Sunday, November 1, 2026

More and more people are into the paranormal, which may not be a bad thing.

A still from ‘Paranormal Activity 2’ (2010) (IMBb)

The 1990s were a high-water mark for the paranormal in pop culture. The prime example, of course, is The X-Files, which beamed alien visitations, government conspiracies, and all manner of cryptids and creatures into millions of homes every week. There was Unsolved Mysteries, the sort-of-hokey but always creepy true-crime and paranormal documentary show hosted by the inimitable Robert Stack. Even Disney got in on it with an X-Files-like show called So Weird, about a teenage “computer geek” named Fiona who investigates ghost sightings, crop circles, and ESP with her musician mom. Born in 1991, I missed a lot of those when they originally aired, but the reruns still let me pickle my brain on the paranormal. (During the summer, Lifetime aired reruns of Unsolved Mysteries back-to-back with The 700 Club; they have more in common than you might think.) I continue to chase the feeling those stories give me: that the world is so much bigger and more wonderful and more mysterious than I can begin to know.

AMORIS LAETITIA: ‘WE’RE IN A DIFFERENT PLACE NOW’

Ten years after Pope Francis’ landmark teaching on marriage and the family created an uproar among some conservative Catholics, a gathering in Rome of the presidents of the world’s bishops’ conferences has confirmed that it is now a settled part of the life of the Church.

VATICAN II’S GUIDING STAR, FOR THE FEW REMAINING WITNESSES AND FOR US

Hearing from a man who was there will give you a new appreciation for the vision of John XXIII and what the Holy Spirit builds in his church. Gaudium et Spes contains a beautiful description of the human person, foundational to how we live within the Church and how we as Christians relate to the rest of humankind.

Passing time with the saints: Who would you spend your day with?

November 1, 2026

Saturday, October 31, 2026

The complicated history of the church and birth control

In the Pews

The complicated history of the church and birth control

A U.S. Catholic interview

Explainer: Where did Halloween come from—and should Catholics celebrate it?

Explainer, Faith

Explainer: Where did Halloween come from—and should Catholics celebrate it?

by Molly Cahill October 30, 2020

david-menidrey-MYRG0ptGh50-unsplash — Photo by David Menidrey on Unsplash

While Halloween has been seen as a largely secular holiday for many years in the United States, it has deep roots in the Catholic tradition—and many pre-Christian European cultures. Because of this mixed legacy, families in many faith traditions—Christian, Jewish and Muslim among them—routinely face questions about whether or not the holiday aligns with the principles of their faith. Catholics, though, are not monolithic when it comes to their opinions on the topic; plenty embrace the day as a harmless secular tradition, while others abstain from haunted houses and spooky costumes. Some objections to the celebration are historical, but others relate to the contemporary customs that can detract from its intended meaning.

Vatican confirms Pope Leo voted by mail in U.S. midterm election

Vatican Dispatch

Vatican confirms Pope Leo voted by mail in U.S. midterm election

by Gerard O’Connell October 30, 2026

Pope Leo XIV smiles and waves from the popemobile while riding around St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican before his weekly general audience Oct. 28, 2026. Credit: CNS photo/Lola Gomez

The Vatican has confirmed that Pope Leo XIV has voted in the midterm elections in the United States.

In response to questions from the press, the Holy See press office confirmed in a statement the news that had been circulating in the United States.

“Pope Leo XIV has exercised his right to vote as a United States citizen, whenever he was eligible to do so,” it said. Moreover, the Vatican confirmed that the Chicago-born pope, “in keeping with this long-standing practice of civic participation…has submitted his mail-in ballot in Chicago.”