In re-reading C.S.Lewis' wonderful sermon The Weight of Glory he begins with comments on the nature of desire. Christianity is known by those outside for it prohibitions. It seems to be a religion of "Thou shalt not." Lewis reminds us that desire is good because it is a desire for the good. Even when the desire is distorted [...]
Margery Eagan, the spirituality columnist at Boston Globe's CRUX website poses a question about homosexuality in this column. Listening to the reading at Mass this week from Ephesians Margery heard St Paul say, "Slaves be obedient to your human masters with fear and trembling." The priest explained that times were different back then and St Paul [...]
The Synod fathers this month were trying to address a real crisis in the human race: the disintegration of the family. The problems are very complex and are not simply a matter of people disobeying God's law and running around with whoever they please. Is promiscuity a problem? Of course. Is divorce a disaster? Without a [...]
I read a smart comment yesterday: "Conservatives want to convert people by arguing with them. Liberals want to convert people by agreeing with them." It's pithy I can see the distinction, but I'm not sure it is merely a "conservative-Liberal" clash. Underlying the tensions within the Catholic Church --which blew up at the recent synod was [...]
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sKqRwe5JXM[/youtube] I'm not too concerned about getting the Catholic religion up to date for people. That's because the Catholic religion transcends time. Oh yes, we can tinker with this and that, use modern methods of communication and so forth, but no sense tinkering with the religion itself. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Sure we can [...]
The buzz word in the synod this month, and in the general discussion about homosexuals is the word "welcome" We are to "welcome homosexuals". The problem is, no one is really explaining what this means. I hope those who feel strongly about this matter--who have responded with visceral compassion on the poor homosexual persons who have [...]
What is most frustrating in reading the media mutterings about the synod is the superficial experience of church life that most journalists have. Christina Odone is one who should know better. She is a lifelong British Catholic, a former editor of the UKs Catholic Herald and a longtime commentator on church matters. Nevertheless in this article [...]
Here are excerpts from the Pope's final address to the synod with my observations in red. Read the whole speech here. And it has been “a journey” – and like every journey there were moments of running fast, as if wanting to conquer time and reach the goal as soon as possible; other moments of fatigue, as [...]
What good has come from all the bishops boxing--all the wrangling in Rome? Now that the Synod of Bishops has ended with a beautiful, but bland final message from the bishops, Damian Thompson reports on the week's drama here at the Spectator. ‘Thanks be to God’, as we Catholic children used to say with heartfelt enthusiasm as [...]
Worried about that Synod in Rome? Read This UPDATE: Here is John Allen's summary of the day's happenings at in Rome. He says the synod is turning out like a high drama soap opera...Go here. Whew! has there ever been such a furore amongst the faithful! We've got the clash of cardinals, a [...]