Read Lucky Severson’s interview with former New York governor Mario Cuomo (D) about the controversy over John Kerry and punishing Catholic politicians who support abortion rights. More →

April 30, 2004

Many of the best known Christmas traditions were actually adapted from pagan practices and given new Christian meanings. More →

December 19, 2003

There’s a movement under way among many Catholic women and women scholars to revise the reputation of Mary Magdalene. For centuries, she was reviled as a prostitute. But now, with the discovery of ancient text, several recent movies and novels are portraying her as an important figure in early church history.
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November 21, 2003

RELIGION & ETHICS NEWSWEEKLY profiles Peter Steinfels — Catholic, THE NEW YORK TIMES religion columnist, and author of the book A PEOPLE ADRIFT. Steinfels discusses the challenges facing the U.S. Catholic Church, from the sex abuse scandal to ordination of women, which he fears may send the church into an “irreversible decline” if they are not acted upon. More →

October 3, 2003

Read more of Bob Abernethy’s interview with Peter Steinfels about his book A PEOPLE ADRIFT: THE CRISIS OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH IN AMERICA. More →

October 3, 2003

John Collier is a Texas artist who is making sculptures for St. Peter’s Catholic Church in New York. His life work is religious art, but these sculptures are a tribute to the events of September 11th. More →

September 5, 2003

In the latter half of the twentieth century, institutions run by Roman Catholic nuns could amount to virtual prisons for young women. Some spent their entire adult lives in these places. They were called the Magdalene Laundries, and they were in Ireland. THE MAGDALENE SISTERS chronicles the lives of three Dublin girls living in the Laundries. More →

August 22, 2003

“We can provide opportunities that no isolated house could ever provide. They have art, they have music, they have swimming, they have a health club. They have all kinds of activities. And that really enhances their lives,” says Sister Rosemary Connelly, general manager of Misericordia. More →

May 9, 2003

As the crisis over Iraq intensified, the Vatican ratcheted up its diplomatic efforts to avert war. Pope John Paul II scheduled several high-level meetings, with officials including United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan and British Prime Minister Tony Blair. More →

February 21, 2003

For nearly a millennium, part of Roman Catholic prayer life has included saying the rosary, with each rosary bead representing a prayer. The rosary includes a set of meditations on the life of Christ, known as mysteries. Use of the rosary, has diminished in recent years but many Catholics say it’s still part of their practice. More →

October 18, 2002