There is a fair bit of uninformed talk in the church during this synod on synodality about the development of doctrine. Various hot button issues are discussed in breathless terms by progressives who are all excited about the possibility of change. First we should affirm that, while church doctrine does not change our understanding of the [...]
Being raised in an Evangelical Protestant world I was taught to reject the belief in purgatory for three reasons. First, it isn't in the Bible. Second, we are saved by "Faith alone" and purgatory smacks of earning your salvation. Third, we believed in the Calvinist doctrine of eternal security IOW "once saved always saved" and purgatory [...]
My parish's patronal feast is today--the Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary. The photo illustrating this post shows the ceiling of the baldachin in our new church. The starry dome portrays the night sky over Lepanto on Oct 7, 1571. The Feat of Our Lady of the Rosary--previously known as Our Lady of Victories--commemorates the [...]
As Halloween approaches it brings to mind witches and wizards, magic and mystery, and recent events and experiences in the Catholic Church cause me to ponder the attitude so many of my fellow Catholics seem to have about the sacraments and sacramentals Too many treat them like magic and the priests like magicians. I don't suggest [...]
Social media is abuzz with the news that Pope Francis has given approval for the blessing of same sex unions. While upholding the definition of marriage as between one man and one woman for life, some say he has also allowed the blessing of same sex unions according to the "pastoral discernment" of individual priests. This [...]
Some of the LGBTQ+ activists have suggested that Catholics should change the Church's teaching about homosexuality because "Doctrine develops" and because the church has changed her teaching about slavery it should change its views about homosexuality. On the surface this sounds like a winsome argument, but let's examine it for a moment. Firstly, did the Church [...]
Today’s feast day for St Jerome falls happily the day before the feast of St Therese of Lisieux. St Therese said, “How different are all the saints! In heaven the greatest doctor of the church will sit down with a little child.” So it is with these two. St Jerome–the cave dweller and patron of all [...]
Today's blog post is an excerpt from my book Beheading Hydra: A Radical Plan for Christians in an Atheistic Age The idea that progress is always good springs from the enlightenment thinkers of the eighteenth century. Voltaire (d.1778) believed science and rationalism would inevitably bring about material progress. Immanuel Kant (d.1804) was less optimistic, but believed humanity [...]
I am often asked my opinion about girl altar servers--yea or nay? Readers of my blog and of my book Letters on Liturgy and anyone who attends Mass at Our Lady of the Rosary, Greenville will know of my preference and opinion--and that is "nay" But why do we have all altar boys? I am very aware that, [...]
Fr Thomas Reese S.J has suggested that the upcoming synod can change church teaching on women's ordination to the diaconate and priesthood. It's worth examining this claim by reviewing the history of this divisive proposal. The campaign for women's ordination began in the Lutheran and Anglican churches in the post war period. C.S.Lewis wrote an excellent [...]