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What Dante Can Teach Us about Envy
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| The sin of envy, rightly described as deadly, severs the ties that bind. It sows discord between kin, between social classes, between races. It undermines whole communities because it sees as evil a social order ordained by God. Dante Alighieri knew firsthand its ruinous effects on human society. In his vision of the afterlife, souls being purged of envy discover that kindness is the key to their salvation.
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By Anthony Esolen
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Sidebar |
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Communion vs. Partnership
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| What is the difference between a partnership and a communion of persons? |
Sidebar |
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Citizens of One True City
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| In purgatory, the envious Sapia recounts how the prayers of her fellow Sienese saved her from eternal separation from God. |
Feature Article |
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Stewards of the Kingdom
Authority in the Early Church |
| Are Baptists the real practitioners of first-century Christianity? The claim is that early Christians were members of independent, self-governing congregations who interpreted the Bible for themselves and who certainly didn’t take orders from any worldly, centralized authority. To the contrary, the New Testament shows us that Jesus’ kingdom (though not of this world) was hierarchical in nature, headed by his appointed stewards, the successors of St. Peter.
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By Fr. Dwight Longenecker
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Feature Article |
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Matteo Ricci, S.J.
An Apologist for Dialogue |
| Who was Matteo Ricci? In China he is justly honored as a scholar, diplomat, and man of science, a Renaissance man who lived as a Chinese in every respect. But while he was all of those things, he was principally a man of God who "became Chinese to save the Chinese"—all for love of Christ. His example shows us how authentic dialogue is always rooted in truth.
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By Anthony E. Clark
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Sidebar |
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What Have I Done for Christ?
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| Fr. Ricci’s missionary zeal was rooted in his devotion to Christ’s Passion. |
Sidebar |
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The Great Reward
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| Recent popes remark on the considerable achievements of Matteo Ricci in authentic Christian dialogue. |
Feature Article |
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The U.S. Bishops, Health Care, and Public Policy
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| What are the limits of a bishop’s teaching authority? Nowadays, the U.S. bishops’ conference seems to have something to say about almost every public policy, from immigration reform to environmental concerns. But determining specifically how Christian principles should inform legislation is the job of the laity.
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By Jeffrey A. Mirus
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Catholic Answers
