Dealing With Papal Mistakes

One of the most common misunderstandings, both by Catholics and non-Catholics, is that we believe that every word from the Pope must be accepted as infallible Church teaching. That’s not at all what we believe, as I will explain in a moment. But we must be clear about this, because sometimes we have to deal

Pandemic Panic and Our Religious Freedom

Back in April, when the pandemic was raging at its peak in New York, I wrote about the legal considerations relevant to quarantines and lockdowns. The regulations were very severe, and for several months our churches were closed to in-person liturgy and all our schools were closed. Nevertheless, given the situation at the time, I

A Catholic Lawyer’s Confirmation Hearing

by Ed Mechmann After Justice Ruth Ginsburg died, a friend jokingly suggested that she would contact the President and suggest that he nominate me for the vacancy. The chances of that happening are as far below zero as the temperature in outer space. But as a Catholic lawyer, I think it would be amusing to