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Where Peter Is

Follow-up conversation on Fr. Chad Ripperger

Earlier today, I had a conversation with Dr. Rafael Gonzalez, a Catholic theology teacher with a PhD from Pontifex University who discusses faith-related has a YouTube channel called “My Catholic Two Cents” about my recent article on Fr. Chad Ripperger. I thought it was a fruitful conversation and allowed me to go a...

Conscience without Grace Cannot Be Free

Sister Gabriela of the Incarnation OCD, herself a Where Peter Is contributor, emailed me earlier this year after reading my essay “Theology of Sexuality after Amoris and Fiducia,” pointing out that my analysis in that essay did not reach the subject of divine grace in the life of the Catholic believer. This was...

If your eye causes you to stumble

“If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. If your foot causes you to sin, cut it off, and if your eye causes you to stumble, tear it out.” The hand, the foot, and the eye: three things are very dear to us. To lose even one of them can make...

When journalists abuse

The ten leading members whom the Pope last week expelled from the scandal-plagued Peruvian movement Sodalicio were responsible for abuse of different kinds: physical, including sadism and violence; of conscience; and spiritual abuse, such as using information obtained in spiritual direction. The sanctions for these are established in canon law and have been...

Third Space Podcast: Shaun Blanchard – Development and Fundamentalism

In this episode, I talked with Dr. Shaun Blanchard about the trend I’ve seen among not only Traditionalist, but also mainstream “JPII Catholics,” to reject the development of doctrine and embrace a type of Catholic fundamentalism. Listen to the episode here: https://www.catholicthirdspace.com/p/3-shaun-blanchard-development-and Shaun Blanchard is Lecturer in Theology at the University of Notre Dame...

A musical setting of the St. Michael Prayer

One of our contributors, V. J. Tarantino, composed an original musical setting of the St. Michael Prayer, a few years ago. In honor of the Feast of the Holy Archangels (not celebrated liturgically this year, as it falls on Sunday), we are sharing this music with you. WPI : How do you come...

Which Pope said this?

This contempt almost bars the way of all wellfounded hope of the conversion of the erring; while they refuse obedience to him to whom Divine Providence as to the Lord and Father of the whole Church in its pilgrimage on earth . . . has entrusted the custody of Christian life and faith...

A time for every thing under the heavens

A Reflection on Today’s Readings Recently, I was playing a form of Bible roulette. If you have not heard the term before, it is a reference to when someone points to a random verse in the Bible and tries to apply it to their life. Usually, the verse is applied literally since there...

Navigating growth and development in a living tradition

In his famous Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine, St. John Henry Newman sought to address a serious concern among the Protestant Christians of his day. Namely, if you look back through the Church’s history, there are places where the Church of one age taught something different from the Church of a...

A Summary Catechism on Extraordinary Phenomena, Part II

So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect. (Mt 5:48) During the first year of his papacy, Pope Francis answered a question from journalist Eugenio Scalfari regarding the significance of mystics in the Church: “They have been fundamental. A religion without mystics is a philosophy.” Although Scalfari later become notorious for...

Twice blessed: Women in Ministry in the Church

About a year and a half ago, I wrote an article on the Samaritan woman of the Gospels in connection with the Holy Father’s 2021 opening of the ordinary ministry of acolyte and lector to women of good character. Taken alongside his establishment of the ministry of catechist as an ordinary ministry open to both men and...