Image: Antonio Escobar y Mendoza, a prominent casuist of the 17th century. One might think casuistry is dead and buried, that the controversies of the 17th century should be over once and for all. Rarely do any of our contemporaries …
Category: The Synod

Sister Lucia: “Final Confrontation between the Lord and Satan will be over Family and Marriage.”
Rorate Caeli has released a translation of a remarkable interview, originally published in 2008, with Cardinal Carlo Caffarra of Bologna. In it, he references correspondence he had with Sister Lucia, the principal visionary of Our Lady at Fatima: Q. There is …

In His Own Words: Cardinal Schönborn on Exhortation’s Deepest Concerns
Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, the Archbishop of Vienna, Austria, has been chosen by Pope Francis to present his apostolic exhortation, Amoris Leaetitia, on 8 April. We’ve already explored some of his statements over the past few days, because we believe it …

Cardinal Schönborn Receives Public Honor for His Synod Role
Many observers were troubled by the news that Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, archbishop of Vienna, Austria, was chosen by Pope Francis to be one of the main speakers at the press conference on 8 April in order to present the Apostolic …

Kasper’s Delight: Wargaming the Exhortation
Cardinal Walter Kasper — the most infamous member of the German episcopacy — appears to be just tingly with anticipation for the coming apostolic exhortation on marriage and family. Ed Pentin reports (with my emphasis): According to the Italian newspaper Il Terreno, the German theologian told …

Post-Synodal Exhortation Expected This Saturday
The Vatican grapevine informs us that the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation on Marriage is expected to be released this Saturday, March 19th. Yes, that’s the Feast of St. Joseph, because irony. Unsurprisingly, there are serious reasons for concern: Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia reportedly disclosed the news today …

Post-Synod Document Pre-Written? A Timeline of “I Told You So”
It’s typically bad form to say “I told you so.” (But if you’re going to gloat, do it like Hilary. Then it’s hilarious.) Still, when you are perpetually maligned and attacked for your concerns and predictions, it’s sometimes appropriate to document the …

Did Pope Benedict Have a Role in the Müller-Kasper Compromise?
Editor’s note: as with all stories attempting to uncover what is transpiring behind the scenes at the Vatican, this report includes, by necessity, a certain amount of speculation based on information gleaned from unnamed sources. While the Italian press appears …

Ominous Galumphing
Since early October, Catholics have peeked through the looking glass to see if the Jabberwock of doctrinal plasticity could be slain. It is a destabilizing place to be. Never in their lifetime have most Catholics been here before. We watched, …

Unity and Rupture
These days, the Universal Church is wending her way to the end of the liturgical year, which can be a bittersweet time for believers. As the days shorten and natural light diminishes, we are asked to remember the myriad witnesses …