Yesterday I posted an explanation of the complex relationships within the Church of England. I explained here about Anglo Catholic, Evangelicals and Liberals. However, this is not the full story. As usual, there is a story behind the story. The divisions between Liberal, Anglo-Catholic and Evangelical are, in many respects, only superficial and historical. The real [...]
George Weigel makes a case here that now is the time for a robust and uncompromising form of Catholicism to stand up and be counted in America. As for the opportunity embedded in this crisis, it is nothing less than to be the Church of the New Evangelization, full-throttle. Shallow, tribal, institutional-maintenance Catholicism is utterly incapable [...]
I posted a picture the other day of worship at St Peter's. There was a crowd of altar servers, robed clergy in procession and clouds of incense. In the combox someone observed, "Would Jesus recognize this as worship?" I don't know the commenter and his background, but it sounds like the comment is based on [...]
St Therese dressed as Joan of Arc "Sanctity! It must be won at the point of a sword!" said the little warrior St Therese. If anyone has read her Story of a Soul and gave it up as a sentimental exercise in French bad taste they should pick up The Last Conversations. The first book [...]
There. That headline got your attention didn't it? As usual, I'm trying to stand things on their head. This is what I mean: Be self centered. Look after the good of your own soul first and foremost. Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. There are several advantages to this. First, it will stop [...]
Did you know that the original Infant of Prague was owned by St Teresa of Avila? Here's the story: In 1628 the small, 19" wooden, wax coated statue was given by the Spanish princess Polyxena Lobkowicz to the Discalced Carmelites. The princess who was Spanish, had received the statue as a wedding gift in 1603 from [...]
Guest blogger Mantilla Amontillado is the founder of Veritas Vestments. She holds a degree in Ecclesiastical Haberdashery from Salamanca University. She has done the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostella three times on horseback and is engaged to the famous matador, Senor Augusto Torquemada. Hey hon! I sorry I not been talking for so long, but my [...]
A woman in Germany has been found guilty of killing five of her newborn babies because their existence would have endangered their lifestyle and standard of living. The news is here. So what's new? Around the world millions of children are killed for the same reasons. It's just that they are killed before they are born. [...]
The fat prophet said "All arguments are theological arguments." The fat prophet, of course, being G.K. Chesterton. So it is with the present political debate in the United States. The country seems divided between those who pay taxes and those who receive benefits--those who take responsibility for themselves and those who cannot or will not. It [...]
The wound at the foundation of all our other wounds is the deep wound at the heart of love. Put simply, we all long for total, overwhelming, unconditional love. It is as if the whole human race is starving and in our starved and desperate state our appetites will turn to most anything to fill the [...]