Weekly Summary: 11/15/25
The week in review, through the eyes of a veteran Catholic journalist
This week I’ve been preparing for the big day— this coming Tuesday, November 18— when my novel Ghost Runner is officially released! You’ll forgive me, I hope, for engaging in (more than) a bit of pre-publication hype.
For instance, I posted comment that came in just a bit too late to appear on the back cover:
- “Phil Lawler has written wonderful journalistic accounts of the Catholic Church and her never-ending battles. But there’s a depth and beauty of his knowledge that’s reveals in this novel that could never be explored in his non-fiction. Phil guides us through internal relationships of priests and laity in their struggles with God and personal shortcoming and in the shortcomings of the Church. That struggle is beautifully presented but never sugar-coated… But as with the Passion itself, you can be brutally honest about the agony without losing your faith. In fact, as his characters reveal, the mystery of faith is incomplete without the pain. And your understanding of the current struggles of faith— within the Church and without our culture— would be incomplete without this book.” – David Asman, Fox News anchor
And then another:
- “Through an intriguing and provocative lens, the novel explores several of these lives, thoughtfully revealing some of the motivations, decisions, and struggles that shape the Church and her leaders. A work of fiction grounded in keen and careful observation, Ghost Runners examines the Church with nuance, imagination, and the ring of truth.”
- — William McCann, Director, The Liberator
If you’re wondering about the quotes that do appear on the back cover, don’t worry; I’ll make sure you see them. Or of course you could pick up a copy of the book and see them there.
And by the way, the Kindle version is already out!
So what other new items this week?
• For CatholicCulture, I commented on that viral video of a British World War II veteran, wondering whether his sacrifice (and the sacrifice of his many fallen comrades) was worth it. “Soldiers fight for a cause,” I said, “and it makes no sense to honor the fallen soldiers if we dishonor their cause.
• Also for CatholicCulture, I took note of the phrase that appeared in one headline after another, in reports about the election of a new president for the US bishops’ conference: he was invariably described as a “conservative culture warrior.” Three points: 1) Isn’t it interesting how the headline writers all followed the AP lead? 2) Why don’t we ever hear about a “liberal culture warrior?” 3) Archbishop Coakley isn’t particularly conservative, politically speaking and certainly isn’t a culture warrior. He’s a Catholic. If being a faithful Catholic means participating in a “culture war,” that suggests someone is on the other side, doesn’t it?
• For several weeks now, the focus of my just-war seminar has been on non-combatant immunity: keep civilians safe in wartime. The latest episode delves into the challenge involved: To keep civilians safe, soldiers must take some extra risks. That’s the price of fighting a just war, justly.
• On this week’s Home Front podcast, reprising the argument that I made earlier in the week, I insist there’s a difference between honoring veterans and merely humoring them. (Do we honor the cause for which they sacrificed?) Leila insists that we shouldn’t give up hope of eventually overturning Obergefell. (Does the left ever stop challenging court decisions?)