Deciding whether or not to attend the weddings of those not living in accord with the Church’s teaching on sexuality is, for many of us, an agonizing matter. People often ask for my advice. (I find it easier to advise them than to make similar decisions in my own life!) John,* a Catholic father, asked … Read more
What is the Church for? If a member of an uncontacted tribe entered a typical Catholic parish today, how long would it take him to learn an accurate answer to that question? Recently, Fr. James Grant wrote in these pages about putting the parish mission into action. He points out clear problems in the Church: … Read more
British polemicist Thomas Macaulay said, in criticism of the Puritans, that they “hated bear-baiting, not because it gave pain to the bear but because it gave pleasure to the spectators.” The Puritans were practically a comedy club next to any contemporary “Progressive.” As we enter the season of “winter holidays” (can’t say “Thanksgiving” and especially … Read more
Editor’s Note: This is an exclusive excerpt from Joseph Pearce’s forthcoming book, Benedict XVI: Defender of the Faith. In May 2011, Georg Ratzinger, the pope’s brother, was asked during an interview what he considered to be the “focal points” of Benedict’s pontificate. Without hesitation, he singled out the pope’s efforts to restore the traditional liturgy: … Read more
One month after the election of Joseph Biden I met personally with the Archbishop of Detroit, Allen Vigneron. I knew that he had been appointed to head a working committee of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB)—a committee formed to address how the bishops would deal with a Catholic president who advocates legalized … Read more
Whenever I come across Groucho Marx’s advice about never wanting to join a club that would have someone like him as a member, I immediately think of the Roman Catholic Church, whose admission standards are considerably more relaxed. In fact, so wildly promiscuous is Old Mother Church that even Groucho Marx would be welcome. She … Read more
In a virtual conversation conducted earlier this year with His Excellency Bishop Robert Barron of Los Angeles, Canadian psychologist Jordan Peterson bemoaned the overwhelming decline experienced by the Catholic Church in recent decades: My sense is that it’s because the Church does not demand enough of young people. And by not demanding enough it doesn’t … Read more
Just what is that telling line that is often spoken by today’s “nones?” “I’m spiritual, but not religious.” Over the years, I’ve heard those very words many a time. In all likelihood, it’s not a deliberate lie to say that one is spiritual but not religious. In fact, “nones” who resort to this self-description may … Read more
A short time ago, in the Maryland countryside, a priest the humble folk say bears a resemblance to Maximilian Kolbe turned on the ignition of his old silver pick-up and eased out of the parking lot of his St. Michael’s parish. He shifted into second gear and passed by a group of swollen-eyed parishioners standing … Read more
I pushed Michael Warren Davis’ new book, The Reactionary Mind (Regnery Publishing), on a friend of mine, a noted Catholic and academic leader. I told him a good part of the book was a defense of feudalism. I thought he’d like that. Instead, he said, “Well, recent scholarship shows that feudalism did not exist. So, … Read more
In a recent article at The Pillar, the estimable J.D. Flynn interviews a family in the Cleveland archdiocese whose son was preyed upon—through two years of utterly demonic enticement, spiritual blackmail, and cruelty—by a priest now serving a life sentence in prison. It is an agony to read, as it should be. The young man … Read more
The trend of intermittent fasting has been embraced in Christian and secular groups. Some people utilize a 9 a.m.-5 p.m. eating regimen, thereby fasting for 16 consecutive hours. Others, on occasion, fast for a full 24 hours once a week. Fasting in and of itself offers more than dietary benefits. The Desert Fathers practiced fasting … Read more
Imagine for just a moment if Christ called a meeting of His disciples to strategize how to moderate His tone so as not to offend the Pharisees. You likely can barely bring yourself to do it. As a Catholic, you know Christ wasn’t interested in being popular or not offending the establishment. One of the … Read more
In mid-March 2013, two men came to world power, each a leader of nearly one fifth of the population of the earth. And it looks as if Pope Francis and Xi Jinping will be leaders for life. Each has a new program for his people. One speaks of “accompaniment” and has initiated a “process of … Read more
Since January of this year, there has been renewed interest in the denial of Holy Communion for those who promote or support the murderous act of abortion. After Joseph Biden took the oath of office on January 20, among his first acts as the new occupant of the White House was the reversal of the … Read more
Suppose your priest or pastor. . . preaches homilies or teaches in ways that reject or repudiate Church dogma or doctrine (CCC 2037*); approves, supports, or helps to finance organizations or causes which deny or distort Church teaching; lives in a manner that gives scandal (CCC 2284) to parishioners; tolerates parish school faculty or staff … Read more
Apart from The Comedy of Errors, Macbeth, a tragedy of errors, is the shortest of Shakespeare’s plays. At only 2,107 lines it is barely half the length of Hamlet, with which it is often compared. The date of its composition is not certain, but several clues within the text suggest strongly that it was first … Read more
Slight squeamishness settles about the minds of a certain kind of Catholic this Sunday. “Reimagined Catholics,” that is: Catholics more at home with America magazine and the National Catholic Reporter than The Baltimore Catechism and the unredacted Lives of the Saints. You know, those Catholics quite comfortable with Mr. Biden warmly received at our altar … Read more
I ducked into the church for a weekday Mass taking place in the late afternoon. I was a visitor to the parish and have, since then, had no opportunity to return. The low ceilings and darkness were suffocating, and the slices of sun that shot through the oblong, rectangular windows did little but draw one’s … Read more
On October 30th, Fr. James Jackson, FSSP, a well-known traditional Catholic priest, was arrested on charges of possession of child pornography and erotica. Jackson, author of a popular book on the traditional Latin Mass titled Nothing Superfluous, was a pastor for years at a Colorado FSSP (Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter) parish before being transferred … Read more