Cover Story |
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Our Quiet Pope
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| Pope Benedict modestly says that his pontificate is simply a continuation of his great predecessor’s. But as he completes his first year in office, it’s obvious that while he and John Paul II share a vision of the Church and of the world, our new Pope will implement that vision in his own—quiet—way. |
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By Russell Shaw
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Sidebar |
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For Further Reading
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| Further reading on Pope Benedict XVI. |
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Feature Article |
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What Do You See at Mass?
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| Every Catholic church is filled with silent sermons—but you have to understand the language. As you learn to recognize the profound symbolism behind everything—from the flowers, candles, and linens decorating the alter to the priest’s vestments—your experience of the Mass will become richer and deeper. Here’s a primer. |
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By Anthony E. Clark
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Sidebar |
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The Saints Speak
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| What do the saints say about the Mass? |
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Sidebar |
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The Pope Speaks
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| Pope Benedict XVI on iconoclasm. |
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Feature Article |
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Babies Deserve Better
What You Need to Know If You're Struggling with Infertility |
| To a couple unable to conceive a child, infertility treatments offer hope. Many of those treatments fail to respect human dignity, but that fact is masked behind antiseptic medical terms and doctors with authority. A couple who knows the suffering of infertility helps others understand what the Church teaches and why. |
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By Jameson and Jennifer Taylor
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Sidebar |
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Infertility Terms You Need to Know
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| Infertility terms and their definitions. |
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Sidebar |
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Where to Turn for Help
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| Natural Family Planning resources. |
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Sidebar |
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Further Reading
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| More reading on fertility, infertility, and birth control. |
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Feature Article |
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Why Don't Catholics Go Straight to Jesus
The Sacrament of Confession |
| Protestants often ask why Catholics confess their sins to a priest. The answer is that Jesus gave the Church a unique role in his ministry of reconciliation by entrusting it with his power to forgive and retain sins. Sacramental confession gives us a concrete way back to Jesus after we stray from him. |
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By Robert G. Schroeder
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Sidebar |
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Confession in the Early Church
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| Forgiveness for sins in the Early Church. |
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Sidebar |
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Further Reading
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| Further reading on the Sacrament of Confession. |
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Feature Article |
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Catholic Social Responsibility: Who Should Do What?
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| The word subsidiarity isn’t familiar to most of us, but it is a foundational concept in Catholic social teaching. It means, in the words of Pope John Paul II, that "needs are best understood and satisfied by people who are closest to them and who act as neighbors to those in need." |
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By Gregory Beabout
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Sidebar |
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The Vatican and the Welfare State
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| Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI on the welfare state. |
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Sidebar |
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The Foundations of the Tradition
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| The background of subsidiarity. |
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Sidebar |
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The EU: More Competent Than Thou
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| Subsidiarity and the European Union |
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