Some time ago, a Catholic priest wrote me a wonderful letter about tradition and youth ministry, which turned into a correspondence that struck me as worth sharing with a wider readership. So many of us face the issues discussed therein, week in and week out. I asked the priest his permission to include some of…
The following is Part IV of a series. Read Part I, Part II, and Part III at the links. Tradition, Doctrine and Magisterium (Continued) Ecumenism The 1928 encyclical Mortalium Animos condemns modern notions of ecumenism. It says the Catholic Church is the one true Church, to which separated Christian ecclesial communities should return. It says…
Editor’s note: The following is Part II of a four-part series. Read Part I, Part III, and Part IV at the links. The Sacred Liturgy “Lex orandi, lex credendi.” The order of Mass expresses and teaches Catholic doctrine. The changes to the Mass, sadly, are an example of a break from tradition – a “hermeneutic of…
Editor’s note: The following is the first part of a series. Read Part II, Part III, and Part IV at the links. I. Introduction What is going on in the Church these days? How to understand the origin of our present dilemmas, and what to do about them? Like many of you, I’ve wrestled with…
The last week has produced an outpouring of reflections on the state of the nation. For many, the election of Donald Trump was unimaginable, and many in the country’s governing classes are now forced to confront the true nature of the divisions within American society. The triumph of Trump made it impossible to deny the…
Very often it seems Catholics will dismiss discussions regarding the ongoing reform of the Roman Rite liturgy as being largely irrelevant. Tackling topics such as the manner in which the faithful receive Holy Communion, or the reintroduction of Latin at more Novus Ordo masses, are viewed by many as unnecessary at best, if not downright…
Today marks the 50th anniversary of ‘Lumen Gentium‘, the Vatican II constitution on the Church. With this brief post I present its highlights, while encouraging you to read the document in its entirety. The First Vatican Council was preparing to give a definition of the Church but was forced to an abrupt end in 1870…
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