In 2013, I wrote a post on my (now mostly-neglected) personal website entitled, It Doesn’t Take a Rigorist: Why All Catholics Should Be Concerned About Pope Francis. It was the first time I had spoken publicly about my concerns since his election. I knew I was touching on something important, but I didn’t expect the reaction…
On September 6, 2015, Steve Skojec was interviewed by Amanda Erickson of the Washington Post about the upcoming papal visit to the United States. Today, that interview was published as part of a larger article about the discomfort Pope Francis causes to “conservative” Catholics. (You can read more about events leading up to this interview here.)…
My Dear Wormwood, I’ve been meaning to write to you for some time about the dangers and opportunities presented to us by the Internet. The recent events at the Synod have given me a marvellous and delightful chance to talk about the opportunities. The dangers I will discuss another time. You will see how much…
In every age of darkness, there is always present the Spirit of the Church, facing down the worldly spirit of the times. In seeking to understand the conflicts of our own times, we may turn allegorically to the mythical world of J.R.R. Tolkien – and the experiences of his contemporary, Dietrich Von Hildebrand – to…
Growing up, I saw a lot of sitcoms. Too many: The Cosby Show, Family Ties, Night Court, Cheers (ok, so I was an NBC guy). One thing you start to realize when you watch these shows is how incredibly formulaic they are: The Teaser, The Trouble, The “Muddle,” The Triumph, and finally The Kicker. Like…
O practiced hand of theory, ever taking paths that lead to “useful,” even making knowledge of divine like kit instructions turning points of dogma into functions: Away! and take your scheming sermons with you. I will not hear conclusions that your myth drew. For I seek wisdom, truth, illumination — but you say truth depends…
There’s a LOT going on in the Church right now as we ramp up towards the Synod next month. I’m sorting through news and submissions looking for the stories we should be covering, and discarding those that are a distraction. It is, to borrow a cliche, like drinking from a fire hose. But life,…
Mark Silk is a guy who evidently fancies himself as knowing something about Catholicism. And journalism. But neither of these things is in particular evidence in his most recent piece for Religion News Service. On Tuesday evening, a few hours after the Vatican announced Pope Francis’ streamlining of the Catholic marriage annulment procedure, Cardinal Raymond Burke,…
Many people have expressed an interest in hearing or reading the lecture I gave at Franciscan University of Steubenville earlier this week. The lecture wasn’t taped, but the full text is now available at Rorate Caeli. Apart from my book, this lecture is the closest I’ve come to a sort of “manifesto” of the reasons…
Last night I finally had a chance to get back to Ed Pentin’s fantastic book, The Rigging of a Vatican Synod. There was a particular section that, once I read it, led to an almost audible “click” as pieces fell into place in my mind. Allow me to explain. On Monday, as I was preparing for my…
Over at Creative Minority Report, Pat Archbold has posted a lengthy excerpt from the prophecies of Ven. Bartholomew Holzhauzer, who seems to have used his God-given gift to predict our present moment in history: “The fifth period is one of affliction, desolation, humiliation, and poverty for the Church. Jesus Christ will purify His people through cruel wars,…
