Weekly Summary: 2/14/2026
The week in review, from the perspective of a veteran Catholic journalist
Another busy week at this Substack address. Please let your friends know what they’re missing!
Articles
The German bishops have been testing the patience of the Vatican, with their plans for radical change along a “Synodal Path.” But now it turns out that the talkative champions of synodality are testing the patience of even the German bishops, who couldn’t produce a quorum for scheduled meeting on Friday. There’s a limit to how many meetings anyone can endure.
Some Catholics (and not just Catholics) were offended when New York’s Mayor Mamdani skipped the installation ceremony of Archbishop Ronald Hicks. I wasn’t. Actually I think it’s almost a healthy thing when politicians stop pretending to honor the faith. And it’s even healthier if bishops stop seeking such phony expressions of public honor.
For CatholicCulture, I reviewed an outstanding new book in the American Founding by Matthew Spalding. If you’re looking for one book that will provide a thorough yet readable understanding of how our country was founded, this is it. Spalding’s patriotic enthusiasm is contagious.
A Scripture reading at Mass on Friday prompted a reflection on one curious aspect of Jesus’ miracles. He asks the people not to talk about them, but “the more He charged them, the more zealously they proclaimed it.” That just human nature, isn’t it? If you witness a miracle, you’re not likely to keep quiet about it. So why did Jesus make that request?
This week I finished a series of 26 (!) posts on just-war thinking, with a finale that considered alternatives to war: ways to put pressure on an adversary without military conflict. Specifically, economic sanctions, non-violent resistance, and international law— all of which have distinct weaknesses.
On The Home Front, Leila and I discussed a legal avenue to overturning the Obergefell decision. (Yes, it can be done; if the Court arbitrarily overthrows both law and reason, a future Court can correct the error.) Then we turned to the Catholic Church, and the unmistakable signs that even the liberal German bishops are exhausted by the “synodality” process. Finally, we made some book recommendations, on military history and war experiences.
Notes
Thanks to Joseph Shaw for a fine analysis of the negotiations between the Vatican and the Society of St. Pius X, pointing out that the greatest obstacle to accord is a mutual lack of trust.
Irony: Vatican Radio celebrated its 95th anniversary by producing programs that will be distributed as…. Podcasts.
Two American bishops issued a defense of peaceful protests, in support of Minnesota activists. I wondered why bishops never made similar statements defending peaceful protests at abortion clinics.
I wrote a ‘news analysis’ piece for CatholicCulture on the Vatican-SSPX talks, and linked to a humorous (but barbed) proposal by Father Robert McTeigue on the same topic.
Then I added that although canon law very clearly forbids the consecration of a bishop without papal approval, the supreme principle of canon law— the salvation of souls—calls for an extra effort to reach a solution with the SSPX.
Is it possible that leaders of the Chinese bishops’ conference actually supported a government ban on religious activity by “unregistered” clergy? Sadly, it’s true! That ban could be used to tighten the repressive screws on the “underground” Catholic bishops and priests who remain loyal to Rome.
On a happier note, as the weekend began I saw a report— caught on camera!-— of what appears to have been a miraculous appearance of St. Charbel. If you aren’t familiar with St. Charbel, who has left a spectacular trail of miracles, take some time to learn about him, and maybe ask him for a few favors.
