witness to Christ in society.
Bishop Mark Davies of Shrewsbury said that the faithful may at times be inclined to avoid speaking the name of Christ “if it makes out contemporaries uneasy” and be tempted “to remove His cross from view, or to understate His claim of Kingship.”
But he added: “It is the hour for our faith to be proved amid the continuing uproar around the cross of the Lord.”
The Year of Faith, he said, “has surely invited us all to raise our own voices calmly and clearly in a renewed profession of our faith.” … Continue Reading

A Devastating Poll On Obama — And Obamacare

By MICHAEL BARONE

“The Affordable Care Act’s political position has deteriorated dramatically over the last week.” That, coming from longtime Obamacare cheerleader and Washington Post blogger Ezra Klein, was pretty strong language. And it was only Wednesday of the week in question.
That was the day after the release of a devastating Quinnipiac national poll. It showed Barack Obama’s approval rating at 39 percent, with his disapproval rating at 54 percent — sharply down from 45 percent approval and 49 percent disapproval on October 1, the day the government shutdown began and healthcare.gov went into (limited) operation. … Continue Reading

Video: Rev. Robert A. Sirico Comments on the Economic Views of Pope Francis in ‘Evangelii Gaudium’

In this short talk, Rev. Robert A. Sirico, co-founder and president of the Acton Institute, offers some general observations about the new “Apostolic Exhortation” published Nov. 26 by Pope Francis. Specifically, Rev. Sirico addresses the economic content of the work, titled “Evangelii Gaudium” (The Joy of the Gospel) and poses some questions for further reflection.

A Natural, Scientific, And Highly Effective Treatment For Infertility

By MERCEDES WILSON

(Editor’s Note: Mercedes Arzú Wilson is the president of the Family of the Americas Foundation,
www.familyplanning.net. Those wishing to order the complete study she describes below may contact Mrs. Wilson at fafmercedes@yahoo.com. And Wanderer readers may be receiving a letter in the mail about this Family of the Americas Foundation program.)

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How we are succeeding in reversing the catastrophic effects of man-made sterility, through simple knowledge of the procreative gift bestowed upon us by God, is becoming a revolutionary victory for the Catholic Church.
From time immemorial, the crucial human problem related to childbearing has been the problem of sterility, which in all ancient societies was considered an obstacle to be overcome, a tragic affliction, and even a “curse.” However, this modern age is utterly unique in human history, because of its relentless celebration of everything that is unnatural and because it uses every means to stop the possibility of becoming pro-creators with God of a new human life.
The world is already paying a heavy price for allowing such distorted tendencies, as it is now suffering a “demographic winter.” … Continue Reading

America’s Public Prayer . . . The Thanksgiving Proclamation

By LAWRENCE P. GRAYSON

Thanksgiving is the time when America’s religious roots and traditions are publicly displayed. While we think of feasting at tables filled with food and drink, and imagine the Pilgrims in Plymouth Colony inviting neighboring Indians to join them to celebrate a plentiful harvest, Thanksgiving Day has a much more religious meaning. It was not uncommon in the 17th and 18th centuries for individual colonies to set aside days for prayers of gratitude to our Lord.
In 1671, the governing council of Charlestown, Mass., proclaimed June 29 “as a day of Solemn Thanksgiving and praise to God for such His Goodness and Favor.” Annually from 1777 through 1784, as the American colonists fought for their independence, … Continue Reading