Back in September, I told you about the proposed Synod rules, which were being revised to reduce transparency and keep the inner workings a secret. There would be no controversial mid-term report, they’d keep the discussion in small groups to avoid cross-pollination, and no final report or post-synodal exhortation was expected. In other words, those…
We enter the church just moments before things begin, the altar boys and thurifer standing in anticipation in the small narthex, a faint wisp of incense rising through cross-shaped slits in burnished bronze. In hushed voices, we urge our small children forward, directing them to a pew near the back, in order to be able…
The following is a lecture given by artist Daniel Mitsui on 14 September 2015, to open an exhibit of his artwork at Franciscan University of Steubenville. INVENTION and EXALTATION I wish you a very happy feast. This is a special day dedicated to the Holy Cross, one of two in Catholic tradition. The names of…
I’m exhausted by the Synod. I’m exhausted by the debates about the SSPX. And yet, this video combines both themes in a way that is so radically uplifting, so completely moving that I finished it in tears. This. This. This. This is what Catholicism is supposed to look like. You want to call them schismatics?…
What’s really going on inside the Synod? That’s the question many are trying to answer, including those journalists tasked with covering the proceedings. Despite revised procedures that were designed to give the appearance of transparency, the inner workings of the Synod are being obscured by a filter of “language attachés,” whose job it is to…
The Rosary is arguably the most recognizable Catholic devotion. Sadly, it is a devotion that has fallen out of fashion for many Catholics. This is deeply unfortunate, as the Rosary is one of the most powerful weapons in our arsenal for spiritual warfare and one of the greatest aids in the pursuit of a fruitful spiritual…
Editor’s note: the following is taken from the introduction to the upcoming book from Emmaus Road Publishing, From the Beginning: The Mission and Vocation of the Family in the Contemporary World. The introduction was written by Dr. Michael Sirilla, professor of theology at Franciscan University of Steubenville, and is reproduced by him here. The book received an initial limited print…
Regular readers are no doubt aware of the fondness I have for Bishop Athanasius Schneider of Astana, Kazakhstan. While it is true that other bishops and cardinals are even now defending Our Lord’s truth, Bishop Schneider is, like his namesake saint, a uniquely strong voice crying out among the bishops of the world addressing clearly, courageously, and…
Over at The Week, my friend (and very occasional contributor to 1P5) Michael Dougherty offers one of the best explanations I’ve seen about what we’re facing and why we’re facing it. But first, he swings for the fences: In the next three weeks, I fully expect the leadership of my own One Holy and Apostolic Catholic Church…
The Pharisees approached Jesus and asked, “Is it lawful for a husband to divorce his wife?” They were testing him. He said to them in reply, “What did Moses command you?” They replied,”Moses permitted a husband to write a bill of divorce and dismiss her.” But Jesus told them, “Because of the hardness of your hearts he wrote you this…
Voice of the Family has arisen as a real champion since last year’s Synod, a clear voice calling for the preservation of the Church’s teachings on marriage and family. In a thorough analysis published yesterday, they offer seven pieces of evidence that plans to manipulate the Synod may already be afoot: 1. Those responsible for the…
