Pope Francis was recently featured in a short online video to promote his monthly prayer intention. Unfortunately, the video has given the impression that the pope is promoting religious indifferentism, and as such, it has scandalized not a few Catholics. My purpose here is not to analyze this particular video or intention, but to examine a larger question…
There’s an old Internet Meme that goes a little something like this: Pretty much everyone has seen this same coat hanger at some point or another. It’s a pretty ubiquitous piece of hardware. Most of us never think anything of it. But from the moment you’ve seen this captioned image, you can never look at…
Editor’s note: since a number of readers have overlooked the link, we would like to note that this “letter” is written in the style and format of another letter, to which it is a response. You may read that letter here. UPDATE: After over 400 comments, I’ve written a followup post here. Good Afternoon! We…
Cologne Cathedral is the largest Gothic cathedral in Northern Europe and the tallest Catholic church structure in Europe. If you’ve ever seen a Gothic cathedral, you know how impressive they can be. Notre Dame de Paris has nothing on Cologne. It took over six centuries to complete, and is Germany’s most visited landmark. It’s even…
On the second of each month, we have a Mass (according to the 1962 Missal) offered for the previous month’s benefactors by the Canons Regular of the New Jerusalem in Charles Town, West Virginia. But I wanted to do something extra for everyone who has so generously helped us to get to where we are.…
Last night, I got an email from a donor: Did you make your 2015 fundraising goal? I sent a last-minute donation and would to know if you made it. Can’t find the info. The reason the info wasn’t visible is that we archive our fundraisers at the end of each month. We do this so we…
My long-time Internet pal Hilary White has an article up at The Remnant about her life as a Benedictine Oblate in the Italian town of Norcia. It’s beautiful: For me, as a Benedictine oblate and a rather halfhearted do-it-yourself unofficial hermitess, the whole town is a monastery. St. Philip Neri was said to carry around with him…
During college, I attended a Melkite Rite parish of mostly Lebanese origin. It was during my time there that I became painfully aware of the persecution of Christians by Islamist extremists throughout the Middle East, especially Syria, which borders Lebanon. Parishioners spoke with startling familiarity of the persecutions which their own acquaintances and even relatives…
Beginning on Christmas Eve, I walked away from the website. I took my wife and children to midnight Mass and stayed up way too late putting presents under the tree while enjoying some excellent bourbon. On Christmas day, we exchanged gifts, then feasted together with those of my siblings and their families who were in town…
Some people say Islam is a religion of peace. Others, that it is a religion of war. Some say that the recent massacre of Christians by ISIS was not in accordance with Islam. ISIS claims they were acting in proper accord with Islamic teaching. From celebrities and major political figures to priests and bishops within…
As we look back over 2015 — good, bad, and ugly — there’s no question that it’s been quite a year. It’s time for us to withdraw into the peace and joy of the coming of the Christ child, to spend time with friends and family, to feast, to drink good wine, and to play…
