Morality / Current Issues

Celebrated author Mary Eberstadt continues her ground-breaking examination of the legacy of the sexual revolution. The book's predecessor, Adam and Eve after the Pill (2012), dissected the revolution's microcosmic fallout via its empirical effects on the lives of men, women, and children. This follow-on book investigates the revolution's macrocosmic transformations in three spheres: society, politics, and Christianity. It also includes an analysis of the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe v. Wade.

With unflinching logic, Eberstadt summarizes the toll on Western society of today's fractured homes, feral children, and social isolates. Empathetic yet precise, she connects the dots between shrinking, broken families and rising sexual confusion, seen most recently in transgenderism and related phenomena. The book also traces the dissolution of the home to signature developments in Western politics, especially the increase in acrimony, polarization, street violence, and identity politics. The result is an indictment of the turn taken by much of the world following the post-1960s embrace of contraception and the stigmatization of traditional morality.

The book's section on the revolution's infiltration of the churches is must-reading for anyone concerned about the fate of Western Christianity. In a moment when millions wonder whether the Catholic Church will retreat from age-old moral teachings, this book demands to be put at the center of discussion.

Adam and Eve after the Pill, Revisited is both an indispensable blueprint for today's emerging revisionism, and a manifesto for a more humane order to come.

The book guides with a gentle hand in discussing topics such as sin and moral sense; family values; medical and moral issues; war; the death penalty; sexuality; honesty; grace and joy; the Church as teacher; and the Beatitudes. It offers contemporary examples of situations where moral choices were made, pointing out the relationship of actions taken to the teachings of the Church. It touches on the Ten Commandments as cornerstones of a moral life, while encouraging consideration of the Great Commandment as the guidestar in our choices.

Christ Our Compass is a practical, faith-filled look at living rightly. It will be of great benefit to all who seek to live a Christian life guided by the compassionate example of Jesus and teachings of the Catholic Church.

After a bloody 20th century for Christians, the 21st remains onerous for those who face minority status in many places. In fact, an estimated 200 million Christians worldwide – that is, one out of every ten – suffer some form of persecution for their faith. For many, there is a price to pay for being a follower of Christ.

In Christians in Danger, author Marc Fromager offers a personal account of his experience in twenty countries where the future of Christians is anything but certain. He explains the historical and political situation of these Christians and describes the day-to-day tensions they face. With neither anger nor complacency, he leads us to a greater awareness of their sufferings and reminds us that we are still living in “the time of the martyrs”. But his message is not one of doom-and-gloom pessimism. Yes, Christians are in danger in many countries around the world, and yes, there are reasons for hope. This book takes a look at both.

In this book, Fromager walks alongside many well-known “underground” Christians in countries like Saudi Arabia, where the Catholic population is fifteen times larger than it was thirty years ago, but where everything is absolutely forbidden: no churches, no Bibles, no rosaries, no crucifixes. Everything is done in secret. He also takes you to places like the Philippines and France, where Christianity is well established, but where the situation is steadily eroding. These accounts will make you grateful for your own freedoms and will inspire you to pray for and support those brothers and sisters in the Faith who cannot rely on such freedoms.

Create in Me a Clean Heart offers a robust vision to help people heal from the negative effects of pornography and to protect young people from its dangers. It gives those who struggle with pornography hope that freedom from its grip is possible. Finally, it supports all people of good will working toward a culture of purity and authentic love that upholds the dignity of every human person.

This Instruction from the Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) provides guidance on how to respect human life and human procreation in our heavily scientific age. The Instruction occurs in three parts. The first part explains the Church's fundamental teaching on human life and procreation. The second part addresses new problems in procreation, including techniques for assisting fertility, freezing embryos, and preventing pregnancy. The third part covers new treatments involving the manipulation of the embryo or the human genetic patrimony. This section covers issues such as gene therapy, human cloning, and the therapeutic use of stem cells. Includes commentary on the Instruction, an address from Pope Benedict XVI on stem cells, select bibliography, and glossary. (Publ. 2009)

The faithful have had a growing sense that something is not quite right in the life of the Catholic Church. Confusion abounds as doctrinal rebellion spreads with impunity. The proponents of this rebellion have foisted their errors upon others by deceptively twisting certain friendly communications strategies of the recent Magisterium. The rebels have even caught unsuspecting believers in the undertow. Hence the confusion: Has the Catholic Faith changed?

In this masterful book, Christopher Malloy identifies more than a dozen heresies and errors of this new modernism. What do nearly all of them have in common? They espouse a false mercy that divorces compassion from truth. But compassion without truth is only emotional sympathy, not charity. Genuine mercy is based on truth. God pours out His grace so that we sinners may repent of wickedness, embrace Him, and live holy lives.

Malloy dismantles each of these heresies, showing how they evolved and where they appear. Best of all, he shows us how to counteract them and prepare fellow Catholics boldly to declare the Faith in its entirety ï1/2ï1/2ï1/2 all while refusing to be seduced by those who undermine that obligation. The errors and heresies include:

God's Mercy Awaits You: Find Healing After Abortion

Many women who experience post-abortion trauma and guilt feel doomed to suffer in silence. In God's Mercy Awaits You, experienced pro-life counselor Sr. Patricia Marie Barnette accompanies women on a journey out of the darkness of shame and regret and into the light of God's forgiveness and mercy. Sr. Barnette is as empathetic as she is knowledgeable, and she approaches this difficult topic with compassion and sensitivity.

The book is also highly practical, filled with prayers, advice, and web and print resources that consider the issue from every perspective. If you or someone you know is living in pain caused by an abortion, God's Mercy Awaits You is an invaluable resource to begin the process of healing.

An author of revered Catholic literature and many influential books, Bishop Barron has penned yet another masterpiece. In 'Letter to a Suffering Church,' Bishop Robert Barron, founder of Word on Fire Catholic Ministries and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, speaks on the sexual abuse scandal that has shaken the very foundations of the Catholic Church for the past 30 years and continues to devastate its standing to this day.
In the face of this scandal, many Catholics are understandably asking; ‘Why should I stay? Why not abandon this sinking ship before it drags me or my children under?’
In this influential book, Bishop Barron reflects on the people's anger, and both understands and empathizes with their dissent in every way. Through his powerful writings, he appeals to the people’s faith and addresses why this is not the time to leave, but the time to stay and fight. We cannot continue to live life as is— Or avoid raising a finger at injustice.
Reading the history of the scandal through the lens of Scripture and Church, Bishop Barron writes how this isn't the first time Catholics have faced such a catastrophic scandal. Such transgressions to the sanctity of the Church do not mean we overlook the preservation of the spiritual treasures of the Church by the devout and faithful members of it.
These men and women demonstrated courage, resolve, and abstained in the face of evil to preserve the Scripture. Like the many lessons Barron teaches in his inspiring books, he aims to lead us by example, so that we adopt such lessons in our lives for the Body of Christ and as a path to absolution.

• A Church in Peril: An astonishing masterpiece centered around a sexual abuse scandal tearing down the very fabric of our faith; Bishop Barron pulls no punches in this book— Yet speaks directly to those tempted to leave the Church because of it.
• Anger of the Masses: An air of melancholy, fear, and hopelessness has surrounded the people; and has left many questioning their belief in the system and asking why they and their children should stay with a Church riddled with such vices.
• Spirit of the Church: Barron talks about the history of similar scandals and how the devout and faithful, through their actions, have made it their mission to preserve the spiritual treasures of the Church.
• An Appeal: Bishop Barron appeals to people's faith and urges them not to quit over scandals, rather to stay and fight for their beliefs. For Catholics questioning their faith, searching desperately for encouragement and hope, this book will offer reasons to stay and fight for the Body of Christ.
• Proclaiming Christ: Word on Fire Catholic Ministries supports the work of Bishop Robert Barron, which aims to highlight Roman Catholic history, spread the message of Jesus Christ, and to manifest the spirit of Christ to the masses.

When St. Jane Francis de Chantal encouraged St. Francis de Sales to be a bit angrier over the opposition they were facing in starting their religious order, he replied, "Would you have me lose in a quarter hour what has taken me twenty years' hard work to acquire?

St. Francis de Sales had quite a temper when he was young. But over time he learned to convert his angry feelings into virtuous action. He knew that anger never leads to happiness. Worse, it causes tremendous harm to our relationship with God.

In these pages, the wise Fr. Morrow shows you how to pull the rug out from beneath your anger and reclaim a life of peace and grace. You'll come to understand the root causes of angry behavior, ways to heal painful memories, and how to deal well with your hurts and humiliations.

You're not likely to overcome blowups and anxiety through willpower alone. You need tools that help you cultivate the habits that lead to virtuous action. You'll discover here simple ways to influence your behavior, control your impulses, and rebuild tattered relationships.

When you follow the simple advice offered in these pages, you'll be surprised at how quickly you're giving up all desire for revenge, forgiving those who hurt you, and finding peace in your life. You'll also learn:

Decades before secularism and atheism wrested control of our institutions and took to the streets, the late Cardinal Jean Danielou foresaw their ominous ascent. While most of the Church was reveling in the optimism of Vatican II, Cardinal Danielou courageously sounded the alarm over the rise of these twin evils and the damage they would inflict on the Church and culture.

Christianity, he argues, is in grave danger of being overwhelmed by the concurrent rise of seductive technologies, secularist doctrines, and atheistic ideologies. Modern society is allowing less and less space for the religious dimension of man, which is creating conditions that place the survival of the Christian people very much in doubt.

But the surging secularism of privileged elites is not what concerned Danielou the most. Rather, he feared the de-Christianization of the masses and the effect that would have on society -- and on civilization itself. Why? Because when a Christian people is subverted and destroyed, it can be built back up again only through a long, painstaking effort.

In Prayer as a Political Problem, Danielou explains the conditions that are necessary to build and maintain a Christian people. He explains why civilization requires that the Catholic Faith be truly rooted in society, with her teachings and sacraments available to all.

He argues that we must make great strides now to change the shape and pattern of society if we are to preserve the common good of mankind. And if this fails, how our last remaining option will be to create oases of Christian communities where faith and vocations can develop and survive.

There is much work to be done before the flower of Christendom can bloom once again. This little book provides an indispensable primer on how it can be done, as well as the impetus to begin doing it.

To the initial astonishment of Catholic moral theologians a century ago, purging psychology of its amoral and antireligious errors was found to actually confirm age-old Catholic teaching about the nature of man while providing invaluable guidance on the development of personality. In this trail-blazing book, first published in 1958, Fr. G. Emmett Carter has assembled the wisest Christian thought showing how psychology can aid the Christian in achieving maturity, overcoming character defects, and conquering emotional disorders.

Fr. Carter - founding director of Montreal's St. Joseph Teachers College - begins with a layman's survey of modern psychology, revealing the "biases" during the age of Freud that caused him and many others to hold erroneous positions on the nature of man, religion, and God. He then shows how sound psychology draws all its strength from Christianity. Psychology, he writes, explains why we are anxious and afraid; Christianity provides the remedy. Fr. Carter goes on to reveal:

Andrew Comiskey, founder of Desert Stream/Living Waters Ministries for those struggling sexually, shares here his profound experience in moving from brokenness (including same-sex desires) to a healthy and renewed Christian life. The Church's clear, powerful teachings on marriage and family helped him control his passions and live a sexually integrated life.

With candor and grace, Comiskey recounts real-life stories of people who were freed from the grip of sexual disorders. You'll see how darkness is dispelled in those who seek the presence of the Crucified Christ and how they gained control over their physical, emotional, and psychological sins. In page after page, you will learn to accept the person God created you to be and celebrate authentic human dignity. You will also discover how:

Additionally, Comiskey highlights how to live chastely in marriage and how the gift of self to one's spouse reflects the gift of Christ's sacrifice for His Bride, the Church. He further evaluates the crisis in the priesthood and how celibacy points to Heaven and the resurrection of the body.

You will see how frequent reception of Holy Communion and the sacrament of Confession help you flourish in following God's plan, develop self-control, and love others. You will learn why prudence is the paramount cardinal virtue and how it assists you in knowing what is true, opening yourself to Christ's love, and acting in His freedom. Such freedom requires justice--knowing one's impact on others--and fortitude--enduring hardship for another's good, as Comiskey makes clear.

This is a book about hope in the midst of a polarized culture.

Camosy begins with a hopeful starting point in the midst of a crumbling US political culture: two of every three Americans constitute an "exhausted majority" who reject right/left polarization and are open to alternative viewpoints. Especially at this time of realignment, we have been given a unique moment to put aside the frothy, angsty political debates and think harder about our deepest values. A Consistent Life Ethic, especially one which embraces Pope Francis' challenge to resist "throwaway culture", has the capacity to unite people who for the last several decades imagined themselves in a polarized culture war. On issues ranging from hook-up culture, reproductive technology, abortion, euthanasia, poverty, immigration, treatment of animals, and mass incarceration, this book articulates a new moral vision in which a culture of encounter and hospitality replaces a consumer culture in which the most vulnerable get used and discarded as so much trash. At bottom, Camosy offers readers a golden opportunity to dialogue about what kinds of values should serve as the foundation for a new political culture.

As Christians, we believe that our Lord is a loving, kind, and merciful God. Because of that belief, many Christians as well as non-Christians find it difficult to understand how a loving God can permit evil and sin in the world.

The role of sin in God's divine plan is a complex, mysterious, spiritual issue, which humans can only partially understand. The acceptance of the belief that God is perfect in love and sent his only son to suffer and die for our sins can give us small insights and understandings of the role of sin in his divine plan.

The purpose of this book is to examine those small insights in order for us to better appreciate why our loving God would allow sin to be a part of his divine plan.

It is no secret that many factions exist in the Church. The challenge, however -- and increasingly so -- is in determining which are propagating error and which are shedding light. Through historical vignettes and penetrating writings from a range of sources, Aurelio Porfiri, musician and essayist, examines the emergence of traditionalism in the wake of the Second Vatican Council, the debates concerning liturgy that it has engendered, and the Church's current relationship with the world. Through his sharp-eyed research, relationships, and insights, you will be empowered to discern where the truth lies and how to navigate the stormy waters of modern-day Roman Catholicism.

In these absorbing pages, well documented but at the same time easily readable, Porfiri evaluates whether the Second Vatican Council is the real cause of the current crisis in the Church. You will discover if our present divisions and schisms originated during the pontificate of Pope Francis or before. Cogently, Porfiri reveals:

Moreover, Porfiri recounts the turbulence of the 1960s within the Church and within society as a whole, reflecting on the struggle between obedience to the hierarchy and individual convictions, not only among clergy but among popular figures of the time. You will learn about the Church's response to contemporary political ideologies, such as communism, and her views regarding ecumenism. Additionally, you will learn about priests who spoke out against progressivism and the consequences they faced as a result, as well as what happened to those who promulgated homosexual views.

Far from an ideological diatribe, this work asks the authentic question: Is traditionalism the solution for the crisis of the Church, and if so, how is it properly defined? You will learn details about efforts to defend the use of Latin and preserve traditional liturgy in response to the reforms following the Second Vatican Council, St. John Paul II's attempts to restore unity, and what the last three pontiffs had to say about traditionalism. Despite the current climate of division, reading this book will give you reasons to fight for the truth in the Church, and the motivation to do so.

In an era marked by Eucharistic revival, synodal renewal, and Jubilee celebrations, Fr. Michael White and Tom Corcoran--the bestselling authors of Rebuilt--offer a practical guide to revitalizing your parish through small groups. In The Transformative Power of Small Groups: A 7-Step Guide for Building Vibrant Catholic Communities, they show you how to foster faith-based friendships, which result in vibrant communities that not only sustain Christian love and service but also change the world.

This concise guide shows how small groups can become the backbone of your parish's pastoral care, discipleship, and evangelization efforts. Through their signature blend of engaging storytelling--highlighting real-life successes and struggles--White and Corcoran share examples of how small group members rally around each other during times of crisis, challenge one another toward spiritual growth, and provide meaningful support in everyday life.

Whether you're a parish leader or a dedicated parishioner, you'll learn how to:

With step-by-step guidance and three practical appendices--featuring scripture references, FAQs, and responses to common concerns--The Transformative Power of Small Groups is an essential resource for any parish looking to grow in faith, community, and mission, without needing a big budget or extensive time commitment.

For two thousand years the Roman Catholic Church has survived through many periods of difficult times. The most recent period of clerical sexual abuse has been the cause of considerable angst for the Church and has resulted in some substantial economic losses for many areas within the Church. Through the many hundreds of years following its beginning by Jesus Christ, the Church has maintained a governance structure that has changed very little. The ascendancy of Pope Francis to the papacy has brought considerable emphasis on the importance of humility. That emphasis is sorely needed by the Church. This book will examine some areas of the Church, where its historical governance structure is too often an obstacle to the humility the Pope demonstrates and desires within the Church. The time may have come for the Church to examine its governance structure in order for it to be a holier Church and not to be a barrier to evangelization. However, the Church structure is not the only need for change within the Church. With the many changes that have taken place within the Church there is a need for a renewed emphasis on spiritual simplicity and on the basic lessons of Sacred Scripture and Apostolic Tradition. Such changes can remove the barriers to evangelization and provide a greater appeal for many to find a richer spiritual value within the Church.

Although most Catholic priests are devout men who have sincerely committed their lives to Christ and His Church, they are also human beings with faults and failings. Some are cranky and stern, and others can be weak or indifferent. Some grapple with alcohol or sensuality, and others are controlled by money. In our day, thousands of priests have been exposed for committing the gravest of sins: abusing those who have been entrusted to their care.

In these searingly honest and insightful pages, EWTN host and author Fr. Mitch Pacwa, S.J., brings consolation to all those who have been abused, wounded, or scandalized by the wickedness of priests and bishops. He takes you on a reassuring exploration of the Gospels to show how Christ anticipated the sins of the clergy and the hierarchy--and gives us examples of how to deal with them spiritually emotionally, rationally, and practically.

Fr. Mitch reinforces what Christ's parables teach us: that good and evil will co-exist in the Church, and that spiritual blindness will affect the moral life of the clergy and the lay faithful alike. The solution, he says, lies in the power of Jesus' Death and Resurrection and the Apostles' response to the Risen Lord: authentic conversion to faith in Jesus, which reorients our lives toward selfless service of others.

Hatred, murder, terrorism, and war spring from the sins of men. But why does God let innocent children suffer from the effects of these evils? Why does He let earthquakes devastate cities, despair drive souls to suicide, and cancer kill humans and animals?

You and I would prevent these evils if we could. Why doesn't God?

If He's good - as our Faith claims - why doesn't He stay the hand of those about to do evil? Why doesn't He keep little ones from violence and death? Indeed, how could He have allowed evil to enter the universe in the first place?

In these pages, Benedictine author Dom Bruno Webb brings you face-to-face with evil. Without fudging or flinching, he answers these hard questions and more. In this slim volume, he gives the most convincing explanation of the mystery of evil that's available today.

You'll finally come to understand the source of the appalling violence and savagery that lies close to the heart of nature; you'll discover why the insensate Earth and its inhabitants all groan in pain; you'll see why, even before they were conceived, Adam's offspring fell with him, and why God stood by, permitting all this to happen.

Was God helpless? Indifferent? Outgunned?

In these wise pages, Dom Bruno Webb shows that evil never defeats God.

On the contrary, He uses suffering to destroy the very sin which gives birth to evil. Here you'll come to understand why, despite the evil that wracks the Earth and all the beings on it, God nonetheless assured Dame Julian of Norwich that "all shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well."

Here's the book that answers, once and for all, the question of why God permits evil. It will enlighten and console all the suffering and sorrowful souls who are puzzled and troubled by the evil that suffuses our universe.

Better: it explains how to transform suffering into deeds that God will use to ensure that finally and indeed, "all shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well." In other words, these pages are not only an explanation of evil; they're a remedy for it, a remedy you can begin using today.