In the centuries-old Missal of the Roman Rite, at the beginning of each and every Mass, the priest places himself before the judgment of God, soliciting divine judgment and making reparation for sin before approaching the altar to offer the Holy Sacrifice. In English, this prayer, taken from Psalm 42, begins: “Judge me, O God,…
In an exclusive preseason interview, icon of masculinity for four decades “Iron Mike” Ditka chats with 1P5 contributor and Dangerous Books author Timothy Gordon (author of Catholic Republic) about the One True Faith, the Catholic sacraments, the manly virtues, feminism, the NFL protest, leadership, and the ever burgeoning secularization of America. Although these topics have…
Editor’s note: During the Synod on the Family in 2015, Panamanian cardinal José Luis Lacunza Maestrojuán had this to say about divorce: “Moses drew near to the people and gave way. Likewise today, the ‘hardness of hearts’ opposes God’s plan. Could Peter not be merciful like Moses?” Keeping in mind that “God’s plan,” according to…
Your Eminence, Cardinal Seán Patrick O’Malley, It is with a spirit of faith, hope, and love that I write this letter to you, the shepherd of all Roman Catholics in the Archdiocese of Boston. During his apostolic journey to the United States, our Holy Father Pope Francis exhorted you and all of the U.S. bishops…
Satan plays a long game. We know from the Gospel of Luke that Satan intended to sift like wheat Peter and the apostles. Writing recently in National Review, Fr. Benedict Kiely has called the Church’s present trial the “summer of shame.” Before our eyes, the successors of the apostles are being sifted as well. Many…
Dear Fathers, I want you to know, even though I and many others are very angry right now, I was brought up to trust you. To revere you. To see you as intrinsically worthy of respect and honor. Even of obedience. There is no memory I possess, no matter how far back, in which I…
A long-time observer of the modern ecclesiastical scene wrote to me to share his perspective on the broader significance of the McCarrick scandal. With his permission, I here publish his thoughts, which have been slightly edited for publication. Most commentators do not begin to understand the true nature of the problem. The ring of criminal…
“And he shall speak words against the High One, and shall crush the saints of the most High: and he shall think himself able to change times and laws, and they shall be delivered into his hand until a time, and times, and half a time.” –Daniel 7:25 I wrote before, years ago, that I believe…
It has become a truism today that art and artistry constitute some personal experience, individualistic interpretation, or emotional self-expression. And while many pieces of art today are designed to be abstract, the meanings of which are left to the imagination of the viewer, not for one moment should one assume that there is no deeper…
“He’ll be a bishop someday.” That was the prediction in the parish I attended fifteen years ago. Our pastor was a nice man – likable and affable. No one had anything negative to say about him. The best word I can use to describe him is “safe.” He didn’t court controversy and did his job…
In a recent online exchange, someone accused me of not being a “real traditionalist.” I suppose that the jibe was supposed to chafe, but it landed pretty far afield. Not only is this not the first time such an accusation (if one could even call it that) has been leveled against me, but it’s an…
