Plato was an ultra-realist that stressed, to an extreme degree, objective reality, to the point of believing that concepts were individual entities with their own independent reality, i.e., the world of the “Forms.” The soul actually existed in this intelligible world prior to existing in the body, and will go back to it once the…
The word “liberal” in today’s common parlance does not enjoy a precise definition. For example, if we were to apply the word as a descriptive for persons, we could find ourselves using it as a denotation for everyone from Nancy Pelosi, to Thomas Jefferson, to Robespierre, to GK Chesterton (more on Chesterton later). All of…
It is once again that time of year that the late Ray Bradbury famously dubbed “the October Country.” The waning of the year brings to more temperate regions the closure of harvest, the falling leaves, and the preparation for the succession of holidays that close and open each year in every country. Just as regularly…
If Monsignor Ronald Knox is correct, as I contend he is, then, “there is a recurrent situation in Church history—using the word ‘church’ in the widest sense—where an excess of charity threatens unity.” It’s the classic double-edged sword of otherwise good folks taking an otherwise pious proposition or practice a tad too far. To his…
It is necessary “to snatch the Rosaries from the hands of the old ladies!” How can we forget this declaration from Cardinal Michele Pellegrino (1903-1986), Archbishop of Turin between 1965 and 1977, to his clergy and often heard during the Roman youth of this article’s author? It comes to mind especially in the month of…
A short time ago, I ran into a claim that in the near future devotion to the Holy Face of Jesus would be more and more important. Think about how our ecclesial pastors have, through neglect and even expressions of contempt, downplayed and eroded the pious devotional practices of the faithful. Hence, I am inclined…
Every year, as a teacher, when Halloween approaches, I have struggled to thoroughly answer the question, “What do you think of Halloween?” Every year, then, I would research the traditions and history of Halloween and get closer to providing a more complete answer. My wayward youth of enjoying Halloween for evil purposes, which was tied to…
Holy Communion is the Bread of Life, the Medicine of Immortality, the eternal pledge of God’s Infinite Love. The whole visible creation is as nothing at all compared to Jesus’ Real Presence among us in His Eucharist, which is truly and substantially His Body and His Blood, united to His Soul and His Divinity. Holy Communion is the Fruit of the Tree…
Rebuilding Christendom is all about the children. Besides Christmas, Halloween is probably the most well-loved holiday for your average kid, Catholic or not (at least in the nation I live in). The reason is obvious to any child of ten years or less: candy. Every year thousands of kids have fun dressing up and getting…
Last month a couple of the nuns of the Fairfield Carmel were seen attending Mass at the FSSP apostolate, our parish in the ancient centre, Santissima Trinita dei Pellegrini. These are the sisters who have become famous throughout the Traditional Catholic world for their attempt to live the Teresian Discalced Carmelite life in the most…
In discussions of whether or not the pope has the authority to radically change the Church’s liturgy, the claim has been made that “if he can modify the bread from leavened to unleavened and limit reception to one species—which pertain even to the substance of the sacrament!—then of course he can do anything else.” I…
