Theological Studies was founded in 1940 while the effects of the papal condemnation of Catholic Modernism were still lingering, while Europe was already in the throes of World War II, but the United States was debating, before Pearl Harbor, whether or not it should enter the war. In these parlous circumstances, American Jesuits hesitated about starting

Over the last several weeks of this past summer I found myself mulling over three dates: 1855, 1949, and 2005. The special pertinence of these three years is completely personal. They have no particular relevance to others. All three of these dates are connected with Ireland, and their combination is significant only for my own

As a long-time student of Vatican protocol, I had been regularly updating my database regarding the papal elector cardinals and reviewing procedures established by Universi dominici gregis(1996) so that, following the death of the reigning pope, I could assist local TV anchors, journalists, and radio commentators who felt intimidated by the complexities of the conclave. As

Before the closing days of 2004, I venture to estimate that only a small group of world inhabitants knew the meaning and correct pronunciation of the Japanese term “tsunami” (from tsu, harbor; and nami, wave). Yet, overnight, following the horrendous earthquake of December 26, the term became a household word conjuring up dread and fear. In the

I write these reflections in mid-October 2004, several weeks before the U.S. presidential election. It is also some six weeks before the celebration of American Thanksgiving and even further removed from the Christmas liturgical season during which subscribers may be reading these lines and this issues articles and book reviews. The editorials early deadline explains