In modernity, monogamy is often defined to mean “one partner at a time” or, in other words, “anything short of a harem.” As the Sexual Revolution enters its third generation, the figures are becoming clear: a greater number of sexual …
Category: Marriage
When a Bishop Mandates ‘Social Distancing’ for Brides and Grooms
Leading up to the Pan-Amazonian Synod — I apologize for bringing that up again — it seemed as though the Church was entering the realm of not just the unreal, but the irreal — that is, the hierarchy in the …
How New Is the New Traditional Wedding Preface?
On March 25, the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith issued Quo Magis, which, among other things, added an optional preface (de Nuptiis) to the traditional wedding Mass (Missa pro Sponso et Sponsa). The announcement read (emphasis added): Finally, special …
“May Your Kids Always Like You”: Subtle Changes in the Rite of Marriage
The Rite of Marriage was codified in the 1614–15 Rituale Romanum by the Council of Trent. The 1962 Rite of Marriage is identical to the one found in the 1615 Rituale and is spartan. It clocks in at about 400 …
Porneia and Communion in the Hand
There are many instances of Eucharistic typology in Scripture that can give us insight into the question of whether God favors receiving Communion in the hand or on the tongue. This question is profoundly connected with questions of modesty, chastity, …
How to Be a Hero in the Mold of St. Valentine
It’s Valentine’s Day, which means all the drugstores are festooned in red and pink; the secular advice columns are out in force; and the really, really bad movies jockey for position on screens around the world. Secular Valentine’s day is …
700 Years of Clerical Celibacy in History
With the pope’s long awaited post-synodal exhortation not far away, we can be sure that the modernists will be taking their axes to the roots of the discipline of clerical celibacy. We will hear claims that clerical celibacy was introduced …
With Humility, Women Uplift Themselves and Sanctify Men
In the first part of this series we discussed the general raising of the dignity of woman in and through Marian devotion with the coming of the Gospel. We also began to explain the “truly regal throne” first perfected by …
When (Eastern) Catholics Argue against Priestly Celibacy
In the past, Western Catholics have at times tried to force their own discipline on Eastern Catholics (the name of Bishop John Ireland still haunts the conversation). We now recognize that this was a mistake, and one that is not …
This, Too, Reveals God: Sex and the Body in Catholic Theology
The Church on January 6 celebrates the great feast of the Epiphany of the Lord (or Theophany, as our Byzantine brethren call it [i]): the revelation of God to the nations and peoples of the world, represented by the three …