Unveiling The Pope, the Council, and the Mass to a New Generation A book review by Michael Lofton “[The Council] has invested its teachings with the authority of the supreme ordinary magisterium, which ordinary magisterium is so obviously authentic that it must be accepted with docility and sincerity by all the faithful, according...
Update June 15: Sources close to monastery talk to ABC affiliate Since this article is still getting significant traffic since it was posted June 13, I’ll add one more significant development. Several sources close to the Carmelite Monastery in Arlington, Texas, spoke to WFAA, the local ABC affiliate, under the condition of anonymity...
The National Eucharistic Revival launched June 19, 2022 on the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, or Corpus Christi, began as a three-year initiative with a mission to “renew the Church by enkindling a living relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist.” Sponsored by the USCCB,...
A reflection on the readings for June 11, 2023, The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ “Why can’t I change after all these years? Why can’t I change my ways? I find it so strange after all these years I’m still more or less the same.” These words are the...
For, together with the sources of positive theology God has given to His Church a living Teaching Authority to elucidate and explain what is contained in the deposit of faith only obscurely and implicitly. This deposit of faith our Divine Redeemer has given for authentic interpretation not to each of the faithful, not...
This week on the Debrief, Dominic and I give an update on Pope Francis’s condition following surgery, and his meditation on St Therese. We discuss the disconnect between the US Church and the rest of the world. Finally, We discuss areas where the institutional Church needs to improve its approach to communication. In...
“May Christ plant a kiss on me.” — St. Ambrose. Every Romeo wants to kiss his Juliet. If she is a little shy, he may try to cajole or trick her with sweet and gentle words. Shakespeare’s tragic Romeo tells his Juliet that his intentions are pure as a prayer. His lips are...
Thursday morning, a reader sent me the latest update from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram about an ongoing public conflict between a bishop and a group of cloistered nuns in Texas. For those who haven’t been following the story, the dispute between Fort Worth Bishop Michael Olson and the Discalced Carmelite nuns of the...
When examining Pope Francis’s perspective on synodality, many observers, both proponents and detractors, often discuss two possible influences that helped shape his approach. One factor they often point out is the extent to which the way the Church was organized during the first millennium plays a role, with its many local and general...
After yesterday’s 40-minute visit to a Roman hospital for a “check up,” Pope Francis participated this morning in his usual Wednesday General Audience in St. Peter’s square, where he spoke about St. Therese of the Child Jesus and afterwards greeted pilgrims from his wheelchair. But only a few hours later, journalists began reporting...
Last year, I spent two weeks in Rome. During my visit, I met with many interesting people from all around the world, from Church officials to Vatican journalists to clergy and seminarians working and studying in Rome. It was a fascinating experience, especially when speaking with Catholics who weren’t from the United States,...
Catholicism has always considered creation to be the place of God’s saving activity, but the Church’s eschatological vision has often focused on an otherworldly destiny that forgets the importance of this world. This otherworldly escapism still lingers in some Christian descriptions of salvation: the individual human soul is saved for heaven. An example...
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