Chaos and the Spirit
Catholics who are alive in Christ know that “in hope we are saved.” We know and trust that God is working, even in what appears to be chaos, to bring salvation to the world. The beginning of Lumen Gentium contains...
Tagged: Pope Benedict XVI
Don’t Backstop the Pope
Francis is the Pope of the Catholic Church, but at this unique point in our history, we have a Pope Emeritus too. Sure, the old Benedict cardboard cut-outs have been taken down, but they haven’t been thrown away. They’ve been...
The earth belongs to everyone, not to the rich
As an American it is difficult at times to think beyond the Right/Left, Capitalist/Socialist dichotomy that permeates our economic and political landscape. This often makes it difficult for Catholics on either side of the aisle to understand what the Church...
Blurred lines – much ado about nothing
When I wrote my 3-part series “Was Pope Benedict forced to resign?”, I was able to gather a lot of evidence showing how the Pope Emeritus has a positive opinion about the reigning pontiff. So, imagine my contentment when, just...
Benedict’s letter: The saga continues
First, an apology is in order. When we launched this site, one of our stated intentions was to let stories unfold in their entirety before posting our commentary. When the original story of Benedict’s letter was published, I jumped the...
The Mystery of Benedict’s blurry text
What I am about to propose, for those of you who might be interested in a plausible explanation, is a hypothetical scenario that might explain the missing paragraph from the original news reports on Pope Emeritus Benedict’s letter, as well...
A Tale of Two Humilities
“There is more value in a little study of humility and in a single act of it than in all the knowledge in the world.” — quote attributed to St. Teresa of Avilla Shortly after Pope Francis’ election, an awful...
Three Popes, Two Conclaves, One Church
For a long time, Pope John Paull II was the only pope I knew. He was the pope of my childhood, and I was married with four kids by the time he died. But his death, the funeral, and the...
The Franciscan papacy at five years
Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam It is hard to believe that five years have passed since Pope Francis stepped out onto the loggia at St. Peter’s for the first time, looked out on the vast crowds in St. Peter’s square, waved...
Was Pope Benedict forced to resign? (part 3)
This is Part 3 of a 3 part series. Click here for part 1. Click here for part 2. So far, the evidence seems to be piling up in favor of Pope Benedict’s free resignation and his affection for Pope Francis....
Was Pope Benedict forced to resign? (part 2)
This is part 2 of a 3 part series. Click here for part 1. Click here for part 3. In part 1 of this series, I pointed to evidence drawing from Pope Benedict’s own words during and until a year after...
Was Pope Benedict forced to resign?
This is Part 1 of a 3 part series. Click here for part 2. Click here for part 3. One of the most tragic Church facts from the last decade is how one of the leading intellectuals of our time...
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