A sub-category of News.
We can all recall with vivid memory the thundering chariot race that was orchestrated by William Wyler in the 1950’s epic film, Ben-Hur. While the film explores the themes of revenge and Christ’s redemption, the novel plunges the reader into a much deeper experience. Ben Hur, written by Lew Wallace and published in 1880, revolves…
From the Roman Office. ℣. Grant, Lord, a blessing. Benediction. May God the Father Omnipotent, be to us merciful and clement. ℟. Amen. Reading 4 From the Sermons of Pope St. Leo the Great. 2nd for the Lord’s Ascension. Dearly beloved brethren, that mysterious thing, our salvation, which the Maker of the universe thought worth…
The past six weeks have been filled with news in both the United States and the world at large. April 19 was the 250th anniversary of the battles of Lexington, Concord, and Menotomy, which opened the American Revolution, resulting in our independence in 1783. This semiquincentennial has received much less attention—outside the particular localities directly…
In this article, I write about the trend of Celebrity Priests. So, I should define terms before continuing. When I refer to a Celebrity Priest, I do not mean a priest who happens to be well-known because of his virtues. Instead, I am referring to a trend of famous priests who are well-known not just…
If this were day one in a course on the Theology of Christ, the first order of business would be to issue the following disclaimer, which is that not even the least glimpse into the mystery of Jesus is possible without first answering one very big question. Leave it out and the whole inquiry regarding…
A long time ago, we hired a team of carpenters and plumbers to renovate a bathroom. Moe, Larry, and Curly were not masters of their craft. I should have fired them as soon as I saw what they had done to one of the doorways, removing the support for one of the uprights and turning…
From the Roman office of the feast. ℣. Grant, Lord, a blessing. Benediction. May God the Father Omnipotent, be to us merciful and clement. ℟. Amen. Reading 4 From the Sermons of Pope St. Leo the Great 1st on the Lords Ascension After the blessed and glorious Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, wherein the…
Above: the Lateran Treaty, establishing Vatican City. The financing of the Italian clergy represents one of the most insidious and sophisticated tools through which the state, particularly the Italian state (but also supranational institutions that view the Church as merely a means of social engineering), has gradually subjected the Catholic Church to its own interests….
I’ve never understood cultural Catholicism. If you extract belief while keeping the trappings of a Catholic faith devoid of, well, faith, you end up with one of the lamest country clubs around. The members aren’t cool. Their musical tastes are cringe. They may have some ethnic affiliation and a rich cultural history, but they are…
Have you ever had one of those jarring moments when the lyrics of a song you once jammed to as a kid suddenly hit you with grown-up clarity? Maybe it was hearing Free Bird and suddenly realizing the masses in your high school were swaying to a breakup anthem. Or perhaps at your kids’ Catholic…
