The year 2020 is half-finished. The remnants of civilization continue to burn, the enemies of Christ push the Overton window ever wider, and Christians are reminded more and more frequently of our uncomfortable call to crucifixion. Things tend to accelerate as they near the abyss. Comrades! Shall we destroy a statue of a slave-owner or…
Is the recent “attack” on Vatican II a “crisis moment” for traditionalists? Are we turning on a legitimate and laudable Council instead of rightly directing our ire at the inept leadership that has followed it and betrayed it? That has been the line of conservatives for a long time: a “hermeneutic of continuity” combined with…
On this episode of the podcast, Steve flies solo, breaking down a couple of very important stories not currently being widely discussed. First, the Directory for Catechesis has been revised for the first time since the papacy of John Paul II, and those behind the changes are seeking to shift the emphasis from teaching doctrine…
Our Lord Himself, His apostles, and the first evangelists frequently make use of the prophetic witnesses in the O.T. Scriptures in their arguments and their preaching. Thus, Our Lord taught the Pharisees — who considered the Messiah to be only a human king, instead of the divine Son of God and Lord of David —…
Since its publication in 2017, many of my Catholic friends have criticized Rod Dreher’s Benedict Option: “It’s too pessimistic. Christians shouldn’t run for the hills. Besides, the culture isn’t in decline. We just elected a pro-life president.” These were some of the common responses I would get after sharing my enthusiastic thoughts on the bestseller.…
Today’s Stories: Pope Benedict XVI took a trip to Germany, leaving Rome for the first time since his abdication. But what does it mean? A Chinese dissident has claimed that the Communist Party in his former homeland is bribing the Vatican to stay quiet about their human rights abuses. And there’s another push coming from…
The traditional liturgy of the Church is filled with allusions to figures and types in the Old Testament that are taken in an allegorical sense. For example, in the traditional Roman Rite, the story of Daniel in the lion’s den is read on Tuesday of Passion week [i] because, among other possible interpretations, Daniel foreshadows…
“The Catholic Church is an institution I am bound to hold divine — but for unbelievers a proof of its divinity might be found in the fact that no merely human institution conducted with such knavish imbecility would have lasted a fortnight.” —Hilaire Belloc People are making a killing off panic. Whether it is panic…
An ailing Benedict XVI made a short trip home to Germany to visit his even more infirm brother. In more sane times, this would have caused normal human reactions from Catholics, such as wishing the brothers well and perhaps offering a prayer for their well-being. Given that sanity is not 2020’s speciality, many of the…
The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is a new program introduced to Catholic parishes and promises to implement new methods to make catechesis interesting and engaging. Though a quick glance at this program reveals an impressive way of teaching with hands-on materials, there are many problems under the surface. The content taught lacks the amount…
Abp. Viganò’s latest open letter continues the vital conversation about the nature of Vatican II and the extreme necessity to properly respond to this “pastoral event.” This conversation must happen openly among the bishops who are courageous enough to face the difficult questions honestly. Instead of a spirit of “dialogue” among the bishops, there has…
