Commentary
The threat of a runaway Synod
Having spent the last three years insisting that the Church must be practice “synodal” government, would the Pontiff now countermand a decision by the Synod?
Spiritual Preparation—Turning and Becoming a Child
Dr. Montessori encouraged the adults who work with children to first focus on spiritual preparation of the adult, inner preparation, transformation, especially in virtues of openness, humility, patience, love and respect.
Did Trump really lose the debate?
No, Kamala did not best Trump in that debate. Trump rebutted her points and frequently turned them back on her. Not a knockout, like he scored against Biden. But a win. Or, at worst, a draw. Which, given the numbers right now, is still a Trump win.
Vocation shortage? There’s no such thing.
When a priest or a nun is asked when he or she began thinking seriously about a vocation, the answer is often disarmingly simple: when someone asked.
Athenagoras the Athenian: Apology Not Accepted
The early Christian apologist Athenagoras may not be as famous as some of the other Church fathers, but he’s a great example of someone who started out as an apologist against Christianity, but when he actually learned what the apostles and the Church taught, he was converted. He teaches us about the doctrines of the Trinity, and the Resurrection.
183—Does Angel Studios merit the hype?
James Majewski plays guest host in this episode, asking Thomas about his recent essay critiquing the well-known Christian film distributor Angel Studios (associated with The Chosen, Sound of Freedom, and Cabrini).
Self-Portraits
As we strive to identify our temperaments in need of God’s grace, we look to the Scriptures for hints of the temperaments of certain biblical characters.
On hacking Planned Parenthood
It is perfectly clear that when evil actions are protected by law and government, the means of combatting such evils will often violate the law. That in itself is not a legitimate moral deterrent, even if one must take into account the consequences of any increased disrespect for the law. Consider for example the many laws one must disobey in totalitarian societies merely to avoid complicity in evil.
Church Teaching on Cinema: Vatican II and Beyond
In the Vatican II era, official Church engagement with cinema as a distinct art was largely replaced by discussion of "social communications" generically. However, there were still some important things said in Church documents dealing with film under the pontificates of St. Paul VI and St. John Paul II.
Dancing with the devil
Want to tempt someone to anger? Give him a newspaper. To envy? Magazine advertisements. To lust, or greed, or gluttony? Log onto the internet. Your ticket to perdition may be purchased with a click of the mouse.
Why aren’t there more Catholic Bibles?
The Catholic apologetics movement of the last several decades has done incredible work to better educate lay Catholics in our faith. One mountain still to climb, though, is to get Catholics to buy Bibles in as large a number as our separated brethren do, and to read them. Why is the Protestant Bible-selling market so much more gigantic than the Catholic one?
No, your parish is not ‘vibrant’
Is your parish or diocese oscillating or pulsating rapidly? No. Nor should it. So why is the word “vibrant” invoked with such mind-numbing frequency to describe Catholic communities?
Angel Studios: questioning the hype
In just four short years, Angel Studios has become a household name among Christians, and for some it represents the cutting edge of religious cinema. But does the distributor of The Chosen, Sound of Freedom, and Cabrini really merit the hype?
God’s justice or God’s mercy?
The line between depending on God’s mercy and seeking to conform ourselves ever more fully to God’s will can often be hard to cross. Or, to put it another way, even devout souls are far more likely to pray for God’s mercy for “sinners” or “poor sinners”, considered as a category in which we do not include ourselves—except perhaps by rote in the Our Father and the Hail Mary.
Priests Preaching Politics
The words of Jesus are often harsh, and apply to all of us who, like the Pharisees, take sinful pride in our religiosity.
Are missionaries agents of colonialism?
Do Christian missionaries demand government intervention and insist on forcible conversion? Do they try to make those they serve dependent on tobacco, or drugs, or sensual pleasures, or even watered-down baby formula? Do the break up families to create docile work forces? Do they use their converts for pleasure, personal enrichment or political gain?
A ‘grave sin’? Balancing the Pope’s statement on migration
Pope Francis could cool down the passions that he has stirred, and advance the public debate, if he would convey— in full— the Catechism’s teaching on migration.
Papias of Hierapolis and the Book of Revelation
Dr. Papandrea introduces one of the “apostolic fathers,” Papias of Hierapolis. We only have fragments of his writings, but those fragments started a controversy over the authorship of the book of Revelation and the Johannine letters. Papias is a good example of how the Church fathers, as individuals, were not right about everything.
Veils in Church: Style, threat, or testimony?
In some places it may take not only piety but a bit of courage to wear a veil in Church (even if the “veils” of which we are speaking are not of the sort that cover the face). If I am reading the cultural signals correctly, I would say that in most cases wearing a veil is a feminine statement of reliance on God’s plans and not those of the dominant culture—not those of this world.
A Brighter Summer Day (1991)
The 1991 film A Brighter Summer Day, directed by Edward Yang, is considered by many one of the best movies ever made. Set in Taiwan shortly after the Chinese Civil War, this incredibly textured four-hour drama gives the sense of a whole uneasy social fabric.
Give the Pharisees their due
Natural piety, then, gives rise to an appreciation for what our ancestors have left us. We may come to criticize some things that they did, and we certainly expect to make some improvements. But our default assumption is that they knew what they were doing.
Trump: The lesser of two evils is a moral choice
For those who may be reluctant to vote for President Trump because he has so many obvious deficiencies, despite his previous pro-life efforts which included appointing Justices who reversed Roe vs. Wade, it is important to recognize our moral obligations with respect to the lesser of two evils.
Final Liturgical Year volume for 2023-24 available now
Our liturgical year ebooks include all the liturgical day information for each season just as it appears on CatholicCulture.org. These offer a rich set of resources for families to use in living the liturgical year in the domestic church. Resources include biographies of the saints to match each feast day, histories of the various celebrations and devotions, descriptions of customs from around the world, prayers, activities and recipes.
182—Duruflé’s Requiem w/ Christopher Berry
Maurice Duruflé (1902-1986) was one of the greatest sacred composers of the 20th century, best known for his Requiem and his motet "Ubi caritas". His lush and tranquil choral and organ works combine a deep familiarity with Gregorian chant with the style of impressionism, imbued with a sense of prayer as he was a devout Catholic.
Holy Gimmicks
Without subsequent events, the miraculous multiplication of the loaves in isolation is a special-effects gimmick.
What makes a good bishop and a good diocese? A case study.
From the outside, of course, this looks like a perfect storm of success built by applying Catholic fidelity to a population which was growing, perhaps largely because of the diocese’s proximity to Washington, DC. But that alone does not explain the sound Catholic schools, the many beautiful new churches built throughout the diocese, or the reverent and uplifting liturgies that are so common here.
Pope St. Gelasius I—Famuli Vestrae Pietatis: On the Two Swords
"For there are two, O emperor Augustus, by which the world is principally ruled: the sacred authority of pontiffs and the royal power."
Leading prayers for the culture of death
No doubt Archbishop Listecki could have given Republican politicians a stronger reminder that souls as well as votes are at stake when we ponder the meaning of the “pursuit of happiness.” But Cardinal Cupich faced a much greater challenge when he addressed the Democratic crowd in Chicago.
Providence or mere politics? On the rebellion against Being
In every ideological regime, it is a matter of urging people to join the “enlightened” side in order to achieve “social perfection”. Those who join are happy to feel a part of something big and wonderful. Those who do not are marginalized, relegated to the outer darkness. They are considered so backward as to no longer be worthy of consideration.
Avoiding the Excesses of Materialism and Spiritualism
The sacraments do not form a superstructure of our existence, as if our daily lives stand apart from our spiritual lives. The sacraments restore and elevate human nature.
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