Twenty years ago, I was happy to enroll my six-year-old son in Cub Scouts. No organization held a higher image in terms of instilling values in boys. The Boy Scouts were never political. They honored God and were strongly patriotic. Organized through our parish, the troop was a fun and active way for boys to…
It’s a Friday. A boy and his father head out in their boat to fish. The plan is to catch supper. “Dad, we’ve been out for two hours and haven’t caught anything,” remarks the boy sullenly. “The water is too dirty right now,” notices his father. “Let’s try something different.” “I was thinking we could…
The traditional Roman liturgical calendar at this time in July presents us with a “triduum” of saints of mercy: St. Camillus de Lellis (July 18), St. Vincent de Paul (July 19), and St. Jerome Emiliani (July 20). Always ahead of any age and its needs, the Church gives us exemplars from the past who are…
Is My Baby in Hell?: Hope for Parents of Unbaptized Infants Michael Lofton R&T Press 106 pages $12.99 paperback, $2.99 e-book Michael Lofton is the host of the Reason and Theology show and is currently pursuing his Th.D. with Pontifex University on weighing magisterial texts. His recent work is entitled Is My Baby in Hell?…
Saturday, July 18, 2020, marked the 150th anniversary of the definition of papal infallibility by the first Vatican Council in the constitution Pastor Aeternus, as a dogma of the Catholic faith, to be held by all Catholics under pain of losing their eternal salvation. On the same occasion, the same Vatican council, under the headship…
On February 13, 1790, France, the eldest daughter of the Church, forbade the taking of religious vows. A little over two years later, in September 1792, a Carmelite convent about 50 miles north of Paris was seized. The nuns were forced to live separately, and to abandon their habits. In his book To Quell the…
“No one is ever allowed to disobey the pope. Period.” The statement is made repeatedly on social media, usually in an attempt to end a debate. It’s taken as a given. No sources cited, no documentation provided. It’s merely assumed. It is, after all, obvious. But is it? Does the Catholic Church actually teach this?…
After posting my previous article on baptism, many questions were raised regarding some of these intricacies. Part of this was due to a lack of clarity on my part and also because I didn’t show the entire magisterial AAS document from 1916 in that article. That can be read here. I was not anticipating such…
Steve talks to Cameron O’Hearn, director of the upcoming documentary on the Traditional Latin Mass: “Mass of the Ages — How Tradition Will Restore the Church”. Together, they discuss the genesis for this project, the importance of storytelling, the need for Catholic creators willing to give the treatment of sacred subjects the highest standards of…
Most Catholics who have a decent acquaintance with theology will be familiar with the writings of St. Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) — at least, with questions from his Summa theologiae. Apart from Franciscans who are devoted to their own tradition, however, it is rarer to find an appreciation of or familiarity with St. Thomas’s exact contemporary…
The Wit and Wisdom of Father George Rutler Ed. Edward Short Sophia Institute Press 317 pages $15.99 paperback, $9.99 e-book The great virtue of Edward Short’s new book is that it makes Father George Rutler accessible in terms of both content and price. The book is titled The Wit and Wisdom of Father George Rutler.…
