Is Communion With Lutherans on the Way?
I hate to be a party pooper, but it seems that we are further apart than ever before on some very key issues.
Abortion and Obi Wan Kenobi
In 1914 Agnes Cuff, a flighty and unstable young woman with few prospects and little money found herself pregnant. The father didn't want to be involved. She was alone, shamed, poor and pregnant. Today she would be encouraged to get herself to an abortion clinic and end the unwanted pregnancy. Instead a little boy was born. English actor [...]
Good Non-Catholic Christians – Is There Salvation Outside the Church?
Confused? Don't be The sudden death of Tony Palmer--the friend of Pope Francis--has raised the question whether he could be saved even though he never converted to the Catholic faith. Some Catholics would shake their head sadly and quote the famous phrase, Extra Ecclesiam nulls salus- Outside the Church, No Salvation. Does this mean that everyone [...]
Pope Francis “Doesn’t Want to Convert Evangelicals”?
After meeting with a group of Pentecostal Evangelicals Pope Francis reportedly wants to preach in a Protestant church in Rome. This article reports on the meeting held in Rome with Pope Francis and TV Evangelist Kenneth Copeland and other Evangelical leaders including theologian Brian Stiller and Anglican bishop Tony Palmer. The Pope wants to go to [...]
Vain Repetition Repetition?
How a former Evangelical came to love the Rosary. Here's my latest article for Integrated Catholic Life. Please read and share! Read: Do Catholics Pray to Mary?; Do Catholics Honor Mary Too Much?; Do Catholics Worship Mary?
Lions, Little Children and Tiber Swims
Click to enlarge Did you know that Ignatius of Antioch was not only appointed to the see of Antioch by Peter himself, but tradition has it that he was one of the children that the Lord took up in his arms and blessed? Ignatius of Antioch was martyred in the Roman Coliseum by being [...]
Teresa of Avila and the Infant of Prague
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 [...]
The Eternal Mass
Am I getting older or is the news getting worse? All around the world seems to be disintegrating. What was considered immorality by everyone is now championed as good and progressive. The Christian church in America -- Catholics included--seem to be swept along by the crass materialism, commercial mentality and all the complacency and desires of [...]
Understanding Infallibility
There's a delicious scene in Brideshead Re-visited where the spiritually illiterate Rex Mottram is being instructed in the Catholic faith and the priest asks, "If it were raining and the Holy Father said it was sunny, how would you then explain papal infallibility?" Rex ponders for a moment and says, "I suppose I would say that [...]
Snake Handlers and the Holy Father
Who are the "snake handlers" and where do they come from? "Snake handlers" are a small group of Pentecostal Christians--started in Appalachia during the Holiness revival movements and still operating today. They get all worked up and get "the anointing" which means they enter a trance like state through hyper emotionalism then they pass around live [...]