In an eleven-page public statement, Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, former papal nuncio to the United States, has made explosive claims pertaining to the knowledge and complicity of Pope Francis as well as those of Cardinals Wuerl, Sodano, Bertone, and Parolin concerning the abuses perpetrated by Cardinal Theodore McCarrick. Viganò claims that Pope Benedict XVI had imposed…
In the centuries-old Missal of the Roman Rite, at the beginning of each and every Mass, the priest places himself before the judgment of God, soliciting divine judgment and making reparation for sin before approaching the altar to offer the Holy Sacrifice. In English, this prayer, taken from Psalm 42, begins: “Judge me, O God,…
In an exclusive preseason interview, icon of masculinity for four decades “Iron Mike” Ditka chats with 1P5 contributor and Dangerous Books author Timothy Gordon (author of Catholic Republic) about the One True Faith, the Catholic sacraments, the manly virtues, feminism, the NFL protest, leadership, and the ever burgeoning secularization of America. Although these topics have…
Editor’s note: During the Synod on the Family in 2015, Panamanian cardinal José Luis Lacunza Maestrojuán had this to say about divorce: “Moses drew near to the people and gave way. Likewise today, the ‘hardness of hearts’ opposes God’s plan. Could Peter not be merciful like Moses?” Keeping in mind that “God’s plan,” according to…
Just a quick note from the bullpen: the fallout of Clergy Abuse 2.0 is going to continue to snowball this week, with developments coming at a rapid pace. As 1P5 is not, technically, a news organization, but a journal of commentary, we will be unable to keep on top of what promises to be a…
Your Eminence, Cardinal Seán Patrick O’Malley, It is with a spirit of faith, hope, and love that I write this letter to you, the shepherd of all Roman Catholics in the Archdiocese of Boston. During his apostolic journey to the United States, our Holy Father Pope Francis exhorted you and all of the U.S. bishops…
Satan plays a long game. We know from the Gospel of Luke that Satan intended to sift like wheat Peter and the apostles. Writing recently in National Review, Fr. Benedict Kiely has called the Church’s present trial the “summer of shame.” Before our eyes, the successors of the apostles are being sifted as well. Many…
It’s already the middle of August. The full heat of summer has not yet left us, but the nights and mornings have lost their claustrophobic grip, giving way to cooler air and gentle breezes as autumn awaits. In the Vatican, however, things are only getting hotter. One wonders if they can smell fire and brimstone…
Dear Fathers, I want you to know, even though I and many others are very angry right now, I was brought up to trust you. To revere you. To see you as intrinsically worthy of respect and honor. Even of obedience. There is no memory I possess, no matter how far back, in which I…
A long-time observer of the modern ecclesiastical scene wrote to me to share his perspective on the broader significance of the McCarrick scandal. With his permission, I here publish his thoughts, which have been slightly edited for publication. Most commentators do not begin to understand the true nature of the problem. The ring of criminal…
When I woke up on August 2 to a tweet that Pope Francis had made changes to paragraph 2267 of the Catechism, I knew that I was in for an exhausting phase in my post-conversion life. Without even reading the text in full, or examining the letter to the bishops, or comparing the new wording…
