I begin with a sentimental longing. The longing is inspired by a scene from Willa Cather’s Shadows on the Rock. The passage takes place in 17th century Quebec, and concerns St. Francois de Laval, the first bishop of Quebec. Behold how the saintly Laval called his flock to Mass every morning: “The Bishop got up at…
Editor’s note: Vicente Montesinos, the director and founder of the Spanish-language Catholic web portal Adoration and Liberation, wrote an open letter to His Excellency, Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, published here, at the website of our friend, colleague, and brother in Christ, Marco Tosatti. Today, the good archbishop offers once again his incisive commentary by way…
Editor’s Note: The following exchange comes from an interview between John-Henry Westen of LifeSiteNews and Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò. In the interest of spreading his message further, His Excellency has also provided us with a copy of the text for publication. Please see the original interview with additional commentary at LifeSiteNews. What is your opinon…
For years as an Evangelical Protestant, the common discourse revolved around quotations from the Holy Scriptures. Speakers would talk at conferences. Pastors would preach. No one would think anyone really argued a point without copious references to the Holy Bible. I remember talking to my friends when I was a Protestant—we quoted the Scriptures in…
Live Not by Lies: A Manual for Christian Dissidents Rod Dreher Sentinel 256 pages $15.99 Kindle; $20.49 Hardcover Review by Stephen Morris If The Benedict Option (2017) outlined a tactical Christian retreat, Rod Dreher’s Live Not by Lies (2020) is more of a battle plan for when there is no longer somewhere to retreat to.…
We’ve probably all had this conversation. Your friend, who has become more conservative over the years, but still hasn’t crossed the Adige (that’s the river that runs through Trent), says in the midst of an amicable dispute: “I know there were problems with the liturgical reform… but you have to admit that adding so much…
The Next Pope: The Leading Cardinal Candidates Edward Pentin Sophia Institute Press 523 pages $9.99 Kindle; $20.95 Paperback Edward Pentin’s recent book The Next Pope is a heavyweight tome, quite literally — nearly 700 pages printed on high quality paper stock. The author has provided a great public service to the Catholic Church. Since this Pope has not…
Though born in this country, at the age of ten, my mother had the great misfortune of being moved from the bustling city of Providence in Rhode Island, to a tiny hamlet in the mountains just outside of Naples. There she was forced to learn to cook in an open fireplace, to carry a water…
Salvatore Natoli is an Italian philosopher, academic, and author of some renown. Today, we’ve learned that he has some noteworthy opinions on the pope’s new encyclical. First, some background: Natoli, born in 1942, is a product of Catholic higher education and a self-described nonbeliever (but perhaps I repeat myself). He graduated from the Catholic University…
Her hair was red, but not nearly as red as the area rug that sat atop the aqua-green carpet in her living room. She was short and plump, yet not as round as the peanut M&Ms we ate while drinking coffee and discussing theology. Though nearly sixty years old, her Irish eyes sparkled with a…
I used to argue with Catholics at the grocery store. I was sixteen years old and a fiery Baptist. I remember attempting to convince an elderly Catholic cashier to abandon the Church for the freedom of my Gospel. There was an exhilaration that came in those days as a young man whom ignorance had blessed…
