March 6, 2014

Just How Long Is A Rosary Anyway?

This may seem like an unusual question, but just how long is a rosary? How many prayers does it take to pray the rosary? The Short Answer The rosary consists of fifteen mysteries, three sets of five each: the Joyful, the Sorrowful, and the Glorious. For each mystery, also referred to as a “decade”, one prays one Our Father, ten Hail Marys, and a Glory Be, meditating on that mystery throughout.

March 10, 2014

Temptation In The News

A follow-up to the previous post regarding the seventh commandment: “And immediately there came to mind the thief we all have inside ourselves and while I arranged the flowers I took the cross and with just a bit of force I removed it,” Pope Francis said. The idea to steal a crucifix from a priest’s corpse was a temptation. The “thief we all have inside ourselves” is likely a demon tempting its prey, although it is quite possible the temptation was natural and occurred without any demonic prompting.

March 8, 2014

The Seventh Commandment In The News

From what I can see, not one Catholic commenter has tackled a news story that made the rounds 6 March. According to the AP account, which matches Rome Reports' video of the event, Pope Francis told the priests of Rome that some years prior he had removed the crucifix from the rosary of his late confessor, whose corpse was clutching the rosary in its casket. Francis claims to have kept the crucifix on his person ever since as a reminder of mercy.

March 6, 2016

Reason Can Prove God's Existence

The existence of God can be proven/demonstrated from reason alone. But don’t take my word for it: Oath Against Modernism (Denz. 2145) And first, I profess that God, the beginning and end of all things, can be certainly known and thus can also be demonstrated by the natural light of reason “by the things that are made” [cf. Romans 1:20], that is, by the visible works of creation, as the cause by the effects.

July 2, 2014

A Priest Who “Sees the Dead”? Dead Wrong

Over on his blog, Fr. Dwight Longenecker relates how he knew a priest who could see the dead. Not on demand, presumably, but it supposedly did happen this one time. If you have not read the post, well, you’d be better off if you don’t. If you have, know that it has a few dangerous misconceptions in it that I would like to put into perspective below. So What, Objectively, Happened?

June 22, 2013

Apostasy and Cardinal Dolan

Timothy Cardinal Dolan, the Cardinal Archbishop of New York and President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, has made statements that suggest apostasy. Visiting a mosque in New York, he said the following: “You love God, we love God and he is the same God,” the cardinal said of the Muslim and Roman Catholic faiths. He likened Muslims to earlier waves of Roman Catholic immigrants who some 150 years ago faced the same challenge of “how to become loyal, responsible, patriotic Americans without losing their faith.

February 28, 2016

To Dissemble When God Is Wronged Is Impiety

We join our Lord Jesus Christ in the fourth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew. He is finishing up being tempted by Satan in the desert: 8 Again, the Devil took Him up into an exceeding high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; 9 And said to Him, All these things will I give You, if You will fall down and worship me.

June 13, 2013

Nemo Potest Dare Quod Non Habet

Nemo potest dare quod non habet is a Latin phrase that translates “No one can give what he has not.” It is a cliché because it is so very true. If you do not have an apple, you cannot give someone an apple. If you do not have an umbrella, you cannot give someone temporary shelter from rain. If you do not have sound catechesis, you cannot pass on the Catholic faith to anyone else.

February 28, 2016

To Dissemble When God Is Wronged Is Impiety

We join our Lord Jesus Christ in the fourth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew. He is finishing up being tempted by Satan in the desert: 8 Again, the Devil took Him up into an exceeding high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; 9 And said to Him, All these things will I give You, if You will fall down and worship me.

March 6, 2014

Just How Long Is A Rosary Anyway?

This may seem like an unusual question, but just how long is a rosary? How many prayers does it take to pray the rosary? The Short Answer The rosary consists of fifteen mysteries, three sets of five each: the Joyful, the Sorrowful, and the Glorious. For each mystery, also referred to as a “decade”, one prays one Our Father, ten Hail Marys, and a Glory Be, meditating on that mystery throughout.

February 19, 2016

Yes, The Pope Said Something Scandalous

So the pope held another interview on a plane. And, unfortunately, he said something scandalous. This is going to be a bit long, but I think it’s needed to make the following points: Yes, what he said is actually scandalous. No, seriously, it is actually scandalous. Just ignoring it is a disservice to souls. Here’s the question and answer from the interview in its entirety: Paloma García Ovejero, Cadena COPE (Spain): Holy Father, for several weeks there’s been a lot of concern in many Latin American countries but also in Europe regarding the Zika virus.

August 6, 2015

Oh, For Offspring's Sake!

As these situations especially affect children, we are aware of a greater urgency to foster a true welcome for these families in our communities. For how can we encourage these parents to raise their children in the Christian life, to give them an example of Christian faith, if we keep them at arm’s length? I am especially grateful to the many pastors, guided by my Predecessors, who have worked diligently to let these families know they are still a part of the Church.

March 4, 2014

Pope Pius XI On Marriage Laws

From Casti Connubii §5: … let it be repeated as an immutable and inviolable fundamental doctrine that matrimony was not instituted or restored by man but by God; not by man were the laws made to strengthen and confirm and elevate it but by God, the Author of nature, and by Christ Our Lord by Whom nature was redeemed, and hence these laws cannot be subject to any human decrees or to any contrary pact even of the spouses themselves.

February 28, 2016

To Dissemble When God Is Wronged Is Impiety

We join our Lord Jesus Christ in the fourth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew. He is finishing up being tempted by Satan in the desert: 8 Again, the Devil took Him up into an exceeding high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; 9 And said to Him, All these things will I give You, if You will fall down and worship me.

July 2, 2014

A Priest Who “Sees the Dead”? Dead Wrong

Over on his blog, Fr. Dwight Longenecker relates how he knew a priest who could see the dead. Not on demand, presumably, but it supposedly did happen this one time. If you have not read the post, well, you’d be better off if you don’t. If you have, know that it has a few dangerous misconceptions in it that I would like to put into perspective below. So What, Objectively, Happened?

March 6, 2016

Reason Can Prove God's Existence

The existence of God can be proven/demonstrated from reason alone. But don’t take my word for it: Oath Against Modernism (Denz. 2145) And first, I profess that God, the beginning and end of all things, can be certainly known and thus can also be demonstrated by the natural light of reason “by the things that are made” [cf. Romans 1:20], that is, by the visible works of creation, as the cause by the effects.

December 10, 2013

It's OK To Speak Harshly Sometimes

One of the more striking things I’ve come across reading Pascendi Dominici Gregis is the tone. Pope St. Pius X writes many words, and he minces not a one of them. But we have not yet come to the end of their philosophy, or, to speak more accurately, their folly. (par. 8) By most measures, that is a sick burn! Blind that they are, and leaders of the blind, inflated with a boastful science, they have reached that pitch of folly where they pervert the eternal concept of truth and the true nature of the religious sentiment; (par.

June 20, 2013

Proselytizing : Dialogue :: Heaven : Hell

The ever-trenchant Mundabor has a post about Cardinal Tauran on the New Evangelization. Jean-Louis Cardinal Tauran is the president of the Pontifical Council of Inter-religious Dialogue. The Cardinal has made statements such as these: “In this pluralistic situation, we have no other option than consciously cultivating friendly relationships with all of them based on mutual respect and understanding that eventually could lead to mutual collaboration for the common good, for peace and harmony towards the development of the society.

December 10, 2013

It's OK To Speak Harshly Sometimes

One of the more striking things I’ve come across reading Pascendi Dominici Gregis is the tone. Pope St. Pius X writes many words, and he minces not a one of them. But we have not yet come to the end of their philosophy, or, to speak more accurately, their folly. (par. 8) By most measures, that is a sick burn! Blind that they are, and leaders of the blind, inflated with a boastful science, they have reached that pitch of folly where they pervert the eternal concept of truth and the true nature of the religious sentiment; (par.

May 17, 2013

Keeping Faith Defined

A post entitled Keeping Faith Real by Marc Cardaronella introduced me to the concept of “enrichment of faith”. A definition, by way of quotes: It’s the idea that faith is only truly enriching when it’s a lived reality in the heart of the believer. And, it must be communicated that way. Everything, “all pastoral activity,” Wojtyla wrote, was to be directed toward fostering a mature faith that was fully lived.

April 25, 2013

Catholicism Is For Everyone

Jesus came so that all might be saved. Now He never said that all would be saved, or even most. But salvation is at least possible for anyone. Nobody knows better than God that different people have different capabilities. Some, like St. Thomas Aquinas, can dictate three different books to scribes at the same sitting and have one of them be considered the best theological treatise of all time. Others like St.

June 22, 2013

Apostasy and Cardinal Dolan

Timothy Cardinal Dolan, the Cardinal Archbishop of New York and President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, has made statements that suggest apostasy. Visiting a mosque in New York, he said the following: “You love God, we love God and he is the same God,” the cardinal said of the Muslim and Roman Catholic faiths. He likened Muslims to earlier waves of Roman Catholic immigrants who some 150 years ago faced the same challenge of “how to become loyal, responsible, patriotic Americans without losing their faith.

May 8, 2014

St. John The Evangelist Evangelizes a Youth

From Chapter 23, Book III of Eusebius' Church History: Listen to a tale, which is not a mere tale, but a narrative concerning John the apostle, which has been handed down and treasured up in memory. For when, after the tyrant’s death, he returned from the isle of Patmos to Ephesus, he went away upon their invitation to the neighboring territories of the Gentiles, to appoint bishops in some places, in other places to set in order whole churches, elsewhere to choose to the ministry some one of those that were pointed out by the Spirit.

December 12, 2013

The Prophet Elias Re-Converts Israel (Again)

From the Douay-Rheims translation of the Third Book of Kings (1 Kings): [21] And Elias coming to all the people, said: How long do you halt between two sides? if the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people did not answer him a word. [22] And Elias said again to the people: I only remain a prophet of the Lord: but the prophets of Baal are four hundred and fifty men.

May 31, 2013

St. Benedict Evangelizes

From Pope Pius XII’s Encyclical Fulgens Radiatur: Trusting in God and relying on His ever present help, he went south and arrived at a fort “called Cassino situated on the side of a high mountain …; on this stood an old temple where Apollo was worshipped by the foolish country people, according to the custom of the ancient heathens. Around it likewise grew groves, in which even till that time the mad multitude of infidels used to offer their idolatrous sacrifices.

April 22, 2013

Saint Dominic Evangelizes An Innkeeper

Excerpted from Saint Dominic de Guzman by Fray Diego Matamoros On their first evening of the journey, the small band of Royal emissaries stopped at an inn is [sic] southern France to rest for the night. The owner of the inn was a heretic, who engaged the bishop and young sub-prior in a discussion. Up to this point, neither the bishop, nor Saint Dominic had any idea of the nature of this heresy, or the mental hold that it had on its adherents.

March 6, 2016

Reason Can Prove God's Existence

The existence of God can be proven/demonstrated from reason alone. But don’t take my word for it: Oath Against Modernism (Denz. 2145) And first, I profess that God, the beginning and end of all things, can be certainly known and thus can also be demonstrated by the natural light of reason “by the things that are made” [cf. Romans 1:20], that is, by the visible works of creation, as the cause by the effects.

June 13, 2013

Nemo Potest Dare Quod Non Habet

Nemo potest dare quod non habet is a Latin phrase that translates “No one can give what he has not.” It is a cliché because it is so very true. If you do not have an apple, you cannot give someone an apple. If you do not have an umbrella, you cannot give someone temporary shelter from rain. If you do not have sound catechesis, you cannot pass on the Catholic faith to anyone else.

May 17, 2013

Keeping Faith Defined

A post entitled Keeping Faith Real by Marc Cardaronella introduced me to the concept of “enrichment of faith”. A definition, by way of quotes: It’s the idea that faith is only truly enriching when it’s a lived reality in the heart of the believer. And, it must be communicated that way. Everything, “all pastoral activity,” Wojtyla wrote, was to be directed toward fostering a mature faith that was fully lived.

June 20, 2013

Proselytizing : Dialogue :: Heaven : Hell

The ever-trenchant Mundabor has a post about Cardinal Tauran on the New Evangelization. Jean-Louis Cardinal Tauran is the president of the Pontifical Council of Inter-religious Dialogue. The Cardinal has made statements such as these: “In this pluralistic situation, we have no other option than consciously cultivating friendly relationships with all of them based on mutual respect and understanding that eventually could lead to mutual collaboration for the common good, for peace and harmony towards the development of the society.

May 9, 2013

Pope Francis Proselytizes

Pope Francis says at a daily Mass that evangelizing is not proselytizing. Since they are two separate words, I am inclined to agree. But why does the pope need to make this distinction? Evangelization is the act of proclaiming Jesus Christ. Proselytizing is the attempt to win converts to your cause. Emphasizing their differences masks just how complementary they are. Why proclaim the good news that is Jesus if you did not wish to convert people to His religion?

December 13, 2013

Old Evangelization Leads To Persecution

When you evangelize and present the Catholic faith as it has been taught for centuries, you will be persecuted. Some of that persecution will be from within the Church. A most trenchant example is the latest persecution of the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate (FFI). That Rorate Cæli link has a thorough explanation of what’s gone on most recently. The problems started when a small group within the order petitioned Rome, complaining that the order was too traditional.

March 3, 2014

The Mass Is Not A Bludgeon

Rorate has presented a leaked letter from the Bishop of Fort Worth, Michael Olson, in which he prescribes that the Traditional Latin Mass not be said on the campus of Fisher More College, in his diocese. Under the provisions of Summorum Pontificum, he cannot forbid the saying of the Traditional Latin Mass; in canon law, it is not his to permit or forbid. So, in this letter, instead of illegally forbidding the Traditional Latin Mass, he legally threatens to remove the chapel from campus entirely.

March 6, 2016

Reason Can Prove God's Existence

The existence of God can be proven/demonstrated from reason alone. But don’t take my word for it: Oath Against Modernism (Denz. 2145) And first, I profess that God, the beginning and end of all things, can be certainly known and thus can also be demonstrated by the natural light of reason “by the things that are made” [cf. Romans 1:20], that is, by the visible works of creation, as the cause by the effects.

July 2, 2014

A Priest Who “Sees the Dead”? Dead Wrong

Over on his blog, Fr. Dwight Longenecker relates how he knew a priest who could see the dead. Not on demand, presumably, but it supposedly did happen this one time. If you have not read the post, well, you’d be better off if you don’t. If you have, know that it has a few dangerous misconceptions in it that I would like to put into perspective below. So What, Objectively, Happened?

May 13, 2014

The Hermeneutic of Continuity is Bunk

The hermeneutic of continuity, sometimes called the hermeneutic of reform in continuity, is incoherent. Instead of following this interpretation of Vatican II documents, we should hold the documents to the standard put forth by Catholic Tradition. Definition(s) The hermeneutic of continuity surprisingly admits of two definitions. The Council documents must be understood in the light of Traditional Catholic doctrine. The Council documents already stand in continuity with Traditional Catholic doctrine, and the only way to see it is to apply this hermeneutic.

May 13, 2014

The Hermeneutic of Continuity is Bunk

The hermeneutic of continuity, sometimes called the hermeneutic of reform in continuity, is incoherent. Instead of following this interpretation of Vatican II documents, we should hold the documents to the standard put forth by Catholic Tradition. Definition(s) The hermeneutic of continuity surprisingly admits of two definitions. The Council documents must be understood in the light of Traditional Catholic doctrine. The Council documents already stand in continuity with Traditional Catholic doctrine, and the only way to see it is to apply this hermeneutic.

May 7, 2014

Spot Modernism #1

Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri, the Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops, recently gave an interview to a weekly magazine. Let’s see if we can apply some of the lessons learned from reading Pascendi Dominici Gregis to his statements. “The Church is not timeless” The Church is not timeless, she lives amidst the vicissitudes of history and the Gospel must be known and experienced by people today. We can see that no objective, undying truth of the Church is admitted here.

February 19, 2016

Yes, The Pope Said Something Scandalous

So the pope held another interview on a plane. And, unfortunately, he said something scandalous. This is going to be a bit long, but I think it’s needed to make the following points: Yes, what he said is actually scandalous. No, seriously, it is actually scandalous. Just ignoring it is a disservice to souls. Here’s the question and answer from the interview in its entirety: Paloma García Ovejero, Cadena COPE (Spain): Holy Father, for several weeks there’s been a lot of concern in many Latin American countries but also in Europe regarding the Zika virus.

December 12, 2013

The Prophet Elias Re-Converts Israel (Again)

From the Douay-Rheims translation of the Third Book of Kings (1 Kings): [21] And Elias coming to all the people, said: How long do you halt between two sides? if the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people did not answer him a word. [22] And Elias said again to the people: I only remain a prophet of the Lord: but the prophets of Baal are four hundred and fifty men.

May 31, 2013

St. Benedict Evangelizes

From Pope Pius XII’s Encyclical Fulgens Radiatur: Trusting in God and relying on His ever present help, he went south and arrived at a fort “called Cassino situated on the side of a high mountain …; on this stood an old temple where Apollo was worshipped by the foolish country people, according to the custom of the ancient heathens. Around it likewise grew groves, in which even till that time the mad multitude of infidels used to offer their idolatrous sacrifices.

April 1, 2014

April Fool's Day Fathers Lies

Every first day of April, the internet becomes more unreliable than usual as people post falsehoods in the name of humor. Sites that normally traffic in the truth choose to pull a fast one on their readers. At the end of the prank, the reader is supposed to realize that they’ve been duped, and a good laugh is to be had by all. While satire has its place, satire is best presented as satire up front.

March 4, 2014

Pope Pius XI On Marriage Laws

From Casti Connubii §5: … let it be repeated as an immutable and inviolable fundamental doctrine that matrimony was not instituted or restored by man but by God; not by man were the laws made to strengthen and confirm and elevate it but by God, the Author of nature, and by Christ Our Lord by Whom nature was redeemed, and hence these laws cannot be subject to any human decrees or to any contrary pact even of the spouses themselves.

March 2, 2014

There Is No Such Thing As “Remarriage” After Divorce

“Remarriage” is a word that is being used very imprecisely in an important public discussion about reception of Holy Communion. In reality, a remarriage is a marriage that is contracted by someone whose previous marriage ended with the death of the other spouse. This is the only sense in which the word “remarriage” has any meaning, because the death of the spouse is the only way a marriage can end.

February 28, 2016

To Dissemble When God Is Wronged Is Impiety

We join our Lord Jesus Christ in the fourth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew. He is finishing up being tempted by Satan in the desert: 8 Again, the Devil took Him up into an exceeding high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; 9 And said to Him, All these things will I give You, if You will fall down and worship me.

August 6, 2015

Oh, For Offspring's Sake!

As these situations especially affect children, we are aware of a greater urgency to foster a true welcome for these families in our communities. For how can we encourage these parents to raise their children in the Christian life, to give them an example of Christian faith, if we keep them at arm’s length? I am especially grateful to the many pastors, guided by my Predecessors, who have worked diligently to let these families know they are still a part of the Church.

June 15, 2014

Spot Modernism #2 - Pontifical Committee for Historical Sciences Edition

Fr. Bernard Ardura, president of the Pontifical Committee for Historical Sciences, recently gave an interview about Pope St. Pius X. Let’s see if what he has to say about this great pope is tainted with modernism. Pope Pius X Was a “Reformer” For Modernism During his pontificate he was a very important reformer, but between his reformative activities, he also had to intervene on doctrine-related issues, as he was facing a difficult movement, called modernism.

May 13, 2014

The Hermeneutic of Continuity is Bunk

The hermeneutic of continuity, sometimes called the hermeneutic of reform in continuity, is incoherent. Instead of following this interpretation of Vatican II documents, we should hold the documents to the standard put forth by Catholic Tradition. Definition(s) The hermeneutic of continuity surprisingly admits of two definitions. The Council documents must be understood in the light of Traditional Catholic doctrine. The Council documents already stand in continuity with Traditional Catholic doctrine, and the only way to see it is to apply this hermeneutic.

May 7, 2014

Spot Modernism #1

Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri, the Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops, recently gave an interview to a weekly magazine. Let’s see if we can apply some of the lessons learned from reading Pascendi Dominici Gregis to his statements. “The Church is not timeless” The Church is not timeless, she lives amidst the vicissitudes of history and the Gospel must be known and experienced by people today. We can see that no objective, undying truth of the Church is admitted here.

May 5, 2014

St. Pius X on the Attack

After fleshing out the tactics of the Modernists, Pope St. Pius X outlines a plan of attack for his papacy to combat Modernists. He acknowledges that Pope Leo XIII had fought Modernists, but the Modernists were able to twist the words of the Pontiff and convince others that he really was talking about others, not themselves. But St. Pius X realizes that more efficacious measures are needed. He implores all bishops, pastors of souls, educators and professors of clerics, and in a very special way the superiors of religious communities to help him in taking the following actions:

May 3, 2014

Modernism In Action

After spelling out the causes of Modernism, Pope St. Pius X tackles the tactics of Modernists. He lumps them under two umbrellas: removing obstacles that prevent them from deluding the minds of men, and patiently applying every resource at their disposal. Removing Obstacles There are three large obstacles upon which Modernists wage unrelenting war: the scholastic method of philosophy the authority and tradition of the Church Fathers the magisterium of the Church Scholastic Philosophy Pius X has already mentioned in passing that by abandoning Scholasticism Modernists have left themselves without the tools to defend themselves from ignorance and intellectual error.

April 30, 2014

Causes of Modernism

Moral Causes With an eye to coming up with a suitable remedy for Modernism, Pius X takes up its causes in §40 of Pascendi. He lists three moral causes: one proximate, and two remote. In a series of causal events, where one thing causes the next, the proximate cause is the cause right before the final thing in the chain. So whatever else in the causal chain leads up to Modernism, the nearest and most immediate cause of Modernism is an error of the mind.

April 29, 2014

Modernism, Agnosticism, and Atheism

After defining Modernism as the synthesis of all heresies, Pope St. Pius X turns to discussion of how the agnosticism of the Modernist philosophy leads to atheism. Agnosticism bars man from approaching God through the intellect. Remember, it says that God is completely unknowable from reason. Instead, it proposes that a better way of approaching God is through “a certain sense of the soul and action”. But in reality (not in Modernism), the sense of the soul is the soul’s response to what the intellect or the senses set before it.

April 3, 2014

Modernism Is A System

The first thing that Pope Saint Pius X discusses after laying out the seven personalities of Modernists is to reiterate that Modernism is not a bunch of “scattered and unconnected theories”, but is a complete and integrated system. (§39) When you admit but one principle of Modernism, you cannot help but admit all of the Modernist principles. It is in this section that Pius famously defines Modernism to be “the synthesis of all heresies.

March 31, 2014

The Modernist Reformer

The last personality of the Modernist is the Reformer. Pope St. Pius X spends only one section on this personality, and it is basically just a list of everything that the Modernists want to reform: Philosophy, especially in the seminaries Scholastic philosophy ought to be abandoned as too absolutist, in contrast to modern philosophy which is better suited to the times. Theology Rational theology should be based on modern philosophy, and postive theology on the history of dogma.

March 29, 2014

The Modernist Apologist

An apologist for the Church defends Her and Her faith from all who would argue against them. Over the centuries, many sound arguments have been advanced by Catholics to aid in this defense. The Modernist apologist does not use traditional arguments from reliable sources, but instead bases his defense upon the history produced by Modernist historians. He uses two types of arguments: objective and subjective. Objective Approach The objective approach to Modernist apologetics starts from (you guessed it) agnosticism.

March 28, 2014

The Modernist Critic

The Modernist critic synthesizes Modernist history and philosophy to produce his criticism, which ends up butchering Scripture. The critic starts by taking his data from the Modernist historian. (§31) Whatever is left after the historian has made his mark is considered real history; whatever has been explained away is considered the history of faith. So, continuing with the focus on Christ, the critic distinguishes between the Christ who lived in a particular time and place (considered real) and the Christ of faith, who comes from pious meditations of the believer (such a critic would consider the Gospel of St.

March 27, 2014

The Modernist Historian

The Modernist historian does not want to be seen as a philosopher. They want their historical practice to appear objective, untainted by a philosophy. But their historical practice is full of their philosophy, and “their historico-critical conclusions are the natural outcome of their philosophical principles.” (§30) Like the philosopher, the historian starts with agnosticism. Agnosticism means that the Modernist historian removes God from being an actor in history. History deals entirely in phenomena, just like science.

March 26, 2014

The Modernist Theologian – Topics of Faith

Since theologians talk of faith, Pope St. Pius takes §§21-28 to delve deeper into topics related to faith. Dogma Dogma has been discussed earlier in the encyclical. First the Modernist believer has religious impulses. These impulses prompt secondary reflections that eventually evolve into dogma. Theological speculation, while not itself Modernist dogma, can help “harmonize religion to science” and “defend religion from without” (§21). Worship Modernists view sacraments as the result of “inner impulses”.

March 25, 2014

The Modernist Theologian – Foundational Concepts

The portion of Pascendi expounding upon the Modernist theologian is by far the longest and most involved section. It can be roughly divided into two parts. The first spells out the foundational concepts on which Modernist theology is built. The second speaks on other, non-foundational topics of Modernist faith. In the interests of length, this post focuses on just the foundational concepts. Foundational Concepts Modernist theology is built around three concepts: theological immanence, theological symbolism, and divine permanence.

March 22, 2014

The Modernist Believer

There is a contradiction between the Modernist philosopher and the Modernist believer. The believer thinks that the divine is something external, outside of himself. The philosopher thinks that the divine is completely internal to the believer, and does not exist outside of the believer. The believer concludes that the divine is external and real on the basis of personal religious experiences. The Modernist would claim that if one does not have these personal religious experiences, one is not a believer.

March 13, 2014

Pascendi And Modernism

Below, please find a series of posts on this site on the encyclical Pascendi Dominici Gregis of Pope St. Pius X. Bookmark this page as a reference for this study of the encyclical. If you want to be notified of new posts on this site, subscribe to the RSS feed. Introduction Subvert the Faith With This One Weird Worldview Modernist Personalities The Seven Personalities of Modernists - a brief overview of the Modernist system.

December 6, 2013

Subvert The Catholic Faith With This One Weird Worldview

Modernism is a silent killer of souls. The problem with modernism is that unless one has been trained in where to look for it, it is fiendishly difficult to notice. Its effects are obvious: religious indifferentism seemingly constant change in religious practice loss of faith Modernism’s practices, how it produces these effects, are much more obscured. A modernist does not write articles titled “Subvert The Catholic Faith With This One Weird Worldview”.

June 20, 2013

Proselytizing : Dialogue :: Heaven : Hell

The ever-trenchant Mundabor has a post about Cardinal Tauran on the New Evangelization. Jean-Louis Cardinal Tauran is the president of the Pontifical Council of Inter-religious Dialogue. The Cardinal has made statements such as these: “In this pluralistic situation, we have no other option than consciously cultivating friendly relationships with all of them based on mutual respect and understanding that eventually could lead to mutual collaboration for the common good, for peace and harmony towards the development of the society.

May 8, 2014

St. John The Evangelist Evangelizes a Youth

From Chapter 23, Book III of Eusebius' Church History: Listen to a tale, which is not a mere tale, but a narrative concerning John the apostle, which has been handed down and treasured up in memory. For when, after the tyrant’s death, he returned from the isle of Patmos to Ephesus, he went away upon their invitation to the neighboring territories of the Gentiles, to appoint bishops in some places, in other places to set in order whole churches, elsewhere to choose to the ministry some one of those that were pointed out by the Spirit.

December 13, 2013

Old Evangelization Leads To Persecution

When you evangelize and present the Catholic faith as it has been taught for centuries, you will be persecuted. Some of that persecution will be from within the Church. A most trenchant example is the latest persecution of the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate (FFI). That Rorate Cæli link has a thorough explanation of what’s gone on most recently. The problems started when a small group within the order petitioned Rome, complaining that the order was too traditional.

December 12, 2013

The Prophet Elias Re-Converts Israel (Again)

From the Douay-Rheims translation of the Third Book of Kings (1 Kings): [21] And Elias coming to all the people, said: How long do you halt between two sides? if the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people did not answer him a word. [22] And Elias said again to the people: I only remain a prophet of the Lord: but the prophets of Baal are four hundred and fifty men.

December 10, 2013

It's OK To Speak Harshly Sometimes

One of the more striking things I’ve come across reading Pascendi Dominici Gregis is the tone. Pope St. Pius X writes many words, and he minces not a one of them. But we have not yet come to the end of their philosophy, or, to speak more accurately, their folly. (par. 8) By most measures, that is a sick burn! Blind that they are, and leaders of the blind, inflated with a boastful science, they have reached that pitch of folly where they pervert the eternal concept of truth and the true nature of the religious sentiment; (par.

June 13, 2013

Nemo Potest Dare Quod Non Habet

Nemo potest dare quod non habet is a Latin phrase that translates “No one can give what he has not.” It is a cliché because it is so very true. If you do not have an apple, you cannot give someone an apple. If you do not have an umbrella, you cannot give someone temporary shelter from rain. If you do not have sound catechesis, you cannot pass on the Catholic faith to anyone else.

May 31, 2013

St. Benedict Evangelizes

From Pope Pius XII’s Encyclical Fulgens Radiatur: Trusting in God and relying on His ever present help, he went south and arrived at a fort “called Cassino situated on the side of a high mountain …; on this stood an old temple where Apollo was worshipped by the foolish country people, according to the custom of the ancient heathens. Around it likewise grew groves, in which even till that time the mad multitude of infidels used to offer their idolatrous sacrifices.

April 25, 2013

Catholicism Is For Everyone

Jesus came so that all might be saved. Now He never said that all would be saved, or even most. But salvation is at least possible for anyone. Nobody knows better than God that different people have different capabilities. Some, like St. Thomas Aquinas, can dictate three different books to scribes at the same sitting and have one of them be considered the best theological treatise of all time. Others like St.

April 22, 2013

Saint Dominic Evangelizes An Innkeeper

Excerpted from Saint Dominic de Guzman by Fray Diego Matamoros On their first evening of the journey, the small band of Royal emissaries stopped at an inn is [sic] southern France to rest for the night. The owner of the inn was a heretic, who engaged the bishop and young sub-prior in a discussion. Up to this point, neither the bishop, nor Saint Dominic had any idea of the nature of this heresy, or the mental hold that it had on its adherents.

May 5, 2014

St. Pius X on the Attack

After fleshing out the tactics of the Modernists, Pope St. Pius X outlines a plan of attack for his papacy to combat Modernists. He acknowledges that Pope Leo XIII had fought Modernists, but the Modernists were able to twist the words of the Pontiff and convince others that he really was talking about others, not themselves. But St. Pius X realizes that more efficacious measures are needed. He implores all bishops, pastors of souls, educators and professors of clerics, and in a very special way the superiors of religious communities to help him in taking the following actions:

May 3, 2014

Modernism In Action

After spelling out the causes of Modernism, Pope St. Pius X tackles the tactics of Modernists. He lumps them under two umbrellas: removing obstacles that prevent them from deluding the minds of men, and patiently applying every resource at their disposal. Removing Obstacles There are three large obstacles upon which Modernists wage unrelenting war: the scholastic method of philosophy the authority and tradition of the Church Fathers the magisterium of the Church Scholastic Philosophy Pius X has already mentioned in passing that by abandoning Scholasticism Modernists have left themselves without the tools to defend themselves from ignorance and intellectual error.

April 30, 2014

Causes of Modernism

Moral Causes With an eye to coming up with a suitable remedy for Modernism, Pius X takes up its causes in §40 of Pascendi. He lists three moral causes: one proximate, and two remote. In a series of causal events, where one thing causes the next, the proximate cause is the cause right before the final thing in the chain. So whatever else in the causal chain leads up to Modernism, the nearest and most immediate cause of Modernism is an error of the mind.

April 29, 2014

Modernism, Agnosticism, and Atheism

After defining Modernism as the synthesis of all heresies, Pope St. Pius X turns to discussion of how the agnosticism of the Modernist philosophy leads to atheism. Agnosticism bars man from approaching God through the intellect. Remember, it says that God is completely unknowable from reason. Instead, it proposes that a better way of approaching God is through “a certain sense of the soul and action”. But in reality (not in Modernism), the sense of the soul is the soul’s response to what the intellect or the senses set before it.

April 3, 2014

Modernism Is A System

The first thing that Pope Saint Pius X discusses after laying out the seven personalities of Modernists is to reiterate that Modernism is not a bunch of “scattered and unconnected theories”, but is a complete and integrated system. (§39) When you admit but one principle of Modernism, you cannot help but admit all of the Modernist principles. It is in this section that Pius famously defines Modernism to be “the synthesis of all heresies.

March 31, 2014

The Modernist Reformer

The last personality of the Modernist is the Reformer. Pope St. Pius X spends only one section on this personality, and it is basically just a list of everything that the Modernists want to reform: Philosophy, especially in the seminaries Scholastic philosophy ought to be abandoned as too absolutist, in contrast to modern philosophy which is better suited to the times. Theology Rational theology should be based on modern philosophy, and postive theology on the history of dogma.

March 29, 2014

The Modernist Apologist

An apologist for the Church defends Her and Her faith from all who would argue against them. Over the centuries, many sound arguments have been advanced by Catholics to aid in this defense. The Modernist apologist does not use traditional arguments from reliable sources, but instead bases his defense upon the history produced by Modernist historians. He uses two types of arguments: objective and subjective. Objective Approach The objective approach to Modernist apologetics starts from (you guessed it) agnosticism.

March 28, 2014

The Modernist Critic

The Modernist critic synthesizes Modernist history and philosophy to produce his criticism, which ends up butchering Scripture. The critic starts by taking his data from the Modernist historian. (§31) Whatever is left after the historian has made his mark is considered real history; whatever has been explained away is considered the history of faith. So, continuing with the focus on Christ, the critic distinguishes between the Christ who lived in a particular time and place (considered real) and the Christ of faith, who comes from pious meditations of the believer (such a critic would consider the Gospel of St.

March 27, 2014

The Modernist Historian

The Modernist historian does not want to be seen as a philosopher. They want their historical practice to appear objective, untainted by a philosophy. But their historical practice is full of their philosophy, and “their historico-critical conclusions are the natural outcome of their philosophical principles.” (§30) Like the philosopher, the historian starts with agnosticism. Agnosticism means that the Modernist historian removes God from being an actor in history. History deals entirely in phenomena, just like science.

March 26, 2014

The Modernist Theologian – Topics of Faith

Since theologians talk of faith, Pope St. Pius takes §§21-28 to delve deeper into topics related to faith. Dogma Dogma has been discussed earlier in the encyclical. First the Modernist believer has religious impulses. These impulses prompt secondary reflections that eventually evolve into dogma. Theological speculation, while not itself Modernist dogma, can help “harmonize religion to science” and “defend religion from without” (§21). Worship Modernists view sacraments as the result of “inner impulses”.

March 25, 2014

The Modernist Theologian – Foundational Concepts

The portion of Pascendi expounding upon the Modernist theologian is by far the longest and most involved section. It can be roughly divided into two parts. The first spells out the foundational concepts on which Modernist theology is built. The second speaks on other, non-foundational topics of Modernist faith. In the interests of length, this post focuses on just the foundational concepts. Foundational Concepts Modernist theology is built around three concepts: theological immanence, theological symbolism, and divine permanence.

March 22, 2014

The Modernist Believer

There is a contradiction between the Modernist philosopher and the Modernist believer. The believer thinks that the divine is something external, outside of himself. The philosopher thinks that the divine is completely internal to the believer, and does not exist outside of the believer. The believer concludes that the divine is external and real on the basis of personal religious experiences. The Modernist would claim that if one does not have these personal religious experiences, one is not a believer.

March 15, 2014

The Modernist Philosopher

The Modernist philosopher begins with Agnosticism. Many people think that agnosticism is simply acknowledging that one does not know whether or not God exists. But in the Modernist system, agnosticism is a denial that anyone can even know whether God exists. All we can reason about is phenomena: things that appear to us, and the way they appear to us. Since the existence of God is not a phenomena, we can’t reason about it.

March 13, 2014

The Seven Personalities of Modernists

In Pascendi Dominici Gregis, Pope St. Pius X aims to show that Modernism is “the synthesis of all heresies”. It is not just a scattered bunch of heresies here and there, but rather a coherent program on the march to destroy the Catholic faith. But on the surface Modernism appears to be a mess of unrelated tactics. It is not exactly easy to see how it is organized and coherent.

March 13, 2014

Pascendi And Modernism

Below, please find a series of posts on this site on the encyclical Pascendi Dominici Gregis of Pope St. Pius X. Bookmark this page as a reference for this study of the encyclical. If you want to be notified of new posts on this site, subscribe to the RSS feed. Introduction Subvert the Faith With This One Weird Worldview Modernist Personalities The Seven Personalities of Modernists - a brief overview of the Modernist system.

December 10, 2013

It's OK To Speak Harshly Sometimes

One of the more striking things I’ve come across reading Pascendi Dominici Gregis is the tone. Pope St. Pius X writes many words, and he minces not a one of them. But we have not yet come to the end of their philosophy, or, to speak more accurately, their folly. (par. 8) By most measures, that is a sick burn! Blind that they are, and leaders of the blind, inflated with a boastful science, they have reached that pitch of folly where they pervert the eternal concept of truth and the true nature of the religious sentiment; (par.

December 6, 2013

Subvert The Catholic Faith With This One Weird Worldview

Modernism is a silent killer of souls. The problem with modernism is that unless one has been trained in where to look for it, it is fiendishly difficult to notice. Its effects are obvious: religious indifferentism seemingly constant change in religious practice loss of faith Modernism’s practices, how it produces these effects, are much more obscured. A modernist does not write articles titled “Subvert The Catholic Faith With This One Weird Worldview”.

December 13, 2013

Old Evangelization Leads To Persecution

When you evangelize and present the Catholic faith as it has been taught for centuries, you will be persecuted. Some of that persecution will be from within the Church. A most trenchant example is the latest persecution of the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate (FFI). That Rorate Cæli link has a thorough explanation of what’s gone on most recently. The problems started when a small group within the order petitioned Rome, complaining that the order was too traditional.

February 28, 2016

To Dissemble When God Is Wronged Is Impiety

We join our Lord Jesus Christ in the fourth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew. He is finishing up being tempted by Satan in the desert: 8 Again, the Devil took Him up into an exceeding high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; 9 And said to Him, All these things will I give You, if You will fall down and worship me.

February 19, 2016

Yes, The Pope Said Something Scandalous

So the pope held another interview on a plane. And, unfortunately, he said something scandalous. This is going to be a bit long, but I think it’s needed to make the following points: Yes, what he said is actually scandalous. No, seriously, it is actually scandalous. Just ignoring it is a disservice to souls. Here’s the question and answer from the interview in its entirety: Paloma García Ovejero, Cadena COPE (Spain): Holy Father, for several weeks there’s been a lot of concern in many Latin American countries but also in Europe regarding the Zika virus.

August 6, 2015

Oh, For Offspring's Sake!

As these situations especially affect children, we are aware of a greater urgency to foster a true welcome for these families in our communities. For how can we encourage these parents to raise their children in the Christian life, to give them an example of Christian faith, if we keep them at arm’s length? I am especially grateful to the many pastors, guided by my Predecessors, who have worked diligently to let these families know they are still a part of the Church.

March 10, 2014

Temptation In The News

A follow-up to the previous post regarding the seventh commandment: “And immediately there came to mind the thief we all have inside ourselves and while I arranged the flowers I took the cross and with just a bit of force I removed it,” Pope Francis said. The idea to steal a crucifix from a priest’s corpse was a temptation. The “thief we all have inside ourselves” is likely a demon tempting its prey, although it is quite possible the temptation was natural and occurred without any demonic prompting.

December 13, 2013

Old Evangelization Leads To Persecution

When you evangelize and present the Catholic faith as it has been taught for centuries, you will be persecuted. Some of that persecution will be from within the Church. A most trenchant example is the latest persecution of the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate (FFI). That Rorate Cæli link has a thorough explanation of what’s gone on most recently. The problems started when a small group within the order petitioned Rome, complaining that the order was too traditional.

May 9, 2013

Pope Francis Proselytizes

Pope Francis says at a daily Mass that evangelizing is not proselytizing. Since they are two separate words, I am inclined to agree. But why does the pope need to make this distinction? Evangelization is the act of proclaiming Jesus Christ. Proselytizing is the attempt to win converts to your cause. Emphasizing their differences masks just how complementary they are. Why proclaim the good news that is Jesus if you did not wish to convert people to His religion?

February 19, 2016

Yes, The Pope Said Something Scandalous

So the pope held another interview on a plane. And, unfortunately, he said something scandalous. This is going to be a bit long, but I think it’s needed to make the following points: Yes, what he said is actually scandalous. No, seriously, it is actually scandalous. Just ignoring it is a disservice to souls. Here’s the question and answer from the interview in its entirety: Paloma García Ovejero, Cadena COPE (Spain): Holy Father, for several weeks there’s been a lot of concern in many Latin American countries but also in Europe regarding the Zika virus.

August 6, 2015

Oh, For Offspring's Sake!

As these situations especially affect children, we are aware of a greater urgency to foster a true welcome for these families in our communities. For how can we encourage these parents to raise their children in the Christian life, to give them an example of Christian faith, if we keep them at arm’s length? I am especially grateful to the many pastors, guided by my Predecessors, who have worked diligently to let these families know they are still a part of the Church.

March 4, 2014

Pope Pius XI On Marriage Laws

From Casti Connubii §5: … let it be repeated as an immutable and inviolable fundamental doctrine that matrimony was not instituted or restored by man but by God; not by man were the laws made to strengthen and confirm and elevate it but by God, the Author of nature, and by Christ Our Lord by Whom nature was redeemed, and hence these laws cannot be subject to any human decrees or to any contrary pact even of the spouses themselves.

June 15, 2014

Spot Modernism #2 - Pontifical Committee for Historical Sciences Edition

Fr. Bernard Ardura, president of the Pontifical Committee for Historical Sciences, recently gave an interview about Pope St. Pius X. Let’s see if what he has to say about this great pope is tainted with modernism. Pope Pius X Was a “Reformer” For Modernism During his pontificate he was a very important reformer, but between his reformative activities, he also had to intervene on doctrine-related issues, as he was facing a difficult movement, called modernism.

March 13, 2014

Pascendi And Modernism

Below, please find a series of posts on this site on the encyclical Pascendi Dominici Gregis of Pope St. Pius X. Bookmark this page as a reference for this study of the encyclical. If you want to be notified of new posts on this site, subscribe to the RSS feed. Introduction Subvert the Faith With This One Weird Worldview Modernist Personalities The Seven Personalities of Modernists - a brief overview of the Modernist system.

December 6, 2013

Subvert The Catholic Faith With This One Weird Worldview

Modernism is a silent killer of souls. The problem with modernism is that unless one has been trained in where to look for it, it is fiendishly difficult to notice. Its effects are obvious: religious indifferentism seemingly constant change in religious practice loss of faith Modernism’s practices, how it produces these effects, are much more obscured. A modernist does not write articles titled “Subvert The Catholic Faith With This One Weird Worldview”.

March 6, 2014

Just How Long Is A Rosary Anyway?

This may seem like an unusual question, but just how long is a rosary? How many prayers does it take to pray the rosary? The Short Answer The rosary consists of fifteen mysteries, three sets of five each: the Joyful, the Sorrowful, and the Glorious. For each mystery, also referred to as a “decade”, one prays one Our Father, ten Hail Marys, and a Glory Be, meditating on that mystery throughout.

December 12, 2013

The Prophet Elias Re-Converts Israel (Again)

From the Douay-Rheims translation of the Third Book of Kings (1 Kings): [21] And Elias coming to all the people, said: How long do you halt between two sides? if the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people did not answer him a word. [22] And Elias said again to the people: I only remain a prophet of the Lord: but the prophets of Baal are four hundred and fifty men.

June 20, 2013

Proselytizing : Dialogue :: Heaven : Hell

The ever-trenchant Mundabor has a post about Cardinal Tauran on the New Evangelization. Jean-Louis Cardinal Tauran is the president of the Pontifical Council of Inter-religious Dialogue. The Cardinal has made statements such as these: “In this pluralistic situation, we have no other option than consciously cultivating friendly relationships with all of them based on mutual respect and understanding that eventually could lead to mutual collaboration for the common good, for peace and harmony towards the development of the society.

May 9, 2013

Pope Francis Proselytizes

Pope Francis says at a daily Mass that evangelizing is not proselytizing. Since they are two separate words, I am inclined to agree. But why does the pope need to make this distinction? Evangelization is the act of proclaiming Jesus Christ. Proselytizing is the attempt to win converts to your cause. Emphasizing their differences masks just how complementary they are. Why proclaim the good news that is Jesus if you did not wish to convert people to His religion?

March 6, 2016

Reason Can Prove God's Existence

The existence of God can be proven/demonstrated from reason alone. But don’t take my word for it: Oath Against Modernism (Denz. 2145) And first, I profess that God, the beginning and end of all things, can be certainly known and thus can also be demonstrated by the natural light of reason “by the things that are made” [cf. Romans 1:20], that is, by the visible works of creation, as the cause by the effects.

June 22, 2013

Apostasy and Cardinal Dolan

Timothy Cardinal Dolan, the Cardinal Archbishop of New York and President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, has made statements that suggest apostasy. Visiting a mosque in New York, he said the following: “You love God, we love God and he is the same God,” the cardinal said of the Muslim and Roman Catholic faiths. He likened Muslims to earlier waves of Roman Catholic immigrants who some 150 years ago faced the same challenge of “how to become loyal, responsible, patriotic Americans without losing their faith.

March 6, 2014

Just How Long Is A Rosary Anyway?

This may seem like an unusual question, but just how long is a rosary? How many prayers does it take to pray the rosary? The Short Answer The rosary consists of fifteen mysteries, three sets of five each: the Joyful, the Sorrowful, and the Glorious. For each mystery, also referred to as a “decade”, one prays one Our Father, ten Hail Marys, and a Glory Be, meditating on that mystery throughout.

May 31, 2013

St. Benedict Evangelizes

From Pope Pius XII’s Encyclical Fulgens Radiatur: Trusting in God and relying on His ever present help, he went south and arrived at a fort “called Cassino situated on the side of a high mountain …; on this stood an old temple where Apollo was worshipped by the foolish country people, according to the custom of the ancient heathens. Around it likewise grew groves, in which even till that time the mad multitude of infidels used to offer their idolatrous sacrifices.

April 1, 2014

April Fool's Day Fathers Lies

Every first day of April, the internet becomes more unreliable than usual as people post falsehoods in the name of humor. Sites that normally traffic in the truth choose to pull a fast one on their readers. At the end of the prank, the reader is supposed to realize that they’ve been duped, and a good laugh is to be had by all. While satire has its place, satire is best presented as satire up front.

March 2, 2014

There Is No Such Thing As “Remarriage” After Divorce

“Remarriage” is a word that is being used very imprecisely in an important public discussion about reception of Holy Communion. In reality, a remarriage is a marriage that is contracted by someone whose previous marriage ended with the death of the other spouse. This is the only sense in which the word “remarriage” has any meaning, because the death of the spouse is the only way a marriage can end.

March 10, 2014

Temptation In The News

A follow-up to the previous post regarding the seventh commandment: “And immediately there came to mind the thief we all have inside ourselves and while I arranged the flowers I took the cross and with just a bit of force I removed it,” Pope Francis said. The idea to steal a crucifix from a priest’s corpse was a temptation. The “thief we all have inside ourselves” is likely a demon tempting its prey, although it is quite possible the temptation was natural and occurred without any demonic prompting.

March 8, 2014

The Seventh Commandment In The News

From what I can see, not one Catholic commenter has tackled a news story that made the rounds 6 March. According to the AP account, which matches Rome Reports' video of the event, Pope Francis told the priests of Rome that some years prior he had removed the crucifix from the rosary of his late confessor, whose corpse was clutching the rosary in its casket. Francis claims to have kept the crucifix on his person ever since as a reminder of mercy.

June 15, 2014

Spot Modernism #2 - Pontifical Committee for Historical Sciences Edition

Fr. Bernard Ardura, president of the Pontifical Committee for Historical Sciences, recently gave an interview about Pope St. Pius X. Let’s see if what he has to say about this great pope is tainted with modernism. Pope Pius X Was a “Reformer” For Modernism During his pontificate he was a very important reformer, but between his reformative activities, he also had to intervene on doctrine-related issues, as he was facing a difficult movement, called modernism.

May 7, 2014

Spot Modernism #1

Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri, the Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops, recently gave an interview to a weekly magazine. Let’s see if we can apply some of the lessons learned from reading Pascendi Dominici Gregis to his statements. “The Church is not timeless” The Church is not timeless, she lives amidst the vicissitudes of history and the Gospel must be known and experienced by people today. We can see that no objective, undying truth of the Church is admitted here.

March 10, 2014

Temptation In The News

A follow-up to the previous post regarding the seventh commandment: “And immediately there came to mind the thief we all have inside ourselves and while I arranged the flowers I took the cross and with just a bit of force I removed it,” Pope Francis said. The idea to steal a crucifix from a priest’s corpse was a temptation. The “thief we all have inside ourselves” is likely a demon tempting its prey, although it is quite possible the temptation was natural and occurred without any demonic prompting.

June 22, 2013

Apostasy and Cardinal Dolan

Timothy Cardinal Dolan, the Cardinal Archbishop of New York and President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, has made statements that suggest apostasy. Visiting a mosque in New York, he said the following: “You love God, we love God and he is the same God,” the cardinal said of the Muslim and Roman Catholic faiths. He likened Muslims to earlier waves of Roman Catholic immigrants who some 150 years ago faced the same challenge of “how to become loyal, responsible, patriotic Americans without losing their faith.

May 13, 2014

The Hermeneutic of Continuity is Bunk

The hermeneutic of continuity, sometimes called the hermeneutic of reform in continuity, is incoherent. Instead of following this interpretation of Vatican II documents, we should hold the documents to the standard put forth by Catholic Tradition. Definition(s) The hermeneutic of continuity surprisingly admits of two definitions. The Council documents must be understood in the light of Traditional Catholic doctrine. The Council documents already stand in continuity with Traditional Catholic doctrine, and the only way to see it is to apply this hermeneutic.

April 1, 2014

April Fool's Day Fathers Lies

Every first day of April, the internet becomes more unreliable than usual as people post falsehoods in the name of humor. Sites that normally traffic in the truth choose to pull a fast one on their readers. At the end of the prank, the reader is supposed to realize that they’ve been duped, and a good laugh is to be had by all. While satire has its place, satire is best presented as satire up front.