In response to the growing "Culture of Death," Pope John Paul II issued this encyclical which addresses theological and moral concerns regarding life issues such as abortion, euthenasia and contraception. The document is divided into the following sections: Introduction I. The Voice of Your Brother's Blood Cries Out to Me From the Ground - Present - Day Threats to Human Life II. I Came That …

Every Catholic needs a good grounding in the principles of Catholic morality. And the Catholic Church has always enunciated a clear, traditional set of moral principles, which are based upon reason and the teachings of Christ and which bring us the moral norms of Scripture and Tradition in a clear and organized manner. In Catholic Morality (first published in 1928), Fr. Laux has done an …

Anger, envy, lust, pride, gluttony, sloth and covetousness are the seven capital, or deadly, sins so often spoken of by theologians in the past. They are hardly mentioned today in a society become inured to the whole idea of sin. Yet, as Fulton Sheen makes clear in his inimitable way, these sins are very real with very real consequences for our happiness in this world and in the next. Jesus …

The Cube and the Cathedral by George Weigel Why do Europeans and Americans see the world so differently?  Why do Europeans and Americans have such different understandings of democracy? One of America's foremost public intellectuals argues that Europe's abandonment of its spiritual and cultural roots raises urgent questions about democracy's future around the world - including the United …

Life Issues, Medical Choices: Questions and Answers for Catholics   by Janet E. Smith and Christopher Kaczor   Medical and technological advances over the last decades have left millions of Catholics grappling with tough issues. When is it permissible to remove a feeding tube from a patient? Is the use of contraceptives for medical purposes acceptable? Is it morally acceptable to try …

Drawing on the lives of some of the greatest political, intellectual and religious leaders of modern times, and the author’s personal experience, Virtuous Leadership demonstrates that leadership and virtue are not only compatible, they are actually synonymous. Virtuous Leadership defines each of the classical human virtues most essential to leadership – magnanimity, humility, …

Review of this book, appearing in Lay Witness magazine, March/April 2007 issue: Perpetual Motivation: How to light your fire and keep it burning in your career and in life by Dave Durand reviewed by Luke W. Crawford  "I must admit that I am not a fan of self-help books. In fact, in my negativity toward such material, I would have gone so far as to say that most books concerned with …

The Reform of Renewal Fr. Benedict J. Groeschel, C.F.R. This clear and unequivocal call for personal reform as the basis of authentic renewal in society and in the Church is rooted in several sources. The work of an internationally recognized Biblical scholar (Rudolph Schnackenburg) is woven in with the observations of contemporary social critics as well as behavioral scientists. The author …

Cardinal Henry Edward Manning Sin and Its Consequences is a probing examination of just what sin is and what are its effects on the soul of man. A series of talks given over 100 years ago, this book remains provocative and challenging reading yet today. "For all have sinned, and do need the glory of God" (Rom. 3:23), as Scripture says. In this book Cardinal Manning shows how sin is a departure …

RIGHT AND REASON is probably the greatest and most successful Ethics book written to date. Widely used in Catholic colleges, it is undoubtedly the clearest and easiest-to-read Ethics text ever published. The author says that no book can take the place of a professor in the classroom, but this one virtually does-and Fr. Fagothey says he wrote it that way. Though issued in 1959, it remains …

Breaking Free of the Web Catholics and Internet Addiction Kimberly Young, PSY.D., and Patrice Klausing, O.S.F. "It is our hope that this book will offer a foundation, based on fact and faith, which will empower the reader to seek the help he or she needs. We call it a foundation because research has consistently shown that breaking free of addictive patterns or coping with the addiction …

By Rev. Alfred McBride, O. Praem. Entertaining, literate, thought-provoking, this instructive guide to the Ten Commandments is designed to be used equally well by individuals or small groups. Each commandment is introduced through an illustrative story, followed by a question about keeping the commandment. Next, Father McBride offers three strategies for doing so taken from the Catechism of …

"Without his help man and woman cannot achieve the union of their lives for which God created them 'in the beginning.'" ~Catechism of the Catholic Church, No. 1608 This eight-sided pamphlet talks about marriage as a sacrament, why annulment is necessary, the Church's teaching on different religion marriages, if divorce is a sin, grounds for annulment, the process, the blessing of …

A call to political responsibility from the Catholic bishops of the United States. This statement continues a more than thirty-year tradition by the bishops of encouraging Catholics to use the values of their faith to shape their participation in political life. It focuses on helping Catholics form their consciences so they can make sound moral judgments about public choices. Faithful …