Catholicism, Death and Modern Medicine by Lisa Sowle Cahill
In the spring of 2005, Pope John Paul II and Theresa Schindler Schiavo died within three days of each other. The pope’s death was held up as a Christian model; Ms. Schiavo’s was a flashpoint of moral and ecclesial turmoil. Terri Schiavo was 41 years old, had been in a so-called persistent vegetative state for 15 years and was being cared for in a hospice in Florida. About two weeks before her death, in the midst of a highly public and ... ( full text)

Some Forgotten Lessons by Jason R. Rowe
Twenty-five years ago, Oscar Arnulfo Romero, the Archbishop of San Salvador, was martyred by a professional assassin while offering Mass in a hospital chapel. An investigation in 1993 by a truth commission sponsored by the United Nations determined that the killing was orchestrated by officers within El Salvador’s U.S.-funded military government. A prophetic defender of the rights of the poor, Romero had run afoul of the regime by consistently ... ( full text)

What Should the Next Pope Do? by Edited by James Martin
Over the past months, America asked several prominent Catholics in the United States to look ahead to the challenges that will face the next pope. These American Catholics come from various parts of the country and represent a variety of perspectives. They are theologians, teachers, activists, writers, students, husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, priests and religious sisters. Each was asked to consider the agenda for the church as it moves ... ( full text)

Death in Eastertide by John F. Kavanaugh
For so many people, John Paul II was a moral magnet, even in death. A commentator on PBS called him a “pope for all seasons.” One could understand why. The whole world could watch massive lines of people, 35 across, snaking through the streets of Rome. Eighteen thousand an hour, two million in all, walked by his body just for a glimpse. The waiting time was 24 hours when the line was finally closed. All this was taking place in a post-modern Europe, ... ( full text)

End Times, Nutty Times by James Martin
Here’s a surefire recipe for a hit television miniseries: Combine the most exciting aspects of The DaVinci Code with the apocalypticism of the wildly popular “Left Behind” novels, and toss in a bit of “The X-Files” for good measure. That was probably the logic, or illogic, behind NBC’s new six-part miniseries Revelations, which began airing on April 13, a program sure to cause great hair-pulling (not to mention rending of ... ( full text)

The Fullness of Redemption by Jim McDermott
When it aired in September 1993, NYPD Blue became immediately known for three things. First, it wasn’t called blue for nothing. The show had graphic sensibilities and pushed the boundaries of what was acceptable fare on network television. It was not uncommon to see men and women naked from behind or, with discreet shadows, up front and in the altogether. It is hard to say which caused more water-cooler conversation--the pilot, in which ... ( full text)