Faith and Morals

By Father John A. Hardon, S.J. The capital sins are really the basic manifestations of our fallen human nature. And the corresponding virtues are the principal ways in which God wants us to grow in sanctity. To know these sinful tendencies is to know who we are by our natural inclinations and to understand the […]

By Father John A. Hardon, S.J. Not too many years ago this would have been a strange title for a lecture, “How to Be a Loyal Catholic Today.” The reason is obvious. Catholics were Catholics. They were not Protestants, or Mormons, or Jehovah’s Witnesses. But much has happened in the last thirty or so years. […]

By Father John A. Hardon, S.J. Bellarmine School of Theology North Aurora, Illinois The reaction to the Encyclical Humanae Vitae of Pope Paul VI was not surprising. Non-Catholic commentators like the editors of the New York Times simply stated that the Pope was “reaffirming the prohibition against birth control” (July 30, 1968). They were expecting […]

By Father John A. Hardon, S.J. Surely the last title for a conference sponsored by Eternal Life would be sexual suicide. Yet that is exactly what we are addressing ourselves to. The language may sound strange but the idea behind the language is part of modern society, which desperately needs to be liberated from the […]

By Father John A. Hardon, S.J. The original analysis of the New Creation Series was received and approved by His Eminence Edouard Cardinal Gagnon, p.s.s., President of the Pontifical Council for the Family. In his letter of approval, Cardinal Gagnon made the following observations: One of the sins of the New Creation Series is its […]

By Father John A. Hardon, S.J. Dated Nov. 19, 1995 It is remarkable what appeals to kindness and charity are made to repeal capital punishment. Two thousand years of the Church’s defense of capital punishment are brushed aside. Arguments are used to “prove” that capital punishment is inherently evil. No one questions the sincerity of […]