The Profound Bow in the Nicene Creed...
Who Am I?
Before his ordination, a priest in the Midwest worked as an airline desk agent. On one occasion, a snowstorm paralyzed the airport. People lined up for reroutes, but it was impossible. He said an unnamed (widely recognized) celebrity lost his patience and demanded, “Do you know who I am? Do you!” The passenger in line behind him dropped his luggage and said, “Oh great. I’m in the middle of a snowstorm trying to get home for Christmas, and now the guy in front of me doesn’t know who he is!
Jesus Leaves Us In Charge But Not Alone — 5 Ascension Takeaways...
On the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord, the Reading and Gospel are both by St. Luke, and they explain each other. In the First Reading, from his Book of Acts, Luke says that he wrote his Gospel to cover “all that Jesus did and taught.” And in the Gospel reading, Luke gives a preview of his Book of Acts, which will tell the tale of how “repentance, for the forgiveness of sins, would be preached in [Christ’s] name to all nations.”
What to do if you find a baby bird out of its nest...
Catholic Bishops Sue State of Washington Over Threat to Seal of Confession...
Pass It On: A Divine Rule of Life...
My father loved to say, “Pass it on.” I have an image of him at his retirement saying it to an employee of his who, weeping, was thanking him for being a great employer. There is more here than some miscellaneous nice attitude. Thomas Aquinas suggests this is a key feature of God’s plan for human life and a powerful revelation of the nature of God himself.
The Surprising Truth About Zeal for Souls (And Why You Might Not Have It Yet)...
Tens of thousands flock to see St. Teresa of Ávila’s remains more than 440 years after her death...
The Blessed Code, and the Carolina Liturgy Wars...
First, you’re getting this newsletter a little late, because yesterday was Memorial Day. I’m sure you understand. I had bratwurst to eat, and Little League practice. Second, today’s the feast of St. Augustine of Canterbury — and you’re reading The Tuesday Pillar Post. I know what most of you are thinking — that I am about to tell you a great deal about ole Augustine, who went to the Kingdom of Kent, in modern-day England...
Humanities Syllabus for May: The Gift of Life...
Life is essentially good, and it brings joy. Even if we haven’t always felt its goodness, we can—and even must—affirm it in faith. All that God has made is good and is meant to bring about communion and love, redounding to his glory. God loves life. He came into the world to bring us to an abundance of life and love. He even commands us to be fruitful, to share the gift of life with others in many different ways...
Will There Be Marriage in Heaven?
108 years ago today, Pope Benedict XV finished his ‘truly arduous task’ — the 1917 Code of Canon Law...
Pope Benedict XV, perhaps better known for going toe-to-toe with Woodrow Wilson and his calls for peace during World War I – and also for being probably the most diminutive pope ever – promulgated the Codex Iuris Canonici on this date in 1917, but the big day was many years in the making.
Daughter hears her father’s voice for first time — 76 years after his plane was shot down during WWII...
Lieutenant James D. O’Neill was a fighter pilot during World War II. Stationed in the Asian theatre, James wrote copious letters to his young wife, roughly one thousand letters in the three years he was away. His baby daughter, Bernadine, received one letter from him for her first birthday. In it, he included this advice, forever etched in Bernadine’s mind: “[Y]ou must do your share — Eat all that Mommy gives you, help her to keep you clean and healthy — and above all be good, but very good.”
Pope Leo XIV at Sunday Regina Caeli: 'Let Us Walk in the Joy of the Faith'...
This Sunday, Jesus Says ‘Welcome Home’...
Old and New: The American Pope Takes on Artificial Intelligence...
Catholic University Layoffs Aim to Stabilize Budget Ahead of ‘Demographic Cliff’...
Departure of Archbishop Paglia Marks End of Turbulent Chapter at John Paul II Institute...
What Pope Leo XIV Sees in Van Gogh’s ‘Sower’ — and What You Might Have Missed...
Pope Appoints Sister Tiziana Merletti as Secretary of Dicastery for Consecrated Life...
Why Are So Many Young Adults Becoming Catholic?
How the Creed That Changed the World Can Change Your Soul...
Don’t Say ‘Popemobile’ — and Don’t Be Miserable...
Why Everyone’s Talking About ‘Rerum Novarum’ Again...
Trump Says Leo XIV Might Host Imminent Russia-Ukraine Ceasefire Talks...
'This is the Hour For Love’: Full Homily From Sunday’s Inauguration Mass...
How Leo XIV’s Rarely-Seen Thesis Sheds Light on His Vision for the Church...
All Eyes on Sunday: Leo XIV’s First Words May Cast His Image on Church’s Future...
Heaven Spoke — and St. Joan of Arc Took Up Her Sword...
St. Jeanne d’Arc (Joan of Arc) is celebrated on the French liturgical calendar on May 30 as co-patroness of France. Seeking her intercession, there is currently an ongoing nine-year national novena in France, culminating in the 600th anniversary of her death in 2031. Born around 1412, Jeanne lived during the Hundred Years War (1337-1453) between England and France, a conflict between those nations would result in her being killed...
Program-Based Ministry: The Good, the Bad, the Ugly, and the Answer...
First of all, if you are lonely, you need to know your own self-worth. You are loved. You are valuable. You are worthy. You are redeemed. You are not an orphan. You are a daughter or son of a Father who loves you infinitely. Don’t ever forget these truths. Sit with them in prayer. Meditate upon them. Let them inform your heart, once again (or for the first time) of who you truly are. Don’t believe the lies.
The Deeper Meaning of Christ’s Ascension...
The Ascension of Jesus is one of the more confusing—and neglected—mysteries of our Catholic Christian faith. Most of us know that it commemorates Christ leaving earth and returning to heaven forty days after Easter. But beyond these basic facts, many of us aren’t entirely sure why the Ascension matters, or why the Church celebrates it as a solemnity every year. So what might be the deeper significance of this final act of Jesus’s earthly life?
The Good News: A Reflection on the Ascension of the Lord...
In today’s First Reading from the Acts of the Apostles, St. Luke gives the surprising news that there is more of the story to be told. The story did not end with the empty tomb, or with Jesus’ appearances to the Apostles over the course of forty days. Jesus’ saving work will have a liturgical consummation. He is the great high priest, and He has still to ascend to the heavenly Jerusalem, there to celebrate the feast in the true Holy of Holies.
Father Mike Schmitz: Why ‘popular priests’ must choose truth over comfort, love over applause, and authenticity over approval...
Fr. Mike Schmitz and I tackle the tension priests encounter between being popular and being authentic. The conversation dives into the spiritual and practical dangers of avoiding conflict, the need for truth-tellers in leadership, and the importance of genuine relationships built on love rather than admiration. Together, we challenge listeners to choose truth over comfort, love over applause, and authenticity over approval.
The Charlotte situation is bonkers, but it also provides a good opportunity for ‘parrhesia’...
If you are plugged into Catholic World, you know about the tornado of controversy that has swept through and around the Diocese of Charlotte, North Carolina since last Friday. Pillar Catholic (not-firewalled) has a good summary, but in short: Bishop Martin – who is celebrating his 1-year anniversary as ordinary of Charlotte this very day – decided to go ahead and proceed with “completing” the implementation of Pope Francis’ Tradition Custodinoes, severely limiting the use of the Traditional Latin Mass in the diocese.
What is ‘fear of the Lord’? Does God want you to be scared of him? No...
Charlotte Bishop Leaves Leo XIV With Hurricane-Sized Mess After Leaked Crackdown Targets TLM and Vatican II Rubrics Alike...
Controversy in a North Carolina diocese has broadened beyond traditional Latin Mass restrictions after it was revealed that the local bishop had also planned to ban the use of Latin, altar rails, and other traditional practices in all diocesan liturgies — a development with implications far beyond the Tar Heel State...
How to Make Enchiladas the Way They Make Them in Michoacán...
A Catholic Fix for American Higher Education?
Belgium: Mass Attendance Rises Almost 4% in a Year...
A practical guide to obtaining an apostolic blessing parchment from Pope Leo XIV...
Pope Leo XIV Will Address Chicagoans via Video at June 14 White Sox Park Celebration...
Duncan Stroik Hasn’t Just Designed Iconic Traditional Churches — He’s Helped Build a Movement...
Can You Survive a Komodo Dragon Bite?
Paglia Replaced as President of Pontifical Academy for Life...
Antisemitism Has No Home in America...
Pope Leo XIV Takes Possession of Rome’s Cathedral — the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran...
Russia Rejects Pope Leo XIV’s Offer to Host Ukraine Peace Talks at Vatican...
Kissing the Ring, The First 100 days, and Fake Fiction...
AI is not a fringe issue to Pope Leo XIV — it even shaped his choice of a papal name...
4 German Bishops Opt Out of National Synodal Body...
Remembering Alasdair MacIntyre (1929-2025)...
If Leo XIV Were a New CEO, He’d Be Crushing It, Say Leadership Experts...
4 Steps You Can Take to Beat Bad Anti-Catholic Arguments...
The Council of Jerusalem: A Reflection on the Sixth Sunday of Easter...
8 Reasons Why I Like Pope Leo...
Who’s Nearing Retirement in the Roman Curia?
Why So Many Are Glad to See Paglia Out at the John Paul II Institute...
Everything You Need to Know About the Original Pope Leo — Pope St. Leo the Great...
On Pope Leo’s Desk: The Vatican-China deal...
‘Love Is the Master Key to Life’: How to Understand the Readings for This Sunday...
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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—)
