By Phil Lawler
Showing most recent 200 items by this author.
Facts—and fictions—about the papal interregnum
Is Cardinal Farrell the acting head of the universal Church during the interregnum? No.
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A pontificate marked by contradictions
In his most startling statements, Pope Francis never directly contradicted established Catholic doctrine. But by raising questions about previous teachings, and then remaining silent while more radical clerics proclaimed a change in doctrine, he undermined the traditional teachings.
The Eucharist: the ultimate reality
The Eucharistic Sacrifice, extended through time and space in the celebration of the Mass, completes Christ’s work of salvation, and thereby brings meaning to our lives. And when we neglect the historical reality of that Sacrifice, we immediately endanger our own understanding of human existence.
The Pope as (im)patient
No doubt other Vatican officials would have argued against his surprise visit to St. Peter’s basilica, and at a minimum insisted that the Pontiff be dressed in his usual regalia. And no doubt the Pope knew that. So he made the excursion without consulting anyone; he took the whole Vatican by surprise.
An economic interpretation of the Gospel
Matthew recounts incidents or images that do not appear in the other gospels. And that only make sense, he remarks, because the “ambitious tax collector—if he was familiar with Roman best practices of accounting, banking, and contracts—would be well placed to see the power of these economic analogies.”
USCCB to Trump: You can’t fire me; I quit
Archbishop Timothy Broglio, the USCCB president, said that the decision to end these programs was “heartbreaking.” But the bishops really didn’t have to make a choice at all; the decision had been made for them.
Is Catholic Charities really Catholic? (Don’t ask the Supreme Court)
The state of Wisconsin found that the activities of the Catholic Charities Bureau are indistinguishable from those of any other secular charity. Is that true? The Supreme Court seemed disinclined to examine that question. Catholic donors might think differently.
The Catholic Role in the American Founding
If our Constitution is inadequate to the challenges of today, then— if the centrifugal forces unleashed by unlimited individual choice have torn that moral consensus asunder— maybe the fault lies not with the Constitution itself, but with the religious authorities who should have kept our moral foundations intact. Perhaps it is not the political, but the religious “sword” that needs sharpening.
Flashback: The Empty Square
All through Rome—and soon, all around the world—Catholic churches had closed their doors. In a stunning development, without any precedent in the history of the Church, the faithful were prevented from attending the Mass, barred from the sacraments, not by secular persecutors but by the choice of their own bishops.
Has the American Experiment Failed?
Some tradition-minded Catholics seem to derive great satisfaction from the thought that America was always on the wrong path. That attitude, I contend, is not only un-American; it is also un-Catholic.
The Vatican (still) isn’t listening
Who profited by forcing Milone’s resignation, and who profits now by scuttling his appeal? Who was responsible for quickly lifting Rupnik’s excommunication, and who profits now by promoting his work?
St. Patrick, meet the Synod on Synodality
No doubt the organizers of the Synod process—of whom there are many—will repeat their sincere desire that everyone should be involved. But the plain home truth is that few people want to be involved.
What to do when the conclave comes
We never know the motivations of the anonymous cardinals who leak the conclave’s secrets, but we know they are untrustworthy.
The structure of Catholic revolutions?
Massa’s failure to understand the people he portrays is evident especially in his concluding chapter, when he attempts to summarize his findings and explain the similarities he sees among these “fundamentalist” Catholics.
When will we fully embrace the Council?
What Pope Benedict said in a letter to his brother bishops, as he issued Summorum Pontificum, applies to all of the Council’s teachings, not just the proposed reform of the liturgy: “What earlier generations held as sacred, remains sacred and great for us too, and it cannot be all of a sudden entirely forbidden or even considered harmful.”
Don’t give Trump a pass on IVF
That Trump has promised to broaden access to IVF should be no surprise; he made that promise during his campaign. What IS a surprise is that some prominent pro-lifers have urged us not to complain.
A just man in an unjust war
He lost both those battles, was deposed, and lived in exile, in poverty, while the bloodshed continued. But in the process, by his fidelity, he won a more precious crown.
When diocesan abuse policies violate canon law
So the publication of lists of priests who have been “credibly accused” is an injustice, a breach of canon law, an offense against the healthy Anglo-American legal assumption that someone is innocent until proven guilty, and a violation of Vatican guidelines. Yet many American dioceses have published such lists.
Speculating about the Pope’s health
After a few days of those anodyne Vatican bulletins, reports in the mainstream media began to say that the Pope’s condition was worsening. Actually I think it would be more accurate to say that after his first two or three days in the hospital, the Pope’s condition was pretty much the same, but the few details leaking out of the Gemelli complex were revealing that his illness had been, from the outset, more serious than the Vatican wanted to admit.
The ‘ordo amoris’ and the bottom line
St. John Henry Newman explained the concept with his characteristic elegance, where he describes the love of family and friends— of those in the first concentric circle, if you will— “as the source of more extended Christian love.”
A Valentine’s-Day challenge to young single Catholic men
When I heard today’s Gospel reading, because it was Valentine’s Day, I thought of the young men who, it seems, need a miracle to loosen their tongues so that they can pop the question.
The Pope’s disastrous letter on immigration
In his letter Pope Francis is on very firm ground when he states the Church’s unshakable commitment to human dignity. No one— in the Catholic Church or in the Trump administration— should have objected to that principle. But the Pope’s distorted application of the principle now makes it easier to dismiss even that sound first principle.
WHO should pay to help migrants?
The focus of the current debate is on what our federal government should do. A debate on what we should do, through our own private efforts, would be a much healthier discussion.
Should Biden be excommunicated for joining the Masons?
So where does that leave Joe Biden, who has continued to profess his Catholic faith, attend Mass, and receive Communion regularly? He is forbidden to receive Communion. But then he was already forbidden to receive Communion!
Vance vs. the bishops on immigration, Part III
Whereas the outgoing Biden administration avoided open confrontation with the Catholic hierarchy, the new crew came into the White House spoiling for a fight.
Vance vs. the bishops on immigration, Part II
Reasonable Americans should readily understand why churches, especially, should be treated as “sensitive locations” or “protected areas,” not subject to government incursions.
Vance vs. the bishops on immigration, Part I
The USCCB declares that current immigration policies are “non-responsive to our country's need for labor.” Are the bishops really ready to align themselves with the cold-hearted business moguls who see mass immigration as a convenient source of cheap labor— of workers who will perform menial jobs for wages that native Americans would not accept?
No, the ERA is not part of the Constitution. But why not?
Ask yourself: Who is the most influential woman in American political history? There is only one intelligent answer to that question. So why don’t young American women even know her name?
Papal biographer unimpressed with papal autobiography
The problem— which many other reviewers have mentioned— is the absence of detail about the life of Pope Francis since he assumed Peter’s Throne.
The $5 billion cost of ecclesiastical corruption
And of course the monetary costs of the scandal— while easier to calculate— pale in comparison with the human costs: the suffering endured by victims of abuse, the disillusionment of millions of people, the collapse of Catholic influence in the public sphere, the loss of credibility in the hierarchy
Confirmed: the corruption Pope Francis chose not to expose
Pope Francis has never mentioned the three cardinals’ report, nor has he attacked the sources of corruption those senior prelates reportedly discovered.
What the Magi took away
Why did these men from another country want to see “he who has been born king of the Jews?” This was not a diplomatic mission. This was a pilgrimage: a journey of faith.
A failed attempt to enforce priestly celibacy?
Is it pure coincidence that the bishops cited for incompetence in management seem to come exclusively from one end of the theological spectrum?
See something, say something. Is that gossip?
Perhaps under ordinary circumstances that would be good advice. But for the past 25 years the Catholic Church has not been operating under ordinary circumstances. Apply the Pope's suggestion to, say, the case of McCarrick. Or Zanchetta. Or Rupnik.
The manifest failure of the Vatican deal with China
As we end the calendar year, there are seventy dioceses in China without a bishop. In most cases the sees have been vacant for years-- in more than few cases, for decades.
Blasphemy that’s fit to print?
Kristof leads off his piece, an interview with Princeton University’s Elaine Pagels, the author of The Gnostic Gospels, by saying: “I want to be respectful of readers who have a deep faith….” He has an odd way of showing that respect.
The Expectation
For me at least, the “Expectation” evokes strong feelings that every parent knows: the anticipation, the excitement, the anxiety, the impatience that have been building for nine months, coming to a crescendo in the final days before the birth.
What the rededication of Notre Dame (should have) taught us
Yet on the day when the cathedral was rededicated, and the attention of the world was focused on this building that speaks of the hunger for transcendence, the ceremony failed to capitalize on this unique “teachable moment.” When the secular world paused, listening to hear the echoes of an ancient faith, the ceremony spoke only in modern language.
Pelosi’s canonical gambit
The logical conclusion… is that Pelosi did not file a canonical appeal anticipating a positive result. She filed the appeal so that she would be able to answer questions from reporters who weren’t keen to press the details.
The ‘obscure provision’ of Canon 915
The implication here is that everyday Catholics are familiar with the provisions of canon law. So that presumably they could rattle off the first 914 canons in the code without any difficulty, but when asked to continue, would bog down. “Canon 915? Oh, gosh; that’s obscure.”
Wishing you a restless Advent
If the parties are all held before Christmas— earlier and earlier, as hosts try to avoid the rush— then both the decorations and the party-goers are wilting by the time Christmas Day arrives. So the premature celebrations that nearly erase Advent also sap the joyous energy from the Christmas season.
A high court case that challenges the rule of law
In the end, therefore, the most important question before the Supreme Court is not whether sex-change operations are proper medical care, nor whether minors should be protected, nor even whether the Constitution allows state regulations of these treatments. The real issue is whether legal decisions must be guided by evidence and logic.
Fear all around me
That someone— or the software he had remotely installed on my car’s computer— thought I should know that winter weather was on its way. Thank you, my solicitous friend, but actually I knew that already
The curious background of the Pope’s ‘fixer’
Personnel is policy. The Vatican’s professed desire for transparency and accountability count for little if the institutional secrets and the confidential finances are consigned to a prelate whose track record suggests that he sees no evil.
Here’s why the ‘zero tolerance’ policy is going nowhere
Why is it still newsworthy, then, when a prominent Catholic calls for “zero tolerance” today? Answer: because for all the talk, for all the pledges, for all the touted policies and programs, the Vatican has not adopted a “zero tolerance” mentality regarding abuse.
The dangerous ‘spirit of synodality’
Pope Francis has made it clear from the outset that the real purpose of the Synod was to begin a process, to create a new understanding of what it means to be the Church, to usher in a new “synodal” approach to Catholicism.
Synodality and the perversion of conscience
Too often “conscience” has been portrayed as that faculty which enables us to do what we want to do, ignoring the inner voice that tells us it is wrong.
Who’s behind the violent attacks on the Church?
So can we relax, reassured that there is not a worldwide, concerted attack on Catholic priests and the Catholic Church? Maybe not.
Saving the world from democracy
The excesses of the Democratic administration reflected an understanding of American small-d democracy divorced from its essential republican character.
What the NY Times missed in the latest encyclical: the whole point
Is it now considered bad taste, by the standards of mainstream journalism, to mention the name of Jesus? Even to mention that the Roman Pontiff has mentioned that name? Because Popes often do that, you know; it shouldn’t come as a shock even to the sensitive readers of the New York Times.
Cardinal-designate Radcliffe objects...
Father Radcliffe says that he does not know how I could have misinterpreted his argument. I think I do know why he misinterpreted mine.
Father Radcliffe blames the Russians—not the Bible
Perhaps we are entering a different sort of conflict in the world: a conflict between the morally decadent West, which promotes a hedonistic culture, and a resurgent Africa, where Christian leaders are unapologetic about their faith and— not coincidentally— Christian influence is growing.
Silent and smiling, Pope offers an opening to ‘transgender’ advocates
The Pope didn’t say anything himself. He didn’t need to.
When top Vatican officials clash on sex-abuse discipline...
It is difficult to imagine that in this case, Archbishop Peña Parra would have rescinded the priest’s laicization without having discussed the case with Pope Francis.
Harris campaign rhetoric in the Vatican newspaper
What makes his analysis remarkable is not his obvious sympathy for the Harris campaign, but the reasoning that leads him to the conclusion that a Trump victory would cause “an unprecedented twisting of democracy.”
An extraordinary statement from the world’s Orthodox leaders
"Our Churches categorically reject the justification of same-sex relations ...."
Vance’s incoherence on abortion
If it is barbaric to watch a living baby die after a botched abortion, why isn’t it barbaric a few minutes earlier, when the abortionist tries to kill the baby in the womb?
Why did the Vatican punish a Catholic journalist?
And what, exactly is abuse of the journalistic apostolate?
The Pope’s politically-incorrect message to East Timor: keep having babies
East Timor lies at one end of that population-growth zone, where the proponents of what the Pope terms “cultural imperialism” have not yet fully convinced the natives to stop reproducing. And even Pope Francis, who has shown so little sympathy for large families, recognized there that the presence of so many babies and toddlers is one strong indication of a healthy culture.
Why Kamala Harris is skipping the Al Smith dinner
Her most avid supporters would be disappointed if Harris failed to confront the cardinal; yet she would offend against civility, and lose the sympathy of many Catholic Democrats, if she did. She couldn’t win.
Sinning against the witness of the martyrs
To a secularized society the message seemed clear: your physical health is more important than your spiritual welfare. That message was— and is— more deadly than the disease.
Fruits of the Vatican-Beijing agreement: just the facts
At the going rate of 1.5 episcopal ordinations a year, it would take a bit more than 30 years to provide every Chinese diocese with a bishop.
The threat of a runaway Synod
Having spent the last three years insisting that the Church must be practice “synodal” government, would the Pontiff now countermand a decision by the Synod?
Vocation shortage? There’s no such thing.
When a priest or a nun is asked when he or she began thinking seriously about a vocation, the answer is often disarmingly simple: when someone asked.
Dancing with the devil
Want to tempt someone to anger? Give him a newspaper. To envy? Magazine advertisements. To lust, or greed, or gluttony? Log onto the internet. Your ticket to perdition may be purchased with a click of the mouse.
No, your parish is not ‘vibrant’
Is your parish or diocese oscillating or pulsating rapidly? No. Nor should it. So why is the word “vibrant” invoked with such mind-numbing frequency to describe Catholic communities?
A ‘grave sin’? Balancing the Pope’s statement on migration
Pope Francis could cool down the passions that he has stirred, and advance the public debate, if he would convey— in full— the Catechism’s teaching on migration.
Give the Pharisees their due
Natural piety, then, gives rise to an appreciation for what our ancestors have left us. We may come to criticize some things that they did, and we certainly expect to make some improvements. But our default assumption is that they knew what they were doing.
Leading prayers for the culture of death
No doubt Archbishop Listecki could have given Republican politicians a stronger reminder that souls as well as votes are at stake when we ponder the meaning of the “pursuit of happiness.” But Cardinal Cupich faced a much greater challenge when he addressed the Democratic crowd in Chicago.
The Olympic spirit, RIP
The joy of sports, St. Thomas would tell us, comes in the play itself, not in the results: not in the prospect of fame and endorsement and a professional contract, not even in winning a gold medal.
The ‘self-referential’ Synod
As we move toward the culminating event of what was once expected to be a reforming papacy, the action in Rome is more inward-looking, more “self-referential,” than ever.
With friends like these....
When we argue that no reasonable moral actor can accept abortion, we are perforce saying that the governor who supports unrestricted legal abortion is unreasonable or immoral or both: he should be shunned, not congratulated.
The lukewarm Vatican response to the Paris Olympic outrage
Secular commentators could, and did, deplore the offense against ordinary civility, and on the limits of free speech in a healthy society. But the world expects the Holy See to see events through the eyes of faith.
How NOT to respond to the blasphemy in Paris
Several popular commentators have observed that the pagans showed how they recognize the Catholic Church as their most important enemy. Yes, and they also reminded us who OUR enemies are.
Evangelization: hope for the hopeless
We must all face the unhappy reality that we are going to die; there is no way, in the natural order, to escape that fate. But Christians brought to the pagan world the revolutionary message that we are not doomed to die; that we can live forever. Talk about good news!
Martyrs in Training
The willingness to endure suffering runs directly counter to the message that advertisers pound into our heads: the notion that we “deserve” our comforts.
This week’s big story that didn’t break
In a small, closed community where secrecy is the norm, speculation about what might be afoot becomes a way of life, and rumors quickly take on a life of their own.
Immunity for Trump—or for everyone?
If you think the courts have given Trump broad immunity from prosecution, I won’t debate the point. Just realize that the courts in recent years have routinely upheld a very strong presumption that all elected officials should be given that sort of protection. I take a particular interest in the legal arguments on this matter, because I was a plaintiff in one of the precedent-setting cases.
Rhetoric vs. reality in the Synod’s working document
Nowhere is the gaping chasm between rhetoric and reality more evident than in the working document’s references to the need for accountability in Church leadership.
Welcome budget cuts for the US bishops’ justice-and-peace office
Because— here is the important point— setting public policies is not the responsibility of a Catholic bishop, much less of an episcopal conference.
When marriage is not ‘for better’ but ‘for worse’
What does “worse” mean in a marriage? It may mean living together in illness or poverty. But it may also mean living together in a difficult relationship; the romance itself may become “better or worse.”
A new offensive in the war on traditional liturgy
Even if Grillo were right, and tradition meant whatever the future says it means, then the Church of the future could discard the liturgical fashions of today. If Pope Francis suppresses the TLM, some future Pontiff will restore it.
A new—and potentially explosive—dubium
A clear official declaration about the possible lack of validity of ordinations between partners in sin against the Sixth Commandment would benefit the Church and ensure the integrity of Holy Orders. It would help to curb abuse of authority and homosexual acts in seminaries if the abuser and the abused know that his ordination would be invalid.
So who owns the Catholic ‘brand’?
Is it a bad thing that lay people are raising money for Catholic causes? That donors are enthusiastically supporting new initiatives?
A Tocqueville for today
Csak realizes that the American Founders, in their determination to preserve and protect human freedom, were influenced by the understanding of “liberty” expressed by John Winthrop as well as John Locke, by the Christian moral tradition as well as the Enlightenment.
The Fauci narrative, undermining science and democracy
For months we were exhorted to “trust the science.” Now it is abundantly clear that the “science” with which the American people were presented was not immunology or virology. If that “science” were given its own name, the appropriate name would be “Anthony Fauci.”
A liberal’s lament, and the problem of ‘exculturation’
Father Reese is pessimistic about the prospects for change in the Church— at least for the sort of change he would favor.
Blind Bartimaeus, the prophet
Naturally he “sprang up,” and doubtless he ran toward the son of the Lord’s voice. Remember that he was blind, and there was a crowd around him. He must have barreled into people, scattering them like a human bowling ball.
Something is very wrong in an Argentine diocese
Two Argentine bishops resigned in the past year before even taking office-- both in the Diocese of Mar del Plata. Now the former Archbishop of Mar del Plata has also resigned, less than a year after becoming archbishop of a larger see. What's going on there?
The Hallmark liturgical calendar
If the UN declares a "Day of X," chances are good that the Vatican will join in the celebration.
Why doesn’t Pope Francis Celebrate Mass? Part II
Wouldn’t it be easy for non-Christians—even for Catholics who are not properly formed in their faith— to fall into the belief that this is the most important function of the Sovereign Pontiff: giving speeches?
The Pope’s pose as scientific ‘expert’
There was a time— any time, really, before 2013— when one would expect the Roman Pontiff to focus on spiritual rather than climatological questions. But that time is long gone, and no one is surprised today when Pope Francis speaks at length without touching on any distinctively Christian theme, except perhaps when he says that the destruction of the environment is “an offense against God.”
Be prepared for another ‘long hot summer’
In any major conflict, true believers on both sides will fear that their hard-line opponents are deliberately escalating the tensions, exploiting the confrontations for their own political purposes. And you know what? They’re right.
Did Egyptian monks pave the way for St. Patrick?
Connie Marshner assembles an enormous amount of circumstantial evidence to suggest that the spectacular spread of the faith in Ireland—and eventually from Ireland back to continental Europe and across the world— was strengthened by the earlier presence there of communities of monks who came across the Mediterranean from Egypt.
Mounting frustration in the twilight of the pontificate
When the conclave of 2013 selected Cardinal Bergoglio, it gave him a mandate to eliminate corruption at the Vatican. And that mandate has not been fulfilled.
Our Lady of Guadalupe: the stories behind the story
The Gonzalez book introduces the possibility that the old myths had been planted in the culture of the Mexican tribes long ago, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, to prepare them for the Gospel message:
The Pope says you’re welcome. But are you interested?
For every cradle Catholic who left the Church because of a grumpy pastor, there are a dozen who left because they no longer saw any particular reason to get out of bed on Sunday morning.
Time to resist the ‘gender-affirming’ juggernaut
No, Your Excellencies, you certainly “cannot encourage” gender-altering surgery, because it is an offense against human dignity. But you could forthrightly oppose it. And you didn’t.
What is truth? A journalist asks Pilate’s question
Up until recently every respectable journalist at least claimed that his goal was to convey the truth. And every respectable American journalist paid tribute to the freedoms promised by the First Amendment. Now the CEO of a major broadcasting network— a network supported by the American taxpayers— has cast aside both of these venerable commitments, in favor of “getting things done.”
Trust the science, not the scientists
But as John Adams memorably observed, “Facts are stubborn things.” The facts cannot be reconciled with a purely materialistic understanding of how our universe and our lives. Today the theory of intelligent design is not deemed acceptable, but then Galileo’s theory was not readily accepted in his day.
Infinite dignity and its enemies
The weakness of Dignitas Infinita lies its failure to distinguish between the infinite dignity that Christ offers us, insofar as we participate in the life of the Trinity, and the very limited store of dignity that we accumulate and/or squander by ourselves.
Why ‘Infinite Dignity’ falls short
Cardinal Fernandez cannot find a way to say, in charity, that homosexuals should resist their disordered impulses— as every sinful person should resist the disorder of temptations. Instead he can only say that an act that cries out to heaven for vengeance falls short of the “immense beauty” of the marital act.
Why doesn’t Pope Francis celebrate Mass?
If the Pope is healthy enough to carry out the other aspects of his work, isn’t he able to lead the celebration of the Eucharist, the source and summit of Catholic spiritual life?
In Ireland, a shift in the global political trend?
If my theory is right, and the vote in Ireland represents a shift in the tide of world opinion, Varadkar will not be the last government leader to lose his seat.
Pope Francis, ‘doctor of the law’
So we are asked to accept a novelty, not because it is clearly based on Scripture or sacred Tradition, not because a logical extension of previous teachings, not because it is universally accepted, but simply because the man who propounds the new teaching holds a high ecclesiastical office. This is clericalism on a grand scale.
‘For zeal for thy house has consumed me’
Four hundred assaults on Catholic churches in the US in the past four years. That comes to roughly two incidents of violence or vandalism directed at our churches every week.
The welcome message of the Irish referenda
The Catholic social thought that guided the framing of Ireland’s constitution simply recognized the realities of human life, dictated not by the hierarchy but by the natural law.
The queer pastoral care of the German bishops
Originally a derogatory term, “queer” has now been adopted by the more militant homosexuals (et al.), in defiance of conventional opinion. (“We’re here; we’re queer.”) And now it is this term— the term of defiance— that the German bishops have chosen to use.
Teaching America to fear Christians
Once the goal of the radical left was to push Christians out of the public debate on abortion. Now the more ambitious goal is to shove Christians out of the public debate altogether.
A loss for Vatican news coverage
You might ask: Why does the Wall Street Journal, a paper dedicated primarily to financial affairs, have a special correspondent covering the Vatican? Evidently the publishers asked themselves the same question.
Endgame for a papacy of contradictions
But of course the Pope’s interventions in the Rupnik case have everything to do with the scandal. The reforms are on paper— and paper thin. The corruption is much deeper.
If Peter is the rock, where is the Pope?
When does a Pope teach with magisterial authority? When is he speaking for himself, and when does he represent Peter, the rock on whom the Lord built his Church?
Coming soon to a parish near you?
Count on it: there will be other similar efforts to do what the activists in Manhattan did: to celebrate sexual license and to ridicule the Catholic Church, which remains the most prominent institutional opponent to the unbridled satisfaction of lust.
ICYMI: another consolidation of power in Rome
When the Council of Cardinals was created in 2013, Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga of Honduras was named as the group’s chairman (the official term was “coordinator”). He continued in that role until March of last year, when having passed his 80th birthday he retired. Nearly a year later, he...
Media malpractice
The “green” policies are proposed on the basis of computer models and projections. The arguments against them can be reduced to a simple moral imperative: Feed the hungry.
The Ash Wednesday phenomenon
Why are inactive Catholics so anxious to display their allegiance to the faith— on this day of all days, when the message that the Church sends us is so grim?
In the land of the living
To say that we are “the living” might suggest that other people are dead. But Pope Benedict is discussing the joy that those early Christians felt because of their confidence in eternal life. They were “living” in a way different from their pagan neighbors. They rejoiced in a life that could not be extinguished by death.
No, this isn’t a culture war
"Just as smoking a cigar is bad but puffing on a joint is OK, so spreading illnesses by being unvaccinated is evil while spreading disease through sexual indulgence is a mere technical problem."
The dangerous Vatican enthusiasm for the WEF
Conspicuously missing from the WEF agenda— and, unfortunately, from the interventions by Pope Francis and Cardinal Turkson— was any discussion of the traditional principles of Catholic social teaching.
Competition as dialogue? A tennis player objects.
If you participate in an athletic contest, and you’re not trying to win, something is wrong. You may have reasons for failing to compete honestly, but whatever those reasons are, they are foreign to the game. Competition is, by definition, an effort to prevail.
A Vatican court ruling keeps the lid on financial scandals
Back in September 2017, immediately after the auditor general’s removal, then-Archbishop Becciu told a reporter: “If he had not agreed to resign, we would have prosecuted him.” WE would have prosecuted?
When Pope Francis goes off script
Spontaneity is a hallmark of his pontificate, however, and Pope Francis is not deterred by the furors he has created by his unvetted public remarks.
The world must be peopled
“Having Children is Saving the World.” That marketing strategy makes sense: If you’re selling diapers, you have a keen interest in babies.
Lightning strikes twice in an Argentine diocese
So what’s going on in Mar del Plata? Is there some reason why, as the date of their installation has approached, these two prelates have bowed out?
The worst arguments for surrogate motherhood
And the supporters of surrogacy said very little about the poor women who are enticed to rent out their wombs for cash payments.
The inopportunists’ vindication
“Contempt for tradition at the top, a sheepish passivity among the rank and file, whether clerical or lay, irresponsible behavior during a conclave to elect a pope: these were probably not the consequences hoped for by Pius IX when he encouraged the promulgation of his own infallibility.”
Jump off the media’s fear-and-panic bandwagon
Fear generates clicks, sells newspapers, generates ad revenues, drives vaccine sales, and escalates political rhetoric. It’s like an addictive drug.
Did Benedict’s death lift restraints on Pope Francis?
Whether or not the death of Benedict XVI emboldened his successor, it is unquestionably true that in 2023 Pope Francis was markedly more aggressive in pushing for changes in the Church.
Unfinished business: the top stories of 2023
As another year draws to a close, and I survey the most important headline stories that we covered in 2023, I am struck by how many of those stories are still developing.
Fiducia: the defense of incompetence
If you say that the document reaffirms Church teaching on marriage and human sexuality, you have a plausible case— although you won’t convince me.
Fiducia Supplicans and the defense of ritual purity
This carefully crafted Vatican document gives liberal Catholic priests a way to show their sympathy for homosexual unions without actually contravening Church law. It even helps irresolute clerics, who might hesitate to bless same-sex partnerships, to go along, cautioning them against a stand “on the fixed nature of certain doctrinal or disciplinary schemes.”
A Vatican document that undermines itself
The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith allows (encourages?) Catholic priests to maintain a sort of ritual purity, saying that they have not treated a homosexual union as a marriage, while in the eyes of the world they have done exactly that.
Cardinal Gregory and the ‘dominant’ rite
Cardinal Gregory could not go on to say that the people didn’t want the TLM, because— Well, if nobody wanted the TLM, the question would never have been asked, Traditionis Custodes would never have been written, the whole issue would be moot.
The REAL miracle of Our Lady of Guadalupe
Dating from the original Pentecost, the early Church took more than 300 years to build up a membership of 9 million worldwide. How did it happen in Mexico in the space of a decade? _That_ is the great miracle of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
In the Vatican’s landmark trial, no one can win
The prosecution has painted a very unflattering portrait of Cardinal Becciu. He could easily be convicted of incompetence as a money-manager and arrogance as a bureaucrat. But did he break any laws?
Fool me once...
Twice, then, I have been late to an interesting story because I underestimated how rough Pope Francis can be on those who oppose or annoy him.
Thanksgiving: another sort of ‘holy day’
The secular celebration of the “holidays” has becoming increasingly toxic, and the observance of Halloween— also now divorced from its Christian origins— is now even more troubling, with the intimations of Satanic activity more and more evident. Somehow Thanksgiving has escaped the corrosive effects of a consumer culture.
Synodality and the Strickland case
On rare occasions Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI had removed bishops who broke ranks with the College of Bishops by questioning fundamental points of Catholic teaching. In this case it seems that Pope Francis removed Bishop Strickland because he was too clamorous in his defense of Catholic doctrine.
Welcome candor from the US bishops’ conference
In the 1990s, American Catholics who cherished the perennial teachings of the Church looked to Rome to correct centrifugal tendencies within the American hierarchy. Now the roles are reversed, and we count on our American bishops to protect us from the confusion spreading across the Atlantic.
When Vatican PR makes the Pope look bad
The Pope does not owe me any explanation for his decision not to read a speech. My point is that by offering an implausible explanation, when no explanation was necessary, the Vatican press office created a problem.
Another mixed message from Rome on sexual morality
The new statement from the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith does not directly contradict prior authoritative statements of Church doctrine or discipline. But it gives every indication that pastors who ignore the rules will have nothing to fear from Rome.
Synod Fatigue
Then-Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio captured the attention of the last papal conclave with a talk in which he lamented “self-referential” attitudes within the Church. Ironically this Synod— which might be seen as the crowning achievement of his pontificate— is arguably the most self-referential event in Catholic history.
Honoring our heroes
William Fahey, the president of Thomas More College, observed that Ambassadors Flynn and Glendon reflected something of the character of the school’s patron saint; they have both proven to be “unambiguous in their principles, very much like Thomas More.”
The Virtue of Hope (or, Thoughts While Shaving)
I look again in the mirror and see the face of a man who can do nothing to alter his mortality. This is an unsatisfactory state of affairs. I want to live forever.
Popesplaining and New Ways Ministry
With prodigious effort one can still defend the position that the Pope supports the traditional Catholic teaching. But is it really worth the effort— when the Pope does not defend that position himself?
Responding to Hamas: a just-war perspective [Part II]
Hamas bears sole responsibility for the blood shed in its raids into Israel. But Israel will not be solely responsible for civilian casualties in Gaza; that responsibility is shared by the Hamas leaders who insisted that civilians remain in place.
Responding to Hamas: a just-war perspective [Part I]
Pope John Paul II, in that World Day of Peace message, was outlining the circumstances in which it would be “legitimate and even obligatory” to use military force: to wage a just war. Hamas has created just such circumstances.
October 2023: Pope Francis faces his toughest tests
If he hopes to bring about the “irreversible change” that his supporters seek, Pope Francis is running out of time. He knows that, and so do both his allies and his critics in the hierarchy.
The stalwart media guardians of this Pope’s legacy
One scandal after another can be traced to the doorway of the St. Martha Residence. If reporters followed them there, they would undoubtedly change public perceptions of this pontificate. Will they? Not unless they radically alter their approach.
The debt limit as a moral test
The overall federal debt has just reached $33 TRillion. Who owes that debt? The US government. And who constitutes the US government? “We, the people.”
Is Anyone Listening?
If the Pope removes Bishop Strickland despite his refusal to resign, it would reinforce the false impression that bishops are in effect branch managers, serving at the pleasure of the Pontiff, rather than successors to the apostles and not subordinate to the Pope but (as Cardinal Müller recently put it) “his brothers in the same apostolic office.”
Time for a Papal Intervention
Bishops are understandably loath to acknowledge serious divisions in the Church, and rightly reluctant to criticize the Roman Pontiff. But in any household, when the father’s behavior is causing serious harm to the family and even to himself, the most loyal and respectful of children realize that the time has come for an intervention.
Synodality: the one issue this Synod won’t touch
Pope John Paul II, in his ardent desire for ecumenical progress, once said that he would be willing to return to model of the papacy that prevailed in the first Christian millennium, before the Great Schism, if that would allow for the restoration of Christian unity. What would that first-millennium model look like, brought forward into the 21st century. Certainly that question is worth discussing, and just as certainly the Orthodox world would follow the discussion with keen interest.
No need for facts when criticizing the Church
The Canadian government still asserts, as a matter of fact, that more than 200 children were buried on the site of a residential school in Kamloops, although excavations there have failed to substantiate that claim. But it IS a matter of fact that dozens of Catholic churches in Canada have been torched or vandalized, presumably by people reacting to those unproven stories.
A sin today, but not tomorrow: the curious doctrine of Pope Francis
When Pope Francis questions traditional teachings— and mocks those who see the magisterium as a “monolith”— he undermines all teaching authority, including his own.
‘No one’ supports abortion up until birth? In a twisted sense, true
“No one” supports abortion up until birth, in the same sense that “no one” believes the earth is flat and “no one” support slavery. There are, regrettably, people on the extreme fringes. On the abortion issue, sadly, the extremists control a major political party.
Please, bishops, promise not to lock down churches again
We, as a society, have not learned our lessons. And now we are being groomed for another set of mandates, perhaps even another round of lockdowns, prompted by inordinate fears.
Just-war theory allows for no blank checks in Ukraine
Without the discipline imposed by those moral considerations, the ius ad pacem could be invoked to justify an unrestrained military campaign, based on the often illusory (but always seductive) promise that military victory will bring a brighter future— in other words that the end justifies the means.
Rejoice in the truth, not in the scandal
My journalistic sense tells me that people might be interested to know about a bishop who: - no longer wants to act as a bishop, or even as a priest; - wants to marry, even at an advanced age; and -is undaunted by the fact that he will be “marrying” outside the Church. There’s a story there, don’t you think
The Treason of the Professions
So when they arrive on campus, at an institution created to serve the truth, young scholars would be required to assent to the falsehood that a man can become a woman, or a woman a man. They would then be bearing false witness, C observes— in a clear violation of the Decalogue that has become so unfashionable in academe.
Did I mislead my readers?
If the bishop is not listening to the lay people, shame on him. But if he is willing to listen, and he isn’t hearing the truth, shame on us.
Good vacation, bad liturgy: the Catholic dilemma
Unfortunately, for many Catholics, when we are on vacation (or, more generally, when we are traveling), the experience of attending Sunday Mass in an unfamiliar parish church robs us of the serenity that a vacation should provide.
Ask the intercession of St. Ignatius to reform the corrupt Jesuit order
With unmistakable evidence of widespread internal corruption on the public record, the Jesuit leadership took action-- not against the offender, but against the whistle-blower.
How often do bishops hear the truth?
When lay Catholics try to “do things the right way,” and make an appointment to speak with their bishop, they might run into gatekeepers who are determined not to allow any frank criticism of diocesan policy or personnel.
This week’s installment of Vatican confusion
My prediction: Cardinal Angelo Becciu, the leading defendant in the case, will exploit all the confusion— much of which he painstakingly created— to avoid conviction.
With this appointment, the Pope repudiates his predecessor
The young Father Fernandez did us a favor, actually, by writing that book about kissing. He let us know that we should not take him too seriously
Cardinal Dolan’s conscience troubled? Not enough!
Give the affable prelate from New York some credit; at least he asks the question which so many other Church leaders still avoid. At least his conscience is stirring. But isn’t the answer painfully, blindingly obvious?
The College of Cardinals: some light-hearted math
In 1970, Pope Paul VI set a limit to the number of cardinals who could vote in a papal conclave: 120. That limit remains in place today. But there are currently 121 cardinals eligible to vote. And Pope Francis has announced his plans to name eighteen more.
A ‘listening Church’—but Synod organizers aren’t listening
The International Theological Commission sought to answer “the question of how to consult the faithful in matters of faith and morals”— which is what the Synod organizers said they were doing in the long series of consultative meetings leading up to the October assembly.
Getting in over our heads in the life of prayer
Dive into the ocean— any ocean— and you take a risk; you might be lost at sea. So most of us stay close to shore. Only the saints, like Aloysius Gonzaga, take the headlong plunge.
The Synod working document: a recipe for confusion
In other words the organizers of the Synod have decided that we should play the game before defining the rules. This is a process that lends itself to manipulation.
Don’t look now, but the pews are getting crowded
Granted, I still can site only a very small sample. But the evidence is encouraging. We have encountered more and more solid pockets of energetic, orthodox Catholic faith: parishes and communities where a large number of faithful families joyfully living out their faith, and drawing others to join them.
The Declaration on Human Fraternity is a Dud
Despite the ballyhoo, it seems, the Declaration on Human Fraternity could not hold public attention even through the day it was launched.
Intolerance reigns for Pride Month
I was moved by the imam’s admonition. If he truly believed that I was risking damnation, then it was an act of charity to warn me. So, far from being offended by his words, I took them as a sign of genuine friendship.
Who’s afraid of American Catholics?
So the Dodgers are trying to remain neutral, giving equal honors to the haters and to the people they hate.
Judging the revolutions of the 1960s by the standards of those days
Go ahead: Tell Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., that in 2023, the President of the United States will say that the most important civil-rights battle of the day is the campaign to allow young people to change their sexual identity.
Another peace effort for Ukraine seeking to unite Orthodox leaders
To date, none of the proposed parties to the roundtable has accepted the WCC invitation. But none has rejected the initiative, either, and that in itself is significant.
Encouraging your pastor toward Eucharistic revival
The pastor, when he sees you approaching, might think: “Oh, boy; here’s that guy who’s always telling me about the things I should do.” If so, he won’t be anxious to talk to you.
A simpler program for the Eucharistic revival
Rather than talking about devotion to the Eucharist, why not show devotion, and thus encourage others to do the same?
The inherent hypocrisy of liberal ideology
This has become a fairly standard practice among liberal polemicists: accusing their opponents of doing exactly what they themselves are doing.
How Republicans can win on the abortion issue
Since pro-abortion candidates will reject any restrictions, a firm pro-life leader will demonstrate the extreme, uncompromising nature of his opponent's position on this crucial issue.
Now call it the Synod of Bishops and Selected Others
Back in January, three top Vatican officials— with the Pope’s explicit approval— told of the German bishops that they “are not empowered to create a governing or decision-making synodal assembly” that included clergy and laity as well as bishops. So why are lay people included as voters at the October Synod meeting?
A ‘conspiracy theorist’—and a Kennedy—as a presidential contender
This Kennedy presidential campaign is going nowhere— certainly not to the White House. But it will be interesting to watch— if the lords of the mainstream media and the censors of the social media allow us to watch it.
Remembering a victory at Harvard: Satan defeated, the Eucharist enthroned
And all this happened because a few deluded students scheduled a blasphemous mockery, and the Catholic community responded appropriately: not with an impotent fit of anger but with a confident show of faith. Satan overplayed his hand, and got burned again.
Senator Kaine’s outrageous ‘misunderstanding’
Would the FBI only propose to send agents to the traditionalist parishes that identify themselves as “radical”? Because I know of no such parishes.
What do Germans want?
The Church is growing apace in Africa, where the ideas approved by the German Synodal Path are, quite rightly, viewed as absurd
Good Friday’s burden
[Up until last week I had never—ever—written a poem. Then one morning, after Mass, this came to me, pretty much intact, so I wrote it down, and some people liked it, so...] At last I could do no more. The weight of past mistakes—and worse Weighed down my shoulders, More...
Please: the truth about the Pope’s health
Those facts do not suggest bronchitis. Speculation about what they DO suggest is inevitable, when the information coming from the Vatican PR machinery is implausible.
Is the Synod Asking the Wrong Questions? (Part II of II)
Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich cheerfully assured one interviewer that critics “won’t be able to stop” the progress of this Synod
A new theological concept: temporary infallibility
Pope John Paul II and Cardinal Ratzinger (soon to be Pope Benedict XVI) had already said that women’s ordination is impossible. So it shouldn’t be surprising if Pope Francis says the same thing.
Is the Synod Asking the Wrong Questions? (Part I of II)
For the better part of two centuries, the Church has been wrestling with the question of how diocesan bishops should interact with the Sovereign Pontiff in the guidance and governance of the universal Church. It would be a shame to fritter away the opportunity to advance our understanding of that question, merely to follow the latest fashionable trends.
Celebrating Cardinal Mindszenty’s birthday
Pope Paul— who had promised Mindszenty that he would always retain his title as Primate of Hungary— announced that the cardinal had retired. Cardinal Mindszenty loudly insisted that he had not his office voluntarily.
Getting the Synod Back on Topic
So perhaps the best possible outcome of the October Synod meeting would be a realization, among the world’s bishops, that when the Vatican causes confusion, it is their duty of the bishops to restore clarity.
Free childcare as a Ponzi scheme
The suggestion is that many stay-at-home mothers are forced to rely on the government to support their households. Instead, this proposal would force those mothers to rely on the government to care for their children. How is that an improvement?
The Vatican’s irresolute response to the threat of German schism
The German bishops have done what they have no right to do. The cautionary statements from Rome are now routinely ignored. Sooner or later the Vatican must draw the line.
Please, not another ‘program’ for evangelization
After the Council of Jerusalem, the apostles quickly spread the Gospel message across the world. After Vatican II, the Church talked about evangelization.
Will other bishops answer Paprocki’s challenge?
Bishop Paprocki is right; there is no point in pretending that all Catholics— or even all Catholic bishops— are in fundamental accord. There are serious disagreements among us, which must be addressed.
Evangelization on Ash Wednesday
Our efforts to evangelize— to bring more people into the Church, and recapture those who have drifted away— is undermined by the reluctance to speak boldly about sin and redemption, damnation and salvation.
Understanding the Vatican crusade against tradition
You may (for now, in some places, under certain conditions) be comforted, strengthened, and enriched by the traditional Mass. But you cannot promote it. The Eucharistic sacrifice, in any valid form, is the “source and summit” of Catholic spiritual life. But if the Mass is in Latin, don’t tell anyone about it.
Ex post facto legislation from the Holy See?
Today’s document says that the Pope has “confirmed” the restrictions that Cardinal Roche announced in December (claiming that the Holy See has sole authority to issue dispensations, and thus stripping diocesan bishops of that right), but the rescript looks very much like a new piece of canonical legislation, imposing those restrictions.
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