Matt C. Abbott column
Matt C. Abbott is a Catholic commentator with a Bachelor of Arts degree in communication, media and theatre from Northeastern Illinois University. He's been interviewed on MSNBC, NPR, WLS-TV (ABC) in Chicago, WMTV (NBC) in Madison, Wis., and has been quoted in The New York Times and the Chicago Tribune. He can be reached at mattcabbott@gmail.com.
(Note: I welcome thoughtful feedback from readers. If you want our correspondence to remain confidential, please specify as such in your initial email to me. However, I reserve the right to forward and/or publish emails – complete with email addresses – that are accusatory, insulting or threatening in nature, even if those emails are marked confidential. Also, please be aware that RenewAmerica is not my website; RA's president and editor is Stephen Stone, who can be reached here. I'm just one of RA's columnists, for which I'm very grateful. I don't speak for the other RA columnists, so please don't email me to complain about what someone else has written. Thank you and God bless!)
(Note: I welcome thoughtful feedback from readers. If you want our correspondence to remain confidential, please specify as such in your initial email to me. However, I reserve the right to forward and/or publish emails – complete with email addresses – that are accusatory, insulting or threatening in nature, even if those emails are marked confidential. Also, please be aware that RenewAmerica is not my website; RA's president and editor is Stephen Stone, who can be reached here. I'm just one of RA's columnists, for which I'm very grateful. I don't speak for the other RA columnists, so please don't email me to complain about what someone else has written. Thank you and God bless!)
Subscribe to Matt's columnMatt C. Abbott
August 1, 2016
From Crux (July 31):
"Pope Francis on Sunday defended his avoidance of the term 'Islamic violence' by suggesting the potential for violence lies in every . . .
Matt C. Abbott
July 29, 2016
'The most evident mark of God's anger and the most terrible castigation He can inflict upon the world are manifested when He permits His people to fall into the . . .
Matt C. Abbott
July 17, 2016
The following are brief excerpts from the last two chapters of the late Mother Angelica's book Answers, Not Promises, recently republished by EWTN. Thanks to . . .
Matt C. Abbott
July 14, 2016
From LifeSiteNews.com (July 8):
"Cecile Richards, the CEO of Planned Parenthood, responded to a racially charged shooting with a tweet that implies that . . .
Matt C. Abbott
June 29, 2016
An interesting angle of the U.S. Supreme Court's latest abortion ruling is described by D Healthcare Daily (June 27):
"Last year, Planned Parenthood of . . .
Matt C. Abbott
June 20, 2016
Bishop Rene Henry Gracida, retired bishop of Corpus Christi, Texas, is highly respected among orthodox Catholics. His résumé is impressive, including serving as . . .
Matt C. Abbott
June 18, 2016
Below is an email interview I conducted with registered nurse Kelley Jankowski, a married mother of six children and author of An Army in Heaven, an intriguing, . . .
Matt C. Abbott
June 11, 2016
In a recent Facebook post, Father Michael Pfleger, who was supporting Bernie Sanders, decided to endorse Hillary Clinton, albeit unenthusiastically.
Father . . .
Matt C. Abbott
June 5, 2016
Many people are familiar with the recent incident involving Harambe, a gorilla that was shot and killed by a zoo employee when a young boy got through a barrier . . .
Matt C. Abbott
June 3, 2016
Tom Ciesielka, spokesman for the excellent pro-life law firm Thomas More Society, wrote in a news release (edited):
"On June 1, a St. Louis appellate court . . .
Matt C. Abbott
May 31, 2016
Kudos to Bishop Thomas John Paprocki of the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois, one of the relatively few American bishops willing to speak out on cultural hot . . .
Matt C. Abbott
May 26, 2016
Below is an email interview I conducted with Michael O'Neill, also known as The Miracle Hunter. Click here to order a copy of his book Exploring the . . .
Matt C. Abbott
May 15, 2016
I must admit: It's rather depressing to have to endure eight years of an Obama presidency, the distinct possibility of a Hillary presidency, and however many . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 29, 2016
If you happen to look at the Drudge Report fairly often, perhaps you've noticed a number of links to news stories about "exorcisms" in recent times.
Most of . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 15, 2016
A series of recent pro-LGBT tweets have led to the ouster of Tony Spence, the now former director and editor-and-chief of Catholic News Service, the official . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 23, 2016
The following excerpt is from my friend Dawn Eden's latest book, Remembering God's Mercy: Redeem the Past and Free Yourself from Painful Memories. Thanks to . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 12, 2016
The following commentary (slightly edited) was written by the staunchly pro-life Father Joseph Klee, a priest of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Columbus . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 3, 2016
Eighteen years ago on March 4, 1998, Father Alfred Kunz, a traditional Catholic priest of the Diocese of Madison, Wis., was found brutally murdered. The case . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 1, 2016
God bless Mother Angelica.
From the website of the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration of Our Lady of Angels Monastery:
"We want to extend a very special . . .
Matt C. Abbott
February 29, 2016
It's looking more and more like the next presidential election will be Hillary Clinton versus Donald Trump, though it's not a given at this point. I asked one . . .
Matt C. Abbott
February 3, 2016
The young investigative journalist and pro-life activist David Daleiden – whom GOP presidential hopeful Marco Rubio recently defended – will present . . .
Matt C. Abbott
January 20, 2016
The following is an article from the January 2016 edition of PHA Monthly, the e-newsletter of Pro-life Healthcare Alliance. Thanks to PHA and Dr. Ralph Capone . . .
Matt C. Abbott
January 16, 2016
The following is an email interview I conducted with Chicago Bears co-owner Patrick McCaskey, a devout Catholic and public supporter of the pro-life movement. . . .
Matt C. Abbott
December 27, 2015
Below is an excerpt from the newly-released book God's Healing Mercy, by Kathleen Beckman, L.H.S. The excerpt features Blessed Teresa of Kolkata, who will be . . .
Matt C. Abbott
December 23, 2015
First, I'd like to wish all my readers a very blessed Christmas and New Year! To those who've sent me words of encouragement and thoughtful feedback over the . . .
Matt C. Abbott
December 14, 2015
It goes without saying that sexual corruption among the clergy and laity is a significant problem plaguing the church. So is theft of parish funds. Climate . . .
Matt C. Abbott
December 9, 2015
GOP presidential hopeful Donald Trump's call "for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country's representatives can . . .
Matt C. Abbott
November 27, 2015
Below are excerpts from the 2015 book Pope Leo XIII and the Prayer to St. Michael, by Kevin Symonds, published by Preserving Christian Publications. Thanks to . . .
Matt C. Abbott
November 24, 2015
It's unfortunate that we pro-life, pro-family conservatives often find ourselves in a circular firing squad, but, alas, it is what it is.
The latest example . . .
Matt C. Abbott
November 22, 2015
On August 31, I wrote a brief update on the status of Father John Corapi. Since then, I've learned of an interesting development.
The other day, I received . . .
Matt C. Abbott
November 18, 2015
On Nov. 13, The Washington Post reported:
"Leading Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson believes that federal and state officials overreacted in . . .
Matt C. Abbott
November 9, 2015
I commend Bishop Richard J. Malone of Buffalo for having a parish in his diocese remove a large sign that read "Jesus had two dads and he turned out just fine." . . .
Matt C. Abbott
November 6, 2015
(A version of the following column originally appeared at the American Thinker Blog.)
The clergy sex abuse scandal has, since 1950, reportedly cost the . . .
Matt C. Abbott
November 4, 2015
From Catholic World News:
"Eugenio Scalfari of La Repubblica wrote that the pontiff told him, in a telephone interview, that during the October meeting of . . .
Matt C. Abbott
November 2, 2015
The Pro-Life Action League reports that a notorious abortion facility in Chicago has closed after more than 25 years of killing preborn children. Click here for . . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 30, 2015
For many years, Catholic researcher Stephanie Block has been exposing the link between the American Catholic church bureaucracy – which has effectively . . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 26, 2015
On Oct. 12, I paid a visit to St. John Cantius Church here in Chicago to see the major relics of St. Maria Goretti. When I arrived at the church around 10 p.m., . . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 17, 2015
"From some fissure the smoke of Satan has entered the temple of God."
– Pope Paul VI (1972 . . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 15, 2015
Please pray for the priests of the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest, who suffered a devastating fire Oct. 7 at their Chicago church. Click here for . . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 10, 2015
I asked Father Brian Harrison, a priest of the Society of the Oblates of Wisdom and an emeritus professor of theology of the Pontifical Catholic University of . . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 6, 2015
God bless those participating in the 40 Days for Life campaign!
The following is text of a speech delivered Oct. 3 by Father William J. Kuchinsky at the 40 . . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 4, 2015
Catholic journalist Edward Pentin reports:
"The Vatican has dismissed an official working in the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith after he . . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 1, 2015
(An abbreviated version of this column originally appeared at the American Thinker Blog.)
Rowan County clerk Kim Davis, who's been the primary object of the . . .
Matt C. Abbott
September 26, 2015
A recent column of mine featured an excerpt from Catholic journalist Edward Pentin's new e-book on the upcoming Synod on the Family in Rome.
It looks like . . .
Matt C. Abbott
September 17, 2015
David Daleiden, the pro-life investigative journalist under fire by the abortion industry and its sympathizers for exposing the murderous work of Planned . . .
Matt C. Abbott
September 14, 2015
I had a short and pithy – as is usually the case – letter to the editor in the Sept. 11 edition of The New York Times on the subject of the pope's . . .
Matt C. Abbott
September 10, 2015
The following is an excerpt from Catholic journalist Edward Pentin's new e-book The Rigging of a Vatican Synod? An Investigation of Alleged Manipulation at the . . .
Matt C. Abbott
September 7, 2015
A fairly recent survey conducted by the Barna Group contains the following finding:
"There is a substantial minority ... among Americans under 40 (26%) who . . .
Matt C. Abbott
September 2, 2015
Catholic journalist Anita Crane has written about a new Planned Parenthood abortion mill that's being built by Catholic-owned Pizzano Contractors in Washington . . .
Matt C. Abbott
August 31, 2015
A bit of good news to share: A reliable source has informed me that Father John Corapi, a popular priest among orthodox Catholics who departed public life after . . .
Matt C. Abbott
August 27, 2015
Many Catholics who use the Internet are familiar with Michael Voris of ChurchMilitant.com and Michael Hichborn, formerly of American Life League and now . . .
Matt C. Abbott
August 24, 2015
The topic of exorcism has been getting somewhat of a bum rap in recent years. There've been several news stories of people physically harmed and even murdered . . .
Matt C. Abbott
August 14, 2015
(A version of the following column originally appeared at the American Thinker Blog.)
Informed Catholics (and, in all likelihood, at least some politically . . .
Matt C. Abbott
August 10, 2015
The following is my interview with Kevin J. Symonds, M.A., author of Refractions of Light: 201 Answers on Apparitions, Visions and the Catholic Church (June 201 . . .
Matt C. Abbott
August 3, 2015
(A version of the following column originally appeared at the American Thinker Blog.)
The Donald isn't getting much love from three prominent New York . . .
Matt C. Abbott
July 30, 2015
The topic of the Second Vatican Council always opens up a can of worms, but so be it. It frequently is the source of (sometimes heated) debate among non-liberal . . .
Matt C. Abbott
July 29, 2015
(The following column originally appeared at Catholic Online.)
Jonathan Merritt, senior columnist for Religion News Service and a contributing editor for The . . .
Matt C. Abbott
July 27, 2015
Earlier this month, the religious education director at Waldron Mercy Academy, a Catholic school in the Philadelphia area, was fired for being in a so-called . . .
Matt C. Abbott
July 19, 2015
(A version of this column originally appeared at the American Thinker Blog.)
There appears to be much outrage within the pro-life movement about the latest . . .
Matt C. Abbott
July 15, 2015
There's been no shortage of depressing cultural developments in recent weeks. In addition to the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling on same-sex "marriage," we have the . . .
Matt C. Abbott
July 8, 2015
(A version of this column originally appeared at Catholic Online.)
There have been numerous statements and articles written about the very disappointing (but . . .
Matt C. Abbott
July 5, 2015
After the U.S. Supreme Court's decision legalizing same-sex "marriage" nationwide was handed down, a survey was conducted by the Barna Group that has buried in . . .
Matt C. Abbott
June 11, 2015
Erstwhile priest and prolific writer Eugene Cullen Kennedy, a darling of the Catholic left who, in a scathing commentary for Religion News Service in 2006, . . .
Matt C. Abbott
June 8, 2015
We have yet another example of an institution of higher learning attempting to censor freedom of speech – of . . .
Matt C. Abbott
June 3, 2015
(A version of the following column originally appeared at the American Thinker Blog.)
The current main pop-culture headline involves former Olympian Bruce . . .
Matt C. Abbott
June 1, 2015
(A version of this column originally appeared at Catholic Online.)
Those who are at all familiar with the reported Marian apparitions in Medjugorje, Bosnia . . .
Matt C. Abbott
May 28, 2015
(A version of the following column originally appeared at the American Thinker Blog.)
Josh Duggar, son of Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar – of TLC's 19 . . .
Matt C. Abbott
May 25, 2015
Below is an interview with Kevin Vost, Psy.D., who, in his own words, is "by training, vocation and avocation a psychologist, disability adjudication . . .
Matt C. Abbott
May 10, 2015
(A version of this column originally appeared at the American Thinker Blog.)
Although not a subject you'll often hear discussed even in pro-life circles, in . . .
Matt C. Abbott
May 8, 2015
Karen Malec, who was president and co-founder of the Coalition on Abortion/Breast Cancer, died May 5 after a battle with ovarian cancer. She was 60.
Mrs. . . .
Matt C. Abbott
May 4, 2015
The following are excerpts from two recently-released books published by Sophia Institute Press: Rocket Ships and God, by Rocco Martino, Ph.D., and For God and . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 27, 2015
(A version of the following column originally appeared at the American Thinker blog.)
Sadly, there's yet another indication that pro-life, pro-family . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 22, 2015
First, please pray for the repose of the soul of Cardinal Francis George. I always appreciated his politeness – he would address me by name at various . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 14, 2015
It's official: Hillary Clinton is running for president.
Try not to get too excited.
Father Frank Pavone, national director of Priests for Life, says it . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 11, 2015
Some far too lenient prison sentences were handed down in Mississippi on April 9.
From an FBI press . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 6, 2015
(A version of this column originally appeared at the American Thinker blog.)
Rolling Stone magazine's now-discredited UVA rape story was a failure on a . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 31, 2015
Ten years ago on March 31, Terri Schiavo died after 13 days of dehydration and starvation at a Florida hospice. Her murder remains a national tragedy.
. . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 30, 2015
(An abbreviated version of this column originally appeared at the American Thinker blog.)
Not surprisingly, the left is throwing an absolute hissy fit over . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 26, 2015
(I'd first like to commend the pro-life leaders who staged a peaceful protest at House Speaker John Boehner's office the morning of March 25. Click here to read . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 18, 2015
(A version of this column originally appeared at the American Thinker blog.)
Regarding the use of social media, I think it's safe to say that, in our current . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 12, 2015
Below is an excerpt from Father George William Rutler's latest book Hints of Heaven: The Parables of Christ and What They Mean for You, which makes for good . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 10, 2015
(A version of this column originally appeared at the American Thinker blog.)
Gotta' love those tolerant city officials in San Francisco. Now they're . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 7, 2015
(A version of this column originally appeared at the American Thinker blog.)
Many conservatives have been supportive of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin . . .
Matt C. Abbott
February 27, 2015
The following is an interview with Michael McDevitt, custodian for the writings of Cora Evans (1904–1957), whose cause for canonization is . . .
Matt C. Abbott
February 23, 2015
Two pro-life leaders died in recent days: Dr. Jack Willke, 89, and Brother Paul O'Donnell, 55. God bless them. Pray for the repose of their . . .
Matt C. Abbott
February 7, 2015
(This interview originally appeared at Catholic Online.)
The following is an interview with Dawn Eden, author of the highly-acclaimed My Peace I Give You and . . .
Matt C. Abbott
February 5, 2015
From POLITICO (Jan. 29):
"Sitting recently on his brick back patio here, Michael Schiavo called Jeb Bush a vindictive, untrustworthy . . .
Matt C. Abbott
January 31, 2015
(A version of the following column originally appeared at the American Thinker blog.)
An interesting project has been undertaken by the Chicago-based Pro . . .
Matt C. Abbott
January 17, 2015
Below is the foreword to Abortion Free, a recently-released book by Troy Newman and Cheryl Sullenger. The foreword is written by Dr. Alveda C. King, director of . . .
Matt C. Abbott
January 6, 2015
Former New York Gov. Mario Cuomo is getting a Catholic funeral despite his support of legalized abortion during his political career.
Ted Kennedy got one as . . .
Matt C. Abbott
January 2, 2015
'New year, new struggle!'
– Saint Josemaria Escriva (1972)
From The Boston Globe (Dec. 31, 2014 . . .
Matt C. Abbott
December 24, 2014
Wishing my readers a very blessed Christmas and New Year! Many thanks for all your moral and spiritual support.
The following is a lovely Christmas poem by . . .
Matt C. Abbott
December 20, 2014
Published at the website of National Geographic (Dec. 18) is an interview with Jonathan Eig, author of The Birth of the Pill, a new book seemingly being fawned . . .
Matt C. Abbott
December 19, 2014
Not that Catholic author and blogger Mark Shea was referring to me per se, but to respond to Shea's recent assertion to one of his readers (in his comment box): . . .
Matt C. Abbott
December 18, 2014
Below is the foreword to The Language of Dissent, by Kevin Lents. (The foreword was written by noted Catholic author Donna Steichen.) Thanks to Mr. Lents for . . .
Matt C. Abbott
December 7, 2014
'It is certain that few are saved.' – Saint Augustine, Father and Doctor of the Church
'Out of one hundred thousand sinners who continue in sin until . . .
Matt C. Abbott
December 3, 2014
From LifeSiteNews.com (Dec. 1):
"In a radical departure from the position of Pope Benedict XVI, Archbishop Blase Cupich – said to have been handpicked . . .
Matt C. Abbott
November 20, 2014
Bravo to Father John J. McCartney, pastor of St. Mary's Church in Roslyn Harbor, New York, for including the following note in his parish bulletin about the . . .
Matt C. Abbott
November 16, 2014
The worldwide population control agenda is in full force.
From PharmaTimes (Nov. 13 . . .
Matt C. Abbott
November 11, 2014
The following are excerpts from the chapter "Heroines of Spiritual Maternity" in Praying for Priests: A Mission for the New Evangelization, by Kathleen Beckman. . . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 31, 2014
Below is the introduction to Reclaiming Catholic Social Teaching (2014), by esteemed Catholic writer and professor Anthony Esolen. Thanks to Sophia Institute . . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 21, 2014
A couple of new books on the afterlife are now available.
First, What You Take to . . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 20, 2014
Phase one of the Synod on the Family is complete.
A "pastoral earthquake"? Well, yes – and a catastrophic one at that. Heck, who would have thought the . . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 15, 2014
'We're now working from a position that's virtually irredeemable,' said South African Cardinal Wilfrid Fox Napier, referring to the media coverage. 'The message . . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 12, 2014
Thanks to Catholic writer Carlos Caso-Rosendi for translating and providing me with the following bit of seemingly prophetic theological speculation, written by . . .
Matt C. Abbott
September 14, 2014
Certain troubling developments have come out of the Archdiocese of New York in recent weeks, as covered in this column and a number of other Catholic (and . . .
Matt C. Abbott
September 4, 2014
Very disappointing and perplexing.
That's my reaction to what's been coming out of the Archdiocese of New York – and Cardinal Timothy Dolan – in . . .
Matt C. Abbott
August 31, 2014
More good stuff from Priests for Life (slightly edited):
"In a hard-hitting series of essays currently being released in preparation for the midterm . . .
Matt C. Abbott
August 22, 2014
In an obvious attempt to destigmatize abortion – while soothing her own conscience – abortion "rights" supporter Janet Harris wrote in The . . .
Matt C. Abbott
August 18, 2014
On August 15, 2010 – the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary – Claudia Avignone died of brain cancer. In 2011, I published a . . .
Matt C. Abbott
August 15, 2014
Like many people, I reacted to the suicide of noted actor and comedian Robin Williams with sadness. He was a talented and entertaining man. A comedic genius.
. . .
Matt C. Abbott
August 12, 2014
In 2012, conservative commentator-author Ann Coulter derided "purist" pro-lifers – in other words, pro-lifers who don't believe it's OK to kill babies . . .
Matt C. Abbott
August 10, 2014
The Washington Post ran a Religion News Service story on Aug. 6:
"But more than a year into Francis' reign, the Tridentine Mass, as it is sometimes called, . . .
Matt C. Abbott
August 3, 2014
I received the following letter, written by Bishop Edward Slattery for the priests of the Catholic Diocese of Tulsa, Okla., from a priest-exorcist in said . . .
Matt C. Abbott
July 31, 2014
From The New York Times (July 30):
"Last month, the United States Supreme Court unanimously struck down a Massachusetts law that barred protesters within 35 . . .
Matt C. Abbott
July 19, 2014
I don't care much for what comes out of Hollywood these days, but I do appreciate the seemingly few Hollywood celebrities who don't embrace secular humanism, . . .
Matt C. Abbott
July 14, 2014
The following is the prologue to Defending Marriage: Twelve Arguments for Sanity, by Anthony Esolen. Thanks to Saint Benedict Press for giving me permission to . . .
Matt C. Abbott
July 10, 2014
From The Times-Picayune (July 7):
"The Catholic Diocese of Baton Rouge has issued a statement decrying a decision by the Louisiana Supreme Court that could . . .
Matt C. Abbott
July 2, 2014
There have been quite a few statements by pro-life organizations reacting to the Supreme Court's ruling in the Hobby Lobby case. (Incidentally, radical pro . . .
Matt C. Abbott
June 27, 2014
From a June 19 story at Live Science:
"It's a question that has plagued philosophers and scientists for thousands of years: Is free will an illusion? Now, a . . .
Matt C. Abbott
June 24, 2014
Believe it or not, a liberal writer's recent anti-Catholic, Pope Francis-bashing commentary was music to my ears. A sense of relief, actually.
Anna March, . . .
Matt C. Abbott
June 21, 2014
Pope Francis has spoken out – in his usual blunt manner – about the evil of illicit drug use:
"Let me state this in the clearest terms possible: . . .
Matt C. Abbott
June 16, 2014
Sixteen years after the still-unsolved murder of Father Alfred Kunz of the Diocese of Madison, Wis., another priest who celebrated the Traditional Latin Mass, . . .
Matt C. Abbott
June 12, 2014
Below is the foreword to the book To Know Christ Jesus, by Frank Sheed (1897–1981). Thanks to John Riess of Angelico Press for allowing me to publish this . . .
Matt C. Abbott
June 10, 2014
In my June 3 column, I wrote:
In New York City, there's been talk (by the "powers that be" at the Archdiocese of New York) of closing certain parishes, . . .
Matt C. Abbott
June 9, 2014
From Laurie Higgins of the Illinois Family Institute (June 5):
"Some of you may remember the scandal that sent former Illinois governor George Ryan to prison . . .
Matt C. Abbott
June 3, 2014
The controversy surrounding Bowe Bergdahl continues.
From the website of TIME :
"Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl was freed by the Taliban over the weekend . . .
Matt C. Abbott
May 30, 2014
O MY GOD, relying on Thy almighty power and infinite mercy and promises, I hope to obtain pardon of my sins, the help of Thy grace, and Life Everlasting, . . .
Matt C. Abbott
May 26, 2014
The controversial Father Michael Pfleger as Chicago's next archbishop? Not likely, but, according to Chicago Sun-Times political and societal gossip columnist . . .
Matt C. Abbott
May 24, 2014
On May 14, LifeSiteNews.com reported:
"An Italian bishop has angered pro-life advocates at home and abroad after he told an interviewer May 12 that he has . . .
Matt C. Abbott
May 22, 2014
Not much in the way of good news for this particular column...
First, from the Chicago Tribune (May 21):
"A defrocked priest who had been convicted of . . .
Matt C. Abbott
May 17, 2014
From The Jerusalem Post:
"In an unprecedented event, the Knesset on Tuesday [May 13] commemorated Pope John XXIII, who helped save thousands of Jews from the . . .
Matt C. Abbott
May 13, 2014
(The following article first appeared at Catholic Online.)
A nationwide survey of adult Latinos conducted by the Pew Research Center has found that while the . . .
Matt C. Abbott
May 10, 2014
From the May 2 edition of The New York Times:
"He is a movie star who shot to fame on a motorcycle in 'The Lost Boys.' She is a California massage therapist . . .
Matt C. Abbott
May 8, 2014
Father William J. Kuchinsky, a priest of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, W. Va., and advisory board member of American Life League, recently . . .
Matt C. Abbott
May 6, 2014
The following is the introduction to the recently-released book Making Gay Okay: How Rationalizing Homosexual Behavior Is Changing Everything, by Robert R. . . .
Matt C. Abbott
May 2, 2014
Michael Voris' April 30 edition of "The Vortex" is eye-opening, albeit depressing. He talks about a new book titled Young Catholic America: Emerging Adults In, . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 27, 2014
I asked Father John Trigilio Jr., president of the Confraternity of Catholic Clergy, and Catholic authors Steve Kellmeyer and Jimmy Akin to respond to the . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 21, 2014
In light of the upcoming canonizations of Popes John XXIII and John Paul II, I offer the following excerpt from the book Nothing Short of a Miracle: God's . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 19, 2014
My life has been only a handful of years, and of these, in how many of them have I really lived?
– Bishop Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet (1627-1704)
. . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 17, 2014
Here we go again.
Or so it seems.
From LifeSiteNews.com:
"Another controversy has erupted at a Roman Catholic school after students and parents reacted . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 13, 2014
The following is an email interview I recently conducted with Bobby Schindler, brother of the late Terri Schiavo, whose notorious murder by starvation and . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 12, 2014
Pope Francis has made some praiseworthy remarks on three different topics on April 11.
Regarding the clergy abuse scandal, the pope said:
"I feel . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 9, 2014
God bless pro-life teen Thrin Short, who was recently assaulted at the University of California at Santa Barbara by a radical feminist professor who reportedly . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 6, 2014
(This article originally appeared at Catholic Online.)
The following is a brief interview with David Scott, author of The Love That Made Mother Teresa: How . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 3, 2014
A pro-life activist recently emailed Bishop Thomas J. Paprocki of Springfield, Ill., regarding pro-abortion "Catholic" U.S. Senator Dick Durbin, D-Ill . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 31, 2014
Two respected Catholic film critics have sharply differing reviews of Noah (which I haven't seen).
Barbara Nicolosi writes:
Noah is a terrible, terrible . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 27, 2014
The following report (slightly edited) was written by Father Joseph Klee, a priest of the Diocese of Columbus, Ohio:
"Well, the first attempt at a new . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 23, 2014
First, the following is an edited statement from Wyoming Catholic College:
The Wyoming Catholic College community is devastated by the tragic deaths of two . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 17, 2014
With regard to same-sex "marriage," I'd say iacta alea est as far as the courts are concerned. Still, the following letter (slightly edited), written by Monica . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 14, 2014
As National Catholic Sisters Week (March 8–14) comes to a close, I offer the following short memoir, written by Kenneth M. Weinig for the current issue of . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 13, 2014
The following is an edited reflection from Jim Dorchak, a traditional Catholic father and businessman whose family used to live in South Carolina but now lives . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 11, 2014
The following is a good letter to the editor, written by Father Brian W. Harrison, O.S., of St. Louis, Mo., that appears (in slightly abbreviated form) in the . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 8, 2014
From the Pro-Life Action League:
For the season of Lent, a period of prayer and reflection for many Christians in preparation for Easter, the Pro-Life Action . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 2, 2014
On March 4, 1998, the body of Father Alfred Kunz, a parish priest and canon lawyer – and discreet whistleblower of corrupt clergy – from the Diocese . . .
Matt C. Abbott
February 28, 2014
We often hear modernist Christians – and some non-Christians, for that matter – describe what amounts to a "sugar-coated" version of Our Lord Jesus . . .
Matt C. Abbott
February 26, 2014
From Catholic World News:
"Pope Francis has issued a message on the occasion of a symposium devoted to the 50th anniversary of Sacrosanctum Concilium, the . . .
Matt C. Abbott
February 23, 2014
Sister Rose Pacatte, a member of the Daughters of St. Paul and the director of the Pauline Center for Media Studies in Los Angeles, has a column at the website . . .
Matt C. Abbott
February 20, 2014
The following are excerpts from the book Miraculous Images of Our Lady, by Joan Carroll Cruz. Thanks to TAN Books/Saint Benedict Press, LLC for granting me . . .
Matt C. Abbott
February 17, 2014
In light of NFL prospect Michael Sam recently announcing that he's gay – and actress Ellen Page recently announcing that she's gay – I figure it's . . .
Matt C. Abbott
February 14, 2014
In recent days, there's been quite a lot of media attention given to an exorcism that reportedly took place in Indiana in 2012. A mother and her children had . . .
Matt C. Abbott
February 11, 2014
Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, the late John Paul II's closest aide, has caused considerable controversy in Poland for his decision to publish some of the pope's . . .
Matt C. Abbott
February 9, 2014
The following is an email interview I conducted with Kevin Vost, Psy.D., author of The One-Minute Aquinas, among other books. Thanks to Dr. Vost for taking the . . .
Matt C. Abbott
February 7, 2014
In typical pot-calling-the-kettle-black fashion, the morally corrupt, Antichrist-stage-setting United Nations – specifically, the United Nations Committee . . .
Matt C. Abbott
February 4, 2014
The following open letter, written by Steven Jonathan Rummelsburg, is addressed to Dominican Sister John Mary Fleming, executive director of the Secretariat of . . .
Matt C. Abbott
February 3, 2014
I too have considered the indispensable contribution of women in society ... I have rejoiced in seeing many women sharing some pastoral responsibility with . . .
Matt C. Abbott
January 29, 2014
From time to time, I wonder what heaven is like. I certainly hope and pray to make it there after I die. Just to make clear: Not everyone goes to heaven; that . . .
Matt C. Abbott
January 24, 2014
From Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays and Gays, PFOX (excerpted; click here for the full commentary):
"Normal sexuality – heterosexuality – is not . . .
Matt C. Abbott
January 18, 2014
The following is an interview with Emily Zender, the new executive director of Illinois Right to Life Committee. (In the interest of full disclosure, I was the . . .
Matt C. Abbott
January 16, 2014
Cardinal Francis George of Chicago recently had a detailed letter placed in all archdiocesan parish bulletins regarding "accountability and transparency. . . .
Matt C. Abbott
January 3, 2014
On Jan. 1, 2014, Father Eric Freed, a priest of the Diocese of Santa Rosa, was found murdered in his parish rectory. Thankfully, it appears that his killer has . . .
Matt C. Abbott
December 28, 2013
There's been a significant development in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.
From Catholic News Service:
"A panel of judges for a Pennsylvania Superior . . .
Matt C. Abbott
December 23, 2013
(On Dec. 20, I was flown to New York City to appear on the Dec. 21 Melissa Harris-Perry show on MSNBC – a network known for being politically liberal. The . . .
Matt C. Abbott
December 17, 2013
Pardon the comparison, but Common Core is a bit like abortion: It seems OK if you don't question what you are told by those who are invested in it, but once you . . .
Matt C. Abbott
December 5, 2013
Wonders never cease: The pro-abortion American Civil Liberties Union is suing the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops "alleging that the USCCB's directives . . .
Matt C. Abbott
November 30, 2013
Pope Francis recently issued the apostolic exhortation "The Joy of the Gospel." Click here to read it.
Conservative radio personality Rush Limbaugh isn't . . .
Matt C. Abbott
November 20, 2013
I applaud Bishop Thomas J. Paprocki of the Diocese of Springfield, Ill., for issuing a call for "prayers of supplication and exorcism in reparation for the sin . . .
Matt C. Abbott
November 14, 2013
First, please keep the people of the Philippines, many of whom have been suffering immensely since Typhoon Haiyan devastated the region in recent days, in your . . .
Matt C. Abbott
November 3, 2013
Although the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops is indeed opposed to same-sex "marriage" – thank God – the following news item is troubling.
. . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 29, 2013
(A version of this column originally appeared at Catholic Online.)
The following is an interview with prolific Catholic writer Father James V. Schall, S.J., . . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 24, 2013
Last month, there was a bit of a stir in the media over Pope Francis' interview with an atheist commentator. (Click here if you'd like a refresher.)
Also on . . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 13, 2013
"There are some priests who, when they read this Gospel passage, this and others, say: 'But, Jesus healed a person with a mental illness.' They do not read this . . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 8, 2013
"Jesus doesn't need an army to cast out the demons, He has no need of pride, no need of force, of arrogance. 'What is there about His word? For with authority . . .
Matt C. Abbott
September 28, 2013
Pope Francis will have his hands full, no doubt; the clergy abuse scandal still isn't over.
Several cases have made the news in recent . . .
Matt C. Abbott
September 21, 2013
Yes, I'm a "right-wing" Catholic.
But you already knew that.
Anyway...
Once again the secular media and Catholic blogosphere have been buzzing big-time . . .
Matt C. Abbott
September 19, 2013
The Eucharist is 'the source and summit of the Christian life.' 'The other sacraments, and indeed all ecclesiastical ministries and works of the apostolate, . . .
Matt C. Abbott
September 7, 2013
Pope Francis has called for a day of prayer and fasting (Sept. 7) for peace in Syria:
"Today, dear brothers and sisters, I wish to make add my voice to the . . .
Matt C. Abbott
September 2, 2013
The following is a brief interview with Ann Carey, author of Sisters in Crisis: Revisited (2013), published by Ignatius Press. Thanks to Mrs. Carey for taking . . .
Matt C. Abbott
August 29, 2013
There could be a new sheriff in town – in an Illinois county, to be specific.
Former Catholic activist and current child advocate Stephen Brady has . . .
Matt C. Abbott
August 23, 2013
...If my wishes are fulfilled, Russia will be converted and there will be peace; if not, then Russia will spread her errors throughout the world, bringing new . . .
Matt C. Abbott
August 17, 2013
From Catholic World News (Aug. 16):
"Citing the Alien Tort Statute, which became law in 1789, a U.S. district judge has ruled that a Ugandan umbrella LGBTI . . .
Matt C. Abbott
August 12, 2013
By now, it's likely that you've read about the mysterious "angel" priest who assisted in saving a 19-year-old woman's life (click here for the story if you . . .
Matt C. Abbott
August 7, 2013
On August 6, Japan commemorated the 68th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, which, between the blast itself and the effects of radiation, killed . . .
Matt C. Abbott
August 5, 2013
A good friend of mine, Susan E. Gorski, recently sent out the following reflection to those on her email list:
"I was asked how I could still be Catholic . . .
Matt C. Abbott
August 2, 2013
First, I applaud Cardinal Francis George for his recent response to a fatuous open letter signed by several liberal – and supposedly Catholic – . . .
Matt C. Abbott
July 31, 2013
Pope Francis' style of speaking in edifying and sometimes humorous sound bites is definitely music to journalists' ears.
Given our media age of tweets, texts . . .
Matt C. Abbott
July 27, 2013
In the second reading, Saint Paul speaks of Abraham, who, "hoping against hope, believed" (Rom 4:18). Hoping against hope! Today too, amid so much darkness, we . . .
Matt C. Abbott
July 20, 2013
Below is a brief interview with broadcast journalist and filmmaker-turned-Catholic priest John Clote, OFM, Conv.
Friar John – affectionately referred . . .
Matt C. Abbott
July 17, 2013
From a July 15 news release:
"Two hundred and fifty-five child predators were arrested and 61 victims of child sexual exploitation identified during a five . . .
Matt C. Abbott
July 15, 2013
When reading a June 14 story by The Associated Press regarding the George Zimmerman verdict (which was, all things considered, a just verdict), the following . . .
Matt C. Abbott
July 11, 2013
Yet another diocesan head-scratcher. This time, it's the Diocese of Sacramento.
From the Napa Valley Register, via California Catholic Daily (click here for . . .
Matt C. Abbott
July 8, 2013
On July 9, Catholic author, speaker and blogger Dawn Eden will be giving her testimony to the women-graduates of the Project Dawn treatment court in . . .
Matt C. Abbott
July 4, 2013
A sickening story.
From the Sydney Morning Herald (excerpted; click here to read the article in its entirety):
"Standing before an American court . . .
Matt C. Abbott
July 1, 2013
It gets tiresome to see the mainstream media constantly fawning over the likes of Nancy Pelosi, Hillary Clinton and now the staunchly pro-abortion Texas state . . .
Matt C. Abbott
June 25, 2013
From Reuters (excerpted; click here for the article in its entirety):
Fugitive former U.S. spy agency contractor Edward Snowden was seeking asylum in . . .
Matt C. Abbott
June 18, 2013
In light of the recently-released film Man of Steel – which, despite its Christian references, was a disappointment for me (click here for a spot-on . . .
Matt C. Abbott
June 13, 2013
The following is a brief interview with respected priest-theologian Father Brian Harrison, O.S., whose curriculum vitae can be seen below the interview. Thanks . . .
Matt C. Abbott
June 9, 2013
A few items in this particular column of mine...
First, congratulations to newlyweds Randy and Erica Sowers, pictured below with Pope . . .
Matt C. Abbott
June 4, 2013
I commend Father Derek Lappe, pastor of Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Church in Bremerton, Wash., for ceasing his parish's support of the Boy Scouts of . . .
Matt C. Abbott
May 31, 2013
Father Andrew Greeley has died at the age of 85.
I've mentioned him a number of times in this column over the last several years. I was no fan of his, to say . . .
Matt C. Abbott
May 25, 2013
Regarding the Boy Scouts of America's very disappointing decision to allow "openly gay" Scouts, Father Richard Perozich of the Diocese of San Diego . . .
Matt C. Abbott
May 18, 2013
(Note: At the very end of this column are two photos of a late-term abortion committed by abortionist Douglas Karpen – another Kermit Gosnell – of . . .
Matt C. Abbott
May 16, 2013
There's been some interesting news in the last several days involving the Internal Revenue Service (under fire for targeting conservative groups), abortion . . .
Matt C. Abbott
May 13, 2013
From a May 10 story at LifeSiteNews.com:
"Only a tiny percentage of Americans – 7% – are following the sensational Gosnell trial 'very closely' . . .
Matt C. Abbott
May 9, 2013
Pope Francis has spoken about the tragic reality of "covert euthanasia."
From a May 6, 2013 Catholic News Service story:
"While the fight to preserve life . . .
Matt C. Abbott
May 7, 2013
In 2011, I had the opportunity to hear a talk given by Hollywood actress-turned- Benedictine nun Dolores Hart at St. John Cantius Parish in Chicago. It was, . . .
Matt C. Abbott
May 3, 2013
The latest GOP culture war casualty is none other than Rep. Paul Ryan, Mitt Romney's pro-life running mate in 2012.
Ryan now says he supports gay adoption . . .
Matt C. Abbott
May 1, 2013
(A version of the following column originally appeared at American Thinker.)
Two sports stories made headlines the other day: The New York Jets released . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 28, 2013
Before getting into some very serious stuff, I offer the following bit of good Christian humor courtesy of the bulletin of St. John Cantius Parish in Chicago:
. . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 23, 2013
The following article, written by Father Brian W. Harrison, appears in the current issue of The Remnant Catholic newspaper. Click here for the publication's . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 19, 2013
Kermit Gosnell is a moral monster.
The terrorist-abortionist, currently on trial, "faces 43 criminal counts, including eight counts of murder in the death of . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 13, 2013
In light of the recent story (click here) about a Christian florist who faces significant fines for refusing to provide flowers for a same-sex wedding, I asked . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 6, 2013
As we approach Divine Mercy Sunday (April 7), I think it's fitting to feature two recently-released books by Marian Press.
The first is Loved, Lost, Found: 1 . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 4, 2013
Canon lawyer Edward Peters is no stranger to Catholic media. (Click here to see his blog; click here to see his homepage and resource center.)
A brief bio of . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 30, 2013
First, to all my readers: Happy Easter!
Please keep me in your prayers.
In his March 14 homily, Pope Francis said: "He who does not pray to the Lord prays . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 27, 2013
'They [the regime] have total power and we cannot overturn them. Electorally we are now a minority. In terms of armed force, they have overwhelming superiority. . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 26, 2013
The purpose of a man is to love a woman,
And the purpose of a woman is to love a man....
– Wayne Fontana & The Mindbenders, "The Game Of Love" (1965)
. . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 22, 2013
Sadly, but not surprisingly, Vice President Joe Biden and House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi, two prominent pro-abortion, pro-homosexual marriage "Catholics," . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 19, 2013
I think it's safe to say that many liberal Catholics – if they're even practicing their faith – like to misrepresent the teachings of the Second . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 14, 2013
'My Jesus, by the compassion which You felt for Your Mother, have compassion on me, and permit me to share in her intercession with You. O Mary, afflicted . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 10, 2013
Believe it or not, The New York Times recently published a letter of mine – short and pithy, of course – on Cardinals Keith O'Brien and Roger Mahony . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 8, 2013
Are church employees (Catholic and Protestant) hindering pro-life activism?
Well, yes, at least in one respect, writes Father Frank Pavone, national director . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 2, 2013
Catholic researcher and writer Stephanie Block has put together a dossier on the followers and sympathizers of Lucifer-loving leftist community organizer Saul . . .
Matt C. Abbott
February 22, 2013
Below is the foreword to the soon-to-be-released book Heralds of the Second Coming: Our Lady, the Divine Mercy and the Popes of the Marian Era from Blessed Pius . . .
Matt C. Abbott
February 15, 2013
'I decided to resign from the ministry that the Lord had entrusted me on April 19, 2005. I did this in full freedom for the good of the Church after having . . .
Matt C. Abbott
February 12, 2013
The following article is from the Feb. 7 issue of The Wanderer Catholic newspaper. It was written by the paper's news editor, Paul Likoudis. To subscribe to the . . .
Matt C. Abbott
February 9, 2013
Regarding the brouhaha over the Boy Scouts possibly accepting leaders who identify as gay or lesbian, I've asked Father Richard Perozich, a priest of the . . .
Matt C. Abbott
February 5, 2013
In light of the recent news that retired Navy SEAL sniper, best-selling author and reality TV personality Chris Kyle was shot and killed by a troubled former . . .
Matt C. Abbott
February 1, 2013
If it isn't the crazy realm of politics, violence and bloodshed throughout the world (outside and inside the womb), celebrities being celebrities, and the . . .
Matt C. Abbott
January 28, 2013
Below are excerpts from the first chapter of the book Meet Mary: Getting to Know the Mother of God, by Dr. Mark Miravalle, professor of theology at Franciscan . . .
Matt C. Abbott
January 25, 2013
We Christian pro-lifers are rightly in "battle mode" with the Obama administration; however, it's clear that we still need to clean up our own house, so to . . .
Matt C. Abbott
January 23, 2013
So here we are ... 40 years after Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton. Well over 50 million lives lost to abortion; virtually no prospect of overturning Roe in the . . .
Matt C. Abbott
January 17, 2013
Given that the issue of gun ownership and "gun control" is permeating the news, I'm devoting this particular column to Catholic moral teaching and gun ownership . . .
Matt C. Abbott
January 14, 2013
As we approach the 40th anniversary of the abominable Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton decisions that have led to the slaughter of more than 53 million tiny . . .
Matt C. Abbott
January 11, 2013
(The following commentary originally appeared on the blog of American Thinker.)
Talk about going overboard!
No, I'm not referring to Brent Musburger's on . . .
Matt C. Abbott
January 9, 2013
In my Dec. 16, 2012 column on the Newtown tragedy, Father Phillip De Vous is quoted as follows:
"...Many studies indicate, and my own pastoral experience . . .
Matt C. Abbott
January 8, 2013
The following is a recent news release (slightly edited) by Monica Migliorino Miller, director of the Michigan-based Citizens for a Pro-Life Society and author . . .
Matt C. Abbott
January 3, 2013
Happy New Year, everyone!
Last month, a letter was circulated online asking for prayers and cards of support for Father Luke Suarez, parochial vicar at St. . . .
Matt C. Abbott
December 19, 2012
It's not just the U.S. that needs many prayers; so does the Philippines.
From LifeSiteNews.com:
"After a 14-year and often-heated battle, the Philippines . . .
Matt C. Abbott
December 16, 2012
The following are commentaries by two Catholic priests on the horrific mass shooting in Newtown, Connecticut.
Father Phillip De Vous wrote (slightly edited)
. . .
Matt C. Abbott
December 13, 2012
From John F. Kippley, co-founder of Natural Family Planning International, Inc. (edited):
"Maybe God is telling us something. Millions of prayers and . . .
Matt C. Abbott
December 7, 2012
A reader wrote (edited):
"Recently I saw a newspaper item that troubled me deeply. I'm asking you [directed to the reader's friends] to write to the governor . . .
Matt C. Abbott
December 5, 2012
Two stories very much in the news right now are the so-called fiscal cliff and same-sex "marriage" controversies.
I've asked Catholic attorney-professor . . .
Matt C. Abbott
December 3, 2012
The book The End of the Present World and the Mysteries of the Future Life, authored by Father Charles Arminjon, was completed in 1881 — yet it's still a . . .
Matt C. Abbott
November 29, 2012
The following are the introductions to two books authored by the Rev. Joseph M. Esper, a priest of the Archdiocese of Detroit, and published by Queenship . . .
Matt C. Abbott
November 25, 2012
Yes, there are far more pressing matters in the world than the escapades of the fictional 007, but, hey, if the Vatican's official newspaper can devote five . . .
Matt C. Abbott
November 23, 2012
The following is the introduction (sans footnotes) to the book Christianity, Islam, and Atheism: The Struggle for the Soul of the West, by William Kilpatrick. . . .
Matt C. Abbott
November 22, 2012
A friend alerted me to Father Michael Pfleger's public Facebook page. A sad and scary sight, I must say (click here to see it, but make sure you have a strong . . .
Matt C. Abbott
November 20, 2012
I asked priest-author-theologian Father John Trigilio Jr., president of the Confraternity of Catholic Clergy and a contributor to this column, to comment on the . . .
Matt C. Abbott
November 16, 2012
The "culture of death" advocates are out in full force in Ireland. They have been for quite some time, it seems. They want baby-killing-on-demand in Ireland and . . .
Matt C. Abbott
November 13, 2012
Ten years ago, on Nov. 13, 2002, Mary Stachowicz was martyred.
In 2006, Bishop Thomas Paprocki, now bishop of Springfield, Ill., gave a presentation titled . . .
Matt C. Abbott
November 9, 2012
I recently paid a visit to the Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center here in the Chicago area. An interesting, albeit somber, museum, I must say. Its . . .
Matt C. Abbott
November 7, 2012
In my August 14, 2012 column, I wrote:
"I've already resigned myself to another four years of President Obama. But then, I'm a pessimist. I'll gladly eat . . .
Matt C. Abbott
November 2, 2012
...Roe v. Wade was based on the premise — indeed, on the philosophy — that the woman stands alone. Abortion isolates the woman from all other human . . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 24, 2012
Yes, there are at least 241 reasons not to vote for President Obama next month. I'm sure there are many more, but I'll leave the task of coming up with the . . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 20, 2012
The following is the preface (written by Cardinal Ivan Dias) to the book Prayers, Promises, and Devotions for the Holy Souls in Purgatory, by Susan Tassone. . . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 18, 2012
The Catholic bishops, who rightly oppose the Obama administration's grossly unjust HHS mandate, are united in promoting freedom of religion. And on Oct. 20, pro . . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 16, 2012
A reader wrote (edited):
"Friday, I spent eight hours with a former priest who was booted for doing something nasty with an adolescent years ago. (Why? . . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 12, 2012
Below is the introduction to the book Breaking Through: Catholic Women Speak for Themselves, edited by Helen M. Alvaré, an associate professor of law at George . . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 9, 2012
An Oct. 4 blog post on CNN.com titled "Free contraception may prevent abortions" is excerpted below (click here to read the post in its entirety):
. . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 7, 2012
Randall Terry, veteran pro-life activist and current presidential candidate, has a new 30-second television ad that's likely to irk, if not enrage, supporters . . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 2, 2012
I've written about the Truth Alliance Foundation previously, but it's worth revisiting.
Thomas R. Hampson, an Illinois licensed private investigator and . . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 1, 2012
Excerpts from a very good piece by Dr. Jeff Mirus of CatholicCulture.org:
"In the United States, throughout my entire lifetime, there have been only the most . . .
Matt C. Abbott
September 25, 2012
Get this: Monica Lewinsky is back in the news. Well, sort of.
From LifeNews.com:
"The new tell-all book that Monica Lewinsky is currently writing will . . .
Matt C. Abbott
September 22, 2012
Yes, I realize there are more pressing matters in the world, but still...
From the most recent MassResistance.org . . .
Matt C. Abbott
September 21, 2012
I posed the following question to Father John Trigilio Jr., president of the Confraternity of Catholic Clergy, author, and my column's resident theologian:
. . .
Matt C. Abbott
September 12, 2012
The devil never sleeps — even if you don't believe in him. Or, more accurately, recognize his existence and (evil) works.
Below is the introduction to . . .
Matt C. Abbott
September 4, 2012
Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini, S.J., the retired archbishop of Milan known for his liberal views on matters Catholic, died Aug. 31 from complications of . . .
Matt C. Abbott
September 2, 2012
First, please pray for the repose of the souls of two dedicated pro-lifers who died recently: Richard Herner, of Aurora, Ill., and James Vincent Connelly, . . .
Matt C. Abbott
August 26, 2012
Father Gerald O'Reilly, a priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago and devoted defender of the unborn, recently prayed the rosary among several homosexual activists . . .
Matt C. Abbott
August 21, 2012
By the time you read this, U.S. Senate hopeful Todd Akin (R-Missouri) may have dropped out of the race. Or perhaps not. We'll see.
In expressing the logical, . . .
Matt C. Abbott
August 17, 2012
A priest I met with recently for spiritual direction recommended I read The Emotions God Gave You: A Guide for Catholics to Healthy and Holy Living, a book by . . .
Matt C. Abbott
August 14, 2012
I've already resigned myself to another four years of President Obama. But then, I'm a pessimist. I'll gladly eat crow if I'm wrong.
If. We'll see.
I . . .
Matt C. Abbott
August 9, 2012
In response to the 2012 Al Smith Dinner controversy, an Archdiocese of New York official, Ed Mechmann, has posted a blog entry titled "Controversies and Dinners . . .
Matt C. Abbott
August 3, 2012
First, I ask you, dear readers, to please keep me in your prayers. Many thanks!
Perhaps I'm missing the boat, so to speak, but I must say that I'm . . .
Matt C. Abbott
July 29, 2012
Veteran pro-life activist and Catholic author-theologian-professor — and mother — Monica Migliorino Miller, Ph.D., has authored a soon-to-be . . .
Matt C. Abbott
July 26, 2012
Every time a senseless tragedy of violence and death occurs, such as what recently took place at an Aurora, Colorado, movie theater, many people ask the . . .
Matt C. Abbott
July 13, 2012
Dr. Anthony J. Caruso is a Chicago-area Catholic physician who has an ambitious and praiseworthy plan: to establish the St. Anne Center for Reproductive Health, . . .
Matt C. Abbott
July 5, 2012
I asked two respected, politically astute Catholic priests — Fathers John Trigilio and Phillip De Vous — to comment on the recent U.S. Supreme Court . . .
Matt C. Abbott
July 2, 2012
With all the depressing news and events of recent days (and years, for that matter), I thought it might be nice to reprint the following light-hearted . . .
Matt C. Abbott
June 22, 2012
From the Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute:
"A groundbreaking study reveals that adult children of homosexual and lesbian parents experience far . . .
Matt C. Abbott
June 20, 2012
Catholic apologist Dave Armstrong has authored a book titled 100 Biblical Arguments Against Sola Scriptura, the introduction to which is reprinted below (sans . . .
Matt C. Abbott
June 17, 2012
Attorney-author Christopher A. Ferrara, president and chief counsel of the American Catholic Lawyers Association, Inc., and contributor to traditionalist . . .
Matt C. Abbott
June 13, 2012
First, kudos to all those who organized and participated in the June 8 Stand Up for Religious Freedom nationwide rallies! Click here for news and updates . . .
Matt C. Abbott
June 8, 2012
In a June 5 New York Times story titled "Abortion Qualms on Morning-After Pill May Be Unfounded," reporter Pam Belluck wrote:
"...Based on the belief that a . . .
Matt C. Abbott
June 3, 2012
There's a been a loud hum in the Catholic blogosphere in recent days surrounding the release of the feature film For Greater Glory, in large part due to its . . .
Matt C. Abbott
May 28, 2012
Christina Skelley, known to her friends as Chrissie, is a sweet, dedicated pro-lifer and devout Catholic who recently announced that she has decided to enter . . .
Matt C. Abbott
May 25, 2012
Father Charles Zmudzinski, C.P.M., J.C.L., writes (slightly edited):
"It has come to my attention from my religious superior that my comments [included in . . .
Matt C. Abbott
May 17, 2012
The following commentary (slightly edited) was written by Michael Smith:
"I write this on the even of my beloved bride Linda's funeral, in a feeble attempt . . .
Matt C. Abbott
May 14, 2012
There is controversy surrounding a very recent TIME magazine cover featuring a woman breastfeeding her 3-year-old (or 4-year-old, depending on the report) son. . . .
Matt C. Abbott
May 11, 2012
From a May 8 Catholic News Service story:
"Keaton Fuller, a senior at Prince of Peace, is one of eight recipients of a Matthew Shepard Scholarship from the . . .
Matt C. Abbott
May 3, 2012
As one who has battled depression for a number of years, it bothers me when I hear of a death by suicide. Very sad. A priest-friend of mine once said, when it . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 24, 2012
God bless all the outstanding pro-life, pro-family Christian women among us. You know who you are!
Don't worry — I'm not forgetting about all the . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 23, 2012
The following are excerpts from the introduction to Father Mitch Pacwa's book Catholics and the New . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 16, 2012
I asked noted Catholic priest-author-EWTN personality — and president of the Confraternity of Catholic Clergy — Father John Trigilio Jr. (who . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 11, 2012
Catholic author, speaker and journalist Dawn Eden has a new book out titled My Peace I Give You: Healing Sexual Wounds with the Help of the Saints, published by . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 7, 2012
I first want to wish all my readers — yes, even those who might hate my guts — a blessed Easter! I will keep you in my prayers; please keep me in . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 3, 2012
From CatholicCulture.org:
"Overruling one of his parish priests, Cardinal Christoph Schönborn of Vienna has permitted a homosexual in a registered domestic . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 31, 2012
Kudos to Father Thomas Milota, pastor of Saints Peter and Paul Parish in Naperville, Ill., for recently sending a letter to his parishioners encouraging them to . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 28, 2012
I asked Father Angel Sotelo, a priest of the Catholic Diocese of Fresno, for his perspective on the Trayvon Martin tragedy.
Father Sotelo's comments are as . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 25, 2012
I first want to ask for prayers for Father John Trigilio, the priest-author and EWTN personality who's also been a contributor to this column. According to a . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 20, 2012
The following article, written by Father Scott A. Haynes, S.J.C., appears in the March 2012 issue of Challenge Magazine, a Catholic publication based in Canada. . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 17, 2012
Dedicated pro-lifers across the country are in the midst of the 40 Days for Life campaign, which has already saved quite a few lives! Of course, you wouldn't . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 15, 2012
(A version of this column first appeared at American Thinker.)
St. Patrick must be rolling over in his grave — and I can say that because I'm part . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 12, 2012
From Mission: America and the Illinois Family Institute:
On April 20, 2012, the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) is once again exploiting . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 10, 2012
At the entrance to the [Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in downtown Los Angeles] is a suspended 8-foot bronze Madonna with computerized enhanced facial . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 5, 2012
Leave it to the politically-incorrect Rush Limbaugh to use a not-so-nice word (which, by the way, is not in the same category as a racial slur) to describe an . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 1, 2012
From a Feb. 29 story at LifeSiteNews.com:
"A parish priest in Maryland, who denied communion to a woman who identified herself as a lesbian, has been . . .
Matt C. Abbott
February 29, 2012
Chris Kahlenborn, M.D., respected internist and founder/president of The Polycarp Research Institute, writes (slightly edited):
"I like Rick Santorum a lot. . . .
Matt C. Abbott
February 24, 2012
Let's talk about divorce, shall we?
More specifically, Catholicism and divorce.
From the Catechism of the Catholic Church:
"Divorce is a grave offense . . .
Matt C. Abbott
February 19, 2012
Catholic author Steve Kellmeyer writes:
"'On August 1, 2011, Kathleen Sebelius, the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) proposed that all employers . . .
Matt C. Abbott
February 12, 2012
(As I was putting this column together, news broke that pop-singer Whitney Houston has died at the young age of 48. In her prime, Houston had a fabulous voice . . .
Matt C. Abbott
February 4, 2012
(A version of this column originally appeared on American Thinker.)
Supporters of Planned Parenthood were furious about the recent decision by Susan G. Komen . . .
Matt C. Abbott
February 2, 2012
The mysterious and tragic deaths of two priests — Father Waclaw Jamroz of the Archdiocese of Chicago and Father Alfred Kunz of the Diocese of Madison . . .
Matt C. Abbott
January 30, 2012
(A shorter version of the following column originally appeared on American Thinker.)
On Jan. 20, the Obama administration, specifically Health and Human . . .
Matt C. Abbott
January 27, 2012
...For though I should walk in the midst of the shadow of death, I will fear no evils, for you are with me. Your rod and your staff, they have comforted me. You . . .
Matt C. Abbott
January 20, 2012
I know, I know — no politician is perfect. Heck, none of us is perfect, obviously. Far from it.
That said, the main thing that bothers me about GOP . . .
Matt C. Abbott
January 18, 2012
Veteran pro-life activist and current presidential candidate Randall Terry plans to run Super Bowl ads that will feature the gruesome reality of abortion. Click . . .
Matt C. Abbott
January 16, 2012
One need only look around to see the disastrous effects of the so-called sexual revolution: pornography at every turn, widespread sexual abuse, rampant . . .
Matt C. Abbott
January 13, 2012
Jesus, I trust in you.
A simple yet profound prayer, one at the heart of The Divine Mercy devotion.
From EWTN . . .
Matt C. Abbott
January 7, 2012
Let's say a bishop or priest gives an interview to a newspaper or television/radio station and says something that can be construed as inflammatory. He then has . . .
Matt C. Abbott
January 4, 2012
Homosexual activists and their sympathizers are having an absolute hissy-fit over remarks made by Cardinal Francis George in a recently-televised interview . . .
Matt C. Abbott
January 3, 2012
Susan Stafford had a turbulent childhood. And the transition to adulthood wasn't any bed of roses, either. Far from it.
The product of a broken home, . . .
Matt C. Abbott
December 31, 2011
I asked several practicing, orthodox Catholics — whom I know to be knowledgeable of Church teaching and the political process — to comment on their . . .
Matt C. Abbott
December 28, 2011
Below is the Introduction to the recently-published book Who's Got You? Observations of a Homeschooling Father, authored by John Clark, a businessman and father . . .
Matt C. Abbott
December 17, 2011
The following article is reprinted from the Christmas 2011 issue of Catholic Men's Quarterly magazine. Thanks to John Moorehouse, publisher of CMQ, for allowing . . .
Matt C. Abbott
December 14, 2011
Tim Tebow has sure made the sports headlines as of late. The popular quarterback of the Denver Broncos, known for being unapologetic about his Christian faith . . .
Matt C. Abbott
December 10, 2011
"The great deceiver, divider, and the devil."
Those are the words of a priest-monsignor here in Chicago who was referring to someone whose name is . . .
Matt C. Abbott
December 3, 2011
I asked (via email) Brian M. McCall, associate professor of law at the University of Oklahoma College of Law, to comment on the apparent drop in the U.S. . . .
Matt C. Abbott
November 30, 2011
'Women are trained to be priests. Many women have their masters in theology so there's no reason why they couldn't be priests. We should have women deacons. We . . .
Matt C. Abbott
November 23, 2011
More "gay" Catholic controversies. Golly gee.
First, the East Coast — specifically, Boston.
Dr. Jeff Mirus, president of CatholicCulture.org, . . .
Matt C. Abbott
November 21, 2011
The following is an edited version of an article from a recent issue of The Remnant Catholic newspaper. Many thanks to Remnant editor Michael J. Matt for . . .
Matt C. Abbott
November 18, 2011
Thomas R. Hampson, an Illinois licensed private investigator and founder of the Truth Alliance Foundation, is determined to expose corruption — in the . . .
Matt C. Abbott
November 14, 2011
Below is the Preface to the book Praying with the Saints for the Holy Souls in Purgatory, authored by Susan Tassone, whose writings I highly recommend. The . . .
Matt C. Abbott
November 7, 2011
My goodness: a sex abuse scandal in the headlines that doesn't involve a Catholic diocese or religious order. Wonders never cease.
According to a Nov. 5 . . .
Matt C. Abbott
November 4, 2011
From an Oct. 31 opinion piece in The New York Times, written by I. Glenn Cohen and Jonathan F. Will (click here to read the full commentary):
"'On Nov. 8, . . .
Matt C. Abbott
November 1, 2011
In an Oct. 28 opinion piece in the Chicago Tribune, Robert J. Walker, executive vice president of the Population Institute, wrote (excerpted; click here to read . . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 30, 2011
The following article is from the fall 2011 newsletter of Aid for Women, a Chicago-area pregnancy counseling center.
"'Aid for Women counsels thousands of . . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 23, 2011
Michael Tripoli, a Catholic, sent those on his email list (including yours truly) the following insightful comments (slightly edited) regarding the violent . . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 19, 2011
I was a bit surprised to receive the following email from a Muslim, Salah H. (slightly edited):
"'As a Muslim, let me add another perspective to your . . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 12, 2011
A couple of pro-life items in this column...
Catholic author and veteran pro-life activist Monica Migliorino Miller, Ph.D., director of the Michigan-based . . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 8, 2011
A pro-life stalwart needs our prayers: Jim Littleton.
For a number of years, the husband and father of 14 spent his Saturday mornings sidewalk counseling in . . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 2, 2011
In an article in the fall 2010 issue of American Life League's Celebrate Life magazine, Bobby Schindler, brother of the late Terri Schiavo and co-executive . . .
Matt C. Abbott
September 23, 2011
In light of the recent end to the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy, I sought comment from Mission Capodanno, an organization dedicated to assisting . . .
Matt C. Abbott
September 12, 2011
I recently received the following email (slightly edited) from Dave Pierre, creator of TheMediaReport.com:
"'I've been following the Survivors Network of . . .
Matt C. Abbott
September 11, 2011
On this 10th anniversary of 9/11, I asked noted Catholic author and theologian Father John Trigilio Jr., president of the Confraternity of Catholic Clergy, to . . .
Matt C. Abbott
September 1, 2011
This particular column features reflections from two Catholic women (their real names are used) who experienced divorce and were subsequently granted annulments . . .
Matt C. Abbott
August 26, 2011
The following are selected (edited) emails I've received in recent days in response to my Aug. 20 column "When attending Mass becomes an occasion of sin . . .
Matt C. Abbott
August 22, 2011
On August 17, Catholic News Agency ran a controversial story about Michael Voris and RealCatholicTV.com. Click here to read the story.
Below is the text of . . .
Matt C. Abbott
August 20, 2011
From Jim Baltrinic (slightly edited):
"'This post consists of excerpts from a letter I wrote to the pastor of a Catholic parish about a certain incident that . . .
Matt C. Abbott
August 17, 2011
How's this for disgusting?
From an August 15 article in The Daily Caller:
"'If a small group of psychiatrists and other mental health professionals have . . .
Matt C. Abbott
August 14, 2011
In a recent parish bulletin, Father Bill Conway, pastor of Divine Savior Parish in the Diocese of Joliet, Ill., wrote (excerpted and slightly edited; click here . . .
Matt C. Abbott
August 10, 2011
The following is a reflection (slightly edited) from a practicing Catholic husband and father on the pain of divorce — unwanted on his part. For . . .
Matt C. Abbott
August 7, 2011
Earlier this year, I attended a talk given by Sister Jean Okroi, IBVM, on the evil of human trafficking. Quite an eye-opener, I must say. Sister has graciously . . .
Matt C. Abbott
July 24, 2011
In his latest e-column, Monsignor Ignacio Barreiro-Carámbula, interim president of Human Life International, writes (excerpted):
"'As August 2nd nears; that . . .
Matt C. Abbott
July 18, 2011
Many Catholics have heard by now that certain changes will be instituted later this year in the ordinary form of the Mass. Pastors across the country may want . . .
Matt C. Abbott
July 6, 2011
Two unrelated current events had rather unfortunate developments on July 5: the Casey "Tot Mom" Anthony murder trial (she was acquitted by a jury) and "The . . .
Matt C. Abbott
July 5, 2011
(A version of the following article, written by Brian W. Clowes, Ph.D., appeared in a recent issue of The Wanderer.)
Human Life International Launches New . . .
Matt C. Abbott
June 26, 2011
A Chicago priest has spoken out on a controversial, politically-incorrect topic.
And, no, it isn't Father Michael Pfleger.
It's Father Anthony Brankin, . . .
Matt C. Abbott
June 21, 2011
In my April 10, 2010 column, I reprinted a reflection about a relatively obscure and faithful Catholic priest in Broadus, Montana by the name of Chester Poppa. . . .
Matt C. Abbott
June 19, 2011
The man formerly known as Father John Corapi, celebrity Catholic priest, is "not going to be involved in public ministry as a priest any longer" and now wants . . .
Matt C. Abbott
June 14, 2011
I firmly believe that living as a true Christian is the toughest vocation of all.
— Father Benedict J. Groeschel, C.F.R.
The following is an . . .
Matt C. Abbott
June 8, 2011
Most pro-lifers know about the very important work that pregnancy resource centers do on a regular basis: They save babies from abortion and help mothers in . . .
Matt C. Abbott
June 4, 2011
I got a kick out of a June 2 article titled "Michele Bachmann thinks the world is ending and the pope is the antichrist," written by Alex Pareene, posted on the . . .
Matt C. Abbott
May 31, 2011
The following is the Introduction to Michael L. Brown's latest book A Queer Thing Happened to America: And What a Long, Strange Trip It's Been. Thanks to Dr. . . .
Matt C. Abbott
May 28, 2011
Although I wasn't home-schooled, I fully support parents who are in a position to do so. Thus, I'm perplexed and disappointed in remarks made by Catholic author . . .
Matt C. Abbott
May 25, 2011
I received the following email on May 24 (slightly edited):
"'My name is Damian Goddard. I am a cradle-Catholic and TV sports broadcaster up here in Canada . . .
Matt C. Abbott
May 23, 2011
The following article is reprinted from the May 19 issue of The Wanderer Catholic newspaper. To support the publication through subscriptions and/or advertising . . .
Matt C. Abbott
May 21, 2011
Well, golly gee, there have been a few interesting stories making headlines recently: Osama bin Laden was killed by Navy SEALs; Arnold Schwarzenegger has . . .
Matt C. Abbott
May 17, 2011
For good spiritual reading, my favorite (still living) priest-author is Father Benedict Groeschel, whose gentle orthodoxy and sound psychology are both edifying . . .
Matt C. Abbott
May 12, 2011
Father Peter West, associate director of Priests for Life, has provided me with the following affidavit of Jane Doe, who underwent a complete hysterectomy in . . .
Matt C. Abbott
May 11, 2011
Father James Farfaglia is no stranger to this column. He's been featured and quoted several times over the last few years, and I'm happy to report that I agree . . .
Matt C. Abbott
May 7, 2011
A reader recently sent me a link to a commentary titled "Are Gay Priests the Problem?" by author and ABC News religion contributor Father Edward L. Beck, C.P.
. . .
Matt C. Abbott
May 5, 2011
Ken Hutcherson — affectionately known as "Hutch" — is senior pastor of Antioch Bible Church in Redmond, Wash. He's a former middle linebacker for . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 30, 2011
An interesting angle on soon-to-be Blessed John Paul II, courtesy of Australian Catholic journalist Andrew Rabel (edited):
"'With the beatification of John . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 29, 2011
Dr. Brian Kopp wrote (slightly edited):
"'I first met Father Smith Jones (not his real name) in 1998 while doing a house call for his mother, Jane (not her . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 21, 2011
What can I do but shake my head in disgust? And pray, of course.
I'm referring to Father Manel Pousa of the Archdiocese of Barcelona, who, according to an . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 19, 2011
Former Catholic priest-turned-Protestant (or so it seems) Ellis Harsham, who was accused of sexual abuse in the 1990s and subsequently left the priesthood, is . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 15, 2011
I received the following email (slightly edited) from Roger Grant:
"'I enjoy reading your columns on RenewAmerica.com (and some of the other writers as well) . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 12, 2011
The following is a Christian poem composed by a friend of mine, L.A. . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 8, 2011
Michael Voris of RealCatholicTV.com is becoming persona non grata among the Church establishment. A talk he was scheduled to give on the property of the Diocese . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 6, 2011
From a news release:
Heroic Media has announced the establishment of 'Heroic News,' a pro-life news website featuring key moral and cultural issues, namely, . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 4, 2011
I used to have a Facebook account. Not anymore, though. I closed it a while back. Yeah, I admit that I sorta' miss it at times — but not a whole lot. (I . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 2, 2011
Below is an edited e-mail in response to my April 1 column on hospice care. It's followed by a response from Ron Panzer, president of the strongly pro-life . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 1, 2011
Some will recall that March 31 was the sixth anniversary of the court-ordered murder of Terri Schiavo. (Click here to read about the tragedy.)
Terri's . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 29, 2011
Pope Benedict's latest book, Jesus of Nazareth: Holy Week, is causing a bit of a stir because of his comments about the Church and the Jews' conversion. (Source . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 28, 2011
From a press release (edited):
"It's a breath of fresh air. I love it!" That's been the reaction of reader after reader to Catholic Lane, a website debuting . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 26, 2011
In my observation, the most discussed and debated theological work of the late John Paul II has been Theology of the Body. In fact, certain interpretations of . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 16, 2011
Father Robert Kennedy of the Diocese of Rochester, who's presently in public ministry and presumably a priest "in good standing" [click here], wouldn't say that . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 14, 2011
My Catholic readers might appreciate the "Litany for Japan"; click here to read (and pray) it.
From Australian Catholic journalist Andrew Rabel (edited . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 7, 2011
In past columns — here, here and here — I reprinted substantial excerpts from Catholic attorney and scholar Peter B. Kelly's "factional" novel . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 4, 2011
Brigham Young University, affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, has suspended its star basketball player, Brandon Davies, for . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 2, 2011
Ah, the college years...
Hedonism. Relativism. Progressivism. Modernism. Scientism. Fundamentalism. Radical feminism. Multiculturalism. Consumerism. . . .
Matt C. Abbott
February 27, 2011
There's been a lot of discussion in certain circles on the topic of President Obama's "eligibility." (Incidentally, Dr. William Oddie cogently argues in a . . .
Matt C. Abbott
February 26, 2011
A reader wrote (edited):
"'Gov. Cuomo and his girlfriend receiving Holy Communion while in the state of [objective] mortal sin and the bishop approving it . . .
Matt C. Abbott
February 24, 2011
From a Feb. 23 Associated Press story (excerpted; click here for the full article):
"'A consultant for the Vatican's high court says he believes New York Gov . . .
Matt C. Abbott
February 21, 2011
I never had the pleasure of meeting Claudia Avignone, but I know she was a woman of deep faith. That faith, however, was tested when she was diagnosed with . . .
Matt C. Abbott
February 17, 2011
I have nothing but contempt for Planned Parenthood and all that it stands for. Not that I believe every person associated with the abortion giant is evil &mdash . . .
Matt C. Abbott
February 16, 2011
Here it is 2011, and the clergy abuse scandal, which "broke" in 2002, is still making headlines. What a shame. In addition to the victims, with whom I have a . . .
Matt C. Abbott
February 14, 2011
On Sunday, Feb. 13, in front of Chicago's Holy Name Cathedral, a group of homosexual activists protested Cardinal Francis George's opposition to "civil unions" . . .
Matt C. Abbott
February 7, 2011
The following is a brief interview with a priest who's the official exorcist of a Midwestern diocese. He wishes to remain anonymous.
1) When were you . . .
Matt C. Abbott
February 4, 2011
The following commentary (slightly edited) was written by Father Phillip De Vous, pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Crescent Springs, Kentucky.
The Splendor . . .
Matt C. Abbott
February 1, 2011
First, I just want to express my deep gratitude to all those who sent me messages of support in response to my Jan. 29 column. I'm amazed by the numerous . . .
Matt C. Abbott
January 28, 2011
Just what is the Achilles' heel of the pro-life movement? I'll give you a hint: It begins with the letter "c."
Contraception.
Michael Voris of . . .
Matt C. Abbott
January 25, 2011
It made Catholic news headlines in recent days when Bishop Athanasius Schneider, an auxiliary of the Diocese of Karaganda, "suggested the preparation of an . . .
Matt C. Abbott
January 22, 2011
Very soon tens of thousands — perhaps hundreds of thousands — of pro-lifers will gather in Washington, D.C. to proclaim respect for the sanctity of . . .
Matt C. Abbott
January 20, 2011
In wake of the news that the late Pope John Paul II will be beatified on May 1, Father James Farfaglia, parish priest and author of two books (one of which, Get . . .
Matt C. Abbott
January 18, 2011
Do you know what happens when you don't pay your exorcist? You get repossessed!
Ha!
A little Catholic humor. Sorry. Couldn't resist. I can't take credit . . .
Matt C. Abbott
January 11, 2011
First, I'd like to ask my readers to pray for the repose of the souls of (as well as the families of) pro-life activists Daniel T. Zanoza and Mary Jo Heiland. . . .
Matt C. Abbott
January 7, 2011
In a recent bulletin, Monsignor Dan Mayall, pastor of Chicago's Holy Name Cathedral, wrote the following (excerpted; emphasis mine):
"'December 29, Wednesday . . .
Matt C. Abbott
January 5, 2011
This particular column is going to be a mishmash of sorts, with several links to pertinent articles.
First, in light of the inroads made by the homosexual . . .
Matt C. Abbott
January 3, 2011
As expected, I've received both angry and complimentary responses to my Dec. 30 column. One person even wrote, "Nuke the Vatican ASAP." Nice, huh?
Please . . .
Matt C. Abbott
January 1, 2011
My Australian Catholic journalist-friend Andrew Rabel, who contributes to Inside the Vatican magazine, wrote (edited):
"'It is with a touch of sadness that I . . .
Matt C. Abbott
December 30, 2010
One thing that's irked me in recent times is seeing self-identified Catholics bashing, and leaving, the Church using the clergy abuse scandal as an excuse to do . . .
Matt C. Abbott
December 28, 2010
From a Dec. 27 blog post by Philip Klein of the American Spectator:
"'The New York Times reports that the administration has brought back the end-of-life . . .
Matt C. Abbott
December 24, 2010
The following is a Christmas poem that originally appeared in my Dec. 22, 2006 column. It was composed by Illinoisan Susan E. Gorski, a friend of . . .
Matt C. Abbott
December 22, 2010
Gee, is there any way we can make Phoenix Bishop Thomas Olmsted bishop of, say, 90 percent of the U.S. dioceses? He definitely "walks the walk," which is more . . .
Matt C. Abbott
December 19, 2010
Sad to say, I'm afraid Congress has just infected our military with "spiritual AIDS," if you will, by repealing DADT — much to the delight of the . . .
Matt C. Abbott
December 18, 2010
The following is a brief interview with Christian public relations expert Tom Ciesielka on how we Christians should defend the true message of Christmas in our . . .
Matt C. Abbott
December 15, 2010
It's rare — very rare — that I actually agree with a secular newspaper's editorial regarding some aspect of the Church. But I do in this case.
. . .
Matt C. Abbott
December 9, 2010
So we're in the midst of, to quote the old Christmas song, "the most wonderful time of the year"? Well, religiously speaking, Christmas is indeed a wonderful . . .
Matt C. Abbott
December 7, 2010
No. In fact, even though Palin is Protestant, she's actually more Catholic, morally speaking, than Nancy Pelosi, Joe Biden, Pat Quinn and Father Michael Pfleger . . .
Matt C. Abbott
November 30, 2010
I asked priest-author Father John Trigilio Jr., president of the Confraternity of Catholic Clergy — and one of my favorite priests to quote in this column . . .
Matt C. Abbott
November 24, 2010
The following is a brief e-mail interview I recently conducted with Kimberly Guidry Speirs, director of communication for Heroic Media.
Matt C. Abbott: Would . . .
Matt C. Abbott
November 22, 2010
A female student who attended St. Mary's College committed suicide after she was allegedly sexually attacked by one of Notre Dame's football players — and . . .
Matt C. Abbott
November 21, 2010
The news about Pope Benedict's latest remarks on condom use has indeed caused a stir, but it's really not what I'd consider a major story. Notice he did not say . . .
Matt C. Abbott
November 19, 2010
Wouldn't you know, one of two e-mails I've received thus far in response to my Nov. 17 column on convicted — but just set free — murderer Justin . . .
Matt C. Abbott
November 17, 2010
Get this: A 33-year-old murderer, Justin Boulay, walks out of prison after serving only 12 years and plans to move to Hawaii with his wife, Rachel Rivers Boulay . . .
Matt C. Abbott
November 16, 2010
The following is a guest commentary by Leticia Velasquez, co-founder of Keep Infants with Down Syndrome (KIDS).
"The mentally disabled: words and meaning"
. . .
Matt C. Abbott
November 15, 2010
A group of homosexual activists claiming to be Catholic wants Bishop Gerald Kicanas elected as the new president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. And . . .
Matt C. Abbott
November 12, 2010
I don't think much of the bureaucracy known as the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. In fact, some days I think it should simply be disbanded. True . . .
Matt C. Abbott
November 10, 2010
It seems at least a few liberals were infuriated by Father Richard Perozich's pre-Election 2010 call for Catholics to stop voting stupidly (see my Oct. 9 column . . .
Matt C. Abbott
November 9, 2010
One of the e-mails I received in response to my Nov. 6 column, "No, the pope doesn't have a 'sex problem,'" was from Father Eric Albert Zimmer, S.J., Ph.D., . . .
Matt C. Abbott
November 6, 2010
As an advocate of clergy and religious abuse survivors (and all abuse survivors, for that matter), I highly respect the work of journalists Joe Rigert and . . .
Matt C. Abbott
November 5, 2010
Morally speaking, there can be no compromise when it comes to protecting the unborn from death through abortion. Period.
That said, I'm no expert in the . . .
Matt C. Abbott
November 3, 2010
In light of a new British study asserting that alcohol is more dangerous than "hard" drugs such as heroin and crack cocaine, I asked Father John Trigilio Jr., . . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 23, 2010
Below is the text of Dr. Charles E. Rice's keynote address to the national meeting of the Society of Catholic Social Scientists, held Oct. 22 at Holy Cross . . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 21, 2010
Getting favorable, or even fair, coverage in the mainstream media is something the pro-life movement has struggled mightily with for many years.
Is it . . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 19, 2010
Two related news items that will shock absolutely no one...
First, TIME Magazine strikes again.
In an Oct. 8 article titled "Is the Catholic Church's . . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 14, 2010
Reader Carlos Caso-Rosendi wrote (slightly edited):
"You may look at the time-stamp on this message and wonder, what am I doing sending e-mails at this . . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 9, 2010
The following is a message from Father Richard Perozich, a priest of the Diocese of San Diego:
Elections are coming up November 2, 2010. Catholics must . . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 8, 2010
The following is a selection of (edited) e-mails I've received in recent days. (Please say a prayer for the repose of the soul of Father L. Dudley Day, a fine, . . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 6, 2010
When was the last time you received from a non-profit organization an e-mail or 'snail mail' letter begging for money in an alarmist fashion?
For many of you . . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 5, 2010
If you're a social conservative who lives in Illinois — like, say, yours truly — for whom do you vote when you have a pro-abortion, special-rights . . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 2, 2010
Catholic blogger and mother Carol McKinley is being threatened by certain male students who attend Sacred Heart School in Kingston, Mass. And they're doing so . . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 1, 2010
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team is 1–3 so far this season. Not exactly what Notre Dame fans were hoping for, particularly with new head coach . . .
Matt C. Abbott
September 30, 2010
The following is a selection of (edited) e-mails I've received in recent days.
Michael Hecker:
"I read your Sept. 22 column and am saddened to say that I . . .
Matt C. Abbott
September 25, 2010
I must say, the Vatican Bank has a rather shady history — and it's making headlines yet again.
Catholic author and journalist Michael Brown of SpiritDaily . . .
Matt C. Abbott
September 22, 2010
Michael Patrick recently wrote (edited):
"I read your excellent article 'Joseph Farah is right about the homosexualist agenda...' Thank you for publicizing . . .
Matt C. Abbott
September 21, 2010
Below is a report of a meeting that took place on Sept. 18 between Father David J. Mullen and Cardinal Seán O'Malley. Father Mullen had expressed concern over . . .
Matt C. Abbott
September 16, 2010
As Pope Benedict XVI travels to hostile territory for the next few days, I recall an allocution by Pope St. Pius X (delivered in 1912) on love for the pope — . . .
Matt C. Abbott
September 13, 2010
Noted Catholic scholar and Notre Dame Law School professor emeritus Charles Rice is not happy about a Labor Day e-mail statement issued by his niece, Kathleen . . .
Matt C. Abbott
September 12, 2010
The following is a selection of (edited) e-mails I've received in recent days. Thanks to all who send me thoughtful and insightful responses to my . . .
Matt C. Abbott
September 9, 2010
Although I've been critical of WorldNetDaily in the past (for running an anti-Catholic commentary), I have to commend WND's Joseph Farah for recognizing the sad . . .
Matt C. Abbott
September 8, 2010
For those not already familiar with RealCatholicTV.com, Catholic journalist Michael Voris regularly delivers insightful commentaries on matters pertaining to . . .
Matt C. Abbott
September 5, 2010
The following is a guest commentary written by David Clohessy, executive director of the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests (SNAP).
Several weeks . . .
Matt C. Abbott
September 3, 2010
The evening of September 2, I was walking in downtown Chicago — on my way to an ICE-PAC event — crossing one of the bridges over the Chicago River, when I . . .
Matt C. Abbott
September 1, 2010
The following is an excerpt from chapter 12 of black commentator and author Ron Miller's new book SELLOUT: Musings from Uncle Tom's Porch. You can read about Mr . . .
Matt C. Abbott
August 26, 2010
The Christian Broadcasting Network, commonly known as CBN, recently had a segment featuring Chicagoan Andrew Marin's outreach to homosexuals. To watch and/or . . .
Matt C. Abbott
August 22, 2010
In my August 12 column, I printed an e-mail by homosexual activist David Thorstad, a founding member of the North American Man-Boy Love Association (NAMBLA). . . .
Matt C. Abbott
August 20, 2010
With regard to capital punishment, does an executioner sin when he or she "flips the switch," so to speak?
That's the question I posed to Father John . . .
Matt C. Abbott
August 18, 2010
Disgraced former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich has been convicted on one of 24 counts levied against him by the feds. Not great, but at least they got the foul . . .
Matt C. Abbott
August 14, 2010
Although I'm a staunch, orthodox Catholic, I still consider myself an advocate for clergy/religious abuse survivors, for which I make no apologies. I was able . . .
Matt C. Abbott
August 12, 2010
I've received some rather bizarre e-mails over the years, but the one that takes the cake was recently sent to me by David Thorstad, a founding member of the — . . .
Matt C. Abbott
August 9, 2010
The following is a selection of (edited) e-mails I've received in recent days. Please note that I do not necessarily agree with every single point of every . . .
Matt C. Abbott
August 4, 2010
The (im)morality of contraception is something the majority of Christians are either uncomfortable discussing or, in some cases, simply not interested in . . .
Matt C. Abbott
August 2, 2010
Author Anne Rice e-mailed me in response to my July 30 column. She wrote: "Forgive me but Michael Rowe says it all better than I can. Thank you for addressing . . .
Matt C. Abbott
July 30, 2010
Although I haven't seen it — and I really have no desire to see it — I think it's safe to say that the play Late Nite Catechism has been at least somewhat . . .
Matt C. Abbott
July 22, 2010
The following are e-mails I've received in response to recent columns of mine (certain e-mails are edited and do not necessarily reflect my opinions . . .
Matt C. Abbott
July 20, 2010
Veteran pro-life activist Jim Finnegan, president of Illinois Choose Life, would never think of waving the white flag when it comes to fighting the pervasive . . .
Matt C. Abbott
July 18, 2010
Mel Gibson's demons are my demons and my demons are Mel's demons. Well, sort of. Allow me to explain.
I don't wish to per se defend Mel's behavior in recent . . .
Matt C. Abbott
July 5, 2010
A reader recently wrote (edited):
"In my personal humble opinion, there are bigger fish to fry than to pay attention to what is going on at the Rockford . . .
Matt C. Abbott
June 29, 2010
Here's the latest from Ann Scheidler and the Thomas More Society:
On May 29, 2010, the abortionists stooped to a new low, even for them. Here's what happened . . .
Matt C. Abbott
June 25, 2010
The stench of the late Father Marcial Maciel's rotting corpse still permeates the air and continues to make headlines, so to speak.
What struck (and . . .
Matt C. Abbott
June 23, 2010
The following article, written by Catholic attorney John M. DeJak, is reprinted (with permission) from the June 24, 2010 issue of The . . .
Matt C. Abbott
June 14, 2010
I recently had the pleasure of having a lengthy telephone conversation with Dawn Stefanowicz, author of the book Out from Under: The Impact of Homosexual . . .
Matt C. Abbott
June 7, 2010
This column may open up a can of worms, but here it goes...
I guess we conservatives (and, for the record, I don't consider "socially moderate" Republicans . . .
Matt C. Abbott
June 5, 2010
Former priest Eugene Cullen Kennedy, the late Cardinal Joseph Bernardin's close friend and biographer, likes to mock anyone and anything orthodox. Even yours . . .
Matt C. Abbott
May 29, 2010
The following is the text of a speech to be delivered by Clark Sowers of Belle Fourche, S. D., during a Memorial Day service at Pineslope Cemetery in Belle . . .
Matt C. Abbott
May 28, 2010
Attorney Jeff Anderson is no friend of the Catholic Church, for sure (although if there hadn't been so many morally corrupt and grossly negligent clergy, . . .
Matt C. Abbott
May 27, 2010
(First, I'd like to ask my readers to pray for U.S. seminarian Philip Gerard Johnson, who's battling brain cancer; and for pro-life activist Randall Terry's . . .
Matt C. Abbott
May 25, 2010
From a Rainbow Sash Movement news release:
"The Rainbow Sash Movement gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender Catholics and supporters entered Catholic cathedrals . . .
Matt C. Abbott
May 19, 2010
I'm genuinely torn on the issue of illegal immigration in general and Arizona's new law in particular. Perhaps I shouldn't be, but I am.
In 2004 I wrote a . . .
Matt C. Abbott
May 18, 2010
The other day I received a brief e-mail from Laurel, who was responding to a past column of mine regarding PETA and so-called animal rights.
"You're pretty . . .
Matt C. Abbott
May 13, 2010
The debate over Obamacare continues — at least among some Catholics.
To wit: Michael Sean Winters has posted on America magazine's website a commentary in . . .
Matt C. Abbott
May 11, 2010
The following (edited) reflection was provided to me by Jim Boushay.
Nuns and knuckles
By Jim Boushay
Sister Joseph Marita — who now goes by the name . . .
Matt C. Abbott
May 9, 2010
Judging by the laudatory articles on the birth control pill popping up all over the Web in recent days, one might conclude that the pill was in fact the . . .
Matt C. Abbott
May 6, 2010
The following is a selection of (edited) readers' responses to recent columns of mine.
Philip C. Onochié:
"I have been following the illegal immigration . . .
Matt C. Abbott
May 5, 2010
Father James Farfaglia, a priest of the Diocese of Corpus Christi for nine years, was formerly with the Legion of Christ for 21 years.
His response to the . . .
Matt C. Abbott
May 3, 2010
The immigration law recently enacted in Arizona has, not surprisingly, caused quite a firestorm of controversy. Also not surprising: The United States . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 29, 2010
"Hundreds of thousands of patients are killed in the world each year in this manner, and no police or district attorney will act to investigate or prosecute."
. . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 27, 2010
Perhaps the term "bigot" is overused these days, particularly by the libertine left when referring to those of us who oppose the homosexual lobby, which in turn . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 25, 2010
The following is the text of Tulsa Bishop Edward James Slattery's homily delivered on April 24 during the Traditional Latin Solemn High Pontifical Mass at the . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 24, 2010
The following is an essay written by Brian W. Clowes, Ph.D., director of research for Human Life International . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 23, 2010
With current news stories involving priests and the seal of confession (see here and here), I'm reprinting the following excerpts from the book Go in Peace: . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 22, 2010
The following is a selection of (slightly edited) e-mails recently received by yours truly.
Nancy Donaldson of Kansas:
"'Matt, speaking personally, . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 21, 2010
Leave it to most in the leftist secular media to make themselves the Catholic Church's public enemy number one. Not the enemy of all Catholics, mind you — . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 20, 2010
Author Thomas M. Santa, C.Ss.R., writes good material for spiritual reading. While you won't find him publicly commenting on the issues of the day, his . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 14, 2010
A rather fatuous commentary titled "Take a pass on the Latin Mass" on the Web site of the leftist U.S. Catholic magazine led me to ask Father John Trigilio Jr., . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 10, 2010
With all the bad clergy-related news as of late, the following reflection, recently provided to me by Clark Sowers of Belle Fourche, S.D., is a dose of the . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 8, 2010
The following is the text of the homily given on Easter Sunday 2010 by Chicago Auxiliary Bishop Joseph N. Perry at St. John Cantius Parish. Many thanks to . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 7, 2010
As a practicing Catholic, it's getting very, very difficult not to be cynical about what's going on in the Church today. And I'm not just talking about the . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 3, 2010
Father James Farfaglia, a priest of the Diocese of Corpus Christi, Texas — and author of Man to Man: A Real Priest Speaks to Real Men about Marriage, Sexuality . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 31, 2010
The following is a reprint of an essay titled "Is Usury Still a Sin?" by Thomas Storck. The essay originally appeared in the fall 2009 issue of Communio: . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 30, 2010
The following are excerpts from the book The Fourth Secret of Fatima, authored by Italian journalist Antonio Socci. Many thanks to RCS Libri (publisher of the . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 28, 2010
In response to my March 18 column featuring Opus Bono Sacerdotii, a Detroit-based organization founded to assist Catholic priests in difficult situations, a . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 26, 2010
As some in the secular media continue their attempt to take down Pope Benedict (Phil Lawler has a good commentary on these developments here, by the way), I'd . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 25, 2010
Below is the introduction to the book Spiritual Dangers of the 21st Century, by Father Joseph Esper, a priest of the Archdiocese of Detroit. Thanks to Father . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 23, 2010
The following are several (slightly edited) e-mails I received in response to my March 18 column "Was priest falsely accused?" Many thanks to those who provided . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 18, 2010
When it comes to the issue of sexual abuse, I consider myself a survivor's advocate; but I do realize that false accusations occur, and such accusations are . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 17, 2010
On Aug. 29, 2006 — well before the Tiger Woods sex scandals came to light, of course — the Chicago Tribune printed the following letter to the editor by Yours . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 16, 2010
The following is a significant portion of the Introduction to the recently-published book Consoling the Heart of Jesus: A Do-It-Yourself Retreat, authored by . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 15, 2010
The clergy abuse scandal continues to make headlines worldwide (some of the coverage has been fair and accurate, but some of it has not, in my view). Years . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 12, 2010
Lamenting the news early this year that "the number of abortions performed in Illinois reached a 10-year high in 2008," Chicago Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Perry . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 10, 2010
The following is the text of a talk — unedited and without commentary — given on March 8, 2010 by Father Emery de Gaál, Ph.D., chairman and associate professor . . .
Pro-abortion terrorism (outside the womb); Notre Dame saga continues; Toyota and the Catholic Church
Matt C. Abbott
March 7, 2010
From the Thomas More Society:
"'Let me tell you about another shocking development in Aurora. On December 16, 2009, one of our sidewalk counselors — a young . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 5, 2010
Controversy is nothing new for Ave Maria University — otherwise known as the Tom Monaghan Empire.
Recently, Deal Hudson of InsideCatholic.com wrote (the . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 4, 2010
The following is a reprint of an article from The Latin Mass journal. The article, "The Price of Economic Injustice: Rediscovering Catholic Just Price Doctrine, . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 3, 2010
Father Alfred Kunz's life came to a tragic end either late March 3 or very early March 4, 1998. His body was discovered the morning of March 4, the victim of a . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 1, 2010
I doubt Father Kevin McGrade of the Archdiocese of Boston will be singing the "Oh what a feeling — Toyota!" jingle any time soon.
A few weeks ago, the . . .
Matt C. Abbott
February 27, 2010
John F. Kippley, Catholic author and co-founder of Natural Family Planning International, Inc., offered the following commentary on the current health care . . .
Matt C. Abbott
February 26, 2010
Julia Duin, assistant national editor and religion writer for the Washington Times, is one of the few secular journalists who had the guts to write about the . . .
Matt C. Abbott
February 25, 2010
I asked noted Catholic priest-author-theologian Father John Trigilio to weigh in on the morality of "undercover"/investigative journalism, a topic featured in . . .
Matt C. Abbott
February 23, 2010
Below is the Introduction to Father Donald Calloway's 2010 book No Turning Back: A Witness to Mercy — a book Peter Kreeft, Ph.D., calls "an amazing, . . .
Matt C. Abbott
February 21, 2010
I know Sarah Palin is popular among many conservatives, and, all things considered, I can understand why. She's attractive, smart (despite how the liberals and . . .
Matt C. Abbott
February 16, 2010
Catholic authors Thomas Woods and Christopher Ferrara used to be of like mind. They even co-authored a book several years ago.
But they have since parted . . .
Matt C. Abbott
February 14, 2010
Dawn Eden, author of The Thrill of the Chaste: Finding Fulfillment While Keeping Your Clothes On, was featured and quoted in my Feb. 10 column.
She wanted to . . .
Matt C. Abbott
February 12, 2010
From Joe Scheidler, national director of the Pro-Life Action League:
"'It's been three months since the City of Chicago began enforcing the hideous new . . .
Matt C. Abbott
February 11, 2010
Catholic writers Dawn Eden and William Doino Jr. have penned an interesting commentary that appears on BustedHalo.com (excerpted below; click here for the full . . .
Matt C. Abbott
February 10, 2010
The following statement, provided to me by Stephen Phelan, communications director of Human Life International and spokesman for the Reform CCHD Now coalition, . . .
Matt C. Abbott
February 9, 2010
Would it be best for the Catholic Church in the U.S. (and Rome, for that matter) if the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops were to be dismantled? I . . .
Matt C. Abbott
February 6, 2010
He's baaaaack. Actually, he's been back for a while now. Randall Terry, I mean.
Two things are certain regarding Terry: 1) He makes the news and 2) he doesn . . .
Matt C. Abbott
February 4, 2010
Sometimes the pro-life candidate does win, even in the blue State of Illinois.
On Feb. 2, in the Chicago suburb of Palatine, staunch pro-lifer Tom Morrison . . .
Matt C. Abbott
February 2, 2010
Food for thought for pro-lifers...
In the January-February 2010 issue of the New Oxford Review, in an article titled "Is It Time to Dump the Term 'Pro-life'? . . .
Matt C. Abbott
February 1, 2010
The following is the Preface and an additional excerpt (minus footnotes) from the book Ignatius of Antioch & Polycarp of Smyrna, authored by Kenneth J. Howell. . . .
Matt C. Abbott
January 30, 2010
A potpourri of pro-life items today...
Feminist attorney Gloria Allred is crying foul over the much-hyped upcoming Tim Tebow Super Bowl commercial. Writes . . .
Matt C. Abbott
January 28, 2010
The following is a true — and quite moving — story (minus footnotes) from the book Amazing Grace for Those Who Suffer, authored by Jeff Cavins and Matthew Pinto . . .
Matt C. Abbott
January 24, 2010
The following is a lengthy excerpt from the book Sacrilege: Sexual Abuse in the Catholic Church, authored by Leon J. Podles, Ph.D. Many thanks to Mr. Podles and . . .
Matt C. Abbott
January 19, 2010
The following is a reprint of a chapter (minus endnotes) from Catholic attorney/scholar Peter B. Kelly's book Cleansing Fire (which I've featured in previous . . .
Matt C. Abbott
January 16, 2010
The following is a lengthy excerpt (minus footnotes) from the In Conversation with God book series, authored by Father Francis Fernandez-Carvajal. Thanks to . . .
Matt C. Abbott
January 15, 2010
The following is the Introduction (minus endnotes) to the book Hungry Souls: Supernatural Visits, Messages, and Warnings from Purgatory, by Gerard J.M. van den . . .
Matt C. Abbott
January 11, 2010
The other day while looking through some Facebook posts, I came across what I think is a very thoughtful and inspiring reflection by Mary Cate Bratcher of South . . .
Matt C. Abbott
January 4, 2010
The following are the Preface and the Introduction (minus the endnotes) to Catholic journalist Teresa Tomeo's book Noise, published in 2007. Thanks to Matthew . . .
Matt C. Abbott
December 31, 2009
The Thomas More Society had quite a productive decade. Founded in 1997, the Chicago-based pro-life law firm has been working quietly but diligently to defend . . .
Matt C. Abbott
December 28, 2009
The following are substantial excerpts from the 2009 book The Bible Compass, authored by Dr. Edward Sri. Thanks to Matthew Pinto and Mike Flickinger of . . .
Matt C. Abbott
December 24, 2009
This column is a "sequel" to my Dec. 10 column "Seven priest share Christmas memories." Thanks again to those priests who contributed their reflections. I also . . .
Matt C. Abbott
December 23, 2009
In response to "Pro-life (dis)unity," Terry Carroll wrote:
"'I'm with you (I think) on pro-life purity. On principle, I reject 'no abortions except in cases . . .
Matt C. Abbott
December 18, 2009
The following is a reprint of an article from the December 2009 issue of Homiletic & Pastoral Review titled "The effects of divorce on children," by Barbara . . .
Matt C. Abbott
December 16, 2009
Miracles do happen.
I suppose in this case it would be two "minor miracles," but, hey, what the heck? It's a positive.
To wit: an Oct. 9 story in The New . . .
Matt C. Abbott
December 15, 2009
Newsflash! Hold on to your seats, folks...ready? (Breathe easy, now.)
There's division in the right-to-life movement.
There. I said it.
Actually, there . . .
Matt C. Abbott
December 10, 2009
I wanted to do a column — perhaps more than one — featuring favorite Christmas memories of Catholic priests. I invited a number of priests to participate, and, . . .
Matt C. Abbott
December 4, 2009
The following are substantial excerpts from the book Homosexuality and the Catholic Church, authored by Father John Harvey. The book's Foreword, written by . . .
Matt C. Abbott
December 2, 2009
Here's a little potpourri of icky religion news stories to cleanse your palate...
From a Nov. 26 story in The Jerusalem Post (excerpted; click here for the . . .
Matt C. Abbott
November 30, 2009
The following are substantial excerpts from the book Interview with an Exorcist: An Insider's Look at the Devil, Demonic Possession, and the Path to Deliverance . . .
Matt C. Abbott
November 25, 2009
First, a background of the story, courtesy of LifeSiteNews.com (excerpt; click here for the full article):
"'U.S. Representative Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) said . . .
Matt C. Abbott
November 22, 2009
Readers may recall some of my previous columns that featured quotes from, and writings of, Father James Farfaglia — formerly with the Legionaries of Christ and . . .
Matt C. Abbott
November 20, 2009
The following are excerpts from the book Annulments and the Catholic Church: Straight Answers to Tough Questions, authored by canon and civil lawyer Edward . . .
Matt C. Abbott
November 19, 2009
From a Nov. 2 story on nwi.com (excerpted; for the full article, click here):
"'Some cancer patients, heart attack sufferers and burn victims would be . . .
Matt C. Abbott
November 17, 2009
This past weekend, I attended a short seminar on the ministry of sidewalk counseling. The seminar was organized by the Chicago-based Pro-Life Action League (a . . .
Matt C. Abbott
November 13, 2009
The latest in the Catholic Campaign for Human Development controversy...
"'Letter from the Archdiocese of Chicago's Office of Peace and Justice and the . . .
Matt C. Abbott
November 12, 2009
The following are excerpts from Inside Islam: A Guide for Catholics, authored by Daniel Ali and Robert Spencer. The first excerpt is the book's foreword, . . .
Matt C. Abbott
November 10, 2009
The simplistic answer to the above question: The pro-aborts are more violent — by far. See this Web site.
(Of course, it must be said that many gay activists . . .
Matt C. Abbott
November 5, 2009
In response to my Oct. 22 column about the suspicious suicide of Father Waclaw Jamroz, whose body was found bearing more than 20 stab wounds, two readers . . .
Matt C. Abbott
November 4, 2009
I received the following e-mail in response to my Nov. 1 column:
"'Not to worry. Some priests have no difficulty in charging what they think the sacrament is . . .
Matt C. Abbott
November 1, 2009
I got some good laughs from the following column (slightly edited) that appeared in the Oct. 4 bulletin of St. Lambert Parish in Skokie, Ill., whose pastor is . . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 30, 2009
Here we go again...
The Lakeview Action Coalition, reportedly a grant recipient of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, on Oct. 22 gave an award to . . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 29, 2009
Fellow RenewAmerica.com columnist Matt Barber has a new book out — The Right Hook: From the Ring to the Culture War.
Matt made headlines a few years ago when . . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 28, 2009
In light of the recent story about notorious pro-abortion nun Donna Quinn's "moonlighting" as an abortion mill escort — deathscort would be a more appropriate . . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 23, 2009
If you're in the mood for edifying and enlightening reading, check out Go to Joseph, a newly-published little book (literally: 4 1/8" x 6 1/4" paperback, 160 . . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 22, 2009
Yet another bizarre case in the Windy City.
From an Oct. 21 I-Team report by ABC7 investigative reporter Chuck Goudie:
"'A Chicago pastor was found in his . . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 13, 2009
Gosh darn it.
Just when I thought (not really) I would be commending Catholic Mayor Richard M. Daley for defending the free speech rights of peaceful pro . . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 8, 2009
The following is a reprint of an article titled "The Privilege of Being a Man," written by Catholic author and professor Mitchell Kalpakgian, that appears in . . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 5, 2009
Over the last few decades, the New Age Movement has ensnared a number of nominal and lapsed Catholics. Part of the blame for this falls on those clergy and . . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 3, 2009
So much for the usual suspects in Chicago — my "windy" place of residence — bragging about hosting the 2016 Olympics.
Not happenin.'
Now our illustrious . . .
Matt C. Abbott
September 28, 2009
From the Sept. 27 bulletin of St. John Cantius Parish:
"'On October 7, 1571, a great victory over the mighty Turkish fleet was won by Catholic naval forces . . .
Matt C. Abbott
September 22, 2009
From a Sept. 21 story on ABCNews.com:
"'Irene Vilar worries that her self-described 'abortion addiction' will be misunderstood, twisted by the pro-life . . .
Matt C. Abbott
September 18, 2009
Noted Catholic scholar/writer Charles E. Rice, professor emeritus of law at the University of Notre Dame Law School, has authored a new book titled What . . .
Matt C. Abbott
September 12, 2009
Some sad news to report: Michigan pro-life activist Jim Pouillon was shot to death on the morning of Sept. 11.
The perpetrator of the murder, Harlan Drake, 3 . . .
Matt C. Abbott
September 9, 2009
This is my third, and most lengthy, installment of Peter B. Kelly's "factional" novel Cleansing Fire — and this time the featured chapters are about one of the . . .
Matt C. Abbott
September 2, 2009
In my Aug. 7 column, I reprinted a chapter from Catholic scholar/attorney Peter B. Kelly's "factional" novel Cleansing Fire. The following is another chapter . . .
Matt C. Abbott
September 1, 2009
Just when I thought the Ted Kennedy story was falling off the radar — and it is, but too slowly — I received the following notice from a source (edited):
" . . .
Matt C. Abbott
August 30, 2009
Certain e-mails I receive are simply mind-boggling. Consider the following unedited e-mail from Amy, a seemingly sincere yet terribly misguided mother of three, . . .
Matt C. Abbott
August 29, 2009
I'd like to respond to an e-mail I received regarding my Aug. 27 column — not to dwell on Ted Kennedy's life per se, but to show the cultural and spiritual . . .
Matt C. Abbott
August 27, 2009
It's quite sad to think that the late Sen. Edward Kennedy, a Catholic, was once pro-life but became an ardent supporter of abortion "rights" and the death . . .
Matt C. Abbott
August 26, 2009
The following is an excerpt from The Virtuous One, a self-published "factional" Catholic novelette that makes for a good, albeit fast, read. An interesting and . . .
Matt C. Abbott
August 21, 2009
Does Pope Benedict view the alleged Marian apparitions of Medjugorje differently than Pope John Paul II did?
Yes, according to a recent interview featuring E . . .
Matt C. Abbott
August 18, 2009
The first "Catholics in the military" item is courtesy of CatholicMil.org:
"'Spiritual armor is as mission essential as body armor. Combat readiness demands . . .
Matt C. Abbott
August 13, 2009
Several years ago, at a benefit dinner for a school affiliated with the Legionaries of Christ, I had the pleasure of sitting next to Patrick Madrid, one of my . . .
Matt C. Abbott
August 9, 2009
The Thomas More Society, whose president and chief counsel is Thomas Brejcha, is one of my favorite pro-life organizations. (Incidentally, Peter Breen, . . .
Matt C. Abbott
August 7, 2009
Catholic scholar and attorney Peter B. Kelly, JD, MTS, MS(nrp), MS(ce), is passionate about the Catholic Faith. A former radio personality, Mr. Kelly resides in . . .
Matt C. Abbott
August 6, 2009
The first article below, written by imprisoned priest Gordon MacRae, was originally published by the Catholic League and is reproduced in its entirety. The . . .
Matt C. Abbott
July 31, 2009
I asked Judie Brown, president of American Life League, to comment on the latest media release from the Obama-loving, vomit-inducing Catholics United calling on . . .
Matt C. Abbott
July 29, 2009
For the past several weeks, I've been deluged with e-mails — most from the same person — about the Obama "birthgate" controversy. To be honest, I've paid very . . .
Matt C. Abbott
July 21, 2009
Interestingly, Detective Kevin Hughes of the Dane County Sheriff's Office — the chief investigator of the unsolved 1998 murder of Father Alfred Kunz — is a . . .
Matt C. Abbott
July 12, 2009
From the Catholic League:
"'Catholic League president Bill Donohue says U.S. Supreme Court Judge Ruth Bader Ginsburg needs to explain her recent comment on . . .
Matt C. Abbott
July 5, 2009
A reader wrote (edited):
"'I read this article [by Catholic commentator and political analyst Tom Roeser] and became curious about some details — not so much . . .
Matt C. Abbott
July 3, 2009
Thanks to Father J. Patrick Serna and John Moorehouse, editor of Catholic Men's Quarterly, for allowing me to reprint the following article from the spring 2009 . . .
Matt C. Abbott
June 27, 2009
A reader from Concord, Calif., sent me the following e-mail:
"'You may wish to discuss in your column this story featured on KPIX-TV, San Francisco, last . . .
Matt C. Abbott
June 25, 2009
Interesting that the Nixon Presidential Library has just released recordings showing that the former U.S. president "believed legal abortion was 'necessary' in . . .
Matt C. Abbott
June 24, 2009
I received the following e-mail from the Elliot Institute in response to my June 16 column:
"'Maybe clergy and others who are reluctant to speak about . . .
Matt C. Abbott
June 19, 2009
As you may have heard by now, Catholic Answers, the California-based apologetics organization headed by Karl Keating and featuring notable apologists Jimmy Akin . . .
Matt C. Abbott
June 18, 2009
"'They were stolen from their homes, locked in chains and taken across an ocean. And for more than 200 years, their blood and sweat would help to build the . . .
Matt C. Abbott
June 16, 2009
I received the following (edited) e-mail from a priest who wishes to remain anonymous:
"'A week after President Obama spoke at Notre Dame, I preached about . . .
Matt C. Abbott
June 13, 2009
A reader alerted me to a June 7 post on the blog of Bishop Robert Lynch of the Diocese of St. Petersburg. Here's the portion of the bishop's post that raised my . . .
Matt C. Abbott
June 10, 2009
Brian Kindzia reports (edited):
"'I was among those arrested at Notre Dame a few weeks ago when the university decided to honor President Obama with a law . . .
Matt C. Abbott
June 6, 2009
MSNBC personality Keith Olbermann has named pro-life nurse/activist/commentator Jill Stanek as his "Worst Person in the World."
Huh . . .
Matt C. Abbott
June 4, 2009
I first want to highlight two e-mails I've received in the last 24 hours.
From Steven Conroy, media relations manager for Southern California . . .
Matt C. Abbott
June 3, 2009
I love it when a reader decides to send a nasty e-mail from his company e-mail address in response to one of my columns.
In this case, the e-mail came from . . .
Matt C. Abbott
June 2, 2009
Most pro-life leaders have rightly condemned the murder of Kansas abortionist George Tiller. I'd like to highlight the (slightly edited) reactions of two of my . . .
Matt C. Abbott
May 31, 2009
The debate over Christopher West's analysis and teaching of John Paul II's Theology of the Body continues, and it's gotten somewhat heated. I've compiled quotes . . .
Matt C. Abbott
May 27, 2009
Pro-life attorney Tom Brejcha, president and chief counsel of the Thomas More Society, a national public interest law firm based in Chicago, offered the . . .
Matt C. Abbott
May 20, 2009
Disgraced Archbishop Rembert Weakland is in the news again. Actually, his autobiography is what's making headlines.
In A Pilgrim in a Pilgrim Church: Memoirs . . .
Matt C. Abbott
May 19, 2009
A while back, an acquaintance of mine repeated something she had heard: There is the "Good Vatican" and the "Bad Vatican." I must admit, at the time, I was a . . .
Matt C. Abbott
May 18, 2009
In his speech at the University of Notre Dame, President Obama praised the late Cardinal Joseph Bernardin, the patron saint (ahem) of Catholic dissenters and, . . .
Matt C. Abbott
May 16, 2009
On May 17, pro-abortion President Barack Obama will deliver the commencement address — and will receive an honorary law degree — at the University of Notre Dame . . .
Matt C. Abbott
May 9, 2009
(Just a heads-up to readers: Some of the information pertaining to this topic is of a frank nature and is not suitable for children. Then again, most of my . . .
Matt C. Abbott
May 7, 2009
Many thanks to Patrick Madrid for granting me permission to reprint in my column the section of his book Pope Fiction titled "Pope Pius XII and the Jews" (pp. 2 . . .
Matt C. Abbott
May 5, 2009
I very recently received the following (slightly edited) e-mail, from Ryan Anthony MacDonald, in response to a 2007 column of mine:
"'Dear Mr. Abbott:
"'A . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 29, 2009
Is the swine flu "at" the University of Notre Dame? Apparently so.
There is also a spiritual sickness among many (though not all, of course) at the . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 25, 2009
I received the following e-mail from "Jane," a student at William Mitchell College of Law in Saint Paul, Minn. (I should note that she is not speaking on behalf . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 23, 2009
With the news that the FDA will now allow the "morning-after" pill, known as Plan B, to be sold over-the-counter to 17-year-old girls, I'm sure the abortion . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 15, 2009
I received the following (edited) e-mail from John C. Hathaway:
"'Thank you for taking up the cause of Robert Kumpel as you've previously taken up the cause . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 14, 2009
First, I'd like to wish all my readers a very blessed Easter season, and I ask for your prayers for my family members and me.
A reader in San Diego sent me . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 11, 2009
The following notice (e-mailed to me) is from the April 2009 Joliet Official Bulletin — a directive from Joliet Bishop Peter . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 10, 2009
I'd like to start off this column by asking for prayers for the repose of the souls of Los Angeles Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart, 22, and two of his friends . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 8, 2009
It seems the crux of the controversy involving the University of Notre Dame's decision to invite President Obama to be its commencement speaker — and to bestow . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 29, 2009
At least some of my readers might recall the relatively recent controversy of a parish in the Archdiocese of Miami, St. Patrick Miami Beach, that hosted a . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 25, 2009
The following is a letter from University of Notre Dame alumnus Father John J. Raphael, S.S.J., addressed to ND president Father John . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 23, 2009
From an (edited) HLI news release:
Yaoundé, Cameroon — Pope Benedict XVI's plane had not yet touched down in Africa before his trip was defined by the . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 22, 2009
I'm covering two controversies in today's column.
I'll begin with the major controversy — scandal is probably a better term — involving the University of . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 18, 2009
I've asked selected priests — those loyal to the Magisterium — about their thoughts regarding the morality of gun ownership and use. Here are the responses I've . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 12, 2009
The following essay, written by Catholic author Eamonn Keane, is set to be published soon in LifeLines, a publication of Family Life International . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 10, 2009
I received the following (slightly edited) e-mail from Jennifer Giroux, executive director of Women Influencing the Nation, in response to my March 7 column on . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 3, 2009
One controversy that has yet to subside is how Canon 915 of the Code of Canon Law applies to pro-abortion Catholic politicians and how the bishops should . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 2, 2009
Little by little, in an insidious fashion, the pro-abortion agenda is being put into play.
The following has to do specifically with Illinois, but I think it . . .
Matt C. Abbott
February 25, 2009
According to a Feb. 24 story by Boston Globe religion writer Michael Paulson:
"'Cardinal Sean P. O'Malley, facing a group of local Jewish leaders upset by . . .
Matt C. Abbott
February 21, 2009
Some good news out of the University of Notre Dame...
From a news release:
"'A new fund has been established at Notre Dame, under the auspices of the . . .
Matt C. Abbott
February 20, 2009
According to a Feb. 17 AP story:
"'A jury determined Tuesday that four San Diego firefighters were sexually harassed for being ordered to participate in a . . .
Matt C. Abbott
February 18, 2009
''The Vatican, in essence, is saying, 'Don't believe Jesus or Genesis. Believe Darwin instead,'' [Ray] Comfort said. 'God made man in his own image, and God is . . .
Matt C. Abbott
February 16, 2009
"Like being coercively in the military, it was a million dollar experience you wouldn't give a nickel for."
That's how William P. Grossklas describes the . . .
Matt C. Abbott
February 14, 2009
Long-time pornography foe Dr. Judith A. Reisman sounds the alarm regarding David W. Ogden, President Obama's nominee for Deputy Attorney General, in the . . .
Matt C. Abbott
February 12, 2009
I sought comments from several reputable and orthodox Catholic priests on the controversy surrounding the woman who recently gave birth to . . .
Matt C. Abbott
February 11, 2009
The following is an excerpt from Philip F. Lawler's book The Faithful Departed: The Collapse of Boston's Catholic Culture. It is reprinted from the Winter 2009 . . .
Matt C. Abbott
February 10, 2009
I asked Father John Trigilio, president of the Confraternity of Catholic Clergy, for his take on the recent developments involving Legionaries of Christ founder . . .
Matt C. Abbott
February 7, 2009
According to a story in the Feb. 6 Chicago Sun-Times:
"'A former Catholic priest who molested at least three children worked at a Bridgeport church where a . . .
Matt C. Abbott
February 4, 2009
From a Feb. 2 Catholic League news release:
"'On January 29, nearly 50 Catholic Democratic congressmen sent a letter to Pope Benedict XVI stating their . . .
Matt C. Abbott
February 2, 2009
Some "WomenPriests" aren't too happy that Pope Benedict XVI hasn't lifted their excommunications like he has for the four bishops of the Society of St. Pius X.
. . .
Matt C. Abbott
January 27, 2009
Leave it to "Catholic" House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to rationalize the government spending hundreds of millions of dollars on so-called family planning services — . . .
Matt C. Abbott
January 21, 2009
My Sept. 23, 2006 column featured a chapter of Lime 5: Exploited by Choice, authored by Mark Crutcher, founder and president of Life Dynamics, which provided me . . .
Matt C. Abbott
January 17, 2009
A reader sent me an e-mail regarding Catholic legislators who are, or were, Freemasons.
One example:
"Nevada state assembly member Jerry D. Claborn is . . .
Matt C. Abbott
January 14, 2009
At least two individuals didn't particularly care for my Jan. 12 column regarding Al Franken.
Matthew Huber wrote (in addition to including "Matt Abbott is a . . .
Matt C. Abbott
December 22, 2008
From the bulletin of St. John Cantius Parish in Chicago:
"Father Francis Weiser, S.J., in The Christmas Book, tells the story of the Christmas . . .
Matt C. Abbott
December 10, 2008
Thanks to Dr. Robert Moynihan, editor of Inside the Vatican, for providing me with, and granting me permission to reprint, an article (written by Cathy Pearson) . . .
Matt C. Abbott
December 8, 2008
Catholic author and blogger Dawn Eden graciously provided me with an excerpt from her 2006 book The Thrill of the Chaste: Finding Fulfillment While Keeping Your . . .
Matt C. Abbott
December 7, 2008
Eamonn Keane wrote:
"'I have noticed for some time your uncompromising defense of the Catholic Faith and pray that God will strengthen you in your resolve to . . .
Matt C. Abbott
December 4, 2008
How's this for the weekly "Say what?!"
The criticism of the first-ever Nativity Scene display in the Illinois state capitol building comes not from the ACLU, . . .
Matt C. Abbott
December 2, 2008
Tom Hoopes, executive editor of the National Catholic Register, sent me the following e-mail in response to my Dec. 1 and Nov. 30 columns.
"'I've been . . .
Matt C. Abbott
November 30, 2008
Father James Farfaglia, a priest of the Corpus Christi, Tex., Catholic diocese, was appalled by a Nov. 5 editorial in the National Catholic Register, a . . .
Matt C. Abbott
November 29, 2008
As Father Andrew Greeley continues to recover from a serious head injury suffered earlier this month, I thought I'd feature images from two of his (out-of-print . . .
Matt C. Abbott
November 27, 2008
In my Oct. 29 column, I featured a Southern California Catholic priest, Father Art Holquin, who had donated to the Obama campaign. (Keep in mind that if Father . . .
Matt C. Abbott
November 22, 2008
USA Today has published an online editorial — their view — praising "longtime abortion foes" (ahem) Douglas Kmiec and Joel Hunter, and other (unnamed) sell-outs . . .
Matt C. Abbott
November 20, 2008
The following essay, written by Dr. Peter Kwasniewski, is reprinted (with permission) from the summer 2008 issue of Catholic Men's . . .
Matt C. Abbott
November 19, 2008
And now for a brief break from the not-so-nice news of the day....
I always appreciate receiving complimentary e-mails from readers, so I was quite pleased . . .
Matt C. Abbott
November 18, 2008
By now, many Catholics (and non-Catholics) are familiar with the recent controversy surrounding South Carolina priest Father Jay Scott Newman.
The following . . .
Matt C. Abbott
November 17, 2008
The following is the text of a complaint recently filed against Bishop Matthew Clark and the Rochester Catholic diocese. (Warning: contains graphic descriptions . . .
Matt C. Abbott
November 16, 2008
It sure seems that way.
Like a bad sexually-transmitted disease, protests against California Proposition 8 are spreading rapidly to other states, including . . .
Matt C. Abbott
November 9, 2008
In recent years, I've been a vocal critic — perhaps the most vocal critic — of Father Andrew Greeley.
Despite that, I was saddened to learn of his serious . . .
Matt C. Abbott
November 7, 2008
A reader sent me some recent correspondence between herself and Los Angeles Auxiliary Bishop Edward Clark.
A very brief background of the matter: The reader, . . .
Matt C. Abbott
November 6, 2008
The following is a sampling of what some relatively prominent, non-liberal Catholics had to say about the Nov. 4 election results.
Father Frank Pavone:
. . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 30, 2008
Many thanks to Elizabeth Mitchell, Ph.D., director of development at Trinity Academy in Pewaukee, Wis., and ENDOW, "a Catholic educational program that brings . . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 29, 2008
Sadly, it seems there's at least one priest in California who supports Barack Obama. (Gosh, for a while there, I thought it was just Fathers Michael Pfleger and . . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 20, 2008
"I am a survivor of clergy sexual abuse," writes Richard C. Gee.
In July of this year, Mr. Gee gave a statement to the review board of the Newark, N.J., . . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 17, 2008
The following essay was provided to me, upon my request, by Father Robert Markovitch, M.D., a Catholic priest of the Eastern rite. (For those who would like to . . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 12, 2008
A reader, "James," recently sent me the following e-mail (unedited, save for his real name, as are his subsequent e-mails printed below . . .
Matt C. Abbott
September 17, 2008
Two Catholic men were recently arrested for passing out pro-life, anti-Obama literature at the basilica in Baltimore, according to a Sept. 15 news release on . . .
Matt C. Abbott
September 11, 2008
Peter B. Kelly is a practicing attorney and traditional Catholic who works in Monroe, Wis.
He has quite an impressive educational background: Bachelor of . . .
Matt C. Abbott
August 30, 2008
Regular readers of this column know I don't write extensively on secular politics. That said, I must say this: I'm pleased with John McCain's choice for running . . .
Matt C. Abbott
August 26, 2008
From an Aug. 21, 2008 SNAP news release:
"'A California appeals court has upheld a lower court's finding that a Catholic priest molested a boy and his church . . .
Matt C. Abbott
August 19, 2008
From Eric Scheidler, communications director for the Pro-Life Action League:
"'I really need your prayers and support this week.
'This Friday, August 22, . . .
Matt C. Abbott
July 19, 2008
One movie I'm very much looking forward to seeing is The Dark Knight, the just-released sequel to Batman Begins. The reviews have been mostly positive, . . .
Matt C. Abbott
July 17, 2008
The Pro-Life Action League's summer 2008 Face the Truth tour is well underway in the greater Chicagoland area. Eric Scheidler, son of veteran pro-life activist . . .
Matt C. Abbott
June 26, 2008
The following article, written by Kevin Clark, is reprinted (with permission) from the Spring 2008 issue of Catholic Men's Quarterly.
The Evolution of a . . .
Matt C. Abbott
June 6, 2008
A reader asked:
"Is the Catholic Church not able to discipline [Father Michael Pfleger]? I am not Catholic but my son converted to Catholicism in 2006. While . . .
Matt C. Abbott
June 3, 2008
I think it's accurate to say there are at least two "churches" with the name Catholic. The true Catholic Church — the bride of Christ — is comprised of the . . .
Matt C. Abbott
May 30, 2008
The following lawsuit was filed May 23, 2008 against Father Gary Mercure, Bishop Howard Hubbard and the Albany Catholic diocese.
Several years ago, Father . . .
Matt C. Abbott
May 20, 2008
Earlier this month, the Catholic League issued a news release in response to an April 29, 2008 media advisory titled "Pope Gets Pass on Church Abuse History" . . .
Matt C. Abbott
May 16, 2008
Father Angel Sotelo, of the Fresno, Calif., Catholic diocese, on the May 15 California Supreme Court ruling striking down the state's ban on homosexual . . .
Matt C. Abbott
May 14, 2008
I received a rather eyebrow-raising e-mail today (edited):
"'Hello Matt: My name is Cynthia and I am the associate casting producer for the Reality TV show . . .
Matt C. Abbott
May 4, 2008
I recently received the following e-mail:
"'I am the clinical administrator of a hospice company in [city deleted]. We have extremely rigid federal . . .
Matt C. Abbott
May 3, 2008
From Sue Lopez, of the Helpers of God's Precious Infants in the San Diego Catholic diocese:
"'Thank you to all who attended Mass at Good Shepherd on Saturday . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 28, 2008
Hooray for Arlene Sawicki!
Mrs. Sawicki, whom I've known for several years, is quite the Catholic and pro-life activist. She co-founded Vote Life America and . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 25, 2008
In response to Father Andrew Greeley's recent dig at the Cardinal Newman Society, the organization's president, Patrick J. Reilly, provided me with the . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 20, 2008
In recent days, articles have been written about a rather disgusting situation at Yale University.
According to an April 18, 2008 story on FOXNews.com:
" . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 18, 2008
I can't imagine anyone accusing Bill Donohue, president of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, of not speaking his mind.
Case in point: In a . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 15, 2008
Perhaps Pope Benedict's visit to the U.S. will be a sign of hope to certain priests who are suffering greatly.
Readers might recall my coverage of Father Joe . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 13, 2008
Father Andrew Greeley is at it again.
Defending Sen. Barack Obama, Father Greeley wrote on April 2:
"'...My favorite recent outbursts of hate come from . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 9, 2008
I'm fairly confident I know who the suspect is in the 1998 unsolved murder of Father Alfred Kunz. I could be wrong, but, judging from this March 5, 2008 article . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 1, 2008
There is an interesting controversy brewing in the state of Georgia.
A recent e-mail circulated by Daniel Becker, president of Georgia Right to Life, . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 21, 2008
The following essay, written by Monsignor R. Michael Schmitz, vicar general and U.S. provincial superior of the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest, . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 18, 2008
Father Phillip W. De Vous — pastor of Divine Mercy Parish in Bellevue, Ky., and St. Bernard Parish in Dayton, Ky. — and Father Gregory E. Osburg — pastor of . . .
Matt C. Abbott
February 24, 2008
Over the last couple of years, I've received e-mails asking about the status of Father James Haley, the priest whose story is detailed in this 2004 Washington . . .
Matt C. Abbott
February 20, 2008
PLAINTIFF, Rev. Thomas Coover, of Dover, New Hampshire, brings this action against DEFENDANT, Roman Catholic Bishop of Manchester a/k/a Diocese of Manchester, . . .
Matt C. Abbott
February 17, 2008
On March 4, it will be ten years since the murder of Father Alfred Kunz. The case remains unsolved.
Jacek Cianciara remembers Father Kunz fondly.
"It is . . .
Matt C. Abbott
February 5, 2008
I received the following e-mail from Father Paul Ward, associate pastor of Assumption Grotto Catholic Church in Detroit.
"'I don't know who you are, but I . . .
Matt C. Abbott
February 1, 2008
I asked Father James Farfaglia, a priest of the Corpus Christi, Tex., Catholic diocese and a former member of the Legionaries of Christ, to comment on the death . . .
Matt C. Abbott
January 30, 2008
My Aug. 27, 2007 column "The abortion-seeking woman: perpetrator or victim?" brought forth a few interesting responses, including this one from an abortion . . .
Matt C. Abbott
January 16, 2008
The following is an excerpt from Joanne Connors-Wade's book No Tomorrows:
"In 1972 Danny Croteau was found floating in the Chicopee River. At the time, . . .
Matt C. Abbott
January 4, 2008
The following is the text of a brief (which, as you can see, isn't exactly brief) filed by prosecutors last month in the case of Father Gerald Robinson, who . . .
Matt C. Abbott
December 31, 2007
I doubt this will come as a shock to my readers, but, aside from John Allen's column and the occasional article, I don't much care for the National Catholic . . .
Matt C. Abbott
December 12, 2007
The following is an interview of Dr. Paul A. Byrne, a neonatalogist and clinical professor of pediatrics. The interview, conducted by Randy Engel, author and . . .
Matt C. Abbott
December 3, 2007
The following is Chapter 25 of David Yonke's book Sin, Shame, and Secrets: The Murder of a Nun, the Conviction of a Priest, and Cover-Up in the Catholic Church . . .
Matt C. Abbott
December 1, 2007
Many Catholics are familiar with, and have visited (including yours truly, in 1995), Medjugorje, a village in Bosnia-Herzegovina where the Blessed Virgin Mary . . .
Matt C. Abbott
November 23, 2007
I received the following (edited) e-mail from Father Jack Nordick, of the New Ulm, Minn., Catholic diocese:
"What we need to consider is that priests are as . . .
Matt C. Abbott
November 19, 2007
In addition to Father J. Patrick Serna, I asked Father John Trigilio, author, EWTN personality, and president of the Confraternity of Catholic Clergy, to . . .
Matt C. Abbott
November 18, 2007
Recent news that Father Francis Mary Stone has stepped down as host of EWTN's Life on the Rock youth program — after admitting to an inappropriate relationship . . .
Matt C. Abbott
November 9, 2007
Leon J. Podles, Ph.D., author and a senior editor of Touchstone: A Journal of Mere Christianity, has granted me permission to print a significant portion of the . . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 31, 2007
An appeals court has reinstated a civil suit against Father Gerald Robinson, the Toledo priest convicted in 2006 of the 1980 murder of Sister Margaret Ann Pahl. . . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 30, 2007
I must say that I was very disappointed to see the following blog post from the highly-respected LewRockwell.com site.
"Alan Keyes: The Deadbeat Candidate
. . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 27, 2007
I recently attended the 10th year anniversary benefit dinner for the Chicago-based Thomas More Society, Pro-Life Law Center, a "not-for-profit, public interest . . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 26, 2007
Religion journalist Gerald Renner has died of cancer. I quoted Mr. Renner in this 2006 column.
Stephen Brady, president of Roman Catholic Faithful, is . . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 23, 2007
The organization Cures Without Cloning has filed a lawsuit against Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan.
Writes pro-life nurse-activist Jill Stanek:
. . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 20, 2007
The following (unedited) essay was provided exclusively to yours truly by Father James Farfaglia, pastor of St. Helena of the True Cross Parish in Corpus . . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 17, 2007
In recent parish bulletins, Father J. Patrick Wissman, pastor of Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Bolivar, Mo., lashed out at Pope Benedict's motu proprio . . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 13, 2007
I'd like to put in a good word about Courage, "a spiritual support system which would assist men and women with same-sex attractions in living chaste lives in . . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 9, 2007
Colleen Perfect, president of Catholic Parents Online, writes:
"We recently discovered that the English Department of the University of St. Thomas, in St. . . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 3, 2007
Planned Parenthood being sued, for any reason, is music to my ears!
The following is the text of a libel lawsuit filed Oct. 1, 2007 on behalf of pro-lifers . . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 2, 2007
Readers may recall my coverage of various goings-on in the Miami archdiocese over the past couple of years.
Lo and behold, there is something new to report.. . . .
Matt C. Abbott
September 26, 2007
From Judy McCloskey:
"'Perhaps you would be interested in covering the work of CatholicMil.org. Please visit the Web sites www.catholicmil.org and www . . .
Matt C. Abbott
September 25, 2007
The following is an essay written by Father Richard Perozich, pastor of St. Mary Catholic Church in Escondido, Calif.
THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH
By Father . . .
Matt C. Abbott
September 22, 2007
New Hampshire Catholic priest Gordon MacRae was convicted in 1994 of sexual assault. He is serving a 33-and-a-half to 67-year prison sentence.
In 2005, . . .
Matt C. Abbott
September 21, 2007
In an update of sorts to my coverage of the relatively recent controversy involving the University of Detroit Mercy — which had advertised job opportunities at . . .
Matt C. Abbott
September 19, 2007
The following essay was written by Adolfo J. Castañeda, director of educational programs for Vida Humana Internacional, the Hispanic division of Human Life . . .
Matt C. Abbott
September 18, 2007
The following is a slightly edited e-letter from Ron Panzer, founder and executive director of Hospice Patients Alliance.
"'With all the talk by the . . .
Matt C. Abbott
August 29, 2007
In the last few weeks, I have received inquiries regarding the status of ProLifeSearch.com, which was featured in a previous column of mine but has since . . .
Matt C. Abbott
August 28, 2007
The following article, written by Diane Moczar, Ph.D., is reprinted (with permission) from the summer 2007 issue of The Latin Mass magazine. It is not . . .
Matt C. Abbott
August 22, 2007
The controversial Catholic order known as the Legion(aries) of Christ is suing ReGAIN, an organization comprised of former members of the Legion and its Regnum . . .
Matt C. Abbott
August 18, 2007
According to an Aug. 14, 2007 story in The Tribune-Democrat, by reporter Sandra K. Reabuck:
"'A priest allegedly had sexual relations with an inmate in a . . .
Matt C. Abbott
August 10, 2007
Once again, a problem has arisen with regard to Wikipedia.
On the page devoted to Miami Archbishop John Favalora, one of the site's "editors" had cited some . . .
Matt C. Abbott
August 5, 2007
From Catholic mother Dorothy Amorella:
''Parents must form the consciences of their children or someone else will.' So taught the late theologian Father . . .
Matt C. Abbott
August 2, 2007
The following is an edited version of a paper reportedly sent to certain priests in the Altoona-Johnstown, Pa., Catholic diocese regarding Father William . . .
Matt C. Abbott
July 29, 2007
I must say, I got a bit of a kick out of a recent post on the blog of Commonweal:
"'The Los Angeles abuse settlement continues to reverberate to a degree . . .
Matt C. Abbott
July 21, 2007
Informed Catholics know about Church-approved Marian apparitions such as Fatima, Lourdes and Guadalupe, but why were there so many reports of alleged . . .
Matt C. Abbott
July 19, 2007
It can be difficult nowadays to ascertain whether certain individuals are joking or serious about certain matters.
Seriously.
Father Reginald Foster is . . .
Matt C. Abbott
July 15, 2007
In case you haven't heard, the Los Angeles archdiocese has finally settled its numerous clergy abuse cases — to the tune of 666, er, $660 million.
Oh, and . . .
Matt C. Abbott
July 7, 2007
The much-anticipated (in certain Catholic circles, at least) motu proprio on the Traditional Latin Mass has finally been released by the Vatican.
According . . .
Matt C. Abbott
July 5, 2007
The "Catholic" dissident group Call to Action will be holding a conference on Aug. 22, 2007, at SS. Simon and Jude Parish in Westland, Mich.
One of the . . .
Matt C. Abbott
July 2, 2007
The following "weekly note" — a good one! — comes from the July 1, 2007 bulletin of St. Mary of the Angels Parish in Chicago. It was written by associate . . .
Matt C. Abbott
June 27, 2007
Meghan Frato sent me the following e-mail in response to my June 19, 2007 column on liturgical "go-go" dancers:
"I read your article about the liturgical . . .
Matt C. Abbott
June 19, 2007
A reader sent me the following photos of three girls (I've omitted their faces) — dressed rather provocatively — who, er, danced at a recent Franciscan Jubilee . . .
Matt C. Abbott
June 17, 2007
In response to a reader's inquiry regarding Catholic schools, Mary Ann Kreitzer, president of Les Femmes and the Catholic Media Coalition, wrote the following:
. . .
Matt C. Abbott
June 9, 2007
President Bush's nominee for surgeon general, Dr. James Holsinger, M.D., has come under fire recently from the homosexual lobby for his views and writings on . . .
Matt C. Abbott
May 31, 2007
Believe it or not, there is VATICAN: The Board Game, "designed for 2–6 players, ages 15 and up," created by Stephen Haliczer, Ph.D., a research professor at . . .
Matt C. Abbott
May 30, 2007
The following article, written by Tom Roeser, is reprinted (with permission) from the May 24, 2007 issue of The Wanderer. For subscriptions, call 651-224-573 . . .
Matt C. Abbott
May 28, 2007
Jeanine Notter is a practicing Catholic, mother of six, and host of her own television talk show, "Chattin' with Jeanine," which airs on Merrimack Community . . .
Matt C. Abbott
May 18, 2007
When I began my activities in the right-to-life ministry in the late 1990s, I did some volunteer work for, and was subsequently employed part-time by, a crisis . . .
Matt C. Abbott
May 17, 2007
I received the following e-mail from Bishop Robert F. Vasa, of the Baker, Ore., Catholic diocese. (Bishop Vasa is one of the few bishops who would deny Holy . . .
Matt C. Abbott
May 7, 2007
According to a May 5, 2007 story on wbbm780.com:
"'The Chicago City Council's Health Committee this week held a hearing on racial and economic disparities in . . .
Matt C. Abbott
May 3, 2007
Pro-abortion senator and presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton reportedly will be the featured guest at a lunch benefit for the Mercy Home for Boys and . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 26, 2007
I recently attended a funeral Mass at a parish in the Madison, Wis., diocese (the same diocese, incidentally, in which the murdered Father Alfred Kunz had . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 25, 2007
I once had "apparition fever." I remember it well.
In the 1990s, during and after high school (1990-1994), I became very interested in Marian apparitions, . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 24, 2007
I received the following (edited) e-mail from Brother Andre Marie, M.I.C.M., of the Saint Benedict Center:
"'There is now afoot a very nasty concerted effort . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 21, 2007
Commonweal Magazine has a featured article titled "Vengeance Time: When Abuse Victims Squander Their Moral Authority," by Mark A. Sargent.
Barbara Blaine, . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 18, 2007
In perhaps one of the most pro-abortion commentaries in recent years, Caitlin Moran, columnist for The Times, wrote:
"...In short, while I am now packing . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 16, 2007
From fellow Catholic writer Dr. Brian Kopp, moderator of the Universal Indult forum (edited):
"On Saturday, April 14, 2007, St. Clare of Assisi Church in . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 15, 2007
On April 5, 2007, Robert Sungenis, founder and president of Catholic Apologetics International, sent the following (slightly edited) e-mail to a number of . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 12, 2007
In a Dec. 2006 column, I printed an excerpt from Toledo Blade religion editor David Yonke's book Sin, Shame and Secrets which stated that "privileged" diocesan . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 11, 2007
Most orthodox Catholics know all too well the current state of Catholic higher education.
It ain't pretty.
Over the last few decades, many Catholic . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 7, 2007
The following article, by J.M. McCarthy, is reprinted (with permission) from the Winter/Spring 2007 issue of Catholic Men's Quarterly. I wish all my readers a . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 4, 2007
I have much respect for Judie Brown, the blunt and articulate president of the American Life League.
We are very much of like mind, although Judie is a . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 2, 2007
The following is the eulogy given by SNAP board member Peter Isely at the funeral of his mother, Magdalene, who recently passed away.
"The Our Father, the . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 1, 2007
"A March of Dimes Primer — The A-Z of Eugenic Killing" by Randy Engel, national director of the U.S. Coalition for Life and the executive director of the . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 31, 2007
The following clarification appears in the April 1-14, 2007 edition of the Catholic New World — the official newspaper of the Chicago archdiocese — seemingly in . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 30, 2007
Bishop Robert Lynch is in the news again.
The brother of the late Terri Schiavo, Bobby Schindler, recently wrote a letter to Lynch taking him to task "for . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 29, 2007
Real Abortion Stories: The Hurting and The Healing is a new book edited by Barbara Horak.
According to one account:
"Abortion has impacted millions of . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 27, 2007
Very recently, on a Catholic e-mail list to which I belong, a discussion began regarding modesty in dress.
I thought it would make for an interesting column, . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 24, 2007
The University of Detroit Mercy, a Catholic institution that was the subject of a previous column, has cried uncle.
Specifically, UDM's administration has . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 22, 2007
Recently, the radically left-wing, pro-abortion Southern Poverty Law Center issued a report on anti-Semitism among "radical traditionalist Catholics."
John . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 21, 2007
Father J. Patrick Serna, pastor of St. Michael the Archangel Parish in the Diocese of Corpus Christi, Texas, provided me with the following observations . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 19, 2007
The following is an excerpt from a news story in the March 18-31, 2007 Catholic New World (not yet available online). It's likely to cause a bit of a stir, I . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 18, 2007
Paul Likoudis, news editor for the The Wanderer, is, in my opinion, one of the best Catholic journalists around.
In 2002, Likoudis published a book titled . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 16, 2007
Post-abortion e-cards are in the news.
Thanks to Exhale — which "believes abortion can be a normal part of the reproductive lives of women and girls" — you . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 15, 2007
A clarification from Bishop Rene H. Gracida in response to my previous column on Gen. Peter Pace:
"Far from being critical of Gen. Pace, I was supporting him . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 14, 2007
In response to the story regarding Marine Gen. Peter Pace and his remarks about homosexual behavior, the Most Rev. Rene Henry Gracida, D.D., Bishop Emeritus of . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 8, 2007
Harvard. Yale. Vassar. Boston University.
What do they have in common?
Yes, they are indeed known for being prestigious institutions of higher learning. . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 7, 2007
The following is the text of a complaint filed March 7, 2007 on behalf of a girl who alleges sexual abuse by a Miami archdiocese youth . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 5, 2007
The following article, by Randy Engel, is reprinted (with permission) from the Feb. 2007 issue of Catholic Family News.
Sister Jeannine Gramick
and the . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 4, 2007
On March 3, I saw Breach, the feature film based on the true story of former FBI agent Robert Hanssen, who was sentenced to life in prison for spying for the . . .
Matt C. Abbott
February 22, 2007
Well, it's official.
Ave Maria School of Law is moving to Florida.
According to a Feb. 21, 2007 story in the Detroit Free Press:
"Ave Maria School of . . .
Matt C. Abbott
February 20, 2007
The following is the text of a motion recently filed in a pending case in Cleveland.
IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF OHIO . . .
Matt C. Abbott
February 17, 2007
The following essay was written by Father James Farfaglia, of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Corpus Christi, Texas. (It is exclusive to this column.)
STATE . . .
Matt C. Abbott
February 15, 2007
Former Kansas Attorney General Phill Kline has e-mailed the following message to his supporters. It is an explanation of recent developments in the case . . .
Matt C. Abbott
February 12, 2007
A reader sent me the following photos of the office doors of two professors at University of Detroit Mercy, "a Catholic university in the Jesuit and Mercy . . .
Matt C. Abbott
February 9, 2007
Michael T. Ross, MD, president of the Family Rights Coalition of Michigan, sent the following (slightly edited) e-mail to Carolyn Witte, the principal of Mercy . . .
Matt C. Abbott
February 8, 2007
Not surprisingly, I've received a few e-mails taking me to task for my previous column regarding Bishop Thomas Gumbleton. In that column, I quoted Catholic . . .
Matt C. Abbott
February 7, 2007
This caught my eye.
From a news release (edited):
"Administrators at Mercy High School, a Catholic school located in Farmington Hills, Mich., abruptly . . .
Matt C. Abbott
February 5, 2007
Retired Detroit Auxiliary Bishop Thomas Gumbleton, who for some time has been a favorite among dissenting Catholics, was recently shunned by Bishop Gerald . . .
Matt C. Abbott
January 24, 2007
The following essay, by Father J. Patrick Serna, is reprinted (with permission) from the Fall/Winter 2006 issue of Catholic Men's Quarterly.
Faith, Reason, . . .
Matt C. Abbott
January 23, 2007
A reader has alerted me to an online photo showing Chicago priest-activist Father Michael Pfleger, who has publicly fawned over pro-abortion U.S. Sen. Barack . . .
Matt C. Abbott
January 21, 2007
Well, I rarely write about sports in this column (which is obvious to my regular readers), but I do want to give a big kudos to Chicago Bears majority owner . . .
Matt C. Abbott
January 17, 2007
My focus usually isn't on the secular political scene, but this item begs for a bit of commentary.
Chicago's liberal activist priest, Father Michael Pfleger, . . .
Matt C. Abbott
January 13, 2007
The following commentary, by Mark Crutcher, president of Life Dynamics Incorporated, is reprinted from the Dec. 2006 issue of Pro-Life News, the (pro-life) . . .
Matt C. Abbott
December 29, 2006
The NFL football season is coming to a close, and the playoffs will soon be upon us. Which makes this item newsworthy, I think.
The Dallas Cowboys Football . . .
Matt C. Abbott
December 27, 2006
The following is the text of a countersuit recently filed against the Chicago archdiocese in response to Father Robert Stepek's defamation lawsuit against his . . .
Matt C. Abbott
December 23, 2006
On Dec. 23, 2006, a group of pro-life activists held its fourth annual "Empty Manger" Christmas Caroling Day. The event, sponsored by the Pro-Life Action . . .
Matt C. Abbott
December 22, 2006
I thought it would be fitting to print the following Christmas poem, composed by Susan Gorski, a friend of mine.
The hour approaches
The time is so near
He . . .
Matt C. Abbott
December 18, 2006
By now, many people are at least marginally familiar with the Father Gerald Robinson case in Toledo, Ohio. Robinson was convicted on May 11, 2006 of murdering . . .
Matt C. Abbott
December 15, 2006
From a Dec. 14, 2006 story in the Chicago Sun-Times:
"Two brothers who were sued for defamation last month by a Roman Catholic priest who they say sexually . . .
Matt C. Abbott
December 14, 2006
Former Dominican Father John O'Connor died on Dec. 7, 2006 of complications from a cardiac arrest.
I thought it would be fitting to print the following . . .
Matt C. Abbott
December 6, 2006
I received the following e-mail, dated Dec. 6, 2006, from Maurice Healy, a spokesman for the San Francisco archdiocese whom I quoted in a previous column:
"I . . .
Matt C. Abbott
December 5, 2006
Gotta love spokespersons for a diocese. They have to make their bosses look good, no matter the situation or scandal. Good public relations, you see.
So it . . .
Matt C. Abbott
December 3, 2006
Author and researcher Dr. Judith A. Reisman takes issue with large portions of the Wikipedia entry about her. She says that her fully cited corrections made to . . .
Matt C. Abbott
December 1, 2006
In July 2006, a jury "found in favor of Joey Piscitelli, a former altar boy who was abused by the Rev. Stephen Whelan, a vice principal, when he was a freshman . . .
Matt C. Abbott
November 23, 2006
A Nov. 13, 2006 AP story reported that "[t]wo women were arrested after they chained themselves to the front doors of a [New York] Catholic diocese building to . . .
Matt C. Abbott
November 18, 2006
The following is a lengthy essay by Father Donald J. Keefe, S.J., who worked for Cardinal (then Archbishop) James Stafford in the early 1990s.
THE . . .
Matt C. Abbott
November 17, 2006
Father John Trigilio has issued the following (unedited) response to a recent editorial in Commonweal magazine:
"As President of the Confraternity of . . .
Matt C. Abbott
November 12, 2006
When Jane McCaffrey was 19, she had an experience that changed her life.
"I was working for a Catholic OB/GYN, and my job was to assist in the front office . . .
Matt C. Abbott
November 11, 2006
The following pro-lifers were gracious enough to offer their comments on the election results.
Father James Farfaglia, pastor of St. Helena of the True Cross . . .
Matt C. Abbott
November 10, 2006
The following is an edited news release from Randy Engel, author of The Rite of Sodomy — Homosexuality and the Roman Catholic Church:
The Proposed Guidelines . . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 27, 2006
Some pro-life women are gearing up to answer Ms. magazine's recent pro-abortion advertisement with an advertisement of their own.
Georgette Forney, president . . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 26, 2006
STOPP International, a division of the American Life League, has the following item in its online newsletter (excerpted):
"In an outrageous decision, the . . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 23, 2006
Cathy Brueggemann Beil is the author of The Samurai and the Tea: A Legacy of Japan's Early Christians, an historical novel "of a Japanese-American Catholic boy . . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 20, 2006
In a past column, I wrote about author Zelie Redmond, who hopes her children's books will inspire vocations to the religious life at an early age.
Redmond . . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 19, 2006
As reported by the Catholic News Agency, the Catholic bishops of California have publicly criticized America magazine and attorney/law professor Marci Hamilton . . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 18, 2006
In the Oct. 3, 2006 edition of the Johnstown Tribune-Democrat, there was a letter to the editor from Monsignor Michael A. Becker of St. Benedict Roman Catholic . . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 14, 2006
The following article, written by Mark Crutcher, is reprinted from the Sept. 2006 newsletter of Life Dynamics, Inc.
This is truly the golden age for men who . . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 6, 2006
From the Web site of the Catholic Pastoral Committee on Sexual Minorities:
"Dignity Twin Cities invites you to join us as we celebrate Solidarity Sunday on . . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 3, 2006
Timothy Parsons-Heather, author and president of The Morning Star of Our Lord, Inc. — and who was the subject of a recent column — sent me the following . . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 2, 2006
Two former Catholic priests, Cliff Garner and Jon O'Guinn, "married" each other in 2004, as one can see from their Web site (which includes a wedding album).
. . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 1, 2006
Stephen Brady, founder and president of Roman Catholic Faithful, has been criticized in a Sept. 30, 2006 commentary published in The State Journal-Register.
. . .
Matt C. Abbott
September 25, 2006
From a recent (edited) news release:
Former priest and Loyola Professor Emeritus Eugene C. Kennedy broke the silence surrounding Randy Engel's controversial . . .
Matt C. Abbott
September 23, 2006
The following is the text of the eighth chapter of Lime 5, a book written by pro-life activist Mark Crutcher. Crutcher is the founder and president of Life . . .
Matt C. Abbott
September 19, 2006
Barbara Samide was the principal at a Catholic school in Queens, N.Y.
In a lawsuit filed in 2002 against the Brooklyn diocese — which is presently in the . . .
Matt C. Abbott
September 17, 2006
From a source in Iraq:
A third priest may now have become a victim of the violence and lawlessness in Baghdad. Father Basil Salem Yaldo was last seen leaving . . .
Matt C. Abbott
September 14, 2006
In the ongoing saga in the Diocese of Orange, Calif., Bishop Tod Brown has formally responded to the Catholic lay group Restore the Sacred. The text of the . . .
Matt C. Abbott
September 2, 2006
The following essay was written by Father Robert Hoatson.
At the July 21-23 SNAP (Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests) Conference at a Jersey City, . . .
Matt C. Abbott
September 1, 2006
The following (unedited) essay was provided to me by Father James Farfaglia, pastor of St. Helena of the True Cross of Jesus Catholic Church in Corpus Christi, . . .
Matt C. Abbott
August 31, 2006
The following is the text of a "friend of the court" brief (courtesy of the Thomas More Society) filed in support of the partial-birth abortion ban. (Click . . .
Matt C. Abbott
August 27, 2006
The following slightly edited essay was provided to me by Lee Podles, author of a forthcoming book on the clergy sex abuse scandal. (Note: Contains graphic . . .
Matt C. Abbott
August 22, 2006
The following essay was provided to me by Mary Ann Kreitzer, president of Les Femmes and president of the Catholic Media Coalition.
The Role of a Bishop: . . .
Matt C. Abbott
August 18, 2006
Few would dispute that the late Joseph Cardinal Bernardin exercised great influence in the Catholic Church in the U.S. Sadly, however, that influence was not . . .
Matt C. Abbott
August 14, 2006
Susan Gorski, a traditional Catholic and friend of mine, often has some very insightful observations and reflections on matters Catholic and life in general. . . .
Matt C. Abbott
August 12, 2006
The following is a slightly edited reprint from the summer 2006 newsletter of Catholic Citizens of Illinois.
Recognizing Sexual Predators or Disinformation?
. . .
Matt C. Abbott
August 10, 2006
Stephen Brady, founder and president of Roman Catholic Faithful, has issued the following (slightly edited) press release, dated Aug. 9, 2006.
On August 2, 2 . . .
Matt C. Abbott
August 9, 2006
The following is a slightly edited version of recent correspondence between Luana Stoltenberg, Iowa state leader of Operation Outcry, and the editor(s) of the . . .
Matt C. Abbott
August 8, 2006
I received the following (edited) e-mail from pro-life and Catholic activist Paula Emmerth:
"I don't know if you remember me, but I spoke to you a few weeks . . .
Matt C. Abbott
August 6, 2006
The Pew Research Center has released the results of a survey they conducted last month. According to the summary of findings:
Americans cannot be easily . . .
Matt C. Abbott
August 3, 2006
From Missionaries of the Eucharist:
Mission accomplished for the
Missionaries of the Eucharist!
Washington, DC — Inspired by the hope found in the . . .
Matt C. Abbott
August 1, 2006
Hollywood producer, writer and director Jonathan Flora has spoken out in defense of Mel Gibson. Flora provided me with the following (edited) statement:
. . .
Matt C. Abbott
July 27, 2006
The following is a slightly edited version of a talk given by Dr. Elizabeth Mitchell, director of development for Trinity Academy in Pewaukee, WI. Many thanks . . .
Matt C. Abbott
July 26, 2006
Silenced priest Father Robert Altier has responded to a recent letter by Dennis McGrath, communications director for the St. Paul-Minneapolis archdiocese, . . .
Matt C. Abbott
July 23, 2006
Occasionally I receive e-mails from readers whose worldview, is, well, far different from mine. If I respond, it is usually brief, for rarely do I have the . . .
Matt C. Abbott
July 21, 2006
The following are additional excerpts (note: contains graphic language) from Randy Engel's The Rite of Sodomy — Homosexuality and the Roman Catholic Church:
. . .
Matt C. Abbott
July 20, 2006
Dennis McGrath, communications director for the St. Paul-Minneapolis archdiocese, recently sent the following (slightly edited) e-mail to Kenneth M. Fisher, a . . .
Matt C. Abbott
July 19, 2006
I commend President Bush for vetoing the bill that would have increased federal funding for embryonic stem cell research.
Bottom line: One cannot commit an . . .
Matt C. Abbott
July 18, 2006
Randy Engel's The Rite of Sodomy tackles the subject of homosexuality from a non-fiction perspective; Bill Kassel's This Side of Jordan tackles the same subject . . .
Matt C. Abbott
July 16, 2006
Gloria Waldron Hukle, author of the historical novel Manhattan: Seeds of the Big Apple, has some fond memories of her nun-teachers.
"When I read of abuse by . . .
Matt C. Abbott
July 8, 2006
As the summer 2006 Face the Truth Tour, organized by the Pro-Life Action League (in the interest of full disclosure, the League is a former employer of mine), . . .
Matt C. Abbott
July 7, 2006
The following is an exclusive excerpt from Sex, Priests, and Secret Codes: The Catholic Church's 2,000-Year Paper Trail of Sexual Abuse (Volt Press, $29.95), a . . .
Matt C. Abbott
July 6, 2006
From Stephen Brady, founder and president of the Petersburg, Ill.-based Roman Catholic Faithful, regarding the Springfield, Ill. diocese:
"Yet another . . .
Matt C. Abbott
July 4, 2006
A reader alerted me to the Web site of St. Joan of Arc Church in the St. Paul-Minneapolis archdiocese.
The site is loaded with left-wing material, but this . . .
Matt C. Abbott
July 2, 2006
From Father J. Patrick Serna:
"I just wanted to say 'thank you' for passing on this last message from God through Father Todd. I'm glad you came across it.
. . .
Matt C. Abbott
June 30, 2006
The following article was written by Father J. Patrick Serna for Catholic Men's Quarterly. It is reprinted with permission from Father Serna and the editor and . . .
Matt C. Abbott
June 29, 2006
The controversial Catholic lay organization known as Voice of the Faithful might soon be officially calling for women's ordination.
I received the following . . .
Matt C. Abbott
June 27, 2006
Randy Engel's soon-to-be released, 1318-page book The Rite of Sodomy — Homosexuality and the Roman Catholic Church promises to be one of the most controversial . . .
Matt C. Abbott
June 26, 2006
Pat Byrnes, husband of strongly pro-abortion Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, will be speaking at four Catholic parishes in the Chicago archdiocese. His . . .
Matt C. Abbott
June 25, 2006
Writer, Catholic and pro-family activist Allyson Smith of San Diego, Calif., recently composed the following letter to Sonoma County District Attorney Stephan . . .
Matt C. Abbott
June 17, 2006
According to at least one Catholic priest, Sacred Scripture and Catholic Tradition are "rooted in shamanism."
Father Michael Wanda, associate pastor of Mary . . .
Matt C. Abbott
June 5, 2006
Walt and Wendy Cukierski are the proud parents of eleven "blessings" — Walter Jr., Weston, William, Wellsley, Wyatt, Wade, Waylan, Woodman, Walker, Wiley and . . .
Matt C. Abbott
May 19, 2006
The Vatican issued the following statement on May 19, 2006:
Beginning in 1998, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith received accusations, already . . .
Matt C. Abbott
May 18, 2006
Bishop Donald Wuerl of Pittsburgh has been appointed the new archbishop of Washington, succeeding Cardinal Theodore McCarrick.
The following article was . . .
Matt C. Abbott
May 16, 2006
Catholic Men's Quarterly is a relatively new "one-of-a-kind general interest men's magazine written by Catholic men for Catholic men." (And, no, it isn't anti . . .
Matt C. Abbott
May 15, 2006
(The following is a slightly revised version of an article that recently appeared in The Wanderer Catholic newspaper.)
Father John Hardon, S.J., is fondly . . .
Matt C. Abbott
May 13, 2006
The following is most of the text of two motions filed May 11, 2006 in Illinois. They involve lawsuits against the Rev. Daniel McCormack, a priest of the . . .
Matt C. Abbott
May 12, 2006
The following is a reprint of the May 5, 2006 Population Research Institute Weekly Briefing. "The pro-life Population Research Institute is dedicated to ending . . .
Matt C. Abbott
May 10, 2006
Dan Brown isn't the only person to espouse a conspiracy theory involving the Vatican.
Atila Sinke Guimarães and Marian T. Horvat of Tradition in Action believe . . .
Matt C. Abbott
May 8, 2006
Mike Tripoli, who provided me with the open letter to Bishop Tod Brown of Orange, Calif., has provided me with some additional information on the diocese.
. . .
Matt C. Abbott
May 6, 2006
In the ongoing Miami archdiocese saga, Nancy Heise, whom I have quoted in previous columns, has filed a "formal grievance" with the Vatican against Catholic . . .
Matt C. Abbott
May 4, 2006
For those who are interested in debating the various, er, aspects of Dan Brown's obscure little novel known as The Da Vinci Code — and whose feature film . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 28, 2006
The following letter comes from Catholic Citizens of Illinois.
April 21, 2006
Rev. Dennis Holtschneider, C.M., President
DePaul University
55 E. Jackson Blvd. . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 27, 2006
I recently found out that David DeMato, who graduated from my high school alma mater one year after I graduated (1994), is currently in Iraq helping to train . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 21, 2006
Mary C. Dunford, an alleged victim of sexual abuse by a nun, would like more attention to be paid to the victim-survivors of abuse by women religious.
States . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 20, 2006
The following was provided to me by Mike Tripoli. It is an open letter addressed to Bishop Tod Brown of the Orange, Calif., diocese. (Note: Some links . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 18, 2006
The family of actress Katie Holmes might not be so thrilled with her apparent conversion to Scientology — contrary to a recent report.
The Holmes family is . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 15, 2006
Mary Ann Kreitzer of Les Femmes and the Catholic Media Coalition sent out the following (slightly edited) e-letter regarding the resignation from the priesthood . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 11, 2006
Father Jeffrey Robideau of the Lansing, Mich., diocese, whom I've quoted in previous columns, has provided me with the following statement regarding University . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 10, 2006
I was given an opportunity to preview four out of five episodes of God or the Girl, a reality TV series that will air April 16, 17, 21, 22 and 23 on the A&E . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 8, 2006
The following is most of the text of a complaint filed April 6, 2006 in Chicago. Defendants in the lawsuit are the Chicago archdiocese and former priest Robert . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 5, 2006
Christian groups in the U.S. aren't the only ones mobilized to "battle" the upcoming 'Da Vinci Code' film.
The Philippine Crusade for the Defense of Christian . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 4, 2006
Former seminarian and alleged abuse victim-survivor Philip Hower of Tucson, Ariz., whose 2004 RICO suit against the Church was settled in 2005, remembers some . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 3, 2006
The following are the biblical explanations/meditations for each aspect of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass (from the April 2, 2006 bulletin of St. John Cantius . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 2, 2006
Vincent J. Nauheimer, whose son was molested by a priest of the New York archdiocese, has published a book titled Epistles on Clergy Abuse, which can be . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 20, 2006
Thanks to Paul Likoudis, news editor for The Wanderer Catholic newspaper, for allowing me to reprint one of his articles from the March 9, 2006 edition. For . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 18, 2006
Rick Ryan was once the drummer for a "glam" metal band called Hatrik. Now, many years later, he is a devout Catholic, aspiring priest and an effective sidewalk . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 15, 2006
Zelie Redmond, a mother of three children, ages 10, 8 and 6, hopes the Catholic children's book series she's authoring will plant a seed in the children reading . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 13, 2006
I have great respect and admiration for Mother Angelica, the founder of EWTN. In fact, call me a fan. She's been faithful, smart, blunt, inspirational, and . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 3, 2006
The Book of Revelation is perhaps the most mysterious book in Sacred Scripture. And there has been much speculation about it — some of it bordering on off-the . . .
Matt C. Abbott
February 28, 2006
Yours truly is delighted by the news that the U.S. Supreme Court has (once again) ruled in favor of Joe Scheidler and the Pro-Life Action League — my former . . .
Matt C. Abbott
February 24, 2006
Catholic attorney Sheila Parkhill, who for the past few years has been gathering information and evidence to eventually expose a clergy pedophile ring in the . . .
Matt C. Abbott
January 28, 2006
Some readers know I've been following — and have written about — the unsolved 1998 murder of Father Alfred Kunz, a canon lawyer and priest of the Diocese of . . .
Matt C. Abbott
January 27, 2006
The following is the text of a complaint filed Jan. 27, 2006 in Miami. The Defendants are Father Bernard Kirlin, Deacon Victor Pimentel and the Archdiocese of . . .
Matt C. Abbott
January 22, 2006
The following is the (slightly edited) text of a talk given by Dr. Elizabeth Mitchell, dean of students and development director for Trinity Academy in Pewaukee . . .
Matt C. Abbott
January 20, 2006
Stephen Marino is moderator of the Communitas Dei Patris (Families of God the Father) community based in Kettle River, Minn., which is co-sponsoring the . . .
Matt C. Abbott
January 16, 2006
Whistleblower priest Father Andrew Dowgiert, who sued the Archdiocese of Miami alleging wrongful termination and slander, has decided to drop his lawsuit.
The . . .
Matt C. Abbott
January 12, 2006
The Shrine of Our Lady of the Prairies in Powers Lake, North Dakota, has had its share of problems in the last several years. (It should be noted that the . . .
Matt C. Abbott
December 24, 2005
Quite an evening, I must say. Men in tuxedos. Women in fancy ball gowns. Drinks. Well-presented food. And music. Lots of music. I can still hear the band . . .
Matt C. Abbott
December 21, 2005
The Archdiocese of Cincinnati has a "gay" youth ministry, called Catholics Respecting Youth in Sexual Minorities (CRYSM), whose meetings are held at St. Xavier . . .
Matt C. Abbott
December 7, 2005
The following article, written by veteran Catholic journalist Jay McNally, is reprinted (with permission) from the Dec. 8, 2005 issue of The Wanderer. For . . .
Matt C. Abbott
December 3, 2005
Who says Catholic priests can't "marry"?
Father Vijaya Kumar Nalla did — to Judith Ann Ellis, in Las Vegas, on July 20, 2005. Marriage performed by the Rev. . . .
Matt C. Abbott
November 27, 2005
A reader has compiled a list of online articles pertaining to the issue of homosexuals in the priesthood. He writes the following:
"Many news stories are . . .
Matt C. Abbott
November 18, 2005
The following is a lengthy but eye-opening article from the Nov. 17, 2005 issue of The Wanderer (not available on the publication's website), which I am . . .
Matt C. Abbott
November 11, 2005
John Grasmeier is a 42-year-old Army veteran who served in Operation Desert Storm.
"I was in two different Army units, but the unit I served with in Iraq was . . .
Matt C. Abbott
November 10, 2005
A Nov. 10, 2005 story in the Washington Post, by Rob Stein, reports that "A first-trimester screening test can reliably identify fetuses likely to be born with . . .
Matt C. Abbott
November 6, 2005
Pamela Yates has been through quite a lot in the last 12 years. The New York native, raised by a Roman Catholic father and a Jewish mother, lost her 27-year . . .
Matt C. Abbott
November 4, 2005
Great news out of Milwaukee: On Saturday, Oct. 29, 2005, the Summit Women's Health Organization, an abortion facility located at 530 N. Water St. in Milwaukee, . . .
Matt C. Abbott
November 2, 2005
How's this for an outrage?
In Sacramento, Calif., a pro-life high school student, Katelyn Sills, has been expelled from an allegedly Catholic high school. The . . .
Matt C. Abbott
November 1, 2005
Father Jeffrey T. Robideau of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lansing, Mich., is speaking out in defense of Duquesne University student Ryan Miner, who, according . . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 31, 2005
This item courtesy of fellow Catholic journalist and commentator Barbara Kralis:
The Rev. Michael Monti Parise, pastor of St. Andrew Parish in Billerica, Mass. . . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 30, 2005
There is a new book on the market — one that many pro-lifers would likely be interested in reading: The Physicians' Crusade Against Abortion, authored by . . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 27, 2005
Joan Solms is a parishioner of Holy Angels Catholic Church in Aurora, Ill. The following is an edited letter she sent me regarding the parish and its pastor, . . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 26, 2005
Father John Hardon, S.J., died of natural causes in 2000. He was, by all accounts, a saintly priest and eminent theologian, authoring over 200 books pertaining . . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 25, 2005
Stephen Brady, founder and president of the Petersburg, Ill.-based Roman Catholic Faithful, a lay watchdog group, says that Father James Aquino, pastor of Our . . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 20, 2005
Move over, Ward Churchill — there is a professor who might be even more, er, controversial than you.
His name is Harry White, an English professor at . . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 18, 2005
The following is an edited statement issued by the family of the late Father Ryan Erickson, who recently was found by a judge to have likely been responsible . . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 17, 2005
WomanCare Services is a two-year-old pro-life crisis pregnancy center located in Berwyn, Ill.
Ember Normand, a young woman associated with the center, is . . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 13, 2005
Dawn Jackson had an abortion when she was a teenager.
The San Antonio, Texas resident still has painful memories of that time in her life.
"Back then [in 1974 . . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 12, 2005
Not surprisingly, there have been several news reports in recent days regarding various aspects of the now-closed murder case of Dan O'Connell and James Ellison . . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 10, 2005
Father Jeffrey T. Robideau, a priest of the Diocese of Lansing, Mich., has written a short 45-page book titled Homosexuality: A Look at Catholic Teaching. He . . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 9, 2005
In a September 9, 2005 column in The Tidings, the newspaper of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, renegade priest-professor Richard McBrien took a cheap shot at . . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 8, 2005
Jonathan Flora, a producer for the Walt Disney Company, has written and directed a 35-minute film on the subject of "partial-birth" abortion — and the buzz . . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 7, 2005
In response to my column on Father James Haley, I received the following (edited) e-mail from William R. Mann, a retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel who . . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 6, 2005
Was the Roman Catholic Diocese of Superior, Wis., always forthright about the late Father Ryan Erickson?
Consider the following items:
In an Oct. 4 story that . . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 4, 2005
Father James Haley of the Diocese of Arlington, Va., the whistle-blower priest whose story has been featured in the Washington Times, is once again speaking out . . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 1, 2005
The following is a short critique of a controversial "safe environment" program, courtesy of Catholic attorney Sheila Parkhill. (Note: The critique is unedited . . .
Matt C. Abbott
September 29, 2005
Not surprisingly, there are still some priests and laypersons who assert that homosexuality was and is not a factor in the clergy sex abuse scandal.
I don't . . .
Matt C. Abbott
September 28, 2005
Responding to my previous column, "A Catholic shrine in dispute," Noreen Von Zwehl, president and founder of the M.A.N. Foundation, issued the following . . .
Matt C. Abbott
September 26, 2005
Arline Saiki of Edmeston, New York, gives the following (edited) account of her dealings with a Catholic organization known as the Man Foundation:
"In 1999, my . . .
Matt C. Abbott
September 16, 2005
From Michael S. Rose, the Catholic author who brought us The Renovation Manipulation, Ugly As Sin, Priest, In Tiers of Glory and Goodbye, Good Men, comes a new . . .
Matt C. Abbott
September 15, 2005
First there was the report that Teresa Kettlecamp, who works for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' Office of Child and Youth Protection, "serves . . .
Matt C. Abbott
September 13, 2005
Cheng Tan of Jersey City, NJ, recently wrote the following letter to Archbishop John J. Myers of Newark (edited):
"Dear Archbishop Myers,
"It is with great . . .
Matt C. Abbott
September 12, 2005
Jason Berry, author of the books Vows of Silence: The Abuse of Power in the Papacy of John Paul II and Lead Us Not into Temptation: Catholic Priests and the . . .
Matt C. Abbott
September 4, 2005
Autumn Sabol is a young woman who loves to write mystery fiction — from an authentically Christian perspective. The 20-year-old college student has already . . .
Matt C. Abbott
September 1, 2005
In July 2004, former seminarian Philip Hower filed a RICO suit against several Catholic bishops and dioceses, alleging that his ordination was blocked because . . .
Matt C. Abbott
August 25, 2005
In 2004, there was the scandal of Loyola University Chicago School of Law, a Catholic institution, giving an award to strongly pro-abortion Illinois Attorney . . .
Matt C. Abbott
August 17, 2005
Jim Finnegan is a faithful Catholic and veteran pro-life activist, courageous and compassionate. I've had the pleasure of knowing him for the last several . . .
Matt C. Abbott
August 16, 2005
The following are reprints of two recent articles from a publication titled Concerned Catholics Courier. They were written by Diane Levero, who can be reached . . .
Matt C. Abbott
August 13, 2005
In the summer 2005 newsletter (not yet available online) of the Petersburg, Ill.-based Roman Catholic Faithful, Inc. (www.rcf.org), RCF founder and president . . .
Matt C. Abbott
July 23, 2005
From Emily Bissonnette, American Life League's Crusade for Life media director:
"I thought you might be interested in an update on the 2005 Crusade for Life . . .
Matt C. Abbott
July 20, 2005
I asked Catholic psychiatrist William F. Woods, M.D., of Chesapeake, Va., about the recent controversy surrounding actor (and Church of Scientology member) Tom . . .
Matt C. Abbott
July 18, 2005
It's clear that Christians are divided over the Harry Potter books, and in particular, whether children reading them will be attracted to the occult.
But the . . .
Matt C. Abbott
July 17, 2005
From the July 17, 2005 bulletin of Chicago's Holy Name Cathedral:
"More than one person reported to me [Father Dan Mayall, pastor] the lady who roller skated . . .
Matt C. Abbott
July 14, 2005
The Rev. Richard Perozich of the San Diego diocese, currently ministering in Honduras as a Maryknoll priest associate, has helped those Catholics who suffer . . .
Matt C. Abbott
July 11, 2005
Phillip J. Kronzer is the controversial founder of the Phillip J. Kronzer Foundation for Religious Research (www.kronzer.org). For a background of Kronzer and . . .
Matt C. Abbott
July 7, 2005
I recently received an e-mail from reader Jacob Clark, who was responding to my "Africa, AIDS, homosexuality, pedophilia" column. As I often like to do, I . . .
Matt C. Abbott
July 6, 2005
I always have to shake my head when the pro-abortion mentality rears its ugly head. And it does so many times. Far too many times.
Readers might recall my . . .
Matt C. Abbott
July 4, 2005
Susan Gorski of Naperville, Ill., has fond memories of her father, Andrew J. Gorski. She tells the following story:
"I hope this doesn't sound too silly, but . . .
Matt C. Abbott
July 1, 2005
In 2004, there was an outcry among orthodox Catholics over the fact that Loyola University Chicago School of Law had given an award to pro-abortion Illinois . . .
Matt C. Abbott
June 28, 2005
A boyhood friend of the late Father Ryan Erickson, who hanged himself in Dec. 2004 after being questioned about a 2002 double homicide, can't believe the priest . . .
Matt C. Abbott
June 23, 2005
I received the following e-mail, dated June 22, 2005, from the Rev. Robert M. Hoatson of the Archdiocese of Newark (slightly edited):
For the past year, I have . . .
Matt C. Abbott
June 22, 2005
I received the following e-mail, dated June 21, 2005, from James Goodness, director of communications for the Archdiocese of Newark:
Mr. Abbott:
I am . . .
Matt C. Abbott
June 20, 2005
There is so much of this type of thing that it's becoming a non-story. Still, it doesn't hurt to shed a little light on the darkness, particularly when it . . .
Matt C. Abbott
June 19, 2005
In response to a previous column of mine on hospice care, I received the following (edited) e-mail from hospice nurse Laurie Walton of Davie, Florida:
"I am . . .
Matt C. Abbott
June 16, 2005
There's a new book out on the Terri Schiavo tragedy. It's titled Remembering Terri Schiavo: Reflections of a Health Care Warrior, authored by Audrey Ignatoff, . . .
Matt C. Abbott
June 15, 2005
Canada is fast becoming a dangerous place to live — if you're a Christian.
Case in point: Bill Whatcott, a Canadian pro-life activist who heads a group called . . .
Matt C. Abbott
June 9, 2005
The following is the story of Michael Iatesta, a survivor of clergy abuse. It is a slightly edited version of a statement he gave at an April 17 press . . .
Matt C. Abbott
June 5, 2005
Caron Strong is a former actress who has appeared on TV and in film. She's the mother of a young daughter, Cayla, her pride and joy.
Caron recently became the . . .
Matt C. Abbott
June 3, 2005
Some nice news for a change.
The Chicago-based Illinois Club for Catholic Women has given $100,000 to Catholic Charities of Chicago to assist in the building . . .
Matt C. Abbott
June 2, 2005
During the last three decades, the issue of overpopulation — or perceived overpopulation — has been discussed in various capacities. The primary instigators of . . .
Matt C. Abbott
May 31, 2005
From Emily Bissonnette, media director for the "Crusade for Life":
"Last year, I was very blessed to take part in the 'Crusade for Life' 1,300 mile walk to . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 24, 2005
Not surprisingly, Catholic and secular liberals have been expressing their disappointment — or downright dismay — at the election of Joseph Ratzinger as Pope . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 23, 2005
A while back, I wrote a commentary titled "The Morality of Prenatal Diagnosis." The following is a significant portion of a testimony recently sent to me by . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 21, 2005
Some good news for a change. At least for faithful Catholics.
On April 20, a sizable number of young Catholics rallied in support of the new pope, Benedict . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 20, 2005
I received the following e-mail from Joe Stong, a former seminarian with the Legionaries of Christ and current member of Regnum Christi, regarding the . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 16, 2005
Conservative commentator Hugh Hewitt made a good observation in recent days. He said that "most of the American media is simply ignorant of the pope's critics . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 14, 2005
Recent press reports indicating the late Father Ryan Erickson, 31, was likely involved in a double homicide have not been confirmed or denied by the Hudson, Wis . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 6, 2005
Renegade priest-author and Chicago Sun-Times columnist Andrew Greeley asserted the following in an April 6, 2005 column titled, "Perhaps church will someday . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 30, 2005
I received the following e-mail from Ron Panzer, president of Hospice Patients Alliance (www.hospicepatients.org/euth-center.html):
Right to life organizations . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 29, 2005
How's this for a lil' pro-life miracle?
Marge, a friend and dedicated pro-lifer, was recently at a prayer group with Rick Ryan, another dedicated pro-lifer and . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 26, 2005
The unfolding Terri Schiavo tragedy has brought the living will legal document into the forefront of the news. The consensus of these reports: have the . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 24, 2005
(The following is an open letter signed by several Catholic commentators. It was composed by Pete Vere.)
As we commit this reflection to writing, Terri . . .
Matt C. Abbott
March 22, 2005
I have mixed feelings about the U.S. Catholic bishops' new campaign to work for the abolition of the death penalty. I do agree with Pope John Paul's call to . . .
Matt C. Abbott
February 13, 2005
Hearing the sad news of the death of Sister Lucia of Fatima, I wonder: What was the significance of the Blessed Virgin Mary (who presented herself as the Lady . . .
Matt C. Abbott
February 3, 2005
I recently received the following e-mail from Father Richard Perozich:
Dear Mr. Abbott,
I worked with Courage in San Diego, California for 7 years before . . .
Matt C. Abbott
January 31, 2005
In a recent e-mail exchange with pro-life/pro-family activist Arlene Sawicki, Chicago's very own Catholic homosexual activist, Rick Garcia, political director . . .
Matt C. Abbott
January 24, 2005
In Dec. 2003, a group of 23 Chicago priests sent a letter to Francis Cardinal George lamenting the Vatican's alleged mistreatment of homosexuals. Six months . . .
Matt C. Abbott
January 22, 2005
I received the following e-mail from Susan Gorski of Naperville, Ill.
In my time working with the missions and missionary groups, my greatest joy was to become . . .
Matt C. Abbott
January 9, 2005
E-mails from the Rev. Ryan Erickson, the Hurley, Wis. Catholic priest who committed suicide last month after being questioned in the investigation of a still . . .
Matt C. Abbott
January 7, 2005
A January 4 story in the Washington Post said that more adult women are choosing not to use contraception. Interestingly, this story comes almost at the heels . . .
Matt C. Abbott
December 20, 2004
In response to my previous column on the Legionaries of Christ controversy, I received the following e-mail from journalist Jason Berry, co-author of the book . . .
Matt C. Abbott
December 17, 2004
Ever wonder about the origin of, and symbolism behind, the candy cane? I hadn't — until the other day.
(I know this isn't exactly a pressing matter, but, hey, . . .
Matt C. Abbott
December 11, 2004
I received the following e-mail from Gabrielle Azzaro of Cardiff, Calif.
"I am one of the survivors/victims who met recently with the Leadership Conference of . . .
Matt C. Abbott
December 10, 2004
The following information comes from journalist Lee Podles, whose book, 'A Harsh Light: Sexual Abuse in the Catholic Church,' is due out relatively soon.
. . .
Matt C. Abbott
December 9, 2004
I received the following e-mail letter from Mary Dunford of Eagan, Minn.
"Dear Mr. Abbott,
"You published one of my letters June 14, 2004. In it I explained . . .
Matt C. Abbott
December 8, 2004
For those who might be interested in learning more about canon law — the "internal legal system" of the Catholic Church — there is a dandy new book on the . . .
Matt C. Abbott
December 7, 2004
As many who have been following the clergy sex abuse scandal should know by now, there has been a debate of sorts over the issue of homosexuals in the . . .
Matt C. Abbott
December 6, 2004
The Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, held from 1962 to 1965 at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, had as its objectives to seek the renewal of the Catholic Church . . .
Matt C. Abbott
December 5, 2004
With all the attention on the clergy sex abuse scandal in the Catholic Church, problems of abuse in other religions seemingly get overlooked to some degree.
I . . .
Matt C. Abbott
December 2, 2004
Rep. Henry A. Waxman (D-Calif.) is an advocate of Planned Parenthood-style "comprehensive" sex education.
According to a story in the Dec. 2, 2004 edition of . . .
Matt C. Abbott
November 26, 2004
The clergy sex abuse scandal that has shaken the Catholic Church in the last few years continues to make news.
Sheila Parkhill, a noted Catholic attorney who . . .
Matt C. Abbott
November 20, 2004
Father James Haley is angry. A case of righteous anger, it seems.
The whistleblower priest of the Diocese of Arlington, Virginia, featured in a Nov. 15 story . . .
Matt C. Abbott
November 7, 2004
There is no doubt that January 22, 1973 was one of the darkest days in our nation's history. On that day, the U.S. Supreme Court decided that unborn children . . .
Matt C. Abbott
November 5, 2004
The radical animal rights organization known as PETA — which stands for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals — is no stranger to controversy. Indeed, for . . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 20, 2004
At a time when political propaganda fills the airwaves and dominates the mass media here in the U.S., the "walk-the-walk" pro-lifers are still in the trenches, . . .
Matt C. Abbott
October 17, 2004
Newsweek magazine reports that Mel Gibson's hugely successful film, 'The Passion of the Christ,' is unlikely to get an Oscar nomination for best picture.
(See . . .
Matt C. Abbott
September 23, 2004
It's always nice to hear about the fruits of the efforts of pro-lifers who are on the "front-lines," so to speak. Not that working "behind-the-scenes" in the . . .
Matt C. Abbott
July 30, 2004
I'm going to tell you about a woman who practices and preaches good healthcare. And no, I'm not talking about Teresa Heinz Kerry or Hillary Clinton. Please. . . .
Matt C. Abbott
July 11, 2004
Every Saturday, dedicated pro-lifers — women and men — pray and sidewalk counsel at Chicago area abortion clinics, hoping to persuade the abortion-bound women . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 21, 2004
Prenatal diagnosis (also known as prenatal genetic testing) — procedures such as amniocentesis, chorionic villus sampling (CVS), maternal serum alpha . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 16, 2004
I remember reading an article about why MTV's music videos are so raunchy. An official of the contemporary music television station was quoted as saying that . . .
Matt C. Abbott
April 4, 2004
The Rev. Alfred J. Kunz was a priest known and consulted by many in the Catholic Church. He was a canon lawyer, meaning he had thorough expertise in the laws . . .
