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ZAHN: So is it a sin for a Catholic voter to vote for John Kerry, who is pro-choice? CHAPUT: I don't think I can answer that question. What I would say, it's a sin for Catholics to violate their conscience in their voting, and I think it's important for Catholics to form their conscience according to what their church believes. So I think someone who votes for abortion candidates could be sinning, but I don't think I can answer the question the way you put it. SNIP CHAPUT: What the document from Cardinal Ratzinger actually said was, a person could,...

Today, Catholics in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia are celebrating the installation of Archbishop Charles J. Chaput O.F.M. The question thus arises why Nicholas P. Cafardi, Dean Emeritus of the Duquesne Law School, would publish an op-ed in today’s Philadelphia Inquirer both maligning and accusing Archbishop Chaput of propagating a “one-issue” Catholic Church. That issue, of course, is abortion, a practice that Archbishop Chaput has consistently reminded all Catholics, including Catholic politicians, should be opposed rather than supported. To imply that Archbishop Chaput does not care about the “broad spectrum of values,” such as caring for the poor and immigrants, is...

Denver — The theologian Karl Barth once said, "To clasp the hands in prayer is the beginning of an uprising against the disorder of the world." That saying comes to mind as the election approaches and I hear more lectures about how Roman Catholics must not "impose their beliefs on society" or warnings about the need for "the separation of church and state." These are two of the emptiest slogans in current American politics, intended to discourage serious debate. No one in mainstream American politics wants a theocracy. Nor does anyone doubt the importance of morality in public life. Therefore,...

NY TIMES REPORT ON ARCHBISHOP CHAPUT SLANTED AND MISLEADING, TRANSCRIPT SHOWS DENVER, October 13 (CNA) - An October 12 New York Times story featuring an interview with Denver Archbishop Charles Chaput that presents the archbishop as saying that Catholics must vote for Bush and against Kerry in this election, has been shown by the original transcripts, released by the Archdiocese of Denver this afternoon, to be misleading. The New York Times article, penned by David Kirkpatrick, opens by saying that “For Archbishop Charles J. Chaput…there is only one way for a faithful Catholic to vote in this presidential election, for...

Vatican City, Oct 6, 2009 / 03:16 am (CNA).- The Italian daily Il Foglio published today an article entitled "L'ascia del vescovo pellerossa - Charles j. Chaput contro Notre Dame e l'illustre cardinale sedotto dall'abortista Obama" ("The ax of the Red Skin Bishop - Charles J. Chaput against Notre Dame and the illustrious cardinal seduced by the pro abortion Obama") in which the Archbishop of Denver contests some of the strongly pro-Obama assertions made by Cardinal Georges Cottier last July in the International Catholic Magazine “30 Days”.Il Foglio is one of the most influential intellectual dailies in Italy, dedicated more...

FIVE MONTHS AFTER a grand-jury report blasted the Archdiocese of Philadelphia for failing to investigate claims of sexual abuse by priests against children, Pope Benedict XVI will accept Cardinal Justin Rigali's resignation this week, the Daily News has learned.The Archdiocese did not return calls yesterday seeking comment on Rigali's expected resignation. But sources close to the Archdiocese confirmed a report Thursday on the National Catholic Reporter's website that Rigali would resign. Blogger Michael Sean Winters, who authored that report, said last night that the announcement likely would be made tomorrow.Sources told the Daily News yesterday that the front-runner to replace...

Archbishop's web site Denver Catholic Register Parishes Catholic Pastoral Center June 5, 2002 Archbishop requests input from faithful to take to Dallas meeting U.S. bishops release drafts of sexual misconduct policies, propose national day of prayer At 2 p.m. Mountain Daylight Time on June 4, the U.S. bishops, through their Ad Hoc Committee on Sexual Abuse, released three important documents. The first is a national "Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People." This is the framework the bishops propose for dealing with the sexual misconduct tragedy in the Church. The second text is "Essential Norms for Diocesan/Eparchial Policies."...

WASHINGTON, D.C., August 14, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Cardinal Justin Rigali of Philadelphia, chairman of the U.S. Bishops' (USCCB) Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities, has again spoken out aganst the abortion expansion in President Obama's health care legislation, calling the bill "seriously deficient" on the issue of mandated coverage and funding of abortion.  Archbishop Charles Chaput of Denver also issued a call to action urging Catholics to tell legislators that only a bill that excludes abortion is acceptable health care reform.  In an August 11 letter to the U.S. House of Representatives, Cardinal Rigali criticized the bill for delegating to the Secretary of...

Today on the Archdiocese of Denver website, the following news item: Denver bishops release letter to faithful, stress importance of accurate moral reasoning by public servantsArchbishop Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap. and Auxiliary Bishop James D. Conley have released a new letter to the Catholics of northern Colorado, titled “Public Servants and Moral Reasoning.” In the letter, they reaffirm the importance of informed moral reasoning when discerning public action, especially in regard to Catholics who serve their country on the national stage. Click here to read the full letter (PDF file)The last two paragraphs sum-up Archbishop Chaput's position: In...

Archbishop Charles Chaput left the door open Monday for Catholics to support pro-choice politicians, saying a variety of factors may be weighed when making such a decision. "If you're a Democrat can you legitimately vote for someone who is pro-choice? I imagine so," Chaput told a crowd of about 150. "But you have to tell them forcefully you want them to change . . . voting is (just)the minimum." Chaput spoke at the Augustine Institute, a new graduate school of theology and evangelization at the former Teikyo Loretto Heights campus on Federal Boulevard. The archbishop's talk was to introduce his...

Denver Catholic Archbishop Charles Chaput will address parishioners on health care reform — and more specifically abortion — in a letter to be read at Masses this weekend. In his column in the Denver Catholic Register on Wednesday, Chaput said President Barack Obama has failed to keep his promise to not provide public money for abortion in his health care plan. Chaput said he is asking Catholics to demand their senators and representatives change congressional proposals "to respect Catholic and pro-life concerns." As it stands, federal law prohibits using federal funds to pay for abortions, except to save a pregnant...

Thursday May 7, 2009 Archbishop Chaput: Habit of "Vanity and Compromise" Led to ND Scandal By Kathleen GilbertNEW YORK, May 7, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The University of Notre Dame's decision to honor pro-abortion President Obama resulted from "vanity and complacency" with modern culture, said Archbishop Charles Chaput of Denver yesterday.  Chaput also remarked on the controversy stirred by President Obama's statement that America is "not a Christian nation," asserting that America is under attack from groups working "very vigorously" to de-Christianize popular culture. The Catholic News Agency published portions of the archbishop's remarks to the American Bible Society in...

Sen. McCain holds private meeting with Archbishop Chaput" Scant little details: Senator John McCain is paying his second visit to Colorado in less than a week and on this trip he is taking time to meet privately with Catholic Archbishop Charles Chaput of Denver. At 9:30 on Wednesday morning, John McCain and his wife Cindy met with Denver’s Archbishop Charles Chaput. The archbishop described the meeting as private and told CNA that no comment would be forthcoming. (CNA) Off the top of my head, Abp. Chaput has been an active supporter of immigrants' rights (where he would find common ground...

Young people and Archbishop Charles Chaput Addressing a conference in British Columbia, Archbishop Charles Chaput of Denver asserted that Catholics today have failed to transmit the faith to the next generation, which has resulted in young people losing their “moral vocabulary.” The Denver prelate made his remarks on Oct. 15 at the “Faith in the Public Square” seminar sponsored by the Diocese of Victoria. He opened his speech with a reference to Shirley Jackson’s famed short story “The Lottery.”Jackson’s story – set in rural 1940s America – features the tale of a small town that gathers every year to...

Archbishop Charles Chaput New York City, N.Y., Sep 18, 2010 / 08:04 am (CNA/EWTN News).- In upcoming years Catholics will likely find it harder to influence the course of American culture or to live their faith “authentically,” Archbishop Charles J. Chaput has written. A social consensus which once supported Christian assumptions in the U.S. is “much weakened” to the point that there is “no more revolutionary act” than to live Christian faith with integrity, he said. Writing in an essay titled “Catholics and the Next America” at the First Things website, the Archbishop of Denver noted a central “myth” of...

Archbishop Charles Chaput New York City, N.Y., May 6, 2009 / 07:30 pm (CNA).- Archbishop of Denver Charles J. Chaput exhorted Catholics to follow the example of St. Paul by understanding their own times and being “possessed by the God of Truth.” Stressing the need to recognize the impact mass media has on thought and action, he warned that Catholics are losing the habits on which they have traditionally relied because of “vanity and compromise.” The archbishop delivered his remarks to the American Bible Society in New York City on Wednesday. The Archbishop of Denver is in town to...

Archbishop Charles Chaput. Denver, Colo., Jul 16, 2010 / 07:21 pm (CNA).- Scripture is “the one story that really matters” because it is the story of God’s “new creation,” Archbishop Charles J. Chaput has said in a lecture on Friday morning. Calling on Christians to live their lives “in Christ,” he said Catholics should allow God’s “new creation” to take root in themselves.Speaking on Friday at the Catholic Bible Conference at St. Thomas More Parish in the Denver suburb of Littleton, the Archbishop of Denver said the story of Scripture is “the greatest story ever told – a story...

Denver Archbishop Charles J. Chaput addressed the Religion Newswriters Association conference in Denver yesterday where he both inspired and challenged. Religion reporters, he said, are not normal. “They are amphibians who live in two worlds and can honor both.” “Acknowledge your mistakes and don’t make them a habit,” Chaput said. “Understand believers and their institutions as they understand themselves. If you do that and do it with integrity, fairness and humility, you’ll have the gratitude of the people you cover and you’ll embody the best ideals of your profession.” During the question and answer period, Laurie Goodstein of the New...

Serve your country best by serving God first, Archbishop Chaput tells USAF cadets Air Force Academy Chapel/ Archbishop Charles Chaput Colorado Springs, Colo., Mar 10, 2009 / 10:11 pm (CNA).- Archbishop of Denver Charles J. Chaput addressed Catholic cadets at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs on Monday, telling them the military profession is “honorable” and urging them to become virtuous leaders who serve their country best by serving God first.The archbishop discussed war, the nature of obedience, and the need to recognize that people matter more than things.Referring to Homer, W.B. Yeats and Robert E. Lee’s comments...

The book is: Author: Chaput, Charles J. (OFMcap -- Archbishop of Denver)Title: Render Unto Caesar: Serving the Nation by Living our Catholic Beliefs in Political LifeISBN: 0385522282 I was killing time in my public library, and I thought I would see if there were any books by Charles J. Chaput. I was pleasantly surprised to see the book has been ordered by my Public Library, and there are already two requests for the book. The liberals have gotten, in my opinion, a lot of junk in our libraries by various tactics. I honestly think every public library, as well as...

Tuesday July 14, 2009 Modern Media Needs Thoughtful Discernment Says Archbishop Chaput By Patrick B. CraineCOLORADO SPRINGS, July 8, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Archbishop Charles J. Chaput spoke to a meeting of Catholic business executives last Wednesday on the discernment of media in the Catholic life.  The meeting was held by The Legatus Group, an international organization for Catholic business executives founded by Tom Monaghan in 1987. (Read the full text of the speech here)"America's news media have enormous opinion-shaping power," he told attendees. "Therefore it's vital for Catholics to understand how the media work, and especially how they work...

Archbishop Charles Chaput / Neil Cavuto Denver, Colo., Feb 19, 2009 / 07:31 pm (CNA).- Archbishop Charles Chaput of Denver is in complete agreement with the message that Pope Benedict XVI delivered to Nancy Pelosi on Wednesday. The archbishop also went so far as to say that since she disagrees with the Church on the "black and white issue" of abortion, she should not present herself for Communion. The comments by Archbishop Chaput were made following Nancy Pelosi’s meeting with Pope Benedict, at which the Pope reminded the Speaker of the House that all legislators, but especially Catholics, are...

Washington DC, Nov 7, 2008 / 03:09 pm (CNA).- For his bold defense of the role of Church in the public square, the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty has announced that it will be awarding Archbishop of Denver Charles J. Chaput with its highest honor. The Becket Fund will award Archbishop Chaput with the Canterbury Medal at its 15th Anniversary Dinner in Manhattan, on May 7, 2009. The annually awarded Canterbury Medal is given by the Fund to the person who has "most resolutely refused to render to Ceasar that which is God's," a press release from the group says....

In an address delivered today before the Religion Newswriters Association, Archbishop Charles J. Chaput of Denver commended America’s journalists of religion and challenged them to approach their important work with integrity, fairness, and humility. It’s good to be with you today. Of course, most speakers say that, but I actually mean it—for two reasons. First, I’ve been a heavy reader all my life. A lot of my reading has been, and still is, newspapers and news magazines, although now I mainly read them on my Kindle. And second, I love my country. I think there’s something wrong with a man...

Archbishop Chaput on Women and the Culture of Life In Address to the Catholic Daughters of America WASHINGTON, D.C., OCT. 23, 2003 (Zenit.org).- Denver's Archbishop Charles Chaput gave this address on the role of women in building a culture of life. His remarks delivered Sunday were the Centennial Lecture of the Catholic Daughters of the Americas, at the Catholic University of America. * * * World, Work and Family: The Role of Women in Building a Culture of Life Archbishop Charles Chaput I want to talk about women today. So naturally I'm going to start by talking about men --...

Denver, CO (LifeNews.com) -- As the Democratic Party begins its national convention, a leading Catholic bishop has some tough words for Democrats who used flowery language in the platform to direct attention away from its pro-abortion stance. The comments reveal why the party failed to invite Archbishop Charles Chaput of Denver. Chaput was not invited to officially participate in the convention despite serving as the leader of the largest religious denomination in the state. The Democratic Party has put forward a platform that promotes unlimited abortions paid for at taxpayer expense and, while he didn't comment director on the platform...

Denver, Colo., Jul 19, 2011 / 09:07 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, who will soon leave the Archdiocese of Denver to become the new Archbishop of Philadelphia, says his new archdiocese could emerge stronger from recent troubles, by embracing the chance to live the Gospel “without compromise.” “The Church in Philadelphia is at an important point in her life. It’s not a time to be embarrassed about what we believe,” Archbishop Chaput told CNA in an exclusive interview. “In fact, it becomes even more crucial to preach the Gospel – both within the Church and outside the Church.”...

He is brash, outspoken and fearless -- energetic, colorful, cultured... indeed, even hard-core.... And if multiple indications from near and far have it right, he stands set to bring the most revolutionary change American Catholicism’s most traditional major outpost has known in at least a century, to begin its rebuilding from the ashes of the darkest hour in its long, storied history. After months of fevered, omnidirectional speculation over the succession to the 1.1 million-member archdiocese of Philadelphia, numerous reports over recent hours have narrowed their focus to the figure who’s arguably the standout voice of the nation’s Catholic right:...

Chaput in running to replace Law Denver archbishop strong contender for Boston post By Jean Torkelson, News Religion Writer April 12, 2002 He's considered decisive, principled and scandal-free -- now Denver Archbishop Charles Chaput is being discussed as a credible candidate to succeed the shame-tarred Cardinal Bernard Law of Boston. "In many respects he's just what the doctor ordered," said Philip Lawler, editor of Catholic World Report, an international monthly news magazine. Speculation built Thursday that Law, who has resisted resigning despite a scandal over pedophile priests in his 2 million-member archdiocese, may now succumb after the latest revelation that...

Public Servants and Moral Reasoning:A notice to the Catholic community in northern Colorado When Catholics serve on the national stage, their actions and words impact the faith of Catholics around the country. As a result, they open themselves to legitimate scrutiny by local Catholics and local bishops on matters of Catholic belief. In 2008, although NBC probably didn't intend it, Meet the Press has become a national window on the flawed moral reasoning of some Catholic public servants.On August 24, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, describing herself as an ardent, practicing Catholic, misrepresented the overwhelming body of Catholic teaching...

Prof. Kmiec has a strong record of service to the Church and the nation in his past. He served in the Reagan administration, and he supported Mitt Romney's campaign for president before switching in a very public way to Barack Obama earlier this year. In his own book he quotes from Render Unto Caesar at some length. In fact, he suggests that his reasoning and mine are ''not far distant on the moral inquiry necessary in the election of 2008.'' Unfortunately, he either misunderstands or misuses my words, and he couldn't be more mistaken. I believe that Senator Obama, whatever...

Washington DC, May. 20, 2005 (CNA) - This morning at the 2nd annual National Catholic Prayer Breakfast, held in Washington, Denver’s Archbishop Charles Chaput urged Catholics and Christians to make their voices heard in government and public life. “Catholics”, he said, “see politics as part of the history of salvation. For us, no one is a minor actor in that drama. Each person is important. And one of the most important duties we have is to use our gifts in every way possible for the glory of God and for the common good.” He added that, “That’s why Catholics and...

Archbishop Chaput's Reflections on Vatican II"Will History Judge It a Success or a Failure?" December marks the 40th anniversary of the close of the Second Vatican Council. So these final months of 2005 are a good time to reflect on the needs of the Church in today's world and our own commitment to Catholic discipleship. History is a powerful teacher. While all true ecumenical councils are important in the life of the Church, some failed to achieve their goals. The Council of Florence failed in the 15th century because the Western Church was badly divided and the Greek Church could...

On the Church’s Birthday, Let’s Pray for Our Priests May 22nd, 2010 by Archbishop Charles Chaput Ten years ago, as St. John Vianney Theological Seminary opened its doors for the first time, I wrote the following words to the people of our local Church:“The Church is not just a collection of individuals convened around a sacred text. She is a community — a community rooted both in God’s Word and in sacrament. No matter how many other things bear good fruit for the Gospel in our day, there is no on-going presence of Jesus Christ in the world without the...

Catholic ‘complacency’ shares blame for country’s failures, Archbishop Chaput says St. Paul / Archbishop Chaput Detroit, Mich., Mar 21, 2009 / 12:32 pm (CNA).- Archbishop of Denver Charles J. Chaput delivered a speech on Saturday reflecting on the significance of the November 2008 election. Warning that media “narratives” should not obscure truth, he blamed the indifference and complacency of many U.S. Catholics for the country’s failures on abortion, poverty and immigration issues.He also advised Catholics to “master the language of popular culture” and to refuse to be afraid, saying “fear is the disease of our age.”The archbishop’s comments were delivered...

STATEMENTS BY ARCHBISHOP CHAPUT  PDF Version (click here to download)May 18, 2009Archbishop Chaput on Notre Dame and the issues that remain  "I have found that even among those who did not go to Notre Dame, even among those who do not share the Catholic faith, there is a special expectation, a special hope, for what Notre Dame can accomplish in the world."~ Reverend John Jenkins, C.S.C., May 17, 2009 Most graduation speeches are a mix of piety and optimism designed to ease students smoothly into real life.  The best have humor.  Some genuinely inspire.  But only a rare few manage to be...

On December 8th, the feast of the Immaculate Conception, Archbishop Charles Chaput, the newly-installed archbishop of Philadelphia, released a pastoral letter to the faithful of his archdiocese. It will be read this weekend at Masses, even as Archbishop Chaput is returning home from his ad limina visit to Rome. A copy of the letter was obtained by Whispers in the Loggia and has now been published online.Pastoral letters from bishops can range from being “ho-hum” letters to being “Wham!” letters. Archbishop Chaput’s is definitely at the “Wham!” end of the spectrum.Let’s read it together.The letter begins with the kind of gentle,...

Archbishop Charles J. Chaput delivers his homily at Philadelphia's Cathedral of Sts. Peter and Paul. Credit EWTN Philadelphia, Pa., Sep 8, 2011 / 02:23 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Archbishop Charles J. Chaput promised to lay down his life to restore faith and trust among Catholics in Philadelphia, during his Sept. 8 installation at the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul.“Whatever my weaknesses and whatever my lacks, no bishop will give more of himself than I will to renewing this great Church,” the new archbishop promised in his installation homily. “Everything I’ve learned, everything I know, and everything I have,...

MADRID, SPAIN, August 23, 2011 (LifeSiteNews.com) – When it comes to finding information on vital issues like abortion, same-sex “marriage,” and faith, the mainstream media simply can’t be trusted, the incoming archbishop of Philadelphia told a group of youth in Spain last week. “Being uninformed about the world and its problems and issues is a sin against our vocation as disciple,” Archbishop Charles Chaput told his audience during a special World Youth Day session in Madrid. And yet, he went on to note, the Christian believer is faced with a unique challenge in finding accurate sources of information on key...

... I have chosen to address the theme of “politics and the devil,” not because I plan to suggest that anyone in our national political life has made a pact with Lucifer—although, given the current environment, you never know; it’s not the sort of thing you’d put in a press release—but because it is the title of an essay by the late University of Chicago philosopher Leszek Kolakowski. Kolakowski was a former Marxist, a very gifted scholar, and a skeptic about many things—but not about the reality of evil or the nature of the devil. One of the disturbing things...

Thursday March 25, 2010 Chaput Rebukes CHA & “Catholic” Groups for Pro-Abort ObamaCare Triumph By Peter J. SmithDENVER, Colorado, March 25, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Denver Archbishop Charles Chaput took aim at the Catholic Health Association (CHA) and other “Catholic” groups that he said are ostensibly committed to social justice – so long as the rights of unborn are excluded – for damaging the pro-life coalition that was struggling to hold together before this past Sunday’s momentous vote on President Obama’s health care reform.“How did we get here?” Chaput asked in a column for the Denver Catholic Register. He said that...

Chaput: Bishops Must Speak United on Politicians, Abortion Washington, DC -- When Catholic politicians push for abortion without impunity, Catholic faithful are often left wondering why Church leaders don't do more to bring up their actions as out of step with Catholic teachings. One leading bishop is explaining why. http://www.lifenews.com/2011/04/15/chaput-bishops-must-speak-united-on-politicians-abortion/

Archbishop Chaput Rome, Italy, Jan 28, 2010 / 11:41 am (CNA).- On Wednesday, the Emmanuel Community's annual symposium in Rome was addressed by Archbishop Charles Chaput of Denver, who spoke on the task of evangelizing the modern culture and what he called religious leaders' embarrassment to discuss the existence of Satan.The American archbishop spoke for half an hour at the Pontifical Lateran University to an audience ranging from college students to people in their 70s. His speech, entitled, “The Prince of this World and the Evangelization of Culture,” was part of a symposium that lasted from Jan. 25-27 and...

Archbishop Charles Chaput took the helm of the troubled Roman Catholic church in Philadelphia on Thursday by telling followers "the church is not defined by her failures." The outspoken Chaput didn't shy away from veiled references to the church's woes, chief among them the clergy sex-abuse crisis. "The church is not defined by her failures. You and I are not defined by critics or those who dislike us," he said in his first homily at the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul. "What we do in the coming months and years to respond to these challenges — that will...

Wednesday August 25, 2010 Archbishop Chaput: "Systematic Discrimination Against Church Now Seems Inevitable" SPISSKE, PODHRADIE, Slovakia, August 25, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) - MUST READ Excerpts from Denver Archbishop Charles Chaput's address to the 15th symposium for the Canon Law Association of Slovakia on Tuesday:Today's secularizers have learned from the past.  They are more adroit in their bigotry; more elegant in their public relations; more intelligent in their work to exclude the Church and individual believers from influencing the moral life of society. Over the next several decades, Christianity will become a faith that can speak in the public square less...

NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Archbishop Charles J. Chaput gave a frank response when asked why there is so much disunity among Catholics on the question of Catholics in political life standing clearly with the church on major moral issues such as abortion. “The reason … is that there is no unity among the bishops about it,” said the Denver archbishop, who was asked the question after his April 8 keynote address for the University of Notre Dame Right to Life Club’s spring lecture series. “There is unity among the bishops about abortion always being wrong, and that you can’t be...

Archbishop Charles Chaput Spisske Podhradie, Slovakia, Aug 25, 2010 / 05:48 am (CNA).- Addressing the first session of the 15th symposium for the Canon Law Association of Slovakia on Tuesday, Archbishop Charles Chaput of Denver called for Catholics in America and Europe to oppose the rise of a “state-encouraged atheism” which reduces religion to “an individual lifestyle accessory” incapable of influencing the world. The archbishop exhorted Christians to respond to these trends by rediscovering their historic faith as the only sound basis for a just society.Recalling the historical experience of the Slovakian Church under Communism, Archbishop Chaput told the assembly...

Philadelphia Archbishop Charles J. Chaput encouraged Catholic universities to rediscover the Church's intellectual tradition and use it to shape society's future. “Catholic higher education is heir to the greatest intellectual, moral and cultural patrimony in human history,” the archbishop said in a Nov. 10 address at Assumption College in Worcester, Massachusetts. The Catholic intellectual tradition, he said, offers a “deeply satisfying answer” to the questions of human life, and is “beautiful because it's true.” “It has nothing to be embarrassed about and every reason to be on fire with confidence and apostolic zeal. We only defeat ourselves – and we...

Denver, Colo., Aug 2, 2011 / 12:17 pm (CNA).- Archbishop Charles J. Chaput of Denver said that true reform of the Church requires deep faith and repentance from all members of the faith, including clergy, religious and laity alike. “Renewal begins not in vilifying others, but in examining ourselves honestly, repenting of our own sins, and changing ourselves,” the archbishop said. “We are all in need of God's mercy. When we really understand that, we can speak to each other with both honesty and love, and restoring the mission of the Church can begin.” Archbishop Chaput, who was recently appointed...

What a difference a diocese makes! Two months ago, two girls were booted out of a Catholic school in Boulder, Co. because their parents are lesbian partners. There hadn't been any problem, it seemed, until that fact came to the attention of headquarters--the Denver archdiocese over which Charles Chaput presides. Two days ago, the AP reported that a small parochial school in the diocese of Boston, St. Paul Elementary School in Hingham, had withdrawn its acceptance of an 8-year-old boy upon discovering that his two parents are lesbians. This was a local decision, made without the knowledge of headquarters--the Boston...