In the 1990s, U.S. Catholic bishops noted the widespread use of artificial birth control among Catholic couples, citing poor teaching on the issue, and it was declared immoral in a 1968 papal encyclical. Joseph Stoutzenberger, drawing from his research, argues for critical thinking in Catholic education, suggesting that liberation involves questioning and analyzing beliefs, encouraging a deeper understanding of Catholicism aligned with Jesus’s teachings.
Category Archives: Compassion
When the Saints Go Marching In
Joseph Stoutzenberger reflects on the negative focus of local news, contrasting it with the myriad of kindnesses often overlooked. He highlights the virtues celebrated in Catholicism, emphasizing love, kindness, and patience. Despite negative discourse among some Catholics, he advocates for embodying the fruits of the Holy Spirit to foster compassion in communities.
Is Catholicism a Nature Religion?
The piece explores humanity’s connection to natural rhythms and the spiritual significance of seasonal changes, linking them to Catholic practices like the Liturgy of the Hours. It reflects on historical events, such as the Christmas truce of 1914, and emphasizes the importance of rest, nature, and divine presence in everyday life.
Thank God for the Blessed Mother
by Joseph Stoutzenberger The beginning of the Nicene Creed, recited by Catholics at Mass, refers to God as “the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth.” The creed was composed by bishops called together in 325 by the non-Christian Roman emperor of the time, Constantine. He wanted Christians who were fighting among themselves to resolveContinue reading “Thank God for the Blessed Mother”
St. Francis of Assisi and Nature
by Joseph Stoutzenberger A few years ago, a publisher approached me about writing a book about Francis of Assisi and nature. I knew Francis is associated with love of creation and is the patron saint of the environment. His statues with birds on his shoulder and other animals at his feet in gardens everywhere attestContinue reading “St. Francis of Assisi and Nature”
Know Thyself
by Joseph Stoutzenberger A professor of mine at Temple University, David Harrington Watt, insisted that it is important in scholarship to let readers know who we are and what has influenced the positions that we are expressing. In my writing, I have always stayed away from talking about myself. If I wrote about, for instance,Continue reading “Know Thyself”
What Peaches and What Penumbras!
by Joseph Stoutzenberger Many years ago, I sat in on a class on sacraments at LaSalle College, now a university. During a lunch break, I sat at a table next to an old professor. I’m not sure what his subject area was, but he asked me what I was studying. I told him I wasContinue reading “What Peaches and What Penumbras!”
What about Brokenness?
Then I realized that life doesn’t happen in museums and never-opened cabinets. Living, becoming real, always brings with it the danger of being broken. Kintsugi and The Velveteen Rabbit remind us that there is beauty in brokenness.
What Does It Mean to be Anti-Racist?
by Joseph Stoutzenberger When Ibram X. Kendi, a fellow Temple University Ph. D., published How to Be an Anti-Racist a few years ago, I immediately got the point. Someone can say, “I am not racist,” or “I harbor no animosity toward members of other races.” Given conditions in the world today, that is not enough.Continue reading “What Does It Mean to be Anti-Racist?”
Woke Catholicism
I realized that I could not write about “Catholicism” without recognizing the reality of sexual abuse that has taken place in the church in the recent past and today. I looked at other books that described themselves as offering an introduction to or an overview of Catholicism. None that I found addressed this dark side of Catholicism.
Joseph Stoutzenberger 